General Liu had taken advantage of the situation to strike at the root, catching the Du family completely off guard.
The moment he said it, the atmosphere in the private room froze.
The only person who was so delighted she nearly jumped for joy was probably Miss Du.
She had been desperate to leave. The instant General Liu spoke, she instinctively rose to her feet and tugged at her father's sleeve.
“Father, let's go. They clearly don't want us here. We can't keep forcing ourselves on them.”
Miss Du was quite the character. In terms of status, she was the legitimate second daughter of the Du family, born to Du's husband. Naturally, the Du family believed they were lowering themselves by offering her, while the Liu family was getting the better end of the bargain.
But given General Liu's own position, even the most self-important family would never dare try to fob off a concubine's daughter on him.
That would not be a marriage alliance. It would be a blood feud. No matter how eager the Liu family's parents were to marry off their son, they would still explode with rage.
Miss Du's full sister, the legitimate eldest daughter of the family, was the very woman who had once been betrothed to Fang Jiu. After the Fang family fell from power, she had immediately become engaged to Young Master Xu, with whom she had long been exchanging flirtatious glances.
Now that the Du family had fallen into decline, that eldest Miss Du had relied on her talent for political maneuvering and, with the support of her maternal family, had taken a third-rank official position at a young age.
Given her age—and the fact that she had not achieved such a feat through extraordinary military accomplishments like General Liu—her rapid promotion to the third rank was astonishing.
It was clear just how capable and formidable the elder Miss Du was.
The younger Miss Du had originally been considered talented in her own right, but when compared with her sister, she was nothing more than a blockhead.
Just from her manner of speaking and her lack of courage, one could not help but wonder how she had ever earned her official title.
Even the Liu family's parents frowned at her panicked, hasty behavior.
They might be eager to marry off their son, but if his future wife was going to treat him with such obvious disdain and flee from him as though he were a venomous snake, could the Du family truly be as sincere as they claimed?
Lady Du was practically furious enough to die over this foolish father and daughter.
She hurriedly barked, “Silence! Since when have you two been entitled to speak here?”
Then she rose and bowed solemnly to the Liu family's parents and General Liu, her posture sincere and her attitude exceedingly humble.
“Please do not take offense at my ignorant wife,” she said.
Then she turned to General Liu. “I know that General Liu has great ambitions and is no ordinary man destined to remain confined to the inner chambers.”
“To compare General Liu with those men who spend their days circling their parents-in-law, serving them, would be an insult to the General.”
“To speak frankly, when I sought to marry my daughter to General Liu, I was never looking for an obedient husband to manage the household and bear children.”
“I hope my daughter will rise like a phoenix. Unfortunately…” She glanced at Miss Du and sighed. “This worthless child is capable enough when it comes to her studies, but she knows nothing of household affairs, and her understanding of human relationships and worldly matters is an utter mess.”
“For someone so slow to grasp such things, even if she possesses a wealth of learning, how could she ever make a name for herself in court?”
“I have tried to encourage and teach her, but with little result. I had no choice but to find another path. If General Liu becomes familiar with her, he will understand that although this child is inept, she does possess some learning. She would be quite suitable for offering advice from behind the scenes and educating their future children.”
“I am not one of those old-fashioned families that refuse to adapt. It is perfectly acceptable for the man to manage affairs outside and the woman to run the household. So long as the younger generation can live smooth and peaceful lives, I will be content.”
Although there was no shortage of scheming beneath those words, they nevertheless moved the Liu family's parents.
Their son looked the way he did. If the other side wanted absolutely nothing from the marriage, that would be impossible.
The Du family had laid their calculations bare and claimed to be acting entirely for the sake of their daughter. Instead of sounding offensive, their intentions aligned surprisingly well with the old couple's own wishes.
Besides, if the woman were flawless, their son would never have had a chance with her.
Lady Du's blunt admission of Miss Du's shortcomings had glossed over her earlier shallowness and panic. At the same time, she had praised those very flaws by linking her lack of social understanding and worldly sense to the narrow-mindedness that came from excessive study.
The Liu family came from a military household. Before General Liu rose to prominence, they had been low-ranking military officials, and as a result, they had always held an almost blind reverence for scholarly achievement and academic honors.
Following Lady Du's logic, Miss Du's strengths and weaknesses seemed to fit exactly what their family needed. Her shortcomings could no longer be considered entirely negative.
Moreover, the Du family's sincerity was right there in the open. They had promised that the man would manage matters outside while the woman ran the household. That meant that even if Lady Du's husband was a particularly difficult father-in-law, he would not be able to use propriety and convention to impose every restriction on their son.
Their son would be spared a great deal of trouble from his father-in-law.
A few words had instantly soothed the Liu family's parents. Everything Lady Du had said sounded ordinary on the surface, yet it revealed her considerable skill.
The furrows between the Liu couple's brows eased, and their tone softened noticeably.
“Lady Du's sincerity is plain for all to see,” they said. “There is truth in the saying that all parents under heaven have the same heart. After raising these little debtors of ours, all we want before we leave this world is to arrange their futures properly.”
“Unfortunately, once children grow up, they develop minds of their own. This unfilial son of ours dared to run off to the frontier alone back then. Fortunately, he returned alive. For all these years, my wife and I have been tossing and turning in our dreams, terrified for his safety. Only now has he finally come home.”
General Liu had seen straight through the Du family's performance. To him, it was no different from watching a troupe of monkeys put on a show.
Yet his parents' words filled him with guilt. This was especially true of the first two years, when he had merely been an ordinary soldier and lacked the authority to send regular word home. He had no idea how deeply his parents must have worried.
The Liu couple continued, “Lady Du also understands that on the battlefield, military orders are absolute. Our son commands an army of a million men despite being a man, so naturally he is accustomed to having the final say.”
“He only returned to the capital yesterday and had just left the palace after meeting His Majesty. It will take him some time to adjust—not just with your family, but even with his own parents.”
“He is not deliberately being cold. He simply has not yet found his bearings.”
Before the Liu couple could apologize, Lady Du hurriedly said, “Exactly, exactly. If he had no sincerity, General Liu would never have taken time out of his extremely busy schedule to meet with us.”
“It was all a misunderstanding. What happened just now was only a misunderstanding.”
As she spoke, she shot meaningful looks at Du's husband and Miss Du, urging them to show some sign of goodwill.
Du's husband was dissatisfied with General Liu and his eyelids twitched violently whenever he heard Lady Du's instructions, but he had long since been lectured about the importance of this marriage. He even understood that it was the key to whether the Du family could rise again.
Now that a step had been offered, he naturally followed it and said a few conciliatory words.
At last, everyone's eyes turned toward Miss Du.
Miss Du's scalp prickled. She truly could not understand why, after everything that had happened, her mother still insisted on pushing her toward that ugly man.
She merely turned her head aside and mumbled like a mosquito, “I was discourteous just now. Please forgive me, Young Master Liu.”
General Liu had no patience for the Du family's smooth-tongued scheming and insincere pleasantries.
Hearing her, he looked at Miss Du. “Miss Du is apologizing, yet you are not even looking at me?”
Miss Du stiffened. Slowly, she turned her head and glanced at General Liu.
No matter how much mental preparation she had done, that face and that figure still struck her like a blow every time she looked at him.
After only one glance, Miss Du quickly lowered her head. This time, she managed to display a little presence of mind.
“This humble girl was presumptuous. I would not dare look directly upon your countenance, Young Master Liu.”
If the people involved had been anyone else, the excuse might even have sounded believable.
Perhaps they should even praise Miss Du for being courteous and observing proper etiquette—exactly what a respectable woman ought to do.
The Liu family’s parents tried their best to see it that way as well.
But General Liu merely sneered inwardly. She said bluntly, “There is no need for such formalities, Miss Du. The reason both families arranged for the two of us to meet directly today was so that we could get to know each other as soon as possible.”
“This is a rare opportunity. Since Lady Du already knows that I, Liu, am not a man who cares about empty formalities, Miss Du, you need not be so restrained either.”
“If you truly intend to marry me, then raise your head and look directly at me. The two of us can have a private conversation.”
Hearing this, Du's husband’s eyelids began twitching violently. In all his life, he had never heard such shameless and outrageous words from an unmarried man.
But after what had happened earlier, he did not dare lose his temper.
Upon hearing this, Lady Du assumed that General Liu was genuinely interested in the Du family. After all, no matter how one compared and selected among the options, the Du family was obviously the best choice.
She hurriedly urged her daughter with a meaningful glance.
Miss Du had only dared to sneak a glance before and had not even had time to process what she saw. Now she was being ordered to look again?
Every inch of her was screaming refusal, but a mother’s command could not be disobeyed. Thus, like someone being led to the execution grounds, she raised her head—though her eyes darted everywhere, never daring to settle on General Liu.
General Liu sneered inwardly. Though her appearance was ugly, she was hardly some hideous monster. The countless soldiers stationed at the border might not regard her as a man, but not one of them was so afraid of her that they could not even look at her.
So timid and spineless, yet she actually had the nerve to put on an act as though she were sacrificing herself for her family.
General Liu did not need to do much. She only had to focus her attention slightly.
Seeing Miss Du’s eyes darting about, she said with an amused smile, “Why are you still afraid to look at me, Miss Du? Are you simply shy and embarrassed in front of everyone?”
“If you feel uncomfortable, the two of us can step outside for some fresh air. The night is lovely. Why don’t you join me for a boat ride on the lake and enjoy the scenery?”
Miss Du finally could not bear it any longer. She sprang to her feet.
Her face had gone deathly pale. She was gasping for breath and breaking out in a cold sweat as she clutched her father’s hand and pleaded, “Father, I won’t go. I really won’t go. Please, hurry and tell Mother.”
“You promised me that I only had to show my face. The rest would have nothing to do with me.”
“Once he marries me, if he doesn’t like me, I simply won’t go to his room. There will naturally be beautiful secondary husbands to serve him and bear his heirs.”
“But now he wants me to go out with him! It’s the middle of the night—what if he does something to me? Father, you can’t just stand by and watch your daughter—”
Not only Lady Du, but Du's husband’s entire face darkened as well.
Although the way General Liu spoke was shocking at every turn, the fact remained that it was the Du family who needed something from the Liu family. Naturally, they had to put on a proper show of humility.
Before coming, they had painstakingly explained everything to this fool, breaking the matter down step by step. Yet a single intimidation from that fiend had frightened her into blurting everything out.
Lady Du slapped Miss Du directly across the face. “Shut up! Since when have you had any say in your own marriage?”
The slap had not been held back in the slightest. Miss Du’s head spun, and blood began to trickle down her face.
The moment Du's husband saw his daughter injured, he panicked and had no thought left for smoothing things over.
Lady Du was about to apologize to the Liu family, but when she looked up and saw the expressions on the faces of Liu’s parents, her heart sank.
The Liu couple’s faces had turned utterly black.
They were so eager to marry off their daughter because they feared she would grow old without anyone to rely on. No matter how much power she possessed now, they still wanted her to have one or two children to carry on the family line. Otherwise, when she grew old, who would benefit from everything she had spent her entire life striving for?
Yet the Du family had made such an arrangement. They wanted to seize the Liu family’s rising power while secretly planning to find secondary husbands to bear children—so that in the end, everything their daughter had worked for would be left to the children raised by those secondary husbands.
Liu’s parents gave a cold laugh. “The Du family certainly has made an excellent plan.”
Lady Du hurriedly said, “You misunderstand. The child was merely spouting nonsense. How could you possibly take—”
Before she could finish, the private room’s door had already opened.
General Liu was completely unhurried. In fact, she had even begun looking forward to tasting the dishes at Heavenly Fragrance Tower.
Before she had left the capital, her family’s circumstances had not allowed her to dine at a place like this often. Now, she had heard that the chefs at Heavenly Fragrance Tower had become even more skilled.
“Lady Du, in your eyes, your daughter is merely a child who can be placated with a few lies. But I, Liu, am not. There is no point in saying more. Let us at least preserve some dignity for both sides.”
“Please leave.”
Seeing General Liu’s composed manner, Lady Du immediately understood.
This woman, though a young commoner by birth and merely a woman, was far more cunning than she had imagined.
There was not the slightest trace of regret in her current attitude. Clearly, she considered the matter nothing more than a troublesome problem she had dealt with and was now brushing aside at her leisure.
Lady Du had once stood at the highest levels of power. How could she tolerate humbling herself only to be toyed with so casually by a junior?
Thus, she let out a cold laugh. “General Liu, you are surrounded by splendid prospects. My Du family is indeed unworthy of marrying into yours.”
“I had nearly forgotten that General Liu is also on close terms with Prince Liang. I imagine His Highness will certainly make arrangements for you. It seems we have merely been worrying over nothing.”
General Liu’s expression changed. Her gaze shot toward Lady Du like a blade.
That sharpness had been forged from countless corpses. It sent a chill through Lady Du’s heart, and she instinctively took a step backward.
General Liu said coldly, “Lady Du, I believe I already warned you. There will not be a next time.”
Although she had not yet had time to fully sort through the capital’s intricate web of interests, she could still see the main threads at a glance.
This Lady Du had evidently believed that she would never be easily reinstated. To return to power, she would naturally need the support of an entire faction, as well as an impressive achievement to put forward.
But with the realm at peace, the threat from the northern border temporarily contained, and the country enjoying abundant harvests, how could she possibly earn such merit?
The only possibility was to gain credit by supporting the transfer of power during the transition between the old and new regimes.
The Du and Xu families were part of the same interest group. The Xu family had only risen to prominence in recent years. They had originally wanted to curry favor with Prince Liang, but by the time Prince Liang gained power, they had already been shut out.
Now that the Crown Princess’s position had unexpectedly fallen to the Third Imperial Daughter—someone who had always been overlooked and possessed no established faction—these opportunists had naturally turned their attention to the Crown Princess. Compared with Prince Liang, whose power base was already mature, the Third Imperial Daughter was far easier to support and influence.
Moreover, someone from the Xu family had recently taken up the position of the Crown Princess’s tutor. It was obvious where their allegiance lay.
Lady Du was certainly shrewd. Seeing that the marriage alliance had failed, she had deliberately exaggerated General Liu’s personal friendship with Prince Liang.
It was laughable. General Liu had only returned to the capital two days ago, yet in Lady Du’s words, she and Prince Liang already seemed to share some secret understanding.
General Liu knew exactly what scheme Lady Du was attempting. She wanted to create rumors out of thin air: if she could not win someone over, then she would damage their reputation instead.
A prince consort—or rather, a prince—associating with an important military commander could easily become a source of trouble. Given Prince Liang’s awkward position, even the slightest rumor could bring unfavorable consequences.
And there was no way the Emperor did not harbor suspicions about Prince Liang.
This petty little scheme was not difficult to dispel, but General Liu was truly enraged.
Whatever happened to Prince Liang in the end, General Liu did not want to cause her any trouble because of herself.
Thus, like an eagle, she fixed Lady Du with a piercing stare. “Tomorrow, I will submit a memorial to His Majesty. Lady Du currently holds no official position, yet she has taken such a keen interest in Prince Liang’s associations. I fear you have often discussed matters of this nature with others in private.”
“Other than Lady Xu, I truly cannot think of anyone else who would discuss this matter with Lady Du. Lady Xu has always held deep prejudices against Prince Liang, but in my opinion, the Crown Princess and Prince Liang share a close bond as siblings. That is a blessing for Great Liang—how could a petty-minded person possibly drive a wedge between them?”
“Lady Xu is responsible for instructing the Crown Princess. With such selfish motives, Your Majesty will have to consider the choice of the Crown Princess’s Grand Tutor more carefully.”
The moment Lady Du heard this, her face went white, and cold sweat broke out across her forehead.
As expected of someone from a military background, this Young Master Liu knew exactly where to strike.
Yet she still couldn’t believe he would dare say something like that. Was he not afraid His Majesty would accuse him of overstepping his authority?
But on further thought, if this was his counterattack after sensing danger, then even if he dragged her down with him, he would only get himself covered in dirt as well. He had just returned to the capital and, theoretically, could not yet have formed close ties with anyone. Such seemingly reckless frankness would instead make His Majesty trust him more.
Lady Du regretted her momentary display of verbal bravado.
Her mind raced as she tried to think of a way to placate him for the time being.
Unfortunately, her mistake today was bringing along two useless allies.
Seeing that the matter had fallen through, Miss Du and Du’s husband naturally abandoned their earlier restraint and timidity.
Du’s husband felt he had endured a bellyful of humiliation, only for this man from the Liu family to continue putting on airs and even deliberately insulting them.
It was simply too much.
So what if he was the head of a first-rank household? He was merely from a military family. How could he compare with a noble clan that had enjoyed a hundred years of prosperity?
Once the Liu family fell, they would return to their true station.
Seeing that Young Master Liu had not only insulted his daughter but was now being rude to his wife as well, Du’s husband sneered coldly. “Young Master Liu, you should save your breath.”
“Since our families are not meant to be joined, then let us simply go our separate ways. Why put on such an official display now? Does anyone here actually have the patience to listen?”
He then turned to sneer at General Liu’s parents. “If you think the Du family is too calculating, you should ask yourselves what sort of crooked melons and cracked dates you have privately considered for him besides our daughter.”
“Those crooked melons and cracked dates may well be a better match for General Liu. Since this has nothing more to do with the Du family, we can only wish General Liu and the person destined for him a long and happy marriage.”
“Only…” Du’s husband paused. “Lord Liu and Mr. Liu are always saying how much they worry. Eighteen years from now, I’m afraid you’ll have to worry about this all over again.”
He did not spell it out, but the meaning could not have been clearer.
He was mocking General Liu, implying that any sons he had would inevitably be just like him and have difficulty finding spouses.
General Liu’s parents trembled with fury. “You—”
Du’s husband grew bolder with every word, smiling with an air of false benevolence. “Lord Liu, please don’t take offense. As the saying goes, parents everywhere worry for their children. I simply don’t want to be nearing my coffin only to have to worry about this sort of thing again. At the very least, I should let my daughter have two presentable heirs before you accuse the Du family of being too calculating.”
“It’s only human nature.”
“You’ve gone too far!” General Liu’s parents slammed their hands on the table.
Seeing his parents become enraged, General Liu also rose to his feet.
Yet a trace of sorrow filled his heart. A shallow-minded man like Du’s husband could be dealt with easily enough, but he had no way to soothe his parents’ hearts.
A mere pointing finger from someone else was enough to make them hurt and furious.
The atmosphere in the private room was on the verge of descending into chaos. Lady Du was also afraid they had truly offended General Liu beyond repair and was about to angrily rebuke her husband.
At that moment, the other half of the door—which had originally been left open on one side—was suddenly kicked wide.
Everyone turned toward the noise.
To their surprise, it was Prince Liang.
Several of her palace guards followed behind her. The two at the front were carrying food boxes, and it appeared that the dishes they had ordered from Tianxiang Restaurant had just been prepared.
When General Liu saw her, he inexplicably felt utterly embarrassed.
Prince Liang, however, wore a smile. “I had the food packed and was preparing to say goodbye to General Liu before returning to the residence. When I saw that the door was open, I couldn’t help overhearing a few things.”
