Chapter 96: Whose Concubine Is So Fragile? [Thank You, Readers! Again]

The Duke Prefecture,

The personal maid was removing the hairpins and ornaments from Princess Pingning.

“My lady, today the Du family came to the estate to deliver fashionable fabrics; I chatted with them and picked up some juicy gossip.”

Princess Pingning, eyes closed, said: “Speak.”

“The Du woman said she went to the Ningyuan Marquis’s house yesterday and talked with the old maid there, learning that Xu’s eldest daughter brought a stitched painting to the Gu household—its embroidery is masterful, and she studies it intently in her spare time.”

“Mm.”

“The Du woman boldly requested to see it, and Xu’s eldest daughter agreed.”

“How was it? The Du woman’s embroidery is among the best in Bianjing; Xu’s eldest daughter letting her see it would help clarify things.”

“The Du woman brought along an elderly embroidery mistress who said she had seen this stitching style a few times before—years ago, a skilled young lady had sent a piece to the Du household for consignment; the needlework was distinctive, but she had never seen it since.”

“That’s quite a tale—after decades, this old stitching style has reappeared!”

“Yes.”

“Have you found out why Xu’s sons went to the Ningyuan Marquis’s house?”

The personal maid massaged the princess’s scalp acupoints to relieve her headache and scalp pain, saying:

“I had our people slip some silver to the fourth branch of their household and got a bit of information: Xu’s daughter’s maid offended a concubine and was to be bound and dealt with by the concubine’s people; the Xu family’s strong women beat them and rescued the maid.”

“Hmm? Did the Xu family make a fuss over this?”

“Of course not over such a small matter—it was the woman who tried to bind her who died. The concubine went crying and demanded the Xu family’s strong woman pay with her life.”

“Hmph! The order of rank is overturned. How dare a concubine touch someone from the master’s courtyard?”

“Yes. Xu’s brothers caused a commotion, and in the end, it was handed over to Bai Da’s wife to handle.”

“Mm, then Xu’s daughter’s people are safe.” Princess Pingning said,

Then she suddenly froze, frowning and asking:

“How did the Xu family find out so quickly? Their homes are far apart.”

“They say the Xu family provided two fine horses as part of the dowry; before dawn, the Xu family’s young servant rode one straight back to report the news.”

Princess Pingning said nothing; the personal maid knew her mistress’s thoughts.

If she had brothers like that, the princess would never be so domineering—when wronged, her brothers would stand up for her.

Without brothers, one must rely on oneself.

“My lady, the relatives will be coming to visit these days—should we still not let Henggeer—”

“He’s still young. Let him see fewer cousins; it might distract him from his studies.”

“Yes, my lady, I understand.”

Half an hour passed, and the lights in the princess’s chamber were extinguished.

Someone sighed.

In the crisp cold air,

the moon and stars in the night sky shone brighter.

The sun rose, the moon set,

one night passed.

On the coldest morning,

vendors had already set up stalls by the roadside.

As daylight fully broke,

in the chilly air of Bianjing, the people began bustling through the streets,

roadside stalls burned stoves, steam rising from their pots,

and merchants sold peach charms, door gods, and firecrackers.

Lanterns of all designs hung from the scaffolding behind the stalls.

The city was filled with busy, festive energy.

At this moment,

a dozen horses rode out of Bianjing’s eastern Chaoyang Gate.

After passing the city gate, their pace quickened.

Outside the city, grass and trees were yellowed, frost blanketing the ground.

Without the city walls blocking the view and the smoke of the streets,

the air grew sharply colder once beyond the city.

Xu Zaijing rode with his father, elder brother, and Da Zhou officials toward the garrison of the Tianwu Army.

He felt the temperature drop immediately after leaving the city.

He hurriedly pulled his cloak over his nose, mouth, and chest.

Fortunately, the garrison was only two li from Bianjing—not far.

After showing their tokens and verifying their identities, the riders entered the Tianwu Army garrison.

Marquis Xu Minghua had taken command of the Tianwu Army for some time now.

He had not, as new officials often do, swept out the old and installed his own men with a flurry of activity,

but instead moved slowly, like a low flame.

Gifts sent to him, the Xu family accepted without refusal, leading everyone to believe he, too, was here to profit from the imperial guards.

But they did not know that Xu Minghua turned around and handed all bribes directly to the Emperor.

While managing his eldest daughter’s and nephew’s marriages, he gradually uncovered the hidden ties behind the officers through personal guards and young relatives invited to drink.

He learned of crimes: withholding soldiers’ pay, draining their blood, seizing farmland, and using troops for private gain.

He also arranged for young men from the Cao, Sun, Xu, and Zhu families to join the Tianwu Army, though most held deputy positions.

Senior officers remained largely unchanged—after all, the Four Elite Armies were mostly filled with sons of noble families; without cause, replacing them would stir too much unrest.

Daily roll calls were left to deputy commanders, and many matters were still ignored as before.

Now the pot had been heated by slow fire; Xu Minghua was ready to add more fuel and bring it to a boil.

Today, Xu Minghua submitted his leave-end notice to the Yasi and invited a high-ranking official in charge of military discipline to ride together to the Tianwu Army garrison.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The drum for assembling officers sounded in the Tianwu Army garrison.

Xu Zaijing stood behind his father, watching the speed with which the Tianwu Army’s officers gathered—the Tianwu Army being one of the Four Elite Armies.

In his past life, he had seen his own country’s spectacular parades and emergency musters, knowing no other nation on Earth could match them.

Now, in Da Zhou, he would not judge by the standards of his former nation’s modern army.

Yet even lowering his expectations, the Tianwu Army’s assembly speed—after years of comfort in Bianjing—was astonishingly slow.

The young men who returned with Xu Zaijing’s father, having endured frontline trials, fared better; they had spent this time tightening control over their troops, so their speed was acceptable.

But those who had lingered too long in the capital? They might still be asleep in some brothel in Bianjing.

Xu Zaijing saw the six commanding officers standing at the front; one was wiping sweat, his legs trembling even as he stood—he had barely entered the tent before the drumbeat ended.

During roll call, he learned the man’s surname was Bao.

Officers who were late or absent were dealt with by Xu Minghua; the vacancies were filled by Xu family allies, their “deputy” titles removed and replaced with full ranks.

As for those previously holding full ranks, some were promoted, others demoted outright to lower armies.

Those guilty of misconduct were taken away by the military discipline officers—whether they lived or died depended on how powerful their patrons were.

This purge not only placed Xu family members in power but also filtered out several capable junior officers to join the Xu camp.

Xu Zaijing and his elder brother also appeared before the troops.

They met and became acquainted with the Tianwu Army’s junior officers.

Xu Zaijing had heard Gu Tingye speak of accompanying his father to the Gu family’s army; now it was finally his turn to witness it.

The junior officers welcomed this—building early ties with noble scions would benefit them later.

Yet what he saw now, combined with Gu Tingye’s earlier words, revealed a clear gap between the two armies.

But since their tenures differed, direct comparison was unnecessary.

Xu Minghua had to arrange promotions, dismissals, and punishments—this would take time; Xu Zaijing instead chatted with his several cousins about their impressions.

At noon, Xu Minghua dined with the Tianwu Army officers and the soldiers, Xu’s two sons accompanying them.

After the meal, Xu Minghua still had to deal with the newly arrived officers and ordered the two brothers to return home.

On the way out of camp,

Xu Zaijing rode, watching the soldiers returning with smiles—they were mostly men who had finished working for officers in Bianjing, and he sighed:

“Imperial Guards? Is this it?”

A few soldiers passed by them, quickened their pace, and said: “Others say today’s lunch was several times more generous than usual!”

Saying this, the soldiers hurried toward the mess tents.

“Brother, do you think Father should hold a military drill to screen again?”

Xu ZaiDuan frowned as well, clearly dissatisfied with the Tianwu Army’s condition:

“Drills require silver rewards; Father must first tighten control before he can manage this.”

“Mm, you’re right, brother.”

The two, with their young servants, rode through Chaoyang Gate into Bianjing; the crowds thickened, forcing them to slow down.

Passersby, quick-witted, stepped aside at the sight of their tall horses.

After passing the densest crowd near the gate, their pace slightly increased.

But as they neared Pan Lou,

the crowd grew thicker.

With the year-end approaching, business in this stretch southeast of the Imperial City around Pan Lou had become even more bustling.

Many officials, nobles, and wealthy families returning to Bianjing came here to stroll, watch operas in performance halls, and view dances in brothels.

Some buildings hosted four or five opera troupes performing simultaneously.

The sound of gongs and drums could be heard even along the roadside.

Others set up stalls on the street to perform or sell goods; cheers and hawking cries never ceased.

The Xu family naturally slowed their horses to avoid colliding with people.

At this moment, cries and struggles emerged from an alley beside the road.

Thank you to the generous patrons for your tips!

Thank you to all readers for your support!

Once again, thank you!

I just added a few lines earlier, as it seemed the author’s writing was unclear.

Some readers mistakenly thought Sister Zhu had suffered harm—she hasn’t; not even a scratch!

She was saved from punishment just in time.

{If you find typos or awkward phrasing, please kindly point them out.}

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(End of Chapter)