Youthful Glory

After Ming Tan's grand performance, all that remained was to await good news.

Meanwhile, Ming Tingyuan stormed out in a rage, with Madam Pei hastily chasing after him. She managed to calm him down with a well-reasoned plea, preventing him from charging straight to the Duke Lingguo's residence.

Recalling the letter stating that the two brothers had been brought back to the capital and could be confronted at any time, Madam Pei arranged for gifts and a carriage, planning to accompany Ming Tingyuan to Duke Changguo's residence first.

This visit served two purposes: first, to meet the brothers and understand the full story in person; second, since Duke Changguo Bai Jingyuan was Ming Tan's maternal uncle and the marriage had been arranged by his late sister, discussing the annulment with him beforehand would better reflect the goodwill between the two families.

The Duke Lingguo's household remained oblivious to Marquis Jing'an's intention to break off the engagement. However, upon hearing that Marquis Jing'an had returned home, Madam Li of Duke Lingguo knew that secrets couldn't stay hidden forever. If they wanted to preserve this marriage, the matter in their household could no longer be delayed.

Early in the morning, without any notice, she ordered the servants to pack and prepare a carriage, intending to send someone away from the capital.

"Given the circumstances, Zhuer, it's not that your aunt doesn't care for you. Your cousin and I have thought of many ways, but..." Madam Li looked pityingly at the woman who had collapsed in tears in her room. "You and Minge'er should go to Lizhou for a while. Once the Ming family's young lady enters our household and develops affection with your cousin, we can then discuss your and Minge'er's situation with her. There will naturally be room for negotiation."

"But once they develop affection, how could the Ming family's young lady agree to a concubine?" The woman called "Zhuer" wept uncontrollably. "With a beautiful wife in his arms, how could my cousin remember Zhuer then!"

"How could he not!" Liang Zixuan quickly stood up.

Madam Li shot him a glance, signaling him to be quiet, then turned back to Zhuer, speaking gently: "Minge'er is your cousin's eldest son, and you are his birth mother. How could he forget you? This arrangement is entirely for your cousin's future prospects, which are also Minge'er's prospects. Don't you understand such a simple truth?"

Hearing this, Zhuer stopped crying and looked at Madam Li with shimmering eyes.

"Alright, everything in Lizhou has been arranged. Stay there peacefully. When the time comes, your cousin will bring you and Minge'er back to the capital with great honor."

Zhuer wanted to plead further, but Madam Li lowered her eyes and picked up her teacup, making it clear the discussion was over.

The maids waiting nearby stepped forward, each taking an arm, and half-dragged, half-escorted Zhuer out.

"Cousin! Cousin..."

Zhuer gazed longingly at Liang Zixuan, calling out to him repeatedly.

Liang Zixuan felt some remorse—after all, they had shared tender moments and shared a bed for many days. After Zhuer left the courtyard, he couldn't help but plead: "Mother, is there really no other way? Cousin she..."

"This is all your doing!" Madam Li slammed her teacup down harshly and snapped coldly. "Go back and sober up! Don't stand there annoying me!"

Though Liang Zixuan was a refined nobleman in public, he dared not contradict his mother at home. With just a few sharp words, he hastily bowed and hurried away.

Watching his retreating figure, Madam Li closed her eyes, her headache unbearable.

Among the women of the inner household, she was already considered decisive and efficient.On the day before the palace banquet began, she was still contemplating how to successfully bring Ming Tan of the Ming family into her household. As she left the palace, she spotted Ming Tan from afar not boarding the Marquis Jing'an's carriage but instead leaving with Bai Minmin. A plan quickly formed in her mind.

She sent someone to follow them discreetly, then returned home to discuss with Liang Zixuan in detail just how important this marriage alliance was and how precarious their current situation had become.

When she received word that Ming Tan and Bai Minmin had left the Rain Listening Pavilion and headed to South Yuhe Street, she immediately devised a scheme involving a staged drowning rescue.

Had this plan gone smoothly, it would have been a perfect solution—neither jeopardizing the marriage nor failing to secure leverage to keep Zhu’er and her child. But her son proved utterly incompetent, not only bungling the act but also being forced to take the blame for the drowning incident.

With this plan foiled and the Marquis Jing'an returning so swiftly, what else could she do? She had no choice but to resort to this desperate measure—making Zhu’er and her child disappear.

Her frustration lingered until lunchtime when a servant reported, "Madam, the young mistress and the little master have already left the city."

The weight in Li-shi’s heart finally eased. Exhausted, she waved dismissively, signaling the servant to leave so she could have some peace.

The journey from the capital to Lizhou was neither too far nor too near. A fast horse could cover the distance in two days, while a carriage would take about seven.

Battered by the rough journey and watching the capital’s bustling prosperity fade behind them, Zhu’er grew increasingly resentful as the servants’ neglect became obvious from the moment they left the city.

"Young mistress, we’ll rest here today. The road ahead is difficult, and if we push on, we won’t find an inn before nightfall."

Zhu’er lifted the carriage curtain, frowned at the sight, and protested, "This place is so shabby. How can we rest here?"

Exhausted from the day’s travel, the servant had no patience left for this so-called cousin who, even after bearing a child, was destined never to enter the household as a proper wife. He replied impatiently, "If you don’t want to rest here, you’re welcome to go on alone."

"You—!"

The servant stretched lazily, ignoring her, and headed straight into the inn. The nursemaid also stepped down from another carriage, carrying the sleeping child, and followed inside.

Left with no choice, Zhu’er alighted as well.

Once inside the inn, she tried to approach her child, but the nursemaid deliberately sidestepped her. "Young mistress, Madam repeatedly instructed me to take good care of the little master. There’s no need for you to trouble yourself—you should rest early."

Zhu’er snapped, "Min’ge is my child! What do you mean by this?"

The nursemaid, like the servant before her, ignored her and carried the child into the room to rest.

A dreadful premonition struck Zhu’er, chilling half her heart in an instant.

She slumped into a chair, staring blankly at the table for a long while. By the time she belatedly picked up her chopsticks, the steam from the food had nearly dissipated.

But then, a stranger’s warning came from the table behind her: "It’s drugged. Don’t eat."

Zhu’er froze, instinctively about to turn around.

The man added, "Don’t look back. You’re being watched."

Hearing that the food was drugged and that someone was watching, Zhu’er panicked, her mind a tangled mess, unsure whether to trust the stranger’s words.

Just then, she noticed a stray cat prowling under the tables for scraps. Pretending to fumble, she shook some food onto the ground.

The cat meowed lazily, padded over, licked at the food, then nibbled selectively before swallowing. Yet after a long while, the cat showed no unusual reaction.

"You lied to me?" Zhu’er’s voice trembled, laced with uncertainty.The man explained, "The muscle-relaxing drug only weakens the body, making escape impossible. It's not fatal."

Zhu'er mustered her strength to stare at the stray cat for a while. It remained curled in place, lazily flicking its tail, barely moving—but that was typical cat behavior and proved nothing.

Wait... She suddenly became alert. "What did you say? Why would I need to escape?"

"Once we return to Lizhou, you'll be married off as a replacement wife to the estate manager. Do you really think you wouldn't want to flee? Or perhaps you believe you'll still have a glorious return to the capital someday?"

Zhu'er felt as if struck by lightning.

Since leaving the capital, the attitude of those around her had indeed given her an ominous premonition. But being married off as a replacement wife to an estate manager... No, that couldn't be! And she still had Min'er—Min'er was the eldest son of her cousin. Her aunt and cousin would never treat her this way!

The voice behind her continued, "Madam Lingguo has a dowry estate in western Lizhou. The manager there is over forty. His wife passed away a few years ago, and he hasn't remarried, though he has four concubines and five sons. Recently, his household has been decorated with lanterns and wedding symbols. The moment you arrive, the ceremony will be completed with three bows.

"As for the young master, blood ties cannot be severed. If there's a chance in the future, he may return to his ancestral home—but it will have nothing to do with you. Once you go, mother and child will be separated, likely never to meet again in this lifetime."

The words sounded utterly absurd. Yet her instincts told her they were true—every single word.

Behind her, the timely sound of a teacup being set down echoed. The man's voice deepened. "Miss, if you wish to return to the capital and fight for your own future... I can help you."

The night was cool. Beyond the capital's walls, darkness reigned, but within the city, lanterns illuminated the bustling streets. Changyu Street, entirely occupied by Prince Dingbei's residence, was perhaps the only solemn and quiet place in the city.

Jiang Xu and Shu Jingran were engaged in a game of chess by candlelight in the study. As the flames flickered, a shadow slipped into the room with the wind and bowed. "Your Highness, the young lady from the Liang family and the child have been safely brought back to the capital and settled."

Jiang Xu gave a faint "Mm" and raised his hand slightly.

The shadow understood and withdrew without a sound.

Shu Jingran captured three black stones, covering his sleeve as he picked up another piece. "I've been wondering why you intervened that night. Having Young Master Liang save the Ming family's young lady would have sealed their marriage—not a bad outcome. Now... I finally understand."

The Great Xian Dynasty had stood for centuries, its noble families deeply entrenched, their power ever-growing. The Emperor had long intended to prune their influence.

Recently, the Emperor had made an example of Marquis Cheng'en—the most arrogant and unrestrained of them all, who had dared to meddle with salt mines. Soon enough, the Lingguo and Jing'an Marquis households would likely face the same fate.

If these two families were to marry, it would be easier to deal with them together. The Emperor seemed to favor this approach. But... "You don’t seem to want the Ming and Liang families to marry. Why?"

"Didn’t you say you’d figured it out?" Jiang Xu placed a stone and slowly lifted his gaze.

"..."

"I only figured out that you intervened because you didn’t want the Ming and Liang families to marry. That’s all."

"So it took you this long to realize that?"

Jiang Xu lowered his eyes with a faint scoff, nearly outright questioning whether Second Young Master Shu's intellect lived up to the expectations of the young ladies eagerly awaiting his success in the imperial exams and his triumphant parade through the streets.

Shu Jingran coughed, slightly embarrassed.Not yet fully immersed in the court's affairs, many things remained unclear. Jiang Xu didn’t press him further, lowering his gaze to the chessboard as he remarked, "Haste makes waste. Moreover, pruning the noble families was never my intention."

The room was quiet, save for the faint flickering of candlelight.

Shu Jingran pondered Jiang Xu’s words, discerning layers of meaning.

The first half was straightforward. Eliminating two families in one stroke was indeed too hasty. In recent years, the Empress Dowager had devoted herself to Buddhist practices and remained relatively subdued, yet her faction, deeply entrenched since the Emperor’s ascension, remained an undeniable threat. Acting too aggressively might give them openings to rally support. A divide-and-conquer approach would be far more prudent.

But the latter half gave Shu Jingran pause.

The relationship between Jiang Xu and the current Emperor had always eluded his understanding.

Over the years, the Emperor had shown nothing but favor toward Jiang Xu. In contrast, Jiang Xu had remained aloof, even cold, toward the Emperor. His demeanor often left people questioning whether he truly stood on the Emperor’s side.

The phrase "never my intention" also left Shu Jingran uncertain—was it meant as "not my intention, but I’ll still lend a hand," or "not my intention, so I’ll oppose you"?

Jiang Xu seemed to read his thoughts. "Ming Tingyuan’s military prowess is rare. He should be kept around for now."

Then, placing the final black piece, he declared, "You lose."

Shu Jingran snapped back to the present, realizing that the white pieces, which had once held the advantage, were now cornered by the black, with no room left to maneuver.

But chess hadn’t been his focus tonight. Pushing aside the game, he pressed, "If you intend to keep Ming Tingyuan, and thus ruin his daughter’s marriage, what match do you plan to arrange for her instead? Ming Tingyuan controls Yangxi Road—he’s no small threat. And once the engagement is broken, many will be eager to seize the opportunity."

Jiang Xu didn’t answer, merely watching him in silence.

"…?"

It took Shu Jingran a moment to sense something amiss.

Known for his composed and graceful demeanor, he was rarely caught off guard. But now, struck by the absurdity of the situation, he laughed in disbelief after a long pause. "Jiang Qizhi, what exactly are you implying? That I should marry her?"

"Empress has already arranged Zhang Huaiyu’s marriage. As for Lu Ting, he’s too sentimental."

"And I’m the heartless one?" Shu Jingran still found it laughable.

Jiang Xu met his gaze. "If you won’t marry her, should this prince do it instead?"

Shu Jingran: "That wouldn’t be out of the question."

Jiang Xu had no interest in continuing the conversation. Without so much as lifting an eyelid, he dismissed his guest.