"Did уоu аgrеe?" askеd Zhоu Shаоjin.
"I did," Оld Madam Guаn sighеd. "What she sаid makes sеnsе. It's bеttеr tо kеep things аs they are than to mаkе chаnges. If sоmеоnе elsе wеrе tо bеcоme the magistrаtе of Jinling Сity, it might not be аny bettеr for the Fоurth Ноusе thаn Маgistrate Wu."
Zhоu Shаojin аgrееd.
Aftеr absеntmindеdly eхсhanging а few more wоrds with her, Old Mаdаm Guаn sent hеr back to hеr rооm.
Mаmmу Wаng hеsitаtеd and аskеd, "Arеn't yоu going to hаve Sесоnd Cоusin ассompanу you?"
"We don't yеt know what the First Нouse is thinking!" Оld Mаdаm Guan rеplied with a weary expression. "It's better not to involve Shaojin in this."
Mammy Wang smiled. "That child is truly fortunate to have earned your favor!"
"What fortune is there in earning my favor?" Old Madam Guan said modestly. "It would be real fortune if she earned Old Madam Guo's favor!"
"To earn the favor of one's elders is always a blessing!" Mammy Wang smiled and flattered Old Madam Guan a few more times.
Old Madam Guan chuckled and said, "Go and send an invitation to Cold Green Mountain House for me."
Mammy Wang smiled and replied, "Yes," then went to the First House.
Cheng Chi was lounging lazily against a large pillow on the daybed, engrossed in a travelogue while waiting for dinner.
Old Madam Guo walked in and scolded him, "Where did you pick up this bad habit? You lie down wherever you go. If I didn't have a daybed here, I suspect you'd bring your own!"
"You've guessed it!" Cheng Chi chuckled dismissively, tossed aside the travelogue, and asked with a smile, "What are we having for dinner tonight?"
"Roasted lamb leg, your favorite," Old Madam Guo replied with a smile. "Is there anything else you'd like to eat?"
"The New Year celebrations are over. It's time to be more restrained," Cheng Chi said. "I'll go to Algae Garden tomorrow to fetch something and will be back by tomorrow evening."
Hearing this, a flicker of confusion crossed Old Madam Guo's eyes, and she asked tentatively, "In previous years, you'd be out and about right after the third day of the New Year. What's the matter? Are you unusually free this year?"
Cheng Chi laughed. "You're truly hard to please! When I go out, you complain that I'm never home; when I stay home, you complain that I'm not earning money for you. I'm caught between a rock and a hard place..."
"Nonsense!" Old Madam Guo scolded with a smile. "I'm just worried you might be bored at home!"
Cheng Chi smiled but said nothing.
A young maid, her face pale, rushed in and said, "Madam, Fourth Master, a letter has arrived from the capital!"
Old Madam Guo felt a vague sense of foreboding upon seeing the maid's expression. When she opened the letter, her legs gave way, and she nearly collapsed to the floor.
Cheng Chi was startled. He sprang up like a hare and steadied Old Madam Guo, asking solemnly, "What happened?"
Old Madam Guo's lips trembled, unable to speak, her hand holding the letter shaking uncontrollably.
Cheng Chi took the letter from her and, after just one glance, his expression changed drastically.
Cheng Fen, the only son of the Second Elder of the First House, had died of a sudden illness sixteen days ago.
Cheng Chi shuddered.
Tears streamed down Old Madam Guo's face.“Is Heaven truly determined to destroy our Cheng family?” She suddenly seemed to have aged ten years, her expression losing all its former fortitude. “You refuse to marry, the Eldest Young Master and Second Young Master each have only one son, and now the Third Young Master is gone... No matter how capable you all are, two fists cannot fight off four. What great achievements can you possibly accomplish?” As she spoke, she grabbed Cheng Chi. “You must go to the capital. I fear your second uncle may not withstand this blow.”
Cheng Chi’s gaze darkened. “Mother, don’t worry. I will head to the capital immediately.”
Only then did Old Madam Guo’s expression soften slightly, allowing Cheng Chi to help her sit on the luohan bed.
The room fell into a deathly silence; even the maidservants attending them dared not breathe loudly.
Cheng Chi poured a cup of tea for his mother.
Old Madam Guo slowly finished the entire cup before speaking unhurriedly, “Si Lang, you must personally visit the patriarch of the second branch and inform him of the Third Young Master’s passing. Then tell him I wish to see him.”
Upon hearing this, Cheng Chi frowned. “Mother, why not let me relay your message to him? You are getting on in years and should avoid agitation. It’s important to take care of your health.”
Old Madam Guo sneered. “He handed over the family’s affairs to you, which is akin to cutting off one of our eldest branch’s arms. And you ask me not to be agitated? Even a saint couldn’t manage that, let alone me. If you won’t tell him, I’ll go speak to him myself.”
“Mother!” Cheng Chi said calmly but firmly. “No matter what you say, I won’t allow you to meet with him. Either let me deliver your message, or keep your thoughts to yourself. The choice is yours.”
“You unfilial son!” Old Madam Guo flared up in anger, but upon seeing her son’s tall and imposing figure before her, her rage dissipated as if thrown to the winds. “Fine, go and deliver my message. Tell him I wish to adopt Yun Ge’er under the name of your nephew Xun, and I will raise him myself.”
The second branch’s Cheng Shi had two sons. The eldest’s formal name was Cheng Geng, and the younger’s was Cheng Yun. As for “nephew Xun,” it referred to the grandson of the second elder of the eldest branch, Cheng Fen’s son Cheng Xun.
Cheng Chi sighed helplessly. “Mother, that’s impossible…”
“What’s impossible?” Old Madam Guo suddenly sprang up. “Is there anything in this world that’s truly impossible? What did he say back then? He may have forgotten, but I remember clearly. How dare he act like a prostitute and still want a monument of chastity? Such a good deal doesn’t exist. You tell him exactly that—not a single word changed. I want to see how he has the face to say ‘no’ to me!”
Seeing the flush on his mother’s face, Cheng Chi’s heart raced anxiously. He hurriedly said, “Don’t get upset. I’ll relay your exact words to him.”
Cheng Xu would never, even at the cost of his life, hand over his great-grandson to the eldest branch. His mother understood this perfectly well; she was merely venting her frustrations.
After comforting his mother, Cheng Chi had no appetite for dinner and decided to go directly to Chunze Residence to deliver the news of the bereavement to Cheng Xu.
As he stepped out, he ran into Nanny Wang, who was eagerly chatting with Biyu.
Nanny Wang hurried forward to greet Cheng Chi and explained, “I am Wang-shi, serving under Old Madam Guan of the fourth branch. Our madam wishes to visit the old madam tomorrow morning and sent me over to inform her.”
With such a major incident occurring in the family, who had the patience to entertain guests?Cheng Chi had initially intended to stop her, but then it occurred to him that in recent years, his mother had only been close with the Fourth Branch. Others saw her as lofty and aloof, but in reality, she was quite lonely. He immediately changed his mind, gave a soft "hmm," and left Cold Green Mountain House.
Wet Nurse Wang broke into a cold sweat on her back.
Biyu smiled and said, "Our Fourth Master is the most amiable person. There's no need for you to be afraid, Wet Nurse."
Wet Nurse Wang thought to herself, that's because you're young. You never saw how Fourth Master used to sit there with a faint, mocking smile, standing up to the Second Branch's matriarch as an equal. But such words could not be spoken carelessly.
She smiled and said, "It's just my timidity. I don't often get to see Fourth Master," brushing the matter aside.
Meanwhile, at Jia Shu Hall, Old Madam Guo was growing restless.
Logically speaking, Wet Nurse Wang should have returned long ago after being gone for so long, but there was still no sign of her. Could it be that Madam Wu's request had reached Old Madam Guo, and she had no intention of helping but didn't know how to refuse, so she kept Wet Nurse Wang waiting?
As this thought crossed her mind, she immediately felt she was being overly anxious.
Old Madam Guo dared to say "no" even to the Second Branch's matriarch, let alone to her.
She couldn't help but shake her head.
When would the Fourth Branch ever have a chance to hold its head high!
Old Madam Guan thought of her two grandsons in Pukou and fell into deep contemplation for a moment.
Just then, Wet Nurse Wang hurried back: "Old Madam, it's terrible. It's terrible. The Third Master Fen from the Second Elder of the First Branch has suddenly died of a sudden illness. The First Branch is now in deep mourning."
"How could this happen?" Old Madam Guan was completely stunned. "This... doesn't this mean the Second Elder of the First Branch is left without an heir?"
She immediately thought of Cheng Shi's two sons from the Second Branch.
"This is going to be troublesome!" she murmured.
"Exactly!" Wet Nurse Wang said with a face full of regret. "Although Old Madam Guo said you should still go over tomorrow as planned, how can you possibly bring this matter up to her?"
"That's a minor issue now," Old Madam Guan said with a headache. "The death of Third Master Fen from the Second Elder of the First Branch is the real major matter."
She decided that when she went to Cold Green Mountain House tomorrow, she would only offer condolences for Cheng Fen and say nothing else.
However, Old Madam Guo, who appeared somewhat weary yet still robust, saw through everything with piercing clarity and got straight to the point: "It's neither a festival nor a holiday. You, as a widow, seldom venture out. Coming to see me today must mean you have a request. We've been sisters-in-law for most of our lives, and you know my temperament. Speak your mind directly. I'll consider it. If it can be handled now, I'll do so. If not, we can discuss it again after the fifth seventh-day memorial for Third Lang has passed."
Seeing that she couldn't hide anything from Old Madam Guo, Old Madam Guan felt somewhat embarrassed and explained Madam Wu's request.
Old Madam Guo was somewhat surprised and said, "Are you certain it was our First Branch that spread the word?"
"I sit at home and have no way to verify it," Old Madam Guan replied. "But I do agree with what Madam Wu said, which is why I came to plead on her behalf."
As the two were speaking, Cheng Chi entered to bid farewell to Old Madam Guo.Old Madam Guo simply called him to a halt and told him about Madam Wu's matter, adding, "I also think what Madam Wu said makes sense. When you go to the capital this time, ask your elder brother and find out what exactly is going on. If it's not something critical, don't interfere with Jinling's affairs. There are no walls that wind cannot pass through in this world. If this spreads, it will harm Magistrate Wu's official reputation, and others will think we are overbearing. We'd also make an enemy for no reason... a classic case of harming others without benefiting ourselves! I don't know who came up with such a terrible idea!" By the end of her words, she sounded quite impatient.
Cheng Chi's expression turned somewhat strange.
Had he asked for a fourth-rank prefectural magistrate position in Jiangnan for Xiang Zhiyong? Could it be that those people, thinking themselves clever, had arranged for Xiang Zhiyong to be posted to Jinling?
Cheng Chi cursed inwardly.
His original intention had been to pull Xiang Zhiyong out. If Xiang Zhiyong ended up assigned to Jinling Prefecture, wouldn't that be like escaping a tiger's den only to fall into a wolf's lair?
"Don't worry about this matter, I'll handle it properly," he said indifferently, his brow radiating full confidence.
Old Madam Guan was taken aback.
Ever since Cheng Chi was sixteen and persuaded them to invest in Yutai, she had only seen him from afar a few times during ancestral worship ceremonies.
To her, Cheng Chi was even more unfamiliar than the stewards of the fourth branch's outer courtyard!
Had she missed something?
Old Madam Guan quickly smiled and said, "Uncle Chi of the fourth branch, I'll trouble you with this matter!"
Cheng Chi merely smiled.
It was a very cold smile!
※
Sisters, today's update.
The extra chapter for Tianwaixianxian will be quite late, so don't wait up. It's better to read it tomorrow when you wake up!
o(n_n)o
※ (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
!!
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