Chapter 79 Remarrying
Not two days later, Madam Rong came to Lanxiang Residence alone to chat with Bai Hua about her feelings.
Elders don't visit unless there's a specific reason. When an elder comes to see a younger person, it's either to give them some advice or to discuss something important. Madam Rong is the second type; she came to discuss Rong Linyan's marriage.
Bai Hua was not surprised.
Madam Rong entered the room, sat down gracefully, and faced Bai Hua.
Before speaking, Madam Rong glanced at Xiao You, signaling her to leave the room temporarily and wait outside.
Xiao You was unwilling, but she had no choice but to obey. Before leaving, she nervously glanced at Bai Hua, her eyes reminding the girl to speak properly later, so as not to suffer a loss.
Bai Hua nodded slightly in response.
After Xiao You left behind closed doors, Madam Rong went straight to the point.
With a kind expression, she spoke softly, "Hua'er, I wonder how much of what's been going on outside lately you've heard. Some of the words are quite vulgar, so don't take them to heart. Those gossipy women and street thugs are spreading rumors and slandering innocent people like us. Your uncle and cousin are equally indignant and have already taught a few of the troublemakers a lesson. In the future, those false rumors and offensive words will gradually disappear, so don't worry about it."
Bai Hua nodded and replied, "My cousin has made a name for himself in the arena, and his future looks bright. It's inevitable that he will attract jealousy from all sides. Don't worry, Aunt, I won't be swayed by those words. I will be completely loyal to my cousin and help him go further in his career."
Madam Rong smiled with satisfaction, stroking Bai Hua's hand, and said, "Hua'er is sensible. Although she is young, she comforts me more than your two older cousins. I wish I could start preparing for your marriage to Lin Yan right now, so that we could become even closer relatives, which is what we agreed on before. But I never expected that your cousin would cause so much trouble just as he was starting his career. Alas..."
Madam Rong stopped abruptly halfway through her sentence, sighed, and a worried expression appeared on her face, making her wrinkles even more pronounced.
Bai Hua smoothly picked up the conversation and asked, "Is Aunt worried because Miss Yang has taken a liking to my cousin?"
"I knew I couldn't keep this from you..." Madam Rong sighed, her voice trembling with difficulty. "Hua'er, the only daughter-in-law your aunt has ever considered is you. But right now, Lin Yan hasn't been appointed by the Grand General, and General Yang is a minister highly regarded by the Grand General. At this crucial moment, we absolutely cannot afford to offend the Yang family. If that Miss Yang was just acting on a whim, we could let things slide. But who would have thought that yesterday, General Yang would meet with Lin Yan in private, his words half persuasion and half threat, clearly intending to forcefully push through this marriage."
This was news that Xiao You hadn't heard. Bai Hua was hearing it for the first time, and while it was somewhat novel, it didn't cause any significant emotional reaction.
But she still had to maintain appearances; at the very least, she couldn't appear too indifferent or unresponsive in front of her aunt, lest it arouse suspicion.
Bai Hua frowned slightly, feigning panic and helplessness: "Then, what should we do? How can General Yang be so unreasonable and force us into marriage? Aunt, we are in the right. Do you think we can go to the Grand General and plead for leniency? If we can get the Grand General to intervene, perhaps there is still room for maneuver."
Madam Rong shook her head: "I'm afraid that's not appropriate. Lin Yan has just gained the favor of the Great General. How can we invite trouble for him before he has even shared the burden of his master? Moreover, General Yang is the Great General's right-hand man. Even if he acts domineeringly, the Great General will probably turn a blind eye to it and may not necessarily side with Lin Yan."
Bai Hua lowered her head, looking aggrieved, and asked softly, "This is so troublesome, what are your plans, cousin?"
Seeing Bai Hua's pretty face looking gloomy, Madam Rong tightened her grip on her hand and then fluently delivered her prepared speech: "Hua'er, your aunt will definitely not let you suffer. Even if we are powerless to resist the marriage with the Yang family, your aunt will not let you be treated as a concubine. I will do my best to help you get the position of equal wife, and you will never be inferior to that official's daughter of the Yang family, okay?"
Bai Hua pursed her lips, remaining silent.
Auntie makes it sound so easy. How could she, an orphan with no parents and no one to protect her, dare to sit on equal footing with the daughter of a general?
The statement that "equal status" is just lip service is probably just empty talk. Everyone knows how to treat people differently depending on their status. How could others truly respect her as much as they respect Miss Yang?
At that time, whether it's the servants of the Rong family, or the aunt, uncle, and two cousins, they will probably be more nervous about each other.
Bai Hua saw it clearly and refused to accept it.
More importantly, she no longer had any intention of marrying her cousin. Even if she were to enter the mansion as a concubine, with two wives entering at the same time, or even if her cousin were to welcome her into the mansion in a grand procession with eight sedan chairs, Bai Hua would still be unwilling.
Her aunt was still waiting for her to speak, her gaze as gentle as ever, not pressuring her, but those previous words praising her for being sensible had undoubtedly put her on a pedestal.
The Rong family wanted both; on the one hand, they were reluctant to give up the opportunity to befriend prestigious families, and on the other hand, they wanted to gain a reputation for being kind-hearted and taking care of their deceased sister's orphaned daughter. They were indeed somewhat greedy.
Before coming to Lanxiang Residence, Aunt must have carefully considered her words for a long time. However, all that effort was unnecessary. Even if Aunt directly denied the marriage agreement, she had no intention of getting involved, nor would she stop her cousin from marrying into a powerful family.
So Bai Hua said, “I know my aunt loves me and is sincere to me, but if I really marry into the Yang family, the Yang family will definitely harbor resentment. I don’t want to see my cousin and aunt in a difficult position. At this critical moment, I am willing to take a step back for my cousin’s career, to fulfill Miss Yang’s wishes, and to give my cousin a chance to catch his breath. Once he has established himself in the officialdom, we can talk about our matter. That would be the proper way.”
Madam Rong looked at Bai Hua with surprise in her eyes and asked incredulously, "Hua'er... are you really willing to suffer this injustice?"
Bai Hua: "I'm not aggrieved. Only if my cousin's career goes smoothly can our family be well. My aunt may not know that my brother has been framed and is currently imprisoned in the capital. He urgently needs my cousin's help to get out of trouble. I will not disregard the overall situation for my own selfish reasons. Aunt, I hope that my cousin's career will be successful and that I can reunite with my brother soon."
Making the difficult decision to temporarily set aside marriage out of consideration for family ties and compromise by agreeing to share a husband with another woman is a tough one.
Madam Rong had no doubts and said with heartache, "You are a sensible child. Don't worry, Shu'an's matter is the Rong family's matter. Lin Yan will keep it in mind. Once he establishes a connection with Jingqi, he will definitely help Shu'an get justice and out of trouble as soon as possible."
Bai Hua's eyes were moist: "Thank you, Aunt."
...
After seeing her aunt off, Bai Hua picked up a handkerchief and wiped her eyes. Originally, she was not good at pretending, but after her experience on Xianyang Mountain, she had become skilled and could now easily get teary-eyed and shed tears.
Dealing with one person takes a lot of talking, but unexpectedly, that same evening, her cousin also came to her door, saying he wanted to have a heart-to-heart talk with her.
Bai Hua had no choice but to continue dealing with it.
Since her cousin's victory in the ring, Bai Hua hasn't seen him at home often. He's been too busy to come. Tonight's meeting is the first time the two have seen each other privately since the ring ended.
Bai Hua appeared calm and composed, while Rong Linyan seemed hesitant to speak, and after sitting down opposite her, he appeared somewhat uncomfortable.
Rong Linyan spoke up: "My mother came looking for you this afternoon."
When he said this, his face showed no trace of the high spirits he had displayed a few days ago; instead, it was filled with worry.
Bai Hua replied, "Mm."
Rong Linyan's voice was a little urgent and hoarse as he said, "Her meaning is not my meaning, Hua'er. I only have you in my heart. I don't care about General Yang's daughter. I only care about you! But now everyone is advising me to marry Miss Yang first and then discuss everything else. Hua'er, the higher I climb... the less I can control myself..."
His emotions were turbulent, and his eyes were red.
Bai Hua faced him and belatedly noticed the smell of alcohol. Upon closer inspection, she became even more certain.
My cousin had a few drinks, but not too many, so he wasn't very drunk.
Bai Hua: "Cousin, you're drunk. Let's talk about this tomorrow."
Rong Linyan waved his hand: "I did drink, but my mind is perfectly clear! Hua'er, are you blaming me? Blaming me for being incompetent, blaming me for not keeping my promise... I really want to marry you. From the first time I saw you as a child, marrying you as my wife has been my presumptuous wish. Hua'er, wait for me, wait for me a little longer, until I am strong enough, until I have enough wings to fly, until no one can control my thoughts anymore. I don't care about General Yang or Grand General Wang, I only care about you..."
As he became more intoxicated, his speech became increasingly slurred and his words increasingly dangerous.
Fearing he might say something disrespectful again, Bai Hua quickly instructed Xiao You to go to Chenxiang Garden to inform her aunt.
Soon, two trusted maids from Madam Rong's side came over and took Rong Linyan's arms on either side, trying to pull him away.
Rong Linyan refused to cooperate and stubbornly persisted. The strength of a grown man was indeed greater than that of several frail old women, and the two sides reached a stalemate.
Worried about causing a bigger commotion, Bai Hua deliberately took advantage of Rong Linyan's drunkenness and lied to him, saying, "Cousin, you should go back first. I am willing to follow Aunt's arrangements and go to the mansion with Miss Yang. The night is cool and the wind is blowing. Don't hurt yourself after drinking."
Sure enough, as soon as these words were spoken, Rong Linyan's struggle gradually weakened.
He pulled several old women along as he staggered forward to Bai Hua, his eyes fixed on her as he asked, "Really? Hua'er... are you really willing?"
Bai Hua nodded and again urged him to go back.
Rong Linyan's eyes lit up with joy, his gaze sparkling. His previous dejection vanished, and he regained his spirits.
He was willing to cooperate, and seeing this, the two maids from Chenxiang Garden quickly nodded to Bai Hua and quietly took the young master away.
...
Half a month later, Rong Linyan held a grand wedding in Jiling.
The wedding was rushed, but General Yang was not concerned with formalities. He said that his daughter's wishes were the most important thing, and he even suggested that there was no need to go back to the capital. He suggested that everything should be kept simple and that the wedding should be held according to the local wedding customs of Jiling.
The Yang family came from a military background, so it was normal for them to act unconventionally. When the wedding date was first announced, people did gossip about it, but soon everyone was envious of Rong Linyan's good fortune. He had just gained the favor of the Great General Wang, and now he was favored by a noblewoman—truly a double blessing, a true winner in life!
In Jiling City, it's rare to see someone so illustrious in a century.
However, Rong Linyan was not as smug as everyone thought.
He was of low status and his voice carried little weight, and the Rong family had even less say. They could offer no advice on the marriage, nor did they have the right to object, so they obeyed everything, though they were not entirely happy about it.
There was only one point that Rong Linyan made clear to the Yang family beforehand: he could marry Miss Yang, but on the condition that his cousin also marry into the family, not as a mistress or concubine, but as a noble lady, occupying the position of a wife of the same wife. If they agreed, the marriage would be successful; if not, he would swear to never comply.
Finally, the Yang family relented and allowed both women to enter the house on the same day, much to Rong Linyan's delight.
On the actual day, the entire city of Jiling was exceptionally lively, with gongs and drums resounding and firecrackers exploding. The wedding procession, dressed in red, was incredibly flamboyant, stretching from one end of the street to the other, giving the Yang family the grandest honor.
Rong Linyan, dressed in a red robe and wearing a beaded crown, sat high on his horse at the head of the procession. His posture was upright, his gaze forward, calm and undisturbed. Although his face showed no joy at the occasion, to passersby, he still appeared infinitely splendid.
The chatter was deafening, but the surroundings were so chaotic and noisy that people weren't worried about the conversations reaching Rong Linyan's ears.
"Look how smug he is! He brought a bride in with great fanfare, and he's secretly keeping another one at home. Marrying two beauties in one day, what kind of good fortune is that?"
"What's there to envy? I heard that Miss Yang used to have a terrible temper, but now I don't know what kind of spell Rong Linyan has cast on her, she's actually willing to lower herself and agree to be a co-wife with his cousin. She's really changed her ways. When Miss Yang's temper returns, the Rong family will definitely be in turmoil and their world will be turned upside down."
"Tsk... Could there be something fishy about this? Is it really because the Yang family is military men who don't follow the usual customs that they're rushing to get married so quickly? They're not even going back to their hometown in the capital, and they're in such a hurry to prepare their daughter's dowry. It's really strange. There's no precedent for this. The weddings of Miss Yang's older sisters were all held in a grand and proper manner."
"Alright, let's stop acting like the magistrate is in court and solving a case right here. Even if there's something fishy going on, it has nothing to do with us brothers. The procession has gone far away, so let's stop craning our necks to watch. Let's go, let's go have a drink."
"Let's go, let's go have a drink."
As the wedding procession moved further away, pedestrians at the street corner gradually dispersed.
The fewer people gathered around, the more prominent and conspicuous the few young people standing in the middle of the street became.
They had just entered the city and were walking along the main road when they came across this commotion. When they saw Rong Linyan dressed in red and sitting high on his horse, they immediately became alert and quietly dispersed into the crowd. They then remained silent and observed him in secret.
After listening to the discussions of passersby, everyone's gazes simultaneously focused on the man in white.
The latter remained silent for a long time, without saying a word, but his expression was unfriendly, clearly hiding his emotions.
Jiuqiu took the initiative to speak up, trying to ease the atmosphere: "Guo Zhong stayed in the city to guard the city. He must know what's going on. Young master, don't be anxious. There might be a misunderstanding."
Chen Fu chimed in, "A Qiu is right. What you hear isn't always true. There's a lot of hearsay and rumors. Since Miss Bai has made a promise with the young master, she will definitely keep her word and won't marry someone else casually."
"Let's go back first." Ning Jue's tone was indifferent, his expression blank, making it impossible to discern his true emotions.
He strode forward, but after taking only two steps, he stopped and turned to instruct Chen Fu, "Go to the Rong residence and find out what's going on."
Chen Fu accepted the order: "Yes!"
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