Chapter 14

Since the weather had warmed up, the morning tradition of paying respects to Old Madam Xie had resumed.

Although it was called paying respects, it was really just a time for the whole family to gather, have tea, and chat. The elderly matriarch loved lively gatherings, and so did Old Madam Xie… On ordinary days, the family members each had their own rooms and didn’t eat together, so they didn’t often see each other. This was a good opportunity to meet, enjoy the family’s company, and experience a moment of familial joy.

Today, the sun was shining brightly, and the row of windows in the room had been opened halfway.

If one looked outside, they could see that the spring scenery was gradually coming back to life.

Accompanied by the gentle chirping of birds outside, the large dining room was filled with cheerful voices. Except for Lu Bu Yang, who had gone to court, and Lu Bu Hou, who was still ill and unable to move, the rest of the family was present.

At this moment, Old Madam Xie was sitting upright on the Luohan bed.

In her hands, she held a string of prayer beads. She was gazing at the people below her, smiling. When the room quieted, she spoke with a smile, “Xuan Yue has been at home for a while now. Though he is still in mourning and can’t participate in the imperial examinations, he cannot neglect his studies. My suggestion is that he follow Qi Yan and Qi Xuan to the Yang family’s clan school and study under Master Yang.”

As soon as her words fell, the room became silent.

Not to mention the two brothers, Lu Qi Yan and Lu Qi Xuan, even Wang Shi, who had been speaking and smiling earlier, froze. The Yang family’s clan school was a prestigious institution in Bianliang, one that countless noble young men aspired to enter. Qi Yan and Qi Xuan had worked hard to get in, but now, this illegitimate son… actually dared to think about entering?

Wang Shi was displeased, but she had grown much wiser these days due to the matter with Yu Ruyi.

So, she carefully chose her words and spoke, “Mother, your suggestion is indeed good, but entering the Yang family’s school is not easy. Xuan Yue was raised outside, so I’m afraid…” Though her words weren’t finished, the meaning was clear. How much education could someone raised outside have received?

If he went to the Yang family, wouldn’t they be laughed at?

Old Madam Xie listened to this and remained calm, her expression unchanged. She continued to smile at everyone below, saying, “There’s no need to worry about that. A few days ago, I sent someone to test Xuan Yue’s knowledge, and he did very well.”

After she finished speaking, she turned her head to look at Shen Wei and softly asked, “Eldest daughter-in-law, what do you think?”

Shen Wei had been quietly sitting in the chair without speaking. Upon hearing this, she put down her teacup and smiled as she replied, “Mother’s suggestion is indeed good. If Xuan Yue can study under Master Yang, it will be a great blessing for him.” Though the Yang family’s school was only a clan school, it was highly regarded in Bianliang.

First, because Master Yang was highly knowledgeable.

Second, because the current head of the Yang family was the Prime Minister, Yang Ji.

Besides these reasons—

Shen Wei also knew that the Yang family’s eldest daughter, Yang Shuangyan, was the female lead of the original novel. Although the romance between the two wasn’t explicitly mentioned in the novel, they had frequent private interactions. Moreover, back when Lu Qi Huai was still an illegitimate son, Yang Shuangyan had helped him several times.

Following this storyline, Yang Shuangyan was clearly the first choice for a wife.

After all, she remembered that in the novel, besides Yang Shuangyan, Lu Qi Huai had no romantic involvement with any other woman. Moreover, Yang Shuangyan not only had unparalleled beauty, but her character was also flawless. As the only daughter of Yang Ji, if Lu Qi Huai were to choose a wife, Yang Shuangyan would be the perfect candidate.

Old Madam Xie nodded in approval when Shen Wei agreed, and then added, “In that case, I’ll have someone contact the Yang family to give them a heads-up.”

After finishing this, she glanced at the two brothers, Lu Qi Yan and Lu Qi Xuan, and with a compassionate expression, she said, “Xuan Yue is your cousin. If he joins the Yang family’s school, you must support him.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Qi Xuan tightened his grip on his sleeve. He was always quick-witted and immediately understood his grandmother’s meaning. Though she smiled, the message was clear: she was warning them to remember their surname and not to let others bully their good cousin!

“How can she favor such an illegitimate child so much?” he thought, feeling frustrated.

But after a brief moment, he stood up respectfully and answered, “Yes.” With a smile on his face, he turned to look at Lu Qi Huai, who had been silent, and added, “Grandmother, don’t worry. Brother Yan and I will support cousin Xuan Yue.”

Lu Qi Xuan spoke gently, and his smile was just as it always was, showing a polite, refined demeanor.

Since he had spoken, Lu Qi Yan, though unwilling, also stood up and replied, “Yes.” His grandmother had held authority in the family for many years, and no matter how dissatisfied he was, he didn’t dare to oppose her. But in the future, if Xuan Yue really went to the Yang family, wouldn’t they have the final say? No matter how much grandmother favored this illegitimate son, could she watch over them every day?

Old Madam Xie, seeing their responses, smiled even more warmly.

She continued to play with the prayer beads in her hands, and once the two of them had sat down, she turned to Lu Qi Huai and said, “Xuan Yue, you must study hard these days.”

Hearing this, Lu Qi Huai also stood up in response.

In recent days, he had become less reserved compared to when he first arrived. Upon hearing this, he merely gave a polite salute and responded with a simple “Yes.”

—-

Old Madam Xie still had the habit of doing morning prayers, and now that the important matters had been discussed, she instructed everyone to leave.

Everyone stood and bowed, and after Old Madam Xie was helped by Yi Nan to leave, the others followed out one by one. Shen Wei, supported by Mo Qi, walked through the long corridor, and just before turning onto the small path, she heard footsteps behind her. In no time, Wang Shi caught up to her side.

Wang Shi walked quickly and was still slightly out of breath. Seeing Shen Wei beside her, she couldn’t help but recall the events from a few days ago.

Every time she thought about the jade Ruyi, she grew furious. Originally, she just wanted to take a little more and make Shen Wei uncomfortable. Even though she knew it would lead to an argument, that had actually been her intention. But who could have expected that Shen Wei would retaliate like that?

Earlier, she had returned everything she had taken, which not only caused her to lose face in front of the others, but also made both the Master and the Old Madam quite disappointed in her.

Moreover, she had also lost her three thousand taels of silver…

That was money she had painstakingly saved over the years, and now it was all gone.

And all of this was because of Shen Wei!

Shen Wei stopped when she noticed Wang Shi approaching. She was taller than most women, so she looked down at Wang Shi and said indifferently, “Second Sister-in-law, you’re walking so quickly. Do you have something to say to me?”

Wang Shi heard these indifferent words and saw Shen Wei’s calm, unchanged expression. She couldn’t help but feel a sharp pain in her teeth. The hand that had been resting on Anxiang’s arm was now tightly clenched. After a while, she forced a smile and said, “Big Sister-in-law, you’re really different now. You seem to be putting so much effort into thinking about that illegitimate son. Do you really believe he will treat you well in the future?”

“He’s not a three-year-old child for you to mold and shape at will…”

As she spoke, she moved closer to Shen Wei and added, “Don’t end up like someone chasing after empty promises, all for nothing.”

Shen Wei, hearing this, didn’t show any change in her expression. She calmly looked at Wang Shi and replied indifferently, “Whether I’m wasting my efforts or not, Second Sister-in-law need not worry. But you can rest assured, as long as I’m here, the Duke of Rong’s mansion will never be under your control.”

After saying this, Shen Wei paid no more attention to her, giving Wang Shi a cold glance before continuing forward with Mo Qi’s assistance.

Watching Shen Wei leave, Wang Shi felt a surge of anger. She clenched her fist so tightly that her nails dug into her palm… This woman! She had really underestimated her in the past!

—-

After Shen Wei returned, she was greeted by Yi Qin.

Yi Qin held a letter in her hand and, after greeting her, said, “Madam, the Marquis has sent a letter asking you to return home tomorrow.” Yi Qin, who had served the original Shen Wei, was referring to Shen Wei’s brother, the Marquis of Changxing, Shen Xifeng.

Shen Wei paused upon hearing this. She looked at the letter, and her heart stirred.

Although she could deceive others, Shen Xifeng had raised the original Shen Wei from childhood, so his familiarity with her was unmatched. But… she couldn’t keep avoiding him either. Shen Xifeng had always been kind to the original Shen Wei. If she kept avoiding him, he might think something was wrong, and even if she didn’t go to see him, he would come to see her.

Forget it—

Let the soldiers block the soldiers and the water cover the water.

Shen Wei thought this and then spoke, “I understand. Go tell the gatekeeper that I’ll be leaving tomorrow.”