Chapter 4

Xi Yue was right. The western chamber where Madam Xu spent her daily life was indeed filled with a joyful and harmonious atmosphere.

Madam Xu kept saying, “My child, your mother knew you would make us proud.”

Contrary to what others might assume, Wangyue’s outing this time was truly just for leisure. She neither had the tenacity to still harbor illusions at this point, nor the audacity to stir up trouble when her wedding date was imminent. She simply didn’t want to stay at home, waiting like a prisoner awaiting execution for the Pingjiang Earl’s family to come and finalize the marriage arrangements.

Yet this unintended action proved more effective than deliberate efforts.

Madam Xu’s hopes for her daughter’s upward social mobility, which had seemed dead, now sprang back to life like grass seeds in the spring breeze. Sitting by the kang beside her daughter, she eagerly wanted her to repeat every detail ten times over.

Wangyue reclined against a large pillow, half-lying and half-sitting, her face slightly pale—she had indeed caught a chill. While Ying Yue had been punished by Madam Xu to stand for over an hour in the morning, shivering from the cold, Wangyue had stood for about the same time at the Marquis of Longchang’s residence. However, it wasn’t as punishment but because she was delayed by Young Master Cen, who stopped her to talk.

Young Master Cen was not one to disregard the feelings of a delicate beauty. He had invited her into a Flower Pavilion, but Wangyue dared not accept. At this critical juncture, her mind was clearer than ever, and she preferred to speak with him outside.

“You did the right thing,” Madam Xu praised her repeatedly. “A proper young lady wouldn’t casually be alone with a man in a room. If you had gone, he might have looked down on you. By refusing, you showed your dignity.”

Wangyue smiled faintly, pressing her lips together. “Mother, I know.”

Madam Xu wanted to hear more, and Wangyue was eager to tell. She elaborated, “Young Master Cen asked several times, but I declined each time. He wasn’t the least bit upset and stayed outside with me. I noticed his face was reddened by the wind. When I urged him to go back, he refused and even took off his overcoat to drape over me.”

Madam Xu had already heard this twice but listened with rapt attention, asking for the third time, “Did Young Master Cen really say he would propose?”

Wangyue nodded shyly. Her slightly upturned eyes and striking features gave her a somewhat imperious air even without makeup—a flaw in her beauty, as her charm could turn fierce when angered.

But Madam Xu saw no fault in her daughter. She couldn’t stop smiling. “With such beauty, no wonder Young Master Cen was smitten at first sight! Had you met earlier, this match might have been made long ago!”

“Mother!” Wangyue protested coyly. “Don’t forget, Young Master Cen was married before. It wouldn’t have mattered even if we had met.”

Young Master Cen, four years older than Wangyue, had married years ago. But his wife was ill-fated, dying last year during childbirth after struggling to deliver a son.

At this reminder, Madam Xu sobered slightly and sighed. “If only she hadn’t left behind—”

Wangyue’s eyes flickered, cutting her off. “Mother, don’t say that.”

“We can talk freely within our own family, what’s there to fear?” Madam Xu dismissed the concern but still stopped at her daughter’s urging, shifting the topic instead. “Does Young Master Cen know you’re already betrothed?”

Wangyue nodded. “It’s been set for so many years, of course he’s heard of it. But,” a proud look flashed in her eyes, “he said he doesn’t care. As long as our family breaks it off, he’ll come to propose immediately.”

Madam Xu exclaimed joyfully, “Really? Will the Marquis and Marchioness agree to this?”

“He said since this is his second marriage, he can decide for himself. He wants to marry someone he truly likes.” Wangyue’s pale cheeks flushed faintly. “He even worried I might mind being a second wife, but I told him I’ve never cared about such superficial titles—”

Seeing her pause, Madam Xu pressed eagerly, “What else did he say?”

“What else could there be?” Wangyue fidgeted shyly. “Mother, it was my first time meeting him. How could I say much? It’s not like I could firmly agree on the spot—what kind of person would that make me?”

Madam Xu was momentarily taken aback. “—That’s true.”

In fact, this progress was already astonishingly rapid. After collecting herself, Madam Xu returned to a more rational mindset and found everything too sudden and smooth, prompting her to confirm again with her daughter, “Are you certain he’s sincere? What if he’s just a rake, coaxing you into breaking off with the Pingjiang Earl’s family and then turning his back on you? What then?”

Wangyue frowned in displeasure. “Young Master Cen isn’t some ordinary man’s son. How could he do such a thing?” She paused. “Even if, by some misfortune, things don’t work out with him, I still refuse to marry that mute. I never wanted the betrothal to the Pingjiang Earl’s family in the first place—good riddance if it’s gone.”

Madam Xu thought it over and agreed. Firstly, the current Fang Han Xiao was no match for her daughter. Secondly, if Young Master Cen merely wanted to take advantage, he could have lured her into sneaking out privately—there was no need to involve breaking off the engagement. Since he’d brought it up, he must be serious.

Thus, swiftly dissolving the old betrothal became the most pressing matter.

Wangyue had the same thought and hesitated before saying, “Mother, what if the Pingjiang Earl’s family refuses? Though Young Master Cen says he doesn’t mind, if things turn ugly, even if he truly doesn’t care, the Marchioness might—”

What mother-in-law would want a daughter-in-law embroiled in scandal? Even if the Marchioness of Longchang couldn’t oppose her son and reluctantly agreed, Wangyue’s life would be miserable without her mother-in-law’s favor.

With a promising prospect now in sight, Madam Xu dismissed all previous concerns. “Don’t trouble yourself over this. Honestly, doesn’t the Pingjiang Earl’s family have any self-awareness? Look at what Fang Han Xiao has become—no future, physically impaired, and disappearing without a word for years. His temperament must be bizarre and erratic too. How is such a man still worthy of you? If he had any sense, he should’ve withdrawn from the betrothal himself to avoid holding you back.”

Wangyue privately agreed but, being young and bashful, couldn’t voice it as boldly as her mother. She merely nodded in agreement and added, “But his family doesn’t seem inclined to withdraw. If we bring it up now, we won’t have the moral high ground—”

This was indeed a difficult problem, and what made it even harder was that simply returning the betrothal gifts would have been manageable. But after Wangyue returned them, she would immediately marry into the prosperous Marquis of Longchang’s household. Even if the Pingjiang Earl’s household hadn’t noticed before, seeing this would make everything clear. At that point, not only would a prestigious family like the Pingjiang Earl’s be unable to swallow this humiliation, even ordinary commoners would find it hard to endure such a silent loss.

Madam Xu frowned. “It’s all Fang Hanxiao’s fault for returning at such an inopportune time. If he had been just a little later, things would have been much simpler.”

If Fang Hanxiao had never returned, Wangyue waiting for him would have been virtuous, while not waiting would have been human nature. Society’s expectations weren’t so harsh as to demand she remain unmarried for life.

However, Madam Xu wouldn’t have dared to help her daughter take such a risk without a plan. She soon smiled and said, “He’s no longer worthy of you now. If it were someone else, it might be different.”

Wangyue didn’t understand at first. “Huh?”

A strange light flickered in Madam Xu’s eyes as she spoke slowly, “Isn’t your second sister in a hurry? Yun Yiniang has hinted at it several times, almost outright saying I’ve delayed her daughter. Since that’s the case, why not take this chance to fulfill her wish?”

Wangyue vaguely grasped her meaning but couldn’t believe it, wondering if she had misunderstood. Unconsciously, her voice rose slightly, “Mother, you—you want Second Sister to—”

“Shh.” Madam Xu gestured for silence. “Don’t speak of this before it’s done. Not to anyone.”

Wangyue quickly glanced around the room, reassured to see only Madam Xu’s trusted servants present. Still, her eyes widened in shock. “Mother, how can this work? Even though Old Master Fang is critically ill and can no longer manage affairs, Lord Fang is perfectly fine. How could he stand by and allow such an arrangement? Not to mention Fang Hanxiao—he would never let this go!”

What man could endure such an insult?

“Of course, if we proposed it outright, no one in the Pingjiang Earl’s household would agree. How could a mere concubine-born daughter compare to you?” Madam Xu waved for the servants to leave the room, then lowered her voice. “But if we send her over first, it’s a different matter—”

Wangyue found this even more absurd. “What difference would that make? Once they realize the switch, they’ll send her back immediately!”

She couldn’t even imagine the uproar that would follow if the Pingjiang Earl’s household realized they’d been tricked like this.

“Under normal circumstances, of course not,” Madam Xu said confidently. “But didn’t you just say Old Master Fang is critically ill? I suspect it won’t be long before the Pingjiang Earl’s household sends someone to arrange your marriage before he passes. That’s our opportunity.”

Seeing Wangyue’s confusion, Madam Xu elaborated further, “At this point, the Pingjiang Earl’s household wants the wedding for two reasons: first, to give Old Master Fang peace before he dies, and second, perhaps to use the joyous occasion to lift his spirits. Haven’t people been saying lately that the old man has improved since his eldest grandson returned to care for him?”

Wangyue gradually understood. “So you mean—even if the Pingjiang Earl’s household realizes something’s wrong, they wouldn’t dare make a scene now, for fear of upsetting Old Master Fang?”

“Upsetting” was putting it mildly—it might outright kill him.

“This is still too risky,” she mused, her slender fingers unconsciously tracing the luxurious peony patterns on the quilt. “After all, marriage is a matter of human ethics. I doubt they’ll let it go so easily.”

Madam Xu’s smile carried a hint of smugness. “In the Pingjiang Earl’s household nowadays, no one else has a say except Lord Fang, who inherited the title. As long as he doesn’t pursue the matter, what can Fang Hanxiao, a mute, possibly do?”

Wangyue wasn’t as confident. “But what if Lord Fang insists on helping to investigate? If the bride is secretly swapped just before entering the bridal sedan, Lord Fang’s dignity would also be at stake.”

Madam Xu shook her head. “My child, you see only one side of it. Lord Fang lost a lucrative official post to the Marquis of Longchang. Since then, he’s been idle at home for two years, unwilling to accept anything lesser. If Old Master Fang passes away, even though noble families aren’t as strict about mourning rituals as ours, he still can’t go around seeking appointments while his father’s death is fresh. He’ll have to observe the three-year mourning period dutifully. Tell me, do you think he wants to?”

By “our kind of family,” Madam Xu was referring to the civil official lineage descended from the late Old Master Xu. For civil officials, neglecting mourning rites would invite severe censure from colleagues.

Noble families had it slightly easier, especially those with military traditions—after all, wars couldn’t be paused for mourning. So, if Lord Fang had an official post, he might brazen it out despite criticism. But now, with no post to his name, if Old Master Fang were to die and he still refused to mourn properly, it would be inexcusable. Even if he wanted to, no one would dare recommend him for any position.

In other words, the likelihood of Lord Fang risking his father’s wrath and his own future to stand up for a distant nephew was vanishingly small.

Lying back, Wangyue’s eyes gradually brightened. At first, she had thought Madam Xu’s idea was pure fantasy, but now she realized her mother wasn’t speaking idly—she had truly calculated every angle!

Yet a doubt soon surfaced. “Mother,” she ventured, “if there’s such tension between the two families, why would Madam Hong still agree to let me—”

Madam Xu waved it off. “That’s nothing unusual. In the capital, many households maintain appearances despite private grudges. Do you think they all cut ties completely? My child, once you’re managing your own household, you’ll see how common such superficial courtesies are. Sometimes, the fiercer the enmity behind closed doors, the warmer the public display must be.”

This logic wasn’t hard to grasp, and Wangyue quickly nodded in understanding.

Madam Xu returned to the main point. “In Lord Fang’s eyes, his own interests come first.” She smiled. “Otherwise, why would he care about a nephew who nearly snatched his title away?”

This time, Xu Wangyue didn’t wait for her mother to finish. Tightly, she interjected, “He wouldn’t.”

“Exactly.” Madam Xu’s smile deepened, every crease at the corners of her lips exuding calculation. “If anything, he’d be eager to stomp him down further—the lower he falls, the happier Lord Fang would be.”