Qingping Lane, the residence of Imperial Tutor Grand Preceptor Xie.

A green-curtained carriage slowly came to a stop. A servant placed a stepping stool and lifted the curtain as Xie Fang, wearing a look of relief, stepped out of the carriage.

Xie Fang was the legitimate son of the Xie family’s second branch, but today, upon returning, he went directly to the third branch.

Third Madam Yang Shi had been waiting for him for a long time. As soon as Xie Fang sat down, Third Madam couldn’t help but ask, “How was it? Was Heir Lu injured?”

Yang Shi was the mother of Sixth Lady Xie Hualou.

It wasn’t without reason that she worried about Lu Zhuo’s health and specifically asked her nephew to go to the streets to check on Lu Zhuo’s condition. The Lu family had too many men who died on the battlefield. This time, Lu Zhuo had fought another losing battle. Although no news of Lu Zhuo being severely wounded had been transmitted back, as his prospective mother-in-law, Yang Shi, was still uneasy and had to confirm.

Xie Fang smiled, “Aunt need not worry. The heir sat upright on his horse, heroic and spirited, only slightly fatigued from the journey home.”

Yang Shi breathed a deep sigh of relief.

Having completed his task, Xie Fang took his leave.

Yang Shi had a young maid see her nephew out. She and the nanny beside her sat in the hall. With no outsiders present, Yang Shi finally spoke her heart to her trusted nanny: “Finally returned. I was truly afraid there would be complications.”

Her daughter had formally gotten engaged to Lu Zhuo in March. In May, the seventy-one-year-old Grand Preceptor Xie suddenly fell ill and could now only stand with assistance.

Yang Shi had been frightened at the time. If Grand Preceptor Xie passed away, the third branch of the Xie family would have to observe mourning for three years and couldn’t hold joyous events. Hualou was her most beloved daughter with the best-arranged marriage. If they wasted three years, a young maiden would become an old maid before marrying—that would be too distressing.

These past months, Yang Shi prayed to Buddha and the Bodhisattva daily, praying for the Bodhisattva to bless Lu Zhuo’s safe return to marry her daughter Hualou, and for Buddha to bless Grand Preceptor Xie to live another three to five years, or at least survive past her daughter’s wedding period so as not to delay her daughter’s excellent marriage.

Now Lu Zhuo had returned safely, Grand Preceptor Xie seemed still well enough, and with only half a month left until the wedding, there should be no more mishaps.

In good spirits, Yang Shi went to her daughter’s boudoir.

Sixth Lady Xie Hualou was doing needlework. With her wedding approaching, she was reluctant to leave her family and wanted to use these days to make socks for her grandfather, father, and mother, respectively.

“Hualou, Heir Lu has returned to the capital, safe and sound, handsome as ever!” Yang Shi sat beside her daughter, saying joyfully.

Hearing her future husband’s name, Xie Hualou’s face flushed red like a peony flower.

Looking at her daughter like this, Yang Shi’s heart filled with pride.

Among the three sisters-in-law, both elder sister-in-law and second sister-in-law had given birth to sons, while her belly was uncooperative, bearing three daughters in a row. With no choice, Yang Shi painstakingly cultivated her three daughters. The eldest and second had married into noble families, while the youngest daughter, Hualou, had peony-like beauty and scholar-like talent. Her beauty and talent were both renowned throughout the capital. Even that vixen-called Fourth Lady Wei was publicly acknowledged to have lost to her daughter by a margin.

Her youngest daughter indeed hadn’t disappointed her hopes, being favored by Duchess Ying and engaged as the eldest grandson’s wife—the future mistress of the Duke’s mansion.

“This time, Lu Zhuo achieved great merit. Not to mention the court’s rewards, for you two as a young couple, it’s the icing on the cake, double happiness.”

“Mother, stop talking. I haven’t married over yet,” Xie Hualou turned away with her needlework, saying shyly.

Yang Shi knew her daughter was thin-skinned, smiled and stopped teasing her daughter.

After Yang Shi left, Xie Hualou put down her needlework and looked toward the window, her cheeks still flushed with shyness.

She had never met Lu Zhuo but had heard of his graceful bearing at the Dragon Boat Festival race. Being able to marry such an outstanding man, Xie Hualou was completely satisfied.

However, at this moment, Duke Ying Mansion was in complete chaos.

The crowd carried the unconscious Lu Zhuo back to his room. After removing his silver armor, they discovered that Lu Zhuo’s inner garment had been stained red with fresh blood. The wound near his heart that had never fully healed had burst open again. When Duchess Ying rushed over upon hearing the news and saw that wound, she was so heartbroken that she also fainted.

Lu Zhuo’s mother and three aunts were crying and worrying, and Lu Zhuo’s cousins were in a similar state.

The mansion had already sent someone to fetch the army doctor who had been treating Lu Zhuo—he was most familiar with Lu Zhuo’s condition.

The army doctor hurried over. Seeing Lu Zhuo’s condition, he didn’t care that Duke Ying was sitting nearby and said indignantly, “I’ve said long ago that the heir’s wound must have complete rest, but he refused to listen to me, recklessly exerting himself relying on his youth! Now look what’s happened—his vitality was already severely damaged, the wound’s healing speed has gotten slower and slower, and today he’s lost so much blood. I’ve exhausted my skills. You should seek other experts!”

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to cure Lu Zhuo. Such a fine young man—who would want to see him die young?

But the army doctor truly had no options left. Continuing his treatment would only delay Lu Zhuo’s condition. Seeking famous doctors from the capital or imperial physicians from the palace—if they encountered someone with excellent medical skills, perhaps Lu Zhuo could still be saved.

Duke Ying immediately sent someone to the palace, asking Emperor Yuanjia to arrange for two imperial physicians to come.

The army doctor didn’t leave either. When the imperial physicians arrived, he stood beside them explaining Lu Zhuo’s condition.

After hearing this, both imperial physicians’ expressions became extremely grave.

The imperial physicians stopped Lu Zhuo’s bleeding, but for three consecutive days, Lu Zhuo remained unconscious. They could only force his mouth open to pour medicine and broth down his throat.

With the wound on his back, he could only lie on his stomach or side. The attendants carefully helped him change positions every one to two hours.

The wound required changing medicine three times daily, but it healed too slowly, and the wound edges showed faint signs of festering.

News of Lu Zhuo’s unconscious state had long reached the Xie family in Qingping Lane.

With this unexpected development, the Xie mansion, which was preparing for their daughter’s wedding, saw all smiles disappear from masters and servants alike. Xie Hualou’s father, Third Master Xie, not only personally visited his prospective son-in-law but also sent the mansion’s steward daily to Duke Ying Mansion to express concern, hoping to receive news of Lu Zhuo’s improvement at the first opportunity.

However, by the seventh day, Lu Zhuo still hadn’t awakened. The heir who had once stood tall like a pine and was handsome as a banished immortal had now become skin and bones, and the rotting flesh around his wound had been cut away once.

Just hearing her family steward’s reports, Yang Shi felt pain throughout her body.

At the same time, her mood grew heavier and heavier. With Lu Zhuo so ill, could he still recover?

On the eighth day, Lu Zhuo still hadn’t awakened, and the situation became even worse.

Yang Shi went to see her daughter, whose eyes were swollen from crying.

Yang Shi couldn’t say any comforting words. She naturally hoped Lu Zhuo could recover and come magnificently to marry her daughter to Duke Ying Mansion as the heir’s wife, but with the facts before her, Yang Shi painfully thought that Lu Zhuo might truly be dying, like his father, second uncle, and third uncle—loyally serving the country and dying young.

If Lu Zhuo died, what about her daughter? Would she have to be a waiting widow for life?

In the pitch-black winter night, Yang Shi couldn’t sleep from anguish and pushed her husband beside her: “Are you asleep?”

Third Master Xie sighed.

Yang Shi knew her husband was also worried.

“What if, what if Lu Zhuo truly can’t be saved, what about our Hualou?” As soon as Yang Shi spoke, tears flowed down.

Third Master Xie said painfully, “What can we do? Since we’ve already made the engagement, even if Lu Zhuo dies, she must marry over.”

The Xie family wasn’t the Zhou family—all their daughters must observe propriety and faithfulness, and couldn’t break faith with others.

Upon hearing this, Yang Shi cried even louder.

How could Third Master Xie’s heart not ache? But with the old master making decisions at home, even if he wanted to fight for his daughter, the old master would never agree.

Just as Third Master Xie was preparing to console his wife, urgent footsteps suddenly came from outside, and a maid cried heartrendingly: “Master and Madam, please get up quickly! Grand Preceptor, he’s not going to make it!”

Third Master Xie was struck as if by lightning. Coming to his senses, he was already in tears, wailing as he got out of bed. Hastily throwing on an outer robe, he couldn’t even care for his wife on the bed and ran distractedly toward Grand Preceptor Xie’s courtyard.

Yang Shi sat stupefied on the bed.

As a daughter-in-law, she rarely had opportunities to meet Grand Preceptor Xie alone. Usually, besides paying respects, they hadn’t spoken much. With little interaction, naturally, there wasn’t deep affection. Like tonight, after hearing the tragic news about Grand Preceptor Xie, after the initial shock, a thread of hope sprouted in Yang Shi’s heart.

If Grand Preceptor Xie died, the family would observe mourning, and naturally, the marriage with the Lu family would be delayed.

If during this period, Lu Zhuo’s health improved, Yang Shi would be happy to marry off her daughter. If Lu Zhuo never woke up again, as long as the Lu family was as upright and proper as they appeared, they should voluntarily come to propose canceling the marriage rather than forcing her flower-like daughter to marry over and remain a widow for a dead man, right?

Yang Shi bit her lip, unfilially hoping that Grand Preceptor Xie truly wouldn’t make it.

When Yang Shi reached the main courtyard, before entering the door, she first heard her husband’s wailing.

Yang Shi was secretly pleased, but was soon infected by her husband’s crying. Thinking of Grand Preceptor Xie’s virtue and high reputation, tears also fell.

The next morning, the Xie family sent someone to Duke Ying Mansion to announce the death.

On the Lu family’s side, they were discussing advancing the wedding date by a few days to bring Lu Zhuo joy and drive away illness.

With medicine and treatment no longer reliable, bringing joy was the last method the family could think of.

With their family’s situation, Duchess Ying had already planned that she and her husband would go find Grand Preceptor Xie to discuss this. If bringing joy succeeded, Xie Hualou would be the Lu family’s benefactor, and the Lu family would never let Xie Hualou suffer any grievance. If bringing joy was useless, after Lu Zhuo was laid to rest, she would decide to let Xie Hualou return home, not delaying a young maiden.

Unexpectedly, just as the Lu family had finished discussing and Duke Ying and his wife hadn’t yet visited, the Xie family came to announce the death first.

Now Duke Ying and his wife had even more reason to visit for condolences.

At the Xie mansion, Duchess Ying saw the Xie family juniors crying together. Xie Hualou was also kneeling among them, dressed in white mourning clothes, crying heartbrokenly with eyes swollen like walnuts.

Everywhere she looked, a sea of white mourning.

Duchess Ying suddenly thought of her three dead sons, then thought of her dying eldest grandson at home, and her figure swayed.

“Madam!”

Duke Ying promptly supported his wife. Seeing this, the Xie family’s eldest madam quickly arranged for Duchess Ying to be helped to a side hall to rest. She had to preside over funeral affairs and arranged for Yang Shi to take care of this side.

Duchess Ying didn’t remain unconscious long and soon awakened. Seeing Yang Shi, she said with tearful old eyes, “Nephew’s wife, please restrain your grief.”

Yang Shi wiped her eyes with a handkerchief, choking as she said, “Father passed peacefully without suffering. Aunt, please take care of your health and don’t be too sad.”

Duchess Ying’s tears weren’t for Grand Preceptor Xie but for her eldest grandson at home.

Bringing joy was urgent. Even if inappropriate, Duchess Ying still grasped Yang Shi’s hand and spoke with difficulty: “Nephew’s wife, Shoucheng, has been gravely ill and unconscious for a long time. We truly have no options left. Could you see if Hualou could marry over soon to let joyous energy dispel the sickness around Shoucheng? I know Grand Preceptor just…”

Before she finished, Yang Shi knelt, crying as she interrupted: “Aunt, if father were alive, Hualou bringing joy to the heir would be her proper duty. But heaven sent this misfortune—father had the grace of raising us. How can we hold joyous events during mourning? And Hualou, grandfather, loved her most. Last night, this child already fainted from crying. Even if we sent her to marry, carrying tears, how could she bring joy?”

“Aunt, it’s not that we’re unwilling, but propriety cannot be violated.”

For her beloved daughter’s sake, Yang Shi, behind her husband’s back, alone refused Duchess Ying.

Duchess Ying looked at the continuously sobbing Yang Shi, and the tears on her face slowly stopped.

Asking the woman’s family to marry over during hot mourning to bring joy to her grandson was originally the Lu family’s breach of propriety. If the Xie family agreed, the Lu family would be grateful; if the Xie family was unwilling, the Lu family wouldn’t harbor resentment.

Although Yang Shi hadn’t spoken those two words, her meaning was already very clear.

The Xie family was scholarly and wouldn’t do faithless and treacherous things. Fine, let the Lu family do it.

That afternoon, the Lu family returned the marriage contract and Xie Hualou’s birth characters, taking the fault upon themselves without a word of blame toward the Xie family.

Since the Lu family was eager to find a woman to bring joy to Lu Zhuo, and Xie Hualou indeed couldn’t marry during mourning, after Master Xie consulted with his two brothers, they agreed to break the engagement and returned the betrothal gifts the Lu family had previously sent and Lu Zhuo’s birth characters.