Du Jingyi’s initial confusion quickly dissipated when she remebered, how Li Zhu have intervened when the Fifth Old Lady attacked her, which was how Shang Ji learned of her skills . After a moment’s thought, she didn’t immediately agree to his suggestion. Instead, she spoke with a measured tone, “When Li Zhu was at home, she learned some basic skills from the bodyguards. But if she’s to truly practice martial arts with Mr. Liu, I’ll need to ask her first. After all, she’ll be the one enduring the hardships there.”
Shang Ji was momentarily surprised hearing her words . From the moment he began to understand things, the military had drilled the concept of obedience into him. Over time, he had naturally adopted the demeanor of a superior, accustomed to issuing commands and orchestrating every detail for his subordinates. Yet, the woman before him was different. Upon reflection, she rarely imposed her will upon her maids. He had once dismissed it as laziness, a reluctance to overthink, but now it seemed to stem from a genuine desire to treat others with equality. A subtle smile touched his lips when he thought more about it , discreetly masked by his teacup. Their backgrounds were vastly different. While he appreciated Du Jingyi’s approach, it didn’t mean he would adopt it himself. The army demanded absolute obedience and supreme control. How else could a force of hundreds of thousands enforce orders, prohibit dissent, and protect the land and its people if every individual’s thoughts had to be considered?
“Very well, then you may arrange this yourself,” he conceded.
“I understand.”
The couple conversed for a while longer, not dwelling on the previous matter anymore. They were prepared for any opposition; as they would face it head-on. However, Duke Shang Yukuan, lacking the luxury of spies to forewarn him, was caught completely off guard about it .
The Fifth Old Man, a man of immediate action, wasted no time. He marched directly to the gates of Yunjin Courtyard. His menacing approach bewildered both Shang Yukuan and Madam Wei. Madam. Wei, currently preoccupied with preparations for her husband’s birthday which was in a few days, was oblivious to any recent domestic turmoil. Yet, decades of pretense had honed her ability to show no weakness infront of anyone . She composed her expression into one of decent calm and greeted the Fifth Old Man, “What brings the wind to invite Fifth Uncle here? Come in, quickly! We just received some new tea; let Fifth Uncle have a taste with us .”
Madam Wei had mastered the art of humility, once making herself seem even smaller than the late Madam Gu. Such deferential remarks, once rare, were now almost commonplace from her lips, no longer remarkable. People, after all, were like that: when suppressed, they were humble; when respected, they exploited the leverage.
Thus, the Fifth Old Man strutted in, head held high, as if he wielded immense power, rather than arriving to beg for assistance. He settled down with an air of grandiosity, followed by Shang Siye and Shang Wulang.
Duke Shang Yukuan, a man of gentle temperament, had harbored some displeasure towards the Fifth Old Master after the imperial edict incident , but that was over half a month ago. Moreover, the Fifth Old Man had been punished with ten days guarding the tomb of his father before his return. Shang Yukuan had naturally forgotten his previous anger, and his smile was genuinely warm.As the maids of Yunjin Courtyard respectfully served tea they departed silently from the room leaving only there masters.
Madam Wei scrutinized the three grandparents and grandson, sensing immediately that this visit was far from simple. So her vigilance soared. If they sought money, she had plenty of excuses ready to refuse them .
The Fifth Old Man, however, merely glanced at the teacup. What he once considered a luxury, he now disdained. He was so consumed by his perceived connection to Prince Min’s Mansion that he seemed to have forgotten himself. He addressed Shang Yukuan with an astonishing arrogance, “Goudan’er, your Fifth Uncle came here today to tell you something. The Old Prince of Min Palace has taken a liking to our Seventh daughter and wishes to take her as his concubine. You’re the Duke, aren’t you? Why don’t you simply find out the auspicious date and time and approach them to settle the matter?”
Shang Yukuan was utterly bewildered by this pronouncement. Madam Wei, beside him, also frowned fiercely. Min Palace? How could they, with no discernible connection to the court, suddenly be favored by the Old Prince, who had supposedly set his sights on the always-at-home Shang Qiniang? She couldn’t believe it. Yet, the Fifth Old Man spoke with such certainty. She cautiously probed her husband, “Could it be that Fifth Uncle is drunk and speaking nonsense? The Old Prince of Prince Min has fallen for Qiniang? And wants to take her as his concubine? Why do neither you nor I know any news of this?”
The Fifth Old Master, at this moment, held no affection for Madam Wei whatsoever. Anyone attempting to thwart his acquisition of the ten thousand tael bride price was an enemy of his. His tone, stripped of its fleeting politeness, reverted to its crude nature as he sneered at Madam. Wei, “What? Your, mere girl, could climb into King Fu’s bed, but we in the fifth branch can’t even produce a decent concubine? Who are you looking down on?”
“You…” Madam. Wei’s face contorted in an ugly mask. The mention of her daughter’s affair was a festering wound in her heart. She had also been horrified by her daughter’s audacity, completely disregarding her reputation. By the time she discovered it, her daughter had already entangled herself with King Fu. What could she do than ? After all, it was her own flesh and blood; she couldn’t simply abandon her. Fortunately, things had taken a turn with King Fu, and they had managed to escape disaster. Otherwise, they would be living a miserable existence in Zhuangzi now. This affair remained an unspeakable taboo for Madam Wei. For the Fifth Old Man to hurl it back as an attack was intolerable for her .
Madam Wei, ever the master of manipulation, always presented a facade of weakness before Shang Yukuan. Seeing no reaction from him , her eyes immediately welled with tears. “What are you doing, Fifth Uncle? Isn’t this stabbing someone’s heart with a knife? How long has it been since my daughter’s incident? People outside say we should just let it go. Are we, our own family, going to use this matter to punish her?” She continued, tears streaming down her face, “She took the wrong path, but she also brought a powerful husband to the family. Without her help these years, would the life in Duke’s Mansion have been so smooth? You’re eating and drinking outside in the name of the Duke’s Mansion. When you’re having fun, why don’t you think about who is taking care of the aftermath for you?”
“Must you tear off your face to speak?” he retorted.
As Madam . Wei continued to cry and wipe away tears, the Fifth Old Man grew increasingly agitated. He detested the sound of women weeping. Just as he was about to explode, Shang Siye and Shang Wulang intervened, signaling him to keep quiet. They stepped in to comfort Madam Wei. “Sister-in-law has misunderstood my father. He speaks very bluntly, you know that, don’t you? Don’t argue with him. We’re discussing a good thing. When you cry, it makes it seem like we are forcing you?”