Chapter 23

Chapter 23

On the third day after the wedding, Du Lingjing returned to her parental home.

The alley outside the Du residence in Chengqing Lane teemed with well-wishers.

Unfortunately, her uncle, Du Zhiqi, had found no respite since his niece’s wedding. Instead, he spent each day brooding over his predicament:

His niece’s marriage into the Marquis of Yongding’s household was a great fortune, a dream for others. Yet, just days before the wedding, he had quarreled with her, leading to a family rift. The Shao family, once so cordial, now ignored him entirely. As for his mother-in-law’s family, his brother-in-law had barely survived a brutal beating, leaving the entire household shrouded in gloom. His mother-in-law, Madam Wan, was now completely out of reach…

To make matters worse, he had originally hoped to leverage his niece’s marriage to secure a favorable official post. Now, that hope was utterly dashed.

With his own affairs in such disarray, he naturally had no mind to attend to the crowd outside.

Meanwhile, Du Runqing, who might have managed some matters, had fallen gravely ill. The Gu family, preoccupied, couldn’t spare them any attention. So, Du Runqing had taken her mother, the Second Madam, to a country estate outside the city before her sister’s return visit, ensuring their absence from the residence.

Du Jicang had not left, but as a distant relative of the Du family in Chengqing Lane, he was in no position to intervene.

It was only when Lu Shenru arrived with his newlywed wife for the customary return visit that the situation improved. Seeing the crowd congratulating them at the gate, he instructed Chong'an to bring out two large baskets of copper coins, which were cheerfully distributed to the well-wishers.

Amid the chorus of "Congratulations, Marquis!" Du Lingjing noticed the constant smile on her husband’s face. The elderly gatekeeper, Uncle Wen, personally opened the door for them.

"Please enter, Marquis."

The man seemed visibly pleased, but Du Lingjing heard him gently correct Uncle Wen in a warm tone.

"Uncle Wen, you should call me 'son-in-law.'"

Uncle Wen paused, glancing at Du Lingjing, who was just as surprised. After a moment, the old man politely amended his words.

"Please come in, son-in-law."

Only when she saw the growing satisfaction in her husband’s expression did Du Lingjing step inside.

Du Zhiqi and Du Jicang were already waiting. However, as Du Lingjing looked around, she looked up slightly.

"Has Zhanming returned?"

Beside the uncle and nephew stood a young man of twelve or thirteen.

The youth wore a scholar’s simple robe, his entire appearance trim and upright, standing as straight as a newly sprouted bamboo in spring.

This was the young master of the Du family, Du Zhiqi’s son, Du Zhanming.

He had been studying at an academy in Baoding. Du Zhiqi had originally wanted him to return before the wedding to attend his sister's wedding, but he had been delayed and only arrived today.

Du Zhanming hurried forward to bow to his sister and her husband, the Marquis.

The reputation of the Marquis of Yongding was widely known, and scholars held divided opinions about this powerful Marquis Lu. Zhanming heard people discuss him daily at the academy—some praising, others condemning. Now, the Marquis had become his brother-in-law.

But the awkwardness lay in the series of troubles that had occurred before his return.

The young boy was now flustered, not daring to look up at the Marquis. However, Lu Shenru had Chong'an bring over a small box, which he took and personally handed to Zhanming.

"A few pieces of ink by Cheng Junfeng. I hope they suit your taste."

Even Du Zhiqi looked up in surprise at this.

Cheng Junfeng was the foremost ink-maker of the dynasty, and his ink was worth a fortune. Yet the Marquis had casually gifted several pieces to Zhanming, who hadn’t even passed the civil service exams yet.

Du Zhanming was taken aback, but Du Jicang quickly reminded him to express his thanks.

Du Lingjing also glanced at the ink, then briefly glanced toward the Marquis beside her.

He had even prepared a gift for Zhanming.

After Zhanming thanked him, Lu Shenru asked him a few questions about his studies. Though a military man originally, he was familiar with Zhanming’s curriculum.

"Zhanming just mentioned, 'The sage is one who accumulates and attains.' Academies in the capital likely don’t teach this—it seems your teacher in Baoding adheres to the Xunzi school of thought."

He said this with a smile, and the boy, seeing his amiable expression and easy tone, quickly agreed.

"Our teacher once supported my deceased uncle’s reforms. He believes, 'Law is the foundation of governance,' and also says, 'Rituals guide one’s will, while laws correct one’s conduct.' I strongly agree!"

At this, the Marquis laughed, and Du Jicang also smiled at his younger brother.

Du Lingjing couldn’t help but soften her gaze as well, asking gently,

"Who is your teacher in Baoding?"

But before she could finish, Du Zhiqi sharply rebuked his son.

"You’ve only studied for a few years—how much of the sages’ profound meanings do you truly understand? Stop parading your knowledge and sit back down!"

Scolded by his father, Zhanming quickly retreated to his seat without another word.

The previously warm atmosphere in the hall instantly froze.

Du Lingjing’s question was left unanswered, and the warmth in her eyes vanished.

Noticing this, the Marquis placed his teacup down.

An inexplicable weight seemed to press down on the room.

Zhanming kept his head lowered, not daring to speak. Du Jicang gave Du Zhiqi a helpless look, while Du Zhiqi himself belatedly realized his misstep.

He was supposed to be the elder of the household, but in front of this Marquis son-in-law, what standing did he truly have?

His face twitched in discomfort.

After a moment of hesitation, he abruptly stood up. "I have other matters to attend to. You may stay."

With that, he walked out.

Zhanming was left uneasy, but Lu Shenru addressed him.

"Your sister just asked—who is your teacher?"

Du Lingjing looked his way, and Zhanming answered.

"It’s Mr. Liao Xu. He once served as an official in the court but later resigned and came to teach at our academy."

Liao Xu.

Du Lingjing remembered this man.

The year he passed the imperial examinations, her father had presided over the metropolitan exams. Though all passing candidates were counted as the emperor’s disciples, Liao Xu had regarded her father as his true teacher. Her father had received him at their home several times.

At that time, Du Lingjing was still young and only remembered that every time Liao Xu visited, he would bring her a packet of Liaohua candy from the entrance of Longfu Temple.

Liaohua candy was a Shandong-style confectionery, sold under the guise of the Kong Family’s delicacies, and sold out quickly. Though Du Lingjing enjoyed it, she often couldn’t buy any.

But Mr. Liao always managed to buy some. As soon as he entered, he would wave her over and tuck the treats into her sleeve.

Each time, the pastries were still warm.

“Jing’er, eat them while they’re hot!”

……

Later, when her father’s policies collapsed, Liao Xu was denounced and reassigned to Guangdong and Guangxi for many years. It turned out he was now teaching in Baoding.

Du Lingjing couldn’t help but ask, “How is Mr. Liao?”

She remembered him as rotund even as a young man. Her father had said he was a connoisseur of fine food. After more than a decade apart, she wondered if he’d grown even rounder.

Zhan Ming said he was well but hesitated. “But he’s been gone for nearly half a month.”

Du Lingjing raised an eyebrow, and Du Jicang asked, “How’d he disappear?”

Zhan Ming explained that at first, Mr. Liao had only requested a few days’ leave from the academy’s chancellor. “But since then, he hasn’t returned.”

Lu Shenru fell silent upon hearing this, then spoke.

“Did he disappear along with the Hu brother and sister?”

Hu Tinglan and Hu Tingjun—the siblings with deep connections to Shao Boju.

Du Lingjing’s expression turned serious.

Zhan Ming shook his head. “No, but Mr. Liao was indeed acquainted with Elder Brother Hu. They often exchanged letters.”

He spoke, his gaze shifting between Du Jicang and Lu Shenru before finally settling on Du Lingjing’s face.

“Sister, don’t blame me. The reason I was delayed in returning was that the academy also lost another teacher and two students. The chancellor suspects it’s related to the Hu brother and sister’s disappearance and has been sending us out to search.”

When Du Zhiqi summoned him home, he had been searching elsewhere. The back-and-forth had delayed him.

“Have you found anyone?” Du Lingjing asked.

Zhan Ming shook his head. “Not yet.”

Du Lingjing had also been searching for the Hu brother and sister but had no leads. By her count, they had been missing for over two months.

She couldn’t help but glance at the man beside her.

When she had spread the rumor that the Shao family had harmed the Hu brother and sister, the uproar that erupted overnight had been largely due to this Marquis’s influence.

If anyone had the most to lose from Shao Boju’s rise, it was him.

The moment her gaze landed on him, he understood her meaning.

He shook his head at her. “I have no news either.”

So many people—disappeared without a trace.

Du Lingjing pressed her lips together in silence. Du Jicang turned back to Zhan Ming.

“Has everyone from your academy joined the search?”

Zhan Ming nodded. “The government agents have been searching around Zhengding and Baoding. At first, many were sent, but when nothing turned up, some were withdrawn. That’s when the chancellor had us all go out to look. Even outsiders pitched in when word spread.”

He suddenly remembered something and quickly added to Du Lingjing,

“Liulang’s one of them! When the chancellor saw that Liulang knew me, he assigned us to search together!”

Jiang Liulang—Jiang Fengchuan.

Third Brother’s kid brother.

He wasn’t a blood brother but a clan orphan they took in. The third brother’s parents had adopted him as their foster son.

There was a line from Yuan opera: *The evening clouds fade, the setting sun hangs, a river of maple leaves, reeds on both banks.*

Jiang Fengchuan.

He had been brought home by the third brother himself, and the name followed the family’s generational naming tradition.

The two brothers were thick as thieves.

After the third brother’s death, the clan had formally adopted Liulang into the third brother’s family, entrusting him with filial duties as his brother’s stand-in.

But odd whispers began circulating in the city—that Liulang would marry his brother’s widow in his place.

Both the Du and Jiang families were respectable scholarly households. The Du family’s daughter was not about to remarry out of obligation, and such brother-widow marriages were unthinkable.

Moreover, in Du Lingjing’s heart, there had only ever been the third brother—no one else.

A year after the third brother’s death, the Jiang family packed Liulang off to study elsewhere to dodge talk. Du Lingjing hadn’t seen him in two years.

Hearing that Liulang was also in Baoding, she was surprised.

“Why is Liulang there?” she asked Zhan Ming. “Does he know you?”

Zhan Ming said he did. “Liulang’s looked out for me. I thanked him repeatedly, but he said we’re kin—no need for formalities.”

Typical Liulang, Du Lingjing thought to herself.

She was about to ask more about him when Du Jicang coughed twice.

The sound jolted the siblings back to the moment.

Zhan Ming glanced at the man presiding at the table—not the third brother of the Jiang family, but the Marquis of Yongding—and quickly fell silent.

Du Lingjing also paused, turning to look at the man. She braced for his irritation, but instead, his expression stayed mild. When she met his gaze, he asked,

“Has Liulang been away this whole time?”

Then, gently, he added, “If he ever comes to the capital, invite him to stay with us for a few days.”

Du Jicang and Zhanming held their tongues.

Of course, Du Lingjing wouldn’t dream of allowing a Jiang family member to stay at the marquisate. But seeing the Marquis go out of his way to be polite still threw her off.

That day, when she had been in a foul mood and snapped at him, he hadn’t taken offense—instead, he had made amends. Today, at Zhanming’s mention of Liulang’s words about the two families being one, he showed no sign of annoyance and even offered to host Liulang.

Du Lingjing sized him up briefly, then refused.

"He's been away studying for years and must have his own plans."

With that, she left Jiang Liulang's matter behind and said no more.

The conversation then turned to the disappearance of the Hu siblings and Mr. Liao.

On the way back to the Marquis' estate from Chengqing Lane, Du Lingjing thought of Hu Tingjun's young children, whom she had left behind when she vanished, and felt a quiet pang of worry.

Earlier, when Shao Boju had tried to force marriage on her, she had brought it to light—partly to free herself from the Shao family, but also hoping court attention would ensure the Hu siblings would soon reappear.

Yet many days had passed, and there was still no sign of them.

Instead, she had ruined Shao Boju's schemes and married the Marquis of Yongding.

In his rage, Shao Boju might escalate his actions—could he now pose an even greater threat to the Hu siblings?

Du Lingjing felt uneasy.

As she pondered, the man beside her spoke.

"No news might be good news."

He mentioned Yu Ge, a retainer of the Marquis's household. "I will ask Mr. Yu to pay closer attention to this matter. As soon as there is any news, I will inform you immediately. Don’t worry too much."

He had guessed her thoughts again and even put his household advisor to assist her.

She still had too few resources, and could only operate within the study. She had no choice but to accept his help.

That evening, she went to bed before he returned from the outer courtyard.

He didn't linger either and also retired early.

The next morning, before dawn, he rose to attend court.

After waking, Du Lingjing washed up, had breakfast, and summoned Qiu Lin.

"Where does the household business get handled in the Marquis' estate?"

In a grand estate like the Marquis of Yongding's, servants vastly outnumbered the family. With so many trivial matters to oversee, Lu Shenru couldn't be bothered with them all.

Having never married before and with no known concubines in the household, the domestic affairs were likely handled by Steward Zong.

Qiu Lin asked, "Why does my lady ask?"

The Marquis' estate had functioned without a mistress for years.

Du Lingjing lowered her gaze and said softly, "From now on, call me 'Madame.'"

Qiu Lin was startled.

Du Lingjing continued, "When noble families take a wife, do they just acquire a trophy wife? There's work to be done."

Qiu Lin fell silent for a moment before replying that in another quarter-hour, the stewards were due to gather in the steward's hall to assign tasks, and the servants would assemble there as well.

Upon hearing this, Du Lingjing rose, changed into suitable clothes, and headed to the steward's hall.

...

At court that day, it was the same tired refrain from Prince Yong's faction, urging the emperor to name an heir. The emperor paid no heed, and Lu Shenru couldn't care less either.

After court, he returned home.

Normally, he would have gone straight to his study in the outer courtyard, but today was his first time home since marrying.

As he walked toward the inner quarters, he asked Chong'an,

"What is Madame doing now? If she's been reading too long, even if Qiu Lin and the others fail to remind her, you must."

Chong'an blinked, wondering when Madame had taken up reading. Was the Marquis imagining things?

He ventured, "Madame is managing affairs in the steward's hall."

Lu Shenru halted.

"Say that again?"

Chong'an, thinking he'd said something wrong, hesitated before repeating,

"Marquis, Madame went to the steward's hall early this morning and has not yet returned."

The man came to a complete stop.

Given her reluctance during the wedding, he'd thought it progress enough if she had begun managing her own study these past few days.

But she was actually taking over his household management?

He turned directly toward the steward's hall.

Through the latticework, he spotted the figure seated at the head of the hall.

She wore a pale blue, subtly patterned jacket and had just two pearl hair ornaments in her coiled hair.

Lu Shenru gaped in surprise, briefly doubting his eyes.

She sat ramrod straight in the seat of honor, her face all seriousness as she listened to the stewards assigning tasks to the servants below.

She made quite the picture.

But the topics were painfully mundane—which garden trees needed pruning, which roofs needed new tiles, how many new maids and servants to hire, how many garments each should receive—every petty detail hashed out in the hall.

The trivialities would numb anyone's mind.

He could hardly believe she was attentively listening to such mundane affairs.

In Qingzhou, at her study, she had never dealt with such things.

Curious, he scrutinized her expression.

She kept her face perfectly still, as though hanging on every word. But when he followed her gaze—

Past the stewards, maids, and servants, her gaze had drifted to the begonias in the courtyard.

Lu Shenru couldn't help a soft chuckle.

Chong'an, bewildered by his master's mirth, looked on as the Marquis marched in.

Inside the hall.

Du Lingjing's thoughts had long wandered away.

The endless petty affairs of the marquis' estate were truly beyond imagination, like book characters morphing into mosquitoes droning in her ears.

Her gaze drifted to the begonias in the courtyard, trying to clear her head.

Well, she was here—might as well hear it out, she thought.

Yet at that moment, everyone in the hall suddenly stood up.

The crowd bowed.

"Marquis."

Before Du Lingjing could gather her thoughts, the man swept past the crowd, a smile in his eyes as he made straight for her.