Chu Huaishan was true to his word. On the third day after returning to the capital, he and his sister, Chu Jing, arrived with a towering pile of portrait scrolls.
"These are all the eligible young masters from noble families. Come and take a look!"
Chu Ruoyan stared at the mountain of scrolls, her head throbbing. "Father, Aunt... I'm not feeling well today..."
"All the more reason to look! As your cousin would say, gazing upon handsome young men cures all ailments!" Without waiting for her consent, Chu Jing dragged her to the desk. Chu Ruoyan skimmed through them—gentle, gallant, aloof... every type imaginable. Anyone unaware might think they were selecting a harem for her!
Chu Jing watched her eagerly. "Well? Any catch your eye?"
Chu Ruoyan shook her head.
Beside her, Chu Huaishan frowned and picked up a scroll. "Yan Xiuan, the Vice Minister of War? Too old."
Another scroll. "Gu Bingzhi, the youngest son of Chancellor Gu? Decent, but too much of a pedantic scholar."
"General Huo Ling? Another military man?"
"And why is there a widower mixed in here?"
Chu Huaishan slammed the scrolls onto the table, clearly displeased.
Chu Jing awkwardly tried to explain, but he suddenly paused at one. "Xie Zhizhou, the new Imperial Examination's Third Rank? Not bad. The Xie family's status is modest, but the Earl of Nanping is reasonable, and his wife is bedridden most of the year, so there'd be no meddling mother-in-law..."
Chu Ruoyan's brow twitched. Wasn't this the brother of Xie Yaozhi, whom she'd encountered on the way to Guardian Temple?
She was about to mention that Lady Jiang the Younger intended to betroth Chu Ruolan to him when Chu Jing abruptly snatched the scroll back. "Brother! He's off the table. He's already met with Ling'er, and they're waiting for a formal marriage proposal."
"Hmm?"
Both father and daughter turned to her. Chu Jing explained, "A few days ago at Guardian Temple, his mother happened to be there too. They hit it off, and coincidentally, the young man passed by that evening. He and Ling'er exchanged glances from afar and agreed. They're just waiting to inform his grandmother before sending a matchmaker."
Chu Ruoyan's eyes widened.
So that was why Xie Zhizhou had been coming from Guardian Temple's direction.
Still, it made sense—her cousin was close friends with Xie Yaozhi. They'd likely met countless times before...
"Father, you see? This is fate!"
She was about to suggest dropping the matter when Chu Huaishan shot her a stern look.
The old man stroked his beard. "If Ling'er has set her heart on him, then so be it. He'll still be a son-in-law of the Chu family. Though his grandmother..." He trailed off, leaving the thought unfinished.
"Yan'er, your cousin is settled now. You can't keep dragging your feet. What about Su Tingyun, the son of Marquis Pingjing?"
Su Tingyun?
Chu Ruoyan froze.
It had been so long since she'd last heard of him after their parting at the palace gates...
Chu Huaishan continued, "After Marquis Pingjing's execution, his entire household was seized, but the boy was spared. The Emperor deemed him ignorant of his father's crimes and let him keep his post at Shuntian Prefecture. He's still unmarried. I find him upright and principled. If you're willing, we could have him marry into the Duke's Mansion..."
"Father, no!" Chu Ruoyan cut in urgently. "Setting aside the feud between the Yan and Pingjing families, I testified against his father in court—that's a patricidal grudge. Bringing him here as a live-in son-in-law would only humiliate him!"
Chu Huaishan sighed in agreement. "What a pity. There are so few worthy young men left in the capital, and your time with the Yan family has left you with no suitable candidates."
Chu Jing chimed in, "If there aren't any, so be it. Brother, don't fret too much. If all else fails, she could follow Princess Qingping's example—keep a few male companions and live freely."
Chu Ruoyan's lips twitched.
Princess Qingping didn't have "a few" companions—she had dozens!
Nearly every handsome man in the capital had been whisked into her residence. The Emperor, pitying his widowed cousin, turned a blind eye, making her the most envied woman and despised figure among men in the city...
She expected her father to scold Chu Jing, but instead, Chu Huaishan studied her thoughtfully and sighed. "If nothing works out, we may have to consider it. But keep it discreet..."
Chu Ruoyan: "..."
Fortunately, Chu Zhong arrived with urgent court business, forcing Chu Huaishan to leave.
Chu Ruoyan turned to Chu Jing. "Aunt, you should inform Lady Jiang the Younger about Xie Zhizhou and Cousin's arrangement."
Chu Jing blinked in surprise, so Chu Ruoyan recounted how Lady Jiang had expressed interest in Xie Zhizhou during their trip to Guardian Temple.
Chu Jing nodded gravely. "You're right. We must speak to her first!"
No sooner had she spoken than Lady Jiang's voice came from outside.
"No need. I've heard everything."
Lady Jiang entered with Yuetao and several stewardesses. Chu Jing braced for conflict with her often-contentious sister-in-law, but to her shock, Lady Jiang said, "Don't worry, Sister-in-law. If you've chosen him, I won't interfere."
Chu Jing gaped, and Chu Ruoyan arched a brow.
Had Lady Jiang changed since returning from Guardian Temple?
Lady Jiang then had Yuetao present account books and tokens. "These are the household records and storeroom keys. I've brought some today; the rest will come tomorrow. As agreed, I relinquish control of the Duke's Mansion to you. As for the Jiang family's harvest proceeds, I'll settle them by year's end."
Yuetao handed them to Yulu, who hesitated until Lady Jiang summoned more servants.
"Nanny Kong oversees the inner quarters. Nanny Miao handles procurement, and—"
As she launched into introductions, Chu Ruoyan interrupted, "Wait!"
Lady Jiang paused. Chu Ruoyan said, "I've never managed a household before. This is too sudden. Could you continue temporarily while I learn?"
It was a test.
The old Lady Jiang would have seized the chance with sweet words to reclaim authority.
But this time, she simply nodded. "How long do you need?"
Chu Ruoyan exchanged a glance with Chu Jing. The recent turmoil had clearly humbled Lady Jiang.
Chu Ruoyan smiled. "It's hard to say. Let's do this—you keep managing affairs, and I'll review the books at year's end."
Lady Jiang studied her before remarking dryly, "Young Mistress, are you treating me as hired help?"
Doing all the work year-round only to hand over the books—wasn't that free labor?
Chu Ruoyan maintained her smile. "Mother, what a thing to say. We're family—no talk of 'hired help.' Besides, Second Sister and Third Sister still need dowries prepared, don't they?"
The terms were clear: continue managing the household, and she'd allocate funds for their dowries.
After a long silence, Lady Jiang chuckled ruefully. "You make it impossible to refuse. How did I ever think I could control you?"
Chu Ruoyan merely smiled.
Lady Jiang the Younger left with a curt "Understood," and Chu Jing asked, "Aren't you worried she might tamper with the account books?"
"She won’t. The Chu family’s annual income is roughly fixed at that figure. There’s no reason for her to humiliate herself."
Chu Jing nodded. If Lady Jiang the Younger was willing to behave, that was all the better.
Suddenly, a servant rushed in anxiously: "Miss Chu, a lady from the Earl of Changlu's Mansion is here to see you!"
The Earl of Changlu's Mansion?
Yan Shu?
