Blossom

At this time, Chen Qushui was five years younger than Wu Zhipeng, and they had been Recommended Men in the same examination year. Coming from a wealthy family, Wu Zhipeng had repeatedly failed the exams, yet his family continued to support him until he finally became a Presented Scholar at the age of fifty-one. However, by then he had lost interest in an official career, especially since his two sons had also become Presented Scholars, so he simply settled into the life of a retired patriarch at home.

Chen Qushui, whose family had fallen on hard times, had come to the Capital to seek refuge with him.

Seeing Chen Qushui, Wu Zhipeng was deeply moved and sighed, "Since you're still alive, why didn’t you come to me? I heard Duke Ding had Zhang Kai executed as a sacrifice to the city and thought you had perished along with him." He added, "Had I known this would happen, I shouldn’t have introduced you to Zhang Kai—back then, Lord Ye also admired you. If you had stayed in the Ye household, even if you couldn’t advance in the examinations, securing a position as a prefectural instructor or tutor would have been easy. It was just your bad luck that shortly after you left the Ye residence, Lord Ye joined the Grand Secretariat as one of the Grand Academicians!"

The Lord Ye he referred to was the former Grand Secretariat minister Ye Shipei.

"How could I blame you for this?" Chen Qushui felt somewhat embarrassed recalling those days. "It was all my fault for being young and impulsive. Hearing that Zhang Kai was stationed in Fujian, I was determined to join the fight against the pirates. But once I arrived at his residence, I couldn’t help but mention Lord Ye’s admiration for me, which only provoked Zhang Kai’s displeasure. Instead of being valued, I was sidelined. Over the years, whenever I think of this, I feel ashamed of your kindness, Brother Zhipeng, and too embarrassed to face you."

"We’ve been friends for years—such words are too formal," Wu Zhipeng replied, all the while observing Chen Qushui’s attire. Though not extravagant, his clothes were tasteful and made of fine materials, and the white jade pendant at his waist was of exceptional quality, indicating he had been doing well these years. Since he had come unannounced, it likely wasn’t for financial help, so Wu Zhipeng cut to the chase: "Have you come to me because you’re in some difficulty?"

A native of the Capital, Wu Zhipeng was known for his generosity. One of his sons served as a prefect in Jingzhou, Huguang, while another was a county magistrate in Tongxiang, Zhejiang. With three Presented Scholars in the family and numerous connections from the same examination years, few matters were beyond his reach. Many friends from out of town sought his help when they encountered problems in the Capital.

Having come to see Wu Zhipeng, Chen Qushui had already prepared to ask for assistance and thus held nothing back. He recounted how he had returned from Fujian to his hometown, how he had met Dou Zhao and earned her appreciation, becoming her adviser. He also explained how Dou Zhao had been forced into a remarriage and was now betrothed to Song Yantang, the heir of the Duke of Yingguo’s mansion, and so on, laying out everything in detail to Wu Zhipeng.The Dou Family of the Northern Mansion—even if Wu Zhipeng had no personal dealings with them, he had certainly heard of them. Startled by the news, he exclaimed, "How could Magistrate Dou be so reckless! Even so, one shouldn’t just casually marry off a daughter like that." He continued, "Since you serve as an adviser in the Dou family, you must have already inquired about the Young Lord of the Duke of England's Mansion—that Young Lord Song isn’t someone who’s lost his mind. How could he possibly slaughter all his own guards for no reason, especially so soon after his mother’s death? Clearly, there’s something unspeakable going on in that household. How could the Dou family bear to marry their daughter into the Song family?" He added, "I think you should take this chance to resign. Though I’m just a simple farmer, I can certainly spare you a meal. If staying with me feels awkward, I can recommend you to Grand Secretary Yao Shizhong’s household as a private tutor—Grand Secretary Yao is from Jingzhou Prefecture in Huguang, which falls under my son’s jurisdiction. I’m quite close with the chief steward of the Yao household, and they happen to be in need of a tutor for their young masters. The workload is light, and the pay is generous. The Yao family would certainly grant me this small favor."

Chen Qushui was deeply grateful.

Though he knew the truth behind Song Mo’s killings, it was a matter of grave importance—Song Mo’s personal affairs—and not something he could disclose to Wu Zhipeng. He merely said, "Fourth Miss Dou has shown me great kindness. If she were to marry well, I might consider resigning, but now is not the time to speak of such things." He tactfully declined Wu Zhipeng’s offer.

"You!" Wu Zhipeng shook his head, half-regretful, half-admiring. "Still the same stubborn temper as ever—not a bit changed."

Chen Qushui smiled sheepishly. "The reason I came to you, Brother Zhipeng, is precisely about the Young Lord of the Duke of England's Mansion!"

"Oh?" Wu Zhipeng looked at him in confusion.

Chen Qushui chuckled. "Rumors spread like wildfire. I, too, find the matter of the Young Lord killing his guards quite suspicious. I was hoping you could help me inquire with the Young Lord’s wet nurse about his childhood."

"That’s easily done," Wu Zhipeng replied with a laugh. "For noble families as powerful as the Duke of England's Mansion, wet nurses are usually selected from the Imperial Wet Nurse Bureau. A simple inquiry in Daxing or Wanping would suffice. But what exactly do you wish to ask?"

Chen Qushui knew immediately he had come to the right person.

The Imperial Wet Nurse Bureau sourced its candidates from Daxing and Wanping. He had already identified Song Mo’s wet nurse. However, his own position was sensitive, and he was too familiar with Song Mo’s subordinates. Sending Duan Gongyi or others to investigate might draw Song Mo’s attention, leading him to suspect Dou Zhao’s involvement—an outcome far worse than the gain.

After much deliberation, he decided to enlist Wu Zhipeng’s help.

"As the saying goes, 'The child is father of the man.' I’d like to ask whether anything unusual happened around the time of the Young Lord’s birth. How did Madam Jiang treat the Young Lord after he was born? And how did the Duke of Yingguo treat him? Why was the Young Lord sent to the Jiang Family to learn martial arts at such a young age? Was he so unruly that he had to be handed over to Duke Ding for discipline? How did the Young Lord treat those around him…"

"Hold on," Wu Zhipeng interrupted with an amused laugh. "This isn’t just asking a few questions—you’re interrogating the family’s entire history! I’m getting old, and I can’t possibly remember all this. Fine, I’ll summon Wu Sheng. You can give him your instructions directly."Wu Sheng was Wu Zhipeng's personal attendant, known for his quick wit and reliability. He was the one who handled all major matters for the Wu family. Naturally, Chen Qushui was familiar with him and hurriedly expressed his gratitude.

"Why are you being so fussy now?" Wu Zhipeng scolded with a laugh. "If you keep this up, get out of here."

Chen Qushui apologized again, but his demeanor grew more relaxed, shedding some of his earlier formality.

After entrusting Wu Sheng with the task of gathering information, Wu Zhipeng said, "Do you remember Xiao Shuqin? He’s now an adviser at the Marquis Changxing’s residence. After you left the capital, he often came to visit me. Since you’re here, why not invite him over? We can have a drink together."

Xiao Shuqin was someone Chen Qushui had met during his time as an adviser in the capital. It had been over twenty years since they last saw each other.

Hearing that Xiao Shuqin was now an adviser at the Marquis Changxing’s residence, Chen Qushui felt a stir of interest. He clapped his hands in approval and urged Wu Zhipeng to send for him.

Wu Zhipeng gave the order and then chatted with Chen Qushui about Xiao Shuqin: "…He doesn’t have your talent. After seven or eight years at the Marquis Changxing’s residence, he’s still just drafting eulogies and invitations, never managing to get close to the Marquis. He’s just idling away his time."

Chen Qushui chuckled. "Noble households aren’t like official families. Officials can still secure a future, but noble families sometimes struggle to find positions even for themselves, let alone their advisers. It seems Brother Shuqin has grown weary of advising in official households and plans to retire at the Marquis Changxing’s residence."

Wu Zhipeng thought for a moment and laughed. "That makes sense. He does seem to have a lot of free time, with nothing much to do."

Chen Qushui took the opportunity to inquire about the noble families in the capital, eventually steering the conversation to Song Yichun, the Duke of Yingguo: "…I heard he holds the title of Successful Candidate in the Imperial Examination and took charge of the seal of the Forward Army in the Five Armies Commandery just after turning thirty? He must be quite talented!"

Civil officials appoint generals, while military officials deploy troops.

Although the Minister of War was a civil official, mobilizing troops required the Five Armies Commandery. The five seal-holding Commanders-in-chief, personally appointed by the Emperor and entrusted with the tiger tally, were the Emperor’s true confidants.

"He can write a couple of mediocre poems, that’s true," Wu Zhipeng didn’t think highly of Song Yichun. "He became a seal-holding Commander-in-chief mainly because of his gentle temperament and the Duke of England’s Mansion’s long-standing loyalty."

"Oh?" Chen Qushui smiled, looking intrigued. "How so?"

Wu Zhipeng, realizing Chen Qushui might accompany Fourth Miss Dou to the Duke of England’s Mansion, understood his curiosity.

He laughed. "Well, it all comes down to the Duke of England’s background…"

As they sipped tea and chatted, Xiao Shuqin arrived. By then, the tea had been refreshed several times. Reunited after so many years, the old friends were too caught up in their excitement to continue discussing the Duke of England’s Mansion.

※※※※※

Chen Qushui drank himself into a stupor and slept at the Wu residence until the sun was high in the sky.

His hangover left his head pounding and his mouth dry and bitter. Rubbing his temples, he was greeted by Wu Zhipeng, who entered with a beaming face. "Qushui, Chunlin and the others are thrilled to hear you’re alive and are rushing over. Liangzhu even reserved a private room at the Drunken Immortal Tower to welcome you back. Hurry and freshen up—they’ll be here soon."

Chen Qushui smiled wryly.Unable to decline their warm hospitality, they drank themselves into a stupor at the Drunken Immortal Tower that very night.

The next morning, as Chen Qushui was about to take his leave, Wu Sheng returned from gathering information.

Chen Qushui gulped down two cups of cold tea and spoke with Wu Sheng in the guest room.

It wasn’t until sunset that Wu Sheng finally emerged from the room.

Wu Zhipeng didn’t ask what they had discussed and, along with Xiao Shuqin who had hurried over, warmly hosted Chen Qushui for dinner. Only after repeated insistence did they finally arrange a sedan chair to escort Chen Qushui to the stationery shop on Drum Tower Street.

Su Lan had already been waiting there all day.

Seeing Chen Qushui, she couldn’t help but pout in playful annoyance, “Mr. Chen, really! You didn’t even leave word about where you were going. Miss has been waiting for you.”

Only then did Chen Qushui realize it was already the sixteenth day of the eighth month—just eight days until Dou Zhao’s wedding.

He hurriedly apologized, “What did Miss need me for?”

“I don’t know either,” Su Lan replied with a smile. “But it must be urgent. She even sent me here yesterday, but you weren’t around.”

Without a second thought for the late hour, Chen Qushui changed his clothes and followed Su Lan to Jing'an Temple Alley.