Duan Mingxi returned to the Marquis Residence without mentioning a word about the matter. Meanwhile, Duan Yu, who had just started his new role, came back with a face full of worry.
It was clear things hadn’t gone smoothly.
Madam Xiao noticed her husband’s gloomy expression and thought to herself that her husband was useless—seeking his advice would be a waste of time.
The Old Master’s health hadn’t been good lately, so they didn’t dare disturb him with such trivial matters.
“How about we ask Eldest Meimei?” Madam Xiao’s eyes lit up.
Duan Yu: …
For some reason, he felt a bit afraid of this younger sister of his now.
The siblings hadn’t met many times, but every encounter had been unpleasant, leaving him with a face that resembled a bitter melon.
Seeing her husband’s expression, Madam Xiao was so frustrated that she ground her teeth. Ignoring his reluctance, she went to her personal storage and selected a set of white jade jewelry intricately carved and embedded with rubies. It was part of her dowry, and parting with it felt like a stab to her heart.
Duan Yu glanced at it, surprised, and looked at his wife.
Madam Xiao snapped, “What? Were you planning to go empty-handed? Eldest Meimei helped you secure your position, and you haven’t even thanked her yet. Consider this a token of appreciation.”
Duan Yu scratched his head awkwardly and muttered, “We’re family—why all the formalities?”
Madam Xiao nearly rolled her eyes at him. Your family—did you ever consider if she even wants to be part of it?
Dragging her husband along, they headed to Mingxi’s place. Meanwhile, Mingxi had just finished consolidating the accounts for several shops and handed them over to Li Quan to deliver to the Old Master for review.
First, she wanted to reassure the old Old Master that her promise to bring income to the Marquisate was genuine.
Second, it was an opportunity to showcase her own abilities to the Old Master.
As soon as Li Quan left, Duan Yu and his wife arrived.
When the two siblings met, the atmosphere was somewhat awkward.
Having come all this way, Duan Yu decided to let go of his pride as the elder brother. This time, he sincerely expressed his gratitude to Mingxi.
Duan Mingxi invited them to sit, instructed the servant girls to serve tea, and then asked, “Elder brother, sister-in-law, your visit today must be for something, right?”
Duan Yu cleared his throat awkwardly, finding it difficult to bring up his troubles in officialdom. Asking for advice from his younger sister felt particularly uncomfortable.
Madam Xiao discreetly nudged her husband under the table. Say something!
Still, Duan Yu couldn’t muster the courage to speak.
Frustrated, Madam Xiao took matters into her own hands. She placed a brocade box in front of Mingxi and said with a smile, “This is a small token of appreciation from your elder brother. Younger sister, you’ve done him such a huge favor. We truly don’t know how to properly thank you.”
Duan Mingxi glanced at the brocade box. “Sister-in-law, you’re too kind.”
“We know you don’t lack material things, but it’s just a small gesture from us,” Madam Xiao said warmly. Then she changed the subject, “You see, your elder brother had some trouble today on his first day at his new post. How should we handle this?”
Hearing this, Duan Mingxi turned her gaze to Duan Yu.
Duan Yu’s face turned red as he avoided her eyes.
Duan Mingxi sighed inwardly. This needs work. If he doesn’t toughen up, all my effort in getting him this position will be wasted.
“This is entirely normal.”
Duan Yu looked up in surprise. “Normal?”
Was this not his fault? He felt a strange sense of relief.
“You didn’t get the position through the civil service exam or merit-based promotion. Why would things go smoothly?”
Duan Yu: “!”
Madam Xiao stifled a laugh but quickly put on a serious face to spare her husband’s dignity.
“Watch your tone,” Duan Yu said, though even his reprimand lacked conviction.
“I’m only stating facts.”
Well, that was true. Duan Yu slumped in his seat, feeling resigned.
“But, elder brother, what are you afraid of? The six ministries are full of officials who obtained their positions in a similar manner. You’re just one among many.”
Duan Yu knew this, of course. But being unfamiliar with the work of the Military Selection Division, he felt lost and overwhelmed by the hostility from his colleagues, unsure how to handle it.
“I just don’t feel confident.”
“With your current attitude, you’ll never feel confident.”
Duan Yu nearly spat blood. Did she have to be so blunt?
“There’s an old saying, elder brother: Soft fears hard, hard fears ruthless, and ruthless fears those who aren’t afraid of death. If you want to make a mark, you must be the one who isn’t afraid of anything.”
Duan Yu couldn’t hold back anymore. What are you, a bandit leader?
“You… can’t govern like that!”
“Why not? The kind of person you are determines the kind of official you’ll be. If your colleagues and superiors were paragons of virtue, would you have gotten this position?”
Good point!
“Then how do I act like someone who’s fearless?” Duan Yu asked earnestly.
Duan Mingxi fell silent for a moment. She wasn’t expecting such a direct question. Does this even need explaining?
Madam Xiao: …
“The people in the Military Selection Division are all seasoned schemers. You’ll never outmaneuver them in games of wit. Don’t bother trying to play their game. Focus on your responsibilities. You have aides and subordinates—how hard can it be to manage your tasks?
“If someone sets a trap for you, kick it down. Just be straightforward and let them know you’re not to be trifled with.”
Duan Yu mulled over her words, half-understanding them. Then it clicked. Mingxi was advising him to take the direct approach and act with pure honesty.
He liked that. It suited him.
“But what if I offend someone?” Duan Yu asked, still uncertain. What if no one’s there to back me up?
Duan Mingxi gave him a pointed look. “There’s only one rule: as long as you’re in the right.”
Duan Yu understood now. If I catch them making mistakes, it’s fair game. I have backing.
Madam Xiao felt something was off. Looking between her husband, who was now brimming with confidence, and her composed sister-in-law, she began to doubt herself.
Afterward, Madam Xiao stayed behind to speak with Mingxi privately. Duan Yu left, eager to plan his first move to assert dominance and vent his frustrations from the day.
Once he was gone, Madam Xiao shared a tidbit of gossip. “I heard the Deqing Marquisate is in turmoil. Whether Fu Hongxiao will marry into the Eastern Palace is uncertain.”
Duan Mingxi hadn’t heard this yet and pondered aloud, “Didn’t the Deqing Marquisate request help from the Guangxiang Marquisate?”
“They did, but Guangxiang Marquisate isn’t foolish enough to involve themselves in this. Still, the Guangxiang Marchioness did visit Consort De in the palace. I doubt she brought back good news.”
That wasn’t surprising. Even Duan Wang had approached Mingxi for a secret alliance.
Though Gan Li didn’t end up becoming Crown Princess, and Fu Hongxiao received the title of Liangdi, she wouldn’t be competing with Fu Jingshu for marriage anymore. That was at least one silver lining in this whirlwind of chaos.
As for her own engagement to Duan Wang, Mingxi wasn’t happy. But she’d rather this than enter the Eastern Palace.
The root of the problem was her lack of power. She couldn’t control her marriage and was at the mercy of the palace’s arrangements.
With that in mind, Mingxi turned to Madam Xiao. “Has there been any word about the selection of the Crown Princess?”
Madam Xiao hesitated, wearing a difficult expression. “A name has been mentioned, but I’m not sure if it’s true. If it is, things are about to get very interesting.”
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