When Song Wan learned that the Chen family had come to break off the engagement, and that they had made such a grand spectacle of it, she had no choice but to come forward to negotiate.

Although she didn’t want to concern herself with the Marquis Estate’s affairs, once a woman had her engagement broken off by her husband’s family, she would have no other path left, let alone a young lady like Jiang Jing who had been burdened with such a tainted reputation.

Having the matchmakers and official go-between sent by the Chen family to break off the engagement brought into the estate, Song Wan said with a cold expression: “Breaking an engagement is a major matter between two estates. You’re wildly implicating our Marquis Estate’s young lady and ruining the Marquis Estate’s reputation. I wonder if you’ve prepared yourselves to completely tear apart relations with the Marquis Estate?”

The official matchmaker who had come to break off the engagement said with a fawning laugh: “Madam, where does that come from? Right now in the capital, there are rumors spreading…”

“You yourself know these are rumors. Since they’re merely rumors and no actual evidence has been found, yet you so rashly convict our estate’s Third Miss—if that’s the case, can I not also say that Madam Chen is clumsy and careless, that the entire Chen family is vulgar and wicked beyond measure, with no virtue from top to bottom?”

“Aiyoyo, now the Marquis Estate is being unreasonable.”

Madam Chen lowered her eyelids, somewhat not daring to look directly at Song Wan.

“Why are you dragging me into this by saying things about the Marquis Estate? What clumsy hands and feet… Wasn’t it Concubine Lin herself who said that the Marquis Estate’s daughters were a disgrace at home and wouldn’t marry into the Chen family as wives?”

“This engagement was broken off by her first. That the Marquis Estate’s Third Miss doesn’t observe proper conduct and reads those miscellaneous books and heretical texts—Concubine Lin herself admitted this. Now what are you arguing with me about? Could it be that the Marquis Estate still wants to use its high position to suppress us?”

“…”

Even though Song Wan prided herself on her sharp tongue, hearing now that Lin Jiayue had personally admitted that Jiang Jing read those books left her momentarily speechless.

“This engagement—it’s not the Chen family that wants to break it off.”

Seeing Song Wan at a loss for words, Madam Chen smoothed the hairpin on her head and said: “Since the Marquis Estate looks down on our Chen family, there’s no need for both sides to bear grudges. Breaking off the engagement cleanly and decisively is good for everyone.”

Song Wan’s brows drew together: “The Marquis Estate does not accept the Chen family’s reason for breaking off the engagement.”

Jiang Jing absolutely could not bear the reputation of failing to observe proper conduct. How could a perfectly good unmarried young lady live in the future with such a reputation?

Song Wan turned to glance at Jiang Xingjian. Jiang Xingjian nodded toward her with a gloomy expression.

“The betrothal cards have been exchanged, so this engagement is settled. The Chen family need only wait until the fifteenth of next month to come receive the bride. If the Chen family breaks this engagement, our Marquis Estate will pursue it to the end.”

“Madam Chen, conduct yourself proper…”

Before Song Wan could finish speaking, she saw Concubine Zhou crying and shouting as she came from the inner courtyard. She cried heart-wrenchingly, startling everyone into a momentary daze.

“My Lord, quickly save my Jing’er—Jing’er has thrown herself into the well…”

Jiang Xingjian suddenly stood up. He told Song Wan to wait here while he himself had someone summon several rough servant women from the outer courtyard to go help. Concubine Zhou followed along crying and shouting all the way. Madam Chen, seeing this, said awkwardly: “I never imagined the Marquis Estate’s Third Miss would be one with such a fierce temperament. It seems those were all just rumors after all.”

“Since such a major incident has occurred in the Marquis Estate, it’s inconvenient for me to disturb you further. I’ll return to my estate first.”

Madam Chen pulled the official matchmaker, wanting to leave, but heard Song Wan coldly rebuke: “Block them for me.”

“You’d better pray today that our estate’s Third Miss is completely unharmed. If anything happens to Third Miss, our Marquis Estate will fight the Chen family to the death.”

A group of rough servant women stepped forward to block Madam Chen. Madam Chen shouted loudly: “Outrageous! My husband is also an important minister at court—how dare you treat me this way?”

Song Wan clenched her fists, her heart pounding rapidly.

What floated through her mind was the scene from that day when Concubine Zhou had brought Jiang Jing to Lanting Courtyard to pay respects. The young lady had smiled shyly, a pair of dimples marking her cheeks, appearing both playful and endearing.

At that time she hadn’t been tainted by worldly matters—her round eyes were full of a young girl’s innocence.

But now…

Song Wan’s palms were full of sweat, and her eyes also grew slightly hot.

Suppressing her tears, she said coldly: “If Third Miss is safe and sound, then all will be well. But if Jiang Jing dies today because of the Chen family’s aggressive persecution, in seven days the Chen family can prepare for a funeral wedding.”

“You wouldn’t dare!”

“Just watch and see whether I dare or not!”

Picking up the teacup at hand, Song Wan looked at her slightly trembling hand and put it back down again.

Before long, a burst of mournful wailing erupted from the inner courtyard. The heart-piercing, grief-drinking sound made her heart tremble.

Soon the rough servant women silently carried out a bamboo stretcher with a thin white cloth covering it, barely outlining a slender form beneath.

“Jiang…”

Her throat choked up. Song Wan’s eyes reddened and her steps faltered—she simply couldn’t believe that the lively young lady she had seen just days ago had truly met her fragrant demise today.

Concubine Zhou was blocked by the estate’s servants at Yu’an Courtyard, while Jiang Jing’s corpse was to be sent to the estate’s Jixiang Courtyard.

Jiang Xingjian’s face was cold as frost, heavy with gloom and difficult to read.

The servants carried Jiang Jing’s body past everyone. The bamboo frame trembled slightly, and from beneath the white cloth slipped a slender little hand. Clutched tightly in the hand was a white jade-handled rattle drum with small sheepskin panels—occasionally when it was jostled, it would make a clear ringing sound.

Lin Jiayue sat collapsed before the spirit wall, watching helplessly as people carried the bamboo frame away, looking as if her soul had scattered and her spirit dissipated.

Since Jiang Jing was an unmarried woman, no mourning hall would be set up, she couldn’t enter the ancestral tomb—she could only have funeral rites held at Jixiang Courtyard. Song Wan couldn’t bear for her to end up with such a fate. Lowering her eyes, she said to the servant woman beside her: “Find ten household guards to escort Madam Chen back to her estate. In seven days, hold the wedding ceremony for Third Miss and the Chen family’s young master.”

Jiang Xingjian nodded, and the servant woman beside him went to find people.

Madam Chen shouted loudly that it was Lin Jiayue who had broken off the engagement and it had nothing whatsoever to do with the Chen estate, but no one responded to her.

With Heng Zhi and Heng Wu’s support, Song Wan returned to Lanting Courtyard. Jiang Xingjian walked to the spirit wall where Lin Jiayue had already cried until her face was covered in tears.

“How could anyone be so foolish as to throw themselves into a well over something as illusory and insubstantial as reputation? Reading a few romantic novels in one’s own room—how could that possibly count as losing one’s chastity? To throw oneself into a well for such a reason… how could it be so absurd?”

“They’re all a bunch of lunatics, a bunch of lunatics…”

All that filled Lin Jiayue’s mind was that pair of deathly pale hands of Jiang Jing’s, and in her ears was the clear, crisp sound of the leather drum.

Her face was covered in tears, her gaze dejected and hollow as she leaned against the spirit wall.

Jiang Xingjian passed by her without even pausing, leaving directly.

The entire Marquis Estate was deathly quiet. Though a young lady had departed, not a trace of white mourning cloth could be seen in the estate. Only at Jixiang Courtyard was there a nanmu wood coffin set up, with a copper basin for burning paper money beside it, and a few scattered servants numbly tossing in yellow paper from time to time.

Song Wan sat before her writing desk, eyes red but shedding no tears.

“Find two servant women and maids to go to Yu’an Courtyard to keep Concubine Zhou company. Additionally, take five hundred taels of silver from my dowry to prepare a trousseau for Jiang Jing.”

“The estate is in terrible chaos—find people to guard Jiang Jing’s coffin so no one casually opens it and disturbs the burial goods.”

“Find someone to ask the Marquis—how should the wedding between the Chen family and Jiang Jing be handled? If the Chen family adamantly refuses, will the Marquis Estate yield, and to what degree?”

Heng Wu wiped away tears and went to find Jiang Xingjian. After receiving the response that at any cost, Jiang Jing must be buried in the Chen family’s ancestral tomb, Song Wan nodded with a quiet sigh: “He hasn’t completely lost his backbone as I had imagined.”

“Miss, should we notify the Madam and Old Madam about Third Miss’s matter?”

“Send someone to inform the Madam. As for whether to tell Old Madam, let the Madam decide herself.”

Xiang Cao went to the courtyard to find a little maid to relay the message. Jiang Xingjian’s side also sent a servant boy to notify others in the estate.

Jiang Yan wasn’t at the estate—he was currently at a wine house discussing important matters with Xiao Jiye.