The Marchioness believed that Sun Shiying wasn’t a fool, but her sister-in-law indeed wished to raise her daughter to be as eminent as a phoenix. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have brought up an engagement arranged in jest before Ning Ze entered the capital. The Marchioness had undoubtedly hoped to pave a more promising path for her daughter by associating her with the Crown Prince. She said they would discuss the matter further once Ning Ze had finished his imperial examinations. Who could have foreseen, however, that her daughter’s prospects have now lowered, as have her son’s. The one who brought up the oral marital agreement is now backpedaling, not expecting the family to come calling, relying instead on her niece to do the job. She was betting the Marchioness would take pity on her niece and assent to breaking off the engagement.
But did they think it would be enough to just dissolve the marriage agreement? No, they wanted more. They dared to expect her sympathy towards her niece and to supplicate the Crown Prince on her behalf. If successful, this would pave the way for her niece to enter the Eastern Palace or the Fourth Prince’s Residence. Whether as a primary or secondary wife, landing such a position would be a great victory to them.
What a fine plan they had crafted!
The Marchioness harbored a mixture of emotions, some of which she could barely express. She imagined an eye for an eye was enough, but she never expected them to go as far as to kick her when she was down. Anger rose inside her, as her face flushed with indignation. "Shiying, your auntie loves you, but this is all I can do for you. Your oral engagement to your cousin no longer stands. After all, I was wrong for agreeing to it in the first place. Tell your mother, if she wishes for you to marry into the Eastern Palace or the Fourth Prince’s Household, she and your father should exert their own effort. I no longer have the ability to help you further." Upon finishing, she rose and instructed her servant, "Escort the young mistress home. Be careful out there; the roads are slippery after the heavy snow."
An old nursemaid obeyed and commanded with a stern face, "Young Mistress, please."
Sun Shiying sat there, her handkerchief clenched in her fist, feeling humiliated as she watched the Marchioness leave.
Her cousin Ning Ze was someone she had always tried hard to get close to. However, she never expected this twist of fate. Now her parents have changed their minds, believing Ning Ze is ruined. Considering their long-standing relationship with her aunt, they felt too ashamed to face her themselves and instead pushed her forward to do the job.
Was she willing?
Yes, she was willing, largely because Ning Ze had few redeeming traits. He embodied half the vices of a spoiled heir, was lazy about his studies, exhibited no ambition. If not for his distinguished birth, he was the sort of man she would never bother giving a second glance at on the street.
Now he has lost three fingers, his health is failing, no hope remains for him to inherit any titles, and his potential for a career in the government has been ruined. From whichever angle you look at him, he is a hopeless man. Should she squander her life nevertheless and marry him?
Would any woman willingly do such a thing? Especially considering that he was not very affectionate towards her in the past.
Of course, she wasn’t particularly fond of him either.
But if she can’t marry into the Eastern Palace or the Fourth Prince’s Residence, would she have to put her prime years on hold to join the Emperor’s concubines in his harem instead?
She slowly took her leave from the Marquis Nanping Residence, boarded her carriage, and used her handkerchief to wipe the tears off her face.
The Marchioness didn’t return to her courtyard but instead went to Ning Yao’s.
After Ning Yao’s miscarriage, she lay in bed to recover while her mother tearfully watched her pale complexion. "Such a tragedy," the Marchioness sighed.
Despite her frailty, Ning Yao felt as if a weight had been lifted from her chest, "Mother, I heard cousin Shiying came today. Did she come to call off the engagement?"
The Marchioness nodded.
Ning Yao comforted her, "Don’t be upset, mother. Cousin Shiying is a good girl, raised meticulously by Aunt Sun. Now that my brother’s future looks bleak and he has lost his vitality, no one would want to marry him."
Anyone who wasn’t a fool could see that now Ning Ze no longer had a bright future. To marry him would be to waste her life.
The Marchioness lamented, "It’s not just because she came here to call off the engagement."
She wiped her tears with her handkerchief and repeated the conversation she had with Sun Shiying. Then, looking at the silent Ning Yao, said grievingly, "I never expected it would be my blood relatives who’d be the first to kick us when we’re down, especially your Uncle Sun and Aunt Sun. How devoted they were when courting Ning Ze, almost enforcing their daughter on him? Although I had my own intentions, I also considered marrying him to Shiying, we’ve watched her grow since she was little. Even though Uncle Sun’s family couldn’t contribute much to the alliance, at least they wouldn’t be a hindrance. Now, they very comprehensively show their understanding of the phrase ’every man for himself.’ These years, I have relied on my family quite a bit, but they have also relied heavily on me. As for Shiying, whom I have watched grow up, she makes the most of my affection towards her and even tries to coerce me. She not only wants to break my son’s engagement but also expects me to supplicate the Crown Prince for her interests."
This was beyond the bounds of her tolerance.
Everyone has their selfish desires and an engagement that was made in jest is easily broken, making peace in the process. But to expect her to beg Ning Chi? Weren’t they aware that her circumstances had changed significantly since then? How could she beseech him? As a stepmother, ought she to kneel before her stepson and request his aid for a niece from her birth family?
Where did her self-pride go?
Ning Yao took the Marchioness’s hand, "Mother, don’t grieve. This is just human nature, everyone wants to climb higher. Little do they realize that only when one falls, does one truly understand pain."
The Marchioness sighed, "Enough, I won’t be sad. One deserves their fate. My own greed led me to not immediately accept the engagement, causing all this trouble. However, when I look back, I’m grateful that over the years, even when your eldest brother was little, I wasn’t ruthless enough to want him dead. As they say, as man sows, so shall he reap."
Ning Yao showed a faint smile, "Eldest brother is understanding. That’s why, despite not showing you much respect, he hasn’t crossed the line to hurt you significantly. And he tolerates us, his brother and sister."
The Marchioness nodded and patted Ning Yao, "Get some rest. Your body needs to recover. I shouldn’t have disturbed you; I was wrong."
Ning Yao shook her head, "You’re not bothering me." 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶
She knew that if the Marchioness hadn’t been suffocated by anger, she wouldn’t have sought her out at this time.
Still, the Marchioness stood up and tucked her daughter in, "Focus on getting better. That’s what’s important. I have only you and your brother to rely on. If your brother indeed ends up going to Nanchu, I’ll only have you by my side."
Ning Yao nodded.
The Marchioness left Ning Yao’s room and was assisted by the nursemaid to her own courtyard. As they arrived at the gate, she told the nursemaid, "Even if I must beg, I will beg Lady Su Qi to take Ze with her. I refuse to accept that my son is good for nothing. He’s just inexperienced and was scared when faced with life and death. He will get better."
The nursemaid agreed, "Yes, Marchioness, the young master will recover."
Ning Ze was unaware of these changes in the Marquis Residence. He was focusing all his efforts on accompanying Su Rong and Fen Ling. With Su Rong agreeing to his accompaniment to Nanchu, he felt insecure, yet also anticipated an unclear hope.
No man truly wishes to be useless all his life or to be looked down upon forever.
If there was a way out, even if he was scared, he would want to grit his teeth and give it a try.
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