Chapter 3: This Man Stands Firm

Chapter 3: This Man Stands Firm

The Lu Duke's Estate is located in Xiaoshiyong Lane, a prestigious district where the nobility of the Great Jin Dynasty gathers. Xiaoshiyong Lane is narrow and densely populated, adjacent to the imperial city, making it extremely valuable. The mansions here are priceless and not for sale, as many are bestowed by the emperor and not available through the market office. Ordinary families cannot buy them even if they have the money.

The Lu family occupies half a lane in such a prime location, which is a testament to their immense wealth.

The Lu family has three main branches of the direct line. The patriarch passed away early, leaving behind three sons. The eldest, Master Lu Jing, serves as the Vice Minister of Works, overseeing palace construction. The second master, Lu Chang, is Lu Xusheng's father. Three and a half years ago, Lu Chang died in battle against Northern Qi, leaving behind Lu Xusheng and his widowed mother. The third master, Lu Ming, is a son from a concubine, usually not favored by the old lady and keeps a low profile.

The glory of the Lu family was established by the second master, Lu Chang. Lu Xusheng, as the heir, resides in the most exquisite Ningji Hall.

The couple left Ningji Hall and walked along a stone path, ascending a winding corridor towards the main house.

The path was lush with fine trees, autumn chrysanthemums in full bloom, and adorned with exotic stones and plants, presenting a scene of grandeur and luxury.

As today was the day for the tea ceremony, all branches of the family were to attend, so it was held at the grand Rongzheng Hall, where the old lady resides.

Cheng Yian had been married to Lu Xusheng in her previous life and was not unfamiliar with the Lu family. Lu Xusheng did not need to guide her, and the two arrived at Rongzheng Hall in silence.

Five or six female servants were already waiting at the steps. Seeing the newlyweds approaching, one or two hurried inside to announce their arrival, while the rest joyfully came forward to greet them, ushering Cheng Yian through the hall, around a five-foot-high jade-inlaid cloud-patterned rosewood screen, into a five-bay main hall. Servants stood outside the corridor, creating a lively yet not noisy atmosphere, which felt more vibrant compared to the strict demeanor of the Cheng family.

The couple stepped into the hall. At the head of the main room sat two people: an elderly lady with silver hair, dressed in a sapphire-blue gold-threaded silk jacket embroidered with longevity symbols, who was Lu Xusheng's paternal grandmother. To her right, in a slightly smaller armchair, sat a dignified and beautiful woman, wearing a crimson long jacket with auspicious characters, a phoenix hairpin in her hair, fair-skinned, with delicate and narrow eyebrows, bearing a resemblance to Lu Xusheng, exuding an imposing aura. This was Lu Xusheng's widowed mother, Wang Shi.

The rest of the family, including the masters, mistresses, brothers, and sisters-in-law, were seated according to their rank. At a glance, everyone was adorned in luxurious silk and jewels, shining like pearls and jade.

As the newlyweds entered, the groom was exceptionally handsome, and the bride was radiant and dignified, both dressed in wedding attire, making a striking pair.

The first to smile was the third mistress from the third branch.

"Look, what a perfect couple," she said with festive words.

The first mistress smiled without speaking, and the old lady also squinted her eyes, slowly nodding. However, the proper mother-in-law, Wang Shi, remained serious and did not show a smile.

Cheng Yian knew the reason behind this.

When the current emperor ascended the throne, the Great Jin Dynasty was in a precarious situation. Twenty years ago, the previous emperor, misled by eunuchs, led an army north to conquer Qi, resulting in the annihilation of 200,000 soldiers. The previous emperor was trapped at Jinshan Fort and committed suicide, causing a shock throughout the court and the country. The country could not be without a ruler for a day, and at that time, the crown prince was still in swaddling clothes. The courtiers, led by Lu Chang, immediately supported the previous emperor's younger brother to ascend the throne.

As a condition of the exchange, the empress dowager demanded that the previous emperor's son be made the crown prince, who is now the current crown prince. The emperor agreed.

Twenty years have passed, and the emperor now has his own son, Prince Ning, and naturally wishes to change the crown prince to Prince Ning.

As the emperor ages, the urgency to change the crown prince becomes imminent, and the two factions are now at loggerheads.

Coincidentally, the Cheng family is the foremost noble family of the time. Regardless of the changes in dynasties and the vicissitudes of fortune, the Cheng family has always stood firm, with disciples and former officials spread throughout the country, forming a powerful force in the court.

Thus, the Cheng family has become a target for both the emperor and the empress dowager to win over.

After Lu Xusheng completed his mourning period, the emperor quickly arranged for the Cheng family to marry into the Lu family, intending to pull the Cheng family into his camp through his trusted confidant, Lu Xusheng.

Unfortunately, the Cheng family's ancestral principle is to avoid factional conflicts, and to remain loyal to whoever sits on the throne, making them true and pure ministers.

On one hand, there was the emperor's arranged marriage, and on the other, the centuries-old ancestral principle.

What to do?

The head of the Cheng family, the chief of the Censorate, Cheng Mingyu, came up with a solution: to sacrifice his own unmarried daughter and select Cheng Yian from a collateral branch to marry Lu Xusheng.

This move maintained the balance of the court struggle.

Although the Cheng family is the foremost noble family of the time, the clan is vast and complex, with each branch having its own hierarchy.

The fourth branch where Cheng Yian belonged was actually a collateral branch of the Cheng family. In the eyes of the Fan family, she was a noble lady, but in the eyes of Second Mistress Wang Shi, she was not up to par. With Lu Xusheng's status and position, marrying a princess would be more than sufficient. If the Cheng family were to marry off a daughter, it should be the eldest daughter from the main branch, but instead, Cheng Yian came.

Second Mistress was displeased, especially since she had always favored her niece from the Wang family as a daughter-in-law, making her even more dismissive of Cheng Yian.

Cheng Yian ignored her mother-in-law's cold demeanor.

A matron had already set out a cushion for them to kneel and bow on.

Cheng Yian first served tea to the matriarch, then it was Second Mistress's turn. Although Second Mistress did not like Cheng Yian, she did not make things difficult for her in front of everyone. After the tea ceremony, it was time for the family introductions.

The Lu family had a fair number of descendants.

The eldest branch consisted of two daughters and one son. The eldest daughter was already married, and the eldest son had also married and had children, with the third daughter still unmarried. In the second branch, besides Lu Xusheng, Second Mistress had a married second daughter, as well as a third son and a fifth daughter.

Three years ago, Lu Xusheng and his father Lu Chang were ordered to go to war. The situation was intense, and the matriarch, fearing for her descendants, arranged for the third son, Lu Jisheng, to marry first. Thus, Cheng Yian also had a predecessor sister-in-law who had married before her. The third branch also had two daughters and one son, making the family gathering lively and complete.

Logically, it should have been Second Mistress's responsibility to introduce her daughter-in-law to the family, but she clearly had no intention of doing so. She glanced at her third daughter-in-law beside her, who immediately understood and stepped forward, "Sister-in-law, let me introduce you to everyone."

As Cheng Yian met the family, Second Mistress watched with a cold eye. Seeing that Cheng Yian handled herself appropriately and correctly identified all the elders and sisters-in-law, her expression softened slightly.

Afterward, Cheng Yian and Lu Xusheng stepped aside and stood below Second Mistress.

The eldest master usually did not like to involve himself in women's affairs. Seeing the ceremony end, he immediately stood up to apologize to the matriarch and called for the third master to leave with him. Seeing this, the matriarch said to her grandsons,

"You all may go now, let us women have a chat."

Next came the women's domain, and the young masters all tactfully excused themselves.

But Lu Xusheng did not leave.

"Xusheng, do you have something else?" the matriarch asked in surprise.

The eldest mistress chuckled, "Is it because you're afraid that your aunts will bully your wife?"

The eldest mistress and the third mistress would naturally not bully Cheng Yian; it was Second Mistress, the proper mother-in-law, who would lay down the law for her daughter-in-law.

Second Mistress snorted lightly.

The third mistress immediately smoothed things over, "Nonsense, newlyweds are naturally inseparable. Xusheng just can't bear to part with his wife."

Everyone laughed.

Cheng Yian felt a bit embarrassed and silently lowered her eyes, which others interpreted as shyness.

Lu Xusheng bowed to the matriarch,

"Grandmother, I have to go out this afternoon. I thought it would be best to take my wife to the ancestral hall for worship now."

He wanted to take Cheng Yian away.

Cheng Yian understood Lu Xusheng's intention. Since they had agreed to be a fake couple, there was no need for her to be troubled by the Lu family's social intricacies, nor did she need to endure Wang Shi's temper. This way, they could part amicably later.

At this moment, Second Mistress spoke up,

"The family registry can be updated in the afternoon, there's no rush."

After the tea ceremony, it was customary for the mother-in-law to lay down the law for the daughter-in-law. This had always been the case in the Lu family, and every daughter-in-law had gone through it. But Cheng Yian was to be an exception. If Lu Xusheng took her away today, Cheng Yian would no longer respect her mother-in-law in the future.

The eldest mistress sipped her tea contentedly, enjoying the unfolding drama.

The third mistress wisely remained silent at this moment.

Caught in the middle, the third young mistress, Bai Shi, spoke up again. She playfully curtsied to Lu Xusheng, saying, "Brother, don't worry, I will take good care of your wife."

With the elders speaking above and the sister-in-law offering a way out, by all logic, Lu Xusheng should have relented.

But he was never one to be swayed by others; once he made a decision, not even a hundred men could change his mind.

"Mother, if you have any instructions, please say them in front of your son. After you're done, I will take her to the ancestral hall to pay respects to my father," Lu Xusheng cleverly brought his father into the conversation.

Second Mistress was momentarily at a loss for words.

Cheng Yian silently observed the mother and son's verbal sparring, somewhat impressed by Lu Xusheng.

In her past life, how had this man been? He believed in men handling outside matters and women taking care of the home, completely ignoring household matters. In the past, he would have found women's chatter annoying and likely would have fled faster than the eldest master.

Seeing that Second Mistress's expression was turning sour, Cheng Yian glanced lightly at Lu Xusheng, signaling that she could handle it.

Instead, Lu Xusheng returned a reassuring look.

Second Mistress couldn't stand to watch any longer and shifted her gaze to Cheng Yian, deciding to lay down the rules directly.

"Since you've become a member of the Lu family today, from now on, you must prioritize the family's honor and your husband above all else..."

She launched into a long speech about being a good wife and mother, then started assigning tasks to Cheng Yian.

"Starting today, you will follow your sister-in-law to learn household management. You'll be in charge of the kitchen."

For a new bride, serving meals to the in-laws was the first step in learning the household rules.

Every Lu family bride had to work in the kitchen for a period after marriage, ranging from half a year to a full year.

Second Mistress's words carried a hidden agenda.

Although Lu Xusheng was the heir, the power of the Duke's mansion still lay in the hands of the eldest branch, and the household management was controlled by the eldest mistress.

After Cheng Yian's marriage, she was supposed to take over the household management of the Duke's mansion. Why not use the kitchen affairs to let Cheng Yian gradually learn to manage the household?

The eldest mistress, of course, knew Second Mistress's intentions. This was an open strategy, and there was no way to stop it.

Before coming, Cheng Yian had anticipated this scenario, as it had happened in her past life.

But as someone who planned to leave with her dowry, why should she get involved in this divine battle?

She had her response ready, but before she could speak, a slightly magnetic voice reached her ears.

"Mother..." Lu Xusheng first bowed respectfully. The man's tall figure, with a calm and stern demeanor, perfectly balanced the flamboyance of his festive attire, making him even more striking.

"It's only natural for Mother to set the rules for my wife. She indeed needs to learn how to manage the household and raise children. As for the kitchen affairs..." Lu Xusheng paused, "I think it's unnecessary for now."

Second Mistress's expression nearly faltered. "Why?" she asked, staring intently at her son with a pressing gaze.

Lu Xusheng remained composed and replied, "She is physically weak and has a gentle nature. Just entering the household, suddenly putting her in charge of the kitchen might lead to mistakes. My suggestion is to take it slow, let her learn from Mother and Sister-in-law first, and then proceed when she has improved."

Last night, Lu Xusheng lay awake all night, reflecting on how his two marriages in his previous life had both ended in failure, his heart a whirlwind of conflicting emotions.

Was Cheng Yian's refusal to live with him because he hadn't been a good husband?

In his past life, he had never involved himself in the affairs of the inner household, which resulted in Cheng Yian enduring great suffering under his mother's harsh treatment. His mother had never taken a liking to her and had manipulated her as a pawn in her rivalry with the First Mistress, culminating in Cheng Yian's miscarriage.

Following the miscarriage, Cheng Yian sank into a deep depression, and the couple remained estranged for half a year. By the time she recovered, the incident that precipitated their separation occurred. Cheng Yian had left resolutely back then—wasn't it because she had been wronged within the Lu family?

Regardless of whether Cheng Yian was willing to stay, he needed to reflect on himself. How could he hope to govern the world if he couldn't even manage his own household? In this life, he absolutely could not ignore the affairs of the inner household.

As for the title and the management of the household in the Duke's mansion, he had his own methods to reclaim them, not at the expense of Cheng Yian's suffering.

He shot his mother a calming glance before stepping back.

However, the Second Mistress failed to grasp her son's deeper intentions and was trembling with anger.

"Xuer, this is the Lu family's rule. Are you going to break the ancestral rules?"

Lu Xusheng had already prepared his response and replied calmly,

"Son believes that heirs are of utmost importance. It's not too late to take charge of household affairs after the birth of an heir."

This effectively silenced the Second Mistress.

So, her son didn't trust the Cheng family and wanted to wait until Cheng Yian bore a child before taking over the household.

This consideration was indeed prudent.

After all, the household management had been in the hands of the First Mistress for quite some time, and there was no rush.

After the Second Master passed away, the Second Branch had declined and urgently needed to produce heirs to bolster their standing.

The Second Mistress was convinced, and knowing her son's temperament, she realized that continuing the argument would only result in her own disadvantage. She nodded and said, "Very well."

The First Mistress breathed a sigh of relief, and the old lady didn't raise any objections.

Everyone was pleased.

Lu Xusheng took Cheng Yian and left.

Cheng Yian stepped over the threshold with ease and glanced at the man in front of her.

Tsk, his backbone is really stiff.

What did she need that troublesome household management for? Hadn't she managed enough in her past life?

It was thankless work.

Although Lu Xusheng had stood up for her to distance himself from her, Cheng Yian couldn't help but marvel,

Look, when the husband knows how to handle things, there's really nothing for her to do.