Chapter 139: What Else Could You Do but Settle?

Lady Gu hurried to stop Wu Yue. "You Yun, this is inappropriate. Jiankang is the capital, not the wild world of the pugilists. Do not listen to your father; you cannot just draw your sword at every turn."

"But Aunt, she insulted you first, pushed you second, and then slandered my father. According to the law, such a person deserves to be executed. Besides, it is no great matter for my sword to claim a life."

This was the longest sentence Gu Man had heard her nephew speak in all these years. It was likely more than all his words combined over the previous decade. However, looking at the sword in You Yun’s hand, Gu Man’s headache only worsened.

"Brother, is this a toy for a child? You Yun hasn't even reached adulthood; if something happens, how will you deal with it?"

Wu Zhe clearly harbored no such worries. "He only kills those who deserve to die. Besides, a boy grows up and eats his father out of house and home. He is a grown man now; if I cannot support him, I must find him some work to do."

"And the work you find for him is killing people?" Lady Gu thought to herself, feeling a sudden surge of grievance for her eldest nephew. "What kind of unreliable father has he ended up with?"

Lady Gu stepped forward and signaled for Wu Yue to put the sword away. Wu Yue glanced at his father, and only after seeing him nod did he quickly sheath the blade. Lady Gu finally let out a long sigh of relief and walked over to Lady Xue.

Lady Xue was terrified. "Gu Man, this is the Duke’s Mansion! With so many people here, are you trying to silence me by killing me?"

Hearing such absurd remarks, Lady Gu was left between laughter and tears. "This is my brother from my maiden home," she said, gesturing toward Wu Yue, "and this is my nephew."

"Bah! Do you take me for a fool? Prime Minister Gu only has one son, the Eldest Young Master, who is in his twenties. Where would this grown son have come from?" She looked at Wu Yue again. "And he even has a child this size? Wouldn't the Prime Minister be laughing in his sleep?"

"Believe it or not, as you wish!" Lady Gu was furious. To suffer such a humiliation in front of her brother made her want to go over and strike Lady Xue down.

Lady Gu walked aside to check on Nanny Fang. "Madam, please do not worry about me; I am fine."

Nanny Fang walked up to Wu Zhe and bowed. "Has the Prince returned to see the Princess?"

Wu Zhe nodded. The roguish air he had shown while speaking to Lady Gu and the hostility he displayed toward Lady Xue vanished, replaced by a more restrained emotion. "It has been years. It is time I came back to see her."

"Prince?" Lady Xue muttered to herself, thinking, "Since when did Lady Gu have a brother who is a Prince?"

The maid named Huan’er, who had been frightened by the sword, whispered, "Madam, perhaps we should withdraw first and figure out who this man truly is. If there is any truth to it, we can use it as leverage. The Prime Minister’s power is even greater than the Duke’s; helping our young master would be a simple matter for him."

Lady Xue found this reasonable. "Sister-in-law, I will trust you for now. Since you have guests, I will not disturb you, and I will not go to your courtyard either. It is getting late; I am going to keep Mother company for a meal. If the eldest brother returns to the mansion, please let him know he should visit Mother."

Lady Gu sighed helplessly. How had her sister-in-law turned out this way? She was as beautiful as a flower, yet her character was exactly like this.

***

After Lady Xue left, Gu Man felt her brother’s scrutinizing and amused gaze. She touched her face and then her hair bun. "Brother, what are you looking at?"

Wu Zhe shook his head. "I remember your temper wasn't like this. Why are you so tolerant of that annoying woman?"

Lady Gu sighed. "She is actually alright. Her temper is just sharp; she is easily manipulated and used as a tool by others. Her hands are stained with blood, yet it was all for the sake of others. She is just a pitiable woman. She is still much better than those who greet you with a smile while preparing to stab you in the back."

Gu Man did not hear a response from Wu Zhe. She looked up to see him stroking his chin, his cheeks puffed out—the face, so similar to their stepmother’s, always made her feel dazed.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Gu Man asked.

"I think what you said makes a lot of sense."

Gu Man laughed out loud. "Brother, you never compliment anyone."

Wu Zhe stroked his chin, arching an eyebrow. "Is that so? I have that trait? I didn't know. What else do you have to say about me?"

Gu Man counted on her fingers: "Talkative, improper, flirting with every woman in sight..."

Watching the woman before him listing his flaws as if they were treasures, he couldn't help but recall their youth, even though she was now a mother herself.

***

In a corner of the courtyard, Wu Ren was desperately devouring the delicacies on the table. While eating, he remarked, "Your Xue family really knows how to enjoy life. Any one of these dishes could sustain a restaurant on the outside."

Xue Zuo was drinking alone nearby. He raised his cup and said, "Eat, and stop running your mouth."

"I’m being honest, I’m truly envious."

Xue Zuo looked at the food on the table. "These are all from Man-niang’s dowry recipes. Back then, my mother-in-law feared she would be wronged, so before she passed away, she added many things to what had been prepared by her biological mother. These are all the palace dishes that Man-niang has always loved; her mother gathered them all and placed them here."

Wu Ren nodded and gnawed on a chicken leg. "The Princess truly doted on your wife."

Xue Zuo downed his drink in one gulp.

Just then, a servant ran over in a rush, looking as if something urgent had happened. Xue Zuo waved his hand. "There are no outsiders here; speak."

The servant glanced at Master Wu, then lowered his head. "The Aunt-in-law has arrived and is quarreling with the Madam. She even collided with the Eldest Brother-in-law who just arrived at the mansion today. Master, should you go and take a look?"

Xue Zuo spat out the wine in his mouth. "What did you say?! Say it again!"

"The Aunt-in-law is quarreling with the Madam..."

"No, the next sentence!"

"Should you go and take a look?"

"No, the sentence above that!"

The servant thought for a moment, and suddenly, inspiration struck. "Oh, the Eldest Brother-in-law has arrived, and the Aunt-in-law offended him and the Young Master."

Xue Zuo dropped his wine cup with a clatter, and even Wu Ren stopped eating.

"The Prince of Qinghe is here?" Wu Ren asked.

The servant nodded. "Yes, the Prince of Qinghe and his son."

Wu Ren watched as his good brother leaped up so suddenly that his chair fell over. In the blink of an eye, he had rushed out.

Just as Wu Ren was about to pick up his chopsticks again, Xue Zuo doubled back. "Look at my clothes, my headpiece, these shoes, this jade..."

Watching his brother’s nervous appearance, he thought that no matter how fine the items were, they could not compare to the man himself. But as a brother, he had to support him when a romantic rival appeared.

"Magnificent!"

Wu Ren gave a thumbs-up, watching his brother Xue Zuo march off with the pride and spirit of a fighting cock.

As his brother disappeared, Wu Ren silently poured himself another cup of wine, but instead of drinking it, he poured it onto the ground.

"Brother, this is all I can do for you."

He picked up his chopsticks again, chewing the food, and shook his head. "Comparing himself? Isn't he just asking for trouble? He’s already won her heart, yet he’s still acting like a thief is lurking about. He’s just being dramatic and needs a good talking-to!"

Wu Ren took a bite of the crispy duck, savoring the succulent juices. "So delicious! Why doesn't my wife have these recipes? If she did, even if she were ugly, I’d be guarding her like a thief too."

He shook his head happily. "Forget it, just muddle through. What else can I do?"

"Mmm... delicious."