This woman’s dress and appearance were completely different from ordinary people. Her face was veiled with golden gauze so her features couldn’t be seen clearly, but from her graceful figure alone, her walking seemed both fast and slow, like wind swaying willows. The jingling sounds came from the ornaments she wore.

“Oh my, it’s a foreign woman!” someone in the hall shouted.

As soon as the shout ended, they saw those four or five men and women take out strange musical instruments and begin playing, while the leading woman started dancing gracefully, dancing all the way in from outside. The main hall was extremely narrow with tables arranged closely, but the woman’s movements were smooth and effortless. The accompanying music was also different from what everyone usually heard. For a moment, the entire hall fell silent, and regardless of age or gender, everyone stared transfixed.

At the end, several military men instructed servant women to clear away one table’s setting, and then the woman actually leaped onto it to dance. When the piece ended, she bent backwards on the table surface, swaying as if about to fall, causing many worried gasps from the hall. The woman seemed about to fall but didn’t, and her veil also fell away, revealing indeed curly hair, deep-set features, and blue eyes – clearly not an ordinary person’s appearance. Somehow she had taken a scroll in her mouth, bearing the four characters “Wishing a Thousand Autumns.”

“The Prince requests imperial decree – bestowing foreign dancing girls to celebrate the Marquis’s birthday,” the four military men then knelt down and spoke in unison.

At the words “imperial decree,” everyone present was stunned, then immediately stood up. The Marquis of Dingxi faced the direction of the imperial city and knelt down, and a whole roomful of people all rustled to their knees, kowtowing in gratitude for imperial grace.

When they rose again, the Marquis of Dingxi was so excited he could hardly control himself, and the others were also speechless. The gift the Prince sent was too shocking. Foreign dancing girls were one thing – many princely and noble families had them – but personally bestowed singing and dancing from the Emperor wasn’t something just anyone could have.

“How could this child not give advance notice? This, this… how could we trouble His Majesty…” the Marquis of Dingxi was somewhat incoherent.

“Reporting to the Marquis, the Prince achieved new merit the day before yesterday, capturing an Eastern barbarian prince. This foreign girl was among his possessions, escorted back to the capital and presented to His Majesty. His Majesty was greatly pleased and wanted to reward the Prince, asking what he wanted. The Prince said he had nothing else he needed, only that duty kept him from returning home to serve his father filially. Ancient books tell of Laizi entertaining his parents with colorful clothes – since he couldn’t serve filially before his father, he wanted to request His Majesty bestow something that could also be considered adding to his father’s longevity. His Majesty was very happy, saying the Prince had a sincere heart, loyal and filial both, and that gold and silver rewards would be too vulgar. So he let this foreign girl represent the Prince’s colorful clothes entertaining his parent,” the visiting man said loudly.

At these words, the already sentimental Marquis of Dingxi had tears glistening in his eyes, unable to say anything except “good, good, good.”

“Is the Prince well out there?” Madam Xie was a woman and didn’t care about such things. While wiping her tears with a handkerchief, she asked, “I know you always report good news but not bad – even if he was bruised or hurt, you wouldn’t tell me…”

The man kowtowed.

“Great Madam, please be at ease. We dare not deceive the Marquis and Madam – the Prince is well in all respects, only at the beginning of the year when pursuing Eastern barbarians, he took an arrow…” he said.

Before he finished speaking, gasps arose throughout the hall, and Madam Xie immediately sat down in her chair.

“Madam, don’t worry. Thanks to the spiritual talisman and jade pendant Madam had sent to him, the Prince kept it close to his body always. That arrow happened to hit the jade pendant – he was unharmed, but the jade pendant shattered. The Prince feels very guilty and afraid Madam would blame him, so he never dared tell…” the man said loudly.

Madam Xie covered her face and wept.

“At such a time, still feeling guilty about this, unable to distinguish priorities. That was requested precisely to ward off disaster for him. This foolish child, truly don’t know what he’s thinking,” she cried, while pulling at the Marquis of Dingxi’s sleeve, “Master, can Cheng-ge’er really come back this time? Three years – how much hardship has he suffered out there…”

While they enjoyed fine clothes and food, singing and dancing at home, their eldest son was risking his life outside. The Marquis of Dingxi felt his heart was sour, bitter, and joyful all at once. When a son achieved success, it brought glory to his father’s face. Even without this honor, their Dingxi Marquis Manor could live very well, but gaining more imperial favor was always good. Yet he felt his son’s glory came much harder than those children of other great noble families, making him both angry, indignant, and heartbroken.

“Don’t speak of such things. Men should serve the ruler loyally and kill enemies. Moreover, our Dingxi Marquis arose from military campaigns – Cheng-ge’er is doing very, very well,” the Marquis of Dingxi patted his wife’s hand and composed himself, while looking toward the messenger and instructing with conventional phrases about continuing such excellent work.

The messenger kowtowed in acknowledgment.

“The Prince says he’ll return by year’s end at the latest,” he added.

Hearing this, Madam Xie smiled through her tears, and the whole room erupted in congratulations. The messenger kowtowed again to wish the Marquis longevity, and the Marquis ordered good hospitality before the messenger withdrew.

The rest of the banquet time was filled with conversation about the Prince. Everyone delighted in joining the celebration. Imperial bestowal of singing and dancing for birthday wishes was unprecedented in other families. Their Dingxi Marquis Manor truly had great face this time. When one person achieves the Way, even chickens and dogs ascend to heaven; when one branch prospers, it brings honor to the entire clan. So everyone was genuinely happy, and in their happiness, many drank too much, including the Marquis of Dingxi who usually held his liquor well.

“Uncle is truly happy – even ‘a thousand cups won’t make him drunk’ but now he’s drunk. This shows wine doesn’t intoxicate people, people intoxicate themselves,” a young man swayed his head and sighed, while seemingly casually glancing at Chang Yunqi sitting nearby, squeezing his eyebrows and moving closer with a low laugh, “But indeed, Third Brother, you sent a fake beauty, but Big Brother sent a real beauty…”

Chang Yunqi raised his hand and tapped the person’s hand with his chopsticks.

“How can you speak like that? If you dare gossip about my father behind his back again, I’ll tell my big brother when he returns and see how he beats you,” he laughed.

This person seemed accustomed to beatings, immediately making a distressed expression and begging for mercy.

“Don’t! You brothers working together – one plays mind games, one plays with fists. I can’t afford to provoke you. Since childhood, I’ve been beaten so much I could practically develop iron shirt and golden bell martial arts…” he said.

Chang Yunqi gave him a punch, and both laughed heartily, moving past this topic.

When the night grew deep, the wine banquet ended. Madam Xie attended to the drunk Marquis of Dingxi as he went to sleep, instructing the serving maids to attend him well and give him water, then came out. The maids helped her remove her formal attire and change into everyday clothes.

“This is good now. The Prince has such imperial favor – it wasn’t in vain that he suffered,” several women who hadn’t yet withdrawn said with relief.

Madam Xie also looked relieved.

“Come back quickly. Until he doesn’t return home for even one day, my heart can’t be at ease for one day. Which family’s heir would be running around outside like this? I don’t know what this child is thinking…” she sighed, while looking outside with some disgust, “Look at each one of them, so restless, jumping around. They really think they’re so capable. If they had such ability, they should learn from Cheng-ge’er and go out too, instead of just knowing these flashy tricks.”

The women listened with lowered heads in silence. Madam Xie had been busy for several days and was tired. She waved her hand, and the women understood, paid their respects, and withdrew. Only Nanny Zhou lagged behind a step.

“Is there something?” Madam Xie naturally understood she had something to say and asked.

“That…” Nanny Zhou hesitated.

“Speak,” Madam Xie lifted her eyelids to glance at her, somewhat impatient.

What was wrong with this person? She hadn’t been like this before. Recently she’d been acting strange all the time. Could it be she was getting old?

“Young Madam also sent a longevity-adding dish for the Marquis…” Nanny Zhou couldn’t help but notice Madam Xie’s displeasure, but still steeled herself to speak.

Madam Xie looked up at her.

Nanny Zhou was stared at by her knife-like gaze until her calves cramped, and quickly told everything in detail.

“Naturally I didn’t put it on the table or mention it,” she finally added, fearing being implicated.

“At least you’re not completely muddled,” Madam Xie said indifferently, “Take it to feed the dogs.”

Nanny Zhou didn’t dare say another word, quickly acknowledged and came out. After coming out, she wiped the sweat from her forehead. When the night wind blew, she herself felt somewhat ridiculous. What was wrong with her? Ever since that day when she saw that Young Madam, her actions had been clumsy… as if she’d been bewitched without realizing it.

Thinking of this, a night wind happened to blow, carrying laughter from who knows where, making Nanny Zhou shiver and her hair stand on end.

She stuffed the food box into the hands of a little maid, instructing her to go feed the dogs, then went back herself.

The little maid carried the food box and ran toward the nearest courtyard where dogs were kept, thinking to finish this task quickly and then go back to sleep. Not watching where she was going, she ran headfirst into someone and was immediately slapped, nearly falling down.

“What blind little hoof doesn’t watch where she’s going,” a male voice cursed, “Where are you rushing to?”

The smell of alcohol was strong. A lantern shone over, then another male voice cackled with laughter.

“The little girl is throwing herself into your arms, Third Brother – why don’t you catch her?”

The little maid recognized this as Third Young Master and Fourth Young Master, and quickly kowtowed begging for mercy.

“What are you carrying? Sneaking around? Where are you going so late at night?” Chang Yunqi originally didn’t want to say more, but seeing this maid came from the direction of Rongan Courtyard, he couldn’t help asking irritably.

The little maid didn’t dare hide anything. She didn’t know the specific details, but had heard Nanny Zhou and another woman mention that the food box contained something made by Young Madam from Qiutong Courtyard, so she told them.

Hearing it was food to feed dogs, Chang Yunqi had already lifted his foot to leave. Just as he stepped forward, he heard the little maid blurt out this sentence, and he suddenly stopped.

“This was made by Young Madam?” he asked.

“That little beggar?” Fourth Young Master Chang Yunhong also made a sound of surprise, speaking without thinking.

The little maid couldn’t explain clearly, only kowtowed and repeated the fragments she’d heard.

“How could she know how to cook? She took so long just learning how to eat…” Chang Yunhong laughed quietly, while losing interest and pushing Chang Yunqi to leave.

Chang Yunqi turned around, but ultimately still stopped.

“Give it here. The dogs in my courtyard haven’t eaten yet – I’ll take it to feed them,” he said.

How could the little maid dare disobey? It was all going to dogs anyway, and naturally Second Young Master’s dogs were more important. She immediately respectfully handed over the food box.

“Come to my courtyard tomorrow to get the food box back,” Chang Yunqi dropped this sentence, picked up the food box, and left.

Walking to a place with brighter light, Chang Yunhong couldn’t help but curiously open it to look.

“This clearly isn’t for human consumption…” Fourth Young Master shook his head, looking at the bowl of cold, extremely unappetizing unknown meat dish.

Chang Yunqi looked at this bowl of food, his expression somewhat strange. After a moment of silence, as if possessed by a ghost, he reached out to pinch a piece and threw it in his mouth.

“Third Brother, don’t get a stomachache…” Chang Yunhong was startled and quickly tried to stop him.

But it was too late – Chang Yunqi had already put it in his mouth. Then tears immediately streamed down, and he reached up to clutch his throat.

“Is it that awful?” Chang Yunhong stared and asked.

“No, the Sichuan pepper is too strong…” Chang Yunqi’s voice was hoarse, his hand fanning at his mouth, speaking with his tongue hanging out.