Chapter 2 Prepare for the Proposal

Chapter 2: Preparing for the Marriage Proposal

After the death of Yao Qixiang’s birth mother, Lady Ye, Deng Suiyin swiftly became the mistress of the Yao household, having borne a son. Initially, she naturally loathed her stepdaughter. Yet, over the years, her reputation for kindness and gentleness had been meticulously cultivated, making open mistreatment impossible.

Her cruelty, therefore, had to be subtle.

But Deng Suiyin couldn’t fathom it. She had framed Yao Qixiang, shifted blame, even poisoned her in fits of rage. Yet, no matter her schemes, Yao Qixiang always emerged unscathed, as if nothing had happened.

Further attempts would be too obvious. Deng Suiyin could only resort to veiled barbs. She couldn’t get rid of the girl, but every time Yao Qixiang looked at her, those dark, unblinking eyes would fix upon her with an unnerving coolness, sometimes even accompanied by a smile.

It sent shivers down Deng Suiyin’s spine. At times, she even felt as if Lady Ye’s spirit had possessed Yao Qixiang, lurking in the shadows, watching her every move…

Just like now. Deng Suiyin’s heart pounded with fear, and Yao Qixiang’s grip on her hand felt chillingly like that of a corpse.

"You… you…" Deng Suiyin’s voice trembled uncontrollably as she stared at Yao Qixiang, the fierce glint in her eyes now halved.

Yao Qixiang continued airily, "Or perhaps Mother overestimates me? Do you believe that even as a concubine, I could win such affection and be elevated to main wife, just like Mother? If so, Mother truly has too much faith in me."

She smiled. "Even if I had the audacity, I certainly lack such talent."

Deng Suiyin trembled with fury. This was sarcasm! What talent did Yao Qixiang lack? She was subtly calling her shameless!

"Fine, fine." Deng Suiyin nodded, her voice tight. "Since you refuse, I won’t force you. We’ll table this discussion for now. I’ll speak with your father in detail!"

She abruptly rose, thinking that Yao Qixiang hadn’t seen her father in over half a year. After all, Yao Qixiang lived under this roof, relying on her father for sustenance. Surely, she couldn’t be completely fearless even of this!

Yao Qixiang remained unmoving, seated firmly in her chair. "Mother, take care on your way out. And don’t forget to properly discuss my becoming a concubine with Father. If it’s true love, what’s there to fear about being a concubine?"

By the time the last word left her lips, Lady Deng had already hurried from the room into the courtyard. Yao Qixiang straightened her back, surveyed the newly arrived gifts in her room, then went to check on the two maidservants who had been beaten in the side chamber.

She paced silently around the room, making the two maids’ hearts pound with growing unease, before finally saying leisurely, "The kitchen in my courtyard is crude and lacks supplies, as you well know."

The two exchanged puzzled glances. Why was she suddenly talking about the kitchen’s condition?

"But no matter how crude, we’re never short of salt." Yao Qixiang smiled sweetly. "If you behave from now on, I’ll ensure you’re comfortable. If not… well, I’ll pack your wounds with salt. What do you say?"

Her words were light, yet the dangerous glint in her eyes sent chills down the spines of the two immobilized maidservants, whose faces instantly paled.

"My lady! We’ll never slack off again!"

Yao Qixiang nodded in satisfaction. "Good. If you break your word, I have countless ways to make you regret it."

She clapped her hands and left. These two maidservants weren’t particularly clever, nor were they quick with words—perfect to keep around. Moreover, Yao Qixiang had already memorized their routines.

If Lady Deng sent new ones under some pretext, it would only be more trouble.

Just as Yao Qixiang finished dealing with the maidservants, unbeknownst to her, shortly after Lady Deng left her courtyard, a visitor arrived at the Yao residence—someone seeking to propose marriage to the Yao family’s eldest legitimate daughter.

The visitor was from the Song family, a newly prominent family in recent years. Originally merchants in the silk trade, despite their wealth, they were still considered mere merchants. Unexpectedly, a talented son of a concubine emerged from their ranks, whose imperial examination essays displayed remarkable insight, capturing the Emperor’s attention. He was personally summoned for an audience and appointed to the Hanlin Academy.

When Deng Suiyin heard the news, she was dumbfounded. Staring at the visiting card in disbelief, she exclaimed, "The Song family!? With Song Shian’s bright future ahead of him, why would he squander it to marry a scandal-ridden Yao Qixiang?"

By the time she spoke these words, the Song family’s messenger had already left, leaving only her confidante Cigu by her side.

Cigu said, "The Song family has few connections in the capital. Perhaps they’re unaware of the Eldest Young Miss’s situation. Still, this union would be quite appropriate for our family."

"Of course it’s suitable!" Deng Suiyin frowned, recalling, "A few days ago, I took Cheng Bi to the Song family’s spring flower banquet and saw Song Shian in person. He was truly cultured and handsome—a man of great promise! How could such a fine match be bestowed upon Yao Qixiang?"

Cigu blinked, understanding dawning. "Madam, you mean…?"

"Hmph. That day, seeing how young and promising Song Shian was, I already thought of securing him for my Cheng Bi. Their status isn’t high enough to marry into noble families, after all. But Cheng Bi hasn’t yet reached marriageable age, so I saw no urgency. Who would’ve thought the Song family would be in such a hurry, not even bothering to investigate before proposing to Yao Qixiang?" Deng Suiyin’s voice grew thick with calculation. "By what right would Yao Qixiang marry such a man? If anyone should marry him, it’s my Cheng Bi."

Cigu hesitated. "But the Song family requested the eldest legitimate daughter…"

Deng Suiyin scoffed. "What kind of legitimate daughter is Yao Qixiang, a motherless child? My Cheng Bi is the true eldest legitimate daughter of the Yao family."

"Then, Madam, shall I send someone to inform the Song family?"

"No, not yet." Deng Suiyin shook her head. "This is a matter of great consequence. I must discuss it with the Master first."

Yao Zhenting, the head of the Yao family, held the position of Langzhong in the Ministry of Rites. With the spring sacrificial ceremonies approaching, the Ministry of Rites was overwhelmed with duties, delaying his return home.

But it wasn’t just the ceremonies—there was an even more pressing matter: the imperial examinations.

This year’s exams had been postponed. At the start of the new year, Emperor Jingcheng fell gravely ill, throwing the entire court into disarray. Edicts were being prepared in anticipation of the worst, but miraculously, Emperor Jingcheng slowly regained his strength and recovered.

The palace examination was provisionally set for September.

During Emperor Jingcheng’s convalescence, all court affairs were temporarily entrusted to Meng Fuwei, the Eldest Young Master of the Meng family, who oversaw the Three Departments. On the night before his collapse, Emperor Jingcheng seemed to have a premonition and had Meng Fuwei summoned to the palace under cover of night, additionally appointing him as Crown Prince Senior Tutor and entrusting the young Crown Prince Li Qing to his care.

From eunuchs to court officials, no one was surprised by this news. Though Meng Fuwei was not born of the imperial line, his mother, Yang Xi, was the beloved daughter of Princess Zhangping. Emperor Jingcheng held Princess Zhangping in exceptional favor. After her husband’s death, he brought her into the palace to care for her.

Unfortunately, Yang Xi met an early demise after giving birth to a son. The princess, inconsolable in her grief, often summoned Meng Fuwei to the palace to ease her sorrow, and Emperor Jingcheng also showed exceptional favor toward this young descendant.

Beyond personal affection, Meng Fuwei had accomplished the remarkable feat of topping the imperial examinations at all three levels, instantly bringing him great renown in the capital. On the day the palace examination results were announced, matchmakers all but wore down the Meng family’s doorstep—yet none even caught a glimpse of the Meng family’s members. That same year, Meng Fuwei assumed office in the Censorate, investigating corruption cases. He uncovered sixteen officials involved in illicit financial dealings, embezzlement, and smuggling, all of whom were reported to the Emperor and imprisoned.

First, he was a child the Emperor had watched grow up. Second, he had just taken office and already offended many court officials. His appointment to such an important role was only natural.

During Emperor Jingcheng’s convalescence, court affairs were temporarily handled by Meng Fuwei. The residual dread from his anti-corruption campaign kept the officials on edge.

Recently, however, a rumor had spread among the court officials—the Meng family’s Eldest Young Master, Meng Fuwei, was entering marriage negotiations.

No one knew where the rumor originated, but officials close to the Meng family had already confirmed it. Moreover, it was being arranged by the present matriarch of the Meng family, Lady Chang.

"Young Master."

A soft call interrupted the silence. A young man in a crane-blue robe bowed respectfully and said, "This subordinate has uncovered the reason. Meng Yuande has set his sights on the third daughter of Minister Shen and intends to propose. Lady Chang, unwilling to disregard the tradition of the eldest son marrying first, has begun selecting a match for you."

Dappled light filtered through the latticed window, casting shifting shadows across the desk. The last stroke of ink on the pale bamboo paper had yet to dry.

Meng Fuwei set down his wolf-hair brush and glanced indifferently at Tianlu, his expression unreadable. Tall and lean, the light did not reach his face, only illuminating a corner of his dark green sleeve embroidered with crimson tassels, making the fabric shimmer faintly.

Tianlu didn’t understand the meaning behind his master’s glance. Marriage was a matter that could be significant or trivial—did the Young Master truly not care at all? Still, the idea that the useless Meng Yuande dared to dream of marrying a minister’s daughter was laughable.

That scheming Chang Qiulan would do anything for her son. Who knew what kind of marriage she’d arrange for the Young Master? Given Tianlu’s understanding of her, it certainly wouldn’t be anything good.

After a moment of contemplation, Tianlu finally heard a cold inquiry: "What of the task I assigned you?"

Tianlu bowed. "All is settled. Yun Tao is overseeing it. There won’t be any mistakes."

"Then it’s fine." Meng Fuwei reached out and tapped a stack of memorials. "Deliver these to the Crown Prince. Have him review them."

"Yes."

As Tianlu left the study and passed by the Songyan Hall, he had no intention of eavesdropping, but his sharp ears caught a snippet: "The Yao family is a scholarly household. This old servant has met their second daughter—gentle and demure. I’ve already inquired with the Yao family’s Lady Deng. That girl…"

The mention of the Yao family’s daughter made Tianlu raise an eyebrow. He didn’t know her temperament, but the Yao family was only a fifth-rank household.

Chang Qiulan, that scheming woman, was clearly up to no good!

His thoughts churned, but the rest of the conversation was too hushed to hear. The last thing he caught was Lady Chang’s final words: "Then prepare for the marriage proposal."