The Wife of a Loyal Servant - Chapter 13

Seeing that he only replied casually and had no intention of getting up to return to his room to rest, Ying Liu dared not urge him again. She lowered her head and stood respectfully to the side.

The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.* Unfortunately, the oriole had yet to appear, rendering Prince Lu’s entire scheme pointless. With the situation in the capital unclear, Prince Lu is favored, and the Crown Prince has the rightful claim. Staying away from the capital to avoid the clash might not be a bad thing.

(*TL’s note: 螳螂捕蝉，黄雀在后 (tángláng bǔ chán, huángquè zài hòu)—Someone is busy going after their target but they themselves are being targeted by someone else.)

Zhao Yi pondered silently.

He had originally thought the Crown Prince was the ‘oriole,’ but now it seemed that might not be the case.

The next day, Cheng Shaotang and the others still failed to see the chief escort appear, and those sent to search for him returned empty-handed.

With no other choice, they each went home for the moment.

Cheng Shaotang bid farewell to Song Chao, Tang Jinyuan, and the others and, burdened with worries, walked toward the city gate.

After walking a short distance, he suddenly heard a commotion not far from the yamen ahead and vaguely caught words like “fire” and “dead person.”

“Brother, what happened?” He stopped a burly man passing by and asked.

“You don’t know? Someone died! Last night, an empty house on West Street caught fire and burned a person to death. Burned beyond recognition. Several coroners came, but they couldn’t identify the body. It’s probably another unsolved case!”

“These days are chaotic. Maybe it was a passing merchant murdered for money,” an old man sighed.

Cheng Shaotang’s heart tightened.

Another fire that killed someone? The worry in his brows deepened.

He thanked the burly man and the old man, glanced from afar at the officials going in and out of the yamen, and then left.

This trip had not only failed to bring him a single penny but had even dragged him into a bizarre mess. The chief escort master was still nowhere to be seen, and the escort agency was in utter chaos. Many of the escorts were already planning to collect their grain rations for the month once the chief returned—and then quit.

He let out a sigh, faintly entertaining the thought of leaving the agency himself and seeking another path.

It was the height of summer, the fierce sunlight heating the ground until it nearly sizzled. He had walked for less than half an hour, yet his back was already soaked with sweat, and his throat felt parched.

“It’s so hot today! Luckily, there’s someone selling tea up ahead. Otherwise I’d keel over from heatstroke!” Two men hurrying along the road passed by him. He paused mid-wipe, glanced ahead, and suddenly remembered that before he’d left home, his second brother, Cheng Shaoan, had mentioned setting up a tea stall somewhere around here. If he recalled correctly, it shouldn’t be far.

Could the stall those two were talking about be his?

Thinking of this possibility, he simply followed behind the two men for about half an hour. Sure enough, the crossroads ahead was bustling. Stalls built from simple bamboo awnings lined both sides of the road, peddlers’ cries rising and falling. Most travelers stopped to buy some dry food or drink a bowl of tea but didn’t linger long. After eating and drinking their fill, they paid quickly and continued on their way.

In less than three months, this once-familiar place had changed beyond recognition. Cheng Shaotang could hardly believe his eyes.

“You brat, do you know who your grandpa is? Trying to die, are you?!”

“It clearly—”

“I’m so sorry, so sorry; it was our mistake. Please forgive us—this meal is on me; think of it as an apology…”

“Sister-in-law, it clearly—”

“Shut up! This way, honored guest, this way!”

“I’ve got plenty of money—why would I care about a few coins? Let me lay it out for you today: you kneel and kowtow to me, shout three times, ‘Grandpa, I was wrong,’ and I’ll spare you. Otherwise… hmph, I’ll let you taste my fists!”

“Don’t bully me—”

“Shut up!”

From a short distance away, a familiar quarrel suddenly erupted. Cheng Shaotang’s heart tightened, and he hurried toward the sound. He saw Ling Yu first turn and stop the indignant Cheng Shaoan, then beam a wide smile as he bowed to the fierce-looking man with one foot propped on a small stool.

“As the saying goes, harmony is most precious. This gentleman is clearly bold and formidable. One glance shows he’s someone destined for great things. Prime ministers are known for their great tolerance, and those who accomplish great deeds are always magnanimous, able to tolerate what others cannot.

“My younger brother acted rashly and should apologize.

“But a man’s knees are precious. He kneels to heaven and earth, to his parents, and to his ruler. If he were to kneel and kowtow, that would be one thing. But with so many people passing by, gossip spreads easily. If any unfavorable rumor about you were to circulate and harm your future prospects… well, that would be his fault.”

He sneered, “You little woman sure have a sharp tongue. Fine—I’ve got a jug of wine here. If you drink three bowls with me, I’ll let this brat go. How about it?”

Ling Yu froze for a moment. Before she could speak, a familiar voice suddenly sounded behind her.

“I’ll take her place!”

“Brother!!” Feeling both wronged and angry, Cheng Shaoan turned around and cried out in delighted surprise.

Seeing his wife bowing and scraping so cautiously made Cheng Shaotang feel a surge of anger. When he saw the man push further, even demanding she drink with him, such humiliation, if he could still endure it, he would truly be unworthy of being a man.

Ling Yu was surprised by his sudden appearance and wanted to speak, but Cheng Shaotang completely ignored her. He walked straight up to the man and sneered, “Three cups, right? I’ll drink in her place.”

“What kind of thing are you, daring to—”

“Third brother, enough. Don’t delay the journey any further.” The man was about to provoke a few more words when the man in blue, who had been quietly drinking tea at the side, spoke calmly.

The man seemed somewhat wary of him and didn’t dare say more. He grabbed the long sword on the small table and followed behind the man in blue as they left.

“Eldest brother, why didn’t you let me teach that brat a lesson? What is he, to dare act like a hero?” Even after walking far, he was still resentful.

“You can’t beat him. Don’t bring humiliation upon yourself.” The man in blue cast him a sideways glance, squeezed his legs together, and rode off.

“You’re back?” Having finally sent off that scourge, Ling Yu let out a breath of relief. Seeing Cheng Shaotang’s face reddened from the sun, she hurriedly pulled him into the shed and instructed Cheng Shaoan to bring a bowl of mung bean soup.

Cheng Shaoan was still angry and wanted to ignore her, but because he cared about his brother, he muttered a few complaints and went to scoop the soup.

But pedestrians kept coming and going along the road, and both Ling Yu and Cheng Shaoan were so busy they couldn’t spare any time for conversation.

Cheng Shaotang didn’t mind. He simply sat quietly to the side, watching his wife and younger brother hustle around like spinning tops. He could tell the two of them were already exhausted, yet they always greeted customers with warm smiles and attentive service.

Especially Cheng Shaoan—who, in his memory, had always been somewhat lazy. Seeing him this diligent was truly rare.

After the last customer left, he quietly stepped forward to help the two tidy up the stall.

“Why are you still here? I thought you’d already gone home!” Ling Yu said in surprise when she saw he was still there.

Cheng Shaotang secured the items onto the two-wheeled cart. Hearing her words, he turned and looked at her deeply. “About that man just now, you didn’t have to wrong yourself like that.”

It took Ling Yu a moment to realize who he meant, but before she could speak, Cheng Shaoan had already burst into complaints. “That’s right, brother! He was clearly the one who bumped into me, but he insisted I was the one who hit him! It’s infuriating! And sister-in-law still said it was my fault—too awful!”

Ling Yu wiped her face with a handkerchief and said helplessly, “Of course, I know this isn’t your fault, but in business, harmony brings wealth. What’s a little grievance? Are you going to argue with the customer?”

“Why not? It’s not my fault!” Cheng Shao’an protested.

“What would you have done if I hadn’t shown up?” Cheng Shaotang asked, staring at her.

Ling Yu frowned, thinking the two brothers were simply making a fuss over nothing. If she couldn’t handle such a small grievance, she would’ve died countless times in her past life.

But when she saw them both fixed on her, clearly not giving up until she answered, she lowered her voice and said, “Don’t worry, those two wouldn’t dare make trouble. They came all the way from the capital, so they must be on official business. If they cause a scene and expose their identities…”

“How do you know they’re from the capital and on official business?” Cheng Shaotang interrupted.

“They have the jade pendants of the Prince’s guards!” Ling Yu answered matter-of-factly, but as soon as she finished speaking, she realized something was wrong.

“How would you recognize the jade pendant of the Prince’s guards?” Cheng Shaotang pressed.

Sure enough, Ling Yu cursed herself for being too quick to speak.

How would she recognize it? Naturally, because she’d seen it in her previous life! Back then, Prince Lu and Prince Qi fought brutally for the throne, and her husband had been a guard of Prince Qi’s residence, so clashes with Prince Lu’s men were unavoidable.

“Last time, a guest from the capital had the same kind of jade pendant. I heard him mention it,” Ling Yu bluffed.

After all, people came and went here—anyone might have seen such things. Even if Cheng Shaotang doubted her explanation, he couldn’t find anything to refute.

“Really? How come I’ve never seen it?” Cheng Shaoan asked, scratching his head.

“Did you expect to handle all the customers by yourself?” Ling Yu glared at him.

Cheng Shaoan instantly fell silent.

Once the three of them packed up, they headed home. Cheng Shaotang stayed quiet the whole way. Ling Yu, feeling guilty and afraid she’d slip up again, kept walking silently, sometimes sneaking glances at him, trying to gauge his thoughts.

But Cheng Shaotang kept replaying the scene of Ling Yu’s endless tolerance toward that unreasonable customer. Having traveled widely for years, he naturally understood the principle of harmony bringing wealth, and he knew some grievances simply had to be endured—but he didn’t want his wife to endure them.

His wife should stay at home peacefully, serving her elders and raising their children. Providing for the family was his responsibility, not hers.

In the end, it was his incompetence that had caused her such humiliation!