Chapter 274: Chapter 209: Parting the Clouds to See the Blue Sky
An hour passed quickly.
Though their conversation was mostly just idle chatter, the atmosphere had become even more congenial.
Seeing it was getting late, Chen Yunfan and Li Huai’gu finally stated the purpose of their visit.
Chen Yunfan placed a calling card on the table and said in all seriousness, "The Mid-Autumn Festival is a time for family reunions."
"But alas, I don’t have a single relative in all of Shu State. Only you, Brother Yi, can I call family, so..."
Before he could finish, Chen Yi, already guessing what was coming, cut him off irritably. "Don’t even start."
"I’m just a live-in son-in-law. When do I ever get to make the decisions?"
Chen Yunfan chuckled. "You don’t have to make the decision. Wherever you go, I’ll go."
"Oh, right. If General Jinghong is there too, Cui Qingwu can keep her company."
’I knew it,’ Chen Yi thought. Just as he was about to refuse, he saw Li Huai’gu also take out an invitation and say with a sheepish laugh:
"It’s for the Guiyun Academy’s Mid-Autumn Poetry Gathering. My teacher asked me to deliver an invitation to you."
"...I already turned the Headmaster down the day before yesterday."
"Why would you refuse?"
Chen Yunfan took the invitation for himself, opened it, and glanced inside. His interest was immediately piqued.
"Brother Huai’gu, I imagine quite a few people will be attending this gathering, right?"
Li Huai’gu nodded. "My teacher said that some people who are visiting the academy will also be participating."
"Such as Mr. Zhangping from Yuelu Academy, Mr. Zi Qian from Jinling Academy, and others."
But Chen Yunfan just shook his head. "I was talking about the courtesans."
"That... I wouldn’t know."
"It’s a poetry gathering! Of course there will be courtesans singing and dancing."
"Brother Yi, care to join?"
Chen Yi shot him an irritated glare. "Not interested."
Disappointment flashed across Chen Yunfan’s face. He smacked his lips and muttered, "Wherever you go, I go."
And vice-versa.
He had made up his mind to bring Cui Qingwu along and spend the Mid-Autumn Festival with Chen Yi.
Li Huai’gu looked between the two, then said hesitantly, "Brother Qingzhou, if you have the time, you really should go. This poetry gathering will truly be an unprecedented event."
Chen Yunfan froze. Forgetting his disappointment, he looked at Chen Yi and said with a serious expression, "Go!"
Seeing Chen Yi remained unmoved, his expression hardened. "I might just have to pay a visit to the Old Marquis later."
Seeing how insistent they both were, Chen Yi could only relent. "I’ll go to the academy tomorrow and ask Mr. Yue Ming before I decide."
’This ’brother’ of his was not only unlike an Imperial Top Scholar, he was hardly a respectable person at all.’
’His behavior was completely at odds with his status as a scholar and the legitimate heir of the main branch of the Jiangnan Prefecture Chen Family.’
Chen Yunfan, of course, paid no mind to Chen Yi’s thoughts. Seeing that he had relented, he said with a grin, "When the time comes, I’ll let you witness my poetic talent."
"You?"
"Poetic talent?"
"I spent ten years in arduous study of the classics. While I might not be able to just dash off a poem for the occasion, I can certainly still compose one on the spot."
"..."
After some more idle chatter, Chen Yi finally saw the two of them out.
Only after they were a good distance away did a wry smile appear on his face.
’Now, it seemed he had no choice but to go out and join the festivities for the Mid-Autumn Festival.’
’He just wondered if Xiao Jinghong would be able to make it back in time.’
...
「Wu Mountain Mutual Market.」
Xiao Jinghong returned discreetly, silently swapping places with Su Zhenyue without alerting the busy members of the Mountain Race and the Servants in the Mutual Market.
Although news of the raid on the Three Towns’ summer grain had spread throughout Shu State, here in the isolated Wu Mountain Mutual Market, no one knew a thing.
Xiao Jinghong certainly wasn’t about to be the one to spread it around.
After changing into a long white dress, she scanned the area and asked, "Where’s Pei Guanli?"
Su Zhenyue looked chagrined and said helplessly, "She went back to the Mountain Race with her older brother."
Xiao Jinghong frowned slightly, but she didn’t blame her. She said coolly,
"The more effort she puts into hiding, the more questionable the identity of my informant becomes."
"The ’Blade Madman’ Liu Lang is indeed loyal and honorable, and he would certainly repay me for sparing his life, but there’s no way he has any connection to the Mountain Race."
Su Zhenyue nodded at her words, then asked hesitantly, "Should I... go to the Mountain Race and drag her back?"
"It would be useless for you to go. Granny Shan won’t be persuaded. I’ll go myself."
"You’re going in person? But the Mid-Autumn Festival is almost here. Aren’t you returning home?"
Beneath her half-armor mask, Xiao Jinghong’s lips pressed into a thin line. She said,
"This raid on the Three Towns’ summer grain has made me understand something: Grandfather doesn’t want me to stay at the residence."
"But—but why? How could the Old Marquis..."
"’To prevent trouble before it starts, I suppose.’"
Xiao Jinghong didn’t elaborate. Instead, she gave a quiet order, "After I leave for the Mountain Race, I want you to write a letter to my husband for me."
"Tell him to have that poetry mounted as soon as possible and hang it in my room."
Su Zhenyue’s mouth fell open. She hesitated. "My lady, my handwriting is different from yours. If the Young Master sees it, I’m afraid it won’t be right."
"He’ll understand."
As she spoke, her gaze, limpid as water, turned toward Shu State Prefecture City, and it was as if the figure of a scholar materialized before her.
「In a trance.」
The figure approached, smiling, and asked, "Wife, when are you coming home?"
’My husband, please forgive me.’
’Once all is settled, Jinghong will of course return...’
’To be a wife and mother?’
Startled, Xiao Jinghong snapped back to her senses. She quickly bowed her head, returned to the desk, and sat down. Picking up a notebook, she began to flip through it as she asked,
"Tell me about the Mutual Market’s progress over the last few days."
Su Zhenyue watched her, hesitated for a moment, and replied, "The continuous rain has slowed our progress somewhat..."
’Should she tell her lady that she was holding the notebook upside down?’
