Chapter 28

Chapter 28

After everyone had dispersed, Qinyuan finally returned to tranquility. However, Madam Xiao stood by the open window, dressed in a plain white inner robe, hugging herself as she stared blankly at the moonlight outside, not moving an inch for a long time.

It was the first day of the eighth lunar month; no moon was visible. The lamps had been extinguished, leaving the entire world shrouded in endless darkness.

In the distant, pitch-black night, it seemed as though a monster lurked, its gaping maw ready to burst forth and devour anyone at any moment.

"Everyone has left, why are you still standing here?"

At that moment, Lu Jingrong came over, placing an outer robe over Madam Xiao’s shoulders, saying, "It’s cold outside, don't catch a cold."

After a pause, he added, "You’ve been busy all day; you must be tired. Go and rest."

As he spoke, he took her by the shoulders and gently guided her inside.

But Madam Xiao suddenly softly placed her hand on the back of Lu Jingrong’s hand and spoke abruptly, "I know Ran’er was wrong today, way out of line. But… to send her away to a distant marriage within three months—isn’t that… treating her like dirt?"

How could a good marriage be arranged within three months? Moreover, even if they started preparing the dowry immediately, it would be too last-minute. Never mind finding a suitable match; even if the marriage were settled today, a decent wedding dress couldn’t be embroidered in just three months!

As she spoke, Madam Xiao suddenly turned and tightly grasped Lu Jingrong’s hand, saying, "Master, Ran’er was just confused for a moment. She doesn’t understand the court situation or how serious things are. If she had known, she would never have acted so recklessly. Besides, nothing actually happened today, so why must we go to such extremes?"

Her expression filled with reluctance as she continued, "After all, she is the child we raised with such care. I’ve always had trouble having children. Although our son respects me, he has always been quiet and kept to himself since childhood. It was only after Ran’er came that I truly experienced what it means to be a mother. Master, you don’t know how overjoyed I was the day we brought Ran’er home—such a little snow-white bundle."

Tears welled up in Madam Xiao’s eyes as she spoke, "Besides, our son has years of history with her. Why must we be so harsh… as if we’re just throwing her away?"

Madam Xiao said quietly, her voice full of sadness.

Lu Jingrong understood the deep bond between his wife and their adopted daughter. However, being a practical man, he thought it over for a moment before saying, "It’s not that Sui’er is being cruel; it’s just that the matter was too alarming. If not for our daughter-in-law’s attentiveness in catching the problem early, who knows what disaster might have befallen our Lu family today."

"With the new emperor just on the throne, the court is unstable, and the political climate is uncertain. Who knows which misstep could lead to a fatal blow? At such a time, we must be especially cautious not to make mistakes!"

After a pause, he added, "Besides, Sui’er was raised by you. You know his character well—he has always been fair, judging the situation, not the person. If this had happened to you or me, he would have done the same thing."

With a slight raise of an eyebrow, he continued, "Since trouble has already arisen, setting things right is the only proper course. Sui’er sending her away is beneficial for her, for our daughter-in-law, and for the peace of our household in the future. Moreover, you will be the one arranging her marriage. Since Ran’er is old enough to marry, she will have to marry sooner or later. Just do your best to find her a good husband, and that will fulfill the bond we’ve shared over these ten-plus years. We won’t have been unfair to her."

As he spoke, Lu Jingrong sighed a little, "We should have listened to me and sent her away back then. Then we wouldn’t have any of this trouble now."

Rubbing his forehead, Lu Jingrong spoke with clear exhaustion.

Upon hearing this, Madam Xiao gave a cold laugh, "How can you men be so heartless? She’s not some stray animal picked up off the street—to keep when you like and discard when you don’t. She is a person, a living person, our daughter."

Through gritted teeth, Madam Xiao spoke with emotion. After a moment, she said through tears, "If she hasn’t been taught well, then teach her properly. Why must it come to this…"

Her voice gradually faded. In truth, she knew that arranging a marriage for Ran’er at this time was the best course of action, before the situation had gotten out of hand.

However, sending her far away was something she had never imagined.

Since ancient times, daughters were only married off to distant places for political alliances, family misfortunes, or arranged marriages. Otherwise, what parent would willingly send their daughter far away? Their family had none of these reasons. Besides, how far was "far," exactly?

She herself had married into the capital from Hanzhong. For over twenty years, she had only returned once—for her birth mother’s funeral. In the past decade, she had not returned even once. It wasn’t just her; even Madam Luo, who was visiting the Lu family, and other women married far away—how many of them ever returned?

At least she had her family back home in Hanzhong for support. But as an adopted daughter, if Ran’er were married far away, who would she have to rely on?

Madam Xiao had originally raised Ran’er to be her daughter-in-law. When that hope was dashed, she had planned to find her a good marriage nearby in the capital. Now, all her plans had come to nothing, leaving her feeling really upset, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on why.

A moment later, recalling her husband’s repeated praises of their elder daughter-in-law earlier, she suddenly felt an indescribable emotion welling up inside her. Ever since falling ill some time ago, this daughter-in-law, Shen Shi, seemed to have undergone a sudden transformation, as if she had gained newfound insight. Her behavior and demeanor were now completely different from before.

Madam Xiao naturally wished her well, yet—

She couldn’t shake the feeling of a kite string slipping from her grasp, leaving her with nothing to hold onto. The last time she had felt this way was over twenty years ago, when Madam Fang had married into the family.

At the same time, in Liuli Pavilion, Fang Siyan was utterly distraught. The moment she returned, she threw herself onto the bed, weeping uncontrollably, her sorrow shaking the heavens and earth, creating an uproar.

She nearly smashed the bed in her frenzy.

At first, Lu Jingxing patiently tried to comfort her, as the newlyweds were still in the honeymoon phase. But after a while, seeing that Madam Fang showed no signs of calming down—instead crying even more bitterly and making more of a scene—he grew impatient. "He wasn’t scolding you. Don’t think I don’t know—he was clearly scolding me. I’ve only been married into your Lu family for a few days, and already my father-in-law has publicly humiliated me. How is that any different from slapping me in the face? How am I supposed to stay in this household from now on? How will I endure the decades to come?"

"I married into your Lu family to enjoy a good life, not to be mistreated by you…"

"I want to go home, sob, I want to go home…"

Fang Siyan wept unrestrainedly, scratching and clawing at Lu Jingxing’s face and body as she cried. Finally, Lu Jingxing flung her hands away, leaped up from the bed, and sternly said, "Enough! Will this ever end? If you want to return to your family, I’ll have your elder brother come fetch you tomorrow. Let’s see if you have the face to wail in front of him then!"

Lu Jingxing had already been suppressing a bellyful of anger with no outlet. Returning home only to have to coddle his wife like this, he instantly grew irritated. He strode to the Eight Immortals table and sat down, sweeping a glass vessel off the table and shattering it.

His impatience was now unmistakable. With a cold expression, he said, "Why should I suffer for your mistakes? Putting up with Father’s scolding is one thing, but even Elder Brother has grown distant from me today. Fang Siyan, you’re no longer a young lady in your parents’ home. Can’t you be a bit more sensible?"

Lu Jingxing spoke with a mix of impatience and disappointment.

The glass vessel had been one of Fang Siyan’s cherished possessions. But seeing her husband’s anger, she dared not vent her own frustration. Instead, she stubbornly lifted her chin and retorted, "Even your always stern and unromantic elder brother knows how to stand up for his wife and show his displeasure. Can’t you side with me just once and speak up for me in front of your father?"

"Seeing me scolded like that by my father-in-law, don’t you feel any heartache?"

Fang Siyan spoke with self-righteous indignation. After all, she was the one who had been wronged, so everything felt unjust.

Lu Jingxing let out a cold laugh and said, "Speak up for you? Then you should at least act like a decent person! Besides, Sister-in-law didn’t do anything to provoke you. Why did you have to go and pick a fight with her? Usually, it’s fine if you women quarrel and bicker among yourselves, but do you not realize what occasion today was? Fang Siyan, are you out of your mind? Are you truly this foolish or just pretending?"

He looked at his wife with scorn and mockery, sneering, "Don’t let yourself be used as a pawn and then end up counting the money for others!"

With that, Lu Jingxing stood up and walked to the door, instructing the maid outside to bring some wine and food. He had eaten nothing at the palace, only drunk wine, and returned home to swallow a bellyful of anger. By now, he was starving.

When he sat back down, he turned to Fang Siyan with rare seriousness and said, "I’ve borne today’s anger for you, but Fang Siyan, there won’t be a next time."

He spoke with a calm but firm tone.

Meanwhile, Fang Siyan, lying on the bed, was jolted awake by her husband’s words.

Indeed, she had no grudge against that Shen Shi. They had never had any conflicts before; the worst she had done was occasionally laugh at her misfortunes. So why had she, in a fit of irrational anger, targeted her during the day?

Suddenly, a harmless face flashed through her mind.

So, there had been a puppeteer behind the scenes, step by step, drawing her into the scheme—and she had been completely unaware.

After all, that face had seemed so friendly and harmless.

Earlier, at Qinyuan, she had cried so hard she nearly fainted, yet she had never once suspected that person. She had believed it was all a coincidence, as her maid had said, and even felt a sense of shared misfortune between them.

Only now, belatedly coming to her senses, did she break out in a cold sweat.

Indeed, she had no quarrel with that Shen Shi. But the other one—the one who had nearly become the eldest daughter-in-law—how could she not hold a grudge?

And at the thought of someone so young yet so ruthlessly cunning, Madam Fang felt a chill run down her spine.

"People shouldn't reach for things beyond their grasp—sooner or later, they'll fall and be shattered to pieces..."

"Meeting with adversaries, parting from loved ones, unfulfilled desires—the three great sorrows of life. In my view, the most tragic of all is... yearning for what remains out of reach."

Just then, a maid brought in wine and food. Lu Jingxing suddenly pursed his lips and gazed absently in a certain direction outside the window, murmuring wistfully.

After speaking, he raised his wine cup and drained it in one swallow.

Meanwhile, at Chuanze Residence.

Upon returning to Chuanze Residence, Shen Anning saw Bai Tao rushing up to greet her and suddenly quickened her pace. In no time, she opened her arms and gently drew Bai Tao into an embrace, murmuring somewhat incoherently, "Xiao Tao, I won. I really did what I said I would."

Feeling the warmth of the body in her arms, Shen Anning's eyes gradually moistened, yet her face broke into an incredibly bright and joyful smile.

This time, I finally protected you.

Bai Tao was bewildered by her mistress's sudden show of affection, but since Madam's recovery from her illness, she had become increasingly cheerful. Bai Tao had gradually grown accustomed to her mistress's openness and warmth, so she played along, saying, "Alright, alright, Madam is the most amazing, unbeatable across the land, how about that?"

"So, which competitions did you take part in at the palace today? Did you win first place, Madam?" Bai Tao asked curiously, pressing for details.

Chun Qi, too, was unusually elated, unable to contain her excitement: "Today wasn't just about winning a competition—our Madam was utterly triumphant, triumphing on all fronts."

With that, Chun Qi called the newer maids into the room and vividly recounted everything that had happened at the palace that day, as well as the contest that had just taken place back at the residence.

Chun Qi was typically composed, but today, after being publicly shamed, only to have Madam personally redeem her honor, she set aside her restraint. She described how Madam had gained favor before the Emperor and Empress at the Empress's birthday banquet, how she had been sought out and courted by other ladies and young misses like stars clustering around the moon—truly vindicating herself with her own capabilities, wiping away the rumors from months ago.

Then, upon returning to the residence, how she had made her case with reason and evidence and openly defended her rights before the Master.

Madam was no longer the same person who used to swallow her grievances, timidly enduring insults, too afraid to speak up—the doormat she once was.

"The front courtyard is probably in chaos right now..."

Under Chun Qi's concise yet impassioned narration, the young maids in the room were all wide-eyed with admiration, sometimes clutching their chests in tension, other times waving their hands excitedly as if they had witnessed it all firsthand. Finally, after meticulously explaining the day's palace experiences—covering all the taboos and precautions in detail to prepare for Madam's future palace visits and social connections—Chun Qi carefully displayed the jade ruyi bestowed by the Empress. Everyone rushed forward to admire this honor, as if sharing in the glory.

Shen Anning, too, listened intently, cupping her cheeks in her hands. When the excitement peaked, she quietly raised her hand and chimed in to liven things up: "Um... Xiao Tao, go withdraw a few strings of coins. It's rare for our courtyard to hold our heads so high—tomorrow, let's prepare two banquet tables to celebrate together, both masters and servants..."

Shen Anning's words were met with instant cheers and support from everyone present.

And at the height of the excitement, Lu Suian arrived unnoticed.

Author's note: Everyone, the original punishment of six months under house arrest and marriage to a distant land has been changed to three months under house arrest and marriage to a distant land.

Thank you all so much for your support—I will continue to work hard!