A small pebble flew in, striking Old Madam Xue right at the back of her knee.
The elderly woman’s right leg buckled, forcing her to kneel abruptly. The hairpin she had been holding missed its mark, grazing past her ear and severing a lock of hair!
"Ah—!!"
Old Madam Xue shrieked as if her life had been spared from the brink of death.
Xue Gui, terrified out of his wits, rushed forward to steady his mother. "Cao Yang!! As the chief official of the Ministry of Justice, how can you stand by and do nothing when someone attempts murder right before your eyes?!"
The entire hall was stunned by the scene.
Old Madam Xie, touching her own neck, thought of how she had offended Chu Jing earlier—thankfully, she hadn’t been on the receiving end of that hairpin!
Cao Yang also exhaled in relief. Thankfully, no one had been killed, averting a grave mistake. Following the trajectory of the pebble, his gaze landed on Chu Ruoyan standing there, casually tossing a few more pebbles in her hand.
He was momentarily taken aback.
The daughters of the Duke of Chu’s Mansion certainly didn’t follow convention—each of them seemed to possess some martial skill.
"Cao Yang!! Are you even listening to me?!"
Xue Gui’s furious roar snapped him back to attention. "What did the Marquis of Cheng’en say just now?"
His dismissive tone made it clear he hadn’t taken Xue Gui’s words seriously.
Xue Gui’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head in rage. "Chu Jing tried to kill my mother! Everyone here witnessed it—don’t tell me you didn’t see it!"
Cao Yang replied coolly, "The Marquis jokes. Your mother stands here unharmed, without a single wound. How can you call this an assassination attempt?"
He then turned to Lady Jiang the Younger and the others. "This official saw nothing. Did Madam Chu witness anything?"
Lady Jiang the Younger caught his meaning. "The Marquis must have misunderstood. This humble wife saw nothing either. Old Madam Xie, what say you?"
Before Old Madam Xie could speak, Xie Zhizhou cut in, "Indeed, I saw nothing. Zhizhou can testify to that!"
With her grandson’s words, the Xie family could no longer press the matter. As for Lady Su, who had been invited by the Xies, she certainly wouldn’t stir trouble.
In an instant, not a single person in the hall spoke up for the Xue family!
"You—you all…"
Xue Gui was livid but powerless.
Old Madam Xue touched the severed lock of hair, her hatred boiling over. "Fine, fine! You all twist the truth, ganging up on us with your numbers. This old woman is no match for you! But Xue Ling, mark my words—either you shave your head and remain a spinster for life, or you marry into the Prince of Bao’s mansion as his fourth wife! As long as I live, I will never allow you to marry anyone else—"
"Enough!"
Cao Yang’s sharp rebuke cut her off.
His gaze fell on Chu Jing, whose face was numb with resignation, clearly prepared to fight to the death.
For some reason, memories of the past surfaced.
Long before his mother had taken an interest in her, he had already seen her.
It was on Qingque Street. He had been in his sedan chair, on his way to the Orchid Terrace, when a young woman in red came galloping toward him on horseback.
The street was lined with vendors, leaving only enough space for one horse or sedan to pass. The two came face to face.
His page boy demanded she yield the way, but the girl refused. Sitting astride her horse, whip in hand, she teased, "What rank of official are you? Do tell."
The page boy flushed red, stammering, "H-he’s the newly appointed Orchid Terrace Court official!"
"Oh, an Orchail Terrace Court official… what a grand, grand rank indeed—a whopping seventh-rank!" she mocked, her tone exaggerated. Then, with a sudden shift, she added, "But this young lady is in a good mood today, so I’ll let you pass. Work hard, little seventh-rank official~"
As his sedan passed, he couldn’t resist lifting the curtain for a glance back.
All he saw was the fiery red of her dress billowing behind her like a banner…
So later, when his mother mentioned she had found a match for him, he thought a seventh-rank official was too low—he needed to climb higher, lest he disgrace the young lady.
But shortly after he left for the south, he heard she had married—into a marquis’ household, no less, a fitting match for her.
So he threw himself into his duties, rising from seventh-rank to sixth, and eventually to first-rank.
He was so buried in work that he never spared a thought for marriage. His younger brothers wedded one after another—one even married a princess—until he alone remained unmarried in the family.
And now, the girl from back then had become a married woman, but none of her spirited boldness remained.
Just how much could the scheming shadows of the inner courtyard wear a person down?
Cao Yang looked up, his resolve firm as he met Chu Jing’s eyes. "Madam Chu, the reason your daughter cannot be removed from the imperial registry is that you lack support. Have you ever considered remarrying?"
Chu Jing froze. Xue Gui burst into laughter. "Remarry? Cao Yang, are you blind? A woman past thirty, barren—who would take her? What nonsense!"
Cao Yang ignored him, his gaze gentle as he addressed Chu Jing. "If you find me acceptable, Madam Chu… what do you think of this official?"
Silence.
The entire hall went still.
Even Old Madam Xue, who had earlier suspected tension between them, gaped in disbelief.
Was this a joke? Cao Yang was past forty, but as the Minister of Revenue and acting head of the Ministry of Justice, countless families in the capital clamored to offer him their fifteen- or sixteen-year-old daughters as wives.
Yet Cao Yang had always been like a block of wood, rejecting every match with the excuse that he had already devoted himself to the state and dared not delay others.
And now—he was interested in Chu Jing? A woman the Xue family had discarded!
"Lord Cao…"
Chu Jing was utterly dazed, staring at him blankly. "I am the Xue family’s cast-off—"
"It was a righteous severance, not abandonment."
"But I cannot bear children—"
"If I never marry, wouldn’t I also be childless?"
"But… but…" Chu Jing opened and closed her mouth, unable to form a coherent objection.
Cao Yang’s voice softened. "There’s no need to fret, Madam Chu. If you agree, your daughter will be recorded under my name and treated as a legitimate daughter of the Cao family when she marries. As for my mother—you know how fond she is of you. The Cao household is simple, with little domestic strife. In the future, you need only accompany her in playing mahjong or listening to operas. I cannot promise you the same freedom as in the Duke of Chu’s Mansion, but you will never suffer hardship or humiliation."
Chu Jing’s eyes stung, tears welling up.
When she had married Xue Gui, he had never spoken to her like this—only lectured her on wifely duties, filial piety, and managing the marquis’ household…
She could scarcely believe what was happening. Sensing her hesitation, Cao Yang turned and called, "Where is the official matchmaker?"
Lady Su, ever the seasoned professional, hurried forward.
Cao Yang announced clearly, "Since the matchmaker is present, I ask the Duke of Chu’s Mansion to invite Old Madam Chu forth. This official wishes to propose on my mother’s behalf!"
