Su Yuze opened his mouth, but he didn’t know what to say.
He and his mother had no one to rely on in this household. Though no one openly bullied them, they endured constant disdain and veiled hostility. Growing up in such circumstances, he had never dreamed of achieving greatness—he only hoped to live a peaceful life.
He still remembered when the results of the county-level examination were announced. Father praised him for his promising future, and he was overjoyed. But when he turned and met the jealous gaze of his second brother, his heart sank halfway.
His birth mother had been a servant to the mother of his second brother and eldest sister.
Su Yuze had known this since he was a child.
He had never thought, nor dared, to compete with them.
In the days following the county-level examination, although his second brother never said it outright, his cold demeanor, deliberate exclusion and isolation at the Su family’s private school, and the intentional slander he spread to Father upon returning home—all of it made Su Yuze realize that he shouldn’t have performed so well in the exam.
So, in the next policy essay examination held by the school, he deliberately wrote a mess. Though Father was disappointed, he didn’t pay much attention to a mere concubine-born son and only scolded him a few times before letting it go. In contrast, his second brother’s attitude toward him genuinely softened.
As long as life became easier, that was enough.
And so, he lived year after year in mediocrity and timidity. In the quiet of the night, he would secretly take out the yellowed scrolls hidden in his chest and read them. Occasionally, inspired, he would write policy essays, only to burn them to ashes once he regained his senses.
On the day his second brother passed the imperial examination, the household was decorated with lanterns and streamers, firecrackers crackled, and the celebratory banquet was filled with clinking glasses and laughter. Father’s joy was so unrestrained…
Su Yuze sat alone in a corner, watching. It was the first time since he had grown up that tears welled in his eyes.
Now, his sister was telling him to take the imperial examination, to walk the path he had personally abandoned.
“I… I understand…”
Su Yuze stood up in a daze, then took the box back with both hands. “I… I’ll go back now. Thank you.”
The last three words were spoken as softly as a mosquito’s hum.
Su Yuewu had no idea that her impulsive words had brought such a profound shock to Su Yuze.
He walked back as if treading on cotton, his soul seemingly lost. His wife was sitting on the couch in the outer room, doing needlework for their young daughter. Seeing him looking as if he had seen a ghost, she was startled.
“Husband, what’s wrong with you?”
Su Yuze shook his head, muttered “It’s nothing,” and walked straight into the inner chamber.
Lady Qi, unable to rest easy, followed him inside. There, she saw her husband squatting in front of a large camphorwood chest, pulling out several thick volumes of books and placing them on his knees. Then, he plopped down on the floor, staring at the book covers with a despondent expression.
Lady Qi walked over and glanced at the silver note box he had tossed aside. “What are you doing? I ask, and you don’t answer. You look half-dead. What, you didn’t give the money to our eldest sister, but instead gave away your soul?”
Su Yuze looked up at his wife, his long eyelashes trembling slightly, his tone dejected. “Wife, my books are ruined.”
Lady Qi followed his gaze and only then noticed that the books had been eaten by insects to the point of being unrecognizable.
“When I first married and was tidying up, I asked you if these books were for reading. You said no, so I packed them away at the bottom of the chest. Now that they’re ruined by insects, who’s to blame?”
Su Yuze lowered his eyes guiltily and muttered softly, “It’s my fault. I didn’t say it was yours…”
Lady Qi couldn’t help but chuckle at his expression, squatting down beside him. “Alright, stop looking so miserable. Tell me, what made you think of looking for books?”
Su Yuze’s eyes flickered slightly as he recounted everything that had just happened to his wife.
“Well done!” Lady Qi’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Ever since I married you, I always thought you were just a handsome but useless piece of cake. I never imagined you had the makings of a scholar—you’re actually somewhat useful!”
Su Yuze gazed at his wife with hopeful eyes, the corners of his mouth gradually curving upward. But just as they reached halfway, a forceful slap sent him lurching forward, and he winced with a pained “ouch.”
“You had this talent all along and never said a word! If it weren’t for your eldest sister, Yu Jie’er and I would have wasted our lives with you!”
The more Lady Qi thought about it, the angrier she became. Her willow-leaf brows arched sharply, and she raised her hand as if to strike him again. Su Yuze quickly threw himself forward, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist. “I know I was wrong. Please, my lady, considering how I’ve suffered since childhood, unloved by both father and mother, won’t you let it go?”
Seeing him act this way, even Lady Qi’s greatest anger dissipated. She clicked her tongue twice. “Fine, fine. Get up quickly. Make a list of the books you need, along with brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. I’ll send someone to buy them all at once. Honestly, how old are you? You still lack composure when things happen.”
Su Yuze immediately hugged her even tighter, moved to a soft whimper. “My lady…”
“Last night, Lotus Fragrance Courtyard was in chaos all night. The master went to fetch Imperial Physician Zhang, but he happened to be on duty at the palace. So the master summoned all the renowned physicians in the capital one by one. Several doctors worked together to treat her, and it wasn’t until dawn today that Concubine Yun finally regained consciousness.”
Su Yuewu listened to the maid’s report while having her breakfast, nodding at the end and instructing Luzhi to give a reward and see the messenger out properly.
She lowered her gaze, stirring the still-steaming green bean and lily porridge in her bowl, murmuring softly, “How truly deep and meaningful their affection is…”
Her thoughts gradually drifted as Su Yuewu recalled what she had recently uncovered.
Madam Yun was a distant cousin from a very remote branch of the Su family, a daughter of a concubine. She had lived with the Su family since childhood and could be said to have grown up with Father.
But Grandfather would naturally never allow Father to marry someone of such lowly background.
So Madam Yun set her sights on Mother.
Mother had a beautiful name: Jiang Fuyun. The Jiang family ancestors had once held the highest offices for four generations, enjoying immense glory. However, deeply understanding that extreme prosperity inevitably leads to decline, they gradually withdrew from public life. Except for a few clan members who remained in court, most followed the main branch and relocated to Qingzhou for a quiet life.
The reason Mother came to the capital that year was because she suffered from a severe congenital weakness. Hearing that a miracle-working doctor had traveled to the capital, specializing in treating such difficult and rare illnesses, she came with her elder brother to seek treatment.
The treatment went smoothly. The miracle doctor cured Mother’s illness, and the wife of the Duke of Chengguo played a significant role in facilitating the connection. So when the Duchess held her birthday banquet, Mother prepared generous gifts to offer congratulations.
Mother was unfamiliar with the capital, and her gentle, shy nature made her appear somewhat overly reserved at the banquet.
Madam Yun, also attending the banquet, was troubled about finding a suitable main wife for herself. Seeing Mother’s honest, inarticulate demeanor was exactly what she had hoped for. Upon learning that Mother’s family had lived in Qingzhou for generations and had no connections in the capital, she grew even more excited.
She went back and urged Father to seek a marriage with Mother. Father was initially unwilling, but the moment he saw Mother, he fell in love at first sight.
He proposed to the eldest maternal uncle, only to be thoroughly rejected. In the end, it was Madam Yun who came up with an idea: to seduce Mother into a secret affair.
The plan went smoothly. Father was naturally handsome and elegant in both appearance and demeanor, and with Concubine Yun—who understood the hearts of young girls best—offering advice by his side, he quickly won Mother’s heart.
By the time the eldest maternal uncle found out, it was already too late to turn things around.
Mother married Father, but Madam Yun never expected that the cousin who had promised to take her in as a noble concubine after marrying would delay bringing up the matter again after gaining a wife.
She placed all her resentment on Mother’s head, so after years of scheming, she brought her daughter to demand recognition while Mother was pregnant, delivering a fatal blow.
Su Yuewu still remembers to this day: Mother lying in so much blood, barely clinging to life yet still mustering the strength to reach out and cover her eyes, gently saying, “Wu’er, don’t look…”