Chapter 48. Inquiry

Inquiry

With joyful dancing to liven up the atmosphere, outstanding performers entertaining with their wit and humor, the palace banquet continued until late at night.
As most of the military officers attending the feast were not of high noble birth and tended to be unrestrained in their behavior, after a few drinks, they became even louder in their laughter and conversations.
In the eyes of the high-ranking nobles, such behavior was considered coarse and uncouth. Consequently, the people at the banquet gradually split into two groups. On one side, the military generals sat together at the lower seats, toasting and laughing with each other. On the other side, the aristocrats and nobles gathered around The Emperor, engaging in sophisticated and grand discussions.
Wei Jue can be described as well-connected, as people of all ranks and status came to toast to him. Meanwhile, Guo Furen gathered with several elderly noblewomen around Empress Xu. Several court officials approached Wei Jue to converse with him, and Wei Tan sat down with them, drinking and discussing official matters together.
I, too, am not lonely. The women accompanying their husbands to the banquet were also not content with being idle. They moved gracefully through the seats, exchanging greetings with those they knew, laughing and chatting merrily. Yu Ying was also among them.
Her husband, Xu Chong, holds the position of the Central Military Supervisor, and this time he was also granted the title of a Marquis. The Xu family background is not considered low; among the high-ranking families in Henan, the Xu family holds a prominent position. However, Xu Chong seemed to get along better with his colleagues. After paying respects together with Yu Ying, he joined the military officers to drink together.
Although I have been in the capital for nearly a year now, I lead a quiet and reclusive life and rarely attend banquets. As for these noble ladies, I have only had limited interactions with most of them, and I am not very familiar with them. However, Yu Ying is exceptionally warm and friendly. Before long, she approached me along with seven or eight women of similar age, striking up a conversation and inviting me to join them at their seats.
"Ah Jin, isn't that Zhao Jun?" Yuying sat beside me, gesturing towards the person talking to the Emperor, her tone affectionate. "I remember meeting him at your residence before. Could I be mistaken?"
"Indeed," I looked over there and replied. Wei Jue has returned and intends to appoint Zhao Jun. I thought that Zhao Jun had already bid farewell a few days ago and wouldn't agree. However, to my surprise, not only did he not refuse, but he also went to the palace on the day of receiving the official appointment to pay respects to the emperor, showing a determined attitude to serve in the court.
I wasn't interested in Zhao Jun, so I shifted my gaze slightly and looked towards the upper end of the banquet hall. Empress Xu was engrossed in conversation with the person beside her, seemingly very serious and not showing the slightest hint of distraction. Meanwhile, Wei Tan was also engaged in conversation with someone, and there were two or three people standing between him and Empress Xu.
There was no trace of any connection between them, but as I kept looking around, suddenly, Wei Tan's gaze caught mine. I saw a faint smile at the corner of his lips. Feeling a bit embarrassed, I quickly turned my head away, trying to act as if nothing had happened.
"Furen looks stunning tonight. Qie couldn't take One's eyes off Furen when One saw from afar," a woman said to me with a smile.
I also smiled and replied, "Furen has praised absurdly, but it is all of you Furens who shine brightly tonight."
Yu Ying, who was beside me, said, "We were just discussing; they said your hairpin is made of pearls from the East Sea, but I disagreed. This hairpin is pure and round, likely made from pearls of He Pu, and it seems to be an item from the palace. Ah Jin, am I right?"
I smiled and replied, "This accessory was bestowed upon me by the late TaiHou herself. As for the origin of the pearls, I am not aware."
"That settles it," another woman said in a soft voice, "Items from TaiHou are always precious; it must be pearls from He Pu."
Yu Ying showed a proud expression, but at the same time, I caught a glimpse of some displeasure on a few people's faces.
At that moment, from the lower seats, there suddenly came a few loud and boisterous laughs, causing the noble ladies to instinctively cover their chests and frown in unison.
"Yuying, the Yannian Hall you mentioned last time, is it located in the southern market?" someone asked.
"Yes," Yu Ying replied, "I went there last time and bought some Tianma to make nourishing soup for my Gushi."
"Is that so? Very filial of you," someone commented, covering their sleeve. "As for me, I can't do that. I avoid even passing through such bustling places as the southern market. Let alone going there to buy medicine in person."
Then someone continued, "Yuying, you mentioned last time that your Gushi grew up in the countryside, and even finds powdered makeup selling for ten zhu expensive... I heard that the medicines at Yannian Hall are not cheap. When you bought them and brought them back, did your Gushi scold you?" As she spoke, she disdainfully glanced over at Xu Chong's end of the lower seats.
Yuying's expression slightly changed, but after a moment, she lifted her eyebrows and said, "You are overthinking it. Being filial to Gushi, even if there were any reprimands, One wouldn't neglect it." After saying this, she turned to me with a smile and asked, "Ah Jin, have you heard of Yannian Hall? They have a wide variety of tonics there. I remember your family used to pay great attention to health and well-being."
I didn't initially want to get involved in their verbal battle, but since Yannian Hall was mentioned, I decided to stand with Yuting.
"Exactly," I nodded and added, "In the past, my ancestors also emphasized the importance of nourishing the body, and I have some knowledge in this regard as well."
Yuying's face lit up with joy, "In that case, I plan to go there again in a few days to pick some more. Would Ah Jin like to come along?"
"Fu Furen has capable household servants to take care of such matters. There's no need to go personally," someone said indifferently
Yuying disagreed, "Taking care of health and selecting medicinal items requires attention to detail. How would the household servants understand such things!"
I went with the flow and looked at them with a smile, "Since Yuying has invited, Qie naturally would be delighted to join."
*****
Upon returning home, the moon had already shifted towards the west.
Having dealt with the intrigues and scheming among the noble ladies all night, by the time I lay down on the bed, drowsiness had already taken over me.
Wei Tan blew out the lamp beside the bed and lay down under the covers. He reached out, wrapping his arm around my waist.
I had grown accustomed to his intimate gestures, but when his hand started to wander, I felt somehow unpleased.
"Fujun, Qie is tired," I whispered softly.
"En, then Furen just rests," Wei Tan said, as his hand continued to move inside my clothing.
I felt helpless and turned my head to look at him.
Wei Tan seemed quite spirited, and in the dim light, I could sense the playfulness in his eyes. He leaned close to my cheek and said in a seductive tone, "Furen kept giving signals during the banquet. Weifu thought Furen was yearning for Weifu…"
I rolled my eyes secretly.
"Qie didn't mean to distract," I smiled, leaning close to his lips and gently holding the restless hand on my chest, trailing off, "It's just…"
"Just what?" Wei Tan's breathing became a bit unsteady.
I suddenly placed my foot on his leg.
"Ss..." My foot felt cold, and I could sense Wei Tan's face wrinkling in response.
"Qie feet were cold at that time, and wanted to ask when Fujun would return home," I smirked triumphantly, speaking in a pitiful tone without any sense of guilt.
"You woman," Wei Tan pinched my waist.
I didn't back down and tried to twist back, but he caught my hand in his grip.
"Sleep now," he said softly, putting away his playful demeanor.
What a hypocrite, I thought to myself, then turned around and closed my eyes.
His hand came back around, and his legs clasped my feet in between. En, it's quite warm…
"Ah Jin..." Sleepiness surged once more, and in a daze, I heard him saying from behind, "Don't bother with those old things in the future."
Who cares about your old belongings? What I care about is the people from your past.
In my heart, I replied vaguely with a murmured acknowledgment before sinking into a dream.
*****
Wei An was still immersed in contemplating the promise to provide Cui Ting with a saddle that ensured one wouldn't fall off while riding a horse.
The next day, when I went to see him, he was in the small hut near the kitchen, with a pile of wooden boards in the corner. On those boards, he had sketched various designs using charcoal.
On the latest piece, I saw Wei An had drawn a saddle with a low backrest. The area from the saddle to the stirrups was covered with ropes, making it apparent that the design aimed to securely fasten the rider to the horse.
I chuckled, saying, "Si Shu, if Cui Gongzi sits on that, wouldn't it be like being tied up?"
Wei An scratched his head and said, "I also want to make it look more aesthetically pleasing, but if I don't do it this way, he'll just fall off."
I thought for a moment and suggested, "Si Shu idea is good, but while ensuring stability, has SiShu considered making it look like a leather strap?"
"Leather strap?" Wei An's eyes brightened, and he picked up the charcoal again, sketching on the wooden board with enthusiasm.
I smiled and sat down beside him, observing as he continued to work. After a while, I glanced at Ah Yuan.
She understood and walked out of the room.
Just after noon, the servants had nothing to do, and they all went to rest. The small courtyard was quiet, with only the sound of birds chirping. The sunlight streamed in from the doorway, creating a comfortable and pleasant atmosphere.
Of course, I wasn't there just to watch Wei An work or enjoy the sunlight. I sought him out for another important matter.
"How does Si Shu plan to present this item to Cui Gongzi once it's finished?" I asked.
"I will send someone to deliver it to Boling," Wei An replied.
I nodded and said, "The Cui clan used to have a residence in Chang'an as well. If it were in the past, Si Shu could have personally handed it to him."
Wei An scratched his head and said, "I was too young back then, Muqin didn't let me go out to play. I couldn't even tell the difference between the Eastern Market and the Western Market in Chang'an."
"Oh?" I smiled, "I'm quite familiar with the Eastern Market and the Western Market. However, Chang'an is indeed vast. let alone Si Shu, I have only met Fujun once."
"Zhangsao has met Xiongzhang before?" Wei An asked in surprise.
"Yes," I lied without blushing, "At that time, Fujun was still a young yulin Guard?"
"Yes."
"Did he guard the palace?"
"Yes."
"I remember back then he often met with a woman named Zhang Ping…"
"It's Xu Ping," Wei An quickly corrected.
"Oh?" I looked at him with a smile.
Wei An was taken aback, seeming to realize his slip of the tongue, and his face changed slightly.
Inside the Wei residence, Wei An was the most innocent and least skilled at lying. He didn't even consider that my question was a trap and got caught in it. After trying to cover up his mistake, I saw through his attempts, and before long, he admitted to the truth.
The situation surprised me, or I could even say that I was astonished.
Wei Tan and Xu Ping had a previous engagement. According to Wei An, when Wei Jia was serving as the North Commandant in Luoyang, he offended some powerful figures. Fortunately, Xu Ping's father, Xu Shaofu, interceded on Wei Jue's behalf with the Emperor, saving him from punishment. Later, Xu Shaofu encountered financial difficulties, and when Wei Jua learned about it, he generously provided financial assistance. The two families became close, and as a result, they decided to arrange a marriage between Wei Tan and Xu Ping. However, for some unknown reason, this engagement was not publicized, and very few people were aware of it. Less than a year later, the engagement was called off. After that, chaos erupted in Chang'an, and both families went their separate ways.
"I was still young at that time, and I only learned about all this later from AhZis' discussions," Wei An's face turned slightly red, "Fuqin also forbade us from mentioning this matter again."
I wasn't sure what expression to use, so I looked at him and forced a smile, feeling somewhat awkward.
"Si Shu rest assured, I will keep this matter strictly confidential," I said, standing up and telling him, "Si Shu don't need to tell Fujun about today's conversation."
Wei An nodded in acknowledgment.
As I was about to leave, Wei An suddenly called out to me, "ZhangSao."
I turned back, and he seemed hesitant, asking, "You're not angry, right?"
I smiled and replied, "Si Shu is overthinking. Why would I be angry?"