Chapter 128: The Second Wave of Momentum

"Thirteenth Sister?"

Du Shiyi’s voice was not particularly quiet, yet seeing the young girl remain as motionless as a clay figurine, he finally became certain that she was angry with him.

For the occasional displays of temperament from this younger sister—who was, for the most part, sensible and well-behaved—he found himself at a loss, having lacked any experience in dealing with siblings in the past. After much deliberation, he eventually sat down beside her. Like her, he rested his chin in his hands, lost in thought, and remained silent.

He did not know how long this heavy silence lasted, but Thirteenth Sister, who had held the same pose for so long, finally could not endure it. She straightened her back in irritation, but as soon as she moved her legs, which had been kneeling, a sharp, needle-like pain shot through them. She intended to grit her teeth and bear it, but in the end, she let out a cry of pain. Seeing Du Shiyi suddenly look over as if he had just been shaken from a trance, she stubbornly tried to move her feet again, but they were numb and refused to obey. It was only when a pair of strong hands reached out to support her that she instinctively leaned on him, finally sitting down across from him, pouting.

"You are still so young; do not always be so quick to frown in anger."

"Isn't it because you, Brother, went away for ten days without returning!" Thirteenth Sister raised her head, glaring at Du Shiyi with indignation. She gave his outstretched hands a fierce, frustrated punch before continuing, "And today, before you even returned, those three sisters from outside showed up looking all pitiful, claiming you promised to take them in. We are only staying here as guests in the Cui residence in Pingkang Ward, not the masters of the house. Won't this invite gossip?"

Du Shiyi knew the girl’s concerns were perfectly valid, but before he could speak, she muttered again, "Besides, I asked Old Kang, and he said it clearly: Lady Gongsun has been officially appointed by the Sage as a general of the Pear Garden music troupe. Though she is no longer on the official music register, she cannot easily leave the palace. Because she couldn't bear to see them treated like servants, she petitioned for gold to have them and Lady Yue released. But that Lady Yue took it upon herself to say she would no longer make a living by sword dancing and claimed she had no way to protect them, so she begged Lady Gongsun to dump everyone on us. What does she take you for, Brother?"

Thirteenth Sister grew more agitated as she spoke, her face turning bright red. "Old Kang and the other musician are fine; they are decent people. But those three Feng sisters have been putting on a 'pear blossoms in the rain' act ever since they stepped through the door. Anyone who didn't know better would think they were the ones who had been wronged! Especially Feng Yuanniang, who even said she was willing to be a maidservant and serve with towels and combs. Who would dare let her serve you? If she kept at it, she’d likely be offering herself to your bed before long!"

Hearing this last sentence, Du Shiyi could no longer contain himself and burst into laughter. Thirteenth Sister was stunned by his reaction, and then became even more incensed. "In the days you were gone, people came to deliver invitations, and there were over a dozen groups asking to buy inkstones, all claiming they came because of what you said at the Thousand Treasures Pavilion. But you weren't here, and I didn't dare act on my own, so I could only have the Cui family's staff keep putting them off. Now that you are back, there are so many important matters to attend to—who has the time to deal with them!"

"True, you are right."

Thirteenth Sister had expected Du Shiyi to offer empty excuses. When she clearly heard his agreement, the admonitions she had prepared were suddenly caught in her throat. She didn't know how to proceed and could only stare blankly as Du Shiyi stood up and, as he always did, gently ruffled her hair.

"Brother, stop treating me like a child!"

"I am certainly not treating you like a child," Du Shiyi said with a faint smile, moving his hand away, his expression gentle. "As for Old Kang and that other musician, they may stay or leave as they wish; there is no need to force them. Given our friendship with Lady Gongsun, we can certainly help that much. As for the three Feng sisters, I leave their placement entirely to you. I will not interfere."

"Ah?"

"What? Can you not handle this? If not, I shall entrust it to the Cui family..."

Faced with such an unexpected arrangement, Thirteenth Sister was dumbfounded. But when she saw Du Shiyi slightly furrow his brow as if about to change his mind, she interrupted him without a second thought. "Since you said so, Brother, I accept! But I warn you, if I am the one settling this, you are not allowed to be soft-hearted!"

"Do you think your brother is the type of man who loses his wits the moment he sees a woman?" Du Shiyi laughed, and seeing the girl would not budge, he nodded decisively. "Fine, I promise you. I will keep my hands off this matter. Is that enough?"

Having offloaded the hot potato to Thirteenth Sister, Du Shiyi was not worried that she would simply throw them out or register them in the North Quarters of Pingkang Ward. After all, having spent time around the Fifth Lady of the Cui family, Thirteenth Sister was now capable of handling such matters on her own. That night, after having spent ten days at the Dou residence of the Duke of Bi, meticulously rearranging musical scores and compositions with Wang Wei, and offering suggestions on choreography for the tenth son of the Dou family and his kin—having barely slept a wink—he finally enjoyed a comfortable, lazy rest. He didn't even hear the morning drums that rang throughout the city the next day, sleeping until the sun was high in the sky.

After washing, dressing, and having breakfast, he summoned Tian Mo and handed him a bamboo calling card. "Can you find the Thousand Treasures Pavilion in the West Market, where we went last time?"

"I can," Tian Mo nodded immediately, then added, "Sir, should I go on foot or on horseback?"

"Go by horse." Seeing Tian Mo’s face fall, Du Shiyi remembered how he had never grown accustomed to riding during their journey from the Eastern Capital to Chang'an, and how even the horse he rode seemed perpetually restless. He smiled and said, "If you truly wish to walk, that is up to you. In any case, take that card and ask to see the master of the Thousand Treasures Pavilion. Tell him to come to the Cui residence when he is at leisure; I have matters to discuss. Do not say anything else."

"Understood! I shall go right away!" Hearing he didn't have to ride, Tian Mo was exceptionally pleased and turned to leave. But near the door, he suddenly remembered something, glanced back at Du Shiyi, and said cautiously, "Sir, I have plenty of free time now. Could I... could I..."

Seeing the usually straightforward Tian Mo acting so coy, Du Shiyi was surprised for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Thinking of your vegetable patch again! Very well, I will speak with the Cui family later; I won't let you sit around and fret!"

"Thank you, Sir!"

Tian Mo was overjoyed, knelt to kowtow without a second thought, and then darted out of the room. Hearing his excited voice as he spoke to Zhuying outside, Du Shiyi could not help but chuckle before he, too, stepped out. He asked a Cui family servant to lead him to the library of this Pingkang Ward residence, pausing briefly at the door before entering.

Compared to the library of the Cui family in Yongfeng Lane in the Eastern Capital, this one—likely because Cui Taizhi had served in the central government for most of his career since entering officialdom, only being demoted during the Shenlong era of Emperor Zhongzong—contained many memorials and political treatises by famous officials throughout the ages, all neatly categorized. Originally intending only to browse, he soon lost track of time. He ate a hasty, flavorless meal when someone brought food in, then returned to his research.

During his nearly three years at the grass-thatched cottage, he had already copied countless books. Historical records and laws were already etched in his mind, and Lu Hong's detailed and rich explanations had benefited him immensely. As for the examination essays, his previous accumulation, combined with the "Essay Catalog" he had recorded, Lu Hong’s near hand-in-hand guidance, and the various masterpieces brought to him from time to time by Lu Wangzhi and Pei Ning, had given him a certain degree of confidence. However, he did not want to treat the third paper—the policy essay, which most people did not pay much attention to—as a weak point.

It was possible to redeem a poor poetry score with the classic texts, but one never heard of redeeming a poor policy essay score. If one were to fail one of the three papers, it would naturally be better to have all three be impeccable. After all, there were many people watching him with predatory eyes!

Reading and copying, time passed in the blink of an eye. When he heard a knock at the door, Du Shiyi looked up and called for the visitor to enter. Seeing it was Tian Mo, he asked, "Did you see him?"

"Yes, Sir. And he has already arrived."

Seeing the surprise on Du Shiyi's face, Tian Mo quickly added, "I went to the Thousand Treasures Pavilion as instructed and saw him without issue. Upon hearing that you wished to discuss something, the master of the pavilion came immediately."

"I see."

Du Shiyi had been testing the waters, planning to find another way if that failed. Now that he knew the man had come, he stood up and carefully organized the scrolls he had taken from the shelves, returning them to their proper places before asking Tian Mo, "Where is he now? Is someone attending to him?"

"He has been placed in a side room to the west of the main hall in the front courtyard. A steward of the Cui family is attending to him."

Although he was quite wealthy, Liu Jiaodong could not help but feel a surge of excitement as he stepped into this renowned mansion of a Minister. Capitals were filled with the residences of nobles and high officials, but the Cui family of Qinghe was a prestigious clan of the realm. In particular, this branch of Cui Zhiwen had remained unshakable since the reign of Emperor Gaozong, with each of the three father and son members making moves that advanced the family further. Even though Cui Taizhi was currently in mourning, he had earned the praise of the world for his filial piety, and it was not impossible that he would ascend to the position of Prime Minister upon his return to office. Therefore, when facing the Cui family steward who had come to greet him, he not only showed no trace of annoyance but also carefully probed for the connection between Du Shiyi and the Cui family. Alas, the man was tight-lipped, and by the time Du Shiyi entered the room, he had learned nothing.

"Master Du."

"I merely asked for you to come when you had leisure time, I did not expect you to arrive so promptly. I have been remiss."

"Not at all, not at all." Seeing the Cui family steward quietly withdraw, Liu Jiaodong felt even more curiosity about why Du Shiyi was lodging at the Cui residence. He soon said, beaming, "My ancestors were from Jiaodong. Although our family has been registered in Guanzhong for many years, in order not to forget our roots, my father gave me the courtesy name 'Jiaodong' when I reached adulthood. If Master Du does not mind, you may simply call me Liu Jiaodong."