When Jiang Shi arrived with a somber face leading servant women, the girls were preparing to leave.

They looked somewhat unhappy, but there was no dishevelment from a fight.

Seeing Jiang Shi, the girls properly curtsied to bid her farewell. A few girls hesitated, then even said to Jiang Shi: “We’ve been disturbing you so often, Auntie. My mother says she must host you at our home once.”

Jiang Shi was somewhat surprised. Their Chu Garden had entertained many powerful people—nobility from the capital and visitors from other regions—but she was rarely invited to these noble households. She might receive a few invitations a year, but they all seemed rather perfunctory.

The young people who associated with Chu Tang and Chu Ke were polite to her in etiquette, but their attitudes carried a sense of distance.

Jiang Shi understood clearly that these people seemed to be befriending the Chu family, but actually only came for the Chu family’s garden. But she didn’t mind—as long as they could form connections and have a place in the capital, it was still people who ultimately benefited.

What was this about? These young ladies actually dared to extend invitations on behalf of their mothers?

What had happened?

Jiang Shi asked with concern: “Did you have a good time?” She looked around. “Did Azhao come over? Did she cause any trouble?”

The girls’ expressions were somewhat unnatural. They didn’t answer her questions, but they didn’t say anything either, only stating: “Azhao went back.” With that, they said no more and took their leave.

Jiang Shi had the head stewardess personally escort them out, then looked at Chu Tang and asked: “What happened? Did Azhao hit or scold them?”

Chu Tang sat in the pavilion, staring at the lake water in a daze. Hearing her mother’s question, she turned her head.

“Mother,” she didn’t answer the question either, but asked instead, “Our family’s garden is so wonderful—has anyone wanted to buy it?”

What was she thinking about? Jiang Shi smiled and said: “Of course there have been people—it’s been constant from the very beginning.”

“I don’t mean our ancestors’ time,” Chu Tang said. “Has anyone wanted to buy it in recent years?”

Jiang Shi’s expression was proud and pleased: “Every year! Who wouldn’t want our garden after seeing it? There are plenty of people who want it. Your father is at the academy, and people even go there to inquire.”

Chu Tang asked: “Then why hasn’t it been bought?”

Jiang Shi laughed: “Because we’re not willing to part with it! Such a wonderful garden—how could we sell it?”

Chu Tang said: “Just because we’re not willing to part with it, it won’t be bought?”

What else would it be? This child was speaking so strangely. Jiang Shi reached out to touch her forehead—had she bumped into something in the garden?

Chu Tang pulled down Jiang Shi’s hand. Although her mother hadn’t reacted yet, she had already thought of many things.

She was a child, but a child who had grown up in the capital. She had seen and heard of the ways of the world, especially how the powerful used their authority to seize and plunder—grabbing houses, taking property, rare antiques, even a rare peony flower. If you had no power or influence, you could only wait to be strong-armed into selling, or even be plotted against until your family was ruined—

“Mother, what if we’re not willing to part with it, but someone insists on forcing a sale? What would we do?” Chu Tang said softly.

Jiang Shi asked urgently: “Who? What’s wrong? Which family told you this?”

Which young lady was testing the waters on behalf of her family?

“Don’t worry about her.” Jiang Shi stroked her daughter’s shoulder. Was she frightened? Ah, her daughter really had it hard, maneuvering among these wealthy young ladies. Her face full of heartache, she comforted: “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. No matter who it is, we don’t need to pay attention.”

Chu Tang asked: “What if it’s the Zhao family wanting our garden?”

Jiang Shi froze. The Zhao family—when her daughter said Zhao family, she could only mean Imperial Consort Zhao—

Could it be?

Before she could ask, Chu Tang was already counting on her fingers.

“What if the Yang family wants it?”

“What about the Crown Prince? The Third Prince? The Third Prince loves gardens so much he even monopolizes His Majesty’s Wangchun Garden.”

Jiang Shi had been anxious at first, but hearing this, she relaxed and smiled: “What’s gotten into you? Why these wild thoughts? How could those people engage in forcible seizure?”

Chu Tang looked up at her: “Mother, stop joking. Why wouldn’t those people engage in forcible seizure? Never mind them—a few years ago when Father was at the academy, he wanted to monopolize the mountain spring, but he just couldn’t beat the local landlord—”

A scholar like Chu Lan would still want to seize good things when he saw them, let alone those people.

Jiang Shi’s expression stiffened, looking quite embarrassed: “What are you saying? How did your father engage in forcible seizure? That was, that was negotiation. Besides, that mountain spring rightfully should have belonged to the academy.”

Chu Tang didn’t listen to her mother’s explanation. She didn’t just stay in the capital’s inner quarters associating with young ladies—she spent more than half the year at the academy too. She had seen plenty of the local customs in the small towns outside the capital.

Father could have monopolized that mountain spring, but unexpectedly the landlord brought out a distant relative and established a connection with the Zhao clan, forcing Father to give up.

At that time, Father and Brother had complained, saying it was all Second Uncle’s fault for not upholding the family’s reputation, causing the family to have to bow their heads and live humbly.

Mother was still nagging in her ear, but Chu Tang had stopped listening. She rested her chin on her hand, looking at the lake surface. This garden was truly beautiful—surrounded by water, with exquisite pavilions and terraces, lush flowers and trees, containing the beauty of all four seasons.

If no one came to forcibly seize it, it wasn’t because they were good people, but because they couldn’t seize it.

So who in the Chu family made it so people couldn’t seize it?

Surely not Father, the schoolteacher.

She raised her hand and slapped her own face. All these years—why had she never thought of this?

If she had thought of it earlier, she would have long ago made Chu Zhao treat her as a beloved elder sister, made Second Uncle treat her as his beloved eldest daughter!

“Oh my child!” Jiang Shi grabbed her hand. “You really are possessed! Quick, go fetch Daoist Liu.”

……

……

That day, many girls at home were rambling about old matters.

“Mother, Mother, don’t you think so? That Chu Zhao’s father, Chu Ling—isn’t he a criminal official?” Qi Leyun tugged at her mother’s sleeve.

Mother Qi smiled and agreed, pushing a plate of snacks toward her: “Eat some more. Why won’t you eat your meal? Did someone say you’re fat again?”

“Never mind that for now.” Qi Leyun pushed the snacks away, filled with righteous indignation. “Why didn’t His Majesty condemn him back then? Otherwise, that Chu Zhao wouldn’t be so arrogant now. Mother, do you know what she said? She said her father is innocent, that if His Majesty doesn’t pronounce him guilty, for others to keep saying such things is defiance, is disregarding the sovereign!”

Mother Qi was somewhat helpless, smiling at a servant woman nearby: “How did my daughter start commenting on court affairs?”

Just as they were laughing, Clerk Qi slowly walked in, curiously asking: “What is Ayun commenting on? Tell me so your father can learn from it.”

Qi Leyun quickly grabbed her father and urgently repeated her earlier words. Father Qi only felt his ears filled with “Chu Ling, Chu Ling,” his expression going from surprise to thoughtfulness.

“What’s going on?” he said. “Recently everyone has been mentioning Chu Ling? That name has been silent for over ten years.”

“Because his daughter hit Miss Liang,” Qi Leyun said.

Mother Qi smiled and handed tea to Father Qi, saying: “Because His Majesty splashed tea all over Court Gentleman Liang.”

It sounded like two different matters, but Father Qi, a veteran of official circles, understood immediately: “I’ve heard about that incident too.”

“Father, you see—Chu Ling doesn’t discipline his daughter, but instead goes before His Majesty to accuse Court Gentleman Liang. Isn’t that arrogant and unreasonable!” Qi Leyun said, then added resentfully, “Today Chu Zhao even said something about how good their family’s garden is, why no one dares to seize it—it’s all because of her father—how ridiculous.”

As she said this, the smiling Clerk Qi suddenly made a sound of realization, his expression thoughtful: “Speaking of this, I seem to recall something.”

Qi Leyun was interrupted and asked: “What is it?”

Clerk Qi stroked his beard, as if trying hard to remember: “Something from long ago—it seems right after Chu Ling submitted a memorial scolding His Majesty. His Majesty was furious and rebuked him. Then shortly after, the Textile Commissioner Wang Zhuang of the Minor Treasury was suddenly exiled, because evidence of his crimes filled an entire chest that appeared on His Majesty’s desk.”

Qi Leyun stamped her foot: “Father! We’re talking about Chu Ling! Why are you bringing up the Textile Bureau?”

Clerk Qi gestured for her not to be hasty and continued: “At the time, the incident was very sudden, and no one paid much attention. Officials rise and fall like that all the time. But later, I heard an official curse that the Textile Commissioner deserved it—black-hearted and greedy, always scheming for other people’s property. Before he was arrested, he had even said he would change Chu Garden into Wang Garden, because Chu Ling had fallen from favor and his family property could be divided up—”

Qi Leyun looked at her father and stamped her foot again: “We’re talking about Chu Ling—”

Clerk Qi looked at her thoughtfully: “Yes, because you mentioned Chu Ling, I suddenly realized—was Commissioner Wang condemned and exiled because he schemed for Chu Ling’s family property?”