Chapter 52

Chapter Fifty-Three: Night Conversation

Lord Xu raised his phoenix eyes, commanding respect without a hint of anger, causing the elder madam to fall silent for a moment.

"Regarding the proposal to the Jiang family," he slowly sat down and pondered, "I must ask you to carefully consider this matter."

The elder madam regained her composure. She sighed lightly and smiled bitterly, "I know you're unhappy. But I have my reasons too. At that time, Eldest Miss was very emotional, and you refused to budge. There were many esteemed guests outside, and if I hadn't agreed, who knows what kind of trouble would have arisen! Besides, the Jiang family is renowned for their integrity and has produced two imperial tutors, earning the respect of the world. It's uncertain whether they would even agree to marry into our family. I thought that even if I asked, their agreement was still up in the air. It's better to agree for now and make future plans." After finishing, she sighed, "The Jiang family is known for their integrity and noble spirit. Eldest Miss indeed has good taste."

Moreover, your father once said that a wife should be virtuous. Women from scholarly families are usually intelligent, refined, and capable of self-cultivation, which is why he endured ridicule and proposed to your second brother's wife three times." Mentioning her deceased son, the elder madam's eyes moistened slightly, "As you can see, your second sister-in-law is just as your father described—she is kind and forgiving when managing household affairs; after your second brother passed away, she remained faithful and did not remarry. This is all due to the proper upbringing of the Xiang family. If Chun Ge could marry the Jiang family's daughter, I would be overjoyed!"

Hearing his mother mention his deceased brother, Lord Xu's expression softened.

He calmly said, "Mother, you're afraid this will upset the emperor, aren't you?"

"Exactly," the elder madam's expression became grave, "The emperor and the empress are lifelong partners, and the empress has given birth to three sons. You have quelled the southern barbarians and conquered the northern borders, establishing great meritorious deeds. Our family is currently thriving like flowers in full bloom and oil on a blazing fire. How can I not be afraid! I fear the emperor's unease, and I fear those with ulterior motives speaking ill of us in front of the emperor. We must not make any mistakes at this time. We just need to wait..." pointing to the sky, "that will be the day we rise again!"

"Mother, everything has its time. Nothing in this world lasts forever. We shouldn't stop living our lives just because we fear being targeted. How can we stop doing things for fear of being coveted?"

The elder madam was slightly startled, "Are you saying..."

Lord Xu nodded, "I disagree with marrying into the Jiang family, not because I fear the emperor's suspicion, nor because I fear the Jiang family's refusal. Since I've taken on the responsibility of revitalizing our family, if I can't even choose a well-educated, virtuous, and dignified wife for my son, what else can I accomplish? I'd rather stick to our old ways and live quietly. Why bother competing with others in the southern and northern territories!" His brows furrowed slightly, "My primary concern is that Chun Ge is still too young to make such a commitment. At this age, he's not yet mature. Even if he seems good now, he might not be when he grows up. There are many such examples."

The elder madam nodded slightly.

"But if we choose someone significantly older than Chun Ge, I worry they may not be compatible later on." There was a faint worry between Lord Xu's brows, "I originally planned to wait until Chun Ge was older, then carefully choose for him. After all, as the legitimate son, his future wife will manage the household and set an example for the entire clan. This cannot be taken lightly!"

The elder madam nodded repeatedly, "Your considerations are very reasonable. But what about Eldest Miss... I'm afraid we can't wait much longer." Her tone carried a hint of helplessness, "She has always been smart and quick-witted, and now that she's at the end of her rope, she won't be at peace until everything is arranged properly."

Lord Xu remained silent, lowered his eyes, and used the teacup lid to skim the floating leaves in the cup, "So this matter will require your careful consideration again."

"What do you mean..." the elder madam was somewhat puzzled.

"After I left the small courtyard, I sent someone to inquire about the Jiang family." Lord Xu sipped his tea lightly, "Among the Jiang brothers, Jiang Bai, Jiang Song, and Jiang Gui are the legitimate sons. Jiang Bai is the head scholar in the Hanlin Academy and has three sons and two daughters, with the eldest son and second daughter being legitimate. Jiang Song has returned to Le'an to open a school called 'Jinxi' and has one son and one daughter, both legitimate. Jiang Gui is the prefect in Taiyuan and has two sons and two daughters, with the eldest son and daughter being legitimate. Jiang Bai's second daughter is two years old, Jiang Song's eldest daughter is four years old, and Jiang Gui's eldest daughter is twelve years old. I intend to propose marriage between Chun Ge and Jiang Song's eldest daughter!"

The elder madam pondered, "Although the child is young and not yet mature, a child's upbringing reflects their parents'. Jiang Bai, having been through the ups and downs of officialdom, may have children who are influenced by the trappings of wealth. Jiang Song, teaching in the countryside, may have children with a more austere character... For a prominent family like ours, we'd rather have a daughter-in-law who is dignified and reserved, rather than one who is socially savvy and pushes her husband to chase fame and fortune..."

"That's exactly my plan." A flash of cold light passed through Lord Xu's phoenix eyes, "But I'm afraid Eldest Miss doesn't see it that way. She likes to strive for the best in everything and always has a backup plan. This matter is likely no exception. Before coming here, I asked Ma Zuowen from the Ministry of Rites to speak with Jiang Bai on my behalf. If Jiang Bai has foresight, he will understand that to be esteemed, one must first be noble. The role of imperial tutor is outdated. If they want to remain prominent, they must find new paths. If they lack this vision, the Jiang family's decline is near."

"You have considered everything thoroughly." The elder madam smiled, "Jiang Song has no official rank or title, whereas Jiang Bai is the head scholar and a candidate for the inner court. It’s indeed better for us to align with Jiang Song's family, who has no official rank, rather than Jiang Bai's, who holds a high position. Moreover, in case of any issues, we would be family and should help each other. Even the emperor would see this as humility and forbearance."

"So, this matter should be publicly driven by Eldest Miss to let everyone know why we are marrying into the Jiang family. But privately, you will need to handle it personally to avoid any missteps and ending up related to Jiang Bai."

"I understand the stakes." The elder madam nodded slightly, glanced at her son, hesitated for a moment, and said, "There's one more thing. When I went to the palace to visit the empress on the second day of the second lunar month, I met Imperial Noble Consort. She asked about Eldest Miss's illness and jokingly but seriously mentioned that her younger sister is exceptionally beautiful, and if not for the fact that you already have a wife, she would be a good match for you..."

Lord Xu smiled, "In that case, you don't need to worry about the Qiao family—so as not to put yourself in a difficult position!"

The elder madam, seeing no surprise in her son, wondered, "Have you heard something?"

Lord Xu's smile faded as he answered evasively, "It's good for Eldest Miss to be reminded, so she doesn't cause such trouble again!" He then stood up, "It's late, and you've been tired all day. Rest early. I expect to hear from Ma Zuowen by tomorrow morning. If there's no reply by then, we should stop mentioning the marriage proposal to the Jiang family—if they're this slow to respond, we don't need to be dragged down by them!"

Indeed, too many things had happened that day, and the elder madam was exhausted. She called Wei Zi to see Lord Xu off.

Wei Zi, accompanied by two young maids holding an octagonal glass lantern, escorted Lord Xu out of the courtyard.

Lord Xu's personal servant, Lin Bo, and Zhao Ying, had already brought two young servants in blue caps to wait at the entrance. Seeing Lord Xu, the two servants hurriedly took the lanterns from the young maids. Lin Bo stepped forward and smiled, cupping his hands to Wei Zi, "Thank you, sister, for your hard work!"

Wei Zi curtseyed, "It's my duty." She then bowed to Lord Xu and, with the young maids, returned and closed the courtyard gate.

Lord Xu stood at the entrance, looking up at the starry sky for a long while without speaking.

Lin Bo and Zhao Ying exchanged a glance, both seeing unease in each other's eyes.

"Let's go!" After a while, Xu Lingyi finally lifted his feet to head towards the matriarch’s rear flower hall.

The two dared not hesitate. Lin Bo led the way with two servants carrying lanterns, while Zhao Ying served by his side.

Halfway, Xu Lingyi suddenly asked, "Did you ask clearly?"

"Yes, I did," Lin Bo replied hurriedly. "Because the lady sent Yan Hong to summon him for questioning, and he saw that you were resting again, so he followed."

Xu Lingyi remained composed, saying, "What did the lady ask him?"

"He said that when he was summoned, the lady wasn’t there," Lin Bo whispered. "Yan Hong told him to wait there, and he didn’t dare leave. That’s why..."

"Hand him over to Manager Bai!" Xu Lingyi said softly. "Let Manager Bai find someone more clever."

Lin Bo respectfully responded, following Xu Lingyi through the flower hall and onto the east-west corridor.

"My lord!" After hesitating for a long time, he whispered, "The back garden is probably locked up at this hour."

Xu Lingyi paused, standing before the flower window wall, lost in thought for a moment, then said softly, "Then let’s go to Concubine Qin’s place."

Lin Bo acknowledged, attending Xu Lingyi as they headed to Concubine Qin’s quarters.

When they knocked on the door, it was Wen Concubine’s personal maid, Yu'er, who answered.

"My lord!" She widened her eyes. "Why are you here?" Realizing her slip of the tongue, she quickly added, "No, I mean, we thought you would rest in the small courtyard, so Lady Wen came to keep Concubine Qin company..." Saying this, she stepped aside and called into the house, "My lord has arrived."

The small courtyard was immediately roused, everyone hastily putting on clothes, lighting lamps, or coming forward to greet Xu Lingyi.

Seeing this scene, Xu Lingyi didn’t wait for Concubine Qin and Lady Wen to come out but simply said, "Let both ladies rest well," and turned to go to the matriarch’s place.

The matriarch had just retired to bed when she heard her son had returned. She quickly put on a robe and got up: "What happened?"

"Nothing!" Xu Lingyi said. "I’ll spend the night in your warm pavilion."

The matriarch looked at her son without asking anything, instructing the maids to open the chest and take out the semi-new bedding from the past few days to make up his bed.

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Early the next morning, a drizzle began to fall, landing on the newly emerged tender leaves, making them appear greener than usual.

Eleventh Miss opened the chest and allowed Tenth Miss to choose clothes and jewelry.

Binju looked displeased, muttering with Dongqing at the door, "Why doesn’t she let her pick Fifth Miss’s things? It’s just because our miss is good-tempered."

"You should say less!" Dongqing whispered. "Isn’t the matriarch still angry? Be careful not to get us involved."

Binju couldn’t help murmuring, "I’m only telling you this, isn’t it?"

Before she finished speaking, someone behind her said, "Is Eleventh Miss here? The First Madam requests her presence."

The two turned around and saw Luo Chi smiling behind them.