Youthful Glory

The night passed without wind or rain, and the next day dawned clear. When Ming Tan rose for breakfast, she heard that the Marquis and Madam had left early together, seemingly heading in the direction of the Duke Ling's residence.

She curved her lips slightly, in excellent spirits, and even ate an extra half-bowl of porridge.

The day before, Marquis Jing'an and his wife had gone to the Duke Chang's residence to discuss the matter of breaking off the engagement. Ming Tingyuan and Bai Jingyuan, both hot-tempered men, had clashed, growing angrier the more they talked.

Midway through the discussion, the two were nearly ready to storm the Duke Ling's residence, beat Liang Zixuan until he was spitting teeth, and then force him to atone with his death.

Fortunately, the two Madams on either side patiently mediated and persuaded them. After deliberation, they ultimately decided to adopt a civil approach first—visiting to formally dissolve the engagement.

After all, Ming Tan was a young lady. If the matter escalated, she would suffer the most and face humiliation, which might affect her future marriage prospects.

Of course, if the Duke Ling's household feigned ignorance and stubbornly clung to the engagement, then they shouldn’t blame them for airing all the ugly details openly—could they really deny each and every one of them?

Yet upon arriving at the Duke Ling's residence, they discovered—they truly dared to deny it!

Madam Li, the Duchess of Ling, sat at the head of the hall. Though caught off guard by the early morning visit from Marquis Jing'an and his wife to dissolve the engagement, she quickly composed herself and feigned complete ignorance, exclaiming in surprise, "What are you two saying? What do you mean by claiming my Zixuan had an affair with his cousin and fathered a child before even marrying his proper wife? Such words must not be spoken carelessly."

Ming Tingyuan slammed the table in fury. "Stop pretending! Weren’t you afraid the truth would come out, so you even staged that drowning rescue? Utterly shameless!"

So they even knew about that.

Sweat dampened Madam Li’s palms, but her expression remained smiling. "Marquis, what are you talking about? I don’t quite understand. Wasn’t it my Zixuan who fell into the water?"

Madam Pei quickly soothed Ming Tingyuan, preventing him from further outbursts.

Madam Li was right—during the Lantern Festival, it was Liang Zixuan who had fallen into the water, and it could only be Liang Zixuan. They might know about the scheming behind the scenes, but they absolutely could not bring it up openly, lest it damage Ming Tan’s reputation.

Once Ming Tingyuan was calmed, Madam Pei turned to Madam Li and cut straight to the point, speaking calmly, "Madam Li, let’s not waste time with unnecessary detours. The Marquis and I have come today to dissolve the engagement because we have already uncovered the full truth of the matter.

"A forced melon is not sweet. Since your Liang family has humiliated our Ming family’s legitimate daughter in such a manner, if this engagement is dissolved smoothly, it will be best for both sides. Our families can go our separate ways, with no further entanglement, and avoid a fight to the death. But if you refuse..."

She trailed off, leaving the implication hanging.

Hearing this, Madam Li sensed trouble, and the smile at her lips stiffened slightly. Still, she had prepared for the worst and was not without a countermeasure.

Steadying herself, she forced a smile and said, "What nonsense is this? Surely there must be some misunderstanding about our Duke Ling's residence. My niece from my maternal family did stay with us for a time—her parents passed away, and she came seeking refuge. Out of pity, I allowed her to stay for a while. Come to think of it, doesn’t your household also host a distant cousin? What family doesn’t have a few relatives?"Madam Li continued, "My niece has always wanted me to find her a good match, but she prefers quiet and dislikes the bustle of the capital. So, I arranged a marriage for her back in our hometown, and she happily packed her things to return. By now, her groom's family should already be preparing for the wedding. Before she left, she told me that though the capital is splendid, she could never grow accustomed to it and might not visit me again."

Her tone then shifted as she glanced at the inconspicuous Duke Lingguo, her voice softening. "As for the marriage alliance with your esteemed household, His Grace and I have always held it in the highest regard. His Grace has been eagerly awaiting the Marquis's return to the capital so we can proceed with the arrangements."

"Speaking of which, since the founding of our Great Xian dynasty, hereditary titles have been passed down, yet no family's path has been entirely smooth. Take the Marquis Cheng'en's household, for instance—perfectly fine one moment, then suddenly embroiled in scandal. His Grace has always believed that by forming this alliance, our two houses could support each other and avoid being manipulated by others."

"Of course, if we have offended in any way, we beg the Marquis and Madam to be lenient. As long as Zixuan's marriage proceeds smoothly, everything else can be negotiated."

The Duke Lingguo, an incompetent official with a mediocre disposition, relied entirely on Madam Li to manage household affairs. When she spoke, he nodded in agreement. "Exactly so, exactly so."

Madam Pei, who had prepared a response, suddenly fell silent.

Both were shrewd individuals, and Madam Li's words carried three clear implications:

First, the girl had already been sent far away to marry and would never return to the capital, ensuring the scandal would never surface—the Marquis's household could rest easy.

Second, the Duke Lingguo's household still desired the alliance. With the Marquis Cheng'en's household now in trouble, clearly targeted by the Emperor's displeasure, it was uncertain whether this signaled a broader purge. An alliance would unite their interests, making them less vulnerable to manipulation.

Third, as long as the engagement wasn't broken, any demands could be negotiated.

These remarks touched on court politics and the concessions the Duke Lingguo's household was willing to make for the marriage—matters Madam Pei couldn't decide for Ming Tingyuan.

Raised in the inner courtyards of noble households, she understood well that kinship and gratitude often took a backseat to interests. It wasn't uncommon for noble families to marry off daughters, even to unsuitable matches, in exchange for political leverage.

She glanced at Ming Tingyuan, but his expression was unreadable.

His silence left the hall momentarily quiet.

Just as Madam Li was about to reaffirm her sincerity, two maidservants rushed in, their faces pale with panic, their bows hasty and incomplete.

Madam Li was about to scold them when one gasped, "Madam, outside—outside—"

"Aunt! Cousin! What wrong have I done to deserve this? I bore Ming'er after ten months of pregnancy! You promised that once the Ming family's young lady entered the household, I would be taken as a concubine, and Ming'er would be added to the family register—"

Before the maid could finish, a woman's shrill cries echoed from outside.

"—Sending me away is one thing, but why must you marry me off to the estate manager as a replacement wife? Why must you treat me so cruelly? Cousin! Aunt!"

Hearing this, Madam Li's face twisted in fury.

Hadn't she been sent away? How was she back?

Ming Tingyuan's expression darkened like storm clouds. Without hesitation, he slammed the table and roared, "Such a disgraceful character dares to covet a daughter of the Ming family? A house full of fools and vipers! This engagement will be broken, whether you agree or not!"Having said that, he threw the betrothal token to the ground and stood up angrily.

Since the woman had already made a scene outside the Duke Lingguo's residence, any further concessions from the Duke's household would make it impossible to continue the engagement, and there was no longer any need for a discreet withdrawal. Thinking this, Madam Pei quickly rose to follow him.

Outside the residence, Zhuer held her child, weeping bitterly as a crowd gathered, pointing fingers and gossiping about the Duke Lingguo's household.

Madam Pei and Ming Tingyuan paid them no mind, boarding their carriage and departing swiftly.

However, upon returning to the Marquis Jing'an's residence and alighting from the carriage, Madam Pei couldn't help but ask softly, "Marquis, if that woman hadn't made a scene, would you have...?"

Ming Tingyuan understood her implication and frowned in displeasure. "What nonsense are you thinking? Ming Tan is my daughter! Though I may not be a saint, I would never sell my own child for personal gain! Besides, what the Duke Lingguo's household could offer isn't even worth my coveting!"

Earlier, he had remained silent only because he hadn't yet organized his words for a proper scolding! That his own wife would think so little of him! With a "hmph," he flicked his sleeves and strode ahead.

Madam Pei, left behind, stared at his retreating figure and froze for a moment—

In truth, before Madam Pei and Ming Tingyuan returned to the Marquis Jing'an's residence, the maid Ming Tan had sent to investigate had already arrived back.

The maid recounted everything that had happened at the Duke Lingguo's residence in detail.

After hearing it, Ming Tan was stunned, her bird's nest soup suddenly tasteless. "You're saying the Duchess of Lingguo forced that woman to marry the estate manager as a replacement wife, and she escaped, crying with her child in front of the Duke's residence?"

"Yes, miss. The matter... has already become public..."

Ming Tan: "..."

She had wanted to break off the engagement, but she had hoped it would be done discreetly, with both families sitting down and finding a dignified excuse to minimize damage to her reputation. Once the storm passed, she could then deal with the Duke Lingguo's household at her leisure.

Earlier, fearing her father might hesitate to antagonize the Duke's household for her sake, she had deliberately staged that scene to push his anger to its peak and prompt him to propose breaking the engagement himself.

Moreover, she knew Madam Pei well—given her usual thoroughness, she would never let her father act impulsively and would likely consult her uncle and aunt. As long as they considered her interests sincerely, the outcome would surely align with her wishes.

Indeed, events had unfolded as she had envisioned, but she hadn't anticipated the Duchess of Lingguo being so cruel to her own niece, driving her to flee and recklessly expose the scandal!

Now the entire capital knew of this disgrace—how could the Ming family's A Tan save face?

Ming Tan was still reeling from the news when Madam Pei happened to visit her.

Seeing her pale complexion, Madam Pei understood immediately. As she entered, she asked, "A Tan, have you already heard about the Duke Lingguo's residence?"

She dismissed the maids, sat down, and said softly, "Though this was unexpected, you wanted to break the engagement, and now you've gotten your wish."

Ming Tan paused. "You knew all along."

"The letter from the Bai family arrived early yesterday morning. I didn't wait until lunch to come see you."

After all, Madam Pei managed the Marquis Jing'an's household—nothing escaped her notice. Besides, Ming Tan was a girl she had raised, and she knew full well that Ming Tan wasn't the type to simply weep helplessly in the face of trouble.Ming Tan lowered her gaze and remained silent for a long moment. "Mother, A Tan was wrong. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t know how to bring it up. Besides, this marriage was arranged by my birth mother..."

"There’s no need to say more. Mother understands."

How could she not understand? The marriages of young ladies from noble families were never a matter of personal choice. If she couldn’t even be certain about her own father, how could she place her hopes in herself?

She had originally wanted to speak openly with Ming Tan about her father, hoping to strengthen their bond. But now that her father had just returned to the capital, no amount of words could compare to experiencing it firsthand. And with the marriage scandal causing such an uproar, it was unlikely she’d have the mind to dwell on anything else for the time being.

"Enough, let’s not speak of this anymore." Madam Pei took her hand and gently smoothed her hair. "Mother knows you’ve suffered. Now that everything’s out in the open, it might not be a bad thing. If we had quietly called off the engagement under some respectable pretext, you’d still feel resentful deep down, and that wouldn’t do you any good."

Ming Tan: "..."

She felt slightly comforted, at least.

In any case, the engagement was finally called off.

But before the day was over, the scandal of the Duke Ling’s household had spread throughout the capital. Inside and outside the manor, whenever people mentioned the young lady of the Ming family, their reactions ranged from sympathy to poorly concealed schadenfreude.

Ming Tan didn’t hear any of the gossip, however, because she never left her courtyard. After Madam Pei departed, she sat by the table directing her maids to pack her belongings.

Since she had no intention of cutting her hair or hanging herself over a scoundrel like Liang Zixuan, she had discussed with Madam Pei and settled on a plausible excuse—a trip to a Buddhist temple to pray for blessings. This would allow her to avoid the scandal for a while while maintaining her innocence.

"The spring chill hasn’t passed yet, so pack that silver fox fur cloak embroidered all over. You can wear it if it gets cold at night."

"Not this one—the fabric is from two years ago and out of fashion..."

"Is this a new dress? The pattern looks familiar. Never mind, it doesn’t match the embroidered shoes we’re bringing. Set it aside for now."

Lü’e packed with great enthusiasm, but Suxin couldn’t help but remind her, "Miss, we’re going to a temple to pray. Isn’t this a bit too extravagant?"

"Really? I deliberately picked plain-colored clothes." Ming Tan glanced at the packed trunks, uncertain. "If it’s too much, then let’s reduce it a little."

—

That night, in the southern study of Prince Dingbei’s residence, a shadow guard reported in a low voice:

"...The families less implicated in the Marquis Cheng’en affair are all seeking ways to distance themselves, just as Your Highness predicted.

"Moreover, now that the Duke Ling’s scandal has broken, the Empress Dowager has also acted as expected, summoning someone into the palace before the gates were locked. As for the Marquis Jing’an’s household, they’ve prepared five carriages to send that fourth young lady out to a temple for prayers and to avoid the scandal."

At this, Jiang Xu, who had kept his eyes down the entire time, suddenly set aside the military treatise in his hand. "Five carriages? What’s inside?"

The shadow guard paused, belatedly realizing that his overly specific report had led to a misunderstanding. He bowed his head in embarrassment. "Nothing significant—just the fourth young lady’s clothes and personal effects."

Initially, he too had suspected that the Marquis Jing’an’s household might be using this opportunity to transport something else, so he had even infiltrated the stables to investigate. But all he found were women’s garments, shoes, jewelry, hairpins, gauze curtains, incense burners, and complete tea sets.

Jiang Xu: "..."

As if she were going to a selection for the imperial harem.

Utterly ridiculous.