"Daddy, Mother."
Tong Aning poked her head around the doorway, a smile on her face as she asked tentatively, "May I come in?"
Tong Aobai and Su Zhouyue exchanged a glance. With their daughter smiling so sweetly, she clearly wanted something.
Tong Aobai said, "Come in."
Tong Aning entered the room and saw Su Zhouyue reaching for the belt on Tong Aobai's official robes. She immediately scooped it up and presented it to Su Zhouyue.
Su Zhouyue took it and teased as she fastened it, "Tong Aobai, our little Fourth has learned to be thoughtful."
Tong Aning lifted her chin proudly. "I've always been thoughtful."
Tong Aobai smiled along with his wife. He cupped his hands, looked at Su Zhouyue, and asked, "Well, out with it. What do you want to buy this time?"
"Daddy!" Tong Aning stamped her foot. "How could you think that of me?"
"You? When someone showers you with favors for no reason, they're either plotting treachery or theft."
Tong Aning was even angrier now.
[How have people's hearts become so wicked these days?]
Su Zhouyue desperately wanted to laugh and turned her face away. Tong Aobai folded his arms and made a show of asking, "So do you still want it?"
"Yes, yes, yes..."
[Hey, wait. I didn't come here to ask for things.]
Tong Aning held her forehead. [But what can I do if my father insists on giving me things?]
Their daughter was actually feeling smug about this?
Tong Aobai reached around Su Zhouyue's shoulders, but she refused to turn back, so he could only ask, "What do you want?"
Tong Aning rapidly rattled off a list of names. At the end, she even asked thoughtfully, "Daddy, can you remember all that? Why don't I write it down for you?"
Su Zhouyue secretly gave her a thumbs-up. Truly Daddy's good daughter.
Tong Aobai raised his eyebrows. "All right."
"Daddy, you really are my wonderful daddy. Your daughter wishes you a smooth court session today."
Tong Aning hugged Tong Aobai and darted off, only to double back again. With all due solemnity, she cautioned him, "Daddy, you must be careful at court these next few days."
So this was what Tong Aning had really come for?
His little cotton-padded jacket's words warmed Tong Aobai's heart. He said, "I know."
"Oh, good."
Tong Aning was still standing there in a daze. Tong Aobai deliberately asked, "Aning, what are you still doing here?"
Tong Aobai rubbed his chin. "The Imperial Academy releases your results today. Shall I pick you up after classes and ask about your marks while I'm there?"
Tong Aning turned pale with alarm. "No need! No need!"
With that, she lifted her skirts and ran like the wind.
Su Zhouyue nudged Tong Aobai's arm. "Look at you, getting bold enough to scare your own daughter."
Indignant, Tong Aobai said, "Our daughter was asking for the moon. Why didn't you stop her?"
"It's not my money she's spending," Su Zhouyue muttered. She looked up at Tong Aobai, her smiling face reminding him of Tong Aning just moments before. Su Zhouyue asked, "Are you really going to buy all that for Aning?"
Tong Aobai blinked. "Agreeing is one thing. Making good on it is another."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Su Zhouyue patted Tong Aobai's back. "And here I thought you had no guile. You scoundrel, you really are wicked."
"My lady." Tong Aobai enclosed Su Zhouyue's hand in his and asked softly, "When I return from court, would you join me for a meal?"
"Starve, for all I care."
Su Zhouyue walked away briskly, and Tong Aobai chuckled.
In the courtyard.
Tong Fengye rubbed his eyes and said in surprise, "Fourth Sister, you're up so early?"
"Early?" Tong Aning put on a stern face and said earnestly, "The day's plans are made in the morning. Don't you know that?"
Tong Fengye was left thoroughly bewildered by her lecture.
Seeing Tong Aning about to leave, he hurriedly stuffed a bun into his mouth and chased after her.
He had to protect his backside!
Little did he know that Tong Aning was worried Tong Aobai really would come to pick her up that evening.
With her third brother holding down last place, she could originally have glossed over her own results. If Tong Aobai saw the marks with his own eyes, she would be in trouble.
Tong Aning urged, "A Shu, hurry, hurry!"
"Right away, Miss."
Tong Fengye looked at Tong Aning with shining eyes. His little sister really had changed.
At court.
The emperor looked at Tong Aobai, who was behaving much better today, and felt rather puzzled.
What had gotten into Tong Aobai?
He usually argued until his face and neck turned red at every court session. Why was he so quiet today?
"Marquis Tong."
Hearing the emperor call his name, Tong Aobai stepped out of the ranks and bowed his head deferentially. "Your subject is here."
The emperor dropped an unmistakable hint. "Have you nothing to say today?"
"Reporting to Your Majesty, your subject has nothing to say."
"Very well. I heard that your fourth daughter accidentally fell into the water some days ago. Is she doing better now?"
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. My daughter has fully recovered and resumed her studies at the Imperial Academy."
"That is good."
The emperor paused, then said, "Court is dismissed."
As Tong Aobai and Tong Yibin were leaving through the palace gates together, someone caught up with them. Tong Aobai glanced over. It was the Minister of Justice.
Tong Aobai had little acquaintance with the Minister of Justice. Their only connection was that Tong Yibin worked in his Ministry of Justice.
"Lord Lin, is something the matter?" Tong Aobai asked politely.
Lin Yu had run rather quickly, and his forehead was now covered in sweat. He raised his sleeve to wipe it away. Faced with Tong Aobai's sharp, somewhat scrutinizing gaze, he hastily waved his hands. "Nothing, nothing."
"Then I'll be on my way?"
"Please, Lord Marquis Tong."
After walking several yards, Tong Aobai asked Tong Yibin quietly, "Did you have some unpleasantness with Lin Yu?"
Tong Yibin pressed his lips together as he looked at his father. He kept feeling that ever since the family had become able to hear his little sister's thoughts, everyone had started acting strangely.
Tong Yibin said, "No."
"Then what was he..."
"Father, let's just focus on doing our jobs."
Tong Aobai: "..."
"Don't go blindly learning everything from your little sister!"
"Achoo!"
Tong Aning rubbed her nose.
[Strange. Why did I suddenly sneeze?]
Tong Fengye asked nervously, "Fourth Sister, could you have caught a chill?"
As he spoke, Tong Fengye felt Tong Aning's forehead.
"I don't think so." Tong Aning touched her clothes. "My clothes are plenty thick, Third Brother. Don't worry."
"All right."
Tong Aning's forehead wasn't hot either. He was probably worrying too much.
Tong Aning looked around. "Where's Feng Chu? He actually hasn't come to make trouble for you?"
Feng Chu was Tong Fengye's sworn rival. After class, wherever Tong Fengye was, Feng Chu could appear unerringly at his side and start finding fault.
Tong Fengye said, "I don't know."
"Hey." Tong Fengye saw a curious look on Tong Aning's face as she lowered her voice and asked, "Third Brother, how exactly did you and Feng Chu become sworn rivals?"
"I can't say."
"Huh?" Tong Aning pointed at herself. "You can't even tell your own little sister?"
"Of course not. I'm a good person who keeps his promises."
[What could make Feng Chu become sworn rivals with a good person who keeps his promises? System, it's your time to shine.]
[So Feng Chu wet the bed and told only my third brother, only for the whole city to know the next day. Tsk, tsk, tsk.]
"Hey..."
Tong Fengye had wanted to stop her, but unfortunately, he was too late. He couldn't be blamed for this.
[Feng Chu even cut his robe to sever ties with my third brother?]
Tong Aning pictured two little radish heads: one sticking out a chubby little hand and making a fierce cutting gesture at his own clothes, the other looking utterly bewildered.
That scene was far too funny.
[Hahahahahahahahaha!]
Tong Fengye: "?"
What was his little sister laughing at?
Tong Aning patted Tong Fengye's shoulder and consoled him, suppressing her laughter, "Third Brother, you've suffered."
Tong Fengye rubbed his face. "Not really."
[Third Brother, you don't understand. You were wrongfully accused. It was actually Feng Chu's stepmother who spread the story.]
[That stepmother of Feng Chu's really is something. He was such a little child, and she was already scheming. What a poisonous heart. What's wrong with a child wetting the bed? My third brother, he...]
"Fourth Sister." Tong Fengye hastily grabbed Tong Aning's hand and diverted her attention.
Tong Aning asked, "What is it?"
"Look."
Tong Aning followed the direction of Tong Fengye's finger. Wasn't that Feng Chu?
[He's coming! He's coming!]
To avoid getting caught in the crossfire, Tong Aning promptly stood up. "Third Brother, take care of yourself. I'm leaving first."
After leaving, Tong Aning breathed a sigh of relief. [Feng Chu really hasn't forgotten his original purpose.]
Feng Chu didn't chase after Tong Aning.
He stood in front of Tong Fengye and said awkwardly, "I came to make up with you."
"Huh?" Tong Fengye pointed at himself. "Me?"
Feng Chu nodded. In his eyes, Tong Fengye could still see their years of brotherly affection.
What on earth was all this?
Tong Fengye turned and walked away.
"Fengye..."
Tong Fengye said fiercely, "You weren't beside me when my sun sank in the west. Who are you now that I'm rising again in the east?"
Feng Chu: "...?"
Tong Aning: "?"
Was that something people said in this dynasty?
After classes, Tong Fengye trudged along with his results in hand.
Tong Aning kindly consoled him. "Third Brother, it's all right. This is only a little setback."
[Once you climb over this mountain, you'll discover that each mountain is higher than the last.]
Tong Fengye: "..."
"Fengye, it's all right. Lord Marquis Tong won't beat you."
Tong Fengye: "..."
His little sister comforting him was one thing, but how did Feng Chu, who was second from last, have the nerve?
Tong Fengye shook Feng Chu's arm off his shoulder and said coldly, "I haven't made up with you yet!"
Once they passed through the Imperial Academy's gates, both siblings stopped in their tracks.
Tong Fengye wondered if his eyes were playing tricks on him. Why was his father standing in front of their carriage?
Tong Aning wanted to slip away.
"Fengye, Aning, come here."
There was no slipping away now.
Tong Aning approached Tong Aobai and Su Zhouyue with a smile and asked sweetly, "Daddy, Mother, what brings you here?"
Su Zhouyue said, "Aren't your results coming out today? Your father said he wanted to take you to the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion for a meal."
[There's actually such a good thing?]
The little glutton Tong Aning promptly cast her results to the back of her mind and climbed happily into the carriage.
Tong Aobai looked at Tong Fengye. "Aren't you getting in?"
Tong Fengye steeled himself.
Even if he was going to get beaten, he ought to fill his stomach first!
Only after reaching the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion and entering a private room on the second floor did Tong Aning and Tong Fengye discover that their eldest brother, second sister, and little Fifth were all there.
[Well, well, a family gathering.]
Tong Aning sat down beside Tong Yi'an, and a familiar voice came from outside.
[Oh, isn't that my blind fool of a brother-in-law?]
Tong Aning glanced at Tong Siyan. Seeing her second sister's composed expression, she felt considerably reassured.
[So this is a Hongmen banquet for the scumbag.]
A Hongmen banquet?
Tong Siyan casually straightened her sleeve. Cui Heng had been sneaking around behind her back, yet he still dared climb onto her head and throw his weight around.
He might not live to swallow today's feast.
Author's note: