spoiled brat

Chapter 148, Section 147: The Sun Flame (Part 7)

Minister Jiang disliked ostentation, so the banquet was small, lacking any air of a powerful minister. Instead, it resembled an ordinary farmer entertaining relatives and friends.

The outer courtyard was spacious, with elegant pavilions and waterside terraces by the lake, each with its own furnishings. Officials who came to offer birthday greetings sat together in groups, and the atmosphere among fellow students was harmonious.

The inner courtyard was exquisite and small, and those seated were all trusted confidants promoted by Minister Jiang, including both white-haired elders and young talents. They went to the main seat in order to offer toasts and birthday wishes, and said auspicious words.

Minister Jiang was quite old, and after a few drinks, his face flushed. His lean face was not as serious as usual. He sighed and shook his head, saying, "I'm old, I'm old."

This sigh was followed by a chorus of words of comfort from the audience, with phrases like "in high spirits" and "his phoenix eyes have returned to spring," as everyone wished they could use every kind word to praise him.

Minister Jiang smiled upon hearing this, raised his cup to toast the crowd: "The censors all say that I appoint relatives and cronies and support my own faction..."

He paused, and everyone fell silent. Soon, someone said indignantly, "If it weren't for your appreciation, how could we, from humble backgrounds, have achieved what we have today?"

"Exactly! If we don't appoint relatives and friends, are we supposed to appoint strangers?"

"In the ups and downs of officialdom, who doesn't rely on the favor of a mentor or powerful figure? Those censors who stubbornly criticize haven't managed to rise to the top!"

Minister Jiang raised his hand slightly, and the clamor of voices abruptly ceased. He finished his drink and said with a sigh, "I don't care what outsiders say. But since we're 'relatives,' let's skip the formalities. The country is in crisis right now, and the state is unstable. This feast is small, and I apologize for the inconvenience of you all coming from all over."

After he finished speaking, the intermittent rain outside the hall seemed to quicken, and a cool breeze swept through the hall.

The forced smiles vanished, and dozens of hearts swayed in the wind like damp lanterns under the eaves. At this critical moment, who could truly be happy?

The atmosphere was somber. Jiang Ying frowned and looked at the silent young man beside Minister Jiang: "Brother, has the Prince brought any good news in the past few days? My father is very worried. Can you read a few auspicious verses to make him smile? It's such an unlucky day to have such a gloomy face."

Minister Jiang and Prince Ning were sworn brothers, and the younger generations of both families were as close as brothers.

Xiu Yi disliked Jiang Ying's personality, but treated her with about 70% the kindness he showed Xiu Ning, and replied, "I've already said that."

Minister Jiang had just left the scene to see him in his study. The war at the front was stable, and the army was advancing westward without hindrance. The absence of danger was a good thing, and it was a ray of sunshine in the gloomy world.

Minister Jiang informed everyone of the news, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

He glanced around the room but didn't see Xie Xiaoqing or Li Qingwen. He then asked Jiang Ying, "Why isn't that young man here? And where did Qingwen go?"

Behind the screen at the main table, Zhao Zhao lowered her eyes and listened intently to Jiang Ying's reply.

Jiang Ying ignored Xie Xiaoqing and said, "The palace has bestowed gifts upon us, and Qingwen has gone to greet them."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Li Qingwen strode into the hall, rushing to Minister Jiang's side like a gust of wind, and whispered a few words in his ear. Minister Jiang's face darkened upon hearing this, and everyone stopped drinking and following his gaze toward the hall door.

At some point, a row of eunuchs appeared, the leader with graying hair and wearing a royal lychee-red lion-patterned robe.

Through the screen, Zhao Zhao recognized that this was the Grand Eunuch Li Fu. As a close minister of the emperor, he obeyed the Crown Prince's orders and came to the princess's residence every day to deliver medicine.

"Lord Jiang." Knowing he was unwelcome, Li Fu didn't enter the hall, but waved the whisk in his hand. "His Majesty is ill, and His Highness is serving in the palace and has no time to spare. I have come to offer my congratulations as His Majesty wishes."

Minister Jiang nodded his thanks and invited people to take seats.

Li Fu sat down at the main table, greeted Xiu Yi, and pretended to offer a toast to the birthday celebrant, saying with a smile, "Look at my memory, I was so focused on taking my seat that I forgot to present my courtesy."

He clapped his hands lightly, and two eunuchs pulled open the half-closed hall door. A cold wind and rain rushed in, and the joy that had been so hard to gather dissipated.

Outside the hall was an empty courtyard, in which a simple stage had been set up. Musicians played on both sides, and the actors, dressed in costume, sang in a soft, melodious voice. As the rain fell, the damp opera singing added a touch of decadence and decadence to the scene.

"I've heard that Lord Jiang is fond of Kunqu Opera, so His Majesty specially dispatched me to Suzhou to invite the Cheng family troupe." Li Fu, with his plump, pale face, smiled cloyingly. "Is the 'water-grinding' melody pleasant to the ear?"

With a loud clap of thunder, the sky darkened further. The actors, dressed in red, green, pink, and white, sang melodiously in the gloomy light. Zhao Zhao watched from behind the screen, feeling as if they were puppets on the verge of death.

She saw Minister Jiang's silent profile, patted Xiu Yi with one hand, and held down Jiang Ying, who was about to lash out, with the other, and calmly replied, "Very good."

Today's heavy rain was already a downpour, and if it weren't for this damned eunuch, we could have enjoyed the quiet pleasure of watching the rain. But not only did he come, he also brought a whole troupe of actors with their incoherent singing.

Everyone said it was bad luck, but out of respect for the emperor's authority, they couldn't send the dead eunuch away. Suddenly, someone had a brilliant idea. They went to the main table, bowed, and said they wanted to present a birthday gift.

Minister Jiang agreed, and immediately birthday gifts were presented. His students and friends were all extraordinary, and the gifts were rare and precious. The sound of people commenting drowned out the sound of rain and the playful banter, and the joy that had been scattered returned somewhat.

Zhao Zhao stood behind the screen, her gaze sweeping over every unfamiliar face. She didn't see Xie Xiaoqing, but she saw Li Qingwen beckon a young boy and whisper a few instructions to him.

Her eyelids twitched, and she was about to follow him out when He Bi, who was standing beside her, stopped her: "What are you going out for now?"

Zhao Zhao pointed to the side hall, where servants from various families were carrying the birthday gifts prepared by their masters into the hall, lining them up neatly in a row: "I'll have someone bring our family's gifts over."

Without waiting for further questions, Zhao Zhao slipped out and saw the boy run to the moon gate of the inner courtyard, saying to a man, "The offering of gifts has begun in the hall! Quickly go and fetch the things from the carriage!"

The man turned and left, and the boy called after him, "Remember, be careful, don't open it."

"Why?" the man asked curiously.

"Grandpa said that thing is rare and must never be exposed to light, wind, or dampness."

The man muttered to himself as he walked away.

After a moment's thought, Zhao Zhao had an idea. She first found a guard from the Prince's mansion and asked him to carry the gifts to the side hall. Then, she spent a few pieces of silver to inquire with the servants of the Jiang family about where Xie Xiaoqing had gone.

There was originally a seat for Xie Xiaoqing in the inner hall, but he didn't go there. Instead, he squeezed into a seat in the outer courtyard.

The people at the table didn't recognize him and assumed he was some parent who had come to freeload, so their words and actions were full of contempt.

When Zhao Zhao found him, he was sitting blankly on the stool, half of his body exposed in the rain-drenched corner of the pavilion, his clothes soaked.

Zhao Zhao pulled him out, frowned, and asked, "Why didn't you go to the inner hall?"

If Minister Jiang invites him, he will surely make proper arrangements.

Xie Xiaoqing hesitated, unwilling to reveal his true feelings, and then mentioned that Minister Jiang had asked him to write a calligraphy. After hearing this, Zhao Zhao sighed, "He's not good enough."

After sighing, he asked again, "Have you prepared a birthday gift yet?"

Xie Xiaoqing took out a small wooden box from his pocket. Zhao Zhao opened it and saw that inside was a gold-inlaid jade Buddha. It was a vulgar thing. How could Minister Jiang like it?

She closed her eyes helplessly: "More than capable of ruining things."

Without further ado, he grabbed the person and headed towards the inner courtyard.

Xie Xiaoqing didn't understand her meaning, but Zhao Zhao said coldly, "It doesn't matter if you're a fool, I'll take care of you. I'll give you a great opportunity later, so be sure to seize it."

Inside the hall, people were still presenting birthday gifts one after another, making a lot of noise. Zhao Zhao arranged for Xie Xiaoqing to sit down, said nothing, and stepped into the side hall.

She glanced at the birthday gifts on the ground and, sure enough, saw the box with Li Qingwen's letter attached, right behind the birthday gifts from the Prince of Ning's residence.

As luck would have it, that thing was about the same size as Xie Xiaoqing's jade Buddha.

The boy had just warned us not to open it and gave us many more instructions, so it seems this thing is extremely delicate and no one except Li Qingwen knows about it.

With no one in the side hall, Zhao Zhao bent down, pretending to inspect the Prince's birthday gifts. In a few quick movements, she changed the letterheads on the two wooden boxes.

Amitabha.

She only hoped that the good-for-nothing would be able to accept her good intentions.

Zhao Zhao hurried back behind the screen. He Bi, who was whispering and laughing with a Jiang family maid, looked over and noticed that her boots were badly wet, suggesting she hadn't just gone out to give a single instruction. He asked, "Zhao Zhao, where did you go?" Zhao Zhao replied nonchalantly, offering a casual excuse. Before He Bi could ask further, a loud announcement rang out from the hall: "Student Xie Xiaoqing—"

The note was slightly damp, and the remaining words were blurred. The steward in charge of announcing the ceremony asked those seated, "Is Young Master Xie Xiaoqing here? The words at the end are not clear, so please come out and read them yourself."

The group looked at each other in bewilderment. When had their party gained more members?

In an inconspicuous corner, Xie Xiaoqing slowly rose, walked into the hall, took the note from the steward, read aloud the second half of the congratulatory message, and finally bowed to Minister Jiang from afar:
"This student wishes Minister He a long life."

He was not there before, but now he appeared with his clothes half wet, and Minister Jiang concluded that he had been wronged and ostracized.

"Thank you, young master." Minister Jiang glanced coldly at his spoiled daughter beside him, pointed to an empty seat at the main table and said, "The corner of the hall is leaking, come and sit up here."

Everyone was taken aback. How could an unknown young man be worthy of such high praise?

Xie Xiaoqing was also bewildered, but he couldn't refuse such hospitality, so he had no choice but to step forward.

The main table was filled with very important figures: Minister Jiang, the young master, a high-ranking official, a close attendant of the emperor... Looking around, only Jiang Ying and Li Qingwen were relatively short.

He moved an empty stool, intending to sit down next to her, but as soon as he lifted his buttocks, Jiang Ying kicked the stool away and said rudely, "You're all wet and stinky, stay away from me!"

The eight-treasure round stool rolled to Xie Xiaoqing's feet, and he instantly blushed, so embarrassed that he didn't know what to do.

Minister Jiang frowned and turned to the side, about to scold Jiang Ying for being ignorant, when a calm voice rang out: "Young Master Xie, it's been a long time."

Xiu Yi raised his eyes, his tone familiar but his expression distant, and pointed to the empty seat next to him: "Come on."

Xie Xiaoqing sat down, but Jiang Ying still wouldn't let him go, arrogantly asking:
"My father holds you in such high regard, what birthday gift have you prepared?"

Zhao Zhao, behind the screen, was on tenterhooks, hoping that this fool wouldn't give a random answer.

Xie Xiaoqing felt uncertain and glanced at Li Qingwen, who was standing silently with his eyes down:
"This item is so rare that mentioning it would diminish its novelty. Please have the steward present it to His Excellency the Minister so that he may open it himself."

As if sensing something, Li Qingwen suddenly looked over.

Jiang Ying remained disdainful and was about to laugh and mock when Minister Jiang coldly suppressed her anger and turned to Xie Xiaoqing, saying, "You've got a good idea."

The steward presented it, and Minister Jiang accepted it. It was an inconspicuous wooden box, neither luxurious nor simple, but rather rustic and unadorned.

Minister Jiang removed the copper lock and was about to open it when a burning gaze made the back of his hand feel hot.

He glanced to the side and saw Li Qingwen staring intently at the wooden box with a strange expression, so he asked, "Qingwen, what's wrong?"

Li Qingwen smiled but didn't laugh out loud: "It's nothing, I'm just curious about Young Master Xie's ingenious idea."

The wooden box was opened, and the contents inside were extremely drab, consisting of old, yellowed paper pages that exuded a putrid smell.

Jiang Ying covered her nose and asked with disgust, "What is this?"

Minister Jiang couldn't tell at first, but as he gently turned the pages, he saw the ink on the paper. His eyes brightened, and a genuine joy appeared on his weathered face. He stared at Xie Xiaoqing in a daze: "...This is Han Changli's authentic work?"

Xie Xiaoqing was even more bewildered than Li Qingwen. Under Li Qingwen's glare, he forced himself to say, "Yes, it is a family heirloom. I heard that you, sir, regard Han Yu as the foremost of the Eight Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties, so I hastily presented it!"

Scholars cherish their writing as much as warriors cherish their swords.

Although Minister Jiang was of noble birth, he was not immune to some materialistic quirks.

Li Qingwen figured out his preferences and spent a lot of money to find genuine works by Han Yu.

Unfortunately, Han Yu was born in an ancient era and his fame was too great, so the works that have survived to this day are either imitations or extremely expensive.

Fortunately, he was lucky enough to encounter a group of inexperienced tomb raiders selling their wares on Antique Street, and managed to acquire a fragment of a scroll.

I had intended to present it on his birthday to please him, but unexpectedly, a stunt came out of nowhere.

Perhaps it was fate playing tricks, but just as Minister Jiang was overjoyed with this incomplete scroll, the steward in charge of announcing the ceremony called out loudly, "Student Li Qingwen—"

To curry favor with the prospective son-in-law, the butler drew out his words and spoke in a high-pitched voice as he accepted the small wooden box handed to him by the servant.

Jiang Ying found the item shabby; it was understandable for a poor man to give away a tattered scroll, but how could her husband be so shameless? "Qingwen, what's inside?"

Minister Jiang also looked over. He treated Li Qingwen like a son-in-law, as close as family, so he couldn't help but have expectations.

Li Qingwen lowered his head and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture: "Teacher, I..."

Before he could even react, the steward opened the wooden box, and before he could even see what was inside, a piece of green jade fell to the ground.

—Snap, extremely crisp.

All eyes were drawn to the box. The butler froze, first trying to excuse himself by saying he had handled it carefully and hadn't bumped it, before finally opening the wooden box completely.

"This..." Everyone was speechless.

Inside the box is a gold-inlaid jade Buddha statue, its style imitating both northern and southern designs.

It's easy to see that the craftsman put his heart into it, trying his best to carve out a powerful and vigorous spirit, but his skills were too clumsy and the jade material was too poor, so the more effort he put in, the more flaws became apparent.

To conceal this, the craftsmen went too far and added gold to the Buddha statue. Ordinary people might have thought it looked luxurious, but to the officials, it was a sign of utter poverty.

The most important thing is...

The Buddha lost one of his hands.

Bad luck.

The butler picked up the piece of green jade at his feet, tried to piece it together, and said with an awkward smile, "May you have peace even if it's broken."

The hall was deathly silent. There was no mockery, no ridicule, and no one even glanced at Li Qingwen.

But Li Qingwen heard countless voices laughing at him for being unworthy of respectability.

Silence, a frozen silence.

After a long while, Li Fujian, who was watching the play at the main table, said in a sharp voice, "Lord Li, your idea is a bit too unconventional."

Li Qingwen forced a smile: "Teacher, I am new to officialdom and my monthly salary is meager. I can only afford such a cheap thing. I am truly ashamed before you."

He came from a humble background and was simple and honest in public, so it's not surprising.

Minister Jiang waved his hand magnanimously, indicating that he should sit down and then turned to talk to Xie Xiaoqing.

Li Qingwen clenched his fist secretly and looked back coldly.

Behind the screen, Zhao Zhao smiled enigmatically, like a cat looking down from above, tilting her head playfully.

But soon, she paused for a moment—Xiu Yi was also looking at her, his gaze calm and cool, like a drop of rain falling into Zhao Zhao's heart.

She suppressed her smugness and retreated into the shadows.

Still waters without ripples.

Bare teeth and show claws.