Where had she said something wrong?
Zhou Shaojin looked at Ah Zhu and Seventeenth Miss, her expression bewildered.
Ah Zhu laughed even harder.
Seventeenth Miss, worried that Zhou Shaojin might lose face, quickly tugged at Ah Zhu’s sleeve and said: “Why do you laugh endlessly? Sister Shaojin clearly doesn’t go out much, and the Cheng family people wouldn’t brag about themselves, so how would she know about Fourth Uncle Cheng’s affairs?”
Ah Zhu nodded, finally managing to stop laughing. While wiping tears from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, she said: “I heard my mother say that your uncle was very filial and courageous when he was young. Once when Celestial Master Zhang of Longhu Mountain was summoned to the capital, your main branch’s old master was still alive but already terminally ill. Your uncle had someone lead the way and went to Sanqing Temple where Celestial Master Zhang was staying.
“But how could one meet Celestial Master Zhang so casually? Your uncle used half a copy of the Commentary on the Laozi—said to be personally transcribed by Zhang Daoling, the founding patriarch of the Tianyi sect—to request Celestial Master Zhang to treat the Cheng family’s old master. The old master lived another half year.
“Later when he took over the Cheng family’s business affairs, River Governor Gu Jingyu was ordered to manage the Huai River. But the Ministry of Revenue and Ministry of Works argued back and forth, and the silver simply couldn’t be allocated. With spring plowing approaching and all those river workers needing to return to farm, Gu Jingyu was frantic with worry. Your uncle had just established the Yutai Exchange House and dared to loan silver to Gu Jingyu.
“Gu Jingyu borrowed silver from Yutai. The next year, he petitioned the court, and the Emperor had the Huai Salt Distribution Commissioner help the River Administration repay the silver. For two full years, all the salt licenses from the Two Huai regions were given to your uncle… That’s how the Yutai Exchange House built up its business.”
So impressive!
Zhou Shaojin’s forehead broke out in sweat.
Ah Zhu lowered her voice and said: “However, my brother said that the reason the Emperor had the Huai Salt Distribution Commissioner help the River Administration repay the silver was because your uncle went through Wan Tong’s connections.”
Zhou Shaojin was extremely surprised.
According to what Ah Zhu said, Uncle Chi had known Wan Tong very early on.
Could it be for this reason that Uncle Chi had given Wan Tong one hundred thousand taels of silver?
She quickly said: “Could you be mistaken? Isn’t Uncle Jing serving as an official in the capital? Maybe Uncle Jing helped!”
Ah Zhu chuckled and said: “Back when your mansion’s main branch’s great master competed with Huang Li for the position of Left Chief Censor of the Censorate, Huang Li’s great-grandfather and grandfather had both been Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet. Your main branch’s great master forcibly pushed him aside. What did he rely on? It was because your uncle was on good terms with Wan Tong. Wan Tong personally went to bat for your main branch’s great master before Minister of Personnel and Grand Secretary of Wenyuan Pavilion Shen Minzhi. Shen Minzhi had no choice—your main branch’s great master had the seniority, so Shen Minzhi could only send Huang Li to the Office of Transmission… To this day, Huang Li still won’t speak to your main branch’s great master…”
Zhou Shaojin quickly said: “But hasn’t Wan Tong now been demoted to Jinling, with Liu Yong appointed as Chief Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial? If Uncle Chi was intimately close with Wan Tong in earlier years, accompanying your father and brother to the capital this time—it would be good if he isn’t resented by Liu Yong. How could he possibly help your father and brother?”
Seeing her speak with substance, Ah Zhu immediately felt she had met a kindred spirit—she was very interested in these court and political affairs, but whether it was her doting father, her obedient mother, or her dashing brother, none of them liked her paying too much attention to these matters. She hadn’t expected that visiting the Gu family would lead to making a like-minded friend!
She giggled and said: “This is what you don’t know! That Wan Tong was the Emperor’s chief companion when he was still a prince, but wasn’t Liu Yong the same? Since your uncle has a good relationship with Wan Tong, naturally his relationship with Liu Yong is equally good. That’s why my father and brother admire your uncle. They say he has the abilities of Zhu and Tao, that he’s someone who can accomplish great things. My father even hopes my brother can benefit from close association with the worthy, learning some of your uncle’s methods to manage the Duke Liangguo’s mansion into a flourishing scene of bustling prosperity!”
Playing both sides?
Riding two boats at once?
Could the reason the Cheng family was raided in the previous life be because the two boats Uncle Chi was standing on capsized?
Zhou Shaojin felt that the more she knew, the more confused she seemed to become.
Seeing her still in a daze, Ah Zhu exclaimed and laughed: “Don’t overthink it. Anyway, your Uncle Chi is very capable. If you have anything to ask of him, whether in heaven or on earth, he can definitely handle it for you.” Speaking of this, she sighed and said: “However, he’s like that Celestial Master Zhang. Getting him to give you his word of agreement is harder than climbing to heaven!”
So Uncle Chi was this capable!
So in her previous life when the Cheng family was raided, he had escaped and later even hired forest bandits to raid the execution ground… What on earth had she been doing in her previous life? With such a capable uncle, how could she have no impression of him at all? If she had known earlier, would her fate in her previous life have been different?
Thinking of this, Zhou Shaojin gave a self-mocking smile.
Even if she had known about such an uncle in her previous life, so what? Wouldn’t she still have stayed far away? What would it have to do with the Cheng family’s future?
As the thought flashed by, Zhou Shaojin froze.
How had she not thought of this?
Since there was someone who could speak before Great Master Jing, and whom she had the opportunity to contact—wasn’t there still Cheng Chi?
If Cheng Chi was truly as Ah Zhu described, as long as she obtained his promise, even if he suspected her, he could still pass the message to Great Master Jing. And Great Master Jing might even mistakenly think it was information Cheng Chi had obtained… That would be beyond perfect!
As for what happened afterward, even if Uncle Chi wanted to kill or dismember her, she would have done what she should do with a clear conscience. She could accept whatever he decided to do to her!
Zhou Shaojin thought of Cheng Chi’s gentle eyes and vaguely felt that even if he lost his temper, he wouldn’t do anything particularly violent… She didn’t feel afraid.
But how could she get to speak with Uncle Chi?
On the way home, she kept thinking about this problem.
Her sister Zhou Chujin asked with concern: “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell somewhere? Or did someone say something you didn’t like?”
“No!” Zhou Shaojin said. Remembering how when the card game ended and they were leaving, Old Madam Gu held Zhou Chujin’s hand and kept praising her as a good child, saying she should come visit the Gu family often when she had time, she couldn’t help but smile and quietly asked her sister: “How much money did you lose?”
“The Old Madam doesn’t play for high stakes.” Zhou Chujin smiled. “Only lost seven or eight hundred wen.”
Zhou Shaojin, worried her sister might be concerned, told her about Ah Zhu inviting her to visit the temple fair together during the Ghost Festival: “…She said if it’s difficult for us to explain to our elders, she’ll have her mother send us an invitation.” She didn’t mention a single word about Cheng Chi.
“Do you want to go?” Zhou Chujin asked gently.
“I don’t want to go.” Zhou Shaojin was quite afraid of those lively, noisy environments. “I’m troubled about how to decline Ah Zhu—I don’t want to hurt her feelings.”
“I’ll reply to Ah Zhu!” Zhou Chujin smiled. “I’ll say that during the Ghost Festival we might need to return to the Zhou family ancestral home to worship our ancestors, so we can’t visit the temple fair with her.”
Zhou Shaojin nodded with a smile.
Leaving these matters to her sister was indeed the most correct decision.
Returning to Jiuru Alley, Madam Yuan asked Zhou Chujin: “Why did the Old Madam suddenly think of calling you sisters to play cards with her? The Gu family has many young ladies. She’s always liked finding Gu family young ladies to play cards.”
Perhaps because of the entanglements with Madam Yuan in her previous life, Zhou Shaojin could never be completely free of misgivings toward her. When Madam Yuan said this, it sounded to her ears as if Madam Yuan’s tone was unkind, as if she suspected that she and her sister had used some means to gain Old Madam Gu’s favor.
She couldn’t help but say: “Perhaps this matter is related to Uncle Chi!”
Madam Yuan was somewhat surprised.
Zhou Shaojin was that typical type of younger sister who rarely spoke or expressed her wishes when her older sister was present.
She raised her eyebrows.
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said: “I heard the Old Madam say that Uncle Chi found a spirit marriage for the Gu family’s Nineteenth Maiden…” She recounted the matter and added: “Didn’t Uncle Jing’s wife encounter Uncle Chi? When we went over, the Old Madam said Uncle Chi had just left not long ago?”
Madam Yuan was astonished and said: “I didn’t encounter Fourth Uncle… Perhaps he only went specifically for this matter.” Then she changed the subject, saying to Mian Grand Madam: “Once we’ve decided on the items to add to Sixteenth Miss’s trousseau, we’ll copy a gift list for you. You can prepare accordingly. You don’t need to match ours. The Gu family and Guo family have several generations of friendship, so naturally it will be different from others.”
She looked unwilling to discuss it further.
Mian Grand Madam smiled and said: “I understand. When the time comes, we’ll go to Meihua Alley together.”
Madam Yuan nodded with a smile. They parted at Tingyu Pavilion, one going forward, the other heading northwest.
The next day, Zhou Shaojin went to Hanbi Mountain Lodge to copy sutras.
Old Madam Guo asked her: “Was the Gu family fun?”
“It was fun.” Zhou Shaojin said obediently. “I also met the Gu family’s Seventeenth Miss and Miss Ah Zhu from the Duke Liangguo’s mansion.”
Old Madam Guo laughed heartily and said: “I heard your Uncle Chi arranged a spirit marriage for the Gu family’s Nineteenth Maiden? Which family’s son is the other party? How did he die? How old was he when he died? Are the parents still managing household affairs?”
She asked very detailed questions, as if it were an ordinary family arranging a marriage.
Zhou Shaojin was secretly puzzled.
Madam Yuan was the main branch’s daughter-in-law. She should be very clear about what her mother-in-law would be concerned about. Why, when she heard that Cheng Chi had arranged a spirit marriage for the Gu family’s Nineteenth Maiden, didn’t she ask her about it in detail?
Zhou Shaojin told Old Madam Guo everything she knew.
After listening, Old Madam Guo looked quite satisfied and said: “It can barely be considered a match in family status.”
Was this also about matching family status?
Zhou Shaojin broke out in a cold sweat.
Old Madam Guo sighed: “This has been a burden on the Old Madam’s heart. Now that Silang can help remove this burden from the Old Madam’s heart, she must be very happy. Silang can show filial respect to the Old Madam on our behalf. I’m very pleased.” Then Old Madam Guo told Zhou Shaojin about the Gu family’s past affairs: “…The Old Madam dotes on Nineteenth Maiden so much for a reason… Not only because she was clever, she was also especially filial… Things others couldn’t think of, she thought of. Moreover, she’s the Old Madam’s maternal cousin’s grandson…”
Zhou Shaojin listened quietly.
Feicui came in to report: “Old Madam, Fourth Master has arrived!”