Chapter 311 Chief Musician of Qiluo

Chapter 311: The Melody of Splendor

Meng Wan stood up and took Chang Jinhua's arm, his mind racing with worry for Song Tingzhou in the main hall. He ignored Luo Jining, who seemed to want to speak, and followed the palace attendant out with unease, all the while tuning out all the background noise, listening for any sign of commotion from the main hall.

But even by the time they reached Donghua Gate, Meng Wan had heard nothing more—only the palace guards rushing toward the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

He was itching to go see what was happening, but wandering somewhere he shouldn't and seeing something he shouldn't in the palace could genuinely cost him his head. Meng Wan didn't dare take that risk.

"Chi Yu, quickly—drive to the Meridian Gate and wait for the master." Meng Wan said impatiently as soon as he boarded the carriage.

Chi Yu nodded, snapped the reins, and immediately steered the carriage toward the Meridian Gate.

The distance from Donghua Gate to the Meridian Gate was not far. When Meng Wan arrived, both side gates of the Meridian Gate were already open, and capital officials of the third rank and below were streaming out through the gates. Meng Wan spotted Wu Zhaoyuan and Zhu Zening, both chatting away with their colleagues. He did not disturb them.

He looked at every face—and sure enough, Lezheng Qi wasn't there.

After about the time it takes half an incense stick to burn, people finally began emerging from the Meridian Gate—all senior officials of the third rank and above. Song Tingzhou's height made him tower over everyone, and Meng Wan spotted him right away.

"Husband," he called out softly.

His voice was so quiet that Meng Wan assumed Song Tingzhou wouldn't hear it, yet the man turned and looked directly at him.

Meng Wan froze for a brief moment, then smiled, the knot of anxiety in his chest finally loosening.

Several of the officials noticed Meng Wan on the carriage. Those who were close with Song Tingzhou nodded at him, and even two officials Meng Wan had never met took the initiative to acknowledge him.

One even seemed tempted to ask if Meng Wan had any siblings—preferably someone just as handsome, smooth-talking, and talented—for a possible marriage match.

Once Song Tingzhou boarded the carriage, he explained, "Those two gentlemen are skilled painters, masters of the craft."

Xue Sheng, who had driven him there that morning and had been waiting ever since, was following behind Chi Yu's carriage with the empty one.

"Oh, that explains why they came over to chat with me." Meng Wan really wanted to ask what had happened in the main hall, but it wasn't the right time, so he kept quiet.

Chang Jinhua was holding her stomach, not feeling well, so they didn't linger. The streets were nearly empty at this late hour, and Chi Yu drove like a maniac. Soon enough, they were home.

"Jin Gu, make some plain noodles and throw in a few eggs." Chang Jinhua gave the order before hurrying off to the outhouse.

Meng Wan went to A Xun's room himself to get him, asking him to check Chang Jinhua's pulse and mix her some medicine.

"I heard someone screaming bloody murder in the main hall—what happened? What exactly did Lezheng Qi do?" Back in their bedchamber, Meng Wan asked urgently.

Song Tingzhou shrugged off his outer robe and pressed a finger to Meng Wan's lips. "Wan'er, calm down."

Meng Wan closed his eyes and breathed deep. "You're right. I'm rushing things."

The kitchen was boiling water and preparing food, while the small kitchen in Chang Jinhua's courtyard was brewing medicine. The wisps of steam quickly vanished into the sprawling estate.

The servants bustling around after the masters got home made enough noise to cover up certain quiet little movements.

After cleaning up, the couple went to check on Chang Jinhua. Seeing that she was in decent spirits, curled up on the heated brick bed drinking her medicine, they told Wei Ying and Yunque, her maids, to keep a close watch through the night and to come get A Xun or him right away if anything happened.

Only then did the couple head back to their own room to rest.

"Lezheng Qi's been locked up in the Ministry of Justice's jail." Song Tingzhou's voice was calm.

Meng Wan shot up in bed. "What!"

Damn it—Nie Zhiyao and Fei Geer were still waiting for him in Xi Wu Prefecture. How the hell did he get himself thrown in jail!

Song Tingzhou, unusually firm, pulled him back into his arms and whispered against his ear, "Keep your voice down. Lezheng Qi might not be in that much trouble."

Meng Wan calmed himself, deeply puzzled. "Why? What exactly did Lezheng Qi do?"

"He turned in the Lezheng family for treason." Song Tingzhou continued speaking in a whisper. Only the third-rank-and-above officials who'd been in the main hall that day knew what went down. Though the emperor had not explicitly ordered everyone to keep silent, they all kept their mouths shut by unspoken agreement.

Meng Wan had been mulling things over these past few days. Knowing that Lezheng Qi worked for the Crown Prince, he'd first assumed the Crown Prince had told Lezheng Qi to expose Prince Lian's collusion with the Luo family—how they'd persecuted innocent kids and used "mermaid pearls" to buy off court officials.

Then the Crown Prince would use the King of Annan's two letters to storm back into Shengjing, catch Prince Lian's faction off guard, and take them all down.

But no matter how he'd guessed, he never imagined Lezheng Qi would accuse—not Prince Lian or the Luo family, but his own clan: the Lezheng family of Qiluo, foremost among the western great houses.

The Lezheng family was ancient and mysterious, and nobody knew their real origins. Rumor had it that the family head and a few clan elders were originally musicians who'd fled some emperor's court, taking the palace's hoarded gold and jewels to the western part of the Yu Kingdom, settling in Jincheng. That was supposedly how the Lezheng family got started.

But tonight—no, by the hour, it was last night.

Last night in the main hall of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Lezheng family as described by Lezheng Qi was none other than the ancient and distant Tuyuhun Kingdom of the western Yu lands. After ruling the west for three hundred and fifty years, they had been conquered by other nations and their territory divided.

The Lezheng clan were, in fact, the former royal house of Tuyuhun.

They had carried the gold and jewels amassed during Tuyuhun's reign and hidden themselves in Jincheng to establish a new home. To ensure the purity of their royal bloodline, they never married outside their clan.

The initial rumor—"better to marry a daughter of a great house than to enter the imperial family"—had been deliberately spread by the Lezheng family to muddy the waters.

On the main hall floor, Lezheng Qi, in the presence of Prince Yerqiang of Tubo, declared that the Lezheng family had long been in collusion with the Tubo king, plotting to launch a border war and divide the lands and cities of the western sea of the Yu Kingdom.

Of the four great houses of the Yu Kingdom, the Wu family was already in decline, the Xiang family had sensed trouble and was seeking ways to save themselves, and the Luo family had long since thrown in their lot with Prince Lian. Only the Lezheng family had remained as low-key as ever—who would have thought they were secretly building an army to restore their kingdom!

The imperial throne tolerates no covetous glances. The Duke of Dingxiang held heavy military power and the emperor endured it; his two sons schemed against each other for the succession and he looked on coldly. But rebellion—what emperor could tolerate that?

The Prince of Tubo had an arm severed on the spot in the hall. No king ascends a throne with one arm. Whether or not what Lezheng Qi said was true, Yerqiang could never become the King of Tubo now. That was why the scream had been so bloodcurdling.

Meng Wan was reeling from this sudden reversal, unable to piece together the connections no matter how he tried. "Then... Lezheng Qi won't die, will he?"

He latched onto the key question.

Song Tingzhou stroked Meng Wan's jet-black, silk-smooth hair in the candlelight and sighed softly. "His life is safe, but he may suffer a bit."

He cautioned solemnly, "Wan'er, do not go to the Ministry of Justice to see him. For now, do not involve yourself in any of this. When those at the top are playing their games, we can only watch and wait."

Meng Wan understood the gravity of the situation. Since Song Tingzhou had said so, he obediently nodded. "Don't worry. I won't let anything slip."

They held each other, speaking in hushed tones of secret matters, when suddenly a sharp shout from Chi Yu rang out from the courtyard outside.

Song Tingzhou flew off the bed and shielded Meng Wan protectively. Meng Wan peered over his shoulder. "An assassin?" He could hear the clash of blades.

Song Tingzhou's voice remained steady. "Likely a spy. He gave himself away and Chi Yu caught him—hence the fight."

Sure enough, within moments, Chi Yu had subdued the man.

But due to inexperience, by the time Song Tingzhou went out to inspect, the man had already died of poison.

Chi Yu looked frustrated. "Sir, I didn't know he had poison hidden on him."

Song Tingzhou showed little surprise. "Send him to the Shuntian Prefecture first. Have our coroner examine the body." He knew inwardly that in the capital, unlike elsewhere, an autopsy would likely yield nothing. But it was better than nothing.

Being invited to the New Year's Day banquet at the palace was an honor bestowed by the imperial family, yet Meng Wan found himself utterly drained by the successive upheavals. He didn't dare write to Nie Zhiyao, though at least the New Year's gifts for him and Teacher Nie had been sent to Lingnan long ago.

On the second day of the new year, Chang Jinhua's stomach ailment still hadn't improved. She stayed in bed recuperating and taking medicine. Meng Wan sat by her bedside, about to feed her porridge, when she shooed him away. "Your mother's stomach hurts—it's not like my hands are broken. Go do whatever you need to do. Don't just sit here hovering over me; it makes me uncomfortable."

Meng Wan was still uneasy even after being sent away, and instructed A Yan not to cause any trouble and to take good care of their grandmother. A Yan had been raised by Chang Jinhua since childhood, and as he grew older, Chang Jinhua would take him along when she opened her shops, so he had spent far more time with her than with his two fathers.

Knowing that Chang Jinhua was ill, A Yan and Tong'er stayed by her room, one handing her a cup of hot water, the other patting her back. For a moment, Chang Jinhua didn't know which one to look at.

Not getting enough rest was of little consequence; what truly mattered was the warmth in her heart.

On the third day of the New Year, families began visiting each other, and the streets were bustling with carriages loaded with festive goods.

Chang Jinhua's illness had mostly cleared up, but she still needed rest. Song Tingzhou had informed Zhu Zening and Wu Zhaoyuan in advance not to visit his house.

Meng Wan first went with Song Tingzhou to visit Third Master Zhu at the Zhu family home, then went with Zhu Zening and his wife to Wu Zhaoyuan's home.

The Wu family's home was only a small compound with two courtyards, not only smaller than Meng Wan's house but also smaller than the Zhu family's four-courtyard estate.

Wu Zhaoyuan was open and honest, but his husband Zheng Shushen seemed a bit shy and evasive.

"Our home is humble; please excuse it," he said.

After entering the room, Meng Wan settled in comfortably and, without waiting for Zheng Shushen's invitation, hopped up on the couch. "What's the big deal? Lan Niang and I have come prepared to spend half a day here at your place, Sister-in-law. I'll make lunch and you can all try my cooking."

Zheng Shushen indeed forgot his earlier self-consciousness and quickly tried to dissuade him, saying, "The night rain trims the spring chives, and new rice steams with yellow millet. You're a guest here; it should be Zhaoyuan and I who welcome you properly. How could we possibly let you cook?"

"Sister-in-law, don't be so modest. There's no need to stand on ceremony among our three families. Since Wan Geer is running the kitchen, I'll be his assistant. You can just keep an eye on the kids for us." Lan Niang came from a farming background, and even after two years of studying how to behave in wealthy homes, reading and writing were still beyond her. She could only admire Zheng Shushen's eloquence and hoped her children would pick up his scholarly air.

Zheng Shushen had been raised to respect his brothers, obey his father at home, and follow his husband after marriage. He had never experienced such genuine kindness.

His expression softened and he smiled, toying with the gold collar around Qiongniang's neck. "So I really just get to watch the kids for you?"

Meng Wan also pushed A Yan and Tong'er forward. "I included some mushrooms from the Lingnan region in the New Year gifts I sent. We'll use them to make soup, stir-fry, and braise them with goose."

Lan Niang clapped her hands together and laughed. "I've brought chickens and geese from my farm; they're loaded in the carriage."

They had everything they needed, and Meng Wan immediately started bustling about. Lan Niang didn't stand on ceremony either, rolling up her sleeves to help. The two of them sent the Wu family's cook off to peel garlic and wash vegetables, making themselves at home in the kitchen.

The Wu family's front and back courtyards were connected by a central hall. Wu Zhaoyuan, Song Tingzhou, and Zhu Zening were talking in the hall, and through the curtain behind them, they could hear the chatter from the kitchen in the back courtyard.

"I've always wanted to try Sister-in-law's cooking, and today I finally get the chance." Zhu Zening said contentedly, holding his teacup, as if he'd gotten a real treat.

Song Tingzhou held one of Wu Zhaoyuan's books and used it to poke Zhu Zening's slightly protruding belly. "Have you been starving yourself all these years?"

Zhu Zening sucked in his gut, making it shrink halfway, but he still didn't look as slim and trim as Song Tingzhou. "Those people are always inviting me out for drinks. This is a beer belly, not a food belly."

Wu Zhaoyuan had been laughing, but upon hearing this, he cautioned, "It's good that you enjoy making friends, but you must keep your eyes peeled. Don't go to every gathering someone organizes."

Song Tingzhou gripped the book tighter and added, "Zhaoyuan is right. Things are tense at court these days. You must be extremely cautious and not get dragged into trouble."

Zhu Zening looked curious. "Did something happen in the Hall of Supreme Harmony during the New Year's banquet? We all heard someone scream."

Song Tingzhou lowered his eyes and turned a page of the book. "In the palace, a scream is nothing to be surprised about."

Wu Zhaoyuan picked up on the implication in Song Tingzhou's words and stopped Zhu Zening from pressing further. "You'd better not pry into matters at court. Jingxing can't say everything."

Zhu Zening took a sip of the warm tea—it was a mediocre green tea that didn't suit his taste, so he set it down. "Oh."

From the kitchen in the back courtyard, the aroma of meat mixed with savory flavors began to waft out. Zhu Zening kept looking over. "Lan Niang should learn from Sister-in-law. That smells incredible."

Song Tingzhou chuckled. "We can't have a conversation without bringing up food. How are you any different from A Yan?"

"A Yan is a clever kid, with Wan Geer's quick wit and your keen intellect. Qiongniang is also a sweet child, polite and well-bred." Wu Zhaoyuan praised the two children, but a faint melancholy crept into his voice. "I just don't have much luck with kids. Our household doesn't even have a xiaoge."

"Little boys are hard to come by. Jingxing and his wife were married for years before they had A Yan." Zhu Zening tried to console him, then suddenly suggested, "Why don't you take a concubine? Once she has a child, you can let Sister-in-law raise it. Wouldn't it be like having your own?"

Song Tingzhou frowned and gave him a dirty look, but seeing that Wu Zhaoyuan seemed to be mulling it over, he held back his words and instead said, "You and Sister-in-law are both still young and healthy, with no other ailments. It's only a matter of time before you have kids. Zhaoyuan..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but Wu Zhaoyuan was reminded of the days when he was mocked by the servants and his half-siblings in the main family.

Children are innocent. He had learned how harsh the world can be early on—how could he let his own child suffer the same fate?

He pursed his lips, determined. "Zening, if you think of me as a brother, don't mention taking a concubine again."

To Zhu Zening, taking a concubine wasn't a big deal. His father, though not much for women, had a few concubines, and his fourth uncle always had women around. His fellow officials not only took concubines but also frequented brothels in search of prostitutes.

Being around that all the time, he found it quite ordinary, but since Song Tingzhou and Wu Zhaoyuan both disliked hearing it, he'd just drop it.