Chapter 25: Bestow Favors Generously

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Once the boat entered the Bian River, it drifted downstream, and within three days the towering walls of Bianjing came into view.

By then they had already passed through the East Water Gate and were just about to reach the Zhou Bridge Wharf inside the city.

Only Zhao Han and Sheng Wei stood on the deck, their figures reflected in the rippling light upon the water.

“I wonder, Nephew, whether you have already arranged lodgings for your stay in Bianjing,” Sheng Wei remarked, stroking his long beard as his gaze swept indifferently over the rows of taverns and shops lining both banks.

Zhao Han cupped his hands and answered honestly, “Thank you for your concern, Uncle. I am rather ashamed to say that I have not.”

“This is my first time in the capital, and I am unfamiliar with the place. I had intended to wait until the boat docked, then find a reliable broker and rent a quiet courtyard in which to prepare for the examination.”

At those words, a sharp glint flashed beneath Sheng Wei’s eyes.

From Sheng Hong’s letter, he could tell how highly the Sheng family regarded Zhao Han.

If Zhao Han’s success in the examination were not virtually assured, Wang Ruofu, who cared so deeply about family status, would never have been willing to marry her legitimate eldest daughter beneath her station.

For a merchant family, forming ties with a respected scholar was something to be dreamed of.

Here before him stood a young man of great promise. Showing him a little kindness now could bring Sheng Wei benefits beyond counting in the future.

“In that case, Nephew, if you do not mind, why not stay with me for a while?”

“I purchased a residence in the capital many years ago. Though its location is not as fine as your Uncle Hong’s house, it is quiet, which makes it ideal for preparing for the examinations.”

The corners of Sheng Wei’s eyes crinkled as his face bloomed with smiles.

Sheng Hong owned a five-courtyard residence in Jiying Lane, within the inner city and no more than three miles from the imperial palace.

Jiying Lane was considered one of the finest neighborhoods in Bianjing. Most of its residents were officials of the third rank or higher.

When the old master of the Sheng family had placed third in the metropolitan examination, he had nearly exhausted the family fortune to purchase that five-courtyard residence so that he could marry the Sheng family’s old mistress, who was the legitimate daughter of a marquis.

Otherwise, given Sheng Hong’s official rank and salary, there was no way he could have lived in Jiying Lane, where the city’s most powerful families gathered.

Faced with Sheng Wei’s offer, Zhao Han began weighing the matter in silence.

He had originally intended to purchase a residence after coming to Bianjing, but with the metropolitan examination so near, arranging a household would inevitably consume a great deal of time and attention.

After considering the matter from every angle, he decided it would be better to rent a quiet place for now and choose a permanent residence at leisure after the examination.

Once he had obtained the status of a presented scholar, he would have far more neighborhoods to choose from.

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As he pondered this, Sheng Wei smiled again. “Nephew, do not stand on ceremony with me. If your Uncle Hong learned that we had traveled together all this way, only for you to worry about lodgings upon reaching Bianjing, he would certainly blame me for failing to look after you properly.”

His words were so earnest, and he had even invoked Sheng Hong, that Zhao Han found it impossible to refuse.

Thus he replied gently, “In that case, I shall trouble you for a while, Uncle Sheng.”

Sheng Wei waved his hand with a touch of bold magnanimity.

“What trouble? If we had not encountered you last night, everyone aboard this vessel might now be feeding the fish.”

Zhao Han quickly cupped his hands. “Uncle Sheng, you jest.”

Roughly two hours later, the boat came smoothly to rest at Zhou Bridge Wharf, and a scene of prosperity and tranquility unfolded before them.

Vermilion towers and embroidered households stood in irregular rows along both banks. Beneath their flying eaves and ornate brackets hung gauze lanterns of every color. Though dusk had not yet fallen, the splendor of the night market was already being prepared.

“Brother Zhao, once you have settled in, I will take you somewhere wonderful.”

“I have been longing for it ever since I stayed in Yangzhou!”

Gu Tingye descended from the boat beside Zhao Han, his face adorned with a dazzling smile such as Zhao Han had never seen before.

Zhao Han raised a brow. “What sort of place could make you, Zhonghuai, pine for it so deeply?”

“You will know soon enough. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.” Gu Tingye laughed heartily twice after saying this.

He had taken only a few steps after leaving the boat when he spotted the carriage of the Marquis of Ningyuan’s residence.

At every wharf throughout the Great Zhou, there were brokerages responsible for coordinating berthing, loading and unloading cargo, and other such affairs.

If an important person or valuable shipment was expected, one could even commission a broker to keep watch over the vessel’s movements, or hire porters to wait in advance and report to the household the moment the ship was about to arrive.

As soon as Lady Qin received word at the marquis’s residence, she immediately set down her bowl and chopsticks and eagerly ordered the servants to prepare a carriage and wait for Gu Tingye.

Anyone who witnessed such behavior would have praised her for possessing the heart of a loving mother.

Inside the carriage, Lady Qin had delicate features and a well-maintained face lightly touched with powder.

She wore a long purple robe embroidered with flowers, her hair swept high into a coiffure and adorned with several glazed hairpins.

A gentle, warm smile rested upon her lips, and she carried herself with the unhurried composure of the principal lady of a marquis’s household.

She had spotted Gu Tingye as well and was now waving to him with great affection.

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“Brother Zhao, look. The lady in the carriage is my stepmother.”

“With such a gentle and kindly appearance, it is truly difficult for me to believe that she was the one who joined forces with the Bai family to have me killed.”

Zhao Han smiled faintly and said in a mild voice, “Whether she was or not, you will know once you test her. Remember, no matter what she says later, you must obediently return to the marquis’s residence and admit your fault. It would be best not to argue with the Marquis of Ningyuan either.”

“Still, I suspect she probably does not want you to return today.”

A trace of suspicion flickered beneath Gu Tingye’s eyes. “That should not be the case… surely?”

Zhao Han said nothing more. He merely gave Gu Tingye’s shoulder a long, meaningful pat.

He then boarded a carriage and accompanied Sheng Wei to the latter’s residence in Yulin Lane, within the inner city.

When Pinlan learned that Zhao Han would be staying at the Sheng residence for a while, she danced for joy inside the carriage.

“Wonderful! Once Young Master Zhao finishes the metropolitan examination, I absolutely must have him teach me archery!”

Shulan sat quietly beside her, gently shaking her head with a tender smile upon her face.

Meanwhile, only after Zhao Han’s carriage had disappeared into the distance did Gu Tingye bring Shitou before Lady Qin.

“Mother.” As usual, Gu Tingye cupped his hands and bowed to Lady Qin.

When Lady Qin saw that Gu Tingye had not grown haggard during his time in Yangzhou, but instead stood before her full of vigor, she could not help feeling somewhat vexed.

The fingertips gripping her fan tightened unconsciously, yet the kindly, concerned smile remained upon her face, and her voice was as gentle as flowing water.

“Erlang, you left without a word after sending only a letter this time, and your father was furious for several days.” She sighed softly, waving her round fan before her chest. “He nearly dragged Tingwei over and beat him to vent his anger.”

Seeing Gu Tingye’s expression shift slightly, she added with feigned sorrow, “And now that he has learned you have already returned to the capital, he was so enraged in the study that he smashed several cups just now.”

“I tried to persuade him for quite some time, but he would not calm down. In my opinion, when you go to see your father later, you must offer him a proper apology. Otherwise, you will surely receive a lesson under the household rules.”

Just as Gu Tingye began to think that Zhao Han’s guess had been wrong, Nanny Xiang, who stood beside Lady Qin, spoke up.

“Young Master would do better to hide for a few days. There is no harm in returning once the marquis has cooled his temper.”

At those words, a note of wariness immediately flashed beneath Gu Tingye’s eyes. Remembering Zhao Han’s instructions, he cupped his hands and said, “Mother is right. I ought to return and properly apologize to Father. He is angry only because he still cares about me.”

At this, the movement of Lady Qin’s round fan faltered almost imperceptibly.

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