Chapter 77: Had I known he would come, I wouldn’t have come
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**Chapter 77: Had I known he would come, I wouldn’t have come**
The sacrificial items were set alight, illuminating the surroundings.
Xi'er placed a mat in front of her mistress.
Chang Suining hesitated for a moment but ultimately chose not to kneel—she didn’t mind kneeling for A Li’s deceased mother, but she was afraid it might scare the spirit from the afterlife.
So she sat down on the mat and began to throw paper money into the bronze basin to burn.
Chang Suì'ān squatted beside her, helping to burn the offerings while quietly asking, “Ning Ning, since you saw your biological mother in your dream, did you ask her when your birthday is?”
Chang Suining replied, “...I didn’t ask that.”
The dream hadn’t been that detailed.
Chang Suì'ān quickly instructed, “Next time, be sure to ask, so your brother can throw you a birthday party!”
Other girls had birthday gifts, but his sister never celebrated her birthday because it was considered inauspicious—this had always weighed heavily on him.
Chang Suining nodded. “Okay.”
If A Li’s mother dared to come back to her dreams again—
Chang Suì'ān's eyes sparkled with anticipation. “When it’s time for Ning Ning’s birthday party, we should invite all the young ladies from the capital. I’ll make up for the sixteen years’ worth of birthday gifts you missed!”
Chang Suining nodded again.
That was easy enough to arrange.
But wait...
Just liking a date wouldn’t suffice.
Chang Suining stared into the flames and thought it over, deciding to find a chance to ask Wu Jue for the best and most auspicious birthdate to use.
This time around, she would take control of her own fate; she would decide what kind of life she would lead.
While she was deep in thought, the hand holding the fire poker to stir the burning offerings suddenly paused, and she turned to look toward the dark woods behind her, saying, “Father, I think someone is—”
Chang Kuo, who was standing with his hands clasped behind his back, turned to look as well, puzzled. “No one’s there.”
Chang Suining remained alert. “What if an assassin has sneaked into the manor?”
Chang Kuo chuckled. “What kind of assassin would dare come to our manor? Who would be so foolish?”
Chang Suining eyed her father’s overconfidence with suspicion. “Aren’t you going to check?”
“You’re quite the cautious one!” Chang Kuo stroked his beard and said with a smile, “Well... it’s always good to be careful.”
Chang Suining fell silent.
She could have said more to make sure the intruder didn’t get too far.
“Lao Bai, take someone to check it out,” Chang Kuo finally waved his hand at the steward.
The steward replied, “Yes,” and led a few servants to investigate. After a while, they returned. “General, we didn’t find anything suspicious.”
Chang Kuo smiled at his daughter. “See? I told you there was no one.”
Chang Suining ng nodded.
It didn’t matter; as long as he was enjoying the performance, that was good enough for her.
She lazily continued to burn the paper money—at this rate, she wouldn’t finish burning everything tonight.
Chang Kuo said, “I have to attend court early tomorrow, so I’ll head back... Sui'an, stay here with Ning Ning.”
Chang Suì'ān nodded in agreement.
Chang Kuo then leisurely left.
Once he was out of sight of the two children, he quickly quickened his pace and hurried back to the residence.
At the dimly lit end of the corridor stood a shadow in dark clothing.
Chang Kuo walked into the corridor and said impatiently, “What are you doing here again? This is the General’s residence, not the western market... you can’t just come and go as you please!”
The figure in black turned around; it was a woman. She raised her hand to salute Chang Kuo and spoke formally, “My master sent me to deliver a message to General Chang—upon your victorious return to the capital, it has come to my attention that someone intends to send you a beautiful concubine. But at your age, it’s best to remain virtuous and not bring back those questionable women, as it will only cause more trouble.”
“Who cares what she thinks!” Chang Kuo exploded like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. “I’ll do whatever I want!”
The woman looked at him, “So, does the general intend to bring a concubine into his home?”
“Of course not!” Chang Kuo huffed, waving his sleeve. “Tell her that I don’t want a concubine because I can’t be bothered, not because I’m afraid of her!”
The woman in black replied, “...Understood.”
“If there’s nothing else, hurry up and leave.” Chang Kuo sneered. “Even my daughter could hear that commotion; your people are getting worse and worse.”
Upon hearing this, the black-clad woman felt a tinge of embarrassment.
She had been very careful and made no noise at all—how had that little girl detected her?
Unable to respond, she took out a porcelain bottle and placed it on the railing of the corridor. “This is something my master asked me to give you. It will help relieve your leg pain during rainy weather; just take one.”
Chang Kuo glanced over and spat, “A weasel offering New Year’s greetings to a chicken... you have bad intentions! Who would want her stuff? Take it away!”
The woman reluctantly took back the item.
Cháng Kuò, puzzled, asked, “Really taking it back?”
“Get lost, and tell her to stop bothering me about such trivial matters!” He impatiently waved her off and turned away, muttering, “...What a nuisance! She keeps coming back like a ghost! Just giving her a little color, and she can’t let it go!”
The woman rubbed her sore ears and turned to disappear into the darkness.
It was predictable that the same torment would befall her once she reported back to her master.
The woman who was supposed to leave the same way suddenly paused, thinking of something, and took a different route.
In the garden, Chang Suining, who had been burning paper money until she felt numb, yawned.
Yawns were contagious, and Chang Suì'ān followed suit, tears springing to his eyes.
He rubbed his eyes, gradually lowering his head.
Chang Suining sensed something was off and looked up at him, startled. “Brother, why are you crying?”
“I miss my mother too…” The young man’s voice was hoarse and choked.
He had only yawned, but as he rubbed his eyes, a sudden feeling welled up inside him.
“I don’t even know what my mother looks like.” He wiped his tears with the back of his hand.
Chang Suining couldn’t help but reach out and gently pat his shoulder.
To be honest, she didn’t know what Chang Suì'ān’s mother looked like either. Chang Kuo was a man of humble beginnings, and he had remained single for over thirty years. Then one day, he suddenly returned home with a nursing infant, claiming it was his son.
If he had a son, where was his wife?
Upon asking, she learned that the wife had died in childbirth.
According to him, the wife had been promised to him by his family long ago, and he had forgotten about it. It was only on his last trip home that he learned she had been waiting for him all along. He then respectfully paid his respects to her family and went off to war.
When he returned home to bring her back to the capital, he found out that she had passed away, leaving only the child behind.
As he spoke, he held the child in one arm and took out a tablet bearing the name of his deceased wife with the other.
Everyone fell silent at the sudden appearance of the tablet.
Countless words could only be transformed into one: "Poor sister-in-law."
Chang Kuo held a grand funeral for his deceased wife.
Thus, before anyone had the chance to enjoy the wedding banquet, they were seated to partake in the mourning feast.
This incident, while tragic, also conveyed a sense of haste and absurdity. However, out of respect for the deceased, everyone tacitly refrained from probing further.
As for whether the child was Old Chang’s, there was never a shred of doubt among them. This was due to respect, but also grounded in the facts—father and son resembled a great water buffalo cradling a little calf; no one would believe they were not biological relatives.
“And Mother never comes to me in my dreams…” Chang Sui'an said, a bit aggrieved. “Does she not like me?”
“How could anyone not like Brother?” Chang Suining pondered for a moment and asked, “Brother, have you ever had a dream where you woke up and couldn’t remember anything?”
Tears welled in Chang Sui'an's eyes as he nodded at her.
“That means the people who miss us have quietly visited us in our dreams,” Chang Suining said slowly, as she used a fire poker to stir the paper money, speaking earnestly. “But they worry we might become too lost in the dream, and when we wake up, we would feel sad. So, before they leave, they help us forget everything.”
“Then that means… Mother comes to see me every day!” Chang Sui'an’s eyes suddenly sparkled. “I can hardly remember what dreams I’ve had!”
Chang Suining: “…” Sounds like you sleep pretty deeply.
“Speaking of which, the Qingming Festival is coming, and we should go pay respects at Mother’s grave,” Chang Sui'an said, his mood much better, casually asking, “Ning Ning, would you like to go together?”
Chang Suining nodded. “Sure!”
“Then we’ll go tomorrow…” Chang Sui'an hesitated for a moment. “No, we can’t go tomorrow; we have guests at home.”
Chang Suining looked at him. “Guests?”
“It’s General Cui,” Chang Sui'an replied. “Didn’t we invite General Cui to return to the capital and come to our home for a banquet at the Dayun Temple? Yesterday, Father sent an invitation to Xuanzhe Mansion, and General Cui replied that he would be visiting tomorrow—”
Chang Suining understood.
It was because Cui Jing had helped her last time at the temple. Chang Kuo said he would hold a banquet to thank him after returning to the capital.
The two were both mentors and friends, as well as comrades who had fought side by side. It was just that Cui Jing had a cold personality and didn’t enjoy socializing with others; otherwise, it would be normal for them to gather for drinks every few days.
Given that the other party had come to visit, and this banquet was set up in gratitude for helping her, it would be inappropriate for them to choose this moment to go out, even out of courtesy.
The siblings agreed to go out of the city to pay respects the day after.
After their agreement, they both yawned one after another.
Finally, they finished burning the items. Chang Suining returned to her courtyard, smelling of incense. After washing up, she fell asleep, getting up the next day to head to the training ground as usual.
Chu Xing watched the figure of the girl riding a green donkey galloping away, feeling particularly good—perhaps because he had experienced the pain of almost losing her the day before, he now cherished her even more.
Today, he even brought two comrades from the mansion along, saying it was to “guide the young lady in her endeavors,” but in reality, it was more of a show-off—“Look, this is my student that I, Chu Xing, taught! Haha, I have a student; you don’t, right?”
Facing his subtle boast, the two generals smiled on the surface while cursing inwardly.
At this moment, one of them straightened his expression. “Oh, why is General Cui here?”
As he spoke, he hurried over.
Chu Xing looked over and saw it was indeed Cui Jing.
“I didn’t lie to you, did I? He’s here at this hour!” Ah Dian, who brought Cui Jing over, pointed at the Chang siblings on the training ground.
Chang Kuo had not yet returned from court, unlike Cui Jing, who guarded Xuanzhe Mansion and was specially permitted not to attend court every day unless summoned.
Chang Suining, hearing the commotion, was a bit surprised to see Cui Jing here.
The training ground was set up in the front courtyard, so his presence here was not inappropriate. What surprised her was that he had come so early.
She had thought he would likely come around mealtime due to his busy official duties, so she hadn’t waited in the front hall too early. Now that a guest had found their way to the training ground, it made them seem neglectful in their hospitality.
After running a lap, Chang Suining stopped a short distance from Cui Jing.
Cui Jing saw the girl in a sky-blue robe, her dark hair tied up high, nimbly jump off the donkey and walk toward him, receiving a handkerchief from the servant to wipe her sweat.
“General Cui,” she said, slightly out of breath, her forehead dampened with sweat as she raised her hand to bow, rather than curtsying like ordinary girls.
Cui Jing nodded slightly and glanced behind her. “Nice donkey.”
Chang Suining asked, “Does General Cui like it?”
He felt that if he said he liked it, he might end up leading the donkey by the hand when leaving the Chang family, so Cui Jing didn’t dare to easily agree, only asking, “What’s its name?”
“Zhu Feng, just named yesterday.”
Cui Jing’s brow twitched slightly—was it “Chasing Wind” or “Bamboo Wind Blowing Through the Courtyard While Drinking”?
“Bamboo wind blowing through the courtyard while drinking,” he recalled, “two pomegranate flames evoking poetic sorrow.”
The prince’s warhorse was named Pomegranate Flame.
“My horse is called Ru Feng, and my sister named hers Zhu Feng,” Chang Sui'an explained with a laugh as he approached.
Chang Suining nodded—this explanation was good because it was completely misleading.
Upon hearing Chang Sui'an’s explanation, Cui Jing did not inquire further.
Chang Suining did not linger: “General Cui, please excuse me for a moment.”
Cui Jing nodded.
“Little A Li—” Ah Dian instinctively wanted to follow her, but Cui Jing raised his hand to stop him.
She clearly intended to go change her clothes.
Ah Dian looked at him in confusion.
Cui Jing said, “I brought something for my senior, would you like to take a look?”
Ah Dian quickly nodded. “Yes! Where is it?”
“Please follow me to the front hall.”
“Mmhm!”
Cui Jing stepped toward the front hall, with Chu Xing and the others accompanying him.
After Chang Suining changed and freshened up, Chang Kuo also returned to the mansion.
However, he was not alone; he had brought a guest with him.
When Chang Suining arrived outside the front hall, she happened to see the visitor.
“Minister Wei?”
Wei Shuyi, who was about to ascend the steps, turned around and smiled at the girl in the white and blue dress with a fair and smooth complexion. “Young Miss Chang looks in good spirits; it seems your injury has healed.”
“When I encountered Minister Wei at court, I invited him to join us,” Chang Kuo explained with a smile to his daughter.
Previously, during the incident in Hezhou, Chang Kuo felt he owed Wei Shuyi a favor. However, since the matter of his daughter being abducted could not be publicized, he had no way to express his gratitude openly. Today, seizing the opportunity to invite Cui Jing for a banquet, he simply asked Wei Shuyi to join them as well.
Chang Suining understood.
The three of them entered the hall together.
“Minister Wei is here as well,” Chang Sui'an warmly welcomed the guests. “Please take a seat!”
Cui Jing merely glanced at Wei Shuyi before turning his gaze away indifferently.
Chang Suining observed this and felt the other party seemed to say—had I known he would be here, I wouldn’t have come.
“It’s been a few days since I’ve seen you, General Cui,” Wei Shuyi, seemingly unfazed by the cold shoulder, seated himself beside Cui Jing and smiled. “I usually want to catch up and drink with you, but you always find various reasons to decline. Today seems to be my lucky day.”
Chang Kuo laughed heartily. “Let’s all drink today! No one leaves until we’re drunk!”
At this moment, Chang Suining still hadn’t realized who this would ultimately apply to.
(End of this chapter)
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