How did it come to this!
This was no longer the image of the man who, on that day, had been unsteadily supported by two attendants during the wedding ceremony. Nor did he resemble the rumors of a man so feeble that even two attendants could barely hold him up, much less someone whose condition had drawn the Empress Dowager’s personal visit.
Zhou Fu stared as Duke Jin’an entered the hall. Though his complexion still appeared somewhat sallow, it didn’t seem dull against the crimson of his robes. Instead, it exuded a dignified glow, and his eyes were deep and bright.
From head to toe, he radiated vitality.
“Why not come in and sit down?”
The voice of Cheng Jiao-niang sounded beside him.
Zhou Fu jolted back to attention and only then noticed Cheng Jiao-niang walking behind Duke Jin’an.
How had he missed her! Had Duke Jin’an’s appearance stolen everyone’s attention?
How could he compare to her in looks!
Zhou Fu thought indignantly, shifting his gaze to Cheng Jiao-niang.
As it was still her wedding period, she continued to wear red attire. Yet, her hair was styled as usual, adorned only with a wooden hairpin and a small silver comb, with no other ornaments.
It seemed as though nothing had changed – her features remained bright and lovely, her expression as serene as ever.
“Everyone at home is waiting,” he muttered, averting his eyes.
“Then let’s go,” said Duke Jin’an.
At these words, everyone inside and outside the hall began to move.
Zhou Fu glanced once more at Cheng Jiao-niang before turning and stepping out ahead of the others.
Watching the procession befitting a duke’s mansion escort the carriage away, Master Gu and Doctor Li stood at the gate, still overcome with emotion. They wanted to say something but struggled to find the words, as if nothing could fully capture the excitement in their hearts.
In the end, Master Gu simply nodded.
“The Princess Consort truly honors her words with actions,” he said.
She had declared that Duke Jin’an would be well today – and indeed, he was.
When Duke Jin’an stepped down from the carriage in front of the Cheng family’s residence, the astonishment of Fan Jianglin and the others who had come out to greet him was no less – if not greater – than that of Master Gu and Zhou Fu. The onlookers who had been watching from all around felt the same, and the news spread like wildfire.
“He walked on his own?”
Young Master Gao stared wide-eyed as he asked.
“Yes, he walked steadily without needing support and even helped Lady Cheng down from the carriage afterward,” the attendant replied with a nod.
“He must be pretending, right?” Young Master Gao frowned skeptically.
Gao Lingjun snorted coldly.
“You never questioned it when he seemed to be at death’s door, yet now that he’s recovered, you doubt him?” he remarked.
Young Master Gao flushed awkwardly.
“Father, this… this is truly unbelievable,” he said.
Someone hurried in from outside.
“It’s absolutely true. Word has even come from Duke Jin’an’s mansion,” the advisor said urgently. “His condition improved yesterday – he sat up and ate on his own. Today, he was able to get out of bed and walk without any assistance, all the way from the inner chamber to the outer courtyard. Doctor Li has even stopped the medication, saying that, according to the Princess Consort, Duke Jin’an has fully recovered.”
Gao Lingjun remained silent, while only Young Master Gao’s exclamations of astonishment echoed in the room.
“This can’t be possible! How could he recover?!”
How could it not be possible?
Gao Lingjun slowly ran his hand over the surface of the table.
“Have we all forgotten that she truly possesses the ability to bring the dead back to life?” he said, then looked up at the adviser. “How many people do we still have on our side over there?”
“After the purge yesterday, only three managed to remain in place,” the adviser replied.
Gao Lingjun frowned.
“Were they truly not discovered?” he asked.
“Yes. These three have been with Duke Jin’an from the very beginning – since childhood. They’ve never had direct contact with us,” the adviser replied.
Gao Lingjun nodded.
“Have them investigate meticulously to determine exactly what method was used to cure him,” he said. “Without understanding this, we cannot plan our next move properly. Once is enough with this resurrection business!”
The adviser acknowledged the order.
Compared to the stifling atmosphere at the Gao residence, the Cheng household was brimming with joy. Not only were Fan Jianglin and his wife present, but Madam Chen had also come to visit.
Looking at Duke Jin’an standing before her, Madam Chen was overjoyed.
“It’s wonderful that you’ve recovered, truly wonderful,” she repeated, her tone filled with relief. “It really frightened everyone.”
That day, when word spread that the Empress Dowager had personally visited Duke Jin’an’s mansion, everyone had assumed that the Prince’s condition must be critical.
“Having heard of my recovery, Her Majesty made a special trip to see me,” Duke Jin’an said with a smile, though a hint of regret colored his expression. “Since childhood, I’ve been stubborn and difficult to raise, troubling Her Majesty greatly. We have already sent word to the palace, and tomorrow, we will go to the palace to express our gratitude to the Empress Dowager.”
Madam Chen smiled and nodded. It was widely said that Duke Jin’an was most favored by the Empress Dowager and the Emperor – and it seemed such favor was indeed well-deserved.
Taking into account Duke Jin’an’s recent recovery, the gathering was kept brief, and soon Fan Jianglin came to invite everyone to the feast.
“Today’s banquet was prepared personally by Li Dashao and Ban Qin,” he announced.
At that, Li Dashao and Ban Qin stepped forward to bow and kowtow to Cheng Jiao-niang and Duke Jin’an.
Eunuch Jing quickly handed them red envelopes as rewards.
“I wasn’t able to attend the wedding ceremony that day to send you off,” the maid said, tears glistening in her eyes.
She had been deeply worried – concerned that the bride might face mistreatment during the wedding procession and anxious about Duke Jin’an’s failing health…
“What a shame you weren’t there,” Su Xin said with a smile, gently taking her arm and steering the conversation elsewhere. “It was truly an incredibly lively day.”
“I saw it, I saw it!” Chen Dan-niang chimed in excitedly from the side. “So many people wrote poetry for the bride, and there were so many, many fireworks!”
The maid smiled through her tears and nodded.
“I saw it too. Even standing at the street corner, I could see everything – the fireworks went on for nearly half a day,” she said. “Everyone in the household came out to watch, and the streets were completely packed.”
Old Master Zhang had even muttered some envious remarks under his breath.
Thinking of that, the maid’s smile grew even brighter.
As everyone reminisced about the grand celebrations of that day, the room grew lively with chatter. Even Xiao Bao’er, who had only just begun to speak fluently, joined in with cheerful, babbling noises.
“Still, it’s a pity that the Li family’s firework shop doesn’t sell those fireworks,” Chen Dan-niang added, a hint of pout in her voice as she reached out to tug at Cheng Jiao-niang’s sleeve. “Lady Cheng, could you talk to them for me and get me one?”
“It’s not just the fireworks,” Madam Chen said with a light laugh. “Master Cui’s doorstep has been practically worn out by visitors, yet he hasn’t revealed a single sheet of the music score. Now people are only relying on their memories of what they heard, piecing together messy renditions. Even so, whenever someone announces they will attempt to play the piece from the wedding procession, crowds still flock to listen.”
At this topic, the women and maids in the hall – whether ladies of the house or servants – couldn’t stop talking all at once, and laughter filled the air continuously.
Duke Jin’an sat quietly to one side, watching Cheng Jiao-niang surrounded by her three maids and a young girl. The scene was as pleasing and harmonious as a painting.
Someone nudged his arm.
Duke Jin’an turned his head and saw Zhou Fu signaling him with his eyes.
“I need to step out to the washroom,” the Duke said.
Fan Jianglin immediately rose to accompany him, but Zhou Fu had already stood up first.
“Let’s go,” Zhou Fu said and strode out ahead.
Duke Jin’an smiled at Fan Jianglin, gesturing for him to stay, then followed. Once outside the room, he could hear the laughter inside grow even louder – clearly, his presence had restrained their ease earlier.
A faint smile touched the Duke’s lips. Just then, a hand suddenly grabbed him and pulled him into the corner by the wall.
“Were you faking it all along?” Zhou Fu demanded through gritted teeth, his eyes glaring fiercely as he hissed in a low voice. “Was everything – from start to finish – just an act? You were never really in danger, were you?”
As he spoke, his hands trembled slightly, and his voice shook too.
“I don’t care and I don’t want to know why you pretended, what necessity or what helplessness drove you. I just know this – Cheng Si-lang died! Cheng Si-lang is dead!”
Duke Jin’an looked at him steadily and reached out to place a hand over Zhou Fu’s trembling grip.
“I wasn’t pretending,” he said calmly. “She truly healed me.”
Zhou Fu did not release his hold. His eyes were bloodshot, with dark circles beneath them, as though he had not slept properly in a long time.
“Liu-lang, even if you do not trust me, surely you trust her?” Duke Jin’an said. “If all of this had been a pretense, and Cheng Si-lang’s death was real, could I still be standing here safe and well now?”
Zhou Fu released his grip.
Indeed, she was someone who drew clear lines between gratitude and grievance – never one to engage in empty gestures or deception.
“Liu-lang, I would never deceive her,” Duke Jin’an added. “Not in the past, and not in the future.”
Zhou Fu glanced at him.
“Don’t call me Liu-lang,” he said, then turned to leave.
“Zijian,” Duke Jin’an said with a slight smile.
Zhou Fu’s courtesy name was Zijian.
Without responding, Zhou Fu kept walking.
“Zijian,” the Duke called out again from behind.
Zhou Fu turned back with a hint of irritation, only to see Duke Jin’an smiling at him.
“Where is the washroom?” he asked.
…
Watching as Duke Jin’an returned to the main hall, the banquet now fully prepared and the atmosphere inside warm and lively, Zhou Fu stopped beneath the corridor. Through the window lattice, he caught a glimpse of Cheng Jiao-niang smiling – her jet-black eyes shimmering like gentle ripples.
Truthfully, he had seldom seen her smile before, especially in the past when her face often held a blank expression and her gaze seemed empty.
From now on, he would see it even less.
Suddenly, Zhou Fu no longer wished to stay. He turned and walked away.
“Young Master, are you leaving already?” his attendant asked, puzzled, as he led the horse over. “You haven’t eaten yet.”
This meal was prepared by that famous cook from the Zhang household, and Tai Ping Tofu from Tai Ping Residence had also been delivered. Earlier, he had squeezed among a group of attendants to catch a glimpse – the left-handed chef had carved the tofu into delicate flower shapes. The kitchen staff had even said that today’s food was meant for everyone, so he too could get a taste and even swallow a whole tofu flower in one bite…
“Eat, eat – is missing one meal going to starve you to death?” Zhou Fu snapped irritably. Taking the reins, he prepared to mount his horse.
“Sixth Young Master!”
The voice of a maid called out from behind.
Zhou Fu turned and saw Cheng Jiao-niang approaching, with Su Xin following beside her, holding a small bundle.
“Something has come up at home. I’m heading back now,” Zhou Fu spoke first, his eyes lowered toward the ground.
“Mn, go ahead and return then,” Cheng Jiao-niang replied calmly.
Su Xin stepped forward and handed the bundle to him.
“This is a set of clothing the mistress made. Since the sisters from your family are not in the capital, you should take good care of yourself,” she said.
“I don’t lack…” Zhou Fu muttered under his breath. He glanced up and saw his attendant still standing there blankly, then irritably kicked a small stone on the ground toward him.
The attendant yelped in surprise, snapped out of his daze, and quickly stepped forward to take the bundle – though he couldn’t help thinking to himself, Didn’t you just say you didn’t need anything?
“This is a set of travel clothes,” Cheng Jiao-niang said.
Zhou Fu hummed in acknowledgment, then suddenly remembered something and looked up sharply.
“I’m not leaving,” he said, adding a cold, sarcastic laugh. “I’m not Cheng Si-lang.”
The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted them.
How could he lash out at her like that!
“Don’t worry,” he hurried to say, trying to bury the previous remark. “I’ve already joined the military camp. General Zhong looks after me well – no one can reach me under his watch. Just take care of yourself. If you are well, then I… we will be well too.”
With that, he quickly mounted his horse and urged it forward.
“If anything happens, don’t hide it from me or avoid me. You must come and tell me,” Cheng Jiao-niang called after him.
Zhou Fu glanced back at her and grunted in acknowledgment.
“You may not be Cheng Si-lang, but you are someone others could use to threaten me,” Cheng Jiao-niang said. “You are very important to me.”
You are very important to me.
As those words reached his ears, Zhou Fu felt a sudden warmth behind his eyes. He dug his heels into the horse’s sides – perhaps too forcefully – and the horse neighed before galloping away.
Seemingly caught off guard, Zhou Fu leaned back slightly as the horse carried him off.
It wasn’t until he had ridden quite a distance that he finally reined in his horse, staring blankly at the street he had somehow ended up on.
“So are you,” he said slowly, his voice low. “No – you are even more so.”
…
It wasn’t until dusk, after the evening meal, that Duke Jin’an and Cheng Jiao-niang finally took their leave from the Cheng residence in their carriage.
“Take the shorter route,” the Duke said to Eunuch Jing before boarding the carriage.
Eunuch Jing was taken aback for a moment.
Since they had the ceremonial guards escorting them, they had taken the main streets on the way there. If they took the shorter route, it would mean going through narrower lanes, where the procession and crowd might cause congestion.
However…
From the moment they had stepped out until now, Duke Jin’an had not had any rest.
Could it be that his health was…
Eunuch Jing’s expression immediately grew tense, and he quickly acknowledged the order.
Inside the carriage, Duke Jin’an leaned back against the seat as soon as he sat down.
“Are you tired?” Cheng Jiao-niang asked.
Duke Jin’an looked at her, shook his head, and said, “No.”
Cheng Jiao-niang did not press further. Instead, she picked up a book from the side and began to read.
Just as she had done on the way there.
Duke Jin’an watched her quietly for a moment, then straightened his posture and turned to look out the carriage window.
The carriage moved forward quietly and soon turned onto a smaller street. As dusk fell, people who had endured the day’s heat were now out enjoying the cooler air. The sudden appearance of the ceremonial procession caused some commotion and fluster on the street, but once they recognized the insignia, the atmosphere grew lively and excited.
“It’s Duke Jin’an’s carriage!”
“Today must be the day the Princess Consort is returning to her family home!”
“Look, look – that’s the Princess Consort!”
“Will there be fireworks again today?”
Watching the excited and jostling crowds lining the streets, Duke Jin’an smiled faintly. He turned to look at Cheng Jiao-niang, who was still absorbed in her book, seemingly unaware of the commotion outside.
“Cheng Fang,” he called out.
Cheng Jiao-niang looked up at him.
“Look,” Duke Jin’an said, gesturing toward the window with a soft smile.
Cheng Jiao-naing glanced outside and smiled as well.
“That day was truly lively,” Duke Jin’an remarked.
During their visit to the Cheng residence, much of the conversation had revolved around the bustling scenes of her wedding day – after all, for most people, it had been an unprecedented spectacle.
Duke Jin’an had listened quietly from the side until Chen Jiao-niang, sensing it might be inappropriate, gently steered the topic away.
It must have been a regret for the groom not to have witnessed the lively celebrations of his own wedding in person.
“Wedding processions are always lively affairs,” Cheng Jiao-niang said with a smile, looking at him.
Duke Jin’an met her gaze.
“Cheng Fang,” he said, his smile widening. “I saw it too.”
You saw it too?
Cheng Jiao-niang looked puzzled.
Duke Jin’an’s eyes sparkled as he smiled at her.
“I saw it with my own eyes,” he repeated softly.
