The next day, before the sky had even begun to brighten, Dingding quietly slipped away, donning his signature disheveled yet orderly attire.
Aunt Feng was tasked with keeping an eye on the first shop in the West Market, while Zhu Changle made her usual rounds of cooing and cuddling with her grandmother and mother to secure her place in their affections before bouncing over to her elder brother's residence.
"Miss Zhu."
Changle halted her steps and turned around with a fake smile, "Good morning, Lady Qin."
Lady Qin curtsied and presented the basket she was holding with both hands, "I've prepared some snacks for you. Please try them and let me know if you like them. If you do, I'll make more for you."
In the Great Wan Dynasty, there wasn't a rigid distinction between social classes. For instance, in the Zhu household, servants rarely referred to themselves as slaves except in certain formal settings.
Changle found Lady Qin's repeated use of "slave" a bit uncomfortable, especially since she hadn't done so the last time. However, considering Lady Qin was her sister-in-law's attendant, she brushed off the discomfort and accepted the basket, saying, "Then I won't stand on ceremony with you, Lady Qin."
"It would be my honor if Miss Zhu were to stand on ceremony with me," Lady Qin replied, curtsying once more. "I shall take my leave now."
Watching her retreat, Changle patted her chest and let out a sigh of relief. She actually hoped her sister-in-law and her entourage wouldn't notice her presence. If they couldn't be close, there was no need to pretend. Maintaining a respectful distance felt much better to her.
Opening the basket, she found it filled with fried fish snacks, perfect for pairing with alcohol. So...
Zhu Changwang pointed a finger at his younger sister, who was already enjoying her morning drink with the fish snacks, "Mother will have a thing or two to say if she sees you like this."
"Mother isn't here, though," Changle retorted.
"Are you planning to avoid Mother all day?"
"Uh..." Having just taken a sip of wine, Changle, now regretting her decision, held the small wine jar in a daze. It seemed... the smell of alcohol was hard to hide.
Changwang showed no intention of helping her out of the predicament. With his younger sister's current bold and unrestrained demeanor, he needed time to adjust.
"Since you've already started, it doesn't matter how much you drink," Changle decided cheerfully and continued, "You know I'm very busy, helping Father with his troubles! How could I stay at home all the time?"
"True, helping with troubles is indeed what you do."
"Of course!"
Changwang watched her with a smile, then prepared to get out of bed.
Zuo Qing hurried forward, not daring to stop him but reminding, "Doctor Tang said it's best if you rest a bit longer."
"I'm tired of lying down. Help me walk a few steps."
Changle stood up, took a step forward, then retreated. Watching her brother's loose clothing sway with each step, her heart ached.
Yet, she showed no sign of it and instead sat down to tease, "Brother, you're tempted by the wine's aroma, aren't you?"
"I'll have to try this wine once I'm fully recovered," Changwang said, his breath quickening after a few steps. He paused to catch his breath, then pointed to the table. Zuo Qing helped him move slowly towards it.
Changle stopped talking, watching her brother take each step with bated breath. Once he was seated, she let out a silent sigh of relief and clapped enthusiastically, "You're getting better, Doctor Tang's skills are truly remarkable."
"Indeed, most doctors struggle with my condition, but he seems unfazed. This isn't the level of expertise one would expect from a secluded place."
"He's not from here, his beard is fake, he's quite young!"
Changwang wasn't surprised, "Before coming, I didn't expect the situation in Yunbei to be so complex and... intriguing."
"It is intriguing, even Qiuli has started taking interest."
Changle chewed on the fish snacks, talking without pause. In front of her brother, she never bothered with the formalities of not speaking with her mouth full. Changwang never minded, unlike her second brother, who would scold her for not sitting properly.
She wrinkled her nose, pushing her dislike for her second brother to the back of her mind. "Did Zuo Qing tell you everything?"
"Yes, I didn't expect you to uncover so much in just a few days. Combining that with the information I have, some things are becoming clearer."
Changle perked up, "I knew asking you for the answers would be the right move. Tell me quickly... wait, let me get Qiuli. He played a big part in this, he should hear it too."
Changwang teased, "So trusting of him?"
"From the moment he appeared, he's been nothing but helpful. I have no reason not to trust him," Changle said, taking a sip of wine. "Trust is a simple thing."
Changwang glanced at Zuo Qing, who understood and went to fetch Qiuli.
"Wait, Zuo Qing, bring another jar of wine, and make sure no one sees, especially Mother's people."
"Yes, sir."
Qiuli arrived quickly, bowing slightly to Changwang at the door.
Changwang gestured for him to sit, "No need for formalities, Mr. Qiuli, consider this your own home."
"Exactly, don't be shy, come sit," Changle said, patting the seat beside her. Her enthusiasm was genuine, and her manner was natural, as if they had known each other for years.
Qiuli didn't stand on ceremony, sitting down immediately. When Changle poured him a cup of wine, he accepted without hesitation.
"Xu Zheng mentioned that Ziming left early this morning."
"Yes, he went to Gu'an, where he can find his brothers." Changle poured herself a cup and began to complain, "Can you imagine? There isn't a single beggar in Yunbei. This place is so strange, and while they seem to have some plan, the people here don't appear to be evil. It's hard to understand."
"When I was in the Capital City, I never imagined Yunbei to be like this. I thought it was just a poor place, dragged down by pirates and bandits, making it undesirable for officials. Now it seems the situation is far more complex."
Watching his sister pour fish snacks into Qiuli's bowl, Changwang paused before continuing.
"Zuo Qing told me what you discussed yesterday. There's one thing you overlooked. To cut off the inner river in Gu'an, they first need to create an outlet for the water. Without prior preparation, cutting off the flow would only flood Gu'an and affect the upstream. Since this didn't happen, it confirms your suspicions."
Changle clapped her hands, "Exactly! If they cut off the flow the day after Yunbei's defeat without an outlet, Gu'an would be submerged!"
Qiuli took a sip of wine, thinking Changle would have realized this yesterday, but it seemed she hadn't.
"This proves the pirates are connected to Gu'an!" Changle thought through the whole situation and felt the stakes were high. "The mastermind behind all this must be incredibly bold and ruthless, sacrificing an entire county like Yunbei."
"More than that, Yunbei, though not bordering another country and only having nominal defenses, saw its entire garrison die in battle. These are things I will settle one by one." Changwang said coldly.
