On the third day of Qin Gong's vacation,
early morning,
Huai Ge'er became autistic because of the morning urine incident yesterday. His little head was buried in his wet nurse's arms, and no matter who coaxed him, he refused to show his face, leaving only his round back facing the dangerous world.
Qin Gong didn't know if he was irritated by his own son, but when he took over Huai Ge'er in the morning, he kept a great distance between the two of them, causing Huai Ge'er to cry loudly.
Wen Tang thought the child was sick, but when he lifted the curtain, he found that it was Qin Gong who was holding the child, and the child was not feeling well.
She quickly asked the wet nurse to take it.
Today is Qin Gong's birthday party. The Duke's wife is considerate and asks not to be extravagant, but the word "simplicity" is also extraordinary for a family like the Qin family.
There is a cool and refreshing atmosphere everywhere in the mansion.
Gauze hangs along the corridors and waterside pavilions, providing shade and adding elegance. Celadon jars are placed scattered across the courtyard, with newly picked pink lotuses standing tall, green duckweed floating on the water, ice sinking in the jars, and a cool air wafting in the air.
The banquet was held in the spacious Baoxia Hall, with its doors wide open, blending in with the courtyard scenery.
The main table for male guests was set up in the main seat of the hall, while the female guests had their tables in the pavilions on the side, with a wide variety of seasonal delicacies.
Qin Gong stood among the crowd, and everyone was toasting each other, the topic of conversation inevitably revolving around official business, border affairs, and developments in the court.
As the hostess, Wen Tang only came out with Qin Gong when the banquet started, toasted everyone with a glass of wine, and exchanged a few polite words.
The hall was noisy and the smell of alcohol was faint.
She was wearing a blue summer gown today, which made her look like a lotus emerging from the water. However, after drinking that glass of wine, her face had already turned slightly red, as she had a very low alcohol tolerance.
Wen Tang used the excuse of changing clothes and, supported by Mrs. Zhou, quietly retreated and turned into a relatively secluded courtyard next to the hall.
A small four-cornered pavilion is shaded by a few clumps of green bamboo. Fresh water is brought to the edge of the pavilion, forming a small shallow pond, and a few koi fish are swimming under the lotus leaves.
Although this place was secluded, it was not unpopular. Just around a corridor, you would reach the center of the banquet hall. Officials and their wives would come here to sit and breathe, or go to the small toilet in the corner to the left of the pavilion, or go to the guest room next door to wash their hands, drink tea, and steal a moment's rest.
The wind blew across the water, bringing with it a moist coolness, blowing away some of the heat on Wen Tang's face.
She sat on the stone bench in the pavilion.
"Grandma, use some of this to suppress the smell of alcohol." Mrs. Zhou put down the red lacquer tray she had been holding. On it was an exquisite white porcelain bowl filled with chilled, sweet and soothing pear juice.
Mrs. Zhou helped Wen Tang sip his drink. "Just now, I saw clearly that when Wen Zhiyi and her husband came in together, one walked in front and the other lagged behind, without even making eye contact."
The implication of this statement was obvious: the relationship between the couple was not harmonious. Mrs. Zhou was an older woman, and she believed she could see some clues about things between men and women.
Mrs. Zhou added, "When they returned to the capital this time, there wasn't even a trace of the young master around. I'm afraid she hasn't given birth yet."
Wen Tang felt that it was not surprising that Wen Zhiyi was infertile. Ever since she hit her head a few years ago, her body had become completely weak. The last time he went back to the Wen Mansion, he saw that she looked so frail, as if she would collapse at any time.
Mrs. Zhou next to them felt that she had understood the true meaning of the couple's superficial harmony and spiritual discord. She was indeed a person who had experienced this.
"Second Miss Wen?"
A warm voice, slightly hoarse, suddenly came from the moon-shaped gate diagonally opposite.
Mrs. Zhou became alert and immediately raised her head and stood sideways to block Wen Tang.
When she saw the visitor's face clearly, Mrs. Zhou frowned even more tightly. She didn't like people from the Zhang family.
"It's really Miss Wen." The man smiled.
The other party called her twice in a row. Wen Tang stood up. The slight blush on her face caused by alcohol had not faded, but her eyes had returned to their usual clear and distant look.
She nodded slightly across Mrs. Zhou, "Greetings, Master Zhang."
Zhang Mingli smiled, then coughed twice. He looked a little thin, and his face was as pale as someone who had been ill for a long time, but it did not diminish the gentle and elegant demeanor that came from his aristocratic family.
The servant standing beside him brought him warm ginseng tea, but he waved his hand, his eyes still fixed on Wen Tang, "It's been years since we last met. Second Miss Wen is even more charming than before."
Wen Tang remained silent, and Mrs. Zhou stepped forward to correct him, "Master Zhang, my daughter has already married. It is proper for her to address her as 'Grandma Qin'."
He kept calling her Second Miss Wen. If someone didn't know, they might think that her grandmother was very familiar with him.
"Sorry, I'm being rude." Zhang Mingli kept smiling and bowed obediently.
Wen Tang's expression remained calm. He simply said, "Young Master, are you feeling hot during the banquet? You look unwell. It's a cold breeze here. Why don't you go to the guest room and rest for a while?" Wen Tang called over the Qin family's servant, "Young Master Yin Zhang, please go to the quiet guest room in the east wing and rest for a while. I'll serve you some soup."
On the surface, this statement is made out of consideration for the guest's health, but in reality it is a warning to leave and to stop talking.
The Zhang family's servant's expression changed slightly. Just as he was about to speak, his master raised his hand to stop him. Zhang Mingli said softly, "Grandma, please be considerate. I am sorry for disturbing you."
Wen Tang nodded, no longer looking at him, and left the pavilion steadily supported by Mrs. Zhou.
After Wen Tang and Mrs. Zhou had gone far away, the Zhang family's servant finally spoke, "This Second Miss Wen has changed so much. When she was first brought to the capital, she still spoke with a thick rural accent, dressed in a shabby manner, and didn't even dare to raise her head. Now, her whole demeanor is so different, like she's a completely different person. When she spoke to you just now, her eyes and her tone were neither humble nor arrogant, and there wasn't a trace of timidity in her."
Zhang Mingli coughed a few more times and looked in the direction where Wen Tang left, his gentle smile deepening. "Don't you think that her current demeanor and aura bears some resemblance to someone?"
The servant immediately guessed who his master was talking about, "Second Young Master?"
After saying this, the servant showed disgust on his face. A bastard who was brought back from the countryside had been suppressing the eldest son in every way and trying to be the first in everything over the years.
Zhang Mingli's voice was so soft it sounded like a sigh. "After all, they were almost husband and wife. They'd been together day and night, influenced by each other for so long, it's not surprising that they had some similar personalities, don't you think?"
He raised his head, looked in the direction where Wen Tang left, and shook his head with a smile.
The courtyard is deep, shaded by green bamboos, and the lotus breeze brings a cool coolness.
At the corner of the corridor, in the thick shadows, a figure stood there.
Fu Jiu quietly took a half step sideways from behind her master, frowning, and retracted her gaze towards the pavilion.
He carefully glanced at the profile of his master. There was a large wet spot on the front of his master's clothes, with dark wine stains spreading. It was accidentally spilled during the meal just now. The intention was to lead the master to the guest room to change clothes.
As soon as he walked over, he saw his grandmother walking away. Fu Jiu's eyes swept across the pavilion again.
That was the eldest son of the Jingwu Mansion. He was still standing there, his eyes fixed on the direction where his grandmother had just left. How reckless.
Fu Jiu looked up again, and her master's face was gloomy.
"Who is in front?" asked the master.
Fu Jiu replied, "The eldest son of Duke Zhang's family."
"The eldest brother of the Shaoqing of the Dali Temple."