Though the old madam didn’t understand “this mind” versus “that mind,” she clearly grasped the three words “diverged.”

“Did we diverge, or did they diverge?”

“They diverged.”

The old madam showed no hesitation. “Then there’s no regret.”

Xie Daozhi breathed a sigh of relief and used the serving chopsticks to place food in his mother’s bowl. “I’ve never seen anyone more clear-headed than Mother.”

“Son, Mother isn’t clear-headed—she knows her place.”

The old madam sighed. “Mother never goes out and stays inside—what do I know about the outside world? You’re an official, you run the household. If Mother doesn’t listen to you, who should she listen to?”

“Listening to your son is right.”

Xie Daozhi stood up. “Mother, take your time with dinner. Your son will go eat with Madam.”

“Go, go!”

The old madam was still worried and added another reminder. “Speak nicely to Madam. Though she’s not clever, her heart is good, and these years haven’t been easy for her.”

“Yes!”

…

What?

Madam Wu gave a solid start. Third was treating Yan Sanhe to dinner?

Why treat her?

Hadn’t they just eaten together yesterday?

Madam Wu clutched her handkerchief tightly, brows furrowed. If Yiyun found out about this, what would she do!

“Master has arrived.”

Madam Wu quickly rose to greet him with a smile. “Has Master eaten yet?”

Xie Daozhi: “Not yet. I just finished paying respects to the old madam.”

“Has the old madam eaten?”

“She’s eating now.”

Madam Wu quickly had servants set the table and personally brought a warm towel for her husband to wash his hands.

After all the bustling about, the couple sat face to face. Madam Wu served food for Xie Daozhi and carefully picked out the bones from a steamed fish, one by one.

“Master, eat more. You look a bit thinner.”

“Don’t fuss—you eat too.”

Xie Daozhi drank several cups of wine. Seeing Madam Wu had finished most of her meal, he finally spoke. “That Du family girl won’t be coming to our residence anymore in the future.”

Madam Wu’s chopsticks clattered onto the table. “What does Master mean by this?”

Xie Daozhi picked up the chopsticks and placed them in Madam Wu’s hand. “In the future, we’ll find someone even better for Third.”

“Where is there anyone better!”

Madam Wu felt increasingly bitter.

“The Du family has status, and Miss Du has both looks and character. Looking across the capital, who could compare to her?”

Xie Daozhi was left speechless.

Madam Wu looked at her husband. “Master, give me an honest answer after all our years together—what’s really going on?”

Xie Daozhi hadn’t wanted to say much, but seeing the white hairs at his wife’s temples, he couldn’t help telling the truth.

“It has nothing to do with the two young people. Master Du and I have diverged—we’re not of one mind.”

“Ever since Master entered officialdom, you’ve followed Master Du. You’ve never changed in all these decades. Master Du is a great Confucian scholar of this age, highly respected—Master, you shouldn’t!”

Madam Wu pleaded earnestly.

“Even if Master Du has done something wrong, Master should forbear and yield for the sake of past friendship.”

“BANG!”

Xie Daozhi slammed down his chopsticks, annoyed. “Do I need a mere woman to teach me how to conduct myself?”

Madam Wu’s face turned pale with fright.

Xie Daozhi said coldly, “I’ve already decided this matter. Keep it in mind. I’ll take Third’s marriage to heart when the time comes.”

“Master.”

Madam Wu cried out forcefully. “To speak frankly, abandoning your teacher and forsaking friends—you’ll be condemned by the world for this!”

These words struck directly at Xie Daozhi’s sore spot.

Unable to restrain himself any longer, he shot up from his seat and left without even looking at Madam Wu.

Ignorant, foolish woman!

…

In Fangzhou Courtyard.

“First Madam, First Madam!”

Madam Zhu quickly set down her account book and looked up at Chuntao, who had practically burst in. “What are you doing, making such a scene!”

Chuntao held up two fingers, breathless. “First Madam, two things.”

“Speak quickly.”

“First, just now Third Master sent a servant with a message saying he’s treating Miss Yan to dinner outside and will show her the capital’s night scenery.”

Madam Zhu was stunned for a moment, then smiled. “Third is deliberately opposing the second branch!”

“Exactly!”

Chuntao: “Just this morning Second Master invited Miss Yan out, and tonight Third Master also treats her to dinner—isn’t he slapping Second Master’s face?”

Madam Zhu’s brows knitted slightly. “Strange—Third’s temperament rarely acts so directly?”

“That brings us to the second matter.”

Chuntao lowered her voice. “News just came from the old madam’s quarters—Miss Du and Third Master’s marriage is off.”

“What?”

Madam Zhu’s beautiful eyes met Chuntao’s.

Master and servant stared at each other for a long while before Madam Zhu burst out laughing. “How terrible—I actually predicted it correctly.”

“Didn’t Madam predict it exactly?”

Chuntao also laughed. “From now on, Madam won’t have to coax Du Yiyun anymore, one ‘coax’ here, another ‘coax’ there, like coaxing an ancestor. Just watching from the side exhausted me.”

Being reminded of this, Madam Zhu’s smile faded. “Something’s not right about this. The Du and Xie families…”

“First Master has arrived!”

The curtain lifted, and Xie Erli entered. He glanced at Chuntao.

“First Madam and I need to talk. Go stand guard outside.”

“Yes!”

Xie Erli sat on the edge of the kang, not even exchanging pleasantries. “Just now when I returned to the residence, I heard that Father left Mother’s quarters in a fury.”

Madam Zhu was startled. “Over what?”

“Most likely about Third and Du Yiyun.”

Xie Erli picked up the teapot and poured himself a warm cup, taking a sip. “This marriage cannot happen, and it has nothing to do with the young people.”

Madam Zhu looked somewhat surprised.

If it had nothing to do with the young people, then it concerned the masters of the Xie and Du families.

If it concerned the two old masters, then it related to the court.

After turning this over in her mind several times, Madam Zhu didn’t pursue the matter further but changed the subject. “What about the festival gifts and New Year gifts for the Du family going forward?”

“Follow the old rules.”

After Xie Erli finished speaking, he added, “Whether we send them is our business. Whether they accept is theirs. As long as we can face our own conscience, that’s enough.”

With those words, Madam Zhu understood completely.

Though Master and Master Du had fallen out privately, they still had to maintain appearances, doing what ought to be done to avoid people saying Master was ungrateful.

“First Master, rest assured. I understand what needs to be done.”

Xie Erli looked at his wife with great appreciation, thinking that if Mother had even half her intelligence, she wouldn’t be constantly outdone by Concubine Liu.

“We should both watch for opportunities to counsel Mother.”

“Mother is very satisfied with Miss Du and has set her heart on bringing the two together.”

Madam Zhu paused. “It may be difficult for a while.”

“Are you satisfied with the Du family girl?”

“Me?”

Now that the marriage was definitely off, Madam Zhu dared reveal a bit of her true thoughts. “Miss Du’s temperament is still too willful.”

“I think so too, so there’s nothing to regret.”

Thinking of his father’s words that morning, Xie Erli asked again, “What do you think of Yan Sanhe?”

Madam Zhu couldn’t fathom the man’s true intentions behind this question.

“First Master, why suddenly ask about her?”