Chapter 16 (Correction) "Ming's status is lowly..."

The servants of the Shen family worked quickly and efficiently, and soon the octagonal pavilion in the garden was properly arranged.

The seats next to the railing are covered with brocade cushions, and a bamboo blind hangs above the pavilion to provide shade. The height of the blind can be adjusted with a pull rope, and it rustles in the wind, creating a clear and poetic atmosphere.

On the stone table were exquisitely shaped pastries that wouldn't make your hands dirty. The plates on which they were served were all fine pieces from the imperial kilns, with crystal-clear glazes that appeared even more limpid and clear in the sunlight.

The layout of this small pavilion was filled with the wealth and luxury of an official's household, and it looked like a show of force to Qi Xiuyuan.

He wore a light blue robe that had been washed until it was slightly faded, and he did not wear any jade pendants or sachets at his waist. His long hair was tied up with a simple peach wood hairpin.

Even though since entering the Shen family mansion, he has been surrounded by orderly servants and maids, elegant gardens with small bridges, flowing water, and winding corridors, and now, sitting in this pavilion, surrounded by precious items, he remains calm and composed, neither humble nor arrogant, with a clear and upright expression.

With Zhao Lan absent, Shen Hang and Aunt Liu hid behind a pomegranate tree not far away, observing Qi Xiuyuan and the two Shen brothers discussing the classics.

Aunt Liu leaned against him and said, "Cousin, you have such good taste. This Qi editor is not jealous or resentful even though he is in a wealthy family. He has a righteous character and will surely have a bright future."

Shen Hang became even more smug from her praise, "Right? Luckily I acted fast enough!"

Several of his colleagues also had daughters of marriageable age. When they talked about Qi Xiuyuan, they all shook their heads. Their words implied that he was poor and had no connections in the court, so they couldn't bear to let their daughters marry him and suffer.

Shen Hang didn't see these as Qi Xiuyuan's disadvantages at all.

No money? His daughter has a dowry.

No connections? With his father-in-law, a vice minister, and his father-in-law, a vice minister, and his father-in-law, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate...aren't they all family?

Shen Hang was full of confidence, feeling that he was sure to get a great deal this time.

He cleared his throat and said to Aunt Liu, "I'll have someone call Ming'an and Mingda away. In a little while, when you have the chance, have Yi'er take a stroll around the pavilion area."

His wife is both talented and beautiful; I don’t believe Qi Xiuyuan wouldn’t be tempted by her!

*

Qi Xiuyuan and the two young masters of the Shen family chatted very amicably.

To be precise, it was with Shen Ming'an, the eldest son of the Shen family. He was indeed talented in reading. The two quoted extensively from classical texts and talked about ancient and modern times, and they felt like kindred spirits.

As for the second young master, Shen Mingda... all I can say is that he has a very good personality. He listens to them with a smile as they talk about the scriptures they don't understand, without feeling bored or annoyed. He even takes the initiative to pour tea and water for the two of them, enjoying himself immensely.

Seeing that the conversation had almost ended, Shen Ming'an stood up. "Editor Qi, my second brother and I are going to the front yard to get some things. Please sit here for a while and enjoy the scenery. We'll be back in a bit."

Qi Xiuyuan naturally nodded in agreement.

Shen Ming'an smiled, picked up the dazed Shen Mingda, and left.

A gentle, warm breeze wafted through the pavilion, carrying a faint fragrance of flowers. Qi Xiuyuan sat comfortably in the center, his long, slender fingers holding the teacup with distinct knuckles, sipping the tea with a relaxed demeanor.

Not far behind her was a large patch of roses, with pink and white flowers densely clustered to form a wall of flowers.

A soft rustling sound of footsteps approached, and Qi Xiuyuan's ears twitched slightly.

"Editor Qi is truly handsome. Congratulations, Miss, on finding such a good husband!"

The maidservant announced her joy in a clear, cheerful voice.

"What's the good news?"

A low, resentful female voice rang out, "I am just an unfavored concubine's daughter in the family. My aunt is of low status, and the madam sees my mother and me as a thorn in her side. She can't wait to get rid of me as soon as possible so that I won't get in her way."

The maid seemed a little flustered and whispered, "But Editor Qi is a really good person. After you marry him, the good days are yet to come."

“It’s a good day for me, but it might not be for him.” The woman sighed. “I admire Qi’s character and talent very much, but that’s precisely why I can’t ruin his future.”

"If he wants to go further in his official career, he should marry a daughter from a prominent family to help him. Not to mention someone from a distant background, she should at least be like my third sister, right? She is the youngest daughter whom my father and mother love the most. Several of her maternal uncles are in positions in the Six Ministries, and her maternal grandfather is the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate... She is the perfect candidate for a principal wife."

"My father couldn't bear to marry my third sister to him, so he chose me, the youngest illegitimate daughter, to make up the numbers..."

The voices faded into the distance with the footsteps, quickly disappearing into the wind.

Qi Xiuyuan put down his teacup, gently stroking the inside of the cup with his fingertips, and curled his lips into an ambiguous smile.

If you don't want to get married, just say so. Why beat around the bush like this...?

How hypocritical.

Qi Xiuyuan suddenly stood up, walked slowly out of the pavilion, returned to the front yard, and bid farewell to Chen Hang.

Shen Hang was surprised, "Didn't we agree to stay for dinner? Why are you leaving so soon?"

"I forgot to tell my mother before I left home. I was afraid she would worry, so it's better to go back early."

With his plans disrupted, Shen Hang had no choice but to ask ahead of time.

“Mingzhi, I greatly admire your talent. My second daughter is of marriageable age, and I’m not bragging, but she is truly beautiful and talented, gentle and polite, understanding, and a good homemaker…”

Before Shen Hang could finish his boasting, Qi Xiuyuan abruptly interrupted him.

"Thank you for your kind words, Lord Shen. However, marriage should be decided by the parents. My mother is already looking for a match for Mingzhi."

The smile on Shen Hang's face froze, turning into incredulous astonishment.

That's not right. He confirmed before inviting Qi Xiuyuan to his home that he was not engaged yet.

He blurted out, "Nephew, are we not destined to be father-in-law and son-in-law? But what do you have to say about me or our family?"

Qi Xiuyuan nodded slightly: "Everything is fine in your residence. It is only because I am of lowly status and have little official rank that I dare not presume to offend the precious jewel of the Shen family. Lord Shen, I shall take my leave."

After saying this, he left without waiting for Shen Hang to say anything to stop him.

Shen Hang watched his receding figure and opened his mouth slightly.

Did the duck that was about to be eaten fly away?

He had such a wonderful son-in-law, gone?

*

As night fell, the Shen Family Ancestral Hall was brightly lit with candles.

Holding the ruler in her hand, Shen Hang's lips trembled with anger. "What did you say to Qi Xiuyuan? Why didn't he like you?!"

Shen Songyi knelt on the prayer mat, her back straight, tears welling in her eyes as she looked at him.

“Father has wronged me. I did nothing. I left without even seeing Editor Qi. Who knows why he doesn’t like me?”

She glanced behind her and saw Zhao Lan standing by the door where the candlelight couldn't reach, half of her body shrouded in shadow, her face obscured.

Shen Songyi muttered under her breath, "Maybe someone in the family is jealous that their daughter married well, so they're deliberately causing trouble."

Shen Hang paused for a moment before realizing what was happening, then turned around and asked, "Where's Yue'er? Tell her to come kneeling in the ancestral hall too! She's about to get married and she's still so impetuous, it's utterly shameful!"

She must have been hiding behind the screen peeking, and then she fell flat on her face in front of Qi Xiuyuan, making him think that all daughters of the Shen family behaved this way, which is why he rejected the marriage proposal!

At the patriarch's command, Shen Lingyue, who had already crawled into bed, was dragged to the ancestral hall in no time.

"No, what business is it of hers if Qi Xiuyuan doesn't want to marry my second sister?"

Shen Lingyue broke free from the servant's control and refused to kneel down to admit her mistake. She glared at Shen Hang with her neck stiff and said, "Are you being unreasonable? She was the one who pushed me first!"

"Why did Yi'er push you for no reason?" Shen Hang was still angry and said without thinking, "Who told you to go watch the fun? If you had stayed in your room, would Yi'er have pushed you?"

...What kind of sophistry is this!

Shen Lingyue's stubborn temper flared up, "If I really did deliberately ruin my second sister's marriage, then I'll be struck by lightning!"

She looked down at Shen Songyi and said, "Second sister, it's your turn to swear an oath. Do you dare?"

Shen Songyi shrank back in fear. "Third sister, please don't do this. I'll admit to anything you ask. Yes, it was all my doing. Father, if you want to hit or scold me, do it to me. I will have no complaints..."

She became more and more aggrieved as she spoke, and started sobbing while clutching her handkerchief.

"You dare to turn the tables and accuse me?!"

Shen Lingyue lunged forward menacingly, only to be grabbed by the leg by Aunt Liu, who appeared out of nowhere, who pleaded incessantly.

"Third Miss, please calm down! I beg you to have mercy on Second Miss! You already have a marriage bestowed by the Emperor, a perfect match. Can you bear to see Second Miss remain unmarried and grow old as a spinster?"

Aunt Liu wept bitterly, her face streaked with tears. Suddenly, she took two steps back and kowtowed repeatedly to her, saying, "All the faults are mine. You can hit me and scold me however you want, but you can't ruin the Second Miss's life!"

"Waaaaah, Auntie... It's all my fault. I shouldn't have offended Third Sister... Who told us to suffer so much..."

Aunt Liu and Shen Songyi embraced and wept bitterly, their scene was truly tragic.

Shen Lingyue was both angry and anxious. Her throat felt like it was blocked with a tangled mess, and she couldn't speak. Her mind was also blank.

Good heavens above! She had been staying quietly in her room reading a storybook all afternoon, but who knew Qi Xiuyuan would suddenly change his mind?

Even if she tripped and fell in front of him, it shouldn't have caused such a commotion, right?

Besides, she couldn't be happier to agree to Shen Songyi marrying Qi Xiuyuan, this "good marriage," so why would she want to interfere?

Suddenly, a thought struck her, and she realized the truth.

"It's clearly you who look down on Qi Xiuyuan for being poor and having no future, so don't even think about smearing me!"

As soon as the crying stopped, Aunt Liu looked at Chen Heng with tears streaming down her face: "Master, what kind of status do I have? How dare I look down on the person you have chosen?"

Shen Hang thought about it and agreed. Aunt Liu had been very cooperative throughout the day and even offered to help decorate the pavilion, praising Qi Xiuyuan highly.

So the person who least wants this marriage to happen is...

Shen Hang looked at Zhao Lan with a deep gaze.

Shen Lingyue immediately jumped up and rushed to Zhao Lan's side, spreading her arms wide like a chick protecting its food, "Mother would never use such underhanded methods!"

Shen Hang raised the ruler and threatened, "Yue'er, get out of my way. Don't think that just because you're engaged I won't dare to hit you."

"I don't--"

Zhao Lan pushed Shen Lingyue's shoulder aside and took a step forward. "Does Master intend to punish me according to family rules?"

Meeting her calm face, Shen Hang felt a sudden pang of guilt for no apparent reason. He put down the ruler and stammered, "I was just trying to scare the child..."

"This farce should come to an end."

Zhao Lan said coldly, "Aunt Liu, bring the person up."

Soon, a young maidservant, about eleven or twelve years old, timidly walked in and knelt on the ground.

"Master, I am responsible for sweeping the garden. This afternoon, while I was loosening the soil, I saw the Second Miss and her attendant, Sister Baizhi, behind the rose bushes..."

She clearly recounted the conversation between the master and servant.

Upon hearing this, Shen Hang's face turned green. He quickly walked up to Shen Songyi and raised the ruler high.

"I'll beat you to death, you fool!"

"Cousin, no!"

With a whooshing sound, the ruler fell, but struck Aunt Liu, who was rushing towards him. She cried out in pain and curled up into a ball.

Chen Hang, panting heavily, said, "Get out of my way!"

"Father, I didn't mean it." Shen Songyi looked like she had suffered a great injustice. "I didn't know that Editor Qi could hear these words. I just said it casually. Who knew he would get so angry... Maybe I'm right. He looks down on me because I'm born out of wedlock, so he wants to marry a legitimate daughter from another family?"

Shen Hang's raised hand paused in mid-air, revealing a thoughtful expression.

"Yes, cousin, it's clearly that Qi guy who doesn't like Yi'er, so why are you shouting and killing your own daughter?"

Aunt Liu clutched her chest, her face deathly pale, and sobbed, "It's all my fault. Who told me to be just a lowly concubine? Yi'er was born into my womb and could only be a concubine's daughter. I'm so sorry to Yi'er..."

"Waaaaah, Auntie, please don't say that..."

The mother and daughter started crying again, hugging each other tightly.

Soon, Shen Hang joined in, squatting down and embracing the two of them.

"Alright, alright, it's all my fault for being too impulsive. I hit you without asking first... Let me see, did it hurt?"

"Cousin, I'm not in pain. As long as you care about our daughter, that's enough."

"Waaah, Daddy, please don't be angry with Yi'er anymore..."

Shen Lingyue stood at the door, watching in awe.

Seriously? People actually believe such a lame excuse?

Dad, open your eyes and take a look!

"This is none of our business. Let's go back."

Zhao Lan patted her on the shoulder and turned to walk outside.

Shen Lingyue quickly followed, took Zhao Lan's arm, and whispered, "You had already guessed that they would cause trouble, so you specially arranged for that little girl to keep watch in the garden, right?"

Zhao Lan said calmly, "It's better to be prepared."

Having lived under the same roof for over twenty years, how could she not know what kind of person Aunt Liu was?

Neither the mother nor the daughter is easy to deal with.

Zhao Lan originally didn't want to get involved in Shen Songyi's marriage, but she herself went around spreading rumors and stirring up trouble, and even dared to frame Yue'er...

A cold glint flashed in her eyes.

Then don't blame her for striking first.

"Moon, come with me to my parents' home tomorrow to see the excitement."

Is there something exciting to watch?

Shen Lingyue perked up, "Alright!"

A note from the author:

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Editor Qi: The tea flavor is too strong, I'm outta here!

*The fresh melons have appeared, how can we stand still? [doge emoji] Go, go, go, go, Moon!