Upon hearing the imperial edict, the gathered crowd paled in unison.
Li Yu of the third branch anxiously exclaimed, "Second Master, look at this—how did this escalate all the way to the Emperor? Could something truly go wrong?"
Yan Lin also frowned. He had climbed to the position of Chief Historian in the Hanlin Academy only after years of toil. If the Emperor were to take offense at this matter and cast him aside, all his efforts would be for naught...
While the second and third branches began scheming how to extricate themselves from blame, Yan Zheng alone remained seated, his expression indifferent and weary, showing not a trace of urgency.
Steward Fang could only sigh helplessly. "Young Madam, what should we do...?"
Chu Ruoyan replied firmly, "Never mind that. Set up the incense table and prepare the censer—we must first receive the edict!"
Soon, the incense table was arranged, and Eunuch Yin Shun entered through the gates, flanked by two Imperial Guards.
He seemed surprised to see so many people present. "Chief Historian Yan, what brings you here?"
Yan Lin had no choice but to step forward. "Greetings, Eunuch Yin. This humble official came to pay respects to my late elder brother and his wife..."
The explanation was plausible, but Lady Xue, thinking herself clever, added, "Eunuch Yin, this humble wife Xue accompanied our master here. As soon as he heard that Third Young Master intended to alter the funeral date, he dropped all matters to come and advise him. Alas, Third Young Master remained resolute and would not heed his counsel..."
Li Yu also chimed in hastily, "Eunuch Yin, this humble wife came on behalf of my husband as well. I beg you to understand!"
Yin Shun observed their frantic attempts to distance themselves and saw right through them.
With a practiced smile, he waved them off. "The Yan family's domestic affairs can be settled behind closed doors. For now, let us first receive the imperial decree, shall we?"
Yan Lin nodded. "Yes, of course." He then turned to Yan Zheng. "Third Young Master, your usual willfulness is one thing, but will you not kneel to receive the edict now?"
Even now, he couldn’t resist making a veiled jab.
Yan Zheng didn’t even bother lifting his eyelids. Yin Shun quickly interjected, "Chief Historian Yan, hold on—this edict is not for the Marquis of Anning."
"What?"
The crowd froze in shock.
With the Great General’s household now left with only one male heir, who else could it be for?
Yan Lin secretly wondered if it might be for him—but if so, why wasn’t it delivered to his own residence?
As he pondered, Yin Shun beamed warmly at Chu Ruoyan. "Marquess of Anning’s Lady, please receive the decree!"
Chu Ruoyan: "?"
She hesitated briefly, but seeing the elderly eunuch’s kindly demeanor—hardly that of someone delivering punishment—she knelt and bowed. "This humble wife Chu receives the decree!"
"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Chu, daughter of Duke Chu, virtuous and wise, a match for the heavens, having wed the Marquis of Anning and diligently supported her lord, managing the household with exemplary feminine virtue, is hereby granted the inscribed plaque 'Nurtured Brilliance, Root of Virtue'—so it is decreed."
The proclamation left everyone dumbfounded.
The Chu family’s legitimate daughter had only just entered the household—how could she already be deemed "virtuous and wise, a match for the heavens"?
And to receive a plaque from the Emperor, notorious for his frugality with rewards?
Even Yan Zheng glanced up slightly.
Did this woman have connections in the palace?
"This humble wife Chu thanks His Majesty’s boundless grace!"
Chu Ruoyan pressed her hands together and performed a deep bow.
She, too, had been momentarily bewildered—but the phrase "having wed the Marquis of Anning and diligently supported her lord" made everything clear.
This was no reward for her.
It was a thinly veiled commendation for Yan Zheng, using her as the pretext.
Yin Shun cheerfully handed her the edict and directed attendants to bring in the gilded plaque, hastily crafted by the Ministry of Works. "Marquess of Anning’s Lady, where would you like this plaque displayed? This servant will have it hung at once."
Before Chu Ruoyan could respond, Lady Xue blurted out, "Eunuch Yin, wait—could it be that His Majesty is unaware that this couple arbitrarily changed the funeral dates for the Great General and his wife?"
Yin Shun’s face darkened. "Lady Xue, mind your words. The Son of Heaven overlooks nothing."
So the Emperor knew—and still bestowed this plaque.
Did that mean he tacitly approved their actions?
The second and third branches gaped in disbelief. Yan Lin pinched Lady Xue’s arm harshly. "How dare you speak recklessly before His Excellency? Step back at once!"
Yin Shun’s amiable expression vanished when addressing them. "Chief Historian Yan, and you, Madam Li—though you are kin to the Great General, your households are separate. It is hardly appropriate to meddle in the affairs of the General’s estate, wouldn’t you agree?"
Yan Lin shuddered. "This humble official thanks Your Excellency for the reminder."
Li Yu’s legs gave way, and she collapsed to the floor.
Who could have predicted the Emperor’s stance?
Wasn’t it said that he placed great faith in Master Liaokong? Had that been mere rumor?
Thus, the farce came to an end.
Outside the General’s estate, Lady Xue stared at her eldest son’s bruised face, torn between fury and grief. "Husband, are we just going to let this go?"
Yan Lin scowled. "What else can we do? Didn’t you hear Eunuch Yin? The Emperor has spoken!"
Lady Xue argued, "But His Majesty never explicitly stated anything—he only gave a plaque! Besides, though the Great General held no hereditary title, he enjoyed the stipend of a first-rank Duke. Now that he’s gone, don’t you wish to lay claim to that?"
Yan Lin fell silent.
Of course he did!
Great Xia prized military over civil service. After decades of struggle, he had only reached the fourth-rank position of Chief Historian—nowhere near his elder brother’s stature.
Yet Lady Xue had a point. The Emperor hadn’t passed the Duke’s stipend to Yan Zheng, instead granting him the lesser title of Marquis of Anning...
Did that mean collateral branches like theirs still had a chance?
After some thought, he murmured, "Don’t worry. This isn’t over yet. We still have Mother on our side."
Meanwhile, inside the General’s estate, Chu Ruoyan directed servants to hang the plaque in the newlywed chambers before summoning Steward Fang aside.
"Who attends to the Marquis in his study?"
Steward Fang hesitated. "The Marquis prefers solitude. Aside from Meng Yang, there’s only Cai, who cleans the room, and Wu An, an outer courtyard attendant."
Chu Ruoyan nodded thoughtfully. "How long has Meng Yang served the Marquis?"
This time, Steward Fang didn’t answer. He sensed the young madam was probing into the Marquis’ affairs.
Reading his hesitation, Chu Ruoyan explained, "Don’t you find today’s events too peculiar? The Marquis only finalized the date change with Lord Song at noon, yet by afternoon, the second and third branches were already at our doorstep. Doesn’t that seem… excessively swift?"
Steward Fang stiffened, his expression grave. "This old servant understands. Rest assured, Young Madam—leave this matter to me."
Satisfied, Chu Ruoyan relaxed.
As a longtime retainer of the household, Steward Fang could investigate far more discreetly than she, a newlywed wife.
The next day, Chu Ruoyan sought out Madam Li to review the estate accounts, only to learn she had left for the manor to handle urgent matters.
As she turned to leave, she spotted Yan Wenjing’s wet nurse pacing anxiously by the gate.
"I’ve told you—Second Young Madam won’t return before dusk. What’s the use of fretting?"
"Then what are we to do? The Marquis isn’t home either. Must we just watch Young Master suffer punishment?"
Intrigued, Chu Ruoyan approached. "What happened? Why must Wenjing be punished?"
The wet nurse was initially wary upon seeing her, but given the urgency of the matter, she gritted her teeth and spoke up: "Third Young Madam, today at Guangwen Academy, the Young Master somehow got into a conflict with Chancellor Gu's eldest grandson, as well as the sons of Censor Hua and Vice Minister Tao from the Ministry of Works. The teacher claimed the Young Master threw the first punch, and Chancellor Gu's grandson was severely injured. He’s now being punished by standing in a horse stance outside the classroom!"
Chu Ruoyan let out a scoff.
So it was a brawl!
