Chapter 139: Waiting Here Quietly for the Roc to Spread Its Wings

Having whipped his horse through a grueling journey and successfully outwitted and disciplined Cui Jianxuan, Du Shiyi found himself drifting off to sleep the moment he stepped into the familiar bathhouse and submerged his entire body in the comfortably warm water.

Amidst his hazy drowsiness, he vaguely felt someone attending to him, wiping his back, scooping up water to massage over his skin. Yet, at that moment, he didn't even want to lift a finger, simply leaving himself to be tended to. It wasn't until his head touched the pillow and he felt the pleasant, fragrant bedding beneath him that he sank effortlessly into a deep sleep, entirely unaware even when someone continued to knead and massage his legs and back.

Outside the bedchamber, as Mother Fu stepped out walking on tiptoe, she saw Lady Zhaoguo waiting outside supported by Cui Wuniang, accompanied by Cui Taizhi and Cui Jianxuan. She quickly curtsied to each of them in turn and reported to Lady Zhaoguo, "Madam, I have already instructed the two most skilled maids to hurry and massage Master Du's entire body. Since we are setting off early tomorrow morning, there is no need to worry about soreness in his lower back and legs."

Gazing at the closed door, Lady Zhaoguo asked, "How is Master Du right now?"

"He has already fallen asleep. Having rushed here from Chang'an in such a short time, he must have been truly exhausted. Just now, Greenwillow used quite a bit of strength, and he hardly reacted at all."

"That is only to be expected. He is not like those well-trained soldiers; traveling day and night without sleep like this is truly risking his life."

At this, Lady Zhaoguo, supported by Cui Wuniang, turned slowly around. Upon reaching Cui Taizhi and Cui Jianxuan, she signaled them to speak in the inner hall. Once inside, leaving the maids to keep watch outside, she said gently, "Fourth Elder Brother, before the Sixth Younger Brother passed away, he was still mindful of his promise to the Dowager. Logically speaking, now is not the time to discuss this matter; however, because of the Eleventh Brother's affairs, Master Du has traveled a thousand miles, even setting aside the Jingzhao Prefecture examinations. I wish to seize this opportunity to settle the matter as soon as possible."

With their aged mother passing away, followed closely by the death of their youngest brother Ezhi, these successive blows were a tremendous shock to Cui Taizhi as the elder brother, not to mention the chaotic uproar raised by his unruly nephew Cui Jianxuan. Feeling physically and mentally exhausted at the moment, he frowned and said, "Master Du is beyond reproach in both character and talent, but isn't it too early to bring this up now? I heard that the Sixth Brother previously sent someone to Youzhou to see his uncle, and there seems to be no reply yet?"

"Matters of marriage, although requiring the consent of elders, see Master Du as an orphan, which is merely following the rituals. It does not strictly require his uncle's consent to be decided; his own agreement is sufficient." Lady Zhaoguo, who rarely argued forcefully in public, now spoke in an unquestionable tone. "Besides, this is the dying wish of the Dowager and the Sixth Brother."

Cui Jianxuan, who had initially remained unsettled, finally began to grasp the meaning behind their words. He looked at his mother, then at his Fourth Uncle, and finally turned to Cui Wuniang. Seeing that his eldest sister wouldn't even glance at him, he stammered out, "Mother, Fourth Uncle, whose... whose marriage are you discussing? And what dying wish from Grandmother and Father? How... how is it that I have never heard of this?"

"Before your grandmother passed away, she told your father that she hoped either Master Du or Miss Du Thirteen would become a son-in-law or daughter-in-law of the Cui family. And your father held great expectations for Master Du, hoping he would become the Cui family's son-in-law."

Faced with such an entirely unexpected arrangement, Cui Jianxuan was utterly dumbfounded, staring blankly for a long time before blurting out, "But Father hasn't even been laid to rest yet! Talking about this now is far too hasty!"

Despite harboring reservations about this ignorant nephew, Cui Taizhi for the first time found himself in full agreement with Cui Jianxuan's judgment: "The Eleventh Brother is right. Discussing marriage now is indeed rather rushed. Once Master Du passes the Jingzhao Prefecture examination and attains the rank of Jinshi, wouldn't that be a glorious completion of both?"

"Has the Fourth Uncle not heard the saying: 'At thirty an old Mingjing, at fifty a young Jinshi'? Back then, how prominent and illustrious was Prime Minister Xue, yet he still lamented failing to place as a Jinshi. While Master Du is currently making a name for himself, who can guarantee that the imperial examinations will always be smooth sailing?" Cui Wuniang suddenly interjected. Her words made Cui Taizhi's expression extremely unnatural, yet she acted as though she hadn't noticed and let out a soft sigh.

"Furthermore, ever since news of Father's illness gradually spread, many people have been eyeing the Cui family's movements. The servants who followed Master Du back to the Eastern Capital—I had someone make inquiries earlier—had already been spreading word in Chang'an days ago. They claimed that Father intended to take Master Du as his son-in-law, which is why he was lodged at the Cui residence in Fankang Lane and had his reputation promoted in various ways. Had Master Du hesitated upon hearing of the bereavement and failed to rush back, what kind of rumors does the Fourth Uncle think would be circulating in Chang'an? Now that the matter is a fait accompli, whether for Master Du's sake or for the Cui family's reputation, this matter should be settled as soon as possible."

A man of worldly wisdom, Cui Taizhi drew a sharp breath and instantly woke up to the reality of the situation. Cui Jianxuan, however, hadn't pondered so deeply; his mind was fixed on a single concern, and gritting his teeth, he asked bluntly, "Even if Father took a fancy to Du Shiyi, who is the one to be betrothed?"

Hearing this, Lady Zhaoguo sighed softly, "Naturally, your Ninth Sister."

"What?"

The startled cry came not only from Cui Jianxuan, but also from Cui Niang, who had been secretly eavesdropping outside. Without a second thought, she burst through the door, rushed straight up to Lady Zhaoguo, and protested, "Mother, aren't you just randomly pairing people up? I won't marry him! I'd rather die than marry Du Shiyi!"

At this, not only was Cui Taizhi utterly astonished, but Lady Zhaoguo and Cui Wuniang wore expressions of profound shock. Even Cui Jianxuan, who had just doubted his own ears, muttered in exasperation after a moment of stupefaction, "Talking about rather dying than marrying him—if Du Shiyi knew about this, he'd probably rather die than agree to it himself!"

Under normal circumstances, Cui Niang would have already started arguing with Cui Jianxuan. But now, gritting her teeth, she simply followed his train of thought and retorted, "That's right! Every time Du Shiyi sees me, he hides far away. Let alone any thoughts of romance, he probably hasn't had a single stir of romantic affection! If we're going to force this merely for the sake of an alliance between two clans, heaven knows what kind of outcome there will be! If anyone is to be wed, it should be the Eldest Sister. Eldest Sister used to often discuss literature and scholarship with him in the library. Just a moment ago in the back garden, after he lectured the Eleventh Brother, he spoke with Eldest Sister for a long time—he clearly only has eyes for the Eldest Sister!"

"Ninth Niang, what nonsense are you spouting!"

Seeing Cui Wuniang struck utterly speechless by shock, Cui Niang adopted a devil-may-care attitude, lifted her chin, and declared, "Besides, as for marriage, you should ask Du Shiyi what his own intentions are. How can you decide it for him behind his back?"

As Cui Niang stormed out just as impetuously as she had barged in, the room fell into stunned silence. Cui Jianxuan looked at his troubled mother, his dumbfounded Fourth Uncle, and then cautiously glanced at Cui Wuniang beside him. Seeing her display a look of utter helplessness for the first time in her life, a sudden thought struck him.

Come to think of it... compared to the Ninth Sister, the Eldest Sister was indeed a much more fitting match for Du Shiyi!

At that moment, Cui Taizhi nodded and said, "Ninth Niang is right. A forced melon is not sweet; we must still abide by Du Shiyi's own wishes. Ninth Niang's temperament is simply not suited for Du Shiyi."

Du Shiyi slept soundly until someone repeatedly called out and shoved him, finally jolting him awake. Moving his head and opening his eyes, he found himself staring right into Cui Jianxuan's stiff face, instantly realizing he was currently at the Cui family residence in Yongfeng Lane of the Eastern Capital. Propping himself up into a sitting position, he stretched uninhibitedly, only to suddenly realize that the muscles which should have been aching intensely were instead full of vitality, as if that grueling two-day and two-night gallop had merely been a dream. He couldn't help casting a sidelong glance at his arms and shoulders.

"Stop looking. Mother and Eldest Sister had two of the most skilled maids massage you for two hours until they were practically exhausted. If your body were still sore after all that, wouldn't they have labored in vain? Alright, hurry up and change your clothes; we're setting off. Both people and horses have been prepared for you!"

Although Cui Jianxuan's tone was as rigid as his expression, Du Shiyi simply attributed it to the aftereffects of yesterday and didn't take it to heart. After changing, washing up, and hastily eating breakfast, he followed Cui Jianxuan out to the front courtyard, only to find nearly all the Cui family members gathered there. Faced with the repeated expressions of gratitude from Lady Zhaoguo, Cui Taizhi, and the other Cui elders, he naturally offered humble courtesies in return. As he mounted his horse, noticing the steed give a slight stir before settling down, he finally cast a glance at the horses Lady Zhaoguo had referred to as the Six Steeds. Though unaware if they had any relation to the Six Steeds of Zhao Mausoleum, he could still discern their majestic and spirited demeanor.

Just as he finished bidding farewell and prepared to depart, a great commotion suddenly echoed from outside. Moments later, a roly-poly figure rushed in like a gust of wind. The plump young man, clad in mourning hemp, dashed straight up to Cui Jianxuan and, gasping for breath, anxiously blurted out, "Eleventh Brother, as soon as I heard that the Sixth Uncle had passed away, I rushed right back!"

No one had expected that following Du Shiyi, even the Twenty-fifth Young Master Cui would rush back. Watching the chubby youth clumsily comfort Cui Jianxuan while struggling to catch his breath, many could not help a secret smile, while an even deeper sense of warmth filled the hearts of the onlookers. Even Cui Jianxuan, who usually regarded the chubby youth as a mere tagalong, gave the little fellow's shoulder a grateful hug and said, "Twenty-fifth Brother, I truly didn't expect you to rush back in such a panic. Thank you! I'll talk with you later—I must go see Du Shiyi off first!"

Stepping forward and unceremoniously grabbing the reins of Du Shiyi's mount, Cui Jianxuan led the way outward. Not until they passed through the black-pillared double gates did Cui Jianxuan halt. Thrusting the reins back into Du Shiyi's hands, he looked up, took a deep breath, and said fiercely, "Du Shiyi, even though you came back for my sake, when you go back this time, you had better win me the top spot in the Jingzhao Prefecture examinations!"

Du Shiyi couldn't help a wry smile. "Can't you ask for something with a slightly lower level of difficulty? There's still the Thirteenth Young Master Wang taking the Jingzhao Prefecture exams this year!"

"I don't care!" Cui Jianxuan suddenly slapped the horse's flank hard. Watching the mount carry Du Shiyi forward like an arrow released from a bow toward the city gate, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Don't even think about your bridal chamber until you've won a place on the golden roll!"

The words carried away by the wind left Du Shiyi momentarily exasperated. Yet, realizing that the young fellow had finally emerged from the shadow of paternal bereavement, he felt an exceptional lightness in his chest.

The generations of the realm produce talented figures, each leading the fashion for hundreds of years! As long as the younger generation could become the pillars of support, the elders who had passed away would have no regrets in the netherworld!