“It’s so hot, so hot!” Xiaoman exclaimed, jogging in from outside Ginkgo Garden, carrying a basin of sautéed noodles.

Zhang Zheng quickly stood up, took the ceramic basin from her, and hurriedly turned to place it on the stone table in the courtyard. The moment he set it down, both of them simultaneously touched their earlobes, having been burned.

Xiaoman complained, “The Chen family servants are far too good at changing with the wind. The day before yesterday, when we returned to the capital, they were calling me ‘Miss Xiaoman’ and were very attentive. But today, the moment I stepped into the kitchen, those matrons secretly hid all the meat and didn’t even greet me. If I hadn’t been quick, they probably would have taken away all the oil, salt, vinegar, and soy sauce too. Young Master, why are we staying here? It would be better to buy a small house on Chessboard Street; it would be more convenient for you to report to the Governor’s Mansion later.”

Zhang Zheng cheerfully added, “Exactly! With a small house, Ah Xia and I wouldn’t have to put up with the Chen family’s attitude when we visit you.”

Chen Ji rubbed his chopsticks, “A very important person offered me a way out for the Princess if I stayed with the Chen family.”

Zhang Zheng was startled. “Who?”

Chen Ji was silent for two breaths. “The Secret Service, Feng Wenzheng.”

Zhang Zheng suddenly understood. As he scooped noodles into his bowl, he asked curiously, “What does that person named Feng want you to do by staying with the Chen family? Does he want to bring down the Chen family, just like he did the Liu family?”

Chen Ji shook his head. “I don’t know either. He only told me to retrieve the Chen family’s smuggling ledgers… But he rarely tells the truth, so I’m not sure if he genuinely wants those ledgers.”

He mused, “This person’s words and actions are sometimes completely contradictory. Only when everything settles can I truly see what he intends to do. I once asked him what he wanted, and he claimed he had already told me… but I don’t know which statement he was referring to.”

At that moment, Zhang Xia, who had been silently reciting scriptures, suddenly stopped and said, “Wenzheng.”

Chen Ji paused, “What about Wenzheng?”

Zhang Xia softly explained, “Wenzheng is not a name, but a posthumous title. Throughout thousands of years of posthumous titling, ‘Wen’ is the highest honorific, symbolizing profound knowledge and vast understanding; ‘Zheng’ symbolizes unwavering adherence to principles and unyielding loyalty. Only those who have achieved great merits and virtues can be granted the posthumous title of Wenzheng. This title is the ultimate pursuit for scholars in our dynasty, sought until death. Therefore, he used this posthumous title as his alias to express his ambition.”

Xiaoman asked curiously, “So, is this Mister Feng a good person or a bad person? I heard Zhang Zheng mention him before, saying he enjoyed killing people…”

Zhang Xia smiled and patted her head. “Such people are very complex. Let future generations judge them.”

At that moment, a knock sounded from outside Ginkgo Garden.

Xiaoman vigilantly asked, “The Second Madam isn’t coming back for revenge, is she?”

Zhang Xia put down her bowl and chopsticks, smoothed her white short jacket, and calmly said, “Xiaoman, open the door. Whoever it is today, you must send them packing.”

Xiaoman rose and opened the door. With a creak, a middle-aged couple was revealed outside the wooden door, accompanied by several maids and servants carrying lanterns bearing the “Chen Manor” emblem.

They were surrounded by attendants, a clear sign of their high status.

The middle-aged man had a pale, beardless face and wore a simple, dark blue scholar’s robe. If not for the square cap on his head, he might have looked more like an unadorned Taoist priest.

The woman’s face was remarkably beautiful. She wore a simple, plain-colored cross-collared robe with a silk shawl, and her thick hair was styled with only two wooden hairpins. Even without gold, silver, or jade ornaments, she was exceptionally striking.

In fact, gold, silver, or jade ornaments would likely have seemed superfluous on her.

Chen Ji hesitated… Who were these two people? He had never met them before.

Were they Chen Lizun of the First Branch, or Chen Lizhi of the Second Branch? Only those two matched the age.

If they were outsiders, Zhang Xia would surely have offered a hint. But now, even Zhang Xia probably hadn’t anticipated that Chen Ji didn’t recognize his own family members.

In the soft glow of the lanterns under the night sky, the middle-aged scholar glanced at the stone table and gently said, “Why are you eating so simply? Didn’t the kitchen at Qinzheng Garden prepare meals for Ginkgo Garden?”

Chen Ji calmly rose and bowed. “We returned late, so we didn’t want to disturb the kitchen again.”

The middle-aged man smiled and said, “It’s no trouble at all. The kitchen is specially instructed to always have stewed Poria with immortal wine ready, and there are also ten warming cauldrons simmering ‘Kirin Fetus’ and ‘Xi Shi’s Tongue.’ It’s no effort to have them sent over… Won’t you invite us in to sit?”

Chen Ji bowed. “Please come in.”

The middle-aged man approached the stone table and peered into the ceramic basin. “I happened to return late from the yamen and only had a bowl of stewed Poria. Would it be convenient to serve me a bowl of these sautéed noodles as well?”

Before Xiaoman could step forward, Zhang Xia had already stood up to serve the noodles, then moved to the side.

Only Chen Ji and the middle-aged couple remained seated at the stone table, while the servants and maids waited respectfully at a distance.

The middle-aged man took a small bite of the sautéed noodles, then put down his chopsticks and smiled. “Not bad… Qinggui, why didn’t you come to see me after returning to the capital from Luocheng? When you were imprisoned in the Imperial Prison, your friends should have come to me first. Today, when I heard you were in prison, I immediately went to the Directorate of Ceremonial, only to find out you had already been released.”

The woman smiled and said, “My lord, Chen Ji is an adult now and has achieved great merit in Guyuan. You shouldn’t call him Qinggui anymore; you should use his formal name.”

Qinggui? Who was Qinggui?

It took Chen Ji two breaths to realize that was his own childhood name, a name even Chen Liqin had never used. Strange, which family did this middle-aged man belong to, and why was he so close to him?

The more Chen Ji listened, the more something felt off.

He replied vaguely, “Thank you for your concern.”

The middle-aged man said gently, “There’s no need to be so polite with me. When your father went to Luocheng, I told him to leave you in the capital, and I would look after you, but he absolutely refused. Later, he took you to Luocheng, only to send you to a medical clinic as an apprentice. I really don’t know what to say about him… Why don’t you move to Humble Administrator’s Garden? I know you love koi, and the pond in the Koi Garden has always been specially cared for.”

Humble Administrator’s Garden?

This was Chen Lizun, the head of the Chen family’s First Branch and Assistant Minister of Revenue.

And the woman beside him must be Chen Lizun’s wife, Lady Liu.

But what was strange was that the Secret Service’s records stated that the Chen family’s First Branch and Third Branch were not close and often had disputes, yet this person was treating him so warmly?

Wait a minute!

A thought struck Chen Ji, and he replied, “Begging to report, Eldest Master, Ginkgo Garden is quite good to live in. It’s close to the side gate, which makes coming and going more convenient.”

Chen Lizun didn’t press the matter. “As you wish.”

Lady Liu, standing nearby, asked earnestly, “How was your life in Luocheng? We haven’t received a single letter from you in three years. Your eldest uncle even considered stopping in Luocheng on his way south to Jinling last year, but with the autumn harvest approaching, he ultimately prioritized official duties.”

Chen Ji said softly, “It’s fine, I had a good life in Luocheng.”

Lady Liu then asked, “Were you injured in Guyuan?”

Chen Ji shook his head. “No, I wasn’t injured.”

Lady Liu breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good, no injuries. It’s fortunate you’ve now joined the Imperial Guards; it’s a relaxed post, so you won’t have to worry about danger anymore. Oh, and in a few days, I’ll send for the manager of Wang Ji Tailors to come to the manor to make you some new clothes. Look, your current clothes are quite worn…”

As she spoke, she reached out to pull Chen Ji’s sleeve, and he instinctively withdrew his left hand.

Lady Liu paused, then smiled to cover her awkwardness. “In a few days, when the manager arrives, I’ll have a servant take him to find you…”

With that, she looked at Zhang Xia, who was standing nearby. “This must be Miss Zhang Er. You truly have a spirited demeanor. Your mother and I are old acquaintances; we used to play polo together when we were young. She was much better than me; I could only follow behind, eating her dust.”

Zhang Xia politely replied, “Thank you for the compliment, Auntie. My mother has also mentioned you. She said that no matter how well she played polo then, she could never overshadow your brilliance. All those scholars and literati came just to watch you.”

Lady Liu was silent for a moment. There was no joy in her expression as she quietly replied, “Those are all things of the past.”

Chen Lizun looked at the group, then stood up and said to Chen Ji, “Since you and your friends are having a small gathering, your aunt and I won’t disturb you further. I’m going to Tanggu tomorrow, and I’ll come to see you again when I return to the capital.”

Chen Ji bowed. “Eldest Master, please take care on your way.”

Chen Lizun and Lady Liu turned and exited the door. Servants, holding lanterns, attended to them on both sides, guiding them through Xiao Yingzhou and back to Humble Administrator’s Garden.

Once Ginkgo Garden became quiet again, Zhang Xia suddenly said, “I know why Mister Feng insisted you return to the Chen family.”

Chen Ji remained silent.

Zhang Zheng and Xiaoman were puzzled. “Why?”

Zhang Xia stated with certainty, “He wants Chen Ji to return to the Chen family, be adopted into the First Branch, and inherit the Chen family’s estate.”

Xiaoman’s eyes widened. “Huh? I’ve never heard anyone mention that before. The servants in Qinzheng Garden have been saying that the Second Branch’s illegitimate son, Chen Yu, was to be adopted by the Eldest Master, and the Second Master often said he wanted Chen Yu adopted.”

Zhang Xia whispered, “To my knowledge, the First Branch of the Chen family holds eighty percent of the family’s assets, and the Second Branch has always coveted this. Chen Lizun naturally prefers to adopt someone from the Third Branch, which is less involved in conflicts.”

Xiaoman asked doubtfully, “No wonder the adoption has been discussed for so many years but never materialized… If the First Branch favors our young master, why hasn’t the adoption happened all these years?”

Zhang Xia pondered, “It’s likely the Second Branch interfered. Perhaps when Master Chen Liqin of the Third Branch was transferred to Luocheng three years ago, it was the Second Branch that found a way to send them away.”

Xiaoman looked at Chen Ji with bright eyes. “Young Master, move to Humble Administrator’s Garden! Once adopted, you’ll be listed in the family genealogy, and the Chen family’s future will be yours. As my aunt would say, it’s a huge business with no capital and immense profits!”

Zhang Xia smiled. “Let your young master consider it himself. After all, even if he’s adopted, he’d have to wait until the head of the Chen family and the head of the First Branch, Chen Lizun, pass away before your young master gets to make decisions. He’d have to be someone else’s son for decades, and your young master isn’t the type to silently endure such things.”

Xiaoman’s eyes darted around. “Then, after he’s adopted, if he kills them all, can the young master inherit the Chen family?”

Zhang Xia and Zhang Zheng’s expressions changed. “You…”

Before they could finish speaking, a meow came from inside the room.

Chen Ji turned his head to look into the room.

Xiaoman exclaimed, “I forgot about it!”

She jogged into the room and came out carrying a small, dark cat. Chen Ji was puzzled; this black cat resembled Wuyun, but he didn’t know when it had arrived. “What is this?”

Xiaoman explained, “Second Sister gave it to me the day Young Master was arrested and taken to the Imperial Prison. She said keeping it at home wouldn’t arouse suspicion.”

Chen Ji looked at Zhang Xia, who explained, “Father said he was certain the one in the Empress’s arms was Wuyun. Many people knew you had a black cat by your side, and its sudden disappearance might cause suspicion, so he told me to quickly buy a similar one from the livestock market and bring it here.”

Chen Ji said with emotion, “Thank you.”

Zhang Xia nodded, then stood up and said, “It’s getting late. My brother and I should go back to rest…” She walked to the door and looked back at Chen Ji. “If you can be adopted into the First Branch, you’ll become a ‘pseudo-legitimate son,’ eligible to preside over ancestral rituals and inherit the family estate. If you wish to save the Princess, having this status will undoubtedly make things much easier, and it will also provide significant assistance on your cultivation path. However, you must be careful. The succession within aristocratic families is no less perilous than a royal struggle for the throne, and the Second Branch will not give up easily.”

Chen Ji nodded. “I understand.”

Zhang Xia sighed softly, “I wonder how the Princess is faring in Jingyang Palace. The Chen family must have placed trusted confidants as eunuchs in the palace. If we can gain the Chen family’s assistance, the Princess’s life in the palace might become easier.”