The splendor of the Red Chamber, the power that reigns supreme.

Chapter 212 Eunuch Liu Kneels at the Door, the Birthday Gift Case is Exposed
Meanwhile, not only was the Ximen residence peaceful and harmonious last night, but Chang Zhijie, with fifty taels of silver from Ximen, felt his heart burning with joy and his feet barely touching the ground as he returned home.

The moonlight was dim and yellow, shining on the dilapidated gate tower.

Pushing open the creaking wooden door, the room was pitch black, with only a dim oil lamp burning weakly.

His wife, Madam Ma, known as Second Aunt Chang, sat cross-legged on the kang (a heated brick bed), her thin, sallow face drooping. Hearing the door open, she didn't even lift her eyelids, and said coldly:
"You thieving old rascal! Where have you been lying dead in some ditch? You're never home, and I'm starving! The stove is cold, the pot is empty, and even the mice in the rice bin have run away! I'm still dealing with the landlord kicking me out all by myself! You useless old rascal, how dare you come back?"

Chang Zhijie was used to this kind of treatment, but today was different. He walked to the lamp and deliberately sighed, "Stop yelling! I went out today to find a way to survive. You've been begging me to be treated like this! Fine, my family is in such dire straits, and you're so unforgiving. I, Chang Zhijie, am not someone who can't live without this dilapidated house! Tomorrow I'll find somewhere else to go!"

Madam Ma suddenly looked up, her yellow eyes glaring at him: "Looking for somewhere to go? You son of a bitch! Where do you think you're going? Leaving your old mother behind to go have some fun?"

Seeing her anxious, Chang Zhijie chuckled inwardly, but feigned helplessness: "Sigh! There's no other way. I met a friend today who said the Zhang family in the neighborhood is short of an accountant or a capable helper. My friend urged me to go. I thought, rather than staying at home and suffering mistreatment, watching myself starve, I might as well go. At least I'll have a stable meal, and I can save my monthly allowance to help other women. It's better than following you and being glared at and scolded to death!"

These words pierced her heart like a knife. Madam Ma never imagined her husband would have an affair! Chang Zhijie, though poor, was her only support. If they truly divorced, how would she survive? Her fierce temper instantly turned to terror, and she burst into loud sobs, pounding the edge of the bed:

"My God! You heartless, cruel scoundrel! I've followed you all these years, eating nothing but chaff and wild vegetables, never a single good day! Now you think I'm in your way and want to abandon me to find someone better? How cruel you are! What... what's the point of my life? I might as well... I might as well hang myself from this broken beam and do as you please! Waaah..."

Seeing that she was crying so earnestly, with snot and tears streaming down her face, Chang Zhijie dared not tease her anymore. He then calmly took out a heavy silver bag, untied the rope, and revealed fifty large silver ingots with white, fine-grained patterns.

"Stop crying, look at what this is!" Chang Zhijie's voice carried a hint of smugness.

Ma's sobs stopped abruptly. Through her tear-filled eyes, she glanced at the table—in the lamplight, silver gleamed!

She froze, then rushed to the table, grabbed the silver, weighed it in her hands, and cracked it hard with her teeth. Tears still wet her face, yet a huge smile bloomed on her lips, her eyes shining, her voice soft and seductive:

"My good sir! This...this is really silver? Pure, unblemished silver! Heavens! Where did you dig this out of the gold mine? Could it be that Master Ximen took pity on you?"

Chang Zhijie stood with his hands behind his back and his back straight: "If it's not him, then who is it? Today, thanks to your kindness, my elder brother, who took pity on me and generously lent me fifty taels of silver so that we can buy a small courtyard and have a good winter."

Ma was so happy that she scratched her head and cheeks, touched it and looked at it again, and then held it tightly.

Suddenly remembering her earlier crying and fuss, she said sheepishly, "You heartless, short-lived devil! If you had money, why didn't you take it out sooner? You made me cry like this for nothing! My heart almost broke from crying! All those tears were for nothing!" With that, she carefully wrapped it up and hid it close to her body.

Seeing that she had hidden the silver, Chang Zhijie recalled the humiliation he had suffered in the past. A bitter taste mixed with his smugness welled up in his heart. He deliberately glanced at her sideways and snorted.
"Hmph! You used to treat me like an enemy, cursing me relentlessly. But now that you see this pile of silver, you're all all smiles, calling me a hero! Tomorrow, after I get the rest of the silver, I'll buy myself some decent clothes, dress smartly, and go find someone else to have fun with! Who wants to stay here in this dilapidated house and struggle with poverty with you!"

Upon hearing this, Ma felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over her head, and her heart, which had just begun to warm up, suddenly clenched again.

She stood up abruptly, her face shifting from joy to sorrow, then from sorrow to anger. Pointing at Chang Zhijie, her lips trembled:

"Fine! Fine! Fine, you heartless Chang Zhijie! I... I cursed you? I was just disappointed in you! Every word I said to you, every curse I uttered, was meant to help you rebuild this family. No matter how hard life gets, no matter how empty the rice jar is, I will follow you to the end, even if I die, I will hang myself on the lintel of your Chang family."

"I...I have never had any romantic feelings for anyone else, let alone exchanged glances with any of those random men next door! How could you say such hurtful things! If you hold a grudge against me for cursing you, you will truly betray the sincerity with which I poured my heart out and shared hardships with you!"

As she spoke, tears streamed down her face like broken beads, her sobs even more heartbreaking and aggrieved than before. She pounded her chest and stamped her feet, almost fainting from grief.
"Waaaaah... My life is so miserable! I married a heartless man... Waaaaah..."

Seeing his wife crying her heart out, Chang Zhijie's initial veiled jealousy and desire for revenge were instantly replaced by deeper guilt and pity.

He remained silent, thinking to himself:

"This woman... although she is usually sharp-tongued and greedy, when you think about it, she has never had a good day since she married me, this poor man. Even a maid in Brother Ximen's mansion is dressed and adorned in a way that is far more respectable than her."

"She often went hungry and cold while following me, and every day she was constantly worried that the landlord would come and kick her out onto the streets... No wonder she often complained. In this world, a woman who is willing to follow a poor man like me wholeheartedly, and who can keep the house and not commit adultery, is already a rare and virtuous wife..."

Thinking of this, Chang Zhijie's heart softened, and his masculine toughness melted into tenderness. He walked over, gently put his arm around Madam Ma's trembling shoulders, and softened his voice:
"Alright, alright, stop crying. It's not worth ruining your health. I... I was just teasing you! I was just saying it out of anger! How could I really abandon you? Even if I, Chang Zhijie, am a coward, I would never do something so ungrateful as to abandon my wife and children!"

He paused, then, remembering the master's promise, his eyes lit up, and he coaxed gently:

"I have some fantastic news for you! Brother Ximen not only gave me the money, but also promised me a great job! He'll take me under his wing and let me learn to manage the accounts! This is a respectable and legitimate profession! Don't worry, with me, you'll never go hungry or cold again, and you won't have to worry about ending up on the streets! Our good days are yet to come!"

Seeing that Madam Ma's crying had subsided and she was looking up at him, still sobbing, Chang Zhijie felt a surge of pride and patted his chest, saying:
"Tomorrow! I'll go tomorrow and get you some fine floral fabric to make two decent new outfits! We'll have a good, prosperous, and respectable New Year!"

When Ma heard him say this and saw that his expression was sincere and not fake, she slowly stopped crying.

She wiped away her tears and snot with her sleeve, looking at Chang Zhijie with a less harsh look in her eyes and more tenderness and calculation:

"What does it matter whether I'm dressed nicely or not? We're at home anyway, nobody will see, as long as I'm warm. But you..."

She grabbed Chang Zhijie's sleeve, stroking the worn and tattered cuff, and said earnestly, "Now that you're going to beg for a living with Master Ximen and work in his household, you absolutely mustn't let him lose face or tarnish his reputation!"

"Tomorrow, go and buy yourself a good outfit! It should be made of solid material and have a dignified color! Clothes make the man, and if you dress well, people will respect you, and the master will feel proud. We must not let the master be gossiped about because of us."

Chang Zhijie felt a surge of warmth in his heart, never expecting his wife to think of him first. He nodded repeatedly:

"My wife is right! I'll go buy it! I'll buy it all! I'll buy it for you too! Oh, and you're probably hungry tonight, so I'll go get some of the best mutton to nourish you! You've suffered so much these past years..."

Upon hearing "mutton," Ma immediately grabbed her husband's sleeve to stop him, waving her hands and shaking her head repeatedly.
"Why buy mutton? It's too expensive! Two steamed buns and two pickled vegetables are enough to fill me up. With money, I should be more careful with my spending! Rice, oil, salt, redeeming pawned goods, paying off debts—all of these cost money. Saving money wisely is the right way!"

Seeing her like this, Chang Zhijie felt both heartache and amusement. He couldn't help but hug her tighter, and with a touch of long-lost boldness and affection, he laughed:
“Silly woman! What are you afraid of! Brother Ximen has helped us and promised us a bright future. I’ll work myself to death and sell my life to Brother Ximen! When we have money in the future, I’ll buy you not just mutton, but a whole cow! We don’t need to be so stingy and calculating anymore!”

He held Ma in his arms, and as she listened to his rare bold words, and recalled the fright she had just experienced and the sense of security she felt now, her grievances and resentment finally dissipated completely.

She burst into laughter through her tears, glared fiercely at Chang Zhijie, and poked his forehead with a hint of schadenfreude, saying:

"You heartless scoundrel! You even said you'd find another wife and dump me? I bet you can't do anything to me! Without me, who will mend your clothes and wash your clothes? Who will take care of this poor place for you? Humph!"

When Chang Zhijie saw that she was finally happy, with a long-lost freshness in her eyes and brows, the bitterness in his heart was replaced by warmth.

He grabbed her outstretched finger, pulled her closer to him, and whispered in her ear with a mischievous smile:
"I can't do anything to you? You just wait! Once the lamp is out tonight, you'll probably beg me a thousand times, 'Dear brother, please spare me!' Let's see if you're still so stubborn!"

Ma's face flushed red as he breathed hot air into her ear and spoke such blatant and vulgar words. She spat out, "Shameless old man!" But she leaned softly against him, no longer showing any resistance.

Madam Ma suddenly remembered that in the past few days, when she cried and scolded her husband in a moment of desperation, she seemed to have also complained about how Ximen Da Guanren was not generous enough in providing financial assistance and cursed him a few times. Her heart suddenly trembled!
She hurriedly pulled half of herself out of Chang Zhijie's embrace, her smile vanishing and replaced by a look of fear. She raised her hand and lightly slapped her own cheek, muttering:

"You deserve a beating! You deserve a beating! I'll slap your loose tongue! You were so desperate the other day that you dared to spread rumors about Master Ximen! Master Ximen is a living bodhisattva who saves people from suffering, his kindness is higher than the heavens!"

"May the Bodhisattva bless Master Ximen with long life and good fortune, and may all the ladies, young women, and gentlemen of the Ximen household be safe, wealthy, and have everything go smoothly! May the Master's business prosper and may he rise to a high official position! Bless him..."

She clasped her hands together and bowed repeatedly in the direction of the imagined Ximen mansion, wishing she could pour out every auspicious word she could think of.

The dim lamplight cast a warm glow on the dilapidated house. The couple smiled at each other, and that night they were like newlyweds, as if all their past grievances had become distant memories.

In this chaotic world, countless couples, like duckweed adrift, find the simplest happiness in life to enjoy a day of good weather, a day of warmth and food, and the comfort of each other.

Meanwhile, Ximen Qing had just sent Ping An to report back to Magistrate Xia in the hall when Ping An stepped out the door.

Then, the curtains rustled open again.

Dai'an leaned in halfway, his face showing a strange expression, and said with his hands clasped, "Uncle, something strange has happened! That old eunuch Liu from the inner court who came to the banquet the other day, I don't know why, he's here again! His name card is here, and he's standing outside the ceremonial gate right now."

The high-ranking official was just picking up a cup of hot tea when he heard this. His brows shot up, and the teacup hovered in mid-air. He thought to himself:

"Hmm? This old eunuch, he acts all high and mighty. What brings him here again today?"

Though doubts lingered in his mind, his face remained impassive. He slowly set down his teacup and said calmly, "Now that you have arrived, please come in and have a chat."

Before he could finish speaking, Eunuch Liu couldn't wait for Dai'an to lead the way. He lifted the soft curtain and slipped inside with a "whoosh," his steps revealing a hurried urgency.

This eunuch Liu was completely different from the arrogant and pretentious man he had been a few days ago!

His old face was covered in wrinkles from smiling, and he was as warm as if he were seeing a close brother. Even when he was seven or eight steps away, he was already waving his hands like a windmill, and his voice was eight octaves louder than the day before, radiating extreme intimacy and fawning.
"Oh dear! My esteemed Master Ximen! I'm bothering you again! My apologies! My apologies!"

Ximen Qing was even more surprised, but a smile appeared on his face as he stood up to greet him:

"Eunuch Liu, you flatter me. Your presence is an honor to my humble abode. Please, have a seat. Dai'an, please have some tea!"

Eunuch Liu waved his hands repeatedly, took a few steps closer, lowered his voice, his smile remained, but his eyes revealed anxiety: "Lord Ximen! There's no need for a seat! I've come here because of an extremely urgent, life-or-death matter, which I must discuss with you behind closed doors... in detail! Not a moment can be wasted!"

Seeing his state, Ximen Qing knew something important must be at play, so he immediately suppressed his smile and said seriously:
"Since you have important business, please come in!" With that, he personally led Eunuch Liu into his luxuriously furnished inner hall, which was used for private talks.

The heavy door closed shut, isolating the outside world.

An amazing scene happened!

Before Ximen Qing could offer him a seat, Eunuch Liu suddenly turned around and bowed deeply to him, bending his waist almost to a ninety-degree angle, performing an extremely solemn salute!

The official was taken aback, then sneered inwardly; this was no small matter. He deliberately cried out "Ouch!" and hurriedly took a few steps forward, firmly supporting Liu Gonggong's arms and helping him up, repeatedly saying:
"Eunuch Liu! Eunuch Liu! What are you doing? You're making me feel so uncomfortable! There's no need for such a grand gesture! Please just tell me what you need!"

When Liu Gonggong was helped up by Ximen Qing, there was no trace of the arrogant and disdainful look he had given at the banquet the day before.
It was now a waxy yellow with a hint of gray, devoid of any color.

Two murky tears welled up in his eyes and streamed down his smiling creases:

"Lord Ximen! To tell you the truth, today I... I am desperate, shameless, and have come to beg you, my savior! Please have mercy and save my good-for-nothing nephew!"
The high-ranking official had already guessed seven or eight parts of the truth, but on the surface he still pretended not to understand:

"If you have anything to ask of me, please do so! Why use the word 'ask'? Your nephew is..."

With tears streaming down his face, Eunuch Liu hurriedly recounted:
"My nephew, Liu Mian, holds the honorary title of centurion in the Imperial Guard. That wretched boy! He doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth. A few days ago, he was so audacious that he conspired with a few hooligans, completely out of his mind, to cut down several pine and cypress trees near the road leading to the imperial mausoleum!"

He took a deep breath, his chest heaving, and pounded his chest twice before continuing, his voice trembling with tears:

"Now... now some damned bastard has exposed this to Inspector He! And Inspector He has ordered the local judicial office to arrest the criminal Liu Baihu and bring him to justice!"

"Now... now the document containing my nephew's confession and signature is probably already on your and Lord Xia's desks! It's just waiting for you two gentlemen to 'draft' and affix your seals before reporting it for sentencing."
After listening, the official pondered for a moment, a troubled expression appearing on his face:
“Oh dear! Eunuch Liu, this matter is of great importance and not a child’s play! To disturb the vegetation of the imperial mausoleum without permission, well… to put it mildly, it would just be cutting down a few trees, paying some fines, and giving someone a beating, and that would be the end of it.”

"To put it bluntly, it is an unforgivable act of 'great disrespect,' even 'deceiving the emperor!' This is a capital offense! One's head... is definitely going to fall off!"

Upon hearing this, Eunuch Liu's face turned even paler, and he looked at the official with pitiful, teary eyes.

The official continued, "Besides, Lord Xia is the chief judicial officer, the one in charge of the seal. In this matter... you should first ask Lord Xia for help. Ximen Qing is just a deputy, I'm afraid he can't... his words carry little weight, and he can't change the situation on his own."

Upon hearing "Lord Xia," Eunuch Liu beat his chest and stamped his feet, tears streaming down his face.

"Lord Ximen! I've been there! I went to plead with Lord Xia yesterday! I... I brought a full three hundred taels of silver with me! But... but Lord Xia... he..."

Eunuch Liu's voice choked with sobs, filled with resentment and helplessness. "Lord Xia took the money, but... but he told me that this case is a high-ranking one, a major case personally supervised by the Imperial Censor He. He, a mere judicial officer, simply cannot bear the responsibility and dares not show favoritism! He told me... to find another way! Lord Ximen!"

Eunuch Liu knelt down again with a thud, this time grabbing Ximen Qing's legs. His exquisite hat was askew, and he didn't care about the dust on his purple silk robe; he just wailed:
“Lord Ximen! In this world, we only have this one blood-related nephew! We are a rootless, worthless family with no children. We have relied on this bloodline to continue our family line for half our lives, and we have raised him as our own son!”

"Please! Lord Ximen! Please, for the sake of my worthless old face and our past relationship, please, please, show leniency! As long as you can save his life, I'll give you my life, even if it means going bankrupt! Waaah..."

The official knew perfectly well that Xia, the judicial commissioner, probably harbored some resentment for the eunuch's previous arrogance, and was also timid and cowardly. The older he got, the more he cherished his life, and he really dared not easily offend the imperial inspector, He. That's why he pushed the hot potato back to him.

The high-ranking official lowered his eyelids, looking down at the once powerful eunuch at his feet, who had been bossing him around at yesterday's banquet, sitting arrogantly at the head of the table.

This old eunuch, who was in charge of the construction of the palace and whose status was second only to Yang Jian and other bigwigs, was now as humble as an ant in the dust for the sake of his own flesh and blood. He was crying and pleading with his legs tightly.

An indescribable sense of pleasure welled up from the heart of the official, like drinking iced plum juice on a sweltering summer day—the taste of having the power to manipulate others' fates was truly wonderful!

He put on a friendly smile, pretending to help her up, saying, "Oh dear, sir! Please get up! Please get up! The ground is cold, be careful not to hurt your bones! Don't worry, don't worry, there's always a way to solve even the biggest problems."

He paused, carefully considering his words, and slowly said, "It's quite a coincidence, I was just about to go to the prison to report for duty. Please, sir, allow me to first take a look at the black and white words on the case file to see what the situation is, and then we... can make further plans, shall we?"

Upon hearing this, Eunuch Liu felt as if a drowning man had suddenly grabbed a piece of driftwood! The fact that Lord Ximen hadn't refused outright was a huge turning point!

His heart, which had been pounding in his throat and was about to burst out, finally settled back into his chest with a "thud."

He was helped up by Ximen Qing, wiping his tears and snot from his face with his sleeve, repeatedly expressing his gratitude: "Oh! My good sir! Thank you so much, sir! Thank you for your mercy! I owe you everything, sir! I owe you everything, sir!"

His nephew Liu Mian, though somewhat spoiled, was genuinely filial to his "uncle," visiting him morning and evening, showing concern and care even more than a biological son.

He was still hoping to rely on his nephew to support him in his old age.

Now that things have taken a turn for the better, Eunuch Liu's internal organs, which felt like they had been fried in oil and fire, finally felt a little bit soothed.

The lord, after being so upset by Eunuch Liu's wailing and pleading, felt as if his heart was being fried in boiling oil, and could no longer eat the banquet. Fortunately, there was no need to make any special arrangements for the guests today.

After seeing Eunuch Liu off, he said to Yue Niang, "There's an urgent matter at the yamen that I need to attend to. Please take good care of your relatives and neighbors. I'll make sure they're taken care of when I get back." Without saying more, he changed into his official clothes and hurriedly left, riding straight to the provincial judicial office.

The horse's hooves clattered on the bluestone slabs, and soon they arrived at the yamen of the provincial judicial office.

As soon as they stepped through the threshold of that gloomy and solemn government office, they saw Xia Longxi, the Chief Justice, pacing around in circles in front of the hall like an ant on a hot pan.

Upon seeing Ximen Qing, Magistrate Xia rushed forward as if he had seen a savior. He disregarded all decorum and grabbed Ximen Qing's sleeve tightly. His face was wrinkled like a dried orange peel, and his voice trembled.

"Oh dear! My dear brother Ximen! You've finally arrived! The sky has fallen! The sky has fallen! Disaster is upon us!"

Ximen Qing knew perfectly well what was going on, but feigned ignorance, deliberately uttering an "Oh?" and putting on his usual composed smile. He then helped Xia Tixing up and asked:
"Lord Xia, what's the matter that you're so panicked? Even if the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up. Speak slowly, speak slowly."

Xia, the magistrate, stamped his foot in panic. Ignoring the several clerks and bailiffs in the hall who were listening intently, he dragged Ximen Qing to a secluded spot and, in a low voice as if announcing a bad news, said, "We can't delay! We can't delay! Brother, disaster has struck! The birthday tribute of Grand Tutor Cai of Dongjing... has been robbed!"

The official's heart skipped a beat, but his smile remained unchanged. He merely raised an eyebrow: "Is that so?"

"Absolutely true!" Xia, the magistrate, continued, his face flushed with anxiety. "Those damned bandits made their move at Huangni Ridge, not far from our territory! Although it's Jizhou Prefecture's territory,... but the Jizhou Prefect has been strictly ordered by the Grand Tutor's Mansion to solve this case within ten days! If he fails to solve it by the deadline..."

At this point, Magistrate Xia's voice became shrill, and he held up two fingers to indicate, "...then he will be dismissed from his post, arrested, and exiled...exiled to Shamen Island to reclaim land from the sea!"

He gasped for breath, his forehead beaded with cold sweat, and gripped the official's arm tightly as if it were a lifeline.

"That's not all! The higher-ups have issued a strict order for our prison to immediately conduct a thorough investigation of all towns and cities in Shandong province and surrounding areas. Any suspicious clues or traces of unfamiliar bandits must be investigated carefully and reported immediately!"

“If the Prefect of Jizhou is capable and solves the case within ten days, we will naturally be fine. But… but what if he can’t solve it…” Xia Tixing’s voice trembled with tears.

"...This hot potato, this catastrophic situation, has to...it has to fall on our shoulders, we two brothers, we have to take the fall! Brother! What...what should we do? Ten days! Only ten days!"

Upon hearing Xia Tixing's words, which sounded like a death knell, the official showed no alarm. Instead, he grinned and reassured him, "Lord Xia! What's so difficult about this? Don't worry!"

He took a half step forward and lowered his voice: "What a momentous matter that is the birthday tribute! The first wrath will surely fall on Lord He of Jizhou Prefecture! If he can't solve the case, he'll definitely be sent to Shamen Island."

"The higher-ups are furious, but they'll still eventually send someone to investigate. Once the initial shock subsides and their anger dissipates, when the case returns to our jurisdiction..."

The official paused meaningfully, then said, "...This heavy burden, after passing through the hands of the Jizhou Prefecture, will be much lighter on our shoulders!"

Seeing that Magistrate Xia's expression had softened, he said, "Even if that's the case, Magistrate Xia, don't worry! I, Ximen Qing, am not capable, but I will do my utmost to investigate thoroughly! No matter what kind of heroes they are, or what kind of den of iniquity they are, I will definitely find out that audacious band of thieves! I will not let you, Magistrate Xia, have any trouble!"

These words from the official were like a bowl of hot, reassuring soup for Magistrate Xia.

Xia Tixing's face, which had been wrinkled like a dried orange peel, finally relaxed a little. He let out a long sigh, looking at Ximen Qing's young, spirited face, which showed no fear whatsoever, and couldn't help but feel both envious and amazed.

"Ah! Youth is truly a blessing! Lord Ximen's courage and composure are truly remarkable, like a mountain collapsing before you without flinching! I am old and useless now. I only hope to peacefully serve in this judicial post until my retirement; that would be a blessing from my ancestors!"

As he spoke, he shook his head, and the wings on his official hat trembled slightly.

After his initial sigh, Magistrate Xia finally regained some of his composure as a superior officer. He steadied himself and said, "Since you, brother, have taken on this responsibility, I feel much more at ease. Without further ado, I will go to the signing office now and issue several warrants, ordering the village heads and security officers in the surrounding towns to thoroughly investigate any suspicious strangers or bandits who have passed through recently. Report back immediately if there is any clue!"

Having said that, he shook the sleeves of his official robe, and without bothering to exchange pleasantries with the high-ranking official, he turned around and hurriedly went to the signing room in the back hall. His back view still revealed a sense of exhaustion and panic.

[Gentlemen, please vote with your monthly tickets! If we get into the top three in the historical fiction category by mid-month, I'll definitely add a bigger chapter!]

(End of this chapter)