Chapter 34: The Living Ancestor
Spring was in full bloom, its light gentle and lingering.
Because both the Marquis of Huai’an and his heir had been dismissed from their posts, aside from initial inquiries and probing for news from relatives and friends, no one had visited the Marquis’s residence for a long time.
Today, an order suddenly arrived from the palace, and everyone in the residence dressed formally and waited at the steps outside the gate.
Looking at the small dog circling his feet, Zhao Weimin asked dazedly, “This… Her Highness sent a special order just for this slender hound?”
He stared at the letter for a long time. The content was simple: the Emperor had gifted her a slender hound, and having such a fine creature, she dared not keep it for herself, so she specially gifted it to her father, instructing him and Lady Xu to take good care of it.
Although the content was simple, it could not be ignored in the slightest; it even bore the seal of the Department of Palace Services.
It was extremely formal.
“If not for it, who else could it be for?” Cheng Ning, a steward from Jiaofang Palace, laughed. “This is a token of Her Highness’s regard. Don’t be fooled by its silly appearance now; in a while, when it grows up, it will be quite majestic!”
Slender hounds were capable assistants in hunting, and noblemen would bring one or two along when they went out to hunt. Zhao Weimin had raised them when he was young, so he was somewhat familiar with them.
But a dog bestowed by the Emperor, with the Empress personally instructing them to take good care of it—no matter how one thought about it, it felt like a “living ancestor” had arrived at the residence.
What was going on with his eldest daughter? If she truly missed her father, wouldn’t sending some money and various rewards to the residence be enough? Doing this—was she trying to comfort him and A-Xu, or torture his old bones?
Zhao Weimin’s smile was a bit stiff. He tried several times before finally managing a smile. “Many thanks to Her Highness for her concern. Having this small dog by my side does indeed bring some comfort. This subject is endlessly grateful.”
Cheng Ning smiled and said warmly, “As long as the Marquis likes it. Oh, right, Her Highness has even given it a name. It’s called Zhao A-Huang.”
As a hunting dog, A-Huang had the liveliest of temperaments. While the two were talking, A-Huang was already happily frolicking in the hall, darting in and out of the gaps between the chairs and tables.
Unlike other dogs, A-Huang wasn’t born fond of barking. Zhao Yiyi had once thought it was a little mute until she realized it simply didn’t like making noise.
Seeing a small dog running around the room, Zhao Shunian looked on with envy. He had long coveted Zhao Chen’s dog, but Zhao Chen wouldn’t let him play with it. That was why he had gone to complain to his father, claiming Zhao Chen was neglecting his studies by playing with things.
Even so, Zhao Chen still wouldn’t let him touch it.
He would rather die than give it up.
Thinking of the previous incident, Zhao Shunian was almost furious.
Seeing this small slender hound now, he immediately started chasing it around the hall. Lady Xu scolded him a couple of times but only shook her head with a smile, her eyes full of helplessness.
Before anyone in the hall could react, Cheng Ning’s expression changed first, and he urgently ordered someone to stop Zhao Shunian’s actions.
His son was just playing with the small dog, yet this eunuch was so rude. He was just a eunuch from Jiaofang Palace, yet he dared to embarrass him in public like this. Zhao Weimin’s expression was also unpleasant, his eyes slightly dark. “Steward Cheng, he’s just a child playing. You know A-Nian is Her Highness’s younger brother. Since Her Highness specially sent A-Huang over, letting A-Nian play with A-Huang for a while shouldn’t be a problem.”
Her Highness’s younger brother? Cheng Ning sneered, the corners of his lips curling. Whether Her Highness recognized this brother was still up for debate.
Although he thought a lot, Cheng Ning still had a smile on his face, but he pulled Zhao Weimin aside and said, “Marquis, it’s not that I don’t want to let the young master play, but A-Huang’s background is quite significant. We cannot easily allow any mishaps.”
“Please enlighten me, Steward.” Zhao Weimin cupped his hands.
Cheng Ning first cupped his hands toward the palace, then said, “This A-Huang is the nephew of His Majesty’s beloved dog!”
He had thought the Empress was just bestowing a dog, who knew the dog had such a status. Zhao Weimin’s expression changed several times before he finally said, “Many thanks to the Steward for the reminder today.”
The two returned to their seats and chatted and laughed again.
Before leaving, Cheng Ning specifically instructed, “Marquis, remember, A-Huang’s status is noble. It must be carefully tended to by you and the Madam personally. As for others, with their clumsy hands and feet, Her Highness is ultimately not very reassured.”
Glancing at the people in the hall again, Cheng Ning smiled at Zhao Duanduan and Zhao Chen. “Her Highness knows the Second Miss and Second Young Master like small dogs, and specially permits you two to play with A-Huang.”
Their eyes suddenly brightened, looking at A-Huang with a bit of fervor.
After Cheng Ning left, Zhao Weimin dismissed the children and led A-Huang back to the courtyard.
After pacing a few rounds in the courtyard, he gradually sensed something amiss.
Gifted by His Majesty, specially bestowed to the Marquis’s residence by the Empress, and the nephew of His Majesty’s beloved dog—every single item reminded him that there could be no negligence regarding A-Huang.
The Empress ordering him and A-Xu to care for it personally was as it should be. Not allowing A-Nian to touch it recklessly was also out of concern for his childish nature, fearing he might hurt or provoke A-Huang.
But… what did she mean by exclusively allowing A-Chen and Duanduan to play with it?
Just as he was pondering, Lady Xu walked in from outside and said helplessly, “A-Nian likes that A-Huang or whatever. Marquis, just let him play for a while; his crying is giving me a headache.”
“He’s so big, why is he still crying over a slender hound?” Even though he usually doted on his youngest son, Zhao Weimin’s face showed a hint of displeasure, and he flatly rejected Lady Xu’s suggestion. “No. Cheng Ning just instructed not to let A-Nian touch it. If we disobey right away and it gets out…”
If it got out, they wouldn’t have a good time.
Lady Xu said indignantly, “What dog is so precious that no one is allowed to touch it!”
Seeming to think of something, she frowned. “But A-Chen and Duanduan are allowed to touch it.” She felt a bit humiliated and said resentfully, “Marquis, this isn’t sending a dog to the two of us; it’s clearly asking us to raise a dog for the two of them.”
She just said it casually, but hearing it, Zhao Weimin thought more and more that it was indeed as she said: he and A-Xu were raising a dog for A-Chen and Duanduan.
After realizing this, Zhao Weimin felt a blockage in his heart, his vision darkening, and he nearly fainted from anger.
In the waterside pavilion by the pond, looking at his overjoyed Second Sister, Zhao Chen said helplessly, “Second Sister, you’ve been happy for half the day. Although A-Huang is cute, I also have a small dog in my room. There’s no need for you to be this happy.”
“Of course I’m happy.” A smile rippled at the corner of Zhao Duanduan’s lips as she declared confidently, “It must be because I mentioned last time that Father almost threw away your small dog that Elder Sister specially sent A-Huang over!”
Zhao Chen was stunned. Although he also liked A-Huang very much, he hadn’t thought as deeply as his Second Sister.
After a little analysis, Zhao Chen’s eyes also widened slightly.
Just because Father almost threw away his small dog, to vent his anger, Elder Sister actually made Father raise a dog for him!
“We have to agree.” Zhao Duanduan counted on her fingers. “You already have your own puppy, so A-Huang has to belong to me from now on. You’re not allowed to fight me for it!”
Hearing no answer from Zhao Chen, she couldn’t help reaching out to tweak his ear. “I’m talking to you, did you hear me!”
Zhao Chen desperately dodged, then asked, “Second Sister, Second Sister, didn’t you say you didn’t like my puppy? Why… ow, that hurts, stop hitting me!”
Zhao Duanduan withdrew her hand indignantly, clapping her hands and saying, “Is that the same?” Seeing Zhao Chen about to speak again, she said unhappily, “Alright, alright, hurry up and eat the pastries and go review your books. You’re so annoying.”
In Jiaofang Palace, listening to Cheng Ning’s report, Zhao Yiyi couldn’t help laughing. “He didn’t let his precious son touch it? He wasn’t angry?”
Cheng Ning knew who the Empress was referring to. After a pause, he replied, “The Marquis wanted to flare up, but after this slave mentioned A-Huang’s background, he didn’t speak again, seemingly forcing himself to suppress it.”
Thinking of him cursing in his heart while having to personally care for A-Huang, Zhao Yiyi almost laughed out loud.
Why bother? If he doesn’t make me unhappy, I won’t make him unhappy.
Wouldn’t it be good if everyone was fine and didn’t interfere with each other?
If it were like that, I could ignore their family.
But no, they refuse to stay put and insist on provoking me.
Truly annoying.
Thinking of this, Zhao Yiyi frowned slightly, then ordered, “Go and fetch the zither.”
The palace attendant acknowledged the order and withdrew, bringing out the zither the Empress usually liked to use.
Zhao Yiyi placed a low stool under the pear tree, put the zither on her knees, and tilted her head to tune it. Inadvertently, she glimpsed a peach blossom branch extending in from within the wall. It grew on the palace path outside; somehow, the branches were so long they reached into Jiaofang Palace.
“It must have found staying outside too stuffy and wanted to stick its head in to take a look,” Yunzhu joked from the side.
A dazed look flashed across Zhao Yiyi’s face, followed by a light laugh. “Yes, always staying inside is also stuffy; one wants to stick their head out to look outside.”
She gazed towards the south. Yunzhu followed her gaze but saw nothing except the pink wall.
She thought for a long time but couldn’t figure out what the Empress meant by those words.
But Zhao Yiyi clearly had no intention of dissecting it with her. She just stared at the peach blossom branch for a long time, then turned the last tuning peg, adjusting the strings.
She was a little homesick.
She missed the locust flower cakes and candied olives of the West Market, the fermented glutinous rice balls, Danai cakes, and authentic soup cakes of the East Market, and the Hu girls with high noses and deep eyes at Zhenyu Tower, their accessories jingling as they danced the Hu swirling dance.
Every rest day of the month, Grandfather would take them out to explore treasures in the East Market, trying to find gems among countless fish eyes, or bargaining with Hu merchants in the West Market to buy one or two novelties.
Gems were never found, and the novelties might not be that novel, but in the end, every time they returned, they would be scolded by Grandmother.
Even though they were scolded, they continued to do these things tirelessly.
After tuning, Zhao Yiyi chose a piece and began to play. She had been practicing the zither for more than nine years, never stopping regardless of the time. Her technique was very proficient, and most pieces came easily to her.
To excise that person from her heart was easy to say, but every day, she felt a dull ache in her chest, almost to the point of suffocation.
Just thinking of that person was painful.
But she could only stifle these thoughts in her heart, never telling anyone.
Once, she had wanted to rush over and ask him, ask him if he had ever liked her in all these years. Later, she really did it, taking advantage of being drunk to pull at him and ask once.
In the end, she received no answer.
But today, those thoughts had faded from her heart. What she wanted more now was to ask her past self why she had fallen for him.
If she hadn’t fallen for him back then, she wouldn’t be suffering so much now, would she?
The murmuring sound of the zither poured from the sound box. The surroundings were so quiet that only the wind remained, so the faint zither music drifted over the pink wall.
A procession passed silently along the palace path. Upon hearing the music, Gu Zhen raised his hand slightly, signaling the palace servants to stop.
The zither music was like a trickling stream, sometimes rapid, sometimes gentle; or like the wind in late autumn, sometimes sharp, sometimes soft and mild.
As the sounds drifted past, Gu Zhen’s heart trembled along with them.
Before the piece ended, the music stopped. Gu Zhen frowned slightly and heard voices coming from within the palace wall.
“I’m not feeling very well today. Put the zither away for now.”
Gu Zhen was stunned.
Not feeling well?
That day, the two of them parted on bad terms again. She had a big temper and was stubborn, refusing to bow her head in the slightest. She also liked to get angry, and when she got angry, she loved to cry. Since that day, she must not be feeling very well in her heart either, right?
A sudden wave of irritability rose in his heart. Gu Zhen raised his hand to loosen his collar, suppressing the annoyance between his brows.
Observing his expression, Wu Mao whispered, “Your Majesty, do you want to go in and see Her Highness?”
The person was silent for a long time before finally saying flatly, “Let’s go.”
This meant not going in.
Before the group had gone far, they heard the Empress’s gentle voice coming from within the pink wall again: “Although A-Huang has been sent away, we still have to send someone to check on it often to avoid any mishaps.”
Wu Mao’s heart trembled violently, then he carefully used his peripheral vision to peek at the Emperor’s expression.
Author’s Note:
Gu Zhen: Yiyi actually gave my dog away, unhappy @
Yiyi: If you’re unhappy, I’m happy.
Gu Zhen: Even more unhappy @
Making up… for yesterday… still 30 small red envelopes~
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