Chapter 151: I Am Here to Join You
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
The night was misty, and lights glimmered everywhere.
Rong Che had just returned home after escorting Madam Xu.
The Stabilizing Duke’s Manor was brightly lit. As soon as he stepped inside—
The Stabilizing Duke and the Old Madam sat solemnly in the hall, their gazes fixed on him with an intensity that made the air seem heavier.
A maid quietly closed the door behind him.
“Care to explain?” The Old Madam held a steaming teacup, the rising mist barely concealing the curiosity in her sharp eyes.
“So ostentatious!”
“I knew something was odd about you today! Bathing in broad daylight, washing your hair, and slathering yourself with fragrance, trying to look all refined and cultured.”
“Normally, you can’t stand dressing up like that,” the Stabilizing Duke declared loudly.
Rong Che pressed his lips together and said nothing.
“If you won’t speak, tomorrow I’ll introduce Shi Yun to a few fine young men. That child is so thoughtful. It’s just a pity that someone doesn’t know how to cherish her…” The Old Madam’s words trailed off as Rong Che abruptly dropped to his knees.
A sudden surrender: “Mother, Mother, your son… your son…” Rong Che sighed deeply.
“Your son… is enamored… with Shi Yun.”
At this confession, the Stabilizing Duke exhaled heavily, his entire demeanor relaxing. His furrowed brows eased into relief.
“I told you, he still likes women! You, on the other hand, thought he fancied men but was too shy to admit it.”
The Old Madam glared at him.
“If you hadn’t encountered Shi Yun today, were you planning to keep this hidden from us forever?”
“And eighteen years ago, was it Shi Yun you admired back then too?” The Old Madam’s piercing gaze seemed to strip away all pretenses. Rong Che, acting as though possessed, had been peculiar today. She could see through him in an instant.
After a brief silence, Rong Che nodded lightly.
The Old Madam’s expression turned into a mixture of heartbreak and frustration.
“Just like your father! Silent as a rock! Even let someone else steal your bride! Useless fool!”
“If you had spoken even a word, I could have made inquiries at the Xu household!”
Her finger jabbed dangerously close to Rong Che’s forehead.
“Mother, I beg for your help.” Rong Che thickened his skin and implored her.
The Old Madam snorted. “Now you’re anxious?”
“Shi Yun has a son and a daughter. She is stunning, wealthy, free, and mistress of her household. She doesn’t have to serve in-laws. Her life is so perfect. Why would she want to jump back into a pit?”
The Old Madam cast him a sidelong glance. “If you don’t show absolute sincerity, why should she ever consider marrying again?”
Rong Che scratched his head. His mother’s words seemed reasonable.
The Old Madam waved her hand dismissively. “Bring out the Eldest Young Master’s luggage.”
Rong Che’s eyes widened in astonishment.
A pile of belongings was unceremoniously dumped at his feet.
“You’ve been single for over thirty years. Do you think you’re doing our ancestors proud? Starting today, you’re not living at home. Go show your sincerity…” The Old Madam gestured as though sweeping him out. How could a man living on opposite ends of the city cultivate any feelings?
Rong Che was utterly dumbfounded.
How had this led to him being kicked out?
“Mother… Mother, open the door!” Rong Che banged on the door, but the little maid blocked his way.
“General, please don’t make things difficult for this servant. You should leave…”
Helpless, Rong Che wandered the streets on horseback, aimlessly meandering through the city.
Eventually, he stopped before the Lu family’s residence.
He had spent a fortune to buy the property next door, separated from Madam Xu’s home by only a wall.
…
At the Stabilizing Duke’s Manor:
“Did the Eldest Young Master leave?” the Old Madam asked.
“He left, he left. Headed straight toward the Lu residence,” the maid replied.
The Old Madam’s face lit up with satisfaction.
“I always knew Shi Yun had no desire to remarry. Fine then, let’s… join her!”
“We’ll marry off Rong Che!”
The Old Madam clasped her hands together, wheeling herself into the moonlight, bowing toward the heavens several times. “Blessed Bodhisattva, blessed Yue Lao, my son has finally come to his senses.”
“Quickly, write a letter to inform Her Majesty the Empress that Rong Che has someone in his heart.”
“Tell the front courtyard not to dig up the ancestral tomb for now. Leave it buried; it seems the feng shui there is good.”
“Tomorrow, slaughter some pigs and sheep and prepare offerings for our ancestors.”
“That fall of mine was a blessing, truly a blessing,” the Old Madam declared, her face full of joy.
Wonderful! Wonderful! Once, she had thought Rong Che would remain single forever.
Later, she had feared he preferred men.
But now, he liked women, and not just any woman—Shi Yun herself. Ah, such excellent taste.
Her foolish son, though, she wondered if he could win Shi Yun’s favor.
“We must learn from the mistakes of the Marquis Zhongyong’s household. That shameless family bullied Shi Yun terribly. She must harbor deep resentment toward marriage.” The Old Madam pondered carefully.
The Stabilizing Duke snorted. “If that brat dares to keep a mistress, I’ll cut him in two myself.”
“The Old Madam of the Marquis Zhongyong’s household had no sense either. We won’t be so foolish.”
The elderly couple was too excited to sleep, thrilled by their son’s newfound clarity.
…
Meanwhile, Madam Xu sat by her bed, lost in thought.
In her childhood, she was pampered, her parents not even allowing her to learn needlework.
After marrying Lu Yuan Ze and serving the Old Madam, she had stitched countless items, pricking her fingers innumerable times.
But not a single thing she gifted had been cherished.
Yet a clay figurine she had casually made years ago—Rong Che had preserved it for nearly twenty years.
To say her heart was unmoved would be a lie.
“Mother, why are you still awake?” Lu Yan Shu knocked and entered. The examination results were soon to be announced, and he had been exceptionally busy of late.
“I heard you saved the Old Madam of the Stabilizing Duke’s household today. Did you meet General Rong?”
Madam Xu coughed lightly and nodded gently.
“Mother, you’ve toiled for the Marquis’ household for eighteen years, endured scheming and deceit, and never received true affection.”
“You deserve better.” That marriage had been a lie from the start.
“Whether you choose to remarry or not, I will always support you.”
Lu Yan Shu had been quietly using his connections to investigate Rong Che.
Rong Che was, indeed, an exceptional man.
Madam Xu shook her head. “I won’t leave you or your siblings. My life now is already fulfilling.” Her gaze was resolute. Her son and her little Chao Chao had never been loved enough.
How could she bear to leave them?
Little did she know, the Rong family had no intention of her leaving.
“Don’t worry about me. Tomorrow, the results will be posted. Are you confident?”
Lu Yan Shu’s expression showed a touch of pride. “Mother, I will achieve the Triple Crown of Excellence and bring you honor.”
“Go to bed early. Tomorrow, we’ll attend the palace banquet.”
Every three years, the Four Nations held talks, showcasing their strength.
All ranked noblewomen in the capital would enter the palace.
After Lu Yan Shu left, Madam Xu tucked in little Chao Chao before finally going to bed herself.
…
In the Southern Kingdom:
“Have you located the Divine Descension?” A white-haired, white-browed elder asked urgently.
“No, not yet.”
“Strange. The Chief Deity hasn’t descended for a thousand years. How could they be summoned now? And…”
“The bestowed offering… was a roasted chicken?” They flipped through every Divine Book, yet no explanation emerged.
“Could the summoner be an extraordinary hermit?”
The Southern Kingdom was a nation devoted to divine worship, venerating gods of strength, war, life, and fortune.
Their High Priest served the Judicial Deity, Zong Bai.
“This year’s Four Nations’ talks will take place in Northern Zhao. Will anyone attend?” the High Priest asked.
A faint sneer appeared on their faces. “They can’t even comprehend the divine will or summon a god. What a waste of time!”
And yet, the instigator of the Divine Summoning lay asleep, smacking their lips contentedly in their dreams.