Chapter 59 Chapter 59 Competing for Marriage
Zhao Qingyi left the house, visited several nearby shops, and returned home slowly before dark.
After returning to Lanyue Pavilion, Qiaoyue angrily reported that Zhao Jiangyan from the second house had been pestering Li Heng, asking him for help with his studies, and forced Li Heng to stay overnight at his house.
"This Aunt Fang definitely has bad intentions!" Qiao Yue said with certainty.
Tan Yue had previously accompanied Zhao Qingyi out. When she heard the news, she naturally thought of the maid who stole her underwear, and a bad thought flashed through her mind.
"Cousin Fang, is she planning to use Mr. Li to make a big fuss?"
I have to say, Aunt Fang and Zhao Manyi are indeed mother and daughter, they are both so stupid, why do they both think that Li Heng would have an affair with their county lady?
Others might think that Li Heng has good conditions and potential, but he is far from being worthy of their county lady.
If Concubine Fang had asked Li Heng to stay the night before, Zhao Qingyi would have thought he was doing it for Fang Ru. But now she already knew that Concubine Fang had sent someone to steal her underwear, and she happened to let a stranger stay at this critical moment...
Well, it's indeed suspicious.
Chu Yuanhe did not come that night. The next morning, the news that Li Heng had proposed to Zhao Qingyi and was staying at Zhao's house reached the emperor.
At that time, Chu Yuanhe was reviewing memorials in the Purple Palace. After listening to Fugui's report, his face became gloomy.
The Li brothers are so annoying.
He snorted lightly, "It seems he's still too idle. A New Policy School isn't enough to keep him busy, so let him go to the provincial school to take care of the library."
However, this incident aroused Chu Yuanhe's sense of crisis. He immediately asked Fugui to submit a list. All those who had proposed to Zhao Qingyi were dealt with by him for various reasons. Some were confined to their homes, some were arranged to marry, and some were even directly sent away.
After doing all this, he still felt it was not enough and asked Fugui, "Why haven't you finished what I asked you to do last time?"
Fugui was clever and quickly apologized with a smile, "I was just about to report this to Your Majesty. I heard that the Zhao family had intended to marry a cousin who was staying at your house to Lord Li, but Lord Li refused."
"Oh?" Chu Yuanhe paused while writing.
He was not a nosy person, nor did he have the habit of matchmaking for others. If Li Heng had not hit a wall with this move, he really would not have cared about Li Heng's marriage.
"Lord Li is young and frivolous after all. He doesn't understand how rare it is to be infatuated with someone. How can I let him miss this great opportunity to marry?" After laughing, he asked someone to draft an edict.
The decree of marriage should be issued in a few days. Before that, the Zhao family was relatively peaceful.
It’s just that Old Madam Zhao felt it was a little too peaceful.
Ever since his granddaughter got divorced, people have been coming to propose marriage one after another. After the Empress Dowager's decree was issued, the Zhao family was flooded with suitors, and the family status of the proposers also rose accordingly.
But for some reason, after just two days of excitement, the place suddenly became quiet, which made Old Madam Zhao very worried.
If she had known this earlier, she would have made the most of the first two days so that her granddaughter could arrange a new marriage as soon as possible.
In the carriage, Zhao Qingyi saw that the old lady was worried and smiled to comfort her, "Grandma, you are old and you should stop worrying. You will see your aunt soon, so you should smile more."
Today is the day when their whole family goes to the Yongning Marquis' Mansion to pay a visit to their aunt. Zhao Qingyi doesn't know that this trip is for the purpose of meeting the second branch.
Zhao Wenyi, who was sitting on the other side of the old lady, blushed silently and did not dare to speak.
As for Feng, her face never looked good. The first wife was unaware of this, but the second wife and the old lady knew that this trip to the Yongning Marquis' Mansion was for Zhao Wenyi's marriage. Not only was the old lady not worried about Zhao Wenyi, she was also thinking about Zhao Qingyi's affairs.
Not only was he thinking about Zhao Qingyi, but he also had to bring Zhao Qingyi with him!
She is now the woman that many young men from noble families in Beijing are pursuing. With her around, will the Tan family still have eyes for their daughter Wen Yi?
Isn't this just adding to the trouble?
Feng made up her mind that if Zhao Qingyi snatched away the son-in-law chosen by their second branch, she would turn around and fight the old lady to the death!
When the carriage arrived at the gate of the Marquis' Mansion, Zhao Huaishu had received the news and was waiting for her family members early. Xiao Wenyin even ran over happily, holding one of her cousins in each hand.
"What a coincidence you came, cousin! Cousin Tan is here too." Xiao Wenyin spoke childishly, smiling as she took her cousin's arm and went in to meet people.
The second wife had given notice in advance, and Zhao Huaishu knew the purpose of her mother's family, so she quickly grabbed her daughter's neck and stopped her from making trouble.
Zhao Wenyi was shy and glared at her little cousin.
Zhao Qingyi finally understood. No wonder Second Aunt's expression was so ugly along the way. It turned out that they wanted to take their daughter to meet the young master of the Tan family.
Tan Yin...
Will Zhao Wenyi be unable to escape from this person in this life?
She couldn't help but look at Zhao Wenyi again.
Zhao Wenyi felt extremely embarrassed by her gaze and stammered as she explained, "I'm sorry, big sister, I didn't mean to hide it from you..."
Since the Flower Goddess Banquet, the cousins have not spoken to each other for a long time. She wondered if it was because she did not stand up in time to rescue her elder sister and Zhang Wanyan that day.
There was already a misunderstanding, and she didn't want Zhao Qingyi to think of her as a sinister person.
Zhao Qingyi didn't take it to heart and could understand it. After all, she was unmarried, but she came along, which was bound to cause misunderstandings from the second wife.
"Second sister, you should take a closer look." She didn't say directly that Tan Yin was not a good match, so as not to arouse the suspicion of her second aunt and think that she had ulterior motives. It was unnecessary.
Seeing that Zhao Qingyi was still willing to talk to him, Zhao Wenyi felt much more at ease.
The Yongning Marquisate was a place of great loyalty and bravery for generations, and was once a prosperous place. However, as generation after generation of the Marquisate's sons died in battle, the population of the Marquisate gradually dwindled, and now only the Marquisate's eldest son, Xiao Hanyu, remains.
Xiao Hanyu was the son of Marquis Yongning and his first wife, Mrs. Tan. Even though Zhao Huaishu, the second wife, was now in charge, she did not dare to treat her stepson harshly.
As for the Tan family, it goes without saying that they all rely on their grandson Xiao Hanyu to support the Marquis's Mansion. Therefore, the Tan family and the Marquis' Mansion have often visited each other over the years. Even if the Tan and Zhao families meet on the same day by coincidence, it is not considered rude.
Madam Zhao got off the carriage and first asked about Xiao Hanyu, "I haven't seen this child for a long time. I heard that he is also going to take the martial arts exam?"
"Yes." Zhao Huaishu devoted all his energy to his stepson, raising him like his own son. "He goes to the training ground every day to practice. He left early this morning and hasn't come back yet."
Old Madam Zhao did not insist on meeting him. After all, he was her stepson and not close to the Zhao family. It was good enough that they could get along harmoniously.
When the group followed Zhao Shuyi into the front hall, there were quite a few people sitting inside. On the chair closest to the main seat, sat a noble lady, and next to her was a handsome young man in his early twenties.
He was not particularly good-looking, at least in Zhao Qingyi's opinion, he was far inferior to Chu Yuanhe, or even Li Che, but he had a gentle and refined temperament, and at first glance, he was pleasing to the eye. If Zhao Qingyi had not had the memory of his past life, he would probably have been confused by his elegant appearance.
When he saw the Zhao family, the young man subconsciously stood up and bowed.
Zhao Huaishu introduced with a smile, "This is the young master of the Tan family, Tan Yin."
Feng's eyes lit up, "This is Mr. Tan, he is indeed a handsome man!"
Tan Yin smiled and nodded, and exchanged a few polite words with Feng. Before he came to visit the Marquis' Mansion, his family had informed him that if nothing unexpected happened, he would be engaged to Miss Zhao.
Think about it, he had previously exchanged letters with Miss Zhao...
He raised his eyes slightly, and the first thing he noticed was Zhao Qingyi beside the old lady.
Ever since the Empress Dowager's decree, Old Lady Zhao had been determined to find a husband for her granddaughter, so she ordered Zhao Qingyi to comb her hair back into a bun like an unmarried girl. In addition, she was still young, and the crimson peony jacquard gown she wore made her look even more dignified and bright. Wherever she stood, she really looked like an unmarried girl.
Zhao Qingyi didn't look at him, her brows relaxed, her lips slightly smiling, revealing a bit of indifference.
Tan Yin couldn't help but take a few more glances. Even though he had a house full of concubines, he couldn't find another one with such a fairy-like beauty as Zhao Qingyi.
Mrs. Feng noticed Tan Yin's look and quickly gave her daughter a push, pushing Zhao Wenyi to the front of the group. "Wenyi, why don't you come forward and greet me?"
Zhao Wenyi became more and more shy, but she still maintained the proper manners in front of others. She greeted Mrs. Tan respectfully and bowed slightly to Tan Yin.
Only then did Tan Yin realize that the lady in front of him who wanted to propose marriage to him and with whom he had exchanged letters was actually this lady. However, after seeing Zhao Qingyi once, he found her somewhat dull and boring.
His face still had a smile as bright as spring breeze as he bowed in return.
Thinking that the other person might be her future husband, Zhao Wenyi didn't dare to look him in the eye and quietly returned to her seat.
Feng came forward warmly and started chatting with Mrs. Tan. Before the marriage proposal, the two families had no contact with each other, but looking at Feng's appearance, someone who didn't know would have thought that the two families were old friends.
Old Madam Zhao didn't bear to watch, but just glanced at Zhao Wenyi, asking her what she thought with her eyes and whether she was satisfied.
Zhao Wenyi lowered her head in embarrassment, fearing that she had missed her chance at marriage. She stole glances at Tan Yin sitting opposite her again and again, and after hesitating for a moment, she nodded shyly to express her feelings.
Old Madam Zhao then made it clear to Madam Tan. Madam Tan had originally been enjoying a conversation with Feng, but upon the mention of marriage, she changed her mind. "...It's not that our Tan family despises the Second Young Miss, but it's just that since ancient times, there has been a respect for seniority. Now that the County Lady is still unmarried, if we want to discuss marriage, I'm afraid we have to discuss the County Lady's marriage first."
Feng's face, which was almost stiff from smiling, suddenly darkened.
Mrs. Tan took a sip of her tea, pretending not to notice Feng's murderous gaze. "I see that the county lady is well-educated and well-mannered, and has the bearing of a lady of a wealthy family. I wonder if my son would be so lucky as to marry her."
"No!" Feng slammed the table, and the teacup beside it shook, spilling a pool of tea.
Sensing the gazes from everyone, Feng endured it again and again, reluctantly sitting back down, and said in a calm tone, "Mrs. Tan, to be honest, the Zhao family is here today to propose marriage for our second daughter."
"I know." Mrs. Tan also smiled. "It's just that my Tan family has indeed taken a liking to the county lady. Although the county lady is of noble status, I wonder if she is willing to marry you?"
"This..." The old lady didn't know what to do. If her second granddaughter's marriage was ruined, Feng would definitely make a fuss.
Everyone's eyes fell on Zhao Qingyi, the main character. She seemed to have just realized what was happening, and looked bewildered. "Grandma, didn't we come to visit my aunt today?"
Old Madam Zhao understood that this meant she was unwilling.
"I'm really sorry, but my eldest granddaughter has no intention of getting married. What do you think of Wen Yi, Madam Tan?"
In fact, the old lady was not very happy. What kind of family was the Tan family? It was a stretch for them to marry the second wife. She only minded the marriage because they were related to the Marquis' Mansion. But they actually asked for such a huge price and coveted her eldest granddaughter.
Regardless of the fact that Zhao Qingyi is the princess of a county, the fact that she is the daughter of a cabinet minister requires her to be married to a noble family like the Marquis's, and it is far from the Tan family's turn to cling to her.
In the past, the Tan family would not have had the nerve to do so. The fact that they dared to bring it up now was simply because they thought Zhao Qingyi had been married.
Mrs. Tan glanced at Zhao Qingyi inconspicuously, then looked at Zhao Wenyi. In terms of appearance, Zhao Wenyi was not bad either, and would be a noble lady that ordinary families would compete to marry.
But as the saying goes, a lean camel is bigger than a horse. Even if Zhao Qingyi had been married before, she was still an innocent girl in name because of the decree of the Empress Dowager. She was also a county lady and had a dowry of hundreds of thousands. Anyone who was not stupid would know who was better between the two.
It’s not that Zhao Wenyi is not good, it’s that the benefits are not enough.
"Since the county lady has no interest, let's wait and see about the marriage between the two families." Mrs. Tan said with a smile.
Feng was so angry that she gritted her teeth. Fine, they were so picky. They treated the Zhao family's daughters as cabbages at the vegetable market, and dared to be picky about the Tan family!
In the end, the two families parted ways unhappily. Feng was so angry that she couldn't even eat lunch and left with her daughter. Old Madam Zhao sighed and didn't stay either.
As soon as the Zhao family left, Mrs. Tan could no longer maintain her calm appearance and looked at her son in panic. In fact, marrying the daughter of the second wife was not a bad idea. Originally, she came here today to marry the daughter of the second wife.
It was only after meeting Lady Chenhua that he changed his mind temporarily and tried to test the waters. Who knew that the Zhao family was so hot-tempered? Not only did they not form a marriage, but they also became enemies.
Tan Yin didn't say anything, looking thoughtful.
Zhao Wenyi got on the carriage and couldn't help crying. Today's scene was really embarrassing for her. She felt extremely ashamed, as if she was trying to get a marriage with the Tan family, but in the end, the family didn't like her at all.
Should I blame my elder sister? It seems that it is not entirely my elder sister's fault. She is innocent.
But Zhao Wenyi was upset. She suffered repeated setbacks in her marriage, so she might as well cut her hair and become a nun so that she wouldn't have to go through such humiliation.
Old Madam Zhao didn't know how to comfort her. Should she say that she had never been partial to the eldest wife? Even if she said it, no one would believe her. But the old lady felt that she was just putting the two wives in their respective positions and dealing with the matter at hand.
It is a fact that the second wife is not as good as the first wife, and marriage requires equal status.
In the final analysis, it's the second wife's fault for not being ambitious enough and having poor vision. She set her eyes on the Tan family, but turned out to be snobbish, profit-driven, and fickle. Maybe it's a good thing that she doesn't marry.
Zhao Qingyi sat alone, feeling complicated.
The Tan family is indeed not a good place to go, and Tan Yin is not a good person either. The marriage is broken, so it is broken, but it is somewhat unlucky that it is broken because of me.
After returning to the Zhao family, Zhao Wenyi locked herself in the room and cried, refusing to come out.
Mrs. Meng had just received the invitation from the Zhang family. April 18th was the wedding date of Zhang Wanyan and Qiao Wenbo. Just as Mrs. Meng was about to inform her daughter, she saw the second family coming over angrily.
She wanted Meng to give a definite answer, either to quickly arrange a marriage for Zhao Qingyi, or to let Zhao Qingyi leave the house.
Zhao Lanyan spoke frankly, "What does this have to do with my sister? If we had split up before, this wouldn't have happened."
We broke up a long time ago, so no one is bothering each other, right?
You can't just want to suck blood from the eldest wife and ask her to give in. Just because her sister doesn't want to remarry, does that mean she doesn't deserve to stay in her parents' home?
If my second uncle and second aunt really have backbone, then they should split the family business.
Mrs. Meng also agreed with her son's words and said nothing.
Feng almost jumped up and down, and Zhao Huailiang came out to stop her, fearing that Feng would say something careless in anger and offend others. He also asked Zhao Qingyi what his attitude was towards the Tan family.
Zhao Huailiang was promoted. He was initially the director of the Ministry of Personnel's Selection Office and was later transferred to the Ministry of Revenue. The Ministry of Revenue was a lucrative position and handled a lot of money. In fact, Lord Tan was still his superior.
His daughter couldn't get married, and if Zhao Qingyi was willing, it would be profitable for him as the second uncle.
Zhao Qingyi's expression was indifferent. "The reason why the Tan family regretted their decision is because I am the daughter of a cabinet minister and I have a generous dowry. That's why they wanted to change. I will not marry into such a mean family. When my father returns to the capital, I will move out of the Zhao family."
This was also her original plan.
Old Madam Zhao disagreed. She knew clearly which was more important, the marriage with the Tan family or the marriage with her own granddaughter.
"Qingyi is right. The Tan family is not a good match. They are fickle and only care about profit. It's obvious that their family tradition is not right. Let's just give up this marriage. There are many good men. Let's wait and see."
Madam Zhao didn't want to continue the conversation, so she quickly changed the subject, took the invitation from Meng's hand, and handed it to Zhao Qingyi. "The Zhang family is getting their daughter married, and you and Miss Zhang are like sisters, so you should prepare the gifts. Go ahead."
Send Zhao Qingyi away quickly to avoid the second wife from pestering her.
He comforted Feng again, "Okay, okay, the Zhang family is marrying off their daughter, you should take Wen Yi with you to share in the good fortune." He also took out a lot of good things from his private storehouse and sent them to the west wing.
Although Feng was angry, her mother-in-law had already expressed her opinion and even rewarded her with valuable things as a token of appeasement. She had to stop while she was ahead and give both sides a way out. If she continued to make a fuss, it would seem that she was being unreasonable.
Feng reluctantly accepted the things and returned to the west wing. However, on the way, as usual, she complained verbally about the old lady's partiality.
Fortunately, the old lady asked her to take her daughter to the Zhang family to share in the joyous occasion. It was the daughter of the Prime Minister who was getting married, and all the people attending were high-ranking officials and dignitaries. It was possible that she would find a good match for her daughter at the wedding banquet.
At this time, the benefits of not dividing the family are revealed. If the family is not divided, the second branch will be one with the first branch. The glory of the first branch will be the glory of the second branch, and the connections of the first branch will also be the connections of the second branch.
Otherwise, with her husband's official position, she would not even be qualified to watch the ceremony, let alone meet dignitaries at the wedding banquet.
In the end, it's all my husband's fault.
Feng was thinking gloomily, not noticing Aunt Fang coming towards her.
After everyone came closer, she rolled her eyes in annoyance and said, "Don't you have eyes? How dare you block my way?"
Aunt Fang knelt gracefully and saluted, "I heard that the Zhang family's daughter is getting married?"
Feng became alert, "What does this have to do with a concubine like you?"
Concubine Fang has been in favor these years, and she has no way to deal with her. In order not to make herself angry, they have never interfered with each other. She does not take the initiative to find fault, and Concubine Fang does not come to her side to get in the way, so they live in peace.
But the Zhang family is marrying off their daughter, and she wants to take Wen Yi to see the world. Aunt Fang is asking so many questions, could it be that she wants to get involved?
Aunt Fang laughed again, "I know that my position is low and my words are not taken seriously, so I am not qualified to attend the banquet, but I am thinking of the Second Young Lady. The Young Lady of the Zhang family is already married, but our Second Young Lady is still waiting to be married."
Sure enough, he came to cause trouble.
Feng's face turned cold, "If you dare to talk nonsense again, I will tear your mouth off!"
Aunt Fang wasn't afraid of her at all. "I just heard that the Tan family didn't like the Second Young Miss, but they liked the County Lady instead."
"Are you looking for death?" Feng was not used to her and raised her hand to slap her.
"Madam, wait a minute!"
Aunt Fang stared at her hand raised in the air, her delicate gesture again, "Madam, you have misunderstood. I am not here to make fun of you, but to offer you advice."
"You? Give me advice?" Feng looked her up and down suspiciously.
Thinking about the endless tricks the other party had used to win favor over the years, which had caused her to suffer a lot of losses, both openly and secretly, Feng was still frightened, but also a little tempted. She thought that Aunt Fang's brain might be more useful than her own.
"Are you so kind?"
Hearing the hesitation in Feng's words, Aunt Fang quickly said flatteringly, "Madam, that's not true. The Second Miss was also raised by me, and my affection for her is extraordinary. Of course, I hope that the Second Miss can get what she wants."
"The second young lady is the only legitimate daughter of our second branch. If she marries well, the master will be honored. If the master is honored, I will also be honored." Aunt Fang said very logically.
Feng sneered, "You're a bit perceptive, but why should I trust you?"
"Madam, you may not believe me, but you should believe me. I don't get along with the county lady." Aunt Fang no longer concealed her malice towards Zhao Qingyi, gritting her teeth and saying, "She harmed my daughter, and I will never be on good terms with her!"
Feng's trust in her increased. "Then tell me how to help Wen Yi get what she wants."
Aunt Fang glanced at the servants around her. Aunt Feng understood and waved her hand to let them leave first.
"Madam, do you know that the county lady has been secretly having an affair with someone?" Aunt Fang raised her hand to cover her lips and whispered mysteriously in Feng's ear.
Feng's eyes widened instantly.
If this were to get out, it would be a scandal that would bring disgrace to the family. Thinking about Zhao Qingyi's usual behavior, Feng Shi didn't believe it. "What nonsense!"
She would rather believe that the person who was secretly colluding was Aunt Fang.
"Madam, do you still remember Li Heng?" Aunt Fang lied with her eyes wide open. "Li Heng stayed at our house once. Did you know that they met privately?"
How could Feng know about such a fabricated thing?
Aunt Fang suggested to Feng, "As long as this matter is exposed, the county lady will have to marry even if she doesn't want to. As long as she gets married, the Tan family will change their minds. Even if the Tan family doesn't exist, there are other families. When people mention the daughters of the Zhao family, they will only think of the second young lady. Who will think of the county lady who is already married? Why worry about the second young lady not getting married?"
Thinking along the lines of Aunt Fang's words, this did seem to be a good idea. After all, Li Heng had also proposed marriage, and wanted three matchmakers and six betrothals to marry Zhao Qingyi. Although Feng was jealous at the time, if Zhao Qingyi accepted the marriage, she would also congratulate her with a smile.
But the other person just doesn't want to get married. As the eldest sister, she is under great pressure, and it is difficult for Wen Yi, who is younger than her, to get married.
Aunt Fang smiled sinisterly and carefully observed the changes in Feng's expression. Just when she thought Feng would take the bait, she suddenly raised her hand and slapped her hard in the face with the slap that she hadn't given her before.
A five-fingerprint immediately appeared on her fair cheek. Aunt Fang covered her face in disbelief, "...Madam?"
Feng sneered, "You bitch, you still want to use me as a pawn?"
She has a bad temper, is impulsive and irritable, and doesn't have much brains, but she's not stupid!
What if she exposed Zhao Qingyi's scandal and forced her to marry? Her reputation would be ruined, and her second and first wives would also be implicated. In the end, it would only benefit Concubine Fang, and Concubine Fang would get her revenge.
Did she really think she was a fool and could be used by her? Besides, no matter how bad Zhao Qingyi was, she was still her niece. She would not use such dirty tricks to harm her own family.
"What do you mean by secret collusion? I think you're probably trying to stir up trouble. Ugh!"
Feng spat at her forcefully. Anyway, all the servants had been sent away. Apart from Aunt Fang, who else would see her vulgar side?
Aunt Fang prided herself on her gentleness and thoughtfulness, and her considerable talent, which was why she remained in favor all these years. However, she could not learn Feng's behavior, and she backed away in fear, fearing that the other party's saliva would fly and get on her.
Feng rolled her eyes at her and said unhappily, "You're wasting my time. I thought you had some reliable ideas!"
Before leaving, she sternly warned Aunt Fang that she'd better behave herself. If she caused any trouble that would bring shame to the entire mansion, she would beat the bitch to death with sticks.
Aunt Fang never expected that Feng, who had always been at odds with the first wife, would actually turn around and curse her for the first wife.
"Feng Rulan, you idiot, you don't know what's good for you!"
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