Spring Message in the Snow – CH 055

Chapter 55

Surou blushed and stammered, “Aunt, it’s not what you think…”

“No matter what, you should not have gotten engaged to that man,” Madam Shen said. “Your father died because of him. Although he didn’t kill him, he died because of him. Are there no more noble young men in the capital, so you want to marry him? Have you ever thought about what people will say about you and the Zhang family?”

As Zhang Lu’s sister, she still harbored resentment about his death. She remembered that day was the beginning of autumn. The coffin took two months to reach the capital. By then, he was already gone, and she couldn’t bear to imagine what had become of her lively second brother. At that time, she was pregnant with her second child, and this sudden blow caused her to miscarry. Even now, the thought still ached. She never imagined that twelve years later, her niece would marry the very person who caused it all.

Surou was so ashamed she did not know how to explain. Lady Pan spoke calmly, “Sister, do not blame Surou. The entire family was aware of this, and they all agreed. It was not Surou’s fault. They released her from the palace, then wanted to bring her back. The whole family could not bear to let her return, so we arranged a marriage for her. Unfortunately, none of the young masters and princes in the capital dared to propose. Only the Heir Apparent was willing to give her all the proper gifts and courtesies. If not the Heir Apparent, who else could she marry? There are priorities. In my opinion, old grudges should be let go. We could not find anyone to hate, so we vented our anger on the Heir Apparent. Actually, the one we should hate is the person who killed your second brother, not the Heir Apparent.”

Madam Shen was stunned. Seeing that even Surou’s stepmother was speaking up for Surou, she had no choice but to give up.

Ultimately, a family reunion was a joyous occasion. With a sigh, she turned and had the maids and servants bring in the trunks she had brought back. Everyone present received various items, including spices, satin, writing implements, tea, and more. They ate lunch together, and in the afternoon, they waited for her brothers and nephews to return.

The afternoon passed, and only Madam Shen and her daughter remained with the Grand Madam. The old lady inquired about her life in Jiangling Prefecture. Madam Shen gave a nonchalant smile. “Just getting by like that, I guess. Most of my life has passed; what else can I do?”

The Grand Madam sensed the helplessness in her voice and quickly asked, “Is Master Shen not good to you?”

Madam Shen had previously praised her husband to her daughter, saying he was perfect—a testament to a mother’s strength. Now, being with her mother, some grievances could not help but surface, turning into cold, hard amber.

“It’s not so bad,” she said, her eyes lowered. “It’s just an ordinary life. He respects me, and I respect him. It’s just that with such a large family fortune, there’s no son to inherit it. He feels very sorry for our ancestors, so he secretly kept a mistress and had an illegitimate child. The other day, he begged me to adopt the child, but I refused.”

She said this calmly, but the listener’s heart pounded. Mianmian jumped three feet high. “What? How could Father do this!” She sobbed angrily. “How could he do this?! How could he face Mother!”

The Grand Madam sighed: “I knew it… a businessman… How many of them are well-behaved? With so much money coming and going, even if he does not have any ulterior motives, those women will not let him go. Now, what do you plan to do? Even if you do not agree, he’s still his son. If he insists on bringing him home, what can you do?”

Madam Shen sneered, “I’ve toiled in the Shen family all these years, do you think I’d end up benefiting some outsider? Before I left, I found out about that woman’s background. She was originally a boat prostitute, redeemed by a scholar and raised in the marketplace. Unfortunately, this scholar repeatedly failed the imperial examinations and had no face to return to Jiangling Prefecture, so he has been wandering in Youzhou ever since. I’ve already sent someone to give him a large sum of money, which will force him to go back and file a complaint. Even if the child is Master Shen’s, he will not be included in the family register or inherit the family business. He’s heartless; do not blame me for being ruthless. I will make him a laughingstock in Jiangling Prefecture, and see how he will face anyone again in business.”

Mianmian, tears streaming down her face, was somewhat stunned. “Cannot do business? Does that mean no income?”

Madam Shen said, “We’ve earned more money over the years than we could spend in two lifetimes, plus the shops and estates we own. How could we starve? I understand now; the more money a man has, the more unscrupulous he becomes. When he proposed to me, he promised never to take a concubine, but he did not manage to do it.”

She glanced sadly at her mother. “Mother, I deeply regret marrying that man. I have not dared tell anyone about the grievances I’ve suffered all these years; I’ve only been able to grit my teeth and endure it. Who told me to choose this path? For the past sixteen years, I’ve never spoken ill of Mianmian’s father. It’s for the child’s sake; I do not want her to live in misery because of her parents’ discord. Now that she’s about to be betrothed, I want her to know the risks involved so she can be more careful herself. Never trust a man’s words. When he wants you, he will shower you with sweet words; when he does not, you are just a rag. All those vows of eternal love are worthless.”

After hearing her daughter recount her ordeal, the Grand Madam Zhang felt a deep pang of sorrow. She had always believed that even the most ordinary life would not be this difficult. Now, as her daughter said, half a lifetime had passed—what more could she do? She would never agree to leave Master Shen; sometimes, a person’s pride had nothing to do with feelings.

Madam Shen’s pain found an outlet, and she slowly slumped down, bowing her head as she said, “I thought that marrying down would make my husband cherish our bond more and prevent him from having concubines or mistresses. Who knew it would end like this? If I had known, I would have preferred to marry someone of equal social standing. Even if the circumstances were unfavorable, at least I would not feel so resentful. That’s why I was determined to send Mianmian back to the capital and marry her into a high-ranking family, so she would not waste her life in the merchant circle. I only blame myself; if I had not been so reckless back then, things would not be like this now. Sometimes I feel exhausted; dealing with concubines and mistresses… It’s over. When will this end? Fortunately, I have all the concubines in the courtyard under my control. They will never be able to bear children. As long as there are no illegitimate sons, even if the concubines have a hundred illegitimate children, I will not care.”

Mianmian was somewhat surprised, staring at her mother in astonishment. “Those young ladies have not had any children yet. Did Mother come up with some kind of method?”

Madam Shen remained silent. A hint of desolation appeared on the Grand Madam’s face. It was a method that could not be openly used. To consolidate her position, the principal wife would do everything she could to suppress the concubines. Since she could not be openly aggressive, she could only resort to underhanded tactics.

Where there was demand, there was supply. Those sorcerers and itinerant physicians concocted infertility drugs. As long as one had the connections and was willing to spend a lot of money, one could prevent concubines from seizing favor and illegitimate sons from overshadowing the principal wife. But such methods damaged one’s virtue and were only used as a last resort. According to Madam Shen, it was a pity there was no drug to make a man infertile; otherwise, giving Master Shen a dose would have solved the problem once and for all.

“Concubines may be hateful, but the root of the trouble lies with the man,” Madam Shen said, looking at Mianmian. “Concubinage is something that happens to merchants and officials alike. I hope you meet a good one, unlike your father; that would be your good fortune.”

Mianmian, being a young girl, could not grasp such profound truths. She hesitated for a moment and said, “I do not think the Earl seems like that kind of person.”

Madam Shen smiled, thinking that whether a man was good or bad would only be known after living together. Of course, she would not discourage Mianmian now; what mother-in-law did not hope her son-in-law was decent? Besides, judging from Mianmian’s expression, she seemed quite satisfied with the Earl, which was good enough. At least for now, his family background was good, and he seemed affectionate before marriage. What would happen after marriage depended on their fate.

Madam Shen rallied her spirits and asked the Grand Madam with a smile, “Has the Earl’s Mansion said when they will hold the betrothal ceremony?”

“They know our in-laws are coming to the capital and are waiting for news from us. We will send someone to let them know in a bit, and they will naturally start preparations. But…” The Grand Madam hesitated. These were words she had been pondering, but worried that Mianmian, being a child, might not understand. Now that her mother had arrived, she could bring it up, saying, “Logically speaking, a noble family should not have trouble finding a suitable wife, especially since such families value lineage. I wonder why they’ve come to our family seeking a daughter-in-law.”

Madam Shen was not worried. She calmly replied, “Although the Shen family are merchants, Mianmian’s maternal family is surnamed Zhang, and her three maternal uncles are all high-ranking officials in the court. They must have considered that! If they have ulterior motives, it’s only for the Shen family’s money. I only have this one daughter; I will prepare a large dowry for her to appease the Earl’s family, and that will be enough.”

This statement implied a willingness to pay. Using money to pave the way, even if it was just for her child’s future, Madam Shen was willing. From humble beginnings to high status, marrying into a wealthy family was easy; otherwise, one had to be willing to risk everything. Otherwise, why would anyone marry a merchant’s daughter? She saw things clearly and did not need to deceive herself. She had already half-given up on her husband; her future focus would be entirely on Mianmian. Spending money to help Mianmian rise above her current social class seemed worthwhile, at least for now.

Since she had no objections, the Grand Madam said nothing more and turned to instruct Nanny Feng to inform the Earl’s Mansion. The Earl’s Mansion received the news quickly and arrived the very next day with the betrothal gifts.

As usual, the sisters watched from the inner room. The Earl’s son was quite handsome, tall, and fair-skinned. Standing next to Mianmian, the two occasionally exchanged glances, appearing very well-matched.

Madam Shen was very satisfied. The two families exchanged many auspicious words in the main hall, and the wedding was scheduled for the eighth day of the tenth month. Mianmian returned to her inner room from the main hall and shyly asked everyone, “What do you all think?”

Everyone naturally agreed. Zhirou said, “Setting it for the eighth day of the tenth month is even earlier than Third Sister’s wedding!”

Mianmian stuck out her tongue at Qingrou. “Third Sister will have to see me off first.”

Qingrou nodded with a smile, “If there’s anything I can do to help with the dowry preparations, I will lend a hand to my cousin.”

Yingrou leaned over and asked her cousin, “What’s your husband’s name?”

Mianmian blushed and said, “His surname is Song, and his name is Song Mingchi.” A proper name, at least much better than Jin Wohu.

Everyone congratulated her but also remarked that the Zhang family had been very busy in the second half of the year, with three daughters getting married in a row.

Mianmian waved her hand dismissively. “My mother said she will rent the entire Fang family estate to entertain the guests. If there’s enough time, she plans to buy a property in the capital, where I can get married.”

However, the Shen family only had business associates in the capital, unlike the Zhang family, where officials gave face to the Zhang brothers. The wedding would be grand and respectable, so the final arrangements would need to be discussed with the Grand Madam.

While everyone was chatting and laughing, Surou glanced at Jirou, who responded listlessly, not as lively as before. After everyone left, the two sisters walked around the garden for a while and sat down in the pavilion by the pond. Jirou, who had been holding back for half a day, finally burst into tears in front of Surou, covering her eyes and saying, “I’ve always been strong-willed, but this time I am really too ashamed to admit it. That Jin Wohu, even if he were not lame, I would not want to marry him. He’s irresponsible and does not care about his family at all. Who knows how many more mistakes he will make in the future! I never thought much of him to begin with. He does not look good to me, and his name is strange, too. Now look what’s happened; he really has become a ‘Crouching Tiger,’ making me unable to hold my head up in front of my sisters. It’s worse than being a widow.”

Seeing her like this, Surou gently comforted her for a couple of minutes, then asked, “Has there been no movement from the Jin family? Have they really been acting as if nothing happened these past few days?”

Jirou replied, “Yes, that’s right. My brother wanted to visit yesterday, but the Jin family refused, saying that he needs to rest and cannot see guests for the time being. They just want to drag it out, preferably until after the second day of the second lunar month. But why should I, a perfectly healthy girl, waste time with them!”

Surou thought for a moment, then hesitated before saying to Jirou, “Yesterday, the Heir Apparent told me that if the Jin family insists on not breaking off the engagement, he could try to find a way, but I do not know if it will work, so I did not tell Grandmother and the others. Now that the Jin family will not even let us see him, I am afraid his leg injury is getting worse. If you are in a hurry, I will go ask the Heir Apparent. What do you think?”

Jirou’s eyes lit up instantly, and she straightened up, asking, “Second Sister, you really can get the Heir Apparent’s help?” At this moment, any glimmer of hope was like grasping a lifeline. Jirou gripped Surou’s hand tightly, saying, “Second Sister, whether I can climb out of this quagmire depends entirely on you. You must find a way to help me, please.”

Surou nodded. “I will try my best, but I cannot guarantee it. If it does not work, we will find another way ourselves.”

Having agreed to Jirou’s request, she could not find time to look for Helian Song the next day because of teaching duties, and he did not come over that evening. On the third day, she planned to take the initiative to find him, but she worried that he was busy and that her sudden appearance might disturb his official duties. After much searching, she learned he was at the Fourth Army Headquarters. Taking advantage of the midday lull, she went to try her luck. As expected, he was difficult to see; she waited outside for quite some time before the message finally reached him.

Almost immediately upon receiving the news, he came out to greet her. He was indeed completely different when he was on duty compared to when he was not at work; there was even a hint of unfamiliarity. His smile was restrained. He simply said, “Young Lady, what brings you here? It’s too hot outside; please come inside and sit for a while.”

Surou declined, “There are too many people around; I will not go in. Is Your Highness busy these days?”

Helian Song glanced back. The headquarters was bustling with people; the Fourth Army’s discipline and the Jishi Army’s deployments were all happening simultaneously—he was indeed very busy. But he knew she must have come to see him for something, and given his current mood, personal matters naturally took precedence over official business.

“Is it because of the Jin family?” He did not need her to speak; he already guessed.

Surou nodded, saying with difficulty, “My elder brother went to the Jin residence to visit, but they refused to see any guests. After my uncle finished court, he inquired about Young Minister Jin’s situation, but Minister Jin was evasive and refused to tell the truth. Fifth Sister is depressed because of this, and I noticed she’s not in good spirits either, so I thought I’d ask Your Highness for help. If Your Highness has a way, perhaps you could persuade Minister Jin, regardless of which family proposed breaking off the engagement, to just allow the Zhang family to return the betrothal gifts so that neither side can be delayed in the future.”

Helian Song readily agreed, “This matter is not difficult to handle. Since they are under the command of the Pengji Army, I have a way to persuade them.”

Surou breathed a sigh of relief, very grateful for his strong support, and curtsied, saying, “Then I will await Your Highness’s good news.”

He agreed and, because of the heat, told her to go back first. He himself was busy at the yamen for a long time, and when he looked up, he realized it was already evening. He then ordered his subordinate, Wan Chaoyang, to retrieve Jin Wohu’s medical records. To reduce unnecessary expenditures, the court required all public officials on leave due to injury to submit medical records. Chief Physician Song, an official of the Imperial Medical Bureau, knew this was strictly enforced and would never falsify records for him. Sure enough, when the Prefectural Magistrate delivered the record, he glanced at it and saw it clearly stated—a broken tibia.

He closed the record and said to Wan Chaoyang, “Let’s go to Minister Jin’s house.”

Wan Chaoyang quickly agreed, went out, instructed his deputy to prepare a horse, and, taking advantage of the approaching nightfall, hurried to the Jin residence.

The Jin family was quite large. Jin Wohu was the youngest son, with two older brothers. Besides his eldest brother, who served in the Lulong Army in Youzhou, there was also his second brother, Jin Zhenlin, who was a captain in the Silver Spear Squad. A servant announced at the door, and Minister Jin and Jin Zhenlin came out to greet him. Minister Jin bowed deeply, saying, “I wonder what wind blew in today, bringing the Heir Apparent here.”

Helian Song smiled gently and offered his hand to help him up. “Minister, there’s no need for such formality. We are officials of the same court, and although we do not see each other often, we still have the camaraderie of colleagues.”

Minister Jin glanced at him. Helian Song was always extremely patient in official circles, speaking with gentleness to everyone. But for such a powerful figure to arrive so late at night was not a good sign. Minister Jin felt uneasy and dared not say much, gesturing for him to be led into the main room.

Helian Song sat down in a round-backed chair and asked softly, “Is the Captain’s leg injury any better now?”

Minister Jin’s heart skipped a beat. He knew that Helian Song would not come without a reason and that there were many connections behind him, undoubtedly related to the Zhang family. But concealing the truth from him was impossible, so he vaguely shook his head, only saying, “Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. But I wonder if Your Highness has come today on official business?”

Helian Song did not answer but gave Wan Chaoyang a wink, who then handed the medical records to Vice Minister Jin.

Vice Minister Jin unfolded the records, and his expression immediately darkened.

Helian Song, however, smiled and spoke in a casual tone, “Captain Jin has betrothed the Fifth Young Lady of the Zhang family. By that logic, we will be brothers-in-law in the future. My visit today is twofold: first, to see the Captain, and second, to discuss official business. The Jishi Army is moving south, and the court is cutting back on unnecessary expenses. The Emperor has ordered a reduction in nominal positions, which you, Vice Minister, are aware of. This afternoon, the Vice Prefect presented me with a summary of the affairs of the four armies, and I saw Captain Jin’s medical records. These records were written by Song, the Chief Physician of the Imperial Medical Academy, so they should be accurate.”

“The captain’s injuries are so severe that he will likely be unable to fulfill his current duties. The Vice Minister is probably unaware of the current situation in our Four Armies. This year, many noble families are seeking positions as Huanwei Guans, and the captain’s vacancy is being eyed by countless eyes. Since we are relatives, we must avoid any appearance of impropriety. I have troubled you today to hear your opinion, Vice Minister, on how to overcome this difficult situation.”