“Now?” Zhuang Dongqing asked.

The maid was quite composed, “I know the young master hasn’t fully recovered yet, so there’s no rush. The madam specifically instructed that the young master should take his time getting ready and go over slowly. We mustn’t let him catch a chill halfway, like last time in the ancestral hall, causing other illnesses to arise.”

Zhuang Dongqing: “…”

He forced a smile, his lips barely holding together, “Thank you, madam.”

The maid bowed again and left briskly.

Zhuang Dongqing let out a genuine sigh this time.

Liufu: “Young master, shall we change clothes now?”

“Not in a hurry.”

He needed to let his stomach settle first.

He would think about it once his mind was clear.

“But, aren’t you afraid the madam will be angry if you go late?”

Zhuang Dongqing replied sincerely, “Even if she’s happy, she doesn’t really care for me, does she?”

Liufu was momentarily speechless, scratching his head, “That’s true.”

“…”

“Forget it, let’s tidy up and go.”

His understanding of the Zhuang family these days came entirely from Liufu. He hadn’t met the master, madam, young master, or young lady, and he wasn’t quite clear on each person’s temperament. Thinking that it’s better to avoid trouble, Zhuang Dongqing ultimately took a step back.

Liufu tidied up the room, covered the charcoal basin, and asked Zhuang Dongqing which cloak he wanted to wear.

Actually, there were only two cloaks in the wardrobe: one newly made last year and one that looked a bit older on the outside but had been patched several times on the inside. Naturally, he had to choose the better one to meet the madam.

Once they were ready to head out, he didn’t feel the chill in the courtyard, but as soon as he stepped outside, a gust of wind hit him, and Zhuang Dongqing couldn’t help but shiver.

It was really cold.

He shrank his neck a bit, but thankfully the festive season had passed, and it would warm up soon, Zhuang Dongqing comforted himself.

Their courtyard was quite secluded, and with Zhuang Dongqing just recovering from his illness, by the time they reached the madam’s courtyard, he was not only chilled to the bone but also started coughing softly.

The steward by the madam’s side, Mama Liu, saw the two of them and said, “The madam has just gotten up to recite scriptures, please wait a moment, Second Young Master.”

Zhuang Dongqing politely replied, “It’s no trouble.”

Mama Liu looked at him in surprise, noticing his cough, and instructed the maid to take them to a side room to wait.

Once inside, a wave of warmth hit him. The maids brought tea, and after Zhuang Dongqing took a couple of sips, he finally felt his limbs starting to warm up.

He secretly glanced at the charcoal basin and found that, indeed, the charcoal was different from what they had in their room. It didn’t produce much smoke, and it was pleasant to smell without being irritating, plus the amount used didn’t seem excessive.

Being wealthy is really nice.

Zhuang Dongqing felt a little sour and lowered his head to drink tea.

“How long do we have to wait?” Liufu looked around and muttered.

“Just wait,” Zhuang Dongqing replied.

He had a rough understanding of the Zhuang family’s situation.

Zhuang’s father was a government official in the capital, with a low rank. His ancestors were farmers, and during the imperial examination, he was chosen by the madam’s family and married a young lady from the capital. Although his official career was average, he managed to stay in the capital with the help of the Yue family.

The original body was the second young master of the Zhuang family, the only illegitimate son.

He was the same age as Zhuang Dongqing, but only half a year younger than the eldest son, which meant he was born during the madam’s first pregnancy.

In big families, concubines and side rooms had to take contraceptive measures during this time, so it was unclear how the original body came to be. However, Zhuang Dongqing couldn’t possibly know, as the concubine who gave birth to the original body passed away a few years later.

The subsequent son and daughter were both born from the madam, and while there were no shortages of concubines in the household, no one else had children.

It was quite normal for the original body not to be favored by the madam.

Fully aware of his own awkwardness, Zhuang Dongqing waited calmly.

After three cups of tea, Liufu had changed positions several times behind Zhuang Dongqing, and Zhuang Dongqing’s gaze had gradually shifted from clear to vacant. Finally, the sound of the door curtain being lifted broke the silence.

Zhuang Dongqing quickly stood up, and amidst the mingling scents of sandalwood and the crisp sound of beads clashing, a plump and dignified middle-aged beauty slowly walked in.

Her hair was adorned with gold and jade, and she twirled a string of white jade prayer beads. Her skin was fair, her clothing was splendid, but her expression was indifferent. As soon as she spoke, her tone carried an air of authority: “After being ill, you don’t recognize me when you see me?”

Her gaze didn’t even meet Zhuang Dongqing’s.

Zhuang Dongqing was momentarily stunned, and Liufu quietly prompted from behind, “You should call her madam, young master.”

Only then did Zhuang Dongqing realize and hurriedly bow, correcting himself, “Madam, may you be well.”

The madam sat down in the main seat, took a sip of tea, and cast a cool glance at Zhuang Dongqing before waving her hand, “Alright, sit down.”

After a while, all that could be heard was the clinking of tea cups and the sound of prayer beads being moved. Zhuang Dongqing sat upright, eyes on his nose and nose on his heart, but his palms were starting to sweat slightly from the prolonged silence.

“I’ll punish you this time; do you know what you did wrong?”

“I know, I shouldn’t have stayed out all night and tarnished the family reputation.”

The madam raised her eyebrows in surprise, feeling the gazes on her, Zhuang Dongqing sat even straighter, “It’s only right for my father to punish me; there won’t be a next time.”

The madam raised an eyebrow and lightly scoffed, “You admit your mistake quite quickly.”

Zhuang Dongqing kept his head down.

“Forget it, this matter will be left for your father to question you; it was originally his punishment for you.”

“…”

“I called you here this time for something else.”

The lid of the tea cup lightly tapped the rim, producing a crisp sound, and Zhuang Dongqing’s nerves tensed up as he heard the woman’s voice ask, “Do you know that things have been unsettled in the capital recently?”

“I’ve heard a bit.”

“Oh? What have you heard? Tell me.”

Zhuang Dongqing had no choice but to grit his teeth and stammer through the news about several officials being investigated.

The madam replied, “That’s about right. Do you know what brought them trouble?”

That question hit Zhuang Dongqing’s blind spot, and he hesitated, “Corruption? Abuse of power?”

“That’s just the surface reason.”

Suddenly, the topic shifted, “Ling’er said you stayed at Guangyue Terrace that day to help someone drink and got drunk?”

Zhuang Ling was the third son of the Zhuang family, the original body’s younger brother.

Liufu had mentioned that there were more people at Guangyue Terrace that day, including Zhuang Ling, but the two brothers had a mediocre relationship and weren’t at the same table.

“It should be…”

“It should be?”

Zhuang Dongqing then explained, “I fell and hit my head at Guangyue Terrace that day, and I also fell on my head in the ancestral hall. After waking up, I couldn’t remember many things. The doctor said I hit my head and would need to wait for the bruising to dissipate before I would recover.”

Only then did the madam lift her head and look directly at Zhuang Dongqing. Mama Liu went out for a moment and returned to whisper a few words in the madam’s ear. The madam frowned slightly but didn’t pursue the matter further.

She quickly asked, “What do you remember now?”

Zhuang Dongqing replied, “I remember some things from my childhood, and I recognize most of the people in the household…”

The madam interrupted him, “Do you remember what happened that night?”

“I only remember… getting drunk… sleeping… how I got drunk and who I drank with, I still can’t recall.”

Silence.

An absolute silence.

The madam’s gaze was like a spotlight, scanning Zhuang Dongqing from top to bottom, as if she wanted to see right through him.

Feeling the pressure of her gaze made Zhuang Dongqing’s forehead sweat a bit, and he didn’t dare to wipe it away.

“So, you don’t remember which friend it was?”

“That’s right.”

With a loud thud, the tea cup was slammed down, and Zhuang Dongqing’s heart skipped a beat.

Another moment of silence passed, and the madam sighed in annoyance, “Forget it, you can’t understand much in your current state, so I’ll speak plainly.”

“Last time you took first place in the courtyard examination, and with the spring examination coming up, you should be on the list.”

“Since you want to enter the officialdom, you must understand the principle of keeping a low profile. The current emperor is over sixty, and the princes are all grown up. Our Zhuang family is a small household and cannot get involved in the struggles between the crown prince and the other princes…”

Though she wasn’t being very direct, Zhuang Dongqing had read this book and knew the main plot revolved around the struggle for the throne.

However, the crown prince? Isn’t he still around?!

Zhuang Dongqing was bewildered.

Zhuang Madam: “That night, the crown prince, the King of Dingxi, and another noble were also present. Not long after you returned, Guangyue Terrace was sealed off by the King of Dingxi’s guards, claiming someone had poisoned the prince… The three officials currently in trouble were all interrogated by the King of Dingxi, and the palace even dealt with a eunuch…”

Zhuang Dongqing’s brain was overloaded.

He raised his head, his eyes clear enough to leave the madam speechless.

“Did you hear what I said?”

“I… I did… it’s just… I don’t quite understand…”

“…”

The madam took a deep breath, and Zhuang Dongqing felt like he had stumbled into a trap, fidgeting with his hands.

“Forget it, your mind isn’t clear yet.” The madam pressed her fingers to her forehead, “In any case, remember this: don’t make random connections or friendships recently.”

“Understood.”

His tone was obedient and sincere.

The madam: “…”

*

After sending Zhuang Dongqing and his servant away, Mama Liu was giving the madam a head massage, the prayer beads pressed in her palm, and the madam was feeling a bit out of breath.

“Do you think that little brat is trying to fool me?!”

“Every time he comes, he’s always so vague. It’s rare to see him behave obediently this time; is he deliberately putting on an act for me here?!”

Mama Liu: “Do you think the second young master is trying to hide his acquaintance with the Sixth Prince and is pretending to be foolish?”

Recalling Zhuang Dongqing’s behavior, the madam felt frustrated: “…He really doesn’t seem capable of acting that foolish.”

“Forget it, anyway, it was just a test for him. Since he won’t honestly tell me, I don’t need to inform him about the Sixth Prince specifically inviting him to the spring banquet to support him.”

“To avoid him seeing the crown prince’s weakness, just like his father, playing both sides and dragging the whole family down…”

*

After leaving the main courtyard for a while, Zhuang Dongqing was still in a daze, his mind a mess.

To put it simply, he had figured out the situation in the Zhuang family after being here for so long, and he also knew which book he was in.

But until today, these two aspects had always existed independently, without intersecting.

Yes, Zhuang Dongqing still hadn’t figured out who he was in the book.

He didn’t remember any character with the same name.

And the madam’s words seemed to clear the fog, pointing him in a certain direction.

So, the story hadn’t even begun yet.

The book started writing after the incident with the deposed crown prince, and since the crown prince was still around, that meant…

He stared blankly at the sky, but the vast scenery didn’t open up Zhuang Dongqing’s heart. He felt as if there was a lump in his chest that he couldn’t expel, and it was quite suffocating.

In other words, the previous turmoil was just an appetizer, and the real storm in the capital was still brewing.

And the matter of the deposed crown prince was significant, involving many people. While many had died, the surviving side characters had mostly changed their names and allegiances, shifting to other princes.

The original body…

Ugh.

Zhuang Dongqing rubbed his forehead.

Thinking about the past made his head ache.

What he said about hitting his head wasn’t just nonsense; he really did bump it hard, and he could still feel it when he had a high fever. Now it seemed to have subsided, but as long as he thought about the original body’s past and the plot he had read, he would always get a headache.

The doctor said it was temporary, and the bruising would take time to heal, but whether it would take three days, three months, or three years, that was uncertain.

“…”

Zhuang Dongqing let out a heavy sigh; it felt like all the debuffs had stacked on him.

Sigh,

He just hoped he wasn’t the villain.

A person can’t, at least shouldn’t, be this unlucky!