Minru smiled and said, "Mother, there's no need to worry. It's just a matter of putting on a show—when one finishes, another begins! Whether it's the Chu family or the Mou family, they all have to listen to our Yu family!"
The sixth sister, Qixuan, who was sitting nearby, suddenly spoke up: "I've heard that Young Marshal Xiao is only in his twenties, yet his abilities are a hundred times greater than Fifth Brother's. Such a promising young man is truly a great hero."
Her words were quite abrupt, leaving everyone momentarily stunned. Yu Changxuan finished a piece of pastry nonchalantly and said, "Qixuan must have taken a fancy to that Xiao fellow from the north. Since you admire him so much, why not have Father arrange a match? We could have a north-south alliance marriage, and you could marry him. That would save us from the endless standoff and constant warfare between north and south. How about it?"
Qixuan turned to look at Yu Changxuan and declared clearly, "Just wait and see, Fifth Brother! When I turn twenty, who's to say I can't marry him?!"
Madam Yu knew these two siblings had a contentious relationship and that a few more words would surely lead to an argument. She changed the subject, saying to Yu Changxuan, "I've noticed you've been taking advantage of your father's absence to fool around lately. Your father will be finished with his affairs soon—it's time for you to settle down."
Seeing that his mother was about to lecture him, Yu Changxuan quickly acknowledged her words. He stopped eating, stood up, and headed out, saying, "You're right, Mother. I'll go check on things at the Army Ministry right away."
Qixuan let out a derisive laugh and called out loudly, "How rare that Fifth Brother is going to attend to serious matters! Better tell your driver to be careful not to accidentally drive to some Western Hills Restaurant or Paramount Ballroom—that would be quite the joke!"
Yu Changxuan paid no attention to Qixuan's taunts and left immediately. Jun Daiti watched him walk out of the living room without even looking back, and a hint of disappointment unconsciously showed on her face. Minru gently squeezed her hand and then said to Qixuan with a smile, "Sixth Sister, didn't I tell you Daiti plays the piano exceptionally well? Would you like to hear her play?"
Qixuan, being at an age where she loved to have fun, immediately perked up at this. She stopped cracking walnuts, stood up, and took Jun Daiti's hand, saying cheerfully, "Come on, let's go to the music room. I've long heard that you civilized seeds returning from abroad are truly remarkable. Play something for me!"
Jin Xuan laughed and said, "Sixth Sister, don't get too carried away with fun. Don't forget you have a tutor coming for your lessons this afternoon."
Qixuan replied, "I know," and then ran off, pulling Jun Daiti along with her.
After leaving the living room, Yu Changxuan instructed a servant to summon Gu Ruitong, the head of his aides-de-camp office. He went straight upstairs to change into his military uniform. Just as he finished changing and stepped out of the dressing room, he saw Gu Ruitong already waiting for him. He said, "Let's go to the Army Ministry." Gu Ruitong hesitated for a moment and asked, "What about the Tao sisters' dance party tonight?"
Yu Changxuan replied, "We'll go if we have time, and skip it if we don't. There's no need to take such matters seriously!" As he fastened the buttons on his sleeves and walked out, Zhou Tai, the steward of the Yu residence, came in and bowed, saying, "Fifth Master, Second Miss Tao has called."Without even turning his head, Yu Changxuan strode out and coldly snapped, "A bunch of clueless fools. Can’t you see I’m busy? I don’t have time to deal with her right now." The butler, Zhou Tai, promptly acknowledged and withdrew. Seeing Yu Changxuan leave, Gu Ruitong followed him out.
Since Lin Tangsheng, the former finance minister of the Jiangnan Central Government, was imprisoned for embezzling public funds, the Tao family of Jiangnan had seized the opportunity to rise rapidly, taking control of the central government’s financial authority. However, the political situation at the time was turbulent: externally, the Fusang army was watching covetously, while internally, the Xiao Clan Warlords from Jiangbei and other minor factions divided half the country. Though nominally the central authority, the government only held sway over the southern half of the land, and internal political struggles were brutal. As the saying went: "The Chu family holds the realm, the Yu family commands the army, the Mou family controls the parties, and the Tao family manages the wealth!"
As the powerful southern families vied for dominance, their influence waxed and waned. In this struggle where the snipe and clam fought, it remained unclear who would emerge as the triumphant fisherman—whether it would be the invading Fusang forces, the Xiao Clan Warlords from Jiangbei, or some other military faction.
The Tao sisters were the top socialites of high society, with family backgrounds second to none. When they hosted a soirée, nothing was left to chance. The Tao residence’s main gate was already adorned with pine and cypress branches and flags of all nations, while the courtyard was decked with colorful streamers, lanterns, flowers, and greenery, creating a bustling and lively atmosphere. Thanks to Bai Liyuan’s intervention, Ye Pingjun managed to enter the Tao residence. She stood in the courtyard assisting with greeting guests and received quite a few tips. The scene was a whirl of men and women, with distinguished guests filling the halls, Western music playing, and the festivities showing no signs of winding down even late into the night.
Following the Tao butler’s instructions, Ye Pingjun brought coffee to the two Tao sisters. She saw Bai Liyuan and several socialites keeping them company in the hall. The second Miss Tao, Tao Ziyi, wore a low-shouldered, fitted dress and sat fuming angrily. "No, I won’t go! I’ve called him several times, and he ignored me. As soon as that fake foreigner Jun Daiti returned to the country, he became completely distracted. Now he’s here but won’t come in—instead, he wants me to go out and see him. Since when is anything that convenient?"
Tao Yayi laughed and said, "You’re throwing a tantrum for no reason, little sister. Haven’t you heard? He came straight to see you from the Army Ministry without even going home first. Don’t break his heart—go out and see him quickly."
Tao Ziyi glanced at her sister, and just then, Pingjun approached with the coffee. She looked at Pingjun, suddenly chuckled, stood up, and walked over to a nearby desk. After writing a note, she strode back, her Ferragamo heels clicking sharply against the floor. She thrust the note into Pingjun’s hand, raised her eyebrows, and declared, "Follow the attendant outside and deliver this note to Fifth Master for me. Also, tell him I’m tired today. If he’s sincere, he can come see me tomorrow!"
Ye Pingjun took the note and replied, "Yes." As she walked out of the hall, Yayi laughed and remarked, "Little sister, you’re up to your tricks again. What did you write to Fifth Master?"Second Miss Tao, Tao Ziyi, was naturally somewhat willful and spoiled. Thinking that Yu Changxuan was waiting outside, she felt it would be a true display of her charm and superiority to act with grace and aloofness. When her elder sister asked her, she lifted her head, let out a cold laugh, and said, "It's naturally a refusal note. Since he treated me this way, I might as well refuse him once to vent my anger."
Jasmine hairpin, pear blossom reflection.
Ye Pingjun, holding Second Miss Tao's note, went to the entrance hall and found the attendant waiting for the young lady. The attendant led Ye Pingjun out of the Tao residence, where a military vehicle was parked in the shadows beside the vermilion gate. The attendant stopped there, and when Ye Pingjun looked back at him, he stood at attention, assuming a vigilant, guard-like posture.
Ye Pingjun then turned around and, clutching the note, walked toward the car. As she approached, she saw a soldier in military uniform standing in front of the vehicle. In the dim light of the night, she couldn't clearly see the man's face. She handed him the note, but he glanced at her without reaching out to take it. Ye Pingjun said, "Second Miss Tao says she won't be coming."
Gu Ruitong, who had been in a daze, snapped back to reality upon hearing her words and hurriedly took the note. Just then, the car window slowly rolled down. The interior of the car was unlit, with only faint moonlight filtering in. Yu Changxuan sat inside, a cigarette held between his fingers, letting it burn without so much as a glance outside. He merely asked, "Did she say anything else?"
Standing outside the car, Ye Pingjun didn't look inside either and replied calmly, "Second Miss Tao said she's tired today. If you're sincere, come see her again tomorrow."
Yu Changxuan gave a faint smile and casually waved his hand, back facing outward. Gu Ruitong said, "You're done here. You may go." Ye Pingjun turned and walked back toward the gate of the Tao residence. Seated in the car, Yu Changxuan tossed the cigarette out the window, leaned his head back, and as Gu Ruitong got into the car, he instructed the driver, "Back to the official residence."
As the car started, Yu Changxuan's gaze swept casually and unexpectedly caught sight of the rearview mirror. Reflected in it was the slender figure of a girl, her hair tied in two dark buns. Her silhouette, bathed in moonlight, resembled the delicate and alluring fragrance of a white jade hairpin flower, evoking a sense of tender beauty.
The car had already begun to move when the driver heard Yu Changxuan's urgent command, "Stop the car!" The driver hastily braked, and Yu Changxuan pushed the door open, getting out and calling to the retreating figure, "Stop right there."
The girl's figure paused silently, then she turned around calmly. Under the frosty moonlight, which cast shadows of trees across the ground, she glanced back with a faint gaze. Her fair and elegant face seemed to blend into the pale moonlight, her delicate features reminiscent of a pristine pear blossom in spring, exuding an aura of ethereal beauty with a touch of cool fragrance.
Yu Changxuan felt his heart skip a beat, his breath catching abruptly, and he stood there frozen in place.Ye Pingjun stood in the illuminated area, glancing back only once to see a figure standing in the hazy night. Her heart tightened slightly, and she turned away to walk briskly forward. Just then, Bai Liyuan emerged, standing at the gate of the Tao residence and waving to her, saying, "Pingjun, let's go. You can ride back in my family's car."
Ye Pingjun hurried over and saw that the Bai family's driver had already pulled the car around. Liyuan took Pingjun's hand as they got into the vehicle, which then drove off. Liyuan continued chattering animatedly about the evening's events, her words tinged with admiration for the Tao sisters. Pingjun listened quietly, and as the Bai family's car passed another vehicle, she silently glanced out the window. A black military car, shrouded in shadows, flashed by and vanished from sight.
Bai Liyuan intended to drive Ye Pingjun directly to her doorstep, but before the car could enter her alley, Pingjun called out to stop. She smiled at Liyuan and said, "I just remembered—I need to buy some Yunpian cake for my mother. You can drop me off here."
Bai Liyuan laughed and replied, "Looking at you, you must have earned quite a bit in tips tonight."
Ye Pingjun nodded with a smile and got out of the car. As she watched the Bai family's car drive away, another small car slowly pulled over by the roadside. Without looking back, Pingjun walked calmly forward, bypassing her own alley and turning into a narrow lane instead. She quietly hid under the eaves of a house, pausing for a moment until she saw the car's headlights sweep past, followed by the sound of the vehicle driving off.
Only then did Ye Pingjun feel relieved, thinking it was fortunate she had noticed early. She turned and hurried along the alley wall, running all the way back home. But as soon as she entered, she heard Mama Zhao weeping in the courtyard. Spotting Pingjun rushing in, Mama Zhao cried out in panic, "Miss, your mother is in a bad way—she just coughed up blood and fainted!"
At those words, Pingjun nearly lost her footing. She cried out, "Mom!" and dashed toward the house, forgetting the threshold she crossed daily. She stumbled and fell to the ground, startling Mama Zhao, who exclaimed, "Oh, heavens!" and hurried over to help. Pingjun scrambled up, ignoring her own state, and rushed straight into the inner room.
That afternoon, Gu Ruitong had just stepped out of the guardroom when he saw Zhou Tai, the Yu family's steward, coming down the stairs looking disheveled and dejected—clearly having been scolded upstairs. Zhou Tai muttered under his breath, "What jade hairpin? This is the death of me. I've never even seen it—where am I supposed to find it?"
As Gu Ruitong went upstairs, he saw Yu Changxuan leaning back on a Western-style sofa carved with floral reliefs in the small parlor, his feet propped up on the coffee table in front of him, resting with his eyes closed. Hearing Gu Ruitong's footsteps, he opened his eyes and smiled, saying, "Brother Gu, perfect timing. I was just about to look for you. Let me take you to see a fine person."
Gu Ruitong asked, "What fine person?"Yu Changxuan rose from the sofa with a smile, his leather military boots making no sound on the plush carpet. He turned to Gu Ruitong and said, "Remember that young girl who collapsed in front of our car on that rainy night? Yesterday I sent someone to follow her, and we finally tracked down her home."
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