The Eldest Daughter-in-Law [Reborn] - Chapter 35

The Third Madam didn’t care about the Liu family. She was worried that her daughter was arrogant, just like the Third Master. She relied on her noble birth to think she was the only one who mattered. But she also had a hot temper like her. Now that she had said that, she wouldn’t be able to save face if she met someone she liked in the future.

Xie Yunchu could tell that the three aunts were hiding something, so she drank her tea silently. She glanced at her mother-in-law Jiang. 

Madam Jiang was daydreaming. She never took the initiative to compete with her sisters-in-law, nor did she get involved in the fights between other families. She just quietly acted as a beauty.

The Third Madam did not want to continue that topic, so she smiled and said to Jiang, “Second sister-in-law, I have something to ask of you today.”

Although the Third Madam was the head of the household, she was very respectful to her elder brother and sister-in-law.

After hearing what she said, Second Madam Jiang turned around and faced her, asking carefully, “I am surprised that my sister-in-law needs instruction regarding something. There is no matter in the mansion that is not decided by the Sister-in-law. Just tell me if there is anything.”

Jiang bullied the weak and feared the strong, and was always polite in front of the Third Madam.

The Third Madam glanced at Xie Yunchu and said with a smile, “Look at you two, the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law. Have you forgotten that Huai’s birthday is on the second day of April? This is his 20th birthday, so we have to celebrate it no matter what.”

Upon hearing that, Xie Yunchu’s teacup shook, and she almost spilled some tea.

No wonder she had been feeling uneasy lately, as if she had forgotten something important. It turned out that Wang Shuhuai’s birthday was approaching.

The Jin Dynasty had always performed the coming-of-age ceremony at the age of eighteen, and the twentieth birthday could be celebrated at any time, but something went wrong on Wang Shuhuai’s birthday that year.

When the Jin Dynasty unified the south of the Yangtze River, the Duke was ordered to garrison Xichang to resist Western Chu. During the battle between the two armies, the Duke broke the legs of Prince Jing’an, who was known as the Overlord of Western Chu. As a result, King Jing’an’s prestige plummeted, and he had been confined to a wheelchair ever since.

More than ten years have passed. Prince Jing’an’s descendants had become talented and occupied important positions in Western Chu. He had finally regained some of his reputation, but his defeat at the hands of the Duke had always been a hatred in his heart. More than ten years later, Prince Jing’an brought his son and two grandsons to negotiate in Jin. He was willing to exchange the horses that the Jin lacked for raw silk, salt, tea, and the like. The condition was that his eldest grandson would be allowed to provoke the eldest grandson of the Duke, and the two would compete with each other. It didn’t matter who won or lost, as long as they had a fight.

The Emperor had no reason to refuse, but the Eldest Princess was worried.

The Duke’s Mansion claimed that the eldest grandson was the eldest master’s eldest son, Wang Shuzhao. Therefore, Prince Jing’an’s eldest grandson chased Wang Shuzhao on the street. That young master was as fast as a cheetah and had great martial arts skills. Wang Shuzhao was no match for him. How could the Eldest Princess watch her grandson die at the hands of the little cheetah?

Therefore, the Eldest Princess announced that a coming-of-age ceremony would be held for Wang Shuhuai in the Imperial Palace.

The Wang family of Langya crossed the sea to the south and returned to the north. They followed the customs of their homeland in the north as well as the cultural relics and rules of the south of the Yangtze River. In the north, strong men had to go through the ceremony of coming of age at the age of eighteen, while in the south, they had to go through the ceremony of coming of age at the age of twenty. It was not unreasonable for the Eldest Princess to follow the old customs of the south of the Yangtze River.

At that time, Wang Shuhuai agreed.

The Princess was forced to acknowledge that Wang Shuhuai was the eldest grandson of Duke Wang Guo and the heir of his bloodline. But troubles loomed.

Seeing that Wang Shuhuai was dignified and calm, the other party couldn’t help but have some dirty thoughts. He wanted to anger Wang Shuhuai, so he spread the word around the capital that if Wang Shuhuai lost, he would give his wife to him as a concubine. That did not anger the unmoved Wang Shuhuai, but it did anger her younger brother, who was about to be sent back from the academy.

Xie Yunyou was impulsive by nature, and he took the initiative to find the young man and fought with him in the street. He was seriously injured and became lame, and from then on he had no chance of taking the Imperial Examination. Their father was very disappointed with him and blamed him for being impulsive. The father and son almost became enemies.

That incident shocked the court and the public, and the court officials attacked Prince Jing’an. Seeing that the other party was so strong in martial arts, the Emperor was worried that Wang Shuhuai would not be able to defeat him, so he canceled the competition. Even though Wang Shuhuai, as a civil servant, led the army to fight against the Western Chu and avenge her brother a year before his death, his brother’s life was ruined.

When Xie Yunchu thought of it, he felt a sharp pain in his heart and almost burst into tears.

No matter what, she must twist the wheel of fate in the new life.

Jiang thought of the Eldest Princess ‘s attitude towards the second household. She looked at it with respect but actually suppressed it. 

“What’s the big deal about a birthday party? There are so many elders in the family. It’s not the turn of a young person to have a big party. If the Third Brother’s wife is interested, the whole family can just have a lively dinner together.”

The Third Madam shook her head and said earnestly, “No matter what, Shu Huai is of a special status, and he deserves a big celebration for his twentieth birthday. Let’s do this, Chu girl, let me take care of this matter.”

Seeing that the Third Madam was insisting, Jiang and Xie Yunchu had nothing to say and could only express their apologies for the trouble.

Xie Yunchu agreed verbally, but she knew in her heart that Wang Shuhuai’s birthday party would not be held in the Duke’s Mansion.

After the ladies left, Xie Yunchu returned to Chunjing Hall with a heavy heart. As soon as she entered the house, she told Mama Lin, “Mama, please send someone back to the Xie Mansion to ask if You’er has returned. If he has, have him come to see me immediately.”

When Mama Lin saw that Xie Yunchu’s face was pale and anxious, she said worriedly, “I will ask Uncle Lin to go to the Xie Mansion right now. But young lady, what happened?”

Xie Yunchu pressed her brows tiredly. “It’s just that I haven’t been feeling very at ease lately. I’m a little worried about him.”