Chapter 755: Don

Jiying Alley,

Sheng Family,

Xu Zaijing and others were walking along the corridor from the back courtyard to the front courtyard, preparing to leave.

“Young Master, when Zhong’er comes home in a couple of days, will you have time? If so, come over and join the festivities.”

Wang Ruofu walked beside Zhaozhang, her face filled with concern as she gave her instructions.

Zhaozhang smiled and nodded: “Mother-in-law, rest assured—I’ll definitely come that day. I haven’t had my fill of Fang Mama’s cooking yet!”

Wang Ruofu nodded eagerly: “Good, good, good! I’ll have Fang Mama cook personally then!”

Sheng Hong, who was walking ahead and speaking with Gu Tingye, turned back and laughed: “Now that you say that, even if the young master had other plans, he’d have to come.”

“I—” Wang Ruofu’s smile vanished, her lips parting as if to speak, then closing again.

“Mother-in-law, I truly have no obligations that day—I’ll definitely come back with Hualan and Zhong’er!” Zhaozhang added with a grin.

“Mm! Good!” A smile returned to Wang Ruofu’s face—Zhaozhang’s words had clearly soothed her.

Behind Wang Ruofu came Changbai, Qi Heng, and the others.

The group chatted as they reached the second gate.

Just as Zhaozhang was about to leave, he turned and noticed Xu Zaijing was gone.

“Where’s Xiao Wu?” Zhaozhang asked, puzzled.

“Brother, I’m right here!” Xu Zaijing waved from the back.

Everyone at the gate turned to look behind them.

Zhaozhang chuckled: “Xiao Wu, what are you doing? Walking so slow?”

Xu Zaijing walked over from beside Sheng Hong and the others to the gate, smiling: “I was just talking with Qi Lang back there and quizzed him a few questions. Don’t let his age fool you—he’s far more capable than we were at his age.”

“Oh?” Zhaozhang smiled and glanced behind Sheng Hong and the others.

Xu Zaijing bowed respectfully: “Such results must be thanks to your uncle’s patient teaching.”

“Huh? Oh!” Sheng Hong blinked, waving his hand and laughing: “Hahahaha, no, no, nothing of the sort!”

Qi Heng bowed beside him: “Uncle, you’re being too modest.”

“Hehe!” Sheng Hong stroked his beard and smiled.

Watching Sheng Hong’s expression, Wang Ruofu lowered her head and dabbed her lips with a handkerchief, secretly giving him a baleful glance.

“Qi Lang, come here—I want to see if you’re as talented as Zaijing says, even more so than I was as a boy,” Gu Tingye called out with keen interest.

Chang Zhen, standing at the very back, glanced at Changbai, who nodded, then looked at Sheng Hong, who waved him forward, and stepped up.

Gu Tingye asked: “Zuo chao wen dao,” and he answered: “Chui gong ping zhang.”

When Gu Tingye asked: “Nü mu zhen jie,” and he replied: “Nan xiao cai liang,” Gu Tingye nodded with a smile: “Indeed, you’re more capable than I was as a boy.”

Hearing this, everyone at the gate burst into laughter.

Zhaozhang nodded as well: “Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, look at Qi Lang—he’s ready to join the academy and study with us.”

“Master Zhuang is a man of great talent—just a few words of guidance were enough to greatly benefit Qi Lang.”

Xu Zaijing and the others nearby all nodded in agreement.

Qi Heng added with a smile: “Uncle, with Qi Lang’s intelligence, perhaps our dynasty will soon have another tale of ‘Five Jinshi in One Family’!”

Sheng Hong laughed so hard his mouth wouldn’t close: “Hahahaha! Young Lord, I accept your auspicious words!”

Qi Heng said “another” because the renowned Hai family of Da Zhou was already a family of five Jinshi.

Wang Ruofu listened to their conversation, her eyes darting, about to laugh—then suddenly stopped, causing Sheng Hong to keep glancing at her.

Afterwards,

Xu Zaijing and the others took their leave.

Sheng Hong, having seen them off to the gate, clasped his hands behind his back and said: “I’m going to visit Master Zhuang. All three of you, come with me.”

“Yes, Father,” Changbai and his two brothers bowed in response.

After bidding farewell to Wang Ruofu, the three hurried to catch up with Sheng Hong.

On the way back to Weirui Pavilion,

Liu Mama, seeing only Caihuan nearby, whispered: “Madam, you should’ve laughed just now—what auspicious words the Young Lord spoke!”

Wang Ruofu sneered: “Hmph! Auspicious—”

She cut herself off, avoiding foul language on the first day of the New Year, then said: “If they all become Jinshi, does that mean Chang Feng, that little brat, will pass too?”

“If that happens, Lin Qinge will be overjoyed—wouldn’t that drive me mad?”

Liu Mama nodded in firm agreement.

Caihuan asked curiously: “Madam, what about Wei Xiao niang?”

Wang Ruofu flicked her handkerchief: “Hualan has always been close to the Wei family—she sent them cloaks, cotton, all sorts of gifts in Yangzhou. Thankfully, her kindness wasn’t wasted; the Wei family cares deeply for Zhong’er, and I’m glad for it.”

“Madam speaks truly,” Caihuan replied.

The three mistress and maids chatted as they turned several corners and returned to Shou’an Hall.

“Madam has arrived,” a young maid at the gate smiled, lifting the cotton curtain.

Wang Ruofu bowed to the two old ladies, then glanced in surprise at Wei Shuyi standing nearby, before sitting down as the elders gestured.

The several Lan ladies seated on embroidered stools rose to bow.

“Have the boys left?”

“Yes, Mother.”

The old lady nodded thoughtfully: “Today I noticed how well-ordered Qi Lang’s speech was when speaking with Zaijing.”

Wang Ruofu smiled and nodded.

The old lady said: “I called Wei Xiao niang over and asked—turns out Qi Lang, though young, already knows many characters.”

“Sometimes when he practices calligraphy in Shou’an Hall, I see he’s diligent and eager to learn, so I thought—”

Wang Ruofu grinned: “Mother, you’re thinking of letting Chang Zhen enter the academy?”

The old lady looked surprised, frowning slightly at Wang Ruofu.

“Mother, my husband didn’t come with me because he went to speak with Master Zhuang—about Qi Lang’s enrollment.”

“Oh!” The old lady nodded, still puzzled.

Seeing her confusion, Wang Ruofu explained a few words about “Zaijing’s questioning” and “Five Jinshi in One Family.”

The old lady listened, then smiled and nodded: “So that’s it!”

The old lady of the main house chuckled: “Little sister, listening from the side, I’m truly envious of Hong’er! Your second branch’s children are so talented—unlike my branch, we’ve got no scholars at all!”

The old lady feigned seriousness: “Sister-in-law, studying is good, but not everyone can get Yu Xiao yi’s care! A physician who visits every three days and adjusts the regimen every five—how many families would envy that?”

Hearing this, the old lady of the main house sighed and laughed.

Wang Ruofu chimed in: “Auntie, your own family has two scholars—Li Du and Li Yu—real kin!”

At this, Li Dainiang beside her also laughed.

Li Dainiang’s nephews, Li Du and Li Yu, were both juren.

The old lady glanced at Wang Ruofu with approval and nodded with a smile.

Standing nearby, Wei Shuyi watched the group with a smile in her eyes, taking a quiet, thoughtful breath.

Pinlan, seated on the embroidered stool, leaned close to Minglan and whispered: “Sixth sister, did you see how Xiao Wu looked at Qi Lang when we left?”

Minglan nodded slightly, about to speak, but Pinlan continued: “I never thought that rude Young Lord Qi would be so smooth-tongued.”

“Sixth sister, ‘Five Jinshi in One Family’—doesn’t that sound nice?” Pinlan grinned.

Minglan pressed her lips together and nodded.

The next day,

Xu Zaijing couldn’t refuse Liang Han’s enthusiastic invitation and had to ride out of the city for a horse race.

After the race, they went to Wu Lou and spent time with their circle of noble young men from the capital.

In the afternoon, they returned to the city,

Entered Xin Zheng Gate,

Along the streets, they saw many carriages adorned with silk flowers; women and young ladies wrapped in thick cloaks and ear muffs stepped down to watch the gambling stalls by the roadside.

It was a day for outings, and passersby paid no mind.

“Master, Master, help me out,” A Lan, riding beside Xu Zaijing, laughed.

“A Lan, what are you betting on?” Qingyun asked.

A Lan lifted her chin; Qingyun looked and saw a shop selling lacquerware.

The shop’s sign was grand; from horseback, they could see the ornate, exquisite lacquer vanity boxes used for the gambling stalls.

Xu Zaijing laughed: “A Lan, you don’t want to spend a single coin on your wedding things, do you?”

A Lan blushed and smiled.

A Lan had always been good at gambling and luck—on New Year’s Day, she’d won many fine items in the capital.

But cheap items like rouge and powder were fine—when she reached the stalls, she didn’t gamble, she stocked up.

But when the items grew expensive, her luck turned bad, and she sometimes lost a good deal of copper coins.

The vanity box before them clearly looked valuable.

Xu Zaijing laughed, dismounted, and A Lan and Qingyun hurried after him.

Within a dozen breaths, after several clatters of tossed coins, Xu Zaijing, unimpressed, remounted his horse,

while behind him, A Lan couldn’t stop grinning, hugging the exquisite, valuable vanity box to her chest.

Nearby, the shop manager stomped his foot in anguish—clearly, the vanity box had been a loss.

The women and young maidens watching nearby had expressions of regret and curiosity in their eyes.

Some stared at the makeup case in Lan’s arms; others gazed at Xu Zaijing’s face and his mount.

On the third day of the New Year,

the final day the Bianjing authorities permitted gambling games,

at dusk,

as lanterns began to glow,

on the main street of Pan Lou,

on the upper floor of Sibao Studio,

a melodious pipa melody drifted from behind the screen.

Chai Zhengzheng, seated behind the table and wrapped in a cloak, rose and walked to the window, opening it.

Faster than the cold wind rushing in came the noisy clamor of the street—mostly the sighs and laments of onlookers who had lost their bets.

Yun Mu stepped aside, gazing out at the street scene, and said, “Miss, the hour is late; shall we return to the mansion?”

“Mm!” Chai Zhengzheng nodded.

Yun Mu turned to the side and said, “Tell Wei Xingshou the miss is returning home.”

As Yun Mu spoke, Chai Zhengzheng still stared out the window, murmuring so softly it was nearly inaudible: “So it was just a coincidence last time.”

After speaking, Chai Zhengzheng took a deep breath; the cold night wind made her exhale visible as white mist.

She turned and descended the stairs; after boarding the carriage, she lifted the curtain for a few glances, then said, “Don’t go straight home—head west first, let’s see the mountain-shaped lanterns erected before Xuande Gate.”

“Miss, the lanterns aren’t lit yet at this hour,” Yun Mu whispered.

“It’s fine—just a little detour.”

“Yes.”

Soon after, the Chai family’s carriage and guards set off westward along the main street of Pan Lou.

Watching the lively night scenery along the road and feeling the cool breeze outside, Chai Zhengzheng said, “I wonder if he’ll go to Xuande Gate to view the lanterns this Lantern Festival.”

Without asking who “he” was, Yun Mu replied, “Miss, the Brave and Resolute Marquis has just earned new merit—he’ll surely go.”

Chai Zhengzheng nodded and continued gazing quietly at the scenery outside the carriage.

They stopped before the open ground south of Xuande Gate; the vast lanterns in view remained dark, save for a string of red lanterns glowing atop the palace gate tower.

After staring awhile at the tower’s lanterns, Chai Zhengzheng smiled, as if recalling something, and said, “Let’s go—back to the mansion.”

At the same moment,

on Quyuanjie,

the Brave and Resolute Marquis’s mansion,

two large lanterns hanging at the gate emitted golden candlelight; seven or eight men stood before the door, with several horses standing nearby.

The horses snorted, and the men spoke, each breath puffing out visible white mist.

“Today I visited those Jijia , took a look, asked a few questions! Just by looking, you can tell they’ve got the intent but not the courage—Wu Lang, rest easy.”

“I also warned them a few times; I doubt they’ll dare trouble the Jue family’s estate again.”

“Actually, without their status as Bai Gao nobles or their tribal kin, they can’t stir up any trouble.”

Xu Zaijing nodded: “Good. Thank you, Elder Gao.”

Gao Yun, a trusted subordinate of Zhao Meifeng, bowed: “Wu Lang, you’re too polite. You waited for me all afternoon—I should be the one apologizing.”

Xu Zaijing smiled and shook his head: “Elder Gao, duty comes first!” Then he turned to look at Qing Yun behind him and said, “I’d planned to invite you in for a meal and wine, but since you’re on duty, take this box of food and wine—warm it up when you’re done.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Gao Yun nodded: “Then I won’t be formal with Wu Lang.”

Hearing this, the imperial palace security officer beside him smiled and took the food box from Qing Yun.

Seeing Xu Zaijing about to speak but holding back, Gao Yun chuckled: “The Bureau’s been busy lately—Zhao Tou went north, and the even more formidable one went to the northwest. Pan Chen’s in Dingzhou too—he asked me to pass along his thanks to Wu Lang.”

Xu Zaijing thought for a moment, then smiled: “Then the letter was helpful!”

Gao Yun exhaled a puff of white mist, bowed, and said: “Alright, Wu Lang, I’ll take my leave!”

“Elder Gao, take care.”

Xu Zaijing bowed in return.

Qing Yun behind him also bowed deeply.

Watching the figures and horses vanish into the distance, Xu Zaijing turned toward the gate and said, “Come, let’s see how much ‘merchandise’ Lan has ‘acquired’ today.”

As time passed,

the day arrived—the fifteenth of the first month, the Lantern Festival.

At noon,

in a private room on the third floor of Pan Lou,

Xu Zaijing and Liang Han clinked cups and drank.

After draining his cup, Xu Zaijing looked at Gu Tingye beside him and said, “Er Lang, you’re going to Xuande Gate Tower to view the lanterns today—why do you look so glum?”

Liang Han, who had just taken a bite of food and swallowed the wine, nodded: “Yes, Ye Ge, you’ve been scowling since you arrived—did someone upset you?”

Gu Tingye picked up his cup, drained it in one gulp, and growled: “Nothing!”

“Second Uncle, you don’t look like ‘nothing,’” Qi Heng said beside him.

“Er Ge Gu, if something’s bothering you, tell us! We’ll help you settle it!” Chang Feng laughed.

Gu Tingye said: “Chang Feng, aren’t you and Chang Bai going to accompany the younger sisters to view the lanterns this afternoon?”

Chang Feng grinned: “Er Ge Gu, no rush! We’ll have our fun first, then head back—it won’t be late.”

Chang Bai gave a slight nod in agreement: “Er Lang, tell us what’s troubling you—don’t keep it inside.”

Gu Tingye exhaled sharply and glared at Xu Zaijing.

That glare left Xu Zaijing baffled; he didn’t indulge Gu Tingye, and said bluntly: “Er Lang, why are you glaring at me? Speak up if something’s wrong!”

Gu Tingye raised his cup halfway, then slammed it down in frustration: “Huang’s eldest son is back!”

“Who?” Chang Feng asked, puzzled.

“The son of the Marquis of Shoushan, Huang family—Yue Ge,” Liang Han explained beside him.

“Oh!” Chang Feng suddenly understood: “That one who was betrothed to San Niang, uh—er, cough.”

Seeing Gu Tingye’s gaze turn toward him, Chang Feng fell silent and studied his cup.

Xu Zaijing smiled teasingly: “Oh? So when you and Yanran go to Xuande Gate Tower to view the lanterns, Yi Jie will be strolling the lantern fair and guessing riddles with him.”

“Jing Ge, you—”

“Hmm?”

Xu Zaijing wore an expression of: “What are you going to do about it?”

Then Xu Zaijing added: “The imperial decree says only those already married may view the lanterns at Xuande Gate—I don’t have to go.”

Gu Tingye’s expression shifted, then he said: “Wu Lang, my good Jing Ge—your friendship with Huang Qingyue is strong, but don’t let him take advantage of my sister!”

(End of Chapter)