Chapter Ten: A Woman as Gentle as Water

Xie Yanzhi returned to his study, leaned back in his chair, and looked at the visiting cards on the table. His brows were relaxed, and his deep eyes revealed no emotion. His fingers, which were resting on the armrest, felt inexplicably oppressive.

Yuan Qing saw that the name on the visiting card was: Lu Yuanzhang of the Marquis of Guangde's Mansion.

That is Lu Erye from the Guangde Marquis's Mansion.

Xie Yanzhi recalled that when he investigated the Lingnan riots, he had captured several bandit leaders. One of them seemed calm, and the jailer overheard him telling someone that a noble person in the capital would protect him.

Xie Yanzhi sent people to investigate, but the trail went cold at the eastern gate of the capital.

In that area, there was only one household, which was the Guangde Marquis's residence.

The eldest master of the Marquis's mansion has not been involved in affairs for many years, and now it is the second master of the Marquis's mansion who is in charge.

The invitation was sent today; I wonder what Master Lu is planning.

As Xie Yanzhi was thinking, the servant in charge of announcing things at the door came in and said that the master wanted the eldest son to go to Songyuan immediately.

Upon hearing this, Xie Yanzhi's gaze instantly turned icy as he looked outside: "So he's remembered me again."

Xie Yanzhi arrived at Songyuan very quickly.

At this moment, Master Xie Songyan was sitting in the head seat, holding a teacup in one hand and using the lid of the teacup to skim off the floating tea foam with the other. Just as he brought the teacup to his lips to take a sip, he caught a glimpse of Xie Yanzhi entering out of the corner of his eye.

Xie Yanzhi stood in the center of the room with his hands behind his back and said, "You need something from me?"

Xie Songyan held his teacup and sized up Xie Yanzhi.

Every time his son came to see him, he exuded an undisguised aura of hostility, and his tone was so distant.

It was as if the two were not father and son, but ruler and subject, and they were always distant.

He understood that Xie Yanzhi harbored resentment towards him because of the matter concerning Xie Yanzhi's birth mother, Yang.

Xie Songyan had grown accustomed to Xie Yanzhi's attitude over the years.

Xie Songyan ignored Xie Yanzhi's attitude and said slowly, "Today, the wife of the Minister of War came to your residence to catch up with your mother and also mentioned your marriage."

“My son has no plans to get married,” Xie Yanzhi immediately interrupted Xie Songyan.

Xie Songyan knew that Xie Yanzhi had been refusing the marriage proposal, but he didn't care what Xie Yanzhi said. In any case, he would eventually get married, especially since he was the eldest grandson of the Xie family.

Xie Songyan then added, "The Minister wishes to marry his eldest daughter to you."

"Your mother met that woman last year. She is beautiful and dignified, and well-educated. She is a good match for you." As he spoke, Xie Songyan slowly took another sip of tea.

"This marriage is most beneficial to our Jingnan Marquis's mansion."

Over the past few years, people have been flocking to the Xie family to inquire about Xie Yanzhi's marriage. After careful consideration, Xie Songyan believes that it is most suitable for Xie Yanzhi to marry the daughter of the Minister's family.

Although the Xie family has returned to the ranks of prominent families, its strength is not what it used to be.

If Xie Yanzhi can marry the Minister's beloved daughter and gain the Minister's support, it will be like having more powerful allies. Then, the Xie family will be able to rise to prominence in the court once again.

Moreover, the Xie family now has very few male heirs, with only Xie Yanzhi from the eldest son's branch and Xie Zhao, the illegitimate son from the second son's branch.

A faint, cold smile played on Xie Yanzhi's lips as he turned to leave, saying, "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now."

When did Xie Yanzhi ever need to humble herself by using marriage to gain favor? Did they really think of her as one of those aristocratic women?

"Stop!" Xie Songyan slammed his teacup down on the table, his voice tinged with anger. "Is this how you speak to your father?"

After speaking, Xie Songyan paused for a moment, knowing that his son always responded better to gentle persuasion than force.

He added, "As the eldest grandson of the Xie family of the Marquis of Jingnan, you must shoulder the responsibility of continuing the family line and bringing prosperity to the Marquis's mansion!" Xie Songyan got up and went to Xie Yanzhi's side, wanting to reach out and pat his shoulder to comfort him.

Xie Yanzhi turned around, stopping Xie Songyan's actions with a glance. He then sat down, his fingers tracing the jade thumb ring, and said coldly, "The Jingnan Marquis's mansion has me; it doesn't need any marriage to provide assistance!"

Xie Songyan frowned at him: "But you're going to get married eventually, so why not choose the one that's most advantageous?"

Xie Yanzhi looked at Xie Songyan and sneered, "Then why don't you try marrying that beloved daughter of the Minister's family into the Marquis's mansion?"

Xie Songyan looked at Xie Yanzhi and felt a chill run down his spine.

After Xie Yanzhi's birth mother, Lady Yang, died, it is unknown how much time passed before Xie Yanzhi became like this.

The intimacy they once shared is nowhere to be seen again.

Xie Songyan frowned and said, "I know you still resent me for not bringing your mother back."

At the time, it wasn't that he didn't want to bring Yang back.

Giving up the Yang family that day was the condition on which the old Marquis agreed to let Xie Songyan return to the Marquis's mansion.

Yang's status is too lowly!

Xie Songyan recalled that when he and his brother were brought back to the Marquis's mansion, the mansion was already on its last legs. His third brother, Xie Songyuan, was only six or seven years old.

The old Marquis looked at his two brothers kneeling on the ground from his sickbed, tears streaming down his face, and said with difficulty, "The Marquis's mansion is counting on you."

Later, his second brother, Xie Songyi, joined the army. He fought bravely and made many outstanding contributions, and was awarded the rank of general.

After passing the imperial examination, he married Xue, the daughter of a high-ranking official, through his family's arrangement, and rose to a high position.

Xie Songyan thought of that gentle woman again.

She always sat quietly on the daybed, sewing clothes under the lamp.

The son, meanwhile, was reciting the newly taught poems while shaking his head.

As Yang looked up, her eyes met Xie Songyan's, and she realized he was secretly watching her.

Yang would then give him a gentle smile and then lower her head shyly.

As Xie Songyan was lost in his memories, he heard Xie Yanzhi casually say, "But you killed her with your own hands."

He didn't blame Xie Songyan for not bringing Yang back due to the circumstances at the time. But he shouldn't have let Yang die, causing him to lose his biological mother.

Xie Yanzhi recalled that Yang Shi held his hand and said to the little boy with tears in her eyes, "Yan-ge'er, be good. Go with Momo to find your father first. Mother will come soon."

Xie Yanzhi later learned that his mother had already passed away the day he left.

She was poisoned to death by the peach blossom wine that Xie Songyan gave her, which was her favorite.

Xie Songyan also understood that Madam Yang was a woman whose heart and soul belonged only to him, her husband.

She bore him a son, did his laundry and cooked for him, but there are too many women in this world who could do these things. When necessary, a woman like her should sacrifice herself for her husband!

That's the value she can offer him!

If anyone's to blame, it's her lack of a prestigious family background, which prevented her from helping him.

Xie Songyan continued, "It was an honor for your mother to die for the Marquis's mansion! I, the Marquis, also remember her."

As a woman of lowly status, what more could she ask for than to be remembered by Lord Xie after her death?

Moreover, her death allowed her son to become the heir of the prestigious Jingnan Marquis's mansion, so she died a worthy death.