The Yun family had no useless people. Look at this seemingly honest family servant, his face full of difficulty. The old Duke had given an order—that was a military command that had to be executed. To carry out the order, he’d even betray his own master’s family—truly a model servant who followed orders. As for whether Old Duke Yuchi was still sober now, that was unknowable.

Yun Ye drained a jar of wine, wiped his mouth, and left. He happened to be a bit thirsty. The sweet fermented rice wine with strong liquor smeared on the jar’s mouth was at just the right temperature. These servants were always so considerate. Praising them, he left Niu Jianhu standing there in a daze holding the wine jar, and went out alone to entertain guests.

Li Jing tossed broad beans into his mouth one by one, unable to muster half a bit of interest in the delicacies on the table. Yuchi Gong had already designated four or five wine kings by this time. Now he was tugging at Qian Tong, saying he was the sixth one. Qian Tong hunched his body, allowing Yuchi Gong’s bear paw to pat him up and down on the back, the smile on his face never diminishing. The Yun family had no people—this was a big problem. It wasn’t easy finding a steward, and losing him to Old Fool Yuchi’s hands would be too wasteful. Having a few sisters accompany them would be somewhat cruel. Yun Ye could only handle it himself.

Li Xiaogong was a good person. Before Yun Ye even came over, he’d filled three large wine cups, and even fished out half a pig’s trotter from a plate and set it aside: “The Yun family’s numbers are thin—this old man won’t punish you for neglect. Getting married—everyone goes through this once. If you haven’t eaten, first gnaw on this pig’s foot. Drink these three cups of wine and the matter passes. Using a slippery servant to make up the numbers? Hmph!”

There was no room for explanation. He poured the three cups of wine into a small bowl, then added three more cups. Yun Ye bowed deeply to the military elders who’d come to attend the wedding and said: “The elders have come to celebrate for this junior. The family has truly been neglectful. Please allow this younger generation to make amends.” After speaking, he lifted the bowl and drank it all in one go.

Li Jing, chewing broad beans, unhurriedly said to the table full of generals and commanders: “Though this lad is cunning, he does have responsibility. On the grasslands, he chopped off a hundred fingers and toes without changing expression. Lived in an ice house for a whole winter without complaining once. He’s seen some scenes. In the future, he still needs to go to the battlefield more. Now that he’s married and after the new year leaves an heir, that’s when to work this lad to death. Whichever old brother gets him, don’t be polite. One good thing about being slick and smooth—whatever you have him do, he’ll do it perfectly for you. The more difficult the task, the more reassuring it is to put it in his hands.”

General Li Daliang had been stationed in Jiaozhou and rarely returned to the capital. After seeing His Majesty, he hid in an estate outside the city with his wife and children. He happened to encounter Yun Ye’s wedding. Two days ago, Yun Ye personally delivered the invitation, which brought him out. Stroking his beard, he said to Qin Qiong: “Elder Brother Shubao, you look in excellent health. I heard this lad applied the methods. What’s said outside can’t be trusted. You all know about my boy’s problem—I wonder if he has any solutions?”

Qin Qiong sat there waiting for Runniang to pick out fish bones for him. His body was too depleted, his hands shook—he couldn’t do this delicate work. Female family members appearing among the elders to serve was still common in the Great Tang. It was just that Runniang loved to run to the Qin household. At this table full of elders, she only picked fish bones for Old Qin alone. How many bones could grass carp have? Yet she picked at them for half a day.

This gave Old Qin enormous face. His yellow complexion showed a tendency to redden. Hearing his old friend ask this, he spoke directly to Yun Ye: “Your Uncle Li’s eldest son is a very good child. He just has a speech impediment—when he talks, it can drive people crazy. Find some time to go see him. Cure the illness, and your Uncle Li will be grateful to you for a lifetime. Even we old fellows will owe you a favor.”

So it was stuttering. This was a type of language disorder, not an illness. After inducement and training, as long as his fear factors were removed, he would gradually improve. Though he couldn’t reach normal speech speed, general communication shouldn’t be a problem. In later times, telephone poles were plastered with advertisements treating stuttering—minor ailments that even Guangzhou military doctors could cure. There was no reason he couldn’t handle it. Moreover, he’d long heard about Li Wanli’s stuttering. It was just that if people didn’t come to you, you couldn’t go to their door—that way you might offend people and truly become like a Guangzhou military doctor. Besides, this Brother Li Wanli had no problem talking to himself, sang ditties quite well—he just couldn’t speak to others. Once he spoke, he stuttered. The Cheng and Li families were hereditary friends, but even Cheng Chumo was unwilling to seek him out for entertainment, finding conversation too laborious.

“So that’s why Brother Pengcheng has been reluctant to come to the Academy. There’s actually this kind of story behind it. Uncle Li, after you return, just send Pengcheng over. One year later, this nephew will return you a son who speaks without impediment.”

“Boy, there are so many elders here—don’t speak irresponsibly.” Li Daliang was somewhat skeptical. He’d invited countless famous doctors. One said it was a problem with the heart meridian, another said it was an issue with the lung meridian. Countless medicines had been consumed with no improvement—instead it got worse. With these precedents before him, he couldn’t help but doubt Yun Ye’s casual, easy promise.

Qin Qiong, who was eating fish, raised his head and said to Li Daliang: “He promised, so it’s his business. Why do you care so much? One year later, just inspect the results. Don’t worry about anything else. How about we brothers make a bet, see the outcome in one year. Your older brother bets Brother Peng’s illness will be cured. The wager is those two lynxes at your house. I promised Runniang long ago to get her one. Otherwise, this old man eats his fish with a guilty conscience.”

“My younger brother’s household has them. If older brother fancies them, just go lead them away. Why so much fuss? This time returning to the capital, His Majesty had me take over as Minister of Works—cleaning up a mess. Thanks to this lad’s blessings, Old Du was tricked dizzy by him, clamoring to claim illness. This time our own people took over the duty. Boy, use fewer of your flowery tricks and let this old man have a few days of peace.”

Li Daliang was taking over as Minister of Works—that was good news. The military bigwigs all chuckled together. All along, the civil officials had never given up efforts to control the Six Ministries of the court. As someone from the military ranks, Yun Ye’s actions suited the old generals’ hearts. This was also why he could cause trouble without receiving too much attack. Everyone thought this was the military faction’s will.

The wedding continued. It wasn’t that Li Jing didn’t eat—rather, he only ate fish. He’d already eaten four and would pack some when leaving. Since returning to the capital, he’d been fussing over food and lodging, vigorously renovating gardens. Recently he’d taken a liking to fish. Yun Ye made carp for him, causing Li Jing to flee in panic. Yun Ye didn’t understand and specially asked the cook, only then learning the Great Tang forbade eating carp—an edict had been issued in earlier years.

What kind of dog shit regulation was this? Common people were all sallow and emaciated, while carp in the rivers grew into fish spirits. No wonder even a fishing idiot like himself could casually hook seven or eight jin carp. These things weren’t even afraid of people now. If you dared drop a hook, they dared bite. Anyway, once caught, you still had to quickly release them and couldn’t let others see. This was still because the Emperor’s surname was Li. If someone surnamed Mi sat on the throne, wouldn’t all the people under heaven starve to death? Yun Ye decided that next time the Crown Prince came, he’d definitely make him a sweet and sour carp dish. Only after eating would he tell him, to see if he’d feel like he was eating his own kind.

Li Gang was helped onto an ox cart by Xu Jingzong. Both were pleasantly drunk, laughing and talking warmly. Old Xu now had a good grasp of respecting elders and caring for youth. He managed all the Academy’s supplies, and for several months, amazingly, no embezzlement incidents occurred—this truly shocked Yun Ye. The Academy now ran smoothly, and Xu Jingzong’s contributions were indispensable. A small building by the water made his whole family beam with joy. The Academy was perhaps the first place that truly accepted him. Today at the bride-fetching, his wife beat Cheng Chumo with clubs most fiercely. In past years, no one invited their whole family to weddings. Even if invited, only Xu Jingzong alone was asked—related to official business, nothing to do with friendship.

The farmers also reluctantly departed. They’d eaten from noon until dark—extremely satisfied. Large bowls and large bowls of braised pork kept coming endlessly, along with oily steamed pork. Those eating vegetables were scorned, those eating fish annoyed people. When children ate too much meat and wanted to bite some lotus root to cut the grease, their fathers would poke their foreheads with chopsticks, scoop up half a chicken, and prop it on the child’s bowl…

In short, everyone was satisfied—from dukes to farmers. The Yun family’s cooks weren’t given their positions for nothing. Outside the Yun family’s main gate were all people walking sideways. Old Zhuang carried a basket strolling around the courtyard, from time to time pulling out a chicken from the basket and tossing it onto the roof. Yun Ye vaguely saw a hand reach out from a dark corner, steadily catch the chicken, then retract. Old Jiang sat alone on the artificial mountain, pouring and drinking by himself, quite pleased. Seeing Yun Ye about to come over, he waved his hand indicating it wasn’t necessary.

The back courtyard was very quiet. Red lanterns emitted a soft glow. The entire back courtyard exuded a festive atmosphere. Xiao Qiu guarded Yun Ye’s door. Just now she’d chased Cheng Chumo out from behind the flowering trees. Zhangsun Chong rubbed his waist, receiving treatment—being dragged out from behind a pillar by Old Jiang, how could it be gentle? Niu Jianhu was nowhere to be seen. That wine king servant said the young marquis couldn’t hold his liquor and had already gone to bed.

Xinyue sat motionless on the bed. She must have been like this for quite a while. Yun Ye felt somewhat guilty. A great family’s wedding—rather than a wedding, it was more a social occasion involving exchanges of interests and connections, extremely complex. Various probes, various hostilities all displayed one by one. Yun Ye was exhausted from dealing with it all at this point.

“Are you tired?” Yun Ye pulled Xinyue up and embraced her, burying his head between her neck and shoulder, smelling the intoxicating fragrance, asking her softly.

“Tired. And it hurts.” After speaking, she began removing her own clothes.

Isn’t this a bit too urgent? Yun Ye watched Xinyue undress in surprise. He watched as she stripped herself down to a white lamb, then lay prone on the bed, calling to Yun Ye: “Husband, quickly come help me.”

This help must be given. Yun Ye removed his own clothes in a few moves, preparing to pounce and help Xinyue relieve her suffering. Just as he was considering whether to use “hungry tiger pouncing on food” or “double dragons emerging from water” to express his impatient mood, he discovered Xinyue had reversed one arm, struggling to reach toward her own back. What kind of strange posture was this?

Looking closely, he was furious. An inch-long embroidery needle threaded with five-colored silk was stuck in Xinyue’s back. The blood had already scabbed over. He reached out and pulled the needle out, took a damp cloth, and lovingly wiped away the blood traces on her back bit by bit. He knew this was another strange rule of military families—giving the new bride a show of force so she’d be easier to manage in the future and not become too domineering.

Xinyue turned around and lay in Yun Ye’s embrace, saying grievously: “The wedding matron said this is customary. Only this way can it bless the Yun family with flourishing descendants, prosperous for generations.”