Duan Yu tossed and turned all night, which naturally did not escape Madam Xiao’s notice. She simply sat up, leaned over, and lit the lamp.
“What’s wrong? Did something go wrong at work? Is someone making things difficult for you?” Madam Xiao looked at her husband with concern.
Seeing his wife sit up, Duan Yu followed suit. “Why are you getting up?”
She was heavy with child now and often woke up at night. Before the New Year, they had arranged for a maid to serve as his concubine, something that would have delighted him before. But now, he found no interest in it.
Adding to that, his position as an official was precarious, and he spent his days cautiously navigating the affairs of the yamen. He was so mentally exhausted that he had no energy left to think about such things.
Moreover, matters of the household were things he could only discuss with his wife. As a result, he had little inclination to visit his concubine’s quarters.
“You’re tossing and turning—I’m not a block of wood.” Madam Xiao propped a pillow against her lower back, tilted her head, and looked at her husband. “Is it work troubles, or is it something else? Tell me about it. Even if I can’t help, at least I can listen.”
Duan Yu let out a heavy sigh. “It’s not about work. It’s…”
For a moment, he didn’t quite know how to put it into words.
Madam Xiao wasn’t in a hurry. She patiently waited for her husband to sort out his thoughts. After a while, he finally spoke.
“I used to think I hadn’t done anything wrong to my younger sister, but today I realized—I was a complete fool.”
Madam Xiao’s interest was immediately piqued. She concealed the excitement in her eyes and responded calmly, “Oh? Why do you say that? Did something happen? Tell me, and I’ll see if I can help.”
Duan Yu didn’t notice his wife’s reaction. He leaned his head back, staring at the canopy above the bed, and slowly said, “When Mingxi first returned to the family, she must have had high hopes for us. But I was such a fool back then—I didn’t care at all.”
Hearing this, Madam Xiao felt a little ashamed. She had been the same way.
With that realization, the initial amusement she felt faded, and she sighed. “What’s done is done. Your sister doesn’t blame you, so don’t dwell on it. We should just treat her well from now on.”
Duan Yu recounted the events of the day. When Madam Xiao heard that Mingxi had given such a large sum of silver to Duan Wang, she was so shocked that she couldn’t speak for a long time.
“She’s really bold. If it were anyone else, who would be willing to part with so much money?” Madam Xiao thought to herself that if it had been her, she wouldn’t have done it.
Having that much silver in her hands would feel far more secure—why gamble on a man’s integrity?
That was why Mingxi was able to accomplish so much, while she herself could not.
Madam Xiao looked at her husband and said, “So, it seems Old Master Duan treats your sister exceptionally well. He gave away such a large sum without hesitation.”
“I plan to visit Old Master Duan with my second and third brothers,” Duan Yu finally said, feeling much more at ease after making the decision.
Madam Xiao was momentarily stunned. She hesitated before saying, “If Mother finds out, she won’t be pleased.”
“Then we just won’t let her know.” Duan Yu met his wife’s worried gaze and reassured her. “This is something that should have been done long ago. It’s my failure—I didn’t fulfill my duties as an elder brother. I will take full responsibility. Even if Mother finds out, I’ll bear the consequences.”
Madam Xiao was surprised, pleased, and worried all at once. Her husband was finally showing some backbone instead of always avoiding responsibility.
Since he had made up his mind, she naturally supported him. “Good. You’re considering your sister’s reputation, and Old Master Duan will surely be pleased. This will help smooth over past grievances.”
“You think so too?” Duan Yu felt even more confident with his wife’s support.
“Of course! Grandfather and Grandmother have already allowed your sister to associate with the Duan family—that makes their stance quite clear. As younger family members, we should take the initiative, and everything will fall into place.”
“But I don’t think Mingxi wants Old Master Duan and his wife visiting our home. You know how Mother feels about them…” Duan Yu sighed. “So for now, we need to keep this under wraps.”
“That’s easy. You’re the shizi of the Marquis Household and Mingxi’s legitimate elder brother. A personal visit from you is enough to show sincerity.” Madam Xiao smiled. “I’ll prepare a proper gift. When do you plan to go?”
“The day after tomorrow—it’s my day off.”
“Alright.” Madam Xiao beamed.
Duan Yu looked at his wife. “You’re that happy?”
Leaning against his shoulder, Madam Xiao murmured, “Yes. Your sister treats us so well, yet we’ve done so little for her. I’ve always felt guilty about it. Now that I can do something, even if it’s small, how could I not be happy?”
Duan Yu had often heard people say that a virtuous wife brings fewer troubles. Now, he finally understood what that meant.
The couple exchanged smiles, their worries easing.
The next day, Duan Yu left work an hour early and waited outside the Hanlin Academy for Duan Ning. After picking him up, he discussed his plan. Duan Ning had no objections. The two then went to the Zhou residence to fetch Duan Qi.
Duan Qi was surprised when he heard the plan. He hadn’t expected his eldest brother to take such an initiative, but he readily agreed.
The three brothers sat together in the carriage, discussing their next steps. Duan Ning felt a strange sense of unreality—he had never been this close to his older and younger brothers before.
Mingxi was right. No matter what, they were blood brothers. Legitimate or not, brotherly unity was what truly mattered.
As excitement settled, Duan Ning turned to his older brother. “The memorial from Fengcheng Marquis has already been submitted, but there’s no news from the court yet. Is His Majesty planning to delay a response?”
Duan Yu shook his head and said, “I heard from Lord Shangshu today that eight hundred thousand taels of silver is no small amount. It’s said that Ning Qin Wang’s household and Fengcheng Marquis have practically emptied their coffers. If this were to be made public, what face would the Emperor have left? What face would the court have?”
When Duan Qi, still full of youthful vigor, let out a cold snort and said, “So are we just supposed to ignore the safety of the people at the border? Corruption runs rampant among the officials, and even a single Imperial Horse Supervisor can cause such a mess, yet His Majesty still favors the East—”
“Third Brother!” Duan Yu shot him a sharp look. “Mind your words!”
Duan Qi: …
He never thought he would be reprimanded by his eldest brother one day!
“I was only speaking my mind in front of my brothers,” Duan Qi muttered.
Duan Ning, thinking further ahead, looked at the two of them and said, “It may not necessarily be that His Majesty is holding onto the memorial without issuing a response. He might be waiting.”
“Waiting for what?” Duan Yu and Duan Qi asked in unison.
“This is just my guess, but he may be waiting for a memorial from Ning Qin Wang.”
“Ning Qin Wang?” Duan Yu frowned. Why would His Majesty be waiting for Ning Qin Wang’s memorial?
Duan Qi, however, suddenly understood. He looked at his second brother with admiration, then met his eldest brother’s doubtful gaze and explained, “Second Brother means that Ning Qin Wang is the person His Majesty trusts and cherishes the most. He understands His Majesty’s thoughts better than anyone. Given such a large sum of silver involved, Ning Qin Wang will definitely provide His Majesty with a way out.”
“A way out?” Duan Yu looked confused. What kind of way out?
Soon enough, Duan Yu would find out.
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