Zhang Wei met with several disciples who had defected from the sect.
Their identities were quite inappropriate, but she considered herself an independent woman with her own opinions, not bound by rigid standings.
Senior Brother Jin and the others had conflicts with her mother, but those conflicts were not with Zhang Wei herself.
That should not interfere with the years of friendship they had built.
It was basically the principle of “business apart, righteousness remains.”
So when Senior Brother Jin and the others came to visit, Zhang Wei hesitated briefly but decided to meet with them.
Upon hearing Zhang Wei’s words, Jin Liang and the others grew quietly resentful.
As the rightful Senior Disciple, he should have had the legitimate qualification, but now that things had fallen apart, Lady Chunhan was already thinking about finding a successor for the City Lord!
But this was strange—who else in Luoshui City could possibly be a candidate for City Lord?
Could it be that she would rather bring in an unknown son-in-law from outside than give the position to him, the Senior Brother?!
“Junior Sister, what’s going on with the letter? It looks like they want to choose a husband for you? Do you have someone in mind?”
Zhang Wei shook her head, equally surprised by the matter.
“No, this is the first time Mother has mentioned this to me. I suppose I’ll have to return to Luoshui City and hear what Mother is thinking.”
Seeing that Junior Sister was also unaware, Jin Liang wanted to press further but gave up.
Zhang Wei put away the letter and turned her attention back to the few Senior Brothers who had traveled a long way to see her.
She asked:
“Senior Brother Jin, I know you wouldn’t harm me, which is why I’m willing to meet you, but I still want to know why you teamed up with a few brothers to cause such a commotion in Luoshui City!”
Jin Liang was not only the Senior Disciple of Luoshui City, but before the City Lord’s death, he was the City Lord’s personally accepted top disciple.
Outsiders needed to marry Zhang Wei to increase their own standing, but Jin Liang’s identity was like that of the City Lord’s eldest son, Zhang Wei’s brother.
His succession was almost guaranteed, with no need to fight for it.
Now, not only had this stirred up chaos in Luoshui City, but it also left him with the reputation of disrespecting the Mistress.
“Junior Sister, many things here can’t be explained in just a few words.
Outsiders can’t understand my feelings…”
Senior Brother Jin’s expression darkened as he avoided revealing his motives.
He chatted casually for a bit, unknowingly bringing the conversation back to Lady Chunhan’s letter.
He said:
“Junior Sister, this trip back, you’re probably going to be forcibly arranged into a marriage by Mistress—married to someone you don’t know, and spend the rest of your life with him.”
Another allied Senior Brother chimed in:
“With Mistress’s strong control, she has managed every aspect of Luoshui City for years. Soon, it might be like ‘ruling from behind the curtain,’ using you and your husband as puppets. How could you live freely then?”
“Exactly. With Mistress’s style, she’ll probably pick the husband herself, ignoring Junior Sister’s wishes. He’ll most likely be a pushover so she can control him easily.”
“……”
Zhang Wei remained silent.
She hadn’t yet considered her own marriage, and now with her mother suddenly arranging one for her, she had no clear concept.
But her brothers’ words did make sense.
Her relationship with Lady Chunhan was not close.
There was no blood relation, and Lady Chunhan’s focus was on Luoshui City—she only provided money and rarely cared about Zhang Wei’s life in Tianxing City.
Every year during Tianxing Academy’s holidays, when Zhang Wei returned to Luoshui City, she felt a bit stifled.
Everything at home was ruled by Lady Chunhan’s decisions—once she spoke, no one could interfere.
Life in Tianxing City was carefree, with food, fun, and classmates for company.
Just imagining spending the rest of her life living under her mother’s shadow, with her marriage arranged and a husband too timid to oppose his mother-in-law…
The future already seemed bleak in Zhang Wei’s mind.
After a while, Jin Liang and the others prepared to leave.
They borrowed a few hundred taels of silver from Zhang Wei as startup funds for their continued ventures.
Before departing, they earnestly said:
“We’re leaving. We’ll visit you again when we have the chance… Even though we’ve fallen out with Mistress, you are still our Junior Sister. That won’t change!”
“I am the Master’s direct Senior Disciple, and you are the Master’s daughter. If anyone is an outsider, it’s Mistress—she never even formally married the Master, yet has controlled Luoshui City for years as if she owns it!”
The courtyard quieted down, and Zhang Wei began preparing the carriage to return to Luoshui City.
Her personal lady-in-waiting arranged the carriage and said:
“Miss, don’t listen to those people’s nonsense!”
“Lady Chunhan has poured her heart and soul into Luoshui City. Her position leaves no room for distraction. To protect Luoshui City, she has never had an easy moment!”
“Lady Chunhan cares about you, or she wouldn’t have arranged for you to be in Tianxing City. From now on, you should have less contact with those few.”
“…Hmm.” Zhang Wei nodded, though whether she’d heed her lady-in-waiting’s advice was another matter.
In Luoshui City,
Lady Chunhan received a letter from her lady-in-waiting, mentioning that Miss Zhang Wei had set off.
“Wei’er is coming back. I need to find an opportunity to discuss this matter with Chu Yin.”
If she waited until Zhang Wei returned to explain her plans to Chu Yin, it would be too sudden.
It was better to talk early and prepare him mentally.
Besides, she could discuss how to get close to Zhang Wei and cultivate their relationship in advance.
Lady Chunhan earnestly wanted to matchmake the two young people, but ultimately it was up to Chu Yin to approach Zhang Wei and get familiar.
That night, after dealing with official matters, Chu Yin accompanied Lady Chunhan into a more relaxed conversation.
Standing behind the beautiful woman, Chu Yin used a newly learned massage technique to knead Lady Chunhan’s fragrant shoulders, easing her fatigue.
“Chu Yin, please sit down. Mistress wants to talk to you about something.” Lady Chunhan patted the seat beside her, inviting him to sit.
“If it’s not about the case, I can just say it like this—I want to keep massaging Mistress’s shoulders~”
Since Chu Yin began spending evenings with Lady Chunhan, her complexion had become radiant, her face glowing with health.
The smile at the corners of her lips was almost always there, though only Chu Yin could see it—not outsiders.
Seeing Chu Yin so persistent, Lady Chunhan didn’t insist and got straight to the point:
“Chu Yin, Mistress wants to match you with Wei’er. What do you think?”
Chu Yin’s expression stiffened, complicated:
“Miss Zhang Wei and I aren’t familiar. At most, we’ve seen each other a few times in Luoshui City. What thoughts could I have…”
“Right now, you’re strangers, but you can try to get to know each other. Without contact, how can you become close?”
“I… I’ll follow Mistress’s wishes. If we meet in the future, I’ll try to approach Miss Zhang Wei, but I can’t promise the relationship will improve.”