Zhao Xiuyuan was struck with terror.
“Though Big Young Master cannot match your brilliance, he excels in stability. Letting the second branch run the Zhao family would be more promising than having you bound by a woman.” With these words, Old Master Zhao stormed off.
Zhao Xiuyuan collapsed onto the mat, his brow gradually furrowing into a deep crease. He closed his eyes and murmured, “Why must you force me like this?”
Grandfather had presented him with an impossible choice. Either preserve the first branch’s position as family head or withdraw forever from the Zhao family’s power center. Choose between marrying the Niu family’s young lady or Ji Yingying.
His father and two uncles were men of mediocre talent. Only because of his position as eldest son, and while Grandfather was still healthy, was his father designated as the next family head.
Zhao Xiuyuan remembered his tenth birthday when his mother wore bright red brocade with woven pomegranate flowers to receive relatives and friends, her hair styled in a tall coronet over a foot high. Sunlight reflecting off her gold ornaments made her face too bright to look at directly. Third Uncle, emboldened by wine, had complained that though they were brothers, he had no money to buy jewelry for his new wife, mocking his parents for enriching themselves as family heads.
Grandfather had immediately sent a box of jewels to his mother for accessories, saying coolly, “The wife of the Zhao family head may be luxurious and grand, for it is the face of the Zhao family.”
The Zhao family—their survival-of-the-fittest family culture had kept them standing strong for a hundred years.
The first branch forever withdrew from the competition for the family head, moving out of Moon Brocade Hall. They would be looked down upon by everyone in the Zhao family. No matter their former glory, they would become dirt under others’ feet overnight.
Without family support, even the finest talents would be nothing more than craftsmen at the family head’s command. Zhao Xiuyuan clenched his teeth hard, his cheeks slightly bulging.
“Yingying, you surely wouldn’t understand.”
Ji Yingying’s name left his lips with a hint of choking in his nasal tone. Zhao Xiuyuan truly wanted to break down and cry.
He sat motionless, hoping Grandfather would come back and say: “Second Young Master, don’t be sad. Grandfather will reconsider.”
The sunlight gradually moved away from his side and out the door. The sunset faded bit by bit into dusk. The tea splashed on his face had long dried, leaving stains on his clothes.
In Moon Brocade Hall, Madam Zhao grew anxious with waiting. Zhao Ping was sent again with instructions to wait for Zhao Xiuyuan at Pine Wave Courtyard. Zhao An knelt on the veranda outside the room, and when Zhao Ping knelt beside him, he nodded his head toward the inside.
Zhao Ping craned his neck to look. Their young master sat kneeling before the table like a stone statue. Knowing the marriage must have caused conflict between grandfather and grandson, he dared not enter to report but honestly waited outside with Zhao An.
A candle’s light gradually rose, and Zhao Xiuyuan woodenly looked over. Old Master Zhao stood before him holding a candlestick.
“Have you thought it through?”
Zhao Xiuyuan’s lips trembled, two lines of tears rolling down. He prostrated himself, his back shaking violently, forcing out a dark, hoarse voice between his teeth: “I’ll defer to Grandfather’s decision.”
He didn’t raise his head, his tears dropping onto the light-colored carpet, leaving two damp marks. In his heart, he softly told Ji Yingying, you’re only allowed to cry once. Because I’ll never be able to comfort you again.
Old Master Zhao looked down at him and sighed: “Come with me to the study.”
What was there to do in the study? Zhao Xiuyuan thought mockingly, surely not to sign and seal some agreement as proof? He stood up, his legs numb and swollen from kneeling, nearly falling over.
He stood for a while, seeing the worried expressions of the two servants at the door, and ordered: “Tell Madam that the Old Master has business with me, she needn’t wait.”
Watching Zhao Xiuyuan limping after Old Master Zhao to the study, Zhao An said softly: “I advise you not to try pleasing both sides. Whatever the young master says goes. If you want to die, don’t drag me down with you.”
Zhao Ping was startled. Madam Zhao had instructed him to find out what happened in Pine Wave Courtyard. After Zhao An’s words, he recalled being kicked into Huanhua Creek by Zhao Xiuyuan and shuddered: “Thanks for the reminder.” He hurried away.
Her son had come out of the Treasury Hall today, and Madam Zhao had prepared a table of good dishes, but they went unused. She couldn’t get any useful information from Zhao Ping, so Madam Zhao grew suspicious and instructed the gate woman to keep watch.
Zhao Xiuyuan didn’t return to Teng Garden until midnight. The gate woman hurried to report to Elder Servant Gu.
Madam Zhao, who had already gone to bed, could no longer sleep. She put on her clothes and sat up: “Nanny, the Old Master kept Second Young Master for so long. Could he have listened to Second Young Master and changed his mind about the Niu family marriage?”
Elder Servant Gu lit the lamp on the cabinet and smiled: “That’s the Commander’s mansion. The Old Master won’t let Second Young Master act foolishly.”
Madam Zhao’s face was full of worry: “My heart is in turmoil. I fear Second Young Master will hate me.”
Thinking of the Ji family’s humiliation, Elder Servant Gu thought viciously, no matter how arrogant you are, Second Miss Ji, you’ll never be our young mistress. Thinking of Ji Yingying’s heartbreak and disappointment, waves of satisfaction welled up in her heart: “This marriage wasn’t Madam’s idea. Madam is also following the Old Master’s orders. How could Second Young Master blame Madam without distinguishing right from wrong?”
“That may be so, but I didn’t send any news to inform Second Young Master. He treats Second Miss Ji like a treasure.” At this point, Madam Zhao brightened up again, “How can Second Miss Ji compare to the Commander’s daughter? The Old Master has finally satisfied my wishes this time.”
Elder Servant Gu smiled: “Madam should rest. You need to go to the city early tomorrow to watch the brocade competition.”
“Are my clothes and accessories prepared?” Tomorrow would be the good day when the Zhao family wins the Brocade Crown, the grand day when she, Madam Zhao, would shine as the family matriarch in public. Though she knew Elder Servant Gu had already prepared everything, Madam Zhao still asked again before finally going to sleep peacefully.
Zhao Xiuyuan did not have a hint of sleepiness. He didn’t light any lamps, standing quietly on the second floor of Teng Garden, looking toward the Ji family house across the street.
The Chinese Parasol tree had lost half its withered leaves. Ji Yingying’s courtyard could be seen more clearly.
A point of light remained unextinguished for a long time.
“Yingying, you’re not sleeping either.” Zhao Xiuyuan leaned on the window frame, wishing he could grow wings and fly over. He remembered standing here before, seeing Ji Yingying open the embroidery room window and wave to him.
He murmured: “Yingying, I’ll be able to see you tomorrow. Yet I’m afraid to see you. I dare not light a lamp, dare not let you know I’m here…”
The lamp stayed lit, and Zhao Xiuyuan leaned against the window, greedily watching that point of light, as if Ji Yingying were right before him.
The autumn wind brought a deep chill.
“Young Miss, please rest. Otherwise, Madam definitely won’t let you go watch the brocade competition tomorrow,” Ling’er persuaded softly.
Ji Yingying lay on the table, watching the candle wax flow and drip: “I’ll only wait this one night. If he’s so heartless, I’ll never think of him again.”
Xiang’er stood at the door, peering toward Teng Garden, then ran in and said sadly: “Young Miss, there’s no light.”
Ji Yingying bit her lip, stunned, then quickly ran out the door. She stood in the courtyard looking toward Teng Garden.
The building of Teng Garden stood in darkness.
Before, whenever Zhao Xiuyuan finished weaving, he would light a lamp to tell her he had left the weaving workshop. Since he was twelve, this habit had continued unchanged for six years.
The competition brocade should have been sent to Jinguan City long ago. If Zhao Xiuyuan had gone to deliver it, he wouldn’t have failed to send someone to the Ji family to say so. If he were home, even if not in Teng Garden, he would have ordered someone to light a lamp to tell her. Unless he knew about and agreed to the marriage with the Niu family.
“Young Miss, the night is deep and dewy, be careful not to catch cold.” Ling’er shook out a cloak and draped it over her shoulders.
Ji Yingying stood motionless, face upturned.
Suddenly, the wind blew away a patch of clouds, revealing a pale crescent moon. A figure stood by the window high up in Teng Garden.
Ji Yingying startled, then began to laugh. She walked back toward the room, laughing. Zhao Xiuyuan, so you are there. You did know. That’s why you were too guilty to light the lamp.
She stood at the embroidery room door, staring at the candlestick on the table for a moment: “Bring it here.”
Ling’er brought the candlestick, and Ji Yingying puffed out her cheeks and blew out the flame with a “poof.”
She would never light this lamp again.