Chapter 789: Already Arrived: [Thank You! Bow Again! 36k Chapters Owed]

“The master has arrived.”

Outside the room, a young maid announced his arrival.

The old lady finished reading the letter, folded it, placed it on the table, then turned toward the door.

Seeing Sheng Hong still in his official robes, the old lady smiled: “Hong’er, why rush over without changing? You could’ve changed first. Sit.”

Sheng Hong walked to the center of the room, bowed to the old lady, and said: “Thank you, Mother. I’ve heard some news about the Winter Solstice.”

“Oh?” The old lady sat upright, keenly watching Sheng Hong. “Hong’er, is it about why the elephant turned toward the Zhongshan Marquis’s house that day?”

Sheng Hong, seated, nodded vigorously: “Mother, yes, that’s it.”

After speaking, Sheng Hong smiled at Fang Mama, who had just served him tea.

Setting down the teacup, Sheng Hong continued: “Colleagues from the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Rites questioned the elephant keepers.”

“They said that, on those days leading up to Winter Solstice, the elephant handlers starved the elephants for two extra days to make them more obedient.”

“Coincidentally, the Zhongshan Marquis’s viewing platform had sugared radish strips on the table, and the daughter’s ceremonial veil was the same color as sugarcane.”

Listening to Sheng Hong, the old lady nodded slightly.

Sheng Hong picked up his teacup, sipped to moisten his throat, then said: “According to my colleagues, the elephant keepers claim elephants have long trunks and can smell things even better than dogs.”

The old lady nodded: “So, the elephant, hungry and smelling sugar and radish, mistook the Sha girl’s veil for sugarcane—that’s what caused the mishap?”

“Yes, Mother.” Sheng Hong said. “Today, the Ministry of Rites sent silver to the Zhongshan Marquis’s house as compensation.”

The old lady nodded: “That makes sense.”

Then, studying Sheng Hong’s expression, she said slowly: “Hong’er, what’s wrong? Is there more?”

Sheng Hong looked up at the old lady and smiled: “Mother, some colleagues heard that Xu Zaijing is still unmarried, and they stopped me after work to ask a few questions.”

The old lady smiled, glancing at the letter on the table. “And what did you say?”

“I said nothing much. After all, this is ultimately their cousin’s family matter.”

“You did well, Hong’er.”

Sheng Hong took another sip of hot tea, met the old lady’s gaze, and said: “Mother, there’s another matter. The British Duke’s Zhang family and the Zhongjing Marquis’s house are pushing hard for a position.”

At this, the old lady’s smile vanished. She frowned in confusion. “Zhang and Zheng? Those two families have always been close. What could possibly make them compete for one position?”

Sheng Hong quickly set down his teacup. “Mother, I phrased it poorly. It’s Zhang and Zheng together, pushing against another family for one position.”

The old lady nodded thoughtfully, then tilted her chin slightly, urging him to continue.

“These two families are jointly vying for a post in the newly formed northern cavalry. Their rivals are the Gan, Tan, and Liang families.”

“Liang family? The Yongchang Marquis’s house?” The old lady asked, puzzled.

“Yes, Mother.” Sheng Hong continued. “They’re pushing for Liang Jing, the eldest son of the Liang family. If Liang Jing joins the cavalry, he’ll naturally bring along Gan and Tan’s young men. The Yongchang Marquis himself already visited the Ministry of Personnel to speak with us.”

The old lady’s eyes flickered. “So Zhang and Zheng are pushing for Zheng Er?”

“Exactly as Mother says.”

The old lady nodded slowly. “One Duke and one Marquis against one Duke and two Marquises. Hong’er, what do you think of this?”

Sheng Hong pursed his lips, his eyes filled with thought. “Mother, both sides are our nation’s dukes and marquises. In terms of connections, the three families have only a slight edge. But I believe the final decision will rest on seniority and merit.”

Hearing this,

the old lady’s eyes brightened with approval. “Hong’er, you’ve thought this through well.”

Sheng Hong quickly bowed. “Thank you, Mother, for your praise.”

The old lady smiled. “The newly formed cavalry is under the command of the Shoushan Baron’s son. That young man is also the personal deputy of the British Duke’s heir, and the son-in-law of the Ningyuan Marquis.”

“Anyone can see this is Zhang family paving the way for their future son-in-law. Liang Jing—I recall he’s the same year as Xu’s eldest son-in-law, Yu’er?”

Sheng Hong’s eyes flickered. “Yes, Mother.”

“Compared to Zheng Er, does Liang Jing have any notable merit?”

Sheng Hong said: “Liang Jing was credited for reinforcing Beizhou. But when Zheng Er went to reinforce, he also wiped out bandits in Dezhou—his merit was greater.”

Glancing at the old lady, Sheng Hong continued: “Mother, if you put it that way, the outcome—”

The old lady smiled. “Hong’er, think beyond that. Also consider the palace.”

At these words, Sheng Hong suddenly understood. He rose quickly, clasped his hands. “Mother, I understand now. That Tan family’s old ancestor once offended the Empress.”

“Mm. Go now.” The old lady smiled.

As lamps lit up,

in Weirui Pavilion,

in the maid’s side room,

the maid Yin Xing entered carrying a tray.

She glanced at Jiu’er, who was eating dried fruit, and said: “Jiu’er, when I went to the main house to serve Lady, where was your mother, Liu Mama?”

Jiu’er glanced sideways at Yin Xing. “Lady had errands. My mother went to handle them.”

“Oh! What are you eating? Good?”

Jiu’er pursed her lips in distaste. “Here, try some.”

“Alright!”

Thinking of her mother’s gloomy expression, Jiu’er sighed again.

In the main house,

golden candlelight glowed through the windows.

Inside,

warmed by both heated floor and incense burners, the room was cozy.

Sheng Hong, changed into home clothes, sat at the table, leisurely eating. Wang Ruofu sat opposite, smiling, holding a wine jug, ready to pour him a cup.

Seeing Wang Ruofu’s motion, Sheng Hong quickly put down his chopsticks, raised his cup with a smile: “Thank you, Lady.”

Filling his cup, Wang Ruofu smiled: “Master, don’t be so formal! This is fine wine sent by your elder sister. Taste it.”

Hearing this, Sheng Hong paused slightly, then sipped the wine.

After savoring it, he nodded. “Mm! Good wine!”

Then he drained the cup.

Seeing this, Wang Ruofu smiled and refilled his cup.

Sheng Hong, lightly holding the cup, studied Wang Ruofu’s eager expression.

The phrase “No good deed comes without ulterior motive” drifted through his mind.

Seeing Wang Ruofu smile at him, Sheng Hong returned the smile. “How have the children been behaving these past days?”

“Well-behaved!” Wang Ruofu nodded, then placed a piece of fish on his plate. “Master, try this. It’s the knife fish from Hua’er’s messenger.”

“Hua’er specifically instructed the method: salted first, then coated in egg batter and deep-fried.”

Sheng Hong smiled, picked up the fish, and ate it.

After a moment, he nodded repeatedly. “Mm! Delicious!”

Wang Ruofu smiled, licked her lips, and looked at Sheng Hong. “Master, the office must be very busy as the year ends?”

“Mm.” Sheng Hong, focused on the fish, replied.

Wang Ruofu blinked, swallowed, and said: “Master, I heard the new northern cavalry is fully formed?”

Sheng Hong set down the fish bone, looked at Wang Ruofu. “Is your nephew from the Kang family hoping to join the military for a future?”

Wang Ruofu smiled, placed another piece of fish on his plate. “Jin’er is too young for the military. It’s my elder sister—someone asked her to intercede.”

A flicker of impatience crossed Sheng Hong’s eyes, but he suppressed it. “Oh?”

Seeing an opening, Wang Ruofu pressed on: “It’s the Yongchang Marquis’s Liang family. You know Madame Wu—she’s always so generous and kind—”

Mid-sentence, Wang Ruofu noticed Sheng Hong had set down his chopsticks, his eyes twitching. “Master, what’s wrong?”

“Your elder sister said Madame Wu asked her to intercede?” Sheng Hong asked, his smile cold.

“Er—yes, that’s what she said! And she mentioned Liang Jing—” Sensing something amiss, Wang Ruofu’s smile faded, and she fell silent.

Sheng Hong took a deep breath. “Lady, you know Liang Jing’s background, don’t you?”

Wang Ruofu nodded.

Sheng Hong’s voice grew tight with barely restrained anger. “He’s the eldest son by a concubine, passed the imperial exam, earned merit in the military—he might even inherit the title!”

“Think: would Madame Wu ever intercede for him?”

At this, Wang Ruofu’s mind flashed with Chang Feng’s face—if Chang Feng could inherit the Sheng family, then she, Wang Ruofu—

Looking at Sheng Hong’s glare, she hesitated, then muttered: “N-no, of course not.”

“Not entirely foolish.”

Sheng Hong lifted his cup to his lips, then slammed it back on the table. “Add more to the gifts from the Kang family and send them back.”

“Oh.” Wang Ruofu bowed her head.

“Mother already warned you: don’t associate with the Kang family after their loan-sharking! If you keep this up, I—” Sheng Hong pointed at her, his voice heavy with fury.

Later that night,

in Lin Qige,

Lin Qinshuang held a hand warmer, watching Zhou Wansheng. “Did you reward the maid who delivered the message?”

“Little Lady, I gave her one hundred cash.”

Lin Qinshuang nodded, a mocking smile on her lips. “Wang Ruofu is such a fool! Only because she was born beautiful did she become Lady of the Sheng household!”

“If my family hadn’t fallen, any fancy literary gathering—she’d be humiliated, crushed under my feet!”

Zhou Wansheng nodded in agreement. “Little Lady speaks truly!”

Lin Qinshuang exhaled, glancing toward Mo Lan’s chamber. “Mo’er has always been outstanding—she often appears at poetry gatherings in the capital. I only hope she marries well.”

“Fourth Miss will surely manage it!” Zhou Wansheng chimed in.

“Lady Kang, that cruel, vicious woman—though she slapped me twice before, over the years, she’s become my best friend.”

“All those messy tasks I had Wang Ruofu handle? Each and every one pushed Hong Lang closer to me.”

As she spoke, Lin Qinshuang clenched her hands around the warming brazier, her voice thick with hatred: “They’re also pushing him toward that vile woman in Jin’an Study.”

Hearing these words,

Zhou Wansheng quickly whispered: “Little Lady! Things are different now! Wei Little Lady isn’t alone anymore—outside, there’s Xiaodie, married to the younger brother of the Viscountess, and her sister, who manages the Salt Yard.”

“Seventh Young Master is intelligent and studious; the Master holds him dearly in his heart. You mustn’t do anything foolish.”

Glancing nervously around, Zhou Wansheng lowered her voice further: “When Wei Little Lady managed the household, she never made things hard for our courtyard. She likely doesn’t know about what happened in Yangzhou.”

Lin Qinshuang frowned: “She doesn’t trouble us because of Hong Lang!”

Zhou Wansheng nodded vigorously: “Little Lady is right—but as the years pass, us women—”

Lin Qinshuang looked at Zhou Wansheng, touched her own cheek, and sighed with quiet sorrow.

But after only a moment of sorrow, Lin Qinshuang took a deep breath, straightened her back, and said: “It’s fine. Once Feng Er passes the imperial exams and Mo Er marries well, I’ll still hold my ground in the Sheng household.”

Setting the warming brazier aside, Lin Qinshuang smiled: “Let Lady Kang and Wang Ruofu carry on. Who knows? The household management might yet fall back into my hands.”

“Little Lady speaks wisely.”

On New Year’s Eve,

in the afternoon,

a thousand-strong Nuo ceremony procession walked through the streets of Bianjing after leaving the palace.

The Nuo ceremony, originally a palace ritual to drive away ghosts and plague, drew many Bianjing commoners who followed along the route.

The people constantly slapped their clothes, hoping to catch some of the imperial ceremony’s blessings and rid themselves of misfortune and illness.

Within the Nuo procession,

besides many from the Ministry of Rites’ Music Bureau,

numerous tall palace guards in golden armor, wearing masks and carrying colorful banners, marched alongside.

Among these palace guards was a burly man gripping a flagpole.

He too wore a mask, obscuring his face; his gaze passed through the mask’s eye slits toward the roadside.

When he spotted a noble young man on a black horse, speaking with someone under a large cloak, his eyes behind the mask narrowed slightly, filled with venomous hatred.

The man had looked for less than a breath,

when suddenly,

the noble young man’s gaze swept inexplicably toward him.

Startled, the man quickly turned his head forward.

By the roadside,

Xu Zaijing scanned the Nuo procession several times, found nothing amiss, then turned his head again: “Zong Ge, Dai Ge, still want to go to Zhuanlong Bay beyond Nanxun Gate?”

Lu Zezong, mounted on his horse, thought a moment, then shook his head: “Elder Brother, let’s not go. The first time was novel, but after a few visits, they’re all much the same.”

Xu Xingdai nodded.

“Good, then let’s head back,” Xu Zaijing smiled.

As he spoke, the group turned their horses and rode toward Quyuanjie.

In the Xu family’s back courtyard,

Sun Shi stared in surprise at Xu Zaijing and the others entering the room.

“Oh? Why are you back so early today?” Sun Shi smiled.

“Grandmother, we didn’t go out to Nanxun Gate—we watched the fireworks outside Zhuque Gate and came back.”

“No wonder,” Sun Shi smiled.

“Then, Mother, Zong Ge, Dai Ge, and I are going to set off firecrackers,” Xu Zaijing grinned.

Inside the room, Xie Shi and Hua Lan also smiled helplessly.

“How old are you now?” Sun Shi waved her hand, laughing. “Go on, but be careful.”

Watching Xu Zaijing and the others laugh as they left the room,

Sun Shi sighed with a smile, exchanged a glance with her two daughters-in-law, and said: “Unmarried, they still look like children.”

“Mother is right! But it won’t be long now!” Xie Shi smiled.

Hua Lan, holding her younger sister Ning Mei, also laughed.

Sun Shi nodded: “I hope so! I wonder if Bai’s sister will feel out of place today.”

Xie Shi and Hua Lan exchanged a glance—they understood.

In the evening,

firecrackers cracked sporadically all around.

From time to time, enormous fireworks erupted and exploded in the sky above the northern palace.

In Xingguo Alley,

Ningyuan Marquis’s residence,

in the main house of the back courtyard,

Yan Ran instinctively placed her hands on her rounded belly and gave Gu Tingye a meaningful look.

Gu Tingye stared at her blankly, confused.

Seeing this, Yan Ran scowled at him, turned away, and whispered to her sister-in-law Ping Mei.

Ping Mei listened, then murmured: “It’s the same—few boys are this thoughtful.”

As she spoke, Ping Mei patted the back of Xing Ge, who stood beside her, and whispered: “Go, go hug your grandmother.”

“Oh.” Gu Shixing walked over to Bai Shi, holding a candied fruit: “Grandmother.”

When Bai Shi took it with a smile, Gu Shixing immediately snuggled into her arms.

Bai Shi, who had felt sorrowful in her first year of marriage because she hadn’t seen her daughter, now smiled at Gu Shixing’s antics.

Nearby, Chang Mama, touched by the scene, took a deep breath and gave Ping Mei and Yan Ran a look of deep approval.

Keeping watch through the night,

in the morning,

sporadic firecrackers still cracked around Yongyi Marquis’s residence.

Xu Zaijing, wrapped in a cloak, pulled aside the cotton curtain and stepped out.

Lanterns hung in the courtyard,

though the sky was dim, the light was still decent.

After inhaling the cold air, white vapor exhaled from Xu Zaijing’s mouth.

He looked up at the twinkling stars, then turned and called: “Dai Ge, you others—hurry out! We’re going to sell our foolishness.”

Children inside responded eagerly,

while outside, Xu Zaijing continued gazing at the stars, a faint smile forming as he seemed to recall something.

(End of Chapter)