Chapter 322 — Frustrated

Zeng Wu dared not put on airs before the gatekeeper of Yizhi Hall, and said with a fawning smile, "What is elder brother saying? What honored guest am I? Only a errand-runner before the Lord Defender of the State…" He poured out a great stream of flattery, and seeing the gatekeeper's expression soften a little, he at last explained his purpose.

The gatekeeper was just about to announce him when he saw Zhong Bingxiang and Chen Yanzhou coming toward them, talking and laughing.

Zeng Wu's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

Instinctively he wanted to hide, and he said hastily, "Since Steward Zhong has a guest, I will come back later." Then he fled like a wisp of smoke.

But when he rounded the grove, he stopped short, and without a thought dove into the trees.

Through the chest-high shrubs, Zeng Wu saw Zhong Bingxiang and Chen Yanzhou standing on the steps of the main gate of Yizhi Hall, casting a careless glance toward the direction in which he had fled, then resuming their smiling conversation.

Before long, a carriage drove in.

From the carriage stepped a young man of about twenty.

Zhong Bingxiang and Chen Yanzhou saw them and went up to meet them.

Chen Yanzhou introduced the young man to Zhong Bingxiang.

The young man bowed respectfully to Zhong Bingxiang.

Zhong Bingxiang hurriedly took the man by the arm, and said something to Chen Yanzhou with a smile.

Five or six servants jumped down from the carriage behind the young man and carried down several camphorwood chests.

Chen Yanzhou, Zhong Bingxiang, and the young man walked toward Yizhi Hall.

Several servants followed behind, carrying the chests.

The group's figures soon vanished through the side door of Yizhi Hall.

Zeng Wu's eyes darted rapidly. He took a side path out of the Yingzhen Ducal household, then approached the carriage parked beside Yizhi Hall as though he had just come in from outside, and asked the coachman, who was smoothing his horse's coat, with feigned curiosity, "Hey, which household are you from? Why are you parked here?"

The coachman answered in a thick dialect: "We've come from Zhending. Steward Zhao told us to rest here."

Zhending?

The Lady's natal family!

Zeng Wu thought of the two chests of silver notes that had come with Dou Yan's dowry, and then of the several chests carried inside, and could not help trembling. He wanted to ask more, but saw the gatekeeper of Yizhi Hall coming toward them with a teapot and a teacup. He hastily mumbled a few words and slipped into the woods nearby. He ran helter-skelter into the flower hall of the Xixiang Courtyard.

"Lord Defender, Lord Defender," he cried with studied alarm, "I saw guests arriving at Yizhi Hall!"

Song Cen said in annoyance, "What are you shouting for? Have you no manners at all?"

Zeng Wu quickly composed his expression and bowed respectfully.

Only then did Song Cen say, "What has happened?"

Zeng Wu stepped forward a few paces and said in a low voice, "Lord Defender, just now I was about to go and inquire about the account-checking at Yizhi Hall, when who should I see but that old fellow Chen, who used to live there, bringing Steward Zhong to welcome a strange young man inside. The man had several chests brought along as well."

That Song Yan had been rescued was known, up to now, only to Song Cen, Tao Jun, and Guard Chang in the Yingzhen Ducal household. Zeng Wu merely found Chen Yanzhou's appearance abrupt and strange, and suspected nothing more.

Song Cen's expression changed drastically. "Chen Bo and Chen Bingxiang together welcomed a young man inside?"

A flicker of cunning flashed through Zeng Wu's eyes. "I made inquiries as well," he said. "The man's surname is Zhao, he comes from Zhending, and he is one of the Lady's kin... As for those chests, they are camphorwood chests, the kind used for storing books and silver notes—camphorwood keeps out the worms."

Song Cen, too, thought of the two chests of silver notes that had come with Dou Yan's dowry.

His face turned very ugly.

The Dou family—what exactly did they mean to do?

Song Cen summoned Tao Jun.

Tao Jun said with a headache, "Lord Defender, you had best send for the Heir and ask him plainly. If those chests are filled with silver notes, then given the Heir's character, he will not deny it. If we send our own people to inquire, we may not learn anything."

What did he mean, "may not learn anything"?

Song Cen was so furious his mouth twisted, yet he had no better plan, and so had no choice but to order Tao Jun: "Go and fetch the Heir here!"

Truly, whoever thought up the scheme must be the one to carry it out!

Tao Jun smiled bitterly.

Meanwhile Zhong Bingxiang had leapt up from the grand master's chair and, pointing at the several camphorwood chests in the flower hall, said, gaping, "What—what is this?"

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Sisters and brothers, here is today's update.

o(n_n)o~