Seventh Brother’s words had little effect. Second Master Nian thought: A copycat! Other people dream, and now you have to dream too?
Second Madam Nian believed him even less. In her view, her son’s sore neck after waking up was nothing more than a stiff neck from sleeping awkwardly.
Only Nian Chujiu, looking at Seventh Brother’s lively face and those bright, sparkling eyes, felt her heart ache as if it were breaking apart. She had to clench her fists tightly to keep her emotions in check. “I originally thought it was only a ridiculous nightmare too. But the moment I woke up, news arrived from outside that the Gu family had sent people to break off the engagement.”
Yin Ying suddenly recalled that ever since her daughter had awakened from a nightmare yesterday morning, she had seemed like a different person.
After learning of the Gu family’s betrayal, her daughter had immediately said with absolute certainty: “The Gu family doesn’t really want to cancel the engagement. They’re forcing me to become Gu Jiangzhi’s concubine.”
A chill of unease rose in Yin Ying’s heart. Could her daughter’s dream actually be real?
Then she heard her daughter continue: “It was exactly the same as in my dream. Later, when Gu Jiangzhi came to visit, I pretended to remain calm and deliberately tested him with my words.”
“And the result…” Nian Chujiu’s throat tightened. Tears filled her eyes again, blurring her vision. “Gu Jiangzhi threatened me. He said that if I didn’t bring my dowry and obediently enter the Gu household as a concubine, our Nian family shouldn’t dream of leaving the capital alive.”
Second Master Nian had a temper like a lit firecracker. “What does the Gu family think they are? They just got lucky and were awarded an empty marquis title by the new dynasty, and now they really think they’re the rulers of heaven and earth!”
Humiliation and frustration weighed down the entire room.
Wiping away her tears, Nian Chujiu took a deep breath and looked straight at Old Madam Nian. “Grandmother, the Gu family itself may not be that frightening. What’s truly frightening is that imperial consort in the palace and the web of influence she can weave. If she joins forces with those with ulterior motives and uses their combined power…”
The Nian family would be like a fish trapped in that net, with no way to heaven and no path into the earth. Leaving the capital was by no means the best solution. It would merely mean exchanging one slaughterhouse for another, more remote one. The best solution was to rise again where one had fallen.
Old Madam Nian stared at her granddaughter. A sharp glint flashed through her aged eyes. At last, she understood. This granddaughter had knelt here for so long, weeping as she laid dream and reality side by side before everyone. She had undoubtedly already formulated a plan.
Old Madam Nian did not believe in prophetic dreams. But she did believe in her granddaughter’s meticulous mind.
This child had always been different. Back when they still lived at the old Ding’an residence, she would squat by the courtyard wall, watching ants carry food and birds return to their nests. Then she’d look up and accurately predict whether the next day would be sunny or rainy. By observing bark and branches, she could tell exactly when the old plum tree in the Northern Garden would bloom its first flower.
She was also the one who, seeing panic in travelers’ expressions and sensing the aura of war hidden among the stars, foresaw the age’s collapse. Quietly, she secured control of the immensely profitable salt and iron trades before they came under regulation.
To put it plainly, while others were displaced and ruined by the era’s turmoil, the Nian family not only emerged unscathed but also secretly amassed enormous wealth.
And Nian Chujiu had played a huge role in all of it. Her precious granddaughter was the Nian family’s greatest treasure.
Old Madam Nian saw the vigorous ambition blazing in the girl’s eyes and spoke slowly: “Jiaojiao, are you asking me to break the Nian family’s ancestral teachings?”
The Nian family invested in power but never entered officialdom. They guarded their mountains of gold and silver among the common people, staying far from the open and hidden dangers of court politics.
Many people in the room unconsciously quickened their breathing. Especially the hot-blooded young men of the younger generation. It felt as though a fire had been stuffed into their chests, burning their throats dry and heating their eyes.
What young man didn’t dream of riding across the realm? What man didn’t have at least a trace of hot blood flowing through his veins? Yet the Nian family’s ancestral rules were like iron bands, confining them early on to abacuses, ledgers, and mercantile trade. They couldn’t move.
Nian Chujiu’s expression remained calm. She offered no defense. Instead, she bowed deeply once more. In the most respectful posture possible, she prostrated herself, her forehead pressed tightly against her folded hands.
Her voice came from below, steady. “Grandmother, please see clearly. I dare not speak lightly of breaking or establishing traditions. But I know that the Nian family has reached a critical moment that will determine its survival or extinction. The old rules are mountains. They may keep out gentlemen, but they cannot stop wolves and jackals. If we do not break old conventions and seek a new path today, there may be no descendants of the Nian family left tomorrow.”
Raising her head, Nian Chujiu’s eyes reflected the candlelight, shining brightly. Facing Old Madam Nian, she knocked her head heavily against the floor three times. After the third bow, she straightened up. A faint redness had appeared on her forehead. Her eyes were crystal clear, filled with a resolve that left no room for retreat. “I beg Grandmother, for the sake of preserving the Nian bloodline, keeping our ancestral incense burning, and ensuring the survival of every member of our clan, allow us to do extraordinary things and seek an extraordinary alliance!”
A long silence followed. No one dared make a sound.
Only after a very long time did Old Madam Nian finally speak. “Everyone, stand up and talk. You’ve all been kneeling there so long. If outsiders saw this, they’d think you officials were attending court.”
The first to laugh was Seventh Brother, Nian Jincheng. He simply couldn’t help himself. Grinning foolishly, he was immediately glared at by both his parents and promptly shut his mouth with a wounded expression.
No one considered Old Madam’s words disrespectful to the new dynasty. After all, thrones may endure, but emperors come and go. Today the ruler’s surname might be Dongli. Tomorrow, who knows?
In these times, anyone might become the next sovereign.
In truth, Old Madam Nian’s words carried a deeper meaning. “Do extraordinary things and seek an extraordinary alliance. Jiaojiao, are you proposing to offer the salt and iron industries to the new dynasty in exchange for a stepping stone into official circles?”
Nian Chujiu’s lips curved obediently. “Grandmother understands me.”
Once everyone had risen and the elders sat down again, she moved closer and sat on a small stool beside her grandmother.
Then she said earnestly: “No matter what, we can’t keep hold of the salt and iron industries forever. In our hands, they are a treasure that invites disaster. Rather than keeping them, we should offer them to the new dynasty as our pledge of loyalty.”
Since she was looking for a backer, she would naturally choose the biggest one possible.
If Emperor Guangqi lacked money, she would give him money. If Emperor Guangqi lacked people, she would give him people.
Old Madam Nian’s sharp eyes gleamed. “And what if Emperor Guangqi can’t hold onto the throne?”
After a long silence, Nian Chujiu lowered her gaze. “Grandmother, which explanation would you like to hear?”
Old Madam Nian blinked in surprise. The sharpness in her eyes softened into warmth and amusement, and she laughed heartily.
The moment the family matriarch laughed, the entire room followed.
“How many explanations do you have, then?” she asked, pinching her granddaughter’s cheek.
“I have two.” Nian Chujiu raised her head, held her grandmother’s wrinkled hand, and smiled slightly. “First, in my dream, the Dongli clan sat on the Dragon Throne for thirteen years and four months.”
Even down to the extra four months!
Old Madam Nian kept smiling, unwilling to spoil her granddaughter’s spirits. Even if it was merely a fabricated story, it was for the family’s good. Still, she couldn’t help worrying.
Then Nian Chujiu continued: “Second, ever since the Dongli clan rose in rebellion and began competing for the realm, their military discipline has stood far above every other army. Along my journey here, I’ve heard the saying: ‘Freeze to death, but never tear down a home; starve to death, but never plunder.’ At the very least, the momentum they’ve created today is supported by the people’s hearts. On that basis alone, the Dongli clan’s hold on the throne will remain unshaken for at least the next ten years.”