When Madame Duan discovered that Duan Xinghui and Er Ya were already physically married, she covered her head, wishing she could just faint. Her disdain for Er Ya intensified; this woman had no self-respect, engaging in intimate relations with a man without even a matchmaker to formalize the union. Compared to the prostitutes in the pleasure quarters, Er Ya fell short in every way.
Madame Duan was a decisive woman. Despite her internal loathing, she arranged for Er Ya to be properly settled in, even assigning two maids to serve her. Both maids were better looking than Er Ya, which only added to Er Ya's discomfort. She glanced toward Duan Xinghui with pleading eyes, seeking reassurance.
Duan Xinghui, however, was pleased with his mother's arrangement. He saw it as a sign of acceptance, and his happiness brightened his usually stern demeanor.
Seeing the joy on her son's face made the veins on Madame Duan's forehead pulse with suppressed anger. Her future happiness depended on Duan Xinghui; she understood that a wife must obey her husband, and a widow must obey her son. Maintaining a warm and benevolent image in front of him was crucial. She refused to let a girl from a rural background disrupt their bond.
Madame Duan concluded that engaging in a quarrel over someone like Er Ya was unnecessary.
But soon after, an imperial edict arrived: Duan Xinghui had been dismissed from his position as general. Madame Duan felt a mix of anger and fear, emotions swirling within her until she fainted.
That lowly woman was an evil comet! This was the last thought that crossed Madame Duan's mind before darkness enveloped her. In her shock, she completely forgot that Er Ya had saved her son's life.
The son she had meticulously guided for years was now ruined by a single incident.
Duan Xinghui accepted the edict with a pale face, pressing his lips together in frustration. The eunuch who delivered the edict waited expectantly for a tip, but with one master fainted and the other looking grim, his prospects didn't seem bright.
With a cold humph, the eunuch thought, Who did Duan Xinghui think he was? Did he still believe he was the future prince consort? Now, he was just an ordinary citizen, someone the Emperor despised—a pretty-faced general who had lost his first campaign, a complete failure.
Meanwhile, Er Ya stood trembling, utterly bewildered by the chaos around her. She couldn't even comprehend the implications of the imperial edict; all she understood was that Madame Duan had fainted and Duan Xinghui looked distressed.
"Did something happen?" she asked, feeling completely out of the loop.
Duan Xinghui, mentally and physically exhausted, was lost in thought. When the Emperor had sent for him, he had assumed it was a sign of favor. Now, with the dismissal, he couldn't help but wonder if Princess Jiahui had played a role in this. She had been cold and indifferent at the city gates, and now it seemed like she had retaliated after the fact.
The realization that Princess Jiahui might be involved made it even harder for him to accept the situation. He had believed in his own abilities, only to discover that the Emperor's appreciation had stemmed from his connection to her. Now, without that connection, he felt as if he was being cast into darkness.
His lips pressed tightly together, Duan Xinghui's expression flickered between anger and despair. He didn't hear Er Ya's voice at all.
For Er Ya, this unfamiliar environment only amplified her reliance on Duan Xinghui. But he was lost in his thoughts, leaving her feeling even more anxious. Doubts began to creep into her mind, stirring a sense of discomfort within her.
"Dear…" Er Ya's voice trembled.
At the sound of her concern, Duan Xinghui snapped back to reality. Seeing the fear in her eyes softened his heart. "It's nothing," he assured her.
Yet, Er Ya felt no relief. Unease gnawed at her. This place was a far cry from her home; here, she had only Duan Xinghui to cling to, making her hold onto him even tighter.
Thus, Er Ya settled into life at the Duan Residence, occupying a strange limbo between master and servant—a deeply awkward position.