Chapter 52 The List

Looking at the folded sheet of paper, Li Tinghan felt a sudden wave of timidity.

Standing nearby, Chu Xiao felt her heart leap into her throat. Shen Chabai, that stubborn girl, had hidden the item so securely that there was no telling what deadly secret it might contain. Had she known beforehand that it would be discovered by her current husband, she wouldn't have bothered with any notions of respect; she would have insisted on clearing out whatever was inside long ago.

After a brief hesitation, Li Tinghan finally unfolded the paper, leaving any regret Chu Xiao felt entirely useless.

She peeked over cautiously, only to see that the paper was covered with numerous names, some marked with crosses and others circled.

At first, Chu Xiao failed to understand what was written on it, but Cui Xiewen, who had approached the two of them at some point, broke the mystery with a single sentence, "Aren't these eligible bachelors of marriageable age in Chang'an City?"

Noticing their gazes turning to her simultaneously, Cui Xiewen slowly curved her lips into a smile, "Last year, Mother intended to arrange a match for my younger sister, and all of these names appeared on the roster at the time."

Feigning puzzlement, Cui Xiewen remarked, "Whose matchmaker is this with such high standards? Everyone on this list is from a prominent, noble family; not a single one is below the third rank."

Cui Xiewen spared no effort in signaling to Li Tinghan, watching with satisfaction as his expression darkened. He crumpled the paper in his hand and strode out aggressively.

The moment Li Tinghan left the Pavilion of a Thousand Golds, Cui Xiewen wore a triumphant smile, but the very next second, her right cheek took a solid, resounding slap.

Lifting her head, Cui Xiewen stared at Chu Xiao in disbelief, "How dare you hit me?"

"I hit you, so what? Do I need to pick an auspicious day for it?" Chu Xiao rolled up her sleeves, looking ready for a fistfight.

As a young lady of a distinguished family, Cui Xiewen had never witnessed such behavior and immediately retreated in fright, "How dare you strike me? Do you believe I will—"

"Go tell on me? Go ahead, then," Chu Xiao said, resting her hands on her hips with utter indifference. "Before the night is even over, the imprint of this slap on your face will have vanished. My place is never short of methods to discipline a young woman without leaving a trace. Would you like to try?"

Cui Xiewen kept backing away. "You cannot treat me this way. Why are you doing this? Could it be because of Shen Chabai...?"

Chu Xiao rested one foot on a stool. "This has nothing to do with her. She originally intended to let you stay under my roof, and as long as you caused no trouble, you would be fed and housed properly. It is you who provoked me."

Trembling all over, Cui Xiewen forced herself to argue, "I merely spoke the truth. If she had nothing to hide—"

Before she could finish, Chu Xiao poked her firmly on the forehead with an index finger. "What she does is none of my business! I need you to use your brain. After all these years, I finally managed to find someone who could help turn my Pavilion of a Thousand Golds into a proper tavern. If you ruin my plans..."

Chu Xiao emitted a cold snort, leaving the threat hanging heavily in the air.

Cui Xiewen swallowed hard. "It won't come to that. Brother Han did this for my sake. As long as I am here, Brother Han will not abandon me."

"Let's hope so," Chu Xiao sneered, turning and walking away.

***

The Prince of Yan's Residence

Shen Chabai had just finished nursing little A'ning. Looking at her peaceful, sleeping face, her heart softened to the point of melting.

Although the prince's residence employed wet nurses, Shen Chabai had an abundant supply of milk and preferred to feed the child herself most of the time.

The residence had certain conventions regarding such children—rules about holding grandchildren rather than one's own children, and social distinctions dictating that infants should only be carried by wet nurses for the masters to view.

Shen Chabai sneered at such notions. Fortunately, she was merely a concubine and not of such precious status; once her door was closed, no one would ever know how she interacted with her child.

She dedicated the better part of her time to A'ning. She had once heard that newborns were much like little animals. Their vision was not yet developed, and the only thing they could remember was scent. Shen Chabai had no desire for her child to feel closer to a wet nurse than to her own mother, so she desperately wanted to stay by A'ning's side day and night, ensuring the baby engraved her scent in memory.

Just as Shen Chabai was enjoying this tranquil moment, a young eunuch hurried into the front courtyard, shouting, "Terrible news! A large crowd of scholars has gathered before the gates of our residence, clamoring for the estate to hand over the three children of the Feng family. They look as though they are about to force their way in."

Shen Chabai frowned. The worst-case scenario had materialized after all.

Chunchan asked anxiously, "My Lady, what should we do now?"

Shen Chabai gently rocked the cradle. "Did you not hear what the little eunuch said? Those gathered outside the gates are scholars, and some among them might even be imperial examination candidates preparing for the exams this year. It is unwise to clash with them head-on."

"However, this is the residence of an imperial prince. If they were to force their way inside, it would be no different from rebellion. Station a few guards at the gates without weapons or clubs; given enough time, they will disperse on their own."

"Understood," the little eunuch nodded repeatedly.

Shen Chabai instructed further, "Send for the Prince, and urge him not to come into conflict with those scholars upon his return. Also, bring the three young ladies of the Feng family to my quarters."

The little eunuch had nodded repeatedly at her first instruction, but at the mention of the latter, he froze in place.

Shen Chabai felt a premonition of dread. "What has happened?"

"The three young ladies of the Feng family were summoned by Secondary Consort Lu, and right now..."

Before he could finish, Shen Chabai stood up abruptly and rushed toward the main entrance like a storm.

She should have anticipated this. The management of household affairs still rested in the hands of Secondary Consort Lu. The three Feng sisters had no blood ties to Secondary Consort Lu, and since they were brought into the estate by Shen Chabai herself, the Secondary Consort would undoubtedly push them out to minimize the scandal when a crisis arose.

Discarding all etiquette and decorum, Shen Chabai walked at a pace so fast she was practically running.

Across a courtyard, she heard the clamor that threatened to tear the roof off the estate, as if two opposing factions were already shouting at one another.

Shen Chabai quickened her pace, her heart hammering against her ribs, though she never could have anticipated the scene that met her eyes.

The three young ladies of the Feng family stood hand in hand at the very back, peering out timidly. Dressed with extreme luxury, Secondary Consort Lu stood at the very front, flanked by a dozen maids and eunuchs, projecting an imposing aura.

Flinging her head back arrogantly, she looked down with utter disdain at the noisy crowd outside, shouting, "What manner of creatures are you, daring to come and cause trouble at the Prince's residence? This is the estate of an imperial prince, and whoever dares to take another step forward, I shall have his head severed!"

Shen Chabai breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the three young ladies unharmed, but the moment she heard Lu Yuanshuang's words, that breath caught in her throat once more.

Most of the scholars outside were youths, right at the age when fiery passion burned without an outlet. Upon hearing Lu Yuanshuang's words, the ringleader raised his arms in a rallying cry, and the crowd surged forward. It looked as though they were about to breach the guards' defense line and flood into the residence.

Fortunately, the guards had followed Shen Chabai's advice and carried neither weapons nor clubs. Although the crowd was shouting fiercely, no actual violence had broken out yet.

Shen Chabai instructed Chunchan to escort the three young ladies back to safety and urged the little eunuch to fetch Li Tinghan to take command of the situation.

Yet, at that moment, Lu Yuanshuang procured a sword from somewhere, pointed it at the crowd, and cursed, "A rebellion! This is a rebellion! A pack of rebellious traitors, every last one of you deserves to die!"