Chapter 339 - 340: Thank-You Gift
Chapter 339: Chapter 340: Thank-You Gift
Ancient Wenheng had, after all, been cultivated by his family for over twenty years and lacked neither EQ nor IQ. Even General Zhou, a man who only knew how to guard the border and wasn’t one for making friends or deep conversation, found himself quickly opening up to him.
By the time the meal and drinks were finished, the two men even had their arms slung over each other’s shoulders.
When Empress Zhou, who was deep within the Imperial Palace disciplining the concubines, received the news, she was in a rare good mood. She even let Noble Lady Xu, who had provoked her earlier that day, off with one less lap to run around the Imperial Garden.
Ever since their family had been plagued by misfortune year after year, her own brother had grown increasingly withdrawn and didn’t have a single friend to talk to.
This Ancient Wenheng was not only her brother’s savior but could also make him laugh heartily. ’I’ll have to look after them more in the future,’ she decided, ’and bestow some more favors upon them.’
Jin Qianqian supported a drunken Ancient Wenheng into a side room. "I’ve never seen you get this drunk before. It seems General Zhou has really impressed you."
"He’s a true hero," Ancient Wenheng said, splashing his face with water from the basin, which sobered him up a bit. "It’s because of people like him, with their spirit of dedicating themselves to the country, that the borders have been protected from foreign invasion throughout the dynasties. People like him live a much purer existence than all the civil and military officials in the imperial court.
To them, all the backstabbing and intrigue of officialdom are probably just trivialities. Their real battlefield is against foreign enemies..."
Jin Qianqian knew that every boy harbored a dream of being a hero. ’General Zhou’s visit today must have awakened that dream in Wenheng,’ she thought, ’which is why he’s going on and on so passionately.’
"You have no idea, Brother Zhou is covered in scars! But to me, every single one is a medal of honor, representing a victory in battle..."
Jin Qianqian carefully helped him unfasten his clothes. "Why don’t you get in the tub for a soak? Let’s get you washed up before you rest."
Jin Qianqian really had no experience dealing with such a drunkard. She supported him carefully, trying her best to keep him from stumbling and falling.
Ancient Wenheng slurred, "I’m not actually drunk, just a little dizzy. You can let go, I can walk by myself."
Jin Qianqian patted his arm, amused. "I know you’re not drunk. But you need to wash off the reek of alcohol. Why don’t you sit on this stool, and I’ll help you rinse off."
"My wife is the best..."
"..."
Jin Qianqian patiently coaxed the drunkard into cooperating as she washed the stench of alcohol off him.
After helping him to the bed, Jin Qianqian shook her sore hands in frustration. ’If you ever dare to drink this much again, I’ll definitely leave you to sleep in the hallway for a night.’
But the drunkard in question merely rolled over and mumbled, "Brother Zhou, come, have another drink..."
"..."
The next day, Ancient Wenheng woke up clutching his head, and scenes from the previous day immediately flashed through his mind.
He shot up into a sitting position and saw Jin Qianqian sleeping soundly with her back to him.
Although he didn’t have to attend the morning court session, he still needed to get to the Hanlin Academy early. Seeing that it was getting light out, he quietly slipped on his shoes, but he still ended up waking the person beside him.
"You’re awake?"
Ancient Wenheng said, "You should sleep in a little longer. You had a tough time yesterday."
Jin Qianqian sat up. "If you know your own limit, you shouldn’t get into drinking contests. It’s a good thing you were at home yesterday, or you would have made a fool of yourself."
Ancient Wenheng said, "I had no idea Brother Zhou could drink so much. He was using a large bowl and I was using a small cup, but he still drank me under the table."
Jin Qianqian rolled her eyes at him. "Have you forgotten what he does for a living? He’s a general in the army. The borders are bitterly cold, so they probably use alcohol to ward off the cold all the time. You can’t even underestimate the women; one of them could probably outdrink three of you."
"A miscalculation. Next time I see Brother Zhou, I’ll suggest meeting at a teahouse. A little tea and some snacks will be enough."
Jin Qianqian said, "...Whatever makes you happy. I’m sure after two meetings like that, he won’t want to see you again."
Ancient Wenheng couldn’t hold it in and laughed first. "...That’s actually possible. By the way, did you look at the things I had brought to the rear courtyard yesterday?"
Jin Qianqian retorted, "I was too busy taking care of a certain drunkard. How would I have had the time to look?"
Ancient Wenheng was also curious about what they had been given yesterday. Draping on his outer robe, he went to the outer study.
Seeing the twelve boxes stacked neatly there, he walked over and casually opened one.
His brows immediately furrowed. The antique-looking dagger was inlaid with all sorts of precious gems. Even someone like him, who knew nothing of martial arts, could tell this dagger was of no ordinary origin.
He opened the second box. Inside was a neat stack of rare books. He counted them—there were six volumes, all authentic works that were nearly priceless.
The third box held two uncut raw jadeite stones.
The fourth box was filled to the brim with various uncut gemstones.
The fifth box...
Seeing that each box was more valuable than the last, Jin Qianqian’s brows furrowed tighter and tighter. "Why would he send so many things? He’s not trying to ask you for a favor, is he?"
Ancient Wenheng then remembered and explained that Zhou Shixiong was the man they had unintentionally saved before. These were likely thank-you gifts.
Jin Qianqian said, "Even so, these gifts are far too valuable. We can’t accept them in good conscience. Why don’t you find an opportunity to return them?"
Ancient Wenheng replied, "I was thinking the same thing. And I’m starting to think my successive promotions had something to do with Brother Zhou and the Empress in the palace. When we ran into him at the Imperial Palace last time, Brother Zhou must have recognized me then."
Jin Qianqian asked, "But how are you going to return them?"
Now that she knew the reason behind it, Jin Qianqian didn’t think Ancient Wenheng would be able to return these things at all.
Ancient Wenheng said, "Here’s what I’m thinking: we’ll accept these things, but we’ll prepare a return gift for him. It’s only proper to reciprocate."
"I suppose that’s the only way. You can head to the Hanlin Academy without worry. I’ll gather some things at home, and you can pick something suitable later." Jin Qianqian glanced at the time, knew they couldn’t delay any longer, and urged Ancient Wenheng to hurry up, wash his face, and eat breakfast.
She got busy herself. Today, she had to attend a flower-viewing banquet at the Minister of the Ministry of Justice Mansion.
She could now handle these banquets with ease. After all, Wenheng’s official post in Shangjing wasn’t very high, so she was just going through the motions, another face in the crowd.
Just as she always did, Lichun asked which set of jewelry to pair with the hairstyle before she began to comb her hair.
Jin Qianqian knew this wasn’t the time to be too high-profile, so she casually pointed to the jade-inlaid jewelry set that Ancient Wenheng had first given her.
She had already worn this set to several banquets. It perfectly suited her current status without outshining the other guests, so she made a point of choosing it every few banquets.
Lichun deftly styled her hair in an updo, while Li Qiu brought out the matching outfit.
Once she was fully dressed, she gave instructions for various household matters and then stepped into the carriage bound for the Huang family’s residence.
In truth, she had a lingering question. The Minister of the Ministry of Justice Mansion had just held a full moon celebration a little over a month ago. ’Aren’t these back-to-back banquets a bit excessive?’ she wondered.