The hour was Hai Shi.

Outside the Wen Dan Tang, maids and servants moved in an endless stream. The servants were busy climbing ladders to replace the candles in the lanterns, while eight maids waited in the distance, each carrying a food box. Inside the food boxes were abalone soup, lamb soup, chicken soup, tremella soup, small wontons, scallion oil noodles, shrimp noodles…

These dishes were served in white porcelain bowls, with a small white porcelain stove beneath each bowl, fueled by a candle, ensuring the food remained hot no matter when it was eaten.

Inside the Wen Dan Tang, Elder Chen sat in a grand armchair, resting with his eyes closed. Chen Ji sat in a chair to his left, slowly sipping his tea.

Neither wished to speak first.

It wasn’t until Chen Xu, dressed in a black Daoist robe, arrived at the door and bowed, saying, “Patriarch, Qi Xian Shu, Hu Jun Ye, and Yang Zhan have arrived, all with urgent matters to discuss. Who should I bring in first?”

The Qi and Hu families lived on Fu You Jie, and the Yang family on Xuan Wu Men Da Jie, all just a short distance away. News traveled quickly, and so did the people.

Elder Chen put down his teacup. “Qi Xian Shu.”

Chen Xu bowed and withdrew. “Yes.”

Chen Ji pondered for a moment, then bowed. “Patriarch, it’s getting late. Is it too hasty to finalize the marriage today?”

Elder Chen looked at Chen Ji and slowly said, “A man without a wife has no master in his home; a woman without a husband has no beam in her room. You are still young, with ample courage but insufficient stability. Once you marry and have something to commit to, you will naturally be different. Only then will you be capable of standing on your own and shouldering great responsibilities.”

Chen Ji hesitated. “But so many people have come…”

“What, do you find it awkward that I’ve invited so many people to discuss the marriage?” Elder Chen smiled. “As the old saying goes, ‘a man fears choosing the wrong profession, a woman fears marrying the wrong man.’ In truth, it’s the same for both men and women in marriage. Marrying the wrong wife or the wrong husband is a lifelong matter, so choosing carefully prevents mistakes.”

Chen Ji remained silent.

Elder Chen waved his hand. “Go wait outside the hall. For such an important life event, the elders of the family will make the decision for you.”

Chen Ji was silent for a moment, then stood up and bowed. “Yes.”

He walked out of the courtyard of the Wen Dan Tang and let out a long, deep breath.

The Wen Dan Tang was filled with the smell of candles; the air outside was much fresher.

Then, footsteps could be heard approaching from the north.

Chen Ji turned to look. On the bluestone path, four sedan bearers swiftly carried a small sedan chair adorned with green silk. The bearers moved very quickly, yet the sedan chair did not sway at all; even the tassels hanging from the top remained perfectly still.

The sedan chair landed outside the Wen Dan Tang, and a sedan bearer used a Xiangfei bamboo stick to lift the curtain. “Master, we’ve arrived.”

Qi Xian Shu bent down to step out of the sedan. He smoothed the wrinkles from his clothes, then turned and saw Chen Ji outside the Wen Dan Tang, immediately breaking into a smile. “We just met at Ren Shou Gong tonight, I didn’t expect to see you again so soon. My nephew from the Chen family sobered up quickly. I thought you’d sleep until dawn. If you had woken up earlier, Lord Zhang wouldn’t have had to carry you out of the palace.”

This was a playful jab at Chen Ji for feigning drunkenness outside Ren Shou Gong and Lord Zhang Zhuo carrying him out of the palace, news of which had spread like wildfire before dawn.

Chen Ji’s face didn’t redden, his heart didn’t race; his expression was as calm as ever. “Lord Qi, the Patriarch is waiting in the Wen Dan Tang.”

Qi Xian Shu, however, wasn’t in a hurry to enter. He looked Chen Ji up and down. “Do the twenty court floggings still hurt?”

Chen Ji paused slightly. “No, they don’t. Thank you for your concern, Lord Qi.”

Qi Xian Shu patted his shoulder. “Why be so polite? My good-for-nothing son from the Qi family, following you, has grown much bolder. Every day it’s ‘Master this,’ ‘Master that,’ I’ve heard it so much my ears have calloused.”

At this point, Qi Xian Shu changed his tone. “However, he’s still not steady enough. Once we become family, he needs to train more with you. Please take more care and guide him well; he’ll only achieve great things with you.”

Chen Ji dared not respond.

Qi Xian Shu laughed heartily and walked into the Wen Dan Tang. As he stepped over the threshold, he bowed with a smile. “Elder from the Chen family, Qi Xian Shu hasn’t come to pay his respects in a while.”

Elder Chen said in a hoarse voice, “We see each other every day, there’s no need to pay respects.”

As they spoke, Chen Xu waved outside the Wen Dan Tang, and a servant immediately came forward to close all eight vermilion doors, shutting the voices inside.

Before discussing the marriage, there were naturally more important matters to deliberate.

Chen Ji suddenly felt a sense of absurdity.

Inside the Wen Dan Tang, his marriage was being discussed: with which family he would marry, when to perform the “Na Cai” (presenting betrothal gifts), when to “Wen Ming” (inquiring about the bride’s name and birth date), when to “Na Ji” (receiving the auspicious divinatory result), when to “Na Zheng” (presenting formal betrothal gifts), when to “Qing Qi” (requesting the wedding date), when to “Ying Qin” (welcoming the bride)…

Yet he stood outside the door, as if none of this concerned him.

Chen Ji looked up at the night sky, which was heavily overcast, as if it was about to rain.

Chen Xu stood beside him, hands tucked into his sleeves, saying nothing.

To Chen Xu’s surprise, Chen Ji walked over to the maids and opened a food box. The first box contained chicken soup, which Chen Ji picked up and drank in one gulp. The second box contained abalone porridge, which he quickly spooned into his mouth. The third box contained crab porridge…

From waking up in the morning until now, he had only had wine and not a single bite of food. When Yangyang helped him get wine, she didn’t think to also get a kilo of beef to go with it, so he could only drink straight.

Chen Ji, as if no one else was present, devoured all the supper in the food boxes. The maids looked at Chen Xu for help: He’s finished eating, what will the Patriarch eat?

Chen Xu shook his head slightly, then waved his hand: Go get fresh ones.

At this moment, the main door of the Wen Dan Tang was pushed open from the inside. Qi Xian Shu announced loudly, “Elder, this nephew will return to consult with my father now. A decision will be reached before sunrise, and I will report back to you!”

As he passed Chen Ji, he patted Chen Ji’s shoulder with a smile. “Young and promising!”

With that, he got into the sedan chair.

Chen Xu turned to look inside the Wen Dan Tang. In the candlelight, Elder Chen waved his hand. Chen Xu then turned and went to invite Yang Zhan from the Yang family to the Wen Dan Tang for discussion.

Yang Zhan also arrived by sedan chair. After getting out, he looked Chen Ji up and down, much like Qi Xian Shu had. “Good, good, a handsome talent. I heard Yangyang speak highly of you. Today he went to find you, and I didn’t stop him.”

Chen Ji bowed. “Thank you, Lord Yang.”

Yang Zhan’s gaze flickered. “The Qi family often wavers, and the Hu family is always rash, both displeasing His Majesty. Only my Yang family…”

Chen Xu interrupted from the side, gesturing with his hand. “Lord Yang, this way please.”

Yang Zhan smiled, saying no more.

He turned and stepped into the Wen Dan Tang, and the eight vermilion doors closed once more.

Chen Xu stood beside Chen Ji, speaking softly, “The Yang family has been a vassal of the Xu family for many years, suppressed by them in the south. Now that Elder Xu is gravely ill and Prince Fu is gaining power, it’s a good opportunity for them to establish their own house. So, among these three families, the Yang family is the most urgent.”

Chen Ji glanced at Chen Xu in surprise, but the latter was looking into the distance, as if his words were not meant for him.

Chen Xu slowly said, “If you’re not full, the servants will bring more food later.”

Chen Ji shook his head. “I’m full.”

Overnight, the world had become a little kinder to him.

About an incense stick’s worth of time later, Yang Zhan, smiling, also departed, though it was unclear what he and Elder Chen had discussed.

But this time, before Chen Xu could even invite the Hu family, they arrived on their own.

In the distance, on the bluestone path, Hu Jun Ye, with his robust build and imposing stride, was not in a sedan chair.

As he passed Yang Zhan’s sedan chair, he casually said to it, “Your Yang family should first sort out your own affairs, don’t idly covet things that don’t belong to you.”

Yang Zhan, sitting in the sedan, said in a deep voice, “Does the Hu family truly believe Prince Fu has victory in hand and needs no assistance from others?”

Hu Jun Ye calmly replied, “My Hu family stands tall, we can afford to win and we can afford to lose.”

Yang Zhan sneered, “Take care of yourself. Move on.”

As the Yang family’s sedan departed, Hu Jun Ye advanced like a mountain, pressing towards them.

Chen Ji observed him closely, still seeing some resemblance to Hu Jun Xian, the Commander of Gu Yuan, in him.

Hu Jun Ye came before Chen Ji, his voice booming. “Hu Jun Xian mentioned you in his letters home. In Gu Yuan, you were very good, unlike other Chen family members.”

Chen Ji was stunned.

Chen Xu lightly coughed. “Lord Hu, this way…”

Hu Jun Ye ignored him and continued to speak. “A disciple of Wang Dao Sheng is bound to have a connection with my Hu family. But my Hu family has no suitable young women for you. Today, I, Hu, am not here for such a trivial matter as marriage. Your capabilities should not be wasted on such petty things.”

Chen Ji was at a loss for how to respond.

Hu Jun Ye walked past him and strode into the Wen Dan Tang, getting straight to the point. “Elder, I like this young man. He has been dismissed from the Imperial Guards and should be sent to the Ministry of War for training. Six years as a Director, six years as a Vice Minister, then an external posting to Taiyuan Prefecture, where all the border troops of a province will be under his command.”

The Hu family spoke too directly. The Chen family servants hadn’t even had time to close the eight vermilion doors, and Hu Jun Ye had already laid out everything he wanted to say before Elder Chen.

It wasn’t until Hu Jun Ye’s last word fell that the vermilion doors slowly closed.

This time, the discussion in the Wen Dan Tang lasted a full half an hour before Hu Jun Ye emerged.

He clapped Chen Ji on the shoulder. “Hu Jun Xian said Gu Yuan couldn’t keep you, so go to the Ministry of War, go to Taiyuan Prefecture. With two empires on the verge of war, it’s the perfect time to make great achievements and be ennobled on horseback.”

With that, Hu Jun Ye strode away.

Like a horse king on the prairie, he arrived with a forceful presence and departed with an equally imposing figure.

Inside the Wen Dan Tang, Elder Chen slowly said, “Come in.”

Chen Ji stepped into the Wen Dan Tang and respectfully bowed. “May I ask which family the Patriarch has chosen?”

Elder Chen stroked his beard. “I haven’t chosen.”

Chen Ji was startled.

Elder Chen closed his eyes. “Wait a little longer.”

This waiting lasted an hour. If he hadn’t heard no snoring, Chen Ji would have almost thought the other party had fallen asleep.

It wasn’t until Chen Xu quietly reported from outside the door, “Patriarch, it’s Zi Shi.”

Elder Chen opened his eyes and looked at Chen Ji. “If they haven’t arrived by Zi Shi, they won’t be coming.”

Chen Ji was puzzled. “Who is the Patriarch waiting for?”

Elder Chen smiled. “Naturally, I’m waiting for the Zhang family.”

Chen Ji was silent for a moment. “Were the conditions offered by those three families not good enough?”

“Chen Ji, not everything in this world has to be a business deal,” Elder Chen slowly stood up, supporting himself on the armrest. “Business can be discussed anytime, but a marriage, such an important matter, can only be discussed once. How can one judge if it’s ‘good enough’ or ‘not good enough’? If you ask me, liking someone is the best.”

Chen Ji remained silent.

Elder Chen walked to the front of the Wen Dan Tang and stood within the doorway, sighing, “Your matter with Second Miss Zhang—you shared hardships in Gu Yuan, and in the capital, you had an unparalleled understanding. Naturally, you two are more suitable than others. Life is only a few decades long; being able to choose someone you like is a great blessing, and as a son of my Chen family, you are naturally more fortunate than others… But why hasn’t the Zhang family come?”

Chen Ji’s heart suddenly stirred.

Chen Li Qin had once said that the first branch would try everything to win people’s hearts, to make Chen Ji devoted to the first branch and work wholeheartedly for them.

They would first wait for the third branch to arrange a mediocre marriage for Chen Ji, then use an even better one to outshine the third branch.

Chen Li Qin was skilled in factional struggles and familiar with the first branch’s way of doing things, but his vision was still limited.

He thought that the “better” arrangement by the first branch would mean choosing a prominent family with immense wealth and immense power.

But Elder Chen was more astute than Chen Li Qin. He didn’t give Chen Ji money or power; instead, he gave Chen Ji the opportunity to choose someone he liked best.

Throughout history, loyal retainers were never cultivated solely with money and power; only emotion and belief could foster true loyalty.

This was true astuteness.

Elder Chen smiled at Chen Ji. “Since the Zhang family hasn’t come, I will personally visit them tomorrow. I imagine Lord Zhang wouldn’t refuse me this face.”

However, at this moment, after a long silence, Chen Ji bowed and said, “Patriarch, Qi Zhao Ning is quite good.”

Elder Chen paused slightly, then slowly said, “Then it shall be Qi Zhao Ning.”

(End of chapter)