Chapter Seven: Underestimating the Ancients

To Zheng Yanqing’s surprise, Zheng Chang showed little enthusiasm after his return. He made no haste to take over the Zheng family affairs; instead, he spent most of his days chatting with Zheng Dashi, seldom venturing out, and even then returning early, rarely interacting with outsiders. This behavior suited his current situation: a disgraced official sent home. How could he possibly have the heart to mingle and make merry? That would have been truly abnormal.

Yet as the days slipped by, Yanqing found no flaw in Zheng Chang’s conduct, and a sense of urgency began to gnaw at him. Winter had arrived, accompanied by a heavy snowfall; soon it would be the New Year, and Yanqing was to travel to Luoyang with Zheng Shian.

Yanqing hoped to find a suitable opportunity to warn Zheng Dashi before their departure. After all, choosing the wrong side in a power struggle could be disastrous. In ancient times, entire families could be executed for such mistakes—no noble house was truly safe.

The most striking example was from the twentieth year of the Kaihuang reign: after Crown Prince Yang Yong was deposed, his attendant Cui Junchuo was implicated and nearly lost his life. If not for his marriage to a member of the imperial clan, he might well have faced execution. Even so, the Cui family’s property was confiscated, and they were sent back to their ancestral home in Xingyang.

Cui Junchuo belonged to the Cui clan of Qinghe, Zhengzhou branch, with a formidable aristocratic lineage, and was related to the imperial house—yet even he suffered such a fate. Yanqing had accompanied Zheng Shian to visit the Cui family when they returned to Xingyang. According to Zheng Shian, the family’s lands were seized, their servants sold off, and they survived only through the charity of their kin.

With the example of the Cui clan before him, Yanqing grew ever more anxious. Should Zheng Chang cause any trouble, dragging the Zheng family down with him, even Yanqing himself might not escape unscathed.

He had grown fond of life within the Zheng household. Although his status was not high, he lived carefree, and no one dared trouble him. If calamity befell the Zhengs, his own days would soon grow bleak.

But to warn Zheng Dashi, he needed evidence. Zheng Chang spent all his days secluded in the house—how was Yanqing supposed to uncover any proof?

These thoughts weighed heavily upon him.

“Young scholar, why are you sitting here daydreaming?” Duoduo entered from outside, finding Yanqing seated on the steps of the main hall, and could not help but ask.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Yanqing replied, lifting his head to see that Duoduo, unlike usual, was not dressed in her martial attire but wore a white long robe with a dark overcoat. Her hair was styled in twin buns, a faint smile gracing her delicate face—she looked both elegant and dignified.

“Duoduo, did you just go out?” After two years of training together, Yanqing had gradually dropped the habit of calling her “sister.” After all, he bore the soul of a forty-year-old man, and addressing a young girl as “sister” felt unnatural. Duoduo, for her part, never minded, and called him by name without complaint. At his question, she hesitated, then answered softly, “Mother asked me to accompany her shopping, but I found it dull, so I returned early.”

“I see,” Yanqing replied absently. “Madam Xu has been going out quite often these days.”

“Ah, yes—there’s been a lot to take care of lately,” Duoduo answered, somewhat surprised by his question.

“I was only making casual conversation,” Yanqing said.

“And I gave a casual answer.” Yanqing sensed something odd about Duoduo today, though he couldn’t quite pinpoint what felt off. She rarely offered explanations before, but today she did… Still, with his mind preoccupied by Zheng Chang, he didn’t press further. He hugged his knees, assuming a pensive pose.

“Young scholar, what’s troubling you today?”

“Duoduo, after New Year’s, we may have to leave here.”

“Oh? Where to?”

“Grandfather says that since the second master has returned, he’ll be taking over the household affairs. The eldest young master will take office in Luoyang as Director of the Eastern Bureau after the New Year, and will need attendants. So the plan is for us to accompany him to Luoyang and look after his family.”

“Luoyang?” Duoduo’s body gave a slight shiver. The Zheng family’s impending move to Luoyang was no secret, but hearing it confirmed from Yanqing’s own lips caused her expression to change. She quickly lowered her gaze and said softly, “Going to Luoyang is a good thing… Why do you look so worried?”

“I just feel uneasy. The master has already announced that the second master will take over the household, but he’s been back for so long and hasn’t involved himself at all. Grandfather works late into the night—I worry about him…”

“You’re really devoted, young scholar!” Duoduo praised him gently, making Yanqing feel embarrassed. He couldn’t very well confess that his suspicions about Zheng Chang were the cause of his concern—if Duoduo let something slip, Zheng Chang might just send someone to kill him that very night. With a warrior at his side, it would be all too easy.

“By the way, I saw the Smiling Tiger today!” Seeing Yanqing silent, Duoduo abruptly shifted the topic to something that piqued his interest.

The “Smiling Tiger” was the nickname for the plump scholar who had returned with Zheng Chang. According to Zheng Chang, the man’s surname was Wang, given name Jingwen, a native of Yangzhou, and had been purchased as a steward in Taiyuan. Plump and constantly smiling like a laughing Buddha, Wang Jingwen seemed amicable, but Duoduo privately disliked him, saying he had a violent air.

Yanqing was no expert in physiognomy, but with decades of experience in officialdom, he’d developed his own eye for people. He suspected Wang Jingwen was far more than just a steward. Both Zheng Chang and Wang Jingwen acted well, but Zheng Chang unconsciously displayed a certain humility in Wang’s presence—and not just with him, but also before the warrior named Pei An. This was far from normal.

Thus, Yanqing privately dubbed Wang Jingwen the “Smiling Tiger” and Pei An the “Cold-faced Ghost.”

At Duoduo’s mention of Wang Jingwen, Yanqing’s mind stirred. He realized he’d overlooked something important these past days.

“Where did you see him?” he asked instinctively.

“At the Waterside Pavilion,” Duoduo replied.

The Waterside Pavilion was a century-old restaurant in Xingyang, the largest and most extravagant establishment in town. Ordinary folk were not admitted; only the wealthy and powerful could enter, making it a status symbol.

Yanqing had heard of the place, but never set foot inside—not for lack of desire, but for lack of standing.

Duoduo continued, “Guess who Wang Jingwen was with, young scholar—you’ll never believe it.”

“Who?”

“Cui Jingmao and Cui Junchuo!”

“What?” Yanqing was taken aback.

Cui Jingmao was the clan leader of the Cui family of Qinghe, Zhengzhou branch, and their chief representative in the Central Plains. Of the ten branches of the Cui clan, three had settled in the Central Plains, with the Zhengzhou branch being the most powerful.

Though Cui Junchuo had fallen on hard times, the Zhengzhou Cui family remained formidable. His brothers, Cui Junsu and Cui Junzhou, still held office at court. Cui Jingmao, as clan leader, rarely appeared in public and maintained a low profile, though he had visited Anyuantang a few times—Duoduo had seen him before.

Great noble families prided themselves on their exclusivity. Scions of such lineages looked down on commoners. Even Zheng Shian, representing Anyuantang, was treated with indifference by Cui Jingmao. How could Wang Jingwen, a mere steward recently arrived in Xingyang, merit an invitation from Cui Jingmao?

“Duoduo, are you sure you weren’t mistaken?”

She pouted. “How could I be wrong? Cui Jingmao’s red mole between his brows is unmistakable.”

“I mean the Smiling Tiger…”

“That’s even less likely! I’m certain I saw him. Cui Jingmao arrived at the Pavilion with a large entourage. The Smiling Tiger slipped in from the side and joined them at once. Then Cui’s servants blocked my view and he disappeared.”

Yanqing drew in a sharp breath, his expression growing contemplative.

He had been careless—truly careless! Despite his status, he’d always harbored a certain confidence as a transmigrant. Yet, with all his years in politics, he’d failed to see through such an obvious ruse: a feint in the open, a real move in secret.

Sudden clarity dawned—Zheng Chang’s return was but a smokescreen. The true masterminds were Wang Jingwen, and perhaps Pei An as well. Yet all this time, Yanqing had focused solely on Zheng Chang.

A grave miscalculation!

Yanqing was now certain: Zheng Chang’s return to Xingyang was no simple matter, and Wang Jingwen and Pei An were likely using false names. These two—Wang Jingwen in particular—were the true agents of Prince Han, Yang Liang. With this in mind, all previous oddities fell into place. Zheng Chang was not truly dismissed, but had instead returned with a secret mission.

Xingzhou held a vital strategic position, linking the two capitals and guarding the gateway to the Three Qin regions. In his previous life, Yanqing had worked in the provincial capital of the Central Plains and knew the area well. The Zheng family’s preeminence in Xingyang was not only due to centuries of scholarly tradition and many illustrious ancestors, but also to a great advantage: the largest ironworks of the era, under their control.

The Zheng Ironworks was founded in the Three Kingdoms period by the famed minister Zheng Hun of Cao Wei. Later generations claimed Zheng Hun was of low birth and skilled in metallurgy—but in fact, he was a scion of the Xingyang Zhengs, adept at both metallurgy and governance. The ironworks he established became the Zheng clan’s greatest asset through centuries of turmoil. It was said that even the renowned Northern Qi swordsmith Huanmu Huaiwen had relied on their technology to forge his famous steel blades.

With this in mind, the purpose behind Prince Han’s dispatch of Zheng Chang became clear. The Zheng Ironworks was listed among the industries of Anyuantang…

“Young scholar, why are you silent? What are you thinking?” Duoduo nudged him, puzzled by his prolonged silence.

“Duoduo, we’re in trouble,” Yanqing said gravely.

“What kind of trouble?”

“I’ve long suspected the second master’s return is ill-intentioned… If he stirs up disaster, we may be in danger.”

Duoduo’s face paled, but she quickly regained her composure. “If that’s the case, you should tell the master and warn him to be careful.”

“Accusing one’s superiors without solid proof could get me beaten to death,” Yanqing shook his head. “It’s better to be cautious.”

“So what do you propose?” Duoduo asked.

Yanqing hugged his knees, pondering for a moment before replying in a low voice, “The first priority is to obtain evidence. Only with evidence can we warn the master.”

“Evidence?” Duoduo looked troubled. “Where can we find evidence? The second master stays in the inner quarters all day—it would be difficult to investigate.”

“If it’s hard to get anything from the second master, perhaps we can find clues from the Smiling Tiger?”

Yanqing pondered, his eyes lighting up as an idea formed.

“Duoduo, do you dare take a risk with me?”

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First update today. Second update after five o’clock, third at eight. Please recommend and bookmark!