Chapter 144: Daiyu: Though Not Precious, It Is Still My Sincere Sentiment

"You!" Daiyu turned her head, glaring at Zi Juan with a puffed‑up anger, looking like a little cat whose fur had puffed up.

Zi Juan held back a laugh, straightened her expression, and said seriously:

"Then I'll tell you, Miss, what's different."

When Lord Hou first returned, he only presented you with Ginseng, Deer Antler and other treasures; no other Miss received them. That's the first point.

Xiangling was clearly given by the Xue Family matriarch; Lord Hou wouldn't let the Precious Miss teach her poetry, yet he lets you, Miss, teach her. That's the second point.

This time you coughed up blood and fainted; Lord Hou not only beat the Precious Second Uncle, scolded the Second Madam, and forbade the Precious Second Uncle from ever entering your courtyard again, and the servants were driven into countless fits of rage. That's the third point.

Daiyu moved her lips as if to speak, but said nothing.

Zi Juan continued:

You are ill, and Lord Hou used his connections to summon the imperial medical institute to treat you, his concern was unmistakable, and he even said that any future matters you have, you should have me report to him. That's the fourth point.

There is danger on the Lord's side, and Lord Hou even sent his own troops there; isn't that for you? That's the fifth point.

Lord Hou is such a busy man, never having visited any other Miss's courtyard; today he sat in your room for over an hour, speaking many words of concern. That's the sixth point.

I'm not making this up, am I? Lord Hou may not say much, but his actions toward you are clearly different!

Daiyu's face flushed again, this time even her neck turned pink; her eyes held an unhidden hint of joy, and her fingers unconsciously twisted the corner of the quilt.

She let out a soft huff and said weakly:

"All you're doing is speculation! If I believed your words, I'd probably cry until my intestines break!"

Upon hearing that, Zi Juan was startled, her whole body dumbfounded, and after a long sigh she stammered:

"My little aunt! At a time like this you still tease me!"

"For your sake, I've even given up noodle sheets; my brain feels numb from worrying, just to find you a reliable good family, and you—..."

Daiyu saw that Zi Juan seemed a bit anxious and realized she truly cared for her, and forced a smile, saying:

"Sister, please don't really get angry; how could I not know your good intentions toward me."

"I've never had any siblings; it's a blessing spanning several lifetimes that I met you, Sister, who has always cared for me and worried over me."

"If it weren't for you, Sister, I would have probably died of illness here in the mansion long ago..."

Saying that, Daiyu's expression grew serious, and she continued:

"Third Brother is an extraordinary person; you may only know he's powerful, but you don't understand his true abilities!"

He is stronger than anyone we've ever met! He was ennobled as a marquis at a young age—a rarity even in the annals—and he commands the Bashang Daying's hundred‑thousand‑strong army, truly holding high rank and great authority.

"Even more rare is that his literary talent matches his martial skill; he can be called both civil and martial. Moreover, his appearance is not plain either..."

Daiyu, blushing slightly as she spoke, lowered her eyelids, her voice becoming softer, let out a light sigh and said:

"It's just that a man like him is also ambitious; I'm not sure whether his heart truly differs from that of ordinary people regarding me."

"But after reading the poem he wrote today, I think he doesn't care much about marriage and affection matters."

"He is like a champion marquis of the previous dynasty; perhaps in his heart he also ponders how the Xiongnu could be eradicated before he can settle down!"

"He puts state affairs before family matters; now that the nation is in difficulty, if I were to cling to him now about love and children, I'm afraid he'd just look down on me!"

Zi Juan heard this, shook her head and said:

"State affairs are important, but starting a family doesn't interfere!"

"I think you're overthinking it; state affairs aren't solved in a year or two. Lord Hou is already twenty and can't remain unmarried forever!"

"So, let's set aside whatever Lord Hou thinks! I only ask you, Miss, whether you have feelings in your heart?"

Daiyu lowered her head, stammering for a long while:

"I... I..."

Daiyu wasn't entirely sure herself whether she had feelings for Jia Jing; saying she felt nothing would be false, yet claiming deep love would be exaggerated.

She felt that she had a vague, slight fondness.

With such an outstanding man nearby, no woman could remain completely unmoved.

Especially today's caring attention from Jia Jing added a special flavor to her heart.

Zi Juan noticed Daiyu's slightly reddened earlobes and her hesitant expression, and she had an idea.

She gently grasped Daiyu's hand and said:

"Miss, are you clear about your own feelings? I'm only telling you that many things you must grasp yourself."

"If you have feelings, you should act early; Lord Hou has been constantly proposing marriage, and if someone else takes the initiative first, everything will be too late!"

"A figure like Lord Hou is not easy to meet; not only is he a good person, but it's rare that he has no mother‑in‑law overseeing him."

"Your body is frail, Miss; if you marry into another family, I'm truly afraid a mother‑in‑law would grind you down to death."

Daiyu remained silent for a while, her face slightly flushed; she buried her face in the quilt, and after a half‑second a voice came out:

"But I... what can I do?"

The voice was extremely soft, as if afraid someone else might hear.

Zi Juan looked at Daiyu's demeanor, thought to herself, and said:

"Miss, you don't need to do anything; just let Lord Hou know your heart. If he has feelings, he will certainly sense it and respond."

Daiyu peered out half a face from the quilt, her eyes sparkling with a hint of shyness, and she looked at Zi Juan, saying softly:

"How to let him know?"

Zi Juan, seeing Daiyu's coquettish shyness, felt both pity and affection, and said:

"Everything else is the same; just continue to interact with Lord Hou as you normally do."

"You have talent and beauty, insight and bearing; Third Uncle isn't blind, so he can see. You only need to give a slight response to Lord Hou's concern."

Daiyu thought for a moment, then suddenly said:

"Zi Juan, bring me the net you wove a few days ago, and also fetch the peace‑locked jade fragment I brought from Jiangnan."

Zi Juan was startled: "Which net?"

Daiyu's face turned red again, her voice so low it was almost inaudible:

"It's the red ten-thousand-character knot I made a few days ago…"

Zijuan suddenly understood—it was the knot Daiyu had been making in her spare time a few days ago, saying she would give it to the old lady for New Year's; I never expected…

Zijuan held back her laughter, went to the cabinet, fetched the knot and the peace-button jade piece, and handed them to Daiyu.

After receiving it, Daiyu carefully tied the knot onto the peace-button, then turned it over and over, examining it for a while, before handing it back to Zijuan and saying:

"You… you go give this to Third Brother, and say… it's my thank-you gift for him fetching a doctor for me today."

"The knot is something I made myself; though it's not valuable, it's my heartfelt intention, and I hope this peace-button will henceforth keep him safe."