Zhou Shaojin was somewhat stunned.
Cheng Chi had only mentioned that he grew up in the capital but hadn’t said who had chosen him or how he came to manage the Seven Stars Hall.
Was there something unusual about this?
Zhou Shaojin thought of Old Madam Guo.
She thought of how Cheng Chi had delayed marriage for so long.
She vaguely sensed that these matters might be related to Cheng Chi’s parents and older brothers…
Zhou Shaojin didn’t dare think further, nor did she dare ask more.
She obediently stood up, brewed a fresh cup of tea for Cheng Chi, and handed it to him.
Cheng Chi accepted the tea cup with a smile, smelled the tea’s fragrance, and took a light sip.
He was somewhat reluctant to speak of this.
But today was an opportunity.
Perhaps if he missed this opportunity, he would never be able to tell Shaojin so calmly.
“The one who chose me to manage the Seven Stars Hall was the Old Ancestor of the Second Branch.” Just when Zhou Shaojin thought Cheng Chi wouldn’t tell her more of the Cheng family’s secrets, Cheng Chi continued unhurriedly, “I was mischievous from childhood. I did plenty of climbing roofs and catching fish in rivers. I annoyed my father so much that when he got angry and jumped around, he would often threaten to send me to the Western Hills Barracks to become a military man.” As he spoke, he smiled faintly, his smile open and gentle, clearly in a good mood.
Uncle Chi must have had a good relationship with his father.
Zhou Shaojin thought this, but in the next instant saw a flash of sharp, blade-like light in Cheng Chi’s eyes as he said, “The Cheng family is a family of scholars—how could they possibly send me to the Western Hills Barracks to become a military man? This shows that some things shouldn’t be taken lightly—when I was seven, my father passed away. After keeping vigil for him for forty-nine days, while my brothers were still observing mourning at home, I was sent back to the capital and began learning martial arts from Steward Qin’s father!”
Clearly, Cheng Chi was very dissatisfied with this arrangement.
Was it because the elders’ decision cut off his path to officialdom? Or was it because learning martial arts involved too much suffering?
The thought flashed through Zhou Shaojin’s mind, but she quickly rejected the latter.
For Uncle Chi to have come this far, he must have endured much hardship.
Since he could endure hardship, it couldn’t be displeasure over learning martial arts.
So it must be about the elders’ arrangement?
Zhou Shaojin didn’t know what to say and could only pour another cup of tea for Cheng Chi.
This time Cheng Chi didn’t reach out to take it. Instead, he stared directly at the tea cup before him and said in a low voice, “My father passed away on the fourth day of the seventh month in the year of Dingchou, which was the fifteenth year of Yongchang. That summer, he contracted a slight cold. Because he delayed treatment due to business matters, by the time he realized something was wrong, it had turned into consumption, and he passed away quickly.
“At that time, he had risen to the position of Left Chief Censor of the Censorate, second rank, one of the Minor Nine Ministers. One more step and he would have been appointed to the Grand Secretariat. The Old Ancestor of the Second Branch was already a Grand Secretary of the Yingwu Hall and Minister of Personnel. The reason my father had been delayed in joining the cabinet was mainly because the Old Ancestor of the Second Branch was his clan uncle.
“The court couldn’t possibly allow both uncle and nephew to enter the cabinet together.
“The Old Ancestor of the Second Branch was already over sixty at that time, while my father was only at the age of knowing destiny. Everyone said that in a few years, when the Old Ancestor of the Second Branch retired, my father would be able to join the cabinet.
“But my father died before the Old Ancestor of the Second Branch.
“Moreover, both my older brothers had already passed the imperial examinations. One served as Left Vice Minister of Works, and the other had just been selected as a Hanlin scholar and was observing government affairs in the Ministry of War.
“But with father’s death, both my brothers had to return home to observe mourning. My eldest brother was fortunate—he had already been selected as a Hanlin scholar. But my second brother could only miss out on being a Hanlin scholar and remain an ordinary presented scholar.”
Zhou Shaojin gradually understood the implications.
The First Branch had originally had a bright official career ahead, but due to Cheng Xun’s death, everything became uncertain.
She said, “Was it because of this that Second Grand-Uncle stepped forward to support the family at that time?”
There was a period when Cheng Xun’s reputation was very strong, and many people thought he would leverage his second-place ranking to advance through the Six Ministries.
Cheng Chi sneered coldly, “When negotiating with people, naturally one must have leverage! When my father was alive, he already had different political views from the Old Ancestor of the Second Branch. After my father passed away, the Old Ancestor of the Second Branch even argued with Second Uncle about whether to keep vigil for father for forty-nine days or forty-two days.”
When elders are still living and a younger generation member dies first, it is considered unfilial, and a full mourning of forty-nine days cannot be observed. If observed, it can only be forty-two days or thirty-five days.
At that time, Cheng Chi’s grandfather Cheng Bei had already passed away.
His refusal to let Cheng Chi and the others observe forty-nine days of rites for Cheng Xun—wasn’t that because he felt it was improper toward him as the living elder?
Zhou Shaojin was very angry, saying, “Couldn’t he be a little more tolerant?”
Cheng Chi said disdainfully, “With my father gone, he had no more concerns. Who would he show tolerance to?”
That’s right!
Toward the First Branch of the Cheng family, people who had no power to shake his foundation at all—what did he have to worry about, what need did he have to be tolerant…
“So Second Uncle had to make a desperate gamble, hoping that when my two brothers were reinstated after their mourning period, he could help promote them…”
Zhou Shaojin’s heart stirred, and she couldn’t help but murmur in response, “So that’s why Second Grand-Uncle eventually went to the Hanlin Academy to become an Attendant Lecturer, Uncle Jing was appointed Chief Clerk of the Court of Judicial Review upon reinstatement, promoted to Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review in less than half a year, and another year later, promoted to Junior Minister of the Court of Judicial Review… Second Uncle Wei also went directly to the Hanlin Academy… And you were thrown in as part of the deal, having to learn martial arts from Steward Qin’s father to take over the Seven Stars Hall…” As she spoke, she suddenly raised her head, her face flushed red with anger. “Couldn’t you resist? Did you just let him manipulate you like that?”
Moreover, since this was the result of a power struggle between the First and Second Branches, then the matter of Uncle Chi being chosen to manage the Seven Stars Hall must have been agreed upon by everyone in the First Branch!
This included Uncle Chi’s birth mother, Old Madam Guo, and his blood brothers Cheng Jing and Cheng Wei!
Uncle Chi… was only seven years old at that time… still a child who didn’t understand… If he hadn’t been naturally intelligent and hadn’t passed the imperial examinations, perhaps his whole life would have been nothing more than being a pawn managing miscellaneous affairs!
That’s why in the previous life, Uncle Chi ran away from home!
But Uncle Chi, knowing the Cheng family was being raided and Cheng Xu was headed for the execution ground, still came back to save Cheng Xu and took him all the way south… Uncle Chi appeared cold and heartless, but he was actually someone with a soft and tender heart!
She looked at Cheng Chi, but it was as if a seed in her heart had taken root, sprouted, and broken through the soil.
Cheng Chi didn’t notice Zhou Shaojin’s emotions. He smiled bitterly and said, “Although Second Uncle is learned, he’s somewhat bookish. You can ask him to deal with those demons and monsters in officialdom for a while, but over time, he becomes somewhat inadequate. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have hidden in the Hanlin Academy for so many years… He has no heart for being an official—he wouldn’t even be willing to serve as Superintendent of the Imperial Academy.”
Zhou Shaojin thought of the Master Wu she had met at Hanbei Mountain Lodge, who seemed like Cheng Shao’s adviser.
That time Master Wu came because Cheng Jing had recommended Cheng Xun to be Superintendent of the Imperial Academy, and Cheng Xun had sent Master Wu to plead his case to Old Madam Guo.
But thinking of the treatment Cheng Chi had received, her heart still couldn’t settle down. She said, “But they still shouldn’t have done that! You were so young. Even though you were active, who could confidently guarantee you had talent for martial arts?” After speaking, she asked Cheng Chi, “Your martial arts must be very advanced, right?” Then, without waiting for Cheng Chi to answer, she continued, “You hadn’t formally fought with outsiders at that time. What if your martial arts weren’t as superior as imagined? Wouldn’t you have met the same fate as Grand-Uncle Li? How could they do this?”
Zhou Shaojin’s sweet, soft voice, and the emotions of both grievance and unwillingness contained in her voice, made Cheng Chi suddenly feel that all those treatments he had considered unfair in the past had become his wealth—if he hadn’t managed the Seven Stars Hall and had just been an ordinary scholar, when he met Zhou Shaojin, would he have dared to embrace this girl who had laid her whole heart before him and could let him do anything?
When he truly felt anger was at eighteen, when Qin Zining died before his eyes and he was powerless to do anything.
That was the first time he witnessed the cruelty and bloodshed of the martial world.
Before, this cruelty and bloodshed had only been stories from others’ mouths.
When it happened to him personally, only then did he know how much sorrow and resentment filled his heart.
But before him lay a path of thorns. There was no time to lament heaven and pity others, no time to reminisce and sigh. He quickly grew up, learned to treat others with equal cruelty and bloodshed. He also came to understand that sometimes those pains in life become wealth in one’s existence, guiding you toward a smoother path.
But knowing is one thing.
Every time he thought of Qin Zining’s death, his heart would uncontrollably feel pain… and lingering resentment!
Only this time, he calmly accepted those things he had previously considered unfair.
Perhaps this was the feeling of mutual dependence and companionship?
Cheng Chi quietly gazed at Zhou Shaojin, his brow floating with joyful amusement, and for the first time faced squarely Steward Qin’s father’s evaluation of him back then: “Master Qin said I was a martial arts prodigy seen once in a hundred years…”
“That still doesn’t make it right!” Zhou Shaojin was still dissatisfied, petulantly interrupting Cheng Chi’s words. “Even sailing boats and riding horses have three parts danger, let alone you dealing daily with desperados like Xiao Zhenhai! The Old Ancestor of the Second Branch wouldn’t have said this was a good thing to your face, would he? Cheng Shi isn’t young now either—he has two sons already. Why doesn’t he have Cheng Shi take over the Seven Stars Hall? Cheng Shi is only a provincial graduate, while you’re a presented scholar! Who’s more important—anyone with eyes can see! If he thinks Cheng Shi hasn’t learned martial arts, doesn’t Cheng Shi have two sons? He could just choose one from them…” Then, feeling that all these troubles were caused by the Seven Stars Hall, she said, “I think this Seven Stars Hall shouldn’t continue operating. If those people want it, just divide it among them. You shouldn’t manage those affairs anymore—just live a few peaceful days! As for the Seven Stars Hall’s revenue, the moon waxes then wanes, water overflows when full. The Cheng family has been wealthy and noble for so many years—it’s time to let go!” At this point, she thought of something even more serious.
She couldn’t help but lean toward Cheng Chi and say quietly, “Uncle Chi, look, in the previous life the Cheng family’s property was confiscated—could it be related to the Seven Stars Hall? Knights using martial arts to break the law—the court has always viewed such matters very strictly!”
Cheng Chi looked at her pink, glowing little face, so smooth not even a tiny flaw could be found, her black and white eyes like water-cut autumn pupils seeming to hold a pool of water that could make one sink into them. He couldn’t help but gently tap her forehead and say with a laugh, “Didn’t you say the Cheng family’s confiscation was because my eldest brother lost decorum before the Emperor and then my second brother was found to have embezzled? If it were because of the Seven Stars Hall, His Majesty could easily have given the Cheng family a charge of treason—why bother looking for such an absurd excuse?”