And with time, it became clear—she had made the right choice back then. It had been a gamble, yes, one taken with trembling hands and a heart full of uncertainty. But over the years, she had seen too much—too many quiet conspiracies whispered behind closed doors, too many veiled glances in the duke’s household, all aimed at Shang Ji.
If not for the protection of the Gu family, and Shang Ji’s own strength and restraint, he would have been swallowed whole by the darkness lurking in that grand estate. He remained the Duke’s Shizi, but not without cost.
Sometimes she thought—what if it had been her own son, barely three at the time, standing in Shang Ji’s place? The thought alone chilled her to the bone. They would have been long buried and forgotten, mother and child alike—nothing but ghosts beneath the weight of court politics.
Now, as Shang Ji returned in triumph, his merits eclipsing those of any man in the mansion, she felt a quiet wave of relief wash over her. But even that relief carried a trace of sorrow—for the silent years, the risks taken, and the heavy price of survival.
But her fierce protectiveness had come at a cost. Her only son had grown into a timid, cowardly boy, paralyzed by fear of trouble. Once she realized this, no amount of teaching could rectify it. Harshness only made him cower more , and year of gentleness left him as an overgrown baby, completely lacking in decorum. Each time she saw him, Madam Liu, was consumed by self-blame, ashamed of failing her late husband and mother-in-law’s dying wish.
Yet, habits forged over years were difficult to break. Even when her mind screamed that it was time to let her son venture out and take charge, her instinct always surged ahead, protecting him first. Just like today, encountering Shang Ji and his wife. She saw the worry in their eyes, and it only intensified her shame and sorrow. Emotions were a tempest she struggled to control. Her son, Shang Zhiping, was almost thirteen now. In any other ducal household, he would likely be a master of literature, riding, and archery. But he, alone, was a stark contrast to his name, unremarkable, merely surviving.
The thought brought Madam Liu to tears. “I’m sorry, my son, I’m so sorry, Ping’er…”
Shang Zhiping, utterly bewildered by his mother’s tears, feared he had been naughty and disobedient. So he knelt before her Trembling, with tears in his own eyes. “Mother, your son is foolish,I cannot even learn well, and it makes you sad every time . It is all my fault. Please punish me.”
His words only deepened Madam Liu’s sorrow. At this point, even if she wished to correct her course, she felt utterly powerless. So mother and son clung to each other, weeping, just as they had done through countless days and nights over the years. Their cries echoed through Fuqiu Courtyard for a long time. And in the courtyard the servants, both high and low accustomed to this scene , dared not utter a sound.
Outside the house, Shang Ji stood motionless at the courtyard door. He had arrived seething with anger, ready to confront them, to demand answers. But hearing the heartfelt conversation between his sister-in-law and nephew, his fury completely dissipated. He put himself in her shoes. His sister-in-law, barely in her early twenties when her husband died, how could she have protected her precious child and navigated the treacherous currents of this household peacefully? He, himself, had faced countless trials outside these walls. Without his grandfather’s rigorous training and his grandmother’s devoted care over the years, he might not have survived to achieve what he had today. So, what right did he have to question his elder sister-in-law for raising his elder brother’s only child in such a manner?
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and finally chose to leave, his footsteps so light they didn’t even disturb the fallen leaves. He had intended to return to Xitang Courtyard, but somehow found himself at the entrance of Hanyi Courtyard where his sister resides . And after a moment’s thought, Shang Ji stepped inside.
As he entered, he saw Xue Niang quietly embroidering a pair of blooming flowers by the bright window. Shang Ji didn’t understand needlework, but her focused expression brought a measure of calm to the turmoil in his heart.
He cleared his throat twice as he enterd in order to get her attention . Xue Niang looked up,and a surprise flash in her eyes as she saw Shang Ji. ” Sixth Brother , why are you here?” She was curious as she not long ago left the Xitang Courtyard, so why he is here ? soughting her out again . Still She neatly placed her needles and threads in their box, then stood up and walked over to Shang Ji. Seeing his hesitant expression, Xue Niang, with her sharp intellect, understood immediately. ” Sixth brother , do you have something to ask me?”
“Mmm.”
“Sit down first . I’ll ask Momo Ge to make some tea for you .”
“Okay.”
As soon as Xue Niang spoke, Momo Ge, who was attending to her, rose and left, taking her personal maid, Chunning, with her. In the room, only the brother and sister remained.
Shang Ji’s face was grim as he began, “You just mentioned to your Sixth Sister-in-law that the second sister-in-law is unkind to elder sister-in-law and Ping’er all these years . What do you mean by that?”
Xue Niang sighed hearing his question . Though young, she had grown up in this family and understood pretty much every scheme as she group up withut a shelter from any powerful female elder . Despite her sister-in-law Madam Liu’s effort to make her gentle natured, she was a decendent of the Gu family—simple, perhaps, but not foolish. So, certain words were naturally understood by her . Her tone was a mix of anger and helplessness. “Except for Sixth Sister-in-law, who rarely causes trouble, almost everyone in our household has spoken ill to Elder Sister-in-law, especially Second Sister-in-law from Third House hold.”
“She has been relentlessly targeting Elder Sister-in-law. She’s likely jealous that Mother left all her dowry to Elder Sister-in-law. At first, she merely made veiled remarks. But when she saw that Elder Sister-in-law was tight-lipped and refused to part with the money, she began to speak utter madness. She truly went mad with her words.” Xue Niang was visibly upset as she recalled this. Unfortunately, she was young. And to openly conflict with her sisters-in-law’s would damage her reputation. Moreover, she lacked the art of subtle retort, so she could only hover around her sister-in-law, whispering words of comfort. How many times had they been bullied without being able to respond? Over time, this had only strengthened Elder Sister-in-law Liu’s temperament, making her even more protective of her peace. Thinking of this, Xue Niang’s eyes welled with tears of grievance.
“What did they say?” Shang Ji’s voice was low, clearly suppressing a simmering rage. This granddaughter-in-law of the third branch was truly audacious. To treat their upright eldest grandson and eldest daughter-in-law this way—did she truly believe he wouldn’t return after leaving? The coldness in his eyes deepened. Xue Niang felt it, even sitting beside him, and stopped crying, continuing her tale.
“At first, they said Elder Sister-in-law was wicked, keeping Mother’s dowry to secure a wife for Ping’er, and they even used those words to sow discord between me and my sister-in-law.” Xue Niang paused, her voice thick with emotion. “But she didn’t know that my elder sister-in-law had already set aside the dowry Mother had left for me years ago, and even given me the gift list. I examined it carefully and found that not only was it from Mother, but also from my eldest brother and sister-in-law. I possess hundreds of acres of fertile farmland in the suburbs of Beijing, and ten thousand taels of silver notes.”
“When I received those things, I understood how much my sisters-in-law cared for me, and that ‘s how there plan to sow discord ended .But she did’nt just stop there .” Her anger flared again as she spoke, wiping away tears. “Seeing that they couldn’t affect me, they started talking about Ping’er, saying he was eight or nine years old but still acted like an idiot, incapable in both literature and martial arts. They blamed Elder Sister-in-law for her poor parenting and even brought up He’er from Fourth Sister-in-law’s house in Mingyuan to shame her. My sister-in-law was angered to tears several times because of there harsh comments.”