"Huh?"
An eighth-rank official beneath the reed canopy glanced at Yu Qianzhi in surprise but did not recognize him. Seeing that he wore no official robes, he thought, Who is this man, losing his composure like that? Probably some old provincial graduate who slipped in for free food and drink.
Someone muttered in confusion, "Xie Zhenqing?"
The eighth-rank official stroked his beard and said, "It's no surprise you don't know him. This young master of the Marquis of Pacifying the Town's Xie Family is called Xie Zhenqing. I hear he has always been frail and seldom receives visitors. He has rarely appeared in public these past few years."
"But the Xie Residence has observed propriety and never replaced him as heir. His health seems to have improved recently, so he has finally come out and about."
"So that's it!" Everyone nodded upon hearing this, and someone sighed. "Even in a duke's or marquis's household, once something goes wrong with the heir, plenty of people trample him underfoot, climbing on his shoulders to get ahead!"
"To think that the Marquis of Pacifying the Town, despite coming from a military background, could still uphold propriety. How rare."
There had been other sons of dukes and marquises like this. Many young masters of great houses were frail as children, and quite a few died young. Some who survived were even raised like daughters, for fear they would not live otherwise.
This heir to the Marquis of Pacifying the South still enjoyed some renown within a small circle for two reasons. First, however frail he was, he had always held firmly to his title as heir, making many people envious.
Second, rumor had it that, despite his weak constitution, the heir to the Marquis of Pacifying the South was strikingly handsome. Even illness could