Suddenly, a figure stood in front of him. Wen Tang was slightly drunk and his hand subconsciously touched Qin Gong's chest.
The texture under her palm was burning hot, and the scorching heat came through the thin fabric. She used her hands to push away, but Qin Gong was like a mountain, motionless.
After a while, he slowly stood up. The strong smell of alcohol invaded Wen Tang, making him breathless. The blush on his cheeks that had just faded turned red again. "It's time to go back to the banquet."
She calmed herself down, and with a barely perceptible tremor in her voice, she warned, "Master, you smell strongly of alcohol. Drink less later."
She herself was not very drunk and was particularly sensitive to the smell. She had been too close to him just now, and now it seemed as if even her clothes were stained with his scent.
Wen Tang tried to push again, but Qin Gong chuckled and instead of moving away, he took a step closer.
The tall figure almost trapped her in the shadow of the corner, and his unique breath wrapped her tightly.
Wen Tang frowned, the overbearing smell of alcohol mixed with the unique cold aura on his body became stronger.
He then stood up completely, and his big hand grasped her wrist, which was resisting, and with a little force, he lifted her up.
A cool breeze blew past, dispelling the last bit of drowsiness in Wen Tang's mind.
Fu Jiu happened to bring someone to bring over some hangover soup.
Wen Tang took the small white porcelain bowl, lowered his eyes and took small sips. As the warm liquid entered his throat, the annoying burning sensation on his face subsided a little.
Fu Jiu whispered, "Master, the masters ahead are looking for you."
Wen Tang also gently pushed Qin Gong's arm, "Master, go quickly." Although the corner of the courtyard was shaded by dense trees and the air was cool, it was not an uninhabited place.
As soon as Qin Gong left, the figure that had been at the corner of the moon-shaped gate appeared.
When Wen Tang heard the servant call "Grandma," he knew he couldn't avoid it, so he raised his eyes and responded.
The blush on her face had not yet faded, her lips were slightly swollen from the kiss just now, her hair was slightly messy, and a few loose black strands stuck to her cheeks, adding a bit of lazy and charming charm in the dim corridor.
The servant led Zhang Yao forward. Wen Tang lowered her eyes and wanted to leave, but a figure stopped right in front of her.
Wen Tang clearly felt a gaze, with a scrutinizing look, falling on her without any hesitation, from her slightly messy hair, to her smooth forehead, to her rosy cheeks, and finally stopping on her slightly swollen, still watery lips.
His gaze roamed inch by inch, with a hint of drunken insolence and rudeness.
Wen Tang suddenly felt annoyed and raised his eyes.
It's not like they hadn't met before, but this was the first time. She no longer avoided him. She suddenly raised her face, looked at him with clear eyes, and went straight to him.
His shadow was clearly reflected in her pupils, but there was no sense of familiarity, only a sense of distance and alienation, as if she was looking at a stranger.
The two of them were a little closer, and Wen Tang could clearly smell the same strong smell of alcohol on him, mixed with a hint of cool ink fragrance.
The servant next to him saw Zhang Yao suddenly stop, was stunned for a moment, and looked up to see the grandmother looking at Lord Zhang.
That look...
The servant's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly said, "Master Zhang, please come this way..."
The servant had just opened his mouth when he caught sight of a figure returning from the other end of the corridor and quickly raised his voice, "Master."
The sound of steady footsteps came closer and closer, and Qin Gong's tall figure reappeared in sight. His eyes fell heavily on Wen Tang, and then turned to Zhang Yao who was standing in front of her.
Zhang Yao's face was slightly red, obviously he was drunk.
Qin Gong walked to Wen Tang's side, and the invisible oppressive feeling brought by his tall body dissipated instantly. Wen Tang called softly, "Master?" He wanted to ask him why he came back.
Qin Gong did not lower his head to look at her, but locked his eyes on Zhang Yao. His voice was low and full of unquestionable authority, "Lord Zhang is quite drunk. Let me help you downstairs to rest for a while." After he finished speaking, the servant of the Qin Mansion immediately stepped forward to continue leading the way.
Qin Gongcai lowered his eyes and looked at Wen Tang beside him.
In the dim light and shadow, the alluring blush on her face had not yet faded, and her slightly swollen lips and slightly messy hair all showed the intimacy just now.
The dim light made her face look even more beautiful, and the sweet fragrance mixed with alcohol, which was unique to her, floated in the air.
He stared for a while longer, and just as Wen Tang was about to ask something, his rough fingertips had already touched her lips, gently rubbing away the rouge that he had sucked messily.
Fu Jiu, who was following behind, stepped forward at the right moment and bowed, saying, "Grandma, there are two guests outside the mansion. They say they are old acquaintances of yours from Jiangnan, and they've come to congratulate the young master and young lady on their first birthday." After saying this, she gestured for the servants to bring them in.
Mrs. Zhou, who was beside Wen Tang, was very sharp-eyed and said in surprise, "Auntie Ma."
The people who came were none other than Aunt Ma and her son. Aunt Ma was holding a simple gift box of cakes, a reserved smile on her face, and beside her was an awkward young man, her son.
In her early years, she had been close friends with Wen Tang's mother, Yuan Shi, in Jiangnan. When Yuan Shi was ill, she often took care of her and brought her food. Later, when Ma Da Niang and her son came to Beijing to seek a living, Yuan Shi, remembering their old friendship, provided them with money and asked Wen Tang to help them find a place to live.
This time, Wen Tang's two children turned one year old. Aunt Ma, remembering their kindness, how could she not come to their house to give them gifts and congratulate them in person.
She stood there holding the gift box, feeling a bit helpless. When her eyes fell on the imposing and stern-faced Mr. Qin standing next to Wen Tang, her heart tightened and even her breathing became lighter.
Qin Gong was very tall, and his body was straight and strong due to years of martial arts training. Standing there, he was as steady and powerful as a mountain.
In addition, he had a stern face, was intimidating without even being angry, and had great official authority. Ordinary people rarely had the courage to even look up and face him.
Wen Tang noticed Ma's nervousness and gently tugged at Qin Gong's sleeve. "Master, Ma is our old neighbor. My mother was very well cared for by her when she was ill. It's so rare for us to meet, so could you please let me talk for a while?"
Qin Gong's eyes swept over the plainly dressed, uneasy-looking mother and son, then fell on Wen Tang's clear and gentle eyes. He nodded slightly, turned around and left, and Fu Jiu hurriedly followed.
Only after the imminent figure had vanished did Ma let out a long sigh of relief. A genuine smile blossomed on her face as she hurriedly handed over the box of pastries. "Tang...Grandma Qin, this is a small token of my appreciation to bring blessings to the young master and young lady."
Mrs. Zhou took it with a smile.
Aunt Ma came specially to see the children, so Wen Tang asked the wet nurse to bring Xia Jie'er and Huai Ge'er out.
Aunt Ma had long known that Wen Tang was very beautiful. She had been bright and beautiful since she was a child. Now that she had married into a wealthy family, she had become even more graceful.
Although I was intimidated by Mr. Qin's aura just now, I also saw his extremely handsome appearance. How adorable would the child born from such parents be?
Sure enough, when Huai'er and Xia'er, wearing big red bellybands and small golden lockets, were brought out, Aunt Ma's eyes lit up. She surrounded them and praised the young master and young lady, saying they were like the fairies in the paintings and what a blessing they were.
Xia Jie'er loves to be praised. She waves her little arms and whenever she hears a nice word, she slaps Huai Ge'er's head with her little hands.
Huai'er twisted his body to resist at first, but after being slapped a few more times, he simply lost his temper and nestled in the maid's arms resigned to his fate, with his big black eyes wide open, a look of emptiness and despair on his face, allowing himself to be slaughtered.
"Grandma Qin is so lucky! With such good looks and bearing, I wonder how outstanding they will be in the future."
As she continued to praise him, she unconsciously glanced up at Wen Tang's face, fearing that her country woman's words would not reach the ears of the noble man. Although she had watched Wen Tang grow up, she was now the respected grandmother of the mansion, so Ma Danniang unconsciously added caution and flattery to her words.
Wen Tang ordered the maid to serve tea.
After Ma and her son sat down and all the auspicious words they had just said were exhausted, the atmosphere became subtly stagnant.
Having not seen each other for years, she didn't know where to begin except by exchanging pleasantries. Suddenly, she felt a little reserved, and Aunt Ma picked up the teacup with some embarrassment.
Wen Tang spoke softly, asking about the harvest in Jiangnan's fields and the latest developments in the village. These rural matters were exactly what Ma was familiar with.
As expected, as soon as the topic was brought up, Auntie Ma immediately relaxed and began to talk non-stop. When she got to the point where she was amusing herself, she couldn't help but laugh. Before she knew it, her teacup was empty and then refilled. Auntie Ma felt like she was enjoying a refreshing conversation with Wen Tang, and the discomfort she had previously felt in the wealthy family had vanished without her noticing.
On the path back to the banquet, Auntie Ma couldn't help but turn her head and sigh to her son, "Grandma Qin is such a kind person who remembers the past. She's not arrogant at all."
She paused, a hint of unspeakable regret in her tone, "What a pity... If Yao Ge'er had married Tang Yatou back then, he would be a high-ranking official now, and the couple would be living happily together. How wonderful their lives would be..."
This frightened her son greatly. He hurriedly tugged at her sleeve and said urgently, "Mother! You absolutely cannot say that. She is now the eldest grandmother of the Qin family. Brother Zhang Yao and Sister Wen Tang were only mentioned verbally by their mothers back then. They never even gave a proper betrothal gift. It doesn't count. Please don't say that again. You can cause trouble with your words."
"In our country, if two families like each other and have agreed verbally, isn't it almost certain? It's a done deal." Aunt Ma grumbled somewhat unconvinced.
"Oh my dear mother. This is the capital, this is the palace, please stop talking." The son was so anxious that he broke out in sweat and looked around, fearing that someone would hear him.
Seeing that her son was really anxious, Aunt Ma stopped talking in anger, but her heart couldn't stop churning up the past, feeling heavy.
At that time, the mothers of both families had verbally agreed that they would wait for Yao Ge'er to pass the imperial examination, return home to get married in a grand ceremony, and bring Yuan Shi to the capital together.
After Tang Yatou sent Yao Ge'er away at the village entrance, she had been waiting for Yao Ge'er at home. She had been waiting for more than two years, but Yao Ge'er still had not come back, and the news from him was getting less and less. She could only ask someone to write a letter to inquire about him, and the news she received was very serious.
Yao Ge'er became the top scorer in the imperial examination.
But shocking news followed immediately afterwards: Yao Ge'er was engaged in the capital, and the other party was the daughter of the Shangshu family.
After the news came back, Yuan was suddenly furious. Her already frail body collapsed instantly after suffering this blow.
While working, managing household affairs, and taking care of her seriously ill mother, Tang Yatou stubbornly ran to the village entrance to wait, asking the village peddlers and merchants to find ways to send a message to the capital. It was not known whether the letter was finally delivered or the other party learned of Yuan's serious illness and actually sent someone to bring back a large bag of heavy silver.
Aunt Ma remembered clearly that she had accompanied Wen Tang to the street to receive the bag of silver. When she saw the white silver and thought of Yao Ge'er's current success in the capital, Aunt Ma's heart skipped a beat and she thought to herself that something was wrong.
Wen Tang was just a little girl at that time. Holding the bag of silver, tears fell like beads with broken strings. She stuffed all the silver into the hands of the merchant and begged him to help her take one last letter to the capital. She said she didn't want anything, just a few words from him.
"I'll give you all the money, but please take one last letter for me to the capital, okay? Just say... just say I don't want anything..." His voice was choked with sobs.
The businessman did not only go to the capital, but how could he not accept such a huge windfall?
The merchant weighed the silver that he could never earn in several lifetimes, and then looked at the girl in front of him who was crying with tears in her eyes and whose clothes were old but could not hide her stunning beauty. A strange light flashed in his eyes and he agreed without hesitation.
Wen Tang was illiterate, so he asked the village scholar to write for him. The merchant took the letter and the silver and left, never to be heard from again.
The money is gone, and the letter is gone.
There was no news about Brother Yao at all.
There was no news of Yao Ge'er anymore.
Wen Tang lives with his seriously ill mother.
Such a beautiful girl, with only a bedridden mother at home, working hard every day, naturally attracted gossip. The idle bachelors and ruffians in the village often stood by the stream and pond, watching her snow-white wrist exposed when she rolled up her sleeves, and making frivolous remarks.
There were even more daring ones who would linger outside her house late at night, making malicious noises, which scared Wen Tang so much that she kept a sharp kitchen knife under her pillow for a long time.
The most heartbreaking and most profound memory Ma had of Wen Tang going up the mountain to collect herbs.
Wen Tang went to the back mountain alone. It was a remote place with dense woods and few people went there. No one in the village wanted to go to such a remote and dangerous place.
But Yuanshi was lying on the couch, looking like she would die at any moment. There was only Tang Jie'er at home. If she didn't go, who would go?
That day, Aunt Ma felt so sorry for the mother and daughter that she went to visit them at noon without telling her husband, taking a few steamed buns with her. But before she even reached the low fence of her house, she saw Wen Tang running back, wiping her tears. Her eyes were red, her clothes were torn, and there seemed to be scratches on the exposed skin of her shoulders and neck.
At that time, Aunt Ma was horrified. Wen Tang, who was usually such a strong and capable girl, saw Aunt Ma and threw herself into her arms. When she got closer, Aunt Ma could even see the glaring bloodstains on the coarse cloth.
Aunt Ma's heart was pounding, and the bad guess made her hands and feet cold.
But Wen Tang threw himself into her arms and said with a sob, "It's okay, I just met a madman." Aunt Ma thought he was a lecher and was shocked and scared.
Strangely, Wen Tang continued to go to the back mountain to collect herbs every day, even going there for several months without any harm, and he would carry a food basket and stay there for a long time. Aunt Ma asked if the madman was still there.
If he was, she would ask all the villagers to go there. They couldn't leave a crazy person around here. It was very scary.
Wen Tang shook his head with a strange expression on his face. He said that he was too scared that day and made a mistake. He was not a lunatic, but a tall man who always covered his face and didn't talk much.
--
Back to the noisy banquet,
Ma Da Niang followed her son forward and immediately saw the familiar yet unfamiliar figure sitting at the opposite table.
Aunt Ma recognized him, but when she saw the man walking towards her from the corner of the corridor with an indifferent and distant look on his face, her heart faltered. She immediately gave up the idea of going forward to say hello and stopped dead in her tracks.
It wasn't just Tang who had changed a lot, Yao Ge'er was like a completely different person. Ma Da Niang standing here could see the smile on his lips, but she could also see the indifference in his eyes more clearly.
That smile seemed to be floating on the water, with a cold deep pool underneath. He was completely different from the gentle and polite Yao brother in memory, who always had warmth in his eyes.
Ma's son also saw the big brother in his memory who would bring candies to the village children after school and teach them to write when he had time. He was also separated by the invisible coldness and could only look at him from afar, not daring to approach and recognize him.
When the banquet was in full swing, the emperor's edict arrived. The emperor personally bestowed gifts on the Qin family as a first birthday celebration for the twins. A wide variety of imperial gifts were respectfully brought in, demonstrating the great grace of the royal family and Qin Gong's great favor.
The eunuch announced the decree in a long voice.
All the guests in the hall knelt down, all of them were impressed by the great favor from Emperor Qin Gong.
The two princes of the royal family were also present at the banquet and came to offer their congratulations in person.
After the eunuch who announced the decree left, everyone stood up and the atmosphere at the banquet became more lively with people drinking and chatting.
In between toasts, Zhang Yao glanced at the sickly Third Prince, who sat quietly below the Second Prince.
The Second Prince was naturally as talkative as ever. Even though he had been reprimanded by his father a while ago, it did not affect his appearance in front of everyone. His every move and gesture was full of airs.
Standing next to the two princes was a businessman named Jiang Dao.
Zhang Yao calmly withdrew his gaze from the Third Prince. When he raised his eyes, he happened to see Qin Gong's deep gaze also passing over the Third Prince.
Zhang Yao tilted his head back and drank the whole glass of wine. The spicy liquid rolled down his throat, and as the alcohol rose, his fingers gripping the glass tightened a little.
"Master Zhang." A drunken greeting came from the side, and a young man dressed in gorgeous clothes and with unsteady steps came over with a wine glass in his hand.
It was the notoriously dissolute nephew of the imperial concubine's family. There was a circle of empty space around him, clearly indicating that everyone was trying to avoid him.
This playboy spent his days fighting cocks, running errands, and sleeping with prostitutes. Although everyone despised him, they dared not offend him due to the imperial concubine's power. Seeing him pestering Zhang Yao, they all shook their heads secretly.
He walked in front of Zhang Yao, raised his hand and patted Zhang Yao's shoulder heavily, breathing in the smell of alcohol, "Master Zhang, you have a good alcohol tolerance. Come, have another drink with me."
He had his usual smug smile on his face, and he leaned in closer, whispering drunkenly and playfully, "What? You don't dare?"
As he spoke, he clapped his hands twice more. Zhang Yao slowly raised his eyelids, revealing a pair of deep, unfathomable eyes beneath his thick, long eyelashes.
A faint arc appeared at the corner of his lips. He raised his hand and seemingly casually grabbed the other's wrist, which was still on his shoulder. The smugness on the dandy face froze instantly, and he felt a sharp pain in his wrist bone, as if it was about to be crushed.
He almost cried out in pain, and was mostly sober.
There was still a faint sneer on the corner of Zhang Yao's lips, and the strength in his hands had not decreased at all.
The table suddenly became quiet, with everyone looking at each other in different ways, but no one spoke.
It was not until the dude's face turned from red to white and cold sweat oozed out of his forehead that Zhang Yao slowly let go of his hand, as if nothing had happened. He picked up another glass of wine and said to everyone at the table, "Everyone, please." His attitude was calm.
--
The dandy was frustrated, and his wrist still ached. Several of his former classmates, who had been clinging to him, immediately surrounded him and offered him sympathy, saying, "He must have forgotten how shabby and downtrodden he was when he first arrived in Beijing."
"An unwelcome bastard, always trying to show off in school, without even considering his own background. He deserves to be pointed at and called a bastard. Have you forgotten the look of a stray dog when you were left with nowhere to go?"
"Now you're shaking after wearing the official jacket. There are so many officials in the capital who have fallen. The higher you climb, the harder you fall."
The dandy took a big gulp of wine, suppressed the pain in his wrist and the shame in his heart, and stared at Zhang Yao's handsome and flamboyant profile sinisterly. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He had condescended to recruit him, but this bastard didn't appreciate it. He, a bastard who was destined to never turn over a new leaf, dared to be so arrogant.
He spat and said to Zhang Mingli, who had been silent beside him, "What are you worried about? He's so arrogant, doesn't he even think about his mother's background?"
"Isn't it...some building in Jiangnan?" someone immediately lowered their voice and continued.
The dandy laughed, "No wonder he has such a feminine, pretty face. He has delicate skin and tender flesh. When he dresses up, he looks prettier than a woman. It turns out he takes after his prostitute mother."
"It's hard to say whether it's Duke Zhang's child. I don't know if Duke Zhang really was a cheap father back then."
Several people burst into laughter, pushed each other, and even compared with each other which uncle had been the lover of Zhang Yao's mother.
The topic quickly turned to the illicit affairs of brothels, such as which girl in the entertainment industry had the most charming figure and which one was the best at serving people.
--
The banquet ended and the number of carriages and horses in front of the mansion gradually decreased.
Dusk is falling, and the summer evening breeze carries the lingering warmth of the day.
Zhang Yao's carriage stopped in front of the mansion gate, and another carriage had already stopped there.
Ah Fu followed Zhang Yao out of the car and saw his master raise his hand to unbutton a button on his collar with a slightly impatient look, then stride into the mansion.
The Zhang residence was completely silent, with only the main courtyard ablaze with candlelight. Meanwhile, the door to Duke Zhang's study was tightly shut, guarded by two trusted servants.
"Second Young Master, the master has guests and important matters..." The guard at the door tried to stop him.
Zhang Yao ignored it and walked straight forward to push the door open.
The door opened with a bang, and the three people who were having a secret conversation in the study, Duke Zhang, Zhang Mingli, and the businessman Jiang Dao, suddenly stopped talking.
Duke Zhang, who was sitting at the head of the table, was stunned at first, but when he saw who was coming, his face suddenly changed to anger. "You bastard! Who let you in? Get out! You have no manners at all."
Zhang Yao pretended not to hear, took a step forward, and glanced at Zhang Mingli and Jiang Dao.
"Rebellious son!" Duke Zhang was so angry that he picked up the teacup next to him and smashed it hard.
The teacup hit Zhang Yao right in the middle of his eyebrows with such force that his skin was torn apart. Bright red blood immediately gushed out, meandering down along his sharp and narrow eyebrows and dripping onto the ground.
"Get out!" Duke Zhang pointed his spear outside the door.
Zhang Yao stood there, motionless, blood flowing into the corners of his eyes, staining his vision scarlet.
He raised the back of his hand and slowly wiped the blood that had flowed down his jaw with his sleeve. He lowered his eyelashes to hide the anger surging in his eyes, and gave an impeccable greeting to the furious Duke Zhang. "Father, please calm down. It was your fault. I will definitely follow the rules next time. I am leaving now."
Duke Zhang turned his face away in disgust and flicked his sleeves heavily.
Jiang Dao, who was sitting below, let his gaze linger for a moment on Zhang Yao's bloodstained face.
When Jiang saw her son coming back with a fresh, hideous wound on his forehead and blood on his face, tears welled up in her eyes instantly, but she didn't dare to cry out loud. She could only cover her mouth and sob silently.
--
Qin Mansion, inner room.
The candlelight is soft.
After taking a bath, Wen Tang sat on the couch in her soft nightgown. She sternly faced the two babbling little kids, trying to assert her motherly authority. "Don't yell. You can't call everyone daddy! Got it?"
"Dad..." The two little guys called to her in a baby voice, but their round eyes were chasing Yuanbao, the fat dog who had just sneaked in, wagging his tail and wanting to play hide-and-seek. The two children began to chase Yuanbao and shouted "Dad".
"Dad, Dad…"
Qin Gong talked with the Duke for a while in the front yard. As soon as he stepped into the room, he saw his two children crawling on the ground, chasing Yuanbao and calling "Daddy".
Qin Gong paused at the door, the corners of his mouth twitched slightly, and his palms felt inexplicably itchy.