Chapter 56

Fifty-Seventh Chapter: Private Conversation

"We're not very familiar with their family," said the third wife. "However, the private tutor they hired is my father’s disciple’s nephew, surnamed Zhao. He’s very knowledgeable, which is why he took the position. The Tang family is overbearing and difficult to deal with. Mr. Zhao was only there out of respect for his friend and planned to resign after this year’s teaching. I heard the annual salary is fifteen taels of silver, a set of clothes for each season, and a servant. I was thinking of discussing with the third master whether we could afford such an expense and perhaps invite him to teach Ge Ge and Yu Ge at home."

The matriarch was quite surprised. "Fifteen taels of silver as the annual salary, a set of clothes for each season, and a servant. This is quite..." she mused, then said, "Third sister-in-law’s suggestion is excellent. If this is really the case, it would be better to invite him to our home. We can’t afford to neglect anything, especially the children’s education. Since we’re still one family, the money can come from our shared funds!"

The third wife was startled and hurriedly said, "How can this be allowed..."

The matriarch had already taken the third wife’s hand. "As a family, we don’t speak like outsiders." She continued, "Since Mr. Zhao wants to resign, it must be because he is dissatisfied with his employer. I think we should increase the salary to twenty taels of silver per year, two sets of clothes for each season, and a servant. I also have a small courtyard that could be specifically allocated for the tutor’s use."

The third wife was about to refuse again, but the matriarch had already smiled and said, "I am the elder sister-in-law, so you must listen to me."

At this time, with the Liu family's downfall, the third wife was more sensitive to human affairs and worldly matters than usual. Although the matriarch’s promises were not particularly valuable, and the third master could afford the expenses, the matriarch’s words deeply touched the third wife.

Holding the matriarch’s hand, the third wife felt a slight moistness in her eyes and nodded heavily.

The matriarch then looked at Fifth Miss, Ten Miss, and Eleven Miss, who were quietly sitting around them, and said with a smile, "We adults are talking about trivial family matters that might bore you. There are two pear trees behind Third Aunt’s house that should be blooming right about now. Let the maids take you around the courtyard so you don’t get bored."

Understanding the hint, the third wife chimed in, "It would be even more pleasant to sit under the pear trees with some tea!" She then called her personal maid to take a few people to the backyard.

The three girls realized what was happening, bent their knees to perform a courtesy for the matriarch and the third wife, and then followed the maids to the courtyard.

After they left, the matriarch sighed deeply and smiled wryly at the third wife. "All three are around the same age. It’s endless worry."

The third wife gave a subtle signal to the maids around her, and they silently withdrew.

She smiled and said, "When they become mothers, they’ll understand your hard work."

"Let’s hope that day comes," replied the matriarch with a languid tone. Then she sat up straight and asked the third wife, "By the way, do you know any suitable young gentlemen of marriageable age? Fifth Miss and Ten Miss aren’t getting any younger. As you know, they are born of concubines. Even if we find someone suitable, the other side might not agree."

So that was the concern!

Thinking of some rumors she had heard while mourning in Yuhang, the third wife couldn’t help but smile. "In the past, if I had asked my mother, we could have found a few suitable candidates. But now..." Her face was full of apology.

"Look at me, I’ve unintentionally brought up a sore subject," the matriarch blamed herself.

"It’s not your fault, elder sister-in-law," the third wife’s eyes reddened slightly. "I’m just unable to let go of my own feelings."

After comforting the third wife, the matriarch sighed again and steered the conversation back. "I don’t dare to hope for much else, but I just want someone with good character and a clear family background."

Seeing the matriarch’s persistent concern, the third wife could only say, "Elder sister-in-law, don’t worry. I’ll keep an eye out."

The matriarch nodded, still wanting to say something, when a young maid came in to report, "The two young masters have returned from school!"

The third wife’s face lit up with joy. "Come in quickly, your elder aunt is here."

Seeing this, the matriarch knew that her original plan was now thwarted...

As she left the third wife’s place, the matriarch seemed somewhat dazed.

Luo Zhenxing noticed this.

When he returned home, he had a private conversation with his mother. "Why did you suddenly think of going to Huguo Temple today? And why did you go to Third Uncle’s house without sparing any effort?"

With the eldest master having gone out early in the morning and not yet returned, and her visit to the third wife not going as planned, the matriarch was feeling somewhat unhappy. She also wanted someone to talk to, so she explained everything to her son in detail. "If Eleven Miss’s marriage is arranged, we’ll need to quickly find matches for Fifth Miss and Ten Miss. I think Madam Jiang is quite satisfied, but there’s still one more girl without a match?"

Luo Zhenxing had heard his wife mention this before, but at the time, he thought it was just women’s foolish talk. Now, hearing his mother say it in person, his expression became serious. "Mother, Elder Sister is still fine, how can you... wouldn’t that be heartbreaking?"

"What do you understand?" said the matriarch, offended that her usually obedient son would dare to contradict her. Thinking of the possibility that her daughter might leave and her grandson would still have this uncle to rely on, she worried that any rift might affect this relationship. Additionally, she thought that perhaps this situation might make her son realize the difficulties of the world. She frankly explained, "Once a person leaves, the tea grows cold, and when a person dies, the light goes out. Even if the Marquis is nostalgic, seeing new faces every day would wear down even the strongest resolve. Who knows what kind of trouble might arise by then? If we don’t plan ahead now, are we supposed to wait until something happens to Chun Ge before making arrangements? You mustn’t forget that he has a grandmother and a father above him, and we, as the external family, are outsiders. Even if we have the intention, it might be too far for us to reach."

"Lord Xu is not that kind of person!" Luo Zhenxing informed his mother about Lord Xu's secret visit to the Imperial Academy. "He could have bragged about it to me, but he didn’t say a word! I might never have known if the director hadn’t mentioned it to me."

"Who knows Lord Xu better than your elder sister?" The matriarch disagreed. "I've been busy these past days and haven't had time to talk with you. I see that you're very different from when you were in Yuhang. Has something happened?"

Luo Zhenxing was somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected his mother to ask him this, nor did he understand her meaning.

"Did you realize you were just a frog in a well after entering the Imperial Academy?" The matriarch didn't wait for her son to answer and coldly chuckled, "There’s still a lot you need to learn. When Lord Xu greeted you at the academy, if you were the director, wouldn't you also flaunt this favor?"

Luo Zhenxing's face turned pale as he recalled how, when he first entered the Imperial Academy, he behaved with humility and caution. When people asked about his family, he often gave vague answers, which led to ridicule. Later, when he inadvertently revealed his connection to the Yongping Marquis Estate, everyone became much friendlier towards him... a harsh lesson in the ways of the world.

Seeing that her son was silent, the matriarch knew her words had taken effect. She lowered her voice and continued slowly, "Lord Xu, despite his extraordinary talents, is easily influenced and indecisive. To say nothing of other things, when your elder sister first married into the Xu family, she wanted to set up a separate household. Lord Xu agreed in front of her, but when he was in front of the elder madam, he changed his mind. Your sister was upset, and he changed his mind again, saying he would talk to the elder madam in a few days. This back-and-forth left him without a clear decision. After he inherited the marquis title, it caused even more trouble for your sister.

Lord Xu is the queen's brother, and by law, he should have been granted a title. But Lord Xu, fearing the emperor's suspicion, declined the title. Tell me, is there anything to fear? Is Lord Xu the only brother of the empress in this dynasty? Or are there no titled imperial brothers who lived to a ripe old age? Oh, is he the only one afraid while others are not? This made your sister so angry that she developed a cough... and it has plagued her ever since.

Later, after the northern rebellion was quelled, the emperor again proposed granting Lord Xu a title. By then, Yu was already in school, and everyone praised him for his cleverness. But Chun was still young and had health issues, and relatives whispered that 'this family will depend on Yu in the future.' Some confused people even went to fawn over Qin Yi. Your sister wanted to adopt Yu into the second branch of the family, but this required the consent of both the elder madam and the second madam, and the clan's approval was also needed. It was quite a dilemma, and she was troubled. When she heard that Lord Xu had been granted another title, she was overjoyed, thinking this title could be inherited by Yu. This would not only alleviate Chun's predicament but also give your sister some face. But who knew, Lord Xu declined again. And he didn't even discuss it with your sister; she only learned about it from others. This infuriated your sister... and since then, she's had a cough.

"Lord Xu didn't consider your sister at all. Titles given to relatives are personal and cannot be inherited. But titles earned through military merit are hereditary. Think about it, even when your sister was alive, he acted this way. If she were to pass away, how would Chun even survive? Don't forget, although the Xu family has many children taught by your uncle, only Chun is your sister's own flesh and blood, and only he shares your bloodline."

Luo Zhenxing listened with confusion. "But I've heard that Lord Xu, when pacifying the Miao tribes, showed great resolve. When the Miao leaders feigned surrender and offered silk and women, Lord Xu was unmoved, acted decisively, and beheaded the leader, forcing the Miao to truly surrender, leading to seven victories. How can you say he's 'easily influenced, indecisive, and weak'? Could you have heard wrong?"

"What do you know?" The matriarch coldly chuckled, "In the past, the old Marquis Xu exhausted his family's wealth to help the emperor ascend the throne. Otherwise, how would the Yangzhou Wen family have any connection with the marquis estate? After the emperor ascended the throne, he was determined to honor the empress. Against the opposition of several grand scholars, he appointed Lord Xu, who had never led troops or fought in battle, as the Great General for Pacifying the Barbarians. The Ministry of War understood the emperor's intentions and knew that as long as they had sufficient supplies and manpower, victory was assured, and a promotion to prime minister or marquis was inevitable. Many renowned generals served under Lord Xu as lieutenants or captains. If he couldn't win that war, he'd be no better than a useless person!"

Luo Zhenxing was speechless.

Commanding so many famous generals would have been challenging, but his mother wouldn’t grasp that...