The group arrived at Jade City. With three targets to investigate, Bao Zhu was hesitating about the order when Tuoba Sanniang turned her horse around, intending to separate from the group.

Seeing her heading toward the Pang family residence, Bao Zhu called out loudly, “The primary scene of the bride’s disappearance is probably the Xiao family, not the Pang family.”

Tuoba Sanniang smiled contemptuously, “This old lady doesn’t need to report to you about what she wants to do!” With that, she rode away without looking back.

Bao Zhu was extremely annoyed. Huo Qi Lang explained, “Third Senior Sister’s specialty is arranging assassins to infiltrate target homes, gathering intelligence or taking heads. She wants to examine the enemy’s methods, and besides, that fake bride also needs someone strong to watch her.”

Upon hearing this, Bao Zhu’s heart immediately stirred, wanting to bring Tuoba Sanniang under her command. However, that woman’s rebellious nature seemed to exceed even Wei Xun’s, making even proper conversation impossible.

Watching the ghostly-spirited swordswoman disappear at the alley’s end, Bao Zhu said, “Since she’s gone to the Pang family, we’ll go to the Xiao family first.”

Compared to the bustling scene with carriages filling the courtyard on the wedding day, the Xiao residence now stood desolate. An old slave who couldn’t straighten his back was pouring water into the courtyard, slowly and sluggishly sweeping the ground. The group dismounted, but surprisingly no gatekeeper came to announce them, nor did anyone come to tend their mounts. They could only tie their donkeys and horses to the hitching posts at the gate and enter by themselves. Only after walking into the courtyard did a maid go in to notify the master.

After a long while, a middle-aged scholar in brocade robes emerged. The powder on his face was applied even thicker than Bao Zhu’s, and his whole body reeked of overpowering incense. Huo Qi Lang took one look and grimaced.

The middle-aged scholar asked arrogantly, “Who comes here?”

Seeing his attire and age, Bao Zhu guessed he should be the Xiao family head. She said, “I am Jiu Niang of the Yang clan, a relative of the Pang Liangji family. Since Miss Xiao disappeared at the wedding, I’ve come to her natal home to investigate the truth. Are you Miss Xiao’s father?”

The middle-aged scholar still held his nose high, his expression showing not a trace of worry about his daughter’s disappearance. Tang dynasty high-born men had customs inherited from the Wei and Jin periods, habitually applying makeup and dressing up. Powdering faces, applying rouge, perfuming clothes, and dyeing hair weren’t exclusive to women. But with his own daughter having just suffered an incident two days ago, he hadn’t sent a single person to inquire at his in-laws’ residence, yet still dressed himself up like this. Even Bao Zhu found it unbearable to watch.

“I am Xiao Shilian. Xiao Ran has already married into the Pang family. From the moment she stepped out the door and onto the bridal carriage, she had nothing to do with our Xiao clan. You people are playing false games and refusing to acknowledge your debts, causing uproar throughout the city. How do you still have the face to come here asking questions?”

Bao Zhu had originally come to investigate the truth of the bride’s disappearance, hoping to gather as many clues as possible, so she spoke gently when asking questions. She hadn’t expected the family head to consider himself noble and refined, being arrogant and rude, immediately distancing himself with an attitude of ‘goods sold, no returns,’ which instantly provoked her anger. Born of imperial blood, when it came to putting on airs and showing off, how could this declining Xiao surname scholar match the Longxi Li clan?

She laughed coldly and said with raised head, “Old Master Xiao’s name is ‘Shilian’ (Scholar Honest), yet you’re quite greedy for money. Being so eager to cut ties—are you afraid the Pang family will come demanding the return of betrothal gifts after losing the bride? Looking at how impoverished your family has become, it seems you’re about to become extinct. You dare not return this money from selling your daughter, do you? That face full of rouge and powder, and the silk and satin all over your body were also bought with the betrothal gifts, weren’t they? I suppose when returning the money, you’d have to scrape them off and give them back too—that would indeed be quite troublesome.” Her manner was haughty, her words dripping with sarcasm.

Upon hearing these words, Xiao Shilian’s face immediately changed color. He stared wide-eyed, pointing at Bao Zhu but unable to speak.

The traditional noble clans inherited from the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties had always prided themselves on strict class hierarchies, strictly adhering to the principle of “scholars and commoners do not intermarry.” But with the turbulence of the times, many noble families gradually declined, their economic conditions surpassed by certain humble clans. Many fallen aristocratic families, unable to resist the temptation of profit, sold their daughters to wealthy commoners through collecting “accompanying gate wealth,” using this to compensate for their lost status, making great profits from marriages.

If both parties were willing participants in the transaction, there would be nothing wrong with it. But these aristocratic families completely violated natural affection when arranging marriages for their daughters, not asking about virtue, health, or age, but only considering wealth, greedily seeking profit as their main concern, purely treating daughters as merchandise for sale. This had always been criticized by the world, mocking such marriages as “sold marriages.” This phenomenon had existed since the early Tang dynasty. The court prohibited it through laws and edicts, but couldn’t stop people’s greedy pursuit of profit, and it continued despite repeated bans.

Xiao Shilian knew this behavior was despised by the world. Half the city’s gossip was indeed cursing him for reselling his widowed daughter to a disabled cripple. Though he could commit such acts of selling daughters, being called out face-to-face was too much to bear. He was so angry his eyes rolled back, and after a long moment, he cursed:

“What business is it of yours! You, a distant relative of humble commoner origins, what qualification do you have to point fingers at my noble clan!”

He shouldn’t have said this. Once he did, Bao Zhu became even more energetic, saying with a bright smile, “The Pang family may be humble, but my Hongnong Yang clan is not. My family has produced Three Dukes in four generations, maintaining a clean reputation. My father wears red, my elder brother wears purple. How many generations has your branch of the Xiao clan been commoners? Forget about imperial examinations—you can’t even pass the simple Classics degree. You’ve read all those books into a dog’s belly, yet you have the nerve to call yourself a scholarly family of noble birth? Hurry up and use that daughter-selling money to buy your foolish son an official position!”

The previous night, Bao Zhu had Pang Liangji send people to steal and examine the clan genealogy from the Xiao ancestral hall, already thoroughly investigating this family’s background. Now her mocking came particularly effortlessly. She didn’t even need to invoke the Li clan’s imperial status—Yang Xingjian’s family background was sufficient to suppress this profit-seeking, reputation-fishing person until he couldn’t raise his head.

After Empress Wu made the imperial examination system standard practice, she further suppressed the old aristocratic clans. Fallen noble families throughout the realm who wanted to restore their family fortunes had to rely on scholarly success and official appointment. The early Tang trend of “valuing surnames” gradually shifted toward today’s “valuing official positions.” If the younger generation couldn’t study well enough to become officials, having only a surname made it very difficult to maintain standing.

Bao Zhu was intimately familiar with these fallen aristocrats’ weakness of being both cynical about the world yet having no choice but to rely on imperial examinations for advancement. Every sentence struck Xiao Shilian’s vital points. After several exchanges, Xiao Shilian’s face alternated between red and purple. He clutched his chest and collapsed into a chair, unable to even catch his breath, let alone retort.

Xiao Shilian wanted to rush forward and slap her, but this young girl carried herself with magnificent noble bearing, truly appearing to be someone whose father and brothers held high official positions. Having been thoroughly humiliated, he didn’t dare treat her as carelessly as he would his own daughter.

Huo Qi Lang stood with hands tucked away, watching Bao Zhu display her might, only regretting the lack of sunflower seeds to crack.

Qiu Ren glanced toward a corner of the residence and said quietly to her, “I only knew that the Sunset Smoke Wave Palm could strike people with no external damage but internal organ rupture. Miss Jiu’s scolding seems no less effective than Wei Da’s palm power. I think this old man is about to have a heart attack and be scolded to death by her.”

Huo Qi Lang also glanced at that corner and laughed, “No wonder Jiu Niang wanted to bring Fourth Senior Brother along. When this man collapses later, you can quickly provide emergency treatment.”

Xu Baozhen observed coldly from the doorway, feeling that Bao Zhu’s accent and choice of words were consistent with palace visitors, especially that haughty attitude of a superior reprimanding subordinates. Gradually, flames of suspicion ignited in his heart.

Just as Bao Zhu was scolding with great satisfaction, a tall woman quietly entered the main hall and had male servants help Xiao Shilian inside.

While the Xiao family head wore full makeup, this woman was bare-faced, with a yellow, square face. She appeared to be over thirty years old, her hairstyle and clothing still in the style of an unmarried woman.

Clan genealogies traditionally only recorded men, with no record of women. Bao Zhu was startled, not knowing how to address her, when she heard her speak: “I am Xiao Ren, the elder sister of the bride Xiao Ran. Our father is unwell and inconvenient to receive guests. Please forgive us, honored guests.”

Her expression was calm, her voice flat, as if she hadn’t heard Bao Zhu’s earlier mockery of the family head at all.

The characters “Ren Ran” described time gradually passing without notice, originating from the Han dynasty “Widow’s Rhapsody”: “Time passes imperceptibly without lingering, the soul will depart in the great journey.” As a person’s name, it was quite inauspicious.

Seeing her advanced age yet still dressed as an unmarried woman, Bao Zhu roughly guessed her experiences. Since “wealth marriages” became popular in the world, if noble families couldn’t marry their daughters into equally prestigious families, they hoped to make “wealth marriages” for good prices. When unable to accomplish either, they preferred to wait for better offers, keeping daughters at home until they aged and died.

Time passed imperceptibly—the younger sister became a widow, the elder sister dragged on as an aging unmarried woman. Just like the origin and meaning of their names, there was a sense of helpless fate.

Bao Zhu had never seen Xiao Ran, only the fake bride impersonating her, but could still appreciate the original’s cool and beautiful appearance. With such beauty, she could marry into a noble family first, then a wealthy household second. Elder sister Xiao Ren’s appearance was ordinary, seemingly without so many choices. She had probably been kept by her money-grubbing father until now.

After Xiao Ren had people help Xiao Shilian away and settle him, she called a maid and instructed her to go to the kitchen and have the cook prepare calming soup for him to drink. She also arranged for people to serve tea and water to the guests. Her words and actions were dignified and steady, showing considerable skill as a household manager.

Indeed, after arranging other matters, she invited Bao Zhu to sit and said coldly, “Our mother passed away many years ago. I manage all household affairs, and my younger sister’s wedding was entirely arranged by me. Father doesn’t know the details. Miss, whatever you want to ask, please ask me.”

Bao Zhu carefully studied her expression, similarly seeing no anxiety about her sister’s disappearance, finding it strange. Still harboring resentment about the Xiao family giving Wei Xun poisoned wine at the wedding, she didn’t touch any of the tea brought up. Only Qiu Ren picked up a cup to taste and smell.

Having just thoroughly scolded Xiao Shilian, pleasantries were unnecessary. Bao Zhu got straight to the point: “When did Xiao Ran return to her natal home from her former husband’s family?”

Xiao Ren answered, “After completing her mourning period for her husband, she returned at the beginning of this year.”

Bao Zhu recalled Pang Liangji saying the wedding date was set at the beginning of the year, thinking these three families really had seamless timing. No wonder the streets and alleys were all mocking Miss Xiao’s eagerness to remarry. But having witnessed Xiao Shilian’s greedy and heartless face, she thought the tight wedding schedule might not have been bride Xiao Ran’s idea.

The Tang dynasty’s “Marriage and Family Law” clearly stipulated: “When a woman’s husband dies and mourning is complete, if she vows to remain faithful, only grandparents and parents may force her to remarry.”

This legally affirmed parents’ power to “force remarriage” of widowed women. Once the mourning period ended, even if the widow herself was unwilling, she had to comply with her family elders’ wishes to remarry, and the former husband’s family had no right to interfere. As for when to marry and whom to marry, it remained like first marriages—following parental arrangements.

Bao Zhu asked again, “So Xiao Ran has been living at her natal home for half a year. During this time, did she have contact with anyone from her former husband’s Lu family?”

Xiao Ren shook her head and said flatly, “The Lu family withheld my sister’s dowry and drove her barefoot into the street in the dead of winter. It was extremely unseemly at the time, so there could be no further contact.”

Bao Zhu asked, “Where did she live after returning home? From which room did she marry? I’d like to take a look.”

Xiao Ren stood up, “I’ll take you there.”

Bao Zhu and the Canyang Academy members followed Xiao Ren’s steps into the Xiao family’s inner courtyard.

Though this two-courtyard compound was divided into front and rear yards, the arrangement was actually quite cramped. The buildings were dilapidated, but the furniture and items were new and expensive, creating a sense of discordant contradiction.

Seeing Bao Zhu observing carefully, Xiao Ren straightforwardly admitted, “The new things are all betrothal gifts from the Pang family. Those servants are also newly bought and not yet properly trained. My brother bought a new courtyard and moved away, so this house is no longer being maintained.”

Bao Zhu and the others had originally intended to mock the Xiao family for rising again through selling daughters, but seeing Xiao Ren’s generous attitude and unruffled composure, they no longer wanted to speak.

In a moment, they reached Xiao Ran’s room. The door panels were thick, freshly painted with a layer of red lacquer, and hung with a large copper lock. Xiao Ren took out a key to unlock it. Inside was pitch black with very dim lighting.

Though they hadn’t entered, this room’s appearance was completely unlike a boudoir—it resembled more a storeroom or prison cell. Bao Zhu felt puzzled. Xiao Ren explained, “After my sister’s first marriage, there was no room for her in the house. This room was temporarily converted from a storage room and has no large windows. Please wait a moment while I fetch a lamp.”

Qiu Ren said, “I won’t go in. Who was the woman who forced wine on the groom and groomsmen at the main gate that day? Who prepared the wine?”

Xiao Ren said, “That was father’s cousin, Aunt Mei. The wine was prepared by our family. She discussed adding some medicine to the wine to play tricks on the groom. I couldn’t dissuade them. I’m very sorry.”

Xiao Ren’s frank directness again left everyone stunned. Qiu Ren said, “I want to see where you kept the wine.”

Xiao Ren nodded and called a male servant to take him there.

After bringing a lamp, Huo Qi Lang, fearing danger inside, told Bao Zhu to wait outside first. He took the oil lamp and walked around inside, confirming no one was lying in ambush before calling her in.

Author’s Note:

Reference papers: “Investigation into the Causes of ‘Accompanying Gate Wealth’ Phenomenon in Early Tang Marriages” by Chen Siqi; “On Betrothal Wealth and Dowries During Tang Dynasty Social Transformation” by Sun Yurong; “New Explorations of Tang Law” 6th edition.

Li Shangyin wrote in a letter to a friend: “Today’s great families in Shandong are not able to violate natural affection and avoid this practice. When gifts arrive at their gates, they do not ask about virtue, health, or age, but only consider wealth, greedily seeking profit as their main concern.”