Whispers rippled through the banquet hall.
The Dowager Matriarch looked at Yun Xi—the young woman before her dressed in blue, her gaze fierce with a resolve that was almost painful to witness.
The Dowager Matriarch was no fool. During her time in Jinling, despite people’s attempts to keep it from her, she had heard plenty of rumors circulating about Pei Lan and Yao Susu. Combined with the reluctance Pei Ming and Pei Lan had shown toward this engagement from the start…
Understanding dawned on the Dowager Matriarch. Her expression darkened, and she said to Pei Lan, “Kneel.”
“Grandmother?”
“Kneel, I said!”
Her voice rang out like a bell, brooking no argument.
Pei Lan pressed his lips into a thin line, hesitated a moment, then lifted the hem of his robe and began to kneel.
Pei Ming stepped in to stop him, pleading, “Mother, today is your birthday celebration. Even if Lan’er has committed some fault, surely a private reprimand would suffice—why make him kneel here? Not to mention he’s only just been named General. With so many distinguished guests present, humbling him publicly like this isn’t just about his own dignity—it reflects on yours as well.”
At that moment, someone from outside announced, “My lord, an official from the Court of Judicial Review has arrived outside, requesting an urgent audience with the young mistress and Miss Yun Xi of the House of Zhongyong. He went to their residence first but found no one home, so he came here instead.”
At this, Pei Ming visibly startled. After a moment’s thought, he said to the Dowager Matriarch, “This must concern the Marquis’s household’s case.”
He added, “This is urgent business, best not delayed. Bring the official in at once.”
The clerk hurried in, his expression anxious, and without even completing the proper courtesies, announced, “Reporting to the young mistress, and to Miss Yun Xi—the Zhaoyuan case has been decided. General Yun’s charge is delay of military operations.”
Fang Fulan’s face turned pale at this, and she nearly lost her footing.
The Dowager Matriarch asked urgently, “That boy Luo was always decisive and sharp-witted, quick to adapt on the battlefield—how could he possibly have delayed military operations?”
But with the matter already decided, she took a deep breath, steadying herself, and asked, “And the Marquis’s household—has any charge been brought against them as a result?”
“No, nothing of the sort,” the clerk said. “According to the notice received by the Court of Judicial Review, General Yun has simply been stripped of his title as General of Pacification and fined a certain amount of silver. The exact handling of the matter still awaits His Majesty’s final decree. The imperial edict should arrive at the Marquis’s residence sometime around midnight—the young mistress and Miss Yun Xi should hurry back to receive it.”
That was all the clerk had to say.
But everyone present understood the implications perfectly well.
The House of Zhongyong had effectively become a household of convicted criminals. The loss of the marquisate was now only a matter of time.
The banquet fell into silence, save for the Dowager Matriarch, who paced back and forth several times, leaning on her cane.
She turned her gaze back to Yun Xi, whose expression remained calm, as though she had already anticipated this outcome.
The Dowager Matriarch hurried forward and took Yun Xi’s hands, asking earnestly, “A’Ting, is this why you broke off the engagement with the Pei family—out of fear that the Marquis’s household would drag them down?”
She continued, “If that’s the case, then Lan’er should marry you all the more urgently. Years ago, at the frontier, the House of Zhongyong showed great kindness to the Pei family. Fortunes rise and fall unpredictably in this world—having weathered hardship together, our two families should share in honor together as well now.”
She comforted Yun Xi further. “Don’t be afraid. As for this matter concerning Luo’er—Grandmother will see justice done for you. Tomorrow morning, first thing, I will don my formal robes and go before the Emperor myself to plead his case.”
Yun Xi looked at the Dowager Matriarch’s hand clasping her own, listening to her gentle, earnest words, and felt a pang of bitterness in her heart.
But in the next moment, she shook her head and said quietly, “In answer to the Dowager Matriarch—I simply do not wish to marry.”
“If you truly require a reason, I suggest you ask your second grandson.”
Once the matter had been laid out this plainly, pressing further would only strip away all remaining pretense.
Yao Hangshan, seeing this, rose with a smile and said, “It seems the Pei and Zhongyong households have urgent matters to settle between themselves. Since this is a private affair between the two families, this old outsider had better not intrude any further. If I may say so, today’s celebration has already been a great success for the Dowager Matriarch, and I have no doubt that General Yun’s situation will resolve favorably in time as well.”
After a few more polite words, he took his leave.
Seeing the Privy Councilor depart, the other guests could hardly justify staying longer either, and one by one they rose to take their leave as well.
Soon, only Prince Ling and Prince Cong’s family remained at the banquet.
They had been specifically invited to serve as witnesses for the betrothal between Yun Xi and Pei Lan. Now that the engagement hung unresolved, and with the matter of Yun Luo’s case erupting on top of it, and the Dowager Matriarch clearly intent on getting to the bottom of things, both Prince Ling and Prince Cong, being connected to the Dowager Matriarch through kinship, found it difficult to simply leave.
The Dowager Matriarch recalled what Yun Xi had said moments ago—if you truly require a reason, ask your second grandson.
Her gaze settled on Pei Lan, and she snapped angrily, “Well? Speak! What exactly is going on here?”
As she spoke, she patted Yun Xi’s hand reassuringly.
Yun Xi looked at the Dowager Matriarch.
Throughout tonight’s celebration, this elderly grandmother, nearing seventy years of age, had declared no fewer than three times that she would see justice done on Yun Xi’s behalf.
But what exactly would that justice entail?
The Dowager Matriarch was, after all, the Pei family’s grandmother. If Yun Xi accepted her intervention today, how would she ever repay such a debt afterward—by marrying into the Pei family regardless?
After tonight’s turmoil, Yun Xi had lost all hope in Pei Lan entirely. From this point forward, she wanted nothing more to do with the Pei family, not even the smallest connection.
Besides, weren’t Pei Ming and Pei Lan both men of deep calculation? How could they possibly allow the Dowager Matriarch to drag the Pei family into the Marquis’s household’s troubles? They surely had a hundred different schemes ready to deal with the situation.
Yun Xi thought to herself that she had far more important matters at hand.
Time was short—the imperial edict would arrive by midnight. She could not, would not, allow her brother to bear an unjust conviction in silence.
She walked up to Pei Lan and extended her hand once more. “I have already broken off our engagement. The letter.”
Her meaning was unmistakable—she was trading the broken engagement for the letter that could prove her brother’s innocence.
Pei Lan looked at Yun Xi. Her eyes made it perfectly clear—if he refused to hand over the letter, she would, right here, in front of everyone, tear their relationship apart completely, holding nothing back.
After all, she wasn’t the only one who knew about this letter—Steward Feng and several servants from the Pei household knew as well, and so did the Third Young Master of Prince Cong’s household.
She had nothing left to fear.
Pei Lan fell silent for a moment, then glanced at his subordinate standing nearby.
Without a word, the subordinate drew a letter from his robes and handed it to Yun Xi.
The letter looked worn, its corners slightly curled with age.
Yun Xi took it and unfolded it. The handwriting was indeed her brother’s, and at the end was signed “General of Pacification, Yun Luo,” along with the official seal he had long since returned to the court.
Yun Luo had written: “General Zhaoyuan has betrayed us. The battle situation is dire, and hundreds of li of our homeland may be reduced to scorched earth. The people of the northern frontier face grave catastrophe. I, General of Pacification, will exhaust every effort and fight to the death. I beg the court to send reinforcements at once.”
And at the very end, he had written: “This battle is perilous, and I face near-certain death. Should I fall on this battlefield, my only regret would be leaving behind my wife and younger sister. I beg His Majesty’s mercy upon the orphaned women of the Marquis’s household.”
The urgent dispatch was brief and to the point. As Yun Xi read it, she felt a tightness rise unbidden in her throat, her vision blurring.
Even at the very end, her brother had been thinking of her and her sister-in-law.
But quickly, she raised a hand and wiped the corner of her eye, refusing to let the tears fall. She stepped forward into the center of the hall and addressed everyone present. “Your Highness Prince Ling, Your Highness Prince Cong, Your Highness the Princess Consort, Third Young Master—forgive my rudeness, but urgent family matters require me to take my leave now.”
With that, she bowed respectfully and turned to go.
The Dowager Matriarch hurried after her a few steps, calling out, “A’Ting…”
Yun Xi’s back stiffened for a moment, but she did not turn around, walking straight out. Fang Fulan turned back instead, bowing once more to the assembled guests before hurrying after Yun Xi.
The hall fell silent. The Dowager Matriarch sank back weakly. Pei Ming and Pei Lan moved to support her, but she struck their hands away with her cane.
Seeing this, Prince Ling stepped forward to steady the Dowager Matriarch himself, saying, “Perhaps I should go after them—see if the young mistress and Miss Yun Xi need any assistance.”
“Yes, yes, please do,” the Dowager Matriarch nodded repeatedly. Though she didn’t fully understand the underlying cause, she suspected Yun Luo’s case was somehow entangled with the Pei family. She said despondently, “A’Ting likely doesn’t wish to see this old woman right now, so… I would be grateful for your help, Your Highness.”
Prince Ling nodded and hurried off.
Zhao Wu had already hitched up the carriage.
Just as Yun Xi was about to leave, she heard someone calling from behind. “Miss Yun Xi, please wait. Young Mistress, please wait a moment.”
The man behind her was handsome and gentle in bearing, his posture dignified and composed.
Yun Xi paused and bowed. “Prince Ling.”
She had always held this third prince of the reigning Emperor in great respect.
Three years ago, when she had returned alone to Jinling with Yun Luo’s coffin, the rain falling steadily, and the coffin had been overturned by a drunken Cheng Chang, exposing Yun Luo’s body—had Prince Ling not happened to pass by, scolding Cheng Chang harshly and ordering his attendants to help place Yun Luo’s coffin back onto the cart, there was no telling how that incident might have ended, given how arrogant the young lord had been back then.
Prince Ling said, “I overheard the matter concerning your brother just now. To think that a general who fought for the court on the frontier should meet such an end—it’s truly regrettable. The Court of Judicial Review falls under Prince Yun’s jurisdiction, so I’m not yet certain how the case was ultimately decided, and it wasn’t my place to intervene earlier. Let me have someone look into it, and see what assistance might be possible.”
Yun Xi bowed to Prince Ling. “My thanks, Your Highness. This humble servant has already decided what to do.”
“What will you do?”
“My brother is gone, but the House of Zhongyong still has me. Since he is innocent, tomorrow morning I will go before the palace gates to plead his case.”
Prince Ling paused, then nodded, offering a faint smile. “Very well. With a daughter like you, the late Marquis of Zhongyong can finally rest in peace.”
He added, “Time is of the essence—you should hurry back, Miss.” Then, nodding to Fang Fulan as well, “Young Mistress, please don’t worry too much either. The court has always shown leniency toward soldiers who served with distinction.”
Yun Xi and Fang Fulan thanked him and departed together by carriage.
Behind them, the Pei residence, so lively only moments before, remained brightly lit yet strangely silent.
The bright moon overhead had vanished, dark clouds gathering at the horizon’s edge, heavy and oppressive, as though about to collapse downward.
It was the plum-rain season—another downpour was surely on its way.
In the garden hall, the Dowager Matriarch was so furious she could barely catch her breath. She refused to let Pei Lan or Pei Ming support her, allowing only Prince Cong to steady her.
After a moment, once she had somewhat recovered, she made her way with her cane back to Pei Lan and said once more, “Kneel!”
Pei Ming tried to intervene again. “Mother—”
But before he could finish, the Dowager Matriarch swept her cane and struck him aside. “That son you raised, and you dare stop me again? I’ll have you kneel alongside him!”
She lowered her voice and demanded of Pei Lan, “What exactly happened? That letter—what is the truth of it?”
“In answer to Grandmother—that letter was merely…”
“Tell me the truth!” The Dowager Matriarch’s mind remained perfectly clear, and she knew that at this point, Pei Lan would likely try to find some excuse, mixing truth with lies to smooth things over.
She said, “If you don’t want others to know, then don’t do it in the first place.”
She looked around the room, recalling that Yun Xi’s demeanor had changed only after returning from the pavilion—and the only other person who had returned with her, besides Pei Lan, was one more.
The Dowager Matriarch’s gaze fell upon Cheng Chang, standing quietly to the left. She said to Pei Lan, “If you won’t speak, then this old woman will ask the Third Young Master to explain everything in detail!”