Lighting a Lantern at Your Brow - Chapter 4

Just as Zhang Huailu was assigning a few men to accompany Cheng Chang to Drunken Fragrance Pavilion, an attendant hurried over from the front hall. “Lord Zhang, Minister Pei from the Ministry of Works and Lord Luo from the Secretariat have arrived.”

Minister Pei was Pei Lan’s father.

With the recent victory in the northern frontier, Pei Lan was soon to return to the capital. The emperor was overjoyed and had granted permission for the people of Jinling to line the streets in celebration. The Ministry of Rites had drafted the formal reception protocol, but its actual execution fell to local offices like the Magistrate’s Office. Just yesterday, Zhang Huailu had sent a letter to Pei Manor, hoping to consult Minister Pei on the arrangements. He hadn’t expected the esteemed minister to personally visit today.

Zhang Huailu straightened his robes hurriedly. “Quick! Follow me to the front hall to greet Minister Pei and Lord Luo!”

He had just taken two steps forward when he suddenly hesitated, his gaze drifting toward Yun Xi.

Yun Xi was Pei Lan’s betrothed. Now that Pei Lan was returning to the capital, a man ready for marriage, a woman of age—their engagement was bound to be addressed soon.

By all reasoning, since Minister Pei was visiting today, Yun Xi should have been brought to meet her future father-in-law, making the occasion even more celebratory. However, the Marquis of Zhongyong’s family had fallen into ruin. The once-glorious household was now in utter shambles, rumored to be nearly penniless. The noble daughter who was once a pearl in a shell had become a thorn in the flesh. Would Minister Pei even want to see her? More likely, her presence would only make things awkward.

It would be best to find a way to send her away.

“Constable Yun,” Zhang Huailu said, turning to her, “I will go to the front hall to welcome Minister Pei and Lord Luo. Today, you shall accompany the Third Young Master to Drunken Fragrance Pavilion instead.”

Yun Xi crossed her arms and replied, “Understood.” She said nothing more.

Zhang Huailu, seeing her composed expression, suddenly felt a bit uneasy. As if trying to justify himself, he added, “Didn’t you want to remain in the Magistrate’s Office as a constable? Now that the Third Young Master is unharmed, you need not blame yourself any further. Focus on doing your job well. When Prince Cong returns to the capital, you can report the incident of the Third Young Master’s fall to him personally. Once that’s done, the matter will be settled.”

Turning to Cheng Chang, he continued, “Third Young Master, I have urgent matters to attend to. Constable Yun will accompany you to Drunken Fragrance Pavilion.”

By now, Cheng Chang had started to regain his strength. He still wasn’t entirely sure what “Third Young Master” signified as a title, but judging by the way everyone treated him with such deference, it was clearly connected to this so-called Prince Cong’s Manor.

From Zhang Huailu’s words, he could also infer that this beautiful woman before him worked at the Magistrate’s Office.

A dynasty where women could hold official positions—what kind of era was this?

Yun Xi, meanwhile, was lost in thought, contemplating how she would eventually explain the incident to Prince Cong. When she looked up, she found that Cheng Chang was also studying her.

His gaze was calm and thoughtful—like the gentle warmth of sunlight in early spring.

Behind them, a servant from Prince Cong’s Manor snapped impatiently, “What are you standing around for? Making our Young Prince wait—do you have a death wish?!”

Yun Xi quickly realized her lapse in etiquette and stepped forward, taking the reins of a horse. “Third Young Master, the carriage is ready. Please go ahead.”

Cheng Chang simply responded with a quiet “Mm.”

Upon stepping outside the courtyard, just as Cheng Chang was about to board the carriage, a servant immediately dropped to his knees, prostrating himself in front of him—offering his back as a footstool.

Cheng Chang paused for a long moment, expression unreadable. Then, without a word, he stepped aside, circled around to the other side of the carriage, and climbed in on his own.

Drunken Fragrance Pavilion sat along the Qinhuai River, a short carriage ride from the Magistrate’s Office to Tongzi Alley, the liveliest district in Jinling. The Great Sui Dynasty was an open-minded era, having abolished the night curfew in previous years. Street vendors set up their stalls late into the night, making the city vibrant even after dark. This year, with the great victory in the northern frontier and the emperor’s impending return from his southern tour, the entire capital was even more festive than usual. Vendors called out tirelessly, day and night, hawking everything from bronze wares and porcelain to cricket cages woven from bamboo.

Cheng Chang had read a few books on antique appreciation in the past. Just as their carriage passed a roadside stall selling blue-and-white porcelain, he leaned forward, stepping down to examine a flared-mouth long-necked vase—intending to determine which dynasty it belonged to.

The street vendor was dozing off when, unexpectedly, a young noble appeared in front of his stall. The man picked up a porcelain vase, examining the rim, then the base, turning it over multiple times. Not only that, but he even tapped it lightly with his knuckle and held it to his ear, listening to the sound.

“Hey, you,” the vendor snapped, his patience wearing thin. “You’ve been looking at that forever—are you buying or not? If not, stop messing with it!” He stood up and snatched the vase out of Cheng Chang’s hands.

Cheng Chang had just opened his mouth to explain when one of the servants traveling with him stepped forward and shoved the vendor aside. “Are you blind?” the servant barked. “You dare act tough in front of our Young Prince?!”

The vendor froze at the mention of “Young Prince.” His eyes darted back to Cheng Chang’s face, finally taking a closer look. “Th-Third Young Master?” With a loud thud, he dropped to his knees. “I was blind, I didn’t recognize a great man standing before me! Please forgive me, Third Young Master—please, have mercy!”

As he pleaded, he quickly grabbed the blue-and-white porcelain vase he had just snatched away and shoved it right back into Cheng Chang’s hands.

Cheng Chang stared down at the vase, utterly baffled. It had been forcibly taken from him, and now it was being forcibly returned.

He said nothing, but the vendor only grew more panicked. The Third Young Master of Prince Cong’s Manor was notorious for his arrogance and recklessness. The last time he came to Tongzi Alley, he had taken a liking to a jade carving and offered three copper coins for it. When the shopkeeper refused, he sent men to smash the entire shop to pieces.

Recalling this, the vendor decided it was best to cut his losses immediately. With a determined grit of his teeth, he reached for several of his most valuable porcelain pieces and shoved them all into Cheng Chang’s hands.

Cheng Chang was now even more confused.

What is going on? Some kind of bulk discount deal? Buy one, get a whole set for free?

He looked down at the collection of vases and containers now piled in his arms, then glanced at the vendor, finally processing the situation.

After a brief moment, he asked, “How much?”

The vendor was momentarily stunned. How much? Oh, he’s asking for the price.

Is this some new way of toying with people?

Hurriedly, the vendor kowtowed. “No need for money! It’s all yours, all yours!”

Cheng Chang frowned and handed everything back. His expression was unusually serious. “If you won’t take money, then I can’t accept it.”

Up ahead, Yun Xi was leading the way. Her mind was occupied with other matters, so she hadn’t noticed Cheng Chang lagging behind. She had already walked some distance when the commotion caught her attention. Turning back, she saw Cheng Chang standing in a daze before a porcelain stall. At his feet, a vendor was kneeling and knocking his head against the ground, crying out, “Third Young Master, have mercy!”

Yun Xi quickly strode over and called out to him. “Third Young Master.”

She didn’t even bother asking what had happened—there was never any logic behind the trouble Cheng Chang stirred up.

“Drunken Fragrance Pavilion is just ahead. If the Third Young Master likes these porcelain pieces, why not enjoy a meal first and return later to browse at leisure?”

Cheng Chang hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Fine.” Led by his servants, he finally walked away.

Yun Xi watched his departing figure, a bit surprised. Maybe it was because he had nearly drowned, but his reactions today seemed noticeably slower. Had this been any other day, it wouldn’t have been so easy to make him leave.

The vendor, spotting the constable badge and sword at Yun Xi’s waist, burst into tears. “Officer, I beg you—please help me! I have over a dozen family members depending on me. If the Third Young Master eats his meal, regains his energy, and decides he wants to have some fun by bringing men back to destroy my stall—my entire family will be ruined!”

Yun Xi considered for a moment before asking, “Do you have any smaller, more affordable pieces?”

The vendor immediately perked up. “Yes, yes!” He scrambled to his feet, rummaged through his stall, and pulled out a small incense burner with an elegant folded-branch fruit motif, presenting it to her. “Would the Third Young Master like this, perhaps?”

Yun Xi wasn’t sure. “I’ll try.” She reached for her coin pouch and asked, “How much?”

The vendor quickly shook his head. “Officer, you’re doing this to help me—how could I take your money?”

Yun Xi studied him for a moment. It was early spring, still carrying the last of winter’s chill. The vendor wore only a pair of straw sandals. His clothes were old, patched in multiple places. Dark circles hung under his eyes, signs of exhaustion from lack of rest. Despite the cold morning, he had been out here since dawn, trying to make a living. He probably really did have an entire family to support.

Pushing herself into his shoes, she understood. Hadn’t she been carrying the burden of the Marquis of Zhongyong’s family all this time too?

She retrieved a small silver ingot from her coin pouch and handed it over.

“Making a living is hard for everyone. I won’t take advantage of you. I’ve bought one of these incense burners before—I’ll pay you the same price I did back then. If it costs more than that, then I simply can’t afford it.”

Yun Xi took the incense burner, wrapped it in a cloth pouch, and hurried after Cheng Chang.

By the time she arrived, Cheng Chang was already seated in a private room on the second floor of Drunken Fragrance Pavilion. The shopkeeper, nervously dabbing at the sweat on his forehead, ordered the waiters to serve an assortment of refreshments. Once everything was set on the table, he cautiously said, “Third Young Master, our humble establishment’s food is simple. The balance of salt and sweetness may not be quite right—if anything does not suit your taste, I beg your forgiveness, I beg your forgiveness.”

Please, for heaven’s sake, don’t raze my entire restaurant to the ground over an extra spoonful of salt or a missing spoonful of sugar.

Cheng Chang acknowledged him with a nod, straightened his chopsticks, and picked up a steamed bun. It was a little salty, but overall, not bad. In no time, he had polished off the entire steamer full of buns.

After throwing up all morning, his stomach was completely empty. A single portion of buns was nowhere near enough. Just as he was about to reach for another, he looked up—only to find the shopkeeper and servants watching him intently, holding their breath.

Cheng Chang hesitated before asking, “Would you… like to sit and eat with me?”

The group vigorously shook their heads in unison.

Since no one else was eating, he felt awkward eating alone, so he had no choice but to put his chopsticks down as well.

The shopkeeper, misinterpreting the gesture, assumed the food wasn’t to the Third Young Master’s liking. His face turned pale as he broke into a cold sweat, just about to beg for forgiveness—when Yun Xi arrived. Seeing that Cheng Chang appeared to have finished his meal, she took out the incense burner from the cloth pouch and said, “Third Young Master, the porcelain vendor from earlier was deeply regretful for offending you. He asked me to present this as an apology and hopes you will not hold the matter against him.”

The incense burner was small, barely the size of a palm—the kind of cheap trinket one would toss at a beggar. How could it possibly be worthy of a Young Prince’s attention?

The two servants from Prince Cong’s Manor were about to scoff—But, to their surprise, Cheng Chang accepted it without hesitation and began examining it closely.

This type of incense burner was more common during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, but… this wasn’t the Ming or Qing.

Cheng Chang set the incense burner down and fell deep into thought.

His name in the 21st century had also been Cheng Chang, and he had suffered from a congenital heart condition. After his sudden cardiac arrest, he somehow ended up here, completely bewildered. At first, he had considered pretending to have amnesia, but quickly dismissed the idea. Why? Because the first time he had regained consciousness in the water, the constable who pulled him out had found two solid gold bricks hidden in his sleeves. He knew then that this “Cheng Chang” had been murdered.

The people here called him “Third Young Master”, yet his personal servants addressed him as “Young Prince.” Clearly, he held a high-ranking noble status—likely the son of Prince Cong. And if someone of this status could be assassinated, then it was best not to expose any weaknesses. For now, it was better to stay quiet and observe.

He mentally went over the timeline of Chinese history: Xia, Shang, Zhou, Spring and Autumn, Warring States, Qin, Han, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, Qing.

Throughout these dynasties, there had been smaller, short-lived regimes, plagued by war and chaos, rising and falling quickly. But none of them had ever been as flourishing and stable as this one.

Furthermore, before the Tang Dynasty, most cities followed the grid-style “ward system”, where commoners could not move freely at night without presenting passes. It wasn’t until the Song Dynasty that this system was abolished and night curfews were lifted. However, during the early Ming Dynasty, social restrictions tightened again, and merely stepping out at night could lead to punishment. Yet here, the city was lively after dark, and women could even hold official positions. At best, such conditions had only existed during the late Song Dynasty or the very end of the Ming Dynasty.

But neither of those periods had Jinling as the capital.

Which meant this dynasty… was completely outside his historical knowledge.

Cheng Chang let out a long sigh. He had a top-tier education, graduated from a prestigious university, had a master’s degree in finance, and had spent years working in risk management. His professional instinct was to analyze risks and assess situations using whatever limited data was available.

But right now? Forget data modeling—he didn’t even have a single useful clue.

The only saving grace was that the language remained the same, so communication wasn’t an issue.

Meanwhile, the shopkeeper—who had been watching Cheng Chang sit in silence for ages—was drenched in sweat, his back soaked through. Trembling, he suddenly dropped to his knees and pleaded, “Third Young Master, I apologize for my humble establishment’s poor cooking. I will immediately dismiss the chef and find someone more suited to your refined palate!”

Cheng Chang was bewildered again. How did this suddenly become about the restaurant’s chef?

One of the servants from Prince Cong’s Manor stepped forward, shoving the shopkeeper aside. “Our Young Prince has graced your restaurant with his presence, and this is how you serve him? With these lowly peasant dishes?!” As he spoke, he rolled up his sleeves, looking ready to flip the entire table over.

Yun Xi swiftly unsheathed her sword and blocked his way. Turning to Cheng Chang, she cupped her hands and said, “Third Young Master, it is getting late. We should return to the Magistrate’s Office. If there are matters to settle here, perhaps they can wait for another day.”

Cheng Chang nodded and followed her out.

By now, everyone in Tongzi Alley knew that the Third Young Master was here. The once bustling streets had gone eerily quiet. Even those still passing through avoided making eye contact, their gazes flickering with fear.

Cheng Chang observed this carefully. He recalled how the vendor had dropped to his knees in terror over a minor dispute. He thought of the shopkeeper, trembling over a bowl of tea. And of the attendant at the Magistrate’s Office, bowing until his forehead hit the floor. Finally, he understood.

Turning to Yun Xi, he asked, “Tell me… is there something wrong with me?”

Yun Xi froze. How was she supposed to answer that?

She looked at him and opened her mouth several times, but every time the words were about to come out, she swallowed them back down. Not a single word made it past her lips.

“Say no more. I understand.” Cheng Chang sighed heavily. “So much to say, yet no words can suffice. Your expression says it all.”