Beijing, situated in the north, was most comfortable in early summer—neither too cold nor too hot. However, for officials attending the morning court, it was still a bit chilly. As they rushed to Qianqing Gate before dawn, their robe hems and cuffs were already damp with dew.

The routine morning court soon began.

“If there are matters to report, speak up. If not, the court is dismissed—”

Emperor Jingming gazed calmly at his officials, ready to return and finish reading his novel if no one spoke up. Unexpectedly, Censor Niu stepped forward: “Your subject has a matter to report.”

“Oh? What is it, Beloved Official Niu?” Emperor Jingming’s mood instantly became intriguing.

He wondered which official was about to face misfortune!

“Your subject accuses Duke An of lax household management!” Censor Niu, well-versed in making accusations, quickly explained the situation.

Emperor Jingming’s interest was piqued. “So, you’re saying Duke An’s Ji San and that young lady are in love?”

A man willing to die for a commoner girl—this was more fascinating than the stories in his novels.

Censor Niu’s face darkened.

Did His Majesty know how to focus on the main point? Was this the crux of the issue?

“Are Ji San and that young lady alright?” Emperor Jingming asked again.

It seemed there had been no news of Duke An burying his son.

“They were both rescued,” Censor Niu replied irritably.

“I see—”

If they had died for love, it would have made a good story for a novel.

The officials: “…” Why did they hear disappointment in His Majesty’s tone? Surely it was just their imagination!

Censor Niu glared at Emperor Jingming, barely restraining himself from lashing out at the emperor.

Emperor Jingming quickly said, “They are young, after all, and it shows their true feelings. However, Duke An’s household and Earl Dongping’s family have already been betrothed. This situation greatly harms the bride’s side. Censor Niu, you may step back. I will summon Duke An to the palace later and give him a severe reprimand!”

Censor Niu remained unmoved. “A mere reprimand is not enough to deter others! Has Your Majesty considered what would happen if everyone emulated the actions of Duke An’s Third Young Master? Wouldn’t that throw our Great Zhou into chaos? Where would our rules and order be then…”

As Censor Niu launched into a long discourse, Emperor Jingming felt a headache coming on. He hastily appeased him, “Beloved Official Niu’s words are reasonable. Duke An’s lax household management certainly cannot be addressed with just a reprimand. There will be appropriate punishment!”

Only then did Censor Niu reluctantly accept.

Those noble youths idled their days away, walking birds and playing with dogs, corrupting the morals of the capital’s young people. It was indeed time to teach them a lesson.

With Censor Niu’s accusation, regardless of how the emperor would punish Duke An, the officials present understood the situation. Upon returning to their manors, they immediately summoned their wives to advise: “Our daughter’s (granddaughter’s) marriage can be chosen carefully, but under no circumstances should we consider Duke An’s Third Young Master.”

What? Duke An’s family has high status.

“No matter how high their status, it’s useless. Third Young Master Ji’s love affair with a commoner girl has been made known to the emperor. Marrying our daughter (granddaughter) to him would not only wrong the child but also harm our family!”

Duke An was summoned to the palace, endured a scolding, and returned to his manor with a dark face. He headed straight for Madam Wei’s quarters.

The couple had quarreled yesterday, and Madam Wei thought Duke An had come to make amends. She was about to put on airs when she noticed his expression and quickly abandoned the idea.

“What’s wrong, my lord?”

“Prepare for Third Son’s wedding with Qiao-niang.”

“What did you say, my lord?” Madam Wei’s face changed dramatically.

“I said, let Third Son and Qiao-Niang marry quickly!”

“My lord, did I hear you correctly?”

Duke An’s face was ashen. “You heard correctly. I said let Third Son and Qiao-Niang marry!”

“My lord, have you gone mad—”

“I’ve gone mad? Do you know where I went this morning?” Duke An didn’t want to mention such an embarrassing matter, but he had no choice. He knew many people were already laughing at them.

“Censor Niu accused me of lax household management during the morning court. I was summoned to the palace early this morning to be scolded by the emperor!”

Hearing this, Madam Wei trembled with anger. “How absurd! This is our family matter. Why is a mere censor meddling in such trivial affairs instead of focusing on important state matters? Has he nothing better to do—”

“Silence!” Duke An grew even more furious. “The censor’s right to report on hearsay is granted by the emperor. Even His Majesty listens attentively when a censor speaks. Do you know the trouble your words could bring to our household if they were to spread?”

“Even so, we can’t let Third Son marry Qiao-niang! A commoner girl who attempted to elope and die for love—even making her a concubine is already considering Third Son’s feelings—”

“Considering his feelings? It’s because you’ve spoiled Third Son since childhood that he dares to do such outrageous things! Do you think I’m happy to have a daughter-in-law who tried to elope and die for love?” Duke An calmed himself, knowing that mere anger wouldn’t solve anything. He patiently explained, “Do you know how the emperor evaluated Third Son?”

“The emperor evaluated Third Son?” Even in her confusion, Madam Wei knew that being evaluated by the emperor at such a time wasn’t a good thing.

“The emperor said that Third Son has true feelings…” Duke An sighed heavily. “All the officials at court today heard it. With these words out, who would still marry their daughter to the Third Son?”

Madam Wei was stunned. She pinched herself hard before finding her voice, clutching Duke An’s sleeve as she cried, “My lord, must we marry him to Qiao-niang? Can we wait a little longer? If not one year, then two. Even if we wait three to five years, Third Son will only be in his early twenties. It wouldn’t be too late to marry then!”

“Madam, don’t be naive. If we properly bring Qiao-niang into our family now, it will confirm the emperor’s evaluation of the Third Son’s true feelings, and this storm will pass. Otherwise, our Duke’s household will be the subject of ridicule for years to come. Can you bear people pointing and whispering behind your back when you go out?”

Madam Wei covered her mouth with a handkerchief, sobbing. “Even if people gossip, I’ll endure it. In a couple of years, we can find a noble young lady from another region for Third Son.”

Duke An sneered, “The prestigious families in other regions aren’t deaf!”

“But I simply cannot accept Qiao-niang as my daughter-in-law!”

“You must accept it, whether you like it or not. This is all because of Third Son’s foolishness! Actually, given our family’s current status, we don’t need a daughter-in-law’s background to add prestige. The emperor looks favorably upon Third Son and Qiao-niang’s marriage.” Duke An looked deeply at Madam Wei, emphasizing, “This is the imperial will!”

Madam Wei nodded, dazed and dispirited.

News of Duke An being accused by the censor quickly spread to various households. Those with idle time perked up, ready to watch how this drama would unfold.

However, before long, another shocking piece of news arrived: Duke An’s Third Young Master was to wed the girl he had attempted to die with!

Jiang Zhan practically flew to the Begonia Courtyard, his eyes shining as he stared at Jiang Si. “Fourth Sister, Ji San is going to marry that girl he jumped into the lake with! Haha, I’m dying of laughter! Those bootlickers were saying Ji San would marry a noble lady—”

After Jiang Zhan finished laughing, Jiang Si chuckled lightly. “Well, this truly is a case of lovers united at last.”