Watching Situ Sheng seated atop his tall horse, Tao Huiru was grinding her teeth nearly to powder.

His Majesty could actually forgive him, this surviving grandson of the Yang Family—that had been entirely beyond Tao Huiru’s expectations. But if that was the case, then Tao Zan, who was equally a descendant of the Yang Family, should rightfully receive the same favorable treatment!

Thinking this, she carefully pulled her hood down to conceal her face, then turned and disappeared into the crowd.

The Zhou mother and son were also among the crowd—not there to watch the spectacle on purpose. Zhao Shi had brought her son and daughter into the city today to purchase things, and along the way to find a reliable matchmaker to arrange marriages for both her son and daughter. They had inadvertently run right into Chu Linlang’s wedding procession.

Additionally, her son’s official duties had been going very poorly of late, with his superiors constantly finding fault with him. Zhao Shi was worried about Zhou Sui’an, and had decided to have him swallow his pride and go speak with the Sixth Prince about his situation.

Even if the two men were no longer brothers-in-law by marriage, Zhou Sui’an had at least been his subordinate—surely he would give some consideration to old ties and leave the man a path forward!

But when they had gone to the Sixth Prince’s estate earlier, they had found it empty. Upon inquiry, they learned that the Sixth Prince and his wife had hurried off to attend Lord Situ’s wedding.

Since Zhou Sui’an had never breathed a word about Chu Linlang’s remarriage when he came home, Zhao Shi had no idea who Situ Sheng was marrying.

When they were making their way back and encountered the long wedding procession on the street, Zhao Shi stopped to watch with curiosity.

But the Zhou Sui’an at her side wore an expression of desolate grief, staring blankly at the charming silhouette seated within the pearl-curtained, ornate palanquin.

Not even three years ago, he could never have dreamed in his sleep that he would one day stand watching as Linlang was carried away to be married to another—that this absurd moment would actually come to pass.

That beautiful woman with her radiant smile, who had accompanied him through the most arduous years of his youth, was truly going to become another man’s wife, and would never mend the broken mirror and reunite with him again…

How had he, through one moment of carelessness, lost the most precious treasure of his entire life?

Thinking this, hot tears slid from Zhou Sui’an’s eyes, and a choked, sobbing sound escaped him.

Meanwhile, Zhao Shi, amid the excited chatter and discussion of those standing around her, picked out who the bride was.

She stared with disbelief and turned to confirm it with her daughter Zhou Lingxiu.

How could this be? The divorced wife that the Zhou household had looked down upon and cast aside—how could she turn around and marry a First-Rank official who was one of the most powerful men in the court, complete with all three letters and six rites and a ten-li stretch of red bridal procession?

She turned back and asked Zhou Sui’an—was all of this real? What on earth had come over that Situ Sheng, that he would actually want to marry Chu Linlang?

All the regret and indignation, under Zhao Shi’s repeated pressing questions, finally erupted and gushed forth.

“What is there to be surprised about? Does she not deserve a phoenix coronet and ceremonial robes, an eight-bearer palanquin? She was simply such a fine woman that you found fault with her every which way and could never be satisfied!”

Zhao Shi had never expected her always-filial son to speak to her like this, and at such a volume.

The shock was so great at first that she could not process it. It was only after Zhou Sui’an flung down his sleeves in disgust and turned to leave that she snapped back to her senses, and in a fury stamped her feet and began shouting and cursing: “Why is it that when things come to this, the blame lands on my head? When did I ever look down on her? Was it not you who brought that plague star Xie Shi through the door? And besides, a woman who can’t lay eggs—what is there to be nostalgic about…”

Seeing her mother say increasingly outrageous things, Zhou Lingxiu clapped a hand over her mother’s mouth: “Mother, what nonsense are you talking? Do you still think she’s our family’s daughter-in-law? She is now a formally imperially-bestowed Auspicious and Blessed Lady with a title, and the wife of a First-Rank official. Have you not heard? Half of the red bridal procession stretching along the street is an imperial bestowal from His Majesty himself. If you keep talking carelessly like this, you’ll bring ruin upon our entire family!”

Hearing her daughter’s warning, Zhao Shi shut her mouth with ill grace.

Indeed—the current Chu Linlang moved in and out of the palace, and all her associations were among the powerful nobility of the capital. She had long since left behind the world of people like themselves—wives of Seventh-Rank officials on the capital’s outskirts—who could not hope to attach themselves to her.

Zhao Shi had known her former daughter-in-law had some ability, but she had never imagined that after leaving the Zhou household, she would come into such extraordinary fortune!

No wonder her son had flown into a rage and turned his anger on her. When Chu Linlang had still been in the Zhou household, the family’s circumstances had indeed been improving day by day…

Could it be that His Majesty’s belief that she was an auspicious golden carp was actually true? And she herself had carelessly handed over this treasure who brought prosperity to her husband and good fortune to the household, passing it right into someone else’s hands…

Sitting inside the palanquin, Chu Linlang would never notice the indistinguishable commotion at the street corner. She carefully straightened the phoenix coronet on her head, then smiled and faced forward.

Even if she had known the Zhou mother and son were standing by the roadside, she would not have spared so much as a glance toward those old people and old matters.

When the bridal palanquin arrived at the Situ estate, Situ Sheng walked to the palanquin, extended his large hand, and helped Linlang step out.

Guan Jinhe, leading a group of schoolmates from the women’s academy, stood to one side smiling warmly, reciting aloud the blessing verses they had composed for the couple.

These women were all daughters of the princes and marquises of the court. Some had married, and those who had married were also wives of the powerful nobility.

That they had gathered like this to recite verses of blessing and praise for their schoolmate was something that had never happened before.

And the Crown Prince Consort herself was visibly present among them, joining in the recitation of blessing verses.

There was nothing for it—Chu Linlang had an exceptionally warm rapport with everyone at the women’s academy. That time they had faced peril at the oasis, the teachers and students of the academy all owed her a debt of their lives!

So when it came to lending prestige to Chu Niangzi’s wedding, a single call had met with a hundred willing responses.

This grandeur and ceremony once again diminished the contempt the onlookers had held for the bride.

The world only said that Chu Niangzi was of humble birth—the daughter of a merchant and a concubine—yet forgot that this woman had a wide circle of friendships, all of them noble ladies of the court.

To mention nothing else, her friendship with the Crown Prince Consort alone was closer than that of sisters. Word was that Chu Niangzi needed no formal visiting cards and could move freely in and out of the Crown Prince’s residence.

Now that the Third Prince was on the verge of ascending the throne—a matter as certain as a nail hammered down—Chu Niangzi was effectively sworn sisters with the future Empress!

Once people thought this through, no one dared look down on Chu Niangzi’s background any longer.

And that Situ Sheng was no fool either. If this Chu Linlang had no ability whatsoever, how could she have won Lord Situ’s favor?

It had originally been assumed that since the Yang Family had no surviving elders or relatives apart from the traitorous Yang Yi who had defected, Situ Sheng and Chu Linlang’s wedding ceremony would require paying respects before the memorial tablets of the deceased.

But there in the great hall presiding over the rites, a middle-aged woman with bright and clear eyes and features sat conspicuously, receiving the prostrations of the pair.

After people asked around among themselves, they learned that this woman was the very madwoman from the Wen family who had been cast out by the Yang household all those years ago—Situ Sheng’s birth mother.

Wen Shi’s condition had stabilized these days, and for the most part she was able to speak with coherent composure.

Only now, sitting in the ceremonial hall with its high-hanging red lanterns and red silk draped everywhere, she drifted for a moment into a daze—dimly recalling that she seemed to have once knelt with someone in just such a ceremonial hall, making vows to grow old together until their hair turned white…

The maidservant attending her at her side quietly offered her soothing words, saying only that once the new couple had paid their respects to her, she would be able to go rest.

Both Situ Sheng and Chu Linlang knew his mother was easily fatigued. Especially Chu Linlang, as the new bride—she showed not the slightest hesitation or coyness, and actually took Situ Sheng’s hand and strode forward ahead of everyone else, eager to perform the ceremonial bows to heaven and earth.

Situ Sheng naturally understood that Linlang was acting so swiftly out of concern for his mother—he smiled and let Linlang tug him along. After bowing to heaven and earth, the two of them knelt before his mother and performed their deep bow.

Wen Shi had been watching these two young people moving back and forth before her eyes. Though she could not quite make out who they were, she did not find them disagreeable.

Following the quiet reminders of the maidservant at her side, she accepted the tea the two of them presented, drank a few sips, and then slipped the jade bracelet passed to her by the maidservant onto Linlang’s wrist.

But when she caught sight of the Yang Family heirloom jade bracelet already on Linlang’s wrist, she gave a small start—hazily remembering that she seemed to have worn this bracelet herself once, long ago…

After the husband and wife completed the marriage rites, Linlang was to be led by Situ Sheng to enter the bridal chamber.

After instructing the maidservants to support his mother and take her to rest, Situ Sheng took Linlang’s hand and turned to lead her toward the wedding chamber.

But at that very moment, a commotion broke out at the entrance to the ceremonial hall.

“Who dares stop me? I am Lord Situ’s stepmother, and my son is his own flesh-and-blood brother! We have come today to present gifts of congratulations—do we still need an invitation card for that?”

It turned out that Tao Huiru had actually brought her son Tao Zan along with her brother Tao Haisheng, plus several servants carrying congratulatory gifts, and come to attend the wedding.

Tao Haisheng had an invitation card and should by rights have been able to pass through without difficulty.

But the person receiving guests at the gate today also included Sui Qiye, who recognized Tao Huiru at a single glance and immediately dispatched people to block her.

Tao Huiru had anticipated this. She had known she would not be able to pass through easily today—which was precisely why she had begged her brother so persistently to bring her along without their father’s knowledge.

His Majesty’s Imperial Edict of Self-Reproach had already rehabilitated Yang Xun. Therefore, Tao Zan as a descendant of the Yang Family should rightfully receive the glory and honor due to Yang Family descendants.

Yet after Situ Sheng declined the title of Marquis, His Majesty had not officially decreed Tao Zan as the inheritor of the Marquis title, nor had he bestowed any honors on Tao Zan whatsoever.

Tao Huiru was becoming restless. Whether it had been betraying the Yang Family in those years, or scheming against Situ Sheng and Chu Linlang afterward—all of those had been her own decisions. What did any of it have to do with Tao Zan?

If things continued without a sound like this, would Tao Zan—carrying the Tao surname—not be entirely cut off from the glorious favor bestowed upon the Yang Family?

Even if Situ Sheng despised her to the bone and intended to take revenge on her, she still had to force Situ Sheng to acknowledge Tao Zan as his half-brother!

Armed with this do-or-die resolve, Tao Huiru cast aside all decorum and entirely lost the serene detachment befitting a person of religious cultivation. She staked everything and began shouting loudly at the gate: “Since Situ Sheng has already acknowledged himself as Yang Xun’s legitimate grandson, why does he refuse to acknowledge his brother? The Yang Family has dwindled so greatly—all the more reason the two brothers should depend on each other! Just because he has wealth and honor, does he have grounds to refuse to recognize his own younger brother? How could the spirit of old General Yang Xun rest in peace?”

Tao Haisheng was also seething with fury after being blocked by the servants of the Situ estate.

His younger sister had endured such bitter hardship in life—all thanks to Yang Yi! To raise a child all by herself through such grinding toil—was that easy? Now that he had finally waited for the day when His Majesty rehabilitated the Yang Family, his sister was acting with good intentions in wanting the Yang brothers to recognize each other, yet the servants of the Situ estate were using their master’s power to bully others and block his sister and her child. What an outrage!

So he too shouted loudly at Sui Qiye and his people, his mouth full of words like “lowly servants” and “eyes that look down on people.”

Situ Sheng’s tactful refusal of His Majesty’s bestowal of the Marquis title had been done with the intent of drawing out Tao Huiru.

That venomous woman was full of cunning and schemes. If she were allowed to lurk in the shadows, would she not remain a hidden threat? Better to leave a sweet-smelling bait and lure the venomous serpent out of its den.

However, Situ Sheng had still underestimated this stepmother of his—her scheming mind and her complete lack of shame.

She had actually come up with this scheme of causing a commotion at the wedding in front of everyone, intending to force him to publicly acknowledge Tao Zan as his brother.

Situ Sheng could not help but admit that there were two women in this world whose thinking he sometimes found difficult to fathom—one was his beloved Linlang, and the other was this unexpectedly vicious and scheming stepmother of his.

Thinking this, he turned to Linlang with a look of apology and said: “You go back to the bridal chamber first. I’ll handle this and come right back.”

He had originally intended to give Linlang a perfect and flawless wedding with no regrets. Who could have expected that pests would still come crawling through the door to cause trouble.

Linlang understood his meaning, but gave him a faint smile. She was no longer a young girl—why would she care about whether a wedding was perfect or not?

Besides, facing off against that venomous woman Tao Huiru would be far more interesting than sitting alone on the wedding bed in the bridal chamber!

Thinking this, she said with easy composure: “We have already bowed to heaven and earth and completed the rites. I am your wife. Since this concerns matters in our own estate, it concerns me. You need not confront her—go keep the guests company and drink wine. Leave it to me!”

Situ Sheng frowned—he did not want her going out in her bridal garments to deal with this kind of filthy business. But Linlang lowered her voice and said: “Regardless of anything else, she once bore the name of your stepmother. On an occasion like this, there are no small number of remonstrating officials watching your every move and word. I am not a court official—just an ignorant woman of no consequence. They have no standing to find fault with me. You just go drink your wine. Be good and listen to me! And whatever you do, don’t come over—if you come, I won’t be able to bring this to a proper conclusion.”

Hearing her speak as though she were coaxing a child, Situ Sheng could not help but give her a look. But seeing her eager, impatient manner as she prepared to head toward the gate, he ultimately nodded and turned to go to the banquet.

Linlang then turned around, lifted the bead curtain covering her face herself, and said to Dongxue and Xia He behind her: “Come. Let’s go to the gate and see which shameless creature has come today trying to claim kinship and ride on our coattails!”

When Linlang appeared at the gate dressed in her gold-embroidered bridal garments, Tao Haisheng, stirred up by his sister, was red in the face and thick in the neck, gripping Sui Qiye’s collar and loudly cursing.

There were many onlooking guests gathered to the side.

Sui Qiye, constrained by the fact that Tao Haisheng was a civil official and the Crown Prince Consort’s own father, had not broken his wrist—he merely stood there stone-faced, tolerating Tao Haisheng’s collar-grabbing and abuse.

Chu Linlang raised a slender eyebrow and called out clearly: “Lord Tao, it seems the heat in your heart is quite excessive today. Why have you come to my household shouting and cursing?”

Tao Haisheng turned to see the bride herself had appeared at the gate, and was momentarily taken aback. He suddenly also recalled that this was, after all, someone’s wedding—and him shouting and creating all this noise was giving the hosts quite a loss of face.

Nevertheless, as the now-respected father-in-law of the Crown Prince, he still had considerable confidence in his own standing. So seeing Chu Linlang walking over, with his anger still not fully subsided, he said: “I must beg Madam Chu’s pardon—it was not my intention to disturb the wedding. It is simply that the servants of your household have no discernment whatsoever, blocking my nephew and my sister from entering. Servants who look down on people like that truly cannot be left without a scolding!”

Chu Linlang walked over and personally straightened Sui Qiye’s disheveled collar for him, then turned to bow respectfully before him: “Sui Qiye, in those years you followed old General Yang through life and death together, and even when the old General petitioned for an official residence and position on your behalf, you tactfully declined. The renowned name of valiant general Sui Qi—who among the armies of that time did not know it? In those years you saved Lord Situ and saw him return alive from a battlefield where death seemed certain, and he had originally intended to provide for you like a father or elder in his old age. Yet you cannot bear to be idle, and insisted on taking on duties within the household. Today you were subjected to such crude abuse and insults—it is a failure of proper courtesy on mine and Situ’s part as the younger generation, and allowed people to mistake you for a common servant of our household!”

The moment these words were spoken, a murmur of astonishment rippled through the surrounding crowd. So the Situ household truly had crouching tigers and hidden dragons—even a man who looked like nothing more than a coachman or doorman turned out to be a meritorious military officer who had served under General Yang.

And now, seeing how respectfully and deferentially Situ’s wife treated this old man, the contrast made Tao Haisheng’s earlier crudeness and rudeness all the more apparent.

Tao Haisheng had never for a moment imagined that the dark and lean old man he had been calling a “lowly servant” was actually Situ Sheng’s life-saving benefactor, someone being provided for in his old age at the household.

—