She spoke with a trace of worry in her voice.
“Young Madam, this young lady from the Wei family… could it be that Madam Wei is trying to place someone into our courtyard?”
Everyone knew the general now held great power and influence. Yet the young madam had been married for three years without bearing a child. If another woman were to be introduced now… it would certainly raise concerns.
At once, Li Zhu stepped forward upon hearing this.
Her body was still sore from her morning martial arts drills, but her eyes now burned with anger.
“No, no, no! Let me see!”
She snatched up the booklet and began reading carefully.
“Wei Jialian, the youngest daughter of the Wei family… she is tall and beautiful, yet not even of marriageable age?”
Her final words carried a note of disbelief.
“No way! She’s about the same age as our Eighth Young Lady, and she’s being sent here too? The general is old enough to be her father!”
…
As Li Zhu finished speaking, Du Jingyi could only press her hand to her forehead.
At times, she found Li Zhu adorably naive; other times, unbearably foolish.
You could simply remark that the Wei family’s young lady was too young. But no—you just had to compare her age to the general’s!
What nonsense.
Yingtao rapped her lightly on the head with a glare.
“Watch your tongue! If Mama Dou hears you speak such things, you’ll surely be punished.”
Li Zhu’s neck shrank back immediately, her expression turning sheepish.
“Hehe, I was wrong, I was wrong. I couldn’t help myself.”
Then she obediently stepped aside while Yingtao respectfully handed the booklet back to her young mistress.
Du Jingyi accepted it, her expression calm, and spoke evenly.
“Not necessarily. If her status means she would be reduced to nothing more than a concubine—even lower than a merchant’s daughter—do you think she would accept that?”
Yingtao, however, was more anxious than her mistress.
“But what if she has admired the general since childhood and insists on marrying in?”
Du Jingyi’s smile deepened at such worry. She shook her head gently.
“She is only fourteen—sixteen years younger than the general. Back then, when the general was already rising through the ranks in the Gu family’s military camp, how could she possibly have known him?”
“Young Madam is right. I was mistaken.” Yingtao breathed in relief—until Du Jingyi added leisurely:
“But it is possible she was taken with him upon his return.”
“Then, Young Madam, why not deal with it quickly? If she enters our East Courtyard, how could we live peacefully in the future?”
Du Jingyi chuckled softly.
“Silly girl. If she truly insists on entering, let her. We have plenty of ways to deal with her. Besides, if I were to resist too fiercely, would people not gossip, saying I was a jealous wife? Better to keep our dignity intact.”
“Young Madam, you have no legitimate son yet. Taking in a concubine at this time is dangerous. Even if you bear a child later, would it not still be a threat?”
Du Jingyi understood their fear.
The Du household had always been simple—Master Du had never taken a concubine, so no strife over heirs had ever arisen.
But the Duke’s Mansion was different. Even under Madam Wei’s authority, the Duke still kept three concubines secluded in the rear courtyards. With the general’s ability and reputation, there would never be a shortage of women willing to enter his household.
Du Jingyi and her maids knew this well. They had prepared their hearts long ago. Yet they still wished the matter could be delayed for some years—long enough for her to firmly establish her position as wife and for her own legitimate children to be born and grow.
“Don’t worry,” Du Jingyi said with quiet resolve. “If one day they threaten my child, at worst I will ask for a divorce. Then I will take my child back to the Du family, give him my family name, enter him into our ancestral records, and still enjoy wealth and honor. Would that not be free and easy enough?”
She was open-minded, perhaps because she had a clear escape route.
But before Yingtao could respond, a deep male voice cut in from outside the door.
“You want a divorce?”
Shang Ji strode in, his face dark with suppressed anger.
His eyes no longer carried the lingering tenderness of the previous night. Instead, they held only displeasure.
Never in her life did Du Jingyi imagine that a few idle words exchanged with her maids would fall into his ears.
How utterly mortifying.
She had no idea how much he had overheard. Best to make peace first. Rising at once, she offered him a formal salute, her posture more correct than ever, before greeting him with a sweet smile.
“General, why have you returned so soon? Is something the matter?”
His response was cold and direct.
“Answer me. Do you want a divorce? Do you truly wish for our child to take your family’s surname and be entered into the Du family tree? Were you sincere in saying this?”
Du Jingyi forced an awkward smile. It was wiser to appear soft and yielding in such a moment.
“General, you must have misheard. I never said such a thing.”
Her sly nature slipped through at last, which amused Shang Ji despite himself being angry . But his expression remained stern.
He waved at Yingtao and Li Zhu, signaling them to leave.
Though they were worried for their mistress, the weight of the general’s authority allowed no argument. They quickly withdrew, carefully closing the door behind them.
As they went, they prayed silently: May Young Madam be safe.
The room fell quiet.
But the air between husband and wife was very different from last night.
“We’re alone now. You don’t need to lie to me. Tell me the truth—I want to hear it plainly.”
Shang Ji’s tone was solemn, uncompromising.
Du Jingyi could tell he would not be easily fooled.
Yet with so little trust between them, how could she truly bare her heart?
She hesitated.
The words rose to her lips, but when her gaze met his, she could not bring herself to spin the kind of glib falsehoods she once used so easily in the business world.
So she stayed silent.
Shang Ji did not press her, merely waiting patiently.
Her eyes fell on the booklet, stopping on the page listing the Wei family.
Wei Jialian’s name stood out. If one looked closely, there were faint nail marks beside it, as though someone had tapped there repeatedly.
At once, Shang Ji understood.
“Are you worried Madam Wei wishes to place someone into my courtyard?”
His tone was flat, betraying nothing. But Du Jingyi knew some things had to be spoken plainly.
She steadied her thoughts and said,
“I have only been married to the general a little over a month. To say our bond is already carved into our hearts would be an exaggeration. Still, there are matters I cannot control. New women may enter this mansion in the future, even children not of my blood. No one can foresee how things will unfold.”
“Though the Du family is not illustrious, my parents’ marriage is one of harmony. They would never tolerate another’s interference. Yet to ask the general to live by such a standard is unrealistic. All I can do is manage this household well, and protect the children that are mine.”
“If, one day, the general’s heart strays, then I will not debase myself by lingering here as a wife who weeps her days away. The world is vast. Surely, there will always be a place to which I can return.”