Pei Mansion, kitchen.
It was already the hour of Si, and the cooks were busily preparing for lunch. Yet, they kept glancing toward a corner with amused smiles.
There, a tall and a short figure huddled on a bench, watching the stove with hopeful eyes. A large clay pot on it was hissing and steaming, releasing a rich fragrance that filled every corner of the kitchen.
Xiao Xia rested her chin on her hand, “Auntie, is it ready yet?”
Ma Bing: “Not yet.”
Xiao Xia: “Oh.”
A while later, Xiao Xia drooled slightly, “Auntie, is it ready yet?”
Ma Bing chuckled, tapping the tip of her nose with a fan, “Getting impatient?”
The little girl giggled, rubbing her cheek against Ma Bing’s arm, “It smells so good.”
Ma Bing gently pinched her round cheeks, “But you’re only allowed one bowl.”
“Aww?” The girl’s face fell, “Why?”
She had two missing teeth at the front, so her speech was a bit whistly. Yet she couldn’t help but chatter constantly, which always made Ma Bing want to laugh.
“Because it’s too nourishing! How about Auntie stir-fries you some shrimp instead?”
At the mention of shrimp, the girl’s eyes lit up, “Okay!”
“Good girl.” Ma Bing pinched her cheek again.
Wow, a child’s cheeks are really soft!
In the past couple of days, Ma Bing had taken the pulses of the Pei family, especially the elderly couple, Pei Rong and his wife. She found that Madam Meng was slightly better off, suffering only from mild blood deficiency and shortness of breath. However, the old man had sustained many injuries in his youth, inevitably leaving chronic ailments.
For now, he was managing well due to his strong constitution, and his symptoms hadn’t manifested. He felt fine, but in a few years, all his old injuries might flare up together, leading to an uncontrollable situation.
Yesterday, when Pei Rong obediently allowed his pulse to be taken, Madam Meng kept chanting “Amitabha” and complained to Ma Bing, “You don’t know him—he’s as stubborn as a mule! Always insisting on being strong, never letting a doctor near him. I’ve always told him, ‘Don’t you know how old you are? You’re not as strong and energetic as you used to be!’ But he won’t listen. Now that you’re here, please help me cure him of this stubbornness!”
The old man endured the scolding but still muttered indignantly, “What Amitabha? You don’t even believe in that!”
Wasn’t he strong and vigorous? If he wasn’t strong, how could he have four children!
Madam Meng: “…Just shut up!”
Old child, old child—when they grow old, they always need someone to pamper them.
Pei Rong was a big man but somewhat afraid of taking medicine, complaining loudly that the bitter herbal broth was worse than death.
Then Madam Meng almost beat him to death.
Thus, early this morning, Ma Bing came to the kitchen.
She was stewing chicken and yam soup. The black-boned chicken nourished the stomach and spleen, produced body fluids, and benefited the lungs, while the yam replenished blood and vital energy. She also added some goji berries and two thin slices of ginseng root, making it a medicinal dish.
The elderly couple could eat more of it. Huo Mei had given birth to Xiao Xia and suffered some depletion, so she also needed nourishment.
As for Pei An and his daughter Xiao Xia, they had strong constitutions and abundant energy, so just a small bowl to satisfy their cravings would suffice.
Before lunch was officially served, the whole family sat obediently at the table, happily waiting.
Pei An had been coming home for lunch every day recently, running back and forth between the government office and the Pei mansion, sweating profusely but happy.
His colleagues were puzzled, wondering what had gotten into Xiao Pei these days. Was the food at home really that delicious?
“Zhengzheng,” Pei An cheerfully opened several paper-wrapped parcels, revealing several delicate and adorable pastries inside. “These are the new pastries from the Peach Blossom Pavilion. I heard little girls love them. This one is called Jade Cake, and that one is Hibiscus Pastry… Try them all, and tell me what you like. Your second older brother will buy more for you.”
“Okay, thank you, second older brother!” Ma Bing readily agreed, personally serving him soup, “Second older brother, have some soup.”
“Alright, great! Let’s have some soup. It smells amazing!” Pei An eagerly took the bowl and couldn’t wait to taste it.
Huo Mei watched her husband’s toothy grin and couldn’t bear to look.
You haven’t even tasted it yet, how do you know it’s good?
She took a sip and was amazed, “It really is delicious!”
The chicken soup had been stewed for hours. The black-boned chicken was tender and falling apart, and the edges of the large yam chunks had melted, easily turning to mush with a spoon. The flavor was deeply infused.
The thick white chicken broth blended with the yam puree, making it especially rich and creamy. Topped with several bright red goji berries, it looked even more beautiful.
Upon entering the mouth, it was smooth and delicate, more like an ointment than a broth, coating the throat and leaving the entire body feeling nourished.
Seeing everyone’s enjoyment, Ma Bing was also delighted, “Try these pickled vegetables too. They’re not too salty, great for cutting through greasiness. They go well with porridge in the morning.”
Everyone then tried the pickled vegetables, crunching with sour and spicy flavors, indeed refreshingly crisp.
Amid the chorus of praises, Ma Bing even felt a bit delusional, wondering if she should consider opening a restaurant…
She peeled several sweet-and-sour shrimp for Xiao Xia, making the girl’s eyes sparkle with delight.
“I’ve prepared several medicinal recipes for the elders’ health, and already instructed the kitchen to prepare them every other day. They’re both delicious and effective,” she said.
Upon hearing this, everyone stopped eating, all eyes turned toward her.
Madam Meng quickly took her hand, “You’re… leaving?”
Ma Bing explained, “People outside might misunderstand if I stay too long. They might think someone in the Pei family is seriously ill and start sending people to check on us. But everyone is perfectly fine, and if they see that, they might get suspicious.”
Xiao Xia didn’t understand what was happening, but she clearly heard one sentence:
Auntie is leaving.
The little girl pouted, quickly placing the shrimp in Ma Bing’s bowl and carefully saying, “Auntie, I won’t eat shrimp anymore. Please don’t leave, okay?”
Auntie smells nice, takes me to play, knows many things about the outside world, and cooks delicious food. Why does she have to leave?
Did I do something wrong?
Huo Mei also casually said, “Then just say I’m sick! Anyway, it’s hot, and I’m too lazy to go out and socialize.”
She had finally come back, and hadn’t even had time to wear her new clothes a couple of times. How could she leave so soon!
“No way,” Ma Bing hurriedly replied, “How can you curse yourself like that!”
After a pause, she smiled again, “After all, we’re all family here. If you miss me, just find an excuse to visit. Anyway, I’m used to being busy. It’s actually a bit uncomfortable staying here in leisure for a few days. I even feel the urge to find a case to look into.”
Hearing this, everyone felt they couldn’t stop her anymore. Only Pei An looked strange, holding back for half the day before finally blurting out, “At least, at least stay one more day!”
Pei Rong and Madam Meng didn’t understand the reason, but Huo Mei immediately turned her face away, stifling laughter.
Whether it was a coincidence or someone’s deliberate doing, these two days when Pei An went to the government office, he always met Xie Yu, and then looked at him with disdain.
But that kid was too smart. He was a bit confused the first day, but by the second day, he was already greeting Pei An with a smile.
Seeing this, Pei An guessed that Xie Yu must have figured out that he had reunited with his sister.
This made Pei An extremely angry, almost lifting his chin off.
Damn it, I hate smart people the most!
The first two days could barely be considered coincidences, but on the third day, Pei An found Xie Yu waiting alone on his usual path early in the morning, with no one else in sight.
“Good morning, Lord Xiao Pei.”
“Hmph!”
On the fourth day.
“Brother Pei.”
“Hmph!”
Brother, my foot!
Who’s your brother!
When it was time to leave the office that day, Pei An met Xie Yu again!
He was quite upset. How come this guy was always around?
Was the Kaifeng Prefecture that idle?
Xie Yu still had his usual composed demeanor, but compared to his usual expressionless face, he looked much softer.
Pei An was thinking about how to retort when he was surprised to find that the other party had actually changed tactics and started taking the initiative!
“Brother Pei, your family has borrowed Ma Bing for several days. Do you know when you will return her?”
Pei An was so angry he almost laughed, “Borrowed? Did she sell herself to your Kaifeng Prefecture?”
She’s our family’s, my sister. Do you get it?
Before Xie Yu could speak again, Pei An arrogantly threw out a harsh line:
“Wanna take her? Dream on!”
Then, he glared at the other with his nose and walked away furiously.
However, he never expected that right after he made that harsh statement, Zhengzheng was going to return to the Kaifeng Prefecture…
The slap couldn’t have come any faster.
Wouldn’t that guy laugh his ass off!
No way, absolutely no way!
After much persuasion, Ma Bing was finally convinced to stay for two more days, but eventually, she couldn’t delay any longer.
On the other side, Xie Yu felt that the time was about right, so he started walking, no, patrolling, along the road from the Kaifeng Prefecture to the Pei Mansion.
Then one morning, as Ma Bing just stepped out the door, she looked up and saw a familiar figure.
“Minister Xie?”
He didn’t usually patrol this area.
Looking at her, Xie Yu suddenly recalled a passage from the “Book of Songs” he had read before, “She gathers the mugwort, / One day without seeing her feels like three autumns! / She gathers the wormwood! / One day without seeing her feels like three years!”
Back then, he had thought it absurd. One day is just one day; how could it instantly stretch into three autumns, let alone three years?
But now, he understood.
As Xie Yu was about to step forward, he saw a crowd pouring out from behind the door—old and young, not a single one missing—all glaring at him fiercely.
Xie Yu: “…”
It was undeniably a bit comical, but he was genuinely happy for Ma Bing from the bottom of his heart.
This solitary girl had finally found her family again.
He walked forward and bowed politely to Pei Rong and Madam Meng, “Thank you.”
For what?
He didn’t say, and the Pei family didn’t ask, but they all understood.
Seeing this, Pei Rong, who had a mouthful of threatening words, couldn’t bring himself to say anything.
But…
The old man suddenly became annoyed, “Get lost! Get lost! You’re annoying to look at!”
Damn it, why must a good girl fall for a stinky kid!
Thinking about it made him unhappy.
Xie Yu smiled faintly.
Ma Bing suddenly felt a bit embarrassed.
What are you doing here?
It looked like you came especially to pick someone up.
Watching the two gradually walk away, Pei An was so anxious he almost jumped, “Dad, are we just letting that kid go like this? Shouldn’t we give him a good beating?”
Pei Rong was already full of suppressed anger with nowhere to vent. Upon hearing this, he raised his hand and slapped Pei An’s back of the head, “Beat you!”
Pei An: “…”
Meanwhile, Xie Yu was holding the reins of Ma Bing’s horse, occasionally glancing at the several huge bundles tied on top. Finally, he couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
Ma Bing sighed helplessly, “Go ahead and laugh if you want.”
She came light and unencumbered, but now she was leaving as if moving house…
The big black horse snorted unhappily.
The horse didn’t want to be a pack animal!
Xie Yu indeed smiled, “Have you been happy these few days?”
Actually, just by looking at her expression, he already knew the answer. But he still wanted to hear her say something.
Anything would do.
Sure enough, Ma Bing’s face lit up with a look of happiness and satisfaction as she nodded without hesitation, “Yes!”
Xie Yu also felt happy, then added meaningfully, “But these past few days, I’ve run into Xiao Pei several times, and he always seemed quite unhappy and treated me very coldly.”
Ma Bing turned her head to look at him, as if seeing something rare and strange.
Hey, are you tattling on him?
Minister Xie, you’re so cunning!
Just then, a familiar official turned up on the path ahead. Seeing the two in this situation, he instinctively blurted out, “Oh, Minister Xie, are you moving house?”
Xie Yu: “…”
The man immediately realized how absurd that sounded, hastily apologized, and then quickly slipped away, leaving Ma Bing laughing uncontrollably.
Xie Yu helplessly stood by, waiting for her to finish laughing.
Ma Bing really laughed for quite a while before finally wiping her tears and holding her stomach, “Minister Xie, after we finish moving, I want to ask you something…”
Xie Yu: “…”
So it’s not going to drop, is it?
His expression was particularly interesting.
Slightly embarrassed, but unable to show it due to etiquette; indulgent, yet helpless at the same time. It was… kind of cute!
Ma Bing watched for a long time before finally remembering to know when to stop. She finally stopped laughing and started asking the serious question, “What’s the status of Tian Shu’s case?”
Seeing that she had finally stopped dwelling on the “moving house” matter, Xie Yu visibly relaxed.
“There has been some progress, but the other party is still weighing their options. However, there shouldn’t be any major changes…”
The four cases that might be linked to the serial case belonged to different jurisdictions, and the presiding officials were also different. Since there was no conclusive evidence yet, neither Tu Yao nor Xie Yu had sufficient grounds to request the emperor to summon those officials to the capital for questioning.
However, there was one exception: one of the officials had recently been promoted to a position in the capital and was now serving in the Kaifeng Prefecture!
So two days ago, Tu Yao found an excuse to invite him out for tea.
The official thought Tu Yao had suddenly discovered his hidden talent, feeling both surprised and delighted. But as soon as they met, his heart sank halfway.
Initially, Tu Yao and the others planned to bluff him, hoping to get some information.
After careful consideration, however, they felt it was inappropriate.
Most officials serving in the capital were smart people. Without solid evidence at the moment, if they were lucky enough to bluff successfully, that would be great. If not, this only possible breakthrough would be ruined.
Therefore, after much deliberation, they decided to take a direct approach.
The official indeed pretended to be clueless.
Tu Yao then said, “I know your concerns are twofold. First, you’re worried about offending the Shen family from Shandong. Perhaps your promotion was due to their support. However, since you’ve already been promoted, the exchange of interests has been completed, and it’s time to move on. Moreover, this is the capital, under the emperor’s watchful eyes, and the Shen family is nothing to fear.
Secondly, you’re afraid the royal family might avoid stirring up trouble to save face, so you deliberately curry favor, trying to please the imperial son-in-law and Princess Shouyang. Yet, you’ve overlooked the most crucial point.
The official had already reached the door but instinctively asked, “What is it?”
Tu Yao said, “The reason a consort is called a consort is because he exists in relation to the princess. The reason Shen Xuan is a consort is because he married the princess, not because he is Shen Xuan that he is a consort.”
In other words, from start to finish, what truly matters is Princess Shouyang’s will and the royal family’s intentions, not the consort Shen Xuan himself.
Now the Shen family values Shen Xuan because the royal family favors him for Princess Shouyang’s sake. But back then, when he married the princess, he was merely a pawn.
For aristocratic families like the Shen clan, family ties are often cold and indifferent. If they find that Shen Xuan can no longer bring benefits to the Shen family, the first to abandon him would be his own clan!
Now the imperial son-in-law is Shen Xuan, but tomorrow it could be someone else. It’s just a change of title, what’s the fuss about?
The official was stunned, his mind buzzing, and instantly he was drenched in sweat.
Putting the cart before the horse!
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