As she already woken up from the commotion , Du Jingyi abandon the thought of sleeping agian and just rose from her bed , pulled on her outer clothes, and sat on the edge of the bed. Then, with a raised voice, which sounds clear despite the morning’s annoyance. “Who is making such a noise outside?”
At the sound of movement from within the inner room, the previously noisy courtyard fell silent. Then came the soft push of a door, and a procession of figures entered. Leading them, of course, were Yingying and Li Zhu, both looking somewhat displeased, though they held their tongues. Following closely was a sharp-faced woman, adorned in silk and green brocade. This was Momo Jiao, now the trusted confidante of MadamWei, the current Duke’s second wife. Indeed, she held the most sway in this vast estate. Having managed the household alongside MadamWei for many years, she had long developed a knack for speaking to people and telling tales. So, before Yingtao could even step forward, Aunt Jiao took two brisk steps, stopping before Du Jingyi.
She bowed respectfully. “Young madam, it is my fault that this disturbed your dream so early this morning. But today marks the general’s return to the mansion, and everyone in the family waits in Yunjin Courtyard to meet him . They long to see the general. It’s such a significant day. So I came early to disturb you, please forgive me for my rudness , madam.”her words though polite hide a malacious hint as she is taunting Du Jingyi for not doing her job as the wife of the general properly.
Du Jingyi listening all her raport merely glanced at her, not speaking immediately. Instead, she looked at the time outside, confirming the hour. It was indeed already past the usual time for morning greetings. She was nearly two hours late. It was no wonder that people from Yunjin Courtyard had come, “deliberately” saying things that disturbed dreams. It turned out she had overslept, making it difficult to show anger on this sudden disturbance . So, she offered a polite smile and addressed Aunt Jiao. “The general returned rather late yesterday and drank a great deal of wine, so it took some time of me to help him wash up. It is my fault that I delayed paying my respects to my father-in-law and mother-in-law today.”
“What is the young mistress saying? Our Madam Wei understand the longing of the young couple and also didn’t wish to disturb the general and young mistress. It’s simply that so many people are waiting in the courtyard outside, so I was sent, an old slave, to ask both of you to hurry up .”
Ask? If she had truly come to ask, she wouldn’t have made such a racket, enough to wake her. This Aunt Jiao perfectly embodied the art of having “two faces.” Du Jingyi had no desire to entangle herself further, so she spoke. “Madam Wei, is just too purehearted . After the general and I are washed up, we will go to Yunjin Courtyard immediately to pay respect to my dear mother and father .”
“Yes, this old slave will return and convey your message to Madam Wei .” With that, she deliberately glanced at the bed before departing. Although there were signs of someone having slept there, there was no indication of a marriage having been consummated. It seemed the young mistress, who had been in the household for three years, was still untouched. A hint of disdain flickered in Aunt Jiao’s heart, though her face remained respectfully composed. After exiting the gates of Xitang Courtyard, Aunt Jiao sneered, turning back toward Yunjin Courtyard.
Du Jingyi’s good mood for the day vanished the moment Aunt Jiao had created such a fuss. So she ask about the other party involve in this unfilial act of arroagnce.
“Where is the general? Is he still resting in the study?” Du Jingyi was not foolish. These people weren’t storming in just for her; it was clear the person they truly wished to see was her husband, the general. So, whether she went or not mattered little, but the general must appear.
Li Zhu came forward with warm water, handing it to Du Jingyi to quench her thirst, and then said, “Young Mistress General has already got up and went to the martial arts training ground at the back of the cortyard , probably to do a few sets of exercise to relieve his drunkenness.”
He was awake before her but looking at his drunken state yesterday, Du Jingyi had thought he would still be sleeping, just like herself. Unexpectedly, he was quite diligent. It seemed that she, a young mistress with “nothing to do,” was accustomed to being lazy unlike a prodigy general like him.
“In that case, let’s send someone to tell the general…” Before Du Jingyi could finish speaking, she heard footsteps approaching from outside, and then a low but clear male voice asked her , “What are you going to tell me?” Shang Ji walked in the room at a leisurely pace. He wore a brocade robe with dark green embroidery patterns on its hem , which made his figure appear slender and handsome. He seemed to have bathed just now , and the stubble on his lips had been cleanly shaved, leaving only a faint hint of cyan. His deep eyes were focused on Du Jingyi, as if he were lost in thought.
Du Jingyi had just risen, and was naturally without any makeup. But she has a face like clear water- hibiscus, a naturally carved beauty, though compared to last night, she now bore a tired look from lack of sleep. When Du Jingyi saw Shang Ji enter, she didn’t feign coyness and immediately got off the couch. “I have met the general. Just now Momo Jiao, of Madam Wei’s side, sent a message, saying that everyone in the family is waiting to see the general and that we should go over to pay our respects.”
Upon hearing this, Shang Ji’s face remained remarkably calm, devoid of much emotion. Still Du Jingyi noticed that when he heard “Madam Wei,” the color in his eyes deepened slightly. After a moment of silence, Shang Ji said, “Since they’ve come to invite me, let’s go over and have a look. You should also wash up first.” Then he looked around the room, seemingly searching for a place to sit. When he was drunk yesterday, he had naturally collapsed wherever he felt comfortable. Now sober up , he realized a new problem: he felt a strange unfamiliarity with the very main room he had lived in since childhood.
After three years of absence . Everything within the room had undergone a transformation as vast as heaven and earth. The once plain azure tent had been exchanged for delicate Yueying gauze in warm autumn tones, casting a softer, richer glow. The modest yellow pear wood table that used to rest atop the kang had vanished, replaced by an intricate red sandalwood piece, its surface inlaid with crabapple blossoms—elegant and noble in every curve.But what caught the eye most were the partitions. In the past, they had merely been simple cloth curtains—humble, functional. Now, they had been replaced with Suzhou embroidery screens, their surfaces blooming with lifelike begonia flowers, as though spring had been stitched into silk. At a single glance, it was clear: these were no ordinary furnishings—they were worth a fortune.
As expected of a merchant’s daughter. The Du family had clearly spared no expense in preparing her dowry.
He turned to look at Du Jingyi calmly, then asked, “It seems like You like Begonia flowers very much?” Du Jingyi was slightly surprised. As expected, he was a general who could recapture thirteen cities. He appeared rough, but in fact, he was as meticulous as a fox, observinghis surroundings carefully. Having only been in the house for a short time, he could already discern her strong preference for begonia . Du Jingyi didn’t feel the need to hide this, so she simply nodded.
The two fell silent after that, and the scene became cold for a while. Just like the autumn rain that fell yesterday, it brought a chill to her heart. After coughing twice, Shang Ji was the first to break the deadlock. Du Jingyi thought the general was about to command an order . But she never imagined that what he said next was entirely different. “I’ll go to the study to read the military report for a while, and then I’ll send someone to call me when you’re ready.”
“Okay! I understand.”
After Shang Ji left the room , Du Jingyi also let out a sigh of relief. She had to admit, her husband’s aura was truly impressive. He had been a general accustomed to giving orders for many years, and even the soft words coming from his mouth felt like military commands, which people simply had to obey. “Fetch me hot water and help me wash myself.”
“Yes, young madam.”