Le paysage est comme une peinture

Chapitre 24

The second madam looked in the direction of the sound and saw You Tong dressed in fine clothes. She was quite startled, but fortunately she reacted quickly and recovered immediately, nodding to You Tong.

Jingyi smiled and said, "It's the ninth young lady of the Cui family. I happened to run into her this morning when she and Madam Cui entered the palace together. I thought she looked kind, so I beckoned her over to chat. Oh my, we got along really well, we really hit it off. I was so happy that I took her in as my goddaughter. It just so happens that you are all here, so you can be my daughter and me as witnesses." After saying that, she beckoned to Youtong and said, "Ninth girl, come here quickly and greet the Imperial Concubines."

You Tong secretly glanced at the Empress Dowager, who was livid and laughing so hard her stomach hurt, but she couldn't show it. She could only force herself to hold it in and bowed to the several imperial concubines with a strange expression. The imperial concubines were also puzzled. They had all been entrusted to help Miss Cui's Ninth Miss out of trouble, but how come the girl had found such a powerful backer in the blink of an eye?

No matter how much their thoughts swirled in their hearts, everyone still wore smiles on their faces. Since it was their first meeting, gifts were naturally exchanged, and the Dowager Consorts were quite generous, with You Tong even making a small fortune.

The second wife had just calmed down when she was stunned by the sudden turn of events. It wasn't until the Grand Princess spoke to her that she regained her composure and cautiously replied.

You Tong greeted the Empress Dowager naturally, respectfully and obediently. The Empress Dowager also greeted her kindly and gently, and then bestowed some gifts upon her. As for anything else, she said nothing more.

Jingyi seemed to be deliberately making trouble for the Empress Dowager, and brought up the marriage between Youtong and Xu Wei again, and said with a smile: "I must say, my goddaughter is as beautiful as a flower and gentle and virtuous. General Xu is very lucky to be able to marry her. This wedding must be a grand and lively affair. By the way, has the wedding date been set?" This question was directed at the Second Madam.

The second wife quickly replied, "We've only been engaged for a short time. We'll discuss the wedding date when the Xu family presents the betrothal gifts. It shouldn't be before this year."

Jingyi nodded and said, "Okay, it's settled then." Then she smiled and said, "This is also the first time I've married off my daughter, and I'm actually a little reluctant to part with her. But this girl is getting older, and it's not good to keep her by my side all the time. General Xu is a very honest man, and I'm sure he won't mistreat Wenfeng."

You Tong didn't know how to interrupt, so she just lowered her head and pretended to be shy. The Dowager Consort Sun joked, "With the Eldest Princess backing up the Ninth Miss, who would dare to mess with her? Wouldn't that be going against you?"

The Empress Dowager's face stiffened again, and she gave Consort Sun a cold look. Consort Sun, however, didn't even glance at her, but smiled at You Tong and said, "When I saw Ninth Miss last time, I said that this girl was destined for good fortune. See how accurate I was? Now she has the Princess's affection and a good marriage arranged for her. Sigh—" After she finished speaking, she let out a long sigh and glanced at the Second Madam without making a sound.

The Second Madam was perfectly aware that Consort Sun was urging her. Although the Fourth Princess was still in mourning, she couldn't just sit idly by and wait. Thinking of the unmarried nephews and nieces of the Cui family in the mansion, the Second Madam felt a headache coming on. Any man with a bit of ambition would want to marry into the princess's household, but if she chose someone of low birth, lacking both talent and looks, Consort Sun would certainly not approve. Moreover, the princess's marriage was still two and a half years away; how could eligible men wait that long?

The imperial concubines chatted and laughed in good spirits, occasionally teasing Youtong. Youtong just lowered her head shyly. Jingyi couldn't stand it anymore and spoke up to help. The imperial concubines then laughed at her for just recognizing a goddaughter and doting on her like the apple of her eye. Jingyi didn't argue, but just laughed, which was taken as tacit agreement.

The Empress Dowager remained silent with a stern face until everyone took their leave. She only gave a faint "hmm" and didn't even bother to say anything polite.

Chapter 48 The Mystery of My Origins

Since noon, Xu Wei had been standing guard at the palace gate, his eyes fixed on the long corridor leading directly into the inner palace. Normally, when the Empress Dowager summoned noblewomen to the palace, they rarely dined there; he expected You Tong to leave before noon. But several hours passed, and still she was nowhere to be seen, with no news coming from the palace. How could Xu Wei not be extremely anxious?

The guards under the gate also felt unprecedented pressure. In the morning, General Xu was all smiles, but by noon, the weather turned from sunny to cloudy, and then gradually became shrouded in dark clouds. Judging from the trend, a storm was imminent. For a time, everyone was on edge, and no one dared to approach him to speak, for fear of accidentally provoking him and becoming his punching bag.

As darkness approached, Xu Wei's face grew increasingly grim. He gritted his teeth and paced back and forth at the palace gate, his hand gripping the long sword at his waist. He looked as if he might rush into the palace at any moment.

"They're here." Someone suddenly called out, and Xu Wei, who had just turned around, quickly turned back, his eyes wide as he looked towards the corridor. He only saw two small red sedan chairs carried by two men, slowly approaching from a distance. In the palace nowadays, only first-rank imperial consorts, imperial concubines, and princesses are allowed to ride in sedan chairs. He had never heard of any imperial concubine or princess leaving the palace.

As Xu Wei was still wondering, the two sedan chairs slowly approached the palace gate. The curtains were lifted, and the Second Madam stepped out first. Xu Wei was stunned and looked incredulously at the sedan chair behind, where he saw You Tong, dressed in fine clothes, slowly alighting. Seeing Xu Wei, You Tong smiled at him and gave him a reassuring gesture. Xu Wei breathed a heavy sigh of relief and finally felt at ease.

Although he didn't understand what had happened in the palace, seeing You Tong standing safely in front of him, Xu Wei was completely relieved. He gave her a wink and then, in a businesslike manner, escorted the Second Madam and You Tong to the sedan chair outside the palace gate.

Upon returning to the Cui residence, You Tong greeted the Second Madam before heading back to Jiangxuezhai. She appeared calm and composed, while the Second Madam was filled with doubts and eager to seize her to question her about her relationship with the Grand Princess. However, after a moment's thought, she decided to wait until she had discussed it with Second Master Cui.

Such a major event occurred in the palace, and with so many people present, the news naturally spread quickly. By the time Second Master Cui finished his work in the evening, he had already received the news and hurriedly came to find Second Madam to ask if what had happened in the palace during the day was true. Second Madam recounted the whole story in detail, but she was still puzzled. She said, "The Grand Princess's words about 'feeling like old friends' were clearly just a perfunctory remark. Judging from her demeanor today, it seemed as if she had anticipated our arrival at the palace and was waiting for us on the road. I didn't go with her, and I don't know how Miss Yu caught her eye, or even became her goddaughter."

After thinking for a while, Master Cui frowned and said, "The Grand Princess has always been suspicious. Because she has no children, many people in the capital have tried to adopt their children into her family, but none of them have succeeded. There's no reason why she would suddenly take a liking to the Yu family's daughter. I think there's something fishy about this."

The second wife laughed and said, "Didn't I say before that you didn't believe it when I asked if this girl was the offspring of Prince Zhuang? But now it seems that if she weren't Prince Zhuang's daughter, would the Grand Princess treat her like this?"

Master Cui stroked his beard, still somewhat puzzled, and shook his head, saying, "If she truly is Prince Zhuang's bloodline, how could she remain among the common people? I heard Wei Yuan say that Yu Youtong has had a very difficult time in the Yu family, even worse off than a concubine's daughter. Prince Zhuang is dissolute and has remained unmarried for so many years, suggesting he has never forgotten the eldest daughter of the Cui family. If the two are indeed secretly pregnant, even if it incurs the scorn of the entire world, he will definitely reclaim his wife and child. How could Huan allow her own daughter to wander outside?"

After hearing what Master Cui said, the Second Madam also felt that it made a lot of sense, but she was even more puzzled as to why the Grand Princess would treat You Tong differently.

"I suppose it's because of the Xu family's influence." After thinking for a long time, Master Cui finally said in a low voice, "These days, everyone in the court is saying that the Empress Dowager, having lost her position as Right Palace Guard, has taken a liking to Xu Wei and wants to marry the Third Miss of the Wu family to him. However, he is already engaged, so she has been trying to find a way to summon the Yu family's girl to the palace, intending to find an excuse to punish her."

The second madam immediately understood, and recalling You Tong's recent illness, she seemed to believe most of it. She said helplessly, "The Empress Dowager has truly miscalculated. Everyone in the capital knows that the eldest son of the Xu family is the most devoted in love. Even if she succeeds with this scheme, it will likely chill the hearts of the Xu family. Even if she inserts a woman, what harm can she do? The Xu household is always managed by Madam Xu; what trouble can she cause? The Grand Princess is much wiser. She can easily and subtly adopt a goddaughter; the Xu family will probably be willing to go through fire and water for her."

"That's right." Second Master Cui shook his head and said, "They're all women. Compared to the Grand Princess, the Empress Dowager is far inferior." Otherwise, the Cui family wouldn't have abandoned the Wu family and stood on the Grand Princess's side so early.

Although the Cui family attributed all the credit to the Xu family, Madam Xu knew the true capabilities of her own household. Instead, she shared the same thought as the Second Madam and began to suspect You Tong's identity. At this moment, Xu Wei was still working at the yamen, while Master Xu had left early to paint in his study. She didn't look for anyone else but went straight to talk to him.

Upon hearing her guess, Mr. Xu's hand trembled, and a drop of ink, by sheer coincidence, fell onto the plum blossom he had just sketched, instantly turning it into an ink plum blossom. Mr. Xu let out a wail, no longer caring about Mrs. Xu's nagging, and hurriedly tried to salvage his painting.

Seeing that he completely ignored her, Madam Xu was furious. She snatched the painting from the desk and angrily said, "What are you painting? You're all covered in soot, and you haven't even made a few taels of silver."

Mr. Xu explained good-naturedly, "It's just a pastime; talking about money is vulgar."

"Vulgar!" Madam Xu angrily grabbed the sleeve of her hand and scolded, "Now you know money is vulgar? Why didn't you say money was vulgar when you couldn't even support us mother and children? Today you complain about money being vulgar, but tomorrow will it be my turn? Xu Guangzhi, Xu Guangzhi, I think you've set your sights on some other seductive woman, and now you can't stand me anymore, can you...?"

"Madam, please be gentle, please be gentle—" Old Master Xu, despite being pinched on the ear, didn't get angry and just grimaced and begged for mercy. The two were having a good time in the room when the door was suddenly pushed open, and Xu Cong suddenly entered. He glanced at the two of them with a half-smile, and greeted them casually, saying, "Please continue, it's almost time for dinner."

Madam Xu then released her grip, smiled naturally at Xu Cong, and replied kindly, "Cong'er is back. Why are you alone? Where is your elder brother?"

Xu Cong replied with a grin, "He hasn't come back yet, but I'm guessing he won't be back for dinner tonight." Not only dinner, but whether he can even return home before midnight is still a question. Of course, he couldn't tell Madam Xu about this. If Xu Wei knew that he was the one who complained, he would be in deep trouble.

"They went to the Cui residence?" Madam Xu knew exactly what Xu Wei was thinking. She nodded and said, "It's good to go and find out the truth. Otherwise, how will we repay such a huge favor from the Grand Princess in the future?" The Xu family doesn't take sides, but that doesn't mean others will let them off easily. Especially since Xu Wei became the Left Guard General, the Empress Dowager has been trying to win them over and threaten them. Although the Grand Princess has never said anything, there are always people visiting the residence. Everyone knows what their purpose is.

In the Cui household, everyone quickly learned that Youtong had been adopted as a goddaughter by the Grand Princess. Wenyan was simply happy for her, while others were filled with envy and jealousy, lamenting that they weren't so fortunate as to have been favored by the Grand Princess. A celebration was inevitable that evening. Although Youtong didn't want to attend, she couldn't very well be absent, so she patiently stayed until the very end, dragging her weary body back to her room to rest when it was completely dark.

"I was just joking," Xu Wei said, feeling a pang of regret upon seeing her so agitated. He quickly reassured her, "Don't overthink it. Every household has premature babies. Don't take it to heart."

"But what if it's true?" You Tong looked up at him, her eyes filled with confusion.

"You Tong Yi Yi"

"So be it!" You Tong patted her chest, let out a long breath, and forced a smile. "Whether it's true or not, I am now the Ninth Miss of the Cui family. Even if it is true, my mother never mentioned it to me before she passed away, so I don't think she intended for me to acknowledge her." Although she was smiling, there was a hint of mockery and bitterness in her expression.

Xu Wei felt greatly encouraged. He hugged her tightly, ruffled her messy hair, and nestled against her for a while before softly comforting her, "Don't worry, I will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly and won't let you suffer any injustice." Thinking of Prince Zhuang, who lived a secluded life but was revered like a god in the army, Xu Wei couldn't help but clench his fists tightly.

49. The Truth

Xu Wei stood at the gate of Prince Zhuang's mansion for almost half an hour, still unsure how to greet Prince Zhuang after entering. He paced back and forth at the gate, hesitant, until he heard someone call his name. Xu Wei looked up, immediately straightened his back, and respectfully bowed to the person, saying, "Greetings, Prince Zhuang."

Prince Zhuang was dressed very casually, in a blue cotton long gown and sheepskin boots. His hair was tied back and covered only with a turban. If it weren't for his undeniable air of authority, he would have looked like an ordinary scholar.

Among the young generals of this generation, besides the eldest son of the Shen family, Xu Wei was the most outstanding. Therefore, it was not surprising that Prince Zhuang recognized him. What was surprising was his attitude towards Xu Wei. There seemed to be a sense of intimacy amidst the distance. Although there was no smile on his indifferent face, his eyes were warm. This made Xu Wei even more convinced of You Tong's guess.

Prince Zhuang welcomed Xu Wei into the room and led him directly to the study. The two sipped tea and discussed history and current events, getting along quite well. However, Xu Wei was preoccupied with the matters You Tong had entrusted to him, and was somewhat absent-minded. Sometimes, when answering Prince Zhuang's questions, he would pause for a long time.

Prince Zhuang, with his keen intuition, noticed that Xu Wei repeatedly hesitated, and could easily guess that he had something to say. So he took the initiative to ask, "General Xu, please speak frankly."

Xu Wei forced a smile, organized his thoughts, and cautiously voiced his doubts. Prince Zhuang, upon hearing this, only looked helpless and sorrowful, a flicker of pain in his eyes. He tapped his teacup lightly with his fingers, unable to utter a single word for a long time.

"This matter... is a long story..."

The two talked for more than an hour before Xu Wei solemnly took his leave of the Prince's mansion and headed straight for the Cui family.

Since it was broad daylight, Xu Wei didn't climb through the window but went directly to the main gate to request an audience. Logically speaking, although he and You Tong were engaged, they were not yet married, so it wasn't appropriate for them to meet so casually. However, seeing his serious expression, the servants of the Cui family assumed something had happened and didn't dare to say anything, hurriedly going inside to report.

When You Tong received the letter, she knew that he must have come back to find her because of her background. She couldn't help but feel nervous. She rubbed her hands nervously and adjusted her breathing before letting Hui Qiao lead Xu Wei into the flower hall.

As soon as Xu Wei entered, he saw You Tong sitting upright on the couch against the north wall of the flower hall, her hands clasped tightly above her knees, the veins on the back of her snow-white hands slightly visible. Her eyes were lowered, her gaze fixed on the floor in front of her, quiet and still. Gone was her usual toughness; You Tong now seemed somewhat nervous and helpless. Her forced calm made her appear more fragile than usual, evoking a sense of pity in one's heart.

She didn't ask a question, nor did she even raise her head to look at him, but Xu Wei knew that her heart must be churning with emotion. All the servants in the room had been dismissed, leaving only the two of them in the flower hall. Xu Wei walked over and sat down beside her, taking her hand in his own, rubbing it gently, and said softly, "No."

"No!" You Tong suddenly looked up, her face showing a mixture of disappointment and relief. She murmured the same thing twice, then suddenly laughed, her eyes filled with bitterness. "If that's the case, why did he treat me like this?" Even now, You Tong was unwilling to call Yu Hang "father" anymore. She had been hurt too much and too deeply over the years, so when she heard those speculations, her first reaction was to believe them.

Xu Wei was also filled with mixed emotions, but he still recounted the events that Prince Zhuang had told You Tong in detail. When You Tong heard that it was Yu Hang who had orchestrated the spread of rumors that Prince Zhuang had died in battle, and deliberately caused her gambling-addicted uncle to lose an arm, forcing Cui Shi to marry into the family, she was overwhelmed with emotion and angrily said, "He went to great lengths and used every means to trick my mother into the Yu family, so why did he treat her like this? If it weren't for him, my mother... my mother..." Otherwise, Cui Shi would have long since lived happily ever after with Prince Zhuang, and would not have been so depressed and tragically passed away early in pain and loneliness.

You Tong didn't understand, and Xu Wei certainly didn't understand better than him. He simply held her in his arms, gently stroking her back to calm her down, and softly comforted her, "It's all over, it's all over."

Aside from Cui and Yu Hang, no one knows exactly what happened back then. However, one of them has long since passed away, and the other, You Tong probably never wants to see again in her entire life. Everything in the past will inevitably be submerged in the irretrievable past, and to pursue it now would only cause You Tong unnecessary trouble.

You Tong was resilient by nature, only revealing her inner vulnerability because Xu Wei was by her side. But she quickly recovered, sniffing and shaking her head, as if that could cast away all her troubles. Xu Wei ruffled her hair, wanting to say a few words of comfort, but after a long while, he still couldn't think of anything to say. He just looked at her silently, his eyes filled with worry.

“It’s alright,” You Tong turned to look at him, her face regaining its usual seriousness. “I’ve gotten used to it over the years.” She suddenly laughed, “Hehe, it’s a good thing you went to ask him like a fool. I’m afraid Prince Zhuang is just laughing at us.” Although her tone was light, Xu Wei could hear a hint of loneliness in it, and his heart ached even more. He held her in his arms and couldn’t let go for a long time.

"Miss—" Huiqiao whispered from outside the door, "The Second Madam has arrived."

The two hurriedly separated, each taking two steps back to check if their clothes were neat. Xu Wei then placed the screen in front of the couch where You Tong was sitting, and found a chair by the door to sit down, suppressing his emotions and adopting a calm and serious expression.

When the second wife entered, she was greeted by this dignified and solemn scene, and couldn't help but look at Xu Wei with surprise. Xu Wei quickly stood up, bowed to the second wife, greeted her in a low voice, and then explained in a deep voice, "My mother asked me to send some things over."

Regardless of whether the Second Madam believed it or not, she would never contradict him. After exchanging a few words with him, she said to You Tong with a smile, "Someone from the Ministry of Rites just came and said that the ceremony will be held on the 24th of this month."

You Tong understood that she was referring to Abbess Jingyi's adoption of her as her goddaughter. Although it was only adoption and not formal adoption, due to Abbess Jingyi's status, the proper etiquette had to be followed. You Tong felt rather helpless, but still respectfully agreed. Xu Wei, unable to get a word in edgewise and not wanting to linger, took his leave of the Second Madam.

After talking with the second madam for a while, Wenyan came downstairs and started teasing and joking with her. The room was filled with a harmonious atmosphere.

As soon as the Second Madam left, Wen Yan immediately put on a mysterious expression, dismissed all the serving maids, carefully closed the door, turned around, and said to You Tong with a smile, "Ninth Sister, shall we sneak out of the mansion to play together tomorrow?"

You Tong was both amused and exasperated. She was well aware of Wen Yan's quirky and mischievous nature, but she never expected her to come up with such a bold idea. The customs of the capital were relatively open, and young ladies from noble families often went out, but they were usually surrounded by a large entourage of servants; it was extremely rare for them to go out alone. Firstly, it was against the rules, and secondly, it wasn't safe.

"Why didn't you tell your second aunt if you wanted to go out? She wouldn't have stopped you." The second madam wasn't strict with Wenyan. Usually, as long as Wenyan begged her, she would never make things difficult for her. Why would she drag her out of the mansion?

Wen Yan immediately shook her head like a rattle drum, pouting and saying, "Ninth Sister, you don't know, the streets will be too crowded tomorrow, and the carriage won't be able to get on you. My mother definitely won't let me go out."

You Tong was a little confused. After thinking about it carefully, she realized that tomorrow was not a festival. Why was it so lively for no reason? Seeing her blank look, Wen Yan immediately looked distressed and criticized her very seriously: "Ninth Sister, I really don't know what to say to you. Although you are engaged now, you don't have to stay in the mansion all day long and not even know what it's like outside."

You Tong was at a loss for words, unsure whether to laugh or cry, and could only shake her head and smile wryly. Wen Yan took this as a yes and then adopted a lecturing tone, saying, "Have you ever heard of the Four Talents of the Capital?"

You Tong vaguely remembered, "They're talking about Fifth Brother, Brother Xu, the eldest son of the Shen family, and that young master of the Wu family." Apart from the eldest son of the Shen family, she had met the other three. Xu Wei and Cui Weiyuan were one thing, but the young master of the Wu family hadn't left her with a good impression. This inevitably made her feel that the so-called "Four Talents of the Capital" were just empty names.

“That’s right!” Wen Yan’s eyes shone with longing. “But you’ve got the order wrong. Of these four, the eldest son of the Shen family is the most famous. He’s three years older than Brother Xu and was a renowned child prodigy in the capital in his early years. Later, he joined the army and made great contributions. What’s even more remarkable is that the eldest son is handsome and dashing, even women would be ashamed of themselves. Back in the capital, whenever he went out, he would always attract the attention of passersby and cause traffic jams. No one in the capital could surpass him.”

Although Wen Yan's words were somewhat exaggerated, considering Shen San's appearance, the eldest son must be quite handsome as well. However, what good is it for a grown man to be good-looking? If she really married a man more handsome than herself, her life probably wouldn't be easy. You Tong was inwardly grumbling when, before she could notice, Wen Yan suddenly stepped forward and grabbed her hand, excitedly saying, "Let's go see him tomorrow, okay?"

You Tong looked surprised. "Isn't that young master in the Southern Frontier?"

"So, Ninth Sister, you've been cooped up in your chambers all day, oblivious to the world. Tomorrow, the eldest son of the Shen family will return victorious, and His Majesty the Emperor will personally greet him. If we don't get out early and find a good spot, we might not even have a place to stand."

You Tong was more cautious than Wen Yan, so she naturally wouldn't agree so easily. She shook her head and said, "Tomorrow will definitely be crowded outside, and there might be some scoundrels taking the opportunity to cause trouble. How can a young lady like you take such a risk? You should go back and discuss it properly with the Second Madam—"

Before she could finish speaking, Wenyan jumped up angrily and said sullenly, "Ninth Sister is such a coward. I'm not going to bother with you anymore. I'm going to find Fifth Brother." With that, she turned around and ran out the door.

50. Long Street

No one knows exactly what Wen Yan said to Cui Weiyuan, but early the next morning, You Tong was dragged out by Wen Yan while still half asleep, stuffed into a carriage, and they went out into the street together.

Just as Wen Yan had said, the streets were packed with people. The Cui family's carriage could not go any further after traveling a short distance. Helpless, Cui Weiyuan had no choice but to instruct the driver to pull the carriage over. He then summoned the guards from the manor to surround You Tong and Wen Yan, and the group headed towards the teahouse not far away.

Cui Weiyuan had already reserved a table in a private room on the second floor. As soon as he entered the restaurant, a waiter came over to greet him attentively, calling him "Fifth Young Master Cui" repeatedly. The downstairs hall was also full of people. Hearing the commotion, they all turned to look. Those who recognized Cui Weiyuan stood up and gestured to him from a distance, but seeing that there were two young women wearing veils with him, they hesitated to go over and greet them.

The private room on the second floor had an excellent location. Sitting by the window, one could enjoy a panoramic view of the scenery below. As soon as she entered, Wen Yan quickly took off her veil and ran to the window. Upon seeing the excellent view, she cheered and quickly turned back to pull You Tong along. Cui Weiyuan followed closely behind her, his expression as calm as ever, but his features showed more maturity and composure than before.

Noticing Youtong looking at him, Cui Weiyuan quickly turned his gaze to her, his face expressionless, as if he had already let go of all his worries. Youtong also quickly turned her face away, following behind Wenyan and listening to her excited cheers. Occasionally, she would respond with a word, which would make Wenyan jump for joy.

The street was crowded, and it wasn't appropriate for the two young ladies from wealthy families to stand so brazenly at the window and look out. So Youtong pulled Wenyan to go back to her seat. Wenyan pouted and refused, muttering her objections in a low voice. Cui Weiyuan only gave her a stern look, and she immediately obediently sat back down.

Seeing her displeasure, Youtong comforted her, "The eldest son of the Shen family hasn't arrived yet, so you can't see him even if you're peering out the window. If he really comes, it'll definitely get lively outside, and we can go check then."

Wen Yan knew she was right, so she pouted and stopped arguing. She just looked at Cui Weiyuan with a wronged expression and called him "Fifth Brother" pleadingly. Cui Weiyuan initially kept a straight face, but after she tugged at his hand and shook it a few times, he couldn't keep up the act anymore. He shook his head helplessly and said, "You silly girl, if you keep being so shameless, what will you do after you get married?" He usually treated Wen Yan very well and never acted like a brother to lecture her. Although he was gentle today, his words carried a hint of admonition. Wen Yan couldn't help but look at him a few more times, trying to see what was going on in his expression.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted outside the window, followed by the sound of firecrackers. Wen Yan exclaimed "Ah!" and rushed to the window. Sure enough, the street had transformed into a completely different scene. Both sides of the long street were lined with people standing still, while in the center of the street stood a neatly marching column. They were all dressed in the most ordinary black military uniforms, with frayed edges on their elbows and cuffs, walking in perfect order and quiet. The entire column was so orderly that not a sound could be heard.

The once bustling street gradually quieted down, eventually falling into an eerie silence. No one spoke; everyone stared blankly at the soldiers walking past. Their appearances were not fierce or menacing; their faces were merely solemn, with an indescribable air of murderous intent lingering between their brows—traces left by bloody battles on the battlefield, cold and chilling.

Wen Yan fell silent, her hands sweating as she gripped You Tong's arm, her expression unreadable. Cui Weiyuan stood to the side, his eyes fixed intently on the scene below, lost in thought. Perhaps all men harbor a heroic yearning for the battlefield, for fighting valiantly to defend their homeland.

"A man should be born with a sword." Cui Weiyuan sighed as he looked at the soldiers passing by below.

"Well said." A figure suddenly appeared from behind the door. You Tong turned around in surprise, and sure enough, it was Xu Wei. Because there were outsiders present, You Tong only glanced at him discreetly. After exchanging a knowing look, the two quickly parted ways. Xu Wei strode into the private room and smiled at Cui Weiyuan, "I heard Fifth Brother making such a fuss as soon as I got to the door. What, you can't stand staying in the capital either?"

Cui Weiyuan smiled bitterly, turned and gestured for Xu Wei to sit down, saying helplessly, "Brother Xu, you know the situation in my household—" He didn't continue, and Xu Wei understood. Cui Weiyuan was the eldest son of the Cui family, the future head of the Cui clan. Under no circumstances would the Cui family send him to the battlefield to gain fame and fortune. Moreover, the court was now very wary of scions of aristocratic families. Not only was it impossible for Cui Weiyuan to serve in the army, but even the eldest son of the Shen family, upon returning to the capital, would likely be detained.

The two sighed deeply, overwhelmed with emotion. You Tong glanced back at them every now and then, oblivious to the commotion on the street outside. Suddenly, Wen Yan gently tugged at her sleeve. You Tong looked up at her, but Wen Yan kept gesturing towards the other side of the street. Following her gaze, You Tong saw Shen San, dressed in casual clothes, standing at the window of the restaurant across the street.

Shen San had just gotten up, so he didn't notice You Tong on the other side. He stared intently at the soldiers passing by downstairs, as if everything around him had disappeared. It wasn't until a white figure appeared in the crowd that he narrowed his eyes, his pupils contracted, and a complex emotion flashed in his eyes.