Chapter 880

After New Year's Eve passed, the date officially entered the fifth year of Jian Shi.

Before the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Chen Guanlou did not light a fire at home even once; he ate all three meals a day at either the east or west neighbor's house. Sometimes when he drank too much, he would just sleep where he was.

At the Hou Fu, he had attended banquets several times in a row.

Throughout the entire first lunar month, the Hou Fu seemed to have banquets every single day: family banquets for their own kin, banquets for relatives and friends, banquets for official colleagues, and banquets for the lackeys under the Master's command...

The New Year was the only time of the year when official personnel could privately banquet without being held accountable.

The Hou Fu was large and wealthy; relying solely on the family members themselves to maintain it was impossible. Outside, there was a group of pawns gathered around the Master. This group had to be courted, their thoughts unified, and their actions synchronized.

Chen Guanlou's reputation in the Jiang Hu was resounding, and people in official circles had heard of him long ago, so the Hou Fu had to invite him to accompany the guests every time, acting as half a host to help greet them.

Once or twice was fine, but after many times, he grew impatient.

The head steward pleaded and promised benefits, so he reluctantly continued.

Fortunately, his alcohol tolerance was high—he could be called "a thousand cups without getting drunk"—and he could drink a whole crowd under the table every time.

Drinking too much meant going to the latrine often.

Using the excuse of going to the latrine, he simply found an empty side room to rest and slack off.

In a daze, he heard movement outside.

Immediately after, the door was opened from the outside, and a gust of fragrance drifted in.

"Ah!"

The young lady saw a man in the side room and let out a cry. After recognizing who it was, she let out a long sigh of relief. "I wondered who it was; it turns out to be Uncle Lou. Greetings, Uncle Lou!"

"You are..."

Chen Guanlou's brain was a bit foggy; for a moment, he couldn't recognize the little beauty before him. She looked familiar, clearly possessing the face of a Chen family member; one look and he knew she was a young lady of the Hou Fu, no mistake there.

"Uncle Lou, I am A-Xun."

"Ah, I remember now. You are Chen Mengzhao's younger sister!" Crown Prince Chen Guanfu's daughter, it seemed, and a legitimate one at that.

There were simply too many young ladies and young masters in the Hou Fu. He could distinguish the boys, but he rarely interacted with the girls, so he was too lazy to differentiate them, inevitably leading to cases of mistaken identity.

"Uncle Lou has been working hard these past few days! Since Uncle Lou is resting here, I won't disturb you."

"No need! I'm leaving now; there's a group of stubborn drunks waiting outside. You can use this place as you please. Do young ladies drink so fiercely too?"

Chen Mengxun pursed her lips and smiled. "I don't drink much; it's just that I have a low tolerance. Aunt Xiaolan is also drinking in the back courtyard. Would Uncle Lou like to see her?"

"No need! Tell her for me to come sit at my place when she has time."

"I will. Rongrong and the others are there too. It's truly enviable for Rongrong to have an uncle like you."

Su Rongrong, his eldest niece. Among the three nephews and nieces, Chen Guanlou liked her the most.

The other two boys were truly mischievous; every time he saw them, he couldn't help but discipline them. Only Rongrong had been sensible and well-behaved since she was small, helping her parents share the burden and manage accounts—she was a little expert at household management.

"Don't envy Rongrong; you have a good uncle too. By the way, why haven't I seen your cousin, Master Ye, today?"

"My cousin's superior is also hosting a banquet today, so he couldn't decline and went to his superior's mansion to attend."

"Where is your cousin serving now?" Chen Guanlou was just asking casually.

"I heard it's in the Ministry of War."

"He actually went to the Ministry of War!" Chen Guanlou was very surprised.

Chen Mengxun didn't seem to have any schemes; perhaps she trusted Chen Guanlou completely, as she spoke right up: "I heard from Mother that the Ye family is a great clan in the south. The imperial court is using troops in the south and needs the support of local powerful clans. That is why Cousin Ye was able to smoothly enter the Ministry of War to serve."

So that was it.

Chen Guanlou nodded in realization.

"I heard your cousin's family has also arrived in the capital. Are they still living in the Hou Fu?"

Master Ye had lived in the Hou Fu for nearly ten years without any sign of moving out, and even the concubine he took in the capital was settled in the Hou Fu's side courtyard. Now that Master Ye's family had arrived in the capital, it seemed they were also living in the Hou Fu.

Fortunately, the Hou Fu had vast grounds and many courtyards, so it wasn't awkward.

Chen Mengxun hesitated for a moment. "Since Uncle Lou asked, I shouldn't hide it from you. A few days ago, Cousin discussed with Mother about moving out. Mother naturally wouldn't allow it! So, Cousin Ye's family continued to live in the Hou Fu as a matter of course. This kind of thing has happened many times over the years; every time they say they'll move, it ends up as nothing in the end. Every time they say they'll move, it seems like just a gesture, so they won't be called shameless for clinging to the Hou Fu and refusing to leave."

"You seem dissatisfied with your cousin." Chen Guanlou raised an eyebrow slightly. What scheme was this little girl plotting?

Chen Mengxun lowered her eyes slightly, appearing a bit embarrassed. "I am a junior; how would I dare to be dissatisfied with an elder? It's just... I don't really like Cousin Ye; he looks at people with a direct, leering gaze, like a hooligan. And Cousin Ye's younger sister—her temperament is completely different from us people in the capital."

Was this complaining, or just simple venting?

"Have you told your sisters or your mother about these situations?"

"I... I really can't bring myself to say it. I'm more worried that others will blame me for lacking tolerance, or worry that they'll slander me, saying I'm overthinking and intentionally smearing Cousin Ye's reputation."

"Then why tell me?"

"I don't know why, but when I see Uncle Lou, I feel that Uncle Lou is someone I can confide in. Uncle Lou will definitely keep this secret for me, right?"

Chen Mengxun looked up, gazing at him with unreserved trust and expectation.

Being looked at with such expectation by a junior, Chen Guanlou felt a heavy sense of responsibility.

He paused, thinking that the things the young lady was encountering were surely the most difficult for someone her age to handle. Telling him was perhaps seeking a solution.

Thus, he said: "If you don't dare to tell the elders, then tell your brother, Chen Mengzhao, and let him deal with Cousin Ye. Even if the adults find out later, Chen Mengzhao is the heir to the Hou Fu; at most, he'll be grounded, and nothing will happen to him.

As for Cousin Ye's sister, if you can get along, then get along well; if your temperaments really don't match, don't force it—just maintain a polite facade. In this life, one will always meet many people whose temperaments don't match; there's no need to wrong yourself.

When you should be angry, don't hold back just because you're the host. The more you hold back, the more they will push their luck! If you think what I said makes sense, keep these words in your heart. If you don't agree, then pretend we never met today."

"Is Uncle Lou like this outside too?" Chen Mengxun asked curiously.

Chen Guanlou asked back, "Like what?"

"Like... not holding back when you're unhappy with someone?"

"Not entirely. However, I will clearly express my displeasure!" Chen Guanlou smiled. "The most important thing in life is to be happy yourself; you must learn to please yourself, rather than compromising to please others. In my view, a life where you satisfy others while wronging yourself is completely meaningless."

Chen Mengxun opened her mouth slightly, wanting to say something but not saying it. "Then... then, if Father arranges a marriage for me that I don't really like, what should I do? And if this marriage even comes with an Imperial Edict, what then?"

Chen Guanlou:...

He just knew that the little girl from the Hou Fu couldn't possibly be without schemes.