Chapter 5: Marriage brings two families together.
When Cong Ying first met the third son of the Xie family, he was very young and the relationship between the Jiang and Xie families was still good.
Xie Xiang often brought the younger generation of the Xie family to the Jiang family to listen to her grandfather, Jiang Yushi, lectures and study the classics together. Cong Ying also often hid behind the lacquered pillars in the flower hall to eavesdrop.
During a tea break one day, Prime Minister Xie wanted to test the knowledge of the younger generation, so he recited a poem: "The bright moon in the cold autumn shines very stingily."
Ask a few younger people to come up with the next sentence.
Some were scratching their heads, others were absent-minded. From the firefly, I saw a very handsome young man, who propped up a chair, leaving only one leg touching the ground, and swung it back and forth, using a pen as a sword, spinning it in a dazzling manner.
Xie Xiang coughed lightly and said, "Xuanlan."
Third Master Xie finally lowered his chair to the ground: "Father."
Xie Xiang said, "You come first and answer one sentence."
The third son said, "I am not very knowledgeable and talented, so I dare not show off in front of my brothers."
Xie Xiang smiled and said, "If you confront me, I will let you go out and run wild."
The Third Young Master blurted out, "Whoever walks on the road at night will suffer."
Before everyone could react, Cong Ying, who was hiding behind the lacquer pillar, burst out laughing.
The bright moon in the cold autumn shines very little, and whoever walks on the road at night will suffer.
"That's bullshit." Xie Xiang put down his teacup and said in a rather unhappy tone, "You are deliberately trying to embarrass me."
Xie Xuanlan ignored him and waved to Cong Ying, who was hiding behind the lacquer pillar, with a smile: "Come here."
Cong Ying had no choice but to walk over with her head down and bow to Xie Xiang and Jiang Yushi, who were sitting at the head of the table. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop."
Censor Jiang said to Prime Minister Xie, "This is my granddaughter. Her behavior is so unruly that it has embarrassed the distinguished guests."
Xie Xuanlan said, "How can her love of learning be laughed at? Since she enjoys listening to lectures so much, she should be allowed to come in and sit down. I will stand outside for her."
Xie Xiang warned him, "Don't mess around. Elder Jiang is very knowledgeable, and it's impossible for a little girl to understand."
"Don't understand? Not necessarily."
Xie Xuanlan walked up to Cong Ying, looked her up and down, and said, "You laughed at me just now, but you must be able to compose a poem. Why don't you recite one for them to listen to?"
Cong Ying raised his eyes to look at his grandfather, and seeing him nod, he replied in a very soft voice, "The osmanthus tree turns into fireflies, illuminating the whole room."
The bright moon in the cold autumn is stingy with its light, and the osmanthus flowers turn into fireflies, illuminating the entire room.
This sentence was so insightful and clear coming from the mouth of such a little girl that even Xie Xiang raised his eyebrows in surprise and leaned over to ask her name and age.
At that time, Congying had just turned seven years old. Xie Xiang clapped his hands and sighed, "Although the Xie family has many sons, they are not as good as this girl from the Jiang family."
When Cong Ying was praised like this for the first time, she couldn't help but purse her lips and blush. Seeing that Prime Minister Xie liked her so much, Censor Jiang allowed her to attend the lecture in the future.
Congying was very happy, but the news soon reached the ears of several cousins from the eldest house. They blocked Congying by the lake and pushed her to the ground.
"Everyone can write poetry, but you are the one who can stand out."
"At such a young age, she's already imitating her mother's frivolous ways, reciting poems and songs, preparing to climb up the social ladder in the future. So, do the young masters of the Xie family take a liking to you?"
"What's with the osmanthus tree turning into a firefly? It's really trying to elevate itself. I think it's just a bug that grew from rotten grass and turned into dung."
Cong Ying's eyes turned red with anger, but thinking of her mother's instructions, she forced herself not to talk back in front of them.
She got up from the ground, and her second cousin was still trying to push her, but suddenly a small stone bounced from the air and hit the back of her second cousin's hand. He cried out "ouch" and retracted his hand.
The Third Master Xie, who had just invited her to a poetry competition, came over with a smile on his face, holding an ivory slingshot in his right hand and throwing a few stones with his left.
"The Jiang family has a great tradition," he said. "So many people want to write poems. Why don't you go to the front hall and read them to my father? He loves to hear people write poems."
Everyone recognized him, and no one dared to speak.
Xie Xuanlan sat down in a small pavilion by the lake and asked Cong Ying's cousins to stand in a row and give him a couplet one by one, with each person only counting to tens.
If something doesn't match or if it doesn't match up to his satisfaction, he'll pull out the slingshot and hit people.
After playing two or three pieces of music in a row, Xie Xuanlan said happily, "So forcing people to write poems is so fun. I'll come to see you next time."
The remaining children were so frightened that they turned around and ran away, scattering like birds and beasts in an instant.
Cong Ying stood by and watched.
She knew that if her mother were here, she would definitely ask her to step forward and mediate, but this was the first time someone had stood up for her. She deliberately ignored her mother's teachings, blaming herself in her heart, but also secretly feeling refreshed.
Seeing Xie Xuanlan getting up to leave, Zong Ying mustered up the courage to catch up with him and asked, "Third Young Master, will you come again next time?"
Xie Xuanlan said, "If my father asks me to write a poem again, I will do it if you can do it for me."
Cong Ying nodded repeatedly: "I can do it."
Xie Xuanlan smiled: "Of course that's good."
In the past, Prime Minister Xie would come to the Jiang family once every two weeks, and Cong Ying would count the days until his next visit. Unfortunately, the day before Prime Minister Xie came, her grandfather, Censor Jiang, openly refuted Prime Minister Xie in the court, broke with him, and was demoted to Xuzhou the next day.
Since then, Cong Ying never had the opportunity to attend lectures with Mr. Xie San.
Ten years passed until my grandfather died and the tiger guards surrounded the mansion.
Cong Ying thought silently in her heart that she had met him several times in total, and every time he helped her out. Unfortunately, now she could no longer accept his help as she did when she was a child.
She had more concerns and was more timid than before.
＊
Cong Ying brought a cup of brewed tea and presented it to Xie Xuanlan. Seeing that he refused to take it, she remained in silence.
Xie Xuanlan's gaze swept across the Huben captain who had just raised his sword, swept across the Jiang family members who had different thoughts, and then fell back on Cong Ying. He saw a pair of hands as white as jade and as fat as cream, with the fingertips red and rosy from being scalded by the teacup.
The wind blew the osmanthus flowers like rain, a few fell on her sleeves and the back of her hands, and a few floated into the teacup.
Cong Ying apologized, "I'll go get another one."
“No need.”
Xie Xuanlan took the teacup and looked at the ripples in the golden tea soup. He felt regretful for getting involved in the muddy water on a whim, but was also annoyed by his unreasonable leniency.
He drank half a cup of tea and finally nodded to the Fengchen Guards who were accompanying him. They removed the knife from the neck of the Huben Captain and forced him to kneel in front of Xie Xuanlan.
The Tiger Guard Captain remained unconvinced: "I am kneeling before the Emperor, you are overstepping your bounds!"
Xie Xuanlan held the tea and said with a smile: "I heard that you knelt down to wash your godfather Xue Huanjin's feet last night. Now you think highly of yourself."
The captain of the Tiger Guards was so angry that his face turned red: "You——!"
A burst of laughter came from the crowd. It was Miss Jiang San from the eldest house.
When the Tiger Guards surrounded and searched Jiang's house, she hid herself and smeared some soot on her face. She washed her eyes clean, carefully drew her eyebrows and put on some rouge, and looked as bright and beautiful as an autumn lotus washed by the morning dew. She was so happy at the extremely satisfying scene before her that she couldn't stop smiling.
Xie Xuanlan looked at Congying again, but saw that she lowered her eyebrows calmly and quietly, with her brows slightly furrowed, as if she was worried.
As she grew older, she became less fond of laughing. A faint thought came to Xie Xuanlan's mind.
All interest was instantly lost, and he said to the Tiger Guard Captain, "Go away."
The Jinjia Fengchen Guards threw the Huben Guards out of the door. The Jiang family rushed forward to thank Xie Xuanlan profusely. Xie Xuanlan impatiently passed them by and said to Cong Ying, who had been squeezed out of the crowd, "I have something to tell you."
Cong Ying had no choice but to stop.
The two of them came to the Jiang family ancestral hall. Xie Xuanlan casually picked up three incense sticks and bowed slightly towards the tablet of the old censor as a gesture of condolence.
Seeing Xie Xuanlan remained silent, Cong Ying had no choice but to express her gratitude first: "Grandfather led the way yesterday, and the Jiang family came to the rescue today. Thank you, Third Young Master, for your help twice."
Xie Xuanlan turned around and looked at her, saying with a half-smile, "I'm afraid you're thanking her on the surface, but you're really annoyed on the inside."
Cong Ying lowered her eyes. "Nothing like that...it's just that the Jiang and Xie families have severed ties for years, and the Jiang family is now in decline. I don't know why the Third Young Master is here."
"There are so many people in the Jiang family, and you are the only one who asked this question."
Xie Xuanlan took a booklet from the attendant, flipped through it casually, and then handed it to Congying.
"Do you recognize the handwriting of Old Censor Jiang?"
The book was not thick and the ink was still new. The three words "Jianyuan Collection" were inscribed on the title page. Although the style was still there, it was written by a sick person with no strength. With just one glance, Cong Ying determined that it was written by his grandfather.
Her heartbeat quickened slightly as she quickly flipped through the "Jianyuan Collection" from beginning to end.
It contains fifteen memorials submitted to the emperor before my grandfather died. They not only accuse the Prince of Jin of being a sickly person who only cares about his position but also accuse the noble lady of being unfaithful to her husband and encroaching on the power of the Eastern Palace. They implore the emperor to adopt a son as soon as possible to secure the foundation of the country.
The incense ash fell into the copper censer, and the long-burning candle popped with a "crack".
Cong Ying's hand holding the scroll trembled almost imperceptibly. For a moment, all the blood color drained from his face, leaving only a pair of eyes washed by tears, which looked even darker and brighter like pure jade.
No wonder Princess Xuande chose to blame the Jiang family, no wonder the noble master behind the Tiger Guard suddenly launched an attack, no wonder the Xie family let bygones be bygones—
How could my grandfather write such a memorial?
He was banished to Xuzhou for ten years precisely because he refused to accede to Xie's pressure on the emperor. Ten years later, he took the initiative to raise the topic of establishing a crown prince, and together with Xie, he forced the emperor to adopt Prince Huai as his heir.
Grandfather...
"I took action twice, neither of which was with good intentions. Since it was not with good intentions, I naturally did not care whether the Jiang family was willing to accept it or not."
Xie Xuanlan told the truth, his words slow and cruel.
"Moving a tree to establish trust, spending a fortune to buy bones, are always done for show. You should know that the battle for the heir has just begun. Many people in the court are waiting to take sides, waiting to see the fate of your Jiang family. The Xie family can only protect the Jiang family from the persecution of your master and help you rise to prominence. Only then will those onlookers be willing to work hard for the Xie family."
It was like a blunt knife being sharpened on a wound, and Ying heard every word clearly.
However, one thing was still unclear, so he asked, "How can we help the Jiang family rise to prominence?"
Xie Xuanlan took a step forward, standing only an arm's length away from her. A spring-like smile flashed across his beautiful almond-shaped eyes. He seemed nonchalant, but when he looked straight at her, there was a sense of special concentration in his eyes.
He smiled and asked her, "You've guessed everything just by looking at this collection of Jianyuanji, but you can't guess this one thing? What's so strange under the sun? A marriage between two families is nothing more than—"
Seeing the shock in Zong Ying's eyes, as she took several steps back, her demeanor flustered, he deliberately stepped forward and spoke the rest of the story word by word: "It's just a marriage."
From a distance, it looked like a bully trying to steal the bride.
Cong Ying leaned against the long table behind him with one hand, slowing down again and again, and finally calming himself down.
"Third Young Master."
She said slowly: "First, the Jiang family is now run by my uncle, so you shouldn't come to me to discuss this matter. You should wait for him to come back..."
Xie Xuanlan said, "Jiang Shang is old and dull, and I can't understand him."
Cong Ying: "Secondly, my grandfather has just passed away, and the coffin is still in front of the hall. Talking about marriage is against filial piety and etiquette. Third Young Master, please be considerate of us ordinary people."
Xie Xuanlan asked her, "You don't want to get married, do you?"
His question was too direct, causing Cong Ying to choke: "I——"
She supported herself with her hands behind her back, tightly gripping the edge of the incense table. Her heart was pounding, and her tongue was pressed against her teeth and jaw, not daring to move.
She didn't dare to speak for a moment because she didn't know whether she would say yes or no.
Xie Xuanlan advised sympathetically, "With Xie Shi being so popular and Xie I being so aggressive, they are naturally not the right match for you. I understand your reluctance."
Now Zong Ying really had nothing to say, but she felt a little uncomfortable in her heart.
She didn't say she didn't want to, but Ying thought it was he who didn't want to.
Xie Xuanlan felt he had seen through her character and said with a smile, "If we marry into the Xie family, the fate of the entire family will depend on them. Not only will this offend your lord even more, but you will also have to mobilize the entire family to fight her. Events like the Tiger Guards raiding the mansion today will only increase, not decrease."
"By then, the Jiang family will no longer be able to protect themselves and survive by being tactful."
She hid it in her sleeves and slowly clenched her palms, as if plucking up a young orchid and crushing a cluster of new fire.
The gaze towards Xie Xuanlan gradually calmed down, as if he had never been disturbed by him.
She nodded slightly.
Xie Xuanlan smiled, and his expression seemed to say, "It is true."
"Since you don't want to, then——"
Before she finished her words, a fragrant breeze blew in. Cong Ying looked up and saw Mrs. Jiang Tangyu, her third cousin.
She hid in the ear room and listened for a long time. When she heard the word "marriage", she could no longer hold back. Regardless of the obstruction of Fengchen Guards, she rushed in and walked slowly to Xie Xuanlan and bowed.
Her eyes were filled with affection and a smile: "I am the third child of the Jiang family, named Tang Yu, and I am also the granddaughter of Censor Jiang."
Xie Xuanlan nodded, but his eyes did not move away from Ying.
Seeing this, Jiang Tangyu said to Cong Ying, "Fourth sister, the Duan inkstone given to grandfather by the late emperor is missing. The old woman said that you were the only one who had it. Did you take it and sell it again?"
"I don't."
Knowing that she was going to be sent away, Cong Ying added, "I'll go find her right away."
After saying this, he bowed to Xie Xuanlan and turned to leave.
"Mrs. Jiang Si."
Xie Xuanlan said from behind her, "The wind is high and the waves are fierce. It's not something a small boat can cross. You are a smart person. You must think carefully about how to steer the ship."
After saying that, he left the two girls behind and turned to leave the Xie family.
＊
Prince Jin is waiting for news from Taoist Taixiao.
He stayed alone in his former study, sent away all the servants, found a letter written by Xiao Cheng before his death, learned to copy his handwriting, and tried to figure out his character and personality from the handwriting.
Xiao Cheng's calligraphy is calm, smooth and elegant, dignified and without sharp edges. Although his attainments cannot be considered profound, it is completely different from Xie Xuanlan's previous style.
It was really difficult for a man who was always sharp and decisive and whose every word was full of vigor and determination to behave so softly and calmly. After copying a few words, he angrily crumpled up the Beijing paper into a ball and threw it into the charcoal basin.
Turning around, I saw Taoist Taixiao walking into the front yard, swinging his whisk.
Prince Jin hurried out to greet him: "How is the matter going?"
Taoist Taixiao raised his eyebrows proudly: "It's done."
King Jin breathed a sigh of relief, and his irritability subsided a little.
In her previous life, Ah Ying would rather be whipped by the princess, which led Xie Xuanlan to mistakenly believe that she hated the Xie family and himself to the point that she would rather die than receive any favor. So when the noble lord sent the Tiger Guards to attack the Jiang family the next day, he did not go to rescue them.
It was much later that he found out that Ah Ying's whip wound had not healed yet, and she was struggling hard, so it was her younger sister who blocked the sword that the Tiger Guard Captain swung at her.
The Prince of Jin looked at the suddenly flaming flames in the charcoal basin and said with a hint of regret, "I was too frivolous in the past, wasting much of my youth and causing her much suffering."
Taoist Taixiao asked him, "What are your plans from now on?"
The King of Jin said, "Let's wait and see. If we want to change her fate, we will have to fight for another lifetime."
Taoist Taixiao: "I advise you to turn back from the sea of suffering and realize Lan Yin as soon as possible."
The King of Jin slowly shook his head: "I have been meditating in silence for fifteen years, yet I have not made even an inch of progress. Yet, I have so much to think about, so much hatred, and so much regret. Since I cannot accept my fate, I can only fight for my life against the heavens—"
As soon as he finished speaking, he felt his blood and qi stagnate in his chest, and his vision turned dizzy. He leaned against the screen for a long time, covered his face with his hands, coughed up a mouthful of blood, and his face instantly turned as pale as paper.
Taoist Taixiao took a step back upon seeing this, and said with a smile, "This is the consequence of fighting against heaven. Changing someone else's fate is a perverse act and will inevitably backfire. I never lied to you before."
He added, "I want to stay away from you, lest if the lightning from heaven strikes you, it will also affect me. I am leaving to find my junior sister."
Prince Jin was in so much pain that he couldn't utter a word. He could only feel cold sweat dripping from his body. He leaned against the screen and slowly slid down. He saw Taoist Taixiao in purple clothes walking away from him.
Only the prophecy remains in my ears, carried long and lingering by the autumn wind:
"The black bird flies away alone to admire the blue clouds; the firefly is crushed into dust by frost; Zhuangzi dreamed of being a butterfly for fifteen years; when I met you in my phantom body, I did not recognize you."
The author has something to say:
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Osmanthus fragrans is another name for sweet-scented osmanthus. The falling osmanthus flowers are like fireflies in the sky.
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