Blossom

The current Duke of Yingguo's Mansion is like a sieve—the more something is considered a "secret," the faster it spreads.

Naturally, Song Han's clamor to marry Jiang Xiexiu couldn't be hidden from Song Yichun.

Yet, Song Yichun maintained an eerie silence.

Song Mo was deeply puzzled. "Could it be that Father doesn’t oppose Tianen marrying Cousin Xiexiu?"

For him, as long as his cousins could find a stable future—whether marrying into their family or another—he would be happy for them.

What he feared was that his father might think the same way as Song Han, which would end up harming Jiang Xiexiu.

Dou Zhao, however, didn’t believe it.

Song Yichun’s stance was already clear—he would never let Song Mo have an easy time, but he also didn’t want the Duke of Yingguo’s lineage to die out. Between his two sons, he had to keep at least one firmly under his control. Arranging a powerful marital alliance for Song Han thus became inevitable.

She said, "For Second Master to marry Cousin Xiexiu, the Jiang Family must first agree. Why should the Duke step forward and play the villain? Moreover, if this matter is made public, people will only say the Duke honors his late wife by seeking a match with the daughter of a disgraced official for his second son, all for the sake of his wife’s family. He gains both reputation and substance—why wouldn’t he do it?"

Song Mo nodded in agreement.

He understood the Jiang Family.

If the Jiang Family were still at the height of their influence, even if they weren’t entirely satisfied with Song Han, they might reluctantly agree to the marriage proposal. But now that the Jiang Family had fallen from grace, accepting such a proposal would inevitably invite accusations of social climbing—something they would absolutely refuse.

Dou Zhao had another concern.

In her past life, one of the main reasons Liao Wang had used Song Mo was because he was the nephew of the Duke of Dingguo, allowing him to leverage the connections built by the Duke of Dingguo’s family over generations and command the martial retainers raised by the Duke. In this life, since Song Mo was destined not to assist Liao Wang in rebellion with full effort, would Liao Wang instead turn to Song Han, who was also the Duke of Dingguo’s nephew?

If Song Han married Jiang Xiexiu, in the eyes of those who had once received the Duke of Dingguo’s favor, Song Han would seem far more approachable than Song Mo.

Of course, if Jiang Xiexiu really did marry into the family, seeing her every day would undoubtedly leave Dou Zhao with a lingering discomfort.

So the next morning, she urged Song Mo to visit Fourth Madam Jiang early: "We slept peacefully, but Fourth Aunt must have had a sleepless night. There’s much to do today—let’s go early to help and also reassure her so she can peacefully send Lianzhu off in marriage."

Song Mo agreed with Dou Zhao’s reasoning. Though the wedding was scheduled for the evening, they arrived at Fourth Madam Jiang’s residence before dawn.

Dou Zhao relayed Song Yichun’s attitude to Fourth Madam Jiang and tactfully probed: "Song Han is still young. These past few years, he’s been studying under the Duke’s guidance, and his sincerity toward you is genuine. If his thoughts aren’t fully considered, please don’t hold it against him. At least his heart is in the right place—Fourth Aunt should take comfort in that."Fourth Madam Jiang pondered for a moment before smiling and saying, "I appreciate your kindness, but the more you show such consideration, the more imperative it is for us to return to Haozhou sooner. Several years ago, Lord Liu, the Commander of the Liuzhou Guard, sought to marry Xiexiu for his eldest son. However, because our family’s Second Master had once done him a favor, our late matriarch feared others might accuse us of leveraging kindness for gain, so she declined the proposal. Later, with the passing of our matriarch, the marriages of several children were delayed. Just before I came to the Capital, my maternal aunt mentioned that Lord Liu has once again proposed for his eldest son to marry Xiexiu. She worries that the Liu family is too far away and that Xiexiu might struggle to adapt if she marries there, so she discussed it with me. At the time, my mind was entirely preoccupied with Quan Lizhu’s wedding, and I didn’t give it much thought. Now that Lizhu is married, I have time to properly discuss the children’s marriages with my sister-in-law. I’m afraid we must disappoint the Duke’s goodwill." Then, as if fearing Dou Zhao might suffer, she hinted meaningfully, "I know being a daughter-in-law means balancing respect for your father-in-law with care for your husband. But your father-in-law is a widower—at his age, if he doesn’t remarry now, he will eventually. You just need to focus on taking care of Yantang. As for the Duke, as long as you maintain appearances, that’s enough."

Dou Zhao found herself both amused and exasperated.

Fourth Madam Jiang must have assumed she was sent by Song Yichun to sound out the marriage proposal!

Amid her mixed feelings, Dou Zhao couldn’t help but feel a surge of gratitude toward Fourth Madam Jiang.

Only someone who truly cared for her would speak so candidly.

This also revealed how uncomfortable the Jiang family felt about Song Yichun’s treatment of Song Mo.

With a bright smile, Dou Zhao nodded and reminded Fourth Madam Jiang, "I’ve already sent someone to keep an eye on the Second Master. But since the Duke of Yingguo’s Mansion is still under the Duke’s control, some things are hard to address. My only worry is that if this matter spreads, the Duke will be seen as righteous and devoted, while the Jiang family ends up labeled as aloof, merely serving as his stepping stone."

After a brief moment of reflection, Fourth Madam Jiang understood Dou Zhao’s meaning and replied with a smile, "I see. I’ll take precautions to prevent such outcomes."

The fact that the Jiang family had sent Fourth Madam Jiang to oversee the wedding showed she was capable of handling matters independently. Reassured, Dou Zhao chatted with her for a while before heading to the main hall.

As the curtain to the recessed space was lifted, Jiang Xiexu walked in.

She boldly met Fourth Madam Jiang’s gaze and asked directly, "Aunt, are you planning to marry me off to Liuzhou?"

"Of course not," Fourth Madam Jiang said softly, taking Jiang Xiexu’s hand. She sighed, "The Jiang family has seen too many women married into military families, only to become widows at a young age. Haven’t we witnessed enough of such tragedies? While it’s our duty to serve the Duke of Dingguo’s Mansion, given their support, we’ve no right to complain. But now, after surviving death once, we’ve fulfilled our ancestors’ wishes to the best of our ability. From now on, we must live for ourselves. As for the marriages already arranged, we’ll honor them. But for the rest of you, your Eldest Aunt and I share the same wish—to keep you close by our sides."

Jiang Xiexu’s eyes reddened, and tears began to fall silently. Whether from grievance or relief, she whispered, "Fourth Aunt...""Silly child!" Fourth Madam Jiang stepped forward and embraced Jiang Xiexiu's shoulders, whispering softly, "When you handed me those things, I already understood your intentions. Though our family has fallen on hard times, as long as your Eldest Aunt is here, you won't suffer any injustices."

Jiang Xiexiu nodded, her eyes brimming with tears as she smiled. "And Fourth Aunt too!"

Fourth Madam Jiang chuckled lightly, saying, "I can't compare to your Eldest Aunt's courage and wisdom," as she took out a handkerchief for Jiang Xiexiu to dry her tears. "There are many guests today—don't let anyone notice anything amiss."

Jiang Xiexiu nodded again, ensuring no traces of tears remained on her face before leaving the Resting Chamber.

Jiang Xieying leaned against a pillar beneath the recessed eaves, staring blankly at the azure sky.

Hearing footsteps, she looked up and nodded at Jiang Xiexiu.

Jiang Xiexiu paused, then walked over to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Jiang Xieying against the pillar. Mimicking her earlier posture, she gazed up at the sky and asked softly, "What are you looking at?"

A flock of pigeons flew across the rectangular patch of sky, their sharp whistles piercing the courtyard's tranquility.

Jiang Xieying murmured, still staring at the sky, "I was wondering... if I'll ever have another chance to see the Capital's sky again..."

And someone.

She added silently in her heart, her fingers lightly brushing the agarwood bracelet on her wrist.

Jiang Xiexiu turned to glance at the bracelet, her gaze lingering for a moment.

She remembered—it was from the Lantern Festival four years ago. When they were still young ladies of Duke Dingguo's Mansion, Young Lord Song Yantang of the Duke of England's Mansion had come to pay respects to their grandmother. Aside from gifts for the elders, each of the sisters had received an agarwood bracelet.

Their cousin Hanzhu had tossed hers into her dressing case without a second thought, while Jiang Xiexiu had joyfully tucked hers under her pillow. But Fourteenth Sister had worn hers day and night, never taking it off.

So when their home was raided, all their bracelets were lost—except Fourteenth Sister's.

Yet what did it matter now?

Jiang Xiexiu looked back at the sky and whispered, "Cousin's wife is beautiful. And kind... From the way Cousin looks at her, he clearly adores her... He used to leave without a second thought—sending a page to inquire was already considerate... Now he comes to fetch her every day after court... He's doing well..."

Yet a haze clouded her vision, and a pang of bitterness rose in her heart.

Jiang Xieying, however, recalled the time they'd all hidden behind the holly bushes to secretly watch their brothers practice archery. When they were discovered, the sisters had scattered with giggles into the rock garden. Thirteenth Sister, the slowest, had been caught—but she'd calmly stood her ground, her wide eyes fixed unblinkingly on Cousin Song Yantang as she declared, "I came to cheer for my brothers because I admire their archery skills."

Jiang Xieying couldn't help but smile faintly.

Those bygone days were like a beautiful dream. What was the point of dwelling on them now?

"Yes," she said sincerely. "Knowing Cousin and the others are doing well... I have no regrets left."

The faint sound of laughter drifted over.

Jiang Xieying straightened with a smile, lightly brushing her sleeves. "Thirteenth Sister, guests must be arriving. Shall we go greet them?"

Jiang Xiexiu cheerfully agreed, and the two sisters walked arm-in-arm toward the main hall.

※※※※※

Jiang Lizhu returned to her maiden home on the third day, and the Jiang women departed the Capital on the fourth.When they left the capital, all the families who had attended Jiang Lizhu's wedding learned that Fourth Madam Jiang had decided to leave the other girls in Haozhou, ensuring the younger brothers in their childhood years would have someone to rely on.

Despite this, Song Han did not relent.

He knelt in the main courtyard of the Duke of Yingguo's Mansion, begging Song Yichun to intervene and arrange a marriage for him with a daughter of the Jiang Family.

In his words, strengthening ties with his maternal relatives would surely bring comfort to Madam Jiang in the afterlife, and she would nod in approval.

Soon, Song Han's reputation for filial piety spread far and wide.

Song Yichun summoned Song Mo and Dou Zhao to his study and said to Song Han with a faint smile, "Unfortunately, Xiexiu and Xieying are already betrothed. If you wish to marry your cousin, you’ll have to wait a few more years."

The other daughters of the Jiang Family were still too young.

Yet Song Han replied, "As long as Father agrees to let me marry a daughter of the Jiang Family, I’m willing to wait a few years."

His resolute tone made Dou Zhao suspicious.

It was understandable that Song Han admired Jiang Xiexiu and wanted to marry her. But the Jiang Family had already clearly rejected him, and he had even gained a reputation for "filial piety" because of it. Why was he still insisting on marrying a Jiang daughter? Moreover, from the way he spoke, it seemed any daughter of the Jiang Family would suffice. Was his affection truly for Jiang Xiexiu, or was it simply because Madam Jiang had once intended to betroth her to Song Mo?