“What good news?” Li Mama asked.
“Wangye is returning to the capital tomorrow!”
“Really?”
Li Quan nodded eagerly. “Yes, now let go!”
Li Mama immediately released his ear and pushed him aside, striding quickly toward the study.
Li Quan: …
Definitely his real mother!
He hurried after her.
When Mingxi heard Li Mama’s words, she was stunned at first, then overjoyed. She hadn’t expected him to return so soon. She looked at Li Quan. “Who gave you the message?”
“It came from someone by Guard Qi’s side. Miss, are you going to welcome Wangye tomorrow? I heard many citizens will be lining the road outside the city gates to celebrate his triumphant return.”
Mingxi paused.
Li Mama added, “Miss, this is such a great opportunity. You must go.”
Under normal circumstances, Mingxi would have gone.
But right now, with all that had happened in the Marquis Household, if she appeared in public, others would say she was afraid her golden turtle fiancé might slip away and was rushing to cling to him.
Mingxi wasn’t some monkey on a mountain, here to perform for people’s amusement.
Besides, the Marquis Household was at the center of a scandal. If she showed her face now, it might do more harm than good.
Better to stay quiet than to act rashly.
“I won’t go,” Mingxi shook her head.
“Miss! Wangye is returning in glory—how could you not go?” Li Mama tried to persuade her. What if Wangye was displeased?
Mingxi shook her head again. “Even if I went, it wouldn’t necessarily be good for Wangye. The Marquis Household is a laughingstock right now. Why drag him into it with me? Better not to appear.”
Li Mama froze, then angrily muttered, “Other fathers are always planning everything for their children, and when it comes to our young miss…”
With parents like this, no wonder her life was so hard.
Li Quan was dumbfounded too—she wasn’t going?
But… her words made so much sense. If she appeared now, she’d be an easy target.
But how were they going to explain this to Wangye?
Guard Qi’s messenger was waiting for a reply.
Li Quan, of course, was on his young miss’s side. If she didn’t want to go, then she wouldn’t go.
Since it was the eldest master who caused this mess, he should shoulder the consequences himself. Li Quan decided he’d explain everything truthfully to the messenger. If Wangye was unhappy—well, that was above his pay grade.
As long as his young miss was happy, that was all that mattered.
What Mingxi didn’t know was that the messenger who had passed the message to Li Quan had another mission as well.
Wangye’s return to the capital was soon known throughout the mansion, brought back by the third madam.
And then came the dilemma: to go or not to go?
The second and third madams came to consult Mingxi. After hearing what she had to say, they had no choice. Under these circumstances, it really was inappropriate for anyone from the Marquis Household to go.
“Will Wangye think we’re being disrespectful?” the second madam worried. “We don’t matter as much, but what about you, Mingxi?”
After all, Mingxi was Wangye’s fiancée. If she didn’t show up, who knew what rumors might fly?
Mingxi smiled and said, “Wangye is a generous and understanding man. He’ll surely understand my position. Don’t worry, Aunt.”
Their engagement was different from others, so there was no need to be overly concerned.
The second and third madams exchanged a glance and, seeing they couldn’t persuade her, went to report to the Old Madam.
The Old Madam didn’t say anything either but grew even angrier at her eldest son. At such a critical moment, he had caused such a disgrace that even Mingxi couldn’t show her face.
Such a disgrace of a son.
The next morning, the city gate was already packed with people, all waiting to welcome Duan Wang.
Xu Nanxi had secured a street-facing box and leaned on the windowsill, her brows furrowed in worry.
She had sent word to Mingxi, but she wasn’t coming.
She knew it was because of what the former Marquis had done. Many influential families in the capital were already eyeing the engagement, and now, with Duan Wang’s military success and the Marquis Household’s disgrace… who knew what would become of the marriage?
As she was deep in thought, Liu Yunhua and Yao Yuni arrived. Chu Qingying wasn’t there today. When the two entered and didn’t see Mingxi, they asked about her.
After learning she wasn’t coming, Yao Yuni said, “It’s probably for the best. Saves her from hearing all those nasty remarks. No need to upset herself.”
“Who did you hear that from?” Xu Nanxi asked.
“Who else could it be? That group of people like Li Peilan, who’ve never liked Mingxi.”
Liu Yunhua added, “Yunyi just had a quarrel with them.”
Xu Nanxi looked at Yao Yunyi in surprise. “Really?”
Yao Yunyi still looked angry as she replied, “As soon as I saw Li Peilan, I thought of Li Weisu. Truly a crooked vine bears bad fruit—not a decent one among them.”
Li Weisu had once tried to force Yao Yunyi into marriage, which had caused deep enmity between their families. Now that Li Peilan had been speaking ill of Mingxi behind her back and was overheard by Yao Yunyi, of course she couldn’t tolerate it and immediately had a fight with her.
So what if Li Peilan had the Empress and Crown Prince backing her?
Their Guangxiang Marquis Manor wasn’t some pushover!
Xu Nanxi said, “What’s done is done. Don’t stay angry. Duke Cao didn’t get his way and even got scolded by His Majesty. Tried to steal a chicken, ended up losing the rice—Li Peilan’s probably fuming just from seeing you.”
“They’re the ones who did something shameful, yet they have the nerve to criticize others,” Liu Yunhua said with a frown. “Didn’t think she was this kind of person before. We should keep our distance from her in the future.”
As they were talking, the crowd outside suddenly roared, and someone shouted, “Duan Wang is entering the city!”
Instantly, the windows of the rooms lining the street were flung open.
Xu Nanxi hadn’t seen her cousin in a long time. She leaned out the window, half her body poking out, gazing toward the city gate.
The Emperor had sent the Minister of War to welcome Duan Wang, so the vanguard of the procession was the Ministry’s carriage. Immediately behind that rode Duan Wang on a tall horse, clad in silver armor, exuding a fierce aura. A long sword hung at his waist, and his posture was straight as a rod. Despite the cheers rising on both sides of the street, he didn’t even glance sideways.
“I’ve always heard that Duan Wang is good-looking, but why does he seem even more handsome today?” Yao Yunyi sighed in admiration.
“He defeated Qinan and drove them back to their homeland. Duan Wang is a brave and skilled warrior—like a god of war descended to earth. Of course he’s heroic and dashing, unmatched by any,” Liu Yunhua chimed in with praise.
A true hero like Duan Wang was naturally incomparable to the pale scholars in the city who couldn’t even lift a chicken.
Xu Nanxi listened to her friends praise her cousin and couldn’t help feeling proud.
The only regret was that Mingxi hadn’t come to witness her cousin’s majestic return—what a shame!
Scented sachets, handkerchiefs, and fans rained down like an avalanche onto Xiao Muchen. He kept a straight face, nudging his horse subtly with his legs, making it gradually speed up.
Minister of War: …
Don’t think I didn’t see that!
While others wished they could parade down the entire street, Duan Wang, on the other hand, looked like he couldn’t wait to disappear from it.
