Chapter 229 — Rushing About

Chen Yanzhou apologized once more, though his manner now carried a touch more ease and a touch less formality.

After instructing Wu Sheng on what to inquire about, Wu Zhipeng said, "Do you still remember Xiao Shuqin? He's now an advisor in the Changxing Marquis household. After you left the capital, he often came by to sit with me. It's rare for you to come home—why not call him over and we'll have a few cups together?"

Xiao Shuqin was someone he had come to know back when he was an advisor in the capital. By his reckoning, they had not seen each other for over twenty years.

Hearing that he was an advisor in the Changxing Marquis household, Chen Yanzhou's heart stirred. He clapped his hands in approval and urged Wu Zhipeng to send for the man.

Wu Zhipeng gave the order, then spoke to Chen Yanzhou about Xiao Shuqin: "...He doesn't have your talent. He's been muddling along in the Changxing Marquis household for seven or eight years, and all he does is help write the occasional eulogy or invitation card. He's never been able to squeeze his way in close to the Marquis—just passing the days, really!"

Chen Yanzhou smiled. "Noble houses are not like official families. In an official family, one can still seek a career path; but in a noble house, sometimes even the family members themselves can't secure a post, let alone help an advisor find one. It seems Brother Shuqin has truly grown weary of serving as an advisor in official households and is preparing to spend his old age in the Changxing Marquis household."

Wu Zhipeng thought for a moment, then smiled. "There's something to what you say. From what I see, he's idle all day with nothing to do—quite at leisure."

Chen Yanzhou then followed this thread to inquire about the noble houses of the capital, and in the end the conversation turned back to Song Cen, the Duke of Ying: "...I hear he holds the xiucai degree, and that he took charge of the Front Army seal of the Five Armies Command at just over thirty? Clearly the man has considerable talent!"

Civil officials dispatch generals; military officials mobilize troops.

Though the Minister of War was a civil official, the mobilization of troops had to go through the Five Armies Command. The five seal-holding commanders appointed by the Emperor himself were the Emperor's true confidants.

"That he can dash off a couple of doggerel verses is true enough." Wu Zhipeng's assessment of Song Cen was not high. "That he could become a seal-holding commander is thanks to his gentle, pliant nature and the generations of loyalty of the Yingzhenguo household."

"Oh!" Chen Yanzhou smiled. "What do you mean by that?" He looked greatly interested.

Wu Zhipeng reflected that Chen Yanzhou might well follow the fourth young lady of the Dou family to the Yingzhenguo household, so his curiosity was not hard to understand.

He smiled. "That would require starting from the Duke of Ying's origins..."

The two drank tea and spun tales together. By the time Xiao Shuqin arrived, the tea had been changed several times. Old friends meeting again in their twilight years—amid the excitement and reminiscence, who had any thought left for the affairs of the Yingzhenguo household?

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Chen Yanzhou drank himself into a stupor and slept at the Wu residence until the sun was high in the sky before rising.

The hangover made his head pound like a drum, and his mouth was bitter and dry. Just as he was rubbing his temples, Wu Zhipeng came in beaming: "Qushui, Chunlin and the others heard you're still alive and were beside themselves with excitement—they're on their way here now. Liang Zhu has even booked a private room at the Zuixian Tower to welcome you. Hurry and freshen up—Chunlin and the rest will be here any moment."

Chen Yanzhou smiled bitterly.

Unable to refuse such warmth, that evening the group drank themselves senseless at the Zuixian Tower.

The next day, just as Chen Yanzhou was about to take his leave, Wu Sheng, who had gone to make inquiries, returned.

Chen Yanzhou downed two cups of cold tea and sat talking with Wu Sheng in the guest room.

It was not until the sun sank in the west that Wu Sheng came out of the guest room.

Wu Zhipeng did not ask what they had discussed; he and Xiao Shuqin, who had hurried over, warmly entertained him at supper, and only after Chen Yanzhou had repeatedly begged leave did he send a sedan chair to carry Chen Yanzhou to the brush-and-ink shop on Drum Tower Lower Street.

Sulan had already been waiting there a whole day.

At the sight of Chen Yanzhou, she could not help pouting and scolding him in a coquettish tone: "You really are too much, Elder Chen—going off without leaving word with anyone, and keeping the young mistress waiting so long."

Only then did Chen Yanzhou realize with a start that today was already the sixteenth of the eighth month, and that only eight days remained before Dou Yan's wedding.

He apologized again and again: "Might I ask what the young mistress wanted with me?"

"I don't know either," Sulan said with a smile. "Only that it was very urgent. She sent me here once yesterday, but you were not in."

Chen Yanzhou, paying no mind to the lateness of the hour, changed his clothes and followed Sulan to the Crane Cry Temple alley.

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Making up for the update of June 2.

o(n_n)o~

ps: Tonight's update will come at the usual time.

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