Four Delicate Offenders – CH 014

Chapter 14. Substitute Bride.

After a flurry of activity, Meifen was settled on the bed. The physician administered acupuncture and prescribed medicine. Meifen gradually regained consciousness, and her first words upon opening her eyes were still, “I will not marry.”

Lady Ming, weeping uncontrollably, wiped away her tears and said, “My child, why are you so stubborn? This marriage was arranged long ago. How are the officials supposed to handle things if you just say you will not marry? Everyone knows we are betrothed to the Duke of Wei’s family now. Even the Emperor and the Empress Dowager in the palace have heard. They even asked me when the wedding would be held at the last birthday banquet. With such a commotion, if you say you will not marry, the Duke of Wei’s family will definitely lose face. Your father still has official connections; how will he explain that to them?”

This long, earnest plea only resulted in Meifen closing her eyes and turning her face away. Lady Ming grew increasingly anxious. “What is it you are after? What is it about the Duke of Wei that displeases you? You can tell us, and even if we break off the engagement, we will have an explanation. Now you just close your eyes and let your parents suffer. Is this your filial piety? Is this how your mother taught you from childhood?”

But no matter how much she pleaded, she could not get Meifen to talk. She maintained that aloof posture, keeping everyone at arm’s length. Lady Ming sighed, utterly helpless. She turned to Xiang Xu. “Son, what should we do?”

Xiang Xu glanced at Meifen. “Sister must be tired. Let her rest. Let’s talk outside.”

Yunpan stepped forward to help Lady Ming, and the three of them moved to the outer room.

The sun shone brightly on the blue brick steps. The room was dimly lit by curtains.

~

See less ads by logging in.

~

Yunpan helped Lady Ming sit down in the armchair, saying, “My cousin acted rashly in the heat of the moment. She will understand once this period passes.”

Lady Ming patted Yunpan’s hand wistfully. “You have no idea. Your sister has always had this strange temper. Once she’s made up her mind, nothing can change it. She made a scene during the engagement, but we did not take it too seriously then. We thought she’d eventually agree, but two years have passed, and she’s still the same.”

Xiang Xu, feeling sorry for his younger sister, always sided with Meifen, “If she really does not want to, it’s not good to force her. We should just talk to the Duke of Wei and ask him to choose another suitable match.”

“Nonsense!” Lady Ming immediately rejected the idea. “When Duke Wei was serving as the Military Commissioner of Xizhou, he was often in the army. We used the excuse of wanting to keep Meifen for a couple more years, and they could not refuse. Now that Duke Wei has been transferred back to the capital, the two families will see each other all the time. We’ve wasted the Duke of Wei’s time until he’s twenty-four. If we propose breaking off the engagement now, how can they let it go? Besides, if this marriage does not happen, Meifen’s life will be ruined. She even looks down on such a family; who would dare to presume to be superior to the Duke of Wei and come knocking on their door? They’d be so embarrassed!” She grew increasingly disheartened, leaning back in her armchair and letting out long sighs. “Oh dear, I am so worried! What kind of good girl does not get married? Does she really intend to become a nun in a Taoist temple?”

However, Meifen’s temperament made marriage unsuitable, especially since the Old Lady of Duke Wei’s mansion was originally a concubine of the late Emperor, who only moved out of the palace with her son, Prince of Liang, after the Emperor’s death. Someone who had spent over twenty years navigating the inner palace would be difficult to deal with. Furthermore, Meifen was straightforward and lacked tact; once she arrived at their household, the mere prospect of being disciplined would be enough to give her a hard time.

Xiang Xu, somewhat indignant, said in a deep voice, “The Duke of Wei still wears a fox fur coat after the beginning of spring. Meifen is already frail; their marriage might not be a good thing.”

Lady Ming was speechless for a moment, then said, “Then tell me, what other methods are there?”

The possibility of annulling the engagement might exist, but if it were done, it would inevitably result in heavy losses for both sides—a principle everyone understood.

Seeing their impasse, Yunpan softly said to Lady Ming, “Aunt, do not be anxious. Let me persuade her again after my sister calms down. The news came so suddenly; she cannot quite process it yet. Let her think it over some more.”

Lady Ming sighed and nodded, then, remembering their recent return from the market, she smiled and asked, “You and your brother went out for a stroll. Did you have a good time?”

Yunpan replied, “We ate honey-glazed pastries and bought incense-making materials. There are so many restaurants in the capital, and the streets are so bustling. The carriage traveled the whole way, and I looked around the whole time. Just looking at everything made me happy.”

Lady Ming looked at that bright face and sighed for this child, who had already lost her mother and had such an unjust father, yet still managed to live with such vitality. In contrast, Meifen was pampered by her parents and protected by her brother, who never let her suffer any hardship. Yet, she had a strange temper; after falling into the water once, ten years could not heal her emotional wounds.

If only Meifen could be like Si Si, how much effort she could save! It was clear that things did not always go as planned, and she felt even more sorry for Si Si. She instructed Xiang Xu, “Meifen cannot fulfill her duties as host. From now on, when your sister leaves the mansion, please keep a close eye on her.”

Xiang Xu agreed, smiling at Yunpan, “I am not busy with official duties at the Imperial Academy; I am often free. If my sister needs anything, just come to me.”

Yunpan responded, then curtsied to Lady Ming, “Aunt, I will go inside to accompany my sister.”

Lady Ming nodded, then added, “Si Si, please take good care of your cousin. She will not listen to anything we say now; only you can comfort her.”

Yunpan said “Yes,” lifted the curtain, and went inside. Lady Ming felt a throbbing headache and rubbed it in frustration. After a while, she looked up and saw Xiang Xu still staring blankly at the curtain and paused in surprise. A vague premonition rose in her heart, but she did not say anything. She cleared her throat and called to her son, “Go back and check on your father. Meifen’s outburst earlier angered him quite a bit. Say a few words to comfort him; it will help him calm down.”

Xiang Xu snapped out of his daze, feeling somewhat embarrassed by his behavior. He quickly replied and turned away, secretly glad he’d left quickly; otherwise, if his mother saw him blushing, it might lead to some misunderstanding.

He strode out of the courtyard gate while Lady Ming watched his retreating figure thoughtfully. The old Nanny Yao said in a low voice, “Madam has been working hard all day; she must be tired. Go back and rest.”

Lady Ming stood up and sighed, “Time flies so fast. In the blink of an eye, the children are all grown up. Xu’er will be twenty next month; it’s time to start arranging a good marriage for him…”

***

Meifen, who had been angry because her mother and the others were still there, had been sulking and refusing to see anyone. Now, only Yunpan was there. With someone present, she leaned back against the headboard and said, “I am not sick; I do not need medicine. I just could not reason with them, and I got so angry I almost had a heart attack…” She glanced at Yunpan sheepishly. “Did I frighten you?”

~

See less ads by logging in.

~

Yunpan returned the medicine bowl to the maid and said gently, “It’s not that I was frightened; it’s just that my aunt was startled and kept crying. Sister, this is no big deal; is it worth all this fuss? If you have something on your mind, talk to my aunt and uncle properly. I think they are both very open-minded; there’s nothing that cannot be discussed.”

However, Meifen shook her head. “Other things are easy to discuss, but this one… what can I say? Nothing works. They’ve never listened to me about my own marriage. They would not listen when we were betrothed, and they will not listen now that we are getting married. They do not care what I think; they just want a wealthy son-in-law, a marriage between prestigious families. They say they are thinking of me, but they raised me only to use me as a pawn in their game.”

When people were angry, they often spoke without thinking, so Yunpan could only comfort her, “These days, arranged marriages are common; no one can decide their own marriage. Take me, for example. My mother arranged for me to marry the second son of the Duke’s Mansion. If it were not for that broken engagement, I would have married into the Li family soon. You… Look, everyone’s the same. Your parents found you a marriage they deem ideal. After the wedding, you manage it well. As long as you get by, it does not really matter where you are.”

Meifen’s face showed a troubled expression. She lowered her head and said, “I understand the principles, but I just cannot live under the same roof with strangers. I just want to stay in this little courtyard forever, never to go outside again. I panic when I see strangers. Even a single word from a stranger makes my heart leap out of my chest, and I cannot even breathe… How can someone like me be expected to be the mistress of the house, disciplining the maids and servants?”

Seeing that Meifen was becoming increasingly anxious, panting and flushed, Yunpan quickly soothed her gently, “Most girls in our household are afraid of people; I understand what you mean. A couple of days ago, I was chatting with my aunt, and she mentioned that you, Sister, fell into the water when you were little. Tell me what happened, Sister.”

At this, Meifen’s face darkened, and she lowered her eyelashes, saying, “When I was six, I went with my mother to my aunt’s birthday banquet. My mother met several ladies and was busy talking to them. I was bored, so I sneaked into the garden. My aunt’s garden had a large artificial pond. I squatted by the edge watching the goldfish, and saw a particularly beautiful white one with red stripes. I could not resist reaching out to touch it. Just then, my cousin happened to pass by and pushed me into the pond. I choked on several mouthfuls of water and nearly drowned. When people pulled me out, I said it was my cousin who pushed me, but no one believed me. Everyone said my cousin was usually very polite and respectful, and would never do such a thing. My cousin also claimed he’d never seen me before, that I must have been confused and made a wild accusation. Even my father and mother told me not to talk nonsense, and the matter was dropped.”

She gave a helpless smile. “You see, even people with such good reputations have hidden sides, let alone that Duke of Wei, whom I’ve never met. What if one day I do not please him, and he drowns me in the pond? Who will stand up for me then? So it’s best to stay in my little courtyard; at least no one will harm me here… Si Si, please put in a good word for me with Mother. Tell her I am willing to remain unmarried for life and stay with my parents to fulfill my filial duties. Please beg them not to force me. If I go elsewhere, I definitely will not be able to survive, really.”

Yunpan then learned the truth. The trauma suffered in childhood could indeed affect a person for a lifetime, especially when there was nowhere else to turn. One could lose faith in even their closest relatives; how could one expect anything from a complete stranger?

But the engagement was already arranged, and the family would not agree to annulment. The Duke of Wei’s mansion could not bear the stigma of betrayal, so the marriage had to continue; there was no way to resolve it.

Meifen, however, came up with a plan. Straightening her back, she said urgently, “I will pretend to be crazy. If I am crazy, the Duke of Wei will take the initiative to annul the engagement.”

Yunpan was startled. “No way! This trick will not only ruin you, but also the reputation of the Duke’s Mansion, and ruin your eldest brother’s reputation.”

A perfectly good family, suddenly having a madwoman appear—in the future, whether it was Xiang Xu, Xiang Yan, or Lanfen, their marriages would all be affected. Then Aunt’s life’s work would all be in vain.

Meifen deflated, sobbing and muttering to herself, “What to do… what to do…” Suddenly, her eyes fixed on Yunpan, she grabbed her hand and said, “Si Si, good sister, did you not break off your engagement with the Duke of Dongchang’s family? Why not marry him in my place? In terms of status, the Duke of Wei is far superior to that Second Young Master Li, and in terms of seniority, Second Young Master Li has to call him uncle… Good sister, please help me this once; marry the Duke of Wei in my place, alright?”