Time always passed swiftly, and before long, the day arrived for Xie Shu to return to court from his military campaign. Unlike previous occasions, although this could be counted as a victory, the losses had been too great—the court had sacrificed twenty thousand lives just to capture Stone Fortress City, making such military achievement hardly worth mentioning.
Xie Shu knelt in the court hall, his armored shoulders bearing down on the golden bricks until his body grew stiff. His Majesty did not give the command for him to rise; such indifference was utterly humiliating for a veteran general with twenty years of battlefield experience. He even contemplated death—surviving and dragging himself back proved he had been too attached to life. Had he known it would come to this, it would have been better to die in battle beyond the frontier, earning a noble reputation rather than living with such shame.
On the throne, His Majesty was discussing salt and grain transportation matters with his officials. He spoke at length while his ministers continuously agreed as if everyone had forgotten about the man still kneeling in the corridor.
Later, when the discussion turned to the capital’s guard defenses, His Majesty made a sound of recognition. “We have a decree to announce. In this capture of Stone Fortress City, the Southern Wing Army under the Palace Guard Command performed invaluable service. The three hundred soldiers who participated in the expedition shall be promoted to two ranks. The Commander of the Palace Guard showed excellent leadership and is hereby appointed as Commander of the Lulong Army. His mother and wife shall receive hereditary titles, and in the future, one of his sons or grandsons shall be granted a position in the Imperial Secretariat.”
A pair of gold-trimmed official boots stepped into Xie Shu’s peripheral vision, and Shen Run’s clear voice rang out: “This subject, commanding the Wing Army under my authority, kowtows in gratitude for Your Majesty’s grace.”
It was common knowledge throughout the court that His Majesty showed favoritism, and Shen Run’s swift rise to power needed only the slightest opportunity to gain promotions and titles. This time, because of his upcoming marriage, the decree to ennoble his future wife had already been issued. His Majesty’s favor extended so far that even his yet-unborn child had been promised a position in the Secretariat. Though others might be jealous, they could do nothing—relationships in politics were bought with blood and tears. The fact that Shen Zhibai’s entire family had been condemned years ago, only for his descendants to rise to prominence now, was not unreasonable.
Xie Shu closed his eyes, exhaling a deep breath that seemed to reach his heels. In one campaign, some earned merit while others faced punishment. They had fought bitterly at the frontier for two months, yet achieved less than the Palace Guard’s two-day surprise attack. This was simply a matter of inferior skill—what else could be said? At this point, he didn’t seek merit, only to avoid blame; that would be enough.
But His Majesty wouldn’t issue the command, seemingly unwilling to give a face to his old minister. None of the civil or military officials mentioned him either, until finally Shen Run, unable to bear watching any longer, casually spoke a good word for him. His Majesty contemplated briefly before allowing him to rise, saying nothing more than that the campaign must have been tiring and he should rest for a few days—that was all.
After the court dismissed and His Majesty returned to the inner palace, the officials bowed to see him off, and then their first order of business was to congratulate Shen Run. Amid the chaotic flattery, someone asked with a smile, “Should we address you as Commander now, or as Commissioner?”
Another clicked their tongue in admiration, “The Palace Commander has double happiness—success in both love and career, making others envious indeed.”
Speaking of romance naturally brought up Xie Shu, so the crowd turned their attention to him, saying with smiles, “The Palace Commander’s wife is Commissioner Xie’s daughter. With such an excellent son-in-law’s support, Commissioner Xie will surely find more favor with His Majesty in the future.”
Xie Shu was lost in his thoughts, and hearing their words, he felt confused—he hadn’t known his daughter was to marry Shen Run.
He opened his mouth to speak, but unfortunately, this son-in-law who now held equal rank with him gave him no regard. While others were stirring up the conversation, Shen Run raised his hand and said, “I wouldn’t dare aspire to marry into the Xie family. Commissioner Xie has several daughters—let’s not spread rumors and damage the young ladies’ reputations.”
Shen Run’s rejection of this marriage connection was obvious to everyone except Xie Shu, who remained bewildered. Having just rushed back from the battlefield worried the entire journey, no one had told him about the changes that had occurred at home during his absence.
As the officials dispersed from the Hall of Supreme Harmony, he hurried to catch up with Shen Run, firstly to thank him for the assistance—without which the frontier battle would still be deadlocked—and secondly to inquire about whether his future wife had any connection to the Xie family.
“Commander, please wait!” He clasped his hands. “This Xie owes much gratitude to the Commander’s Palace Guard for their aid. Xie Shu is old now, truly not what he once was.”
Shen Run maintained his usual arrogant and aloof manner, returning the gesture: “Commissioner is too polite. We all serve His Majesty’s interests; there’s no need to speak of assistance.”
Xie Shu, having hit a wall, looked embarrassed but continued after a pause, “Earlier, I heard colleagues mention the Commander’s joyous occasion. Regarding your wife…”
He spoke frankly: “She was indeed Commissioner Xie’s Fourth Miss, but she now has no connection to the Xie family. We cannot carelessly claim relations—it would be presumptuous to associate with the Commissioner, wouldn’t it?”
Xie Shu froze, saying anxiously, “How… The fourth Girl is from my Xie family, how can she have no connection to us?”
Shen Run replied, “Commissioner has been campaigning for months; many changes have occurred at your residence. Commissioner should ask your family’s Old Madam.” He took a few steps, then paused and added, “Oh, and… regarding the case of your Second Miss, please convey to your wife that I have concluded the matter. Tell Madam to rest assured.”
After speaking, he smiled slightly, a smile laden with endless meaning—containing mockery, amusement, and above all, a warning. Xie Shu didn’t understand and felt uneasy. He hurriedly completed his official duties and rode quickly back to Youzhou.
The Xie residence was filled with tears and laughter as the family gathered to welcome the master’s return.
Xie Shu kowtowed to the Old Madam, kneeling and choking with emotion: “Your son has been unfilial, causing Mother such worry.”
The Old Madam helped him up, looking him over from head to toe while wiping her tears: “It’s good that you’re back. No hurdle in this world can’t be overcome. As long as we have our people and our family fortune, there’s still hope for everything.”
The family’s children and grandchildren noisily kowtowed in greeting. Xie Shu searched among the crowd but didn’t see the little girl who usually stood in the corner. His heart unsettled, he turned to ask the Old Madam, “Mother, where is Fourth Girl now?”
The Old Madam was in the middle of wiping her tears when she suddenly froze, stammering, unsure how to answer him.
The whole family fell silent. Without the Old Madam speaking first, no one dared explain, so they looked at each other, each wearing expressions of difficulty.
The Old Madam also noticed that quite a few family members now resented her—such is human nature, always wanting more. She felt somewhat defiant and frowned, saying, “When you encountered difficulties at the frontier, I was desperate. It happened that Shen Run had set up a situation, and in my confusion, I sent Fourth Girl into it. Now Fourth Girl doesn’t acknowledge us anymore—I don’t know if she resents me, or if she had already come to an understanding with Shen Run and found herself a legitimate reason to leave the Xie family. Child, after all, only those you raise yourself are truly close. Now both of Chen’s elderly parents have followed us to Youzhou, and Fourth Girl has returned to the Chen family. Looking at how things are, she seems determined to cut all ties with us.”
Xie Shu sat stunned in his armchair, repeatedly beating his knee. Who could he blame? He could only blame himself. If the battle hadn’t gone so poorly, things wouldn’t have come to this.
He remained silent, and the room grew so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. After a long while, he finally sighed deeply, “Shen Run was appointed Commander of the Lulong Army today. With these two official positions, when Fourth Girl enters his household, she’ll be a second-rank titled lady.”
Everyone grew even more stunned—no one had imagined that the smiling, gentle girl, at just fifteen years old, would achieve such status. They had thought the First Miss entering a Baron’s household was already quite fortunate, but compared to the Fourth Miss, she was now several ranks below.
As always, a wife’s status derives from her husband’s—it was simply the way of things. The Old Madam could only console herself by taking a step back: “Fortunately, our Third Girl has entered the palace. If we can arrange for her to enter the Divine Dragon Hall and be granted the title of Noble Lady or Pure Consort, then our efforts in raising her won’t have been in vain.”
But Xie Shu’s gaze turned to Qingru, “I heard Shen Run mention something about Second Girl’s case… what kind of case could involve a young lady from the inner chambers?”
Madam Hu’s face changed drastically, and Qingru shrank behind her mother, barely daring to breathe. The family never lacked those who enjoyed watching the drama unfold—Concubine Mei gently called out to Madam Hu, “Madam, this matter can’t be hidden forever.”
Xie Shu furrowed his brows, “What exactly happened?”
Madam Hu shot Concubine Mei a cold glance, then turned to Xie Shu and said, “My lord, I’ll explain this matter to you in detail later.”
Hearing this, Xie Shu could only suppress his questions, and after some consideration, said to the Old Madam: “Is Fourth Girl at the Chen family now? We should find a way to persuade her to return. For our flesh and blood to not even recognize their ancestors—I can’t imagine how people outside must be laughing at us.”
The Old Madam lowered her eyes, “I sent First Girl to persuade her, but she’s determined not to return. What can we do?”
Xie Shu hesitated, but finally steeled his resolve, “If that’s the case, I’ll have to go myself. As her father, she surely can’t refuse to see me.”
Madam Jiang, listening from the side, secretly scoffed. Now that the girl was about to receive an imperial title, they were willing to lose face to curry favor. When the Old Madam gave her away, why didn’t she think of this day? Now, never mind her father—even if the King of Heaven himself came, she probably wouldn’t acknowledge him.
Of course, in such matters, the Second Aunt would inevitably pass along the news. The information quickly reached Qingyuan, and Old Madam Chen said, “After all, he is your birth father. If you wish to acknowledge him when he comes, your grandfather and I won’t blame you.”
Qingyuan slowly embroidered the mandarin ducks’ eyes, each stitch falling steady and precise. “Back when he seized my mother’s family property and drove her out of the Xie residence, he showed not the slightest mercy. Later, when I asked him if he had any suspicions about Concubine Xia’s death, he just told me not to interfere and refused to discuss past matters. If he had shown even a bit of loyalty to my mother, I wouldn’t have grown cold towards him. My mother met such an end, and he was an accomplice—why should I acknowledge him?”
Old Madam Chen nodded, “You make your own decision in this matter, but once you’ve made up your mind, don’t change it. The joyous day is approaching—keep your heart calm and avoid unnecessary complications.”
Qingyuan gazed out the window—from summer to autumn seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. The trees’ once-dense emerald leaves had gradually fallen until only branches remained, but the two persimmon trees were laden with orange fruit. With no one to harvest them, they blazed like fire in this desolate, pale world, full of hope.
When Xie Shu came, he brought only one servant and one horse. At the gate, he asked to be announced, but the gatekeeper put on a false smile and said, “What bad timing—our Old Master, Old Madam, and First Miss have all gone to the Commander’s residence and aren’t home. May I ask who you are? When the master returns, I’ll be sure to report your visit.”
Xie Shu understood in his heart—it wasn’t that they weren’t home, they simply refused to see him. He stood in the cold wind for a long time, until he was filled with desolation. As the servant continued to ask, he shook his head and walked dejectedly out of the entrance, heading toward the ward’s gate.
Qingyuan watched it all, watched that figure grow increasingly distant, her heart overflowing with endless bitterness.
Someone beside her said, “If you regret it, you can still catch up to him now and explain everything—Old Madam Xie’s version must be quite different.”
But what use would explain do? Knowing the Xie family’s ways as she did, he wouldn’t stand up for justice on her behalf just because of a few words.
“What I miss is the idea of a father, not Xie Shu,” she murmured. “During my time in the Xie family, I saw everything clearly and no longer hoped for anything. If I softened my heart now and acknowledged this relationship, we would face countless troubles in the future.”
Shen Run teased her intentionally, “You’re truly becoming a wife now, thinking of your household first. I don’t insist that you cut ties completely with the Xie family—if you want to acknowledge them, I can help you handle all those troublemakers in the Xie family until they’re completely subdued.”
Qingyuan turned to look at him, “Count for me carefully—besides Big Sister, who in the Xie family truly cares for me? They all just curry favor with those in power. They acknowledge me now that I’m doing well, but if I were to become your concubine, they’d probably treat me as if I were dead. Moreover…” she frowned and said, “The Old Madam is still planning to make a scene at the wedding. Who could bear having such a maternal family!”
Shen Run was always sufficiently tolerant of her, “Then let’s wait and see. If the Xie family truly seeks reconciliation and treats you as their daughter at the wedding feast—no matter how much or little, even if they just give you a handkerchief as dowry—then on the third day, I’ll accompany you to visit them, and we’ll acknowledge them as before. To be honest, with my current official position, I’m not afraid of trouble. As long as you’re happy, I’ll accompany you through anything, be it climbing knife mountains or crossing seas of fire. But if the Xie family comes to make trouble, I won’t care about relations close or distant—I’ll have them beaten and driven out, and that will be that.”
Qingyuan breathed a sigh of relief and said “All alright,” understanding his thoughtfulness. “Thank you for considering things for me like this.”
He raised his hand to stroke her hair, “After spending so much effort to win such a wife, of course, I must take good care of you—I’m afraid you might run away.”
For some reason, he sometimes felt vaguely uneasy, probably because the young lady was too calm and independent. She wasn’t the type of girl who followed her father at home and her husband after marriage—men would never be her whole world. His relationship with her was more equal, mutually supportive, and caring. This was very good, it was his ideal way for husband and wife to get along.
In three more days… everything that needed to be prepared was ready. This once-in-a-lifetime event couldn’t have any imperfections. His hand slid down to tightly grasp her fingertips. “We can’t meet for the next three days. During these days, don’t do anything, don’t go anywhere—just focus on preparing to be a bride.”
He was afraid of unexpected changes and made his requests very carefully. Qingyuan couldn’t help but laugh, “Alright, I won’t do anything, won’t go anywhere, just focus on preparing to be a bride. And you? For these three days, you’re not allowed to see any women—replace all your serving maids with male servants, alright?”
He smiled, like an adult indulging a child, “That’s not difficult at all—those serving maids don’t come near me anyway.”
He knew she was afraid—afraid that he would be like Li Congxin, wavering at the crucial moment and causing problems when wedding preparations were at this stage, making it impossible to back out. The young lady’s precautions might seem petty, but he was grateful—without such concerns, there might not be true feelings.
Finally, about to be married, he went alone to the ancestral hall and knelt to burn incense, reporting this good news to his ancestors and parents. Everything from the past, from his earliest memories to his parents’ wrongful deaths and the family’s decline—a flood of memories washed through his mind, and only now could he say that the hardships had finally ended.
He pressed his forehead against the cold brick seams and bowed deeply, “From now on I will live well, please rest assured, father and mother.”
However, his good fortune was not enough to ensure the peace of the entire household. Coming out of the ancestral hall, as he stepped into the courtyard, he saw Shen Che leaning against the doorframe, standing with his head lowered. For the past two months, the western residence had been in constant turmoil. Fangchun had become like a different person, finding fault with Shen Che in every way, either treating him with cold indifference or harsh words. Qingyuan had shared her concerns with him, but matters of the inner chamber were not for outsiders to interfere in. Although he felt for his brother, he couldn’t meddle in the affairs of his household.
“Another quarrel?” he frowned and asked, “Have you had a proper talk with her? Have you asked what she’s thinking? Between husband and wife, what can’t be said? Why suffer in silence like this? If she complains that you don’t spend enough time with her, then temporarily stop your official duties—I’ll give you a month’s leave to stay home and properly accompany her.”
But Shen Che shook his head, looking on the verge of tears. In all these years, he had only seen him so dejected when they first fell into hardship. Shen Run’s heart grew heavier, “What exactly happened?”
Shen Che hunched over, holding his head in his hands, “She said today that she regrets leaving her hometown to marry me, doesn’t want to continue like this anymore, and wants a divorce.”