The midday sun was pleasant.

Outside the medical hall, four sedan bearers slowly lifted Zhang Zhuo’s dark red official sedan chair and joined the flow of people on Anxi Street.

Inside the medical hall, a faint fragrance permeated the air. Bai Li leaned over to the counter, looked out the door, and asked, “I think I just saw Minister Zhang Zhuo. Why did he pop his head in, see us, and then leave so quickly?”

Chen Ji put the chess pieces one by one into the basket. “Minister Zhang said he had a banquet to attend at noon, so he left early.”

Bai Li was puzzled. “Did Minister Zhang come specifically to see you? Was he trying to mediate for the Chen family and persuade you to go home?”

Chen Ji also had a bewildered look on his face. “No, it seems he was trying to persuade me *not* to go home…”

Bai Li gasped, “Huh?”

The Prince, who had just climbed over the wall, was dusting himself off and quipped, “Perhaps Minister Zhang recognized your talent and wanted to recruit you to work in the yamen.”

“I can become an official without taking the imperial examination?”

The Prince chuckled. “Of course. Given Minister Zhang’s status and background, recommending you for an official position would be effortless for him. It’s quite possible he genuinely wanted to offer you a post. You could start as an advisor at the yamen for two years, and then be appointed to a regional post.”

Liu Quxing said, with a hint of bitterness, “What kind of official could Chen Ji be? He’s not even as good at medicine as I am. At the beginning of the year, I could pinpoint all twelve main meridians, but he still couldn’t remember where the Yongquan acupoint was…”

She Dengke scoffed, crossing his arms. “You may remember acupoints, but you can’t remember the kindness others have shown you.”

Liu Quxing’s neck stiffened, and his face turned red. “What nonsense are you spouting!”

The Prince sighed with emotion. “No one in Taiping Medical Hall is ever short of words, are they?”

At this moment, Old Man Yao was beside them, clicking abacus beads and jotting down notes without looking up. He said blandly, “Stop guessing. As soon as Minister Zhang entered, he asked me if Chen Ji had taken a liking to any young woman from a particular family. I told him no, that boy’s head might not have fully developed yet, so he hasn’t even considered such matters.”

Liu Quxing’s breath hitched.

Old Man Yao put down his brush, looked up, and continued, “Immediately after, Minister Zhang began praising his own daughter, saying she was gentle, sensible, and good at managing household affairs. Don’t you understand what Minister Zhang means by that?”

The medical hall suddenly fell silent.

Liu Quxing’s mouth fell open. He quietly looked at Chen Ji, wanting to speak but holding back.

Chen Ji looked at Liu Quxing. “What do you want to say, Senior Brother?”

Liu Quxing gritted his teeth. “You lucky dog!”

Chen Ji was speechless.

Since his master had made it so clear, it was no longer appropriate for him to feign ignorance. “Master, you didn’t take him up on it, did you?”

Old Man Yao sneered. “I’m not your father; what right do I have to entertain such a proposal? However, he hurried to the medical hall early this morning simply to observe your character up close. Now that he has left satisfied, he’s probably not going to a banquet, but to the Chen residence.”

Chen Ji frowned. “So hasty? I’ve only met Minister Zhang a total of three times. How could he determine my character so quickly?”

This time, it was Old Man Yao who paused in surprise. “Three times isn’t enough? The fact that he made a special trip to the medical hall for this matter already shows considerable sincerity. It seems his daughter is very beloved.”

Chen Ji suddenly realized a problem: in marriages of this era, families didn’t choose individuals, but rather their social standing.

As his master had said, for Zhang Zhuo to personally come to the medical hall to observe Chen Ji’s character already demonstrated extreme responsibility towards his daughter.

She Dengke asked in a muffled voice, “How many daughters does Minister Zhang have? Which one is he trying to arrange a marriage for now?”

The Prince leaned against the counter, deep in thought. “Minister Zhang only has two daughters. The older one is already married into the Liu family, so it must be the younger one, but…”

Chen Ji asked, puzzled, “But what?”

Liu Quxing said bluntly, “But the remaining daughter is his legitimate daughter, while you are a concubine’s son. Could Minister Zhang have an illegitimate daughter?”

The Prince shook his head. “Even if Chen Ji is a concubine’s son, he is still a son of the Chen clan. The Chen clan is an illustrious family, known for its wealth and influence, with generations of high-ranking officials. Currently, the family head, Chen Luchu, is a Grand Secretary in the imperial court and the Minister of Revenue. If Minister Zhang were to propose a marriage for an illegitimate daughter, Minister Chen would surely have him thrown out of the Chen family. Therefore, the daughter Minister Zhang wants to propose for is likely his legitimate daughter.”

A legitimate daughter marrying a concubine’s son…

Liu Quxing grew even more bitter.

While they were still pondering, Bai Li said from the side, “But Minister Zhang Zhuo’s reputation…”

“Hmm?” Chen Ji looked at Bai Li.

Bai Li hesitated for a long time, then gently tugged on the Prince’s sleeve. “Brother, you tell him.”

The Prince reluctantly took over. “If you want to get promoted under Minister Zhang, becoming a county clerk costs 800 taels of silver, and becoming a county magistrate costs 3,000 taels of silver—all clearly priced. Minister Zhang’s residence is bustling daily, with people lining up outside to seek official positions, even officials from other prefectures, it’s said. However, Minister Zhang’s credibility is excellent; as long as you pay, he truly gets things done for you.”

Liu Quxing, who was nearby, perked up. “I heard Minister Zhang took dozens of beautiful concubines. Is that true?”

The Prince chuckled. “It’s true. The number of officials who send him beautiful concubines every year is countless, and he never refuses anyone; he accepts them all.”

Liu Quxing exclaimed, “How many residences would that require?!”

The Prince explained, “Minister Zhang categorized his concubines into different ranks. The top three ranks stayed in his own residence, while the bottom six ranks were all sent to the agricultural estates to do farm work…”

Bai Li added, “The Chen clan is a northern intellectual faction, and they have always had a rift with the southern Xu family in the imperial court…”

Chen Ji shook his head. “Matters of the imperial court are not my concern. I’m simply not interested in this particular proposal.”

Old Man Yao scoffed, “You talk as if you can decide this matter yourself. With your parents’ commands and the matchmaker’s words, how can you be in charge?”

Chen Ji replied, “Minister Zhang, in considering this matter, is likely also interested in the cement formula I possess. Since the contract for transferring the formula hasn’t been signed between me and the Prince yet, there’s still room for change, which is why Minister Zhang has taken an interest. I just need to sign the contract with the Prince as soon as possible, letting Minister Zhang know that there’s no turning back regarding the cement. He will then discard me like an old shoe.”

Old Man Yao stroked his beard. “That’s true. This man wouldn’t get up early without profit; he truly is a scoundrel.”

The Prince suddenly said, “However, Minister Zhang wasn’t like this in his youth. He passed the imperial examination at twelve and became a zhuangyuan at fifteen. At that time, he already had a lawfully wedded wife. Grand Secretary Xu asked someone to act as a matchmaker, wanting him to divorce his wife and marry a woman from the Xu family, but he refused. He told the matchmaker then, ‘Without me, your noble daughter remains noble; without me, my wife would likely become but bones.’”

“At nineteen, Minister Zhang’s lawfully wedded wife passed away from illness. Disheartened and dispirited, he resigned from his official post and returned to his hometown of Jiangling in Huguang.”

Bai Li asked, puzzled, “Oh, then how did he end up marrying Grand Secretary Xu’s niece?”

“It is said that Minister Zhang came to his senses after idling at home for a year and then married Grand Secretary Xu’s niece, rising rapidly in his career thereafter.”

However, at this moment, Bai Li suddenly lowered her voice and said, “Chen Ji, there’s someone across from the medical hall staring at me. I’ve seen him before; this isn’t the first time.”

Chen Ji glanced sideways and saw a robust middle-aged man standing in the shadow of the steamed bun shop’s awning, silently observing Bai Li.

The middle-aged man wore black martial attire, with a broad back, narrow waist, and slender, strong legs, giving him a formidable and agile appearance.

Chen Ji tried to get a clear look at his face, but the man wore a bamboo hat, his features hidden in the shadow beneath it.

Was he a spy from the Secret Service? It didn’t seem so; spies wouldn’t stare so directly at people.

He thought for a moment and asked, “How many times have you seen him, Princess?”

Bai Li recalled, “Four or five times. The first time was in a tavern at the foot of Donglin Academy’s mountain. That day, I went down the mountain with my brother, and he was sitting alone in the tavern. His physique and demeanor were distinctive, making him easy to remember.”

“Where else have you seen him since?”

“Let me think. When we returned from the academy, just as we entered Luocheng, he was standing by the roadside,” Bai Li said. “At first, I was quite scared, thinking he might be some ruffian from the pugilistic world, but then I gradually got used to it. He would just watch for a while and then leave.”

“Does he have any other distinguishing features?”

Bai Li thought for a moment, then suddenly said, “I remember now. Once, when I brushed past him, I saw a tattoo on his wrist where his sleeve was rolled up. It looked like a Buddha statue.”

“A Buddha?” Chen Ji frowned and looked out of the medical hall, but the figure under the steamed bun shop’s awning was already gone.