Youthful Glory

Ming Tan always felt there was something off about this matter. Initially, she had merely intended to tarnish the reputation of the Duke Ling's household, never expecting it would escalate to the entire family being demoted in rank and position.

Upon closer reflection, it seemed rather unbelievable that domestic affairs could shake a centuries-old aristocratic family.

Yet Bai Minmin saw nothing unusual about it and casually remarked, "Those who commit many injustices will inevitably meet their doom. If we could uncover the misdeeds of the Marquis Ling and his wife, naturally others would know about the other branches' dirty secrets too. Allowing these domestic scandals to expose their official misconduct... isn't this just like how an ant hole can collapse a thousand-mile dike? What's so strange about that?"

Put that way, it did make sense, and the reasoning sounded quite logical.

Ming Tan pondered for a long time but couldn't pinpoint what exactly felt wrong, so she decided not to dwell on it further.

Bai Minmin changed the subject: "By the way, when do you plan to return? Now that the Marquis Ling's household is thoroughly disgraced, no one will blame the broken engagement on you anymore. With spring's fine weather, every household is rushing to hold flower-viewing banquets."

At this mention, Ming Tan propped her cheeks with both hands and sighed: "We agreed on forty-nine days of prayer blessings, so naturally I must stay the full duration. What would it look like if I returned midway?"

Zhou Jingwan chimed in: "A Tan makes a valid point. It's only about a month left anyway. I find the scenery here quite enchanting—staying will allow A Tan to calm her mind and cultivate her temperament. If the temple food doesn't suit you, I can have servants deliver pastries daily."

"No need for that," Ming Tan sighed again, her petite face squished between her palms into two round mounds, her voice tinged with worry. "Of course pastries are more palatable than temple food, but by the time I return home, summer will be approaching."

Summer garments are light and thin. How could one maintain that slender, willow-like figure with shoulders like carved jade and a waist as delicate as a silk ribbon if indulging in pastries daily?

Before the altar of physical grace, pastries were insignificant.

Zhou Jingwan, being a quintessential noble lady of the capital, nodded in complete agreement upon hearing this.

Only Bai Minmin, after grasping the implication, rolled her eyes dramatically—her entire expression screaming: When it comes to affectation, no one in the capital surpasses Ming family's A Tan.

However, while counting the days, Bai Minmin suddenly remembered something: "Oh! The imperial examinations should conclude by mid-next month. When you return, you might just catch the new top scholar's parade through the streets!"

Originally, this year's spring examinations should have begun when Ming Tingyuan returned to the capital. But due to inauspicious celestial signs observed by the Imperial Astronomers, everything was postponed by half a month.

Ming Tan calculated the dates—it was indeed so.

Bai Minmin grew excited: "I'll send someone to reserve a private room at Huichun Teahouse with street-facing windows these two days! The procession starts from Zhengde Gate and must pass Huichun Teahouse! When Second Young Master Shu achieves top honors, the streets will surely be packed beyond movement!"

Ming Tan questioned: "How can you be so certain he'll place among the top scholars?"

"With Second Young Master Shu's literary talent, ranking in the top three shouldn't be difficult," Zhou Jingwan softly commented.

"Exactly!" Bai Minmin agreed enthusiastically.

"But speaking of which," she continued, "Second Young Master Shu should be considering marriage after the examinations. Someone of his noble character—I wonder what kind of wife he'll choose."

"Hey, do you think he might marry a princess?"

"Though currently there aren't any princesses of suitable age..."

Bai Minmin rambled on to herself, ending with regret: "If Mother hadn't already arranged my future marriage prospects, my Bai family isn't unworthy either. Had someone proposed on my behalf, perhaps Second Young Master Shu might have agreed in a moment of folly.""However, someone like Second Young Master Shu is only suitable for distant admiration. If one were to actually marry him, without a bit of literary talent to match his poetic verses, how would one manage daily life?"

Appearance, literary talent, family background, stature...

It aligned quite well with her wishes.

Ming Tan compared silently while nodding to herself.

After a while, Bai Minmin's topic had shifted from Second Young Master Shu to another handsome gentleman in the capital. Ming Tan suddenly asked, "What do you think of me?"

"What do you mean?" Both Bai Minmin and Zhou Jingwan looked puzzled.

Ming Tan cleared her throat, sat up straight with dignified poise, and adopted her usual noble demeanor. "If Second Young Master Shu were to marry someone like me, how would that be? Wouldn’t we be a perfect match?"

Bai Minmin: "..."

Zhou Jingwan: "..."

Ming Tan continued earnestly, "Although Second Young Master Shu has his shortcomings—such as his complicated family dynamics, his mother being from a prominent family with strict rules, and the many admirers making it difficult to keep his household peaceful—his personal appearance and conduct are still passable among the gentlemen of the capital."

"You thought Liang Zixuan was decent, yet with Second Young Master Shu, he’s merely 'passable'? Your standards for a husband are getting higher and higher!" blurted Bai Minmin, voicing her confusion.

Ming Tan retorted confidently, "Why not? After the lesson with that Liang family scoundrel, this young lady must be extra cautious when discussing marriage again! As for Second Young Master Shu, let’s see if he can make it into the top ranks of the imperial examinations first."

"Then I must go offer three sticks of incense to Buddha, praying that Second Young Master Shu doesn’t make the list this time, lest he fall victim to your mischief!"

"...?"

"Bai Minmin! You stop right there!"

Bai Minmin: "I won’t! Picking your own husband—how shameless!"

Ming Tan: "Weren’t you just saying you wanted to marry him too? You’re the shameless one!"

...

As the three friends laughed and bantered in Lingmiao Temple, far away in the Prime Minister’s residence, Shu Jingran, who was studying, suddenly sneezed.

He raised his hand, signaling the maid to close the window. He thought to himself: I heard that today Lu Ting specially invited Jiang Xu to watch the imperial guards’ drills, and Zhang Huaiyu tagged along for the excitement. Could it be that the three of them are plotting something behind my back while I’m not there?

Ever since leaving the prince’s residence that day, Shu Jingran had been worried that Jiang Xu might directly request an imperial decree to forcibly marry him off to the fourth young lady of Marquis Jing'an’s household.

It wasn’t that he had any particular prejudice against the young lady, but marriage shouldn’t be taken so lightly. Besides, he had many ambitions to fulfill and no immediate desire to settle down.

This time, however, his suspicions were entirely misplaced.

Jiang Xu and Lu Ting were naturally men of few words, and during military drills, they had even less inclination for idle chatter. Zhang Huaiyu had eagerly tagged along but couldn’t get a word in edgewise. He ended up standing under the scorching sun for two hours, parched and hoarse.

To make matters worse, when the drills ended, Lu Ting asked him why he was still there and if he wanted to spar.

Fanning himself furiously, Zhang Huaiyu couldn’t understand how he had befriended such a rough, battle-hardened brute. In the end, he left in a huff, swearing to himself that he wouldn’t step out again for fun until after Shu Jingran’s exams were over.

By the time Zhang Huaiyu left the training grounds, dusk was approaching. Jiang Xu also had other military affairs to attend to, so Lu Ting escorted him out while discussing the adjustments to the imperial city’s defenses during the imperial examinations.

As they were finalizing their plans, a shadow guard suddenly arrived with a palace eunuch in tow."Your servant greets the Prince and the Marshal." The eunuch bowed with a high-pitched voice to Jiang Xu and Lu Ting, then added deferentially, "Your Highness, His Majesty summons you to the imperial study for an audience tonight."

Jiang Xu gave a slight hum of acknowledgment.

The eunuch bowed again before retreating, hurrying back to the palace to report.

Meanwhile, the shadow guard remained, stepping forward to report another matter to Jiang Xu.

Lu Ting had no intention of eavesdropping on the Prince's affairs. He deliberately stepped away to instruct his subordinates.

Yet Jiang Xu made no effort to conceal the conversation. Even from a distance, fragments like "two years ago," "Spring Outing Festival," and "Cold Mist Temple" drifted to Lu Ting's ears.

—Some unfortunate soul must have offended Prince Dingbei, to have even a two-year-old matter dredged up for reckoning.

As Lu Ting mused, he failed to notice Jiang Xu falling into an inexplicable silence after hearing the shadow guard's report.

Night fell, the palace vast and silent, with faint floral fragrance drifting through the heavy darkness.

A favored consort swayed gracefully toward the imperial study bearing soup, only to be stopped by a bowing eunuch. "His Majesty is discussing important matters with Prince Dingbei," was all it took for the woman's coquettish protests to die into sullen silence.

Inside the study, candles burned bright amid the rich scent of agarwood.

Jiang Xu stood calmly before the desk, hands clasped behind his back, and cut straight to the point: "For what matter has Your Majesty summoned me?"

Emperor Chengkang gestured for him to sit.

He remained standing.

The emperor didn't press. "Nothing urgent. I merely thought the Liang family's punishment was handled quite appropriately."

No more hereditary peerage, no further imperial favor.

The Duke of Ling's household would decline within two generations.

Truthfully, the current Duke himself was mediocre and harmless. But the key positions in the Ministry of Personnel held by his relatives had long been earmarked for the emperor's preferred candidates.

More crucially, since the dynasty's founding, noble families had proliferated—too many titled parasites drawing stipends, too many growing overly powerful. Periodically culling the most prominent served as warning to the rest.

In recent years, with firm control established, he could have acted sooner. But he preferred justified moves that wouldn't invite criticism or cause undue upheaval.

This time, the Duke's household had brought misfortune upon themselves. To observers, the emperor had tried to protect them but proved helpless against censors' condemnations—the demotions appearing as reluctant necessities.

Avoiding blame while effortlessly achieving his aims suited him perfectly.

Emperor Chengkang indulged in self-satisfaction, but Jiang Xu stood impassive. Such opportunistic maneuvers were beneath his notice.

Noticing Jiang Xu's growing impatience—likely moments from saying "If there's nothing else, I take my leave"—the emperor hastily picked up a booklet and got to business.

"You left last palace banquet in such haste, you barely glanced at the eligible ladies." He tapped the booklet against Jiang Xu's shoulder with earnest concern. "The Empress personally compiled this list of noble daughters, complete with portraits. While not as detailed as selection paintings, they suffice for appraisal—we can't very well summon unmarried girls for formal portraits. At least look through it, lest our efforts go wasted."

"......"

Jiang Xu took it.

The emperor relaxed slightly. But the topic reminded him of another matter.

"Ah yes, the Dowager's been frequently summoning people to Shoukang Palace lately—likely scheming about that marriage with Marquis Jing'an's household. Xu'er, what are your thoughts?"In his view, the proper course of action was naturally to arrange a marriage for the Marquis Jing'an's household before the Empress Dowager of Shoukang Palace could intervene.

However, he had yet to decide on a suitable candidate.

Previously, Jiang Xu had requested to spare the Marquis Jing'an's household for the time being, and he had agreed. But how long this reprieve would last was anyone's guess. Therefore, the chosen match must be prepared for all eventualities—including the possibility of becoming a second wife.

Just as Emperor Chengkang was mentally reviewing potential candidates, Jiang Xu abruptly placed the register of noble ladies on the desk and remarked indifferently, "I'll marry her."