Chapter 33 Persuading Mother

I can't say anything more. If I tell my mother now that the young general will indeed return in three years, but not alone, but with a confidante by his side, my mother will definitely make a scene again.

"What you're saying is utterly absurd. You're not just trying to reassure me, are you?"

Su Chengniang looked at her daughter for a long time before saying, "But what if your dream doesn't come true? What if the young general doesn't return in three years? What will you do then?"

Yu Qingci: "So what if the young general really can't come back in three years? It's not easy for women in this world. How many women can truly marry well and have a smooth life?"

Now that my daughter has returned to the Earl's mansion, her future marriage will no longer be up to her mother to decide. Rather than not knowing what the outcome will be, it's better to take a gamble. Even if we lose, I believe that given the character of the old lady of the General's mansion, my daughter will live a peaceful and safe life after marrying into the family.

Su Chengniang was surprised that her daughter could think of so much at such a young age. She opened her mouth but didn't know what to say.

After all, she had once been the mistress of a high-ranking family, but as soon as her family encountered trouble, her mother-in-law immediately wanted to demote her from wife to concubine.

Yu Qingci then told her a few more small things that had come true in her dream, and decided to take another gamble: "In the dream, I remember that three days later, there would be a heavy rain in the capital, accompanied by thunder and lightning. The lightning even struck a corner of the City God Temple in the west of the city, and the main hall of the City God Temple almost caught fire. Fortunately, a torrential downpour followed the lightning, which prevented a greater disaster."

If Mother doesn't believe it, she should wait and see.

Su Chengniang looked at her daughter's face and felt as if she had seen a ghost.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Yu Qingci shifted her attention to Yu Qingbai.

"By the way, Mother, I have found a tutor for Qingbai. You should have heard of his name. Why don't you guess who he is?"

Su Chengniang was taken aback again. Yu Qingci smiled and said, "It is Mr. Li Ye, a very famous gentleman in the capital, who was once the emperor's tutor."

Su Chengniang: "Really? Is it really Li Daru? I've been asking around the neighborhood about famous scholars in the capital these past few days. I heard that this Mr. Li has been retired for many years and no longer lives in the capital. He moved to a nice place near Taijue Temple in the suburbs to cultivate in seclusion and hasn't taken on any disciples for a long time."

At this point, Su Chengniang remembered that her daughter had just gone to Taijue Temple with the Earl's family. Her eyes lit up and she asked, "Could it be that you really met the great scholar Li? I heard that this old gentleman is very difficult to visit."

Yu Qingci smiled gently: Since Mother knows this old gentleman, she must also know that in addition to his amazing talent, he is also an undisputed master of Go. I specially asked Mother for a Go manual passed down in the Su family before, just to give it to him.

Yu Qingci recounted her visit to Li Ye at Taijue Temple to Su Chengniang in detail, even mentioning that she had solved the chess puzzle set up by the old master Li Ye thanks to the hints in her dream.

Su Chengniang was skeptical. Her daughter had received education in music, chess, calligraphy and painting since childhood, and her Go skills were quite good among young ladies. However, it was still a bit mysterious that her daughter could solve Mr. Li's game. Could it be that she really received a hint in her dream?

Su Chengniang: "So you asked me for the chess manual to give to Li Daru. You should have said so earlier. I thought you asked it to please the people in the Marquis's mansion."

Yu Qingci couldn't help but laugh: "How could I be so stupid? Mother's things are only for us to use. Let's forget about those people in the Earl's Mansion."

Without further ado, Mother, why don't you bring up the matter of having my younger brother become an apprentice with Father soon? Although he is young, he has been intelligent since childhood. When he was studying in Youyang, he was often praised by his teacher. I believe that Mr. Li will eventually accept my brother as his apprentice.

Once my younger brother successfully becomes a disciple, he can move out of the Nanping Earl's Mansion and focus on studying with Master Li. After my daughter gets married, Mother won't have to worry about us every day anymore.

Even if Su Chengniang didn't say it outright, Yu Qingci knew very well that as long as she and her brother lived in the Earl's mansion, her mother would never be able to rest easy.

Su Chengniang slowly digested what her daughter had said, and finally nodded and said, "Yes, becoming an apprentice is a big deal. Since you have already paved the way, we should hurry up. I will talk to your father later and ask him to take Qingbai to pay respects to Master Li tomorrow."

She paused, then sighed and said, "They say a man's words are deceitful. I trusted him so much. If I had known there was such a marriage waiting for me, I would never have agreed to go back to the capital with him. Now he has ruined one of my children. If he can't handle this matter concerning your brother, I will never forgive him."

Yu Qingci smiled and stood up, saying, "With Mother taking the lead, Father will never refuse. So, I will accompany Mother out."

In the main hall, Yu Jingsheng and his son were sitting anxiously waiting. When they saw the mother and daughter come out together, Yu Jingsheng quickly stood up and strode forward: "Chengniang, please don't be angry anymore for the sake of the children. I can't rest easy when you're angry."

As soon as Su Chengniang saw him, her temper, which had just calmed down, flared up again. Seeing that things were not going well, Yu Qingci hurriedly tugged at her sleeve and whispered in her ear, "Mother, important matters are at hand."

Su Chengniang then suppressed her anger and walked over to sit down in a chair with a blank expression: "I have something to say to you, so listen carefully."

Yu Jingsheng immediately sat down as well: "Chengniang, you say it. I will do my best to do it as long as it is within my power."

Su Chengniang glared at her with her almond-shaped eyes and looked at her coldly: "You mean, if you can't do it, you'll just give up and ignore it?"

Yu Jingsheng hurriedly shook his head: "That's not what I meant, I..."

Well, it's best to say less at this point.

So he lowered his head and continued to admit his mistake: "I misspoke, Cheng Niang, please tell me."

Su Chengniang recounted her daughter's encounter with Li Daru, and concluded by saying, "You've already broken my heart with what happened to my daughter. If you don't handle this matter of my son becoming an apprentice properly, I, Su Chengniang, will immediately pack my things and take them back to our hometown of Youyang. From now on, we'll go our separate ways, and all ties will be severed!"

Yu Jingsheng was initially tense, but as he listened, his face lit up with joy. He never expected that his youngest son would have such a good opportunity to become a student of the famous Confucian scholar Li in the capital, and that his daughter had arranged it privately.

He nodded repeatedly, promising that he would take his son's matter to heart and that he would take his son to become a disciple in a couple of days, assuring him that he would not hinder his son's future.

Seeing his sincere attitude, Su Chengniang stopped saying anything, but she definitely wouldn't give him a kind look.

The family of four ate dinner together quietly. Yu Jingsheng decided to stay at the Marquis's residence with the children and not return to the mansion. So he called Changfeng in and asked him to go back to the mansion to tell him.