Chapter 2, The Boudoir

The courtyard of Haitang Garden is tranquil, with a faint fragrance of begonia flowers wafting from within, bringing a sense of peace and delight to the heart

Yan Ting frowned, seemingly unaware that the Haitang Pavilion was located within the Haitang Garden. No wonder every time the Haitang Pavilion was mentioned, Xie Mohan would refuse to let them see it. It was only natural that, as outsiders, they were not permitted to enter the boudoir of someone else's sister.

Qin Zheng's expression turned cold as he turned to Xie Fanghua, who was still standing at the door and had not entered, and said, "Aren't you coming in? Don't you recognize the gate of the Zhongyong Marquis's residence?"

In no time, they pulled the horse up from the snow, steadied the carriage, and led the horse towards the residence of the Loyal and Brave Marquis.

Xie Fanghua lowered her head and walked to Qin Zheng's side. A gust of cold wind blew by, causing her to shiver involuntarily

Xie Fanghua ground her teeth, pressed her toes firmly into the snow beneath her feet, and stepped forward to catch up with him

"Lead the way, take us to Haitang Pavilion!" Qin Zheng commanded the doorkeeper without giving him a chance to inquire further.

You all go ahead!" Qin Zheng glanced back, his gaze sweeping past Xie Fanghua, and spoke to the people on both sides.

"It is the late Empress Dowager De Ci," Qin Zheng said

Qin Zheng let out a cold snort, disregarding the crowd, and stepped forward to walk inside on his own

The people on both sides saw him stop and could not help but also come to a halt, all inquiring with their eyes.

Although wealthy young men are often extravagant and fond of pleasure, they are decisive and efficient when it comes to getting things done

The doorman could not help but break into a cold sweat upon hearing this, looking towards Qin Zheng, wondering when the servants of their household had run over his dog

The steward of the gate immediately came over to take charge of the carriage, accompanying his words with a smile, "Please come inside, several esteemed guests. Our young master is enjoying the snow at the Haitang Pavilion! Someone has already gone to inform him. The young master will be here shortly."

Is it the Haitang Garden where the frail younger sister of Ziguo Xiong resides?" Yan Ting's footsteps came to a halt

The gate of Haitang Courtyard was open, and two maidservants were sweeping the accumulated snow in the yard. Upon suddenly seeing someone intrude, they were taken aback, and their brooms fell to the ground, making quite a noise

It is likely that we won't be allowed to see it, but if we hurry, we can corner him at the Haitang Pavilion and manage to take a look, right? At that time, how can he have the audacity to block the door and prevent us from entering when his own servant has run over Brother Qin Zheng's dog

Xie Fanghua nodded, indicating that she understood. Empress Dowager De Ci, the mother of the current emperor, passed away three years ago

A dog died under her carriage, and he did not seek compensation; however, from that moment on, the Duke of Loyalty and Valor's residence owed him a great debt!

Xie Fanghua paused for a moment, and he uttered a word of bestowal, which meant a dog that had come from the palace. She glanced up at him, then lowered her head and shook it. She had not returned to the capital for eight years! How could she know? When she left, she had not heard that Qin Zheng had a precious dog.

I have also heard about it, but in previous years, Brother Zigui did not allow us to see it. We could only feel anxious and impatient, not knowing whether we would be allowed to see it today.

The banquet hall is only two streets away from the residence of the Loyal and Brave Marquis, so the crowd quickly arrived at the Marquis's residence, surrounding the carriage.

This is indeed the Begonia Garden of my family's young lady The doorman quickly lowered his head

According to the innkeeper of the banquet house, it is evident that the second young master Zheng's beloved dog has died, and the one who accidentally killed his dog is a person from the loyal and brave marquis's household, who is on good terms with him, namely, the young master Xie Mohan. It would be inappropriate to seek compensation; after all, one cannot harm a servant of another, let alone a dog, which must be considered in light of its owner. Thus, he could only resign himself to his misfortune, leading to his silence and reluctance to speak.

Before long, after passing the Tinglan Pavilion and the Zhilan Courtyard, I arrived at the entrance of the Haitang Courtyard

My elder brother is most afraid of this dog, Qin Zheng said again

He is still taking medicine and feels a bit better. Our young master has a chronic illness; every winter he is bedridden. Now, he has not been able to go out for two months and can only walk around the residence.

As the crowd walked for a while, Qin Zheng suddenly stopped in his tracks

As the main door opens, people enter one after another

A group of people, led by him, hurried into the residence, directly bypassing the front yard and heading towards the back yard

No wonder everyone fears Young Master Zheng Er, as he truly devours people without leaving a trace!

The people on both sides scrutinized his expression, then glanced at the drooping-headed servant trailing behind, and they all understood in unison as they moved forward

Xie Fanghua is reminiscing about the eight years since their last parting, noting how the stone lions at the entrance have also aged. Upon hearing this, she immediately steps forward and enters the gate

The doorman looked at Xie Fanghua

"I can let today's matter go, but the Duke of Loyalty and Valor's residence still owes me a dog." Qin Zheng glanced at Xie Fanghua, who appeared to be well-behaved and respectful, dropped this remark, and turned to walk away.

Yan Ting praised, clapping his hands and saying, "This is the fragrance, no other begonia has this pure scent. I wonder how beautiful the flowers bloom in the end"

Upon reaching the Tinglan Pavilion in the backyard, the young servant hesitated and stopped, saying, "Esteemed gentlemen, the pavilion ahead is our young master's Zhilanyuan. Beyond our young master's Zhilanyuan is Haitangyuan, and the Haitang Pavilion is located within Haitangyuan. However, Haitangyuan is our young lady's private quarters, so... I cannot dare to take you gentlemen in without permission."

Several men walked alongside the cart, chatting animatedly about the brother Zi Gui, their enthusiasm evident in their conversation. However, Qin Zheng, who walked among them, remained silent and did not utter a word.

The proprietor of the banquet hall has always been quite adept at navigating various situations. Today, with such a significant incident occurring at his doorstep, he naturally cannot act as if he is unconcerned. He must follow the crowd to the Duke of Zhongyong's residence to provide an explanation, thus he trails behind everyone else.

The crimson gate of the Duke of Loyalty and Valor's residence is tightly closed, and a thick layer of snow has settled on the heads of the two stone lions in front of the door

"You will know once you go in." Qin Zheng continued walking and headed straight into Haitang Courtyard

Oh? Has Brother Zigui recovered from his illness? Yan Ting inquired

Yan Ting stepped forward to knock on the door

Yan Ting and others took a glance; with him leading the way, they naturally found it easier to speak, and thus they all followed closely behind him

The shopkeeper walked past Qin Zheng, secretly contemplating that although Young Master Zheng would not fall out with the heir of the Loyal and Brave Marquis, judging by his expression, he intended to make things difficult for this young servant. It seemed that this young servant would likely suffer in silence.

Soon, someone poked their head out of the door, and upon seeing, quickly retracted their head, "Oh, it turns out to be Young Master Zheng Er, Young Lord Yan, Young Master Li, Young Master Cheng, and Young Master Song. What brings you here?"

Xie Fanghua watched his retreating figure, a tumult brewing in her stomach. Was he telling her that no matter how much the Duke of Loyal and Brave's residence compensated, it could never match the value of a dog bestowed by the late Empress? After all, no one in the world could compare to the nobility of the late Empress.

Xie Fanghua, this servant who delivers New Year goods, has lost his place to be of use and can only follow behind.

Young Master Li, Young Master Cheng, and Young Master Song were momentarily at a standstill, each lost in thought.

Good idea! Young Master Cheng and Young Master Song immediately agreed.

Qin Zheng did not even glance at the two individuals, proceeding unimpeded towards the backyard

Yan Ting nodded slightly and said to several people, "Let us go find him. It is said that the Begonia Pavilion of the Duke of Loyalty and Valor's residence is quite special; while begonia flowers bloom in spring and autumn everywhere else, the begonia in the Duke of Loyalty and Valor's pavilion blooms in winter, rivaling the beauty of plum blossoms"

The young servant assessed the situation for a moment, realizing that he could not offend the esteemed guest, and promptly responded by opening the door immediately

Qin Zheng looked at her and said, "Do you know who gave me the dog that you ran over and killed today?"

Xie Fanghua couldn't help but roll her eyes in her heart. What does her elder brother's fear of dogs have to do with her? Does he really need to tell her, a mere servant? If he were to say something, it would be more appropriate to involve the heir of the Zhongyong Marquisate, wouldn't it? Or perhaps even the Marquis himself.

"What are you talking about? We are here to deliver the New Year goods to Brother Zigui, so hurry up and open the door." Yan Ting glared at the doorman.

The young servant looked at the cold expression of Young Master Zheng Er, suppressing a belly full of questions, not daring to delay, and quickly led the way