TFSRITA Chapter 172

This time, seeing him come out, Master Wang was rather surprised. “Ready to train now?”

Ji Jiaxun was startled by his voice and instinctively touched his nose. No nosebleed—great!

He gritted his teeth and nodded firmly. “Yes, I’m ready!”

Master Wang chuckled heartily, grabbed him by the collar, and dragged him over to begin training.

By the time Yan Qing came out dressed and refreshed, Ji Jiaxun was already standing in a solid horse stance, his legs trembling slightly. In no time, sweat was pouring down his forehead. However, when he caught a glimpse of a light blue figure out of the corner of his eye, his body wavered. He stumbled and collapsed.

Ji Jiaxun coughed lightly and gave Master Wang, who now wore a dark expression, an awkward grin. “I’ll try again.”

But his gaze still drifted to the side.

It was his first time seeing her in blue. It made her skin look even fairer, her entire presence like the clear sky after rain—bright and refreshing.

This time, Yan Qing wore a long, flowing gown with wide sleeves—unsuitable for fighting, but undeniably beautiful.

Silk robes, fine wines, and delicacies—she enjoyed them all and never denied herself any comforts.

Orchid, one of her maids, brought out a chilled sweet melon from the well and cut it into neat slices. Yan Qing simply sat there, waiting to be fed. Meanwhile, two other maids massaged her shoulders and legs. The fatigue and soreness from her earlier martial training seemed to melt away, leaving her in an excellent mood.

Ji Jiaxun, stealing glances at this scene: “…”

A tinge of bitterness crept into his heart.

He gritted his teeth and pushed himself to endure. Sweat dripped from his forehead into his eyes, stinging them. He blinked rapidly, but the sting only intensified, and a few more drops of sweat rolled down.

No way would he let her think he was weak!

Martial arts training was monotonous and grueling, so much so that even studying began to seem like a more enjoyable pastime.

Yan Qing took a dual approach to improving him. She even borrowed a stack of military strategy books from the Marquis of Pingwu and made Ji Jiaxun memorize them.

Fortunately, Ji Jiaxun was clever. Once he put his mind to it, he quickly adapted, excelling in both martial arts and his studies.

Yan Qing wasn’t unreasonable, though. Every three days, she’d give him a full day off to go out and have fun with his friends.

After their last escapade, where things got a bit out of hand, Shi Yibin and the others became cautious. Even if they wanted to party all night, they now made sure to remind Ji Jiaxun to head home before it got too late.

Still, every outing brought its share of fun. Whether it was betting on cricket fights or trying out new pastimes, the group of seventeen- or eighteen-year-olds always managed to have a blast.

Under Yan Qing’s rigorous training regime, Ji Jiaxun visibly transformed.

As the days grew hotter, his skin darkened slightly under the sun, though he remained fairer than most men. The soft, flabby parts of his body turned into toned muscles. His facial features became sharper, his jawline more defined, and his demeanor matured significantly. The impulsiveness and spoiled air of his youth gradually gave way to a more composed and steady presence.

The Princess and the Marquis of Pingwu were overjoyed to see their son’s transformation.

Yan Qing, being the one responsible for his progress, became the subject of their endless gratitude. They began brainstorming ways to reward her.

But before they could decide on a gift, the Ji family matriarch returned.

The Ji family matriarch wasn’t particularly old—only fifty-four. In the ancient world, people married and had children early, especially since the Marquis of Pingwu was her eldest son. By modern standards, she was younger than many first-time grandmothers.

She was deeply devout, having left for Wansheng Temple to pray and stay for two months, taking her cousin Miss Liu Tong with her. She hadn’t even returned for her favorite grandson’s wedding.

But now she was back, and as the new daughter-in-law, Yan Qing had to pay her respects.

Miss Liu Tong, though?

Yan Qing glanced at the young man beside her, who was clumsily reciting his lessons.

Ji Jiaxun, sensing her gaze, looked up, blinking in confusion. Smiling eagerly, he asked, “Wife, what’s wrong? Did I say something wrong?”

Yan Qing’s reaction stemmed from a memory of the original story.

The Marquis of Pingwu came from humble beginnings. His family had been ordinary villagers, with no notable status or wealth.

The matriarch retained the habits of her modest upbringing, believing that a granddaughter-in-law should be subservient. In her eyes, she was the head of the family. However, the original Yan Qing, as the daughter of the Prime Minister, couldn’t easily be bullied—especially since even the Princess herself wouldn’t dare to cross her.

The matriarch, while doting on her eldest grandson, had heard rumors about Yan Qing’s background and despised her. Unable to oppose the emperor’s decree, she resorted to underhanded ways to humiliate Yan Qing. She had even left for the temple right before the wedding, using the excuse of a vision of her late husband, as the Marquis of Pingwu had cleverly covered for her behavior.

Now, after two months, she had returned to continue her schemes.

And accompanying her was Miss Liu Tong—a cousin on her side. Liu Tong’s story carried its complications. Her mother, the matriarch’s sister-in-law, had once tried to arrange for her to marry the Marquis of Pingwu. The Princess had been so outraged that she married her off to someone else out of spite.

Liu Tong’s mother had passed away early, leaving her in the care of the matriarch, who adored her as if to make up for past wrongs. The matriarch had since tried to push Liu Tong toward Ji Jiaxun, believing she would make a better match than Yan Qing.

Naturally, that plan hadn’t succeeded.

But now that Yan Qing had married into the family, the matriarch’s resentment only deepened. She had tried to undermine Yan Qing at every turn, while the original Yan Qing, foolishly antagonizing her own family, found herself ostracized and humiliated.

This time, however, things might not go the same way.