“Is Deng Wanwan Deng Zongqi’s younger sister?” asked Wei Changying. “In the letter sent to me by Ni Hao last time, you mentioned her.”

Nodding her head, Song Zaishui said, “Coincidentally, Deng Zongqi and his sister live nearby. As I was idle, I heard that their father didn’t get along with his family, so the siblings had an embarrassing life with the family. After Deng Zongqi became a standby guard, he pleaded with Consort Deng to persuade his uncle into allowing him to move out. Also his younger sister lived with him. The apparent reason was that, for Deng Zongqi, it was easy to go to work, while, for Deng Wanwan, it was convenient to look after the house on behalf of her brother.”

Wei Changying said, “What a coincidence. In your letter, it seems that you like this girl from the Deng Family, but what is she like? I don’t remember that you have praised me like this.”

Awkwardly touching her frown with one hand, Song Zaishui said, “How dare you compare to Deng Wanwan? Don’t you know that I have always been troubled by you?”

“What do you mean by saying that? I’m your lineal cousin,” said Wei Changying without any shame. “Even if I were not good enough, you should bear me anytime. It is because we are families.”

“You...” said Song Zaishui, angrily pointing at her with the fan. “Why should I stand you? Why don’t you bear me?”

Wei Changying said with a smile, “I couldn’t do it, because I’m spoilt, willful and crafty. On the contrary, you are gentle, kind and virtuous. Is there anything that I could bear you?”

Song Zaishui was speechless for a while, hitting her head with the fan, and hatefully said, “Do I owe you anything in the previous life?”

“If so, you have to repay me back for the rest of your life. Otherwise, you have to bear me the next life,” said Wei Changying with a big smile. After hearing this, Song Zaishui was so angry that she went by the table and pressed Wei Changying to punch her, “It is a joke, how dare you do so? You are so ungrateful.”

Wei Changying dodged her fist and said with a smile, “Let’s stop talking about this. We had better return to the topic about Deng Zongqi and his sister. Deng Wanwan is familiar with you, but why does Honored Consort ask me? Or she merely wants to chat with you, but asks me first out of convenience.”

Song Zaishui sat straight, smoothing the wrinkles on her clothes, and said, “Now I suddenly got unhappy, so I don’t want to tell it to you.”

“Nice cousin,” said Wei Changying. She fervently supported Song Zaishui’ hairpin and then offered her a cup of the Agarwood drink with two hands, “You always love me, so how could you embarrass me? What’s more, you feel bored in this courtyard every day, so you could be concerned about me. Would you please give some advice to me, your poor cousin, who first came to the Capital City and didn’t know the complex relations here? If you were to leave me alone, I would make mistakes in the palace and then would be punished. If so, you would be worried about me again.”

Song Zaishui snorted, sipped the Agarwood drink and then arrogantly said, “I want to eat the cherry.”

Wei Changying immediately picked up the cherry for Song Zaishui. After eating it, Song Zaishui raised her head to say, “You are so nice. So I am going to tell it to you.”

“Come on!” said Wei Changying, pulling and shaking her sleeves.

“Let go! Don’t you know how strong your hands are! Do you think that you are Snowball? My collar has been messed up!” Song Zaishui was so angry that she pushed her away and then arranged her sleeves. She said, “Parents of Deng Zongqi and Deng Wanwan have been dead. Because of their father, they don’t get along with their families. However, because they are relatives, Deng Zongqi and Deng Wanwan are not maltreated. And how could they consider more for the siblings?”

Wei Changying asked, “Does Honored Consort make use of Deng Zongqi?”

“Yes, she does. She is going to talk with you first,” said Song Zaishui, narrowing her eyes. “Deng Zongqi is twenty years old and Wanwan fifteen. However, no one proposes marriage to them yet. Honored Consort in the palace wants to pick up someone for them, so she inquires imperial women about it. You have some unmarried uncles, don’t you? Deng Wanwan has become an orphan since her childhood. Besides, her brother is not powerful enough and the Deng Family is not better than Shen Family. However, you have so many uncles, from the lineal one to the common one. If Honored Consort plays matchmaker, Wanwan, as a lineal daughter, will be qualified to marry a common son, despite he is not perfect.”

“But why doesn’t she pick up a wife for Deng Zongqi?” asked Wei Changying curiously. “Deng Zongqi is older, isn’t it? I have a youngest aunt. I also have sisters in Fengzhou, so is it because of that?”

Song Zaishui said, “You have been married for one month, so you don’t know that Princess Linchuan who has invited you to her birthday party is going to be sixteen years old. The imperial family has started selecting a husband for Princess Linchuan last year. Now the Empress Gu and Consort Deng plan to recommend their own nephew. There was some news from the imperial palace that Princess Linchuan is attracted by Zhang Pingxu from the Zhang Family. However, at the beginning of April when you just got married to Shen Cangfeng, Zhang Pingxu suddenly got ill out of nowhere. Moreover, he doesn’t recover from it now. It is not sure whether the Empress or Honored Consort did it. Among the nephews of Consort Deng, she thinks highly of Deng Zongqi most. Unless husband of Princess Linchuan is confirmed, Honored Consort will not consider others.”

To the surprise of Wei Changying, she said, “I heard that princesses in this dynasty are all pampered and spoilt, so they arrogantly treat their own husband. It is impossible that they would respect or attend to their elderly in-laws. The young masters from the great families are unwilling to be selected as their husband. Zhang Pingxu is an example, isn’t it?” Shen Cangfeng said that Zhang Pingxu had feigned illness with Chenkesan.

Song Zaishui said, “However, there are still some young masters willing to be husband of a princess. After all, she is so noble, so how could she be rejected by all people? Do you hear the saying that if someone married a princess, he would be promoted? Princesses in this dynasty are beloved, so their husband will be awarded. What’s more, Princess Linchuan is beloved by His Majesty, so he will meet any requirements by her. If someone marries her, will he be worried about his career?”

She added, “On the last New Year's Eve, the men winning the material arts in front of His Majesty would have been deployed in the army by His Majesty. The imperial edict has been drafted. However, except your husband who had an engagement, others are almost unmarried. As handsome and intelligent young masters from great families, they could be proper candidates of a husband of Princess Linchuan. Therefore, her marriage has been delayed to now. If her husband is not confirmed, they won’t return to the army. Otherwise, Shen Cangfeng would not have stayed in the Capital City after his marriage leave. He is supposed to achieve something great in the Western Liang.”

Wei Changying was astonished to hear this, so she said, “Is that so? When I came here, I dared not ask the reason in detail. I thought that he was not dispatched there due to his bad performance.”

“Your husband is a winner again,” said Song Zaishui with a sneer. “If he didn’t perform well this time, who would be the best one? However, Liu Xixun, the sixteenth young master of the Liu Family, didn’t well perform, so he is not in the top ten. Now it seems that he doesn’t like Princess Linchuan and on purpose did so to avoid the marriage with the princess.”

Wei Changying whispered, “I know this. Liu Ruoye, the eleventh miss of the Liu Family, told it to me. She said that his poor performance was affected by the domestic conflict.”

“Liu Ruoye?” after hearing this, Song Zaishui frowned and seriously said, “You should be cautious about her. Apparently she is innocent and considerate. However, actually, she is malicious and vengeful. I don’t agree that you get along with her.”

Wei Changying said in astonishment, “This eleventh miss of the Liu Family is indeed sophisticated. But why do you dislike her? Does she displease you?”

Song Zaishui said, “I have stayed in the rear courtyard all the time and never invite her to my house, how does she make me annoyed? But I got it from Wanwan.” She also asked, “Do you know Zhong Jie?”

Wei Changying was puzzled, “Who is he?”

“He is Lady Zhong’s younger brother,” Song Zaishui said, “As Lady Zhong was loved by His Majesty, Deng Zongqi was dispatched to bring her relatives to the Capital City from Qingzhou. Therefore, she reunited with her siblings.”

Wei Changying said, “Is he? I didn’t see him before, so it is no wonder that I didn’t know him.”

“On my way to the Capital City, I met them. So I made acquaintance with them.” After waving her round silk fan, she put it down and said, “After Zhong Jie came to the Capital City, he had a chance to visit His Majesty because of Lady Zhong. He was promoted as a Captain Zhenwei, a sixth rank official. Besides, he received a house, a sum of money and cotton from His Majesty. His wife and sister all reside here, so it is convenient for him to see his sister often.”

“And then?”

“Lady Zhong and Zhong Jie have a youngest sister called Zhong Li.” Song Zaishui recalled. “It is time for her to get married. Originally, she planned to marry someone in Qingzhou. Because Deng Zongqi came there, Zhong Jie rejected that marriage. So he came to the Capital City with his younger sister. After arriving here and then seeing His Majesty, it is a natural thing that he wants to choose a better husband for Zhong Li.”

Wei Changying said with a laugh, “How does Liu Ruoye get involved in it? Is it because Zhong Jie picks up Liu Ruoye’s father or brother after he met them?”

“Have you heard about it?” asked Song Zaishui with a surprise.

Wei Changing was astonished to ask, “Is it real? Does Zhong Jie select her father or her brother as a brother-in-law?”

“It must be her brother,” said Song Zaishui with embarrassment. “Fifth master of the Liu Family has a wife and children, so how could Zhong Jie choose him?”

“I heard that Liu Ruoye’s father is an assistant of Chancellery, an important fourth-rank official in the court. Although Zhong Jie loves his sister, why does he dare to look down upon him?” said Wei Changying.

Clapping her hands, Song Zaishui said, “Lady is merely a sixth rank official. For the sake of Lady Zhong, Zhong Jie is awarded the sixth rank captain. He and his sisters are the sixth rank officials. However, they are far lower than Liu Hai in status. Even if Zhong Li were to be a concubine of Liu Ruowo, it would be a luck if Liu Hai agreed with it. However, Zhong Jie is an illiterate common person, so he didn’t think so.”

Liu Hai was father of Liu Ruoyu and Liu Ruoye.

Wei Changying asked with a curiosity, “What did he think?”

“In his view, his sister is a lady beloved by His Majesty, so he is His Majesty’s uncle. He neither cared about the fourth or sixth official rank nor wanted to know what it was. He thought that he was one of the imperial kinsfolk. Except princes, all men from the great families in the Capital City are likely to be his brother-in-law. If he wants to propose a marriage for his younger sister, the men in the Capital City are all OK if only they are not from the imperial family,” said Song Zaishui with a sneer. “Last time, when Zhong Li went by the street in a carriage, behind the curtain, she saw Liu Ruowo, Liu Ruoye’s brother. He is young and handsome, wearing gorgeous clothes. After returning home, she hesitantly told it to her brother. After Zhong Jie took an inquiry, he knew that it was the son of Liu Hai. However, he directly asked a servant to propose marriage without telling it to Lady Zhong in advance.”

Wei Changying was confused, “Did the official matchmaker accept this?” Zhong Jie didn’t know the rules, but why didn’t the official matchmaker know it?

Song Zaishui said with a smile, “In the countryside, the marriage is often proposed by people on behalf of their master. The official matchmaker is paid for their business. Although Zhong Jie received awards from His Majesty, from money to cottons and what he had gotten is enough for his family to have a good life for the rest of their life, he was still reluctant to spend this sum of money, so he asked an old and firm servant to talk about the marriage with the Liu Family.”