Chapter 40: It Turns Out Dad Is Quite Remarkable

"Fifth girl, I told you that you were destined for great fortune!"

"Jiaojiao, is this really true?"

Lady Qiu and Concubine Meng were waiting, and they couldn't wait to speak as soon as Zhao Jiao returned.

"How could an imperial decree be fake? It’s true, absolutely true! Our fifth girl is now the princess-to-be!"

Lady Qiu pulled Concubine Meng aside, speaking with excited laughter.

"Thank goodness..." Concubine Meng whispered, wiping away tears.

"Mother, things will only get better from here," Zhao Jiao comforted her before turning to Lady Qiu. "Mother, shall we go and pay our respects to the tutor?"

She was not very comfortable with such scenes and quickly changed the subject.

"Yes, yes... we must go quickly. I nearly forgot; how rude of me!"

"Mother, why not bring Jun-geer along? We can have the tutor teach him as well!"

"The tutor..."

"Exactly! The fifth girl brought him back, and since he was recommended by the Prince, he must be excellent. Let’s go pay our respects. There has been so much going on today that it is truly impolite to have waited until now!" Lady Qiu said, looking embarrassed.

"It is no matter. The tutor is a casual and broad-minded person; he will not mind knowing that we had affairs in the manor. Let’s go!"

"Sister, is this tutor very remarkable?" On the way, Xu Yunjun asked, tugging at Zhao Jiao’s hand with curiosity.

"Naturally..."

Old Master Duan was already waiting, dressed in the attire of a scholar, exuding an air of elegance and refinement.

"I have come to pay my respects, sir. Please forgive us for our rudeness and neglect!" Lady Qiu entered and bowed, secretly sizing up the old man.

"It is no matter, no matter. Madam, there is no need for such formalities. Congratulations on the joyous occasion that has arrived at your manor!"

"The tutor is truly a broad-minded man. Sir, my son will be back tomorrow, and I will have to trouble you with his education then... By the way, I still do not know how to address you?"

"I am surnamed Duan, given name Xuanzhen, courtesy name Ziqin."

Duan Xuanzhen. He had not used his real name in front of outsiders for a long time.

Duan Xuanzhen? Ziqin...? Why did this name sound so familiar? Lady Qiu wondered to herself.

"Sir, are you... the scholar Ziqin?" Xu Yunjun suddenly spoke up, looking at Duan Xuanzhen in astonishment.

Duan Xuanzhen stroked his beard and smiled at him. "The little young master knows of me?"

Xu Yunjun widened his eyes, confirming again, "Are you truly the scholar Ziqin?"

Duan Xuanzhen nodded with a chuckle.

"Jun-geer, do not be rude. Hurry and pay your respects to the tutor!" Zhao Jiao reminded him. She was also deeply shocked; when the old man had mentioned his name earlier, she hadn't reacted immediately. To think the old man was... she truly hadn't known!

Xu Yunjun was so excited that he knelt down and kowtowed. "Student Xu Yunjun pays respects to the tutor!"

It really was Master Ziqin? The tutor her eldest sister had invited back? Would he be able to study under Master Ziqin in the future? Heavens...

Lady Qiu also seemed to recall, her face filled with shock and disbelief.

"Sir, he is my younger brother. I will trouble you with him in the future as well," Zhao Jiao introduced.

"Get up. Teaching one is teaching, and teaching two is the same... but you must be prepared to endure some hardship to learn from me..."

"Student pays respects to the tutor. I do not fear hardship. To be taught by you is the greatest fortune of my life..."

He was quite good with words, Zhao Jiao thought, watching with a smile.

Lady Qiu, still in a state of shock, was at a loss for words, but fortunately, Zhao Jiao eased the tension. After leaving, Lady Qiu immediately sent the nanny to urge her son to return.

"Truly... I never expected that the tutor the fifth girl invited would be... the scholar Ziqin. Nanny, go and personally inspect the tutor’s quarters in a while. Make sure the staff is well-informed—they must not disturb the tutor and must serve him with the utmost care, with no negligence. It is cold, so ensure his room has the best charcoal. Burn plenty of it; do not be stingy. Do not let the tutor grow cold..."

Seeing Lady Qiu like this, the nanny was puzzled. "Madam, is this tutor that remarkable?"

"More than just remarkable... The late Emperor invited him to join the court three times. That is... oh, it is hard to explain in a moment. In any case, being able to invite him to teach Ting-geer is a great blessing for us. This time, it really is thanks to the fifth girl. Nanny, we are all basking in the light of the fifth girl!"

The nanny didn't fully grasp it, but seeing her mistress so happy, she chimed in. Who could have imagined that the fifth young lady would have such destiny? It was fate, indeed...

In the midst of her joy, Lady Qiu suddenly felt out of breath. She patted her chest and muttered to herself, "I don't know what has been wrong with me lately; I keep feeling suddenly flustered and out of breath..."

"Are you unwell, Madam? Let us call a physician to take a look!"

"It is nothing... I suppose it is because I haven't slept well lately. I will go back and rest, and it will pass. Let us go..."

With Zhao Jiao being granted a marriage and becoming a princess-to-be, the Xu manor was filled with joy, except for the residence of Xu Guodong, where the atmosphere was stifling and out of place.

"She really did fly onto a branch and turn into a phoenix... That Prince, too, why did he have to set his sights on the fifth girl? Guodong, no matter what, you are her father. Can she really just disown you?" The old matriarch felt bitter. She hadn't gained any benefits, and now she felt a measure of regret, and even more, frustration. How much better it would have been if this had happened to her Qian-jie'er!

Xu Guodong’s intestines were twisted with regret, mixed with a surge of anger. He had lost all his face and standing.

"Mother, say no more. My husband is unhappy as well. Let us think about where we will live in the future. Today, that Lady Qiu chased us out in front of everyone without a shred of decency. We could endure that, but she didn't leave even a sliver of face for my husband. They say that a day as husband and wife brings a hundred days of grace—how could she treat my husband this way? Husband, we must find a place to move out quickly. Living under someone else's roof... it doesn't matter if we suffer a little, but you, husband..." Concubine Qiu covered her face, weeping.

"Hmph! That shrew Lady Qiu, I should have divorced her long ago, I should have... Enough, stop your wailing. I have my own plans. Rest assured, the humiliation of today will be repaid sooner or later. As for the fifth girl, don't think that just because she has climbed up to an unfavored, idle Prince that she can do as she pleases. If she disregards any shred of familial affection, then don't blame me, her father, for being heartless! Filial piety is the greatest of virtues; with a charge of unfilial behavior, I will see how she can marry into the Prince’s manor!"

"Father, what are you going to... do?" Xu Qianying, who had been silent, suddenly looked up at Xu Guodong, her heart filled with anticipation, hoping her father would ruin Xu Jiaojiao’s prospects! She was simply jealous—jealous that Xu Jiaojiao could be so glorious. By what right?

Xu Guodong’s expression was grim, his eyes cruel and cold. "Nothing much, just teaching that unfilial daughter a lesson! You all just need to endure for a few more days..."

After speaking, Xu Guodong stood up and walked out.

The news that Zhao Jiao had been granted a marriage to Prince Su had spread throughout the city in no time. When Feng Yu'er heard the news, she was at her dressing table; she was so enraged that she swept everything on the table to the floor.

"A fine Xu Jiaojiao!"

"Princess, be careful not to hurt your hands!" Qiaoxiu cautioned carefully, though she was also deeply shocked.

"Did Mother not go to the palace? Why was the decree issued anyway?" Was the Grand Princess not all-powerful? If Xu Jiaojiao became a princess, what was to become of her?

"Princess, do not be anxious. His Highness will not ignore this. Even if the decree is issued, the Grand Princess can still turn the tides!"

"Xu Jiaojiao—I swear that I and she shall not exist under the same sky!" She had ruined her marriage prospects twice in a row; she could not swallow this insult.

"Princess, even if she is granted a marriage, she is ultimately someone who cannot stand on the stage. It is not worth getting angry over her. With the Grand Princess supporting you, even if you do not marry Prince Su, your marriage will certainly not be inferior to hers..."

Feng Yu'er raised her hand and slapped her across the face. "Is she even worthy to be mentioned in the same breath as me?"

Qiaoxiu was stunned by the blow and only reacted after a moment, hurriedly kneeling to beg for mercy. "This servant spoke wrongly, this servant deserves to be punished!" She began to slap herself hard.

Feng Yu'er snorted coldly. "Get out, all of you!"

She needed to calm down and think. There would be plenty of opportunities to deal with that wretch Xu Jiaojiao later; the most important thing now was her own marriage. It sounded nice to be a Princess, but in reality, she was just a chess piece in the hands of the Grand Princess. If she were no longer useful, she could be discarded at any time. No, she had to find a way—

The Feng family’s military tally. Yes, the military tally—that was what the Grand Princess wanted most. If she could find it... She had witnessed with her own eyes back then that the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery had given the military tally to Feng Zhaozhao. Where could Feng Zhaozhao have hidden it? Her father had been searching for two years; there had to be some clues. No, she had to go find her father...