Chu Linlang immediately withdrew her hand and came forward with an embarrassed smile to greet her employer: “These people are old acquaintances from my hometown, and Xia Qingyun here is Xia He’s elder brother. They have only just arrived in the capital. With night fallen and every household shuttered, there is nowhere for them to eat, so I took the liberty of letting them treat their injuries in the outer courtyard, and in a moment they will eat and then return to their inn for the night… they have only been in the outer courtyard and have not wandered into the inner courtyard…”

She paused, then added: “Since I brought people back without informing the Junior Minister first, I hope my lord will not take offense. The cost of their meal will come from my own monthly wages as well.”

Situ Sheng stood there with a natural aura of authority, utterly unsmiling, and said nothing for a moment — only looked Xia Qingyun up and down.

Xia Qingyun and the others, hearing Madam Chu’s words, all came over to pay their respects to the master. Seeing that this employer was plainly not easy to deal with, they hurriedly gulped down a few more mouthfuls and then made their hasty farewells and left.

Situ Sheng said nothing further and went alone into the study.

After a while, Chu Linlang carried a tray with a freshly made bowl of noodle soup and brought it to the Junior Minister as a late-night meal.

Today’s business with Xia Qingyun and the others had caused quite a stir, and she had also made a trip to the Sixth Prince’s residence.

She dared not conceal any of this, and needed to give her employer a full account.

She told him everything in detail — including what she herself had said, and also the Sixth Prince’s unusually warm and cordial treatment of her.

When she had finished, she half-raised her head and asked tentatively: “My lord, did I say anything today that I ought not to have said?”

Situ Sheng’s gaze was somewhat cold. His long fingers traced slow circles on an inkstone, and just as Chu Linlang was beginning to feel anxious, he finally asked: “How old is Xia He’s elder brother, and has he married yet?”

Ah? Chu Linlang was somewhat taken aback — she could not quite make out the point of her employer’s question.

She answered honestly: “He is… one year older than me? So he should be twenty-five this year. He hasn’t taken a wife. As for whether he has a concubine or not, I wouldn’t know.”

Situ Sheng gave a slight smile: “A man his age still not married — could he have some hidden ailment?”

This was the very same remark Chu Linlang had once used to mock the bachelor Situ Sheng.

Suspecting he was now settling an old score with words, she shot him a quick glance, then said flatly: “Children from poor backgrounds often marry late — it’s a common enough thing. Besides, he is out on the boats all year round…”

Situ Sheng nodded thoughtfully. Of course. That explained things.

So the young fellow just now had been gazing at his household’s female steward with tender, devoted eyes, his dark hand clasped around a slender hand and refusing to let go — that all made sense now.

Poor boys who couldn’t find wives either couldn’t afford one, or had given their heart to someone and were hoping to land an unexpected windfall.

And Madam Chu had today gone all out for this Xia Qingyun — showing real depth of feeling and loyalty. The woman who ordinarily would never lightly invoke his name or use his authority had, for the sake of this hotheaded young fool, gone boldly under his banner and stormed the Sixth Prince’s residence alone, staying busy until this very moment…

Situ Sheng suddenly thought of the night he had injured his hand, when this woman had comforted him by saying: she once had no choice and could only marry Zhou Sui’an. But she would work hard so that in the future she could have more choices.

He just did not know whether the dark-skinned young man was one of her many choices…

With that thought, Situ Sheng idly reached for the soft clay sitting nearby and began kneading it between two fingers.

Chu Linlang saw that he was not pressing her further about the Sixth Prince’s residence, and felt that today’s affairs could be put to rest. She brought the steaming bowl of noodle soup before Situ Sheng.

But Situ Sheng looked at the braised pork noodles and said coldly: “Someone else’s leftovers — I don’t want them.”

This employer who had always been so easy to serve had, for some reason this evening, suddenly become demanding. Chu Linlang could not help but stare in wide-eyed surprise.

This had plainly been a fresh bowl of noodles she had made after his return — how could it be someone else’s leftovers?

Still, Linlang supposed he probably just didn’t like having outsiders in the household, and it was true that she had not handled that properly today — her employer’s reproach was fair.

With that thought, she picked up the bowl and said quietly: “Then… I’ll go to the kitchen at once and make something else. Please wait a moment, my lord.”

Having said this, she turned and left the study.

By now it was late at night. Xia He had been separated from her brother for so long, and was worried about his injuries, and so she had gone with Xia Qingyun to look after him and make sure his wounds did not worsen in the night.

Chu Linlang had thought she would just need to deliver a bowl of noodles, and had sent Dongxue off to rest earlier — the maid was likely asleep by now.

As for Guanqi — that precious young attendant who was perpetually sleep-deprived — he had eaten his noodle soup long ago and bolted back to his room to make up for lost sleep.

If she was going to prepare something else to eat, Chu Linlang would have to do it alone.

She thought to herself: to hell with his claim that he would never treat her like a servant. He was making free use of his head steward woman right now — very handy indeed! Men’s mouths were truly deceitful things!

Chu Linlang felt a bit disgruntled. She had been running around all day and still hadn’t eaten herself. Once she’d finished making that precious lord’s food, she would just eat the bowl he had refused.

She rekindled the kitchen fire and cracked two eggs, and was just about to cut some chilies when a figure slipped into the kitchen.

Linlang turned her head — it was Situ Sheng.

His tall frame filled the cramped little kitchen the moment he stepped in.

Linlang assumed her employer was hungry and had come to hurry her along. She was about to speak, but Situ Sheng reached down and picked up the low stool used for sitting while tending the fire, then sat down by the stove and began, with his head bent, eating the bowl of noodles Chu Linlang had brought back and set on the stovetop.

The noodles had been soaking and were by now somewhat soft and mushy — the texture was not ideal.

But from the way he was eating in large mouthfuls, it looked as though he were ravenous — so did he have a change of heart and stop minding that it was someone else’s food?

Chu Linlang was both exasperated and amused. She walked over and crouched beside the stove to ask him: “The noodles have gone soft — they won’t taste good. Would my lord like to have a few bites first while I quickly make a couple of dishes?”

Having said this, she stood up and went back to cutting vegetables.

The moonlight slanted through the small window and fell on her back, making the waist tied with an apron look all the more slender — a span that could scarcely be encircled by one hand.

Situ Sheng sat quietly watching her back as she cut vegetables. He slowly set down his bowl, rose to his feet, and walked over.

Chu Linlang felt her waist suddenly go loose. She looked down — the apron strings had been untied by someone from behind.

She was seized with a flutter of panic and turned her head to ask: “My lord — what are you doing?”

Situ Sheng reached past her from behind with a long arm, took the chili peppers from Chu Linlang’s hand, and bent his head to ask her: “Have you eaten this evening?”

From the account she had given just now, it seemed she had been busy the entire time managing those salt gang men, and had not eaten herself.

Chu Linlang felt as though she were enclosed in his arms, hemmed in before the cutting board, and shifted uncomfortably to put a little distance between them: “I’m not hungry yet — I’ll eat after my lord has finished…”

It was deep in the night, and the two of them were alone. When she thought about it carefully, this was really quite improper.

He was standing far too close. Even if she was a divorced woman, that was no reason to allow a man to take such liberties with her.

Could it be that… Situ Sheng had suddenly harbored some wicked intention in the middle of the night?

With that thought, Chu Linlang grasped the kitchen cleaver on the cutting board with one hand — whatever rank of official he might be, if he tried to take advantage of her vulnerable, isolated state and treat her as a plaything, she would let the pestilent fellow have another taste of this grandmother’s mettle.

Having steeled herself, Chu Linlang turned with furrowed brows and was just about to rebuke him — only to stare dumbly at the sight before her.

Situ Sheng was behind her — tying on an apron. The apron, already quite long, had shortened on his frame by a conspicuous measure when transferred to his tall body.

“My lord… what are you doing?”

Situ Sheng glanced up at the cleaver in her hand, reached over and lightly took it from her, then gestured for Linlang to sit on the low stool nearby.

And then he looked over the prepared ingredients — and actually rolled up his sleeves and began cutting vegetables, shredding them into strips, heating oil, and stir-frying.

From his practiced ease, this was clearly not his first time at a stove.

Chu Linlang was quite startled. As the saying goes, the gentleman keeps his distance from the kitchen. How could Situ Sheng, a fifth-rank official of the capital, be permitted to do kitchen work?

But Situ Sheng simply gestured for her to sit still, and then with quick, deft hands he made a plate of chili-scrambled eggs, and used the leftover meat broth from noon to make a large bowl of spicy and sour soup, then set it on the stovetop and called Linlang over to eat.

The green onion oil pancakes from noon still had quite a few left, and they went very well with the soup and scrambled eggs.

Situ Sheng’s cooking was rather good — just as with his carpentry, this man, when he put his mind to something, seemed to do it well.

As he ladled soup into a small bowl for Linlang, he said lightly: “…I was preoccupied with official business just now and took it out on you. I’m sorry.”

A man’s apology was so forthright and direct that Chu Linlang felt oddly awkward.

She had just been misreading his intentions and had nearly tried to frighten him with a cleaver. She felt a pang of shame at herself — how could she have suspected a man of such upright character?

She could only quickly pick up the bowl and drink a mouthful of soup. Sour and spicy — quite appetizing, in fact — with a warmth that seemed to rise from the stomach and spread gradually, seeping all the way into her heart.

Linlang licked her lips and offered a sincere compliment: “My lord, you actually know how to cook.”

Situ Sheng continued eating his own mushy bowl of noodles and said slowly: “Cooking occasionally also lifts the spirits.”

Chu Linlang blinked. She understood — for a man like Situ Sheng, who labored over affairs of state and taxed his mind constantly, cooking was like practicing calligraphy or writing large characters: it nurtured the heart and soothed the spirit.

He must have regretted asking his head steward woman to trouble herself making a midnight snack, and so had come to the kitchen to eat the leftover noodles instead.

Then upon seeing her about to start cooking, he had kindly stepped in to help.

This man with a fearsome reputation as a ruthless judicial official — aside from the occasional unpredictable moods — was truly good to his servants. No wonder he had raised that Guanqi into such a lazy creature.

If she were truly his bondservant, she might inadvertently end up selling herself into a life of service at the Junior Minister’s residence!

Since the employer needed to cook in order to lift his spirits, she would not stand on ceremony, and promptly reached over to place a large piece of the scrambled eggs into Situ Sheng’s bowl first — a generous serving — before tucking into her own meal with gusto.

She had never felt the need to put on delicate airs when eating in front of Situ Sheng. She chewed and swallowed with genuine relish, her lips gleaming with the oil of the food.

The two of them ate a peaceful meal together in the kitchen, accompanied by the crackling of the stove.

Sitting by the stove was warm, but the space was cramped. Situ Sheng’s legs were very long, and as he ate he stretched them out with complete ease, drawing close to Linlang. Linlang did not feel it proper to rebuke him for being casual, and could only tuck her own legs in as much as possible so as not to inadvertently brush against him.

Sparks burst from the fire chamber with a crackle, and a sudden flame leapt up and landed on Situ Sheng’s trousers.

Out of sheer reflex, Linlang immediately helped him pat it out two or three times, then realized she had overstepped, and with an embarrassed smile quickly withdrew her hand and buried her face in her soup bowl to finish eating quickly and clear the space.

She did not notice that Situ Sheng sat beside her, bowl in hand, watching her quietly. In the firelight, her face looked beautiful and serene.

Only when Linlang raised her head did he lower his gaze and slowly sip the soup in his bowl.

After eating, Situ Sheng told Chu Linlang to go and rest first. Chu Linlang watched him toss the dirty bowls into the water bucket with a clatter, and could not help but want to roll her eyes.

She had no patience for the habits of a sloven, and so she rolled up her sleeves to wash the bowls before sleeping.

Situ Sheng, not willing to let the steward woman wear herself out further, scooped hot water and helped Chu Linlang wash the bowls clean.

Chu Linlang felt awkward letting her employer do the work while she stood around idle.

And so Linlang simply grabbed a handful of roasted melon seeds, sat down beside the bowl-washing employer, and cracked them open one by one. She shelled out the seeds, gathered them into a small dish, then held it up to Situ Sheng’s mouth so he could eat his fill in one go.

Guanqi, having gotten some sleep, had gotten up to use the privy, and was blearily passing the kitchen — he gave the room a casual glance and was so startled he nearly lost control of his bladder.

He hurried to the privy, and while relieving himself, tried to recall what he had just seen — his own normally cold and distant master, sleeves rolled up and apron tied, sitting on a little stool like a housewife, washing bowls.

While Chu Linlang, that insufferable woman, sat perched on a higher stool, legs crossed like a lady of the house, leisurely cracking melon seeds — an utter picture of impropriety!

Guanqi could not help but wonder whether he had not yet fully woken up and was seeing some fantastical dream.

His master had always kept people at a distance. Even Guanqi, his personal attendant, was never allowed to serve him closely — let alone tolerate a woman coming this near!

Just recall: on the journey to Jizhou, that Xie second young miss had used the lurching of the boat as a pretext to deliberately press herself against the master’s side. Without a word, the master had simply shoved her away and jumped off the boat, caring not at all whether Xie second young miss felt embarrassed.

How could a master of such solitary and imperious temperament possibly tolerate Chu Linlang being this close to him? Let alone lowering his head to eat from that woman’s dish of seeds…

Well, it must be that Chu Linlang had said something and was holding some leverage over the master to coerce him! That had to be it!

And so he quickly hiked up his trousers and trotted back to confirm.

But by the time he reached the kitchen, the lamp had been put out and there was no one there. As if what he had seen had truly been some absurd and fantastical dream…

Tonight’s nightmares were not confined to Guanqi alone. At the Zhou household’s bridal chamber that same night, everything was in utter disarray.

Xie Youran had had her wedding disrupted on the most joyous day of her life, and had been publicly humiliated — vomiting repeatedly for all to see. She had never suffered such mortification in her entire life.

And so after the ceremony, she had returned to the bridal chamber and had done nothing but cry ever since.

When Zhou Sui’an finally finished entertaining the guests and stepped into the room, a flower vase came flying straight at his face.

Fortunately he had not drunk very much and just barely managed to dodge it. Zhou Sui’an could not help but snap: “This is a joyous day — what is there to cry and make scenes about?”

Xie Youran sat bolt upright: “What joy is there? Joy from where? It was all that Chu Linlang — how vicious she is, hiring people to disrupt our wedding! And you — how could you actually tell the constables that you know that Xia Qingyun!”

Zhou Sui’an could now see Xie Youran’s face clearly. The heavy bridal makeup she had been wearing that day had been ravaged by the torrent of tears into something patchy and garish — with her eyes wide and staring, she looked far more pitiable and terrifying than charming. Where was the slightest trace of the shy demureness expected of a noble young lady?

He was so alarmed he took two involuntary steps backward, which only enraged Xie Youran further — she demanded to know what he meant by retreating.

Remembering that she was with child, Zhou Sui’an could only summon his patience and try to appease her, saying that Xia Qingyun had been away doing business and had only just returned to the capital, and was probably not there on Chu Linlang’s orders.

He had known Xia Qingyun for some time — what reason would there be to lie to the constables and deny it?

Xie Youran paid no mind to any of that. She said with venom: “My aunt has already spoken to the authorities. Even if they don’t beat that ruffian to death, they’ll break his legs. As long as he confesses who was behind him, even if she hides in the Junior Minister’s residence, Situ Sheng will have to hand her over to the constables!”

Zhou Sui’an shot to his feet in shock at this: “How could you be so vicious? He is Xia He’s elder brother — if you have him killed, then Linlang will only…”

Xie Youran stared at the man she had just bowed to in wedlock with disbelief: “Zhou Sui’an, you need to be clear about one thing — I am your wife now! That Chu woman has nothing more to do with you. No wonder you were pleading so hard with the constables on that ruffian’s behalf just now — you still harbor the thought of currying favor with Chu Linlang!”

Having been exposed so sharply by Xie Youran, Zhou Sui’an felt a flush of shame and impatience: “Fine, fine — whether he lives or dies is your Xie Family’s doing, and has nothing to do with me. It’s getting late — you should lie down and rest. Since you’re with child, you shouldn’t be sharing the bed with me. I’ll go… I’ll go read in the study.”

Even with a new wife on his hands, Administrator Zhou’s habit of fleeing to the study whenever things became difficult remained unchanged across the ages.

With those words, the bridegroom swept his sleeve, turned his back, and retreated without a single backward glance to the study.

Xie Youran was so furious she burst into fresh tears and went on smashing the things in the room.

Zhao Shi, in her own courtyard, could hear the new bride shouting and screaming, and naturally felt obliged to rise and remind Xie Youran what it meant to conduct oneself properly as a Zhou Family daughter-in-law.

But though she presented herself as the mother-in-law, there was no one left to fawn over her.

Xie Youran was the sort who could hold her ground even against her own father. Before Zhao Shi had even finished nattering, she coolly stated that she was feeling a bit tired, her mother need say no more.

And with that, she loudly called for her own dowry maids to “see the Old Madam out” of the room.

Zhao Shi was constrained by the girl’s fine family background and her pregnancy, and had to swallow her fury, supported by a maidservant as she made her way out of the courtyard.

Once she had turned the corner out of the courtyard, Zhao Shi spat venomously back at it: “Hmph! A fine daughter of a great household, indeed! Her decorum is worse than a salt merchant’s concubine daughter!”

The maidservant beside her offered soothing words: “After all, she is a pampered and spoiled young lady — there’s no need to quarrel with her. Now that she is the Zhou Family’s daughter-in-law, she will naturally have to abide by your rules in time. The previous Madam Chu was also quite a handful, yet didn’t she still have to make herself small in front of you? There are long days ahead — there’s no need to fight for this moment!”

Zhao Shi found this reasonable. Though Xie Youran came from a great family, now that she had entered the Zhou household, she must conduct herself by the Zhou household’s rules. There had never been a daughter-in-law who ranked higher than her mother-in-law in the world!

Just wait until Xie Youran had given birth — then she would see how she set the rules for this new daughter-in-law!

And so though the night was short, there was no shortage of trouble. The Sixth Prince, having ordered Xia Qingyun’s release, was still unable to sit or rest in peace.

He had always been cautious and meticulous at court, deferential toward his princely brothers.

And yet despite all this care, he had still managed to offend the Crown Prince. Now without a perceptive person by his side to help him read the political situation, he truly felt as though the sky might cave in on him at any moment, crushing him beyond all hope of recovery.

When the Sixth Princess Consort returned from her family’s home in the middle of the night, Liu Ling sent the maids away and, fixing her with a glare, asked: “What did your father say?”

The Sixth Princess Consort looked shamefaced, and said quietly: “Father heard the matter and ordered people to bring An Feng in before the night was over. Under questioning, it came out that he had indeed detained a number of vessels a few days ago. But the registered name on those vessels was not the Crown Prince’s household — only the names of attendants belonging to local officials from northern garrison posts, on their way to the capital. The man surnamed An thought these backwater minor officials were of no consequence and detained their vessels seeking a bribe. He didn’t hold them for long — that very day someone came with a hundred taels of silver and redeemed the boats.”

Liu Ling’s eyelid began to twitch uncontrollably. He asked, voice strangled: “If it were only local officials’ goods being transported to the capital, would anyone pay a hundred taels of silver to redeem them? Those local minor officials don’t even earn a hundred taels in a year! Did that An person see what was actually on the boats?”

The Sixth Princess Consort shook her head: “He said they opened a few crates for inspection, and they did indeed appear to be local goods of various kinds. But… An Feng had previously been to the northern regions, and he said that among the men accompanying the vessels, some of them seemed to be whispering in the Jing Kingdom’s tongue. He had just been about to release the boats when the Fourth Prince’s men came to inquire into the matter, and deliberately called out the name of the person redeeming the boats, asking whether he was not an attendant of the Crown Prince’s residence — what was he doing out there? He implied the cargo was the Crown Prince’s. The Fourth Prince’s people then demanded to search the boat, and both sides stood at daggers drawn. In the end the Crown Prince’s people prevailed by a narrow margin and the boat was taken away.”

Liu Ling heard this and felt his entire body go limp, his back sagging slightly, his palms breaking out in a fine, trembling sweat.

At present, the relations between the court and the Jing Kingdom were delicate. Particularly after the defeat at the Battle of Fuishui twelve years ago, when Old General Yang and several fine court generals had fallen in battle, and the court had been forced into a peace marriage and tribute payments, and had surrendered several border strongholds before the situation had stabilized.

Although there was no need now to war with the Jing Kingdom, most court officials were unwilling to have too many dealings with that tiger-and-wolf nation.

Yet the Crown Prince had been instigated by a faction of his advisors to advocate for opening border markets, and had even petitioned His Majesty to permit the Jing Kingdom’s envoys to visit — which had caused a great furor in court and among the common people, even inciting a civilian swordsman to attempt an assassination of the Jing Kingdom’s envoy, setting off the disturbance in the pleasure quarters that night.

And that shipload of goods was connected both to the Crown Prince and to the Jing Kingdom — did this not suggest the Crown Prince had some other covert and profitable arrangement with the Jing Kingdom?

And the Crown Prince that day, summoning him and warning him — was it not because the Crown Prince suspected him and the Fourth Prince of working in concert to detain the ship, intending to seize the Crown Prince’s handle for blackmail?

With that thought, Liu Ling’s jaw trembled slightly, and he fixed his consort with wide, staring eyes: “If Madam Chu had not come today, I would never have known your family’s relatives had such colossal nerve — daring to bring down such catastrophic ruin while flying my banner! Tell me — what does your father intend to do with him!”

The Sixth Princess Consort did not fully understand the gravity of the situation and, seeing the Sixth Prince with an unusual severity she had never seen before, said quietly: “Father is also very angry, and naturally gave him a thorough scolding, commanding him never again to commit crimes under the Xie Family’s and Your Highness’s names…”

Liu Ling slammed the table in fury: “What foolishness! How can you deal with this so lightly!”

He paced back and forth twice in place, and immediately made up his mind.

If there was one thing the Sixth Prince had gained most from accompanying Situ Sheng on that inspection tour of the border regions in years past, it was this: when the time came to order a killing, he would not hesitate for a single instant.

This person was a living witness. If he were not removed, how could the Sixth Prince show the Crown Prince that he had no intention of joining forces with the Fourth Prince to contest for the succession?

Such corrupt and lawless officials deserved to die ten thousand times over!

With that, he turned with a composed expression, summoned his guards, gave them a few low-voiced instructions, and sent them out.

The Sixth Princess Consort, sitting nearby, had heard every word — her eyes grew wider and wider, and she could barely believe what she was witnessing.

An Feng, whatever else he might be, was still a cousin by marriage of the Xie Family. How could he be dispatched like a chicken — just like that?

What would she say to her relatives when she went home after this?