Wasn't he supposed to be beaten to death? Why did this powerful cousin love him so much?

The next day, just after dawn, the long street was cleared, and carriages and ceremonial processions slowly made their way to the gate of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion.

Upon arriving at the gate of the mansion, Xie Jue alighted from his carriage and walked inside, while Jiang Sese alighted from her carriage and then changed into a sedan chair.

The sedan chair went straight to the mansion gate and turned into the inner, enclosed sedan hall. Only then did Jiang Sese lift the sedan curtain and get out of the sedan chair with the help of Hongdou and Fuyun.

Fu Chong and Fu Wenzhao had been waiting for a long time.

Jiang Sese bowed and said, "Godfather, brother."

Fu Chong nodded, his gaze falling on her. Seeing that she looked calm and composed, without a trace of grievance or distress, he felt a slight sense of relief and said, "It's good that you're back."

Fu Wenzhao stood quietly watching Jiang Sese, feeling a mix of emotions.

Xie Jue then entered, his posture upright, and performed the four-bow ceremony to Fu Chongxing, the son-in-law, upon his return to his parents' home.

"Greetings, Duke."

Xie Jue, a high-ranking official in the cabinet, wielded immense power, and ordinary dukes and marquises had to give way to him. Yet at this moment, he was courteous and respectful, showing no arrogance or power, and his demeanor was humble and measured.

Fu Chong dared not sit upright to receive the greeting, and quickly stood up to offer two polite bows, returning the gesture as if he were a son-in-law.

"Junheng, there's no need for such formalities."

After the ceremony, Xie Jue turned to Fu Wenzhao and cupped his hands in greeting, showing respect as equals. Fu Wenzhao returned the greeting with composure. Both men were well-bred from noble families and possessed the demeanor of gentlemen. They exchanged a glance and knew that they were on equal footing.

After entering the mansion, since the Duke of Dingguo's mansion had no inner matriarch, the tedious visits by the female members of the inner court were waived.

The group first went to the ancestral hall of the Duke's Mansion to pay homage to the ancestral tablets in accordance with ancient customs, to comfort the ancestors, to inform them that the adopted daughter had returned home to visit her family, that her marriage was stable, and that her husband's family respected her.

After the ceremony, we left the ancestral hall. A gentle breeze blew through the corridors of the courtyard, where flowers and trees were sparsely planted.

Jiang Sese came out of the ancestral hall first, and Fu Wenzhao glanced at Xie Jue and Fu Chong who were talking, and then followed Jiang Sese out.

The two were about an arm's length apart.

Fu Wenzhao remained silent for a while before speaking: "Are you settling in well at the Xie family's?"

Jiang Sese smiled and said, "Don't worry, brother, everything is fine."

"That's good." Fu Wenzhao nodded slightly, paused, and then asked, "Is he... good to you?"

"Okay," Jiang Sese replied crisply.

Fu Wenzhao's eyelashes trembled slightly, then he smiled gently and said, "That's good... I'm relieved that you're doing well."

A gust of wind blew by, and a few wisteria petals fluttered down, drifting between the two of them.

Fu Wenzhao subconsciously wanted to reach out and brush away the petals that had fallen on her temples, but his fingertips twitched slightly. In the end, he restrained himself and withdrew his hand, only saying quietly, "Look at this wisteria. It's blooming more profusely than in previous years. It must like this gentle breeze and warm sunshine."

Jiang Sese looked up at the clusters of flowers that resembled a purple sunset, and smiled clearly: "Yes, flowers and trees seem to have a bit of a human touch, knowing when to bloom freely."

Jiang Sese suddenly thought of something and looked at him seriously: "Brother, you're not young anymore, you should start thinking about yourself. If you have a girl you like, just tell me, and I'll put in a good word for you."

Jiang Sese originally planned to introduce Fu Wenzhao to other people, but Xie Jue retorted that she shouldn't play matchmaker.

Fu Wenzhao was silent for a moment, then lowered his eyes, concealing all the emotions he couldn't hide in them.

Fu Wenzhao's voice remained gentle as he spoke: "No rush. The time isn't right yet; you can't rush it."

"By the way, I heard you're going to Yangzhou? When are you leaving?"

Jiang Sese said, "Tomorrow. Everything is packed. We'll board a ship in Tongzhou and sail south downstream. It'll only be a few days' journey."

"Tomorrow?" A faint hint of surprise and reluctance flashed across Fu Wenzhao's eyes as he pursed his lips and said, "So soon. Are everything arranged for the journey? How many guards did you bring?"

Jiang Sese said, "We're not bringing much; we're traveling light. Xie Ping will be with us, along with a few capable guards. That should be enough."

Fu Wenzhao, recalling Jiang Sese's former identity, nodded and said, "You suffered a lot in the past. Now you're going back as Princess Chenjia, as the young mistress of the Xie family. Let those who once looked down on you see that you're doing well."

Jiang Sese had absolutely no interest in this. If it were someone she knew, that would be fine, but fortunes change, don't you think?

But she wasn't familiar with those people at all.

Jiang Sese asked, "Brother, is there anything from Yangzhou that you'd like? I'll bring it back for you."

Fu Wenzhao shook his head. "The manor lacks nothing. When you were young in Yangzhou, there probably weren't many people protecting you. Now that you're going back, if anyone brings up the past, don't hold back. You are Princess Chenjia, the young mistress of the Xie family, and a daughter of the Duke of Dingguo's manor. If anyone dares to mistreat you, just write back, and I'll stand up for you."

Jiang Sese couldn't help but smile and said, "Okay, if anyone bullies me, I will definitely write back to tell my brother."

They both laughed.

After lunch, Jiang Sese went back with Xie Jue.

According to the strict rules of aristocratic families, a newlywed bride is not allowed to stay overnight at her parents' home after returning to her parents' home.

When it was time to say goodbye, and to follow the proper etiquette for the return journey, Xie Jue went ahead first, followed by Jiang Sese, subtly conforming to the custom of the husband being the head of the household and returning to the husband's family.

Fu Wenzhao's eyes followed Jiang Sese's figure closely until she was out of sight before he looked away.

Fu Chong, standing nearby, asked, "Have you given up?"

Even though Fu Chong was a martial artist, Fu Wenzhao was his own son. How could a father not understand his son?

Fu Wenzhao slowly withdrew his gaze and said, "Yesterday's events are like yesterday's death; today's events are like today's birth."

Fu Chong frowned slightly, seemingly puzzled by the Buddhist-infused words: "What do you mean by death and life? Speak like a human being!"

Fu Wenzhao smiled gently.

"What I mean is, Father, you can start preparing for my wedding now."

Fu Chong was taken aback, seemingly not expecting his son to change so completely.

Fu Chong carefully examined Fu Wenzhao's face, trying to find any trace of forced smiles, but the calmness in his eyes was undeniable.

After a moment of scrutiny, Fu Chong's tightly furrowed brows finally relaxed, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes. He patted Fu Wenzhao's shoulder heavily, so hard that Fu Wenzhao swayed slightly.

"Good! This is my son, Fu Chong's son!"

"Be able to take it and let it go! Be a real man! As for finding a spouse, your father and sister will certainly keep an eye on things for you and find you a good match!"

"Thank you for your trouble, Father and Sister."

Fu Wenzhao bowed and stood up to take one last look at the distance, which was empty.