Chapter 312 Reward

Chapter 312: A Reward

While Meng Wan was cooking in the back courtyard kitchen, snowflakes began to drift down from the sky. Hearing the children's excited exclamations in the yard, he covered the iron pot with its lid and looked out.

Having already seen several heavy snowfalls in Shengjing, A Yan still couldn't get enough of it—afraid of the cold yet loving to play, looking round and clumsy in his puffy clothes, still reaching out to catch the beautiful six-petaled snowflakes.

Meng Wan unconsciously curved his lips, his eyes reflecting A Yan's innocent smiling face. At this moment, he finally looked like a proper doting dad.

"A Yan, don't let snow get in your boots, or your feet will get wet," Meng Wan cautioned.

A Yan wore deerskin boots whose outer layer wouldn't get wet, but if he played too long, snow might seep through the pant legs into his shoes. It was right after New Year's, and Chang Jinhua was already down sick—Meng Wan didn't want A Yan to fall ill as well.

"I know, Dad!" A Yan hadn't actually heard what Meng Wan said clearly, too busy playing in the snow with Tong'er. He was utterly delighted, twisting and twirling in the swirling snow, pretending he was one of those dancers from Tingxiang Pavilion.

Meanwhile, the real martial artist, Tong'er, was throwing punches with full masculine energy.

Watching Tong'er's face get ruddier as he worked through a set of punches in the snow, Meng Wan thought about having Xue Sheng and Chi Yu at home put A Yan through more training.

He didn't need A Yan to be some prodigy—just healthy, and that was enough.

Meng Wan casually tossed a handful of dried scallops into the braised pork knuckle with eight delicacies simmering on the stove. As he looked up, he felt Song Tingzhou's gaze on him from the main hall. He glanced over and sure enough, there he was, holding a book, leaning against the doorframe, smiling at him.

For the holiday, they both wore dark red padded robes. Song Tingzhou had a gray squirrel-fur cloak over his, and Meng Wan wore a hooded cape in the same shade.

Song Tingzhou now leaned against the doorframe, book in hand. Now that he was past thirty, his temperament had settled a lot. Compared to his sharp, edgy younger self, he'd mellowed with age—still cold, but when his eyes met Meng Wan's, they softened beyond belief. Against the snowy backdrop, he looked every bit the elegant nobleman.

Song Tingzhou held the book but couldn't take his eyes off his beloved, until Meng Wan waved at him and ducked back into the kitchen. Only then, when Zhu Zening started howling about the cold, did he let the heavy curtain drop.

Qiu Ying burst in, his breath puffing out in white clouds that fogged up half his face.

Wu Zhaoyuan handed him a cup of tea. "What's got you in such a hurry?"

Qiu Ying didn't have time for tea, just swallowed to wet his dry throat. "Lord Song, someone from your house just showed up—says Consort Nie from the palace sent a reward."

Song Tingzhou snapped his book shut with a sharp smack and asked, keeping his voice level. "Consort Nie? Where are the palace maids now?"

Using the pause, Qiu Ying downed the tea Wu Zhaoyuan had handed him, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. "Brother Xuesheng's got them held up at the gate—said the masters aren't home and they'd have to wait for you to get back."

Song Tingzhou put the book back on the shelf, grabbed his gray cloak, and turned to his two brothers. "I'm heading home, be right back. Don't tell Wan'er yet."

It was supposed to be a reward, but Wu Zhaoyuan could tell from Song Tingzhou's face that something was off. He reassured him, "Go on, don't worry—your husband's safe with me."

Song Tingzhou walked out with a stone-cold face. Zhu Zening noticed he didn't even take a carriage—just borrowed a horse from the Wu family in this freezing weather. Puzzled, he turned to Wu Zhaoyuan. "Isn't this supposed to be a reward from the Consort? Why does Jingxing look so unhappy about it?"

Wu Zhaoyuan didn't know much more than Zhu Zening, but he had a nagging suspicion he couldn't say out loud. "Maybe it's some other urgent business. Let's just wait."

—Song Tingzhou rode hard through the wind and snow, and sure enough, there were two palace maids waiting at his door. Behind them stood a young man and woman, both in their prime, with delicate, pretty features—fair-skinned and slender. They didn't look like servants at all.

A squad of guards escorted them, sitting tall and smug on horseback. The two maids wore equally haughty looks.

The Song family's front gate was shut tight, with the servants holding their ground and not budging an inch. Xue Sheng stood at the front, facing off with the maids. "The master and the young lord are both out. We're just servants—we can't make decisions for the master."

The lead maid arched a thin brow, her tone sharp. "It's freezing out here. Are you telling us to wait in the snow? We're the Consort's own maids, carrying her phoenix decree!"

Xue Sheng wasn't good at arguing, but he held his ground. "Ladies, you can wait at the tavern up ahead. Our master will be back by mid-afternoon at the latest."

Another maid sneered. "Who wants to sit in some tavern? You say Lord Song isn't home, but is there really no one in the Song house who can make a call? Or is your young lord so jealous he won't let us in?"

"Who are you calling jealous?" Song Tingzhou sat on his horse, his gray cloak covering his whole upper body, showing off two long, strong calves.

The guards reacted first, dismounting to bow in unison. "Greetings, Lord Song." Having worked around the palace, they naturally recognized the newly appointed Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture.

Seeing this, the two maids quickly curtsied. "This servant greets Lord Song. May you be well."

Song Tingzhou got off his horse, and Xue Sheng took the reins and stepped aside.

"What exactly is Consort Nie up to, sending people to my house to badmouth my husband's reputation?" Song Tingzhou's cold face was more than most could handle. His voice was low, with an undeniable weight, and one sentence froze the two pushy maids in place, too scared to say another word.

The guards wanted to defend the maids, but under Song Tingzhou's stern gaze, none of them dared to open their mouths.

"This servant overstepped—please forgive me, my lord. I... I'll punish myself." One maid, unable to take the pressure, gritted out the words, then raised her hand and slapped herself with a loud crack. Her eyes crept up to check his reaction.

Song Tingzhou's eyes were cold, his face unreadable as he looked at her—and she knew this wasn't going to end well.

There were no naive maids in the palace, especially not ones who'd made it to the Consort's side. If they failed to deliver these people today, a few slaps would be the least of their problems.

She traded a look with the other maid, and both steeled themselves to slap their own faces a dozen times each, until their cheeks were red and swollen. Only then did Song Tingzhou say flatly, "I trust you ladies will watch your mouths from now on. If I hear any rumor about my husband being jealous, I'll have no choice but to invite you both to the Shuntian Prefecture office."

The maid, her face swollen, spoke a little slurred. "Rest assured, my lord. This servant misspoke and won't dare say anything careless again. But the Consort, hearing that you have few heirs and few people serving you..." She swallowed the words "not devoted enough." "...few people by your side, has sent two beauties as a gift. Please accept them."

A guard plucked up his courage to chime in. "Lord Song, we are merely following orders—please don't make this difficult." Today, whether Song Tingzhou wanted them or not, they were determined to deliver these two into the Song household.

Consort Nie's status was second only to the Emperor and the Crown Prince, and due to Duke Dingxiang's influence, she even stood above the Empress. Who would dare defy her command?

Song Tingzhou's expression remained unchanged. "Very well. Leave the people here and return to the palace."

The maid grew anxious. "Lord Song, the Consort instructed us to personally deliver them through the Song family's front gate!"

Song Tingzhou's tone brooked no argument. "Either leave with these two, or leave them here now. If you dare make a scene before me, I'll have you all arrested on charges of provoking a disturbance and taken to the Shuntian Prefecture."

His words carried weight, and he didn't look like he was merely bluffing.

The two maids were at a loss, glancing at the guards who had escorted them from the palace.

Between the court and the harem, neither side could be offended. The guard captain weighed his options, then cupped his hands to the maids. "We are merely escorts, ladies. The decision is yours."

"You!" One maid glared at him, but the other pulled her back, resigned. If the Consort herself had come, they might have gotten a different answer, but they were only maids—mere servants before a cold-hearted, high-ranking official like Song Tingzhou.

"Enough. The people have been delivered to Lord Song's hands—we've fulfilled our duty. Lord Song, this servant returns to the palace now."

She breathed a sigh of relief herself as she finished speaking. The guards respectfully saluted Song Tingzhou with clasped fists, and the whole procession that had arrived with such fanfare retreated just as quietly.

Once Consort Nie's people had disappeared around the corner, Xue Sheng couldn't help but ask, "My lord, what should we do with these two?"

Consort Nie had even thoughtfully sent a young woman and a young man, both strikingly handsome—and most importantly, compared to Meng Wan in his late twenties, these two were in the very bloom of youth.

Under Song Tingzhou's scrutinizing gaze, their heads sank lower and lower.

They had been selected from a young age, their purpose clear without words.

Compared to being given to some potbellied, ugly, elderly official with a house full of wives and concubines, a young, handsome, devoted man like Song Tingzhou was a rare find indeed.

The two of them had schemed carefully to be chosen by the Consort's maids.

Now, looking at him, he was indeed as magnificent as the rumors claimed—but his bearing was far too solemn and cold. They wondered whether this Lord Song was equally rigid behind closed doors.

Song Tingzhou seemed not to hear Xue Sheng's question. After a long moment, he finally spoke. "Take them to the west side gate."

Xue Sheng hesitated, wanting to say more. "My lord!"

Song Tingzhou grabbed the reins and remounted his horse, leaving only two words: "Just do as I say." Then he rode straight toward Wu Zhaoyuan's residence.

Gui Cheng called out to him, "Brother Xue Sheng? Let's hurry—there are a lot of people on the street staring this way."

Ever since those two female envoys had arrived with the people, many on the street had been subtly glancing toward the Song family's main gate, and now it seemed even more so.

Xue Sheng slowly let out a heavy sigh. "Let's go. Follow the master's orders—take them in through the west side gate."

The master likely had no choice in the matter; a gift from the Noble Consort could not be refused.

Xue Sheng's heart was heavy as he walked with his head down, heading up the main street toward the far north end of the Song estate.

The street was packed with shops and buzzing with activity. Along the way, many recognized Xue Sheng, knowing he was the household servant often seen at the side of Lord Song, the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture. When they saw the two handsome young people following behind him, they didn't need to guess what was going on.

"Just before New Year's, I saw Lord Song and his husband shopping together all lovey-dovey—what's this all about now?"

"What else could it be? He's taking concubines!"

"What? Lord Song and his husband are so devoted to each other—how could he just take concubines out of nowhere, and two at that?"

"Men, right? When you have money and power, who sticks with just one woman? Even the butcher down at South Market took a younger mistress, let alone a big official like this."

"Nah, I don't think that's it—if he were taking concubines, wouldn't he send a bridal sedan?"

"What do you know? They buy two pretty ones to serve as chamber maids first, then quietly bump them up to concubine status."

"Tsk, tsk... unbelievable..."

Gui Cheng shouted angrily, "What the hell are you talking about! Running your mouths behind people's backs—if you've got the guts, say it to their faces at the yamen!"

Xue Sheng stopped Gui Cheng from arguing, but his brow kept furrowing, and the fist at his side clenched harder.

He trusted the master wouldn't take these two into his bed, but having extra people in the household would inevitably stir up trouble, and he worried the master's husband might be upset.

"Well, well, where'd these pretty little things come from? You two spoken for?"

Just as Xue Sheng was growing agitated, a tall figure suddenly appeared before them, sleazily hitting on the two beauties behind him.

Anyone else might have been ignored, but Xue Sheng looked at the masked figure before him—dressed strangely and covering his face with black cloth—with a peculiar expression, thinking the guy's build looked oddly familiar.

"We... we are the concubines and consorts gifted to Lord Song by the Noble Consort. You thug, if you know what's good for you, get lost!" Seeing Xue Sheng silent, the young woman among the two sent by the Noble Consort mustered her courage and spoke to the masked man.

"Concubines and consorts, whatever—I've got my eye on them, so they're mine now! If you don't come along willingly, I'll just kill whoever bought you, then take you both away and enjoy you at my leisure!" The masked man paid no heed to reason, and with a few kicks, sent Gui Cheng and the other servants flying.

Xue Sheng shielded the young woman and the lad behind him, engaging the masked man in a fierce struggle.

The two fought fiercely in the middle of the street, and it seemed they would soon draw the attention of the patrolling Five Cities Military Command. Meanwhile, the young woman and lad sent by the Noble Consort were desperately pounding on the Song family's side gate. The masked man finally grew anxious. "Brother Xue Sheng, enough with the act—if we keep stalling, I'm gonna get real!"

Xue Sheng paused at the words, deliberately pretending to be struck by the man in black, flying far back and crashing into the Song family's courtyard wall, spitting out a large mouthful of blood.

The masked man looked down at his own palms: "?"

The west side gate was about to open, and the Five Cities Military Command had been patrolling frequently these days. The masked man could no longer afford to hesitate—grabbing the young woman and lad who had been pounding on the gate, one in each hand, he dashed off into the alley.

Borrowing a cart from a slave dealer in the city to leave town, the masked man tossed each of them a pouch of silver. "Either stay put and behave, or I'll rape you and kill you—your choice."

The two were no fools; trembling, they picked up the pouches. "We won't return to the capital—can... can you let us go?"

"Heh, let you go? Are you joking?" The masked man sneered, then called to the slave dealer driving the cart, "Take them to Muquan Manor outside the city and have each of them pick someone to marry."