Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Pei Yun nodded in agreement and instructed the kitchen to prepare some red bean cakes and rice cakes for tomorrow. Qin Yue and Qin Yu both enjoyed these two types of sweets, and the family cook was just as skilled as any outside, so she had the kitchen make some for the children to try.

"Mother, if they're not as sweet and fragrant as Ding Ji's pastries, can we still go buy some another day?" Qin Yue leaned in, tilting her little head and asking adorably.

Pei Yun smiled and said, "Of course, but you can't eat too many, or all your little teeth will fall out."

Qin Yue let out a frightened whimper, covering her mouth and shaking her head like a rattle.

"I don't want them to fall out!"

Qin Yue was just at the age where she was starting to lose her baby teeth, and every time one fell out, it caused her a great deal of distress. The moment she heard Pei Yun say her teeth would all fall out, she was terrified and burrowed into Pei Yun's embrace, vowing she'd never eat sweets again.

Pei Yun was amused by her antics and laughed heartily as she explained that children's baby teeth were meant to be replaced and that it had little to do with eating sweets. Just then, a young maidservant entered, curtsied, and announced, "Marquis, Princess, Qingyun Pavilion has sent over some pastries. They say these are from the Loyalty Earl's Mansion, the maternal family of Madam Zhou. These are treats rarely seen in the capital, meant for the young miss and young master to try."

Hearing the word "pastries" only scared Qin Yue more. She buried her face in Pei Yun's chest and said in a muffled voice, "No pastries! Take them away!"

The maidservant was taken aback. Wasn't the Eighth Miss usually fond of these soft, chewy snacks? When Qingyun Pavilion's people delivered them, she'd thought they'd gone to trouble to pick things the young miss liked.

Pei Yun held Qin Yue and glanced at the pastries, then said with a smile, "It's fine, just set them down here."

Only then did the maidservant step forward, set the pastries on the table, and quickly withdraw.

Pei Yun examined them and found them quite tempting. She gave one piece to Qin Yu to taste and broke off a small piece for Qin Yue. Qin Yue wrinkled her little brow, took a cautious bite, and then her eyes lit up. She beamed, said it was delicious, and ran off to share the pastries with Qin Yu.

The fear of losing her teeth had been cast to the wind.

"Eat less—dinner will be served soon, and you don't want to get a stomachache," Pei Yun said helplessly.

The cook at the Loyalty Earl's Mansion certainly knew their way around pastries. Pei Yun tried one herself, found it delicious, and handed a piece to Qin Chu beside her.

Qin Chu took it but didn't eat. He looked down at it and asked, "Did Qingyun Pavilion receive visitors today?"

"They came early this morning—Third Sister-in-law's maternal family. They stayed all day and only just left," Pei Yun said between bites.

All the legitimate sons of Qin Chu's generation had married wives from distinguished families—marquis households. Zhou's maternal family, the Loyalty Earl's Mansion, had been declining in recent years for lack of outstanding younger generations. But a starved camel is still bigger than a horse—though they had no sons in important court positions, they were not short on money and were known as one of the capital's wealthy families.

Qin Chu said "oh" and said no more. Pei Yun studied his expression, sensing he seemed somewhat grave today. Qin Chu was usually mild-mannered, and he still was, but beneath that gentleness, Pei Yun detected a hint of menace.

She figured it was probably something to do with official matters. Best not to pry, so she simply pretended not to notice.

Soon, Bixiao came in to announce dinner was ready, and the family moved to the central hall to eat. Just as they finished their meal, Gao Yi came to report that Qin Mao had arrived and wished to speak with Qin Chu.

Pei Yun was a bit surprised—she hadn't known Qin Chu and Qin Mao were acquainted.

Qin Mao was the youngest son of the Western Branch, born of a concubine, and still unmarried. He usually kept a low profile in Duke Su's mansion, so Pei Yun had initially assumed Qin Mao was just making a perfunctory visit to deliver gifts and exchange pleasantries. But Qin Chu nodded naturally and told Gao Yi to show him to the study.

His ease suggested this was a regular occurrence.

So after Qin Chu left, Pei Yun turned to Qin Yu and Qin Yue to ask.

"Seventh Uncle has occasionally come to talk with Father before. As for how close they are..." Qin Yu furrowed his little brow, considering his words. "Compared to the other uncles of the Western Branch, they're somewhat closer."

Pei Yun nodded, now having a general idea.

These past few months with Qin Chu away from home had really cost her a lot of intelligence-gathering.

Qin Yue had eaten until her little belly was round and full. She lay sprawled across Pei Yun's lap, whining that tonight's Poria chicken soup was delicious and she wanted it again tomorrow. Pei Yun smiled and agreed, then turned to Qin Yu, who sat upright and proper, and asked, "Yu Ge, I heard that in school today, Master Yang punished Ye Ge?"

The children of both branches studied at the family school, where they'd hired the renowned scholar Yang Wenyao as their teacher. Many current court officials had been his students, and securing him to teach at Duke Su's mansion had required Qin Chu's personal intervention. Thus, all boys and girls over the age of six attended the school.

Of course, the girls were treated with more leniency, since they wouldn't be taking the imperial examinations. Old Madam Ming had arranged for them to attend school simply to learn to read and understand reason. Once they were older, they'd spend half their days studying and the other half learning needlework and household management under their governesses. That was why Ying Jie had been able to get leave so easily to visit Brocade Garden today.

As for the boys of the household, they were all close in age. The eldest, Qin Yu, was eight, and the youngest was Zhou's son, Qin Ye, who was six.

Master Yang was a great scholar of the age, lacking neither reputation nor prestige. He'd come to teach at their mansion out of respect for Qin Chu, and he certainly wouldn't cater to a few young masters of a duke's household. Pei Yun had heard that Master Yang was very strict in class, so punishments were common. But today seemed different somehow.

Qin Ye's punishment seemed to be related to his elder half-brother by a concubine, Qin Xuan.

When Pei Yun asked, Qin Yu nodded and confirmed the matter.

The cause of it all was related to the visit from Zhou's maternal family today.

"Today, Fifth Brother's maternal grandmother and uncles came to visit, so he wanted to leave class early," Qin Yu explained. "Usually, after the master finishes his lecture, he assigns copying work, and once that's done, we can go home. Fifth Brother was in a hurry, so he had his little servant do some of the copying for him."

"Third Brother saw it and reported it to Master Yang."

Master Yang naturally disapproved of Qin Ye's lazy and deceitful behavior, so he punished him by making him copy the text three extra times, forbidding him from leaving until it was done. Qin Ye was terribly aggrieved, and to make matters worse, Qin Xuan didn't even bother to pretend otherwise—his smug expression practically screamed "I'm the one who ratted you out." Unable to contain his indignation, Qin Ye got into a physical fight with him.

Then Qin Ye was additionally punished with ten strikes on the palms for "striking an elder brother and showing no remorse."

"When I left, Fifth Brother was still copying his work, his eyes red as walnuts," Qin Yu said with a shrug. "I felt bad for him, so I went to Master Yang and asked him to waive the extra copying."

Qin Yu had always been the model student at school, a favorite of Master Yang and his prized disciple. With Qin Yu interceding, and Master Yang considering that Qin Ye was young and new to the school, he let the punishment go.

Pei Yun had heard a few bits and pieces from Bixiao during dinner—that Ye Ge had just returned to Qingyun Pavilion crying with injuries, and Madam Zhou had nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw him. She'd stormed off with her people to cause trouble for Yun, and now Qingyun Pavilion was in an uproar again. That was why Pei Yun had wanted to ask Qin Yu what had happened—partly to get the facts, and partly for the gossip.

Qin Yue, listening nearby, puffed up her cheeks indignantly and said, "Third Brother is too much! How could he talk bad about people behind their backs? Shame, shame, shame!"

In Qin Yue's world, Qin Xuan's sneaky tattling was clearly far worse than Qin Ye having his servant do his homework.

Pei Yun ruffled Qin Yue's hair and said, "I remember Ye Ge used to bully you quite a bit when he was younger, taking advantage of his age. And now you're helping him?"

The Qingyun Pavilion household had once viewed Qin Yu and his sister as thorns in their side, and the children had followed suit, bullying the siblings openly and covertly.

"We're all brothers by blood. Fifth Brother was young before, and as his elder brother, I naturally wouldn't hold a grudge." Qin Yu smiled and said, "The sages also say, 'Repay injury with justice, and repay kindness with kindness.'"

Pei Yun wasn't well-versed in the sages' classical teachings and took it to mean something like repaying kindness with kindness. Though it wasn't her own way of doing things, Qin Yu was still young, and not holding grudges wasn't necessarily a bad thing, so she didn't say much—just praised him for doing the right thing.

Qin Yu smiled, his gaze drifting to the blue cloud patterns embroidered on his sleeves, a hint of nonchalance in his eyes.

Though he'd pleaded for Fifth Brother's sake, it had also been his subtle guidance that led Third Brother to discover Fifth Brother's servant doing his copying. Repaying kindness with kindness wasn't his style. But he was older now and understood that many things could no longer be handled with the same stubbornness as before—it brought no benefit whatsoever.

Wasn't today's outcome perfect?

But there was no need to tell his mother these things. Letting her and his sister continue to think of him as a humble, respectful child was just fine.

After hearing this piece of gossip, Pei Yun felt a pang of regret that Madam Tang had just excused the daily morning greetings. If not, she'd surely have seen quite a show at Moonbright Court tomorrow. That Yun was Qin Sheng's favored concubine, personally assigned by Madam Tang to serve him—there was bound to be no end of entertainment.

Operating on the principle that gossip not heard was gossip wasted, Pei Yun even had Bixiao send someone to keep an eye on Qingyun Pavilion and see what trouble might brew.

In the study, Qin Chu and Qin Mao sat facing each other. The servants had served tea and withdrawn, leaving only the two brothers in the room.

"Fourth Brother, how are your injuries?" Qin Mao spoke first, his tone concerned.

Qin Chu nodded. "Minor wounds. Nothing to worry about."

"On the battlefield, blades and arrows have no eyes—it's dangerous after all. In the future, if such assignments come up again, can't you decline them?" Qin Mao said helplessly.

Qin Chu smiled and gestured for him to try the tea before him: "This all depends on the Emperor's arrangements—what room does a minister have to refuse?"

Qin Mao took a sip of tea and raised an eyebrow: "Our current Emperor seems no less formidable than the former Prince Wei."

Prince Wei was the eldest prince who raised troops in rebellion after the late Emperor's death. He had occupied the capital for a considerable time but never ascended the throne. His methods were vicious and ruthless. He was later stripped of his title and imprisoned as a commoner, and died suddenly not long after.

The fact that Qin Mao dared to say such things in front of Qin Chu was proof enough that the relationship between these two brothers ran far deeper than the mere occasional contact Qin Yu had mentioned.

"Such is the way of an emperor's mind—nothing more than that." Qin Chu said indifferently.

Qin Mao, too, knew when to stop and said no more. After the pleasantries, he got to the real reason for his visit today.

"Fourth Brother, I heard the Emperor has tasked you with selecting the next Governor of Liangzhou?"

Qin Chu's eyelids lifted slightly, his gaze sharpening: "Where did you hear that?"

"The marketplace is where news travels fastest. This tidbit changed hands several times—no one knows where it originally came from." Qin Mao shrugged. "It certainly didn't come from you, so it must have originated from the palace."

Qin Mao had never taken the civil service examination and had always been in business—the least respectable path for a duke's son. In everyone's eyes, Qin Mao was merely tinkering with a few family shops, scraping together barely any silver all year, so no one paid him much attention.

"If this news reached my ears, I reckon within a day or two the whole capital will know." Qin Mao teased: "Fourth Brother, I'm afraid our doorstep will be worn thin by visitors."

This was a regional governor—though Liangzhou was remote, it was still a position of real power over an entire prefecture. Plenty of people would want the post. When his fourth brother went out in a few days, he'd probably be mobbed from all sides.

Qin Chu remained silent, and Qin Mao rested his chin on his hand, mulling it over: "Who could have leaked it—the Emperor, Prince Zhao, or someone else?"

From the court's perspective, the fewer people in the know, the better. Otherwise, Qin Chu's selection process would become extremely troublesome. Either it leaked by accident, or someone spread it on purpose.

But Qin Chu didn't seem concerned about it at all. He merely nodded, and even had the spare time to ask about Qin Mao's marriage.

"Your marriage is about to be settled as well. When the time comes, your fourth brother will give you a generous gift." He said with a slight smile.

Qin Mao's curiosity was instantly sparked, and he pressed for details.

Qin Chu only said he'd find out when the time came.

Speaking of Qin Mao's marriage, he couldn't help but feel sorry for Qin Chu.

"Princess Zhaoyang is beautiful, no doubt, but her temper is straightforward—she's the type who can't stand even a speck of dirt in her eye." Qin Mao remarked: "I remember you once told me you wanted a gentle, refined wife. The Emperor really botched this matchmaking."

Emperor Qing'an had betrothed Qin Chu to Princess Zhaoyang under the guise of uniting two families and rewarding a loyal official. But his actual intentions were, first, to keep Qin Chu in check, and second, to have Qin Chu keep an eye on the Prince Ying household. Both men knew this but couldn't say it out loud.

And that's not even mentioning Prince Ying's ties to the Fan family case from over ten years ago. Ah, what a pair of star-crossed lovers.

Qin Chu merely said, his tone flat: "Not everything in this world can go as one wishes."

"But from what I can tell, you and Princess Zhaoyang seem to be getting along pretty well?" Qin Mao said with a knowing grin: "If the two of you truly fall for each other, then this marriage wouldn't be bad at all."

To be honest, Qin Mao quite liked Pei Yun. His brother wasn't into that type of woman, but Qin Mao really admired Pei Yun's straightforward personality—she was pretty and direct, with nothing to criticize except her family background.

Qin Chu gazed at the faint crackle pattern on the white porcelain teacup, his eyes calm and deep as a still pond.

"It's all just an act."

Wasn't that exactly what he and Pei Yun were doing, after all?

By the time Qin Chu finished talking with Qin Mao, it was almost the second watch of the night. When he returned to the main chamber, he saw Pei Yun already washed up, her dark hair loose and flowing, dressed in a light green nightgown, sitting cross-legged on the couch, her bright eyes fixed on Bixiao and Hongliu as they spoke.

"Madam Zhou brought people to Yunsui Studio, insisting on dragging Young Master Xuan off to mete out family discipline to avenge Young Master Ye. Concubine Yun naturally refused with every ounce of her being. She blocked the way and even got hit a few times with the rods—she passed out on the spot. Word is there was blood."

Pei Yun's eyes went wide as she pressed for more, and Hongliu continued: "A quick-witted servant from Yunsui Studio ran to Yuyue Court to inform Madam Tang. Madam Tang rushed over and found Xuan'er and Yun clinging to each other, crying their hearts out, while Madam Zhou was still ordering folks to pull them apart and beat them."

Pei Yun drew in a sharp breath—her sister-in-law was really in a rage today.

"And Third Brother? He's not in the residence?"

How could Qin Sheng, the master of the house, be missing at a time like this?

"Third Master said he went out drinking with colleagues and isn't in the residence." Bixiao replied.

Pei Yun pursed her lips. Seriously...

But the matter wasn't over yet. Bixiao spoke again mysteriously: "Princess, you'll never guess—after Madam Tang arrived, Madam Zhou still refused to back down. The two sides were at a standstill when suddenly blood started flowing profusely from Concubine Yun's lower body. A physician was summoned and examined her—she'd miscarried."

"..."

That was it. Zhou was in serious trouble.

Sure enough, Hongliu continued: "Third Master happened to come back just then. He flew into a fury and shut Madam Zhou, Young Master Ye, and Young Miss Qi—all three of them—in the ancestral hall to kneel and reflect on their mistakes."

Author's note:

None