After Ding Dachui left, Chu Zhao had been reading through the ledgers. The officials who had attended the Grand Tutor's banquet were all familiar to her from daily court sessions and reviewing memorials, but she had never delved into their backgrounds.
Where they came from, who their family members were, where they resided in the capital.
Let alone the relationships between officials—schoolmates, in-laws, or neighbors.
As Chu Zhao perused the ledgers, she noted that two officials who attended last night's banquet lived next door to each other, two others reminisced about a shared mentor during toasts, and another pair exchanged cold, mocking smiles, seemingly due to a rift caused by a failed marriage arrangement between their children.
Ding Dachui's hasty surveillance had yielded incomplete information, but even so, it offered insights into these officials.
For instance, one seemingly refined official kept dozens of dogs at home—
This elegantly composed official had rather peculiar hobbies.
Surveillance, it turned out, was indeed a powerful tool, allowing her to understand the people in court rather than being kept in the dark by the Grand Tutor.
She didn't want to suspect Deng Yi like this, but the recent incident with Liang Qiang had left her deeply unsettled.
In that previous life, Deng Yi had been Xiao Xun's Grand Tutor.
In this life, Deng Yi had initially chosen Xiao Xun as well, but she had preempted him and used Xiao Yu to gain entry to the palace.
Who knew if Deng Yi might suddenly open the palace gates for Xiao Xun next?
Chu Zhao clenched the ledger in her hand. It wasn't that she held Deng Yi's past against him or distrusted him; she simply wanted to be prepared for any future disagreements with him, so she wouldn't be caught off guard like this time.
Yes, that was all—
"Sister."
Xiao Yu's voice called out.
Chu Zhao snapped out of her thoughts and saw Xiao Yu standing not far away, looking at her with some concern.
"Is Ah Yu done with class?" Chu Zhao quickly smiled.
Xiao Yu nodded. "I saw you were busy—am I disturbing you?"
Chu Zhao was about to beckon him over but glanced at the scattered ledgers on the desk. These matters of prying into private affairs—
"Ah Yu has been sitting in class all morning," she said, standing up and walking toward him. "I've been busy too. Let's go to the training ground and practice archery."
Xiao Yu happily agreed. "Alright." His gaze didn't stray toward the desk at all.
...
...
The early summer was pleasant, and the leisurely dusk gave way to a lively evening banquet.
Fine wine and delicacies accompanied the graceful songs and dances of courtesans. Seated in the best private room of the Lotus Pond Pavilion, one could overlook the entire expanse of emerald water.
Though the lotus flowers had yet to bloom, the green leaves alone were a delightful sight.
Liang Qiang sat by the window, lost in thought as he gazed at the pond, until a young nobleman clapped him on the shoulder.
"Ah Qiang, what are you looking at?" the young nobleman asked, his eyes already glazed with drink after a few cups, as he peered outside with Liang Qiang.
Liang Qiang smiled. "Just admiring the pond. It's been a long time since I've seen such a beautiful pond."
In Yunzhong Commandery, even if there were ponds, a young nobleman doing hard labor wouldn't have the mood or opportunity to enjoy them, the young man thought. But there was no need to reopen old wounds during a happy occasion. He patted Liang Qiang's shoulder and laughed. "Ah Qiang has always loved this pond. Back then, he even jumped right into it and got us all thrown out of the tavern by the owner."
This remark drew laughter from the other young nobles in the room, and Liang Qiang joined in, recalling the carefree recklessness of their youth.
"Ah Qiang, jump in now," someone shouted. "The owner definitely wouldn't dare throw us out."
Others immediately chimed in, "That's right, Ah Qiang is a Brigadier General now." "A Brigadier General who has had an audience with His Majesty." "An honored guest of the Grand Tutor."Even the inn attendants bringing wine and dishes in were smiling as they overheard.
"If General Liang is in the mood, we can prepare clean clothes for you," they said with a laugh.
Amid the flattery filling the room, Liang Qiang did not jump into the pool to wash off the dust and grime, nor did he rebuff the sycophantic praise. Instead, he raised his wine cup.
"Come now, let's be fair. It shouldn't be just me enjoying this. How about we see who can't hold their liquor and throw them into the pool?"
The private room grew even more boisterous. They poured drinks for one another, and fine wine flowed in like water. Liang Qiang lost count of how much he had drunk. He seemed intoxicated, yet clear-headed; he seemed to have returned to the triumphant days of his youth, but now, with his recent promotion and rank, his success felt even more profound. He seemed to be laughing heartily, yet he felt nothing at all.
The liveliness in the room was because of him, yet sitting there, he felt detached. He stood up and staggered out.
"Where is Brother Qiang going?"
"To the washroom? Let someone attend to him. No, I'll personally attend to Young Master Qiang."
Amid the chaotic shouts inside, Liang Qiang paid no heed and walked out.
Outside the door, a dozen soldiers stood guard, their stern and solemn presence isolating the area like another world.
A few young masters stumbled out after him.
"Brother Qiang, we'll accompany you—" they said, but upon seeing the soldiers' icy demeanor, they halted and laughed awkwardly. "Brother Qiang is a general now, with so many guards. He doesn't need our company."
Liang Qiang smiled faintly at them and nodded. "No need. Go back and drink."
The young masters watched as Liang Qiang walked slowly away, a soldier following behind him.
"Brother Qiang really is different now."
"He's killed many people. Have you noticed? Even when he smiles, it's intimidating."
"I've decided—I'll have my father double the gifts for the Liang family."
They whispered among themselves, watching Liang Qiang turn the corner and disappear down the corridor. Glancing again at the soldiers standing guard, they felt a surge of oppressive energy and hurried back inside.
Liang Qiang, however, did not go to the washroom. Instead, he turned the corner and stopped at the pavilion platform, leaning against the railing to gaze at the pool. It was also a fine spot to enjoy the scenery.
The soldier stood behind him, as still as stone or wood, neither speaking nor interfering.
"Is there a deadline for my return?" Liang Qiang suddenly asked.
The soldier replied, "No, General. You may do as you please."
Liang Qiang turned to look at him. "I've attended many banquets these past few days—some to honor me, others to win me over. But there is one person I haven't seen, which is a true regret. I wonder if it's possible to meet them?"
He had thought he would meet the person behind the scenes upon arriving in the capital, but so far, that person had not appeared.
The soldier looked at him and said, "You will meet when the time is right."
When the time is right? What does that mean? Never mind. He was already in the capital. If that person wanted to see him, they would. If not, it meant they had no desire or saw no need. Liang Qiang smiled self-deprecatingly. He was merely a tool, likely to die at any moment, unworthy of an audience.
As he was about to turn away, an inn attendant hurried over from the opposite corridor, holding a cup of wine and calling out from afar, "General Liang, please wait!"
Liang Qiang looked over as the attendant approached and said with a smile, "General Liang, a guest offers you this cup of wine."
A toast?
Liang Qiang frowned.
He was the talk of the capital now—not because of his military achievements, but because of his rivalry with the Xie family for merit. His promotion by the Grand Tutor had even sparked a dispute between the Empress and the Grand Tutor, causing a city-wide sensation. Everyone wanted to get to know him."If it's a toast," Liang Qiang said indifferently, "what kind of toast is it when the person doesn't show up?"
He, Liang Qiang, wasn't someone just anyone could toast. With that, he turned to leave.
"General," the shop assistant hurriedly stopped him, flattering and ingratiating, "this wine isn't from our establishment. It was personally brewed by that person. He isn't disrespecting you, General—he's worried that his presence might disturb your enjoyment of the wine. Fine wine would then lose its charm."
What kind of person? So peculiar. Liang Qiang frowned.
Before he could ask, the shop assistant pointed across the way. "It's that guest over there."
That one? Liang Qiang instinctively followed the direction of the pointing finger. Over the railing, across the emerald-green pool in the central hall, he looked to the other side.
A young man in blue robes sat by the window, one hand resting on the windowsill, the other holding a wine cup. Just as Liang Qiang glanced over, the young man turned his head and smiled faintly, raising his cup in salute.
The entire pool seemed stirred by the wind, its green waves rippling.
Liang Qiang's expression shifted to astonishment, and he blurted out, "Young Master Xie the Third?!"
...
...
For many young men, they had all dreamed of becoming someone like Young Master Xie the Third.
Liang Qiang was no exception. From the moment he first heard of Young Master Xie the Third of Dongyang, he had admired this gentleman.
It was just a pity that Xie Yanfang had always remained in Dongyang. The young men of the capital had only heard his name but never seen him in person.
Liang Qiang was a bit luckier than the others. Because of the Crown Prince, the Xie and Liang families were discussing a marriage alliance, and he actually had the chance to become brothers with Young Master Xie the Third—
Of course, before his joy could reach ecstasy, the Liang family's fate took a sudden turn because of this matter.
First, the marriage proposal was rejected, then came harsh words, followed by retaliation—though it might not even count as retaliation, just casually sweeping away unnecessary idlers, confiscating some family assets, and clearing a position.
With a gentle flick of his finger, the elegant young master brought down the Liang family, who had enjoyed three generations of glory in the capital.
Now, although he had fought tooth and nail to regain his footing, Liang Qiang knew that in front of Xie Yanfang, he was utterly vulnerable. If not for the Grand Tutor's forceful suppression and the Xie family's concern for their reputation, he might not even be standing here now.
Of course, he had no intention of opposing Xie Yanfang—at least not now.
He knew his own limitations, so he never uttered a single word about the Xie family and avoided their influence entirely.
Who would have thought that Xie Yanfang would appear before him and even offer him a toast?
What was going on? What did it mean?
Liang Qiang felt as if he were on the battlefield for the first time—shocked, bewildered, and panicked. If his friends in the private room were to see him now, they would surely think General Liang had lost all his military bearing.
The young man across the way drained his cup in one go, then tilted the empty cup toward Liang Qiang with a smile.
"General Liang," the shop assistant's voice sounded beside him, "please, go ahead."
Liang Qiang didn't look at the shop assistant but instinctively glanced at the guard beside him. The guard's expression was wooden, as if he saw nothing.
Liang Qiang looked at the wine cup offered to him, reached out to take it, and threw his head back to drink it all in one go. The spicy sweetness rolled down his throat, setting his entire body ablaze. He exhaled sharply and looked across again—
The window on the other side was closed.
The young man seemed never to have appeared.
Liang Qiang stared at the empty cup, the lingering aroma of the wine on his tongue. Had he been seeing things?
"Who did you say gave me this wine?" he couldn't help but ask the shop assistant again.
The shop assistant smiled. "Young Master Xie the Third." Then, as if afraid Liang Qiang didn't understand, he added, "Xie Yanfang of the Dongyang Xie family, Your Majesty's maternal uncle, the Imperial Censor."A string of names echoed in his ears—it wasn't a hallucination. Liang Qiang took a deep breath and asked again, "How could Young Master Xie the Third—"
"This is a tavern, after all," the waiter replied with a smile, taking the wine cup from him and finishing his sentence. "If you, Young Master Liang, can come here for a banquet, so can Young Master Xie the Third."
With that, he walked away with the cup.
Liang Qiang stared at his empty hand, then glanced at the tightly shut window across the way. This—
He didn't know what he was thinking, feeling he ought to ponder something, even entertaining a bizarre notion—but how could that be possible?
His gaze involuntarily shifted to the guard.
The guard looked back at him and said, "General, you've had your drink. It's time to return."
Liang Qiang fixed his eyes on the guard for a moment, about to speak but ultimately closing his mouth without a word. He slowly turned and walked back. Outside the private room, several young men were peering around, seemingly searching for him. Spotting him, they called out cheerfully.
"What took you so long?" "Did you fall into the latrine, Ah Qiang?" "You didn't even drink that much."
Ignoring their teasing, Liang Qiang brushed past them and entered the hall.
The young men exchanged glances. "Why does he look so distraught?" "Did he run into some beauty?" Chuckling, they followed him inside, closing the door and sealing off the space within.
…
…
The private room door slid open quietly as Cai Bo entered, followed by a man wearing a robe embroidered with clustered flowers.
"Young Master," Cai Bo said, "he's here."
Seated by the window, idly twirling a wine cup in his hand, Xie Yanfang nodded. He set the cup down and looked at the man who had entered.
The man knelt without raising his head. "Qibo pays respects to the Third Young Master."
Xie Yanfang remarked, "Don't you have a name from Great Xia?"
The man hurriedly replied, "Yu Shang pays respects to the Third Young Master."
Xie Yanfang smiled. "Is the business all concluded?"
The man lifted his head, his expression respectful and grateful. "All the grain has been sold. Thank you, Young Master."
Xie Yanfang turned to Cai Bo. "Fetch some fine wine. We'll welcome Yu Shang and wash away the dust of his journey."
Cai Bo glanced at the empty wine pot in front of him and chided gently, "Young Master, you've finished all you brought. No more drinking after this."
With that, he slid the door open and stepped out, hearing Xie Yanfang laugh behind him as he said to Yu Shang, "I'm good at everything—except holding my liquor."
Cai Bo smiled and closed the door, sealing off the space within.
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