“Zhu, Zhu Adou, stand up and recite the Three Character Classic we went over yesterday.”
In the lecture hall, Master Liu, whose eyes were failing him in his old age, squinted at the register for a long time before calling out the name.
As soon as he spoke, a burst of childish laughter erupted. Master Liu’s brow furrowed, and he struck the podium sharply several times with his ferule.
“Silence! There shall be no clamor in this classroom!”
Douzi stood up, his face flushed red. He began to speak haltingly, “To, to instruct the young, one must be thorough... to, to the Four Books... re, record the virtuous words.”
Though he was far from fluent, he managed to finish the recitation.
Master Liu was not particularly satisfied. He knitted his brows and finally said, “You are still not proficient. Go home today and memorize it until it is perfect.”
“Yes, Master!” Douzi replied obediently.
“Good. Next...”
As soon as the session was dismissed, Douzi began to pack his book bag, pens, and paper with lightning speed. His heart was leaping with joy; he had heard from his uncle that today was the day his sister and brother-in-law were returning home. He missed his sister dearly and wanted to get home as fast as possible.
Suddenly.
With a sharp slap, a crumpled ball of paper landed precisely on Douzi’s head. It startled him for a moment, and then an arrogant voice drifted from the front of the room.
“Hey, Zhu Adou! Your young master is calling you. Why haven't you come over to wipe my desk yet?”
The boy speaking was named Song Chengzhi, the person Douzi disliked most in the entire academy.
Douzi felt a pang of grievance. He didn't know why, but ever since he had started his studies here, this boy had always found him eyesore. Usually, he would have let it slide, but today Douzi was in a hurry to get home. He pursed his lips, said nothing, and picked up his book bag to head out.
Douzi was shorter than his peers, with short limbs. He had just reached the doorway when he was blocked by Song Chengzhi and two other boys. Douzi looked up, his small face darkening instantly. He despised all three of them; they were all part of Song Chengzhi’s clique and bullied him constantly. This was the primary reason he dreaded coming to school.
“Hey, where do you think you’re going? Did I give you permission to leave?”
“Hahaha, this is killing me! Imagine being named Zhu Adou in this day and age. What remote wilderness did you crawl out of? Even the servants in our house don't have names like that.”
Another boy added with a giggle, “When I first asked him, he even said he has an older sister named Zhu Amei.”
“Hahaha!”
Song Chengzhi’s laughter was the loudest and most mocking.
Douzi had been suppressing his anger. The three of them were taller than him, and he knew he couldn't beat them in a fight. He was naturally timid and usually endured whatever they threw at him. But now, hearing them mock his sister, Douzi suddenly lost all reason in a flash of rage. He lunged forward and gave Song Chengzhi a violent shove, shouting:
“You are not allowed to laugh at my sister!”
Though Douzi was small, he had been helping his sister with chores since he was a young child, and he possessed surprising strength.
Song Chengzhi was tall, but he never expected the usually cowardly and weak Zhu Adou to dare lay a hand on him. Caught off guard, he was sent reeling backward by Douzi’s push. Amidst several cries of alarm, he tumbled all the way down the stairs!
As soon as the Imperial Envoy’s procession arrived in the capital, Ansheng arranged for someone to escort Zhu Amei home while he and Cui Gudao hurried into the palace to report on their mission.
The carriage pulled up in front of the An residence. Zhu Amei lifted the curtain and saw someone standing at the gate, looking in her direction.
“Godfather!”
With a beaming smile, Zhu Amei climbed down from the carriage.
An Gui’s face crinkled into a web of smiles, his raspy voice trembling slightly. “You’re finally back. Come, let’s go inside.”
Zhu Amei was overjoyed. she turned back to grab her luggage, carrying bags and bundles as she walked into the house.
As they walked, she asked, “Godfather, has everything been well at home? It’s getting colder; has the pain in your knees worsened?”
“Good, good, everything is fine. Before you left, you told little Douzi to warm my knees every day. That child is as kind-hearted as you; every night he prepares a hot water bottle for me. Thanks to you and that boy, my knees are much more comfortable than in previous years.” An Gui nodded with a smile, his expression turning tender at the mention of Douzi.
“Godfather has been so good to me, my brother, and my father. This is the least we can do.” After entering the courtyard, Zhu Amei realized something and let out a soft exclamation. “Godfather, where are my father and Douzi?”
An Gui replied, “Douzi is at his studies. The session should be over by now; your father went to pick him up.”
“Oh, that’s right, Douzi is in school. Look at my head.” Zhu Amei laughed, her eyes bright. “Godfather, Ansheng and I received your letter. I just forgot for a moment.”
“By the way, Godfather, Ansheng has gone to the palace with the Imperial Envoy to report. He said he would be home later and told you not to worry.”
An Gui was always at ease with how Ansheng handled things. He nodded. “Good. You have so many bags; go and put them away.”
Zhu Amei hummed in agreement. “I’ll put these things down and then start cooking. Douzi must be craving my braised pork.”
An Gui smiled and agreed.
Zhu Amei efficiently tidied up her things and then went to the kitchen to stew the meat and prepare a few side dishes. However, by the time the food was ready to be served, neither her father nor Douzi had returned.
“That shouldn't be. They should have been back long ago at this hour. Could the academy have changed its dismissal time?” An Gui stood by the door, peering out at the darkening sky, feeling perplexed.
“Godfather, what time does Father usually pick Douzi up?”
An Gui told her the time.
Zhu Amei’s brow furrowed. “That was over an hour ago. Where is the Guozijian? Should I go and look for them?”
Just as the words left her mouth, a frantic pounding came from the front door.
A voice shouted from outside, “Is anyone home? Open up, quickly!”
Zhu Amei and her godfather exchanged a look, their hearts sinking. She rushed to open the door.
Standing outside was a man dressed like a servant, his face flushed with urgency. Upon seeing Zhu Amei, he panted, “Young lady, I’m from the Guozijian. Is this the home of Zhu Adou and Zhu Liniu?”
Zhu Amei’s heart skipped a beat. She nodded quickly and replied, “Yes! That is my brother and my father. Sir, my father went to the Guozijian to pick up my brother. Has something happened?”
“I finally found your house! Your brother has caused a great disaster! He injured the grandson of Minister Sun. Now, not only your brother but even your father has been taken to the Court of Judicial Review. The Proctor told me to notify you immediately. If you have any connections, start pulling strings quickly! Anyway, I’ve delivered the message. I must head back!”
The servant finished his piece and vanished before she could blink. The news was so sudden that Zhu Amei stood frozen for a long moment. Finally, she took a deep breath and turned around to find An Gui standing right behind her.
An Gui’s voice was raspy but steady. “Amei, don't panic. I will go and try to gather some information. You go to the palace gates and send word to find your husband.”
“But, Ansheng...” Zhu Amei remembered the urgency with which Ansheng and Master Cui had rushed into the palace. “I’m afraid that looking for him will interfere with his official business.”
Amei’s eyes flashed with urgency as she continued earnestly, “Godfather, Douzi is such a well-behaved and obedient child. I refuse to believe he would ever hurt someone on purpose. They must be trying to extort him. My husband gave me plenty of jewelry and silver on our journey here—I have the money. We can go to the Court of Judicial Review and bail them out.”
Hearing her words, An Gui’s cloudy eyes flickered, but he remained firm. “Since the matter has reached the Court of Judicial Review, I suspect it won’t be that simple. We don’t know the full situation yet, so we mustn't lose our heads. Go and request an audience first. If he is busy, wait outside the palace until he is finished. Once you see him, tell him everything you know. I will handle the inquiries for the rest.”
Amei’s expression was grave, and she pressed her lips together tightly. It took a long moment before she finally spoke, her voice trembling slightly. “Alright, I will do as you say, Godfather. I’ll go find my husband right away.”
