Оn this bоаt, thе оld and the yоung wеre all рresent, but Сhеng Сhi nаturаllу didn't mind. He smilеd and sat beside Old Mаdаm Guo. Sinсe it wаs а rоund tаble, it sоmеwhаt rеsеmbled а three-leggеd stаnd.
Zhou Shаojin was not рicky аbout foоd, sо shе nаturаllу аte with greаt rеlish.
Hаving рrеpаred fоr thе past hаlf mоnth and rising еarly in the mоrning, Old Madаm Guо fеlt quite tirеd despite rеsting аt nоon, givеn hеr аdvаnсеd agе. Shе initiallу had littlе apрetitе, but sееing Zhou Shаоjin еаt so heartilу, she couldn't help but finish mоst of her bowl оf rice.
Сheng Сhi nоdded inwаrdly.
He felt bringing Zhou Shaojin to Putuo Mountain was the right decision. Otherwise, given his temperament and his mother's, they might have traveled all the way to Putuo in silence, or with his mother talking to herself and feeling sorrowful along the journey.
That evening, they stayed at the ferry in Yizhen County.
The county magistrate of Yizhen, Chen Zhaokun, came to pay a visit to Cheng Chi.
Zhou Shaojin hid in the cabin. After Zhaokun paid his respects to Old Madam Guo through the curtain and invited Cheng Chi ashore for drinks, she went to the cabin to accompany Old Madam Guo.
This time, Old Madam Guo didn't pull her into playing cards. Instead, after reviewing the Śūraṅgama Sūtra she had copied, she began to critique the shortcomings in her calligraphy.
Zhou Shaojin listened carefully and rewrote each character one by one for Old Madam Guo to see, following her guidance.
Seeing how earnest she was, Old Madam Guo became more engaged and offered detailed pointers.
One taught, the other wrote, and time passed quickly. By the time Cheng Chi returned, it was already past 9 p.m.
Zhou Shaojin was startled and hurriedly urged Old Madam Guo to rest.
Perhaps because she had been doing things she enjoyed, Old Madam Guo was in high spirits. Not only was she not sleepy, but she also asked Cheng Chi, "Why would this Zhaokun think to visit you? Is there something he wants?"
Cheng Chi held no official title and was merely traveling for leisure. Those with some connection to the Cheng family would at most send an advisor with a gift, while those without any ties could simply ignore him. Yizhen was a crucial land and water hub, with countless officials passing through each year. If they had to entertain every one of them, the county magistrate of Yizhen would either be exhausted to death or impoverished. This time, Zhaokun not only personally visited Cheng Chi but also invited him for food and drinks—clearly, he had a request.
"He’s a fellow candidate of Second Brother’s," Cheng Chi said calmly. Having changed his clothes and freshened up, his hair was still damp and tied atop his head. "He heard you were passing by and specifically came to pay his respects."
"Don’t try to fool me," Old Madam Guo laughed. "He has a request for your two elder brothers, doesn’t he?"
Cheng Chi smiled. "He said news came from the Messenger Office that Zhang Junhua, the Minister of Rites and Grand Secretary of the Wenhua Hall, is unwell and has submitted a memorial to the Emperor, planning to retire in September. Eldest Brother might be transferred to one of the Six Ministries."
Now, Cheng Jing was already the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, one of the Nine Ministers. If he were to move to the Six Ministries, he would only be taking over as a Minister.
In this dynasty, Ministers had always been concurrently appointed as Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet.
In other words, Cheng Jing would enter the Cabinet.
Zhou Shaojin felt somewhat uneasy.
In her previous life, Cheng Jing had entered the Cabinet after the new Emperor ascended the throne.
If nothing changed this time, Cheng Jing might have to remain in his position as Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate.
She hesitated, unsure whether to speak.
The delighted Old Madam Guo didn’t notice, but the attentive Cheng Chi did.
After leaving the cabin, Cheng Chi deliberately stopped Zhou Shaojin and asked her, "Have you heard some news?"
Zhou Shaojin didn’t know whether she should say anything.Since such rumors were circulating, it meant Cheng Jing was undoubtedly one of those being watched by the cabinet. If the Cheng brothers planned early, Cheng Jing might even enter the cabinet ahead of schedule. Officialdom had always prioritized seniority and rank—the earlier Cheng Jing joined the cabinet, the sooner the Cheng family's influence would grow. If she didn't speak up, Cheng Chi had already noticed her unusual behavior, so she had to find an excuse to brush it off. But how should she phrase it to avoid arousing Cheng Chi's suspicion? The biggest problem was that she desperately wanted to tell Cheng Chi.
She hoped Cheng Jing would be appointed to the cabinet. The closer the Cheng family got to the inner circle, the more access they would have to exclusive information, increasing their chances of breaking free from the fate of their previous life.
Cheng Chi, however, didn't see it that way.
To be honest, his relationship with Zhou Shaojin was still shallow despite their deep conversations. Even if Zhou Shaojin had heard or learned something and hesitated about whether to tell him, it was only natural. But he had always been observant, inadvertently catching the subtle changes in Zhou Shaojin's expression, which left her in a dilemma.
After a moment of thought, he said, "Don't worry. I won't ask about the source of your information, nor will I investigate how you found out. Just tell me the outcome."
Zhou Shaojin's heart skipped a beat.
If she could maintain a good relationship with Uncle Chi like this, would he also only ask for the result without questioning the reasons when the time came for her to reveal the news that the Cheng family would be executed?
No matter what, she had to try.
That way, she wouldn't have to weave one lie after another to cover up the inexplicable things happening to her.
Even so, Zhou Shaojin still felt uneasy.
She stammered, "I... just heard... it might be Huang Li!"
In her previous life, she hadn't paid much attention to such matters.
In her eyes, Cheng Jing's official career had been smooth sailing.
Later, she vaguely heard that Huang Li and Cheng Jing had old grievances dating back to when they were both minor officials. When Huang Li's mentor retired, he personally asked the then chief grand secretary to secure a cabinet position for his disciple. Cheng Jing later also entered the cabinet but was ranked below Huang Li. Even last year during the Mid-Year Festival, when she went out to play with A Zhu and A Zhu mentioned the conflicts between Cheng Jing and Huang Li, she hadn't connected the dots... It wasn't until just now, when Cheng Chi mentioned Cheng Jing's possible entry into the cabinet, that she realized the Huang Li she had heard about in her previous life—the one who served as Minister of Rites and Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion, the one who suffered losses at Cheng Jing's hands and later clashed with him—was the same person.
Cheng Chi believed Zhou Shaojin's words.
She was just a thirteen-year-old girl, born in Jinling and raised within the inner circle. No matter how clever she was, she couldn't fabricate such a story without understanding the political situation. Besides, her words made perfect sense.
No one understood better than him how Cheng Jing had risen to the position of Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate!Now, both Cheng Jing and Huang Li were merely minor ministers among the Nine Chief Ministers, with several high-ranking officials above them. Regardless of Huang Li's personal views toward Cheng Jing, to showcase his magnanimity and far-sightedness, he could not afford to reveal his true attitude toward Cheng Jing at this time. Moreover, after Huang Li suffered a significant loss at Cheng Jing's hands last time, his mentor Shen Minzhi had already retired, recommending Yuan Weichang to succeed him as Chief Grand Secretary upon his retirement. If Shen Minzhi were to campaign for Huang Li, Yuan Weichang, as a gesture of reciprocity, could not possibly side with Cheng Jing. Huang Li had always clung tightly to Shen Minzhi's coattails, and Shen Minzhi had already let Huang Li down previously. This time, he must do everything in his power to give Huang Li a boost; otherwise, wouldn't his colleagues and disciples feel disheartened?
Most importantly, Shen Minzhi had stepped down, and his grandson had just passed the imperial examinations two years ago, entering the Hanlin Academy as a Junior Scholar Candidate and observing governance in the Ministry of Justice. If Shen Minzhi did not exert his remaining influence to leave some legacy for others now, why would anyone take care of his grandson?
It seemed Yuan Weichang had made up his mind to repay Shen Minzhi's kindness!
Cheng Chi thought to himself, nodding slightly toward Zhou Shaojin, and said, "Thank you for telling me this. Consider this a favor I owe you. In the future, you may ask me to do one thing for you." He paused, then emphasized again, "Anything at all! But if you aspire to become an empress like Empress Wu Zetian, I'm afraid I won't be able to help! What you ask of me must be something within my power."
Zhou Shaojin laughed, her heart beating even more chaotically.
She couldn't ask Cheng Chi now—to have him relay a message to Cheng Jing, saying that the Cheng family would be raided and exterminated in twelve years!
Fortunately, she managed to hold back these words before they escaped her lips.
"No need, no need," Zhou Shaojin repeatedly waved her hands, saying, "You've saved me several times before, and I've never properly repaid you. Consider this my way of thanking you for helping me out of that predicament."
Cheng Chi hadn't thought much when he said this, and Zhou Shaojin had no idea of the weight and significance of his promise of "anything at all."
If he hadn't already made up his mind to leave, he certainly wouldn't have let such a vague promise stand. But since he had decided to depart, he would no longer concern himself with the affairs of the Cheng family. This promise to Zhou Shaojin would be valid for at most two years... It would be more beneficial for her if he simply helped her a few times as situations arose.
Having made up his mind, he smiled and parted ways with Zhou Shaojin by the ship's railing.
Zhou Shaojin was overjoyed. Even after washing up, changing into her nightclothes, and getting into bed, the smile on her lips remained as bright as summer sunlight.
She had finally helped Uncle Chi once.
Uncle Chi would surely no longer think she was utterly useless.
As long as this continued, her relationship with Uncle Chi would undoubtedly improve significantly.
At this moment, Cheng Chi was writing a letter to Cheng Jing.
Nothing could be considered final until the coffin lid was nailed shut. He didn't say much, only reminding his elder brother in the letter to pay attention to the relationship between Shen Minzhi and Yuan Weichang and to be cautious of the rift with Huang Li.
He believed his elder brother would understand his meaning.
Although he had decided to leave the Cheng family, as long as he hadn't departed, he remained a member of the Cheng family.
Cheng Chi set down his brush, stood up, and pushed open the ship's window.The crescent moon hung in the sky, dotted by a few twinkling stars. The surroundings were quiet, with only the large red lanterns hanging from the ship's mast casting a warm, crimson glow on the lake, adding a touch of warmth to the chilly night.
Cheng Chi called for Huaishan and said, "Ride swiftly and deliver this letter to the master."
Huaishan acknowledged and left.
Cheng Chi stood alone by the window for a long while before finally closing it.
The gently swaying painted boat felt like a cradle.
Zhou Shaojin soon drifted into a dreamless sleep, waking only at dawn.
The shouts of the boatmen, the splashing and playful sounds of families on nearby boats preparing meals, and the hurried footsteps on the deck startled her awake.
After a moment of disorientation, Zhou Shaojin remembered she was on a painted boat heading to Zhenjiang.
She called out repeatedly for Chunwan and slipped on her shoes to get out of bed.
Chunwan entered with two maids, carrying water.
"Second Miss, you're awake," she said, directing the maids to place the water by the dressing table while helping Zhou Shaojin hang up the bed curtains. "Qing Feng says we'll arrive in Zhenjiang tomorrow afternoon. Then we'll switch to a sand boat for Hangzhou Prefecture."
Zhou Shaojin asked, "Have you seen Jiying?"
She hadn’t seen Jiying since boarding the boat.
※
Thank you to Qin Ruofan and a big cabbage named cj for each gifting two Heshibi, as well as to the book fans of the other shore, Black Oolong Tea, Pangpang945, Susulu, Shuihualing, Jojo8129, and Angel Ice for their Heshibi gifts. Also, thank you to everyone for the peace talismans, sachets, and peach blossom fans. I’ve received so many gifts this month!
Thank you all!
I’m truly grateful.
o(n_n)o~
P.S.: Sisters, my parents are back, and there’s a lot going on. Plus, my father caught a cold, so I need to accompany him for his injections. Tonight’s update will be around 11 p.m. Please bear with me!
※ (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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