#219: Extra #Two - Celebrating Longevity (1)

On the twelfth day of the tenth month in the first year of Rongshun, it was the eightieth birthday of Master Wang Qing, a renowned Confucian scholar of the era.

Master Wang was a towering figure among the literati of his time, celebrated both in the north and south. Even after retiring to his hometown, he remained active, writing books and spreading knowledge, amassing a body of work that filled shelves upon shelves.

For such a significant occasion as his eightieth birthday, the prominent families of Jiangzuo naturally had to show their respect. They flocked to Master Wang’s hometown in Kuaiji Commandery, located in Dongyang Province.

However, if one were to speak frankly, these nobles weren’t merely going to offer congratulations to Master Wang. Many harbored an ulterior motive: they wanted to make an appearance before Grand Tutor Qi Yin.

This required some explanation.

After the young emperor ascended the throne, many officials had assumed that Grand Tutor Qi would seize control of the government. To their surprise, he largely withdrew from political affairs and rarely interacted with other officials. After each court session, he would return directly to his retreat on Qingji Mountain. Once there, he closed his gates to all visitors, behaving like a hermit who dwelled amidst the corridors of power.

This behavior inevitably sparked whispers among the masses. Some said the Grand Tutor was feigning disinterest in power; others believed he truly desired to withdraw from worldly affairs. Still others speculated that his recent marriage and his wife’s pregnancy were the reasons for his absence. It was only natural, they reasoned, that even the Grand Tutor couldn’t ignore his wife and unborn child. Surely, once his wife delivered safely, his focus would return to governance.

But waiting around wasn’t a viable strategy. A pregnancy lasted at least half a year, and if one failed to find a way to ingratiate themselves with the Grand Tutor during this time, attempting to curry favor later would be futile. Instead, they needed to find alternative ways to make an impression while he was still approachable—only then could they gain an advantage.

Master Wang had been the Grand Tutor’s mentor in his youth. For such a milestone as an eightieth birthday, surely the Grand Tutor wouldn’t remain indifferent? Well-informed officials had already heard rumors that the Grand Tutor planned to personally accompany his wife to Kuaiji Commandery to celebrate Master Wang’s longevity—this was an opportunity too good to miss! Heaven itself would not forgive anyone who let it slip through their fingers.

The officials sprang into action. Even those who had never met Master Wang hurried to Kuaiji Commandery. The imperial roads connecting Jiankang and Kuaiji became congested with traffic. Lavish carriages sped by in droves, their drivers whipping their horses furiously, terrified of falling behind and facing their masters’ wrath.

It was a spectacle.

Upon arriving in Kuaiji, the scene became even livelier.

Master Wang’s ancestral home, built and expanded over generations, was spacious enough—but no house could accommodate so many guests without strain. At eighty, Master Wang had long since delegated minor matters like hosting banquets to his grandson, Wang Mian, and granddaughter-in-law, Lady Zhou. These two young people, living in Kuaiji, had never encountered so many high-ranking officials from Jiankang. When they saw them at their doorstep, they felt compelled to welcome everyone inside. The throng of visitors overwhelmed the senses.

That evening, as the banquet began, officials took turns approaching the venerable elder to exchange pleasantries, all the while discreetly eyeing the entrance, hoping for the Grand Tutor’s arrival. Their wish was soon granted—a tinkling of copper bells announced his arrival. The Grand Tutor and his wife had arrived together. As the crowd turned to look, they saw the Wang family ushering them inside.

The officials were accustomed to seeing the Grand Tutor’s stern, intimidating demeanor in court. Now, watching him gently assist his wife over the threshold and down the steps, his expression warm and his eyes smiling, they found it hard to reconcile this image with the man they knew. Only his close students, familiar with his private life, found nothing unusual about it—they knew their teacher always treated his wife this way in Fenghe Garden. What was there to be surprised about?

As for the Grand Tutor’s wife…

She was visibly pregnant, yet her beauty remained striking. A delicate red mole graced her brow, painted as if by a meticulous brushstroke. Her pregnancy did nothing to diminish her allure; instead, it added a touch of enchantment.

…Truly, she was peerless.

Some officials present had seen Shen Xiling before—at the trial when the Qi family fell into disgrace, and she was brought to the court to face public scrutiny. Back then, everyone had sensed the extraordinary connection between her and the Grand Tutor. Later, rumors spread that he had traveled thousands of miles to escort her dowry to Langya. This romantic tale had once stirred the gossip circles of Jiankang. Stories of star-crossed lovers reuniting always tugged at heartstrings, leaving listeners sighing in sympathy. No one expected that years later, they would finally marry, proving that fate cannot be unraveled by outsiders.

Still… though the story was captivating, certain details left room for doubt. For instance, the Grand Tutor’s wife was a widow remarried—her first husband had been a Wei national…

Certainly, the reunion of old lovers carried its own poignant allure, and it was understandable that the Grand Tutor might succumb to such feelings. But as time passed, how would he feel knowing his wife had once belonged to another? Despite his immense power, he was still a man—and men rarely tolerate the thought of their wives having ties to others. Considering this, perhaps the position of the Grand Tutor’s wife wasn’t as secure as it seemed.

The officials’ minds raced. The Grand Tutor was now the most powerful man in Great Liang. If the noble families of the realm wished to avoid being squeezed out of the court by the rising tide of commoners, they needed to forge connections with him. Among all possible ties, none was more reliable than marriage.

If… their daughters could marry into the Qi family…

The banquet buzzed with laughter and merriment, but beneath the surface, everyone harbored secret ambitions.

As for Qi Yin and Shen Xiling, the main subjects of the celebration, they paid no heed to any of this. They had come to properly wish Master Wang a happy birthday.

Master Wang had been Qi Yin’s mentor, and he had also taught Shen Xiling during her time at the Qi estate. Moreover, he had treated her kindly, showing her great generosity. Now that the venerable elder was celebrating his eightieth birthday, it was only fitting for the couple to attend and pay their respects.

Shen Xiling, however, had an additional motive.

Since becoming pregnant, Qi Yin had been exceptionally strict with her. Before her pregnancy, she had been deeply engaged in negotiating trade agreements with the Ministry of Civil Affairs—a task that, though demanding, she found immensely fulfilling. She believed she was working for the welfare of the common people, which fueled her enthusiasm. However, once she became pregnant, Qi Yin forbade her from continuing this work. He insisted she stay home to rest and nurture the child, even restricting how much time she spent reading daily. This confinement frustrated her deeply.

At first, she tried to defy him covertly. Unfortunately, Li Wei, her collaborator, proved spineless, adhering strictly to Qi Yin’s instructions. Since receiving his teacher’s directive, he had stopped visiting Fenghe Garden entirely, ignoring her letters as if they had fallen into a void. Left with no recourse, Shen Xiling was forced into a life of idleness, confined to the estate. Day after day, she ate, slept, and did little else, feeling as useless as Snowflake, her pet rabbit.

Her dissatisfaction was palpable. Pregnancy had made her temper shorter, and with nothing to occupy her time, she resorted to picking fights with Qi Yin to pass the hours.

This gave Qi Yin a taste of his wife’s formidable knack for dredging up old grievances. He had no idea how her memory could be so sharp—she recalled events from ten years ago, when she was still a child. She recounted every slight: the day he came home late and let her fall asleep waiting; the day he returned from the palace smelling faintly of powder after meeting with a princess; the meal she prepared that he didn’t finish; the essay she wrote that he failed to praise. The list went on endlessly.

He couldn’t believe how many grievances she had stored up. Each day, she unearthed another, often leaving him speechless. Initially, he dismissed her complaints as playful teasing. However, one day, while recounting these grievances, she burst into tears, nearly endangering the pregnancy. This sent the Grand Tutor into a panic, scrambling to calm her down.

From that point onward, he dared not dismiss her words lightly. No matter how trivial or exaggerated her complaints, he listened patiently, offering apologies and soothing words until she was appeased.

Fortunately, his wife was relatively easy to pacify. A few sweet words usually sufficed to quiet her tantrums. On days when her emotions ran particularly high, all it took was for him to weave a small grasshopper or rabbit to distract her.

At first, these trinkets delighted her, but over time, they lost their novelty. Boredom set in again, and she grew melancholy. One day, during a meal in the small reception hall, she sulked, refusing to pick up her chopsticks. This left Qi Yin utterly exasperated.

In the past, he might have scolded her for such behavior, invoking his authority as an elder. But now, she was his wife, carrying his child and enduring the hardships of pregnancy. He treaded carefully, yet she remained dissatisfied. If he dared to reprimand her, she might throw a tantrum that would shake the heavens.

Reluctant to upset her further, he resorted to cajoling. Setting aside his chopsticks, he sighed and gently urged her, “Wenwen… please eat your meal first. We can talk about anything you want afterward, alright?”

Shen Xiling refused to budge, sulking on her cushioned stool, her lips pouting enough to hang an oil bottle.

The maids watched from the sidelines, suppressing their laughter. Seeing their master’s helpless expression, he asked his wife, “What will make you happy?”

His tone betrayed a hint of concession. Shen Xiling, well-versed in his weaknesses, recognized this as her prime opportunity to make demands. She inwardly rejoiced but outwardly maintained a melancholic air, sighing languidly, “What’s the use of talking? You never listen to me anyway.”

Governing a nation was akin to simmering a small fish stew for Qi Yin, yet he found placating her far more challenging. With another sigh, he persisted in his gentle inquiry, “How have I not listened to you? Haven’t I done everything you’ve asked? It’s just that, now that you’re pregnant, you need to take care of your health.”

Shen Xiling snorted, her petulance flaring. “Take care of my health, take care of my health—when will it ever end? Women in farming families can weave cloth and till fields even while pregnant. Among the merchants I worked with, there were female shopkeepers who managed businesses despite being heavily pregnant. Why must I be cooped up at home?”

She was thoroughly bored and on the verge of tears again. Qi Yin, alarmed, quickly waved the maids away and sat beside his wife, pulling her into his arms. He consoled her, saying, “Your constitution is delicate—you can’t endure too much strain. I’m not locking you up intentionally. Once your health improves and the baby settles, I’ll let you go wherever you wish, alright?”

He spoke earnestly, adding, “Didn’t you always complain that I wasn’t around to keep you company? Now that I’m here, why do you want to go out?”

This was undeniably true.

Qi Yin had restricted her movements, which frustrated Shen Xiling, but he had also refrained from socializing himself. Every day after court, he returned home to be with her. For every day she spent confined indoors, he stayed by her side, never leaving her alone.

She realized she was being ungrateful… When he was busy in the past, she rarely saw him and wished only to be near him, willing to do anything for his companionship. Now that her wish had come true, she grew restless again, craving adventures outside. It seemed she was being fickle…

Shen Xiling felt a pang of shame.

She knew she was indulging herself, but she loved provoking him, watching his helpless expressions, seeing him yield to her whims, hearing him soothe her. Each time he did so, her heart swelled with joy, and the difficulties of pregnancy seemed to vanish.

She adored him so very much.

With this realization, Shen Xiling’s mood softened. She leaned against her husband, gently tugging at his robe, and whispered coyly, “But I’m really suffocating… I want to get some fresh air… I want Brother Two to accompany me, even if it’s just for a day or two…”