Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Mrs. Pei froze, clutching the soft temari ball so tightly that her fingertips nearly sank into it. She drew a sharp breath, barely stopping herself from asking: *How do you know she’s good with children?*

Her thoughts whirled as she carefully reconstructed every moment of her encounter with Ming Tang earlier that day.

Now that she considered it, ever since her son had appeared, Fourth Miss Ming’s gaze hadn’t left him—until the emperor's summons took him to Kun Tower, that is...

Could it be that these two had already met before? They might even have seen each other recently. Otherwise, how would he have known about the temari ball, which only Fourth Miss Ming possessed?

Mrs. Pei composed herself and returned to the interrupted topic: “A few years ago, we might have put it off, but now, it’s becoming difficult.”

Her brow furrowed slightly. “You probably don’t realize how exhausting it was for me today, fielding all those matchmaking mothers with marriageable daughters.”

Pei Yue sighed helplessly. “A proper, sensible girl would do.” Then, after a brief pause, he added quietly, “In the future, I plan to have A Ze designated as heir.”

Mrs. Pei’s fingers trembled slightly as she looked at her youngest son, who'd been the most pampered as a child. Her heart clenched, but she couldn’t bring herself to refuse. “...Why go that far?”

She knew how much her second son had admired his elder brother and how deeply he cared for his nephew. But no matter what, she had never imagined he would consider this.

Both were her flesh and blood. Now that the second son had inherited the title, it was only natural for him to name his own child as heir in the future. Yet, thinking of the orphaned grandson who had lost his parents in infancy, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse.

A thought flashed through her mind—could it be that her son fancied Fourth Miss Ming, knowing childbearing might prove difficult, and thus planned to raise A Ze as his heir from the start?

If that were the case... it would indeed solve two problems at once.

Unaware of his mother's thoughts, Pei Yue, having spoken his mind, continued plainly, “Elder Brother was the rightful heir, and A Ze is the eldest grandson. Had Elder Brother not passed, the title would never have come to me. Making A Ze heir is only right.”

He lifted his gaze to meet his mother’s. “But this will trouble you. For A Ze to be named heir, I must either remain childless or marry someone truly understanding, willing to accept the family’s decision.”

A Ze was still young, and his mother was already in her fifties. If he married, A Ze would naturally be raised by him and his wife. Thus, his future wife must be selfless—otherwise, in the inner household, a mistress could work unseen harm on a child through countless means.

There had even been cases in noble families where grown heirs took falls from horses, injuring their legs and losing their claim to the heirship. Though suspicions arose afterward, everything appeared perfectly natural, with no trace of wrongdoing.

Pei Yue thought his logic flawless, unaware of the growing complexity in his mother’s gaze. After a long silence, Mrs. Pei murmured, “You’ve truly grown up, thinking so thoroughly.”

She absently smoothed the tassels in her hand, thinking of A Ze’s smiling face and the immense burden her son carried. If he simply wished to marry a woman he loved, why stand in his way?

Besides, though her son was often busy outside, Mrs. Pei kept some awareness of his whereabouts. Yet she couldn’t recall when he and Fourth Miss Ming might have met—showing how seriously he took this connection.

Resolved, Mrs. Pei took a quiet breath. “I know just the right girl,” she said with a smile. “Pretty to look at, even-tempered, and from a cautious family, who wouldn't interfere in weighty matters. Best of all, she gets along well with A Ze, and he's taken with her.”

“Who?” Pei Yue hadn’t expected his mother to propose someone so quickly and instinctively frowned.

He knew few noble daughters in the capital, but he suspected a suitable match fitting the Pei family’s circumstances would be exceedingly difficult to find. Was this some scheme of his mother's to trick him into marriage?

“The same one we were discussing—Fourth Miss Ming. What do you think?”

Mrs. Pei watched her son’s expression closely. Pei Yue went still momentarily, then nodded without hesitation. “A splendid choice. You’ve thought well, Mother.”

Their brief encounter in the mountains had left him with the impression that Fourth Miss Ming was independent-minded. Yet her resolve in obtaining a divorce proved her strong will. Moreover, hearing childbearing might prove difficult, and knowing A Ze had taken to her wonderfully, he believed she would treat the boy as his own.

Vice Minister Ming served in the Ministry of Rites, known for his prudence, and the Ming family had always upheld an impeccable reputation.

In every aspect, she was the perfect fit.

Before speaking, Mrs. Pei had held a sliver of hope that she might be mistaken. But seeing her son agree so readily, as if waiting for her to suggest it, she felt an unexpected sting of bitterness.

Though Fourth Miss Ming was commendable in many ways, did she merit such consideration from her son? Mrs. Pei admired the girl’s decisiveness, but as prospective family, she still found her lacking.

Gazing at her twenty-year-old son, whose demeanor was as clear and bright as the moon, Mrs. Pei privately thought no celestial beauty would suffice.

But if her son loved her, so be it.

Collecting herself, Mrs. Pei nodded. “Very well. I’ll arrange for someone to visit the Ming family soon, so we can settle this matter before the matchmakers descend.”

*

---

In Tranquil Abode, Ming Tang was reviewing accounts with Zhe Liu.

She flipped through the ledger with one hand while the other tapped the abacus, the steady click of beads filling the air.

Once Zhe Liu finished calculating and noted the figures, Ming Tang speared a cherry with a pick and held it to her lips. “Finally done. Listening to you work that abacus wore me out.”

Zhe Liu accepted it cheerfully, spitting the pit onto a small dish. “You tally sums quicker without counters, yet refuse to do it yourself, then complain about my slowness.”

Wen He rolled her eyes. “I’d love the honor of being waited on by the young lady just once.”

Ming Tang promptly looked up from the ledger, pressed Wen He down, and fed her a cherry as well. “There, there. No more of that.”

Blushing, Wen He stopped teasing and peered at the ledger, delighted. “It seems we’ve earned much more than last month.”

Naturally—thanks to the Dragon Boat Festival champion’s endorsement.

With entertainment scarce, this year’s festival, attended by the emperor and featuring a dramatic rescue, had generated far more talk than last year’s, making the advertising highly effective.

Estimating the investment’s returns, Ming Tang was thoroughly pleased.

The promotion had paid off.

After another glance at the numbers, she declared generously, “Everyone’s worked hard this month. Zhe Liu, inform Manager Cheng that all staff will receive an extra month’s wages.”

Bonuses were always welcome, and Zhe Liu agreed cheerfully.

Just then, a maid from Mrs. Ming’s courtyard arrived. After bowing, she delivered her message.

“Mother wants me at the main courtyard now?” Ming Tang glanced outside.

After the festival, the capital’s heat had intensified. The midafternoon sun blazed mercilessly—the hottest time of day.

Was something urgent happening?

After a quick check of her attire, Ming Tang rose and followed the maid to the main courtyard.

Though Tranquil Abode wasn’t far, and the path was shaded by trees, by the time she entered the hall, beads of sweat had formed on her forehead, her hair slightly damp at the temples.

Seeing this, Mrs. Ming regretted summoning her so hastily and quickly led her to the resting chamber, ordering another ice basin. She touched Ming Tang’s cheek. “Was the walk too much in this heat?”

The chamber was cool, the ice only half-melted. Ming Tang shook her head. “It was just a short walk. How could that overheat me?”

Sitting beside her mother, she grew more puzzled as Mrs. Ming hesitated in silence.

Being called at the day’s hottest hour suggested urgency—so why the hesitation now?

A realization struck Ming Tang: *If it’s an urgent matter concerning me, and Mother is this hesitant... it must be about marriage.*

Though her parents hadn’t spoken openly, Mrs. Ming’s sudden urgency around the festival had tipped her off—some unavoidable pressure was likely pushing them to arrange another match.

Having reincarnated in ancient times, Ming Tang had never planned to remain unmarried. She had once chosen the most suitable candidate within her parents’ preferences. Now, if they wished her to remarry, she had no objections—so long as the match was suitable.

Are the families proposing to the Mings just decent enough to consider, but flawed enough to give Mother pause?

"Parents arrange the first marriage, but my remarriage needs my say. Since Mother is hesitant, why not share it with me so I can offer my thoughts?"

Mrs. Ming smiled helplessly. "You always see right through me."

After collecting her thoughts, Mrs. Ming said softly, "Honestly, this proposal makes it impossible not to hesitate."

Ming Tang’s curiosity spiked.

Ever since they’d put out feelers after the Dragon Boat Festival that they were seeking a new husband for Ming Tang, Mrs. Ming had been receiving frequent visitors, which Ming Tang was aware of. She even knew the rough caliber of suitors. And based on her understanding of Mrs. Ming, those candidates would have been outright rejected by her.

Since when was there a "too-good-to-dismiss" option?

Mrs. Ming continued, "You won’t believe this." She glanced at Ming Tang. "It’s the Duchess of Dingguo herself, proposing marriage on behalf of the Heir to the Duke of Dingguo."

Seeing the shock in Ming Tang’s eyes, Mrs. Ming inexplicably felt a bit calmer. It wasn’t that she lacked composure—this candidate was truly unexpected.

Frankly, this match was far better than Mrs. Ming had imagined.

After all, for all Ming Tang’s qualities, she was still a remarried woman with rumors about her fertility. Most of the candidates presented to her recently were widowers with children, and matchmakers would even say, "Just right for your fourth girl." Mrs. Ming despised such remarks but couldn’t openly refute them, given societal norms, making her seethe silently.

Her husband had previously mentioned that while the memorial accusing him of "allowing his daughter to divorce, thus harming moral customs" had been dismissed by the Emperor, he still received a reprimand of "improper conduct."

Mrs. Ming had originally intended to take her time finding a good match for Ming Tang, or simply delay if none were suitable. But now, she had to expedite the process, yet struggled to find anyone satisfactory.

Now, a left-field candidate had appeared. While delighted, Mrs. Ming couldn’t shake her doubts.

After all, when things seem too good to be true, anomalies often signaled trouble. This candidate was so ideal that Mrs. Ming couldn’t help suspecting the Duke of Dingguo’s household had some hidden scandal, prompting them to rashly propose to Young Lady You.

Ming Tang could somewhat guess her mother’s thoughts—wavering between suspicion and FOMO.

After a brief pause, Ming Tang recalled her conversation with Mrs. Pei during the Dragon Boat Festival.

At the time, they hadn’t exchanged identities, so Mrs. Pei’s impression of "Fourth Miss Ming" would have been based solely on rumors. And those rumors branded her the dynasty’s first divorcee, a jealous wife in some eyes, and even one with fertility issues.

That she’d get an offer like this...

Ming Tang said calmly, "Since both Mother and I have doubts about this marriage, why not let’s grill the Dingguos in person to clarify things?"

"Marriage has always been a significant matter. They want me? They’d better have a damn good why. If, after discussing it, I believe I can fulfill the role, then why not agree?"

"If they aren’t even willing to meet, it suggests they lack sincerity in their proposal. In that case, we might as well reject it outright."

Beats stewing in maybes.