Chapter Eighteen: No Regrets

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Today, Lingjiang Xie once again donned men’s attire. She stood tall and slender, her complexion fair and radiant, her black hair neatly tucked beneath a black silk folded turban. She wore a deep blue robe with a turned collar and narrow sleeves, a purple silk jade belt cinched at her waist, and high-heeled brocade shoes on her feet.

Even the discerning Ouyang Rong couldn’t help but admire her graceful bearing. Though dressed as a man, she carried herself with a flair that surpassed most men. The only oddity was her notably developed chest muscles—something that would stir envy even among men.

This style of women wearing men’s clothing was not unusual in the Great Zhou Empire. Since the founding of the Great Qian dynasty, this trend had spread from the noble ladies of Chang’an and Luoyang, becoming a fashionable norm among imperial women.

Perhaps because the Li royal family had Di ancestry, fostering a more open and inclusive culture, or maybe due to the bloody struggles of the Northern and Southern Dynasties that claimed many male lives, women took on various social roles and responsibilities, greatly elevating their status. In common households, women bore half the sky, while among the empire’s elite, noblewomen actively engaged in politics. Eventually, this led to formidable figures like Empress Wei, who ruthlessly dominated the Li Qian royal clan.

Thus, a junior sister like Lingjiang, who regularly dressed in men’s apparel, attended the academy, and could consecutively kick two burly men clear off their feet, was nothing extraordinary.

So what would truly be extraordinary?

Suddenly being promised in marriage to you—that would be extraordinary.

“Master, the student... doesn’t quite understand.” Ouyang Rong met Xie Xun’s smiling gaze and said, “Why does our junior sister want to stay with me? The county office is busy with official affairs; I fear I won’t be able to take good care of her.”

“Hey, how can you talk like that...” Madam Zhen reached under the table to pinch her foolish nephew’s thigh, but he drew his legs together and turned away.

Lingjiang Xie’s eyes fixed on him seriously as she shook her head: “It’s not Brother Lianghan taking care of me; it’s me taking care of Brother Lianghan.”

Is there a difference?

Hmm, it does seem to make a difference.

It seems the daughters of the Xie family prefer to be on top. Still, letting Mr. Tan be on the bottom isn’t impossible—grin and bear it during the day, and at night, you can turn the tables... Madam Zhen thought to herself.

Seeing the student fall silent without replying, Madam Zhen seemed to misunderstand something.

Xie Xun first spoke to the woman in the embroidered skirt: “Thank you for your concern yesterday, madam, but Wanwan is currently more focused on her studies and training. I hope she will inherit our family’s Confucian teachings, so I’ve decided not to disturb her with other matters these few years.”

This was a polite refusal.

“But Lianghan can’t follow his junior sister’s example. Now that he’s an official, he should consider the important matters of life. Marriage is also a form of cultivation. Madam, you were half-right yesterday about whether the Jiangzuo gentry still uphold tradition. I’m not so sure, but the Chenjun Xie family certainly does. After I return, I will look among the other branches to find a suitable age-appropriate lady for Lianghan.”

This was a step back followed by a step forward.

Or perhaps just a tempting promise.

Madam Zhen stiffened, paused briefly, then reluctantly put her sleeve bracelet back on and asked hesitantly, “Then, are these other branches direct or collateral lines?”

Xie Xun answered patiently without changing his expression: “Outsiders might call them collateral branches, but within the clan, we all see ourselves as one family, and there is no strict distinction. Madam, rest assured, the right match is what matters most.”

“Oh, I see...” Madam Zhen lowered her eyes slowly, staring at the now-cold porridge on the table.

Madam Zhen’s disappointment made Xie Xun look somewhat apologetic. In truth, there were indeed eligible Xie ladies of marriageable age among the main branches in Jinling, but most were far from Wanwan’s caliber. These ladies were proud and high-minded, refusing to even glance at men surnamed Xie unless they were powerful officials of the current dynasty.

However, compared to Madam Zhen’s forced smile, Ouyang Rong silently breathed a sigh of relief, thinking, “That makes sense.”

Lingjiang Xie, who had kept her eyes down and sipped porridge quietly, suddenly looked up at her senior brother.

She was not being mischievous, only genuinely curious about his reaction.

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But she found that the senior brother showed no anger or flushed face, no hearty laugh of indifference, nor a forced light laugh hiding pride, nor a calm silence as if unbothered.

He simply... listened attentively to her father’s words, all the while finishing two large bowls of thick porridge before him, even devouring the two small jars of pickled radish on the table without a word. If her father and she hadn’t yet touched their food, it was possible the last small jar of pickled radish would also disappear.

Lingjiang Xie was speechless but then curious, so she picked up a pair of chopsticks, tapped the table lightly to align them, and reached for a piece of pickled radish.

Was the pickled radish from Donglin Temple really that delicious?

“Lianghan,”

“Hmm, student here.” Ouyang Rong put down his chopsticks and bowl.

Xie Xun turned his head slightly toward Lingjiang Xie and explained to Ouyang Rong:

“It’s like this: your junior sister insisted on staying. Before coming up the mountain, she saw the severe flooding in Longcheng and was moved to help, wanting to assist you. Besides, I think she has been studying at the academy long enough; it’s time for her to gain some real experience and shake off her youthful immaturity.”

Ouyang Rong hesitated to speak.

Xie Xun continued, “Just let her stay by your side as an aide; there’s no need to specially take care of her. She can take care of herself. In fact, your junior sister knows some martial arts and might be able to help you sometimes.”

Ouyang Rong had originally wanted to say that he had the county’s guards to protect him and didn’t need the junior sister’s help. But recalling her legs yesterday at Sanhui Courtyard, he fell silent. To be honest, those long legs were quite formidable in every aspect.

Still, Ouyang Rong thought having Lingjiang Xie stay as an aide was like a joke.

Yet, facing his mentor’s kindness and earnest gaze, he nodded.

“All right, but junior sister must promise to obey me.”

Xie Xun nodded in satisfaction. “Wanwan, don’t cause trouble for your senior brother. Study well.”

“Oh.” Lingjiang Xie nodded indifferently.

Her mind was fully on the pickled radish, which was indeed delicious and crisp.

It seemed that besides her father’s instructions, there was another reason for her to stay.

...

“Lianghan’s aunt spoke to me this afternoon about this matter. What do you think?”

“Father wants his daughter to marry?”

“A man should marry when grown, a woman should wed when mature. There’s no room for hesitation.”

“Are you pleased with Ouyang senior brother?”

“Whether I am pleased or not doesn’t represent you. At most, I can offer some advice, but the choice is yours.”

“Your mother had the same attitude before, and so do I now. If you want to marry, I’ll prepare a dowry. If not, there will always be a place for you at home.”

“Did you and mother choose each other?”

“No, your mother and I were married by command. Before our wedding night, we didn’t even know each other’s appearance, only a childhood name.”

“But later, you and mother became deeply devoted, harmonious as phoenix and dragon.”

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“That’s why your mother and I understand how rare and precious it is to marry first and love later. So we won’t interfere in your important life decisions, only prepare a dowry and our blessings.”

“What does Father think of Ouyang Lianghan?”

“I think... he’s not bad. Hm, you decide.”

“Father, I don’t look down on others because of family background or status.”

“It’s just that I have many books left unread, many truths yet to understand, and one aspiration unfulfilled—I’m still a ‘gentleman,’ not yet a ‘scholar.’”

“Daughter does not want to wed yet.”

“Very well.”

“Father is not angry?”

“Not angry. It’s your choice. As long as you can bear the possible consequences, it will never be wrong. Just... don’t regret it later.”

“Regret? Daughter never will.”

“Good. Tomorrow I will go decline for you.”

“All right.”

“But your advancement is actually quite swift.”

“Not at all. Nearby in Yunmeng Sword Marsh lives Zhao Qingxiu, a female cultivator from Wu and Yue, who is advancing faster than I am.”

“Zhao Qingxiu is this generation’s ‘Maiden of Yue.’ Don’t compete with her.”

“Why can’t I surpass her?”

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

“The family we met just now... so, Father wants me to stay?”

“Yes. Right here with Lianghan as an aide.”

“Should I tell him about this?”

“Not yet. Only when that family agrees can you speak. Then, give Lianghan this handwritten letter from me on your desk; he will understand.”

“Father, does that family really have a chance to return to Luoyang?”

“I don’t know. It was the Di scholar who sent me.”

“I understand.”

“Remember, never be careless. The waters below the mountain in Longcheng County... are quite deep.”