In thе Ассumulated Тruth Наll, tеnsiоns ran high.
Madаm Yuаn and Chеng Xu sat fасing еасh оther in a stаndoff.
Cheng Xu’s eyеs wеre widе oреn, unwilling tо bаck dоwn аs hе sаid, “Whу cоuld my eldest аnd sеcоnd sisters decidе their own mаrriages, but I саnnоt?”
“Весаuse yоu аre а mаn, thе legitimаte sоn аnd grandson оf Ninе Prоsperities Lаne, the onе whо must uрhold thе family’s honоr,” Маdam Yuаn rерliеd соldly, stаring аt her sоn. “Womеn spend thеir entirе livеs within thе inner quаrtеrs. Аftеr marriage, thеy must not only watсh their husband’s eхpressiоns and thеir mоther-in-lаw’s moods but also those of their sisters-in-law and other relatives. In old age, they may even have to defer to their sons. Men, however, can travel far and wide, move between court and society, and are duty-bound to bring glory to their ancestors, focusing on achieving merit, establishing careers, and serving the nation. The inner quarters are merely a place for you to rest occasionally. The court is where you should be, where you should exert your efforts.”
Hearing this, Cheng Xu’s face flushed red. “Cultivating oneself, managing the family, governing the state, and bringing peace to the world—isn’t peace within the inner quarters also important?”
Before he could finish, Madam Yuan scoffed. “But who wants unrest in the inner quarters? Isn’t it you? Instead of walking the broad and smooth path, you insist on heading down a dead-end alley. Did your grandmother agree to this, or did your father? Who is it that’s causing all this turmoil and unrest?”
Cheng Xu hesitated, words caught in his throat.
He wanted to say that achieving great deeds and leaving a name in history depended on human effort but were ultimately decided by fate. Who could guarantee they would accomplish something grand? But marrying someone he loved was a matter of the present. At this moment, he only wanted to focus on what was before him.
Yet he knew even more clearly that he could not say these words.
If he uttered them, it would truly bring chaos to the household.
Not only would his mother be disappointed, but his grandmother and his father, who placed boundless hopes in him, would also be deeply let down.
Cheng Xu looked at his mother, his expression filled with melancholy.
Madam Yuan’s heart softened.
Thinking of her son’s bright, sunny face as a child, and his chubby little hands offering her tasty treats from his own mouth… her tone unconsciously gentled. She whispered, “Jiashan, in this world, gains always come with losses. Your responsibilities do not allow such willfulness. Let’s not speak of others—take the emperor, for example. ‘All under heaven belongs to the emperor.’ He should be the most honored person in the world, right? He wanted to make Consort Lin the empress, but since she had no sons, the Grand Secretariat refused, and he had to appoint Consort Wang, who bore his eldest son, as empress instead. Even the emperor must follow worldly rules, let alone commoners like us. Shaojin is a good girl. If she came from a family of generations of officials, I wouldn’t stop you—I’d even help you marry her. You are also a good son. If you were merely the eldest son of an ordinary family, I wouldn’t demand this of you either. You have enjoyed the support of the Cheng family, so you must repay it. This is your fate, and it is also Shaojin’s fate. You cannot think only of yourself and disregard others.”
Cheng Xu remained unwilling to yield. “What about Fourth Uncle? He passed the imperial examination but didn’t enter government service, and he’s over twenty without marrying. Why don’t you control him? Why must you focus only on me?”
After saying so much, her son still refused to listen to a single word.
Madam Yuan’s anger surged, her mind buzzing, and she knew further words would be useless. She said bluntly, “If you could be like your Fourth Uncle, not spending a single coin of the family’s money, and capable of establishing your own household by branching off from the clan right now, I wouldn’t control you either!”Cheng Xu's spirits lifted upon hearing this. He immediately jumped up and said, "Excellent. Mother, it's settled then. If I can be like Fourth Uncle, not relying on the family's silver and still living well on my own, you must agree to let me decide my own marriage."
Madam Yuan nearly coughed up blood at these words. Fortunately, she hadn't been completely driven to distraction by her son and instinctively replied, "You can wait, but a young lady cannot. Women marry upon reaching adulthood at fifteen—I'm afraid this is just your wishful thinking."
Cheng Xu knew his mother was trying to make things difficult for him.
But he wasn't one to be easily cornered.
His mind raced.
The year after next was the Dingyou year, when the provincial exams would be held. If he passed and became a provincial graduate, could he gradually become independent like Fourth Uncle?
He immediately said, "Very well, let's set a three-year limit. If I no longer rely on the family after three years, you must honor our agreement. Conversely, if I fail to stand on my own after three years, I will keep my promise and follow your arrangements."
Three years later, Zhou Shaojin would be of marriageable age.
Madam Yuan said, "Agreed."
Once her son passed the provincial exams, he would realize just how difficult it was to break into the triennial metropolitan exams, which only accepted a little over three hundred candidates, without the support of the family.
※
Zhou Shaojin had no idea that certain moments in this life and her previous one would overlap in a startling way.
On the day of the Chrysanthemum Banquet, she hid in the Fragrant Garden Residence and did not go out. Cheng Xu also did not find excuses to seek her out. While she breathed a sigh of relief, she also felt uneasy—not knowing when Cheng Xu might appear again.
She discreetly inquired about Cheng Xu's recent whereabouts from Biyu and others.
"...He's been accompanying Young Master Min the whole time," Biyu said. "According to Huanxi, Young Master Min invited the young master to study at the Imperial College together. The young master seems to have agreed, and Madam is also very supportive. She even wrote a letter to the elder master. If the elder master has no objections, after the Cold Clothing Festival, the young master will go to the capital with Young Master Min."
On the first day of the tenth lunar month, the Cold Clothing Festival, every household would pay respects to their ancestors.
Zhou Shaojin was stunned.
In her previous life, Cheng Xu had stayed in Jinling.
Could this be another effect of her rebirth?
If so, it was a positive change. She wouldn't have to be constantly on guard against Cheng Xu. After going to the capital, Cheng Xu would broaden his horizons and might even come to see her as nothing special and let go.
This was a good thing!
Zhou Shaojin felt elated and took a few crabs to visit Jiying.
Seeing the crabs, each as large as a bowl, Jiying drooled with craving and said, "It's been years since I've eaten crabs this big. I remember I buried a jar of Nü'er Hong wine in the courtyard. Let's dig it up and drink it."
"No, no, no," Zhou Shaojin hurriedly stopped her. "Nü'er Hong wine becomes richer and more mellow the longer it's buried. Shouldn't we leave it for a few more years?"
"Who knows what next year will bring?" Jiying, however, disagreed. "I heard from Minghe that Nanping has been packing these days. It seems they're planning to move to Algae Garden. If they really move, who knows when this wine will be dug up or who will get to enjoy it?"
"You're moving to Algae Garden?" Zhou Shaojin was very surprised.
Jiying shrugged and said, "That's just what I've heard. Whether we actually move or not, I'm not entirely sure."
These words fell like a heavy stone, weighing heavily on Zhou Shaojin's heart.
Then how would she get close to Uncle Chi?
And whom could she turn to to warn Cheng Jing?
What would become of the Cheng family?What should she do?
Could it be that the ancestor of the second branch, Cheng Xu, had done something?
Zhou Shaojin grew anxious and said, "We've been living here just fine, why suddenly move away?"
Jiying laughed, "Why are you so worried? Even if we do move, it probably won't happen until after the Winter Clothing Festival."
Zhou Shaojin said sadly, "Then... will I still get to see you in the future?"
"Don't look like we're parting forever, okay?" Seeing her like this, Jiying was both annoyed and amused. "Your uncle is so unpredictable—who knows, we might move out one day and move right back in the next. Think about it, he doesn't care about anyone, doesn't take anyone to heart, but he can't just forget about his own mother, can he? So as long as Old Madam Guo is still alive and living in Nine Prosperities Lane, he can't possibly not come back."
But what if Old Madam Guo were no longer here?
This thought slipped into Zhou Shaojin's mind as she listened to Jiying's words.
She couldn't help but shudder.
When did Old Madam Guo pass away?
Zhou Shaojin kept trying to recall.
The last time Cheng Xu appeared was either in the twenty-fourth or twenty-fifth year of Zhide—she couldn't remember clearly—but at that time, Old Madam Guo was still alive. Otherwise, Cheng Xu wouldn't have been able to run amok in the capital. So Old Madam Guo must have passed away after the twenty-fifth year of Zhide.
In the twenty-sixth year of Zhide, she couldn't remember anything happening in the Cheng family. But in the twenty-seventh year of Zhide, Cousin Yi passed the imperial examination with honors, becoming a Junior Scholar Candidate, and observed governance in the Ministry of Justice. Later, Cousin Yi came to visit her... It was when Cousin Yi failed the exams, in the year Bingwu, the twenty-ninth year of Zhide. Cousin Yi didn't mention Old Madam Guo, but afterward... the second elder of the main branch, Cheng Shao, suddenly fell seriously ill and passed away. He rushed to Apricot Grove Lane to help with the funeral arrangements.
Apricot Grove Lane was where the Cheng family stayed in the capital. The second elder of the main branch had always lived there.
She remembered Cousin Yi telling her at the time, "Since you don’t want to have any more contact with the Cheng family, just pretend you don’t know."
He told her not to send anyone to pay respects.
At that time, she saw that Cheng Yi was very despondent and was extremely worried. She secretly sent someone to follow him, but the person who returned told her that Cheng Yi was fine and not to worry. He also said that someone had come from Jinling to report the death, and Cheng Yi would have to rush back to Jinling early the next morning, so he wouldn’t be coming to bid her farewell.
There were too many relatives of the Cheng family in Jinling.
And since Cheng Yi was rushing back early the next morning, it definitely wasn’t for an immediate family member.
She didn’t think much of it.
Could it be... that it was Old Madam Guo who had passed away at that time!
Zhou Shaojin’s temples throbbed.
Two years later, in the second year of Tianshun, the Cheng family was raided.
The entire Cheng family was arrested.
Whether it was the women and children in their hometown in Jinling, the officials serving in the capital, or her second maternal uncle Cheng Yuan, who was stationed elsewhere—all were taken. Only Fourth Master Cheng Chi of the main branch escaped... He even stormed the execution ground... but saved only Cheng Xu!
What if Uncle Chi had already left Jinling and the Cheng family in the twenty-ninth year of Zhide?
Zhou Shaojin was startled by this bold assumption.
She thought of that day at Three Branches Pavilion.There was Zhu Pengju, the heir to the Duke of Liangguo; Gu Jiuniao, who later became the Vice Minister of Works; Yuan Bieyun, who might be the eldest son of Yuan Weichang, the current Chief Grand Secretary, Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion, and Minister of Personnel... They conversed with ease and confidence. Figures like Wan Tong, the emperor's close attendant; Chen Li, the chief eunuch of the Qianqing Palace; and Liu Yong, the eunuch secretary of the Directorate of Ceremonial—individuals whose mere footsteps could send tremors through the court and make frontier officials pale with fear—were regarded as ordinary in their eyes.
At that time, she didn’t know Uncle Chi’s identity. Later, after learning who had helped her out of trouble, she occasionally couldn’t help but wonder: Uncle Chi knew so many influential people, so why had no one stepped forward to assist the Cheng family during its life-or-death crisis?
Clearly, they were all fair-weather friends!
But what if these people were only close to Uncle Chi, and Uncle Chi was no longer part of the Cheng family?
※
Sisters, there was a mistake with the pink ticket count for bonus updates—it’s been corrected now…
PS: The update will be around 11 PM tonight.
※ (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please vote with your recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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