Chapter 183: Hidden in the Trivial, Ashamed to Speak

“Young Master, are you saying that Daoist Master Yunxu still recognizes Uncle Hu and Uncle He?”

It was the twenty-ninth day of the third month, at the Hour of the Bo.

“Yes. Although my father never explicitly stated it, I suspect that Uncle Hu and Uncle He were traveling the world with him long before he joined the army. Later, for reasons unknown, they all joined the army together.”

Ding Suian, dressed in his scarlet fifth-rank official robe, stood on the second floor of Ji Pavilion with his arms spread wide. Lin Hansu was hunched over, measuring his waist with her thumb and middle finger.

Court-issued robes were generally a bit loose and needed minor alterations. After Lin Hansu had a clear idea of what to do, she straightened up and looked him over again. Compared to a year ago, the youthful naivety in the Young Master’s features had completely vanished, and the light blue stubble on his chin made him appear even more steady and reliable.

Unknowingly, Lin Hansu’s phoenix eyes gradually curved into a crescent moon filled with tenderness.

Ding Suian did a flamboyant spin on the spot. “Does this make me look even more handsome?”

Lin Hansu pursed her lips and smiled, dotingly saying: “Even in coarse linen clothes, my Young Master is the most handsome youth in the world.”

“Ugh~ You two are sickening! Disgusting!”

The two lovers’ sweet talk had incurred the dissatisfaction of another person.

Zhao Yan was lying on Lin Hansu’s large bed, her legs curled up behind her, turning her fox-like eyes away from the tale of the red snake picture book.

A moment ago, Lin Hansu’s Face was full of tenderness, but it instantly froze. When she turned her head to look, it had changed to one of disgust. “If you find it disgusting, then don’t listen! It’s already the Hour of the Bo, why haven’t you gone back yet?”

“I’m not leaving!”

Zhao Yan tossed the picture book aside, quickly stripped down to her undergarments, dove under the quilt, and shouted: “Sister and husband are having fun, why should I go back and keep an empty room alone? Together, together, let’s have fun together~”

Some things, once they happen for the first time, will happen countless times thereafter.

For example, sleeping under the same quilt.

Lin Hansu was quite helpless against Zhao Yan. Instead, she walked to the side of the bed, bent down to pick up the clothes that had been tossed on the floor, hung them on the nearby clothes rack, and sat back down at the table.

It was late at night, and normally, it would be most comfortable to talk while lying in bed.

But based on her experience, once they moved to the bed, in less than a quarter of an hour, she wouldn’t be able to talk about anything other than moaning.

“I have prepared gifts for you to thank Your Highness for the promotion, claiming they were prepared by your own hand. Take a look at the gift list later and memorize it, so you won’t slip up if Your Highness happens to ask.”

“Mm.”

Ding Suian took off his scarlet robe, wearing only a white inner garment, and sat down opposite her. He smiled: “Sister, did you know? The first thing Old Ding said when he saw Daoist Master Yunxu was ‘Sister’.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Hansu gave Ding Suian a flirtatious roll of her eyes, while a strange feeling arose in her heart. It seemed that Old Ding was also a romantic in his youth, but he and ‘Sister’ ultimately had no result.

Comparing that to her and Ding Suian, it felt like a bad omen.

She shook her head, casting these thoughts aside, and said in a relaxed tone: “Presumably, your mother was also a gentle and beautiful woman, otherwise why would your father have left Daoist Master Yunxu?”

“I don’t know what my mother was like. But Old Ding didn’t handle this well. He clearly already had a relationship with the Daoist Master, yet he still insisted on pursuing my mother~”

“…”

Lin Hansu deliberately looked Ding Suian up and down with an expression of disdain, then pursed her lips toward the bed.

She was implying: You have the nerve to say that about him? Aren’t you even more excessive than your father?

Ding Suian immediately understood what she meant, but shamelessly said: “How can that be the same?”

“How is it not the same?”

“I won’t leave someone aside for ten or twenty years like Old Ding did; I will marry her!”

Just listen to that, does he have any shame left?

“Heh~”

Lin Hansu sneered and hit the nail on the head: “That princess from Southern Zhao, are you planning to leave her there for ten or twenty years, or are you planning to marry her?”

“Uh… sleep, let’s sleep.”

The next day.

Ding Suian arrived at the West Yamen duty room and first drafted a list of names. This time, while reorganizing military discipline, many positions at the battalion commander and Dutou level had become vacant.

Last night, Lin Hansu mentioned that Princess Xingguo had asked him to recommend a few people for reference.

This trust was not insignificant. In Ding Suian’s estimation, Old Ding was a former guard at the Prince Lanyangs Estate, and Lin Hansu was Princess Xingguo’s Junior Sister and subordinate. He naturally carried the mark of Princess Xingguo, and coming from a humble background, he had no other backing.

Princess Xingguo found him the most reassuring to use.

Ding Suian suddenly remembered the matter of Daoist Master Yunxu and Old Ding from two days ago. According to the timeline, after Old Ding parted ways with Daoist Master Yunxu, it was about the time he changed his name from Xiao Sa to Ding Lie and joined the army with Hu Yingfu and He Dahai.

It was as if he were going to carry out some secret mission, but the mission failed, and instead, he ended up with little Ding.

So, did he stay in Central Heaven because the mission failed?

Ding Suian laughed for a long time when he first found out Old Ding was once called Xiao Sa. Xiao Sa, dashing?

Brother Dashing?

Old Ding must have been very flamboyant in his youth.

He had a history of changing his name; ‘Ding Lie’ was likely not his original name.

But when Ding Suian asked further, Old Ding refused to say more.

However, whether it was Brother Dashing or Old Ding, it didn’t matter to Ding Suian. After more than a decade of raising him, even if he were a heinous pirate, he would still be his father.

After thinking for a long time, Ding Suian finally wrote ‘Ding Lie’ at the very top of his recommendation list, followed by Hu Yingfu, He Dahai, Chen Hantai, as well as Wang Xigui, Zhu Feifei, Gongye Ni, and others.

Haha, this is what you call recommending the virtuous without avoiding relatives.

Noon.

“Boss, someone delivered an invitation outside.”

“Oh?”

This was novel. Having worked here for twenty days, this was the first time someone dared to deliver an invitation to the West Yamen.

Ding Suian took it from Chest Hair and unfolded it to read.

‘To Brother Ding, Baron of Chu County, Founding Merit:

I respectfully invite you on the 30th day of the last month of spring in the 49th year of Zhengtong, at my humble abode in Xingning Ward, for a simple meal.

Awaiting your presence.

Venue: My humble abode.

Time: Exactly noon.

Your younger brother, Jiang Xuan, bows.’

The 30th day of the last month of spring in the 49th year of Zhengtong, exactly noon. Isn’t that this noon!

“Is the person who delivered the invitation still there?”

“Yes, he’s waiting outside.”

Ding Suian stood up upon hearing this and walked out with long strides.

Under the tree shade outside, the sneaky-looking guy was none other than Jiang Xuan.

“Is there an emergency? In such a rush?”

Ding Suian raised the invitation in his hand, but Jiang Xuan smiled obsequiously: “Alas, it’s all my mother. Last time, because of you, Brother, the Prince Leyang’s heir and Yu Bowen personally visited, which really made her proud. These past few days, she has been forcing me to invite you, Brother, to have a meal at home.”

The situation of Jiang Xuan and his mother in Central Heaven was definitely not good, but by a stroke of Opportunity, they had slightly improved their situation with the help of Ding Suian, an outsider.

If it were someone else, Ding Suian would probably be too lazy to deal with it, but Jiang Xuan… he was probably one of the few people, besides his family, to whom he was willing to give some Face.

“Fine, wait for me to prepare some gifts.”

“Brother, no need, no need.”

Jiang Xuan pulled him into the carriage without further ado, but Ding Suian felt that Lin Fuyao was, after all, his future sister-in-law, so it was better to be polite.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Xuan directly lifted the carriage curtain, pointed to the gifts piled up in half the carriage, and said with a hint of pride: “If you, Brother, are willing to give me Face, I will have more confidence in front of my mother in the future! How can I let you spend money? I’ve already prepared everything. These silks and fine teas are for my mother; those books and spices are for my sister. I thought it through, right?”

“…”

This kid, it’s a pity he’s not an official.

At two quarters past noon, the two shared a carriage and arrived at the Jiang residence in Xingning Ward.

“Greetings to the young Lord~”

As soon as Ding Suian got off the carriage, he was startled by the Jiang family’s setup.

The mansion gate was clean and dust-free, clearly having just been swept.

A group of Jiang family servants stood in two neat rows outside the gate, welcoming him.

Just then, the wife of the Minister of Works next door returned home. Passing by the Jiang residence, she couldn’t help but lift the curtain to look when she heard the commotion.

Lin Fuyao, who was standing on the steps personally welcoming him, noticed the Minister’s wife and the passing gazes on the street, and her voice rose an octave: “The young Lord’s presence makes our humble home shine. Please, come in quickly.”

As she spoke, the beaming Lin Fuyao had already stepped down.

“Greetings, Madam~”

Ding Suian couldn’t help but chuckle. He knew about the snobbishness of Lin Hansu’s eldest sister.

But compared to her cold and indifferent attitude when they met before, he felt even more deeply about it now.

Back courtyard, boudoir.

Jiang Yuan sat in front of the vanity, tilted her head, and looked at the exquisite bun she had just styled.

The person in the mirror had a plain Face, but it could not hide her stunning features and picturesque brows and eyes.

It was just that her slender hands, holding the rouge and powder, picked it up several times and put it down several times. She was not very skilled in the art of makeup, but her mother had instructed her several times just now to tidy up properly.

This made her feelings complex and unspeakable.

Jiang Yuan naturally hoped to use her best appearance to see Ding Suian, but dressing up so deliberately felt like she was trying to please him, making her feel like a piece of merchandise waiting to be sold, rushing to stick to him.

She couldn’t help but feel a subtle resistance in her heart.

The sensitivity nurtured since childhood and that bit of unwillingness to admit her inferiority made her place extra importance on that tiny shred of dignity at such a moment.

After hesitating for a long time, she finally pinched a piece of crimson lip paper, placed it between her lips, and gently pressed them together.

Her pale lips were immediately stained with a charming touch of color.

This should be enough, right?

Just then, she heard a burst of rapid footsteps.

Immediately after, her personal maid Yuzhan ran in. Once she entered the room, she urged: “Young Lady, Young Lady, the Lord is seated in the front hall, and Madam is calling for you to go over.”

It was strange to say; they had clearly met Ding Suian dozens of times back and forth and were already familiar with each other.

But with Yuzhan urging her like this, Jiang Yuan suddenly began to panic.

She stood up abruptly, looked in the mirror again and again, then lowered her head to tidy her clothes. In the end, she still asked uncertainly: “Am… am I okay like this?”

“Very good! Wait! Didn’t Madam ask you to apply some powder? Why did you only apply lipstick, Young Lady?”

As Yuzhan spoke, she had already walked over, pressed Jiang Yuan back onto the stool, and picked up the rouge, powder, and charcoal pencil, preparing to help her finish her makeup.

Jiang Yuan looked at herself in the mirror, and her mood gradually calmed down. She suddenly raised her hand to stop Yuzhan, who was about to apply powder, and only said: “Yuzhan, help me get that goose-yellow ru skirt out?”

“Ah? This outfit is quite good, isn’t it?”

“Do as I say.”

“Alright.”

Yuzhan turned to the wardrobe, and before long, found the goose-yellow ru skirt. But when she turned back, she couldn’t help but be stunned: “Young Lady! Why did you undo your hair bun?”

Jiang Yuan did not answer.

She was only busy using her nimble hands to weave through her waterfall-like black hair.

A short while later, she had braided a lively tassel bun on each side.

Then, she found a blue jade hairpin with an ordinary texture and simple style from the bottom layer of her vanity, and carefully pinned it in the middle of the bun.

“Young Lady?”

Yuzhan was puzzled. Jiang Yuan still did not explain, only taking the goose-yellow ru skirt from her hands and changing into it.

Immediately after, she took a few steps back, looked in the mirror, and then whispered: “Let’s go.”

“Uh…”

Yuzhan wanted to remind Jiang Yuan that this outfit was too plain and did not meet Madam’s requirements.

But after stealing a glance at Jiang Yuan’s calm and pretty profile, she dared not say a word.

Naturally, she could not guess that this outfit of Jiang Yuan’s, from the bun to the skirt, was exactly how she looked when she first met Ding Suian at the Xue Pavilion in the Prince Lanyangs Estate on the 23rd day of the last month of the 47th year of Zhengtong.

A girl’s thoughts, twisting and turning a hundred times, hidden in the trivial details, yet ashamed to speak them aloud.