[COMPLETE] Transmigrated Author: The Quiet Plum

Chapter 76: A Lesson

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The Duchess couldn't help but shed a tear. She felt a little bitter but also relieved.

She could never compare to Qiaoli in the Duke's heart. But these past few weeks, Li Yun was also serious about making it up to her.

Rouli felt she was foolish to think of comparing herself to her husband's sister. But she couldn't help it. She said she was done loving him but only her mind decided that. Her heart still held on.

"Da jie..." Qiaoli called her attention while wincing in pain. "Talk to him."

It seemed Marquise Yan couldn't reason with the Duke anymore. Rouli could see him still agitated and refused to let go of his sister's wrist.

Something was wrong.

She inched closer to her husband.

"Li Yun!" Rouli slapped the Duke's hand away. He was acting odd and his eyes looked fearful.

Thinking up to this, she knew what was going on and had to spring into action.

She had to pry his fingers one by one away from Qiaoli's wrist. "Li Yun, stay with me."

The Duchess tapped her husband's cheeks multiple times.

"What's happening to him?" Qiaoli asked. It seemed to her that her brother was having an anxiety attack. She froze in place.

Her dress was still bloody and she hadn't even wiped out some blood on her ears.

Rouli's eyes reddened and she felt her nose sour. This wasn't the first time this happened.

She recalled that time fourteen years ago when he lost everything in one day. And he was told he would lead the whole territory alone. He would always be like this at odd moments.

When she married him four years ago, she never knew that it didn't go away.

"It's okay. It's okay. Breathe with me." She held his hand and placed the other on his chest. "It's okay, my love."

She traced patterns on his palm, on his hair, on his skin until she felt him loosen up. All the while whispering that it would be alright.

The Duchess remembered these were the few moments that she felt important to him. The darkest moments of his life.

When he finally regained some sense, she led her to a couch behind a painted screen.

Silence filled every inch of the room.

Qiaoli saw her brother cling to Rouli like she was the only thing anchoring him in a sea of an abyss. It was obvious this happened before as her sister-in-law didn't panic.

She realized her brother was also a human, deeply traumatized when he lost his family.

"Qiaoqiao..." Rouli's ragged voice pulled her from her reverie. "Can you call Yemin discreetly?"

She gave an audible hum.

"Tell him to have Butler Ping get you a change of clothes too."

Huang Qiaoli did as ordered and used the secret call for Yemin. 

The loyal advisor saw that the atmosphere in the room was severe and knew something must have happened.

After receiving instructions, he made the shadow guards under him slowly tighten the security around this room without alerting anyone. 

Later that afternoon, the Duke still hosted the clan's meeting. As expected, people had mixed reactions to Marquise Yan's appearance.

The ones loyal to the Duke gave a warm welcome. The others met her with skepticism. Unsure of the effects of having another Huang from the direct line.

But Huang Li Yun silenced every complaint and questioning.

For once, he showed how vicious he was as the soldiers in the military barracks viewed him. The clan leaders knew this spelled trouble. Knowing that the Cataclysm was new, those who needed to calculate would calculate. Those who needed to plan would plan.

But they never knew they wouldn't be given any chance.

The council lasted for six hours. And everything related to the preparation for when the borders disappeared was discussed.

The children, women, and elderly without cultivation would hide inside the fortified walls. Able-bodied men and women would undergo military training under the Pillars starting immediately. 

Some clan leaders opposed this as it meant their good seedlings would be raised under the Duke's wings but the patriarch showed great force this time. He was clearly agitated. These people witnessed the power of the strongest person in the clan.

The whole room with less than two hundred people was suppressed by his aura. Rouli protected the Marquise by offsetting the Duke's aura. This was only possible because the husband and wife were familiar with each other's cultivation. 

Qiaoli smiled wryly. She could see now how she made a fool out of herself. Why did she even make the effort to insert herself here?

Clearly, her brother didn't need help ruling these people. So she left halfway through the gathering and only showed up again by the end of it.

The clan leaders orderly filed out of the huge hall.

"Today, our Huang clan saw a powerful leader. As it should be." Elder Huang Liang was among the last to exit. "The past few years, the patriarch was distracted with other things. But I'm glad you learned to rectify your ways."

Huang Qiaoli felt the elder sweep his eyes at her but it was too fast for others to notice. Her expression hardened. It seemed Huang Liang knew about her disappearance. And the elders opposed her brother to look for her.

Duke Li was called Graceful Devil on the frontlines. But the people in his home province only saw the gentle side of him. They all thought he was someone who was easy to push around. Even Qiaoli knew a few of her brother's capabilities but was somehow misled by the news that reached her ears and by his brother's demeanor toward her.

Now that Qiaoli was beside Li Yun, there was no reason to hide his power and lie low.

"Elder should rest assured. Father left the clan to me. This Duke will not let him down." With that, he flicked his sleeves and got up to exit the hall.

The Duchess followed along with Huang Qiaoli.

As they were traveling back to the Duke estate, Qiaoli was particularly quiet. She was too ignorant. Even arrogant.

This was a huge slap to her face. Daring to direct things in a foreign land. It was her brother who was patient and tried to show her things by seeing for herself.

Even Rouli didn't say anything. Her husband had a cruel way of teaching the young Marquise and it also backfired on him. But if he thought this was for the best, then she would only watch to the side. She didn't believe that Li Yun could bear to see his sister suffer so much.

"Welcome back to the Duke Li, Duchess Li and Marquise Yan." Butler Ping was waiting for them at the gates.

Rouli got off the carriage herself. Li Yun assisted his sister before walking inside in huge strides.

Butler Ping sensed something wrong with the three people's moods but didn't dare pursue it.