Chapter 5: Winds and Clouds Arise

Chu Jiutian was overcome with emotion, his eyes shimmering with tears. "Ninth Sister, this life of mine, these legs—they are all gifts from you. From this day forward, I shall devote myself entirely to assisting you in restoring the prestige of our Marquis Manor. I will spare no effort and stop at nothing to serve that goal."

In his heart, he had already decided that even as the heir to the Marquis title, he would henceforth follow his sister’s lead in all matters. To him, Chu Jiuli was the only one capable of guiding the manor back to its former glory, and he was more than content to be her right-hand man.

Chu Jiuli smiled radiantly, and just as she was about to speak, a sudden wave of dizziness washed over her. Her body swayed; the exhaustion from the acupuncture treatment had drained her vitality, and she collapsed into Chu Jiutian’s arms.

...

The next morning, the gentle rays of the rising sun spilled into the manor courtyard, dispelling the lingering gloom. As birds chirped merrily on the branches, Chu Jiuli slowly drifted back to consciousness. She sat up, yawned, and stretched, the events of the past two days flooding back to her with a sense of profound gravity.

Just then, the door pushed open. Her personal maid, Baoling, entered with a bowl of bird’s nest porridge. Seeing her awake, Baoling’s eyes immediately reddened, and she said with a choked sob, "Young Mistress, you are finally awake! You fainted yesterday, and it frightened us all to death."

Baoling had been sold to the Marquis Manor as a child and had been with Chu Jiuli since she could barely walk. Though they were mistress and maid, they were as close as sisters.

Chu Jiuli offered a gentle smile to comfort her. "Look, I am perfectly fine now. You know your mistress’s capabilities, don’t you?"

Baoling set down the tray, her thoughts turning to the state of the manor as she continued to sniffle and fuss. "Young Mistress, no matter how capable you are, you must not neglect your own health. Yesterday, when you fainted, the Young Master stayed by your side for half the night, terrified that something might happen to you. Everyone in the manor was deeply worried. Even the aunts from the collateral branches came to visit and brought nourishing herbs. Their young sons have even started diligently studying and practicing martial arts in the study; everyone has been truly inspired by your words."

Chu Jiuli listened with satisfaction, her confidence in reviving the manor growing. "My brother’s legs are showing signs of recovery—how could I not give my all? This is the key to our revival. Where is my brother now?"

Baoling nodded and replied, "The Young Master said he feels a bit more strength in his legs and is currently trying to walk in the courtyard. He said he wants to recover as soon as possible to help share your burdens."

Chu Jiuli nodded and reached out to wipe the tears from Baoling’s eyes before allowing her to assist with her dressing and grooming. As she wiped her face with a silk handkerchief, she suddenly remembered her eldest sister, whom she hadn’t seen in a while. "By the way, how is my eldest sister doing lately?"

As the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Loyalty and Valor, Chu Jiuxiao had been bestowed the title of "Princess Rui’an" by the Empress Dowager, a name intended to signify wisdom and decisiveness. However, her personality was the polar opposite of her title. She was a bold, forthright daughter of a military family, utterly disdainful of flowery etiquette and backstabbing schemes. She had no patience for music, chess, calligraphy, or painting; instead, she was obsessed with swordsmanship and often dragged the manor guards into sparring matches. The guards were usually exhausted by her, yet they dared not utter a word of complaint, given her noble status and her lack of restraint in combat. A few years ago, the Marquis had arranged for a husband to marry into the family, but since she had her own residence, she rarely stayed at the main manor.

As Baoling helped adjust her robes, she smiled and replied, "The old nannies say the Princess is near her time. It should be within these next two days. Our manor is about to welcome a new life, and you are going to be an aunt, Young Mistress!"

Chu Jiuxiao was in her thirties, and having lost two pregnancies in the past, she had struggled to conceive again. This year, she had finally carried a child to term, and her husband had been watching over her with extreme care. Fortunately, it seemed the pregnancy would be successful this time.

Chu Jiuli’s eyes curved into crescents, filled with hope for the new life. "With my father and brother recently passed, this will bring a much-needed joy to the manor. Later, you shall accompany me to the jewelry shop on the street. I want to pick out some gifts for my sister and my unborn nephew."

Baoling agreed, "That is a thoughtful idea, Young Mistress. The Princess and the little master will surely love whatever you choose. But you have only just woken up and haven't fully recovered your strength. Perhaps you should rest a while and go after noon?"

Chu Jiuli waved her hand dismissively. "It is fine. A good night’s sleep has done wonders. My sister’s labor is a momentous occasion; as her sister, I must attend to it with care."

After freshening up, she took a sip of the porridge and asked, "I had you look into the movements of the Earl of Changping’s estate yesterday. Did you find anything?"

Baoling quickly replied, "Young Mistress, I found out that Lin Wan’er has been getting very close to the son of the Minister of War. They are often seen together at various banquets, exchanging glances, having completely cast aside her former ties to our Young Master."

A cold glint flashed in Chu Jiuli’s eyes, and her spoon paused. "Hmph, that Lin Wan’er is truly cold-hearted. My brother treated her with such sincerity, yet she so easily climbed to a higher branch, flirting with the Minister’s son without a shred of regard for my brother’s reputation."

Baoling chimed in, "You are right, Young Mistress. Lin Wan’er looks gentle, but her heart is as venomous as a snake. The Young Master only broke off the engagement with her yesterday, yet she... oh, has she not been cuckolding the Young Master all along?"

Indeed, this was more than just breaking an engagement; she had been betraying her brother long before the formal split.

Chu Jiuli set down her spoon, a chilling frost appearing in her eyes. "That woman—first she cuckolds my brother, then she has the audacity to break off the engagement in front of my father and brother’s spirit tablets. If I, Chu Jiuli, do not avenge this, I am not worthy of the name."

With that, she let out a cold snort and slammed her hand on the table, causing the teacups to rattle.

Baoling was startled, then suddenly remembered something. She hurriedly added, "Young Mistress, there is one more thing. Yesterday, after the morning court session, the Earl of Changping remained in the palace until dusk. I suspect they are plotting something."

Chu Jiuli’s brow furrowed in deep thought. A moment later, she spoke slowly, "The Earl of Changping is not a member of the royal family. If he lingered in the palace for so long, he was either discussing important matters with His Majesty or conspiring with the Crown Prince's faction. Given that even you were able to catch wind of this, it is likely the former. I only wonder what he discussed with the Emperor, and whether it concerns our manor."

Chu Jiuli closed her eyes and rubbed her temples, suddenly recalling the words Lin Wan’er had said before leaving the day before: *Then I shall wait and see if you can still be so defiant tomorrow. Don’t come crying when you have nowhere to turn!*

*After tomorrow?*

A chill ran through Chu Jiuli. She pondered to herself, "Lin Wan’er’s words were loaded with meaning. This 'after tomorrow' must refer to something specific. Could it be that the Earl of Changping’s discussion with the Emperor will result in action today, and that this action will strike a heavy blow to our manor? But if there is a conspiracy against us, why would the Emperor agree to it? Did the Earl spread slander, or is the manor already under the Emperor’s suspicion?"

She stood up and paced the room, suddenly saying, "The Earl of Changping must be coveting our status and power. Now that my father has died in battle, they can hardly wait to jump out. First, they humiliated my brother at the wake, turning the broken engagement into a public spectacle, and now they are holding secret talks with the Emperor. This series of actions is no coincidence; it is likely a meticulously crafted plot to suppress our house."

Baoling, listening from the side, felt a chill creep up her spine. "Young Mistress, what should we do now?"

Chu Jiuli stopped, her gaze resolute. "When soldiers come, we use a general to block them; when water rises, we use earth to dam it. No matter what they plan to do today, I, Chu Jiuli, will not sit idly by. Send someone to monitor every move of the Earl of Changping’s estate, and have others sound out the court officials to see if there is any talk detrimental to our manor."