Compared to the turbulence of the Chen family, the residence of Duke Jin’an remained as tranquil as ever.
When news came from the inner courtyard that breakfast would be served, Master Gu in the outer courtyard once again glanced at the sky.
“What an early breakfast,” he remarked.
“His Highness was busy late into the night, and now that he is recovering, it’s only natural he rises late when tired,” said Eunuch Jing.
Master Gu let out a soft snort.
“That depends on what he was busy with,” he said.
As soon as the words left his mouth, Eunuch Jing burst into a chuckle.
What he was busy with… After the young couple had quarreled earlier, they still hadn’t gotten up long after the sun was high in the sky. What else could they have been busy with?
Hearing the laughter, Master Gu snapped back to reality, his expression turning awkward and flustered.
“What are you thinking about?” he said.
Discussing the affairs of their master’s private household was not something they should be doing.
Eunuch Jing, however, straightened his expression.
“What I’m thinking is that if His Highness can have an heir, it would fulfill one of his dearest wishes,” he said.
Indeed, if His Highness were to have a child, the bloodline of Duke Jin’an could be securely passed down. For a prince who had been targeted and harmed repeatedly, this would truly be a joyous blessing beyond measure.
What could be more important than the continuation of one’s lineage?
If it were anyone else, there might still be some unease and worry. But if the child belonged to that woman, surely it would be protected and secure.
This would no longer be just His Highness striving alone – it would be husband and wife united as one.
Master Gu’s expression softened.
As the two were talking, someone hurried in through the door.
“Eunuch Jing, the longbow has been found,” the person said.
Master Gu was taken aback.
“Why do you need a longbow?” he asked, eyeing the bow the person was carrying.
Eunuch Jing had already reached out gladly to take it, examining it for a moment.
“Good, this is just the kind we needed,” he said, then cheerfully hurried off with the bow.
Master Gu frowned after him and suddenly remembered that the Chen family had visited yesterday, leaving with a bow in hand.
So that was it.
The Princess Consort had gifted her longbow to someone, so Eunuch Jing was now rushing to find another one…
But no. Although Eunuch Jing was a eunuch, he only ingratiated himself with one master – he wouldn’t proactively seek a bow for the Princess Consort unless instructed by Duke Jin’an.
It seems His Highness truly has his heart set on this.
Master Gu couldn’t help but smile.
Well, well, it is a rare blessing to have a beloved companion by one’s side. Only…
At this thought, Master Gu shook his head again.
Only, it would be even better if that girl were also wholeheartedly devoted to His Highness.
As Eunuch Jing hung the longbow on the wall, Duke Jin’an looked on with a casual air.
“…Mastery comes from diligence; not a single day should be wasted,” he said. “I just picked one at random for you to use for now. Once you find one you truly like, you can choose that.”
Picked one at random…
This “random” choice had kept them busy from last night until now – they had practically combed through every shop and nearly stormed into the Chen family’s estate to find a bow just like the original one.
This must be what they mean by a bride asking in whispers if her makeup suits her groom’s taste.
Eunuch Jing pursed his lips.
“Common silk cannot compare to what is prized by this age, for one exquisite song is worth more than ten thousand gold,” Cheng Jiao-niang said, smiling at Duke Jin’an. “This ‘random’ bow of yours is more than enough for me to treasure.”
Eunuch Jing turned in astonishment to see the girl holding her chopsticks, eating leisurely with a faint smile at the corner of her mouth as she looked at Duke Jin’an seated across from her.
Duke Jin’an also held chopsticks, though at that moment, his expression seemed a bit dazed.
She was aware of the effort His Highness had made, directly acknowledging it, and then saying, I like it…
I like it…
Could it be… she was teasing His Highness?
Eunuch Jing’s gaze lingered on Duke Jin’an, and he watched with perfect clarity as the young man’s ears slowly flushed red.
“Well, that’s as it should be,” the young man replied, feigning a casual air as he stretched his arms slightly. “A small gift can carry deep affection.”
Cheng Jiao-niang smiled and said nothing more, lowering her head to continue her meal.
Duke Jin’an also ate as if nothing were amiss, though when he raised his sleeve to sip soup, his grin spread so wide that Eunuch Jing, from his vantage point, could see it clearly.
Unable to hold back, Eunuch Jing let out a quiet snort of laughter.
Duke Jin’an put down his soup bowl with a hint of embarrassment and shot him a glare.
“You may use the small study,” said Duke Jin’an after the meal.
“I’ll use the outer one.”
He smiled at that.
“It shouldn’t be a problem for me to move around the residence now, should it?”
Cheng Jiao-niang nodded.
“Indeed, no one is paying attention to you now,” she replied.
Everyone was now focused on the Crown Prince’s marriage.
Duke Jin’an nodded.
“I’ll go hear what people are saying outside,” he said.
Cheng Jiao-niang nodded again, watching as Duke Jin’an left with his attendants. Not long after – just as she had finished writing a single page of characters in the study – Duke Jin’an returned.
“What are they saying?” Cheng Jiao-niang asked.
Duke Jin’an’s expression was grim.
“What else could they say?” he replied. “Some are pushing, others pulling; some are fanning the flames, while others are pouring oil. In any case, they’re all determined to keep Minister Chen under intense scrutiny. You have no idea how cunning Gao Lingjun can be – that man is both brilliant and capable, enduring hardship while enjoying fortune, tolerating criticism as well as praise. Call him a gentleman, yet he resorts to petty tactics; label him a petty man, yet he carries an air of gentlemanly openness. Though I can hardly wait for his downfall, I can’t help but admire his shrewdness.”
He chuckled lightly as he spoke.
“Right now, everyone outside is saying that Minister Chen initially intended his daughter to become the Crown Princess Consort but changed his mind due to his wife’s opposition.”
“Word has also spread from the palace that the Empress Dowager has fallen ill, throwing the Imperial Medical Institute into chaos.”
With that, he settled into a cross-legged position and leaned toward Cheng Jiao-niang.
“What’s more, all those families who had initially hoped to have their daughters selected as imperial consorts are hastily arranging marriages for their unwed daughters.”
Cheng Jiao-niang looked up at him.
“They say they dare not be subject to others’ speculations and can only use this to prove they have no selfish intentions,” Duke Jin’an explained.
If you, Minister Chen, disdain the Crown Prince as a fool and refuse to marry your daughter to him, then how must you view the rest of us who are willing to let our daughters marry him?
If you, Minister Chen, despise imperial in-laws who scheme for power with selfish motives, then those of us who truly marry off our daughters will be seen as harboring improper intentions.
In that case, who would dare let their daughter become the Crown Princess?
“There will always be someone who dares,” Cheng Jiao-niang said. “We just have to wait.”
Duke Jin’an sighed.
“But Minister Chen is a gentleman,” he said. “A gentleman is cautious even when alone, making it easy to exploit his sense of righteousness.”
That thorn had lodged itself in Chen Shao’s heart and could not be removed. Even if others no longer spoke of the matter, he himself would not be able to move past it.
Cheng Jiao-niang, who had always spoken little, now grew even quieter.
The room grew quiet.
Duke Jin’an hesitated for a moment before nudging her arm gently.
“Let’s go out for a walk. Staying cooped up in the courtyard day after day is terribly dull,” he said, a hint of complaint in his tone. “…It’s been since the day we returned from our wedding visit that we last strolled outside.”
“In that case, we should have circled around a little farther that day,” Cheng Jiao-niang replied.
Duke Jin’an was taken aback, then burst into hearty laughter.
He remembered how Eunuch Jing, thinking himself clever, had dared neither to stop the carriage nor to stray aimlessly that day, forced to circle endlessly around the Duke’s residence.
To think that fellow had assumed they were… occupied with that kind of activity inside the carriage. How on earth did he come up with such an idea?
The thought of that kind of activity flickered through his mind, and Duke Jin’an couldn’t help but blush slightly.
“You’re teasing me again,” he said.
Cheng Jiao-niang’s expression remained unchanged.
“No, I’m not,” she replied earnestly.
Looking at her solemn expression, Duke Jin’an couldn’t hold back another chuckle.
“You truly are amusing,” he said, rising to his feet. “Come on, let’s take a walk in the courtyard.”
As if afraid Cheng Jiao-niang might refuse, he reached out and tugged her sleeve gently.
“…I haven’t fully recovered yet, and I’m not quite comfortable walking alone.”
“…Doctor Li isn’t home today…”
Seeing the two emerge, one after the other, Ban Qin and Su Xin hurriedly bowed. After letting them take a few steps ahead, they followed at a distance.
“Sister,” Ban Qin whispered, unable to hold back her curiosity, “His Highness said the mistress is truly amusing… Is she really?”
Su Xin smiled.
“In the eyes of someone who likes her, she naturally is,” she whispered with a soft laugh.
Like…
As long as he likes her, all is well.
Ban Qin let out a relieved sigh, though her heart grew heavy again as she recalled the Duke’s mention of Chen Shao’s predicament.
“Will that matter still be resolved?” she whispered.
Everything the mistress says comes to pass, doesn’t it…
No matter how harsh it seems, what else can be done?
“Back when we had just gained a foothold in the capital, Miss once took me out in a carriage for a ride through the streets,” Su Xin suddenly remarked.
Ban Qin looked at her, puzzled.
“Miss had me watch outside. At that time, we were passing by Immortal’s Abode – which wasn’t ours yet. Miss asked me what I saw, and I said I noticed it wasn’t as bustling as before. Then she asked what else I saw. Back then, it was because Dou Qi kept provoking the mistress that she decided to act. The Immortal’s Abode’s business plummeted swiftly. Originally, Miss couldn’t have cared less that he had taken ‘Passing Immortal’ as his own, but he refused to believe it, grew suspicious, and ended up bringing trouble on himself,” Su Xin explained.
Thinking back to those times, Ban Qin couldn’t help but smile.
“So, what I learned then was that one must be honest and kind – never assume you’re deceiving others, because deceiving others ultimately means deceiving yourself,” Su Xin continued. “But Miss still asked me what else I saw.”
Hearing this, Ban Qin felt a twinge of embarrassment.
If Miss asked so many questions like that, someone like me probably wouldn’t be able to answer even one. But then again – Miss never speaks idly. If she talks to you, it’s because she knows you’re someone who can understand her words. So, Miss would never ask me questions like that. She would only ask what I am capable of answering.
Ban Qin’s smile softened as she reached out to link arms with Su Xin.
“Just from a glance, you could understand so much?” she said.
“It really just comes down to one thing,” Su Xin replied, offering a faint smile. “When I couldn’t answer, Miss told me: ‘It’s difficult.'”
“Difficult?”
“To accomplish something, to do it well, to gain a foothold, to stand firmly – it’s difficult, truly not easy.”
Regardless of good or evil, the way of heaven is merciless; the path of the world is hard.
Yes, indeed, it is difficult. Who would have thought Chen Shao would suddenly face such a situation?
Ban Qin let out a soft sigh.
“I wonder how heartbreaking it will be for Dan-niang when she finds out,” she whispered.
Chen Dan-niang – only eleven years old. If things were settled like this, she wouldn’t even have had a chance to dream of the person she would one day marry as a young girl filled with tender yearnings.
The husband a dreaming girl yearns for would certainly not be a man of diminished wit.
“Maybe it’s for the best,” Su Xin said, lowering her gaze.
Without hope, there would be no despair.
…
Old Master Chen’s courtyard was exceptionally solemn. While it had always had few servants, it had never been as deserted as it was today – at first glance, one might think no one lived there at all.
Footsteps sounded softly as someone emerged from the main hall. Seeing Chen Shao still kneeling in the courtyard, the person let out a quiet sigh.
“Master, please rise,” the elderly servant urged in a low voice. “You know the old master’s temper well enough.”
Chen Shao’s face was clouded with sorrow, yet he made no move to stand.
“What? Are you telling me you can dictate the comings and goings of your own children, but now you presume to dictate your father’s as well?” Old Master Chen’s voice carried from within the hall, and he stepped out to face the old servant. “Is the carriage ready?”
The old servant bowed his head in acknowledgment.
Chen Shao then knocked his head heavily against the ground.
“There’s no need for you to kowtow to me,” Old Master Chen said calmly. “We are father and son – we know each other too well. I know your thoughts, and you know mine. Let’s not waste words on empty pleasantries. I’ll ask you one more time: Do you choose the path of a subject, or the path of a person?”
“Father,” Chen Shao raised his head, his eyes red, his voice strained. “You know the situation I’m in, you know what will come of the decision I’ve made, and you also know why I’ve made it.”
“Then you must also understand that refusing this marriage is actually easier than agreeing to it, is it not?” Old Master Chen said.
Chen Shao kowtowed in acknowledgment.
“I understand,” he replied.
Even if he were to face the uproar, mockery, and scorn of the world outside, as long as he gritted his teeth, he could endure it.
“So, is it that you truly cannot bear to relinquish the power and status you hold today?” Old Master Chen pressed.
Chen Shao kowtowed once more, then raised his head, his back straight as a ramrod.
“Father,” he said, his voice choked with emotion, “if your son truly craved power and status, I would never have agreed to support the Prince of Qing’s appointment as Crown Prince in the first place.”
Backing a simpleton as Crown Prince, driving the Gao family out of power, and forcing the Empress Dowager to step down – these actions would inevitably brand him as domineering and overbearing. Such a reputation would not safeguard his authority or position; instead, it would make him a target in the eyes of fellow court officials. In essence, this move had already turned him into an enemy on all sides, foreshadowing the immense risks and pressure he would face.
In contrast, allying with Zhang Jiangzhou and other scholars to advocate for an imperial heir from the royal clan would have earned him the gratitude and respect of the new emperor for his role in securing the succession, ensuring a smooth and prestigious official career.
“Ever since His Majesty fell gravely ill and failed to wake, I have not known a single day or night of peace.”
“I often think back to the times His Majesty would sit knee-to-knee with me, discussing the past and the present. I witnessed firsthand the grand aspirations His Majesty held, so many of which remain unfulfilled.”
“I simply cannot let go.”
Choking back tears, Chen Shao kowtowed once more and remained prostrate on the ground.
“Yet it doesn’t have to be Dan-niang,” Old Master Chen said hoarsely. “Wait, endure a little longer. Once Gao Lingjun is dealt with, everything will fall into place.”
Chen Shao did not rise.
“Father, I cannot afford to wait any longer,” he replied, his voice choked. “His Majesty cannot afford to wait.”
Old Master Chen’s expression shifted with understanding as he grasped the meaning behind those words.
“If the Crown Prince’s marriage has not been settled by next year, chaos is certain to follow,” Chen Shao said, his voice trembling.
Next year…
If His Majesty were to pass away next year with the Crown Prince’s marriage and succession still unresolved, the court would inevitably plunge into turmoil. The faction advocating for an imperial heir from the royal clan, now quieted, would surely rise again.
By then, after a prolonged illness of the emperor, what remained of reverence and fear would have worn thin. It was all too easy to imagine how many would begin to harbor their own ambitious schemes.
Old Master Chen looked at Chen Shao, slowly shaking his head.
“But in this situation, the one who should be most anxious is not you,” he said. “In the court, those in high positions should not strictly adhere to the way of the gentleman.”
If the Crown Prince cannot ascend the throne, the one who should be most desperate is Gao Lingjun The one who should step forward and devise a strategy is Gao Lingjun, not Chen Shao.
It is already clear that this matter stems from Gao Lingjun’s manipulation and scheming, exploiting Chen Shao’s loyalty, integrity, and adherence to the way of the gentleman, staining his reputation and utterly destroying his standing.
While enduring the condemnation of both commoners and officials, he would still have to protect the new emperor and secure his rule. Yet, once the new emperor firmly holds the throne, the first one to be eliminated would be Chen Shao.
Knowing full well that this is the scheme of a petty man, to continue upholding the way of the gentleman would only lead to a dead end. What he should do now is abandon the gentleman’s path and repay the schemer in his own coin.
To forsake the way of the gentleman.
Chen Shao raised his head, looking at his father with a determined expression.
“If, upon self-reflection, I find myself in the wrong, even against a humble commoner, I dare not stand before him. If, upon self-reflection, I find myself in the right, I will press forward even against thousands or tens of thousands.” He spoke slowly. “This is the commitment upheld by Zengzi, and I dare not forget it.”
