Chapter 15

Rong Tan jerked his head up upon hearing this. Before he could press for details, Wu Ciyun continued, "You needn't assign him any tasks; I have other matters for him to attend to."

Upon hearing these words, Rong Tan's heart leaped into his throat. His instinct was to demand an explanation, but at the very moment he was about to speak, he changed his tack.

He pressed himself closer to Wu Ciyun and whispered tentatively, "A-Yun, the residence in the capital will likely be larger, won't it?"

Wu Ciyun, already drowsy, gave a perfunctory grunt. Rong Tan gently tugged at a strand of her hair and said softly, "I’ll make proper arrangements once we reach the capital. Our current place is small and can't really accommodate so many people; I’m afraid he’ll have to be inconvenienced for a few days..."

Although government officials were provided with official residences at their posts, Wu Ciyun had needed to manage affairs in Pingshu while frequently traveling to the Prince of Pingnan’s estate. To avoid the exhaustion of constant travel and late nights, she had simply purchased a separate residence nearby.

While the house wasn't exactly large, it was more than enough to accommodate an extra person. Rong Tan had his own secret motives; his words were merely a way to fish for information from Wu Ciyun.

Wu Ciyun, feeling somewhat annoyed, wrapped herself in the quilt and turned over, muttering, "He’s just an ordinary handyman. Just clear out a clean room for him to stay in, that’s all."

A lie. It wasn't as if the household lacked handymen; why hire a new one just as they were about to head to the capital?

Rong Tan felt a sour bitterness bubbling up inside him. He wanted to pry further, but Wu Ciyun had already fallen fast asleep, leaving him alone to listen to the howling winter wind, unable to sleep throughout the night.

As the saying goes, illness comes like a landslide but leaves like pulling silk. Rong Tan’s health had mostly recovered, but because he was sensitive and prone to overthinking, the sleepless night left his complexion even paler than before.

When Wu Ciyun expressed concern the next morning, Rong Tan brushed her off.

"I’m fine, I just didn't sleep well last night."

"Then you should have the house physician look at you, or take some more tonics." Wu Ciyun stroked his cheek, saying with a hint of heartache, "Your illness dragging on makes me feel quite troubled."

Moving back to the capital was sudden. Even with everything kept simple, there were countless trifles to attend to: settling accounts, packing trunks, and dismissing servants. If Rong Tan were to fall ill now, it would be an additional burden of time and effort.

The system internally cursed Wu the Miser, but it dared not speak up—first, for fear of incurring Wu Ciyun’s wrath, and second, for fear that if it spoke, the slave owner would drag it off to work on the ledgers too.

Rong Tan felt a flicker of comfort at her words and said gently, "A-Yun, don't worry, I am fine."

He knew this was a malaise of the heart. The only medicine he truly needed was right before his eyes; ordinary herbs and tonics were likely useless, far inferior to the occasional scraps of tender words Wu Ciyun deigned to bestow upon him.

To avoid worrying Wu Ciyun, Rong Tan forced himself to handle the household affairs. Just as he finally found a moment of respite, the gatekeeper hurried over to report.

"Steward Rong, a Master Jia has arrived, claiming he was sent by the Lady to work at the estate."

"I have no say in this; go ask the Lady directly."

Rong Tan’s grip on the ledger he held was so tight it wrinkled the pages, yet his face remained perfectly composed.

The gatekeeper was about to turn away when Rong Tan called him back.

"Wait."

Rong Tan closed the ledger and asked cautiously, "What does this Master Jia look like?"

The gatekeeper paused, his expression turning peculiar. He hesitated, clearly biting back words, before saying diplomatically, "Master Jia appears to... possess a certain level of skill."

Rong Tan’s expression chilled. He wanted to press further, but A-Ming happened to return with the Wu siblings at that moment, forcing him to stop.

"Steward Rong!"

Wu Mingzhu dragged Wu Liangyu over to Rong Tan, who quickly steadied them. "Slowly now, mind you don't fall."

"Steward Rong, A-Ming said we’re moving again. Are we not living in Ningzhou anymore?"

"Yes, we are moving to the capital."

Wu Mingzhu’s eyes lit up. "Is the capital more fun than Ningzhou? Is there a lot of good food there?"

Rong Tan shook his head helplessly and said truthfully, "I don't know. I’ve never been there before. You’ll have to ask the Lady."

Wu Ciyun’s frequent reassignments meant that Wu Liangyu and Wu Mingzhu were well-accustomed to moving; they were already volunteering to help pack.

Fearing they might hurt themselves, Rong Tan patiently coaxed them to go play in the back courtyard.

The gatekeeper remained waiting for instructions. Feeling restless and unable to focus on the ledgers, Rong Tan rose to see this person for himself.

In the reception hall, a thin, swarthy man in brocade robes was pacing back and forth. When a maid kindly invited him to sit, he acted as if terrified, profusely apologizing for his clumsiness before quickly sitting down.

When the maid served him tea, he jumped up to receive it, his hands visibly trembling as he held the cup.

The Wu estate rarely entertained guests of such low standing, and the maid, having never seen such an odd guest, was wondering what to do when she saw Rong Tan enter the hall.

"Steward Rong..."

Rong Tan had barely stepped into the hall when the man on the chair threw himself to the ground, knocking his head against the floor three times with a loud thud. His voice trembled as he said, "This commoner, Jia Weizhen, pays his respects to the Master!"

The maid was startled and quickly corrected him, "You’re mistaken. This is Steward Rong, not the Lady of the house."

Jia Weizhen paused, cautiously looking up at Rong Tan. Seeing the man’s exquisite, noble, and graceful appearance, and noting that everything he wore was of the finest quality, he made a rough mental calculation of their value and lowered his head, secretly shocked.

Even though this wasn't Wu Ciyun herself, he didn't dare stand up, whispering, "This commoner is dim-witted and failed to recognize a person of status. I beg your forgiveness."

Rong Tan examined the man with hesitation. "You are the... new handyman the Lady mentioned?"

Jia Weizhen replied respectfully, "Yes, that is this commoner."

Rong Tan stood frozen, unable to believe his eyes.

He had expected Wu Ciyun to be tired of him and to have found a young, beautiful servant, or perhaps a strong, heroic guard to keep by her side.

But this Jia Weizhen before him—rat-faced and sleazy—was the polar opposite of everything he had imagined. He was so ugly that Rong Tan felt his sickness nearly vanish.

"...You may rise."

Rong Tan asked gently, "You say the Lady hired you to work here. What kind of work is it?"

Jia Weizhen’s expression stiffened. He stammered, "...Just some minor handicrafts, nothing worthy of mention."

"By your accent, you don't seem to be from Ningzhou?"

"To answer the noble, my ancestral home is in Chongzhou. Later, I followed my parents to Lingzhou, and only in the last two years have I settled in Ningzhou."

Rong Tan frowned imperceptibly. Jia Weizhen’s words were evasive, and his eyes darted about—clearly, he was hiding something.

Hampered by Wu Ciyun’s instructions, Rong Tan said nothing more and simply had someone take Jia Weizhen away to be settled in.

Rong Tan’s attendant watched Jia Weizhen depart. Once he saw no one was around, he leaned in and whispered, "Your Highness, that man is an antique swindler."

"What?" Rong Tan was taken aback. "An... antique swindler?"

"It’s him, for certain. Does Your Highness remember when we passed through Lingzhou a few years ago? The authorities there were hunting a fugitive named Jia Mao—that is exactly who this Jia Weizhen is."

The attendant added, "It’s said his family has been in the antique business for generations, but they mix fakes with the real, crafting counterfeits so perfect they are indistinguishable from the originals. They’ve swindled many high-ranking officials out of their wealth, which is why they have to change locations every year or so."

Given Wu Ciyun’s character, it was impossible for her not to know this man’s identity. Bringing a known forger into the house for no reason—one could only wonder what she was planning.

However, Rong Tan didn't really care; in fact, he felt a strange sense of relief.

Seeing his lack of concern, the attendant said with exasperation, "Your Highness, she’s keeping an antique fraud in the house—she’s probably just being stingy and plans to use fakes to fob you off!"

Ever since they arrived at the Wu estate, his Highness had been working like a draft horse, even spending his own money to subsidize the household. Wu Ciyun’s annual salary wouldn't even cover the cost of a single jade pendant his Highness wore.

The fuss last night about Wu Ciyun demanding a string of beads from Chu Mingyi was still fresh; it was highly possible she was looking for a forger to create fake jade to placate them.

Rong Tan, however, looked bewildered. He said honestly, "She has never given me a fake."

"She hasn't yet, but that doesn't mean she won't in the future!"

"She wouldn't."

Rong Tan pressed his lips together, feeling a pang of grievance. "She hasn't even given me a fake one."