Chapter 14: She Took a Dagger and Went to Spring Breeze Pavillion 

“That’s only natural,” Gu Langhua sighed deeply. “We were shortsighted, indulging Jiusi for the sake of his happiness. Now, when we try to guide him, he simply disregards our counsel.”

His eyes sought Liu Yuru’s, a plea in their depths. “As a new bride, you must establish firm boundaries from the start. Set clear expectations and never allow him to grow imperious. Jiusi may be foolish, but I see you are wise and level-headed. You must be the one to reform him.”

Liu Yuru’s brow furrowed. “But Father-in-law, you are his parents. If even you cannot curb his wild ways, I fear that as his wife, I…”

“Don’t be afraid!” Gu Langhua reassured her hastily. “Go and manage him with my full support. He wouldn’t dare defy you then.”

“I am but a woman,” Liu Yuru demurred. “At most, I might sway him once or twice with gentle persuasion. If he remains unmoved and departs, there’s nothing I can do…”

“Let that be the least of your worries,” Gu Langhua declared. “I shall send twenty of our top experts to aid you in disciplining him. Should he spurn your guidance, they will drag him home. And if scolding or a beating is needed to correct him, simply command them to act in your stead!”

Liu Yuru blinked, taken aback by the offer. Although this was indeed her intention, she never expected Gu Langhua to be so thorough. She had hoped for a few servants at most, but this…

“Yuru has married into the family,” Jiang Rou added, echoing Gu Langhua’s sentiment. “I, too, should take a break from household management and cede those duties to you, our capable young madam. If you encounter any uncertainties, simply ask. Once you’ve gained familiarity, the household will be solely yours to oversee.”

It seemed she’d secured both the disciplinary force and the household authority she required.

Emboldened by their staunch support, Liu Yuru squared her shoulders. “With your blessing, Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, I shall seek out the Young Master at once and entreat him to return home and commence his studies.”

“Good, good!” Gu Langhua was nearly moved to tears at the mention of studying.

However, he was worried that Liu Yuru might be discouraged if she failed on her first attempt and become too pessimistic in the future. So, he advised, “It’s alright if you can’t persuade him at once. The important thing is that you bring him back. We can proceed gradually with his education. Don’t be afraid of failure. Jiusi is a stubborn child, so failing once is no big deal.”

“Rest assured,” Liu Yuru intoned with the calm certainty of a general vowing victory to their emperor, “I will bring him home.”

Turning to Jiang Rou, she requested, “Mother-in-law, I’d like to become better acquainted with the household first. Could you assign a senior maidservant to help me get acquainted with the situation?”

“Maidservant Chen!” Jiang Rou beckoned to a senior attendant. “Henceforth, you are to serve the Young Madam and familiarize her with the management of our household.”

“Wang Shou!” Gu Langhua gestured to his most trusted guard. “Assemble our top men and place them at the Young Madam’s disposal. Whatever orders she gives, you are to obey without question. And see to it that the Young Master does not bully her!”

The two servants stepped forward, bowing respectfully to their new mistress. Liu Yuru acknowledged them with a gracious nod before bidding her parents-in-law farewell.

In the courtyard, Liu Yuru had Maidservant Chen summon the entire household. Servants and guards alike lined up in orderly rows as she learned their names and roles. Once she’d taken stock of her new domain, Liu Yuru settled into a chair and raised a cup of tea to her lips.

“From this day forth,” she began, her voice ringing with quiet authority, “I am your Young Madam. I will be relying on every one of you to ease my way as I join the Gu family.”

Everyone listened quietly, not daring to make a sound. After this gentle opening, Liu Yuru’s tone shifted as she continued, “Mother-in-law has entrusted the household to my care. Thus, moving forward, the running of this estate falls to me. It is my wish that my husband apply himself to his studies with the utmost diligence. To that end, I expect our home to be a model of order and tranquility, free of any disturbances to the Young Master’s studies. Am I understood?”

“Understood.” A chorus of assent rippled through the crowd, but Liu Yuru raised a hand, silencing them.

“In one week’s time, I shall issue a new set of family rules by which you will abide. Today, I give you the first: henceforth, the foremost duty of every member of this household is to support the Young Master in his studies and personal improvement. Under no circumstances are you to abet him in any activities detrimental to this aim. Is that clear?”

This time, her declaration was met with uneasy silence. Unperturbed, Liu Yuru rose to her feet, leveling a steely gaze at the gathered servants.

“I am going to catch the Young Master and bring him back now. To that end, I may need to resort to some extraordinary measures. Should I issue a command, you are to obey without hesitation or protest. Remember well—it is I who holds ultimate authority in this household. Your livelihood depends on my good favor, not the Young Master’s whims! Anyone who dares to defy or undermine me will be promptly sold off. Do you all hear me clearly?!”

Everyone looked at Maidservant Chen and Wang Shou standing beside Liu Yuru. The two remained expressionless and bowed to Liu Yuru, saying solemnly, “We stand ready to execute the Young Madam’s every order.” 

With this, everyone understood that the position of the person in power in the Gu family had indeed changed.

So, everyone gritted their teeth and lowered their heads, shouting loudly, “Understood!”

Liu Yuru nodded and began issuing crisp instructions. “First, purchase all the books and stationery that a scholar should have, such as the Four Books and Five Classics. Gather up all of the Young Master’s frivolous books, items, games, and treasured wines—anything that might distract him from his studies. Store them away; I will deal with them when I return.

“Also, fill in all the holes the Young Master dug to escape from the residence, remove all the ladders, and dispose of any tools used for climbing walls. Hire craftsmen to raise the perimeter walls and ensure he cannot easily abscond. Yin Hong!”

“Yes, Young Madam!” Her maidservant hurried forward.

“Search our chambers. Confiscate all banknotes the Young Master had hidden. He is to have no private funds. Then prepare bath water, hangover soup, and some food. Have the tailor create thirty sets of plain, comfortable robes fit for studying. Adornment is of no importance, but they must not restrict his movement.”

“Yes!” Yin Hong saluted.

The servants who overheard suddenly pitied their young master. His carefree days, it seemed, were at an end.

After giving orders for the household matters and ensuring that Gu Jiusi couldn’t escape after being caught, Liu Yuru turned around and a gleam of metal caught her eye—an ornate dagger displayed on the wall, a pretty showpiece Gu Jiusi had purchased on a whim.

The dagger was not large, just the right size for Liu Yuru to hold. She looked at it for a moment, then approached and lifted it from its mount, testing the weight of it in her palm.

Seeing Liu Yuru take down the dagger, the servants suddenly felt uneasy.

Mu Nan, Gu Jiusi’s faithful young attendant, nearly bolted from the courtyard to warn his master of the brewing storm. But a glance at Liu Yuru’s implacable expression and the memory that she was now in charge of the household froze him in place.

So, he mixed in with the crowd and heard Liu Yuru’s cool voice slice through the heavy silence. “The Young Master remains at Spring Breeze Pavilion?”

Wang Shou stepped out and responded, “Yes.”

Liu Yuru gave a curt nod and calmly said, “Pick forty men to accompany me.”

Wang Shou did not hesitate and immediately selected forty people—twenty top experts and twenty ordinary guards—and fell into step behind Liu Yuru as she strode towards the gate, the dagger glinting at her side.

When they arrived at Spring Breeze Pavilion, Gu Jiusi was still sleeping from a night of heavy drinking.

As Liu Yuru’s sedan chair halted before the Pavilion’s entrance, the old matron knew something was wrong and hurried upstairs to wake up Gu Jiusi.

“Encircle Spring Breeze Pavilion,” Liu Yuru instructed Wang Shou as she stepped from the sedan chair. “Let no one escape through any door or window.”

Wang Shou signaled to his men, who promptly moved to secure every exit.

Alone, Liu Yuru approached the garishly decorated entrance, a dagger clutched tightly in her white-knuckled hand.

Her hand trembled almost imperceptibly as the weight of her actions crashed over her. She knew that once she crossed this threshold, there could be no retreat.

A woman who dared take a dagger, leading men to a brothel to confront her husband, would forever bear the label of unreasonable and jealous. All her past efforts to cultivate a respectable reputation would be for naught. Those who had once praised her might feel their judgment had been clouded, and the Ye family might be relieved that they had not welcomed such a shrew into their family.

Even Ye Shi’an…

Liu Yuru’s heart trembled slightly at the thought of his name, a tinge of sadness washing over her.

She believed she could withstand the judgment of others, but the notion that Ye Shi’an might also deem her actions improper and unbecoming of a wife pierced her heart like needles.

He was the one she had admired and aspired to for so long. No matter what, she yearned for his good opinion.

Yet, she had to tread this path.

She reminded herself that she had married Gu Jiusi, and everything had changed. She had to forge a way forward for her own future.

She harbored no illusions that Gu Jiusi would love her. She had heard from the servants’ retelling of his deep regard for emotions. Had he been like Liu Xuan, who valued only a woman’s beauty and gentleness, she might have dared to hope that her efforts could win Gu Jiusi’s heart. But for a man who would pledge a lifetime of love, love was too profound and sacred.

She did not believe she could offer Gu Jiusi the love he desired, and so she didn’t hope for his love either.

What she wanted was the position of the Gu family’s young madam and even the position of the principal wife. She wanted to distinguish herself, to bring honor to her mother through her status, and to secure for them both a stable, wealthy, and respected life. She wanted Gu Jiusi to be incapable of divorcing her in this lifetime. If one day Gu Jiusi truly sought love, he would have to leave the Gu family!

So she had to force Gu Jiusi to study and enter officialdom. Only by becoming an official would he be bound by reputation and law not to easily abandon her.

And only if Gu Jiusi became an official and proved his competence could she attain the title of a respected wife and distinguish herself, ensuring that no one would dare look down upon her or her mother.

Liu Yuru tightened her grip on the dagger, inhaled deeply, and ascended the pavilion steps with unwavering resolve.

Outside, many people had already gathered to watch the commotion. On the second floor of Spring Breeze Pavilion, in an elegant private room, Ye Shi’an was discussing the political climate of the Capital with his companions when the clamor reached their ears.

Turning his head, Ye Shi’an saw a young lady dressed in a simple white garment and a blue embroidered wide-sleeved skirt. The dagger trembled slightly in her hand as she climbed the Pavilion steps.

Her expression was determined yet tinged with fear, like a soldier charging into battle, like a flower blooming through the cracks of a stone.

“Ah, isn’t that the Eldest Miss of the Liu family, Liu Yuru?” someone exclaimed in surprise beside him.

“What is she doing here?”

“She’s not here to catch Gu Jiusi, is she?”

Laughter erupted at the suggestion. Someone dismissed the idea, “Impossible. She’s known for her propriety. How could she possibly come to a place like this…”

Before he could finish, they heard the door on the third floor being kicked open with a bang, followed by the young lady’s loud shout, “Gu Jiusi, stand up now!”

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Author’s Note: 

Gu Jiusi: I’d be a fool to stand up! You’re not a wife; you’re clearly Yang Yongxin!!^[1]Yang Yongxin is a controversial Chinese clinical psychiatrist known for his unconventional and abusive treatments for “curing” internet addiction in teenagers, often at the request of … Continue reading

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Translator’s Note: 

GO YURU!! ৻( •̀ ᗜ •́ ৻)

I’ve been waiting for this scene since reading the synopsis, and it’s coming~ I really like the chess scene! I love Mo Shubai! The prose is really beautiful. I just hope I’m doing enough justice for it.

Please buy the raws to support the author if you can.

Stay tuned every Friday for the next update! If you want bonus chapters, you can support me on ko-fi, I would be more than grateful~ ❤️ 

Update: Sorry for the short break, I was simply to busy. I did announce it on discord but I forgot to put a note here. Anyways, I’m sorry about that. I’m back now, and releases will resume this coming Fri.