“I look upon her as a younger sister. She is forthright and straightforward by nature. She has no talent whatsoever for music, chess, calligraphy, or painting but when it comes to riding and archery, she is truly skilled. Although she is the daughter of Imperial Consort Dong, she is broad-minded and open-hearted. Next time you come to the palace, I will certainly have her come and meet you,” Zhou Hongbai explained.
Hearing him speak so highly of her, Lingyun said little. She had only met the girl once; she could not judge her based merely on her own impressions, so she simply listened to what Zhou Hongbai had to say.
“With such a personality, it is no wonder she grew up spending all her time with you, always practicing at the training ground and rarely returning home.”
Zhou Hongbai commanded the Imperial Guards and the Fifth Guard Battalion the very lifeline of the capital city. Naturally, he was extremely busy, but surely not so busy that he could never return home.
“Why? Has someone been complaining about me behind my back? You seem very eager to marry into my family. Otherwise, why are you so concerned about my household affairs?”
Zhou Hongbai wore a teasing, roguish grin. Lingyun simply turned her head away and remained silent.
This man could be incredibly difficult to deal with sometimes; she never knew quite how to respond to him.
Suddenly, the carriage jolted roughly. Caught off guard, Lingyun nearly fell over.
Hongbai quickly reached out and caught her, his arms encircling her slender waist.
She was even slimmer than he had imagined, lighter and more delicate than he had realized.
“Be careful, Yun’er. Otherwise, I might think you fell into my arms on purpose,” he whispered.
He leaned closer, and before she could react, he pressed a quick kiss to her cheek.
“You !” Lingyun pushed him away immediately, putting distance between them.
“How shameless! I am not even married to you yet how can you behave like this?”
“You will be my wife sooner or later. It is only a matter of time, early or late.”
“Shameless!” Lingyun turned her face away, refusing to speak. Her cheeks burned hot. Outside, the autumn sun blazed fiercely, yet the wind was cold.
But inside her heart, it was burning hot just like the midday sun.
“Miss, Young Duke, we have arrived.”
At the sound of Bao Yan’s voice, Lingyun felt immense relief and quickly prepared to leave.
But Hongbai pressed his hand on her shoulder, pulling her back into his embrace once more. “Yun’er, I will be very busy these next few days and won’t be able to come see you. But if anyone treats you unfairly or wrongs you in any way, come straight to me.”
Lingyun nodded, then stepped swiftly down from the carriage. Her cheeks were flushed pink, making her look even more lovely and charming.
His words had been deeply engraved upon her heart. Whether man or woman, life in this world was never easy.
But if you had someone standing behind you to support you, you naturally had the strength and confidence to face anything.
“Miss, why are your cheeks so red?” Bao Yan asked, seeing her flustered and hurried manner.
Lingyun shook her head, said nothing, and went straight to her room, wanting only to stay inside and not come out.
“Tell the servants I need to go through the account books. I will not be eating in the main hall today,” she ordered.
Money was extremely tight in the household, and everyone was still cutting back on expenses. She had heard that Cao Linglan, upset that she had not been able to buy new clothes for half a month, had thrown pots and smashed bowls in the main hall making a loud scene for everyone to see.
Perhaps she was doing it to provoke Lingyun, but Lingyun paid no attention. She did not care to look or listen. Let whoever wanted to see it, see it.
“Miss, the Young Duke sent over several fresh fish. They say they are best for making soup. I have already had the kitchen prepare it for you, so you can nourish your health a little,” Bao Yan said.
She looked at Lingyun, who was growing thinner day by day, and felt distressed. Managing the household was exhausting work. The higher one’s position and power, the more people tried to drag you down or cause your downfall.
“The Young Duke truly dotes on our Miss. He knew you love fish soup, so he had fish sent over, and he always stands firmly by your side. In my opinion, he is the perfect husband,” Rouge said, covering her mouth and smiling. If her mistress was happy, she was happy too.
“When our Miss marries him, that will truly be a life of blessing and good fortune. I’ve heard the Young Duke’s mother is generous and open-hearted, and comes from a long line of military generals. She is certain to like you very much.”
Our dynasty values literary talent over military might. All the noble families and marquesses compete to form marriage alliances with civil officials. If military families were to marry only among themselves, the Emperor himself would fear their growing power and influence, worrying they might destabilize the court.
But the Young Duke’s family had been civil officials for generations. It was only in his time that he took command of the army and the Imperial Guards an honor he owed entirely to his mother’s status and background.
“Young Master! You cannot go in! This is the inner quarters, the young lady’s private chambers! How dare you just barge in? What is the meaning of this? Our Miss is now the head of this household is this how you show respect to the one in charge?”
It was Cui’er, the maid outside the door, shouting loudly. It sounded as though someone was trying to force their way inside.
Lingyun stood up immediately. When she saw it was Cao Lingcheng, she understood perfectly well what was happening.
“Cui’er, step aside. Go and check on my fish soup and see if it is ready,” Lingyun said quickly, wanting to keep Cui’er out of harm’s way Cao Lingcheng looked as if he was ready to devour her alive.
“You still have the mind to drink fish soup? Do you not know the state this household is in? You forced my mother into confinement you really are quite something! I never realized before you had such cunning and cruel ways!”
Cao Lingcheng stormed in and started shouting and cursing at her. Lingyun remained calm and composed, sitting straight and looking at him steadily.
“I wondered what brought Elder Brother here. So you have come to question me about Aunt Peng. But her punishment was decided entirely by Father. It has absolutely nothing to do with me. If you truly want answers, you should go and ask Father himself.”
Lingyun knew she could not brush him off easily, nor did she intend to. She would meet force with force, and block every move he made.
“Is that so? You wash your hands of it very neatly! There is no silver or money left in this house, yet you sit here drinking fish soup. How wonderful for you! I suspect all the money has simply ended up in your own pocket!”
Cao Lingcheng stepped forward, but Rouge stood firmly in his way. Perhaps he knew it was shameful for a man to barge into a young lady’s quarters, yet he showed no sign of embarrassment or shame whatsoever.
“In my pocket? Are you saying I forced Aunt Peng to embezzle and hoard the silver for herself? Besides, these fish were sent to me by the Young Duke. If you think it is unfair, why don’t you ask him to send you some as well? That is, if you can persuade him to give it to you.”
Seeing Lingyun so calm and unhurried, Cao Lingcheng grew furious and lost his temper completely.
“You really do have a sharp tongue! But after all, you are only the daughter of a merchant family no better than a commoner, with no prospects or virtue!”
“That may well be true. But Father may have even less virtue or judgment, for he gave someone like me charge of the household. If Elder Brother truly believes I am worthless, you are welcome to take my place. If you cannot replace me, then you are even more worthless than I am.”
Lingyun’s stomach rumbled loudly. She could already smell the delicious aroma of the fish soup, yet this annoying man stood blocking her way.
“Cao Lingyun, you act big and important just because you have a little authority! Do you really think you are already married to the Young Duke? Think about it if that old marriage contract did not bind you together, would he ever look at you? You could never have reached his status in a hundred lifetimes!”
Lingyun’s eyes turned sharp and cold. She remembered the pain and suffering of her past life, and her heart filled with sadness.
“Elder Brother, no matter how bad or worthless I may be, I am still far better than Linglan. At least I have never done anything shameful, nor lost my virtue and disgraced the whole family’s reputation.”