Cheng Chi smiled and pinched Zhou Shaojin’s nose, laughing. “When did you become so clever?”
Zhou Shaojin leaned back to avoid Cheng Chi’s hand.
Cheng Chi laughed heartily.
The two embraced and talked on the kang for a long time. Seeing it was getting late and fearing he would become even more immersed in tender affection and unable to leave, Cheng Chi finally kissed Zhou Shaojin’s cheek and said in a low voice, “Finish embroidering the undergarment quickly and marry me soon.”
Zhou Shaojin’s face flushed so red it seemed blood might drip from it. She spat at Cheng Chi once and pushed him out the door, yet couldn’t help climbing onto the kang and gazing reluctantly through the glass window set in the lattice at Cheng Chi’s departing figure.
Cheng Chi seemed to sense her lingering attachment. He turned back and waved at her before passing through the inner gate.
Zhou Shaojin’s heart pounded wildly. After a long while, she finally calmed down. Looking at the half-embroidered undergarment beside her, she instructed Xiao Chunwan to open the chest and find a length of purple plain lake silk. She removed her outer garment and held it against herself repeatedly, quietly asking Chunwan, “Does this color look good on me?”
Chunwan smiled with pursed lips and said, “It looks beautiful. It sets off your skin like fresh snow, so white and fair.”
Zhou Shaojin’s face reddened again. She cut a piece of the fabric to make an undergarment, then after some thought, found another piece of pink plain lake silk and also cut it to make an undergarment…
Meanwhile, on Zhou Zhen’s side, since Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion and Minister of Revenue Song Jingran, along with Vice Minister of Works Zhang Hui, had personally come forward to propose marriage on Cheng Chi’s behalf, this created quite a stir. Song Jingran even linked Cheng Chi’s wedding date with the winter dredging of the Yellow River during the agricultural off-season. Zhou Zhen had no choice but to agree, both emotionally and logically.
Zhou Shaojin and Cheng Chi’s wedding date was set for the second day after Zhou Shaojin’s coming-of-age ceremony—the sixth day of the eleventh month.
When Old Madam Guo received confirmation of the wedding, she was so delighted her smile wouldn’t fade. Together with Chief Steward Qin, Qin Shouyue, she called back both Qin Zi’an and Qin Ziping to help write the invitation cards.
Qin Ziping and Ji Ying were like quarreling lovers, always bickering and playing around. Their wedding date had just been set for the fourth day of the tenth month a few days earlier.
Therefore, Old Madam Guo was pleased whenever she saw Qin Ziping, and she said to Chief Steward Qin, “This time next year we’ll be able to hear children’s noisy voices.”
Meaning there would be descendants to continue the family line.
Both elders of similar age couldn’t hide their smiles when thinking about it.
Old Madam Guo then asked, “Will Ziping return to Sichuan after getting married?”
Qin Shouyue smiled and said, “I only went back once with my father when I was young. This time I’ll go take a look first.”
Madam Qin then advised, “In the past I didn’t like living in the capital because all my relatives and friends were in Jinling. But later their father passed away and the children were in the capital, so I wanted to move to the capital to be closer to them. When it comes down to it, where we live is secondary. What’s important is being where our familiar people are, where our relatives and old friends are. It’s good for you to go back and have a look. After all these years, you’ve been delayed because of our Cheng family’s affairs. But if you really find it difficult to settle there, don’t feel bound by the idea that you must return. Move to the capital instead! That way our two families can support each other.”
Qin Shouyue smiled and nodded, saying, “Old Madam, rest assured. I’m not one to be stubborn about such things. As for Ziyou’s branch, if they wish to continue staying with the Cheng family, then let them continue staying with the Cheng family. Ziping is marrying Miss Ji, and Miss Ji has excellent martial skills, which is why I’m planning to take the two of them back to Sichuan. As for Zi’an, if he wants to stay in the capital, I’ll let him do as he wishes.”
Having witnessed the Cheng family’s grudges and conflicts, he suddenly realized that life is short, and being able to live as one wishes is something to be grateful for.
This way, regardless of whether Qin Ziping and his wife followed Qin Shouyue to stay in their ancestral home in Sichuan, the relationship between the Qin and Cheng families would remain intact.
Old Madam Guo smiled with relief and satisfaction.
Qin Zi’an, who had been writing invitation cards, suddenly raised his head and said solemnly, “Old Madam, Grandfather, I wish to ask for a favor from you both.”
Old Madam Guo quickly said, “What is it? Just speak freely.”
Qin Shouyue also looked at his grandson with some curiosity.
Qin Zi’an said, “I hope Old Madam and Grandfather will agree to let me marry Nan Ping as my wife!”
Old Madam Guo and Qin Shouyue looked at each other in shocked bewilderment.
Even Qin Ziping raised his head in astonishment.
Two patches of red appeared on Qin Zi’an’s resolute face as he said in a rough voice, “I’ve liked Nan Ping since we were young. Later, when Nan Ping became engaged to my brother, I treated her like a sister-in-law. But now that my brother has been gone for several years, I cannot bear to see Nan Ping always alone and lonely like this, either making clothes for Fourth Master or hiding in the small Buddhist hall reciting scriptures…”
Old Madam Guo was not a rigid person. Upon hearing this, she quickly adjusted her mindset and said, “You must ask Nan Ping about this matter. If she agrees, I have no reason to disagree.”
Qin Shouyue remained silent.
Qin Zi’an quickly said, “Grandfather, I want to marry Nan Ping. Didn’t you want one of our branches to return to our ancestral home? Why not let Nan Ping and me go back to our ancestral home?”
There, no one would know Nan Ping’s identity.
They could live very happily together.
Qin Shouyue thought for a long while, then gently nodded and said, “I think the same as Old Madam. That child has suffered a bitter fate, but you must not neglect her. This matter must have her own consent.”
Qin Zi’an immediately stood up and kowtowed to Old Madam Guo and Qin Shouyue.
Qin Ziping couldn’t help but silently curse his brother in his heart.
Originally, Fourth Master had planned to arrange for him to go to the Xishan Military Camp. Now his brother’s actions had disrupted Fourth Master’s plans. When Fourth Master found out, wouldn’t he be furious to death!
He began to laugh somewhat gleefully.
On Cheng Chi’s side, he had indeed encountered a thorny matter.
At his estate in Daxing, Huo Dongting stood in the candlelit secret chamber with a grave expression, saying solemnly, “The information is reliable! I personally staked out the back door of the Chief Medical Officer’s home at the Imperial Medical Bureau and found medicine dregs. I then divided the medicine dregs into three portions and took them separately to Cangzhou, Tianjin, and Jizhou to show to physicians. The prescriptions they deduced matched exactly with one prescription from the Medical Officer’s home. Taking the prescription, I personally made a trip to Baoding Prefecture, where the physician said it was for treating heart disease.”
“Heart disease?!” Cheng Chi frowned, his mind racing rapidly.
The Crown Prince had heart disease, yet neither the people from the Office of the Crown Prince nor the Eastern Palace seemed to know.
But since the Imperial Medical Bureau had written a prescription to treat the Crown Prince, the Emperor must certainly know.
According to law, people with hidden ailments could not be established as heir apparent.
The Emperor, knowing full well that the Crown Prince had a hidden ailment, still established him as heir apparent… Was it because he was extraordinarily fond of the Crown Prince? Or was it because the Crown Prince could serve as his shield—able to deflect the matter of establishing an heir while allowing him to re-establish a new heir at any time?
Cheng Chi thought about the events of the previous life that Zhou Shaojin had mentioned. He paced back and forth twice in the secret chamber with his hands behind his back, his thoughts gradually becoming clearer. He instructed Huo Dongting, “Have your people continue monitoring the Eastern Palace and the Imperial Medical Bureau. See if there’s any pattern to when the Crown Prince’s illness flares up. Also, regarding the Imperial Grandson, find out clearly whether he knows about his father’s hidden ailment.”
Huo Dongting acknowledged and departed.
Cheng Chi sat in the secret chamber for a while longer before emerging from the hidden passage and instructing Langyue, “Take my calling card to the Fourth Prince’s mansion to see Shi Kuan. Tell him I’m inviting him for drinks tomorrow at noon.”
Langyue respectfully acknowledged the order.
Cheng Chi boarded his carriage and left the estate through the main gate.
※※※
At Jiuru Lane in Jinling. Since marrying into Jinling, this was Old Madam Guan’s first time traveling far from home.
Mian Grand Madam stood under the corridor of the main hall watching maids and servants carry Old Madam Guan’s trunks. Miss Gu Shiqi, wearing a married woman’s hairstyle, stood in the courtyard instructing the continuous stream of maids and servants to “be careful,” adding, “These trunks are filled with porcelain.”
He Fengping stood behind Mian Grand Madam, her slightly protruding belly making it obvious to anyone that she was pregnant.
She looked at Miss Gu Shiqi with some envy and smiled gently, “Mother, rest assured. I will manage household affairs well. Even if there’s something I don’t understand, with previous examples to follow and experienced nannies to guide me, nothing will go wrong.”
The news that Zhou Shaojin was going to marry Cheng Chi exploded like a firecracker throughout all of Jiuru Lane.
Old Madam Guan took several days to recover from the shock and asked Mian Grand Madam what was going on.
Mian Grand Madam showed Old Madam Guan the letter Zhou Zhen had written: “…It says that Shaojin happened to be in the capital caring for Chujin during her confinement. When Old Madam Guo went to the capital, Shaojin would often visit to keep her company and chat. Old Madam Guo, who was worried about Uncle Chi’s marriage prospects, happened to think of Shaojin.”
Old Madam Guan smiled bitterly and said, “How will the generations be calculated in the future?”
Mian Grand Madam smiled with pursed lips and said, “Uncle also wants Mother to go to the capital to preside over Shaojin’s coming-of-age ceremony.”
“Really!” Old Madam Guan immediately became energized upon hearing this.
Mian Grand Madam then gestured with her lips toward the second branch residence in the northeast and said in a low voice, “The Grand Master’s meaning is that Mother might as well take this opportunity to go to the capital and see… If it’s a case of gods fighting while little devils suffer, if we can avoid it, that would be best.”
Since the division of the clan, the second and third branches had been competing against each other. To mention just one thing, the profit distribution from Yutai Bank had changed from quarterly settlements during Cheng Chi’s time as family head to annual settlements. The fourth branch was managing well enough—besides old savings, they had some other properties, lived quite frugally, and could get by without incident. However, the fifth branch relied on Yutai Bank’s profits to get by. Cheng Wen had shamelessly gone to the second branch several times to collect money but was repeatedly rebuffed. Neither home nor outside was peaceful. He was like someone dropped into a pot of hot oil—the fifth branch was in constant turmoil, not one day of peace.
Old Madam Guan immediately decided to accept Zhou Zhen’s invitation to go to the capital to preside over Zhou Shaojin’s wedding.
However, since Cheng Gao’s wife He Fengping was already pregnant, after Old Madam Guan consulted with Mian Grand Madam, they decided to leave the He Fengping couple at home and take the Cheng Mian couple and the Cheng Yi couple to the capital.
As soon as He Mianzhi completed his mourning period, he went to the Office of Transmission through Cheng Jing’s recommendation, and just this spring was promoted within the Office of Transmission. He Fengping very much wanted to go to the capital to visit her parents.
Miss Gu Shiqi had ordinary looks but a gentle personality, was skilled at reading expressions, and got along very well with He Fengping.
Seeing the envious look on her face, she smiled and took He Fengping’s arm, laughing, “Sister-in-law, is there anything you’d like me to bring back for you? I heard Sister-in-law grew up in the capital, so you must know many of the capital’s customs and habits. If you have time, could you tell me about them? That way I won’t embarrass myself when I go to the capital!”
He Fengping also wanted to get along with Miss Gu Shiqi and quickly smiled, saying, “Although I grew up in the capital, I rarely went out on the streets. Our family still followed southern customs. To be honest, I really don’t know much about the capital’s customs and habits!”
Mian Grand Madam watched the two daughters-in-law chatting warmly and nodded approvingly to herself.
The Old Madam was still wise in having Yi’er marry Miss Shiqi.
She was gentle yet had her own opinions, patient yet not weak. With her in the family, many conflicts were avoided.
The more Mian Grand Madam spent time with her, the more satisfied and fond of her she became.
She turned to go into the main hall when Wu Baozhang’s voice, the fifth branch’s daughter-in-law, came from behind: “Sister-in-law Yi, are you all going to the capital to attend Shaojin’s wedding?”