Chapter 46 Family Letter

Chapter 46: A Letter from Home

The steward entered the courtyard slowly, holding a bundle in his hands.

"Master Cheng, this is something Madam Cheng has sent for you."

Cheng Ge heard this but didn't react at first, until the steward called him again, snapping him back to reality. "Oh, just put it on the table."

The steward placed the bundle on the table as instructed and withdrew. Cheng Ge stared at the bundle before him, his heart a tangled mess of emotions.

If no one had mentioned it, he would have forgotten that in this world, he still had parents.

He reached out to pick up the bundle but quickly withdrew his hand. The original owner was gone; technically, he was nothing but a fraud now. Opening this bundle didn't seem quite right.

Cui Ji, seeing his hesitation, asked, "Not going to take a look?"

"Uh... let me dry my hands, they're sweaty." Cheng Ge wiped his hands and finally opened the bundle.

The contents were simple: some everyday clothes, thicker than what he currently wore, including robes, inner garments, and undergarments—clearly meant for the winter ahead.

The fabric wasn't great to the touch, but it was warm and thick, with tight, meticulous stitching that was clearly sewn with care.

Tucked among the clothes was a bright red safety charm and a bright yellow envelope lying quietly. After a moment's thought, Cheng Ge decided to open it.

Since the original owner's gone, he would have to act on his behalf.

The handwriting on the letter was fairly neat, likely written by the original owner's father.

"To my son Muyu:

Since you departed for the capital by imperial decree, several months have flown by, and I miss you terribly.

I recall the farewell, when rain covered the river, and your mother cried, unable to say a word. Though I kept a straight face, my heart was hanging in suspense from a thousand miles away.

Now, hearing from someone in the capital that you have arrived at your post, it eases my distant worries a bit.

The capital's weather is cold, unlike Jiangnan. Your mother worried you wouldn't handle the cold, so she stitched clothes all night and got a safety charm. She also included three hundred taels in silver notes, entrusting them to a merchant caravan to bring to you.

A charm pouch is secretly sewn into the lining of the clothes; you must wear it against your skin and don't throw it away carelessly.

You've had big dreams since you were a kid, hardworking at your studies, often staying up late.

As Fan Zhongyan once said: 'A gentleman should take care of his health to be ready to serve the court.'

You're barely twenty; if you wear yourself out too much, how will you handle big responsibilities later?

You should do the Five Animals Exercise every morning and have a bowl of ginger soup every night. I insist! I insist!

Everything's fine at home. Writing this, I feel lost, unable to say all I want."

As Cheng Ge read the heartfelt words on the letter, his nose stung, and his eyes got a little wet.

Though he was not the real Cheng Ge, at this moment, he truly felt this care that went beyond blood.

Cui Ji stood nearby, watching Cheng Ge's moved expression, and a twinge of bitterness rose in his own heart.

Once upon a time, he too had parents and brothers. Now, everything had changed, people were gone, leaving him all alone in this world.

Cheng Ge carefully folded the letter, pulled out the silver notes to glance at them, then tucked them into his bosom.

He let out a long sigh inwardly, wondering what the original owner's parents would think if they knew he wasn't their son.

That bastard Zhou Ming... hope he dies a horrible death...

Cheng Ge cursed Zhou Ming out in his head, feeling just a tiny bit better.

...

Now that Cheng Ge had a job, he worked his ass off like a pack mule during the day. After getting off work and going back to the prince's place, he'd take his meds and then practice sword techniques with Cui Ji.

After a period of recuperation, his health had improved considerably.

Life was sweet, and he'd even gained a little weight, his face looking all rosy and healthy.

Today, after finishing work, he happened to run into a former colleague from the Hanlin Academy. The guy started flattering him left and right, his eyes full of envy.

It made Cheng Ge feel instantly elated, and he decided to buy a portion of pickled goose to take home and reward himself.

However, many things in life often don't go as planned.

"There's only one portion of pickled goose left. Who wants it?"

Cheng Ge was about to speak, but he noticed a young woman standing beside him, her head bowed.

It seemed she also wanted to buy it. After a moment's thought, Cheng Ge asked, "Do you want to buy it? If you do, it's yours."

Lü Rou, hearing Cheng Ge's voice, instinctively looked up. But when she saw his face clearly, her eyes widened, and her pupils contracted sharply.

She quickly stepped back twice, her body swaying several times, as if she had seen some terrifying monster.

Cheng Ge: "..." Do I look that scary?

Cheng Ge quickly reached out, gently steadying her to prevent her from falling.

Lü Rou panicked even more, her body slipping backward as she instinctively grabbed Cheng Ge's arm.

At that moment, a section of her arm was exposed from her sleeve, and Cheng Ge couldn't help but freeze.

On her bruised and purple skin were crisscrossing, mottled bloodstains—old and new wounds layered upon each other. Some had scabbed over, while others were still oozing blood. There wasn't a single patch of healthy skin.

"This..."

Lü Rou came to her senses and quickly pulled her arm back, her eyes darting in panic as she stammered, "It's... it's nothing. I'm... I'm sorry. Thank you, young master."

Cheng Ge said nothing. Judging by her attire, she was likely a maid in some wealthy household.

Maids were no different from goods; their contracts were held by their masters, who could beat or kill them without the authorities having any say.

Cheng Ge felt a tightness in his chest. Carefully, he stepped aside. "You go ahead and buy it."

Lü Rou hesitated for a moment, then bought the pickled goose.

She placed it in a food basket, lifted it, and prepared to leave, but Cheng Ge called out to her.

Lü Rou's body stiffened abruptly, her hand gripping the basket's handle tightly. The wounds on her skin felt as if thousands of maggots were writhing and gnawing at them.

She should have fled, but her feet felt as heavy as lead, unable to move an inch.

Cheng Ge stepped forward and said softly, "Here, take this. Applying some medicine to your wounds will help them heal faster."

Lü Rou stared at the white porcelain bottle in front of her, then slowly lifted her head, astonishment filling her eyes. "Master... Master Cheng," she stammered.

Cheng Ge raised an eyebrow and suddenly grinned, his features like ink and water sprinkled with stars. "Oh, so you do remember me."

Lü Rou stood there, at a complete loss, her face turning bright red.

It took her a moment to snap out of it.

"Thank you... Master Cheng." She quickly reached out, grabbed the medicine from Cheng Ge's hand, lowered her head, and stumbled off in a hurry.

...

The Emperor's Study

Zhou Mingqi set aside the memorial he'd just finished reviewing, his eyes feeling dry.

Fu Quan lit the incense burner and tossed more ice into the ice bucket.

A row of palace attendants, heads bowed, stepped forward with plates of assorted fruits and pastries.

"Your Majesty, try some fruit." Fu Quan took the fruit plate and handed it to Zhou Mingqi.

Zhou Mingqi picked a grape, peeled it, and popped it into his mouth. The sweet, juicy flavor spread across his tongue, but his mind was clearly elsewhere.

"These were just presented as tribute from the west. Your servant has chilled them with ice, perfect for relieving the heat," Fu Quan said with a smile.

Zhou Mingqi hummed in acknowledgment. "Send some to the Empress Dowager, and to the Crown Prince and Hao'er too."

"By the way, how is the Crown Prince lately? Has he made any progress?"

No sooner had he spoken than he added, before Fu Quan could respond, "Never mind. Have Cheng Muyu come here. I will ask him myself."