8
Just as this tender scene unfolded outside, Lady Pei emerged from the room, leading the household servants to greet them.
Lady Pei addressed him as “My Lord,” then helped Ming Tan to her feet, smiling gently as she said, “Having not seen you for five years, Ah Tan must have missed you so dearly that she has cried herself into a little spotted cat.”
Ming Tingyuan patted Ming Tan’s head and laughed heartily, “I see that Madam has raised this little tabby cat exceedingly well!”
A deeper smile spread across Pei Shi’s face. Just as she was about to respond, someone suddenly burst into the courtyard, shouting abruptly, “Father!”
It is Ming Chu.
She was still dressed in that red outfit. Stepping forward, she directly embraced Ming Tingyuan’s arm and, as if no one else were present, coquettishly complained, “Father, you’ve finally returned! You even took A-Fu and the others with you to the palace, leaving no one to practice whiplashing with your daughter!”
Normally, Ming Tingyuan greatly appreciated such behavior from Ming Chu. After all, living in the borderlands with only this one daughter by his side, he naturally found everything about her delightful. Yet now, he instinctively glanced at his younger daughter standing before him.
He saw his usually obedient and sensible younger daughter staring fixedly at the arm Ming Chu was embracing. She froze for a moment, then quickly lowered her eyelashes silently, seemingly trying to conceal the disappointment welling in her eyes.
A vague, indescribable emotion surged within him. Catching sight of Lady Pei’s sudden embarrassment at being interrupted, he also felt an inexplicable unease: “What nonsense is this? You haven’t even greeted your mother properly!”
…?
Ming Chu was momentarily stunned.
“The capital is not like the borderlands where you can do as you please. As a young lady, you ought to curb your wilfulness. What business do you have practicing with a whip? Spend your free time learning proper decorum from your mother and sister instead!”
Hearing these words at the courtyard gate, Concubine Liu paused.
After returning to her own courtyard to rest, she had intended to bring Ming Chu to pay respects to Lady Pei. However, halfway there, a servant informed them that the Marquis had already returned to the residence and was heading toward Lanxin Courtyard, prompting Ming Chu to quicken her steps in anger.
She wished to catch up, but Ming Chu, having practiced some rudimentary martial arts for several years, walked much faster than most women. By the time she arrived at Lanxin Courtyard, she happened to hear the Marquis reprimanding her.
Steadying herself, she stepped forward, bent her knees, and said, “This humble concubine greets the Marquis and greets the Lady.”
Ming Chu, still immersed in the grievance of being scolded by her father, was tugged by Concubine Liu before reluctantly adding a curtsy: “I greet Father; I greet Mother.”
“As we are family, there is no need for excessive formalities.” At such moments, Lady Pei best embodied the gentle magnanimity expected of the mistress of the household. “Since the Marquis has returned, let us not stand here any longer; let us go inside and serve the meal.”
–
This noon meal was served in the secondary chamber of the main hall at Lanxin Courtyard, with dishes prepared in great abundance: braised deer tendon, crystal pork knuckle, lotus-leaf spare ribs, hibiscus tofu… a complete spread of both meat and vegetables.
From the moment they entered the room, Concubine Liu had stood respectfully to the side, serving soup and adding dishes for Lady Pei. When Lady Pei told her to rest, she lowered her head and replied cautiously, “Serving the Marquis and the Madam is my duty as a concubine.”
Ming Tingyuan remained silent, yet he was clearly pleased by her conduct. Just moments earlier, while still outside, he had been thinking that it had been a mistake to take Ming Chu along to Yangxi Circuit, where Concubine Liu’s indulgence had stripped her of all propriety. Now, however, he reconsidered: Concubine Liu was actually quite dutiful; it was mainly Ming Chu’s temperament that made her difficult for anyone to control.
No one spoke.
Everyone in this room, including the maids, was a seasoned veteran of life within deep-walled courtyards; aside from Ming Tingyuan, no one truly believed Concubine Liu’s display.
Of course, Ming Chu genuinely felt aggrieved on behalf of his concubine mother.
After all, back on Yangxi Road, the three of them had always dined together as a family. Now, not only were they barred from sitting down to eat together, but he was even expected to serve that woman who occupied the mistress’s position yet bore no children! The mere thought made the exquisite delicacies before Ming Chu lose all their flavor and appeal.
At this very moment, Ming Tan happened to place a piece of braised deer tendon into Ming Tingyuan’s bowl. “Father, please try some,” she said.
Regardless of how the deer tendon actually tasted, the mere elegance of her movements—adjusting her sleeve, switching chopsticks, and silently transferring the tendon to a small dish beside his bowl without spilling a drop of sauce—filled Ming Tingyuan with deep satisfaction.
Though he was a coarse man with limited literary talent and refined taste, this did not prevent him from appreciating culture and elegance; otherwise, among his several concubines, he would not have favored Lady Liu, the most gifted of them all.
Seeing such grace and poise displayed by his own daughter filled his heart with an overwhelming sense of pride and joy. After tasting the deer tendon, he nodded repeatedly, praising aloud, “Mmm, tender, flavorful, and delicious!”
“Father is pleased, and that is all that matters.” Ming Tan’s eyes curved into a smile.
“How could I not be? This braised deer tendon was specially prepared by A-Tan for the Marquis.” Pei Shi also placed a piece on Ming Tingyuan’s plate. “Deer tendons are extremely difficult to soften; it is said they must be pounded and boiled several days in advance, first simmered in meat broth, then again in chicken stock that has been carefully prepared over an entire day. The meat broth and chicken stock used for braising are themselves made with great care. For this dish alone, A-Tan has watched over every step meticulously these past few days.”
Ming Tingyuan, greatly appreciative of the gesture, ate the piece Pei Shi had served him, feeling deeply comforted in his heart. “A-Tan has been obedient and filial since childhood. Of course, much of this is thanks to your devoted upbringing, my lady.”
As he spoke, he placed a pearl meatball each onto Ming Tan’s and Pei Shi’s plates. “Do not focus only on me; these dishes are beautifully prepared. You should taste them as well.”
“Thank you, Father.”
“Thank you, Marquis.”
Ming Chu: “…”
Only a fool would believe that this delicate young lady, whose ten fingers have never touched cold water, would personally prepare braised deer tendon! At best, she merely instructed the kitchen to mention that the dish was for her father; yet this trivial act of moving her lips has been spun into a tale of a filial daughter cooking in person. That hen Pei, who lays no eggs, truly knows how to stretch the truth!
The atmosphere at the table was seething with undercurrents. Some chatted and laughed, while others had poked their rice bowls until the food lost all its warmth.
Just then, Su Xin, who had not accompanied Ming Tan to Lanxin Courtyard, received a message from a servant woman outside the door and quietly slipped into the room.
Su Xin took small steps toward Ming Tan, nudging Green Petal who stood behind her, and while attending to the meal, she leaned close to whisper a few words into Ming Tan’s ear.
Ming Chu, who had been watching Ming Tan intently, naturally did not miss this scene.
Noticing Su Xin whispering while secretly passing a note to Ming Tan under the table, and seeing Ming Tan accept it with perfect composure, she sensed something amiss and promptly raised her voice to expose it: “Fourth Sister, someone sent you a message? Who was it from? Why so secretive?”
Everyone at the table turned their gaze in that direction upon hearing her words.
“It’s nothing,” Ming Tan replied lightly. “Just a note from my cousin of the Bai family. I previously asked her to handle a small matter; it seems she has news now and wished to inform me.”
Ming Chu, however, refused to let it go: “If it had to be delivered even during our meal, then whatever task you entrusted to Cousin Bai must be extremely urgent. Why not read the letter before eating? If she is anxiously awaiting your reply, we can send someone to convey your response immediately.”
Ming Tingyuan felt that Ming Chu’s words made considerable sense; as one who wielded military and administrative authority over an entire region, he most detested any delay in military affairs.
Seeing Ming Tan’s hesitation, he assumed she feared breaking propriety by reading a letter while dining, and self-righteously offered relief: “It matters not; among family, such formalities need not be observed. Go ahead and read it; should anything truly urgent arise, you can respond promptly.”
Ming Tan wished to say something, but Ming Chu gave her no chance to decline, instead directly ordering the maid waiting nearby to attend: “Why have you not yet gone? My fourth sister is most particular; how can she read a letter without first cleansing her hands?”
Soon, both the cloth and clear water were brought before her eyes.
Ming Tan seemed to have no other choice; she cleansed her hands and unfolded the letter.
At first, her expression remained calm. Yet, upon reading something, her gaze faltered. Pressing her lips together, she scanned the letter ever faster, her complexion growing increasingly pale.
After finishing the entire letter, as if unwilling to accept its contents, she read it through again from the beginning. This time, however, she was left utterly bloodless, swaying unsteadily on her feet.
“What is wrong?” Ming Tingyuan frowned.
Ming Tan did not respond; covering her lips with a plain silk handkerchief, her eyes brimmed with disbelief. In an instant, her eyes reddened, and tears rolled down her cheeks.
Seeing this scene, everyone panicked. Ming Tingyuan swiftly snatched the letter from her hands.
He scanned it rapidly. Though he had no idea what the investigation into the drowning incident mentioned in the letter was about, he was no fool. The letter clearly stated:
On the day of the Lantern Festival, the two individuals who had pushed Ming Tan into the water had already left the capital. After much difficulty and numerous detours, they were finally tracked down in Lizhou.
These two were not strangers—a thief and his victim—but rather a pair of biological brothers!
According to the confession of these two brothers, the act of knocking someone into the water had been prearranged. Acting on orders from the Lady of Lingguo, they secretly followed Liang Zixuan on the night of the Shangyuan Festival, awaiting his command to act as circumstances dictated.
On that day, Ming Tan happened to be releasing river lanterns at the dock; had she not been there, Liang Zixuan would have found her anyway and devised some means to lure her to the waterside, thereby completing his staged performance of a hero rescuing a beauty from an accidental fall into the water!
“Slam!” Accompanied by the sound of a hand striking the table, the exquisite bowls and dishes atop it trembled and clattered. Ming Tingyuan, furious beyond measure, exclaimed, “This is outrageous!”
Seeing this, Lady Pei quickly took the letter and read it carefully.
After finishing it, she was even more shocked than Ming Tingyuan. When Ming Tan fell into the water during the Lantern Festival and the Liang family’s heir covered it up, she had thought the Duke of Lingguo’s household remarkably considerate for handling everything so thoroughly, believing them to be a reasonable family to deal with. Yet now it turned out that the entire affair had originated from the Duke of Lingguo’s household itself! This was truly beyond comprehension!
“What has happened to our fourth sister? What does the letter say?” Seeing the reactions of the three, Ming Chu knew something must have gone wrong. Unable to restrain her curiosity, she eagerly longed to see the contents of the letter herself.
However, Lady Pei clearly would not allow it. Having managed the household for many years and experienced countless incidents, Lady Pei, despite her shock and anger, quickly realized that nothing else mattered at present; what mattered most was understanding how this matter had arisen and determining how best to respond and handle it.
She rose and said calmly, “Let us end the midday meal here; everyone may disperse.”
This was Lanxin Courtyard. When Lady Pei ordered everyone to disperse, those unwilling had no choice but to obey.
Ming Chu wished to stay and watch the spectacle, but Zhang Mama stepped in front of her, politely yet firmly escorting her out.
Unlike Ming Chu, Shen Hua proved quite perceptive, neither listening too closely nor asking unnecessary questions. Yet just before leaving, she instinctively glanced at the plain handkerchief held in Ming Tan’s hand.
–
Soon, only Ming Tingyuan, Lady Pei, and Ming Tan remained in the room. Ming Tan, having held back her emotions for so long, suddenly burst into tears the moment the door closed.
Her weeping was so poignant it resembled pear blossoms drenched in rain, evoking deep compassion. Her eyes were red and swollen, her slender shoulders trembling; she appeared so fragile that a mere gust of wind might break her, making one hesitate to utter even a single harsh word.
Ming Tingyuan stood with his hands clasped behind his back, repeatedly suppressing his rising anger, fearing that speaking might frighten Ming Tan. After a long pause, he finally asked in a low, furious voice, “What exactly is going on? What do you mean by falling into the water? Why was I not informed!”
Lady Pei gently patted Ming Tan’s back, soothingly saying, “My lord, please calm your anger first.”
Immediately, she recounted the incident of falling into the water during the Lantern Festival to Ming Tingyuan exactly as it had happened.
Upon learning that Ming Tan had not engaged in any physical intimacy with the Liang heir that day, and that outsiders remained unaware it was actually Ming Tan who had fallen into the water, his anger finally subsided somewhat.
Ming Tingyuan exclaimed, “Has the Duke of Lingguo’s household gone mad, to scheme such a despicable act!”
This was also what Lady Pei found suspicious: “Logically speaking, since both families had long ago established a marriage alliance, the matter could have been formally proposed once the Marquis returned to the capital. Orchestrating an incident of falling into the water merely to stage a rescue seems entirely unnecessary.”
She paused, then added, “Unless the Duke of Lingguo’s household believes that upon the Marquis’s return to the capital, this marriage alliance may face complications.”
What change? What kind of change? The childhood betrothal arranged by Lady Bai before her death is known throughout the entire capital. Is her son so desperate, nearing death himself, that he intends to deceive a bride into marrying him just so she can remain chaste and earn a virtue arch for his family? If he truly dares to plunge into icy water in the dead of winter, then perhaps dying beneath those cold waves would be the only way to find peace!
The words were on Ming Tingyuan’s lips, but suddenly he thought of something… Wait, having been away from the capital these past few years, he had not been promptly informed of many matters. Could it be that the Duke Lingguo’s household had become entangled in some overwhelming crisis, forcing them to use this marriage to bind him, Ming Tingyuan, to their cause?
“Officials always manage to drag everything into court politics,” Ming Tan thought, seeing her father Ming Tingyuan’s grave expression, unsure where his mind had wandered. Hastily, she choked out, “Actually… actually, Daughter knows… knows why the Liang family is acting this way…”
Word by word, she revealed everything she had overheard in the study of the Changguo Duke’s residence.
“He has become involved with his own cousin and even fathered a two-year-old son?” Upon hearing this, Ming Tingyuan and Lady Pei were struck with shock beyond words.
Ming Tingyuan exclaimed, “Why didn’t you tell us about such a grave matter sooner!”
With tears streaming down her face and eyes cast downward, Ming Tan replied softly, “…Daughter thought this engagement was arranged by my birth mother. Moreover, I heard the Liang family holds considerable influence within the Ministry of Personnel. As I know nothing about court politics, I feared that ruining this match might adversely affect Father’s evaluation for promotion and transfer back to the capital…”
“What kind of people does the Liang family think they are? Do they imagine they can influence my transfer and promotion?” Ming Tingyuan erupted in thunderous rage, even resorting to referring to himself as “this old man.”
“Father, please do not let anger harm your health.”
Look at her—even at such a moment, she still worries about him becoming ill from fury. His daughter had grown into such an elegant, well-educated, gentle, and virtuous young lady, one who always prioritized the greater good and placed filial piety above all else; she was truly a paragon of noble daughters, so rare that one could search with a lantern through the night and never find her equal. How could she be allowed to be so callously mistreated by that unprincipled, treacherous brat from the Liang family!
“A-Tan, do not fear; I, your father, will handle this matter myself.” Burning with intense fury, Ming Tingyuan could tolerate no further delay; having spoken these words, he swept his sleeves dramatically and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
“My Lord, My Lord!”
Lady Pei failed to stop him and quickly soothed Ming Tan with gentle words: “A-Tan, your father will certainly handle this matter. However, such impulsiveness is truly inappropriate. Do not worry; let Suxin and Lü’e accompany you back to rest first. I will go speak with your father thoroughly.”
This was exactly what Ming Tan wished. With tears still glistening on her face, she nodded and said, “Mother, please do persuade Father.”
Without another word, Lady Pei hurriedly rushed out after him.
Suxin and Lü’e had been listening to the cries and shouts from outside for quite some time, their hearts filled with worry. Upon receiving Lady Pei’s instructions, they hurriedly rushed into the room.
“Miss, Miss!”
“Miss, are you not—” Suxin’s words trailed off as she suddenly froze in place.
The room was silent.
Most of the exquisite dishes on the table remained untouched.
Her young mistress sat at the table, fanning her eyes with one hand while leisurely pouring herself another cup of tea.
“…Are you alright?” Su Xin inadvertently finished the second half of the sentence.
Ming Tan said, “Nothing serious. It’s just that the handkerchief you soaked is truly too pungent.”