Chapter 14 A Marriage Strengthened
The winter snow rarely stops, and the branches of the tallow trees are only covered with a thin layer of snow, so you can still vaguely see their original appearance.
In two more days, it will be the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month.
Having just celebrated her birthday yesterday with Pei Ning and a few others, Wen Lingzheng got up early.
She sat sleepily in front of the dressing table, while Yaoguang combed her hair.
Yuheng lifted the curtain and came in from outside, revealing a table full of exquisite snacks.
"Young lady, the old lady just sent someone to say something."
"The eldest aunt will arrive around noon, please don't be late, young lady."
Wen Lingzheng responded, somewhat puzzled: "My aunt's previous letter only said that she would bring her children to Beijing to visit relatives after the New Year, why is it earlier?"
Yuheng looked bewildered, and Wen Lingzheng shook her head without pursuing the matter further.
She seemed to be deep in thought, looked at Yaoguang, and took out a hairpin from her makeup box.
"Later, Yuheng and I will go to Shou Kang Tang. You must go to Liu's Brocade Shop in the west of the city for me and personally deliver it to Liu the tailor."
Yao Guang nodded in agreement.
After breakfast, Wen Lingzheng led Yuheng toward Shou Kang Hall.
"Fourth Sister is here too?"
Inside the passageway, Wen Lingxiao and Wen Lingzheng met face to face.
She wore a brightly colored traditional Chinese dress with a front opening, tied at the waist with a thin belt, which accentuated her slender waist.
"What a coincidence, Fifth Sister."
Concealing the hint of disgust in her eyes, Wen Lingzheng smiled and let Wen Lingxiao take her arm.
"Fourth sister, have you heard that eldest sister is coming back today?" Wen Lingxiao's charming voice entered Wen Lingzheng's ears.
Although her words were full of affection and respect for her elder sister, it was clear to listeners that she had something in mind.
Wen Lingzheng's gaze turned colder: "It's only natural that my elder sister would come back home since it's rare for my aunt to return."
In the early part of the fourth year of Xuanren, the old lady Xie of the Pingjiang Marquis's mansion was ill for a long time. In order to bring good luck to the old lady Xie, Madam Qian went around looking for a marriage for the illegitimate son of the family.
The Xie family of the Pingjiang Marquis's mansion has complex relationships.
The late Marquis of Pingjiang was originally a former official of the previous dynasty. He surrendered to Emperor Taizu by assessing the situation and thus gained merit in following the emperor and was granted a marquisate.
The current Marquis of Pingjiang, Xie Shizhen's eldest wife, née Qian, comes from a former noble family.
After Emperor Taizu ascended the throne, intermarriage between the old and new noble families became prevalent.
At that time, Xie Shizhen, who was then the heir of the Marquis of Pingjiang, was arranged by his father to marry into the Zheng family and took the second daughter of Zheng Jie, the Minister of Personnel, as his concubine.
Zheng was arrogant and spoiled, and she and Madam Qian had always been at odds.
The illegitimate son was born to Zheng Shi. Although he was a mischievous and unruly child, he was quite favored by the Marquis of Pingjiang.
No matter how much Madam Qian disliked it, there was nothing she could do, and the family was often thrown into turmoil because of this.
Which family, even if they are of equal standing, would be willing to marry their perfectly good daughter off? No matter how much Madam Qian pleaded, it was to no avail.
At Princess Mingzhu's birthday banquet, a remark from Grand Princess Yongqing drew her attention to the Wen sisters. In just one glance, she took a liking to the dignified and elegant Wen Lingsheng.
"I heard that my eldest sister's son, Fu-ge'er, was taken away by Madam Qian to be raised. She's cried several times!"
Wen Lingxiao's words interrupted Wen Lingzheng's thoughts.
Madam Qian had one son and two daughters.
The eldest son, Xie Yiting, married the eldest sister of the official family, Princess Chang Le. However, the princess injured her body while giving birth to her eldest daughter and was unable to have any more children.
Xie Yiting loved his wife dearly and was unwilling to take a concubine, which greatly troubled Madam Qian.
Wen Lingsheng married into the Pingjiang Marquis's mansion in the sixth year of Xuanren. Fu Ge'er was her first son, who had just turned 100 days old.
Suddenly silent, Wen Lingzheng felt a lump in her throat.
Although she has never been a mother, she has raised children.
She still remembered that time when she and Pei Lin rarely saw each other, and she was criticized for not having children, so she secretly hid in Lixin Courtyard and shed tears.
The little boy, only seven years old, ran off to fight for her, getting bruises on his face and hands, but still smiled and comforted her.
"Second Aunt, don't listen to their nonsense, Second Uncle wouldn't do that."
“When you have younger siblings in the future, Jing’er will take care of them. Even if you don’t have them, don’t worry, Jing’er will be filial to you in the future.”
The child who soothed her anxiety and fear when she first entered the Marquis's mansion and brought endless color to her life, drowned in a pool that was no more than waist-deep in the dead of winter.
—They weren't discovered until their hands and feet were swollen from being soaked in water.
He was only eight years old that year, and all of this was due to her negligence.
Taking a deep breath, Wen Lingzheng suppressed all her emotions.
She glanced at Wen Lingxiao: "Fifth sister, it's best not to mention this again."
Wen Lingxiao gave an awkward smile: "Fourth sister is being too cautious. It's just idle chatter between sisters!"
Wen Lingzheng shook her head and broke free from Wen Lingxiao's hand.
"Walls have ears."
"Moreover, I fear that this is not just Madam Qian's idea alone."
Wen Lingzheng ignored Wen Lingxiao and quickly headed towards Shou Kang Hall.
Wen Lingxiao froze on the spot, her brows furrowed as she watched Wen Lingzheng's retreating figure.
She only snapped out of her daze when her maid, Qingyu, tugged at her sleeve.
She rubbed her stiff cheeks, put on a smile again, and continued walking towards Shou Kang Hall. However, the fierce glint in her eyes sent a chill down Qingyu's spine.
Shou Kang Hall was unusually lively.
Grandma Wen sat upright in the seat of honor, the white jade eighteen beads she twirled rapidly in her hand revealing her anxious mood.
Wen Lingsheng, who had returned from the Pingjiang Marquis's residence early in the morning, was sitting next to Old Madam Wen. There seemed to be a dark circle under her eyes, but it was covered by makeup and could not be seen clearly.
Two maids lifted the curtains on either side, and the servants and nannies ran back and forth to deliver the message.
Finally, as Grandma Wen eagerly awaited, a slender figure appeared at the door.
"mother……"
Wen Jinghao walked quickly to Old Madam Wen, and greeted her with tears in her eyes.
Grandma Wen looked at her beloved daughter, whom she hadn't seen in a long time, and felt a pang of sorrow in her heart.
The three sisters-in-law of the Xiang family tried to persuade them again and again, and it took a long time for the mother and daughter to calm down.
Looking at everything before her, Wen Lingzheng inexplicably felt a sense of spectatorship.
She looked at Wen Tongwen with great interest, not missing the hint of impatience in his eyes.
Everyone says that Old Mrs. Wen values profit the most, but she thinks that her seemingly kind and weak father is actually better than her.
After crying with Old Mrs. Wen, Wen Jinghao turned around to greet her three elder brothers and sisters-in-law, and then pushed her two children in front of Old Mrs. Wen.
“Li Ge’er, Yi Jie’er.”
"Why aren't you calling her Grandmother yet?"
The young men and women who were pushed to the front obediently kowtowed and received a reward from Old Madam Wen. They then greeted the young men and women of the Wen family under the guidance of Madam Xiang.
Wen Lingzheng nodded with a smile, but unintentionally met Wen Jinghao's gaze.
It's a bit strange.
Grandma Wen was worried that the children would find it boring to listen to the adults talking in the room, so she quickly asked Wen Shizhen, Wen Shirui, and the eldest son of the third branch of the family, Wen Shizhuo, to lead the group to Jixue Pavilion to play.
Wen Lingsheng, however, remained in Shou Kang Hall, sitting beside Old Madam Wen, listening to the elders' idle chatter.
"Little sister, didn't you say in your letter that you wouldn't come until after the New Year?"
"But what happened?"
Wen Tongfu has always been an impatient person with an impatient temper, and he has been very close to this younger sister since childhood.
Even though Madam Lu gave him several meaningful glances, warning him not to provoke Old Madam Wen when she was in a good mood, he just couldn't understand.
Madam Lu had no choice but to summon Granny Ren and whisper a few words to her, instructing her to send away all the maids serving outside and then guard the door.
Wen Tongfu's words stirred up Wen Jinghao's sad memories, and tears welled up in her eyes. She took her embroidered handkerchief and wiped them away again and again.
Grandma Wen was extremely anxious and sighed repeatedly, "My child, if you have been wronged, just send someone to tell your mother!"
Wen Jinghao wiped away her tears and stammered, "Mother, you know that my mother-in-law is easily influenced."
“A while ago, my mother-in-law’s family came over, and right after that, she started making a fuss about marrying her grandniece to Li Ge’er.”
Wen Jinghao was both anxious and angry, and tears streamed down her face once again.
"Li Ge'er is almost eighteen. Although he is not like those rich and powerful young masters, he is still the apple of my eye. He also passed the imperial examination and became a Juren!"
"If that girl were a good one, it would be fine, but unfortunately..."
Wen Jinghao wiped away her tears, her eyes red and indignant.
"That girl dared to use despicable means to try and have an affair with Li Ge'er before she was even married. Luckily, she didn't succeed, or who knows what would have happened!"
"A girl like that as Li Ge'er's legal wife? They may not feel ashamed, but I do!"
Wen Jinghao couldn't stop crying.
Grandma Wen was also furious. Although she knew her in-laws were easily swayed, she never expected them to be so clueless.
Compared to Wen Jinghao, Old Madam Wen was much calmer: "So, what did the son-in-law say about this?"
Wen Jinghao's husband was Lin Zhaoping, who was then the Tongpan of Luzhou. It was precisely because Old Madam Wen saw that he was honest and reliable that she agreed to let her daughter marry him.
Wen Jinghao sobbed and shook her head.
"What else can we say? It's nothing more than trying to smooth things over!"
"If I had known back then that he would be so blindly filial, I would have rather become a nun than marry him!"
Wen Tongfu couldn't sit still any longer.
He slammed his palm heavily on the coffee table, causing the teacups beside him to fall to the ground and shatter into pieces.
"That scoundrel! My perfectly good sister married into his family, and this is how he treats her?"
Seeing his younger sister, whom he had spoiled since childhood, crying her eyes out, Wen Tongfu straightened his clothes and strode out, looking exactly like he was going to Luzhou.
Wen Tongwu, who was standing nearby, quickly pulled him back: "What's the rush? Mother hasn't spoken yet!"
Frustrated by her son's lack of progress, Old Mrs. Wen was furious.
What good would it do you even if you went?
"If everything could be resolved through arguing, why would the imperial army need to personally march to the northern border? Why not just lead two groups of common women there instead!"
Wen Tongfu was forced to sit down in the armchair by his two older brothers, one on each side. He couldn't help but argue, "Does Mother expect me to watch my sister be bullied? Mother doesn't care about my sister at all!"
Wen Tongfu's reckless words made Old Mrs. Wen's heart ache.
Xiang hurriedly stepped forward to comfort Old Madam Wen, and Wen Lingsheng quickly brought over a cup of tea and handed it to Old Madam Wen.
Wen Tongwen then slapped Wen Tongfu and called him brainless. Even Wen Jinghao stopped crying and stood between the mother and son to try to reconcile them.
The situation was brought under control.
Madam Lu breathed a sigh of relief and quickly handed a cup of tea to Wen Tongfu, coaxing and cajoling, "My good husband, we are both flesh and blood, how could a mother not care about her sister?"
Lu Shi gave Wen Jinghao a meaningful look, her voice soft.
"Furthermore, since my sister can still go to the capital, I suppose my husband won't stop her."
"If there is still room for maneuver, sir, why don't you listen to your sister's thoughts? Otherwise, it would only harm your sister if the relationship between the two families were to be strained."
Upon hearing this, Wen Tongwen echoed, "Third sister-in-law's words make sense. The Wen family and the Lin family are both in officialdom and are related by marriage. It's not good to tear each other apart over such trivial matters."
Grandma Wen was displeased. She glanced at Wen Tongwen, said nothing, and only let out a long sigh.
Her youngest son, though a scoundrel, was at least spirited; but her eldest son…
Grandma Wen patted Wen Lingsheng's hand. Wen Lingsheng turned her back, secretly wiping away the tears in her eyes, without saying a word.
As everyone's emotions gradually calmed down, Old Madam Wen inquired about Wen Jinghao's plans.
After Wen Tongfu's outburst, Wen Jinghao dared not cry anymore, and honestly replied, "Replying to Mother, since I have brought Li Ge'er here, I want to ask Mother to make the decision!"
Wen Jing looked at Old Madam Wen, her words solemn.
"Although my son Li is not as good as the sons of noble families, he has still achieved some academic success. If he works hard next year, he may very well pass the imperial examination."
"If Mother and my brothers and sisters-in-law are willing to marry one of their nieces to Li Ge'er, I will definitely treat her as my own daughter!"
Wen Jinghao spoke sincerely, but for a time, Shou Kang Tang remained silent.
Old Madam Wen had high hopes for the young ladies of the Wen family, especially after Wen Lingsheng married into the Pingjiang Marquis's family. She couldn't help but harbor some unrealistic fantasies.
But looking at her beloved daughter, who was filled with sorrow, Old Mrs. Wen couldn't bring herself to refuse.
Wen Tongfu couldn't bear to see his younger sister cry.
He broke free from Madam Lu and helped Wen Jinghao up, saying, "Sister, you know that I only have one legitimate son and two illegitimate daughters in my household."
"The second and third sisters have just come of age and are not yet engaged."
Wen Tongfu paused for a moment and then said, "Besides my second and third sisters."
"The fourth young lady in the manor turned fourteen yesterday, while the fifth and sixth young ladies are both thirteen, and will be fourteen in a few days."
Wen Tongwen frowned, especially when Wen Tongfu mentioned Wen Lingzheng.
He had a premonition in his heart until Wen Jing looked at him.
“My Li-ge’er is the eldest son, and Zheng-jie’er is my eldest brother’s eldest daughter.”
"Everyone says it's a marriage between relatives, so the two children have to be a perfect match in every way!"
Wen Jinghao's words drew boos from the entire room.
Wen Lingxiao, who had just forgotten that she had left her handkerchief inside the house, never expected that she would become an eavesdropper outside the wall.
As she listened to Wen Jinghao's words, the jealousy in her eyes distorted her beautiful face, and Qingyu, standing beside her, lowered her head in fear.
Suddenly, Wen Lingxiao saw the old woman who was delivering a message by the gate walk to the outside of Shou Kang Hall. She quickly composed herself and led Qingyu away through another path.
After listening to the old woman's words from the moon gate, Granny Ren turned around and went inside to report back.
The air pressure inside the room was frighteningly low.
Even the most clueless person could see Wen Tongwen's reluctance, but Wen Jinghao just wouldn't budge.
Seeing Granny Ren lift the curtain and enter, the tense atmosphere eased slightly. Old Madam Wen asked, "What's wrong?"
Granny Ren smiled and said, "It's Miss Pei from the Marquis of Dingbei's residence."
"They said they had important business to discuss with the Fourth Miss."
A note from the author:
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