Chapter 8

The Duke of Wu’an’s resident now had only two masters—Xu Duanyi and Xu Pingyi.

Her father, born of humble origins, had no memory of his own parents. He grew up solely through the charity of others.

Although he had little formal education, he possessed remarkable strength by nature.

He had once worked as a guard-for-hire and even dabbled in banditry before encountering the former emperor during Emperor Ming’s reign, marking the beginning of his military career.

When the former emperor ascended the throne, his most trusted allies were none other than Marquis Wuan, Xu Pingyi, and the King of Nan’an, Xie Junjue.

The three were more than sovereign and ministers—they were brothers in arms.

After the emperor’s ascension, Xu Pingyi and Xie Junjue were appointed to oversee the critical fortresses of Liaodong and Jizhou, where they reclaimed several regions ceded under the reign of Emperor Huai.

During the former emperor’s time, the Daxia Empire reached its territorial peak, due in no small part to the contributions of Xu and Xie.

The Marquis’ residence, granted by the emperor himself, was located on Magpie Alley in the prosperous Ming District of the northern city. It was a grand estate with five courtyards and a prime location.

However, after the death of Xu Duanyi’s mother, Lady Xiao Yuan, who died in childbirth, and with Xu Duanyi raised in the palace by Empress Dowager Zhao Yu, the grand residence had grown empty and desolate.

Xu Pingyi, unwilling to remarry, spent most of his time stationed in Liaodong, rarely returning home.

As a result, only a handful of loyal and long-serving retainers remained to watch over the property.

From time to time, Xu Duanyi and Xu Pingyi would return to stay for a few days.

She had sent word yesterday to announce her return, and servants were already waiting at the gate to receive her.

The woman who greeted her was Dongyu, an old servant who had once served her mother. Dongyu, now in her early forties, dressed in winter robes with her hair styled in a matron’s bun, was married to the steward, Qiao Qing.

Shiyu was their daughter.

The couple, joined by others, eagerly awaited at the entrance. When they spotted the carriage from a distance, their faces lit up with joy as they hurried forward, supporting each other as they moved.

The carriage came to a stop.

Shiyu was the first to lift the curtain and jump down.

“Father! Mother!”

Having been apart for a long time, Shiyu was thrilled to see them.

Dongyu and Qiao Qing were equally delighted to see their daughter, but mindful of protocol, they first greeted Xu Duanyi respectfully before attending to Shiyu.

“Miss.”

As longtime retainers of the Xu family, they still addressed Xu Duanyi as “Miss” when at home.

This was Xu Duanyi’s own preference, and there were few left who still called her this.

She cherished it dearly.

Pulling back her hood, Xu Duanyi smiled warmly at the couple outside her carriage. “Auntie Dongyu, Uncle Qiao, no need for such formalities. Please rise.”

Dongyu responded, stepping forward eagerly.

Qiao, too, moved quickly to place a step for her to descend. Only after everything was set did Dongyu carefully help Xu Duanyi down.

“You’ve gotten thinner again, Miss,” Dongyu said as she fussed over her.

Xu Duanyi sighed with a hint of helplessness. “Auntie Dongyu, you say that every time you see me.”

“That’s because you always come back looking thinner than before.” Dongyu glanced at her daughter with a teasing smile. “Unlike this little fool here, who gets plumper each time.”

“The clothes I made for her last time probably won’t fit anymore.”

Shiyu, holding her father’s arm and wondering what was for dinner, blinked in surprise at her mother’s comment.

A straightforward girl, Shiyu didn’t take offense. Instead, her eyes lit up with joy. “You made new clothes for me, Mother? I want to wear them tomorrow!”

Dongyu sighed in exasperation. “How did I raise such a silly girl?”

Qiao chuckled, patting Shiyu’s arm in delight. “A little extra weight is good! A plump girl is more festive.”

He went on to advise Xu Duanyi to eat more and avoid the current capital’s obsession with dieting.

Xu Duanyi laughed and nodded.

The four of them made their way into the estate together.

Though the residence no longer had its master in constant attendance, those who remained were loyal and devoted.

Once inside the residence,

Shyu followed Butler Qiao to help with kitchen tasks.

Dongyu, on the other hand, accompanied Xu Duanyi back to the bedroom she had lived in since her childhood. There, Xu Duanyi washed her face and changed into a set of clothes Dongyu had scented with a brazier earlier that morning. She then sat before the dressing table while Dongyu combed her hair.

The room was adorned with a few branches of freshly-cut red plum blossoms from that day, their delicate fragrance filling the air.

As usual, Dongyu began recounting the recent happenings in the household—mostly mundane matters like which families had celebrated marriages or welcomed new children, sending gifts in return.

These trivial affairs were all managed by Dongyu, with records meticulously kept in a special ledger.

Xu Duanyi reviewed the entries, taking note of the outside world’s recent events. Her brow furrowed slightly as her eyes fell on one name: Li Wengao of the Hanlin Academy.

She did not recognize this person.

Dongyu glanced at the name and explained, “He’s this year’s second-ranked scholar.”

Xu Duanyi thought for a moment and vaguely recalled that this year’s bangyan was indeed surnamed Li. Still, it seemed curious for a newly appointed scholar to be sending gifts without apparent reason.

She asked Dongyu for clarification.

“Miss, have you forgotten?” Dongyu reminded her, “Earlier this spring, before the imperial exams, you saved a student—that student was none other than Li, the bangyan.”

Only then did Xu Duanyi remember.

She had not expected that the young scholar she had helped in passing had now become a distinguished bangyan.

This was truly delightful news, and Xu Duanyi felt a bit of joy.

Seeing her mistress recognize the story, Dongyu elaborated, “Since achieving his rank, Li bangyan has visited several times. Upon learning that you rarely leave the palace, he left his gifts in gratitude.

“I noticed the gifts were modest, and seeing that Li bangyan, though poor, is upright and determined, I accepted them on your behalf so as not to offend his sincerity.”

Since the offerings were simple and sincere, Xu Duanyi merely nodded and said, “I see.”

She continued flipping through the ledger as Dongyu finished redoing her hair into a simple household bun.

Noticing her mistress had not once brought up her engagement, Dongyu hesitated before broaching the subject herself.

“…I heard you’re engaged to the Prince of Nan’an.”

“Mm.”

Still engrossed in the ledger, Xu Duanyi added, “Aunt said I’ll marry from the palace, so there’s no need for you or Uncle Qiao to make preparations.”

“Miss…”

Dongyu frowned, her heart heavy.

What she wished to discuss was not the wedding arrangements.

Xu Duanyi knew that, of course. She smiled softly and raised her head. “Dongyu, don’t worry about me. This is my choice. No one is forcing me.”

And she truly did not feel forced.

How could she feel aggrieved?

She had once thought she would spend her life watching him from afar, never daring to imagine they would have any closer connection.

Even if there were schemes and hidden agendas behind this engagement…

Even knowing that Xie Qingya would never reciprocate her feelings…

She still embraced it willingly.

Better this than marrying someone else, raising children together with a stranger.

At least the person she would wed… was him.

“I will never suffer,” she said, smiling at Dongyu.

Dongyu studied her.

It wasn’t the fear of anyone mistreating her mistress that troubled her—it was the Prince of Nan’an himself. He was far from a suitable match.

The only consolation was the ancestral rules of the Nan’an family:

Each son of the Xie family could marry only one wife, never taking concubines or fathering illegitimate children.

Any violation would result in expulsion from the family lineage.

If not for these rules, given the Prince’s wayward nature, the women in his household would fill an entire courtyard.

Yet, even with these assurances, Dongyu felt a pang of sorrow as she gazed at Xu Duanyi. But she knew it was futile to grieve over what could not be changed.

“If only the madam were still here… if the old Prince and Princess of Nan’an had not passed, if the young Prince hadn’t become who he is now… you and he would have been a perfect match.”

She sighed.

But since the matter was beyond undoing, Dongyu refrained from lamenting further, lest it trouble her mistress.

Returning to her task of sorting floral hairpins, she recalled an old story.

“Do you know? When the madam was pregnant with you, the Princess of Nan’an once joked about making a betrothal agreement between you and the young Prince if the baby turned out to be a girl.”