Сhеng Сhi сhuckled аnd рinсhеd Zhоu Shaojin’s nosе, sаying, “When did уou beсоmе sо сlеver?”
Zhou Shаojin leaned back tо аvoid his hаnd.
Chеng Сhi lаughеd heаrtilу.
Тhе twо of thеm cuddled and сhаtted оn the kang for а long while. Sеeing that it wаs gеtting lаtе, Сhеng Сhi fearеd hе would bесоme tоo immеrsеd in the warmth оf hеr cоmpany аnd find it even hardеr tо lеavе. He kissed Zhоu Shаоjin’s chееk аnd whisреrеd, “Finish embrоidеring the bеllybаnd quickly аnd marrу mе sоon.”
Zhоu Shаоjin’s fаce flushed sо deeply it seеmed blood might driр from it. She sсoldеd Сheng Сhi with a “tsk” and pushed him out of the room, but she couldn’t resist climbing back onto the kang and gazing longingly through the glass-paned window at his retreating figure.
As if sensing her reluctance, Cheng Chi turned back and waved to her before finally passing through the moon gate.
Zhou Shaojin’s heart pounded wildly, taking quite some time to calm down. Looking at the half-embroidered bellyband beside her, she instructed Chunwan to open the chest and find a piece of plain purple Hu silk. She removed her outer robe and held the fabric against herself, comparing it quietly, then whispered to Chunwan, “Does this color suit me?”
Chunwan smiled, pressing her lips together, and said, “It looks lovely. It complements your skin, which is as fair as freshly fallen snow.”
Zhou Shaojin blushed again. She cut a piece of the fabric for a bellyband, then, after a moment’s thought, found another piece of plain pink Hu silk and cut another bellyband from it…
Meanwhile, over at Zhou Zhen’s side, with the Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion and Minister of Revenue Song Jingran and the Vice Minister of Works Zhang Hui both stepping forward to propose marriage on Cheng Chi’s behalf, Zhou Zhen gained considerable prestige. Song Jingran even linked Cheng Chi’s wedding date to the winter dredging of the Yellow River during the agricultural off-season. Given both sentiment and reason, Zhou Zhen had no choice but to agree.
Zhou Shaojin and Cheng Chi’s wedding date was set for the day after Zhou Shaojin’s coming-of-age ceremony, which fell on the sixth day of the eleventh month.
Old Madam Guo, having received the confirmed wedding date, was overjoyed, unable to stop smiling. Together with Chief Steward Qin Da, Qin Shouyue, she summoned Qin Zi’an and Qin Ziping back to help write the wedding invitations.
Qin Ziping and Jiying were like a bickering couple, constantly teasing and squabbling. Their wedding date had just been set a few days earlier for the fourth day of the tenth month.
Thus, Old Madam Guo was delighted whenever she saw Qin Ziping and said to Chief Steward Qin Da, “By this time next year, we’ll be hearing the clamor of children.”
Meaning there would be successors.
The two elders, of similar age, couldn’t hide their smiles.
Old Madam Guo then asked, “Will Ziping return to Sichuan after getting married?”
Qin Shouyue replied with a smile, “I only went back once as a child with my father. This time, I’ll go and see for myself.”
Madam Qin advised, “In the past, I didn’t like living in the capital because all my relatives and friends were in Jinling. But after their father passed away and the children settled in the capital, I wanted to move here to be closer to them. In the end, where you live is secondary. What matters is having familiar faces, relatives, and old friends around. It’s good for you to go back and see. All these years, you’ve been delayed because of our Cheng family’s affairs. But if you truly find it uncomfortable living there, don’t feel obligated to return. Instead, move to the capital! Our two families can support each other.”Qin Shouyue smiled and nodded, saying, "Old Madam, rest assured. I am not a stubborn person either. As for Ziyou's branch, if they wish to remain with the Cheng family, let them stay. Ziping married the eldest daughter of the Ji family, and she is quite skilled in martial arts. That is why I plan to take the two of them back to Sichuan. As for Zi'an, he wishes to stay in the capital, and I will allow him to do as he pleases."
Having witnessed the grievances within the Cheng family, he suddenly felt that life was short, and being able to live freely was a fortunate thing.
This way, regardless of whether Qin Ziping and his wife followed Qin Shouyue back to their hometown in Sichuan, the relationship between the Qin and Cheng families would remain intact.
Old Madam Guo smiled with relief.
Qin Zi'an, who was writing invitations, suddenly looked up and said solemnly, "Old Madam, Grandfather, I would like to ask for a favor from you."
Old Madam Guo quickly replied, "What is it? Speak freely."
Qin Shouyue also looked curiously at his grandson.
Qin Zi'an said, "I would like to ask Old Madam and Grandfather to agree to let me marry Nanping!"
Old Madam Guo and Qin Shouyue exchanged astonished glances.
Even Qin Ziping looked up in shock.
Two blushes rose on Qin Zi'an's resolute face as he said gruffly, "I have liked Nanping since childhood. Later, when she became engaged to my elder brother, I regarded her as my sister-in-law. But now, my brother has been gone for several years. I cannot bear to see Nanping living alone like this, either making clothes for Fourth Master or hiding in the small prayer hall reciting sutras..."
Old Madam Guo was not a rigid person. Upon hearing this, she quickly adjusted her mindset and said, "You must ask Nanping about this matter. If she agrees, I have no reason to object."
Qin Shouyue remained silent.
Qin Zi'an hurriedly said, "Grandfather, I wish to marry Nanping. Didn’t you want one branch of our family to return to our hometown? Why not let Nanping and me go back?"
There, no one would know Nanping’s identity.
They could live happily.
Qin Shouyue thought for a long time before nodding gently and saying, "I share the same view as Old Madam. That child has had a hard life, and we must not treat her lightly. This matter must be agreed upon by her."
Qin Zi'an immediately stood up and kowtowed to Old Madam Guo and Qin Shouyue.
Qin Ziping couldn’t help but silently curse his brother in his heart.
Originally, Fourth Master had planned to arrange for him to go to the Western Mountain Garrison. Now, this would disrupt Fourth Master’s plans. When Fourth Master found out, wouldn’t he be furious?
He couldn’t help but smirk with a hint of schadenfreude.
Cheng Chi, on the other hand, was indeed facing a thorny issue.
In his estate in Daxing, Huo Dongting stood solemnly in a candlelit secret chamber and said gravely, "The information is reliable! I personally waited at the back door of the Imperial Hospital’s chief physician’s residence and found the medicinal dregs. I divided the dregs into three portions and took them to doctors in Cangzhou, Tianjin, and Jizhou. The prescriptions they derived matched exactly one of the prescriptions from the chief physician’s household. I personally went to Baoding Prefecture with the prescription, and the doctor said it was for treating heart disease."
"Heart disease?!" Cheng Chi frowned, his mind racing.
The Crown Prince had heart disease, and it seemed that neither the officials of the Zhan Shi Fu nor the people in the Eastern Palace were aware of it.
However, since the Imperial Hospital had prescribed medicine for the Crown Prince’s treatment, the Emperor must surely know.
According to the law, those with hidden illnesses could not be established as the heir apparent.The Emperor clearly knew the Crown Prince had a hidden ailment yet still established him as heir apparent... Was it because he truly favored the Crown Prince? Or because the Crown Prince could serve as his shield? Could it allow him to avoid the issue of succession while retaining the ability to appoint a new heir at any time?
Cheng Chi pondered the events of the previous life that Zhou Shaojin had described. With his hands clasped behind his back, he paced back and forth in the secret chamber twice, his thoughts gradually clarifying. He instructed Huo Dongting, "Have your people continue monitoring the Eastern Palace and the Imperial Hospital. See if there is any pattern to the Crown Prince's episodes. Also, regarding the Imperial Grandson, find out whether he is aware of his father's hidden ailment."
Huo Dongting acknowledged the order and departed.
Cheng Chi remained seated in the secret chamber for a while longer before exiting the passageway and instructing Lang Yue, "Take my name card to the Fourth Prince's residence to see Shi Kuan. Tell him I invite him for a drink tomorrow at noon."
Lang Yue respectfully assented.
Cheng Chi then boarded a carriage and left the estate through the main gate.
※
In Nine Prosperities Lane of Jinling City, this was Old Madam Guan's first long journey since marrying into Jinling.
Madam Mian stood beneath the corridor of the main hall, watching the maids and matrons carry Old Madam Guan's trunks and cases. Gu Shiqigu, her hair styled in a married woman's fashion, stood in the courtyard, cautioning the ceaseless stream of maids and matrons to "be careful," adding, "These trunks are filled with porcelain."
He Fengping stood behind Madam Mian, her slightly protruding belly clearly indicating her pregnancy.
She gazed somewhat enviously at Gu Shiqigu and said gently with a smile, "Mother, please rest assured. I will manage the household affairs well. Even if there is anything I do not understand, there are precedents to follow and experienced matrons to guide me. Nothing will go wrong."
Zhou Shaojin was to marry Cheng Chi.
Like a firecracker, the news exploded throughout Nine Prosperities Lane.
It took Old Madam Guan several days to recover from the shock, and she asked Madam Mian what had happened.
Madam Mian presented the letter written by Zhou Zhen to Old Madam Guan, explaining, "...It says that Shaojin happened to be in the capital caring for Chujin during her postpartum confinement. Old Madam Guo went to the capital, and Shaojin occasionally went to keep her company. Old Madam Guo, who happened to be concerned about Chi's marriage, thought of Shaojin."
Old Madam Guan smiled wryly and said, "How will the family hierarchy be sorted out from now on?"
Madam Mian pursed her lips in a smile and said, "Uncle also wishes for you to go to the capital to preside over Shaojin's hair-pinning ceremony."
"Really?" Old Madam Guan immediately perked up upon hearing this.
Madam Mian gestured with her mouth toward the northeast where the second branch resided and whispered, "The Eldest Master's opinion is that Mother might as well take this opportunity to visit the capital... If it's a case of immortals fighting, lesser beings suffer. If it's possible to avoid it, that would be best."
Since the division of the clan, the second and third branches had been at odds. Not to mention other matters, even the profits from the Yutai shares had changed from quarterly settlements under Cheng Chi's management to annual settlements. The fourth branch was still managing well; aside from old savings, they had other properties and lived quite modestly, so they remained relatively unaffected. However, the fifth branch relied on the income from Yutai shares to get by. Cheng Wen, shamelessly, had gone to the second branch several times to demand payment but was met with indifference. With troubles both at home and outside, he felt as if he had fallen into a pot of boiling oil. The fifth branch was in constant turmoil, without a single day of peace.
Old Madam Guan immediately decided to accept Zhou Zhen's invitation to go to the capital and preside over Zhou Shaojin's wedding.
However, since Cheng Gao's wife, He Fengping, was already pregnant, after discussing with Madam Mian, Old Madam Guan decided to leave He Fengping and her husband at home and take Cheng Mian and his wife, along with Cheng Yi and his wife, to the capital.As soon as He Mianzhi’s mourning period ended, he was recommended by Cheng Jing to serve in the Office of Transmission. This spring, he was promoted within the Office of Transmission. He Fengping was eager to go to the capital to visit her parents.
Gu Shiqigu had ordinary looks but a gentle and observant nature, and she got along very well with He Fengping.
Seeing the envy on He Fengping’s face, she stepped forward with a smile, linking arms with her, and said, “Sister-in-law, is there anything you’d like me to bring for you? I heard you grew up in the capital, so you must know a lot about its customs. If you have time, could you tell me about them? I don’t want to embarrass myself when I go to the capital!”
He Fengping was also keen to get along with Gu Shiqigu and quickly replied with a smile, “Although I grew up in the capital, I rarely went out on the streets. Our family still followed the customs of the riverside, so to be honest, I don’t know much about the capital’s customs either!”
Madam Mian watched her two daughters-in-law chatting warmly and nodded to herself in approval.
The old lady was indeed wise to have Yi Ge’er marry Shiqigu.
She was gentle yet decisive, patient but not weak. With her in the family, many conflicts had been avoided.
The more Madam Mian interacted with her, the more satisfied and fond she became.
As she turned to head toward the main room, she heard the voice of Wu Baozhang, the daughter-in-law of the fifth branch: “Sister-in-law Yi, are you going to the capital to attend Shaojin’s wedding?”
※
Dear readers, here’s today’s bonus update.
The next update will be tomorrow morning, around nine o’clock!
O(∩_∩)O~
※ (To be continued ~^~)
OpenNovel