Chapter 332: The Trouble with Yu Nu

In the afternoon, Dugu Mingyue arrived at Wu Yi’s courtyard. One advantage of living in a wealthy family was the spacious residences. Unlike poorer families where a husband might have one wife and concubines living under the same roof, leading to constant friction from unfair treatment and accumulated resentment, wealthy families had multiple houses. Each wife or concubine could have their own courtyard, allowing them to live separately and avoid confrontation. Deeper conflicts were kept hidden, while outwardly, everything appeared harmonious. For example, Li Qing’an, now a prince, had only four wives—main, secondary, and side concubines—each with their own courtyard. The conflicts among them were not severe. The main wife, Mingyue, was generous and skilled in handling relationships, so everyone respected her. Wu Yi, though a bit temperamental, came from a humble background with no influential connections. Since Li Qing’an doted on her, Mingyue was lenient toward her as well. Putting herself in Wu Yi’s shoes, Wu Yi accepted her fate and didn’t cause any major trouble. As for the two side concubines, they were twin sisters who had been sold into slavery since childhood. Of low birth, they initially didn’t even have official records and almost became playthings for men. Had they not met Li Qing’an by chance, their fate would have been dire. Ru Shi was gentle, understanding, and respectful to the main wife—everyone in the household liked her, and Mingyue also adored her, often using her as an assistant. Ru Hua, on the other hand, was more wild, fond of traveling, and had a strong, rebellious personality. Though she wasn’t malicious, Mingyue got along well with her and didn’t restrict her freedom, only assigning more maids to accompany her for safety.

Although Li Qing’an’s residence was located behind the government hall, it covered a vast area, with more than a dozen courtyards of various sizes. The back garden alone took up half of the space, and there were numerous soldiers stationed around it, ensuring strict security. As a concubine, Wu Yi enjoyed a high status—after the battle against Tubo, Emperor Li Longji granted her an imperial decree elevating her to the third rank. She lived in the western inner courtyard, where the environment was tranquil. Wu Yi preferred peace and disliked crowds; she had only three maids. When there was nothing much to do, she would teach them to play the zither, and the sound of the zither could often be heard in the residence. Today, Mingyue came to see Wu Yi regarding Yu Nu’s marriage. Logically, after the abolition of slavery in Anxi, there were no slaves in Li Qing’an’s household—everyone was free and could choose their own marriages. However, long-established customs and mindsets were not easy to change, especially for those maids who were used to having their marriages arranged by their masters. But if the person herself did not wish it, Mingyue would not force her and would look for another match. Yet Yu Nu was different from ordinary maids; she had been bought by the Jiang family since childhood. After the Jiang family was exiled to Lingnan, she stayed by her young master Wu Yi’s side. At that time, she was nine years old and Wu Yi was eleven. They lived together in Li Linfu’s residence, relying on each other through the toughest ten years. Though they were master and servant in name, they were like sisters in reality. Now that she was growing older, she had become an unmarried woman. In fact, two years ago, when she first arrived in Anxi, Wu Yi had intended to find her a husband, but Yu Nu refused stubbornly, delaying things. Now, it could no longer be postponed, and Yu Nu’s marriage had become Wu Yi’s top priority. Unfortunately, this matter caused a stir, turning it into a major issue within the prince’s residence and involving Mingyue as well. Mingyue passed through a bamboo grove and arrived at Wu Yi’s courtyard gate. Just as she was about to enter, there was a rustling sound, and Yu Nu emerged from the bamboo grove. “Madam, please wait!” Yu Nu said. “Were you hiding there waiting for me?” Mingyue smiled slightly. Yu Nu stepped forward, bowed gracefully, and pleaded, “I beg you, madam, to make a decision for me!” “I heard that the sister of Colonel Zhao has already asked Wu Yi for your birth date and time. I can’t influence Wu Yi’s decision—what am I supposed to do?”

In the morning, Mingyue still talked to Li Qing’an about Yunu. By noon, however, she heard that Zhao Zhao, the military advisor of the Suiye household, had already come to ask Wuyi’s hand in marriage. Zhao wanted to marry Yunu, which made Mingyue slightly displeased. Zhao was a Han Chinese from Suiye with a good family background. Still, she, Du Gu Mingyue, was the mistress of the household. Even though Yunu was Wuyi’s sister, that was just a familial bond; in reality, Yunu was still a servant in the prince’s mansion, receiving the same monthly allowance as other servants. If Zhao’s family wanted to arrange a marriage, they should approach her as the mistress. But they bypassed her, which truly annoyed Mingyue. Today, she intended to make things clear to Wuyi. Mingyue was usually tolerant, but that didn’t mean she lacked principles. She would never compromise on her core principles.

Yunu’s eyes grew dim. She understood the saying that men should marry when they reach adulthood and women should get married as well. In fact, she also wanted to get married, but the man she wanted to marry was her master, Li Qing’an. It wasn’t because Li Qing’an was the Prince of Anxi or a military governor. Even when Li Qing’an was still a lieutenant general, Yunu had fallen in love with that careless general who forgot to untie the reins of his carriage. When Wuyi was forced to leave Li’s mansion and head south, ready to travel thousands of miles to Lingnan in dire straits, Li Qing’an pursued her to a small temple. With a piece of music on the zither, he saved Wuyi’s fragile life and won Yunu’s heart. She then decided that he was the man she could entrust her life to—kind, loyal, and trustworthy. Yet she was aware of her own status and never dared to show any feelings. Until now, she could no longer avoid it, but she also didn’t dare admit that she liked Li Qing’an. When Wuyi insisted on finding her a suitable husband, she secretly sought help from Mingyue, the only one who could make a decision for her.

Yunu remained silent for a moment before saying, “My family actually doesn’t know my birth date. I’m not good enough for the Zhao family.”

Mingyue felt both amused and moved. She replied, “You’re actually free now. If you don’t want to marry into the Zhao family, just refuse. I think your family won’t force you.”

There was only a single character difference between “won’t force” and “can’t force,” but the tone and meaning were completely different. By using “can’t force,” Mingyue made it clear that she would never compromise. Respect and negotiation were one thing, but ultimately, it was still up to her to decide Yunu’s marriage—a principle she would never yield on.

Yunu bowed and turned to leave. Mingyue watched her lonely figure and shook her head before turning to enter Wuyi’s courtyard.

Today, Wu Yi was in high spirits. The marriage arrangement for Yunu, which had long troubled her, finally showed some progress. Last night, one of her students happened to hear that she was helping find a husband for Yunu and went back to tell her own mother, who was also Zhao Canjun’s sister. At noon today, Zhao Canjun’s sister came over with her brother’s birth details. The two talked for nearly half an hour. Wu Yi was quite satisfied with Zhao Canjun’s qualifications. He was 25 years old, a Han Chinese from Suiye, with land and a spacious house. More importantly, he had studied in Chang’an and was educated, which particularly pleased Wu Yi. With such a husband, Yunu would not only have a secure life but also a happy marriage. So, Wu Yi agreed to the marriage.

Wu Yi didn’t realize anything was wrong with her actions. Subconsciously, she viewed Yunu as her sister, and Yunu’s affairs were her personal business, unrelated to Du Gu Mingyue. At most, she thought she should tell Mingyue about it; everything else had nothing to do with her. That’s what she thought and did. As for Yunu’s own wishes, she knew well that Yunu would never agree—she herself had already been unfortunate enough to become a concubine and would never allow Yunu to follow in her footsteps. She was determined to find Yunu a good family so she could be a proper housewife. In this regard, she acted like an overbearing older sister—authoritative but kind-hearted.

“Is Sister Wu Yi here?” Mingyue’s voice came from the courtyard.

“It’s Sister Mingyue. What brings you here today?” Wu Yi greeted her with a smile. She knew Li Qing’an had returned yesterday, and Mingyue must be here because of him.

“Nothing serious. I just want to talk to you about Dalang.”

Dalang was the term they used among themselves to refer to Li Qing’an, his common title in the household. Although they each had their own private names for him—Mingyue called him “husband” or “lord,” Wu Yi called him “Li Lang,” and the Ru Shi Ru Hua sisters called him “Elder Brother”—Dalang was their shared designation.

Mingyue sat down on a round chair made of yellow pear wood. It’s worth noting that during the mid-Tang period, the mainland still primarily used the traditional kneeling posture, especially in wealthy families, who sat on cushions or low beds. Although chairs and high tables had been introduced with Buddhism and foreign influences, elite families did not adopt them; instead, some poor families were the first to use them. It wasn’t until the late Tang and Five Dynasties periods that they gradually became accepted by mainstream society. We can see the spread of chairs from the “Night Banquet of Han Xizai.” However, Suiye was different from the Central Plains—there were many foreigners there, and Han people’s living customs had largely become foreignized. Aside from a very small number who still retained the kneeling habit, most families sat on low beds or directly on chairs. Li Qing’an himself preferred to sit on chairs; there was a grand chair in his study, and in his concubines’ rooms, there were either seating cushions or round chairs with backs—no strict rules applied. Everyone followed the local customs, and each person also had a few round chairs in their own rooms.

Wuyi poured a cup of tea for Mingyue and said with a smile, “I guessed you’d come to me.”
“Oh? Why?” Mingyue asked, holding up her teacup with a smile.
Wuyi’s face turned slightly red, but she didn’t continue the topic. Mingyue naturally understood this unspoken message: Li Qing’an had returned, and he would be staying at Wuyi’s place that night. Wuyi was referring to this matter, not Yu Nu’s marriage. Mingyue realized that Wuyi had never intended to tell her about Yu Nu’s matter—perhaps she thought it had nothing to do with her! Mingyue had been slightly angry before, but at that moment her anger dissipated. From Wuyi’s words, she understood that Wuyi hadn’t deliberately withheld the information or opposed her; she simply hadn’t thought of it. Mingyue only needed to gently remind her. She pondered for a while, considering whether to tell her herself or ask Li Qing’an to convey the message. After thinking it over, she decided it was better to tell her herself. Li Qing’an always favored Wuyi; he might even advise her not to meddle in this matter. Where would her dignity lie then?
But Mingyue didn’t bring it up right away. She smiled and said, “I talked to Dalang today. In a few days, our whole family will go to the Jade Buddha Temple to offer prayers. Sister Wuyi, you shouldn’t have any problems, right?”
“I don’t have any problems, but why go to offer prayers?” Wuyi asked, puzzled.
“Dalang couldn’t come back for the New Year ancestor worship, so I suggested he go to the Jade Buddha Temple to offer additional prayers to the ancestors.”
“If it’s just to offer additional prayers to the ancestors, it can be done at home. Why go to the Jade Buddha Temple?”

After a brief silence, Mingyue said in a low voice, “I heard that the Guanyin Hall in the Jade Buddha Temple is very powerful. I’d like to go there to pray for a child.”
Wuyi also fell silent. Li Qingan’s issue of having children was indeed a serious matter. She had been with Li Qingan for nearly three years but still couldn’t conceive, which put her under great stress. If Mingyue went to pray for a child, she too had thought of doing the same.
Wuyi smiled and said, “Alright! I will definitely go.”
The two were speechless for a while. The room was very quiet, with only the sound of a maid sweeping the courtyard heard. Then, Mingyue smiled and said, “I’ve been thinking about Yunu’s marriage these past few days and wanted to discuss it with Sister Wuyi.”
“Oh! I’ve already made a decision on this, so there’s no need for Sister Mingyue to worry.”
Wuyi clearly didn’t want to talk further about it nor have Mingyue involved. Her coldness reignited Mingyue’s resentment, which had just subsided. She tried to suppress her anger and forced a smile, asking, “Who is it? Why didn’t you tell me?”
Perhaps realizing her tone was a bit cold, Wuyi also smiled and said, “The man is a military advisor in the Suiye household, surnamed Zhao. His sister came to talk to me at noon. All his qualifications seem perfect, so I agreed.”
Mingyue’s smile vanished, and her displeasure became evident. She tried to control her emotions and said in a calm tone, “How did they know about Yunu’s marriage?”
“The daughter of that military advisor’s sister is my student, Fei’er. She overheard my conversation with Yunu last night and went back to tell her mother. Since the military advisor isn’t married yet, Fei’er’s mother came to discuss this marriage at noon today.”
“Did you really agree?” Mingyue asked again.
“Yes, I agreed. What’s wrong with that?”
Wuyi’s disregard finally sparked Mingyue’s anger. Her face darkened as she said, “Sister Wuyi, I’m not criticizing you, but what you’ve done is extremely irrational.”
Wuyi was also a very proud person. Mingyue’s criticism made her unhappy as well. She stretched out her words and said, “I think I’m very rational. Where do you get that idea from?”
“Sister Wuyi, have you thought about it? That military advisor has never even met Yunu. He made a decision overnight to marry her. What’s his motive? Isn’t it because of Dalang? To put it bluntly, if Dalang were just an ordinary official, would he marry Yunu? He’s clearly after power and wealth. And you actually agreed to such a person. Is he worthy of Yunu entrusting her life to?”

Wuyi was so eager to marry Yunu that she truly hadn’t considered so many issues. Mingyue pointed this out, making her realize she had been hasty. She should have investigated the character of this man surnamed Zhao first, rather than relying solely on Fei’s mother’s words. Although Wuyi had realized her mistake, it didn’t mean she could accept Mingyue’s criticism. In fact, she might not accept criticism from anyone except her husband, Li Qing’an—she was that proud a person.

“I’m aware of this matter. I will naturally investigate Officer Zhao. I think you’re also only hearing one side of the story. You don’t know this person at all—how can you be sure Officer Zhao is after Dalang’s power? Maybe Fei has also mentioned Yunu to him, or he may have seen her, we just don’t know. In any case, I’ll think this through carefully. Sister Mingyue, please stop meddling.”

At this point, Wuyi still didn’t understand where she had gone wrong. Mingyue stopped being polite and spoke plainly.

“Sister Wuyi, I’ll ask you just one question: Is Yunu someone from our household? If she is, do I have the right to interfere?”

Only then did Wuyi realize what was really going on. She understood why Mingyue had come to see her—because she hadn’t informed her about Officer Zhao’s proposal to Yunu. Mingyue wasn’t concerned about Yunu at all; she was challenging Wuyi’s authority as the head of the household. Anger flared in Wuyi’s heart. Yunu was her sister she depended on—how dare she interfere? At that moment, Yunu’s marriage issue blew away the thin bond between them, revealing their deeper conflicts.

Wuyi said darkly, “Yunu is my sister. You don’t need to worry about her. Go take care of your own side of the house. I’ll handle matters in the west wing myself.”

“That’s not how I meant it!”

Mingyue also snapped, “Yunu ranks second on the household roster. I am the head of this household—how can I not care about her affairs? Let me make it clear: Dalang has already abolished slavery in Anxi. Every servant in our household is free to decide their own marriages. Whether Yunu marries Officer Zhao isn’t up to you or me—it’s up to her. Go ask her yourself—does she want to?”

With that, Mingyue flicked her sleeves, turned, and walked away. When she stepped outside, she saw the young maid who had been sweeping the courtyard earlier hiding behind the door in fear. The two female masters fighting each other was like heaven collapsing for her. Mingyue initially wanted to order her not to spread the news, but then she remembered what Wuyi had said earlier, “You’d better take care of your own east courtyard; I’ll handle matters in the west courtyard myself.” Filled with anger, Mingyue didn’t want to say more. It was fine if others found out; let them judge who was being unreasonable.
As soon as she stepped out of the courtyard, she heard a stormy sound of the pipa coming from the room. Mingyue recognized it as the pipa piece “Ambush from All Sides” — Wuyi was using the pipa to vent her anger.
Mingyue’s chest heaved violently as well. Overwhelmed with emotion, she looked up at the sky and let out a long sigh.