The Duke House's Ideal Daughter-in-law
Chapter 123
In the end, she naturally wasn’t allowed to go.
The little girl sat on the stool, the tip of the sabre touching the ground, her head lowered, looking quite unhappy.
Yin Furen sat there with a stern face, saying nothing.
Zhao Jiazhen and Xu Nian’an exchanged glances.
Xu Nian’an stepped forward and said, “Xuan Jie’er, don’t blame Wai Zumu for not letting you go. Guogong Yé is no ordinary martial arts instructor. He’s heavy-handed. Even your Xiao Jiu, who is a man, comes back from Dunyi Hall every time with bruises all over. How could Wai Zumu bear to let you suffer like that? How about this, tomorrow, your Er Yimu and Si Yimu will come to see you. The day after, Jiumu and your San Yimu will take you out shopping for delicious treats and fun things. The day after that, your Xiao Jiu will have his academy break and can take you to the riding grounds. How does that sound?”
Xuan Jie’er raised her head to sneak a glance at Yin Furen and nodded.
After Xuan Jie’er returned to her room, Zhao Jiazhen sat down beside Yin Furen and said, “Mom, back when you raised us sisters, you were so patient. Why do you seem to lack patience now when it comes to your Wai granddaughter? Is this the so-called ‘the deeper the love, the harsher the criticism’?”
Yin Furen, feeling a headache coming on, said, “No matter how unruly you sisters were, you never went around carrying a big sabre! If she runs into someone timid, wouldn’t she scare them to half death? And judging by her demeanor, not only does she carry it, but she knows how to use it too!”
“Xuan Jie’er is the daughter of a military family and grew up in the rather unsettled Xuanzhou. It’s not surprising she knows how to use a sabre. Just explain to her gradually that it’s not needed in the capital. She’s just arrived here, and we must not strain the relationship by rushing to discipline her. How can a temperament shaped over fourteen years change so easily? It’ll take thought and effort,” Xu Nian’an said gently.
“Of course I know that. But she’s already fourteen, and soon enough, we’ll need to find her a match. Where would I find the time for slow, drip-by-drip changes?” Yin Furen said, rubbing her temples.
“One step at a time, then. Don’t let one Wai granddaughter’s arrival be the thing that gives a Wai Zumu endless worries,” Xu Nian’an teased playfully.
Zhao Jiazhen covered her mouth, laughing.
Hearing this, Yin Furen suddenly had an idea. She turned to Xu Nian’an and said, “Look at me, always busy. I might not have the time to keep an eye on her. Why don’t you take care of her for a while?”
Xu Nian’an: “……”
Zhao Jiazhen burst into laughter, rocking back and forth. “That’s truly the saying come to life: the more able one is, the more one should do!”
Early in the morning, in the western wing of Jiaxiang House, the maidservant Jinge had finished styling Xuan Jie’er’s hair and picked up a gold phoenix hairpin to adorn her bun.
Xuan Jie’er pushed her hand away and said, “Don’t use that. It will falls off after just a few steps.”
Jinge hesitated and said, “This was sent by Taitai. Taitai said Xiaojie’s Er Yimu and Si Yimu are coming to see you today, and instructed Nubi to dress you up properly.”
Xuan Jie’er glanced impatiently at the dazzling hairpin and said, “Do all the young ladies in the capital wear this every day? No wonder they never leave the inner courtyard! They can’t even cross a threshold without this thing wobbling all over the place. I’m not wearing it.”
She sifted through the spread of jewellery on the dressing table and finally picked up a lightweight peach blossom-shaped gold hair ornament adorned with pearls. Holding it up, she asked Jinge, “Who sent this?”
Jinge replied, “This was sent by San Nainai.”
Xuan Jie’er handed the ornament to her and said, “I’ll wear this.”
In that morning, Zhao Jiashan arrived at the Jing Guogong Residence with her four sons, while Zhao Jiaxian brought along Ying Jie’er and the three-month-old Tai Ge’er to visit their Wai niece.
As soon as Xuan Jie’er saw this row of younger Biao cousins, she became energised. After greeting the elders, she took the ones who could walk and ran off with them.
Yin Furen watched as Xuan Jie’er lifted her skirt and ran at full speed, her eyes widening in disapproval. Zhao Jiashan and Zhao Jiaxian hurriedly said that Xuan Jie’er had a bold and straightforward nature, very much like their eldest sister, Zhao Jiayi.
Yin Furen, defending Zhao Jiayi, said, “Your Da Jie was never this mischievous when she was young.”
Unexpectedly, the three sisters replied in unison, “That’s only in front of you. In front of us, she was exactly like Xuan Jie’er.”
Yin Furen: “….…”
She turned her attention to Tai Ge’er. The three-month-old chubby boy, plump and fair, smacked his rosy lips while babbling adorably, melting Yin Furen’s heart.
After the two sisters left in the afternoon, Yin Furen, still feeling restless, called Xu Nian’an to her room. After some deliberation, she said, “Nian’an, you and Huanxi have been married for quite some time now. Why hasn’t there been any news yet? Should we consult a doctor?”
Xu Nian’an: “……”
Yin Furen noticed her silence and, worried that she might overthink, quickly added, “I’m not rushing you. It’s just that a couple of days ago, I received another letter from your father-in-law. He mentioned feeling unwell ever since arriving in Pingliang Prefecture. I was thinking, if something were to happen to him, Huanxi would have to observe three years of mourning. If you can’t conceive now, wouldn’t it mean waiting another three years to have children? Isn’t that a bit too late?”
Xu Nian’an didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, thinking to herself: Just how much is my mother-in-law hoping for something to happen to my father-in-law?
After a brief pause, she feigned shyness and said, “Mom, Sanlang is busy every day with his studies and martial arts. I feel sorry for how hard he works, so I rarely allow him to engage in husband-and-wife matters. I think there’s no need to see a doctor just yet. Please give us some more time. Surely, we can’t exhaust Sanlang.”
Upon hearing this, Yin Furen found it reasonable. She sighed and said, “That boy is another problem. Either he does nothing at all, or he goes all out. He’s only seventeen, there’s plenty of time ahead. What’s the rush? Having a son is the most important thing.”
Xu Nian’an replied, “He said he wants to work hard to become better, to make his mother proud and support his sisters.”
These words filled Yin Furen with both heartache and pride, and the topic of having children was dropped.
The next morning, Xu Nian’an saw Zhao Huanxi off and originally planned to accompany Zhao Jiazhen in taking Xuan Jie’er out shopping. Unexpectedly, she received a note sent by someone from Liu Fuyi, asking her to meet at the Xu Family’s flower fields outside the city.
Since Liu Fuyi began performing under the name Miaoyin Niangzi, she and Xu Nian’an had continued exchanging letters via food boxes from Caizhi Zhai, but they hadn’t met in person for quite some time. The sudden invitation made Xu Nian’an worried something might be wrong, so after informing Zhao Jiazhen and asking her to take Xuan Jie’er shopping first, she hitched a carriage and rushed to the flower fields.
Upon arriving at the Xu Family’s flower fields outside the city, she saw a small green-covered carriage parked nearby and a black-clad man with a sword standing by it.
Xu Nian’an recognised the man. He was Liu Fuyi’s personal guard, known for his exceptional martial skills. It was said that Liu Fuyi relied on the Minister of Justice’s wife for protection externally (social and legal cover) and this man internally (as her personal bodyguard), which allowed her to avoid harassment and coercion from powerful individuals.
Approaching the carriage, Xu Nian’an called, “Fuyi?”
Liu Fuyi lifted the curtain of the green carriage, revealing a face untouched by makeup, pure and elegant like an orchid, with naturally enchanting eyes that sparkled with amusement. “You’ve gotten married, yet you haven’t changed a bit.”
Xu Nian’an smiled and asked, “What would you like me to have changed into?”
Liu Fuyi teased, “At the very least, you should have a big belly by now!”
Xu Nian’an laughed and scolded, “You’re still as improper as ever!” Her gaze lowered, noticing the Persian cat resting on Liu Fuyi’s lap. She asked, “Where are you heading? It’s not usual to bring a cat when going out.”
Liu Fuyi rested her delicate hand under her chin and sighed. “It’s all thanks to you. I played a few tunes and danced a bit on that pleasure boat of your young husband’s. Those ignorant scholars, never having seen the world, composed some nonsense called “Odd to Mioayin” for me. Word of it reached the Palace, and now they’ve sent someone to summon me to serve there. But I have no patience to attend to old men, so here I am, running away.”
When Xu Nian’an heard that she was fleeing, she was momentarily stunned. Then, without hesitation, she began removing her hairpin, earrings, bracelet, rings, and even her purse, handing them all to Liu Fuyi. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier? I didn’t bring much with me, but take these for now. Once you’ve settled somewhere, send word through someone, and I’ll bring you more silver.”
Liu Fuyi burst out laughing and pushed away the jewellery Xu Nian’an was offering. “There’s no need for that. After the banquet on the pleasure boat, your wealthy and generous mother-in-law sent me a thank-you gift of two thousand taels of silver through an intermediary. Plus, I’ve got some savings of my own, so I’m not lacking funds to settle down. Put your things back on. If you go back like this, your family will think you were robbed!”
“But you’re leaving so suddenly, who knows when you’ll be back? I can’t let you leave empty-handed,” Xu Nian’an said.
Liu Fuyi glanced towards the Xu family’s flower field not far away and nodded in its direction. “Aren’t the peach blossoms in your flower field blooming beautifully? In this season of early spring, what could be more fitting than a gift of peach blossoms?”
The Xu family’s flower field was planted with small peach trees, each delicately and exquisitely grown in pots, bearing only a few blossoms on each tree, designed to create an elegant and seasonally appropriate aesthetic.
Xu Nian’an personally went to fetch one of the pots, placed it on the carriage, and secured it for Liu Fuyi.
Liu Fuyi smiled and said, “This will do. You should head back. I need to leave as well.” With that, she called for her guard to drive the carriage.
Xu Nian’an, still uneasy, urged, “Once you’ve settled, make sure to send word, alright? I also need to send you your share of the Caizhi Zhai dividends.”
Liu Fuyi playfully chided, “I know, you’re so naggy!”
She left with a smile, leaving Xu Nian’an standing there, feeling a deep sense of loss.
She had long since lost her home. Now that she was leaving again, where could she possibly go?
A woman without a home to return to is like a rootless duckweed. No matter how strong she may seem, she cannot escape the fate of drifting with the current, homeless and adrift.
Xu Nian’an regretted it. If she had known it would come to this, she would never have asked Fuyi to step forward for Zhao Huanxi’s sake.
On the Main street, Zhao Jiazhen was leisurely strolling with Xuan Jie’er when they overheard passers-by discussing the recently announced list of students admitted to Canglan Academy. The list, they said, was posted on the notice board at the foot of the mountain below the academy.
Hearing this, she became intrigued and said to Xuan Jie’er, “Xuan Jie’er, let’s postpone our shopping trip. Let’s go check if your Xiao Jiu has been accepted to Canglan Academy.”
“Where do we go to see it?” Xuan **Jie’er ** asked, biting into a tanghulu.
“We need to leave the city and head to the foot of Duliang Mountain. A round trip by fast horse would take about an hour and a half.”
As soon as Xuan Jie’er heard about riding a horse, she quickly responded, “Great, great! But let’s go home and change first. This outfit is way too cumbersome.” She lifted her luxurious and dazzling yuehua skirt and frowned slightly.
Zhao Jiazhen chuckled, patting her Wai niece’s head. This niece of hers certainly didn’t fit the mould of a typical noble young lady, but she liked her so much. To live so freely, even for just a few years, would be a memory cherished for a lifetime by girls from prominent families like theirs.
The two were chatting and laughing as they headed to the carriage station to return home, only to run into Li Ziliang and his two disreputable friends.
Li Ziliang’s expression darkened the moment he saw Zhao Jiazhen. This woman had despised him from the day they got married. In their few years as a couple, the number of nights they had shared could be counted on one hand. In the end, she even divorced him, making him the laughingstock of their social circle. His mother sighed at home every day, and his father looked at him with nothing but contempt. Meanwhile, she was living her life in carefree comfort.
Anger surged in Li Ziliang’s heart, and with a rush of audacity, he stepped forward to block Zhao Jiazhen’s way and unleashed a torrent of abuse: “You slut! How dare you show your face in public? You…”
Before he could finish his sentence, Xuan Jie’er’s fist landed squarely on his nose.
“Where did this scoundrel come from? Daring to insult my Yimu? I bet you don’t even know how to write the word ‘death!’” Xuan Jie’er’s punch broke his recently healed nose again. Before he could react, she charged forward, pummeling him with punches and kicks until he collapsed on the ground like a puddle of mud.
Zhao Jiazhen was dumbfounded, utterly stunned by the scene.
Li Ziliang’s two friends rushed to help him, but Xuan Jie’er showed no fear. She punched one and kicked the other. Her plan had been going well, but her Yuehua skirt restricted her movements, preventing her from delivering a proper kick.
Seeing that Xuan Jie’er was about to be grabbed by one of the men, Zhao Jiazhen, in a panic, pulled out her hairpin, ready to stab them. Suddenly, a figure rushed in from the side, kicking the man far away. The newcomer scolded loudly, “Shameless! Two grown men ganging up on a little girl! Disgraceful! You’ve completely ruined the reputation of men everywhere!”
Zhao Jiazhen’s heart, which had been in her throat, finally settled. She calmly returned the hairpin to her bun and said to the young man, “Thank you, Nie Gongzi, for stepping in to help.”
Nie Guocheng then realised that the woman standing nearby was none other than Zhao Huanxi’s third sister. He responded with a quick, “Don’t mention it,” but was about to deliver another round of blows to the trio when they, realising the situation was against them, had already fled in panic, clutching their injuries.
Xuan Jie’er, still unwilling to back down, scrutinised Nie Guocheng and said, “If my legs hadn’t been tangled by this skirt earlier, I wouldn’t have needed your help at all!”
Nie Guocheng, also sizing her up, retorted, “If you dare show your legs to fight in public, your mother would probably break your legs when you get home.”
“You—!”
Seeing the two about to start arguing, Zhao Jiazhen quickly pulled Xuan Jie’er aside and smiled at Nie Guocheng. “Nie Gongzi, Huanxi will be on his break tomorrow, and we plan to go horseback riding at the stables. If you’re free, why don’t you join us?”
Nie Guocheng readily agreed. “Sure, I’ll definitely come.”
Zhao Jiazhen took Xuan Jie’er back to the carriage. On the way home, Zhao Jiazhen recalled her impressive display of fighting earlier and couldn’t help but ask, “Who taught you those moves?”
Xuan Jie’er proudly lifted her small face and said, “Father is the one who taught me. I can not only punch and kick but also wield a staff and use a sabre.”
“…Why would Da Jiefu teach you such things?” Zhao Jiazhen was puzzled.
Xuan Jie’er answered, “In Xuanzhou, the people are tough and combative. My parents are busy and don’t have time to watch over me, so they were worried I might be bullied when I went out.”
Zhao Jiazhen suddenly understood and smiled. “That’s actually a good thing. In the future, no matter what kind of husband you marry, you won’t have to worry about being mistreated.”
Xuan Jie’er hesitated before asking, “Yimu, does Wai Zumu dislike me? I’ve only been here for two days, and I’ve seen her frown seven or eight times already.”
Zhao Jiazhen replied, “That’s not the case. Your Wai Zumu is in charge of managing the household, and she has a lot on her mind. Her frowning is just like how you like to lift your skirt when you wal. It’s a habitual action, not directed at you. Besides, what grandmother wouldn’t love her granddaughter?”
Xuan Jie’er half-believed her and murmured an “Oh.”
When the two returned to the residence, Yin Furen was not in Jiaxiang House, so Zhao Jiazhen told Nanny Su and then, with Xuan Jie’er, changed into their riding clothes. They rode out of the city, heading toward Canglan Academy.
Xuan Jie’er was an expert horsewoman, while Zhao Jiazhen hadn’t ridden properly for years. She couldn’t keep up with her, calling out for her to slow down, but Xuan Jie’er still arrived first at the foot of Duliang Mountain.
From a distance, they saw a sign next to the stone steps leading up the mountain, and a crowd had gathered there. Among them were people in everyday clothes as well as students dressed in light blue academy uniforms.
Xuan Jie’er casually tied her horse to a nearby tree, pushed her way into the crowd, and scanned the notice board. After a moment, she found her uncle’s name in the middle of the list.
She was overjoyed and immediately turned to run and tell Zhao Jiazhen, but in her haste, she collided with someone’s nose from behind.
“Sorry, I didn’t notice there was someone behind me…” Xuan Jie’er stammered, stopping mid-sentence.
Xu Moxiu, clutching his sore nose, saw that the one who bumped into him was just a young girl, so he didn’t hold it against her. He simply said, “It’s fine,” and stepped aside to let her pass while he moved forward to look at the list.
Xuan Jie’er squeezed out of the crowd, but she couldn’t help looking back until she heard Zhao Jiazhen’s voice calling, “Xuan Jie’er.”
She quickly went to her.
As she walked toward her, Zhao Jiazhen asked, “Have you seen the notice? Is your Xiao Jiu’s name on it?”
Xuan Jie’er replied, “Yes, it’s there.”
Zhao Jiazhen was surprised. “Really? Are you sure you didn’t make a mistake? You didn’t mix up Zhao Huanxi with Huanxu?”
“I’m sure, Xiao Jiu’s name is Zhao Huanxi, right?” Xuan Jie’er, seeing that Zhao Jiazhen was about to check the notice board herself, followed her back.
Just then, Xu Moxiu, having finished looking at the list, stepped out of the crowd and bumped into Zhao Jiazhen and Xuan Jie’er.
Zhao Jiazhen asked, “Ah Xiu? Huanxi really made it in?”
Xu Moxiu nodded with a smile. “Yes, he did.”
Zhao Jiazhen, both delighted and in disbelief, exclaimed, “Oh my, how is that possible? How did he manage to get in?”
Xu Moxiu shared her surprise. “I didn’t expect it either. Originally, I just invited him here to give him some exposure, but I never imagined he’d actually make it in.”
After her excitement, Zhao Jiazhen regained her composure and remembered to introduce Xuan Jie’er to Xu Moxiu. “Xuan Jie’er, this is your Xiao Jiumu’s younger brother, you can call him Ah Xiu Jiujiu.” She then turned to Xu Moxiu. “This is my Da Jie’s eldest daughter, Xuan Jie’er.”
Xu Moxiu, polite and gentle, nodded at the young girl who had bumped into him earlier.
Xuan Jie’er, feeling a little shy, lowered her face, twirled the whip in her hands, and refused to address him as “Jiujiu”.
Zhao Jiazhen was about to urge her when Xu Moxiu said, “It’s fine, there’s no need for her to call me anything. I was just taking a break between classes to come and check the list. I’ll head back up now. Be careful on your way home.”
Zhao Jiazhen nodded, and after Xu Moxiu left, she walked over to the notice board herself and carefully scanned the list from top to bottom. Seeing Zhao Huanxi’s name, but not Zhao Huanxu’s, she couldn’t help but feel overjoyed. Grabbing Xuan Jie’er’s hand, she said, “Let’s go, we’ll go back and tell your Wai Zumu this good news!”
On the way up the mountain, Xu Moxiu ran into Lu Feng. He was surprised, “Why are you coming down now? Didn’t you say you weren’t coming?”
Lu Feng, having just taken his eyes off the figure riding away on horseback, replied, “I saw you hadn’t come up for a while, so I came to check on you. So, did your Jiefu get in?”
Xu Moxiu nodded, teasing, “He did, though I wonder if the teacher might have gone easy on him.”
Lu Feng raised an eyebrow. “Why don’t you ask the teacher?”
Xu Moxiu laughed. “I wouldn’t dare.”
As they walked up the mountain, Lu Feng continued, “Since your Jiefu got in, he’ll be starting on the 5th day of the Third Month. He should be going to the academy then. Are you going to see him tomorrow?”
Xu Moxiu replied, “Of course, I’ll go see him and talk about the rules of the academy and the things he needs to bring.”
Lu Feng said, “I’ll go with you, I don’t have anything else to do.”
Xu Moxiu gave him a curious glance. “Didn’t you make plans to go play chess with Lu Bofu tomorrow?”
“My father has something else tomorrow,” Lu Feng replied, looking into the distance.
“Alright then, I’ll come to your house tomorrow to pick you up, and we can go together to the Jing Guogong Residence,” Xu Moxiu said.
In the evening, Zhao Huanxi, Yin Luochen, and Fu Yunjin returned from the Imperial Academy. As usual, they first went to Jiaxiang House to meet Yin Furen, but when they arrived, they saw Yin Furen, Zhao Jiazhen, Xu Nian’an, Xuan Jie’er, and all the maids and servants of Jiaxiang House standing neatly in the courtyard waiting for them.
Seeing this scene, Zhao Huanxi inexplicably felt uneasy. His steps hesitated as he turned to Yin Luochen and asked, “What’s going on here?”
Yin Luochen quickly thought of something and said, “Could it be that you’ve been accepted into Canglan Academy?”
Zhao Huanxi instinctively denied it, saying, “That’s impossible…”
Before he could finish his sentence, Xuan Jie’er’s joyful voice rang out, “Xiao Jiu, you’ve been accepted into Canglan Academy!”
Zhao Huanxi: “……”
In that moment of stunned silence, everyone immediately surrounded him with excitement.
Yin Furen’s eyes brimmed with tears as she said, her voice full of joy and emotion, “Huanxi, you really got in!”
Zhao Jiazhen smiled brightly and clapped him on the back of the head, saying, “My little brother has made something of himself.”
Xu Nian’an, standing to the side, looked at Zhao Huanxi and smiled with a composed expression.
The maids and servants were continuously chanting, “Congratulations, San Yé! Congratulations, San Yé!”
Yin Luochen chuckled and whispered to Fu Yunjin, “This is probably how it will look when someone passes the imperial examination.”
Fu Yunjin muttered a casual response, but his gaze cut through the crowd, locking onto Zhao Jiazhen’s face. She was smiling so brightly that it seemed to light up the world, as though her smile could dispel all the darkness in existence.
After Zhao Huanxi was surrounded and led into the main hall, he still hadn’t fully processed the news. He asked, dumbfounded, “I really got into Canglan Academy? How could this be?”
Zhao Jiazhen replied, “With the insight of the teachers at Canglan Academy, discerning your talents is hardly a difficult feat.”
Zhao Huanxi turned to ask Yin Furen, “Mom, you didn’t bribe the teachers at Canglan Academy, right?”
Yin Furen was both angry and amused. She spat (saying ‘Pah’l and said, “Is that how little confidence you have in yourself?”
Zhao Huanxi asked again, “Then, did Zhao Huanxu get in?”
Yin Furen’s expression shifted to one of pride and satisfaction as she said, “By the grace of heaven, he didn’t get in!”
Zhao Huanxi: “……”
At the Fifth Branch, Zhao Huanxu had just returned from the academy, his injury from the previous fall still not fully healed. As soon as he returned, he lay down on the wooden couch in his room to rest.
At that moment, he heard a Pozi’s voice growing louder as she approached, saying, “This is bad, not good. Taitai, this is bad!”
Wu Taitai came out of the room and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“The servants in the residence are saying that the First Branch’s Xi Ge’er has been accepted into Canglan Academy,” the Pozi replied.
Zhao Huanxu abruptly sat up from the wooden couch.
Wu Taitai hurriedly asked, “What about our Xu Ge’er?”
“The servants from the First Branch said… said…”
“Aiya just say it already!” Wu Taitai urged anxiously.
“They said our Xu Ge’er didn’t pass. But they might be talking nonsense” the servant woman lowered her voice.
Wu Taitai stood frozen in place.
Zhao Huanxu rushed out of the room, clenched his fists, his eyes bloodshot, and shouted, “This is impossible! If I didn’t pass, how could Zhao Huanxi pass?”
Startled by his outburst, the Pozi shrank back and said, “That’s what they’re saying, but maybe the First Branch is just making things up.”
Zhao Huanxu knew something was wrong. This was not the kind of thing the First Branch would lie about.
His head began to spin, and cold sweat poured from his body as a chill spread from his bones. He turned and stormed out of the courtyard.
He didn’t believe it! He wanted to personally go to Canglan Academy to check the admissions list!
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