Chapter 281

Chapter 286: Handling Affairs (Part 2)

In Lord Xu's heart, Lady Eleven had always been gentle, serene, and generous—even somewhat naive. He had never seen her like this before.

Her expression was calm and composed, her words soft yet firm.

For a moment, he was speechless.

Lady Eleven lowered her eyelids. "My lord, how could you do this to me?" Her tone was sorrowful, almost on the verge of tears.

Lord Xu felt greatly embarrassed and quickly said, "This matter is rather complicated. It’s not that I didn’t discuss it with you beforehand—"

"My lord!" Before he could finish, Lady Eleven suddenly raised her gaze to meet his. "You are the head of this household. Our children’s marriages should naturally be decided by you." Her expressionless face was as cold as a mountain peak. "It must be because I lack discernment that you entrusted the selection of a daughter-in-law to Second Sister-in-law." As she spoke, a hint of dejection crept into her voice. "If that is the case, I shall simply obey your orders."

This left Lord Xu, who was accustomed to seeing Lady Eleven’s smiling face, feeling deeply unsettled. His explanation spilled out almost involuntarily: "At first, it was only my own idea. I didn’t know whether the Xiang family would agree, so it wasn’t appropriate to mention it to you. Later, Ma Zuowen came with the list of potential brides for the Crown Prince, which answered the questions that had troubled me these past months. I was busy arranging matters with the Qu Clan and didn’t have a chance to speak of it… But as soon as the Xiang family confirmed their agreement, didn’t I tell you first?" By the end, his tone carried a trace of helplessness.

Lady Eleven was startled.

First? Had Lord Xu not even consulted the Dowager?

She was also curious about how the list of potential brides for the Crown Prince had answered the questions that had troubled Lord Xu these past months.

But recalling Lord Xu’s actions, she pushed down her confusion and turned her face toward the window.

Seeing his wife’s refusal to listen to his explanation, Lord Xu gave a bitter smile and moved to sit beside Lady Eleven.

"Silent Words, there are some things you don’t understand," he said, his expression solemn. "The Xu family is a noble house, dependent on imperial patronage. Yuge is a son born of a concubine—he will never inherit the title. And yet, for the sake of the family’s safety, I have thrice refused His Majesty’s rewards…" He paused here. "I have cut off Yuge’s future prospects. As Yongping Marquis, I have no regrets before our ancestors. But as a father, I have failed Yuge greatly."

Lady Eleven began to understand.

"I must find a path for this child," Lord Xu said with a sigh. "Fortunately, he's quite bright. Rather than waiting until my later years to seek an official position for him, it would be better to let him try the imperial examinations. This way, perhaps the brothers can grow closer."

Lady Eleven stared at Lord Xu in surprise.

Hadn't the Xu family always avoided the imperial examinations? Wasn't that why Third Young Master had stopped after obtaining his xiucai degree?

"The circumstances are different now," Lord Xu said, his tone gentler now that his wife’s coldness had eased slightly. "Before, I had this idea but lacked the opportunity. This time, when I met Lord Xiang, I found him more pragmatic and capable than ever. As long as he avoids major mistakes, in another decade or two, he will undoubtedly rise to a governorship. With a bit of luck, he might even join the Grand Secretariat. You know our family is both noble and connected to the imperial clan, and I have led troops to victory. Any one of these would draw envy—much less possess all three. If Yuge were to follow the path of imperial favor, what remains of my influence and old ties would at least earn him some respect in military circles. But if he takes the imperial examinations, his background would make him a target for criticism and exclusion by the scholar-officials. He'd be lucky if my reputation didn't hinder him." Here, he sighed softly.

Lady Eleven remained silent.

Censors took particular delight in impeaching imperial relatives and nobles.

In their eyes, imperial relatives lived off the state's bounty solely due to "one person’s success benefiting their entire clan," while nobles were parasites living off ancestral privilege—they revered those who achieved greatness and honored the founding heroes, but they had no patience for the hangers-on or the descendants who had long lost their ancestors’ mettle. And yet, these very people held higher ranks and enjoyed greater privileges, inevitably breeding resentment among the scholar-officials who had toiled for years to earn their positions. They would constantly seek faults in such people to justify their disdain. And Lord Xu, a military man, was already looked down upon by the literati as an uncouth brute!

"If I cannot protect him, I must find someone who can. That is why I considered an alliance with the Xiang family," Lord Xu said, gazing at Lady Eleven. "Yuge is a son born of a concubine, and his birth mother was a maid. Most families would refuse such a match. But Second Sister-in-law watched Yuge grow up—she knows his character well. That’s why I thought of the Xiang family and asked her to mediate. Even she hesitated at first, let alone Lord Xiang. Under such circumstances, how could I bring it up to you? As for letting Second Sister-in-law choose among her nieces, it was because she knows both sides well. A good wife is half the battle—better than us choosing blindly. After all, it will be Chun Ge’s wife who takes over the household duties from you."

Lord Xu’s honesty gradually dispelled Lady Eleven’s resentment, but it did not mean she forgave his actions.

"My lord's reasoning is sound," she said sincerely. "But there are still things I do not understand."

Seeing his wife willing to speak calmly, Lord Xu relaxed slightly and replied earnestly, "Go ahead. I’m listening."

"Why did my lord feel the need to explain all this to me?"

Lord Xu was momentarily stunned and answered without thinking, "Naturally, it’s because you are kind and reasonable—"

"But is it because I am kind, or because I am reasonable?" Lady Eleven pressed, unwilling to let the matter drop.

Lord Xu hesitated. "My lord must not evade me," Lady Eleven said. "Answer me honestly, with your true thoughts." Her gaze was solemn as she watched him.

Lord Xu grew solemn and said, "Of course, it's because you are reasonable. Once I explain the whole situation to you, you'll naturally understand why I chose to ally with the Xiang family."

"Since that's the case, why didn't you discuss it with me beforehand?" Madame Eleven's voice was soft yet firm, making Lord Xu pause.

"In your estimation, I am tolerant and reasonable. If you had consulted me before deciding to seek the Xiang family's second daughter for Yuge, don't you think I would have understood your difficulties?" Madame Eleven fixed her gaze on Lord Xu. "Instead, you only informed me after everything was settled. How could I not feel hurt?" Her eyes darkened. "Not even notifying me about such an important matter... When I first heard it, I was both ashamed and angry, wondering what I had done wrong. I wished the earth would swallow me to avoid being mocked for lacking tolerance—hiding my stepson's marriage arrangements from me... I felt disheartened, wanting to wash my hands of it all... Now, hearing your explanation, it only makes me feel worse... I uphold respect and obedience, yet you only remember my tolerance and easygoing nature..."

Madame Eleven's candid yet sorrowful confession sent ripples through Lord Xu's heart, leaving him on pins and needles.

"Madame Eleven..." His voice was bitter, his gaze hesitant as he looked at her, his lips working soundlessly for a long while without uttering another word.

Madame Eleven couldn't hide her disappointment.

Marriage was an alliance between two families, so the choice of whom to marry was the husband's decision. But the choice of bride fell to the wife. Lord Xu was willing to explain and acknowledged his mistake, yet he refused to apologize. Was it due to the patriarchal hierarchy? Or the arrogance of his station?

She forced a faint smile at Lord Xu, then slid off the heated platform. "It's getting late. Since you've discerned something unusual from the list of candidates for the Crown Prince's consort provided by Lord Ma, you've likely been preoccupied. Let's rest early." She then rose to make his bed.

"Mo Yan!" Lord Xu grabbed her arm from behind.

Madame Eleven straightened but didn't move.

They stood frozen in silence for a moment.

"This matter was my fault," Lord Xu's voice slowly reached her ears. "I shall take more care next time."

Madame Eleven turned around, her eyes locked on Lord Xu. "My lord, I wish to meet the three young ladies of the Xiang family."

Lord Xu's countenance changed slightly.

Madame Eleven stared at him silently for a long while before turning wordlessly to make the bed.

Lord Xu remained standing, his eyes fixed on her retreating form.

After preparing the bed, she placed the lamp on the bedside stool.

"My lord, allow me to assist you," Madame Eleven said softly, her tone no different from usual.

Lord Xu slowly raised his arms.

Madame Eleven helped him remove his outer robe.

They retired to bed, one on the inner side, the other on the outer.

The goat-horn palace lantern suffused the room with soft light.

Madame Eleven tossed restlessly.

Lord Xu, eyes wide open, couldn't miss it.

Soon, Madame Eleven tossed again.

Lord Xu closed his eyes.

Then he heard her toss once more.

And again.

He opened his eyes and saw her toss again.

Unable to bear it, Lord Xu spoke up. "Mo Yan... This was all my doing..."

Indeed, it was Lord Xu's intention. But when the second wife proposed marrying off the Xiang family's second daughter to Xu Siyu, couldn't the Xu family object?

"His Lordship also said we shouldn't bring someone with a strong personality into the household," Eleven Miss's voice sounded weak. "I want to properly meet the three Xiang daughters!"

"The eldest daughter is not an option..." Lord Xu still tried to dissuade her.

"But there are still the Second and Third Misses, aren't there?" Eleven Miss said softly, yet her tone carried quiet determination.

Lord Xu frowned slightly and remained silent.

Eleven Miss rolled onto her side, her back facing Lord Xu.

After a long silence, Lord Xu let out a deep sigh and gently pulled Eleven Miss into his arms. "Moyan..."

Eleven Miss did not turn around.

In the distance, the sound of watchman's drums mixed with the crackling of candle wicks.

**************

Meanwhile, in the Xiang residence located at the southeastern corner of the Xu estate, Lord Xiang and Lady Xiang were exchanging angry glares.