This young marquis was truly a steadfast man. For over a month he had ridden back and forth between Youzhou and Hengtang at full gallop, a full two thousand li... If only the lucky girl had been Qing Ru! What a pity that his heart was set on Qing Yuan. Madam Hu studied him. A month on the road without rest in the middle of summer had burned his face dark. But his eyes were bright as stars, fixed eagerly on Qing Yuan, and Madam Hu knew at once that reality had again strayed from her expectations. The young marquis had likely gotten what he wanted this time. He had come carrying the hope of victory, certain that all he needed now was the Xie family's consent.
Sure enough, he bowed solemnly to the Old Madam and to her, hands clasped. "Venerable Madam, Madam, Chunzhi has returned as promised to report to you both. My parents have agreed to the match. Today I have come first to give my answer to the elders and to Fourth Sister. Tomorrow I will have the betrothal gifts prepared and formally ask for Fourth Sister's hand."
The Xie family looked at one another, stunned. No one had expected him to actually pull it off. Before Old Madam's eyes lay the handwritten letters from the Marquis of Danyang and his wife. She unfolded them and read. From beginning to end they were full of regret for their earlier rashness, and spoke warmly of bringing the two young people together. They wrote that Chunzhi had kept a child's temperament for too long and it was time he married and settled down. They had heard that the Fourth Young Lady was talented and clever, and that she would surely help Chunzhi make something of himself.
The Old Madam read every word closely, trying to find some trace of reluctance in the phrasing. She found none. The marquis and his wife seemed entirely sincere this time, and the change in them was baffling.
Madam Jiang of the east house now felt she could hold her head high before Madam Hu. Sometimes you could win back lost ground without climbing anything yourself; you only had to wait for the other person to fall. She glanced lightly at Madam Hu. "Goodness, whatever shall we do? Fourth Young Lady can hardly refuse such warmth. Who would have thought our family would go backwards, and the youngest would be the first to leave."
Li Congxin smiled. The wind and sun had darkened his fresh complexion considerably, which only made his teeth look whiter. "That may not be so. Someone asked me to pass on a message. He is bringing the gifts his family prepared, so he travels more slowly than I do. Since I have arrived first, let me report on his behalf to the Venerable Madam: Lanshan will soon call at your house to set the date."
This was excellent news. A distance of a thousand li had not weakened the resolve of the Earl of Kaiguo's son. Everyone congratulated the eldest young lady. Qing He lowered her head, blushing, the sweetness inside her ready to spill from the corners of her eyes and brows.
But the greater joy, of course, belonged to the Fourth Young Lady. After all her hardship, she would finally marry into the Danyang Marquis's household. The young marquis seemed a man to rely on. If he could persuade his parents under such heavy pressure, he would surely protect her once she was married.
Qing Yuan kept smiling, because she did not know what other expression to wear in the face of all this. It should have been entirely good. He had shown such sincerity, and what more could she ask for, given her birth and her present circumstances... But the human heart is never satisfied. Once it is settled, it begins to pick and choose, and that was wrong of her.
Li Congxin looked over at her, his gaze as open as ever, his smile as bright. She understood perfectly. She could see he had come back so radiant and upright, and she could only guess at what effort he had made before his parents in Hengtang. If the outcome was truly as he said, she ought to rein in her heart and keep her word.
The Old Madam was still hesitant. "I have read your family's letters, and I take it the marquis and his wife also wish to join our houses in marriage. It is only that... Youzhou is so far from Hengtang. Both my granddaughters..." She sighed as she spoke. "I truly cannot bear it."
Li Congxin raised his eyes, his heart giving a small jump, and hurried to reassure her. "Venerable Madam, please don't grieve. I now hold a post in the capital, and I will most likely remain in the capital region. Whenever you wish to see Fourth Sister, she can come back at any time."
What more was there to say? The Old Madam was exhausted by the recent upheavals. Qing Yuan's marriage had wavered between the Danyang Marquis's household and the Commander's residence, but on the night they returned from Huguo Temple, she had seen how Shen Run, so utterly disregarding everyone else, had shielded Qing Yuan. She had thought it over. With a son-in-law like that, even if Qing Yuan wanted to rule the roost in her mother's family, he would surely let her.
Madam Jiang tucked her hands into her sleeves and asked Qing Yuan, "And what does Fourth Young Lady think?"
Qing Yuan answered calmly, "I leave everything to Grandmother's arrangements."
The Old Madam let out a breath and nodded slowly. "In that case..."
Madam Hu cut her off. "In my view, there is no need to rush. My husband is fighting beyond the pass and hasn't sent a single letter home. We don't even know how he is. For a child's marriage, it would be better to wait a little. After all, my husband is the head of the household, and we ought to hear what he thinks. What does Mother say?"
What could the Old Madam say? She simply said nothing. Qing Ru's affair had drained all her strength. Now when she looked at the sky, it was gray; when she looked at the ground, that was gray too. Qing Yuan needed no worrying over, that much was true. Whether it was Li Congxin or Shen Run, let them do as they pleased! She had thought it through these past two days. Since Qing Yuan's return, there had been trouble in the family without end. They had said she would keep the house in order, yet the house was nearly shaken apart, so what was there to keep in order? As for the First Madam... she was beyond words. A mistress of the house so unable to tolerate others, and she had only herself to blame for having indulged her too much in the past. The Xie family's name was now so battered that people were pointing at their backs. The First Madam hid deep within the house, not daring to listen to the gossip outside, and if she heard it, she would likely vomit blood. They were still putting up a front to outsiders, insisting it was only a maidservant and some unseemly business, but they were fooling themselves. The Second Young Lady could not even attend the grand selection now, and those gossiping noblewomen were no fools...
If Qing Yuan married well, it would at least win back some face for the Xie family. The Old Madam looked at Madam Hu, then at Li Congxin, torn, and settled on a compromise of delaying for a day. "Chunzhi only reached Youzhou today, didn't he? The journey by land and water must have worn you out. Go back and rest tonight. Tomorrow... once you have rested well and recovered, we can discuss it then."
Her meaning was plain. Li Congxin had been on the road for days and did not know what had happened in the Xie household. If Qing Ru's affair dragged Qing Yuan down and made him reconsider the match, then let heaven decide. And even if it came to the worst for Qing Yuan, Shen Run would still be there to catch her. He had set his heart on the Fourth Young Lady, knew all her background, and there would be no need for explanations.
Li Congxin could no longer quite grasp what the Xie family meant. He had raced back and forth between two places. It had been agreed that once the marquis's household consented, the Xie family would not stand in the way. Now what was this? Madam Hu's refusal was understandable, since she had never gotten along with Qing Yuan, but for the Old Madam to go back on her word as well left him baffled.
Baffled as he was, he could not press them. He felt some hurt, but he still behaved with courtesy, bowing with clasped hands. "Thank you for your kindness, Venerable Madam. Chunzhi will call again tomorrow."
He looked at Qing Yuan again, with a reluctance he did not hide. Seeing it, the Old Madam said to Qing Yuan, "Fourth Girl, see the young marquis out."
Qing Yuan said yes and obediently went out of the main room with Li Congxin. The sunlight outside was still dazzling. They walked along the long covered corridor, and through the octagonal lattice windows came a cool wind that had been running beneath the trees of the neighboring garden. Li Congxin stopped at last and turned to ask her, "Fourth Sister, how have you been lately?"
The girl he always carried in his thoughts wore a skirt of madder-dyed blue-green, a shade between green and blue that made her soft complexion all the more striking. A faint smile always rested at the corner of her lips. "Well and not well. Third Young Master, some things have happened in the Xie family recently that may damage its reputation. The Old Madam did not explain them to you just now, but I ask that you think carefully and weigh whether it might drag the Marquis's household down."
Li Congxin was puzzled. "I've been on the road for days and truly don't know what happened. Does it concern you?"
Qing Yuan did not answer. "I'd rather not say too much. You will find out when you go back."
She moved forward slowly. Her light skirt stirred in the breeze and now and then brushed his leg, a faint, airy touch he had no time to think over. He looked at her profile. Her head was slightly bowed, and a yellow jade bead on her earring, held by a fine silver thread, swung against her white neck like a teardrop. He watched, almost entranced, and said softly, "Fourth Sister, the Xie family is the Xie family, and you are you. I don't care about any of that."
She heard him and smiled shyly. "I never expected the marquis and his wife would agree to it."
He was a little embarrassed and answered vaguely. "My mother has only me. If I'm set on something, they always give in in the end."
He made it sound simple, as if it had taken only a word. She did not know how much effort it had really cost him to win his mother's nod. Kneeling was unavoidable. He had knelt in the courtyard through an entire night, and in the morning he was given a beating with the whip. For someone as pampered as he was, it was real suffering.
His grandmother had shielded him, stamping her foot as she scolded her son and daughter-in-law. "We have only this one legitimate son, and everything in the future depends on him. If you drive him to his death, see if I don't fight you to the end!"
The marquis, always a stern father, was still gripping the whip. "Mother, you don't know what kind of background that Fourth Miss Xie has. Her mother poisoned someone and Xie Shu drove her out of the house!"
The old lady sneered. "Poisoned someone and was simply driven out? Why wasn't she made to pay with her life? The girl was raised in another household for fourteen years and only brought home when she came of age. What a fine calculation. I've asked around. Xie Shu swallowed up a childless household's property and took over how much of their land, and in the end threw the woman out. You have the nerve to use this against her!"
His mother, seeing her son beaten, felt both pity and resentment that he was so unambitious. Whatever grievances Miss Xie might carry, her reputation outside was now fixed beyond change. Even if she were a good girl, she could not avoid being laughed at.
"Chunzhi, listen to your mother. There are so many fine girls in the world you could marry. Why does it have to be her? If you really like her, bring her home as a concubine and be done with it. She absolutely cannot be your principal wife. The family of the Duke of Cheng sent someone to propose the other day. Their eldest daughter is your age, born of the principal wife, and she is excellent in character and looks. If you want to marry, I'll send people to their door with betrothal gifts this very moment... Why put yourself through this? Is a girl like that worth it?"
He had knelt so long that he felt dazed, and from the waist down he could feel nothing, yet he still held firm. "I will marry no one but Fourth Miss."
The marquis's whip came down again. "If you insist on marrying her, you are no descendant of the Li family!"
At that, he undid his hair knot, drew the short knife from his waist and made to cut. "Then I'll cut my hair and become a monk. That should please you, Father."
The whole household erupted. The marquis's only legitimate son wanted to become a monk. The old lady wept, the marquis's wife wept, and even the marquis's concubines wept along with them. The marquis's wife finally gave way and said, "Enough. I have only this one child in my whole life. Let this wretch do as he likes. I'll have no more say in it."
So although his flesh had suffered, he had not failed Qing Yuan. Yet he had come back with good news only to meet such a cold reception.
"Fourth Sister..." He looked at her with some sorrow. "I am sincere with you, and I came to see you as promised, on my parents' orders. I don't know what you intend now. If you are still willing to give me the chance, I would be more than grateful. But if your heart belongs to someone else... then let it be dropped, and I won't blame you."
Qing Yuan felt a pang of melancholy. That was what he said, but could he truly not blame her? He had done nothing wrong, and she could not let his effort go to waste because her own resolve had wavered.
Fortunately she had never given Shen Run a word of assent. This tangle among the three of them would have to end one way or another. She said gently, "Think carefully about what I said just now, Third Young Master, when you get back. There's no hurry about the match. If Madam refuses, I'm afraid there will be a long grind ahead."
Li Congxin frowned. "Whatever happens, my mind is made up. As long as Fourth Sister doesn't turn me down, I'll wait until I'm eighty if I have to, and I will marry you."
Qing Yuan laughed in surprise. This was the ardor of youth, the stubbornness that a life of comfort breeds. Who tempered by hardship would be so single-minded? She gradually let go of her worries. With Shen Run's rank and family, he could find someone better, and he understood better than Li Congxin how to choose and when to give up.
"Go back and get a good night's sleep," she said, seeing him to the gate. "As for what comes next, we can talk it over with the Old Madam after tomorrow."
He nodded, and his attendant came forward to help him. He lingered a while, but went at last. As he was about to climb into the carriage, he looked back at her. She stood beneath the eaves and waved her round fan at him, her graceful figure framed by the red-lacquered door behind her. If it could be traced onto paper, it would be a picture to treasure for a lifetime.
The carriage pulled away and slowly disappeared. Only then did Bao Xian step forward. "The Old Madam has instructions. She says that after you've seen off Third Young Master, she wants you to come back and talk."
It could only be about this matter. Qing Yuan said, "Let's go," and returned to Huifang Garden. When she entered the main room, she found the others had all dispersed, leaving only the Old Madam, sitting on a bamboo couch by the window and slowly counting the prayer beads in her hand.
"Grandmother," she said quietly, standing to one side.
The Old Madam's drooping eyelids lifted slightly. "Sit down."
Qing Yuan said yes and sat in the lower seat, waiting for her to speak. The Old Madam stayed silent for a long while. At last she said, "Today is the grand selection in the palace. I wonder how Third Girl is doing... You two sisters have both suffered. You lost your mothers young. Perhaps the blessings missed in childhood will be made up for later, and that would be good. As for the match with the Danyang Marquis's family, I didn't think much of it at first. The marquis's wife is too proud, and I feared you would be wronged there. Today the young marquis came, and he seems sincere, but I don't dare agree, for fear of how I would answer to Commander Shen. What exactly is between you and Commander Shen? If it truly is as it seems, then I might as well turn the young marquis away and be done with it."
As she spoke, the Old Madam watched Qing Yuan's reaction. Her face was calm. After a pause she said, "Is Grandmother saying this to me because Madam so strongly opposes the match?"
The Old Madam was taken aback. "Of course not..."
Qing Yuan kept her eyes lowered and spoke slowly. "Grandmother is the most perceptive person in the world. From my ambush on the way to Bihen Temple to what happened to Second Sister, I needn't say a word, and Grandmother already knows what lies behind it. There is something I have long wanted to ask you. Does Grandmother truly believe appearances matter more than human lives? My mother never killed Concubine Xia. It was Madam's scheme to strike two birds with one stone. Grandmother sees everything clearly, so how could you not see it? But for the sake of peace in the household, you smoothed it over. My mother and Concubine Xia died for nothing, while Madam lives on well, enjoying all the riches of the world. Where in this world is there justice? Now Madam has reaped what she sowed and has ruined Second Sister as well, and Grandmother is still indulging her. Are you waiting until she harms my elder brothers too before you decide to punish her?"
The Old Madam had no reply. None of it was wrong, but disciplining the mistress of the house was no simple matter. Her son was away, all of Youzhou was watching every move the Xie family made, and if the First Madam slipped again, the Xie family would never hold up its head again. And the First Madam had Zhengze. Even if not for her sake, they had to consider Zhengze's face. The military examinations were coming in a little while. If the foundation shook now, it would be bad for all three young masters. So the matter had to stay covered up, even if it had gone rotten and begun to stink.
The Old Madam sighed. "You are too young to see far ahead. When you have your own household and children and grandchildren, you will understand my difficulty. Fourth Girl, not everything in this world can be made perfectly clear. The older people get, the better they know how to weigh gains and losses."
Qing Yuan gave a cold smile. "Watching Madam ruin your own granddaughter, can you still be so forgiving?"
The Old Madam's face was blank. "The mistake has been made. All I can do is keep the Xie family as it was until your father returns."
When her father returned, the outcome would be the same. The Xie family's hypocrisy and numbness filled her with despair. If she stayed any longer, she feared she would become like them.
"Since I gave my word to Third Young Master, I will keep it," she said, rising. "As for Commander Shen, I will give him an answer myself. I ask Grandmother's permission to go to the capital, and while there, to inquire after Third Sister."
The Old Madam lowered her eyelids and nodded. Children grew up and made their own plans, and you could no longer control them as you pleased. She had once been content in everything. Now that she was old and had met a small obstacle, she wanted only to slide past it without clarity, and care about nothing else.