Extra 4

The Madam Man that the maid in pink and purple mentioned was none other than Bu Nian’s long-estranged aunt. Back in her younger days, she had gotten along well with Bu Nian’s mother. Unlike her cousin, who married a court official, Madam Man had married a fabric merchant from Gusu.

Her husband ran a cloth shop, and her cousin had married a general. Madam Man originally thought that with such a close family connection, she might gain some benefit from it. But her cousin was stubborn to the core. Not only did she refuse to pull strings for anyone, she even said that if she ever found out someone using General Bu’s name to show off or cheat others, she would take them straight to the magistrate.

Everyone in the Man family accused her of being ungrateful. Over time, they cut ties with her. That was when Madam Man and her cousin grew distant. From her perspective, her cousin had simply climbed to a higher branch and started looking down on relatives who weren’t presentable in public.

Madam Man was now in her forties. She had married and had children late, and only had one son and one daughter. Her daughter was sixteen, and her son only eight. In the past, she sided completely with her own family and had nothing good to say about her cousin. Even when her cousin passed away, she only sent a letter out of courtesy. After the Old General was assassinated, she, like the rest of the world, assumed the Bu family was finished. She gave up entirely on keeping in touch.

But to everyone’s surprise, a few years passed, and Bu Nian proved himself a force to be reckoned with. The Bu family didn’t collapse after the death of the Old General. On the contrary, it rose higher and higher, until Bu Nian stood alone at the peak of power, untouchable in Great Qi.

Back then, Madam Man’s daughter was still too young, so she never gave it much thought. But now that the girl was of marriageable age, and Bu Nian still hadn’t taken a wife, Madam Man’s mind began to stir.

All those refined young men from Jiangnan, no matter how talented or handsome, were nothing compared to Bu Nian. It was like comparing an arm to a thigh, completely out of league. Even being a concubine in his residence would be better than becoming some merchant’s wife. For the sake of her daughter and herself, Madam Man used the excuse of passing through the capital to thicken her skin and send a letter to the General’s estate. She brought her son and daughter along, carrying herself with the air of an elder, under the pretense of rekindling old family ties.

But their party tucked away in a remote corner, far from the main house. They couldn’t even see the steward of the Bu household, let alone catch a glimpse of Bu Nian himself.

Day after day passed, and they hadn’t seen so much as a hair from Bu Nian. Madam Man grew increasingly anxious.

One day, she took her son and daughter out for a walk, hoping to enjoy the scenery in the garden. But just as they reached the entrance, they were stopped.

The Bu family garden was built alongside the archery range. From the winding bridge in the garden, one could peek through the diamond-shaped windows in the wall and catch glimpses of what was happening inside.

Madam Man looked across and vaguely saw someone standing at one of the windows, seemingly practicing archery.

Her eyes lit up. “Is that Nian’er back?”

But the servant blocking their way didn’t move aside. He shook his head. “The General hasn’t returned. That’s the other master of the house.”

Everyone in the capital knew that in recent years, Bu Nian had stopped pursuing one lover after another. Instead, he devoted himself entirely to the second son of the Helian family. He refused marriage, had no children, and the two of them lived together like a married couple.

There was no doubt that this “other master” could only be that Helian Ai.

Madam Man frowned. She tried to move closer for a better look, curious what sort of seduction it must have taken to lure a grand general into giving up heirs and legacy. But the servant stepped in front of her, firmly blocking the way, allowing no further advance.

“Such insolence!” the young girl behind Madam Man suddenly stepped forward. “My mother is the Grand General’s aunt. She’s an elder. It’s already disrespectful enough that he doesn’t come out to greet her. And now we’re being blocked? How arrogant. Does he really think he’s the general’s wife or something?”

The girl had a soft, delicate face like a lotus in bloom, bright eyes and white teeth, but everything about her radiated willful pride.

The servant looked troubled. “This servant is only following orders. I ask for your understanding, miss.”

The girl’s brows shot up. She was about to lash out again. “Call him here. I want to see for myself what makes him so—”

“Zhen’er, enough,” Madam Man cut in at just the right moment. “Since he doesn’t wish to see us, we’ll leave.”

Xue Zhen gave a huff through her fine nose, then turned to help her mother away. But they had barely taken two steps when she suddenly noticed something wrong. She looked down and cried out in alarm.

“Where’s Little Brother? Where did he go?”

Madam Man’s youngest son had not come easily. He was doted on like a precious jewel. No one in the household dared to raise their voice at him. As a result, even at eight years old, he had no discipline at all. He spent his days chasing cats and teasing dogs like a mischievous monkey. While his mother and sister were distracted, he had taken advantage of his small size, slipped right under the servant’s nose, and darted into the garden.

The General’s garden had already been renovated several times when the old general was alive. After Bu Nian took over, he had it refurbished again, planting exotic flora from across the realm. While it wasn’t as large as the imperial garden, it certainly rivaled it in refinement and rarity. In the pond, aside from the various lotus species brought in from Jiangnan, the most prized were the well-fed, vividly colored koi.

Among them, the most valuable was a golden koi with a red slash-like mark on its head. This particular fish had been a New Year’s gift from the Emperor himself, symbolizing abundance year after year. Of all the ministers, only the Prime Minister and the Grand General had received such a reward. It was a clear sign of exceptional favor.

Young Master Xue was still a child. Whenever he saw something new and exciting, he couldn’t move away. When that golden koi flicked its tail, his eyes went wide with awe, mouth open as he stared in amazement. He was also quite bold. He leaned far over the stone railing, more than half his body hanging out above the pond.

Madam Man had searched around several times before finally spotting her youngest son. Seeing him in such a dangerous position nearly made her faint on the spot.

“Xiao Hu!” she cried, calling him by his childhood nickname. She had meant to call him back down, but the shout startled him out of his trance. Losing his balance, he fell straight into the water.

This time, Madam Man truly looked like she might pass out. Her legs gave out and she had to lean on Xue Zhen for support.

“Mother!” Xue Zhen panicked as well, screaming at the top of her lungs. “Someone help! Help! Please, someone!”

The servant who had been blocking their way earlier reacted the fastest. He dashed across the bridge and leapt into the pond.

Fortunately, the water wasn’t deep. Young Master Xue only swallowed a few mouthfuls before he was pulled ashore. Aside from the shock and the crying, he was unharmed.

Madam Man clutched him tightly, calling him her precious baby over and over. Xue Zhen was crying and laughing at once. The scene was loud and chaotic, and before long, footsteps came from the far end of the bridge. Lian Ai had heard the commotion while practicing, and without even setting down his crossbow, rushed over.

“You go get changed into dry clothes,” Lian Ai said to the servant, whose clothes were still dripping. He gestured for him to leave.

The servant bowed and withdrew.

Lian Ai crouched down to check on the young master. “How are you feeling? Can you stand?”

Madam Man was too busy wiping her son’s face with her sleeve to respond, but Xue Zhen answered in her place. Her tone was anything but polite.

“Are you blind? Can’t you see my younger brother is still shaken and too weak to stand?” she snapped. This so-called beauty who had bewitched her cousin Bu Nian wasn’t much to look at. His face was average, and he even had a scar. She truly couldn’t understand how someone like that had managed to win Bu Nian over.

Lian Ai didn’t react to her words. He glanced at her calmly, then turned to Madam Man. “I’ll send someone to carry the young master back to his room. There’s a physician in the residence. Let him take a hot bath first. Later, I’ll have someone come check on him.”

Xue Zhen couldn’t stand the way he carried himself like the master of the household. “We don’t need your false kindness. If you hadn’t blocked our path, would my brother have fallen into the pond?”

It was a baseless accusation, sudden and sharp. Lian Ai opened his mouth, but for a moment, no words came out. He didn’t even know how to respond.

The young boy was still crying. Between sobs, he clung to his mother’s sleeve. “Mother, there was a really pretty fish in the pond. I want it. Can you catch it for me? Please? The golden one.”

Madam Man didn’t even hesitate. She quickly nodded and promised him anything. At that moment, if the child had asked for the moon, she might have agreed to that too.

“That one isn’t possible.” Before Madam Man could answer, Lian Ai cut in. Her expression soured on the spot.

Xue Zhen glared at him, voice turning cold. “My mother is the Grand General’s aunt. And you won’t even let her have one fish? Who do you think you are, treating her like this? Treating us like this?” She let out a sharp laugh. “When my cousin returns, I’ll ask him myself. Is this how he treats his own family and elders? Is this what Bu Nian calls proper conduct?”

Lian Ai looked directly into her angry face. His expression turned colder with every word she spoke.

It didn’t matter how others treated him. He had heard worse and could endure anything. But they shouldn’t have dragged Bu Nian into it. Lian Ai was Bu Nian’s bottom line. And Bu Nian was his.

“Do you know…” Lian Ai slowly raised the crossbow, aiming at Xue Zhen’s calf, “if I said I misfired while practicing and accidentally hit you, the general wouldn’t ask a single question.”

“You…” Xue Zhen froze where she stood. She didn’t dare take a breath under his threat.

Madam Man was shaking with rage. She grabbed her son tightly and said through trembling lips, “This is outrageous. Do you have no respect for the law? How could Nian’er fall for someone so arrogant and disrespectful to his elders?”

Lian Ai stood up calmly. Without even sparing them a glance, he turned and fired an arrow toward a tree in the distance. The iron-tipped bolt shot through the air and struck the trunk dead center, knocking loose two yellowing leaves in its wake.

“That fish was a gift from His Majesty. There is only one like it in the entire realm. Even losing a single scale would be a crime punishable by death,” he said. “And you speak to me of the law?”

The three of them shuddered as if jolted by cold wind. In the end, they feared death more than pride. The young boy stopped crying altogether. Even his hiccups came out small and cautious.

Just then, a deep male voice rang out from behind Lian Ai.

“I’ve been searching everywhere for you. What are you doing here?”

Madam Man looked up. The man was tall and imposing, dressed in black court robes. Just a glance at his face, which carried a few traces of her late cousin’s features was enough for her to recognize him.

“Nian’er!” she called out in delight.

Bu Nian’s brow twitched at the sound of that name. He followed the voice and finally noticed the people sitting on the ground in front of Lian Ai.

“So it was Aunt calling me,” Bu Nian said. His tone was distant. He walked over to Lian Ai’s side and slid an arm around his slender waist. He didn’t bow to Madam Man, nor did he acknowledge Xue Zhen. Standing tall, he looked down at the three of them with complete indifference, as if watching a troupe of jesters performing a farce.

Only then did Madam Man realize something was off. She quickly stood, handed her son over to her daughter, straightened her messy clothes, and put on a graceful smile.

“Nian’er, Aunt has finally gotten to see you.” Her face radiated warmth. “I know you’re busy, but you still have to take care of your health. Don’t overwork yourself.”

She gently pulled Xue Zhen forward and began her introduction.

“This is your cousin Zhen’er. She’s sixteen now, old enough to be engaged. Matchmakers have been lining up at our gate these past few months. I can hardly bear to see her leave home. I just hope she can find someone who truly suits her. That’s why we came to the capital for a bit, and thought we’d visit you too.”

Lian Ai lowered his gaze and touched the crossbow in his hands. He wasn’t a fool. The meaning behind Madam Man’s words was already clear. She had come here this time to push her daughter into the general’s residence.

Over the years, the number of men and women who had tried to get into the general’s household easily numbered in the hundreds. If Bu Nian had entertained even half of them, he wouldn’t be able to manage. With a man of Bu Nian’s rank and status, it was impossible not to attract desire. And he was still so young, so striking…

As Lian Ai followed that line of thought, his mind began to drift. He didn’t come back to himself until he heard Madam Man say something, not very quietly. When he looked up again, he saw that both Madam Man and Xue Zhen had turned pale.

“Are you really going to leave the general’s family without an heir? Among all the ways one can be unfilial, having no descendants is the worst. Even if you don’t want to take a wife, can’t you at least take a concubine to carry on the family line? How can you face your parents in the afterlife if you don’t?”

Bu Nian narrowed his eyes slightly. His fingers tapped steadily against Lian Ai’s waist.

“I hate children,” he said.

In this world, there was only one person whose child he could ever bring himself to love. But that person couldn’t give him a child, and he would never allow them to bear one with someone else. That alone had already sealed the fact that he would never have an heir.

He felt no regret. Nor did he believe he owed anyone an apology. If one discarded personal will and desire, and reproduced purely for the sake of reproduction, then what was the difference between man and beast?

“If you don’t like women, you could still let one bear your child. After that, the child can be given to…” Madam Man gritted her teeth, feeling as if she were making a tremendous concession. “Given to Young Master Helian to raise.”

She had already pictured it clearly in her mind. The “woman” she spoke of, of course, referred to her own daughter. As long as Xue Zhen gave birth to Bu Nian’s child, even if she was treated coldly for a year or two, it would be worth it. She was the birth mother. Once the child grew up, it would naturally lean closer to her. In the end, who belonged to this family would no longer be so certain.

Back when Madam Man married into the cloth merchant’s family, there had been no shortage of concubines in the household. She had crawled her way through schemes and setbacks, poured every ounce of cunning she had, and nearly lost the ability to conceive in the process. It took her several years to finally secure her place as the primary wife.

So she wasn’t afraid to wait. She never had been.

“I won’t raise them,” Lian Ai said, brows furrowing. “I’ll return to Zhongzhou.”

Madam Man froze, unable to make sense of what he meant. Before she could think further, Bu Nian turned sharply to him, displeasure written all over his face.

“You’re seriously responding to that nonsense?”

His fingers tightened. Lian Ai cried out from the pain and slapped down over the offending hand.

“General,” he said, his voice sweet and soft, with a teasing note that wrapped around the heart like silk.

The charm in the arch of Lian Ai’s brow and the curve of his eyes, though fleeting, was striking. Like a flash of startled beauty passing by, it left one unable to look away. Even Xue Zhen, who as a woman looked down most on men who used their appearance to curry favor, couldn’t help but be briefly stunned by that moment of allure.

“Nian’er!” Madam Man’s harsh voice finally snapped her back to her senses.

When Bu Nian looked at them, his eyes held nothing but coldness. That gaze was nothing like the one he gave to the person standing beside him.

“Aunt, you’ve been staying in the capital for quite some time now. I’m sure you must be missing your family. I’ll have someone pack your things. You’ll be returning home today.”

Madam Man was stunned. “W-what…?”

Bu Nian didn’t look at her again. He turned to the servants behind him and said, “Someone, escort Madam Man and her children back to the guest courtyard. Until the carriage is ready, have them remain in the courtyard and rest. Make sure they don’t wander about again.”

He pulled Lian Ai close and walked off toward the main residence. As they went, he scoffed under his breath, “Nian’er? Even my mother never called me that.”

Behind them, Madam Man and Xue Zhen went pale and flushed by turns. Little Master Xue tugged at his sister’s sleeve, cluelessly whining, “I want that fish. I want that golden fish. Sister, get it for me…”

Xue Zhen looked down at him, her frustration boiling over. She shook him off hard, turned on her heel, and stormed off with a cold face.

Xue Zhen looked at her younger brother, the fire in her chest rising beyond control. Irritated, she shook him off and turned away with a cold face.

Little Master Xue looked up at her, full of grievance, then turned to tug at Madam Man’s sleeve. “…Mother?”

Madam Man’s thoughts were a mess. She couldn’t shake the feeling that this risky move had gone completely wrong. She had gained nothing and only brought shame on herself. Her thoughts were in complete disarray. For once, she didn’t coddle her son and spoke to him with an impatient edge.

“What fish? Do you want to die?” she snapped, then yanked him along.

And so, Madam Man, who had arrived at the general’s estate full of confidence and ambition, was chased out in complete disgrace. She returned to Gusu with her son and daughter, humiliated and bitter.

No one knew why, but after that visit, the Xue family’s fabric business began to falter. Year after year, they lost money. Within a few years, they were drowning in debt, unable to recover the glory they once had.

Some said they had offended the Helian family and brought on Helian Qiufeng’s revenge. Others whispered that it was sabotage by officials who blocked their trade routes. And there were those who claimed Madam Man had committed too many sins in her youth, and that vengeful spirits had come to collect their dues, dragging the Xue family legacy down with her.

-END-

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T/N

Dear readers,

Bu Nian and Lian’s story ends here. Thank you so much for staying with me and for all your support. Love you all. There’s an extra arc of 20 chapters, but it’s a standalone story focusing solely on Zuo Lingyu’s life in a new place. It’s unrelated to the main plot, so I won’t be translating it. However, if anyone has a soft spot for Zuo Lingyu and would like to read his story, feel free to let me know. I might consider translating it.

Once again, thank you so much. And please forgive me if the translation didn’t meet your expectations or contained errors. Do let me know, and I’ll make sure to fix them.

-Slashh-