Drunken Flower Room - Chapter 51

The room quieted as Su Rong sat in her chair, sighing deeply. 

Yue Wan tiptoed in, looking at her curiously. “Miss, what are you sighing about?” 

Su Rong glanced at her and responded with a question. “How’s your learning going?” 

Yue Wan’s shoulders slumped. “It’s so hard!” 

Su Rong wasn’t surprised. With Yue Wan’s not-so-bright head, how could it be anything but difficult? She encouraged her, “Eat more walnuts, they’re good for your brain.” 

Yue Wan nodded vigorously. “Don’t worry, Miss. Now that my monthly allowance is as much as Wang Ma’s, I’ll definitely work hard. Otherwise, Madam will cut it back.” She sighed. “Before, I didn’t think much about not having that extra two taels of silver, but now that I have it, I really don’t want to lose it.” 

Su Rong chuckled and commented, “Mother truly knows how to manage the household.” 

Yue Wan pouted. “Miss, how can you still laugh? Isn’t the young master’s early return an attempt to break you and Young Master Zhou apart?” 

Su Rong’s mouth twitched, and she reached out to tap Yue Wan’s forehead. “If you don’t know how to speak properly, don’t speak at all.” 

She and Zhou Gu weren’t even a couple yet, so the notion of breaking them apart didn’t apply. 

Yue Wan grinned cheekily. “Miss, how are things between you and Young Master Zhou these past few days? Are you getting along well?” 

“Not bad,” Su Rong said, feeling a bit frustrated. “I haven’t managed to make him like me yet. If only Big Brother had come back a few days later. I just needed a little more time…” 

Yue Wan’s eyes widened. “How do you plan to win him over?” 

“First, win his stomach to capture his heart. Then, subtly make him acknowledge our relationship. Finally, keep surprising him to make him care about me,” Su Rong rattled off several strategies. 

Yue Wan was impressed. “Miss, you’re amazing.” 

“These are just basic skills,” Su Rong replied modestly, straightening her back. Then she sighed again, slumping over the table. “Why do I have an older brother?” 

Yue Wan answered without hesitation, “Because Madam gave birth to him.” 

Su Rong was speechless. She stood up and said, “Enough. I’m tired. Tell them to bring me some water. I’ll bathe and go to bed.” 

Yue Wan nodded and left to instruct the kitchen to prepare the water. 

After a bath, Su Rong set aside her worries, collapsed onto her bed, and fell asleep quickly. 

The next morning, after breakfast, Su Xingze personally arrived at the guest courtyard. He announced that from today onwards, he would be accompanying Zhou Gu. He asked Zhou Gu where he’d like to go. 

Zhou Gu was surprised. “Brother Su, you’ll accompany me?” 

“Yes.” 

“What about Su Rong?” 

“She’ll stay at home to learn household management.” 

Zhou Gu: “…” 

He was curious as to why Su Rong had suddenly become so eager to learn. 

Testing the waters, he asked, “Learning household management, there’s no rush for that, is there?” 

Su Xingze replied, “The daughters of the Duke Protector’s household likely start learning to manage accounts and households at the age of seven or eight. Our Seventh Sister has been indulged by Mother and has never been restrained to learn these skills, always being treated as though she were still young. But now, she’s nearly of age. Starting to learn this late is already somewhat behind schedule; naturally, we can’t delay any further.” 

Zhou Gu thought of his own elder and younger sisters; indeed, they began learning such things very early. Left speechless, he murmured, “Grandfather instructed us to spend time together and build our relationship…” 

Su Xingze smiled lightly. “Many marriages in this world are arranged through the decisions of parents and matchmakers, with the bride and groom only meeting on their wedding day. The Duke Protector is progressive, and our household is, of course, willing to cooperate. However, since my sister must learn household management, I will accompany you instead. Besides, while you’re staying here, there will still be opportunities to see and talk to each other every day.” 

Zhou Gu immediately understood Su Xingze’s intentions: this was a way to keep Su Rong from constantly accompanying him. He could only nod with a forced smile. “Very well. Su Rong has already shown me Maple Leaf River, Phoenix Mountain, and Peach Creek. Beyond those, I have no idea where to go. I’ll leave the arrangements to you, Brother Su.” 

Su Xingze nodded. “Those places are scenic spots for leisure. Having seen them, there’s no need to visit many others. Let’s do this instead, I’ll take you to meet some friends, literati who will participate in the autumn imperial exams.” 

Zhou Gu’s eyes lit up, and he agreed readily, “That sounds good.” 

Jiangning was known for its talented individuals. The people Su Xingze would introduce him to were likely highly capable. If Zhou Gu could bring them into the Eastern Palace’s fold, their eventual success in the imperial examinations would bolster the crown prince’s faction. Though the crown prince hadn’t explicitly instructed him in this matter, taking advantage of opportunities as they arose was always wise. After all, wasn’t Ning Chi an unexpected but valuable connection? 

Meanwhile, Su Rong lounged lazily in her mother’s chambers, accompanying the matriarch in learning household management. Upon hearing that Su Xingze had taken Zhou Gu out to meet other scholars, she thought to herself that Zhou Gu would likely enjoy this arrangement. After all, he had once admitted to Ning Chi that he considered himself half a member of the Eastern Palace. For such connections, Su Rong wasn’t the best intermediary, but Su Xingze taking the lead made perfect sense. 

She hummed in agreement, then earnestly suggested to the matron, “Mother, even if you don’t count on me, you can definitely count on my brother. He’ll surely earn a high rank on the imperial examination list and help our sisters marry into excellent families.” 

The matriarch glanced at her while flipping through an account book. “And what makes you say that?” 

“Because my brother is a master at winning people over,” Su Rong replied. “See, he told Zhou Gu he’d introduce him to other scholars, and Zhou Gu happily went along. It’s like giving a horse its favorite feed to make it work harder for you.” 

The matriarch frowned and chided her, “What an odd analogy.” 

“But it fits!” Su Rong said with a grin. 

The matriarch tapped her forehead lightly with her finger. “Less talk, more action. This single account book has taken you half a day, what have you figured out so far?” 

Su Rong nodded confidently. “I’ve figured out that Manager Hu falsified accounts to cheat you out of silver. He must have a real account book hidden somewhere. Mother, summon him here and demand the truth. If he denies it, threaten to marry off the maid his son has his eye on to someone else.” 

The matriarch froze. “What nonsense! Why do you think the accounts are falsified?” 

“Here, look at this and this. While the amounts match, there are discrepancies in the details. No matter how seamless it looks, it’s a fake.” Su Rong pushed the account book toward her mother. “Honestly, I don’t think I need to learn this anymore. I have a natural talent for spotting these things. No need to waste time on lessons.” 

The matrairch scrutinized the pages and pondered. After a moment, her expression darkened. “You’re right.” 

Angrily, she called out, “Someone, bring Manager Hu to me!” 

After issuing the order, she turned back to Su Rong with an appraising look. She hadn’t noticed the discrepancies herself, yet Su Rong had spotted them effortlessly. This convinced her not to let Su Rong off easily. Immediately, she piled more account books in front of her. 

“Go through all the household’s accounts. Find every inconsistency, and I’ll let you off from learning.” 

Su Rong: “…” 

She’d miscalculated!