The day Yu Mingyue returned to the capital coincided with the first snowfall.
Cui Shi had been waiting anxiously by the door. Seeing the carriage slowly enter the alley, her eyes welled up with tears.
It had only been a few months, yet it felt like many years had passed.
"Mother," Yu Mingyue alighted from the carriage and ran into Cui Shi's arms.
Cui Shi embraced her daughter, who had already grown taller than her, and patted her shoulder as she used to when she was little. "It's good that you're back. We'll talk when we get inside."
The various branches of the Yu family knew that Yu Mingyue was returning to the capital today. Before long, they all gathered in Cui Shi's courtyard.
Yu Miaoyan, who had always been sharp and competitive, now had eyes sparkling with joy at seeing Yu Mingyue return safely, having experienced a life-or-death situation with her.
Having learned household management from Cui Shi these past few months, her demeanor had become much calmer, possessing a certain gravitas befitting a mistress of the household.
She used to find Sixth Sister disagreeable, feeling that she had overshadowed her own status as the eldest daughter of a ducal mansion. Yet, she never expected to miss her so much in these few months of absence.
Due to the Cui family's troubles, the ducal mansion's situation had also become difficult. Her close female friends had immediately distanced themselves from her, making her see things more clearly.
The Yu family prospered and suffered together; it was destined from the moment they were born. She used to strive to outdo her own sisters, unaware that in the eyes of outsiders, she was merely a clown.
Thinking of the foolish things she had done in the past, she only felt ignorant.
Second Sister and Third Sister were both in the process of marriage negotiations. Because of the Cui family's troubles, a family that had previously fancied Third Sister suddenly declared their horoscopes incompatible, and the marriage fell through.
If this had happened before, Concubine Mei would have certainly made a fuss with Second Master. But now, Second Master reported to the yamen punctually every day, his ambition ignited. He rarely went to the inner quarters, spending his evenings either in the study in the front courtyard or with Second Brother and Third Brother, inquiring about their studies. No matter how sad she was, she dared not act out and could only complain to her two daughters.
Thus, Third Sister's gaze towards Yu Mingyue was somewhat conflicted; she wanted to be close, yet felt that the Cui family had implicated her.
Yu Mingyue was unaware of the recent events and attributed the attitude of Second and Third Sisters to their usual distant relationship with her.
Yu Miaoling had also shed her former timidity and timidity, standing beside the Third Madam with great composure.
After everyone had left, Cui Shi said with a sigh, "You've just returned to the capital, and I didn't want to burden you with this, but you've seen the attitudes of Second and Third Sisters. If the sisters in the household are like this, how much more so will outsiders be."
Yu Mingyue understood after a moment's thought. With the Cui family's downfall and her brother's resignation from office, and her father's hopes of returning to the capital dashed, outsiders would assume they were on the verge of ruin.
She suspected her mother had endured many grievances in the capital during this time.
"What others choose to think is their business. We cannot punish ourselves for the mistakes of others," Yu Mingyue comforted her.
She had also done a lot of thinking on the journey back to the capital.
She felt sorry for the Cui family because they were her relatives, not because the Cui family was innocent in the power struggle.
After all, it was a matter of the victor and the vanquished.
If the Sage lost, the imperial throne would be occupied by a puppet of the noble clans, serving their interests.
During the previous dynasty, the noble clans wielded great power and influenced court affairs. With a mere call, scholars and officials across the land dared not disobey. The emperor was their puppet; those who followed the noble clans could survive, but any slight deviation would lead to another puppet being installed.
However, the Sage now strongly promoted the imperial examination system and established local schools, no longer requiring talent from the noble clans. The noble clans would inevitably be eliminated by the examination system, and their desperate struggles would be in vain. The examination system was the general trend.
Moreover, how could the Sage tolerate the noble clans challenging his authority repeatedly? While he could bestow favors for their contributions to his ascension, the extent of these favors was his to decide and control. The noble clans could not leverage these favors to their advantage; doing so would be a threat, unacceptable to an emperor.
To put it plainly, this was a change of power, as it had always been.
"Unable to see the true face of Mount Lu, only because one is within it."
She was within the game, but by stepping out of it, she could see things clearly.
That night, Brother Jiayan had spoken of dynastic changes and the law of survival of the fittest as natural laws, abundant in history. She could speak eloquently about the stories of others, but when it came to herself, she was stubborn and unwilling to understand, simply because she did not want to accept the inevitable outcome.
Darkness and light were relative. Where there was light, there was inevitably darkness. But we must all do our best to let the sunlight shine everywhere, even if only for a moment, so that everyone knows the beauty of light in this world.
"I am relieved that you can think this way. Yue'er, the Cui family's affairs are not your fault. You have done enough for the Cui family, and I am very grateful," Cui Shi said, holding Yu Mingyue's hand.
Yu Mingyue noticed a few white hairs at Cui Shi's temples, which had not been there when she left the capital, indicating the toll the Cui family's troubles had taken on her.
"Mother..."
As Yu Mingjing entered, he saw his sister leaning on their mother's shoulder. He took off his cloak and teased, "How old are you to still be acting like a baby in Mother's arms? Sixth Brother will laugh at you."
After the carriage convoy entered the capital, Yu Mingyue had first escorted Luo Lingyuan back to her residence, which had caused a slight delay.
Six-year-old Liu Lang, held by his wet nurse, saw his elder brother and struggled to get down to be held.
Initially, Liu Lang did not recognize his brother. After becoming familiar with him over these months, Yu Mingjing had become the person he clung to the most. He had been mentioning him daily during his absence.
"I'm not afraid. If he wants to laugh, let him. He can't even speak clearly," Yu Mingyue retorted, mercilessly mocking Yu Liu Lang.
Yu Liu Lang knew he was being teased but was not angry. He even laughed along. Today, the family was lively, and he loved liveliness the most.
"Your father sent a letter a few days ago, and it included a letter from Tingyun," Cui Shi said.
Gu Tingyun had been exiled to Jizhou. Yu Zeyan and Gu Bohao had a good relationship, and with the added influence of the Zheng and Cui families, he naturally took good care of Gu Tingyun.
Gu Tingyun had become much more composed after this incident. When he left the capital, Old Madam Gu had just passed away, and he hadn't even had time to bury his grandmother.
Old Madam Gu, who had lived a life of luxury, unexpectedly had a hasty end. Yu Mingjing and the others had helped arrange her funeral.
Yu Mingjing took the letter and said, "I'll deliver it myself another day. Has Uncle Gu's illness not improved?"
Cui Shi shook her head. "He suffered a severe head injury. It will take some time before he wakes up."
"Wasn't it a fall from a horse?" Yu Mingyue asked, then realized her mistake.
If Uncle Gu had not been injured, delaying his return to the capital, the Sage might not have been able to convict the Zheng family of harboring a court fugitive.
"Someone always has to take the blame for past events. The Sage happened to use this opportunity to eliminate the Zheng family, killing two birds with one stone. What was the sacrifice of one Gu family? That person is now enjoying great success. The Sage has restored the title of Protector of the State to him; he is now the youngest Duke in the capital." Yu Mingjing had always felt that Jing Zhan was not simple, but he never expected him to be so cunning.
In those years, Prime Minister Gu had been ordered to exterminate the Protector of the State's entire family. While it was not at the former emperor's behest, Prime Minister Gu had made significant contributions to the Sage's smooth ascension to the position of Crown Prince.
Yu Mingyue sneered, "He was merely a convenient knife for the Sage. Even if the Gu family wronged him, he shouldn't have used Youyou."