Each takes a step back
Tang Feng returned home and carefully considered what Zhang Mobai had told him at noon. If Zhou Ziliang had truly done as Zhang Mobai said, then the plan to force Zhou Ziliang to annul the engagement was essentially doomed to failure. Thinking of this, Tang Feng felt a headache coming on. His carefully devised plan had come to nothing, and he had no better solution. The engagement was fast approaching, and he didn't even have a way to postpone it.
"Xiao Feng, what are you thinking about!" Qin Jiujiu sat down next to Tang Feng, clutching her clothes. "I've seen you sitting here all afternoon without moving an inch. Is something on your mind? Tell your sister!"
"Oh, what could possibly be wrong with me? Don't overthink it, Sister Jiu. Why are you carrying so many clothes?" Tang Feng didn't want Qin Jiujiu to get involved in this matter anymore, and fearing she would worry, he changed the subject.
"It's because Liu Liu has been at school these past few days! She's been so naughty, insisting on picking wild strawberries in the woods. She was up until evening, barely picking any strawberries, but her clothes were all torn. I figured I'd mend them anyway, so I just took out some of Liu Liu's old clothes that she couldn't wear anymore and mended them too." After a while, Qin Jiujiu noticed Tang Feng wasn't paying attention to her. Looking up, she saw him lost in thought and chuckled, "I know you're still thinking about that engagement, but you don't need to hide it from me. My godfather asked me a few days ago how you've been, and I told him I dared to release you from the ancestral hall. He didn't say anything; he cares about you. You should talk to him properly another day." Qin Jiujiu quickly finished mending a garment, checking it against the sunlight, afraid there might be any gaps in the repair.
Tang Feng did want to talk to his father, but he didn't know what to talk about. He didn't even need to go; he knew his father would never agree to annul the engagement, and he himself wouldn't accept it. The conversation would inevitably end in endless arguments, and his father would get angry and give him twenty lashes, then lock him in a dark room—it would be a vicious cycle! Tang Feng lay on the stone table, watching Qin Jiujiu sitting there mending clothes. "I do want to talk to my father, but how?" Tang Feng's words were bitter. Since the arranged marriage, he had tried many methods, but none had worked.
"Be careful with your words and actions, and advance by retreating." Qin Jiujiu bit off the loose thread on her clothes, put the needle back in the sewing box, and said, "The arranged marriage is a small matter, but my future is a big deal. Don't let a small thing cause me to lose the big one! Alright, I won't talk to you anymore. It's getting late. If you're free, go pick up Liu Liu from school for me. That child hasn't seen you for days and keeps saying she misses you." After saying that, she took the clothes and went into the house.
Qin Jiujiu's earlier suggestion of "retreating to advance" was something Zhang Mobai had also said to him that morning. "Retreating to advance... but what am I going to use to retreat?" Tang Feng stood up and shook his head. He was truly at a loss for words. Forcing a conversation with the old man might only damage their relationship. It was better to ignore him for now and allow himself some time to calm down.
After thinking it through, Tang Feng went back inside to change his clothes and then planned to go out to pick up Qin Liuliu from school. He had just stepped out of the house when he ran into Liu Yiwan, who was returning home.
"Young Master, are you going out?"
Tang Feng glanced at Liu Yiwan and said, "I'm going to pick up Liu Liu. What about you? Where have you been at this hour?"
"Alas, the old Marquis has been asking about your marriage these past two days, and I heard that you were stammering and hesitant in your answers, not daring to give a proper explanation. It's because the old Marquis is angry that you asked me to go to the market and buy some things to send to him as an apology."
After listening, Tang Feng lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment before asking, "My father hasn't agreed to marry that old Marquis Zhou yet."
"That's right! If you won't budge, the master won't dare to make the decision either. A few days ago, Miss Jiu told the master about your suicide attempt in the ancestral hall. I can tell that the master is afraid."
"Okay, go pick Qin Liuliu up from school. I have something to do. Oh, and remember to buy Liuliu a candied hawthorn skewer; he loves it." With that, she pushed Liu Yiwan towards the door.
"Huh? Young Master, aren't you going by yourself?"
"Tsk~ I have something to do!" After saying that, Tang Feng shut Liu Yiwan out and went into the inner room to pick up paper and pen and start writing:
Fish follow the water and grass to live, birds choose good trees to perch on, and today I, Tang Feng, am seeking a spouse who follows the water and grass and chooses a good tree. If she is worthy of my attention, takes my hand, and grows old with me, I will be eternally grateful. I hope all friends will spread this message widely.
Tang Feng put down his brush, picked it up, blew the ink off it, tucked it into his robes, and went to the Zhang residence to find Zhang Mobai.
"This is... a personal ad?" Zhang Mobai opened the note Tang Feng handed him.
"That's right. In the next couple of days, you should hurry up and find a copyist for me to write as many copies as possible, so we can distribute them throughout the city."
After listening, Zhang Mobai read Tang Feng's marriage advertisement again. "Little brother, are you planning to use a strong medicine before retreating to advance? So, about today's blind date..."
"Send it out simultaneously, a two-pronged approach."
Okay! I'll do as you say.
Within days, Zhang Mobai plastered Tang Feng's marriage advertisements all over the streets. Coupled with the rumors of matchmaking at the teahouse behind Mingde Tower a couple of days earlier, the news that Tang Feng was defying his arranged marriage to get married spread like wildfire throughout the city. The threshold of the Tang family mansion was practically worn down by matchmakers coming and going. Originally, Master Tang had wanted to gloss over the matter, but he was suddenly thrust into the eye of the storm.
"Oh, have you heard? The other day, the young master of the Tang Dynasty historian's family posted a marriage advertisement on the bulletin board."
"Oh, I heard that young Master Tang is already engaged?"
"My husband said he wants to call off the engagement! Who knows what's wrong with him this time? His son has always been a bit abnormal! It's such a waste for the young marquis to have married him."
"Tsk tsk tsk..."
Liu Yiwan was walking down the street when she overheard several women gossiping about Tang Feng's annulment of the engagement while picking out vegetables. Thinking she should confront them, she walked over directly.
"Hey, what are you doing!" One of the women, seeing that Liu Yiwan seemed to have come with ill intentions, straightened her back, put her hands on her hips, and looked ready to fight.
Liu Yiwan initially wanted to argue, but then she thought that these were illiterate peasant women, and reasoning with them was futile. If she tried to argue, she would only make things worse for Tang Feng. It was better to ignore them and tell Tang Feng when she got back. Liu Yiwan smiled and said, "Nothing much, I just came to buy a couple of cucumbers. Please make way, ladies."
By the time Liu Yiwan returned home, it was almost noon. Carrying a bag of cucumbers, she headed straight for the backyard. As soon as she entered, she saw Tang Feng lying on a rocking chair, resting with his eyes closed. "Young Master! Don't lie there. Everyone at the market outside is talking about your marriage proposal. Should I go and find out who wrote it?"
"What are you investigating! I wrote that!"
"Huh?" Liu Yiwan's eyes widened in disbelief. "Why are you doing this? The rumors are spreading like this. What will happen if the old Marquis finds out!"
"I want him to know that this matter will escalate for a few more days. Go and find me some brambles in the next couple of days, and then smooth out all the thorns."
What are you trying to do?
"He's offering a humble apology! Isn't that obvious?" Tang Feng turned to Liu Yiwan, raising an eyebrow. "This matter has been dragging on and off for almost two months; it's time for it to finally settle down."
Two or three more days passed, and seeing that things were escalating, Tang Feng summoned Liu Yiwan and said, "Go and bring the brambles we prepared a few days ago, and then prepare a carriage for me. I'm going to the Marquis's mansion to apologize with brambles on my back."
"Alright, as you requested, all the thorns on the brambles have been removed."
Tang Feng picked up the thorny branch and examined it carefully. Then he turned and went back into the house to change into a black, fitted casual outfit. Usually, Tang Feng wore a wide-sleeved robe, which made him look a bit clumsy. Today, without the heavy robe, he looked much more agile. Apart from a jade pendant, he wore no other jewelry.
"Let's go!" After saying that, Tang Feng picked up the brambles and got into the carriage.
Liu Yiwan followed beside the carriage and asked in a low voice, "Young Master, are you sure this is alright? What if the Old Marquis gets angry? Wouldn't that be a loss?"
Tang Feng remained silent, gambling on whether Zhou Wuhai would soften his heart. After crossing two or three streets, the carriage stopped. Tang Feng turned and lifted the curtain, looking up to see the three large characters "Marquis's Residence" prominently displayed on the mahogany plaque above. He rose to get out of the carriage, and Liu Yiwan rushed to help him, but Tang Feng pushed away Liu Yiwan's outstretched hand and jumped down himself. He took out a bundle of thorns from the carriage, walked to the gate of the Marquis's Residence, took off his upper garment, slung the bundle of thorns over his shoulder, and, after confirming that he was in the right place, knelt down abruptly and shouted, "Uncle Zhou, your junior Tang Feng has come to apologize!"
Tang Feng's actions were so sudden and abrupt that Liu Yiwan was completely stunned. In broad daylight, her young master was kneeling outside like that? She quickly went to help him up, saying, "Young Master, there are so many people on the street, it's not appropriate for you to kneel like that! Besides, the midday sun is so strong, you're going to get heatstroke."
"If you're going to put on an act, then do it properly. Stay away from me," Tang Feng pushed Liu Yiwan aside and continued, "Uncle Zhou, this junior, Tang Feng, has come to apologize to you."
About an hour passed. Liu Yiwan was tired of standing, and the scorching sun made Tang Feng feel dizzy. Just as Tang Feng was about to close his eyes and fall asleep, the door of the Marquis's mansion opened.
"Young master, please come inside! The Marquis is waiting for you in the main hall!" An old man helped Tang Feng up and led him into the mansion, saying as they walked, "Young master, how have you been lately?"
"It's alright, it's alright," Tang Feng echoed, while looking around the Marquis's mansion. It was very grand, much larger than the Tang family's residence. After looking around for a while, Tang Feng headed towards the side gate.
"Oh dear, young master, why are you heading towards the side rooms? That's where the servants go. You should take the main road," the old butler pointed to the opposite side.
"Oh, I'm sorry! This is my first time here," Tang Feng said with an embarrassed smile.
"You're joking. How could this be your first time here?"
After passing through several corridors, they finally arrived at the main hall. The old butler told Tang Feng to wait outside while he went in to report. After the old butler went in, Tang Feng looked up at the green-veined paint on the corridor walls, silently rehearsing his words, afraid that he might say something wrong and displease Zhou Wuhai by bringing forward the wedding date.
"Young Master, my lord invites you in, so I won't follow you." He then bowed to Tang Feng.
Tang Feng walked in and immediately saw the Marquis sitting in the main hall, about the same age as his father, but more imposing and less gentle than the old man. His eyes were piercing, perhaps from his battlefield experience, and still held a hint of fierceness. Tang Feng showed no fear, lifted his robes, and knelt down. "Uncle Zhou, this junior, Tang Feng, has come to apologize to you."
The old marquis remained silent for a long time, simply sitting there with his teacup in his hand, not taking a sip. Tang Feng knew the old marquis was angry; after all, he had made this matter known throughout the city, and the old marquis was somewhat embarrassed. Tang Feng remained kneeling without getting up. After a while, the old marquis spoke, "You said you came to apologize, but why have you been kneeling there for so long without saying a word?"
"Uncle Zhou, I don't know how to begin."
"You may say so."
"Uncle Zhou," Tang Feng bowed again. "My love for Ziliang is known to all, but it's also common knowledge that Ziliang doesn't love me. Before, I was young and naive, going so far as to petition the Emperor for a marriage decree. For my own selfish desires, I forced Ziliang to submit to his fate, and I have wronged him. The recent marriage advertisement and the teahouse blind date caused quite a stir, embarrassing Uncle Zhou and my father; that too was my fault. Although my methods were wrong, I truly don't want to force Ziliang to marry me anymore. His unhappiness is my own torment. These past few days I've been restless, but I've finally thought it through. I will bear the consequences of my own actions, and I will not back out of this marriage. I don't want to disappoint Uncle Zhou and my father's good intentions; but I also don't want to embarrass Ziliang. Therefore, I hope you and my father can give us some time to adjust. If it is truly destined, we can tie the knot then; it won't be too late."
Tang Feng spoke at length, his tone neither humble nor arrogant, his words brimming with sincerity. Zhou Wuhai carefully considered Tang Feng's words. Indeed, as he said, his son didn't like Tang Feng, and his agreement to the marriage was merely a matter of parental arrangement and matchmaker's words. Tang Feng was also the son of his close friend; if the marriage were to cause unhappiness between the two families, it would be a great loss. Now, Tang Feng's suggestion to postpone the marriage was a way to save face and avoid embarrassment. Moreover, Tang Feng's suggestion of giving them time to adjust wasn't unreasonable. His son was away guarding the border for many years, and the two rarely saw each other. If they could spend more time together at Lishan Academy, wouldn't the matter be settled then?
"Ahem... You said you'd give us time, but there has to be a limit! We can't spend our whole lives trying to get along and never getting married!"
"We've thought it over! We're still young and don't understand love. Please give us five years; we can slowly try to accept each other."
"Okay! Five years, right? I agree." Zhou Wuhai nodded, finally showing a smile. The timeframe was set; Tang Feng had not only given him a way out but also willingly taken the blame. This kid is responsible, thoughtful, and knows his place—quite different from before.
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