Youthful Glory

As dusk fell, the Lingmiao Temple tolled its bells and beat its drums, closing its gates to visitors. The little maid who had been hiding behind a tree earlier sneaked all the way back to the Marquis Jing'an residence and dutifully reported everything she had seen and heard to Ming Chu and Consort Liu.

Upon hearing this, Ming Chu sneered, "When I saw that Shen Yu today, I mistakenly thought he was a promising talent with some backbone—daring to fight and kill—far superior to his sister who only knows how to recite those insipid poems. But it turns out he’s just as vulgar as the rest, unable to resist the charms of these delicate, simpering ladies of the capital!"

The little maid felt something was amiss in these words.

Insipid poems. Delicate, simpering.

She couldn’t help but steal a glance at Consort Liu.

Consort Liu: "..."

Ming Chu quickly realized her blunder and hurried to explain, "Mother, I wasn’t talking about you!"

Enough. Consort Liu rubbed her temples, baffled at how she could have spoiled Ming Chu into becoming the way she was now.

She waved her hand to dismiss the maid, then sighed helplessly, "Chu Chu, how many times have I told you? Since returning to the capital, things are no longer as they were before. Don’t provoke Madam, and don’t antagonize Ming Tan. Why won’t you listen?"

"I merely sent someone to the temple to observe. How is that provoking? Besides, it’s not my fault she behaves so shamelessly!" Ming Chu slapped the table and stood up indignantly.

"What do you mean by shameless? You mustn’t spout such nonsense outside!"

"I know! I’m only saying it within our own courtyard. Ever since we returned to the capital, you’ve become far too cautious." Ming Chu, tired of the constant admonishments, retorted, "Father has already promised to arrange a good marriage for me. Why must you grovel before that Madam Pei like this?"

"It’s because—"

Seeing that Consort Liu was about to launch into another lecture, Ming Chu, unwilling to listen, grabbed her soft whip and stormed out of the courtyard.

"Chu Chu!"

"Stop right there!"

Consort Liu called after her twice, but to no avail. Clutching her embroidered handkerchief, a trace of worry flickered in her eyes.

As the days passed, aside from Shen Yu’s boldness that day, Ming Tan found her time at Lingmiao Temple rather peaceful and undisturbed.

Meanwhile, karma had caught up with her former fiancé, Liang Zixuan, who was now in a state of utter turmoil at home.

In truth, Liang Zixuan had known since his failed attempt to orchestrate Ming Tan’s drowning that his mother intended to send Zhu’er away. He also knew she would never allow Zhu’er to raise their child, and that his frail, delicate cousin might never set foot in the Duke Lingguo’s mansion again.

But what he hadn’t anticipated was his mother’s plan to marry Zhu’er off to some estate manager in Lizhou as a replacement wife! This was utterly preposterous!

Perhaps it was a man’s inexplicable possessiveness—he could discard a woman, but he could never tolerate another man laying hands on what he no longer wanted. Initially furious at Zhu’er for ruining his engagement, Liang Zixuan’s anger shifted entirely to his mother, Lady Li, who had controlled him for years, dictating his every move, when he learned the reason behind the incident and saw Zhu’er weeping pitifully with their child in her arms.

"Mother, Zhu’er obediently left for the sake of my future, as you demanded. Why must you be so cruel to her? And as for Tan—having multiple wives and concubines, with a few illegitimate children, is perfectly normal. Had you properly discussed it with her, she might have accepted Zhu’er and Min Ge’er! If not for your scheme to push her into the water and anger the Marquis Jing'an household, this marriage would still be intact!""You unfilial son! Are you now trying to shift all the blame onto your mother?" Madam Li froze momentarily before coming to her senses, her anger so intense it felt like heartburn. Seeing Zhu'er's timid, cowering demeanor only fueled her rage. She grabbed a teacup from the table and hurled it violently at them. "For this wretched girl, you dare speak to me in such a tone!"

Zhu'er quickly hid behind Liang Zixuan, whimpering and crying.

"Cousin, don't be afraid!"

Liang Zixuan shielded Zhu'er with his arm, though inwardly he was far from as composed as he appeared.

Madam Li had wielded authority for years, and obedience and fear toward her had become almost instinctive—a habit not easily overcome in a short time.

This instinct existed not only in Liang Zixuan but also in the Duke of Ling. Even as the household descended into chaos, the Duke, as the head of the family, remained silent and uninvolved, as if these matters had nothing to do with him. He neither wished to intervene nor believed he could.

Yet in this world, misfortune never spares those who choose to stand aside.

Before the uproar over Zhu'er could settle, rumors about the Duke of Ling's household scandals began spreading like wildfire through the teahouses of the capital.

After the old Duke of Ling passed away, the family had never divided due to the Elder Madam's presence.

The Elder Madam favored her eldest son and had long pressured the old Duke to secure the heirship for the current Duke of Ling, despite his lack of talent or virtue.

In truth, whether in governance or social aptitude, the current Duke paled in comparison to his second and third brothers—even the two illegitimate brothers surpassed him.

Now, the five branches of the family lived in two connected mansions, linked by a moon gate. Crowded and chaotic, the household was already a simmering pot of trouble, breeding countless scandals.

This time, the teahouse rumors spared none of the five branches—each was implicated, their disgrace laid bare together.

The most shocking revelations were two:

First, the Duke of Ling was having an affair with the newly taken concubine of the Second Branch's master.

Second, before her marriage, the Duchess of Ling had been in love with the Third Branch's master. Unable to inherit the title, he had been forced to step aside, and Madam Li, filled with resentment, had no choice but to marry the current Duke of Ling.

The storytellers were unanimous, recounting the tales with names, dates, and vivid details.

The Duke of Ling's household erupted in turmoil!

Though living under one roof inevitably bred friction, outside the mansion, they had always presented a united front.

For one, the Elder Madam was still alive, and no one dared suggest dividing the family and risk being branded unfilial. For another, each branch had its strengths and relied on mutual support. At the very least, they maintained a facade of harmony.

But this time, the branches cast all decorum aside. Shouting, fighting, and hurling accusations, they dredged up old grievances alongside new, behaving with none of the dignity befitting a noble family of their standing.

Initially, outsiders had taken the rumors with a grain of salt—after all, mere words without proof were hardly reliable, and most treated them as entertainment. But the Duke of Ling's household's visceral reaction was undeniable.

Especially in the Third Branch, where the master and his wife had long been estranged, their relationship icy. Now, learning of her husband's past entanglement with his sister-in-law, and recalling subtle clues from over the years, the Third Branch's madam flew into a rage. She stormed back to her maiden home, demanding a divorce—effectively confirming the rumors and sealing the Duke of Ling's household's disgrace.In truth, the capital was home to numerous noble families, each harboring a few secrets not meant for outsiders' ears. Yet none had stirred up as much of a scandal as the Duke of Ling's household, whose affairs had become the talk of the town, known to every soul in every alley.

For days, the storytellers in teahouses and taverns had been relishing the tale, often concluding with a mention: the young lady of Marquis Jing'an's household was exceptionally beautiful, virtuous, and talented. How fortunate she had been to sever the betrothal with the Duke of Ling's family in time, or else a pearl would have been cast into the mud, needlessly tarnished!

The Great Xian dynasty established the Censorate to oversee officials, and censors, known for "impeaching upon hearsay," were ever ready to find fault where none existed. With such a glaring scandal handed to them, they had enough material to fulfill their monthly quotas with ease.

For three consecutive days, the censors impeached the Duke of Ling, dragging into the fray every member of his household who held office, sparing none.

At its core, the matter was nothing more than lax household discipline and private moral failings—hardly the stuff of serious court discussion.

But after three days of relentless impeachment, with memorials flooding the court, Emperor Chengkang had been forced to memorize the names of the Duke's concubines, illegitimate children, and illicit affairs just from having the memorials read to him.

On the fourth day of court, when the censors once again stepped forward to impeach the Duke of Ling, the Emperor cut them off mid-speech, exasperated. "We have already issued an edict of reprimand! Must these trivial domestic matters clutter Our court? Is this hall a family shrine for the Liang clan?!"

The censors were indignant. How could the Duke's household, its morals in such disarray, escape with only a mild reprimand? They would not let it stand!

After exhausting their charges against the Duke's family, the bolder among them even dared to admonish the Emperor himself, accusing him of shielding and indulging the Liang family, contrary to the way of a righteous ruler!

For the next two days, memorials flew onto the Emperor's desk like snowflakes, growing ever more fervent. The censors seemed to have locked horns with the Duke's household. Since His Majesty deemed these matters trivial, they would find charges that were anything but trivial.

For instance, a branch family nephew had forcibly seized a commoner's daughter; the third branch's master, an official in the Ministry of Personnel, had accepted bribes in performance evaluations; even the Duke's own sinecure attendance lapses were brought up.

After two more days of the Emperor suppressing the matter, the impeachment momentum only intensified, now cloaked in righteous indignation. "If the son of heaven breaks the law, he is no different from a commoner," they argued—so how could the Liang family, not even imperial relatives, escape punishment?!

Seemingly buckling under the pressure, Emperor Chengkang finally ordered an edict drafted, listing dozens of offenses—bribery, lax household discipline, moral failings, indolence—and demoted the Duke of Ling to a Marquis, stripping his descendants of the privilege to inherit the title at the same rank. He was also exiled to a distant region, while other family members in office suffered varying degrees of demotion.

"What? Demotion and exile?" Ming Tan was astonished by the news Bai Minmin brought, even forgetting to glance at the exquisite pastries she had been craving for days.

"Yes, I heard they depart tomorrow. Serves them right!" Bai Minmin gloated. "They say Liang Zixuan even fell out with his mother over that precious cousin of his. Now the Duke of Ling's—no, the Marquis of Ling's—household is in utter chaos, quarreling daily. Many servants without lifelong contracts have already fled."Zhou Jingwan, who had come along, added softly, "Moreover, the censors impeached again yesterday. After the Marquis's household was demoted in rank, they failed to promptly reform according to regulations. The Ministry of Rites has already sent officials to oversee the process."

Bai Minmin exclaimed, "Exactly! It's simply most gratifying!"

Zhou Jingwan continued, "Now that we won't be in the capital anymore, it'll be out of sight, out of mind."

Ming Tan paused.

Hmm... She was indeed quite pleased about the Marquis's household suffering misfortune.

The worse the Liang family's reputation became, the more it highlighted her own innocence.

But, "When did I learn so many secrets about the Marquis's household? The few matters I asked my uncle to investigate were only related to the Marquis and his wife, weren't they?"