Chapter 296: Stability

“Safe and sound.”

Zhou Jiuniang squeezed to the front and threw a flower at Zhou Jingyun.

“Big Brother Shizi, this is a flower from the Buddha’s altar at Dajue Temple.”

Zhou Jingyun reached out to catch the flower that slid off him and smiled, thanking her, “Safe and sound.”

Upon returning to the Marquis of Dongyang’s Residence, there was still a ceremony waiting. Zhou Jingyun didn’t show any impatience, smiling as he watched his family members bustle about.

They said it was a blessing for him, but wasn’t it also a blessing for themselves? They shared the same fate, and during this period, everyone had been locked up in prison, anxiously awaiting their sentences.

Fortunately, everything was safe and sound now.

“I really don’t know why he came back,” Madam of Dongyang grumbled, looking at Zhou Jingyun, who was being ushered into the room by everyone, “He was safe and sound for eight or nine years while away.”

Xu Mama chided, “Madam,” as if to say, how could a mother have such an attitude towards her son who had just escaped a great disaster?

Shouldn’t she be holding her son and crying? How could her heart have become so hardened?

Madam of Dongyang didn’t know what was wrong with her either. Previously, she was unhappy every day, seemingly remembering Zhou Jingyun’s imprisonment and shedding tears every night. Now, looking at Zhou Jingyun, she felt truly sad, but there was also an inexplicable annoyance, as if she had forgotten something that was both sad and infuriating.

This made her even angrier.

“He came back to get married,” Zhou Jiuniang shouted from the side.

The nanny hurriedly pulled her back, preventing her from speaking out of turn.

Zhou Jiuniang herself seemed a bit confused after saying it, as if she was trying to remember something but couldn’t. Finally, she muttered,

“Big Brother Shizi should get married, have a wedding. I want to receive gifts.”

Madam of Dongyang didn’t scold her, thinking to herself that this was indeed her plan, but…

“…after that mess with the Lu family, it’s unlucky,” she said, “That bad luck led to today’s misfortune, because of the Lu family’s connections with Zhang Ze and the consorts in the palace.”

She waved her hand dismissively.

“You should leave the capital, get an official posting elsewhere.”

Zhou Jingyun smiled, “I was just thinking the same thing, Mother.”

Madam of Dongyang glanced at him.

“I originally wanted to come back and try to do something different,” Zhou Jingyun said, “So I chose the Ministry of Revenue, but after working there, I feel I’m still more suited to be an educational inspector.”

He bowed.

“So when I was released from prison, I also submitted a request to His Majesty for an official posting outside the capital.”

The room fell silent for a moment. Zhou Jiuniang sounded a bit disappointed, “Big Brother Shizi, are you leaving again?”

Madam of Dongyang looked at Zhou Jingyun for a moment. Logically speaking, telling him to leave was just an angry outburst, and hearing that he was indeed leaving should have made her furious. But strangely, she wasn’t angry, only sad.

She sighed deeply.

“You are my son, but you have grown up. You can make your own decisions.”

She waved her hand again.

“Alright, let’s not talk about this anymore. We’ve been waiting for half a day, let’s eat.”

As she spoke, the servants hurriedly signaled outside. The maids, who had been waiting for a long time, brought in dishes and wine, and the hall was filled with laughter and chatter.

Zhou Jingyun sat among them, chatting and laughing with his family, but his gaze occasionally swept across the hall.

Zhou Jiuniang noticed his actions.

“Who is Big Brother Shizi looking for?” She also looked around.

Zhou Jingyun smiled and said, “No one, I’m just checking if everyone in the family is here.”

Zhou Jiuniang responded with an “Oh,” then said, “Big Brother Shizi is looking for Father. He’s not coming back, saying that the chrysanthemums in the villa are about to bloom and he can’t leave. He wants us to go to the villa to see him.”

Father, huh? Zhou Jingyun smiled and nodded, his gaze still sweeping across the hall.

But he always felt that someone was missing.

“Who’s missing?” Zhou Jiuniang stood up and looked carefully, “Except for those who are away, everyone who’s at home is here.”

Zhou Jiuniang’s actions drew everyone’s attention, and the chatter stopped abruptly.

“What’s wrong?”

“Looking for something?”

Questions arose from within the hall.

Madam of Dongyang, sitting beside him, frowned at him.

Zhou Jingyun hurriedly stood up, holding his wine cup, “I wanted to propose a toast to everyone, as an apology for causing you all such worry.” He bowed deeply, then straightened up and drank the wine in one gulp.

Everyone in the hall laughed, raising their cups and drinking together, and the lively atmosphere returned.

Zhou Jingyun stopped looking around, focusing on the food and wine in front of him, chatting and laughing with those around him.

Madam of Dongyang withdrew her gaze from him, holding her wine cup, her eyes involuntarily scanning the hall. She had heard the conversation between Zhou Jiuniang and Zhou Jingyun, and in fact…

She also felt that someone was missing.

But that shouldn’t be the case. Everyone who was at home was present, and those who weren’t, there were only a few of them.

It was truly baffling. Perhaps it was because she had been worried about Zhou Jingyun and hadn’t slept well for a long time, making her feel disoriented.

Madam of Dongyang drained her cup of wine.

Now that the misfortune had passed and the future was stable, she could have a good sleep and sweet dreams tonight.

Perhaps it was because he had drunk a few more cups of wine, but Zhou Jingyun felt a bit restless.

He had always been a good sleeper, whether he was working as an educational inspector outside the capital or locked up in the Censorate’s prison. Why couldn’t he sleep now that he was back home?

Zhou Jingyun tossed and turned in bed, his hand reaching under the pillow and pulling out a scroll.

He sat up and saw that it was a volume of supernatural tales.

When did he start enjoying reading this kind of book? And to have it on his bed, clearly meant for bedtime reading.

Moreover, it was the second volume.

So he had already finished the first volume? Why didn’t he have any recollection of it?

Zhou Jingyun stared at the book in his hand, catching a glimpse of a figure in the outer room from the corner of his eye. He subconsciously looked up and opened his mouth… “… …”

It seemed like a name was about to escape his lips, but his mind went blank, unable to utter it.

“You—”

He finally managed to utter a single word, looking towards the outer room. The night lamp flickered dimly, the autumn wind rustled, casting shadows of trees on the window. There was no one there.

A soft inquiry came from outside the door.

“Shizi? Do you need anything?”

Chun Yue, the maid, Zhou Jingyun thought. The name came to him without any hesitation, which meant his mind was still functioning normally.

“Nothing, you can go,” he said.

The maid outside responded with a “Yes,” her footsteps retreating softly. Soon, the night was filled with the muffled laughter of maids.

“… Sister Chun Yue, wasn’t it good staying in the palace?”

“Do you have to do night duty in the palace?”

“That maid, no, that Empress, is she nice?”

That’s right, the former Prince of Chu’s maids and daughter had all stayed at his house before. That woman had also been married from the Marquis of Dongyang’s Residence, and Chun Yue had served her.

Now, she had been crowned Empress.

This also signified the special bond between the new Emperor and Zhou Jingyun, which was why everyone felt he was never in mortal danger even though he had been imprisoned.

Chun Yue’s voice drifted through the window cracks along with the autumn wind.

“… She’s a very good person.”

“But stop gossiping, she’s the Empress now.”

The maids’ laughter faded away, and the night returned to its tranquility. Zhou Jingyun held the book in his hand, lost in thought. A moment later, he turned up the night lamp, leaned against the headboard, and opened a page.

“… During the Tang Dynasty, there was a county magistrate named Wang Li, who was transferred to Daning…”

“… He was walking home late one night and happened to share the path with a beautiful woman. She sometimes walked ahead, sometimes followed behind. They chatted sincerely and found themselves very compatible.”（ Note ）

Inside the brightly lit Imperial Study, a pair of eyes gazed from the front, scrutinizing.

✿✿✿

Zhou Jingyun raised his head, meeting the young Emperor’s gaze.

The young Emperor’s face was slightly pale, his body leaning against the back of the chair, seemingly fatigued. But his eyes were sharp.

The child who had once squatted outside the Princess’s Residence, filled with anxiety, and the youth who had indulged in laughter and revelry on the pleasure boats of the capital, had both vanished.

His gaze was clear, his smile faint, carrying a hint of friendliness, but mostly unfathomable.

“Shizi, didn’t sleep well?” Li Yu asked with a smile, his eyes roaming over Zhou Jingyun’s face, “You look pale.”

Zhou Jingyun lowered his head and bowed, “I was engrossed in reading and lost track of time. Your Majesty, please forgive my appearance.”

Li Yu chuckled, “Shizi is a scholar. It’s understandable that you’d be eager to immerse yourself in books now, after being deprived of that pleasure in prison.”

He didn’t dwell on the topic any further, looking at the memorial requesting an official posting outside the capital that was placed on the table.

“You want to continue working as an educational inspector?”

He asked with another smile.

“Or do you want to get away from me?”

If these words had been spoken by the frivolous Shangguan Yue, they would only have provoked a beating. But coming from the Emperor…

It would make one tremble with fear and break out in a cold sweat.

Zhou Jingyun raised his head and smiled at Li Yu, “I initially intended to return to the court and contribute in a different capacity, but after trying, I realized I’m still better suited to be an educational inspector. And as an educational inspector, I won’t be far from Your Majesty. The students I select will all become Your Majesty’s officials in the future.”

Li Yu laughed as well, lowering his head to flip through a few books on the other side, “I see that in your years as an educational inspector outside the capital, you’ve been mostly upholding the policies of the late Emperor, or rather, the policies on education and official selection implemented during Empress Jiang’s time.”

Zhou Jingyun lowered his eyes, “Yes, I believe the policies implemented during Empress Jiang’s time were more effective in selecting talented individuals.”

Perhaps because Zhang Ze and the others from the Censorate had been investigated and dealt with, Zhou Jingyun no longer shied away from mentioning Empress Jiang.

There was no response from above, and silence filled the spacious hall.

It seemed like a long time had passed, yet it also felt like a mere instant before Li Yu’s voice rang out.

“Good,” he said, “It doesn’t matter when they were from, as long as they’re useful.”

The soft thud of a memorial being tossed onto the table accompanied his words.

“I approve. You may go.”

Zhou Jingyun lifted his head, looking at Li Yu.

Li Yu, who had been looking down, felt his gaze and raised his head, meeting Zhou Jingyun’s eyes. He smiled, “What’s the matter, Shizi? Reluctant to leave me?”

There seemed to be… remnants of the frivolous banter between him and the Prince of Chu.

However, Zhou Jingyun hadn’t expected to hear such teasing from Li Yu.

At this moment, the person standing before him seemed to have transformed back into that carefree young master.

Zhou Jingyun smiled and bowed deeply, “I thank Your Majesty for your grace.” With that, he took his leave.

He had just taken a few steps back when Li Yu called out to him.

“Shizi, before you go, would you like to see the Empress?”

The Empress?

Zhou Jingyun raised his head, seeing Li Yu leaning back in his chair, quietly observing him with a hint of scrutiny, as if trying to discern something from his eyes. He did have some connection to the Empress, after all, she had been married from his family’s residence, but that was all.

“I wish Your Majesty and the Empress enduring love and happiness,” Zhou Jingyun said, bowing once more, then turning towards the direction of the inner palace, “Long live the Empress.”

Li Yu burst into laughter, laughing so hard that he leaned forward, patting the table, then choked and coughed, pressing a hand to his chest, letting out a few muffled groans.

Zhou Jingyun saw his face turn deathly pale in an instant, his lips losing all color.

This…

“Your Majesty?” He turned and took a few steps forward.

Li Yu raised a hand to stop him.

“I’m fine,” he said, one hand still pressed against his chest, looking at Zhou Jingyun, a smile on his pale face, “You may go.”

Zhou Jingyun stared at him intently for a moment, but ultimately didn’t ask any further questions. He bowed deeply and retreated.

This time, Li Yu didn’t call out to him again. He watched Zhou Jingyun’s figure disappear, watched the silence within the hall, watched the late autumn sunlight shift across the floor…

It seemed like a long time had passed before Li Yu, who had been sitting like a stone statue on the chair, murmured,

“I’m the only one who remembers her now.”

“So pitiful.”

He straightened up and called for someone.

An eunuch hurriedly entered from outside, responding respectfully. He watched as Li Yu pulled out a scroll from the table.

“Give this to the Marquis of Dongyang’s Heir.”

Zhou Jingyun had already reached outside the Imperial City and was about to take the reins from Jiang Yun when he saw the eunuch chasing after him from within.

“A reward from His Majesty?” he asked.

The eunuch handed over the scroll, “Yes.”

Zhou Jingyun first expressed his gratitude, then received the scroll with both hands, watching as the eunuch departed.

“He rewarded you with a painting.” Jiang Yun said from the side, curious, “Let’s see, what masterpiece is it?”

Zhou Jingyun smiled and, as suggested, reached out to unroll the scroll. As it unfolded, he first saw a hair bun adorned with jewels, then a pair of eyes as clear as a mountain spring.

A portrait?

Of a woman?

Zhou Jingyun was slightly surprised. He fully unrolled the scroll, revealing a young girl before him.

Her face was round like the full moon, her features delicate and bright.

This…

Zhou Jingyun stared at the portrait, a feeling like a gentle stream flowing through his heart as his eyes scanned it.

“Who is this?”

Jiang Yun’s voice asked beside him.

“Is His Majesty asking you to help find someone?”

“This is…” Zhou Jingyun heard his own voice, “Someone I know.”

Jiang Yun was a bit surprised, “Who?”

Zhou Jingyun raised his head, opened his mouth, then stopped, a hint of confusion flashing across his face, “I don’t know.”

Jiang Yun was stunned. So, did he know her or not?

Zhou Jingyun lowered his head and looked at the portrait again, a thin mist seemingly swirling in his mind, faintly revealing a figure.

The figure was smiling at him, gradually merging with the person in the portrait.

Although his face still held confusion, his gaze gradually became resolute.

“Although I don’t know, but…”

He must know her.

And he must know her very well.

Because a voice in his heart was urging him, find her.

Zhou Jingyun raised his head again, looking into the distance.

Find her.

Find her.

He rolled up the scroll, clutching it tightly in his hand.

Then go find her.

（ End of Main Text ）

（ Note: From Xue Yongruo’s 《 Collected Tales of the Strange · The Merchant’s Wife 》. You can check it out, haha, the inspiration for this story came from it. ）

The main text ends here. There’s still an epilogue to explain what happens later.