When the Emperor was blessed with the Dragon and Phoenix Twins and issued a general amnesty across the land, although they were still overseas, they received the news that the Great Hui emperor had a new addition to the family, and those abroad shared in the joy.
They merely heard the news, after all, it felt far removed from them.
Who would have imagined that the one giving birth was their own sister?
Yehan said, “Yes.”
Ning Erlang asked, “Then what about the Imperial Son? The Imperial Son—”
Yehan was reluctant to say much: “A wu has no ties to the Imperial Son; the Imperial Son was from the previous generation.”
The Imperial Son had even helped the old emperor capture Yehan himself—father and son working together.
But A wu and the Imperial Son had long been severed; it seemed all ties were cut.
Several of the Ning brothers’ faces turned grim—this was too chaotic to hear.
Ning Dalang asked again, “So the most hateful one must be the Zhen’an Marquis!”
Ning Erlang agreed, “Yes, that Lu Yunjian, how could he treat A wu like that!”
Ning Yinhua’s face darkened as he stared out the window into the sky and said, “There’s no ‘most hateful’—none of them are good people.”
Ning Sanlang thought about it and nodded—his sister had endured so much in just three short years!
The key point was: first a servant to another man, then to her own father—what sort of thing was this?
For a moment, the room fell silent.
Ning Dalang’s eyes reddened, Ning Erlang frowned, and Ning Sanlang clenched his fists.
“My sister suffered such humiliation. If we don’t avenge her, what kind of men are we? I’m going to confront them!”
With that, he dashed toward the door, but Ning Dalang hurriedly grabbed him.
“Who are you going after?”
Ning Sanlang said, “The Emperor and the Imperial Son are far beyond reach. Even if we wanted to kill them, we couldn’t. But Lu Yunjian from the Zhen’an Marquis Manor is in the Eastern Sea. I heard he sided with the Maritime Bandits—let’s kill him first to vent for my sister!”
Ning Yinhua coldly replied, “What nonsense are you spouting? That man was once the Zhen’an Marquis, commanding the Eastern Sea’s flagship fleet. Now that he’s joined the Maritime Bandits, he’s surrounded by guards. How do you plan to kill him? Weren’t you always hiding from the bandits before? Why do you suddenly have the guts to kill them?”
Ning Sanlang was momentarily speechless—he truly did not dare provoke the Maritime Bandits.
Listening, Yehan began recounting the various dealings Emperor Jingxi had with the Zhen’an Marquis Manor and their past grievances.
What he didn’t mention was that, given Emperor Jingxi’s affection for A wu, there was no way he would tolerate Lu Yunjian—he would tear him to pieces.
But this involved too many complicated past matters, so it was not something to speak of lightly.
Ning Sanlang then looked at his father and asked, “Father, what do you think should be done? Are we just going to swallow this humiliation silently?”
As soon as he spoke, the room grew quiet.
Ning Yinhua squinted, looking out the window at the sunlight.
He clearly understood that his beloved daughter had suffered a grave injustice.
Yet his reaction was unusually calm.
In the eyes of anyone in the Great Hui, a woman serving first another man and then her father was unimaginable and shameful.
But Ning Yinhua, well-read and having traveled overseas, did not care much about this matter.
Compared to being lost in Yanhua Alley or falling into the hands of ruffians and bandits, his daughter’s current situation—just three men involved—was still somewhat bearable.
So Ning Yinhua accepted everything calmly and with endurance.
Life inevitably falls under worldly customs, and Ning Yinhua’s thinking stemmed from local customs.
Around Wanniu Mountain, the old customs were that women stayed home to sew and care for the elderly and children, while men went out to fish, hunt, or trade.
When the men returned, they handed their earnings over to their wives, who managed the household finances.
This way of life had lasted for generations, leading to a somewhat matriarchal tendency.
Some men even accepted that if their wives became pregnant or had a child, those children were officially theirs—so what difference did it make?
As long as the wife stayed home to raise the children and care for the elders, there was no need for harsh demands.
The notions of virtuous husbands and chaste wives were only emphasized among the wealthy and powerful, who had the luxury to be particular.
When people are struggling to survive, who still cares about such things?
Thus, local customs and economy shaped these traditions, which had lasted for centuries, and everyone had grown used to them.
What Ning Yinhua really thought was that the further one was from the Imperial Capital’s prefectural offices—where Confucian teachings and female chastity were most emphasized—the looser those restrictions became.
Every place had its own customs.
Now that he had heard about his daughter’s experiences, his main concern was her mental state.
Had she suffered serious wrongs while going between those three men?
Had she been forced too much?
What were her future plans?
As for revenge, of course he wanted it too, but he also understood that these three men included the Lu family’s legitimate son who commanded the Eastern Sea Navy, the current Crown Prince, and the supreme Emperor himself.
Any one of them could crush their family with a flick of a finger.
If they charged headlong at such powerful families, they would only die in vain, leaving their daughter even more helpless.
After much thought, Ning Yinhua calmly looked over his sons and said, “A gentleman’s revenge may wait ten years. We will keep this in our hearts. But for now, the most important thing is to take care of A wu, soothe her mind, and help her heal from past wounds. We must let her live a life of luxury and comfort.”
He paused thoughtfully, “As for whether she wants to marry in the future, that’s up to her.”
Ning Dalang agreed at once.
Ning Erlang frowned but said nothing, while Ning Sanlang clenched his fists in frustration and forced himself to hold back.
Yehan then said, “Uncle Ning, A wu and I grew up together and were once betrothed. Even though we were apart for three years, I have never stopped thinking of her. Now that we’ve reunited, if A wu is willing, I will marry her and cherish her for life.”
Ning Dalang hesitated at this.
Ning Erlang said, “You are our brother, and I trust you. But…”
He thought for a moment, “Those men A wu got involved with aren’t to be trifled with. I fear it would drag you into trouble.”
Ning Yinhua said, “Erlang is right. There’s no need to rush—this matter must be considered carefully.”
Upon hearing this, Yehan immediately dropped to one knee and said firmly, “A wu and I have faced death countless times together. If we have the chance now, even if only for a day as husband and wife, we would be willing. How could that be a burden? Besides, since the Emperor agreed to let us go, he must be tacitly approving. If he goes back on his word, and we are already married, perhaps we can resist him.”
Ning Yinhua still didn’t give a direct answer.
“Yehan, I know your feelings for A wu. But she just returned. There’s no rush for her to marry. Everything should take its time.”
Yehan lowered his head, gritting his teeth, “Uncle, understood.”
After Yehan went to rest, the four men resumed their discussion.
They all agreed that whether A wu married or not was not urgent.
As long as the family ran their business well, they could support her.
They just needed to be careful not to deepen her pain.
Yehan was naturally the best choice—they trusted him, and he treated A wu well.
But it still depended on A wu’s feelings before making any final decisions.
With that, Ning Sanlang said, “If that’s the case, there’s nothing more to say. I have no intention of marrying anyway. I will take good care of my sister. Even if she never marries, she will never suffer any more injustices.”
Ning Yinhua glanced at Ning Sanlang, “Enough talk. Go buy some fresh fish and shrimp—only the ones just brought in from sea. Roast them for A wu tonight.”
***
In the days that followed, A wu peacefully enjoyed the love and care of her father and brothers.
She spoiled herself, demanding this and that—what to eat, what to wear—and her father and brothers bought everything without hesitation.
Whenever she frowned slightly, her brothers would immediately ask what was wrong.
If any of them upset her, another brother would promptly rough him up.
This life made A wu feel happy and carefree, as if she had returned to the past.
The only regret was that her mother was no longer alive, which brought sadness when she thought of her.
Her father and brothers had rebuilt a proper tomb for her mother and hired a Real Person Daoist to chant scriptures and perform rites.
A wu recalled everything and cried again at her mother’s grave, receiving comforting words from her brothers.
Ning Yinhua’s eyes also reddened as he looked at the tomb.
He said that after he died, he must be buried with his wife so the children could remember: “Even if one day I die far away, bring my ashes back to see your mother.”
His words were tinged with sadness.
Seeing this, A wu couldn’t help but cling to her father, whining for this or that to eat.
Everyone hurried off to fulfill her requests, diverting attention and not dwelling on heavy matters.
Sometimes, her brothers privately probed her about those men.
A wu had gradually come to terms with much and shared some details.
Through these inquiries, they pieced together the truth: the Imperial Son was unworthy but still cared for A wu; the Emperor was cruel but also loved her; only Lu Yunjian was truly hateful—worthy of being torn limb from limb.
At that time, the brothers heard that the Zhen’an Marquis Manor was colluding with bandits, dominating the Eastern Sea.
The Emperor had dispatched the East Sea Navy to eradicate them, and a battle was imminent.
This was huge news.
The Ning family was furious, itching to join and wipe out everyone in the Zhen’an Marquis Manor.
Ning Yinhua immediately ordered his sons not to make a fuss.
“If the Dragon King fights, the fish and shrimp suffer. The Emperor wants to fight Lu Yunjian; what need have we to interfere? We just watch.”
The brothers reluctantly calmed down and agreed with their father.
Only Ning Sanlang remained burning with hatred, itching to rush out and kill Lu Yunjian.
Their beloved sister had been so mistreated—how could they not hate?
They wanted to skin that man alive and feed him to the fish!
***
Those days passed quietly for A wu, but outside, rumors about the Eastern Sea campaign against the bandits spread like wildfire between the town and market.
Everyone talked, but all were just second- or third-hand hearsay, lacking truth.
A wu knew Emperor Jingxi would not spare Lu Yunjian and had some inkling of Lu’s identity, but that was between them and had nothing to do with her.
By now, her hatred for Lu Yunjian had lessened.
Since he was doomed to suffer, why bother matching his hatred?
One day, A wu was in the courtyard tending sweet potato vines.
The plants thrived, already climbing the trellis.
Just then, Ning Erlang arrived with a friend.
Recently, Ning Erlang had been focused on acquiring ships for the shipyard.
He had found a connection—a generous, well-informed friend with some standing—and they had become close.
Since his friend was visiting, Ning Erlang planned to entertain him well.
A wu, knowing this, withdrew indoors.
But while Ning Erlang walked with his guest in the courtyard, A wu heard a voice.
She froze, hardly daring to believe it.
How could she forget that voice—warm, husky, and engraved into her very soul?
Frightened, she hurried to peek through the window.
Sure enough, it was him.
He had no attendants with him, dressed simply in a plain blue cloth robe, hair wrapped in a square scarf—carefree and casual, dignified and refined, like a wandering scholar.
She had never seen Emperor Jingxi like this, and she could not imagine why he would appear at her home dressed this way!