Nanny Lü didn’t dare to respond, and quickly steered the conversation toward Yun Ge’er, whom Old Madam Guo loved most: “I heard from the little maid who came to report that Ji Ying is very good at swimming. She jumped into the lake like a fish. Young Master Yun, wearing his silver-red belly band, went into the water with his little arms and legs looking just like lotus root segments—so adorable… Would you like to go take a look?”
“Go! Of course I’ll go!” Old Madam Guo originally hadn’t wanted to go, but upon hearing this, she couldn’t sit still any longer. Supporting herself on Chenxiang’s hand, she headed toward the water pavilion.
The servants poled the boat to the old locust tree that stretched out over the water’s surface, where Zhou Shaojin was sitting in the shade to escape the sun.
Ji Ying and Yun Ge’er were playing joyfully in the lake, their giggling laughter ringing like silver bells, carrying far across the water.
Seeing this, Old Madam Guo couldn’t help but scold with a smile: “What kind of mother are you? Be careful or you’ll tan our Yun Ge’er, and then you’ll have to compensate me!”
Zhou Shaojin smiled with pursed lips and invited Old Madam Guo to sit on the boat: “…It’s not only cool, but also very comfortable.”
Old Madam Guo had a forthright personality. Upon hearing this, she didn’t act coy but supported herself on the boat woman’s shoulder and boarded, sitting across from Zhou Shaojin. Her hand unconsciously reached into the jade-green lake water and swirled it around as she sighed: “This water is truly refreshing.”
“Indeed it is.” Zhou Shaojin smiled and took the opportunity to tell Old Madam Guo about their plan to move to the water pavilion. “A few days ago, Fourth Lang said the main residence was too hot and wanted to move here to the water pavilion. Mother, why don’t you move here with us? The water pavilion is so large, and it would be livelier with more people.”
“I’m old now, and Tingxiang Courtyard is perfectly fine.” Old Madam Guo smiled and declined her suggestion. “The breeze here at the water pavilion is too cool. If you want to change residences, go ahead, but don’t drag me along. These old bones of mine can’t withstand such commotion!”
Her words made Zhou Shaojin’s face flush crimson.
However, Old Madam Guo clapped her hands and said: “Shaojin, look at our Yun Ge’er!”
Ji Ying was supporting his little belly, letting him paddle.
Yun Ge’er’s four limbs paddled rapidly as he slowly made his way toward them.
Zhou Shaojin couldn’t swim and didn’t know one could paddle like this. She found it utterly fascinating.
Ji Ying called out from afar, “Old Madam,” “Shaojin,” as she paddled over with Yun Ge’er.
Yun Ge’er grabbed the boat’s rail and called out “Grandmother,” “Mother,” then turned around, ready to continue paddling, looking as if he was afraid Zhou Shaojin or Old Madam Guo would pull him onto the boat.
Everyone burst into laughter.
Old Madam Guo pinched Yun Ge’er’s little hand and said with a smile: “Don’t worry, Grandmother and your mother won’t stop you. Go ahead and play.”
Whether Yun Ge’er heard her or not, he wriggled away and headed straight for the center of the lake.
Ji Ying had no choice but to smile and take Yun Ge’er to the white pagoda by the lakeside. They stayed until the sun set and the weather turned cool before finally going ashore with the help of the maids and servants. After changing clothes, washing up, and drinking hot tea, Cheng Chi returned home.
Zhou Shaojin hurried forward to greet him and saw Qin Ziping, who had returned with Cheng Chi.
He respectfully bowed to Zhou Shaojin and said sheepishly: “Ji Ying has a mischievous nature. If there was anything improper, please forgive her, Madam.”
Zhou Shaojin smiled: “Did you come to pick up Ji Ying?”
Qin Ziping nodded bashfully.
Zhou Shaojin smiled: “Ji Ying and I have been friends since our days in Jiuru Lane. She’s welcome to visit me anytime. Not just me—even Old Madam and Yun Ge’er are very fond of her. You mustn’t be like those old fogies who think that once a woman marries, she must stay home without stepping out the main gate or the secondary gate, just embroidering and cooking!”
“Of course not! Of course not!” Qin Ziping quickly replied.
Zhou Shaojin continued: “Since that’s the case, if she wants to visit me in the future, you can’t say ‘no’—this afternoon Ji Ying was teaching Yun Ge’er to swim. Even Old Madam praised her swimming skills, saying she’s as capable as any man!”
Qin Ziping was startled, but seeing that both Zhou Shaojin and Cheng Chi appeared perfectly calm, he finally relaxed and humbly deflected on Ji Ying’s behalf: “She just likes to have fun. To say she was teaching Young Master Yun would be too much credit…”
Cheng Chi had always worried that Old Madam Guo spoiled Yun Ge’er too much, and that Zhou Shaojin indulged both the old and the young in everything. Hearing now that Ji Ying was teaching Yun Ge’er to swim, he thought that if Yun Ge’er could spend more time with Ji Ying—climbing trees and swimming in rivers—it might not be a bad thing.
“Then it’s settled,” he concluded. “In the future, if Ji Ying has free time, she should come visit more often. Besides keeping Madam company in conversation, she can also play with Yun Ge’er. You can focus on your duties with peace of mind.”
Being a constable in Shuntian Prefecture was no easy task—one wrong move and you could offend powerful officials. If not for Zhou Shaojin’s warning that “the Cheng family would face execution and extermination,” Cheng Chi wouldn’t have let Qin Ziping become a constable while Qin Zi’an went to the Western Hills Camp.
Cheng Chi said to Zhou Shaojin: “Have the Ziping couple stay for dinner.” Then to Qin Ziping: “Come with me!”
Qin Ziping bowed to Zhou Shaojin and followed Cheng Chi to the study.
Cheng Chi asked Qin Ziping: “Last time Qin Zi’an mentioned that the concubine of the Vice Commander at the Shanxi Camp is a distant relative of the Fourth Prince’s consort’s family. What have you found out?”
Qin Ziping’s voice involuntarily lowered as he said quietly: “I’ve investigated it thoroughly. She’s not any distant relative. She was a courtesan purchased from outside, then adopted as the daughter of a distant uncle of the Fourth Prince’s consort, and given to the Vice Commander as a concubine… Because she’s not a proper relative, the two families normally don’t interact. She only goes back when that distant uncle of the Fourth Prince’s consort celebrates his birthday, but every time this concubine returns, the wet nurse from the Fourth Prince’s consort’s household also goes back… Supposedly the Vice Commander treats this concubine quite ordinarily, yet she’s very favored by the main wife. Moreover, since this concubine entered the household, the Vice Commander’s family has been much better off. Recently when his daughter got engaged, the dowry alone was four to five thousand taels of silver…”
In other words, the Fourth Prince might be bribing that Vice Commander.
Cheng Chi remained silent for a long while.
For normal succession to the throne, one only needed to win the Emperor’s favor. For a palace coup, internally you needed powerful head eunuchs to pass information and coordinate from within, while externally you needed support from the city garrison Imperial Guards and the troops stationed at the Western Hills Camp.
If the Fourth Prince were inheriting the throne normally, why would he need to cultivate relationships with people from the Western Hills Camp and the head eunuch of the Qianqing Palace?
Cheng Chi’s heart grew increasingly certain that his previous speculation was probably correct.
In his past life, the Fourth Prince had killed the Emperor and then tried to falsify an edict to ascend the throne. Second Uncle would certainly never have agreed, so in that past life, Second Uncle died in the palace… When the body was sent out, with Elder Brother’s discernment, he must have known what happened… But at that time, he hadn’t yet entered the Grand Secretariat… Did he lack the ability to seek justice for Second Uncle? Or did he make some deal with the Fourth Prince using Second Uncle’s death?
And Second Uncle—why had he entered the palace?
If his guess was correct, could the Crown Prince’s death also have been a man-made disaster?
Was that why the Emperor was so wary of the Cheng family?
An even bolder thought surfaced in Cheng Chi’s mind.
His heart felt somewhat agitated.
He thought of the Crown Prince’s dark yet bright eyes, like black obsidian.
Clearly a very intelligent child.
He had been very interested in the mathematics Cheng Chi taught and quickly grasped the relationships between numbers… No matter how one looked at it, he didn’t seem like someone fated to die young!
Cheng Chi gently shook his head, suppressing his favorable impression of the Crown Prince deep in his heart. He instructed Qin Ziping: “You and Zi’an continue finding ways to investigate everyone in the Western Hills Camp thoroughly—three generations of their ancestors. Don’t worry about the Imperial Guards for now. I’ll ask Second Uncle about the Imperial Guards—he should know very well.”
Qin Ziping respectfully acknowledged the order.
Cheng Chi continued: “When you have free time, have Ji Ying come visit. If you have any news that’s inconvenient for you to deliver, you can also have Ji Ying pass a message to Madam. Also, regarding the people I asked you to find—do you have any news on that?”
He wanted to find several twelve or thirteen-year-old children who looked very clever to infiltrate the Eastern Palace.
Serving the Crown Prince closely would be impossible, but they could be placed in the outer courtyard doing odd jobs like running errands or feeding horses in the stables. That way, they could promptly report back to him about what happened in the Eastern Palace each day.
He had sent several people last time, but because of the death of the Crown Prince, those children had been sent out of the palace. He had to find another batch to send in.
Qin Ziping replied: “There are no suitable candidates…” He suggested, “Could we look among the palace eunuchs instead?”
“Not very likely,” Cheng Chi pondered. “Palace eunuchs have different objectives than we do. Those who can be swayed merely by gold and silver may not work wholeheartedly for us. In such matters, better to have none than to have chaos. Take it slowly. Don’t let a good thing turn into a bad thing.”
Qin Ziping nodded.
A young servant reported through the curtain that dinner was ready: “Madam invites Master and Official Qin to dinner.”
The two men ended their discussion and went to the inner courtyard.
Since they were all family, everyone sat at the same table to eat.
Yun Ge’er was very fond of Ji Ying. During the meal, he tried to serve her his favorite meatball, but his hand wasn’t steady and the meatball fell on the table. In his distress, he grabbed it with his hand and tried to stuff it into Ji Ying’s mouth.
Zhou Shaojin was greatly alarmed and gently stopped him.
However, Ji Ying thought nothing of it and swallowed the meatball, smiling and telling Yun Ge’er it was “delicious.”
Yun Ge’er was so happy his eyes curved into little crescents.
Zhou Shaojin laughed helplessly, wiped Yun Ge’er’s hands, and gently explained the rules to him.
Ji Ying quickly said: “He’s still young, you don’t need to be so strict! Besides, his heart was in the right place. When he’s a bit older, it won’t be too late to teach him properly.”
“But Yun Ge’er is already past his first birthday,” Zhou Shaojin felt that since Yun Ge’er could walk, jump, and talk, it was time to establish rules.
Cheng Chi frowned and glanced at Ji Ying.
He had just been thinking well of her, but now it turned out she spoiled the child even more than Shaojin.
“No talking while eating, no talking while sleeping,” he said with displeasure. “Eat!”
Everyone fell silent.
Ji Ying was quite annoyed, but when Zhou Shaojin escorted her out after dinner, she couldn’t help but say: “Don’t invite me to stay for meals anymore. I feel chest pain just looking at Cheng Zichuan. If you really want me to stay for dinner, do it when he’s not home, or when men and women need to eat separately. I feel like I didn’t eat my fill today and will need to eat more when I get home.”
Ji Ying and Cheng Chi were truly natural-born adversaries.
“The kitchen made some pastries. Let me have Chun Wan wrap some up for you!” Zhou Shaojin said apologetically. “Next time come earlier and have lunch here.”
That way Ji Ying could also return home earlier to make dinner for Qin Ziping.
Ji Ying didn’t stand on ceremony with Zhou Shaojin. Carrying the wrapped pastries, she was helped into the sedan chair by Qin Ziping.
Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but smile. When she returned, she told Cheng Chi about it.
Cheng Chi was reading and lifted his gaze from the scroll of manuscripts in his hand: “Isn’t that perfectly normal?”
Zhou Shaojin said gossiping: “Think about it—with Ji Ying’s excellent skills, does she really need help getting into a sedan chair? Yet the two of them—one helps so naturally, the other accepts help so naturally—it shows they have a very good relationship!”