Lin Daiyu had made up her mind to leave. Knowing they could not persuade her otherwise, her young friends sighed as they went to her room to pack her things.
"Pin'er, remember to write to us once you get to the Jiangsu-Zhejiang Region!"
"Once you leave, who knows when we'll see each other again? Perhaps by the time we next meet, our little Daiyu will already be a wife and mother."
Lin Daiyu blushed at that and huffed at one of the girls. "You little hussy! Keep talking nonsense and I'll tear that mouth of yours apart!"
"I'll say it anyway! Pin'er, what does that cousin of yours look like? Is he handsome?"
Lin Daiyu hesitated. "He's all right, I suppose. He works at the Black Robe Guard Office, so he might have a bit of a temper."
Someone ventured, "They say cousins make a match made in heaven. You're old enough to discuss marriage now, Pin'er. Haven't you given it any thought?"
Lin Daiyu immediately flushed with embarrassment and anger. "You black-hearted girl! Wag your tongue again and I'll tear your mouth apart right now!"
The girls laughed and chatted as they finished packing. But when they reached the gates of the Jia Mansion, the dark mass of mounted Black Robe Guards outside gave them quite a fright.
The moment Steward Liu spotted Lin Daiyu, the steward wiped the cold sweat from their forehead and exclaimed with delight, "My dear young lady, you're finally here! Any later and those harbingers of disaster would have charged inside!"
Lin Daiyu ignored the steward. She first gave Jia Zheng a slight bow, then walked straight to the gate without so much as looking at Jia She, the Jia Mansion's eldest master who had caused all this trouble.
"Cousin! Cousin!" Lin Daiyu greeted Song Xuan and Song Qian with a graceful bow.
Song Xuan looked over the girl, who was still young but already showed the first traces of peerless beauty, and nodded slightly.
"They didn't give you any trouble, did they?"
"No. Grandmother and the girls couldn't bear to let me go, so we talked a little longer. Sorry to have kept you waiting."
"A little extra waiting won't hurt!"
Song Xuan beckoned. "Come on. I'll take you home!"
As soon as he said that, Big Ox, Monkey, and the others who were close to Song Xuan hurriedly exchanged meaningful looks with the Black Robe Guards behind them.
The next moment, they all shouted together, "Little cousin, your cousins are taking you home!"
One or two hundred men raised their voices at once, the sound booming like muffled thunder. Not only the people of the Jia Mansion, but even the spectators at the far end of the street heard every word clearly.
Song Xuan frowned and snapped, "What are you all shouting for?"
Monkey chuckled. "Your cousin and Qian's cousin is our cousin too, Xuan. What's wrong with that?"
As he spoke, he gave Lin Daiyu what he considered a friendly smile. "Little cousin, don't be afraid if you run into trouble in the future. We're all your older cousins, and we can stand up for you anytime!"
Song Xuan impatiently kicked him. "Would it kill you to keep your mouth shut?"
He turned to the thoroughly bewildered Lin Daiyu and smiled. "A bunch of uncultured fighting men. Don't mind them. Come on, we should get in the carriage and set off!"
With that, he raised a hand and waved it behind him.
At his gesture, the Black Robe Guards behind him instantly divided into two neat ranks, clearing a path down the middle.
Anyone who did not know better might have thought a general was inspecting his troops.
Lu Xiaoliu and the others naturally took the luggage carried behind Lin Daiyu and loaded it onto the carriage. Song Qian took her younger cousin by the arm, and after exchanging a few quiet words, the two climbed aboard.
Song Xuan leaped onto the front of the carriage and took on the coachman's role, flicking the whip. A moment later, the carriage began rolling slowly toward the city gates.
Behind the carriage, a sizable procession of Black Robe Guards followed in two ranks, escorting it like an honor guard.
Once the Black Robe Guards, whose very appearance inspired fear, had left, Jia Zheng was the first to speak.
"That cousin of Daiyu's commands quite some respect in the Black Robe Guard!"
Only now did Jia She's anxious heart settle somewhat. Still desperate to save face, he snorted. "Nothing but a bunch of barbarians with no sense of propriety. A disgrace to civilized conduct! An utter disgrace!"
Jia Zheng glanced at him, could not be bothered to respond, and strolled away with his hands behind his back.
Jia She's expression shifted several times. He had suffered quite a scare today and dared not linger, hurrying back toward his quarters.
I'm soaked from head to toe. I'd better hurry back and change, or I'll lose every last scrap of face!
Once the two masters had left, the young ladies and maids of the Jia Mansion began chattering among themselves in low voices.
"Daiyu's cousins are both so good-looking!"
"Ah, why don't I have such a capable cousin?"
"No wonder Pin'er insisted on leaving, come what may. If I had a cousin like that, I'd follow him with all my heart too!"
"You little hussy! Is your heart rippling with springtime longing?"
"Shh, keep your voice down. Wait until we're back in the inner quarters. Don't let outsiders hear!"
At the Inspection Office, Zhao Dezhu was handling official business.
A Black Robe Guard strode in from outside and murmured a few words in his ear.
Zhao Dezhu raised his head, a trace of amusement at the corners of his mouth. "They caused quite a stir?"
"They certainly did," the man replied. "Everyone on duty nearby rushed over and blockaded the Rongguo Duke Mansion. Sir, it is a duke's mansion, after all. If word of Song Xuan's commotion reaches the court, it may reflect badly on us."
"Then let it!" Zhao Dezhu waved dismissively. "Our Black Robe Guard already has a bad reputation at court. On the contrary, if we behaved ourselves and earned too good a reputation, His Majesty would start questioning our loyalty!"
He lowered his head and continued reviewing the memorials, saying casually, "Young people are bound to be a little impulsive. As long as no one dies, it's nothing serious. You may withdraw."
"Yes, sir!"
In the palace, in the Imperial Study.
After reviewing memorials all morning, the emperor rose and yawned. Being emperor was exhausting. Not only did he have no holidays, but he could not even count on getting enough sleep each day.
By day, he had to handle affairs of state; by night, he had to return and soothe those consorts crying like hungry nestlings. Though he considered himself reasonably robust, he was getting on in years, and it was gradually becoming more than he could bear.
After drinking a cup of ginseng tea, he asked the elderly eunuch beside him, "Has anything amusing happened in the Imperial Capital lately? Tell me about it."
"Anything amusing?"
The elderly eunuch paused. "The Loyal and Brave Earl kept a mistress outside his household, and his wife discovered her. The couple came to blows, and the earl's left leg was broken. They say he won't be getting out of bed for three months."
The emperor thought back for a moment and smiled. "The Loyal and Brave Earl? That's hardly surprising. Even I get a headache at the sight of that fierce wife of his."
The elderly eunuch hastily agreed. "She is the daughter of a military family, after all, skilled in martial arts and fiery-tempered. She has the Loyal and Brave Earl firmly in the palm of her hand."
The emperor smiled. "Anything else interesting besides that?"
"There is one other matter." The elderly eunuch considered his wording before continuing, "It happened just this morning. The Black Robe Guard blockaded the Rongguo Duke Mansion."
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