"What are you thinking, brother?" She paused for a moment and said, "I only know him by nodding acquaintance. What other contact could we possibly have?" Duan Zhirou noticed a meaningful look in her brother's eyes. After thinking about it again, she seemed less certain. Feeling a bit flustered, she hurriedly said goodbye and turned to leave.
When Uncle Zhong came in, he was taken aback to see Duan Zhirou leave in a hurry. When Duan Tingzhen asked him about Xu Zhaoqi, he said, "Anyone with eyes can see that Young Master Xu is indeed interested in the Sixth Miss, but from what I've observed these past few days, his words and actions have been quite proper, and he hasn't done anything out of line. As for the young lady, I can't tell what she's thinking." After saying that, he handed the book to Duan Tingzhen: "You wanted the book that this old servant found."
He took the book, said nothing else, and said to Shi Mo, "Bring me paper and pen."
Although Shi Mo was unaware of what was going on, he didn't slow down and quickly laid out the paper and pen.
Duan Tingzhen didn't sleep a wink that night.
In fact, besides mentioning his sister's marriage, his fourth uncle's letter also brought up something else, which was the important thing to him.
A small family that was dependent on the Duan family used to have a trade route on the border. They made a living by passing through the territory of the northern barbarians and trading with several small countries there. A few years ago, the barbarians and the Great Chu were fighting fiercely, and the family had to cut off this source of income.
In the middle of this year, a truce finally broke out, and their minds began to wander, remembering this source of wealth once again. That family's caravan, being regular customers, was much more cautious than the newcomers and had connections. On one occasion, they even discovered that there was a dispute within the barbarian tribe. After much thought, they dared not hide it and secretly told the Duan family.
When the Duan family learned of this news, they realized it was a serious matter. They pretended it was a letter from the Third Master to his daughter and delivered the message to Duan Tingzhen.
The following day at court, when Duan Tingzhen brought up the matter, opinions differed. Some felt it was a rare opportunity, while others thought that the previous war had lasted for several years, leaving the national treasury empty, and that reigniting the conflict at this time would be detrimental to the country.
Meng Chifeng sat to one side, seemingly indifferent, sipping his tea. Someone couldn't help but ask him, "What is the Prince of Jin's opinion on this matter?"
“In my opinion, regardless of whether my Great Chu intervenes or not, this dispute is inevitable,” he said. “When the peace was negotiated in the spring, the chief’s eldest son was unhappy. Now that his father is gone, no one can suppress him. It’s hard to say whether he will accept the agreement.”
"So, does the prince support war?"
"I didn't say that." He leaned back lazily in his chair and said, "Going to the battlefield to risk your life is nothing compared to the comfort of the capital. Enjoying wealth and luxury, with beautiful women by your side, isn't that wonderful?"
The minister, stung by his words, immediately blushed. Duan Tingzhen frowned and changed the subject, asking, "How many spies are left over there?"
Another minister dressed as a military officer said, "When the fighting was at its fiercest, the barbarians went crazy, killing anyone suspected, regardless of whether it was true or false, and they lost a lot of manpower. These days they are still on high alert. Newcomers can't climb to high positions, and the old ones dare not move. It will be difficult to get any information."
Upon hearing this, everyone couldn't help but sigh. In the end, they couldn't come up with anything, so they could only send a message to the border soldiers, ordering them to be on high alert and not to let their guard down, lest they be caught off guard.
After their conversation, Meng Chifeng didn't leave but stayed with Duan Tingzhen. Duan Tingzhen was reviewing official documents, and Meng Chifeng didn't disturb him. He picked up a book and flipped through it with great interest. Occasionally, they would look up and exchange a knowing smile.
After reviewing the official documents, Duan Tingzhen poured himself a cup of hot tea, sat down next to Meng Chifeng, and said, "Don't you have anything else to do? What are you doing here watching over me all day?"
When Meng Chifeng saw him coming over, he put down his book and sighed in a feigned manner, "We've only been engaged for a short time, and Prime Minister Duan already finds me annoying."
"That's not true." Duan Tingzhen picked up the book he had placed on the table and glanced at it. It was a storybook about a young lady who was blinded by love and eloped with her lover, only to find that the man was irresponsible and sold her into a brothel. Fortunately, she met a scholar who redeemed her, and the two punished the villain and lived happily ever after.
This was a classic saying, one that Duan Tingzhen had read in his childhood. Seeing Meng Chifeng take it out to read now, he couldn't help but wonder what the man meant.
Meng Chifeng blinked and smiled: "I'm afraid you'll end up like Zheng Erlang, starting something and then abandoning it. I'll see it beforehand so I won't be too heartbroken later."
"I feel like you're the one more likely to abandon me," he said, a hint of genuine emotion flickering in his eyes, startling Meng Chifeng. But this emotion vanished in an instant.
Meng Chifeng dismissed the thought as a hallucination, the idea vanishing in an instant. He sat up straight, looked at Duan Tingzhen, and asked, "Are you getting married?"
"What nonsense!" This time it was Duan Tingzhen's turn to be surprised, and he asked, "Where did you hear that from?"
Meng Chifeng snorted but didn't say anything.
Duan Tingzhen was both amused and exasperated. He explained, "When I was born, my parents received instructions from a celestial being that I would not have a deep connection with the Duan family in this life. Even as the eldest grandson, I would not be able to uphold the Duan family's honor, and I would have no affinity with having offspring. Therefore, after He Shi left, my parents did not care about my marriage."
Realizing he had misunderstood, Meng Chifeng finally breathed a sigh of relief. He was tempted to indulge in his old jealousy again, but then he thought, "That was so long ago; doing so would only make me a laughingstock." After hesitating for a while, he finally asked, "Mrs. He must be an excellent woman, right?"
In fact, He Shi was already ill when she married into the Duan family, and her life lasted less than two years from marriage to death. Duan Tingzhen had been prophesied by a fortune teller to be childless for life, and this news spread far and wide, making it difficult for him to find a suitable wife. Normally, this wouldn't have led him to marry a sickly woman, but Duan Tingzhen persuaded his parents. He reasoned that since he could only treat his wife with respect, why should he hinder another young woman's marriage prospects?
He knew her parents were in a hurry to marry her off because they feared she would become a wandering ghost after her death, so she felt guilty towards Duan Tingzhen. Duan Tingzhen felt the same way. By sheer coincidence, the two got along extremely well for two years; they were more like close friends than husband and wife.
But explaining these words to Meng Chifeng word by word would be superfluous. He smiled and said, "My foster mother has been seriously ill and has had a hard time. I feel sorry for her and treat her no differently than my own sister."
Meng Chifeng said something in a low voice, which he didn't hear clearly, but he turned his head away and refused to say anything more, instead turning to talk about serious business.
"Since the barbarians are causing trouble, I'm afraid I'll have to go back."
What Meng Chifeng thought, Duan Tingzhen naturally thought as well. So when he told Duan Tingzhen, he wasn't surprised at all, and asked him, "When do you plan to set off?"
“If the old man’s two sons really fight, the elder son will definitely lose to the younger son.” Meng Chifeng pondered for a moment and slowly revealed his thoughts. “The old man’s elder son already hates Da Chu. If he is beaten down and the winter is difficult, he will definitely think about attacking Da Chu. But this guy is brave but reckless and not worth worrying about. The problem is that his uncle’s branch might take advantage of the situation, which would be bad.”
“So if we’re talking about setting off, it has to be before winter,” Duan Tingzhen finished speaking for him.
Meng Chifeng nodded, then suddenly felt something was off and asked him, "Don't you have anything else to say?"
Duan Tingzhen suppressed a laugh and feigned ignorance, saying, "Is there something else?"
"Everyone says newlyweds are all the rage. We may not be newlyweds, but isn't this still a time of bliss?" He glared at his lover through gritted teeth and roared, "Are you really willing to abandon me?"
"I can't bear to leave." Duan Tingzhen looked into his eyes and said, "So you have to come back soon, and be careful not to get hurt, so as not to make me worry."
Meng Chifeng felt as refreshed as if he had drunk a glass of ice water on a hot summer day. But after the initial relief, he became alert like a wolf and pricked up his ears: "Wait, how could you say such sweet words?"
Duan Tingzhen said calmly, "There are many things you don't know. Besides, I haven't even asked you yet why you think I'm going to remarry?"
“I have an old subordinate who works in Peijiang County. I heard it secondhand, but the Duan family says there’s going to be some good news soon,” he explained hastily. The Duan family has no eligible bachelors, so if there’s going to be any good news, it’s Duan Tingzhen, the old widower. But if not, then who else could it be? He suddenly thought of his sixth sister, who was staying with his partner.
Chapter 11
Duan Tingzhen was astonished that someone could be so utterly lacking in self-awareness. Looking at Xu Zhaoqi, though his face remained expressionless, his disdain was practically overflowing.
“Since you’ve already asked your maternal grandfather to propose marriage to Sixth Sister’s parents, then just follow the proper procedures. Whether it’s yes or no, I, as your cousin, have no right to answer. Why are you telling me?” he said calmly.
When Duan Tingzhen became aloof, he exuded a special kind of pressure, and Xu Zhaoqi felt a little suffocated under this pressure. He held his breath and said, "This humble official has come to see Prime Minister Duan to express his determination."
"What determination?"
"I admire her determination to love her." Xu Zhaoqi bowed deeply and said to Duan Tingzhen, "I first met Miss seven years ago, when she saved my life. At that time, I knew I was not worthy of her, so I joined the army. All that I have today is thanks to Miss. Without her words of encouragement, I would not be who I am today. Therefore, I have gained fame and fortune, and I have been transformed. Both are the dowry for marrying Miss. I have been preparing for this for seven years. Although the dowry is not generous, it is enough to show my sincerity."
Duan Tingzhen asked, "Do you know that Rou Rou's husband has just died?"
"It has been a year and a half. According to the laws of the Great Chu, Miss is now a free person."
"Oh." Duan Tingzhen remained noncommittal, his attitude still somewhat indifferent: "Since it's a second marriage, naturally it should be according to her wishes. If she's unwilling, even if your uncle agrees, it won't matter. Do you understand?"
The implication of these words was somewhat ambiguous. To Xu Zhaoqi, it sounded as if his brother-in-law had relented. He breathed a sigh of relief and bowed again, saying, "Thank you, Prime Minister Duan!"
Duan Tingzhen nodded, then turned and left.
At this hour, Duan Tingzhen had just finished his official duties and was leaving the palace, on his way to pick up his uncle. Shi Mo and the coachman were already waiting outside. They were talking quietly, but Shi Mo overheard bits and pieces. When Duan Tingzhen arrived, he asked:
"Do you really think this person is suitable to be the Sixth Miss's new husband?"
"Whether it's possible or not, my opinion doesn't count." He was a bit tired these days, leaning back in the car, his tone languid: "It's Rou Rou's marriage, she should decide for herself."
"Then tell me, will Sixth Miss agree?"
"Do you want to stay in the sewing room?" Annoyed by his nagging, Duan Tingzhen casually threatened, which startled Shi Mo into silencing him. Only then did Duan Tingzhen get a moment of peace.
They drove to the outskirts of the city, and soon several unremarkable carriages approached, bearing the inconspicuous Duan family mark. Duan Tingzhen alighted from one of the carriages and waited. After a short while, the carriages stopped, and a middle-aged man who resembled him somewhat stepped out. Duan Tingzhen bowed to him and said, "Fourth Uncle."
The middle-aged man seemed quite tired from the journey. He nodded to his nephew as if he had nothing to say, and then got into the carriage. After returning home, standing in front of the courtyard gate, he suddenly hesitated and asked, "Rou Rou... how have you been these past few days?"
Duan Tingzhen said, "She is very energetic every day."
Hearing this, Fourth Uncle seemed somewhat comforted, and the weariness on his face lessened a bit. The two walked to the main hall, where they indeed saw Duan Zhirou waiting there, a somewhat awkward situation.
"Brother, Father," Duan Zhirou bowed gracefully. Duan Tingzhen glanced at her, said a few words, and then took his leave, letting the father and daughter talk amongst themselves.
Uncle Duan looked at his daughter and sighed, "Are you still resentful of your father?"
Duan Zhirou said, "I dare not."
"The marriage was indeed arranged hastily back then, and that was truly my father's fault. If you want to resent him, I have nothing to say." He sighed, feeling a deep unease. Back then, when the Feng family came to his door with the betrothal gifts, he had already been scolded by his wife.
If the Feng family had been less well-off, he would have risked his reputation to refuse the marriage. Later, seeing that the Feng family was decent enough, he reluctantly agreed to marry his daughter off. Unfortunately, this one wrong decision ruined his daughter's youth.
“But you still have to think about it. How old are you? Are you really not going to get married? Or is it that your father has lost his mind after this one lapse in judgment?” Uncle Duan said, seeing his daughter standing there with her eyes downcast, looking like she didn’t want to talk to him at all. Helpless, he could only say, “It was just talk. No one is forcing you. Why do you have to do this?”
But his daughter ignored him, and there was nothing he could do. He was indeed tired from the long journey, so he had no choice but to give up on the conversation and save it for tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Duan Zhirou's maid sighed to her, "I never expected that the one proposing marriage would be that young master Xu."
Duan Zhirou hummed in agreement, but seemed rather listless.
"Would the girl be willing to agree?"
"Agree to what?" Duan Zhirou said, "After marriage, how can one be at ease? Not to mention how long I've known this person, even if he is truly devoted, does that mean he can ignore what his parents and elders say? Why should I go to the trouble of watching other people's faces?"
The maid was speechless. Thinking that Xu Zhaoqi really cared about her young lady, she wanted to say a few words of advice, but seeing that her young lady's face was not good, she had no choice but to shut up.
Uncle Duan's fourth uncle's visit this time was by no means about such a trivial matter as his daughter's marriage; the main reason was another important matter.
The next day, he sought out Duan Tingzhen and asked bluntly, "Is the sea ban about to be lifted?"
I don't know where my fourth uncle got this letter from, but it's true that there's such a thing. The sea ban was established by the last emperor of the previous dynasty and has continued for a century. The officials all believe in governing the country through inaction, and very few people are willing to change things, making the process difficult. Duan Tingzhen really wants to try taking this step; if he succeeds, it will leave a significant mark on history.
As for the Duan family, those with foresight can see the enormous profits involved. If they can get a share of the pie, the Duan family can rise to the next level and become a truly top-tier family.
Duan Tingzhen did not answer, but tapped his fingertips on the table for a moment before saying, "The court does indeed have this plan. However, it is undoubtedly a pipe dream for me to do it alone. In addition, with the borders not being peaceful, we will not have the resources to take care of this side."
Uncle Duan was Duan Tingzhen's father's half-brother and had been his father's right-hand man for many years, wielding considerable influence within the family. Though not old, he was already quite shrewd. Hearing his nephew's words, he said, "Lifting the sea ban is an inevitable trend, beneficial to both the country and its people. If you need the clan's help, just ask. If we can help, I'm sure your father won't refuse."
“In that case, I won’t stand on ceremony,” Duan Tingzhen said. “If you’re going to treat me as a junior now, then tell me the details: what were your family’s instructions?”
Uncle Duan looked at him and said, "Then why don't you tell me the truth first?"
“It’s just about money or power. You haven’t said what you want, so how can I give it to you?” He said. “This matter should be brought up no earlier than next year. Don’t you think it’s a bit early to discuss it now?”
Uncle Duan sighed, "The immortal said you had no affinity with my Duan family, and now it seems that it was indeed true."
Duan Tingzhen remained unmoved, and said with a slight smile, "Why do you say that, Fourth Uncle?"
The outcome of the subsequent negotiations is well-known; both Duan Tingzhen and his fourth uncle made concessions, ultimately reaching a relatively satisfactory result. After all, this ban had been in effect for hundreds of years, and few had the foresight to lift it rashly. If it were lifted rashly, it would inevitably cause a significant backlash. Therefore, when the fourth uncle left, they had only discussed creating momentum, waiting for people to gradually benefit and accept it before slowly making further plans.
Duan Zhirou's marriage was still undecided; she remained unconvinced. To outsiders, Xu Zhaoqi seemed like a decent person—considerate, promising, and a good candidate if she wanted to marry him. But Duan Zhirou herself didn't see it that way. Later, Duan's fourth uncle considered the situation and decided against it, thinking the Xu family's complicated relationships, especially the stepmother-in-law, who was a difficult person to deal with. He also worried about his daughter's temperament and the potential for conflict.
Duan Tingzhen had tried to persuade him several times at her uncle's behest, but to no avail. In his opinion, even if Duan Tingzhen were widowed, Xu Zhaoqi would probably not be a good match for her—this was probably the pride of a sister-obsessed man.
However, I heard that Xu Zhaoqi hasn't given up yet. But Duan Zhirou is going back to her hometown with her fourth uncle, so he doesn't know how things will develop after that.
That day, after seeing his sister and uncle off, Duan Tingzhen was preparing to return to his residence when he saw a young man approaching. Dressed in grey, riding a tall horse, he was exceptionally handsome and dashing. It was none other than Meng Chifeng. He stood still, watching the young man approach, then dismounted and extended his hand: "Now that your sister has left, can you move into my residence?"
Duan Tingzhen didn't answer the question. He said, "You're late. If you had come earlier, I could have introduced you to my uncle."
Meng Chifeng's eyes widened.
"However, after a while, when Duan is more ready, it would be appropriate for him to go directly to see my parents." As he said this, he couldn't help but laugh out loud when he saw Duan grinning foolishly.
When two people are together, the most direct impact is not on others, but on the little emperor.
The young emperor has been quite troubled lately. Although he doesn't know why, he feels that the relationship between his two elders is very delicate. What troubles him is that, under this delicate atmosphere, his days are not as easy as before.