She silently wiped the tears from her eyes with her fingers, the droplets clinging to her fingertips, damp and warm. Her heart was tangled with unspoken sorrow, and she could no longer hold back the tears, which fell in streams. Unable to voice her feelings, she slowly nodded her head and softly murmured, "He must come sooner... otherwise, this child really won’t be saved..." Before she could finish, her words were choked off by sobs.
By August, the weather in Jinling grew increasingly sweltering. In the office building of the Yu Family Mansion, Wu Zuoxiao and a few on-duty Guards exchanged a few words in the corridor outside Yu Changxuan’s office when they saw the Sixth Young Lady, Qixuan, storming in from outside, clutching a newspaper, intent on barging into the office. Wu Zuoxiao hurriedly intercepted her, calling out, "Sixth Young Lady!"
Yu Qixuan paid him no mind and snapped angrily, "Get out of my way!" She pushed the office door open and charged inside, confronting Yu Changxuan, who was busy with his work. "Fifth Brother!"
Yu Changxuan had been reviewing documents submitted by the Army Ministry. He looked up to see Qixuan bursting in and frowned. "You’re getting more unruly as you grow older! Do you even realize where you are? How can you cause such a scene here?"
Qixuan raised her eyebrows defiantly and retorted without hesitation, "I don’t care where this is! I just want to ask you one thing—are you still the same Fifth Brother I used to know?!" As she spoke, she slammed the newspaper onto the desk, her voice trembling with fury. "What does it mean to 'uphold the League of Nations’ peace efforts, promote the Jin-Yu merger, and suspend all fire against Fusang'? And what is this about 'years of national turmoil stemming from the Xiao Shi faction in Xibei, warlords fighting among themselves, stealing power, plundering the nation, carving out territories, and causing the country to fall apart'? Fifth Brother, explain this to me!"
Yu Changxuan replied, "Everything must be prioritized. Right now, the Jin-Yu merger is the most critical matter. Father even announced his retirement to facilitate it. I’m already troubled enough by Jiang Xueting from Yuzhou—must you add to the chaos?"
Qixuan let out a cold laugh. "Jiang Xueting from Yuzhou? I’ve heard that you and Jiang Xueting are now as close as brothers. You even sent him five telegrams inviting him to join the Jinling Government! You even mailed him an invitation to your wedding!"
Yu Changxuan’s face darkened. "Political affairs are none of your concern! If you’re dissatisfied, take it up with Father!" Realizing he had spoken too harshly, he softened his tone slightly. "Let me explain this once: the north is currently embroiled in fierce battles, presenting our best opportunity to advance. But without the Jin-Yu merger, the Yuzhou Government remains a major threat. The Yu Army cannot act recklessly—how can we even discuss marching north?"
Qixuan’s gaze fixed sharply on Yu Changxuan’s face as she let out a mocking laugh. "Now I understand your reasoning, Fifth Brother. It all boils down to one thing: first, pacify Jiang Xueting to secure our rear, then take advantage of the chaos in the north to strike!"
Yu Changxuan frowned. "Marching north has always been Father’s lifelong ambition. Once we eliminate the warlords and reunify the country, wouldn’t that be a great achievement for the nation and its people?"Qixuan said coldly, "Don't talk about serving the country and people. All I see is Xiao Beichen resisting the Japanese in the north without yielding an inch, while you help Father fight for power here, having lost all sense of honor and righteousness! You're only driven by your ambitions—Father wants to rule the nation, and Fifth Brother, now gone mad, is also bewitched by the lure of power!"
Yu Changxuan suppressed the fury in his heart and replied calmly, "Qixuan, are you accusing Father and me?"
Qixuan retorted, "How would I dare accuse you? I only know that Xiao Beichen in Jiangbei is a hero, but Fifth Brother is not. Even if Fifth Brother eventually rules the nation, he will never be a hero. How tragic it is that you've transformed from a soldier who should have served the country with passion into a cold-hearted politician!"
Yu Changxuan's anger simmered, but he had no outlet. After a long pause, he said coldly, "Since you say so, why don't you go to Jiangbei and find your great hero? See if he wants you!" Qixuan raised her voice, "Good! I came precisely to tell Fifth Brother—I'm going to him right now!"
She turned and strode out. After a few steps, she halted and looked back. "Fifth Brother, your wedding is in a few days." Yu Changxuan stood facing the window, thinking she was softening, but his anger hadn't subsided. He merely let out a faint "Hmph."
Yu Qixuan smiled brightly and declared clearly, "Sixth Sister hereby wishes Fifth Brother and Sister Daiti a long and harmonious union, a hundred years of happiness! And may you achieve the confluence of Jin and Yu, accomplishing great success and fame!"
Her words were spoken with extreme boldness. Yu Changxuan turned around in astonishment, only to see the office door half-open as Qixuan had already rushed out. Suddenly, there was commotion outside, and an aide-de-camp ran over, not bothering to knock but pushing the door open directly. "Commander-in-Chief, the Sixth Young Miss seized a horse in the back and rode off—we couldn't stop her!"
Yu Changxuan's heart jolted violently. He dashed outside to see several aides-de-camp standing in the open space, their faces full of alarm. Wu Zuoxiao hurried up to him as he emerged. "Commander-in-Chief, the Sixth Young Miss has left!" Yu Changxuan, agitated and disturbed, urgently asked, "What did she say?"
Wu Zuoxiao replied, "She said she's going to Jiangbei!"
Yu Changxuan never expected Qixuan to be so true to her word. The little sister who had always followed him, bantering and joking, turned out to be such a resolute person. He stood there dumbfounded for a long while. Wu Zuoxiao approached and said, "Commander-in-Chief, don't worry. The Sixth Young Miss doesn't have a special pass—she won't get through the checkpoints." Only then did Yu Changxuan snap out of it, but he flew into a rage. "Go after her immediately! No matter what, you must bring her back to me!"
With Yu Changxuan and Jun Daiti's wedding approaching, the official residence was bustling with preparations for the grand event. It was originally planned to use Maple Terrace as the new home, but Yu Changxuan said it would be too troublesome to commute between both places, so Maple Terrace was not used. Instead, his residence in the official compound was refurbished entirely. On this day, Jun Daiti was dragged by her cousin Minru to the official residence to take a preliminary look at the new home, so that anything missing could be prepared early.
After touring the place with Minru and Jin Xuan, Daiti found everything complete and beyond reproach. Naturally, she was quite pleased. After the tour, everyone gathered in the main hall to enjoy tea, sitting with Madam Yu. Madam Yu's expression was somewhat gloomy, and everyone knew it was because of Qixuan running away from home. They sat for a while before Madam Yu spoke:"I'm rather tired. You two should go out for a stroll yourselves. We can discuss any matters later when Changxuan returns. Just have Jin Xuan stay here with me."
Minru then took Dai Ti by the hand and led her out of the main hall, unexpectedly pulling her back toward the newly decorated bridal chamber they had just visited.
Just as Dai Ti was feeling puzzled, Minru smiled slightly, closed the door behind them, and produced a telegram from her person. She handed it to Jun Daiti with a faint smile, saying, "Take a look at this."
Jun Daiti was momentarily taken aback. She unfolded the telegram and read it, her eyes gradually widening in astonishment. Seeing she had finished, Minru smiled and asked, "Sister Dai Ti, what do you think we should do?"
Dai Ti placed the telegram face down on the huanghuali wood desk and replied indifferently, "Why ask me? This is your family's affair. Do you really need me to offer suggestions?"
Minru chuckled, "You're about to become the Fifth Mistress of our household—why distinguish between yours and ours? Let me be frank: this telegram was intercepted by Father. He passed it to Mother, who then asked me to show it to you. She said regardless of who came first, you are the one being formally wedded into our Yu family. That other woman would at most be considered a concubine."
Dai Ti lowered her head, her gaze fixed on the huanghuali desktop. After a long pause, her lips moved slightly as she whispered, "What is your mother's opinion?"
Minru smiled, "Mother's view is that the woman herself is insignificant, but she's considering that the child in her womb is still of our Yu family blood. However, your wedding with Fifth Master is imminent. There will be plenty of opportunities for children in the future, so the child that woman carries doesn't really matter."
Dai Ti's expression remained placid as she asked another question, "What does your father say?"
Minru laughed, "Father's position is even clearer! Just the fact that he intercepted this telegram tells you everything. Don't you understand what's most crucial for our Jinling Government right now? The alliance with Golden Mausoleum is at this critical juncture—do you really think Father would risk conflict with Jiang Xueting of the Yuzhou Government over some woman?! Or give him any reason for suspicion?!"
Before the large huanghuali desk stood a pair of louvered windows opened outward. The clouds in the sky were gradually thickening. Outside the window lay a pond, its surface ruffled by the wind into concentric ripples. The breeze blowing through the open window carried a faint fragrance, creating an atmosphere that foreshadowed an approaching storm.
Minru, standing beside her, said, "You mustn't let Changxuan know about this telegram."
Hearing her cousin's words, she parted her crimson lips slightly and smiled faintly, whispering, "Have I gone mad? Why would I tell him!"
As they were speaking, they heard Jin Xuan's voice from outside, "Sister-in-law, Dai Ti, are you in there?"
Footsteps approached rapidly. Startled, Minru instinctively pushed the telegram further inward, hastily covering it with some random object before taking Dai Ti's hand and stepping out of the room. They encountered Jin Xuan just about to enter. Minru quickly smiled and asked, "What brings you here, Second Sister?"Jin Xuan smiled and said, "Mother is calling for you. She said she bought some new silk fabrics and wants to make new clothes. She asked you to come down and pick some out together." After speaking, she took Minru and Dai Ti by the hand and headed downstairs. Sure enough, the large table downstairs was piled with numerous silk fabrics. Madam Yu, holding a smoking pipe, took a puff and smiled faintly upon seeing them descend. "Perfect timing, come quickly and see if there's anything you like."
Minru laughed, "This is all thanks to Dai Ti. Mother is making new clothes for us. That navy patterned silk is mine—no one better try to snatch it." Madam Yu chuckled, "Minru, with that mouth of yours, you make it sound as if I'm usually very stingy. Our new daughter-in-law hasn't even crossed the threshold yet—don't scare her off."
Dai Ti simply smiled slightly without saying much and stood with Minru and Jin Xuan in front of the large table, casually selecting some fabrics. The butler, Zhou Tai, entered from outside, leaned close to Madam Yu, and whispered a few words. Madam Yu was slightly taken aback and said, "How could he leave so soon after just returning? Is he really that busy?!" After saying this, she glanced toward Dai Ti, then fell silent and said nothing more.
After looking over the fabrics, Dai Ti excused herself, saying she had left her handbag in the upstairs room and needed to retrieve it. Only then did she manage to slip away and return alone to her room, intending to secretly put away the telegram. However, as soon as she pushed the door open, she heard the blinds rattling violently in the wind, making a "clack, clack" sound, and the telegram that had been placed on the huanghuali wood desk was nowhere to be seen.
Dai Ti looked out the window and saw the pond water rippling in the wind, forming small waves. Faintly, she could make out a piece of paper floating and sinking in the water. She smoothed the strands of hair blown loose by the wind and watched silently for a long while before murmuring softly, "It’s just as well it blew into the water—let it drift away with the current."
Jun Dai Ti’s father was a pastor of the American Missionary Association, and the family was quite wealthy. As the Jun family had only Dai Ti as their daughter, she was naturally treasured like a precious gem. They specifically purchased a property for her in Golden Mausoleum, which was also part of her dowry. After returning to the country, Dai Ti lived there. That morning, she was still in her morning gown, her hair down, sitting on the bed reading a book, when her personal maid, Hong Yu, pushed the door open. Sticking out her tongue playfully, Hong Yu giggled and said, "Miss, your intended groom is here."
Dai Ti’s face instantly flushed, and she scolded Hong Yu, "You impish girl, what 'intended groom'? How dare you tease me!" Hong Yu, who was usually very close to her young mistress, boldly retorted, "Well, if we can’t call him 'intended groom,' should we just call him 'groom' outright?" Dai Ti picked up a book and threw it half-scoldingly, half-laughingly in her direction, saying, "Go tell him to wait for me downstairs."
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