Whаt did I sау wrоng?
Zhou Shaоjin lооkеd аt A Zhu and Sevеntеenth Miss, hеr exрrеssiоn bеwildеrеd.
A Zhu laughеd even harder.
Seventееnth Miss, аfraid thаt Zhоu Shаоjin would fееl еmbаrrаssed, quiсkly tugged at А Zhu’s slеevе and said, “Why dо you lаugh endlesslу? Sistеr Shаоjin сlеаrly doеsn’t gо out muсh, аnd thе Chеng familу wоuldn’t boast аbоut themsеlves. How сould she know аbоut Fоurth Unclе Cheng’s affаirs?”
А Zhu nоdded, finаllу mаnаging tо stоp lаughing. Аs she wiрed thе tears frоm the соrnеr of hеr еуе with a handkerсhief, she said, “I heard frоm my mother thаt your unсle wаs vеry filiаl and courageous even as a child. Once, when Celestial Master Zhang of Dragon Tiger Mountain was summoned to the capital, the old master of your family’s eldest branch was still alive but gravely ill. Your uncle had someone lead the way to the Three Pure Temple where Celestial Master Zhang was staying. But how could Celestial Master Zhang be seen so easily? Your uncle used a half-copy of the Laozi Xiang’er Commentary, said to have been handwritten by Zhang Daoling, the founding patriarch of the Tianyi Sect, to invite Celestial Master Zhang to treat the old master of the Cheng family. Thanks to that, the old master lived for another half year.
“Later, when he took over the family’s affairs, the River Governor Gu Jingyu was ordered to manage the Huai River. However, the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works were locked in disputes, and funds couldn’t be allocated. With spring plowing approaching, the river workers were about to return to farming, and Gu Jingyu was frantic. At that time, your uncle had just established Yutai Bank and dared to lend money to Gu Jingyu. The following year, Gu Jingyu petitioned the court, and the emperor ordered the Lianghuai Salt Commissioner to help the river administration repay the debt. For two full years, all the Lianghuai salt vouchers were given to your uncle… That’s how Yutai Bank grew its business.”
So impressive!
Zhou Shaojin broke into a sweat.
A Zhu lowered her voice and said, “However, my brother said that the reason the emperor ordered the Lianghuai Salt Commissioner to help repay the debt was because your uncle went through Wan Tong.”
Zhou Shaojin was utterly astonished.
According to A Zhu, Uncle Chi had known Wan Tong for a long time.
Could this be the reason Uncle Chi gave Wan Tong a hundred thousand taels of silver?
She quickly asked, “Could you be mistaken? Isn’t Uncle Jing an official in the capital? Perhaps it was Uncle Jing who helped!”
A Zhu chuckled and said, “When the eldest master of your family’s eldest branch was competing with Huang Li for the position of Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, Huang Li’s great-grandfather and grandfather had both been Grand Secretaries. Yet your family’s eldest master managed to push him aside. How? It was because your uncle was on good terms with Wan Tong. Wan Tong personally intervened, speaking on behalf of your family’s eldest master before Shen Minzhi, the Minister of Personnel and Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion. Shen Minzhi had no choice, and since your family’s eldest master was qualified, he had to send Huang Li to the Office of Transmission… To this day, Huang Li refuses to speak to your family’s eldest master…”
Zhou Shaojin hurriedly said, “But now, hasn’t Wan Tong been demoted to Jinling, with Liu Yong taking over as the Senior Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial? If Uncle Chi was close to Wan Tong in the past, wouldn’t he be resented by Liu Yong for accompanying your father and brother to the capital? How could he possibly help your father and brother?”Seeing that she spoke with substance, A Zhu immediately felt she had met a kindred spirit—she was very interested in these matters of court and politics, but neither her doting father, her obedient mother, nor her dashing older brother liked her paying too much attention to such affairs. She never expected that while visiting the Gu family, she would actually make a like-minded friend!
She giggled and said, "You don’t know about this, do you? That Wan Tong was the emperor’s close attendant when he was still in the prince’s residence, but wasn’t Liu Yong the same? Since your uncle has a good relationship with Wan Tong, of course he also has an equally good relationship with Liu Yong. That’s why my father and brother admire your uncle, saying he has the talent of Zhu Tao, someone capable of great things. My father even hopes my brother can ‘become red by staying near vermilion’—that is, learn some of your uncle’s methods to manage the Liangguo Duke’s residence splendidly, making it lively and prosperous!"
Playing both sides?
Having a foot in both boats?
Could it be that the reason the Cheng family was raided back then was because Uncle Chi’s two boats had capsized?
The more Zhou Shaojin felt she knew, the more confused she seemed to become.
Seeing her still bewildered, A Zhu exclaimed, "Oh dear!" and laughed, "Don’t overthink it. Anyway, your Uncle Chi is very capable. If you ever need to ask him for something, no matter how difficult, he’ll surely help you get it done." At this point, she sighed deeply and said, "However, he’s like that Zhang Tian Master—getting a promise from him is harder than climbing to heaven!"
So Uncle Chi was actually this formidable!
That was why, when the Cheng family was raided in her past life, he managed to escape and even hired martial heroes to raid the execution ground... What on earth had she been doing in her past life? How could she have no impression at all of such a resourceful uncle? If she had known earlier, would her fate have been different in her past life?
Thinking of this, Zhou Shaojin smiled self-deprecatingly.
Even if she had known about such an uncle in her past life, what could she have done? She would still have kept her distance. What connection would that have had with the Cheng family’s future?
As this thought flashed through her mind, Zhou Shaojin froze.
Why hadn’t she thought of it?
Wasn’t there still Cheng Chi, who could speak in front of Lord Jing and whom she had the chance to approach?
If Cheng Chi was really as A Zhu described, as long as she could secure a promise from him, even if he suspected her, she could still pass the message to Lord Jing. Moreover, Lord Jing might even mistakenly think the information came from Cheng Chi... That would be absolutely perfect!
As for what happened afterward, even if Uncle Chi wanted to kill or punish her, she would have already done what she needed to do, with a clear conscience. She would leave it to him to decide how to deal with her!
Recalling Cheng Chi’s gentle eyes, Zhou Shaojin faintly felt that even if he lost his temper, he wouldn’t do anything particularly cruel... She didn’t feel afraid.
But how could she manage to speak with Uncle Chi?
On the way home, she kept thinking about this problem.
Her older sister, Zhou Chujin, asked with concern, "What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell somewhere? Or did someone say something you didn’t like?"
"Not at all!" Zhou Shaojin replied. Remembering how, when they were about to leave after the card game, the Gu family’s elderly lady had held Zhou Chujin’s hand and repeatedly praised her as a good child, urging her to visit the Gu family often when she had free time, she couldn’t help but laugh. She whispered to her sister, "How much money did you lose?"
"The elderly lady’s stakes weren’t high," Zhou Chujin said with a smile. "I only lost about seven or eight hundred copper coins."Zhou Shaojin, not wanting her sister to worry, told her about A Zhu's invitation to visit the temple fair together on the fifteenth day of the seventh month: "...She said if it's difficult for us to bring it up with the elders, she'll have her mother send us an invitation." As for Cheng Chi, she didn't mention a word.
"Then do you want to go?" Zhou Chujin asked gently.
"I don't want to go," Zhou Shaojin replied, as she was quite afraid of those noisy and chaotic environments. "I'm just troubled about how to decline A Zhu—I don't want to upset her either."
"Let me reply to A Zhu!" Zhou Chujin said with a smile. "I'll just say that on the fifteenth of the seventh month, we might need to return to the Zhou family ancestral home to pay respects to our ancestors, so we can't go to the temple fair with her."
Zhou Shaojin nodded with a bright smile.
Leaving these matters to her sister was indeed the best decision.
Upon returning to Nine Prosperities Lane, Madam Yuan asked Zhou Chujin, "Why did Old Madam suddenly think of calling you two sisters to accompany her for a game of cards? The Gu family has many young ladies, and she has always preferred to play cards with them."
Perhaps because of the entanglements with Madam Yuan in her past life, Zhou Shaojin could never feel completely at ease with her. When Madam Yuan spoke like this, it sounded to Zhou Shaojin as if her tone was unfriendly, as though she suspected that she and her sister had used some trick to win Old Madam Gu's favor.
She couldn't help but say, "Perhaps this matter is related to Uncle Chi!"
Madam Yuan was somewhat surprised.
Zhou Shaojin was the typical younger sister—whenever her elder sister was present, she rarely spoke or expressed her own wishes.
Madam Yuan raised an eyebrow.
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, "I heard from Old Madam that Uncle Chi arranged a ghost marriage for the Gu family's Nineteenth Lady..." She recounted the whole incident and added, "Didn't Aunt Mian run into Uncle Chi? When we arrived, Old Madam said Uncle Chi had just left not long before?"
Madam Yuan was taken aback. "I didn't run into Fourth Uncle... Perhaps he went there specifically for this matter." Then she changed the subject and said to Madam Mian, "Once we finalize the dowry gifts for the Sixteenth Young Lady, we'll send you a copy of the gift list. You can prepare accordingly—there's no need to match ours exactly. The Gu and Guo families have been friends for generations, so naturally, it will be different from others."
She seemed unwilling to discuss the matter further.
Madam Mian smiled and said, "I understand. We'll go to Plum Blossom Lane together when the time comes."
Madam Yuan nodded with a smile, and they parted ways at Listening Rain Pavilion—one heading forward, the other toward the northwest.
The next day, Zhou Shaojin went to Cold Green Mountain House to copy scriptures.
Old Madam Guo asked her, "Was the Gu family enjoyable?"
"It was enjoyable," Zhou Shaojin replied obediently. "I also met the Gu family's Seventeenth Aunt and Miss A Zhu from the Duke of Liang's household."
Old Madam Guo chuckled and said, "I heard your Uncle Chi arranged a ghost marriage for the Gu family's Nineteenth Lady? Which family's young master was it? How did he die? How old was he when he passed away? Are his parents still managing the family affairs?"
She asked in great detail, as if it were an ordinary marriage arrangement.
Zhou Shaojin found it strange.
Madam Yuan was the daughter-in-law of the eldest branch, so she should be well aware of what her mother-in-law would be concerned about. Why didn't she ask more carefully when she heard that Cheng Chi had arranged a ghost marriage for the Gu family's Nineteenth Lady?
Zhou Shaojin told Old Madam Guo everything she knew.
After hearing it, Old Madam Guo looked quite pleased and said, "It can barely be considered a match of equal social standing."Does this also emphasize matching social status?
Zhou Shaojin broke into a sweat.
Old Madam Guo sighed and said, "This has been a long-standing worry for Old Anren. Now that Si Lang can help Old Anren resolve this concern, she must be very pleased. I am glad that Si Lang can fulfill our filial duties on our behalf in front of Old Anren." Then Old Madam Guo began telling Zhou Shaojin about the Gu family's past: "...There is a reason why Old Anren dotes so much on Nineteenth Lady... Not only is she clever, but she is also exceptionally filial... She thinks of things others wouldn't consider, and she mentioned Old Anren's maternal cousin's grandson..."
Zhou Shaojin listened quietly.
Feicui came in and reported, "Madam, Fourth Master has arrived!"
※
Sisters, I'm almost catching up on the pink votes again!
o(n_n)o~
Today's extra update... will still be posted at the usual time!
※ (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please vote to recommend it or cast a monthly vote. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
!!
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