Speaking of Old Madam Huo, she was quite a remarkable character.
Her maiden name was Bai, given name Yue.
Her family was neither of noble lineage nor immensely wealthy—simply ordinary common folk.
Back in the day, the Huo Clan grandfather went to Liaodong to suppress bandits, wiping out their largest lair, Scorpion Stronghold. Amidst the chaos, he rescued a peasant woman who would become the future Old Madam Huo.
The couple shared a deep affection throughout their lives, blessed with only one son, Huo Yanxing's father, Huo Zhao.
Sadly, Huo Zhao and his wife passed away early, leaving behind three half-grown children. It was the old madam who raised them all to adulthood.
Five years ago, tragedy struck the Huo Clan when Huo Yanxing's eldest and second brothers died in battle against Beiyan. The old madam personally traveled a thousand miles outside the city walls to welcome their coffins home.
From the bottom of her heart, Lu Qingyuan held deep admiration for the old madam. Yet in her past life, she had been too consumed by inner-court strife. Furthermore, the old madam rarely socialized with the noble ladies of the capital, so even when their paths crossed at banquets, they only ever exchanged distant glances without any chance to grow close.
Therefore, she specifically instructed her maids not to follow her and made her way alone to the Cihui Hall where the old madam resided.
Just as she entered the courtyard, Mother Liu, the old madam's personal attendant, hurried out to greet her.
"Oh my, Madam, you've finally arrived! The old madam has been up since the fourth watch and hasn't even broken her fast yet, just waiting to share tea with you!"
Mother Liu prepared to go inside to announce her arrival, instructing the maids to ready the tea and gifts, and politely asked her to wait outside for a moment.
Unable to stay still outside in the courtyard, Lu Qingyuan wandered around and overheard some maids chatting near the covered walkway.
"Hey, have you heard what the sisters at Songtao Courtyard were saying? Last night, the Marquis and his madam caused quite a commotion!"
"What kind of commotion? Let me hear!"
"Last night they heard those kinds of sounds coming from the main bedchamber and had hot water standing by, but they waited a long time and nobody called for it."
"The Marquis grew up in military camps since he was a boy; ordinary women simply can't handle a physique like his."
"No kidding! Then all of a sudden there was a loud crash. They thought something had happened, but the Marquis still wouldn't let anyone in to serve."
"Really?"
"As soon as day broke, the Marquis had someone summon craftsmen to fix the bed."
"Goodness! The bed even collapsed!"
Lu Qingyuan had long guessed things would turn out this way.
In a great aristocratic household, what traveled the fastest?
Gossip about the masters.
Yet she was thoroughly satisfied with the outcome; she wanted the entire Marquis's Estate to know that she and her husband were living in harmony, so the news would quickly reach the ears of the Empress Dowager.
"Aigoo, Old Madam, why are you out here? You've given this old servant quite a search."
Hearing Mother Liu's voice drifting from inside the room, Lu Qingyuan turned her head to look.
Well, well! It turned out the old madam had been eavesdropping on the maids' gossip right beneath the windowsill!
"Shh, they haven't finished talking yet."
"The madam has come to offer tea. Please hurry and take your seat in the main hall, my dear ancestor."
Lu Qingyuan let out a quiet, amused laugh.
Inside the main hall.
The old madam sat erect in a grand master's chair, clad in a deep-brown brocade robe patterned with golden characters for fortune.
With utmost respect, Lu Qingyuan held up the teacup and offered tea to the old madam. Her demeanor was poised and graceful, leaving no room for anyone to find fault.
Though the old madam might not have noticed, Mother Liu was a former palace maid. Watching from the side, she was thoroughly pleased, thinking to herself that all those outside rumors claiming Eldest Miss Lu had grown up in the marketplace, unversed in etiquette and thoroughly boorish, were sheer nonsense!
Lu Qingyuan, however, felt a pang of emotion, knowing she owed it all to the hardships she had endured in the Xian Wang Manor during her past life. The Empress Dowager had been displeased with her as a daughter-in-law, yet unable to voice it openly, had secretly dispatched several matrons to torment her under the guise of teaching etiquette.
Forget serving tea—she could even balance three books on her head and walk a complete circle around the entire manor with a tray of tea without dropping a single book!
After drinking the tea, the old madam began her lecture, while Lu Qingyuan lowered her head with the demeanor of a submissive young bride.
"Harmony between husband and wife is the foundation of human relations. You must remember: raising the dining tray to eyebrow level and treating each other with the respect of honored guests—only then can the household thrive and peace prevail."
"As the *Precepts for Women* states, 'The Way of respect and compliance is the grand virtue of a woman.' You must constantly reflect upon yourself... constantly reflect upon yourself..."
Listening on, why did it sound like the old woman was repeating the same old phrases in an endless loop?
Lu Qingyuan quietly raised her head and discovered that the old lady kept staring fixedly at the fan in her hand, as if small characters were written on it, yet found it quite strenuous to read due to poor eyesight.
So she was reading a crib sheet right off her fan!
Boldly, she spoke up: "Grandmother, the hour is late. It is time for breakfast."
Looking thoroughly relieved, the old madam completely ignored the meaningful glances Mother Liu was shooting her from the side. "Good, good, good! Let's eat breakfast, time for breakfast!"
The waiting maids filed in carrying breakfast.
A table completely laden with food dazzled the eyes.
On a large white porcelain platter sat several coin-sized crab-roe soup dumplings, garnished alongside freshly picked peonies.
The tea bowls were filled with seven-treasure tea, the base blending seven ingredients: walnuts, pine nuts, milk curd, ginkgo, sesame, small jujubes, and melon seeds.
Various pastries need hardly be mentioned, and the final dish served was actually an entire fresh plum blossom branch hanging with thumb-sized plum fruits.
...
Lu Qingyuan smiled slightly, turned, and asked Mother Liu, "Did the kitchen prepare any sesame flatbreads and millet porridge?"
Taken aback by the sudden question, Mother Liu lapsed into her habit of speaking before thinking: "Naturally they did, the old madam eats them every..."
"Cough, cough, cough!"
The sound of the old madam coughing came from the side. Realizing she had let slip a secret, Mother Liu was filled with agonizing regret.
The old madam had given her repeated instructions to maintain her image as the matriarch of the Marquis's Estate, and she had almost ruined it all with her own mouth!
Pulling a straight face, Mother Liu muttered, "Er... they do have them, but those are just for the servants of the estate. Our old madam is most particular; how could ordinary fare ever pass her lips?"
"What?"
Huo Yanxing had just returned from morning court. Before even changing out of his official robes, he had come to pay his respects to his grandmother. As soon as he stepped inside and heard Mother Liu's words, he doubted his own ears.
Grandmother... particular?
He glanced at the breakfast spread on the table and frowned.
This was far too elaborate! Who ate this sort of thing first thing in the morning? Could it possibly fill anyone up?
"Grandmother, this..."
Before he could finish, he was met with a glare from his grandmother, signaling him to shut his mouth.
Looking left and right, Lu Qingyuan suppressed a smile and feigned a look of deep regret. "Oh, I love sesame flatbread paired with millet porridge the most! If there were pickled vegetables—like dried radishes, salted mustard greens, or shredded cabbage hearts—that would be simply wonderful!"
At those words, the old madam's eyes lit up.
This granddaughter-in-law—she liked her!
The old madam blurted out, "We have them, we have them, we certainly do! Mother Liu, quickly bring out the sesame flatbread and millet porridge, along with the pickled radishes I made myself!"
Mother Liu twitched at the corners of her mouth, having no choice but to obey.
Huo Yanxing felt both exasperated and amused.
Biting into the sesame flatbread brought in by the maids, Lu Qingyuan lowered her head to hide her laughter.
...
Emerging from the old madam's courtyard, Huo Yanxing strode forward on his own with long, confident strides toward the study.
"Marquis, wait a moment." Lu Qingyuan called out to stop him.
"What is it?"
Huo Yanxing slowed his pace, thinking to himself that this little girl was quite skilled at reading people's minds.
She had only just met his grandmother and shared a single breakfast, yet she had coaxed the old madam into such high spirits that she had completely forgotten she had a grandson present, continuously heaping food onto her plate.
This woman could not be underestimated.
"I have a favor to ask of the Marquis." Lu Qingyuan walked up to his side and waved the maids and manservants away.
"Speak."
Huo Yanxing's gaze was cool and detached, his thin lips pressed tightly together, exuding a chilly aloofness that kept people thousands of miles away.
Just as he thought, his guess was spot on; this woman was finally showing her true colors.
He wanted to see just what kind of outrageous demand she dared to make.
Even as these thoughts crossed his mind, the woman standing before him curtsied respectfully, her pair of bright, crystal-clear eyes gazing up at him full of hopeful anticipation:
"Marquis, could you write the Divorce Agreement in advance?"