Youthful Glory

The word "husband" was uttered so softly and faintly that Ming Tan immediately realized her mistake after speaking. She froze for a moment, her face flushing crimson as she pinched her earlobes in embarrassment, hurriedly lowering her head.

With Jiang Xu's martial skills, he wouldn't have needed weapons to keep these bandits at bay. Yet when he heard that word "husband," he paused for half a breath—just long enough for one bandit to seize the opportunity, thrusting forward with a sword snatched from a guard. The blade reflected the scorching midday sun, casting a blinding white glare.

Jiang Xu didn't move, nor did he even lift his gaze. When the sword tip was mere inches away, it was forcibly halted—his two fingers clamped onto the thin blade. Though he appeared to exert no visible force, the bandit gripping the sword seemed to strain with all his might, the blade trembling slightly before suddenly snapping. With a push of his palm, Jiang Xu sent the bandit flying backward before he could even get close, landing heavily on the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.

Jiang Xu's shadow guards were all top-tier experts.

They dispatched the remaining bandits in less time than it took to drink half a cup of tea—swift and merciless, like autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves.

Jiang Xu glanced at the surviving captive and ordered, "Take him away."

Two shadow guards clasped their hands in acknowledgment before swiftly disappearing with the prisoner. Others, without needing instruction, immediately began clearing the corpses.

The situation had shifted too quickly, and the group seemed still shaken from the fright. Madam Pei, too, was badly startled, her face pale as she trembled down from the carriage with a maid's support, one hand pressed to her chest.

But when she stepped down and saw Ming Tan still held in Jiang Xu's embrace, her vision seemed to blur again, nearly causing her to stumble.

Heavens above! What was happening?

Ming Tan was a betrothed woman!

"Th-thank you for your timely rescue, my daughter—"

Hearing Madam Pei's voice, Ming Tan snapped back to awareness and hastily withdrew from Jiang Xu's arms.

Though the sash around her waist had loosened, it remained tangled. Her face burned so hot even her fingertips tingled, and after struggling fruitlessly to untie it, Jiang Xu glanced down at her long, fluttering lashes before simply pulling free the end still attached to his sleeve.

The long sash fell entirely onto Ming Tan. Clutching it lightly, she took half a step back, curtsied, and murmured, "Thank you for saving me, Your Highness."

Your Highness?

Madam Pei suddenly composed herself.

Earlier at Daxiangguo Temple, she had been accompanying the wives of Marquis Fengchun and Minister Li, offering incense and interpreting divination slips, when a maid reported that the Fourth Miss's party had encountered Prince Dingbei in the back hills... Could this man before her be the illustrious war god of their Great Xian dynasty, Prince Dingbei himself?

She looked to Ming Tan for confirmation.

Ming Tan gave a slight nod.

Madam Pei hurriedly performed a deep bow. "This humble wife, Pei, greets Your Highness. May Your Highness enjoy boundless fortune and peace. We are deeply grateful for your lifesaving grace."

"Madam need not stand on ceremony." Jiang Xu inclined his head slightly.

It was Prince Dingbei.

What a stroke of fortune amidst misfortune!

Madam Pei's earlier anxiety settled, though a thought soon had her lips curving as she carefully ventured, "These bandits appeared most suspiciously today, and with such ferocity. Had Your Highness not intervened, my daughter might not have survived. A maiden's reputation is her most precious jewel—truly, we owe everything to Your Highness—"Jiang Xu understood and looked directly at Madam Pei, speaking slowly, "Madam, rest assured, this matter will not involve the authorities. The captives taken will be handed over to Marquis Jing'an."

Madam Pei smiled again. "Thank you for your consideration, Your Highness."

Being robbed while out for prayers was hardly a good thing for three young ladies from respectable families. If rumors spread about Prince Dingbei rescuing them, especially with tales of the fourth young lady of Marquis Jing'an's household—who was not yet married—being embraced and pulled about by the prince, it would inevitably lead to gossip and criticism against Ming Tan.

Moreover, she already had an inkling about the situation. If it turned out to be an internal scandal, involving the authorities would make Marquis Jing'an's household no different from the disgraced Duke Ling's family—a laughingstock.

When Ming Tan returned, Madam Pei took her hand and said lovingly, "A Tan, you must be frightened. Don’t worry, Mother will get to the bottom of this and ensure justice is served."

This was clearly said for Jiang Xu’s benefit.

Ming Tan was the betrothed of Prince Dingbei, and such a mishap occurring in front of him required a clear stance: even if the investigation revealed an internal scandal, there would be no leniency to cover it up.

Jiang Xu, however, was indifferent to how Marquis Jing'an's household handled its affairs. He merely nodded, indicating he had urgent matters to attend to and would leave first, but would have his guards escort their carriage back to the estate.

Still in the carriage, Ming Chu’s eyes burned with resentment and frustration, flickering with a trace of unnoticed panic and unease.

Upon returning to the estate, Madam Pei calmly instructed, "Everyone has had a fright. Return to your courtyards and rest. Zhang Mama, inform the kitchen to prepare calming soups for the young ladies later."

Zhang Mama bowed in acknowledgment.

Ming Tan and the other two young ladies returned to their courtyards, attended by their maids.

After the tumultuous events of the day, Ming Tan was indeed exhausted. After freshening up and drinking the calming soup, she leaned on the daybed, clutching the sash, and soon fell asleep.

While Ming Tan slept soundly, someone else dared not even close their eyes, fearing they might never open them again.

"...Why did you switch carriages? Isn’t that practically announcing your guilt?"

Consort Liu usually spoke softly, but upon hearing Ming Chu and her maid’s account, she was so agitated and frantic that her voice rose uncontrollably.

Ming Chu, oblivious to the gravity of the situation, stubbornly remained silent.

Consort Liu closed her eyes, sat down, and pressed her forehead, momentarily baffled at how she could have given birth to such a fool!

She had entered the household as a concubine during Lady Bai’s time. After Lady Bai passed and Madam Pei became the new wife, Consort Liu had discreetly planted her people in Lanxin Courtyard while Madam Pei was still establishing her footing.

She hadn’t intended any harm—just preparing for contingencies. Seeing that Madam Pei showed no hostility toward the concubines, she remained respectful, maintaining a peaceful coexistence. It was only when planning Ming Chu’s marriage that she had no choice but to act.

She had anticipated being discovered by Madam Pei. However, she assumed the matter wouldn’t harm Madam Pei’s interests and that she wouldn’t disrupt their long-standing balance over Shen Hua.

This was why she had dared to take the risk, arranging for "bandits" to intercept Shen Hua and tarnish her reputation.According to her plan, Ming Chu should have smoothly met with the second son of the Li family's Ministry of Education official. Ming Chu was not unattractive, and when she chose to speak properly, she was livelier and more charming than most girls. Even if it was later discovered that they had met the wrong person, the second son of the Li family would still have retained some impression of Ming Chu.

With that impression, coupled with Shen Hua's half-day abduction tarnishing her reputation, pushing forward the marriage between the second son of the Li family and Ming Chu would have been much smoother.

But who could have imagined that Ming Chu would be foolish enough to fall into Shen Hua's trap at the very first step? Worse still, she stupidly took it upon herself to switch carriages, dragging Ming Tan into the mess!

Had Ming Chu been in the same carriage as Shen Hua, and Shen Hua been abducted while Ming Chu—skilled in martial arts—escaped unscathed, no one would have suspected anything. Neither Ming Tan nor Madam Pei would have been offended. Losing only a distant cousin who was merely staying with them temporarily, Madam Pei wouldn’t have bothered to investigate deeply.

Now, everything was ruined.

She had taken such a great risk to secure a good marriage for her beloved daughter, only for it all to be destroyed by her daughter’s stupidity!

When Ming Tan awoke, it was already dusk.

Seeing her awake, Lü'e hurried over excitedly and said, "Miss, something has happened to those two in Yiyun Courtyard!"

Yiyun Courtyard was Consort Liu's residence.

Something had happened to Consort Liu and Ming Chu?

Ming Tan vaguely guessed what might have occurred. Still half-asleep, she lazily replied, "Help me dress. Let’s go see the commotion."

Sitting before the dressing table, Ming Tan became slightly more alert. After studying her reflection in the bronze mirror, she changed her mind. "Never mind. It’s better to look plain and pale like this."

She deliberately chose simple attire and, accompanied by Lü'e and Suxin, headed to Lanxin Courtyard.

At that moment, in the main hall of Lanxin Courtyard, Ming Tingyuan and Madam Pei sat at the head of the room. Consort Liu knelt on the floor, weeping pitifully, while Ming Chu stood stubbornly, her eyes reddened.

Madam Pei, having managed the inner household for years, was naturally shrewd. She often let minor matters slide when she saw no need to pursue them, but today’s incident was one she intended to investigate thoroughly. In just an afternoon, the truth had been laid bare.

Who had hired the bandits, where they had come from, which spies had been planted in Lanxin Courtyard, and what they had done—all of it was presented clearly before Ming Tingyuan. Even a mole planted by Consort Liu among Ming Tingyuan’s own attendants had been exposed.

As for how Consort Liu had amassed enough private funds to hire people for such schemes, or whether she had abused the Marquis’s name to accept bribes in Yangxi Road, Madam Pei merely presented the account books she had uncovered without pressing further.

Upon first hearing of the matter, Ming Tingyuan was furious!

Yet when Consort Liu was brought before him, she offered no excuses, only wept pitifully, taking full blame for everything. She claimed that all her actions had been driven by maternal love, and that no matter how the Marquis and Madam chose to punish her, Ming Chu was still of the Marquis’s bloodline—young and naive—and she begged for leniency on her daughter’s behalf.

Ming Chu also admitted to everything, though she maintained a stubborn, tearless demeanor. Standing tall, she delivered a heart-wrenching accusation, lamenting how her father had treated her differently since their return to the capital. She reminisced about their time in Yangxi Road—how he had taken her horseback riding, picked fruit with her in the mountains, and even brought her to the military camp to watch the soldiers train… Her words carried a deep sense of loss and sorrow.

Faced with such a performance from the two of them, Ming Tingyuan found himself wavering.Having lived together for five years, he did have some affection for the two of them. Moreover, the mother and daughter were merely seeking a better marriage arrangement and never intended to harm Ming Tan. Given that none of their actions had caused irreversible consequences, he pondered for a while and decided that sending them to a nunnery for a period of reflection would suffice.

Just as Ming Tingyuan was discussing the matter with Madam Pei, Ming Tan had already stepped halfway into Lanxin Courtyard. Coincidentally, Shen Hua also arrived at that moment, having hurried over from Fenghe Courtyard.

Ming Tan was about to speak to Shen Hua when she suddenly remembered something and blurted out softly, "Oh no!"

Lü'e was puzzled. "Miss, what's wrong?"

Shen Hua understood immediately and signaled to her maid with a glance.

The maid quickly stepped forward and handed over a plain handkerchief.

"It seems Fourth Sister left in such a hurry that she forgot her handkerchief," Shen Hua said softly, covering her lips with her hand. "Garlic juice has a rather strong scent, while pepper water is lighter."

"..."

Ming Tan took the handkerchief and sniffed it.

Well, she truly was her former rival.