Chapter 310

Chapter 315: Selection (Part 1)

Eleven Niang smiled wryly upon hearing this: "That’s precisely why I’m so troubled!" Then she stepped down from the kang and went to the outer room.

Lord Xu was puzzled when he saw her enter with a stack of paper cradled in her arm, an inkstone in her hands, and a large yellow bamboo brush holder placed atop the inkstone.

"What are you planning to do?" he asked, quickly stepping forward to take the inkstone and brush holder from her.

The items were rather heavy.

Eleven Niang flexed her wrist lightly and thanked Lord Xu in a low voice. "We must deliberate carefully on this!"

Lord Xu was still confused.

Eleven Niang had already sat down on the kang, pushing up her sleeves to grind the ink.

Her pale wrists were delicate, and her fingers long and graceful, yet after several grinds, the water remained thin on the inkstone.

Lord Xu took over the inkstick. "Let me do it."

Eleven Niang didn’t refuse. She spread the paper on the kang table and watched as the clear water gradually darkened. Loading the brush with ink, she wrote the character "Zhuo" on the paper, followed by "Wang," "Li," and "Jiang."

"Zhuo" represented the Zhuo family (Vice Minister Zhuo), "Wang" represented Lady Zhou's maternal family, and "Li" represented Regional Commander Li's family—all three had come to propose marriage to Zhenjie. Meanwhile, "Jiang" stood for Jiang Feiyun's niece, as their family wished to arrange a marriage with Yuge.

Only then did Lord Xu understand her intention and couldn’t help but smile faintly.

Eleven Niang always preferred clear and methodical approaches.

He pointed at the character "Jiang." "Let’s rule out this family."

With both parents deceased, if one thought deeper, it suggested an inauspicious match. No wonder Lord Xu ruled out the Jiang family first.

Eleven Niang nodded and circled the character "Jiang."

Now, only "Zhuo," "Wang," and "Li" remained.

"This is fine too," she said. "We can finalize Zhenjie’s marriage first before discussing Yuge’s—it’s not too late."

But Lord Xu replied, "It’s likely the Jiang family also feels this match isn’t quite suitable, which is why they sent Mrs. Jiang to gauge your thoughts."

"What do you mean?" Eleven Niang recalled Mrs. Jiang’s attitude at the time—it had seemed quite sincere.

"If they truly thought this match was suitable, they would’ve acted like Lao Zhuo," Lord Xu explained. "One would gauge your thoughts, while the other would plant hints in my ear."

Eleven Niang thought it over and found his reasoning sound.

Mrs. Jiang had not only extolled her niece’s embroidery skills in front of her but had even hinted at the dowry’s generosity.

Perhaps they assumed that since Xu Siyu was the eldest son born of a concubine, she wouldn’t pay much attention. Or perhaps they believed that as long as the bride’s dowry was substantial, Lord Xu would accept the match without objection.

Eleven Niang nodded slowly, and the conversation naturally shifted to the Zhuo family (Vice Minister Zhuo).

"...Mrs. Zhuo only mentioned that her son was highly favored by his father. She didn’t say much else. What did Lord Zhuo tell you?"

"More or less the same," Lord Xu said. "Lao Zhuo said that if this marriage were to happen, Zhenjie would become the mistress of the household upon entering their family. He also has some modest holdings, which he would leave to his eldest son, and this would be clearly stated in the betrothal gifts. He assured that Zhenjie would lack for nothing."

Eleven Niang was slightly surprised.

"Lao Zhuo is plainspoken—he minces no words. I don’t doubt him," Lord Xu continued. "Besides, he holds a hereditary fourth-rank Commandant title. I didn’t agree immediately because I wanted to evaluate the boy first. In these peaceful times, there are no battles to fight anymore. Advancing swiftly now depends largely on connections. A son-in-law is as good as a son—I’d hardly stand idle. And I definitely won’t let Zhenjie suffer." Eleven Niang laughed despite herself.

Unlike her usual faint, somewhat reserved smile, her eyes and brows radiated joy, her gaze twinkling playfully.

Lord Xu thought it strange, yet his lips twitched upward unbidden. "What is it?"

"Nothing! Nothing!" Lady Eleven waved her hand, her laughter growing even more boisterous.

She thought of Lady Li...

If the Xu family were to arrange a marriage between their family and the Zhuo family, Zhenjie's fate would bear some resemblance to Lady Li's.

Lady Eleven could imagine Lady Li's formidable nature but couldn't picture Zhenjie throwing a tantrum.

Lord Xu stared at her, completely perplexed.

Lady Eleven found it even more amusing.

Lord Xu pondered for a moment, then lowered his head to inspect his attire. Finding nothing amiss, he recalled having helped grind ink earlier and called out for a maid to bring in a mirror.

Lady Eleven hesitated momentarily before realizing Lord Xu had misunderstood.

She quickly waved her hands. "No, no! I was thinking of Lady Li!"

"Lady Li?" Lord Xu was surprised. "What about Lady Li?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, understanding dawned.

Gazing at her sparkling eyes under the lamplight, he couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head. "So you're mocking me!"

"No, no!" Lady Eleven denied, but she burst into uncontrollable laughter.

She pressed her lips together, which then turned a deep red.

Lord Xu's eyes flickered slightly, and the feeling of being overlooked slowly reawakened within him.

His smile gradually faded, his gaze turning intense.

Lady Eleven lowered her eyelids, stammering, "...Then, should we meet the Zhuo family's eldest son..." Her hand unconsciously doodled circles on the paper.

Lord Xu gently took the brush from her hand and tossed it onto the kang table, then drew her onto his lap. "We'll talk about it later," he murmured, his voice deep.

Lady Eleven clutched tightly at his lapel.

"The lamp..."

The room sank into darkness.

It took Lady Eleven a while to adjust her eyes to the dark.

She gazed at the kang table pushed aside and wrapped her arms tightly around the strong body moving inside her.

His heated skin felt feverish, and a thin layer of sweat coated his back.

Was she really exciting him this much?

Lady Eleven wondered and fidgeted.

"Uncomfortable?" Lord Xu panted, stopping. His rough hand gently stroked her back.

Her heart skipped a beat, swept up in passion.

"No..." Her voice was warm, laced with bashful reluctance, yet her long legs actively wound around his waist, easing his access.

Lord Xu thrilled at her response.

His movements grew even more tender and considerate...

Lady Eleven closed her eyes.

At this moment, she felt respected, cherished, and adored—her emotions cradled with care.

She pressed softly against him, answering his soft murmurs.

"Mo Yan, Mo Yan," he whispered hoarsely, pressing light kisses to her cheeks, "my sweet one..."

In the distance, the chiming clock's pendulum swung quietly, while the ink-stained brush lay silently on the rice paper—everything was tranquil and serene.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

"Here, this is the Zhuo family's information." Lady Eleven handed a sheet of fine paper adorned with delicate calligraphy to the Dowager.

The Dowager steadied her glasses with one hand and held the paper with the other, leaning by the window to examine it closely.

Their discussion had gone nowhere. Just that morning, they had also received an invitation from Lord Zhuo for a banquet.

"Just yesterday, we mentioned the children's marriage prospects, and today he invites you to a feast. Surely, he wants you to meet his son."

Just awake, Lady Eleven cradled a cup of almond-flavored goat milk, lazily reclining on the window seat.

"Fine, let’s see then!" The husband, having practiced martial arts earlier, had changed into a deep blue silk robe, his figure even more imposing.

"But what if he isn’t suitable?" Lady Eleven worried. "You and Lord Zhuo are such good friends..."

She feared he might agree out of obligation.

"Justice and friendship don't always align!" The husband said, his gaze softening as he looked at her, amusement glinting in his eyes. "We’ll assess the situation first."

Lady Eleven frowned slightly.

The husband couldn’t help but chuckle.

"Old Zhuo won't be a problem. The real challenge is Lady Zhou, as she's already made her intentions clear," he mused. "If things work out, all’s well. If not... we’ll need a polite refusal. After all, she approached you early on."

Indeed, if Lady Zhou’s suggested match also proved unsatisfactory, finding a graceful way to decline would prove difficult.

The thought reminded Lady Eleven of the Dowager.

How could she have forgotten her?

"Perhaps we should ask Mother for her opinion?" Lady Eleven brightened. "She has more experience and a sharper eye for people!"

"Agreed," the husband said. "I’ll attend the Zhuo banquet, and you can discuss yesterday’s matter with Mother. We’ll reconvene tonight."

Lady Eleven nodded. After seeing her husband off, she listed details of the families before visiting the Dowager.

The Dowager had long understood their ulterior motives. But since her daughter-in-law hadn’t mentioned it, she played ignorant. Now that Lady Eleven sought her counsel, she prepared to give it proper consideration.

Later that morning...

"Has the marquis gone to the Zhuo family's banquet?" the elder madam set down the letter she was holding.

"Yes!" Lady Eleven brought her a fresh cup of tea. "He's certain to meet the eldest son of the Zhuo family there."

"And what are your thoughts on this?" The elder madam put aside her hand mirror.

Lady Eleven carefully placed it into the gilt enamel mirror case nearby. "We'd like to observe the young man first. But we're worried it might be awkward to refuse if he doesn't meet our expectations."

The elder madam chuckled. "You're worried about having to turn down Third Madam Zhou, aren't you?"

Lady Eleven smiled. "Nothing escapes your notice!"

"Don't fret," the elder madam said, lifting her teacup. "Any respectable family wouldn't rush into proposing marriage like this. If they're in such a hurry, they must have had their eyes set on this for a while. While we're not the wealthiest family, we do have some standing." She spoke tactfully. "While we appreciate their merits, they also value ours. That's how marriage alliances should be. These aren't major concerns—what truly matters is the children themselves. Third Madam Zhou is a sensible woman. Since she's arranged this match, I suggest you look into it carefully. As for the Zhuo family, the fourth son has been in the military for years, and most who seek marriage ties with them have similar intentions. Their situation is more complicated. We should take our time choosing." She advised Lady Eleven, "Don't rush into any decisions. If I'm not mistaken, now that this has started, more families will come proposing in the coming days."

Lady Eleven nodded, impressed by the elder madam's thorough consideration. "We'll need your guidance when the time comes."

The elder madam laughed warmly. "I raised Zhenjie myself—even if you hadn't asked, I'd have kept an eye out for her."

Only then did Lady Eleven feel at ease.