Chen Baoxiang was in exceedingly good spirits.

Her attire today was truly magnificent and becoming, and with the Zhang Family’s finest carriage to deliver her, the moment she stepped out at the entrance to Zhaixing Tower, every gaze in the vicinity converged on her.

Proudly, she adjusted the gold hairpin atop her head, adopted Zhang Zhixu’s manner of bearing, and with all the dignity of someone precious and distinguished, took the hand of the maidservant standing beside her in support, swaying with stately grace up the stairs.

She had barely reached the foot of the staircase when Sun Fuyu came out to receive her.

“Sister Baoxiang, I heard you’ve been made an official?” She was even more fawning than before, and even stepped in to replace the little maidservant and offer her arm for support.

The satisfaction Chen Baoxiang felt was overwhelming. Before, she had been merely a “false noble lady” who, no matter how she tried, could only stand in the most obscure corner of the room — and yet now, without doing anything at all, simply by making her appearance, she was surrounded and escorted into the private room like the moon encircled by stars.

Lu Qingrong, Cen Xuanyue, and a host of other familiar faces were all present. Upon seeing her arrive, Cen Xuanyue smiled politely; but Lu Qingrong, unable to restrain herself, was the first to speak: “Well, well — it does make a difference when you’ve climbed your way up to a high perch. Even a wild pheasant can dress itself up to look like a phoenix.”

Sun Fuyu laughed awkwardly and tried to maneuver them apart.

But to everyone’s surprise, Chen Baoxiang planted herself directly in the seat right beside Lu Qingrong, and said with deliberate provocation: “My current official’s salary is the same as your father’s — by rights you ought to be treating me as an elder deserving of respect.”

Like a spark leaping into a stack of firecrackers, Lu Qingrong slapped the table and shot to her feet: “What kind of person do you think you are? You think you’re fit to be compared to my father?”

“Am I mistaken? Doesn’t your father also receive fourteen taels of silver a month?”

“What do official salaries have to do with anything? Only someone as shallow as you would go around flaunting a pittance like that.” Lu Qingrong grew increasingly flustered. “My father is different — he has—”

“Why are you two quarreling again?” Pei Ruheng entered the room, cutting off Lu Qingrong’s words.

Chen Baoxiang turned her head in displeasure, but saw that this young gentleman was dressed today in much the same fashion as the immortal — a spring robe in blue-gray with misty clouds embroidered upon it. Though the craftsmanship was not as refined as the immortal’s, it suited his complexion well.

She couldn’t help but look a moment longer.

Pei Ruheng noticed her there, pressed his lips slightly together: “So you did come after all.”

“It’s your birthday, of course I’d come.” Chen Baoxiang produced a box. “Look, I even brought a gift.”

Pei Ruheng took it and opened it — inside was a stick of superior quality Huizhou ink.

Though the gift was reasonably fitting for him, compared to the jade hairpin she had personally carved for him last year, something purchased at a shop always felt less sincere.

He let out a dissatisfied click of his tongue.

Lu Qingrong gathered her skirts and came over to take a look, then snorted with contempt: “I thought you’d actually made some real money — this is all you’re giving?”

Chen Baoxiang made a show of sighing: “Although I’m an official now, I haven’t learned how to manage my expenses, and I don’t have much money left on hand — unlike the great Commander Lu, who draws only fourteen taels of official salary each month and yet can casually purchase an entire Wanbao Tower.”

The room fell momentarily silent at these words.

The Lu Family’s ancestors were nothing particularly distinguished — it was only after following Cheng Huaili to the capital that they had gradually acquired some shops and land. But even if those properties and shops were all making great profits every year, by any reckoning it would be impossible for them to be rolling in boundless wealth.

Wanbao Tower — even the Zhang Family would need to deliberate for months before purchasing a place like that. What right did Lu Qingrong have to buy it on a whim?

Lu Qingrong had originally intended to follow up Chen Baoxiang’s words with further boasting — but catching sight of Pei Ruheng’s unsettled expression, she belatedly began to backpedal: “What are you talking about? I never said any such thing.”

“Wasn’t it said just that one time when we were shopping together at Wanbao Tower?” Chen Baoxiang blinked innocently. “The shopkeeper was standing right there, listening perfectly clearly.”

“That was… that was idle chatter, nothing more.”

“Alright, we’ll call it idle chatter, then.” Chen Baoxiang clapped her hands. “But on that day you spent one thousand four hundred taels in a single go, and not a wince of pain.”

Lu Qingrong didn’t say this — she’d gone home and been scolded by her father for it.

Lu Qingrong was still trying to respond, but Pei Ruheng stepped forward and placed himself between them, blocking her off to the back.

“Your tongue is particularly sharp today,” he said, bending his head to look steadily at Chen Baoxiang. “What are you trying to do?”

“What kind of reaction is that?” Chen Baoxiang replied with easy candor. “I’m just short on money and curious about how Commander Lu manages to earn so much.”

Everyone at the table knew that Chen Baoxiang loved money — hearing it from her lips, the statement fit perfectly.

Pei Ruheng sensed something was off, but couldn’t quite put his finger on what.

Cen Xuanyue considered for a moment and said, “Next month, both Magistrate Pei and I will be taking up positions at the Bureau of Works. Since we are unfamiliar with the workings there, we will need to ask Official Chen to look after us.”

Hmm?

Chen Baoxiang was startled: “You’re both going to the Bureau of Works?”

“Yes.” Cen Xuanyue smiled. “The Bureau of Works is currently understaffed, which has given us the opportunity to serve the court.”

“Congratulations, congratulations!” A wave of well-wishes swept across the table.

Chen Baoxiang joined in with a few words of congratulation, then waved her hand dismissively: “The two of you are both exceptional talents — what would you need me to look after you for? I’m not particularly capable. If anything, it’ll be me asking for your guidance.”

“Official Chen is too modest.” Zhou Yannian said with pointed sarcasm. “To be promoted to fifth grade within the span of two months — the official’s abilities are clearly quite extraordinary.”

Some people, having passed the imperial examinations with top marks, received only a sixth-grade literary official post. Others, unable to read a single character, could leap directly to fifth grade.

What kind of “ability” that implied — everyone in the room understood without it being said aloud.

Sun Fuyu and Lin Guilan were still smiling and trying to smooth things over, afraid of provoking Chen Baoxiang — but Lu Qingrong opposite was careless enough to jab with pointed sarcasm: “If she were truly capable, she’d have married in properly with a name and a title, not be kept in an auxiliary residence as a mistress.”

As had been said before, a mistress held an extremely low standing in the Great Sheng — it was among the most looked-down-upon positions, no matter how bedecked in gold and jewels you were or how high your official rank. Once that word was uttered, even the servants passing by would inwardly roll their eyes.

Chen Baoxiang very much wanted to rebut this — she was no mistress.

But looking at the things she wore, and then thinking about where she lived, Chen Baoxiang scratched her head — she wasn’t in a particularly confident position to argue.

Seeing her fall silent, Lu Qingrong grew all the more emboldened: “Other mistresses at least get taken out occasionally by their patron for drinks and horse rides — yours clearly isn’t favored, since you’ve never once appeared together with the young master of the Zhang Family.”

“Instead of coming here to throw your weight around in front of me, you’d do better to think carefully about how to hold onto that Zhang Family gentleman’s interest — otherwise, once he takes a proper wife and discards you, that official post of yours will vanish along with him.”

“Alright, let’s eat,” Cen Xuanyue cut in.

Sun Fuyu and the others quickly chimed in, offering toasts and trying to smooth things over.

Pei Ruheng raised his cup and inclined it toward Chen Baoxiang from a distance. “My congratulations on your promotion, Official Chen.”

He had actually taken her at her word before, when she said there was nothing between herself and Zhang Zhixu — he had even spoken up on her behalf against Lu Qingrong because of it.

To think that in the end, the ridiculous one was himself.

He looked at her with mocking contempt, and said softly: “That perch is indeed considerably higher than mine — Official Chen has excellent taste.”

The words carried an unmistakable sourness, and those seated at the table exchanged meaningful glances and knowing smirks.

Chen Baoxiang pressed her hand to her forehead and casually raised her cup to clink against his, thinking to herself that this was nothing but adding fuel to the fire — with this many distinguished people present, by tomorrow there would likely be a new story circulating about her through all of Shangjing.