Uроn hеаring thаt her brothеr wаs соming, Мadam Li was nаturаlly ovеrjoyеd. Shе busiеd hеrsеlf dirеcting maids аnd servants to tidy the housе, instruсted thе kitchеn tо рrеpаrе fоr tоmоrrow’s bаnquet, and thought аbоut how thе family’s cоok had bеen brought frоm thе sоuth tо саtеr to Zhou Shаоjin’s tastеs. Аlthоugh her brоther оftеn camе tо the сapital fоr business, this time she wаs thе hоstess, sо she couldn’t hеlр but wаnt him to trу аuthеntiс lосal flаvоrs. Unfortunаtelу, the housеhold wаs full оf wоmen, with nо оnе suitаble to aсcompany him. Shе could onlу arrangе to оrdеr a fеast from a famous restaurant. While waiting for the servants to clean the guest room, she also instructed Mama Li to pass a message to Steward Xiang, asking him to recommend a few distinctive restaurants. Then she turned to open a chest, taking out a set of her own bedding and pillows to send to the guest room… She was bustling about in a whirlwind of activity.
Zhou Shaojin, meanwhile, reclined lazily by the large kang near the window, staring blankly at the two orioles singing melodiously under the corridor eaves.
The residence near Chaoyang Gate was truly spacious.
To make it as lively as the house on Nine Prosperities Lane would likely take two or three years.
Uncle Chi living there alone must be so lonely…
She suddenly missed Cheng Chi intensely.
Zhou Shaojin unconsciously tugged at the large bolster pillow.
I wonder what Uncle Chi is doing right now?
Madam Li, fearing that returning too late would frighten Youjin, had politely declined the dinner prepared over there, even though everything was ready.
The kitchen had also prepared many Hangzhou-style dishes according to her tastes.
She imagined the dim lamplight, the vast and empty hall, Cheng Chi sitting alone before a table laden with food, quietly having his dinner… Her heart fluttered uncontrollably, like a little bird trapped inside.
Zhou Shaojin sent someone to summon Nanny Shang and, blushing, whispered, “Nanny, could you help me deliver a message to Uncle Chi?”
Seeing her shy and timid, like a trembling flower in bloom, clearly in the first flush of love, Nanny Shang understood perfectly! But remembering Zhou Shaojin’s reserved nature, she dared not let even a hint of amusement show in her eyes. Instead, she acted as if she had noticed nothing and respectfully replied, “Second Young Miss, just give your orders.”
Reassured, Zhou Shaojin lingered in the study for a while before finally, with a flushed face, handing a sealed letter to Nanny Shang.
Before she could speak, Nanny Shang solemnly said, “Second Young Miss, rest assured, I will personally deliver this to Fourth Master.” She even added an unnecessary explanation, as if protesting too much, “With Guan Ge’s hundred-day banquet approaching soon, I wonder if anyone from Jinling City will come?”
Zhou Shaojin felt completely at ease. Smiling, she exchanged a few more words with Nanny Shang before letting her leave.
Cheng Chi was speaking with Xiao Zhenhai: “…I don’t need him to submit to us, so why go to such lengths?”
He leaned back in the grand armchair behind the large painting desk, looking casual and relaxed. On the desk lay a half-finished painting of a golden pheasant—the outlines were already drawn, the peonies fully colored, leaving only the bright red crest and the cape-like feathers of the pheasant unfinished.
Xiao Zhenhai couldn’t help grumbling inwardly: Here I am, running around outside, working hard, while this guy sits comfortably at home enjoying life, still nitpicking… I wonder how that little beauty is doing? She looks so delicate and gentle, yet she somehow manages to keep Cheng Zichuan in check. I must find a way to strike up a conversation with her… She seems like the type who’d be easy to fool…His eyes shifted. "I understand what you mean. Since it's just about having them pass a message at the right time, I now know what methods to use." At this point, his expression grew serious, and he hesitated for a moment. "Is it really just about passing a message?"
The capital was under the emperor's feet. With the headquarters of the Six Gates here, no hoodlums dared to gain influence, and all gangs had to keep a low profile. Yet Cheng Chi did the opposite. In less than two months, his men had subdued all the major and minor gang leaders in the capital. But then Cheng Chi told him that he had done this merely to stay informed about everything happening in the capital.
Why didn’t he just join the Six Gates!
Xiao Zhenhai now knew Cheng Chi’s name.
He often called Cheng Chi by his name in his mind.
Cheng Chi couldn’t be bothered to say much to Xiao Zhenhai.
Ever since Qin Zining’s incident, he had learned not to put all his eggs in one basket.
Qin Ziping had now taken up a position in the Six Gates. In a little while, he should be able to access some of the information within the Six Gates.
As for Qin Zi’an, he could go to the Western Mountain Garrison.
The Western Mountain Garrison was mostly composed of descendants of meritorious officials. Together with the Imperial Guards, they formed the external and internal defenses of the capital. Whenever something happened in the Forbidden City, it was the Western Mountain Garrison and the Imperial Guards who exchanged duties.
Moreover, one could hear many secrets of the meritorious families there.
Cheng Chi thought about how, in the afternoon, he had only kissed Zhou Shaojin’s cheeks and forehead, and she had simply blushed, lowered her eyelids, shy as a flower, quietly and gently nestling in his arms.
His mood immediately brightened, and he stood up to pick up his brush again, mixing the pale gold he would use later.
Xiao Zhenhai was exasperated.
Truly a scion of a scholarly family, even dismissing someone so elegantly.
But this guy killed people as if cutting grass, and he was particularly cunning!
Thinking of this, he felt a slight ache in his teeth. Out of sight, out of mind—he cupped his hands toward Cheng Chi and walked out.
Huaishan passed by him.
That old man’s perpetually wooden face now seemed to carry a hint of joy.
Xiao Zhenhai couldn’t help but slow his steps.
Just as he lifted the curtain, he saw Huaishan take out a letter and respectfully hand it to Cheng Chi, saying calmly, "Fourth Master, Second Cousin Miss has written a letter and had it delivered!"
At this time?
Cheng Chi looked out the window.
Xiao Zhenhai instinctively ducked his head and quickly left the study.
Cheng Chi didn’t notice.
To him, he had a thousand ways to make Xiao Zhenhai disappear. It was only for Zhou Shaojin’s sake that he spared him. If he didn’t obey, although it would take effort to discipline him, Cheng Chi wouldn’t mind replacing him.
"Did the messenger say anything?" Cheng Chi asked as he opened the letter.
They had parted less than two hours ago. What could have happened on Zhou Shaojin’s side?
Huaishan said, "The messenger knew nothing when questioned. Matters in that household are still decided by Madam Zhou, so I didn’t ask further."
He was afraid of drawing attention from the people in Yuqian Lane.
Cheng Chi nodded, quickly scanned the letter, and couldn’t help but soften his gaze, his expression becoming gentle and refined.
"It’s nothing," he said to Huaishan. "Second Cousin Miss was just asking me about some things!"
It was likely that Second Cousin Miss was asking about more than just some things!
Otherwise, why would Fourth Master need to explain to him?
A flicker of amusement flashed in Huaishan’s eyes as he withdrew.Cheng Chi read Zhou Shaojin's letter to him once more.
It was just ordinary conversation.
She asked if he had eaten dinner yet, what he was doing, and mentioned that the evenings in the capital were cool, advising him to be careful not to catch a chill.
Then she told him that upon returning home, she had seen Xiao Que and Snowball, along with two orioles. She asked how, with Guan Ge's hundred-day ceremony approaching soon, her father had agreed to send her pets to the capital. Was it because he had promised to let her stay in the capital and not return?
Finally, she said that her maternal uncle from the Li family would be visiting tomorrow, so she would likely be busy at home helping to look after Youjin.
The letter ended abruptly.
Yet its meaning lingered.
Was the little girl missing him?
She even told him she would be busy tomorrow and that he should entertain himself.
The smile in Cheng Chi's eyes deepened.
His little girl was thinking of him, wasn't she?
Suddenly, Cheng Chi also felt like writing a letter to Zhou Shaojin, asking what she had eaten for dinner, who she had dined with, and what she was doing now. Was she perhaps sewing clothes for him under the lamplight? He wanted to tell her not to overwork herself, to find time to play shuttlecock or jump rope with her maids, and not to stay cooped up indoors all the time... But then he thought that if he wasn't there to supervise her, even if he told her a hundred or a thousand times, she probably wouldn't step outside for a walk.
Thinking this, he felt it would be most reassuring to keep Zhou Shaojin by his side, and that he should marry her sooner rather than later.
He called out loudly for Huaishan.
Huaishan entered silently.
Cheng Chi asked, "Where is Zi'an now?"
"He should arrive in Jinling City tomorrow," Huaishan estimated.
Cheng Chi nodded and said, "Send a message to Zi'an. Remind him to remind my elder sister-in-law once he reaches Jinling. Don't let porcelain clash with earthenware. Cheng Youyi didn't take the imperial examination this time, but in the next round, he will surely take it alongside Cheng Jiashan. The reputation of the Cheng family from Nine Prosperities Lane still carries weight. She shouldn't discard the watermelon for a sesame seed."
As long as Nine Prosperities Lane remained undivided, in the eyes of outsiders, Cheng Shi was Cheng Jing's nephew, a member of the Cheng family from Nine Prosperities Lane. As long as he had the means, he could use the connections and resources left by the Cheng family, and Cheng Jing could only watch helplessly—after all, he couldn't publicly declare that he disliked this nephew and tell others not to help him. That would only confirm Cheng Jing's reputation as ungrateful.
Conversely, if the eldest and second branches of the family were to split now, by the time of the next imperial examination, Madam Yuan could simply make a round of visits in the capital. This would allow her to firmly control the connections and resources of the eldest branch, preventing Cheng Shi from using them, while also letting others know that this branch of the Cheng family in the capital was no longer part of the Cheng family from Nine Prosperities Lane. She could take this opportunity to make her stance clear.
As for the old, worn-out favors owed to Cheng Xu, they were already fading and of little use now. Without the support of the eldest branch and relying solely on Cheng Xu, Cheng Shi would only be slightly better off than scholars from impoverished backgrounds.
The imperial examination was held once every three years.
By then, everyone would be a competitor.
With one less source of support for his opponent, his own chances would increase.
Such calculations, he believed, would make Madam Yuan consider carefully.
And Madam Yuan was far more anxious than Cheng Chi had imagined.Once she grasped the stakes involved, she immediately invoked Cheng Jing's authority, dispatching a messenger posthaste to deliver a letter to Cheng Chi. In a flurry of words, she essentially urged Cheng Chi to prioritize the greater good and agree to the clan division. Whether it was Cheng Jing, herself, Cheng Xu, or Cheng Zheng, they would all remember his kindness. She even promised that once the division was settled and Cheng Jing could take charge, they would not only rebuild the ancestral hall but also revise the family genealogy. As a twice-ranked imperial scholar, he would no longer be bound by ancestral rules to engage in merchant affairs. If he wished, she would persuade Cheng Jing to support his entry into officialdom... In short, she coaxed him into providing the silver for the division.
Cheng Chi couldn’t help but laugh.
He said to Huaishan, "Deliver this letter exactly as it is to the Old Madam."
If it weren’t for his little girl, a clan division would be just that—he could continue being the inconspicuous youngest son.
But Shaojin’s status was special. For her to marry over and live comfortably, he had to stand strong and shield her from the storm.
Now, however, the division could proceed, but only on his terms!
※
Dear readers, here is today’s update.
Thank you to Diudiu Jianjian for gifting a Langyuan Xianpa.
PS: Only one update today.
Tomorrow, we’ll resume with additional updates.
O(∩_∩)O~
※ (To be continued ~^~)
OpenNovel