Are you saying the Duke of Chengguo's actions are akin to burning the bridge after crossing the river?
The atmosphere grew somewhat uneasy.
Fang Chengyu followed Miss Jun's lead, nodding repeatedly, with an unmistakable air of discontent.
"What are you thinking? Don't misread someone's good intentions," Zhu Zan said immediately. "Do you really think having the title of Heir's Wife is a good thing? It's nothing but trouble. My father is doing this for your own good—women are just so driven by their emotions."
"You're overthinking things, man," Miss Jun replied, giving him a glance.
Provocation! Zhu Zan glared.
Miss Jun ignored him and turned to the Duke of Chengguo.
"This is really not the right time," she said. "It won't benefit you, Duke."
The Duke of Chengguo chuckled.
"You can't always measure actions purely by their benefits," he replied.
"By doing this, you're splitting the credit, perhaps even giving me more than half. Duke, you must be aware that many people right now are averse to seeing accolades attached to individuals during such times," Miss Jun explained.
"Indeed, it's often easier to move forward by going with the flow," the Duke said with a faint smile.
Just like accepting the imperial summons to return to the capital—he could have refused but calculated that the dynasty was desperate to bring him back with promises to meet whatever conditions he demanded. Thus, for the sake of splitting the Qingshan Army, securing rewards for Xia Yong, Yang Jing, and others, he decided to return.
He now realized that the emperor was displeased due to matters involving Prince Huai and was wary of his military achievements and reputation among the people. The emperor would have preferred him to relinquish credit and diminish his renown. So, by proposing to transfer some achievements to Miss Jun, the emperor certainly wouldn't object—in fact, would likely grant even more than requested.
"There's no need for this, Duke," Miss Jun remarked. "Credit in my hands is far less useful than in yours."
Fang Chengyu immediately nodded again. Yes, yes.
Zhu Zan remained silent, gripping his chopsticks as though engrossed in thoughts.
"What's yours is yours, useful or not," the Duke said firmly, stopping Miss Jun from objecting further. "I understand your concerns. I've considered all you've said, but I still believe that you can't perpetually guard against hypothetical threats. It's futile. If we let worries paralyze us into inaction, life becomes rather dull."
Miss Jun almost felt like laughing.
A military general waxing poetic like a scholar of letters—but tinged with an inexplicable melancholy and envy.
"So, Duke, you returned to the capital because you wanted to come back. You went to Prince Huai's mansion because you wanted to visit it. And you want to credit me because you simply wish for people to recognize my contributions," she said.
The Duke nodded with gentle affirmation.
"Fine then," Miss Jun said with a smile, rising and bowing. "If you dare to give, I dare to receive."
Fang Chengyu's face lit up with a smile and nodded yet again.
Madam Yu laughed too.
"So, it's settled then?" she asked.
"Settled," the Duke confirmed.
Madam Yu raised her wine cup.
"Then let's have a toast," she proposed.
Aside from Zhu Zan, everyone—Duke, Miss Jun, and Fang Chengyu—smiled and raised their glasses, downing their wine and tea in one go.
After the meal, the Duke and his wife retired to rest, leaving Zhu Zan to entertain Fang Chengyu in the mansion.
"You go ahead and entertain yourself," Zhu Zan told Fang Chengyu.
Fang Chengyu looked at him with a hint of grievance, then glanced at Miss Jun.
"Alright, brother," he murmured, lowering his head.
Before Miss Jun could frown and say anything, Zhu Zan slung an arm around Fang Chengyu's shoulder.
"This time there's no need to put on an act," Zhu Zan whispered into his ear. "We're almost done with each other. I need to set things straight with her."
Fang Chengyu's face broke into a grin.
"Got it," he said cheerfully, looking at Miss Jun. "Gongzhu, I'll go have a look around; the Duke Mansion's scenery is quite nice."
Miss Jun gave a nod, watching as Fang Chengyu left with the maidservants.
"What were you whispering about?" she asked. "Don't go spoiling him; he's different from you."
Zhu Zan scoffed.
"Relax. That kid's bad enough without my influence," he said.
Miss Jun mockingly spat in reply.
"Let's talk seriously," she said.
"You're the one who's not being serious," Zhu Zan retorted.
Miss Jun rolled her eyes and turned on her heel. Zhu Zan hastened to follow.
"Hey," he called from behind, "I didn't expect you'd actually think this through."
Miss Jun raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?" she asked.
"Choosing to turn back before it's too late," Zhu Zan began, "letting go of feelings doomed to go nowhere, realizing what you should and shouldn't pursue. Not clinging to me anymore."
Miss Jun turned and looked at him.
"Oh, shut up," she said.
"Fine, fine, I won't say another word," Zhu Zan replied, throwing up his hands in surrender. "As long as I understand it, that's enough."
Miss Jun stared at him, half exasperated, half amused.
"Since you understand, how will you make up to me?" she asked with a sly smile.
Zhu Zan took a cautious step back, visibly wary.
"I sell talent, not myself," he quipped.
Miss Jun suppressed a laugh.
This guy obviously wanted to thank her for her concern for his father but stubbornly refused to express it sincerely.
Her gaze wandered casually, and her expression suddenly froze.
Her line of sight fell upon a courtyard wall she once climbed over and the lush treetops beyond.
"Do you have a dog hole at home?" she suddenly asked.
This bizarre question made Zhu Zan frown in confusion.
"Hey, say something serious. Don't deliberately insult me," he said. "I'm never crawling through a dog hole again."
Again?
Miss Jun caught on to that particular word.
"So you're saying you've done it before?" she asked with a grin.
Zhu Zan looked toward the courtyard wall, his usual carefree expression briefly heavy.
"None of your business," he said.
Zhu Zan's mannerisms were intriguing. Miss Jun had learned this by now. He acted as though everything he said was nonsense, but curiously, he rarely lied outright. He'd rather remain silent or argue than utter a falsity.
For instance, now—he didn't want people to know he'd crouched into a dog hole before, yet he wouldn't deny it outright, blurting out these ridiculous "three hundred taels hidden in the wall" kind of remarks instead.
Why wouldn't he deny it? As though denial erased the act from existence. Crawling through a dog hole wasn't exactly something to brag about. Unless it held a special significance?
Miss Jun looked at the high wall as though seeing a little girl leap onto the tree above it with determined resolve.
Thud.
The sound was faint—not loud enough to alert patrolling guards, yet audible enough to jolt a figure underneath.
"Intruder!" a man's shrill, rooster-like voice called out.
The shout startled the young girl, almost causing her to fall. She didn't have time to inspect the ambusher below before guards swarmed in from all directions. She was knocked off the wall, everything spinning around her as she glimpsed a shadow dart behind the approaching guards—rolling and scrambling, disappearing into the chaos.
"I've spotted the intruder!"
"I caught the intruder!"
Her ears rang with the rooster-like cries, eager for merit.
Soon enough, the guards' shouts drowned out the voice, and figures encircled her.
"I'm Ling Jiu, Sir Zhang's apprentice…" Miss Jun whispered, echoing the words of the fallen girl who shouted her identity while sprawled.
Ling Jiu.
She turned to Zhu Zan.
"So you really did crawl through a dog hole," she remarked.