Four Delicate Offenders – CH 015

Chapter 15. Xiang Zhufen.

Yunpan was surprised by her sudden idea, knowing she was desperate and grasping at straws, so she laughed and said, “Sister, stop joking! This is not a joke.”

“Really, I am not kidding; I am serious!” Meifen said hastily, as if grasping at a straw. “Did you not say that these days everyone is betrothed, and it does not matter whose family you live with? Since that’s the case, the Duke of Wei’s family is not lowly, and I’ve met Li Chenjian; he’s handsome and would not be a disgrace to you. Your marriage to the Duke of Dongchang’s family is off, but you will have to be engaged anyway, so why not agree to the Duke of Wei’s? This would solve my immediate problem, and your own marriage would be settled. It’s a win-win situation, so please agree, Sister.”

She spoke with absolute certainty, not at all joking. As she spoke, she pulled Yunpan’s wrist, trying to get her up. “Come on, let’s go see Mother and ask her to help me.”

Yunpan was utterly exasperated, stopping in her tracks, and hurriedly said, “Sister… Sister… Marriage is not child’s play! How can you just change partners like that! The Duke of Wei’s mansion arranged this marriage because of my uncle’s prestige in court; not just any daughter can marry into the Duke of Wei’s family. Besides, when I went to the capital last time, it was with the Duke of Wei’s help. He’s already seen me and knows my background. If you try to fool him, and he investigates and takes it to the Emperor, both our families will lose face, and who knows how many people’s futures will be ruined.”

Meifen, who had been so enthusiastic, slumped down after hearing these words, collapsing onto the couch, tears streaming down her face, muttering to herself, “What to do… what to do…”

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However, once the thought of a substitute marriage took hold, it seemed impossible to stop. Determined to try, Meifen ignored Yunpan’s pleas and struggles and dragged her to Lady Ming.

Lady Ming, seeing Meifen’s eager expression and unaware of her plans, asked curiously, “Why are you dragging your sister along? Look at her, covered in sweat!”

Meifen, disregarding everything else, pushed Yunpan forward and said, “Mother, let Si Si marry in my place! As long as Father and Mother acknowledge Si Si as their daughter, Si Si will be the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Shu’s mansion, a suitable match for the Duke of Wei.”

Lady Ming was bewildered by her absurd idea, and after a long while, she scolded her, “Nonsense! If you do not want to marry, then why let your sister take your place? Such a big matter is not something our family can decide alone. Was it decided?”

Yunpan was flustered by her words, her face flushed as she said, “Sister, you are making it impossible for me to stay in the mansion anymore…”

“Si Si, do not listen to her nonsense! She’s gone mad! What kind of brain does she have to come up with such a terrible idea!” Lady Ming glared angrily. “Everyone has their own destiny in marriage. How can you play matchmaker like this? Your sister came to our family because your uncle is confused, and you… you are even more confused than your uncle! Do not say that again! If your father finds out, he will beat you!”

Meifen was greatly disappointed. Her idea had not been agreed upon by anyone, and she felt resentful. Finally, in a fit of anger, she flung her sleeves and returned to Zilan Garden.

Lady Ming slumped down, pounding the table. “What can we do?” she exclaimed. “Meifen seems a little off.”

Yunpan recalled Meifen’s earlier account of falling into the water and pressed her about the cousin from her aunt’s house. Lady Ming still believed Meifen had misjudged the situation, saying only, “He Xiao is a sensible child. When we took Meifen to her aunt’s house before, He Xiao took good care of her, constantly asking about his ‘sister.’ But that time, Meifen insisted that He Xiao pushed her into the water. This incident made us feel very sorry for He Xiao, causing him to suffer injustice.”

Parents were sometimes like this, busy smoothing things over for their children but not paying attention to the truth of the matter.

“What if what my elder sister said is true?” Yunpan probed. “How terrifying must it be for her to refuse to leave the mansion for ten years? Have you considered that, Aunt?”

Lady Ming paused but quickly dismissed the thought. “She was only six years old then. It’s possible she misjudged things in her panic. The important thing is, we’ve watched He Xiao grow up. He’s always been well-behaved and has never done anything out of line. Now he’s famous throughout the capital; even the Prime Minister is eager to host him. If he pushed Meifen into the pond, I simply cannot understand it.”

This incident clearly demonstrated how difficult it was to change stereotypes. Not only was Meifen heartbroken, but even Yunpan, an outsider, deeply felt the despair of having nowhere to turn.

Lady Ming had been driven to distraction by Meifen all day. Sometimes, in her anger, she even considered ignoring her and seeing what would happen. She felt guilty for making Yunpan spin like a top, fearing that the child would be uncomfortable with Meifen’s influence here.

“From now on, do not worry about your sister’s affairs. I originally wanted you to help persuade her, but it seems she’s possessed, and no one can change her mind. However, she said something very true…” Lady Ming looked kindly at Yunpan and said gently, “We’ve adopted you as our daughter, so you can stay in our Duke’s Mansion for a long time. You do not know how much your aunt loves you. Since you came to our side, I cannot bear to see you suffer even the slightest grievance.”

Hearing these words, the warmth in the heart of someone who had been turned away by their own family was indescribable.

Yunpan’s eyes reddened, and she lowered her head, saying, “Fortunately, I have my aunt. Even if I have nowhere to stay in my own home, my aunt still loves me.”

But Old Nanny Yao teased, “Madam is mistaken. Even if you adopt her as a daughter, she will eventually marry out. The only way to keep Young Lady Yun in the mansion long-term is to marry her to our young master. There are plenty of cousins ​​marrying outside; it would be a beautiful story in our family.”

Yunpan’s earlier feeling of being moved was abruptly extinguished by Nanny Yao’s words. Embarrassed, she stammered, “Nanny, please… please do not joke. My elder brother is my own brother; I would never have such thoughts.”

Nanny Yao was Lady Ming’s dowry nanny; she would not have dared to speak so casually if she had not known Lady Ming’s intentions beforehand.

Seeing Yunpan’s astonished expression, Lady Ming smiled and said, “Nanny was just joking with you; do not take it seriously. But speaking of which, after spending so much time with your brother, what do you think of his character?”

As for Xiang Xu’s character, there was probably nothing to criticize. The saying “time reveals all” was certainly true, but sometimes a single glance was enough to discern whether someone’s conduct was upright.

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However, with Nanny Yao having already paved the way, Lady Ming found it inconvenient to comment. After a moment’s consideration, she said, “He’s very good. My elder brother takes good care of me. My mother only gave birth to me, and I envy Cousin Mei for having such a close brother.”

Since he was a close brother, it was clear he meant no harm. Lady Ming was a clever woman and understood immediately. However, she subtly mentioned, “Your uncle is a military general, and years of fighting have left him with many ailments. He does not want your brother to join the army for training. And Xiang Xu likes to read books, now he has a job at the Imperial Academy, and in a year or two he will definitely be entering the court as an official…”

Seeing Yunpan looking at her blankly, she suddenly felt it was absurd and laughed, “Enough, enough, why say all this! You’ve come back from outside without even catching your breath, and you’ve been playing with your sister all day. You must be exhausted. Go back and rest. Do not take what she said earlier to heart. Once she calms down, I will teach her a lesson.”

Yunpan agreed, straightened her skirt, and withdrew from the main room.

Seeing the maid help her walk towards the courtyard gate, Lady Ming murmured, watching her retreating figure, “Judging from her words, it seems she does not have those feelings for Xu ‘er.”

Nanny Yao, with her hands tucked behind her back, said, “Girls are delicate, especially the daughter of a marquis. Even if Marquis Jiang is a bit muddle-headed, she’s been taught by the County Princess since childhood, so she will naturally be very proper.”

Lady Ming, with one hand resting on the low table, exuding a worldly-wise air, murmured, “A few years ago, I did think about finding a good marriage for my children. Even if it would not be beneficial in the future, just ensuring our wealth and status would not be lost would be enough. But look at the mess Meifen has made of this, as if she’s about to be boiled alive. Even though she’s climbing into such a prestigious family, she has no way to explain herself. It’s truly distressing. I’ve just thought about it carefully. For someone from a different family, the Lord’s title is the highest he can achieve. If Xu’er wants to enter officialdom, there’s no need to ask others for help. A little networking within the family is all it takes. In the future, let him choose someone he likes. Meifen has already given me so much trouble, and if I add Xu’er to that, how am I supposed to live?”

Furthermore, the Founding Marquis’s family was actually quite prestigious, and their eldest daughter was sought after by many. Just now in Zilan Garden, seeing Xu’er staring blankly at the curtain behind Yunpan, Lady Ming noticed something amiss. She also had her own plan in mind: no matter how despicable Jiang Heng was, he would not abandon his own daughter. When Yunpan returned home, she would make a decision as soon as she left. She would stay at home for a few days and then be brought back to the Duke’s Mansion. This would save her from being treated so badly again and allow her to have this lovely child in a legitimate way. How wonderful!

Before Lady Ming could share her thoughts with the Duke of Shu, he was furious upon learning of the funeral arrangements at the Founding Marquis’s residence.

That day, after discussing the disaster in Youzhou, the court officials left Daqing Hall after the court session, walking through the wide central path and exiting through the Yide Gate. Duke of Shu walked at the back with a swagger, while Jiang Heng walked a short distance ahead.

He had been holding back all day, hoping Jiang Heng would inform him of Yunpan’s “death,” but after waiting for a long time, even as they were about to board their carriages, he had not received a single word from Jiang Heng.

A man who had fought on the battlefield did not tolerate injustice. Duke of Shu finally could not hold back any longer, and his booming voice, “Marquis Jiang, please wait!” drew the attention of many of his colleagues.

Jiang Heng, naturally sensing the tension, turned to look at Duke of Shu, cupped his hands in a respectful bow, and asked, “Brother Jingqing, what are your orders?”

The Duke of Shu approached with a forced smile. “I heard that Brother Yuzao held a funeral a few days ago. Why did you not inform us? We are relatives, after all.” Seeing Jiang Heng’s embarrassed expression, he sighed deeply. “This natural disaster has caused so much suffering to so many families. I never imagined your household would also be affected… I wonder which one perished? Such a simple affair, it must have been Concubine Ru. Alas, last year the County Princess passed away, and this year another one has left. Your household has suffered consecutive losses; it’s truly heartbreaking.”

Jiang Heng knew perfectly well who Xiang Junjie was. He usually disliked meddling in trivial matters, but today’s sarcastic remarks suggested he had heard something.

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Jiang Heng could not help but feel a pang of sorrow. The mention of Si Si always brought him sadness, but it was a family matter, and outsiders had no right to question it. He rallied his spirits and said, “I was just about to tell Brother Jingqing that in the earthquake… our eldest daughter, Si Si, perished. Originally, I planned to send someone to your residence to inform you of her death, but as Brother Jingqing said, the County Princess passed away last year, and now Si Si has had this accident. I was also worried that my elder sister would be too grief-stricken and harm her health, so I kept the news from her.”

“So, it was all for my wife’s sake that you’ve considered it,” said Duke of Shu, tucking his official tablet. “But Brother Yuzao, do not forget that before the County Princess passed away, she entrusted her eldest sister to look after Si Si. Now that the child has had an accident, Brother Yuzao did not even inform her. Perhaps you’ve forgotten that the child still has her aunt and uncle to rely on!”

Jiang Heng grew impatient but could not show it. He forced a bow and said, “It was my oversight not to send someone to inform her immediately. The truth is, with such a family matter, I had no time for anything else. Brother Jingqing is a reasonable man; I am sure he will not hold this against me.”

The Duke of Shu slowly circled twice, then chuckled, “I certainly will not hold it against you, but there’s something I do not understand. How can you believe everything a concubine says? What if someone used the earthquake as an excuse to murder Si Si, and you were not home? Would Si Si not have been wronged?”

Jiang Heng’s protectiveness towards his concubine was truly evident. His face changed, and he forced out a few words through gritted teeth: “My Lord, the family has already suffered enough from this calamity; why fabricate trouble out of thin air?”

Then, the Duke of Shu frowned and scrutinized him for a long time, finally pursing his lips and saying, “Very well, since Marquis Jiang insists that Si Si is no longer alive, there’s nothing to discuss. Presumably, Si Si’s household registration has been cancelled, so from now on, everything about her will have nothing to do with Marquis Jiang. My household is worried about having too few people; from tomorrow on, I will rename the child Xiang Zhufen. I think that’s excellent.”