Work Text:
Mrs Zhao was worried. While the children were playing in the yard, she said, “So, dear, I went to the shop today, and I heard some very worrying gossip. It’s said that the Marquis of Wu’an has fallen in love with Changyu and has been creeping into the capital to have secret assignations with her!”
Mr Zhao dropped the spoon he’d been using. “What? The Marquis of Wu’an?”
“What’s he like?” said Mrs Zhao. “Did you ever meet him?”
Mr Zhao frowned and tapped his chest. “No. I mean, do I look like the kind of person who’d meet the Marquis of Wu’an?”
“Well, I didn’t think Changyu was the kind of person who’d meet the Marquis of Wu’an, either,” said Mrs Zhao. “Poor Yan Zheng! I do hope that she doesn’t abandon him, now that she’s rich and famous. After all, he became her matrilocal husband and stood by her in her most difficult times.”
Xie Qi, the nice young man who guarded them, sidled over and cleared his throat. “I wouldn’t worry about the gossip, Mr and Mrs Zhao.”
“So, it’s nonsense?” said Mrs Zhao. “The Marquis of Wu’an is not in love with Changyu?”
Xie Qi looked awkward. “Have you ever thought about the Marquis’s full name?”
“I believe his name is Xie Zheng,” said Mrs Zhao, thinking back to the time when Changyu had made a wooden memorial tablet for him. This had caused some problems with poor old Magistrate Cui, and that nice Lord Li had stuck up for Changyu.
Xie Qi gestured to them, then picked up a stick and wrote two characters on the ground in the dirt. “There. That’s how you write Xie Zheng.”
“Nice,” said Mrs Zhao, vaguely. She couldn’t read, but she didn’t want to admit it to this young man.
Xie Qi rubbed away some of the scribbles on each side with his foot. “Now what does it say?”
“Er, I don’t know,” said Mrs Zhao.
Mr Zhao squinted. “It says… it says Yan Zheng! Hey, look at that! All Yan Zheng would have to do, to turn his name into Xie Zheng, is add a few radicals.”
“It is also the case that if the Marquis of Wu’an wanted to rename himself Yan Zheng, all he’d have to do is remove the radicals from his name,” said Xie Qi.
“Well, what are the chances of that?” said Mr Zhao, beaming. “Isn’t that a neat coincidence?”
Xie Qi made a face. “No. What I’m trying to say… I’m trying to tell you… this is not a coincidence.”
Mrs Zhao scratched her head. “What do you mean?”
“If the Marquis of Wu’an happened to be injured by assassins, and it happened that his bodyguards were killed, and it happened that he had to flee alone, he could use the name Yan Zheng,” said Xie Qi.
“Does the real Yan Zheng know this Marquis has stolen his name?” Mrs Zhao said indignantly. “He should pay a fee!”
“Er, dearest, I don’t think that’s what Xie Qi’s trying to say,” said Mr Zhao, faintly. “Injured by assassins, you say? Very badly?”
“Very, very, badly,” said Xie Qi. “Unfortunately, the Marquis fell into the river and floated downstream—all his documents and papers were lost—then he climbed out of the river, onto the bank.”
“Goodness,” said Mrs Zhao, with interest. “Very intrepid of him. What happened next?”
“The Marquis fell unconscious in the snow,” said Xie Qi. “But luckily—very luckily—some kind village people helped him.”
Mr Zhao made an incoherent croaking babbling noise and opened and shut his mouth several times.
“I assure you that if we found this Marquis unconscious in the snow, we’d also help him, noble or not,” said Mrs Zhao, ignoring her husband’s strange antics.
Xie Qi nodded. “You did.”
“I beg your pardon?” said Mrs Zhao.
“Yan Zheng is Xie Zheng. Or is Xie Zheng actually Yan Zheng?” Mr Zhao put his hand to his forehead.
“Hang on, what?” said Mrs Zhao, fanning herself with her hand. “Hang on, wait a minute, what did you say, you silly old man?”
“Come on, come on, sit down over here, wife,” said Mr Zhao. “It’s understandable that you might feel faint!”
“I was trying to break it gently!” said Xie Qi, in dismay.
“I honestly don’t think that there’s any gentle way to do it,” Mr Zhao told Xie Qi. “Don’t feel badly about it.”
“Yan Zheng… Yan Zheng…” said Mrs Zhao. “Yan Zheng is the Marquis of Wu’an? But, did you know he lived in our house for months?”
Xie Qi shrugged. “Of course, I do. I was the bookshop owner, you know. Well, it was me and Xie Wu. We are members of the Marquis’s Blood Clad Cavalry.”
Mrs Zhao squinted. “You run a bookshop in your spare time? That’s nice: when this war ends, you can do some reading.”
“Actually, no, not really,” said Xie Qi. “It was our cover, when we were in Lin’an.”
“You’ve been to Lin’an, before?” said Mr Zhao.
“Mm hm,” said Xie Qi. “We had to keep an eye out for the Marquis and bring him intelligence, while he was living with you.”
“But… but… this means that the Marquis of Wu’an became Changyu’s matrilocal husband!” said Mrs Zhao.
Xie Qi nodded. “Yes. Of course, to get him to admit that he had a wife was like pulling teeth—Xie Wu and I think it’s because he always swore black and blue that he’d never get married…”
Mrs Zhao shook her head. “I’m really confused. Everyone is saying that Changyu and the Marquis of Wu’an are having a torrid affair, but they’re actually married?”
“You didn’t tell me about the torrid affair bit!” said Mr Zhao.
“I inferred it,” said Mrs Zhao.
“Mm,” said Xie Qi. “Xie Wu says that they’ve made up.”
“Made up?” said Mrs Zhao.
“The Marchioness was unhappy with the Marquis when she discovered his true identity,” said Xie Qi.
“Well, yes, I do understand,” said Mr Zhao. “Changyu liked Yan Zheng. She wouldn’t want all of that other Marquis stuff! It’s like putting the radicals on the characters—unnecessary decoration.”
“Is this going to create an issue?” said Mrs Zhao. “I mean, Changyu isn’t noble.”
“She is now,” said Xie Qi. “Tutor Tao Yi adopted her.”
Mr Zhao drew himself up. “Old Tao adopted her? What about me? I could have adopted her. I knew her longer.”
“Um, you aren’t noble, dear,” said Mrs Zhao, plucking his sleeve.
“Oh,” said Mr Zhao, his shoulders slumping. “I suppose this is true. And that old man did save Changyu’s life.”
“He is also the Marquis’s Master and the former Grand Tutor,” said Xie Qi. “His protection will mean much.”
Mr Zhao blinked. “The former Grand Tutor? You mean he’s someone powerful in the Imperial Court?”
“Absolutely,” said Xie Qi. “He was the previous Emperor’s tutor and also tutor to Chancellor Wei Yan.”
Mr Zhao wrinkled up his nose. “And Chancellor Wei Yan—he’s some kind of relative to the Marquis of Wu’an?”
“Uncle,” confirmed Xie Qi.
“Is he going to approve of this marriage?” said Mrs Zhao.
“Uhhh,” said Xie Qi.
“That’s a no,” said Mr Zhao.
“I assure you, the Marquis will cut off ties with his uncle, rather than divorce the Marchioness,” said Xie Qi. “He is devoted to her, entirely.”
“But Changyu is not really suited to an imperial court,” said Mrs Zhao. “I mean, she doesn’t know anything about those kinds of people.”
“Indeed,” said Xie Qi, very happily. “Xie Wu says it is quite marvellous. She told off Chancellor Wei Yan, Grand Tutor Li and his Majesty, and there’s absolutely nothing any of them can do about it, because she’s the Flower-Crowned General in her own right, but also the Marchioness of Wu’an, and she is firm friends with the Princess Royal.”
Mrs Zhao blinked. “Changyu is firm friends with a Princess Royal?”
“Yes, her Highness ran away from the Palace, pretended to be an Imperial Doctor, and joined the Marquis’s Army. The Marchioness saved her life, and since then, they have been firm friends.”
“Oh,” said Mr Zhao.
Xie Qi cleared his throat. “The Princess Royal is now going to marry Advisor Gongsun—the man you knew as Mr Sun—but don’t tell anyone yet.”
“Hang on, what?” Mrs Zhao blinked. “That sweet, gentle Mr Sun—the scholar who was so shocked about pig-slaughtering methods—he’s going to marry a Princess?”
“They have been in love for some time, but Advisor Gongsun was too afraid to acknowledge it. Xie Wu says that finally, Advisor Gongsun screwed up the courage to propose, after the Marchioness got him drunk in Lucheng.”
“Changyu!” said Mr Zhao. “Naughty girl.”
Mrs Zhao chuckled. “Now, the next question I have is—did Changyu and Yan Zheng ever get around to consummating…? All they needed was some alcohol, but not so much that Changyu passed out, like at New Year…”
“You can’t ask that, wife!” said Mr Zhao, slapping her arm.
“I can too,” said Mrs Zhao. “All that effort I put into encouraging them… wasted by those assassins…”
Xie Qi made a face. “I don’t know!”
“I bet you do, and you don’t want to tell us,” said Mrs Zhao, invitingly.
“Let him keep his Lord’s privacy, you nosy old woman!” said Mr Zhao, poking his wife in the shoulder.
“Well, I want grandchildren!” said Mrs Zhao.
“What grandchildren?” said Mr Zhao.
“Changyu and Yan Zheng’s children!” Mrs Zhao threw up her hands. “Their nainai will dote on them. She’s just waiting here for them to arrive!”
“You’re not Changyu’s mother,” said Mr Zhao.
“I practically am,” said Mrs Zhao, putting her hands on her hips. “Really, I practically am! Would Changyu have married Yan Zheng, if I hadn’t encouraged her?”
Changning came up. “Are we talking about older sister and brother-in-law? I want them to have babies too.”
“See, this girl knows how things should go,” said Mrs Zhao, patting Changning’s head.
“Did you say that Mr Gongsun and Miss Royal Physician are getting married?” said Changning.
“Yes,” said Xie Qi.
“I knew they were in love,” said Changning. “Miss Bengong wanted to look at Mr Gongsun’s wounds, and he said not to touch him, and she said he was silly, and then she put her hand on his shoulder, and he laughed and said that she tickled him and tried to wriggle away, but then he let her touch him.”
“How do you know this?” said Mr Zhao.
“Miss Bengong was keeping an eye on me for Changyu, and they did not know I was awake and watching them,” said Changning.
“This sounds about right,” said Xie Qi, grinning.
“Ning, in whose bed was Changyu sleeping?” said Mrs Zhao, pouncing on the girl.
Mr Zhao put his hand over his eyes.
“Mine! It was really annoying, and older sister kept sighing and stealing my blanket,” said Changning. “Really, older sister should just have moved to brother-in-law’s bed—I know that’s what she wanted—but they had that big fight, after the big battle where Changyu killed that evil general with two blows. Changyu gave brother-in-law a black eye! However, I know she still loves him, she was just a bit upset because he turned out to be the Marquis of Wu’an, which means he has a fancy hat with feathers on it, did you know?”
Xie Qi’s lips twitched.
“I should have talked to you so much earlier, Ning!” Mrs Zhao sighed. “So, I have to wait a little longer for those grandchildren.”
“Give them time to speak to the Marquis’s uncle,” suggested Xie Qi.
“Fine,” said Mrs Zhao. “I’m just glad that Changyu is sticking by Yan Zheng.”
“Or Yan Zheng is sticking by Changyu?” wondered Mr Zhao.
“That’s never been in question,” said Xie Qi. “They were always going to stick by each other. The Blood Clad Cavalry knew that, once we heard the Marquis had married, and once we heard how the Marchioness treated him.”
“Patience is a virtue,” said Mr Zhao. “I’m sure they’ll be back soon, wife.”