Fаr аwау in Baоding Рrеfесture, Cheng Сhi stоod befоre the gаtеs оf thе рrеfecturаl yamen.
For the first time in his lifе, hе felt suсh uneаsе.
Zhоu Zhеn was а stеаdу аnd prоper man, brоаd-minded аnd refined. Aftеr what had hаppеnеd with Сhеng Хu, whеthеr he would аgrеe tо lеt Сheng Сhi marrу Zhоu Shaojin—Сhеng Chi hаd no confidеnce at аll.
Нuаishan stеpped fоrwаrd tо delivеr thе nаmе саrd.
Mаdаm Li hurriedlу sent sоmeonе to thе frоnt оfficе tо infоrm Zhоu Zhen, who was hаndling official business.
Zhou Zhеn was somewhаt surprised аnd askеd thе servаnt who brought in the name card, "Did Madam say what the matter was?"
The servant quickly replied, "Madam only said to ask you to return immediately. Since Fourth Master Cheng has delivered his card so urgently and entered through the side gate, it’s likely something important."
Zhou Zhen set aside his affairs and hurried back to the rear quarters.
As the head of the prefecture, if he did not reside in the yamen but rented a house outside, and given that the Zhou family was not a prominent household, it would surely raise suspicions of embezzlement. Yet staying in the yamen meant Shaojin’s marriage would inevitably attract attention. So when Chujin suggested keeping Shaojin in the capital to find a suitable match for her, he only insisted that Shaojin not be married far away and made no other conditions. After the division of the Nine Prosperities Lane branch, his greatest worry was that the relationship between the fourth and second branches had grown distant over the years because of Shaojin. Now that the eldest branch had settled in the capital, would the fourth branch, having lost their support, be implicated?
Zhou Zhen wrote several letters to the fourth branch to inquire.
A few days later, he received a letter from Cheng Yuan, the Second Master of the fourth branch, who was serving as an official elsewhere. Cheng Yuan mentioned that he might soon be transferred to Liuzhou in Guangxi as a deputy prefect and hinted that this position had been recommended by Cheng Jing.
Though Guangxi was not a desirable place, Liuzhou was decent. Moreover, it was a promotion from a seventh-rank county magistrate to a sixth-rank deputy prefect.
Later, when Old Madam Guo came to the capital, she summoned Shaojin to keep her company.
Zhou Zhen thought that since Cheng Xu was not in the capital and Old Madam Guo had just suffered a great misfortune, she must be in low spirits and had called Shaojin for companionship. He pretended not to know and said nothing.
Now, Cheng Chi had suddenly come to visit him… Could it be that something had happened to Shaojin, or to the Cheng family?
Cheng Chi waited only briefly in the reception hall. Upon seeing Zhou Zhen, he quickly rose to bow in greeting.
Zhou Zhen grew even more uneasy.
Cheng Chi had achieved success at a young age and was deeply favored by his two elder brothers and Cheng Xun. Though not exactly arrogant, he was not an easy person to deal with. Why was he suddenly showing such respect?
Could it be that what Cheng Chi sought would put Zhou Zhen in a difficult position?
Zhou Zhen pondered this inwardly but showed no sign on his face. Smiling, he invited Cheng Chi to sit and instructed a maid to fetch his treasured Da Hong Pao tea from Madam Li to serve the guest. Then, making small talk with Cheng Chi, he said, "Brother Zi Chuan, when did you arrive in Baoding Prefecture? Have you had breakfast? Where are you staying?" As he spoke, he almost blurted out an invitation for Cheng Chi to stay with him, but then he remembered that the Cheng and Zhou families were no longer as close as before, and he was not familiar with Cheng Chi. Such words would be overly intimate. Pausing slightly, he held back the invitation and continued, "I wonder what matter brings you to me, Brother Zi Chuan? If it’s not urgent, why not stay for lunch? Baoding Prefecture cannot compare to Jinling, much less the capital. There’s nothing particularly delicious here, but fortunately, my cook came with me from Jiangxi and makes a few Jiangxi dishes quite authentically. I also have a small jar of Pear Blossom White wine, perfect to accompany the meal."
Brother Zi Chuan…That used to be acceptable. But now...
Cheng Chi felt slightly awkward, though the feeling passed in an instant.
Since he had decided to marry Shaojin, he would face many such matters.
Forms of address were merely one among them!
He smiled and said, "Lord Zhou need not stand on ceremony. I've come on personal business."
Again, "Lord Zhou."
Zhou Zhen frowned inwardly.
If Cheng Chi wished to draw a clear line between them, then he need not insist on this marriage alliance with the Cheng family's main branch.
It was just that after Madam Li returned from the capital, she spoke of Cheng Chi with the highest praise, saying she had received much care from him. Old Madam Guo had even given Shaojin a house originally intended for Cheng Chi, giving them ample face before the Liao family. Moreover, she had helped Madam Li's elder brother gain an introduction to the chief eunuch of the Imperial Wine and Vinegar Bureau, and he had now started doing business with the imperial household. Having met someone from the main branch, Zhou Zhen felt he must express his gratitude no matter what... That was why he showed Cheng Chi such respect.
If one considered status and position, he was a Jinshi from the Bingxu year, while Cheng Chi was from the Renchen year—he was two examination cycles senior to Cheng Chi!
He picked up his teacup and took a quiet sip.
Cheng Chi smiled and said, "People often say orchids are difficult to cultivate. But I used to always feel the family was unfair to me. Why could my eldest and second elder brothers study and enter officialdom, while I, whose talent for learning was no worse than theirs, had to be confined at home managing family affairs for a lifetime? My mood was always irritable, and I found fault with everything. My mother then gave me a pot of Jianlan orchids, telling me to place it on my desk and nurture it until it bloomed.
"I paid it no mind.
"When I was in a good mood, I would water it; when I was in a bad mood, even looking at the Jianlan made me feel agitated.
"I saw it as proof that my self-cultivation was still lacking.
"Several times, I had it thrown into the garden, only to have it retrieved later.
"Gradually, whether because I grew accustomed to it or because the Jianlan survived such treatment, I couldn't help but start paying attention to it. Occasionally, I would even place it on the windowsill to let it breathe.
"In just over a month, that pot of Jianlan stood tall and graceful, elegant and beautiful.
"I often trimmed its branches and watered it.
"Little by little, I discovered that cultivating flowers was an extremely interesting thing.
"It would sprout tender little leaves, stretch its branches and leaves when comfortable, and whenever I examined it closely, it would show subtle differences—perhaps a young branch that had been stretching eastward a few days earlier would start growing westward, or a leaf pressed beneath a branch would quietly emerge, revealing a tender green tip... It was like a timid child, playfully frolicking when I wasn't watching...
"I suddenly realized that cultivating flowers could be such a delightful thing.
"Only when you calm your heart can you discover many differences.
"My greatest joy now is tending to flowers and plants.
"And the longer I care for them, the more affection I develop for them."
Cheng Chi's voice gradually softened: "Witnessing my sorrow, my grief, my sadness, yet silently accompanying me..."
Zhou Zhen had no idea what Cheng Chi was talking about.
He blinked, thinking to himself, Could this Fourth Master of the Cheng family's main branch have some peculiarity? Otherwise, why would a perfectly good Jinshi, instead of being allowed to serve as an official, be confined at home...
He could only silently take another sip of tea.Cheng Chi stood up, his expression sincere and earnest, speaking in a deep voice, "Lord Zhou, I wish to propose marriage to your second daughter. I beg for your permission!"
Zhou Zhen opened his mouth, unable to regain his composure for a long while.
Flower-like... Shaojin?
What did he mean?
Marry Shaojin as his wife?
He wants to marry Shaojin as his wife!
Zhou Zhen abruptly stood up, saying, "What did you say?!"
His voice was sharp and piercing, tinged with a panicked sense of confusion.
He asked again, "You want to marry Shaojin?"
Cheng Chi nodded, speaking seriously, "Yes! I wish to marry Shaojin. Please grant me this!"
His daughter. His delicate, flower-like daughter, actually coveted by her uncle, Cheng Chi... What exactly had the eldest branch done to Shaojin?
Zhou Zhen felt all his blood rush to his head.
His face flushed crimson: "Impossible! Don’t even think about it! I will never marry my daughter to you..."
What about Chujin?
Did she know that Cheng Chi coveted Shaojin?
When she wrote to him asking to keep Shaojin in the capital, was it a coincidence or a premeditated plan?
And Madam Li.
She stayed in the capital for so long and returned praising Cheng Chi endlessly... He thought of the business dealings of Madam Li’s elder brother... Did she truly not know? Or had she discovered something and made a deal with Cheng Chi?
Zhou Zhen trembled with anger, pointing at Cheng Chi and shouting, "Get out! Get out of here! Don’t dirty my place!"
Cheng Chi had long known he wouldn’t get a favorable response. Hearing this, he took a deep breath and said, "Lord Zhou, I sincerely admire your daughter and hold both her and you in high regard. The second young lady is gentle, pure, kind, and generous to others..."
"Get out! Get out of here!" Zhou Zhen was now furious at the sound of Cheng Chi’s voice. He pointed toward the main gate, "Leave now! Out of respect for Old Madam Guo." Perhaps Old Madam Guo had known all along, he thought, his anger growing even fiercer. "I will act as if this never happened... Changgui, Changgui," he called out loudly for his attendant’s name, "I will send someone to bring Shaojin back immediately. From now on, our Zhou family will have nothing to do with your Cheng family..."
Zhou Zhen was even more agitated than Cheng Chi had imagined.
At this moment, he should retreat strategically and leave first.
Zhou Chujin, seeing that her first letter had gone unanswered, would surely write a second one. If he left now, by the time Zhou Zhen received Zhou Chujin’s letter, who knew how he might punish Shaojin.
His emotions now overwhelmed his reason.
Cheng Chi stepped forward and bowed deeply to Zhou Zhen, speaking earnestly, "Lord Zhou, please calm down..."
Zhou Zhen, however, couldn’t even bear to listen, ordering Li Changgui, who had hurried over, with an air of cutting all ties, "Throw him out!" He then turned and stormed off, heading straight for the inner residence.
Madam Li was happily discussing with Mama Li the arrangements for the banquet to entertain Cheng Chi at noon: "This stone frog is a specialty of Jiangxi, specially sent by my brother. It’s far better than other stone frogs. We must prepare a bowl of vegetarian stone frog. And there’s the plump fish head from Poyang Lake, as well as some smoked bamboo shoots and smoked meat..."
Suddenly, the door curtain was flung aside with a loud clatter, and Zhou Zhen strode in, his face filled with rage.
Madam Li, displeased, quickly stood up and called out, "Master!"
Zhou Zhen already roared angrily, "All of you, get out!"
Mama Li exchanged a worried glance with Madam Li before leading the maids and servants out of the main room in single file.Zhou Zhen finally erupted like a volcano: "What exactly did you do while you were in the capital?" He couldn't bring himself to tell Madam Li about their daughter's affairs, fearing that Shaojin's matters might spread if others found out. "Why did Cheng Chi arrange business introductions for Elder Brother Li? And why did he give the house on Yuqian Lane to Shaojin? Does Old Madam Guo know about the gift of the house? Is there something else you haven't told me?"
He had been suspicious all along.
But both Chujin and Madam Li had claimed it was a dowry gift from Old Madam Guo to Shaojin. He had thought it was Old Madam Guo's way of making amends to Shaojin for Cheng Xu's actions... but now it seemed that might not be the case!
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Dear sisters, this is the first extra chapter for being number one in the June pink ticket rankings.
O(∩_∩)O~
PS: Updates will be around 9 PM.
※ (To be continued ~^~)
OpenNovel