Chapter 30 Devoid of Wisdom Chapter 30 Devoid of Wisdom Looks like it is time to find a way to properly face the people of Late Spring Yard, Lady Chen thought. After a stretch of quiet, the day of the poetry gathering arrived. +10 Free Coins Ma Ting chose a pale blue silk gown embroidered with five-leaf bamboo across the cloak. At a single glance, anyone could see she belonged to a household of civil officials. Her face held only the faintest touch of powder, yet it was enough to leave the maids around her staring in awe. "I should wear the veil." She gazed at her reflection and still thought her appearance too striking. Even when the veil covered her features, her bright and lively eyes could not be hidden. Just as she was about to step into the carriage, Tang rushed forward with a letter clutched tightly in his hand. "Ms. Ting, a letter from the Lang family." Ma Ting's eyes brightened. She steadied the paper in her hands before entering the carriage. On the road, she broke the seal and read the letter with care. Her brow furrowed as each line sank into her mind. "Ms. Ting, why that look?" Ding Jie's voice shook with unease. It was the first time she had seen her mistress appear so solemn. Not even when she had gone to break off her betrothal had she seemed so grave. "My grandfather is moving the entire family into Ming City. They will arrive in five days. He wrote that we will speak in detail then." Ma Ting's grip on the letter grew tight. It should have been joyful news, yet a heavy dread stirred within her. "But this is a good thing. Why are you not happy, Ms. Ting?" Ding Jie, who had once been brought from the Lang household by Ma Ting's mother, still carried affection for them and could not understand her mistress' worry. "The year's end is near. It is the busiest time for merchants. For Grandfather to uproot the family now, the Lang business in Southriver must be facing serious trouble." The Lang family had traded for generations, with her great-grandfather once counted among the emperor's own merchants. Though the title of imperial trader had long since gone to another, their roots in Southriver had always been deep. To leave it all behind for Ming City could only mean they were starting over. Ding Jie finally grasped how dire it might be. Fear flickered across her face. "Ms. Ting, should I find someone to investigate?" Ma Ting nodded, then hesitated. "His Grace just passed through Southriver. Tonight, I will write to him and ask him to look into it." Ordinary eyes and ears would never uncover the truth. 1/3 6:12 pm & DI Chapter 30 Devoid of Wisdom +10 Free Coins But Qi Rong certainly could. At the very least, she needed to know what had happened before her grandfather reached Ming City. "If His Grace receives your letter, he will be overjoyed." The girl's playful words lightened Ma Ting's heart. She reached over and pinched Ding Jie's cheek. "Bold of you to tease me. Just wait until I find you a husband. Then we'll see if you'd still speak so freely." Ding Jie's face burned red, and she stumbled over her apologies. The heavy air within the carriage eased. Ma Ting folded the letter away just as the driver's voice rang from outside. "Ms. Ting, we have arrived." She lifted the curtain and looked at the Tower of Blessings, where the poetry gathering was held every year. With Ding Jie's steady hand, she descended from the carriage. At once, she felt several gazes fall upon her. She swept her eyes toward them as though by chance, then lowered her head and handed over her invitation. "Which family's lady is this?" "She even wears a veil. Perhaps she is hiding something." "Forget her. I only want to see if Ma Ting dares show her face today. If she comes, there will be a spectacle." "What spectacle?" "You truly have not heard? Master Han brought Concubine He with him today. They say her zither playing is enchanting. That is how she won his favor." Ma Ting walked past the whispering noble ladies, her expression calm and untouched by their words. Ding Jie, however, clenched her teeth in fury, holding her silence only because of the crowd. When they reached the women's courtyard, she finally burst out, "Ms. Ting, I have never heard of anyone bringing a concubine to a poetry gathering. Master Han is clearly doing this to shame you!" Ma Ting showed no anger. She seemed almost detached. She picked up a delicate pastry, took a small bite, and her eyes glimmered. "Ding Jie, try one. These are quite good." Holding the pastry, Ding Jie looked at her mistress' serene face and felt her own temper fade. "Well, is this not my dear Tingting? I never thought you would come wearing a veil." The sugary voice rang loud enough to draw every gaze. When the noble girls saw He Xinying in her flowing white gown, her graceful posture impossible to mistake, they knew exactly whom she meant by Tingting. "Ma Ting truly came?" 2/3 12pm & D Chapter 30 Devoid of Wisdom "She knows nothing of poetry, yet she still dares to appear. We will see a fine joke today." 714 +10 Free Coins "And Master Han actually brought a concubine? Since when did Marquis Sunfair's Residence grow so careless with propriety?"