Duan Jinxing personally went to the Marquis's Mansion to bring Jiang Zhaohua, who was recuperating from her pregnancy, back to the Duan Family.
Seeing her son humble himself like this, Duan's mother was fuming: "You still went to fetch her? You’re really spoiling her!"
"She was perfectly fine in the Duan Family, yet the moment she returned to her parents' home, she started having complications with the pregnancy."
"When I, her mother-in-law, went to see her, she didn’t even grant me an audience! I went there sincerely, only to return in disgrace without even seeing her."
"You’ve gone three times now, sat through three cold receptions—has she ever once seen you? She clearly holds neither you nor the Duan Family in any regard!"
"She was the one who insisted on marrying into our family in the first place. Now that she’s here, does she feel the Duan Family is beneath her, the esteemed eldest daughter of the Marquis's Mansion?"
"If our family hadn’t married her, she’d be buried in the ground by now!"
Duan Jinxing smiled and coaxed his mother: "Mother, Zhaohua is still young and immature. Please don’t take her behavior to heart."
"After all, she was raised as the cherished and pampered legitimate daughter of the Marquis's Mansion. It’s only natural she’s a bit prideful. Please be more tolerant of her, Mother."
"Once I pass the imperial examinations and secure an official post, I’ll have to leave for my duties. If I’m sent away alone, leaving you behind in the capital, I’d be uneasy. I only hope to remain in the capital as an official, and for that, I’ll need the Marquis's Mansion’s support."
"Zhaohua’s noble background will be of great help to me in the future. For the sake of this, Mother, please overlook these trivial matters."
Duan Jinxing knew exactly how to placate his mother. Hearing this, Duan's mother nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes! I couldn’t bear to see you sent far away either. Staying in the capital as an official would be best!"
The thought that her daughter-in-law could assist her son’s career instantly made her view Jiang Zhaohua more favorably.
"Fine, go fetch her now."
"Don’t worry—since your wife is heavy with child, I won’t make things difficult for her."
"Between her unstable pregnancy and these complications… once you bring her back, I’ll treat her like an ancestor, ensuring she safely delivers my precious grandson!"
Duan Jinxing felt a surge of disgust at his mother’s words. That bastard in Jiang Zhaohua’s womb—why hadn’t it miscarried yet?
Duan's mother was ignorant and naive, unaware of what had truly happened at the Marquis's Mansion, but Duan Jinxing wasn’t so easily fooled…
He knew something major must have occurred there.
That day, when Jiang Zhaohua rushed back to the Marquis's Mansion in such haste, it must have been an urgent matter of life and death!
Not long after Jiang Zhaohua returned, the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord arrived at the Marquis's Mansion in grand procession, accompanied by a favored concubine.
What exactly transpired behind the tightly shut gates of the Marquis's Mansion that day, Duan Jinxing had no way of knowing.
But what followed couldn’t be concealed from the public.
The entire capital soon learned that the Marquis's Mansion had been split in two, with a towering wall erected down the middle.
The once symmetrical and dignified estate now looked as if it had been cleaved by a blade, losing half its original structure.
Speculations ran rampant about why the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord had done this.
Some said the Marquis's Mansion had offended him, and this was his way of punishing and humiliating them.
Others claimed he had taken a liking to a daughter of the Marquis's Mansion—a concubine-born girl—and was building a gilded cage for her.
There were even wilder rumors, suggesting the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord had set his sights on one of the Marquis's concubines…
At first, Duan Jinxing dismissed the latter two theories. After all, it was common knowledge that the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord had no interest in women. The most plausible explanation was that the Marquis's Mansion had provoked his wrath.
This was far from good news.
Though the Marquis of Xiping's Mansion was among the most prominent households in the capital, before the overwhelming power of the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord, they could only grovel and obey.
During the Late Emperor’s reign, the sovereign had been nothing more than a puppet in the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord’s hands, never interfering in state affairs.
Now that the Late Emperor had passed… while it was said the nation could not go a single day without a ruler, the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord was waiting for Consort Wu to give birth, intending to place the infant on the throne. Yet no one dared challenge this arrangement.
From the Late Emperor’s death until now, the throne had remained vacant for months.
The Late Emperor had no sons, only a few brothers—princes who might have harbored ambitions. But with all military power concentrated in the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord’s grasp, they lacked the means to act.
All could do was suppress their restlessness and wait for Consort Wu to deliver the child.
Some had questioned: What if Consort Wu bore a princess? Or worse, what if the child never made it into the world safely?
But after the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord curtly replied, "We’ll discuss it then," no one dared press further.
With such absolute dominance in court, Duan Jinxing—as the Marquis of Xiping's son-in-law—couldn’t help but fear the consequences of the Marquis's Mansion angering the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord.
However, subsequent events left Duan Jinxing bewildered.
Not only had the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord divided the Marquis's Mansion, but he had also relocated the families living west of the estate, purchasing their homes to expand the western half into a much larger compound.
Judging by the scale of the cleared land, the newly expanded residence would dwarf the original Marquis's Mansion several times over.
A continuous stream of timber, stone, tiles, and other materials arrived, along with master craftsmen summoned to construct what promised to be a palace of unparalleled splendor.
This extravagance reignited rumors that the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord was building a golden nest for a beloved.
Duan Jinxing, who had initially dismissed such talk, now found himself half-convinced. Could it be true?
Of course, others argued this had nothing to do with a woman—that the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord simply coveted the estate’s auspicious feng shui and intended to build a magnificent palace for himself.
Unable to discern the truth, Duan Jinxing was certain Jiang Zhaohua knew more than she let on.
This time, when he went to fetch her, it was because her letter had hinted as much.
Duan Jinxing had sent letter after letter filled with tender affection, each word making Jiang Zhaohua’s heart flutter with joy, reaffirming that she had made the right choice.
Jiang Yunshu’s arrogance wouldn’t last forever.
The Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord might dote on her now, but it was merely a passing fancy. Without status—not even that of a concubine, not even a kept woman—she was nothing more than a eunuch’s companion.
To be a eunuch’s companion was the lowest, most shameful fate. Some palace maids, unable to endure loneliness or seeking protection, might enter such arrangements in secret—but once freed from the palace, none would ever breathe a word of it!
Jiang Zhaohua, on the other hand, was Duan Jinxing’s lawfully wedded wife.
Every line of her husband’s letters overflowed with devotion.
His love for her was genuine, unlike Xie Lin’s fleeting desire for Jiang Yunshu.
Let Jiang Yunshu revel in her temporary triumph—rescuing a poisoner meant for the main wife, seizing half the Marquis's Mansion, turning the Marquis of Xiping's household into the laughingstock of the capital… Once Xie Lin cast her aside, her downfall would be merciless.
When that day came, Jiang Zhaohua would repay Jiang Yunshu’s arrogance a hundredfold!
By the time Duan Jinxing arrived to bring her home, the wounds on Jiang Zhaohua’s face had healed, and the child in her womb had been stabilized with medicine.
Her heart swelled with joy as she gazed at her elegant, refined husband.
Duan Jinxing helped her into the carriage with gentle care. As they rode, Jiang Zhaohua lifted the curtain and caught sight of the towering new walls enclosing a compound several times larger than the Marquis's Mansion—her eyes burning with resentment and envy.
Seeing her expression, Duan Jinxing grew even more certain: she knew something.
He pretended to be completely unaware: "My lady, what exactly is this about?"
A flicker of hesitation crossed Jiang Zhaohua's face as she recalled her husband's affectionate words in his letter, the unity of marriage since their wedding, and his future as a chancellor—undoubtedly a man of great wisdom... She steeled herself and decided to reveal the truth.
"My second sister, Jiang Yunshu, is not dead."
"The Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord has hidden her away and now dotes on her excessively. She has become his secret concubine, kept away from the light of day."
"That estate west of the Marquis's Mansion must have been built by the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord for my second sister."
Duan Jinxing never expected such an answer!
He drew a sharp breath—the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord truly had... truly had audacious nerve!
Months ago, he had caught only a fleeting glimpse of the Marquis's second daughter, Jiang Yunshu, whom he once believed would become his wife. Could she really still be alive?
Duan Jinxing's mind conjured the image of that breathtakingly beautiful face—like a celestial maiden descended to earth. Even the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord had been moved by such beauty.
Who wouldn’t want to hide such a beauty away in a golden cage, never letting another man lay eyes on her?
Yet, no matter how vast the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord’s power, he was still just a eunuch.
Keeping such a woman locked away—what could he do but gaze at her helplessly?
