Chapter 17, Section 17: Refusal of Marriage

"Lord Qi is originally from Pingzhou. He just arrived in Yanjing yesterday and is currently set up a residence here. Because of his deep friendship with the Marquis, his wife has allowed the women in his family to stay temporarily in the Marquis's villa."

The old woman explained in detail, but Yuezhi couldn't concentrate on listening because the woman on the other side of the archway had already noticed them. Upon seeing Yuezhi, her smiling eyes suddenly turned cold, and ignoring the people around her, she walked straight towards them.

"It's been a long time." Her voice was sharp, and every gesture she made exuded a seductive charm.

Yuezhi didn't want to pay attention to her, but Huaqing couldn't help but ask when she saw the person who came: "Are you Xiuyu?"

Xiuyu then noticed that there was Huaqing beside Yuezhi. The two of them were dressed in elaborate and beautiful clothes, but the fabric was not a high-class item. It was ordinary silk that even the nannies and stewards in the Marquis's mansion could afford.

Yuezhi wore silver and jade hairpins in her hair, and a pair of pink jade earrings that matched her light pink dress. Huaqing's attire was much simpler, with velvet flowers in her hair and a headband.

Everywhere you look, there's an air of poverty and shabbiness, like an ordinary family trying to put on a show. It doesn't look like the attire of a wealthy family at all.

Xiuyu looked disdainful, casually raising her hand, which was adorned with gold, silver, and jade bracelets, and smoothing her heavily made-up face before looking at the two of them with a mocking expression.

"It's been more than nine years. I thought you people who don't have to be slaves would be living a good life. Turns out you're not as good as me."

Hua Qing snorted coldly: "We are here as guests of the Marquis's residence. Who wants to compete with you?"

"Here to visit?" Xiuyu asked back, glancing at her sisters who were also concubines behind her, and mocked the two of them, "Judging from your attire, are you here to work in the Marquis's mansion? To wash clothes or embroider handkerchiefs?"

Hua Qing got angry and wanted to argue with her, but Yue Zhi stopped her with her hand.

"Granny, you just said that Lord Qi's family is staying at the Marquis's villa. May I ask how the Marquis's mansion should deal with her for barging into the garden and speaking rudely to the guests invited by the Marquis's mansion?"

After being told what to do, the two old women had no choice but to deal with it and went to Xiuyu to ask her to return to the other courtyard.

"These two are the Marquis's guests. The Madam and Miss are still waiting for them in the backyard for the banquet. We hope you will treat your distinguished guests with courtesy. If any further arguments arise, we will have to ask the Madam to make the decision."

"You!" Xiuyu was humiliated. Seeing Yuezhi's calm and composed expression and Hua Qing's smug look, she became even more furious.

Unfortunately, she was only staying here with her master and didn't dare to displease the Marquis and his wife. She could only watch as the two of them went to the inner courtyard under the respectful service of two maids.

She stamped her foot in anger, thinking about all the grievances and torment she had suffered over the years, while the two men still hadn't styled their hair like married women and remained innocent young maidens.

They suffered the same misfortune on the same day, but their circumstances were vastly different. Xiuyu felt so wronged that she was about to burst into tears.

Little did they know, on the high balcony, a pair of eyes had witnessed the brief argument between the three.

*

As she sat down at the table, Lady Hou had a kind expression on her face.

"The Marquis told me that he was going to host a banquet for General Pei's family. I thought the Marquis was inviting his parents, so I specially asked the kitchen to prepare some delicate and easy-to-digest food. I didn't expect it to be two girls who are about the same age as my daughter."

"You flatter me, Madam," Yuezhi replied politely, then tentatively inquired, "May I ask why the Marquis has invited the two of us to this banquet? Is it because Pei Heng has committed some offense in the army, or...?"

"It couldn't be a mistake. It must be because your Pei Heng has made outstanding military achievements. My Marquis loves him so much that he invited us to a banquet today so that our two families can get to know each other. Once General Pei is promoted, we will inevitably have to meet again."

Upon hearing this, Hua Qing, who was focused on eating, looked up from the table and happily nudged Yue Zhi: "I told you so, I knew it was my cousin who was going to get a promotion."

Yuezhi slapped her hand away and whispered, "The madam and young lady are watching. You should know your manners."

Hua Qing composed herself and turned back to eating.

Sitting opposite, the young lady of the Marquis's mansion, Shen Xian, took in the two men's "vulgar" little actions and looked displeased.

She muttered to the maidservant beside her, "No matter how much we decorate, it's still a poor, humble family. My father actually wants me to marry into such a family. Did he break his head in a fall from his horse?"

Maid: "These two young ladies are both exceptionally beautiful, one gentle and charming, the other a lady from a modest family. It's clear that General Pei must also be quite handsome. Why don't you wait and see, Miss?"

"What's the use of being born beautiful? If someone like my father spends most of the year fighting on the border, how much time can they spend with me?" Shen Xian became angrier the more she thought about it.

Her younger brother could inherit the title and do as he pleased, while she was to be arranged by her father to marry into a poor family.

He was so angry that he gave the maid a meaningful look.

Halfway through the meal, Yuezhi was not enjoying herself, simply because Shen Xian across from her was cold to her. Even when the Lady Hou kindly tried to talk to her, she deliberately ignored her and deliberately gave the two of them the cold shoulder.

She had long since experienced Shen Xian's temper. Back then, she was just an embroiderer working for Shen Xian, so she couldn't comment on the temperament of the young lady of the Marquis's mansion. Now that she was an honored guest, she still couldn't get any more attention.

Even when visiting someone's home, one must be mindful of their mood and carefully flatter them. Yuezhi felt exhausted and wanted to go home.

Just then, someone walked in from outside.

Lady Hou asked in surprise, "How did you get here?"

Shen Xian beckoned someone to sit next to her and explained to the people in the hall, "Mother, I found the banquet rather dull, so I specially invited some old acquaintances from the Pei family to come and listen to them reminisce about the past. Wouldn't that be more interesting?"

As Yuezhi watched Xiuyu take her seat with an air of importance, the polite smile that had been on her face gradually turned cold.

Seeing the unpleasant expressions on the faces of the two people opposite her, Xiuyu's mood suddenly improved, and she said smugly.

"That's right. I've known Yuezhi and Huaqing for a long time. Seeing them again today, we have so much to say to each other."

"Should we start by telling us that you stole Hua Qing's food, or that you stole my baggage?" Yue Zhi's expression was cold and stern, while Hua Qing beside her looked like she wanted to bite her.

"What are you talking about?" Xiuyu avoided the topic and glared at her defiantly.

"We were both maids at first. You flattered your master and got your freedom by climbing up to the guards. Now you've changed your ways and become a guest of honor in the Marquis's mansion. You're quite an impressive person, Yuezhi. No wonder you look down on me. I don't have your ability to rise step by step. After climbing up to the Marquis's mansion, who will you climb up to next?"

"You're talking nonsense!" Hua Qing said angrily. "You're incompetent and can't get any benefits yourself, so you slander my sister. I remember clearly how you fawned over me and how you stood by and watched me when I was in trouble!"

The three were on the verge of exchanging barbs, but Shen Xian was happy to watch the show and didn't even bother to look at the Lady Hou's livid face.

Yuezhi sighed and turned to Madam Hou, saying, "Since Miss has invited people to relieve her boredom, please enjoy yourselves. We sisters will not disturb you any longer."

Having said that, he got up and led Hua Qing away from the table.

Lady Hou was embarrassed and ashamed. She hurriedly came down to pull her away, but before she could say anything to persuade her to stay, Shen Xian stopped her.

“Mother, let them go if they want to. It’s too much of a favor for you to lower yourself to beg her. There are plenty of talented generals in the Liangzhou army. If that person were really capable, he wouldn’t still only be a vanguard general.”

"You child, you have been very rude today."

Lady Hou was angry and was about to scold her daughter to give Yuezhi a way out when Xiuyu got up and interrupted.

"How can you blame Miss, Madam? As the saying goes, marriage should be between equals. How can a noble family like the Marquis's betrothed to a mere wooden family? It's really unfair to Miss."

Xiuyu had no idea what was going on. She only knew that Shenxian had invited her over to annoy Yuezhi, so she went along with Shenxian's wishes and said that she wished she could make things get out of control and make Yuezhi lose face in the Marquis's mansion.

They successfully turned a marriage banquet into a complete mess, trampling on the dignity of Yuezhi and Huaqing.

Hua Qing was shocked that even with her cousin's protection, she was still humiliated. Her eyes welled up with tears, and she hid behind Yue Zhi to hide her embarrassing state of losing control.

Yuezhi tried her best not to fall out with these noble people from the Marquis's mansion, and held Huaqing's hand tightly as she led her away.

The three people behind them watched their backs. The Lady of the Marquis hesitated and felt helpless, while Shen Xian and Xiu Yu looked very pleased. Seeing their dejected appearance as they walked into the courtyard, they couldn't help but sneer.

Xiuyu: "Once a slave, always lowly. Don't think you can turn your life around by climbing up a high branch. You're dreaming!"

As soon as the sound faded, the courtyard gate was pushed open from the outside.

Yuezhi tried hard to keep her composure, looking down at the road, and didn't notice the person walking from outside the courtyard ahead, bumping into them.

She retreated in a panic, fearing that Shen Xian had sent someone to humiliate them again. But as she breathed, she smelled a familiar scent of soapberry. Her vision gradually cleared, and she saw the clothes she had sewn herself on the boy.

Looking up, I saw Pei Heng's sharply defined face.

He held her back with one hand, feeling her trembling breath, and immediately gritted his teeth. His eyes swept over the three people in the hall, and he turned his head to look at the Marquis of Jing'an behind him.

"Let's call off the marriage proposal that Lord Marquis just mentioned."

When the Marquis of Jing'an walked outside the courtyard, he vaguely heard a few shouts from inside the hall. Now, looking at his wife and daughters and the two guests who had been angered and left, he could guess what had happened.

He frantically tried to cover it up: "My daughter was too spoiled. I will punish her severely to make up for what I did today."

"If Your Excellency can distinguish right from wrong and properly educate your daughter, we can discuss the matter we have discussed further. However, we should not bring up the marriage between our two families again in the future."

Pei Heng said no more and left the Marquis's residence with Yuezhi and Huaqing.

After leaving the Marquis's residence, Hua Qing cried and was angry all the way. When she got to the sad parts, she hugged Yue Zhi's arm and looked aggrieved.

"I dressed up carefully for the banquet, but I didn't even get enough to eat. What a waste of all my makeup."

Pei Heng found her noisy, so he threw her two taels of silver and told her to go to the street to buy something to eat, and to go home after she had cried enough and eaten her fill.

On the long street, Pei Heng held the horse with one hand and gently supported Yue Zhi's slender wrist with the other through his wide sleeve.

He apologized, saying, "I didn't know the Marquis's mansion had invited you over. It's my fault for not inquiring beforehand. I didn't know they wanted to marry their daughter to me, yet they looked down on our family's social standing behind my back."

Yuezhi shook her head slightly and forced a smile, "They value your ability, but I've embarrassed you."

“You did nothing wrong. They were the ones who bullied the weak and looked down on people.” Pei Heng gently squeezed her wrist, but hesitated for a long time before not daring to take her hand.

He remained calm when he heard about Marquis Jing'an's grand plan, but now, seeing Yue Zhi's forlorn profile, his heart was in turmoil, and he didn't know what to do.

His fingertips traced her sleeve, his brows and eyes dimmed, and his voice deepened.

"Those who bullied you, I will make them pay the price."