Every time Chu Linlang met this man’s gaze, she felt an uncomfortable sensation of being seen straight through. This time was no exception. She quickly lowered her eyes.

She had always been very good at reading people. In the past she had thought Situ Sheng was skilled at opportunism, at climbing the ladder of officialdom by latching onto advantageous circumstances. Then she had discovered he had secretly altered her personal history and thought him bold and reckless, his pretense running dangerously deep.

Looking again now, this man’s ability to shift with the wind and read the situation was something an ordinary person could not hope to match.

Was Situ Sheng so willing to offend the Crown Prince because, in his assessment, this Crown Prince’s position as heir apparent was not necessarily rock solid?

But this sort of factional struggle in the court had nothing to do with her anymore. Once she and Zhou Sui’an had completed their separation, she would no longer need to spend her energy investigating these matters for him.

No longer having to push her husband to advance his career — it was as if a heavy burden had been lifted. Even with the future uncertain and unclear, at least life would feel lighter.

With this thought in mind, she hurried to thank His Honor Situ for his assistance today, and suggested that as the hour was not early, they part ways here.

Though she truly was grateful that Situ Sheng had remembered their old acquaintance and given her aid, for a man with machinations this profound, Chu Linlang was wary from a respectful distance.

He had helped the Sixth Prince bring down his paternal uncle Prince Tai, and when the Sixth Prince became useless, Situ Sheng had cast him aside like a worn-out sandal. This man was far too skilled at using people as chess pieces. One had to be on guard against him. After all, he could even bring himself to brand his own flesh — that scalding iron pressed against his own body.

If being married to someone like Zhou Sui’an — sentimental yet weak — meant only exhausting oneself in worry and having one’s sincere devotion betrayed…

Then being married to someone like Situ Sheng, if one made a single misstep, the unlucky woman would be thoroughly exploited. And when he sold her off, she would still be foolishly counting coins for him.

With this thought, Chu Linlang actually felt that Situ Sheng had some kind of hidden affliction. He might as well remain a bachelor for life — at least that way he would not bring harm to any woman, which would be the greatest merit a bodhisattva could ask for!

Situ Sheng saw that Chu Linlang was suddenly eager to leave. He said nothing more about suggesting she move, and simply made a polite farewell bow with his hands clasped together.

For some reason he could not quite name, after his exchange with the man on horseback, he seemed lost in thought, his expression darkening. He had bowed his hands to Chu Linlang, then taken his young attendant and departed in great haste.

As for Chu Linlang, having already reached an agreement with the Sixth Prince’s consort, she felt a little lighter at heart. Thinking that her lodgings were lacking in so many things, she bought a few items here and there and ambled her way back.

But arriving at the alley entrance, Chu Linlang’s rare good mood vanished in an instant.

She saw Zhou Sui’an standing at the entrance of the alley with his young attendant, waiting.

The moment he caught sight of Chu Linlang and Xia He returning with a pile of things in their arms, he came trotting over to help them carry everything.

Chu Linlang had no need of his help. She stepped aside and said in a flat tone: “What brings you here?”

Zhou Sui’an was not accustomed to Chu Linlang’s cold indifference, and pressed his lips together: “After so many days, your anger should have cooled. What kind of talk is it to keep staying outside like this? I have come to take you home.”

In the Zhou household’s marital disputes, it had always been Chu Linlang who backed down first.

This was the first time Zhou Sui’an had come to coax Chu Linlang on his own initiative after an argument.

In the past, Chu Linlang had always hoped that Zhou Sui’an would set aside his gentlemanly dignity and coax her a little. But now she no longer needed that.

Zhou Sui’an had no way to reach the Second Miss Xie. The Xie residence had erupted over the scandal of an unmarried daughter with a swollen belly, and the gates were now under strict watch — not even a note could be passed out.

But the Sixth Prince had summoned him to the residence yesterday and given him a thorough dressing-down, demanding to know whether he had eaten a bear’s heart or a leopard’s gall, how he had dared to provoke his own sister-in-law like this.

Zhou Sui’an wore an expression of contrition throughout, letting the Sixth Prince berate him while he wept.

But in the end, the Sixth Prince finally relented and said only that this family scandal should not be allowed to blow up. If Chu Linlang could be persuaded not to make a scene for the time being and everything was handled discreetly, there was still room to mediate.

After all, the Sixth Prince also understood the character of his own little sister-in-law — she was the sort who could drive even her gentle elder sister to angry outbursts. So from a man’s perspective, he did not entirely blame Zhou Sui’an for this entanglement.

So he told Zhou Sui’an that the Sixth Prince’s consort had already sent people to check the household registry and locate where Chu Linlang was presently staying. She would be invited to the royal residence that day, and someone would speak with her and try to persuade her.

Zhou Sui’an would also have to bow his head a little, sweeten his words, and properly coax his wife.

After all, this was the capital, the city beneath the Son of Heaven’s feet. Women of high and noble households — every one of them had to put the greater situation first. It would not do to make a commotion like in some village.

So Zhou Sui’an calculated that the Sixth Prince’s consort must have finished speaking with Chu Linlang by now, and had deliberately come to wait for her here.

In his mind, Chu Linlang should have listened to the Sixth Prince’s consort’s advice and agreed to temporarily come back with him. Otherwise, her continuing to live outside would invite people to talk.

Chu Linlang had no wish to argue and quarrel with him in the street, so she let him follow her into the courtyard.

Zhou Sui’an frowned as he looked at the somewhat humble dwelling and could not help but grumble: “Just look at this — is this a fit place to live? Xia He, Dongxue, hurry and help Madam pack her things!”

He had shouted this, but the two maids exchanged a glance with each other, and neither one moved.

Just as Zhou Sui’an was frowning, about to raise his voice, Chu Linlang sat in the small chair in the hall, lowered her eyes, and said: “The Sixth Prince’s consort has interceded on my behalf, so I have stepped back as well. Besides the two shop fronts that belong to the household, plus the compensation silver the consort promised, I will not ask for anything else.”

Zhou Sui’an heard this and was stunned, asking blankly: “What? Did the consort not intend to persuade you…”

Chu Linlang cut off his words and continued: “The consort is a learned and reasonable person. Words urging someone to demote herself to a concubine — she could not bring herself to speak them. Go back and discuss it with your mother. Once the shop fronts have been transferred into my name, you and I will sign the separation document…”

This time it was Zhou Sui’an’s turn not to let her finish speaking. He immediately interrupted loudly: “Chu Linlang, have you made enough of a scene? Even if this is my fault, you cannot press me like this! The Vice Minister of the Finance Ministry has just come to speak with me, saying my work has been excellent. Before too long, I may fill a critical vacancy and my rank could move up another step. At this critical juncture, can you not refrain from causing trouble!”

Linlang cared most about his career advancement. Once the vacancy was filled, he had a very good chance of being promoted again within the year. Surely when she heard this, Linlang would consider his interests — or so he thought!

But contrary to his expectations, having finished speaking, Chu Linlang still wore the same expressionless look. Zhou Sui’an could not help but say with deep anguish: “Do you not understand? Once you and I have separated, we become strangers. It will be difficult to be reunited!”

Chu Linlang slowly raised her head and looked at Zhou Sui’an. These many years of marriage had been happy and full for him, Zhou Sui’an — but that did not mean she, who had been his wife, had found the same fulfillment.

Things had come to this point. Whether it would be difficult to reunite — so what?

She had no wish to continue entangling herself in words with him, to argue over who was right and wrong. She only said in a flat tone: “Dongxue, see Gentleman Zhou out!”

Dongxue found that the moment she laid eyes on the Gentleman, her temper rose. She had been waiting for her mistress to give the word. She picked up the basin of water she had used to wash the salted fish, faced Zhou Sui’an, and glared: “Gentleman, our mistress wishes to rest. Please return first!”

Seeing that Zhou Sui’an was still about to speak, Dongxue simply stepped in front of Chu Linlang, held the basin in one hand, and sloshed the water forward. The water reeked — Zhou Sui’an could not dodge in time, stumbled backward, and retreated step by step, right out of the courtyard.

Finally, the somewhat broken gate swung closed with a clang right in front of his face!

Xia He looked at the young mistress who was massaging her brow, and asked carefully: “Mistress, are you truly set on this?”

Chu Linlang glanced up at her, only to see that Xia He’s eyes were full of worry.

She knew what this maid was worried about. After the separation, she would no longer be an unmarried young woman — and moreover, she could not bear children. She was even more without prospects than a widow like Miss Yin, who had the bad omen of outliving her husband.

If she were to remarry in the future, what decent man would be willing to take a hen like her that laid no eggs?

Was it not precisely by seizing on this point that Zhou Sui’an was convinced she could not leave the Zhou household?

With this thought, she patted Xia He’s hand: “Do not worry. Even after the separation, I will still save up the dowries for you and Dongxue…”

Xia He stamped her foot in exasperation: “Even at a time like this, you are teasing us! Who is worried about that!”

Dongxue said as she washed her hands: “Never mind saving them. Seeing how the young master has treated you, I have no desire to marry at all!”

The three were still in the middle of talking when a knocking sound came from the gate again. Dongxue leapt to her feet, narrowing her eyes and muttering: “What now? An apparition that cannot be laid to rest!”

With that, she picked up the basin that still had water left to throw, went to the gate, and the instant she opened it, flung the remaining water out in one great sweep.

The result: the tall man standing at the door was drenched from head to foot in the stinking water.

When she saw that the one standing there, now dripping like a bedraggled chicken, was Situ Sheng, Dongxue panicked and fell over herself apologizing to the junior minister.

But Situ Sheng could not hear a single word she was saying. Having been doused with a full load of salted fish washing water without any warning, he first stared with wide round eyes — and then suddenly lurched toward the flower beds nearby and began retching miserably.

It was unclear what peculiar ailment this old acquaintance had, to be so utterly unable to tolerate the smell of salted fish. It was a wonder he had been able to force himself through the banquet at the Zhou residence and choke down those few bites of fish while keeping up appearances.

Chu Linlang heard the commotion and came hurrying over. Seeing him in this state, she thought it was even worse than the morning sickness of a pregnant woman. Yet earlier he had sat stiffly at the Zhou family’s banquet pretending to eat — the endurance he had shown was truly something.

Meanwhile, Guanqi — the young attendant standing to the side — looked as if his master had died, his eyes red and his voice trembling as he screamed at Dongxue: “You doused our master with such reeking, foul water — what possessed you to do that!”

Dongxue had felt a bit guilty, but seeing him yell so fiercely, she refused to be outdone: “I got His Honor’s clothes dirty — I will wash them clean for him! I did not do it on purpose. Who would have known it was His Honor Situ outside the door!”

It was understandable, though, why Guanqi reacted so strongly. The truth was that Situ Sheng’s complexion was far too alarming. The hand he was bracing against the wall was clawing at it with force, as if suppressing something, his broad back trembling faintly.

Knowing that he could not stand the smell, Chu Linlang quickly invited him inside to change clothes and wash up.

The household had no men’s clothing. Guanqi immediately rushed back to the government offices to fetch a set for his master.

Xia He heated two basins of hot water for Situ Sheng and let him alone in the room to strip off the soiled clothes and give himself a thorough wipe-down.

Once Guanqi had brought the clean clothes for his master to change into, Chu Linlang ladled out a bowl of freshly cooked red bean soup for Situ Sheng to settle his nausea.

When the smell of fish had finally dispersed, Situ Sheng at last recovered. Perhaps because someone had witnessed one of his rare moments of embarrassment, his face settled into a somber expression, serious and unsmiling. He sat with his outer robe draped loosely over him, holding the cup, drinking the soup one mouthful at a time.

In the past, if a man had been showing up at her door every other day, Chu Linlang would certainly have suspected that her looks had brought her trouble and attracted some bee or butterfly out to take advantage.

But this man coming to her door for the second time in one day was no one else — it was this very same His Honor Situ, who, rather than jump ship, would never let himself get entangled with a respectable young woman, seemingly afflicted with some hidden condition of his own.

He made no move without reason. There was always purpose behind it.

So Chu Linlang waited patiently by his side. Once Situ Sheng had drunk one cup and his complexion seemed to ease somewhat, she finally asked carefully: “About that… my maid is clumsy and careless. I hope Your Honor will not take offense.”

Situ Sheng lowered his eyes: “It is not her fault. I ate something off this morning.”

Having said this, he motioned for Guanqi to bring out a sheet of paper: “When I saw you this morning, I intended to give you this paper. But then something urgent came to mind and I went back to the government offices first. Just now I was passing by here, so I thought I would drop it off at the same time.”

Chu Linlang unfolded it and looked — it turned out to be a catalog of household furnishings for consignment sale from the Long Life Repository.

This Long Life Repository in the capital had special connections and could sell items from government warehouses — goods that had been confiscated and requisitioned from various residences. Though they were all secondhand, many fine things could be found there that were not available on the open market.

Situ Sheng explained: “Some of the used furnishings in the Long Life Repository are much cheaper than brand new items on the market. Take this list to the manager of the Long Life Repository in the western part of the city, and see if there are any tables and chairs at a reasonable price that you can buy and make do with for now.”

These pawned and consigned items from requisitioned great household estates — cheap did not begin to describe it. One could practically dig up treasures there.

Often, before any public bidding and sale, the items would already be bought up by well-connected people from various households. Ordinary common people could not even get a chance to bid.

Chu Linlang could not quite believe that Situ Sheng was being so thoughtful and generous.

Situ Sheng said in a flat tone: “Do not think about getting rich or grabbing a bargain. The good things in there you cannot buy, and cannot afford. Just honestly pick some cheap willow wood tables and chairs. Those things the repository does not even want — they pile them up ready to be burned as firewood. Give a few copper coins and they will hand them over at a throwaway price, practically giving them away.”

Chu Linlang looked around at her own four bare walls, and indeed, she did not even have a proper table or chairs. Even the day Situ Sheng had come to her place for tea, he had sat crouched on a small washing stool to drink it…

His thoughtfulness was something else — to have thought to give her this…

But Guanqi, who had produced the paper, was very unhappy about it. He muttered quietly: “Master, this was specially arranged by the presiding judge for you. If you give it to her, you will be sleeping on a wooden plank again tonight…”

He had not yet finished speaking when Situ Sheng cast him a cold glance and drew out the word: “Guanqi—”

Guanqi understood. He said reluctantly: “Not speaking—”

With that, he pressed his own mouth shut, indicating he was sealing his lips from this point on.

Chu Linlang finally understood how the young attendant had come by his name. It seemed His Honor the junior minister found his own attendant far too much of a chatterbox, and had named him accordingly as a constant reminder!

But once Guanqi was shooed outside, his mouth did not stay idle. He crouched beside Dongxue who was washing Situ Sheng’s clothes, and rattled on at length about every injustice his master had suffered.

As it turned out, the bright and spacious residence in Wooden Fish Alley where Zhou Sui’an lived had originally been intended for Situ Sheng.

But at the time, Xie Youran had been badgering her brother-in-law to bump up Zhou Sui’an’s housing standard — even though he was only a sixth-grade official.

Shuffling the residences allocated to newly arrived officials of various ranks around last-minute was bound to cause friction and gossip.

At the time, the Sixth Prince had not yet fallen out with Situ Sheng, so he mentioned the matter to him. Situ Sheng had agreed without a second thought and traded the residence he had been allocated for Zhou Sui’an’s.

Situ Sheng’s own words at the time were that the Zhou district magistrate had a large family — old and young alike — and living in the large compound in Wooden Fish Alley would be more convenient. As for himself, a bachelor with no one else to consider, it made no difference where he lived.

But the residence Zhou Sui’an was originally meant to have was a property that had stood vacant for many years, left over from a requisitioned official’s estate.

The house had fallen into disrepair, the rooms stripped empty without a stick of furniture. Without some investment of silver, it was not fit to live in at all.

And Situ Sheng, following a strict policy of frugality, had absolutely no intention of hiring craftsmen to make repairs. During his days off, he and Guanqi would pick up hammers and patch things up themselves inside the house.

Later, when the Presiding Judge of the Court of Judicial Review, Judge Liu, saw his capable right-hand man living in such straitened circumstances, he had obtained a catalog from the Long Life Repository for Situ Sheng and told him to go pick up some furnishings.

And what did the junior minister do? With charitable and generous heart, he turned right around and gave the catalog away to the lady official who was in the middle of separating from her husband.

In Guanqi’s own words: did my master owe your Zhou family something in a past life?

After the master and attendant had left, Dongxue related all of this to Linlang, and only then did Linlang understand the full story of how Zhou Sui’an had come to occupy that respectable residence.

With this understanding, the slip of paper on the table became worth a thousand gold pieces.

Chu Linlang found that she truly could not see through Situ Sheng. After all, what was there about Zhou Sui’an worth flattering or exploiting? Why had Situ Sheng been so magnanimous, helping him again and again?

But the friendship between men had always been an unfathomable thing. It was not inconceivable that Situ Sheng and Zhou Sui’an had felt an instant kinship upon meeting, the bond of kindred souls like Guan Zhong and Bao Shuya.

His fondness extended to those connected to someone he cared about. He bore no grudge and showed no resentment, even looking after a friend’s soon-to-be ex-wife. He was truly another worthy man fit to go down in the history books!

Chu Linlang felt she had judged a gentleman by the measure of her own small mind!

This man was not the constant schemer she had first taken him for. In many small matters, he was so magnanimous and generous as to leave one utterly speechless!

Such a rare bargain — there was no reason to hand it back. Only when she went to the Long Life Repository to choose items, Chu Linlang brought along an extra pouch of silver.

After all, one had to know how to return a kindness in kind!

After choosing the inexpensive willow wood furniture for herself, she also deliberately selected a half-new set of paulownia wood bedding, some other simple wooden beds, and a few tasteful tables and clothing trunks, along with a set of rattan reclining chairs. She loaded it all onto an ox cart and had everything delivered to the gate of the Court of Judicial Review.

Guanqi happened to be outside, and seeing that Lady Chu had arrived with a whole cartload of things, he was a little taken aback.

When he heard her say she had specially bought these for His Honor Situ, his face broke into a wide grin, and he called out loudly that the madam was still decent after all.

But he was currently on duty, and his master was inside discussing matters with colleagues and could not get away for the moment. He asked the madam please to do a good deed all the way and have the cart deliver everything to His Honor Situ’s residence.

Chu Linlang had nothing pressing to do, and was happy enough to help with this errand.

When she learned that he lived in Cuicui Alley in the southern part of the city, she could not help but give a quiet laugh.

No wonder he had been so insistently suggesting she move to Cuicui Alley and saying the public order there was much better. Of course it was better — the Junior Minister of the Court of Judicial Review himself was living right there in the alley, keeping watch!

Once the furniture had been delivered, Chu Linlang followed Guanqi’s instructions and found a bronze key hidden under a stepping stone beside the main gate, then pushed open the door of the residence — and discovered that Guanqi’s earlier complaints about poverty had not been the least bit exaggerated.

This ramshackle old house, just with the two of them — master and attendant — would probably not have all the drafty window paper patched up even by the start of winter.

This His Honor Situ — one did not know if he had been poor and frightened as a child — he was unwilling to spend money on anything.

Never mind that he wore old clothes; he did not even hire a single elderly servant to sweep and keep watch over the place. He simply stuffed the house key under a rock. With such bare walls and nothing worth stealing, he truly had no fear of thieves!

While the furniture was being moved in, Chu Linlang made a circuit of the residence, inside and out, and found it increasingly hard to look at.

Even a bachelor’s slovenly way of living should not be this careless!

In the end, she thought it over and decided to return Situ Sheng’s kindness in grander fashion, repaying the favor properly. She pulled out some copper coins for Xia He and sent her to the sundry shop at the street corner to buy window paper for patching, clear lacquer, and beeswax.

Then Linlang went to the kitchen, rummaged around and found some flour, added water, and worked in just a tiny bit of beeswax to cook it all down into a thick paste.

Everything prepared, Chu Linlang found a length of rope and used it as a sleeve band to secure her wide sleeves in place. Then, taking Dongxue and Xia He with her, she began to sweep and tidy inside and out, and to paste up the window paper…

When Situ Sheng came home, he had barely turned the corner into the alley when he saw smoke rising from the chimney of his once-quiet courtyard.

When he entered the gate, both master and attendant were stunned.

The courtyard that had been overgrown with weeds just that morning had been shaved clean in the course of a single afternoon. Some of the dilapidated windows had been refurbished — not only patched with window paper that had been treated with waterproofing beeswax, but the window frames had also been painted with a coat of clear lacquer.

Walking into the main hall, what had been an empty, echoing space now had tables and chairs arranged in neat order. Someone had even found a swathe of deep blue cloth, made a few small cushions, and tied them to the chair backs — soft and yielding when you sat down.

And the table already had several hot stir-fried dishes set out, smelling quite good.

Just then, someone spoke behind Situ Sheng: “His Honor Situ is home? Quick, wash your hands — once the Shaoxing wine braised duck leg is done frying, dinner is ready.”

It was Linlang herself, with a blue cloth wrapped around her head matching the color of the small cushions, looking like a celestial maiden descended to the mortal realm, sleeves rolled up as she carried in a plate of fermented black bean greens stir-fried with egg, smiling brightly as she walked in.

Guanqi and his master had been living the destitute life of bachelor vagabonds, never so much as lighting the stove to cook. Seeing the five or six steaming home-cooked dishes on the table now, the plain stuffed bun he had just bought himself suddenly held no appeal whatsoever.

Situ Sheng had heard that Chu Linlang had come to deliver the tables and chairs, but he had come home too late and assumed she would have long since left.

He had truly never imagined that Chu Linlang would have led her two maids in tidying up his courtyard and even cooked an evening meal for him.

So when Chu Linlang set out the dishes, served the rice, and quite naturally invited him to sit down and eat together, His Honor Situ — normally a man of such deep composure — had a rare moment of confusion and actually asked blankly: “You… are going to eat here?”

Chu Linlang could not believe her own ears.

Good heavens! She had spent her own silver, worn herself out, bought groceries and started the fire, exhausted herself half to death.

And this fellow not only said not a word of thanks, but actually seemed to want to shoo her out the door after she cooked the meal?

So she immediately picked up a duck leg and placed it in her own bowl. She took a big bite first, then looked up with a mouthful and said pleasantly: “It is too late to go back and cook at this hour — I will just make do with a meal here… Oh, Your Honor, please sit, sit — the dishes will go cold soon! I see your household is short on people. I have told Xia He and the others to eat at the same table too. Otherwise, if they have to reheat the dishes later, it will waste a whole bundle of firewood.”

After that, she called over the two maids to join them at the table and began eating without ceremony.

What a joke that would be! Though this was indeed an expression of gratitude, she was on her own now, and money was not flowing freely. Was there any sense in cooking a whole tableful of dishes and then going home without eating?

She had made a considerable dent in her purse today — she was not just going to eat, she was going to eat a great deal, enough to recoup the cost!

As for masters and servants eating at the same table — it was against proper etiquette. But in His Honor Situ’s place, rattling around with nothing — it did not look like a household where any proper etiquette applied!