Chapter 227 – A Game of Chess

“A female secretary?”

Fang Zijing looked at Princess Heshun with a changed expression. “Why did they suddenly assign you a task?”

Princess Heshun said, “His Majesty summoned me early this morning. He said that Xie Qian from the Xigong Palace is being raised there, and the female attendants, wet nurses, and maids have many thoughts. His harem currently has no concubines, and the Empress Dowager is recuperating. It’s really impossible to manage, so he asked me to take care of the child and gave me the rank of a female secretary, along with an additional salary.”

“Now that the child is too young and the harem has no ruler, I am, after all, the wife of an outer court official, so it’s inconvenient for me to enter the palace. To facilitate care, we can set aside a courtyard in the Wuying Duke’s Mansion, and we can take turns looking after him for certain periods.”

Fang Zijing abruptly stood up. “You agreed?”

Princess Heshun was puzzled. “How could I defy the Emperor’s decree? This is due to the emptiness of his harem. I even advised His Majesty to take a concubine as soon as possible, so there would be someone to take care of this child.”

Fang Zijing was speechless.

He paced back and forth, not saying anything, merely stating, “Many people in the imperial clan are watching this child. He was personally ordered by His Majesty to be brought into the palace for rearing. Our family now has two dukes. Zi Xing accompanies the Emperor, and he will surely receive a title in the future. You accepted His Majesty’s request, do you know what kind of storm this will bring?”

Princess Heshun looked at him and laughed. “I know that my husband is once again speculating whether the Emperor is testing our Fang family. But have you forgotten? Zi Xing already had the honorary title of Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince. Regardless of how young the child is and how nothing can be seen yet, the Emperor entrusting this child to you and me to raise is a sign of trust. How can we defy it?”

Fang Zijing looked at his wife’s bright eyes and sat back down. “You, who act according to your heart, wouldn’t understand how cautiously we consider every move… Just yesterday, I made a move, and this is the Emperor’s response…”

Princess Heshun curiously asked, “What did you do yesterday?” Only her proud husband dared to say that he was playing chess with the Emperor in the void. If others knew, they would think he was arrogant, but Princess Heshun understood that he truly saw himself as highly skilled, relishing in encountering a worthy opponent.

Fang Zijing said, “The chief of Gui Prefecture is seriously ill and cannot be cured. He requested a decree to allow his wife to inherit the position of chief.” A master player needed only to convey their intention, and others might not understand, but the one above certainly would. What was his intention over these years in cultivating his pillow companion?

Princess Heshun was confused. Fang Zijing thought to himself that the Emperor’s intentions were clear. This was to see how their Fang family would react. They had to accept the child, and Xu Chun… The Emperor now appeared to be deeply affectionate, but everything was still too early.

At this moment, he is affectionate towards Xu Chun, pushing our Fang family onto this ship. If one day he turns his love into hatred and despises Xu Chun, what will happen to our Fang family? This child growing up together with Qian Ge… He suddenly realized that Xie Qian’s nickname sounded similar to his son Fang Chengxun’s, one being Feiju and the other Shenqian.

Was the Emperor doing this on purpose, or was it a coincidence?

Fang Zijing broke out in a cold sweat.

Princess Heshun watched her husband. She knew his personality well and realized he had already fallen into deep contemplation. People like them planned ten steps ahead for every step they took. Others might see them as exhausted from their efforts, but she knew that they enjoyed it. Therefore, she didn’t bother him and said, “Zi Xing and his sister-in-law will come over for dinner tonight. I think there’s no need to publicize this matter. You decide. I’ll go prepare the courtyard and arrange for the banquet.”

Fang Zijing fell into deep thought and merely waved his hand. “You handle it.”

Xu Chun was unaware that Fang Zijing and Xie Yi had just made another move against each other in their game. He felt satisfied and, seeing the beautiful weather, took a refreshing nap before returning to the duke’s mansion after leaving the palace. Indeed, he received an invitation; it was from Fan Mukun, inviting him to celebrate the return of He Zhiqiu and Zhuang Zhizhan. The invitation asked him to join them for a casual dinner if convenient.

Xu Chun first checked on the progress of Sheng Changtian’s interrogation and found that indeed, an inspector from the Censorate and a seasoned official had been sent over. After just one day of questioning, they had already compiled a list of names and clues. Their efficiency was much higher than Sheng Changtian’s.

Even Sheng Changtian wiped his sweat. “We’re too familiar, and the other side is fearless. These two outsiders are more objective, pressing question after question. Tomorrow, I’ll return to Jinhai Fortress to clean up and arrest people. Both officials have also received instructions to work on the case together. You should pay attention to things here in the capital.”

Xu Chun reviewed the confessions and indeed found them much clearer than before. Time, location, participants, inventory lists, and who had them were all asked about. However, no significant figures were implicated in the confessions, only grievances and feelings of injustice.

Xu Chun nodded. He then explained some matters regarding the Myriad Nations Academy and the machinery factory. After sorting things out, he got up, first ordering Qi Yan to return to the palace to deliver a message that he wouldn’t be having dinner in the palace tonight. Then, he changed his clothes and went to the Fan residence.

Fan Mukun personally came out to greet him, smiling. “I thought you might be too busy to come.”

Xu Chun bowed. “When Master Fan invites me, especially since Brother He has returned, how could I not come? I’m just wondering how Zhuang Zhizhan is doing?”

Fan Mukun smiled and invited him in. “Please come in. The banquet is set up in the garden. Little Zhuang and Brother Jianwei are already inside.”

They entered together and saw that the Fan family’s garden was spacious and open, with lush trees, a bamboo grove, stone paths, and orchids. The walls were covered in green vines, and the scenery was layered with shades of green.

At the entrance of the garden, there were three characters carved on a small stone: “Sufficient Garden.” Xu Chun praised, “A wonderful garden, not overly decorated. This must be the work of a master.”

Fan Mukun said, “My late father created it. He admired the spirit of the mountains and forests, so he built this garden. Seeking mountains and fields, water and fish, trees and bamboo, books and zithers, life is sufficient.”

As they talked, they reached the waterside pavilion, where He Zhiqiu and Zhuang Zhizhan came out to welcome him. Xu Chun saw Zhuang Zhizhan and asked with a smile, “How did it go? Did you bring your mother out?”

Zhuang Zhizhan bowed, his face filled with gratitude. “She has been brought out. Before Master He and Commander Fang arrived, I opened the ancestral hall, expelled myself from the clan.”

Xu Chun was surprised. “So smooth? How did you manage it?”

Zhuang Zhizhan laughed bitterly. “Naturally, I used some means. Fortunately, Lord Xu lent me a team of guards, who unexpectedly stole my birth mother away first. Then, I negotiated, requesting to leave the clan. After so many years in the Zhuang family, I naturally had some leverage. I also asked my teacher from that side to intervene. The ancestral hall was opened, my clan membership revoked, and I brought my mother out. It’s hard to explain.”

Fan Mukun invited him to sit. “Take a seat and tell us slowly.”

The table was filled with exquisite dishes and fine wine. The four of them sat down, enjoying the conversation. Xu Chun asked He Zhiqiu, “You worked with Big Brother Zi Xing, why didn’t you invite him?”

He Zhiqiu said, “He won’t come. He just returned to the capital and wants to accompany his wife to the Wuying Duke’s Mansion for a meal with his brother and sister-in-law.”

Fan Mukun laughed. “He wouldn’t come even if there were no issues. Everyone knows that Commander Fang doesn’t accept any invitations. All the high-ranking families in the capital understand this and never invite him. But now that he’s married, his wife does participate in some inner quarters banquets and social events.”

Xu Chun said, “I couldn’t attend his wedding due to an emergency. I only sent a gift. Now thinking about it, I feel guilty.”

He Zhiqiu laughed. “The gift was enough. On that day, it was mostly handled by the Wuying Duke and Princess Heshun. He hardly interacted socially. Whether you attended or not wouldn’t have mattered. He doesn’t give face to anyone. Even Duke Pingsou came. Although the wedding was grand, considering the vast wealth of the Pingsou Fang family, it was actually quite simple. They didn’t show off extravagantly. It’s said that the bride was a relative from the Pingnan Duchess’s side, making her a cousin of Commander Fang.”

Zhuang Zhizhan, seated lower down, had been drinking wine and, feeling the good atmosphere, didn’t think much and blurted out, “Speaking of which, it’s strange. When I first came to the capital, I only felt that the capital’s elites tended to marry late. Commander Fang is over thirty and only got married now, but why are all of you, who are exceptional talents, still unmarried today?”

Suddenly, the atmosphere turned quiet.

He Zhiqiu coughed awkwardly and laughed. “I’m poor. Later, I was fortunate enough to become the top scholar and was appointed to an official position, but I made a mistake and was demoted. Outsiders assumed my future was uncertain, and no one dared to propose marriage, so I didn’t discuss marriage. These few years, I’ve been slowly discussing marriage, not in a hurry, not in a hurry.”

Fan Mukun’s face also slightly flushed as he said, “My family declined, and my status is awkward. There are no elders at home to handle matters… Let’s see.”

Xu Chun laughed it off. “I encountered a mourning period, which delayed me. Later, I was busy with my career…”

Zhuang Zhizhan noticed the discomfort on everyone’s faces and realized he had asked an inappropriate question. He hurriedly laughed awkwardly. “It’s my fault. Let me offer you all a toast.”

He Zhiqiu smoothly changed the topic, talking about the Zhuang family’s confiscation. He mentioned how many acres of land were seized, the piles of lawsuits filling the government office, and the number of commoners coming to beat the drum and appeal for justice, filing lawsuits.

Everyone sighed with emotion.

However, Xu Chun only focused on the dishes on the table, thinking about bringing some back for Brother Jiu to try. He particularly asked about a dish of translucent crimson goose meat. “Is this goose meat? How did you make it look so beautiful?”

Fan Mukun laughed. “This is an ancient method called ‘Apricot Flower Crimson Goose.’ The goose is marinated to a crimson color, coated with honey, stuffed with seasonings and apricot milk, steamed until tender, and finally drizzled with more apricot milk. Speaking of which, His Majesty and I discovered this in an ancient book and had people prepare it out of curiosity.”

Xu Chun nodded and asked about a dish of bamboo shoots. “These bamboo shoots are incredibly fresh and delicious, and the taste is different from usual methods.”

Fan Mukun replied, “These are ox bone marrow bamboo shoots, made by stewing fresh bamboo shoots with ox bone marrow.”

Xu Chun said, “That’s ingenious. Ox bone marrow is greasy but truly fragrant. Stewed with these light oil-absorbing bamboo shoots, it’s really amazing.”

Fan Mukun agreed. “Indeed.”

After the feast, Xu Chun had drunk quite a bit and stumbled into the palace, throwing himself onto Xie Yi with a chuckle. “Brother Jiu, Brother Jiu, I couldn’t have dinner with you. Did you eat well tonight?”

Xie Yi looked at him speaking with a thick tongue, his face flushed, his eyes sparkling, and his appearance endearing. He laughed. “How could you get drunk with someone as boring as Fan Mukun? What kind of wine did you have?”

Xu Chun felt sober, but his voice was already very loud. “The wine was ordinary, just autumn dew white. But I tried a very special dish called Apricot Flower Crimson Goose. The imperial scholar Fan showed off to me, saying that he made it based on an ancient book from when he was young.”

Xie Yi chuckled. “Are you sure you drank autumn dew white and not vinegar? Why are you so sour?”