Chapter 728: Go Now and Pay Respects to Auspiciousness

In the afternoon,

Jiyin Alley,

the Sheng family’s Shou’an Hall.

By the bright windows, several pots of insect-repelling green plants stood arranged.

Beside them, the old lady sat comfortably in her chair, leaning back, eyes half-closed, slowly fanning herself.

The cool breeze from her fan dispersed the blue smoke drifting from the incense burner nearby.

“Madam, the herbal drink is ready.”

Fang Mama’s voice came with a smile.

After a long exhale, the old lady opened her eyes, sniffed the fragrant steam rising from the teacup Fang Mama held, and smiled.

As the old lady took the teacup, Fang Mama skillfully took the round fan from her hand.

Then, the old lady sipped the herbal drink while Fang Mama resumed slowly fanning.

After just two sips,

“Cui Mama has arrived.”

Cuixiao, standing at the door, announced with a smile.

The old lady took another sip, set the teacup on the small table beside her, and looked at Cui Mama as she entered with a smile.

“Ru’an, why are you here at this hour?” the old lady asked with a smile.

“You’re in good spirits,” Fang Mama chimed in cheerfully.

Cui Mama wiped her sweat with a handkerchief, exchanged a glance with Fang Mama, then bowed to the old lady and said, “Madam, today while I was out shopping, I heard some amusing gossip.”

“Oh?”

The old lady sat up straight, no longer leaning back, her interest piqued. She took the fan back and said, “Suqin, first let her have a drink of water.”

“Yes!” Fang Mama hurriedly replied.

The old lady fanned herself, and as soon as Cui Mama drank, she urged, “Quick, tell me.”

Cui Mama set the teacup on the table and smiled, “Madam, it’s about Marquis Hou’s Jing brother! No one knows how it started, but now they say giving gifts to Marquis Hou’s Jing brother ensures a son.”

“What?” The old lady stared at Cui Mama, baffled: “How could such a thing spread? Jing brother is just a child—what does giving him gifts have to do with bearing a son?”

Fang Mama nodded vigorously in agreement.

Cui Mama smiled, “Madam, I thought the same at first—but then,”

“Then what?”

“Then the female manager I spoke with gave me a few examples—I’m starting to believe it myself,” Cui Mama said uncertainly.

“What examples?” the old lady pressed.

Cui Mama blinked and said, “They say Lord Lu, the Imperial Son-in-Law of Xiangyang Marquis, and the Zhu Viscount’s family—”

After hearing this, the old lady exchanged a glance with Fang Mama and said, “That’s not many cases—probably just coincidence.”

“I thought so too! But that’s exactly what’s being whispered in the streets!” Cui Mama laughed.

The old lady shook her head with a smile, then picked up the teacup and sipped thoughtfully.

After a moment’s reflection, her smile faded, her expression turning grave.

Fang Mama and Cui Mama exchanged a puzzled look.

“Madam, what’s wrong?” Fang Mama asked softly.

The old lady took a deep breath and said sternly, “Send Jing brother to me right away.”

“Yes.”

In the afternoon after school,

in the Sheng family’s back courtyard,

Minglan walked toward Shou’an Hall with Xiaotao,

glanced back at Xu Zaijing, smiled faintly, then quickened her pace toward Shou’an Hall.

“Fifth Young Master has arrived.”

As the young maid announced, Xu Zaijing lowered his head and stepped through the curtain into the hall.

“Auntie, you called for me?” Xu Zaijing smiled.

As he spoke, he noticed Minglan had already entered the inner chamber, and Fang Mama had closed the folding screen.

The old lady smiled at Xu Zaijing and beckoned, “Jing brother, come, sit here.”

Once Xu Zaijing was seated, the old lady spoke with solemn gravity: “Jing brother, have you heard what’s being said in the streets?”

“Auntie, you mean the rumors about giving gifts to your nephew?”

The old lady nodded.

Xu Zaijing said, “I’ve heard some—this morning, someone even tried to give me gold and silver items.”

“Did you accept them?” the old lady asked.

Xu Zaijing nodded: “I took them—but I immediately had Qingyun deliver them to the Ju Yang Yuan.”

“Good. At least it eases people’s minds,” the old lady affirmed.

“But—are these rumors true or false?” the old lady asked again.

Xu Zaijing shook his head: “I’m not sure, but I think it’s mostly coincidence.”

The old lady nodded: “Does the imperial court know?”

Xu Zaijing pursed his lips: “They know.”

The old lady looked at Xu Zaijing with sincere earnestness:

“Then what do you think, Jing brother?”

Xu Zaijing smiled: “Auntie, I think it’s not entirely bad—but I feel uneasy.”

The old lady nodded: “Feeling uneasy is right!”

Looking at her nephew, she continued:

“What we fear isn’t that it won’t come true—it’s that it will! If it becomes too common, it turns into a trend!”

“Once a trend forms, with mouths everywhere, no one knows how people will twist the story.”

Hearing this, Xu Zaijing’s expression turned serious.

The old lady said: “One misstep, and schemers will exploit this—not only will it ruin your future, but it will plant suspicion in the imperial court toward your father. That last part is the most critical.”

Xu Zaijing nodded repeatedly: “Auntie, I understand. Father commands heavy troops in the north—his stakes are enormous. I’ve been naive.”

After a moment of silent thought, Xu Zaijing said: “Auntie, if that’s the case, I’ve thought of something.”

The old lady’s furrowed brows eased slightly. She said calmly: “Tell me, old woman that I am—I’ve lived long enough, perhaps I can offer some counsel.”

Xu Zaijing took a deep breath but said nothing immediately.

The old lady waited patiently, watching him quietly.

“Auntie, I think we should first observe. If the rumors grow too strong, we’ll set up several tents along Quyuanjie—first, ask His Majesty to send Taiyi Academy physicians, especially gynecologists, to offer free consultations there.”

“Second, have publishing houses print pamphlets promoting proper knowledge—”

Seeing the old lady shake her head slightly, Xu Zaijing asked, puzzled: “Auntie, do you think this plan won’t work?”

The old lady looked at Xu Zaijing and said: “Jing brother, I can see you’re a kind-hearted boy—you immediately thought of helping others.”

Xu Zaijing scratched his head, embarrassed.

The old lady took a deep breath: “But court politics are treacherous—this matter, mishandled, could ruin the Xu family’s future.”

“What you should be thinking now isn’t how to help others—it’s how to free the Xu family from potential danger.”

“Those who understand your situation and are wise will act discreetly and find their own solutions.”

“As for those who only think of themselves and don’t care for you—hah, why waste your thoughts on them?”

Xu Zaijing’s expression turned serious.

Shou’an Hall fell silent.

After a long silence, watching Xu Zaijing think, the old lady continued: “Jing brother, what do you think you should do now?”

Xu Zaijing looked at the old lady and said: “Auntie, I think we should tarnish our own reputation.”

The old lady’s eyes lit up with amusement: “Oh? How?”

Xu Zaijing hesitated, then said: “Make everyone believe these rumors were started by me out of greed—that I’m a fraud! Ideally, someone believes me, squanders their fortune, and gets nothing—while the whole of Bianjing buzzes about it!”

“When others see it has no effect, they’ll stop believing. It’s just a contest of who shouts louder.”

The old lady looked at Xu Zaijing with approval: “It’s a good plan. But your own reputation—”

Xu Zaijing shook his head: “Auntie, that doesn’t matter. What Father and my brothers risk their lives for on the battlefield shouldn’t be ruined by me.”

“I’ll find an opportunity—two days from now—I’ll take my token and enter the palace to speak with the Empress.”

The old lady shook her head solemnly: “No, Jing brother—don’t wait two days—”

Before the old lady finished speaking,

“Teng!”

Xu Zaijing’s face broke into a smile. He rose swiftly and gracefully, bowing with clasped hands: “Auntie, I’m going now!”

The old lady nodded with a smile.

“Auntie, I take my leave.”

“Go.”

Watching Xu Zaijing’s figure vanish beyond the hall’s entrance, the old lady’s smile faded. She looked at Fang Mama, puzzled: “Suqin, what was Jing brother smiling about just now?”

Fang Mama shook her head, bewildered: “Madam, I didn’t understand either.”

On the way out of the Sheng household, Xu Zaijing shook his head with a smile.

If his own great-aunt had seriously told him, “Go right now!”, Xu Zaijing would always feel as if he had become the mistake of Sheng Hong and Wang Ruofu.

In the evening,

the imperial palace of the Great Zhou,

Rong Fei’s sleeping quarters,

Rong Fei sat on a chair, frowning.

Her personal lady-in-waiting whispered softly: “My Lady, don’t overthink it!”

“Thud!”

Rong Fei clenched her fist and slammed it on the table, angry: “That Dou family woman—she’s a Duchess Consort, for heaven’s sake! How can she have no sense at all? She blurts out everything!”

“Doesn’t she realize how much trouble this could cause for the Xu family boy?”

After speaking, Rong Fei rose and murmured: “We must find a way to make amends.”

At that moment,

“His Majesty has arrived.”

The voice of the chief eunuch echoed from outside the hall.

Rong Fei exchanged a startled glance with her lady-in-waiting, took several deep breaths, adjusted her expression, and walked toward the door.

“Your Majesty, why are you here?” Rong Fei asked gently.

The Emperor waved his hand. “Just now, I spoke a few words with the Xu boy alongside the Empress. The Empress wanted to give him more advice—I couldn’t bear to look at him another moment, so I came here to you.”

Rong Fei smiled and nodded. “Your Majesty, he’s just a relative from my family.”

Before she could finish, the Emperor waved again. “It’s over now! At the Empress’s place, that brat asked me for a piece of paper with the four characters ‘Absolutely Not True’—said he’d frame it and hang it over his front gate.”

Rong Fei blinked, then smiled as she moved to unfasten the Emperor’s robe as he opened his arms. “Well, the Xu boy is certainly amusing.”

The Emperor let her change his clothes, eyes half-closed. “Hmph! Someone must have advised him—he entered the palace awfully fast. I thought I’d have to wait a month or more!”

Rong Fei’s eyes flickered with sudden understanding, then she asked, puzzled: “Your Majesty, I notice… you don’t care?”

The Emperor, now dressed, swept his sleeve and declared loudly: “What do I care? You know full well about some of Fang’s affairs!”

Rong Fei suddenly realized: “Your Majesty is wise! When the Xu boy was young, he achieved extraordinary merit within the palace! He later journeyed to the former lands of Baigao and Beizhou! Any supernatural signs about him are merely auspicious omens of our Great Zhou!”

“Hmph!” The Emperor tilted his chin upward, gazing at the ceiling. “My auspicious omen!”

Rong Fei quickly smiled. “Yes, yes, I spoke foolishly—it’s Your Majesty’s and the Prince’s auspicious omen!”

The Emperor nodded with a smile. “I feel quite well today, my love. Let us retire.”

The sun rose, the moon set,

time flew by,

before they knew it,

it was late August.

Autumn had arrived days ago; several autumn rains had made the weather much colder.

In those dozens of days,

Xu Zaijing, the Fifth Young Master of the Xu family, once celebrated throughout the capital, had seen his reputation turn completely around.

Near Pan Lou,

in Lady Ruan’s small courtyard,

a young girl holding a pipa said brightly: “They say the Sixth Young Master of the Yongchang Marquis family, Liang Liu, got into a fight with the Third Young Master of the Jin Yang Marquis family, Tao San, right there in a private room at Pan Lou—in front of many courtesans and musicians!”

“Oh? Why?” asked several beautiful girls nearby.

“They say Tao San set up a scheme to trick Liang Liu—apparently, he smashed a lot of tables and chairs!”

“The Xu Fifth Young Master was so well-regarded before—never thought he’d cheat people out of money too.”

In the room beside them,

a stunningly beautiful girl stood by the window, listening to the courtyard chatter. She sneered softly: “A bunch of fools.”

“Shishi, what are you saying?” came Lady Ruan’s voice.

Li Shishi turned quickly, curtsied with a smile: “Lady Ruan, I didn’t say anything.”

Lady Ruan shook her head gently. “Seeing but not speaking, pretending ignorance—that’s how you last long. Didn’t you keep asking me where your idol, Wei Xingshou, was?”

At these words, Shishi looked up.

“Wei Xingshou is now with the Chai family. In a few years, she’ll become a commoner.”

That day,

at the end of the Yin hour (before five in the morning)

Xu Zaijing rose as usual to attend school,

the morning sky seemed darker than during the summer.

Leaving Quyuanjie,

the streets showed occasional laborers heading to work.

“Young Master, look,” Gao Yun nodded toward a carriage by the roadside; beside the driver stood a maidservant.

The carriage faced away from Xu Zaijing’s group; the door where passengers entered or exited was hidden.

Xu Zaijing nodded. “Looks familiar.”

As he spoke, he urged his horse forward.

“Tat-tat.”

The crisp sound of hooves echoed on the street.

The carriage curtain slowly parted; a young woman leaned out, glancing around. When she saw the large black horse beneath Xu Zaijing, she lifted her eyes to the rider.

As they drew closer and recognized him, the woman smiled and nodded in greeting.

Xu Zaijing smiled and nodded back.

Soon,

Xu Zaijing’s party passed the woman’s carriage.

Inside the dim carriage, the young woman slightly parted the curtain.

Watching Xu Zaijing’s back, she placed one hand on the carriage wall and the other over her abdomen, then slowly knelt within the carriage.

Through the curtain, she bowed her head sincerely toward Xu Zaijing’s retreating figure.

Thus began a new day.

(End of Chapter)