Zhou Luoer, unwilling to settle for an ordinary life, married the leader of a prominent local clan as his second wife. This time, she brought her stepdaughter along with her.
After the funeral of the old Marquis Lu, she didn't return home. Instead, she continued to stay at the Beining Marquis Manor. Every day, she would bring her stepdaughter to visit Mrs. Zhou, delighting her immensely.
Originally, there had been plans for Lu Xuanyu to marry into Zhou Luoer's family. However, the old Marquis Lu had firmly opposed this, forcing Mrs. Zhou to abandon the idea. But now, Zhou Luoer's stepdaughter, who didn't bear the Zhou surname yet had connections to her maternal family, seemed like a decent alternative.
Lu Xuanyu disliked the prospect and was irritated by Mrs. Zhou's pressure. His years at the frontier had strengthened his trust in his elder brother and sister-in-law, prompting him to seek their help.
"Focus on your studies. I'll handle this matter," Lu XuanNing assured him. Lu Xuanyu's marriage had been the old Marquis Lu's greatest concern before his passing.
Lu XuanNing kept Lu Xuanyu at the Mansion of Marquis of Pacifying the South to continue his studies.
Xu Xinyue brought Wang Hong to the manor to meet Li Xia. Her expression suggested she had something to say but was hesitant.
"Mother, what's wrong?" Li Xia poured tea for Xu Xinyue and handed it to her.
Xu Xinyue sipped the tea, taking a moment before speaking. "How is she doing?"
"Who do you mean?" Li Xia was puzzled, unsure who Xu Xinyue was referring to.
"Who else could it be? Your grandmother," Xu Xinyue blurted out, seeing Li Xia's confusion.
"I thought you didn't acknowledge her," Li Xia's words made Xu Xinyue pause, tears streaming down her face.
"I didn't want to, but she's in that place. If word got out, what would happen to you? You already have a mother of humble origins, and now a grandmother too. What about your future?" Xu Xinyue wasn't concerned for herself or Wang Hong, but Li Xia was the lady of a marquis' household. She couldn't let her daughter be implicated.
Li Xia set down her cup, walked around the table, and wiped Xu Xinyue's tears with a handkerchief. "Do you think your daughter is someone who would worry about such things? I don't care about any of that."
"But I do. I don't want you to face any unkind words, Xia. I just want you to be safe and sound," Xu Xinyue could bear the rumors herself, but she couldn't accept Li Xia suffering even the slightest verbal abuse.
Li Xia embraced Xu Xinyue. "Mother, my greatest fortune in this life is having you as my mother."
Xu Xinyue leaned against Li Xia and cried for a while. After wiping her tears, she held Li Xia's hand. "You still haven't told me, how is she doing now?"
"Grandmother? She's quite formidable," Li Xia carefully recounted everything that had happened to Yao Niang over the past few decades, including her current power and influence.
Knowing her mother was living well brought some comfort to Xu Xinyue.
"I've prepared some items from the Capital City to send to Grandmother in a few days. Is there anything you'd like to include, Mother?"
"Yes, I've made several outfits for her." Xu Xinyue rose to return to the Wang family home.
Looking at the three large chests that were brought in, Li Xia asked, "Aunt Qiu Ju, are these the 'few outfits' Mother mentioned?"
"This is after we've pared it down. We didn't include anything that might not fit," Qiu Ju explained. After learning about Yao Niang's current size and preferences from Li Xia, Xu Xinyue and Qiu Ju had sorted through the clothes, shoes, and socks made for her mother, removing anything unsuitable.
"Qiu Chan, take these down and load them onto the cart," Li Xia called for Qiu Chan to prepare the items for sending.
As Qiu Chan and others came to carry away the chests, Li Xia invited Qiu Ju to sit.
"Does the young lady have something she wants to ask?" Qiu Ju sat, waiting for Li Xia's questions.
"Aunt Qiu Ju, you're as perceptive as ever. Nothing escapes you," Li Xia sat closer to Qiu Ju.
"Young lady, do you want to know what's been troubling the madam lately?"
"Yes, Aunt Qiu Ju. You're Mother's most trusted confidant. What's been bothering her recently?" Li Xia had sensed Xu Xinyue's recent distress.
Xu Xinyue had anticipated Li Xia's inquiry and hadn't instructed Qiu Ju to keep anything from her. So when Li Xia asked, Qiu Ju explained the situation. Wang Hong had reached the age for marriage, and Xu Xinyue was looking for suitable matches. However, Wang Hong was unwilling, preferring to wait until he passed the imperial examinations before considering marriage.
The Wang family matriarch, who hadn't been able to control Xu Xinyue regarding Wang Xiao's marriage, now sought to exert her influence over Xu Xinyue concerning Wang Hong's marriage. She wanted Xu Xinyue to obediently follow her wishes.
Naturally, Xu Xinyue was unwilling, which was causing her distress.
After Qiu Ju left, Li Xia went to find Lu XuanNing in the study and training grounds. Lu XuanNing was sitting in the stands, watching Lu Liucheng and Lu Xuanyu sparring in the arena.
"Xuanyu needs to consider marriage, and now my little brother too. Should we start looking for a match for Chengcheng?" Li Xia sat beside Lu XuanNing, looking at their son in the arena, who was now taller than her.
"Chengcheng is still young, there's no rush. But we could start looking. If we find someone suitable, we can arrange the engagement and delay the marriage for a couple of years," Lu XuanNing responded after some thought.
"How are things going with Xuanyu?" Lu Xuanyu had been staying at the Mansion of Marquis of Pacifying the South for over half a month to avoid his mother's arranged marriage plans.
"I've spoken with Father. He'll try to persuade Mother," Lu XuanNing didn't mention that he had first tried talking to Mrs. Zhou himself. She not only refused to listen but accused him of favoring outsiders over family, saying that if Lu XuanNing had married Zhou Luoer back then, they wouldn't be having these troubles now.
Lu XuanNing found it impossible to reason with Mrs. Zhou. Left with no choice, he had to ask his father to mediate.
Marquis Lu agreed to persuade Mrs. Zhou and sent people to escort Zhou Luoer and her stepdaughter away.
"Every family has its own problems to solve," Li Xia sighed.
"What's happening with the Wang family?" Lu XuanNing knew Qiu Ju had come to deliver items earlier.
"My mother's situation... could you have someone give a gentle reminder?" The Wang family matriarch was getting on in years, and if Xu Xinyue confronted her directly, it might not end well. The last thing they needed was for Xu Xinyue to be labeled as disrespectful to her in-laws. It would be better if her own son dealt with the matter.
"Of course," Lu XuanNing agreed, not pressing for details.
"Next month is Mother's birthday. An'an sent word that she wants to hold a birthday banquet. What would be a good gift?" Li Xia held great respect for Mrs. Lu and was having trouble choosing the perfect gift.
"Mother is a devout Buddhist. How about we gift her a jade Buddha statue?" Lu XuanNing suggested.
"That's a great idea," Li Xia agreed, thinking it was an excellent choice.
"Our jade shop just received a shipment of high-quality goods. Shall we go take a look tomorrow?" They hadn't been out much in the three months since returning to the capital.
"Sounds good. It's been a while since I've done any carving. My hands are itching to work," Li Xia said, stretching out her hands.
"Father, Mother, were you even watching our match?" Lu Liucheng and Lu Xuanyu had finished their sparring session, and Lu Liucheng had hoped his father would offer some pointers. Turning around, he saw his parents leaning close together, engrossed in conversation. He called out, slightly exasperated.
It seemed that whenever his mother appeared, his father had eyes for no one else. It was just as his older brothers in the army had said – a perfect example of a man forgetting his children once he had a wife.
"Would you like to spar with me?" Li Xia glanced at Lu Liucheng.
Lu Liucheng immediately shook his head, declining. While Lu XuanNing might show some restraint due to familial affection, Li Xia fought as if she was trying to kill her opponent. In her words, "as long as you don't die, it's fine."
Every match with Li Xia left Lu Liucheng terrified. His mother was far too formidable. At the same time, he admired his father for marrying a woman whose martial skills surpassed his own.