Early this morning, the Wuming Restaurant received an order for a high-class banquet. On any other day, the proprietor would have considered this a good omen, heralding a prosperous day of business. Today, however, he could not muster any joy. The customer’s demands were exacting, and their attitude was deplorable. The ordered dishes such as lean fatty lamb, camel hump, sliced raw fish, single-steamed golden milk pastry, giant victory slave, jade dew balls, heavenly flower pastry, and fresh duck flower soup cake were manageable. But the “jar goose cage donkey” posed a significant challenge.
This dish required cleaning the goose’s intestines with wood ash water, placing it in an iron cage with live charcoal, and setting a copper basin filled with five-flavor sauce inside. The goose would walk around the fire basin, drinking the sauce when thirsty, until it was roasted alive. The donkey underwent the same process, though it took longer due to its size.
Normally, these two dishes were Wuming Restaurant’s specialties, kept ready for unexpected orders. However, today’s customer specifically requested freshly prepared dishes, demanding them within two hours with no excuses. This threw the proprietor into a panic. The goose was manageable, but the donkey was impossible. Experienced in business, he knew who could be deceived and who couldn’t. This customer was definitely in the latter category, leaving him no choice but to plead and flatter.
As Mudan, dressed in men’s clothing, entered Wuming Restaurant, she witnessed the proprietor bowing and scraping, his face plastered with a forced smile as he pleaded with the noble family’s servant. The servant, legs crossed haughtily, sipped his tea, completely ignoring the proprietor.
Mudan silently sympathized with the proprietor as she followed the waiter to a second-floor private room. She first asked the waiter to find a place for Shuer and her newly bought servant, Guizi, and to provide them with some small dishes. Only then did she enter the room.
Jiang Changyang sat alone by the window, wearing an elegant crimson round-collared narrow-sleeved robe and the latest official-style round hat with a long gauze back. He was engrossed in pouring tea. Hearing the sound, he looked up, smiled slightly at her, and gestured for her to sit opposite him. “It’s chilly. Have a cup of hot tea to warm up.”
Mudan picked up a cup of hot tea, curiously examining him from head to toe. She bent down to look at the straps on his boots, which, sure enough, were adorned with gold and silver ornaments. She glanced at him sideways with a mischievous smile, “My, don’t you look grand today. Oh my, a crimson robe, no less.”
Jiang Changyang smiled slightly, extending his foot for her to see without hesitation. “A gift from His Majesty.” Before Mudan could inquire further, he unfastened the golden knife at his waist and presented it to her. “Also a gift from His Majesty.”
Mudan admired it with a smile for a moment, then said, “You didn’t bring these just to show off, did you? How ostentatious.”
Jiang Changyang replied seriously, “Of course not. I have another purpose.” He placed the golden knife Mudan had returned on her right side, clearly not intending to take it back. His eyes then fixed on Mudan, making her uncomfortable. She couldn’t help but reach out to pinch his eyelid. “What are you staring at?”
“It’s the first time I’ve seen you in men’s clothing,” Jiang Changyang said with a light smile, not dodging but instead leaning his face closer. Mudan only poked him lightly before withdrawing her hand. Her gentle fingers had barely grazed his brow and eyes, like a dragonfly skimming water. Unsatisfied, he reached out to adjust Mudan’s collar. “This isn’t done properly, it’s wrinkled.” His fingers lightly brushed Mudan’s neck, causing her to blush instantly at the strange sensation.
Jiang Changyang placed his fingertips on Mudan’s carotid artery, feeling the vibrant life beneath, inhaling her rich fragrance. His voice lowered, becoming slightly hoarse. “Danniang, these golden knives are a pair. What do you think about me using them as a betrothal gift?” Unable to resist, his fingertips began tracing circles on her neck.
“What you use as a betrothal gift is none of my business,” Mudan replied, her face as red as a boiled shrimp. She tilted her neck slightly, avoiding his restless fingers, and changed the subject. “What’s going on outside?”
Jiang Changyang reluctantly withdrew his fingers, forcing himself to remain composed as he coughed lightly. “Young Master Jiang Er is going to join the army. His family is hosting a farewell banquet for him. He insisted on having the signature dishes from this restaurant, so someone is going to great lengths to fulfill his small wish.”
Mudan confirmed that Jiang Er was being sent to the army due to embarrassment during the hunting event. She sighed, “I feel sorry for the proprietor. What can he do if he can’t prepare the dishes? If they wanted to eat here, why didn’t they make arrangements in advance?”
Jiang Changyang clapped his hands, signaling the waiter to bring in the food. He turned to Mudan and said, “They only care about eating, not whether it’s possible to prepare. Many people in this world are like that, indulging their desires without regard for others’ lives.” He paused, raising an eyebrow. “The person they sent probably made a mistake last night and didn’t make advance arrangements. They don’t understand the specific preparation method for the ‘jar goose cage donkey’ and thought it could be made on demand. Watch, there’s about to be trouble. This Wuming Restaurant has powerful backing.”
Sure enough, just as their dishes were being served and before they could taste anything, a commotion of shouting and the sound of breaking dishes erupted outside. Jiang Changyang stood up, straightening his clothes. “It’s started. Do you want to watch?” He opened the window facing the main hall, gesturing for Mudan to come over.
The window was not small, but the gap was narrow. Jiang Changyang stood close to Mudan, their body heat transferring through their autumn clothes, almost scorching. Mudan forced herself to remain calm, suppressing her racing heart, and didn’t move away. Jiang Changyang glanced at her, his lips curling up in delight. He sneakily placed his hand on her shoulder and took the opportunity to pinch her jade-like earlobe twice. Mudan said nothing but pinched his waist hard.
The main hall was in chaos. The insolent servant from the Zhu Duke’s mansion was smashing things and cursing loudly, while the proprietor of Wuming Restaurant kept pleading, “We really can’t make it. This business is beyond us, we can’t do it.”
Amidst the commotion, a private room on the second floor suddenly opened. Three or four men in brocade clothes clattered down the stairs. Without a word, they landed several punches on the Zhu Duke’s servant, instantly turning him into a “national treasure panda.” They swiftly pinned him to the ground. The leader, wearing a blue brocade round-collared robe with side slits, planted his foot on the servant’s back and cursed, “I’ll kill you, you blind dog! How dare you cause trouble here in broad daylight, disturbing the peace of important guests? Are you tired of living?”
The proprietor pitifully came forward to plead, but his words carried a different meaning: “Gentlemen, please spare him. He’s from the Zhu Duke’s mansion. We’re just a small business, we can’t afford to offend them.”
Jiang Changyang’s smile, born from his intimate moment with Mudan, instantly vanished. He frowned at the proprietor, but the man’s face showed only fear and pleading, with no discernible hidden expression.
The burly man in the blue brocade robe raised his bushy eyebrows and said gruffly, “To think such a villain would dare to cause trouble right under the Emperor’s nose! It’s outrageous! I don’t care whose household he’s from, he should be sent to the Capital Prefecture for punishment.” He pressed his foot down harder.
The Zhu Duke’s insolent servant immediately began screaming like a pig being slaughtered. The proprietor, sweating profusely, kept bowing and pleading on his behalf.
Suddenly, a gentle voice rang out: “What’s all this about? Such shouting and commotion, where are your manners?” Then, a man of average height, wearing a purple robe and a purple-gold crown, with a fair complexion and a slight beard, about thirty years old, calmly descended the stairs from the second floor. His every movement exuded nobility.
The previously arrogant men in brocade clothes immediately released the Zhu Duke’s servant and stepped forward to bow respectfully. The nobleman casually waved his hand, indicating for everyone to rise, then walked up to the Zhu Duke’s servant. He lightly kicked him and used the toe of his boot to lift the man’s chin, smiling as he asked, “You’re a servant from the Zhu Duke’s mansion?”
The servant, overwhelmed by the scent of high-quality ambergris filling his nostrils and seeing the purple robe, knew the newcomer was no ordinary rich person. He didn’t dare raise his head and only mumbled a response.
The nobleman laughed, “Duke Zhu has always been known for his strict adherence to propriety. How could he have such an ill-mannered, troublemaking servant? Someone with ill intentions is deliberately using the Zhu Duke’s name to cause mischief. Men, tie him up and send him to the Zhu Duke’s mansion. Let Duke Zhu decide his fate.” He glanced at the broken cups and plates on the ground and casually said to the proprietor, “Put all these damages on my account.”
The proprietor, as if seeing a living Bodhisattva, knelt and bowed, saying, “Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness Duke Min.”
Duke Min? Mudan was startled. So this was the famous Duke Min. At that moment, Duke Min looked up, seemingly glancing in their direction. Mudan wanted to step back, but Jiang Changyang steadied her waist and whispered, “Don’t move. He can’t see us.”
Indeed, Duke Min looked away. After a fair-skinned, beardless, and handsome young man carefully wiped his boot tip with a white silk handkerchief, he left with his brocade-clad men, dragging the Zhu Duke’s servant, who was now tied up like a dumpling.
Jiang Changyang gently closed the window and nonchalantly asked Mudan to sit down. “Let’s eat. The food will get cold.”
After a moment of silence, Mudan asked, “Has it been unstable recently?”
Jiang Changyang’s chopsticks paused briefly before he smiled and said, “What makes you think that?”
“The incident where Young Master Jiang Er was embarrassed last time seemed reasonable, but it was quite strange. I’ve heard some people suggesting that you might be suspected. Today’s event is even more coincidental. If they were sending Young Master Er off on a journey and wanted to fulfill a small wish, they should have sent a reliable person to handle it. How could they send such a fool? Duke Zhu has always kept a low profile; how could his subordinates be so bold? And for Duke Min to encounter this situation is too much of a coincidence. Moreover, you happen to be here. I’m worried someone might be plotting against you behind the scenes.”
Mudan anxiously adjusted the gauze on her head. “It’s all too perfect, and you just happen to be here. I’m concerned someone might be scheming against you.”
Jiang Changyang’s eyes darkened as he smiled, “It’s nothing, just a coincidence. You’re overthinking it.”
Mudan looked up at him. His smile seemed relaxed, his eyes full of tender affection. She smiled back, “Just be extra careful anyway.” Since he didn’t want to elaborate, she let it be.
Jiang Changyang nodded, “I heard some news. They say next year the Emperor intends to hold a Mudan exhibition. The winner will receive ten thousand gold and be granted a title. You…”
Mudan’s eyes lit up, “Really? You’re not teasing me, are you?”
She always reacted this way to anything Mudan-related. It was excessive. Jiang Changyang sighed softly, slightly displeased, “Of course it’s true. But these things can change in an instant. He might suddenly change his mind.”
Mudan smiled, “I know. I’ll prepare myself, and if it doesn’t happen, I’ll have to accept it. Right?”
Jiang Changyang smiled, using his chopsticks to place some camel’s hump on the small silver plate in front of her, “That’s the idea.”
Mudan reciprocated with a piece of fish, “Eat more.”
Jiang Changyang ate all the fish, his eyes crinkling with his smile. Suddenly, Mudan’s face turned serious, “Xiao Xuexi asked me to send you her regards. She said you’re a young hero, and she admires you. With a husband like you, what more could a wife ask for?”
Jiang Changyang froze, almost choking. But seeing Mudan’s eyes blink and her lips curl up involuntarily, he realized she was joking. He couldn’t help but reach out to pinch her nose, “Are you too shy to express your feelings, so you’re using someone else’s words?”
Mudan rolled her eyes at him, “I didn’t realize you were such a narcissist.”
A light knock came from outside, and Wu San called softly, “Young Master.”
Jiang Changyang quickly withdrew his hand and composed himself, “Come in.”
Wu San entered, his eyes darting slyly between the two. Seeing them sitting formally across the table from each other, both with serious expressions, he secretly smirked, thinking they were putting on an act. But he said seriously, “Young Master, it’s about time. Duke Zhu didn’t wait for the meal to be sent here. He’s already left with his men, taking a different route from Prince Min. They probably won’t encounter each other.”
Jiang Changyang was silent for a moment, then looked at Mudan tenderly, “Have you finished eating?”
Mudan put down her chopsticks and stood up, smiling radiantly, “I’m done.”
Jiang Changyang noticed a bit of sauce on the corner of her lip and instinctively reached out to wipe it off. Halfway there, he remembered Wu San was watching. He turned back to see Wu San indeed bent slightly, his eyes fixed mischievously on Jiang Changyang’s finger. Jiang Changyang changed the direction of his hand mid-air, pointing at Wu San, “Escort Miss He back. Go prepare the horses.”
Wu San grinned oddly and left. Jiang Changyang’s face flushed uncontrollably. Mudan quickly said, “No need to trouble Manager Wu. I have my servants. Didn’t you say Guizi was quite capable? It’s better if he stays with you.”
Before she finished speaking, Jiang Changyang’s fingertip had already quickly brushed the corner of her lip. “You…” Mudan glared fiercely at Jiang Changyang, who was licking his fingertip. Her heart raced uncontrollably. She stomped her foot and turned to leave, then thought better of it and came back. She pinched Jiang Changyang’s cheeks hard, kneading them while gritting her teeth, “The weather’s too cold. I’m helping you exercise your face to prevent frostbite.”
Jiang Changyang didn’t cry out in pain. Instead, his eyes shone brightly, fixed on her. Mudan realized the danger and was about to let go when he cupped her face, saying softly, “Let me help you exercise too.” Mudan instinctively closed her eyes. Warm and carrying a faint scent of wine, his lips gently pressed against her forehead, lingering.
Mudan sighed inwardly, wondering if he had ever kissed anyone else. It seemed like he hadn’t.
Jiang Changyang stole a glance at Mudan’s thick eyelashes, her pert nose, and those red, tempting lips he had long desired to bite. Previously, the timing wasn’t right, but today seemed perfect. He just wasn’t sure where to start.
As he hesitated, Mudan’s eyes opened. She stood on tiptoe and quickly pecked his cheek, then abruptly pushed him away and ran downstairs. Jiang Changyang took a few quick steps but only caught a glimpse of her back. He couldn’t help but touch his cheek and grin. Next time, next time…
Wu San kept looking at Jiang Changyang as if he were an idiot. Jiang Changyang sat on his horse, a dreamy smile on his face, occasionally touching his cheek and then his lips. Wu San rolled his eyes. People who rarely act foolishly tend to do so more severely when they do.
Duke Zhu was determined to send the Second Young Master to the military camp. When the servants sent to order the banquet didn’t return on time, the punctual Duke didn’t hesitate to set out with his men. This was miserable for the pampered Second Young Master, who had refused to eat the food sent from the manor earlier. Now, forget about any delicacies; he couldn’t even get a proper meal from the Duke’s household. With an empty stomach, he tearfully followed Duke Zhu on horseback.
Jiang Changyang and Wu San waited near the Golden Light Gate for a short while before they saw the grim-faced Duke Zhu leading over a dozen men, surrounding the Second Young Master. The latter wore a plain blue round-collared robe, timidly perched on his horse, his eyes red, looking longingly at the prosperous capital. The Third Young Master, wearing a white narrow-sleeved shirt, rode a chestnut horse not far behind, occasionally glancing sympathetically at his second brother.
Just outside the Golden Light Gate, Duke Zhu halted and called the Third Young Master forward: “Yi’er, I’m sending your second brother away. I’ll be back in about a month and a half. While I’m away, study diligently, don’t neglect your archery and horsemanship, and don’t cause any trouble. Be filial to your grandmother and mother, understand?”
The Third Young Master agreed obediently.
Duke Zhu continued, “I’ve already instructed your mother to stay home, keep the household in check, and be cautious. If anything unresolvable happens, seek help from your eldest brother at the Lotus Garden by Qujiang Pool.”
The Third Young Master looked up steadily, “Father, rest assured. I understand.”
Duke Zhu gazed at him for a while, then suddenly patted his shoulder, “You’re not young anymore. It’s time you took on some responsibility. These days, we’ll be relying on you.”
Jiang Changyi carefully replied, “Son feels ashamed for not having done anything for the family all these years.” He then rode to the Second Young Master’s side, whispered a few words, and, with his back to Duke Zhu, quickly slipped an oilpaper package into his brother’s sleeve. “Take care, Second Brother,” he said.
After Duke Zhu led the group away in a cloud of dust, he turned his horse around with his servant and headed back.
Jiang Changyang, watching from afar, had observed the family’s interactions. He turned to Wu San, “The Third Young Master is quite considerate of his second brother. Now, except for Duke Zhu, everyone probably knows he secretly gave the Second Young Master some food. Such a caring brother is rare.”
Wu San grunted in agreement, “Does the Duke need to personally escort the Second Young Master? Couldn’t a capable household guard do it? The Second Young Master wouldn’t dare to escape anyway.”
Jiang Changyang snorted, “How do you know he’s not deliberately leaving to avoid being cornered at home by Prince Min?” Seeing Jiang Changyi about to disappear, he hurried, “Let’s follow and see where the Third Young Master goes. We’ll observe him first, then head to the Duke’s manor. The timing should be perfect; Prince Min should be gone by then.”
Jiang Changyi didn’t intend to return to the Duke’s manor immediately. He entered through the Golden Light Gate, passed through Qunxian Ward, and went straight to the West Market. He browsed around and spent about an hour in a bookstore before emerging with two books and heading towards the Duke’s manor.
Jiang Changyang and his men tailed Jiang Changyi effortlessly. This was child’s play for them; if they could do it in deserts, grasslands, and barren gobi, how much easier was it in these bustling streets?
Soon, Jiang Changyang determined that Jiang Changyi was indeed returning to the Duke’s manor. He gently nudged his horse, signaling Wu San to follow. After a short gallop, he caught up with the scholarly youth. He didn’t greet Jiang Changyi directly but passed by with a stern face. However, his crimson robe, golden sword at his waist, tall chestnut horse, and gold-decorated bootstraps inevitably caught Jiang Changyi’s attention.
Almost instantly, Jiang Changyi called out excitedly, “Elder Brother!”
Jiang Changyang reined in his horse, looking at him sternly, then turned to Wu San in apparent confusion. Wu San understood and quickly smiled, “Young Master, this is the Third Young Master of the Duke’s manor. You haven’t met him before.”
Jiang Changyi, seemingly oblivious to Jiang Changyang’s coldness and impatience, enthusiastically said, “Yes, Elder Brother, you haven’t met me, but I’ve seen you before. Where are you headed? It’s such a pity; I just parted with Father and Second Brother. Father even instructed me to find you when I had the chance.”
Jiang Changyang nodded coolly, “I was just on my way to the manor. Let’s go together.”
Jiang Changyi’s expression changed slightly. He lowered his eyes, silent for just a breath, then looked up with a gentle, pure smile at Jiang Changyang, “That would be wonderful. I couldn’t ask for more.” He instructed his servant, “Hurry back to the manor and report this. I wonder how delighted Grandmother will be when she hears.”
Jiang Changyang gazed at him mildly, “Though I haven’t met you, I’ve heard much about you. I hear you’re quite talented, excel in your studies, and associate with many gifted scholars. Will you be taking the imperial examinations next year?”
Jiang Changyi blushed slightly, “My studies are poor. Taking the exam would only bring shame.”
Jiang Changyang merely said “Oh” and fell silent. Jiang Changyi seemed somewhat disappointed.
Soon, they arrived at the Duke’s manor gate. Servants rushed forward, some taking the horses, others leading the way. They kept glancing at Jiang Changyang’s splendid attire. At the second gate, they saw Madam Du smiling as she came out to greet them.