Chapter 185: Chapter
The air around Wenzhe grew so cold that the nearby servants shivered.
His dark eyes narrowed into angry slits. Anyone in the room could see that the proud general was ready to explode with jealousy.
Wenzhe slammed his hand down hard on the table. Clack.
The loud noise made everyone jump. The whole room went completely quiet.
"Yueqing," Wenzhe said, his voice sharp and full of hidden rage. He pointed right at the handsome man kneeling next to his wife. "Who is this?"
Yueqing stopped whimpering and looked around the room. She glanced down at Nine, who gave her a quick, cheeky wink before stepping back.
Yueqing looked back at her furious husband, her face calm as she answered.
"He is my new personal guard," Yueqing said clearly. "My father sent him."
Wenzhe’s jaw tightened until a muscle twitched in his cheek.
["Her father sent him?"] Wenzhe thought, his chest burning with bitter anger. ["The Grand Chancellor sends a strange, strikingly handsome man to act as a personal guard, and she acts like it is the most normal thing in the world?"]
The mere thought of the Grand Chancellor, a man who never did anything without a calculating, political motive hand-delivering such a man straight to his wife’s courtyard made Wenzhe’s blood boil. But what angered him even more was how comfortably Yueqing let this stranger touch her, care for her, and scold her, while she treated her own husband with cold distance.
"A guard," Wenzhe repeated, his voice dropping to a dangerous, icy whisper. He slowly stood up from his chair, leaning heavily against the edge of the table as he glared down at Nine. "Since when does the Grand Chancellor send guards who look like leisure-seeking nobles, and since when does a wife let a strange man touch her lap in front of her husband?"
The whole dining hall held its breath. Aunt Ronghua lowered her head, nervously pretending to inspect her teacup, while Madame Xi rubbed her temples with a tired sigh.
Yueqing scoffed softly under her breath, completely unimpressed by his theatrical jealousy.
["Oh, please,"] Yueqing thought, rolling her eyes internally. ["Like he actually cares about me. He’s just mad because his ego is bruised that another man is getting attention!"]
Before Wenzhe could say another word, Nine stepped forward slightly, blocking Yueqing just enough to put a cool, unbothered barrier between her and the furious general.
"General Xi," Nine said smoothly, his voice calm and carrying a strange, effortless authority that made everyone in the room blink. "The Grand Chancellor felt the Young Madam needed capable protection while the estate is unsettled. If my presence offends you, perhaps you should take it up with her father."
Wenzhe’s eyes flashed with pure murder.
["He dares talk back to me?"] Wenzhe thought, his fists clenching so tightly his knuckles turned paper white. ["In my own home, a mere guard is speaking to me with such blatant disrespect—and she just sits there looking at him!"]
Before Wenzhe could lunge across the table, the Old Madame finally slammed her walking cane against the floor. Thud.
"That is enough, Wenzhe!" the Old Madame snapped, her voice sharp with authority. "Sit down. You have just returned, your body is barely healed, and you are causing a scene over a servant doing his duty. Have you no shame?"
Wenzhe gritted his teeth, his chest heaving with suppressed rage as he slowly sank back into his chair, though his dark, venomous glare never left Nine or Yueqing.
Before anyone could speak, hurried footsteps echoed from outside the courtyard gates.
A breathless maid burst into the dining hall just as a commotion swelled outside. "Master! Duke Xi! Imperial servants have arrived at the front gates!" she blurted out, bowing frantically.
Before the Duke could even stand, a high-pitched, resonant voice rang through the entrance.
"An imperial decree has arrived for the Duke’s estate!"
A Chief Eunuch, dressed in rich brocade and holding a golden-yellow scroll, stepped gracefully into the hall, followed by a double line of palace guards and royal servants.
Panic and confusion rippled through the room. Duke Xi immediately stood, motioning for everyone to rise.
"Quickly, everyone kneel," Duke Xi commanded in a low, serious voice.
The entire family scrambled to drop to their knees. Dong Li hurried to Wenzhe’s side, grabbing his arms and carefully helping the injured general down to his knees before his unsteady legs gave out, ensuring he knelt properly on the hard stone floor. Nine stepped back smoothly, taking a respectful kneeling posture beside Yueqing.
The Chief Eunuch unrolled the golden scroll, clearing his throat as the entire hall fell into a pin-drop silence.
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees," the Eunuch read aloud, his voice echoing off the walls. "In honor of the glorious return of Duke Xi and General Xi Wenzhe from the northern borders, a grand welcome banquet shall be hosted at the imperial palace in two days. All members of the Xi family are commanded to attend. This is the decree!"
Yueqing knelt at the back, her eyes widening slightly as a heavy dread pooled in her stomach.
["A palace banquet in two days?"] Yueqing thought, her heart skipping a beat. ["The Emperor is hosting them? Knowing how messy palace politics always are in these scripts, this is definitely going to be a disaster!"]
The Chief Eunuch rolled the golden scroll back up with a soft snap, his sharp gaze sweeping over the kneeling family.
"His Majesty sends his highest regards to the Duke and the valiant General," the Eunuch announced smoothly, a polite smile touching his lips. "The palace will expect the entirety of the Xi family in attendance. Please prepare yourselves accordingly."
Duke Xi lowered his head respectfully. "This subject receives the decree. Long live the Emperor."
"Long live the Emperor," the entire family echoed in unison, pressing their foreheads toward the floor.
Once the formal exchange was complete, the Duke offered generous pleasantries and dispatched a steward to escort the Eunuch and the royal guards out with proper hospitality. As the heavy footsteps of the palace entourage faded back toward the front gates, a tense sigh rippled through the dining hall.
Dong Li carefully reached down, taking hold of Wenzhe’s arm to help the general back to his feet. Wenzhe pushed himself up, his face pale and stiff from the physical strain and lingering fury. His dark eyes immediately locked back onto Yueqing, who was rising smoothly to her feet with Nine assisting her.
["Great, just great,"] Yueqing thought, brushing out her robes with an internal groan. ["A massive palace banquet where every scheming noble and jealous rival will be watching my every move. And of course, I have to go looking like the dutiful wife to this walking ice sculpture."]
Wenzhe caught the irritation flashing across her face, his jaw tightening even further. He didn’t care about the Emperor’s banquet or the grand honor; his mind was entirely consumed by the strange guard standing a fraction too close to his wife.
The Chief Eunuch rolled the golden scroll back up with a soft snap, his sharp gaze sweeping over the kneeling family.
"His Majesty sends his highest regards to the Duke and the valiant General," the Eunuch announced smoothly, a polite smile touching his lips. "The palace will expect the entirety of the Xi family in attendance. Please prepare yourselves accordingly."
Duke Xi lowered his head respectfully. "This subject receives the decree. Long live the Emperor."
"Long live the Emperor," the entire family echoed in unison, pressing their foreheads toward the floor.
Once the formal exchange was complete, the Duke offered generous pleasantries and dispatched a steward to escort the Eunuch and the royal guards out with proper hospitality. As the heavy footsteps of the palace entourage faded back toward the front gates, a tense sigh rippled through the dining hall.
Dong Li carefully reached down, taking hold of Wenzhe’s arm to help the general back to his feet. Wenzhe pushed himself up, his face pale and stiff from the physical strain and lingering fury. His dark eyes immediately locked back onto Yueqing, who was rising smoothly to her feet with Nine assisting her.
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