After gathering her thoughts, Mingxi continued reading the letter.
Xiao Muchen said that the grain issue had been alleviated, and the battle with Qinan would no longer be a stalemate. He planned to take the initiative and lead troops in an offensive against Qinan.
His return date was uncertain.
He had already submitted a memorial to the emperor in advance. If he could not return to the capital before the wedding date, he asked His Majesty to issue a decree to postpone the wedding.
Mingxi knew that matters of war could never be measured by speed alone. She also understood that Xiao Muchen had only now written back because he wanted to end the war as soon as possible and return to the capital.
However…
If this had been her in a previous life, she might have been upset. Marriage was a major event, and delaying it was never good for a woman’s reputation.
But in this life, she had learned to let go. Xiao Muchen wasn’t delaying for personal reasons—he was doing it for the people of Yuxiang City and for the peace of the nation. What he was doing mattered.
She ought to support him.
Looking at it from another angle, meeting a man like this—responsible, courageous, wise—was her good fortune.
After much consideration, Mingxi picked up a brush and wrote a reply. When the messenger returned to Yuxiang City to report, he would carry the letter to Xiao Muchen.
At the same time, both Consort Shu and the Emperor received letters from Xiao Muchen. Besides a personal letter to the Emperor, there was also an official memorial.
The Emperor paused in surprise. The memorial was for official business; the personal letter was for family matters.
He found it quite novel—this was the first time his son had written him a personal letter.
His curiosity piqued, he ignored the memorial and opened the personal letter first.
It began with warm greetings, and the Emperor’s expression softened. As he continued reading, his son described amusing events in Yuxiang City. Great Chu was vast, and customs in the north and south differed greatly. The Emperor found it all quite interesting.
Only at the end did his son mention the wedding. The Emperor was momentarily stunned—ah yes, the wedding was just over a month away.
But his son was still away at war.
Postponing the wedding?
The Emperor’s smile faded slightly. Reassigning a general mid-battle was a major taboo, so there was no way he could call Duan Wang back now.
If the campaign didn’t go well, then delaying the wedding was inevitable.
He was a bit surprised that Duan Wang brought this up directly—not in the official memorial, but in the personal letter. It was a son’s request to his father.
He had written that if the wedding were postponed, people in the capital might gossip about Duan Mingxi. As a son, he asked his father to back up his future daughter-in-law.
This made the Emperor laugh out loud.
If this were a formal request from a Wangye to the Emperor, he’d have to consider whether personal feelings could override state affairs.
If Duan Mingxi couldn’t even understand that, what business did she have being Duan Wang’s wife?
But thinking back on his son in the capital—quiet, serious, rigid in his conduct, always abiding by the rules—he had seemed more like an old man than a young one.
A man who isn’t a little reckless in his youth isn’t truly young, the Emperor thought. His son had always been overly reserved—more like raising a father than a son.
That thought made the Emperor’s expression turn a little odd.
Then he gave a quiet chuckle. Well, so be it. It was rare to see him loosen up. Falling for a woman he truly liked, and being so thoughtful about everything—it was no surprise.
Back in his own youth, hadn’t he been the same at times?
Looking at his other sons, each one was surrounded by beauties—except the fourth, who didn’t seem to care for any of that.
The Emperor carefully put away the letter from his son, then finally opened the memorial. The tone was instantly recognizable—deep, serious, and proper. It was as if that affectionate family letter had never existed.
The memorial covered a range of topics, including how Duan Mingxi had sent her people to assist Duan Wang in purchasing grain.
The Emperor was shocked—but not entirely surprised.
His fourth son clearly cared deeply for this girl. Now that Duan Mingxi had also gone to such lengths for him—tossing away hundreds of thousands of silver taels without hesitation, and assisting with such an important task as grain procurement—yet not once had Dingyuan Marquis’s household or Duan Mingxi tried to claim credit in front of him.
It seems that she truly cares for Old Four, without any ulterior motives, and is wholeheartedly thinking of him.
The Emperor’s mood was complicated; he suddenly felt a bit envious of his son.
Sitting on the Emperor’s throne, it’s hard to distinguish whether the women in the harem are genuine or just pretending; honestly, he doesn’t care much about that.
Duan Mingxi had accomplished a great feat, but the Emperor hadn’t had any particular thoughts before.
But now, since his son had spoken up, it seemed that he should give her some face.
Thinking of the incredibly mediocre Dingyuan Marquis, the Emperor had a low opinion of him, and he absolutely didn’t want to reward him.
The Emperor then called for Ding Zhao and asked, “Who holds positions in Dingyuan Marquis’s household now?”
Ding Zhao was momentarily stunned, then quickly responded, “Your Majesty, the shizi to Dingyuan Marquis’s household is currently serving as the langzhong of the Military Selection Department, the second master is in charge of the Imperial Kitchen, and the third master holds a position in the Imperial Horse Bureau.”
The Emperor was quite surprised. “I remember that Dingyuan Marquis’s household didn’t have so many officials before, did it?”
Ding Zhao quickly processed this in his mind and cautiously replied, “Yes, Your Majesty.”
The Emperor didn’t ask any more questions, and Ding Zhao didn’t volunteer any additional information.
His relationship with Duan Wang was still acceptable, so at this moment, he didn’t want to say anything unnecessary in front of the Emperor.
The Emperor sighed lightly and said to Ding Zhao, “Duan Mingxi is capable and practical. Who would have thought that Dingyuan Marquis found this daughter, and even the people in his household have become more progressive as a result. Quite rare.”
Ding Zhao:…
He didn’t expect the Emperor to think this way.
“Your Majesty, Eldest Miss Duan was originally raised by the Duan family of Jiangcheng to inherit the family business,” Ding Zhao replied with a smile.
To inherit the family business…
The Emperor thought of his own efforts in raising the Crown Prince. A child who inherits the family business is naturally different from other children.
Then, the Emperor curiously asked, “I remember someone telling me that the Duan family in Jiangcheng also has a biological son. Where is that child? How is the Duan family treating him?”
Ding Zhao actually knew the answer. He had investigated the matter in advance to ensure he wouldn’t be caught off guard if asked about it.
“I heard that the Duan family’s young master is currently studying at Songshan Academy, learning from the great scholar Chen Qiting.”
The Emperor became interested when he heard this. “Chen Qiting? The one with the foul temper? I once wanted him to stay at the National Academy to teach, but he ran off. Now, he’s even willing to teach the son of a merchant? How much silver did the Duan family send him?”
Ding Zhao was at a loss for words. “Your Majesty, I do not know. I will look into it.”
The Emperor was very displeased. “That old rascal, Chen Qiting, you find out the truth. I want to see why he’s doing this. If it’s for the silver, I’ll have a good laugh at him.”
Ding Zhao quickly bowed and left to investigate the matter.
The Emperor, growing angrier the more he thought about it, didn’t know. Perhaps Consort Shu would know. With this thought in mind, he made his way to Cuiwei Palace.
In Cuiwei Palace, Consort Shu was reading a letter from her son when the Emperor suddenly entered without any prior announcement, startling her.
The Emperor’s gaze fell on the letter in Consort Shu’s hand. Her smile froze slightly.
