Xi Chao had originally invited Chen Caozhi to stay at his residence, but Chen Caozhi politely declined. After entering the city, he went straight to the Gu Residence to see Gu Kaizhi, who asked with a smile, "Zizhong, have you seen the Lu Clan Lady?"
Chen Caozhi smiled. "Thank you for having your esteemed wife pass on the message."
Gu Kaizhi laughed heartily. When the subject turned to Zhu Yingtai, however, he immediately said indignantly, "Shang Zhi and I visited the Xie Residence twice to call on Zhu Yingtai, but both times we were told Zhu Yingtai had gone out and had not returned. Clearly, she simply didn't want to see us. We might as well do without a friend like that."
Chen Caozhi explained, "Chang Kang, you cannot blame Brother Yingtai for that. The Xie Clan seems unwilling to let her join the Western Headquarters and has been making every possible excuse. Yingtai is effectively under house arrest there. Think about it-has Zhu Yingtai appeared in public at all these past two months?"
Understanding dawned on Gu Kaizhi. "So that was it. I wronged Brother Yingtai." He added, "The Xie Clan really is strange. Why won't they let Zhu Yingtai join the Western Headquarters? Isn't Xie Youdu there himself?"
"Perhaps they have reasons they cannot divulge to outsiders," Chen Caozhi said vaguely. "I have returned this time on Grand Marshal Huan's orders to urge Zhu Yingtai to take office."
Gu Kaizhi's father, Gu Yuezhi, had returned to Jingzhou the previous month, so Chen Caozhi went to pay his respects to Gu Kaizhi's paternal uncle, Chief Censor Gu Minzhi. They exchanged only pleasantries.
At the Shen Hour, Chen Shang returned from the Minister of Works' Office and was delighted to see his sixteenth younger brother. He asked what had brought