105
The poison in Duan Linzhou’s body was tricky. Mu Ke and Old Physician Ji couldn’t immediately find a solution. Although Mu Peixuan was disappointed and anxious, he also knew that if the “Jian Huangquan” poison were so easily cured, then Xiong Mao wouldn’t have died back then, and Old Physician Ji wouldn’t have spent three years still only managing to barely control the “Jian Huangquan” in Duan Linzhou’s body through acupuncture and medicine.
Having no other choice, Mu Peixuan could only patiently wait while also sending people to the Southern Region to investigate news about “Jian Huangquan.”
Duan Linzhou watched Mu Peixuan suppress his anxiety and comfort him. A slight pang of sorrow filled his heart. Over these past few years, whether it was him or others under the Duan family, such as Liu Sanjiu and Lu Zhong, all had exhausted their efforts to seek out physicians for him, hoping for a glimmer of life.
Duan Linzhou no longer remembered how many physicians he had seen. From initially holding onto hope to slowly falling into despair, the suffering and torment in between were things Duan Linzhou himself was unwilling to recall. But to watch Mu Peixuan go through it all again, to witness Mu Peixuan’s gradual descent into despair with his own eyes — just the thought of it caused Duan Linzhou to be plagued by nightmares and feel a heart-wrenching pain.
A thought even vaguely surfaced in Duan Linzhou’s heart: was he wrong?
Knowing full well that he was a dying man, yet still burdening Mu Peixuan with experiencing another agonizing separation of life and death, this was truly too cruel for Mu Peixuan.
Duan Linzhou was capable of keeping things to himself and was also significantly older than Mu Peixuan. He concealed all his various worries and anxieties so thoroughly that Mu Peixuan didn’t notice them for a while.
Once the young emperor relocated the capital, more than half of the court officials had already followed. The imperial army soldiers had lost their will to fight even before engaging in battle. Leaderless, the venerable Duke An, despite his advanced age, donned his armor and mounted the city walls of Liangdu, leading the imperial army to resist Qin Fengyuan’s northwestern army. However, Liangdu had no natural defenses and lacked popular support; it was merely putting up a desperate last stand.
In mid-October, Qin Fengyuan led the northwestern army directly into Liangdu, and Liangdu fell.
The Jiang family of Duke An in the capital died for their country.
King Xin of Yuzhou had already welcomed the young emperor back to Yuyan, the capital city of Yuzhou, and in the emperor’s name, issued imperial edicts calling on the local garrisons to attack Qin Fengyuan. After Qin Fengyuan entered the capital, in just a few days, he executed over a thousand people before the Meridian Gate[mfn]The Meridian Gate, or Wumen, is the southern and largest gate of the Forbidden City in Beijing, China.[/mfn]. The blood stained the solid stone slabs red, a sight that chilled the heart.
When Mu Peixuan heard that the entire Duke An family had died for their country, he was momentarily stunned and let out a deep breath. The venerable Duke An had a deep friendship with his father and had taken good care of him when he was in the capital. Mu Peixuan had thought he would follow the southward relocation, but hearing that he had stayed behind, upon careful consideration, it was also within expectations.
Duke An was upright and resolute, the kind of person who would rather break than bend. The southward relocation sounded nice, but in reality, it was nothing more than a hasty and desperate escape south. The venerable Duke An was a veteran of three reigns, a pillar of the Daliang, yet he had met such an end, truly causing people to sigh with sorrow. Duan Linzhou’s few encounters with Qin Fengyuan were mostly business dealings, so he didn’t know much about him, but he had never imagined that Qin Fengyuan would be so bloodthirsty. He had just entered the capital; it was the time to appease the people. Acting in such a manner would only make people more fearful and easily create many troubles.
This was truly very abnormal.
They didn’t avoid mentioning Qin Fengyuan’s matter in front of Mu Ke. Upon hearing this, Mu Ke hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping himself. Mu Peixuan looked at Mu Ke, only then noticing Mu Ke’s hesitation. Mu Ke then said, “I heard that Qin Fengyuan is ill.”
Both of them were taken aback and looked at Mu Ke.
Mu Ke explained, “Years ago, when I practiced medicine in other places, I befriended someone who is now a military physician under Qin Fengyuan. Three months ago, he sent me a letter asking about the tianqian’s xinxiang that was out of control.”
Tianqian and Kunze were born with Xinxiang, and their identities can also be distinguished by the scent glands on the back of their necks. Unlike Tianqian, Kunze has various-shaped marks on their body, which people call “love moles.” As they age, the “love moles” on Kunze gradually fades until they disappear completely. At that point, Kunze will enter their heat, or what is also called the heat cycle. At this time, most people will arrange betrothals and marriages for Kunze before their “love marks” disappear. Otherwise, once a Kunze enters their heat cycle, they must either mate with a Tianqian or use medication to get through it.
Medication to suppress the heat cycle was expensive, and most ordinary people couldn’t afford it, so they would choose marriage instead.
Tianqian usually don’t experience rut without the influence of Kunze’s Xinxiang, so they are mostly not easily bound by it.
However, Tianqian’s Xinxiang are dominant and often require the soothing influence of a Kunze’s Xinxiang. This is why Tianqian chose Kunze as their partner. Tianqian and Kunze attract each other and need each other. The connection between them far surpasses that of the Zhongyong.
For a Tianqian, their Xinxiang going out of control is an extremely dangerous matter. Once their Xinxiang are uncontrolled, in any country of the world, the local government would, at best, detain the Tianqian, and at worst, execute them on the spot. This is because uncontrolled Tianqian’s Xinxiang would interfere with other Tianqian and Kunze. Moreover, without being soothed, the Tianqian themselves would become violent, and the various pains they would endure are easily unimaginable.
Mu Peixuan, being a Tianqian, had learned about this matter since he became aware of the world. Upon hearing it so suddenly, he couldn’t help but gasp, staring intently at Mu Ke. “Do you mean… Qin Fengyuan’s xinxiang has gone out of control?” He asked.
“I’m only making a guess.” Mu Ke replied.
Mu Peixuan’s brow furrowed. Murmuring, “How could this be…”
Mu Ke collected all the silver needles and said, “Tianqian has all the advantages from birth. The ancients said that when the moon is full, it wanes. Usually, the purer a tianqian xinxiang is, the more outstanding they are. However, such individuals are often more susceptible to their xinxiang’s influence. There are many conditions that can cause xinxiang to go out of control, such as being induced by a kunze xinxiang or experiencing a significant shock. I once saw a tianqian. He was a martial artist, who was drugged, leading to his xinxiang going out of control and him becoming insane.”
He spoke calmly and slowly, with a physician’s hint of compassion. Duan Linzhou was perceptive. When he heard the words “experienced a significant shock,” he inexplicably thought of King Duan, who had committed suicide in prison. For some reason, his heart constricted, and he subconsciously glanced at Mu Peixuan. Mu Peixuan was preoccupied with the matter of Qin Fengyuan, his brow furrowed. When Duan Linzhou looked over, Mu Peixuan seemed to sense it and looked back. Duan Linzhou smiled at him, and Mu Peixuan, not knowing what he was smiling at, also curved his eyes into a smile.
“Is there any way to deal with it?” Duan Linzhou asked Mu Ke.
Mu Ke considered for a moment, then slowly said, “A tianqian whose xinxiang is out of control is extremely dangerous. Usually, someone would ask a kunze who can make the tianqian lower their guard and whose xinxiang are compatible and familiar with the tianqian’s to soothe them. This would be supplemented by a physician administering acupuncture and prescribing a few doses of medicine, and then they would be fine.”
“But if it’s a severe case, they would have no choice but to use force to tie up the tianqian and then treat them according to their symptoms. Even so, wanting to cure them is not an easy task,” Mu Ke shook his head. “Otherwise, Liangdu wouldn’t have tianqian locked up in prison every year because their xinxiang went out of control.”
Duan Linzhou remained silent.
These were all just their speculations. They were far away in Ruizhou, while Qin Fengyuan had taken control of Liangdu. Even if they really wanted to do something, it was beyond their reach.
The situation in Liangdu and Yuyan was unclear and uncertain, but in Ruizhou, the leaves were falling, and the autumn wind had begun to blow. Autumn had arrived.
Once autumn arrived, Mu Peixuan was still wearing thin summer clothes, while Duan Linzhou had already added two layers. At night, without Mu Peixuan even reaching out to embrace him, Duan Linzhou would also sleepily roll into his arms.
In mid-October, it was precisely the anniversary of Old Master Duan’s death, and Duan Linzhou had to return to the Duan family residence.
In previous years, on the anniversary of Old Master Duan’s death, Duan Linzhou would always lead the Duan family members to pay their respects to his father. This year, even though he was in Ruizhou, Duan Linzhou still intended to make the journey. With his health as it was, he didn’t know how many more times he could pay respects to the old man. Every visit was precious.
When Mu Peixuan heard that he was returning to the Duan family residence, he paused for a moment and then said he would go back with him. Duan Linzhou glanced at him and responded with a smile.
On the day they returned to the Duan family residence, both were dressed in plain white robes and simple headwear, traveling light. He had already sent someone back to the Duan family residence to inform them of his return, so as soon as they arrived at the gate, Duan Lin’an was already waiting with people.
Duan Lin’an hadn’t expected Mu Peixuan to come as well. He was stunned for a moment, feeling quite flattered. Today was their father’s death anniversary. According to the Daliang customs, Duan Linzhou originally didn’t need to come to pay respects again. However, since he was coming, Duan Lin’an naturally had no objections. But seeing Mu Peixuan personally accompany his third brother and attentively help him down from the carriage, and observing the unspoken understanding between the two as they spoke, Duan Lin’an recalled what Duan Linzhou had said when he went to deliver New Year’s gifts earlier in the year that their feelings for each other were deep. This truly put his mind at ease.
Although Duan Lin’an wasn’t very clever and didn’t have much business acumen, his temperament followed his fifth maternal aunt, he was honest, kind, and good-natured. It was precisely because of this that Duan Linzhou had kept him by his side and entrusted him with managing the shops under the Duan family’s merchant guild.
Speaking of which, since Duan Linzhou’s marriage, this was the first time that he returned to Duan Mansion since he got married.
When Duan Linzhou returned from Fengzhou, Duan Weirui was worried about him and had personally visited Prince Annan Mansion with Duan Lin’an to see him. Duan Weirui had known for a long time that Duan Linzhou would be returning and was overjoyed. She personally supervised the servants, having the courtyard where Duan Linzhou had lived before his marriage cleaned several times before she felt at ease.
This was Mu Peixuan’s first time stepping into the Duan family residence, the place where Duan Linzhou had lived for over twenty years before they even knew each other.
He recalled when they had just gotten married and Duan Linzhou returned to his maiden home. At that time, Mu Peixuan hadn’t paid Duan Linzhou any mind and had completely forgotten about it. By the time they met at the “Weixiang Lou,” Duan Linzhou had already returned from the Duan family residence.
A hint of regret arose in Mu Peixuan’s heart.
He watched Duan Linzhou interact with his siblings. Without a doubt, Duan Linzhou was a very good older brother. Duan Weirui was shy and gentle, but when facing Duan Linzhou, she addressed him as “Third Brother” with every other word, showing even more closeness than she did with her own older brother. Mu Peixuan also met Duan Weirui’s mother, the Duan family’s Fifth Aunt. She wasn’t strikingly beautiful, but she was pleasant to look at, always had a smile ready for everyone, and showed Mu Peixuan respect while also subtly observing him with just the right amount of scrutiny.
When Mu Peixuan heard Duan Linzhou call her “Fifth Mother,” he followed suit and also called her “Fifth Mother.” The Fifth Aunt was slightly taken aback, and Duan Linzhou even glanced at Mu Peixuan. Mu Peixuan’s expression remained calm, his manner humble.
The Fifth Aunt responded with a soft “Aye,” her smile deepening a bit. “If Your Highness doesn’t mind,” she said, “After the tomb sweeping, please come back to the Duan Mansion for a meal.”
She added, “When Sanlang[mfn]It refers to Duan Linzhou, Sanlang refers to him being the third child.[/mfn] was still at home, he loved my cooking the most.”
Mu Peixuan replied with a smile, “Alright.”
Old Master Duan was buried in the Duan family cemetery, which was outside the city. To go sweep the tombs and pay their respects, they had to leave the Duan residence together and head out of the city.
As they were about to set off, another group of people arrived. Mu Peixuan turned his head to look and saw an elderly woman dressed entirely in plain white, with graying temples. Beside her was a young Tianqian sitting in a wheelchair. The young man appeared to have been bedridden for a long time, looking thin and pale, with a layer of gloom between his brows and eyes. He bore a slight resemblance to Duan Linzhou.
Mu Peixuan immediately recognized the person’s identity — Duan Linyu.
It was he who had poisoned Duan Linzhou with “Jian Huangquan.” Mu Peixuan’s face turned cold.
Duan Linyu’s appearance caused both Duan Lin’an and Duan Weirui to freeze, and they both frowned. The atmosphere instantly became somewhat heavy.
Duan Linzhou looked at Duan Linyu in the wheelchair. His eyes were like those of a venomous snake, staring fixedly at Duan Linzhou. “Third Brother,” he said, “You’re going to pay respects to Father. Why didn’t you wait for me?”
Duan Linzhou tugged at the corner of his lips, his gaze sweeping over his paralyzed lower body. “The mountain roads to the cemetery are rugged. Big Brother is not well-suited for travel. It’s better for you to rest quietly at home.”
Duan Linyu’s expression instantly turned gloomy.
The elderly woman was Duan Linyu’s birth mother, Madam Wen, Old Master Duan’s legal wife. Hearing this, she coldly said, “Duan Linzhou, even with your weak and sickly body, you can go. My son can naturally go as well.”
Mu Peixuan’s eyebrows furrowed. Just as he was about to speak, Duan Linzhou squeezed his wrist, smiled, and said nonchalantly, “If Big Brother and Madam want to go, then so be it. But you must be very careful; the ground is full of gravel. If one falls out of the wheelchair, it won’t be a light matter ah.”
106
A large group of them left the Duan Mansion in a grand manner, heading towards the outskirts of the city.
Duan Linzhou and Mu Peixuan shared a carriage. Seeing that Mu Peixuan still had a hint of displeasure on his face, he smiled and gently hooked his fingers around Mu Peixuan’s palm. “They’re just defeated generals; there’s no need to pay them any mind.”
Mu Peixuan caught the tips of his fingers and squeezed them gently. Duan Linzhou was thin and frail, his fingers slender and tinged with an unhealthy bluish-white. Just as Duan Linzhou had said, they were defeated generals who could only shout a few harsh words. He wouldn’t have taken it to heart, but as long as Mu Peixuan thought about Duan Linyu being the one who had inflicted that vicious poison on Duan Linzhou, he wished he could tear him apart alive and make him suffer all the pain that Duan Linzhou had endured, one by one.
Duan Linzhou changed the subject and said, “My mother’s grave is also in the cemetery. After we’ve paid respects to my father, I’ll take you to let her see you too.”
Duan Linzhou rarely spoke of his mother. Mu Peixuan looked at him and replied, “Alright.”
Once autumn arrived in Ruizhou, the weather was neither cold nor hot, and the sky was as blue as if washed clean — truly beautiful weather. They left Ruizhou City, and before long, they turned onto a small path that could accommodate one carriage. After traveling a bit further, they had to get out of the carriage and walk. Mu Peixuan helped Duan Linzhou down from the carriage and then naturally brushed the light cloak draped over his shoulders. He took Duan Linzhou’s hand as a matter of course. He saw that Duan Weirui and Duan Lin’an had already gotten out of their carriage. Behind them, the Duan family’s servants were carrying two small sedan chairs, in which Duan Linyu and his mother, Lady Wen, were seated.
Old Master Duan had been a romantic figure in his lifetime, fathering five sons and two daughters. One daughter was already married, and the rest had come. They were clearly quite fearful of Duan Linzhou, showing more flattery than genuine closeness, and cautiously followed behind, not daring to overtake Duan Linzhou and Mu Peixuan.
The autumn wind swept through, rustling the leaves on either side of the stone steps. Mu Peixuan asked Duan Linzhou softly, “Are you tired?”
Duan Linzhou smiled gently. “We’ve only walked a few steps. Do you see me as Duan Linyu?”
“Of course not,” Mu Peixuan replied. “You are you. How could Duan Linyu compare to you?”
Hearing his undisguised partiality, the smile on Duan Linzhou’s face deepened. He glanced behind him from the corner of his eye. Perhaps afraid of disturbing them, Duan Lin’an and Duan Weirui, who were closest to them, were a few steps away. Duan Linzhou lowered his voice and said to Mu Peixuan, “Then what if I am tired? Will Xiao Junwang carry me to the cemetery on his back?”
Mu Peixuan lowered his eyes, watching the smile in the corners of Duan Linzhou’s eyes and brows. The autumn light was gentle, casting a warm halo on his overly pale features, making Mu Peixuan’s heart itch. If they weren’t in public, he would have almost leaned in to nuzzle him and take a bite. Mu Peixuan’s adam apple bobbed, and he said softly, “Fine ah.”
“I’ll carry you.”
He seemed to bend down, but Duan Linzhou quickly grasped his arm and chuckled. “I haven’t become that weak yet. Besides, we’re going to sweep my father’s tomb. If I’m so undignified, what will people say?”
Mu Peixuan didn’t care. “If Father-in-law has a spirit in heaven, seeing us like this, he would probably be even more gratified and feel reassured leaving you to me.”
Duan Linzhou burst out laughing. “That’s not necessarily true.”
“If he knew I married you, he’d probably want to break my legs,” Duan Linzhou thought for a moment and then laughed. “He did want to find a marriage for me before he died, but I didn’t agree. He didn’t have the energy to bother with my affairs anymore then, so he had to drop it.”
Mu Peixuan also knew that although Duan Linzhou was a Zhongyong, he was no worse than any Tianqian. According to ordinary people’s thinking, he should naturally marry a Kunze, not marry off to someone else.
Mu Peixuan grumbled, “It’s just that I can’t give you children.”
His voice was low, and Duan Linzhou didn’t hear clearly. “Hmm?”
Mu Peixuan said, “Time will tell. Maybe Father-in-law will see how good I am to you, that I’m a good match for you, and he’ll realize that you’re happier marrying me than marrying a kunze.”
Duan Linzhou burst into hearty laughter.
Mu Peixuan was displeased. He glanced at him and said, “What are you laughing at? Isn’t it true?”
Duan Linzhou quickly replied, “Yes, yes, yes. Xiao Junwang and I are a match made in heaven. You are my good match. No one is more suitable for me than you.”
Only then was Mu Peixuan satisfied.
Duan Linzhou and Mu Peixuan spoke in low voices, so Duan Weirui and Duan Lin’an, who were following behind them, couldn’t hear clearly. However, Duan Weirui could see that her third brother’s eyes were full of relaxed smiles, with no trace of the gloom and listlessness caused by his long illness when they were at the Duan Mansion.
It was as if the gloom that had once enveloped Duan Linzhou had been swept away, faintly revealing the charm he had before he fell ill. This sight made Duan Weirui’s nose tingle with a mixture of happiness and relief. She lifted the curtain and turned her head to Duan Lin’an and said, “Third Brother and His Highness have such a good relationship.”
Duan Lin’an was taken aback for a moment, then looked at the two figures walking side by side ahead. “I guess so.”
Duan Weirui wasn’t annoyed by this somewhat vague answer. She knew Duan Lin’an wasn’t a particularly observant person. She added, “Fourth Brother, look, Third Brother has smiled a lot more since he came back this time.”
Duan Lin’an thought for a moment and nodded. “It seems so.”
“I’m really happy for Third Brother.” Duan Weirui said.
When she first learned that Duan Linzhou was going to marry Mu Peixuan, she was terribly worried. In her eyes, her third brother was the best, but after all, he was a Zhongyong. She was afraid that the Mu family wouldn’t accept Duan Linzhou and that Mu Peixuan wouldn’t like him, causing him to suffer and feel aggrieved. Duan Weirui didn’t understand why Duan Linzhou wanted to marry Mu Peixuan. She even sought out Duan Linzhou, this was the first time in so many years that she had questioned Duan Linzhou’s decision. Duan Weirui was clever and perceptive. She knew that Duan Linzhou had been poisoned, and according to Old Physician Ji, it was a matter of just two or three years.
She feared that Duan Linzhou had entered into a marriage alliance with the Mu family for the sake of the Duan family and for her.
Unexpectedly, Duan Linzhou openly admitted it. He said, “The Duan family business is my life’s work. I cannot let it fall into Duan Linyu’s hands, nor can I allow the Duan family to be devoured by outsiders.”
Duan Weirui’s eyes reddened, and she whispered, “Third Brother, it’s all my fault. I can’t share your burden…”
“Silly girl,” Duan Linzhou smiled. It was the middle of winter then. He nestled by the fireplace, using his warmed hands to stroke Duan Weirui’s hair. “You are a young lady, a young kunze. Just be happy and do what you want to do. Your Third Brother will take care of everything.”
Duan Linzhou said, “However, these are just some aspects of it. Mu Peixuan is a man of deep feeling and responsibility. Although young, he has the bearing of a gentleman. Even if I truly die one day, out of consideration for my wholehearted support of Marquis Annan Mansion, he will offer the Duan family and you all more protection.”
He suddenly lowered his voice and said to Duan Weirui, “Gege will tell you another secret.”
Duan Weirui widened her eyes. “Hmm?”
Duan Linzhou said, “Actually, I took a fancy to Mu Peixuan.”
Duan Weirui: “!”
Duan Linzhou smiled, extending his pale, slender fingers towards the fireplace, watching the firelight make his fingertips appear translucent and red. “Back when I was in the capital, I had a chance encounter with him. Coincidentally, he killed all the assassins Duan Linyu sent to hunt me down.”
“Mu Peixuan saved me.” Duan Linzhou said.
Duan Weirui suddenly understood but then hesitated. “But Third Brother isn’t the kind of person who would fall for someone just because they saved your life…”
Duan Linzhou’s smile grew even more pleased. “The one who knows me best is indeed Weirui.”
“Indeed, it wasn’t just because of the life-saving grace. If it were only that, there would be a thousand ways to repay it,” Duan Linzhou recalled that fleeting glance outside the Liangdu city walls. The proud and upright figure of the young man seemed to reappear before his eyes, burning like a brilliant sun, like a piercing and dazzling light that cut through layers of mist, suddenly leaving a stroke of rich color in his dark life, tormented by the ‘Jiang Huangquan’ poison. Duan Linzhou considered his words carefully and slowly said, “Actually, even I don’t understand it myself, Weirui. In this life, I have pursued many things: wealth, fame, beautiful women… but Mu Peixuan is different from all of those.”
“Indescribable, inexplicable, unable to understand, so I simply stopped trying to understand,” Duan Linzhou smiled, saying indifferently, “Anyway, I only have this little bit of time left to waste. Indulging myself one more time isn’t a big deal. Just treat it as seeking something new.”
Finally, he said with enthusiasm, “Speaking of which, I’ve never been married before. I don’t even know what it’s like to be married.”
Duan Weirui didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Later, she was even led astray by Duan Linzhou and forgot her original intention, instead discussing with him the various matters of getting married. Her third brother was getting married, this was a major event in his life and couldn’t be taken lightly.
Later, Duan Weirui thought that as long as her third brother was happy, that was all that mattered. She also had to help her third brother and could no longer comfortably hide under his protective wings.
With various thoughts on their minds, the group arrived at Old Master Duan’s tomb. Old Master Duan was the direct lineage of the Duan family and the head of the clan. Because of Duan Linzhou, many members of the Duan clan came to his death anniversary.
Duan Linzhou even saw several highly respected elders of the Duan clan at the tomb.
He raised an eyebrow slightly. Since the Duan family had been handed over to him, it had become his sole domain. Although some members of the clan were dissatisfied, he had transformed the Duan family from an ordinary merchant with only one spice shop in Ruizhou into the leading merchant guild today, the wealthiest in Ruizhou and even Lingnan.
No one would go against their own interests. Even the most respected elders had turned a blind eye to his actions. Over the years, there had only been two times they had gathered like this to seek him out. One time was when his “Jian Huangquan” poison had flared up, and he had barely returned from the gates of hell. Duan Linyu had brought these elders to his door then.
The other time was earlier this year when he told all the Duan clan members that he was going to marry Mu Peixuan.
Now they had unexpectedly gathered at this time. Duan Linzhou pondered this, turning his head to glance at Duan Linyu, who was a few steps away and had just been helped into his wheelchair by a servant. Their eyes met, and Duan Linzhou caught his sharp, resentful gaze. Duan Linzhou tugged at the corner of his lips and calmly stepped forward to exchange greetings with the elders.
The three elders who had come from the Duan clan were all quite respected within the family. The leading one, whom Duan Linzhou addressed as Sixth Great-Uncle, was nearing seventy, with a full head of silver hair but still vigorous.
Sixth Great-Uncle was also somewhat surprised to see Mu Peixuan, not expecting that a dignified prince like him would accompany Duan Linzhou to sweep the tombs. Although Mu Peixuan had married Duan Linzhou, he was still a prince, while the Duan clan members had no official titles or positions, just ordinary commoners. They immediately knelt down in unison and paid their respects to Mu Peixuan. Mu Peixuan, observing Duan Linzhou’s indifferent demeanor, didn’t stop them but merely offered a slight, perfunctory gesture of assistance, exuding the inherent nobility of royalty.
This tomb sweeping was a rare occasion of liveliness. The Duan family cemetery was well-maintained, with no weeds in front of the tombs. Duan Linzhou and Mu Peixuan placed the offerings before the tomb. Duan Linzhou poured the wine and said nonchalantly, “Father, this is Xiao Junwang. I’ve brought him to see you.”
Mu Peixuan looked at the somewhat aged tombstone and said softly, “Father-in-law, I am Mu Peixuan.”
Duan Linzhou smiled and said, “Don’t be angry when you see him. Look, isn’t our Xiao Junwang handsome and filial? He even came with me to see you. What an honor.”
Perhaps it was because they were in front of Duan Linzhou’s father’s grave, but Mu Peixuan felt inexplicably somewhat restrained and solemn, as if he were truly facing Duan Linzhou’s parents, afraid of not meeting his father’s approval. Mu Peixuan said, “Please rest assured, I will take good care of Duan Linzhou. I’m already searching for a way to deal with the poison in his body and will definitely make him well.”
A stirring occurred in Duan Linzhou’s heart. He looked at Mu Peixuan’s earnest profile, raised his hand, and poured out the wine in the cup. He thought to himself, “Father, if you have knowledge in the afterlife, then bless me. I want… I want to live.”
One by one, they paid their respects to Old Master Duan. While the others were still occupied, Duan Linzhou took Mu Peixuan along a small path. After walking about thirty or so steps, they reached another grave.
“My mother.” Duan Linzhou said.
Compared to Old Master Duan’s grave, Duan Linzhou’s mother’s grave appeared somewhat simple and solitary, situated near a cliff.
Duan Linzhou pulled out the newly grown weeds around the grave. Seeing this, Mu Peixuan also rolled up his sleeves and joined in weeding. Fortunately, the cemetery keeper didn’t dare to neglect the grave of Duan Linzhou’s birth mother too much. Although some weeds had grown, there weren’t many either. The two of them, along with Liu Guang and Fen Mo, quickly tidied up the grave, placing fruits and other offerings in front of it.
Duan Linzhou’s birth mother was Old Master Duan’s concubine. According to the Daliang customs, she wasn’t entitled to be buried in the family cemetery. She had passed away early and was originally buried on a small hillside. Over the years, few people besides Duan Linzhou visited her grave. It was only after Duan Linzhou became successful in business that he insisted on moving his mother’s grave into the family cemetery, which Old Master Duan reluctantly agreed to.
“My mother passed away early,” Duan Linzhou mused. “She left when I was seven. So many years have passed that I can barely remember what she looked like.”
Mu Peixuan squeezed his hand comfortingly. Duan Linzhou smiled. “But I remember she was very beautiful.”
Mu Peixuan said, “You are so good-looking; your mother must have been a beauty too.”
Duan Linzhou said, “I heard my father say that my mother was originally from a prominent family. Later, her family declined and moved to Ruizhou. By chance, she became my father’s concubine.”
“Her embroidery skills were incredibly exquisite,” Duan Linzhou continued. “The clothes I wore when I was little were all made by her own hands. Later, when she fell ill and knew she didn’t have much time left, she made many more clothes for me. I kept wearing them until I was twelve, when I had grown so much that they really couldn’t be worn anymore, and then I put them away.”
Mu Peixuan asked, “Are they still around?”
“Yes, they’re at the bottom of a chest.” Duan Linzhou said.
Mu Peixuan said, “Show them to me when we go back.”
Duan Linzhou chuckled. “What’s there to see?”
Mu Peixuan said seriously, “I want to see the clothes you wore when you were little. You must have been very adorable.”
Duan Linzhou clicked his tongue, looking Mu Peixuan up and down. “Oh, you’re bold ah, saying these things in front of my mother. Aren’t you afraid she’ll come after you?”
Mu Peixuan said frankly, “I’m not afraid. I’m upright and honest and haven’t bullied you. Besides, all the married tianqian in our garrison say—” He paused, smiling brightly, “Mothers-in-law are all good to their sons-in-law.”
Duan Linzhou choked, muttering, “Don’t listen to such nonsense.”
Mu Peixuan replied with a smile, “Alright.”
They paid their respects to Duan Linzhou’s mother. When they turned back, the Duan clan members had mostly finished their own respects and were standing in small groups. Seeing Mu Peixuan and Duan Linzhou walking hand in hand towards them, they all looked over, their expressions varied.
Duan Linzhou acted as if he hadn’t noticed.
They chatted idly in front of Old Master Duan’s tomb for a while, until one of the clan elders brought up the management of the Duan family’s merchant guild. They wanted to place several young members of the Duan family into the business.
Duan Linzhou’s smile remained unchanged as he looked at them. Finally, Sixth Great-Uncle said, “Linzhou, your elder brother has suffered enough over the years. The Duan family is in need of capable people. Why not let your elder brother come back?”
Duan Linzhou said, “Oh? Isn’t Big Brother right here? Where would he go back to?”
Sixth Great-Uncle frowned, looking at Duan Linzhou. “Your elder brother was personally taught by your father. When it comes to business, he’s also one of the best among the younger generation. We can’t just let him sit in a wheelchair like this for the rest of his life… what happened back then was so many years ago. You are blood brothers…”
“Ha,” Duan Linzhou laughed. “Sixth Great-Uncle means to let Big Brother manage the Duan family’s shops?”
Sixth Great-Uncle said matter-of-factly, “He is the direct descendant of the Duan family. The Duan family’s shops inherently have a share belonging to him.”
Duan Linzhou said, “And then what? Wait until I die so that the entire Duan family can be handed over to him?”
As he finished speaking, his expression suddenly turned cold. He looked at Duan Linyu, who was being pushed over by a servant, and said, “Wishful thinking!”
Duan Linyu’s expression was unpleasant as he glared at Duan Linzhou. “Duan Linzhou, don’t forget, the Duan family bears the surname Duan, not just yours alone!”
Duan Linzhou sneered and looked around. Some people avoided his gaze, while others showed agreement on their faces. He said, “Very well ah, truly very well!”
Duan Linyu said, “Duan Linzhou, from the moment you decided to marry, you should have understood, the Duan family has never had a clan leader who married into another family!”
Obrigada pela tradução!!💞