“What are your strengths?” Old Madam Feng asked impatiently.
Jiang Si replied seriously, “I’m good-looking.”
“Pfft.” Jiang Zhan couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Old Madam Feng was stunned for a moment, then trembled with anger: “Fourth Miss, is this something a well-bred young lady should say? When choosing a wife, one seeks virtue. Noble families value a woman’s character and background; appearance is the least important. Do you know how many people would mock you if this got out?”
“Yes, Grandmother makes a good point. It seems the Zhen family must have been impressed by my granddaughter’s virtues. This proves that truly noble families don’t confuse right and wrong, nor would they look down on a blameless woman for a man’s mistakes.”
Old Madam Feng’s face changed repeatedly as Jiang Si’s words choked her. Finally, she asked sternly, “Eldest son, why didn’t you tell me about the Zhen family’s proposal?”
“We weren’t planning to accept, so I didn’t mention it.”
Old Madam Feng raised her cane and struck it heavily near Jiang Ancheng’s feet. “Have you lost your mind?”
Jiang Ancheng frowned. “What do you mean, Mother?”
“Lord Zhen is a third-rank official, deeply favored by the Emperor. His son surpasses even his father, already an解元 (Jieyuan) at such a young age. He’s certain to pass the imperial examinations next spring and become a 进士 (Jinshi). Why would you refuse such an excellent match?”
Jiang Ancheng glanced at Jiang Si, thinking to himself that he wanted to accept, but what could he do if his daughter disapproved?
Of course, he couldn’t say that aloud. He coughed lightly, “It’s not that great a match. With a daughter in the family, many suitors will come. How can we accept the very first proposal? We should wait and see what other offers come.”
Jiang Zhan nodded in agreement. Father was right; Fourth Sister had just escaped a bad situation, so they must be extra careful in choosing her next match. Come to think of it, if Fourth Sister had to choose a husband, he felt Brother Yu Qi was much better than the Zhen boy. He liked Brother Yu Qi!
“Fool!” Old Madam Feng’s hand trembled on her cane, wishing she could knock some sense into her eldest son’s thick skull. Many suitors may come for a daughter, but one must consider who those suitors are. With a family like the Zhens interested, what was there to wait for?
“How did you refuse them?” Old Madam Feng pressed, unwilling to let it go.
“I just said my daughter was still young and we wanted to wait a while longer.”
“Wait for what!” Old Madam Feng finally couldn’t resist striking Jiang Ancheng with her cane, her expression twisted. “You will tell the Zhen family right now that we accept their proposal!”
“Mother—”
Old Madam Feng calmed herself slightly and glanced sharply at Jiang Si. “If the Zhen family’s proposal is accepted, I’ll agree to let the eldest miss divorce the Zhu family!”
After Zhu Ziyu and Miss Cui were caught in that room by so many people, it was impossible to keep it quiet. For those on the path of the imperial examinations, reputation was paramount. With such a scandal, Zhu Ziyu’s future was ruined.
In this light, breaking off the marriage with the Zhu family wasn’t much of a loss. At worst, it would look bad that several young ladies of the household had marital troubles in succession.
But such an empty reputation couldn’t compare to the benefits of allying with the Zhen family.
“Mother, these are two separate matters. I don’t agree!” Jiang Ancheng protested.
Old Madam Feng coldly swept her gaze over Jiang Ancheng, her furrowed brow and the lines around her mouth unyielding. “If that’s the case, I’ll have people send the eldest miss back to the Zhu family right now. Eldest son, don’t forget, I am your mother. Do you intend to be unfilial and disobedient?”
In the Great Zhou Dynasty, the label “unfilial” was enough to crush a person.
Before the Great Zhou, the land had been ruled by foreign powers, disrupting the tradition of filial piety that had been the foundation of governance for dynasties past. When the Great Zhou was established, they revived filial piety, viewing it as the root of social morality.
If a person gained a reputation for being unfilial, they could forget about holding office or inheriting a title. Even in ordinary social interactions, they would face contempt, and their children would be looked down upon as well.
After all, if a person couldn’t even be filial to their parents, how could they be expected to raise their children well?
Of course, unfilial children were not uncommon, but their parents often covered up for them to protect the family’s reputation and the futures of their grandchildren. They wouldn’t dare let outsiders know the truth.
Old Madam Feng’s use of “filial piety” to force Jiang Ancheng’s compliance left him desperate and heartbroken. He looked at her in disbelief, murmuring, “Mother, you can’t do this…”
He could give up his title as Earl of Dongping, but what about his children? He was already an incompetent father; he couldn’t let his reputation harm his children’s futures as well.
Old Madam Feng raised her eyelids slightly and uttered two words: “I can.”
Jiang Si coldly observed her grandmother’s coercion of her father, pressing her lips together.
The world was strange like that; the one who loved less always held the advantage, like many troublesome children with their parents, or like her grandmother with her father.
“I don’t want to,” Jiang Si said calmly.
Old Madam Feng, who had been focused on pressuring her eldest son, turned her attention to Jiang Si. She almost laughed at the girl’s fearlessness, saying coldly, “Fourth Miss, your wishes are irrelevant in this matter. Since when does the younger generation have a say in important matters of marriage?”
Old Madam Feng’s displeasure with Jiang Si had reached its peak, but faced with that outstanding face, she still buried her anger deep in her heart.
No matter what she said, she had to admit that Jiang Si was right: her fourth granddaughter’s greatest asset was probably only that face.
For useful people, Old Madam Feng was willing to be a little patient.
Jiang Si had long since seen through Old Madam Feng completely.
In her grandmother’s heart, there was probably only interest left. Dealing with such a person wasn’t difficult; strip away the useless things and speak in terms of benefits.
“Your granddaughter has no interest in discussing marriage matters, but I feel grandmother is underestimating me,” Jiang Si said.
Old Madam Feng’s gaze darkened as she stared steadily at Jiang Si.
Jiang Si met her grandmother’s gaze and smiled charmingly. “Grandmother, do you think I can’t marry into an even better family than the Zhens?”
Old Madam Feng was almost dazzled by that smile, inexplicably finding the patience to listen further. Rationally, she still found it absurd: “You think you can marry into a family better than the Zhens?”
“Grandmother, why don’t we make a bet?”
“What kind of bet?”
“Let’s bet that I can marry into a family better than the Zhens. If I can’t, I’ll let grandmother arrange everything as she wishes. Of course, there’s one condition: my eldest sister’s matter will be handled by her father, and grandmother won’t interfere.”
Old Madam Feng stared at Jiang Si, her brow furrowing deeper and deeper. After a long while, she said, “Fourth Miss, you say you’ll marry into a better family than the Zhens, but when? Without a time limit, it’s just empty words.”
“I’ll be engaged by next year at the latest. Does grandmother want to bet?”
Old Madam Feng stared at Jiang Si for a long time, then nodded: “Very well, I’ll wait and see.”
She could afford to wait a year.
Jiang Si curved her lips into a smile. “Let father and second brother be our witnesses.”
Since she was already in the tiger’s den, what harm was there in venturing into another? Besides, by then, she would have someone to stand beside her.
Jiang Si thought: So making up one’s mind can happen in an instant.