Master of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 4: The Study

"Don't let yourself feel embarrassed!" Meng Tianchu thought, adjusting his outfit and glancing around to see if anyone noticed him. Fortunately, except for Old He respectfully standing at the door, there was no one else around. Now Meng Tianchu understood why Old He had said he'd wait outside. It turned out he already knew Meng Tianchu would only stay inside briefly before being kicked out.

Looking down at the bright red wedding robes he was wearing, Meng Tianchu felt uncomfortable, as he had never worn anything like this before. From watching Beijing opera, he vaguely remembered that ancient people walked with measured, deliberate steps. He tried imitating it for a few steps but soon gave up. It was too tedious. Instead, he lifted the hem of his robe and walked in a more carefree manner.

Old He, who had somehow gotten a lantern, hurried over with it as soon as Meng Tianchu emerged. Bowing, he asked, "Young Master, where shall we go?"

"Isn't it obvious? To bed, of course. It's so late—what else would I be doing?"

"Yes, yes. What I meant was, should we head to the study or to Liu Hua Alley?"

"Liu Hua Alley? Why would we go there?"

Old He gave him a curious look and said, "To see Mianyun and Cuihong, of course."

From Old He's puzzled expression, Meng Tianchu reminded himself to speak cautiously. He had no memories from the previous owner of this body—only the physical shell. Judging by the names, Mianyun and Cuihong seemed to be women from brothels, which didn't interest Meng Tianchu. Having just arrived in ancient times, with jet lag still bothering him and having just been kicked out of the bridal chamber, he felt too dazed to consider such matters. Sleep seemed the best course of action for now.

He waved his hand. "No, let's go back to the study."

Old He stepped aside and raised the lantern to light the way, waiting for Meng Tianchu to proceed first.

Noticing this, Meng Tianchu realized that Old He, as a servant, wouldn’t dare walk ahead of his master. However, Meng Tianchu didn’t know where the study was. Clearing his throat, he said, "Old He, you lead the way."

With his master’s permission, Old He quickly took the lead, though he still didn’t dare walk directly in front of Meng Tianchu. Instead, he kept slightly to the side, holding the lantern high to light the path. Meng Tianchu followed, and within a few steps, they reached the study, located in the same courtyard as the bridal chamber, directly opposite it.

To outsiders, it might appear that the newlyweds were living together harmoniously in one courtyard. In reality, they were leading separate lives under the same roof.

Meng Tianchu pushed open the door and entered. The study consisted of an outer room and an inner room. A quick look revealed that the outer room was indeed a study, while the inner room served as a bedroom. His forensic evidence kit was neatly placed against the wall in the inner room. Opening it, he found that all the tools, instruments, and reagents were intact.

The study truly lived up to its name, with shelves neatly lined with books in traditional Chinese bindings. Meng Tianchu, intrigued, pulled one out and flipped through it. It was filled with traditional characters arranged vertically, without punctuation. Reading even a small section was laborious, and he couldn’t make sense of what he was reading.

He tried a few more books but found them equally incomprehensible. Frustrated, he returned them to the shelves and sat down.

Old He entered with a cup of strong tea, which he placed in front of Meng Tianchu.

Meng Tianchu casually asked, "Old He, what exactly happened earlier? How did I end up unconscious?"

Old He bowed and replied, "I don’t know all the details. Following your instructions, I gave the maid Haitang two strings of coins and sent her to the garden to accompany you. Not long after, she came running out, saying you had been struck by lightning. When I went to check, you weren’t breathing. I thought... I thought..." He chuckled awkwardly. "Young Master, you truly have heaven’s blessings."

Accompany me? Meng Tianchu thought, realizing the young master he had replaced wasn’t much of a decent person. Seeking a maid’s company on his wedding night—what a scoundrel. Curious now, he wondered what the maid looked like. Amidst the chaos of his arrival, he hadn’t paid attention to such details. Now, with some calm, he found himself pondering.

Hesitating for a moment, Meng Tianchu awkwardly said, "This Haitang…"

Old He immediately understood and rushed to say, "I’ll go fetch Haitang right away!" He turned and hurried out.

In truth, Meng Tianchu was merely curious. Having just arrived, he had little time to concern himself with such trivialities. Left alone, he aimlessly browsed the bookshelves again and picked up one labeled The Great Ming Code. Though his expertise was in forensic science, he had studied basic criminal and civil law, as well as legal history. However, those were more for earning credits, and he hadn’t been a diligent student. Additionally, this book’s traditional vertical script made it even harder to decipher.

With nothing better to do, Meng Tianchu forced himself to read, slowly making sense of the characters. To his surprise, though he couldn’t write traditional characters, he recognized most of them. Still, progress was painstakingly slow—reading a single page took him the time to drink a cup of tea.

Just as he was immersed in the text, Old He returned, looking awkward. Meng Tianchu glanced up, surprised.

"What happened to Haitang?" he asked.

Old He hesitated before saying, "She… she was punished with a hundred lashes by the master. Her back and legs are badly injured, and she’s in bed now, unable to move. I thought the master might show mercy since you’re fine, but I heard it was the young mistress’s idea..."

Meng Tianchu slammed his hand on the table. "What a vicious woman!" he exclaimed angrily, though inwardly he found it amusing. The young mistress may have kicked me out of the bridal chamber, but hearing about a maid seducing her husband (even though it was actually the husband seducing the maid), she still had the maid beaten. She’s clearly jealous, he thought with a chuckle.

Then another thought struck him. No, it’s not jealousy. Jealousy implies affection, and based on her disdain for this young master, there’s no affection to speak of. This was merely her asserting her position as the nominal wife. No jealousy involved. His amusement faded as he lost interest in the matter.