Chapter 5: Arranging a Marriage

Chapter 5: Arranging a Marriage

Wei Xun lowered his gaze, his fingers idly tracing the rim of his cup, but he did not respond. Madam Wei sensed his continued reluctance, so she continued to plead with him earnestly.

"Your second brother’s health requires constant medication, so he can’t assist you in your career. Although your second sister-in-law can manage the household, it’s still not officially recognized. I’m old and won’t live for many more years. Must I pass away without seeing you settled with a family?"

Marquis Wei was stationed at the frontier, returning only once every few years. Madam Wei single-handedly raised the three Wei siblings.

Especially Wei Xun, who was the most filial. Noticing the strands of gray at his mother’s temples, he could no longer bring himself to refuse.

"Alright... I leave it entirely to your discretion, Mother."

Seeing her son finally relent, Madam Wei’s face lit up with joy.

"Good, good, good. I’ll have someone call for a matchmaker. Is there a particular family’s daughter you favor? Any preferences in looks or personality?"

As soon as she finished speaking, she realized she had asked the wrong person. If San Lang had a sweetheart, he wouldn’t have remained unmarried this long.

"The eldest daughter of the Prime Minister’s family is a few years younger than you, and her lineage is well-suited. I’ve seen her a few times at banquets—she’s as intelligent as she is lovely. Or the second daughter of the Minister’s family, her mother is Princess Huirong, and her pedigree is beyond reproach. Her older brothers are all accomplished, and once wed, they’ll be invaluable allies to you..."

Madam Wei listed several famous young ladies in the capital, feeling that each one was excellent, just waiting for her son to nod so she could send someone to propose.

"I defer to your judgment, Mother," Wei Xun replied indifferently.

"What do you mean 'I defer to your judgment'? This is your marriage. Once she enters our household, she’ll be responsible for raising heirs and overseeing the estate. Naturally, you should marry someone you like."

Wei Xun had no woman he liked, but when he heard about managing the household, the vision of A Yuan’s gentle, delicate features flashed through his thoughts, and his eyes flickered slightly.

"Lineage and looks are of no consequence, provided she is kind and generous-hearted."

"Kind and generous-hearted... Alright, I shall select with great care on your behalf."

Madam Wei didn’t think of A Yuan. San Lang had always been rational; how could a mere concubine sway a decision as significant as marriage?

However, the cold and rational Wei Xun she thought she knew had already let his mind wander to the ancestral hall.

Madam Wei was busy discussing with the maidservant which matchmaker in the capital was better, and she scarcely noticed if her son had broken his fast.

Seeing this, Wei Xun stood up and directed the maid to deliver the food box to Changyuan later, while he himself headed to the ancestral hall.

The ancestral hall was located behind the main house, with two sturdy maids guarding the entrance. When they saw Wei Xun approaching, they quickly bowed.

"Heir Apparent."

"Open the door."

Wei Xun’s voice was authoritative, and the maids dared not disobey, hurriedly opening the door to the ancestral hall.

In the dimly lit ancestral hall, A Yuan knelt on the ground, her back straight.

In front of her was a low table with ink, brushes, paper, and the Lotus Sutra placed on it. To the right were the completed scriptures, already forming a thick stack.

The wind blew in from all sides, and A Yuan’s hand holding the brush was frozen red.

Hearing the noise at the door, she turned her head and saw Wei Xun walking in, bathed in light.

"Heir... Heir Apparent?"

A Yuan resembled a child caught in mischief, her expression somewhat at a loss.

Wei Xun walked up to her, his gaze falling on her swollen hands.

"Didn't I exempt you from today's morning greeting?"

"You're kind to me, Young Master, but I cannot forget the rules."

She lowered her head, revealing a section of her snow-white neck, not daring to look up at Wei Xun.

In the Heir Apparent's eyes, she must be an ungrateful person.

Now that she was being punished, it was her own fault.

The concubine, delicate yet stubborn, Wei Xun tapped her forehead with his fingertip.

"You don't need to kneel, get up."

"But what about Madam Wei's orders?"

"What? You won't listen to me?"

"I wouldn't dare, Young Master."

Wei Xun's face turned cold, and A Yuan quickly stood up.

However, she had been kneeling for so long that her legs were stiff and numb, and she almost fell when she stood up.

Wei Xun's hand steadied her waist, his warm palm through her skirt, and A Yuan's ears flushed with a secret blush.

"Thank you, Young Master."

Wei Xun didn't pay attention to her shyness, his palm supporting her body as he asked, "Are you able to walk?"

"I... I think so."

A Yuan wasn't comfortable with closeness, even in private, but with the ancestral tablets of the Wei family watching, she endured the soreness in her legs and distanced herself from Wei Xun.

Wei Xun's brow furrowed slightly, displeased as he withdrew his hand.

"Come on, let's go."

The maids outside the door saw the two of them come out one after another and glanced at each other.

"What should we do?"

One of the maids wanted to step forward to stop them but was hurriedly pulled back by the other.

"Are you trying to lose your job by stopping the Heir Apparent?"

"But Madam Wei specifically told us to watch Lady Xie and not let her out until she finished copying the Lotus Sutra..."

They couldn't let her go without Madam Wei's permission.

"Look, Lady Xie belongs to the Heir Apparent's household. If he wants to take her away, can Madam Wei not let her go? Let's just act like we didn't see anything."

The maids hurried to the front courtyard to apologize to Madam Wei, but at this moment, Madam Wei was preoccupied with choosing a bride for Wei Xun, and upon hearing this, she waved them off without a second thought. However, Zhao Wan, returning from the kitchen, fumed when she heard Wei Xun had defended A Yuan and hurled a teacup to the ground in a fit of rage.

"That little hussy, always luring men in!"

"Madam, please, she's merely a concubine, don't let her upset you."

Zhao Wan's wet nurse, Nanny Chen, handed her a cup of hot tea and gently patted her chest to soothe her.

"With her seductive looks, someone will surely put her in her place sooner or later."

"I just can't stand it. These little minxes are always trying to seduce our masters. If it weren't for me keeping them in line, those two in our courtyard would have driven the second master to his death in bed."

Zhao Wan's hatred for A Yuan came from her inability to control her own husband.

Her father, Zhao Ping, was a minor official of the seventh rank. Given her family background, she should never have been able to marry into the marquis's family.

But Wei Cong was frail, and families of equal status were reluctant to let their daughters become widows. So, Madam Wei, hoping to bring good fortune to her son, chose Zhao Wan, who came from a humble family and was believed to be fertile.

She hoped Zhao Wan would bear many children for her son.

However, Wei Cong, who was so weak he would pant after walking just a few steps, was a lustful devil. He grew bored with Zhao Wan not long after marrying her.

He had no official duties, and Madam Wei indulged him, so he spent his days fooling around with his concubines in their chambers.

While managing the household, Zhao Wan also had to guard against the women in the rear courtyard, which turned her into a shrew.

Nanny Chen felt sorry for her mistress. If she had known Wei Cong was like this, her mistress would never have agreed to the marriage.

"Madam, that skinny concubine is just a plaything, nothing to fear. What you should watch out for is the future wife of the Heir Apparent. Right now, the Heir Apparent is unmarried, and you are in charge of the marquis's estate. But once the Heir Apparent's wife arrives, the authority to manage the household will be handed over."

Zhao Wan and the second branch of the family had their current status because she managed the household. If she lost that authority, the second branch and she would become marginalized in the marquis's household.

For Zhao Wan, who was accustomed to power, this was unbearable.

"So, what should we do, Nanny?"

Zhao Wan anxiously grabbed her wet nurse's hand, and a glint of cunning flashed in Nanny Chen's cloudy eyes.

"Therefore, the future wife of the Heir Apparent must be someone you can control... Our cousin is seventeen this year, and it's time to arrange her marriage."