Regardless of how women in the inner chambers harbored their own schemes, for the men outside, once two families were betrothed, it should be handled properly. Grand Coachman Lou was an efficient person. Within a few days, he took advantage of a private audience to inform the Emperor of this matter, his mouth full of praise for the Cheng family daughter, seeking an imperial grace decree to add some luster to this marriage. The Emperor’s nature was generous and magnanimous, and Cheng Shi’s recent work had pleased him, so he readily agreed. The next day, he sent a Yellow Gate official who attended to writing materials from his entourage to the Cheng residence to proclaim the decree.

Receiving a decree at this time didn’t have as many formalities as later generations—no need to set up incense tables and candles. The recipients simply needed to kneel neatly and respectfully. The imperial decree praised the entire Cheng family, from “benevolent in caring for the weak, skilled in battle yet not fond of war” Minister Cheng, to “a woman with the heroic spirit reaching the clouds” Madam Xiao, all the way to “diligent, prudent, virtuous, and gentle” Cheng Shaoshang herself—Shaoshang blushed a little. Truthfully, back in the day, her middle school principal had only praised her for good grades and perseverance, never for gentle character and such.

After the decree was proclaimed, Madam Xiao, her face wreathed in smiles, pressed quite a bit of gold and pearls into the hands of the Yellow Gate official surnamed Teng, and pulled along Cheng Shi, who was still muttering “When I had my imperial audience to report on duties, His Majesty didn’t praise me so lavishly,” to personally see the man out.

The remaining people in Jiuzhui Hall showed various expressions. Cheng Yang’s face was full of reverence, envious from head to toe. Mother Cheng pursed her lips without speaking, flicked her sleeves, and pulled Nanny Hu back to her rooms.

Cheng Shaoshang sighed: “I never imagined that among us siblings, the first to receive His Majesty’s commendation would actually be Niaoniao?!”

Cheng Song punched him and laughed: “You read prophecy books daily—did you divine this divination?”

Cheng Shaoshang said: “No. It only said that our family shouldn’t marry off daughters these years, only take in brides.”

“Nonsense! Hurry up and throw away all that rubbish.” Cheng Yong glanced at Cheng Yang beside him, then said to Shaoshang: “Observing Grand Coachman Lou’s actions, one can know the Lou family’s sincerity regarding this marriage. You should treat A’Yao better in the future—don’t always boss him around!”

Shaoshang smiled cheerfully: “A’Yao says he most loves hearing me boss him around. If I don’t ask him to do something for even one day, he can’t even eat his meals!”

“You’re also talking nonsense!” Cheng Yong’s face was stern, deeply feeling that when Mother was pregnant with these twins, she must have bumped into something improper.

With matters following the proper path, the overjoyed Lou Yao began daily visits to the Cheng residence, each time bringing something—yesterday it was fresh fruit and game from the Lou clan estates, today it was newly woven brocade and fine cloth from Lou residence craftsmen, the day after there would be a jar of aged fine wine stored in the Lou family treasury.

Eating someone’s food makes your mouth soft, taking someone’s things makes your hands short. The entire Cheng household, top to bottom, all praised this future son-in-law without exception. Even Mother Cheng, who usually spoke to Shaoshang with veiled sarcasm, softened her tone while touching her exquisite new clothes, privately saying to Nanny Hu: “Marriage alliances should be like Niaoniao’s. Like that useless thing A’Xi—every time she marries, I supplement her dowry. She really came to collect debts from me!”

Shaoshang was also chattering to Madam Xiao: “Such beautiful brocade, such soft fine cloth—let’s send some to Aunt! A’Yao said this is the exclusive craft of artisans their family has kept for generations—you can’t even buy it outside.”

Madam Xiao looked at her silently: “…You’re certainly thinking of your aunt. After dividing between you and Yangyang, there’s not much left.”

“Then just give my portion to Aunt!” Shaoshang spoke quickly. Seeing Madam Xiao’s expression was displeased, she hurriedly said: “No, no. What I mean is, those with plain looks need to dress well! With appearances like mine and Mother’s, we’d be beauties even wrapped in burlap sacks! If you don’t believe me, ask Father!”

Madam Xiao couldn’t help but laugh: “You actually dare to speak of your aunt this way—be careful I tell her.” Rarely did she not want to scold her daughter for lacking propriety.

Shaoshang sighed helplessly: “I’ve already joked with her. Aunt didn’t take it to heart at all and even retorted, saying what use is it that my appearance is better than hers—the person she faces at meals daily is much better looking than the person I’ll be facing at meals for decades to come!”

Madam Xiao snorted with laughter: “That’s indeed something she would say!” In her heart, though, she thought Ling Buyi was far more handsome than Cheng Zhi. If you could get that person, never mind the Cheng family—you could walk sideways even in the capital.

The human heart is truly the strangest thing in the world. If she knew nothing beforehand, Madam Xiao wouldn’t have thought about it at all. But now she couldn’t help thinking about it once. However, she was ultimately a decisive person—after thinking through matters of no benefit, she set them aside. Looking again at her daughter’s smug appearance, after sighing once, she redoubled her efforts planning the wedding.

According to customs of this time, after the betrothal, both families should each host banquets, inviting their respective relatives and friends to gather, incidentally bringing out the future son-in-law/bride for display—according to Shaoshang’s understanding, this era had no convenient communication means to inform the world, and from betrothal to marriage required no short span of time. What if someone didn’t know (or pretended not to know) and intercepted midway?

The Cheng family had few relatives and friends in the capital. Including colleagues, superiors, extras dragged along by Wan Songbai, plus several trusted subordinate officers and their families, they could only gather a medium-sized banquet of forty to fifty people—not even enough to get Grand Coachman Lou drunk. When the Lou family hosted their banquet and saw the prosperous scene before the Lou residence with carriages shoulder to shoulder and canopies like clouds, Cheng Shi couldn’t help sighing: “Look at their prestige, their momentum!”

Who knew Wan Songbai beside him would loudly sigh: “It’s all elder brother’s fault!”

Huh?! Their family clan is prosperous—what the hell does that have to do with you, sir?—The Wan and Cheng families all looked at him. They heard the pot-bellied General Wan say with a pained expression: “Had I known it would come to this, elder brother wouldn’t have married off those dozen daughters to the east and west. If they’d all married around the capital, at this moment gathering the sons-in-law together, they could have bolstered younger brother’s family’s momentum the other day. Let’s see if we couldn’t have drunk that Lou fellow to death!”

Everyone was stunned, then after a moment all burst into great laughter!

Madam Xiao wiped tears of laughter from the corners of her eyes, turned and said softly to Shaoshang: “Truly close friends who can watch over and help each other are so rare. Someone like your Uncle Wan—having one is enough.”

Shaoshang nodded.

The Lou residence’s front courtyard had two rows of extremely wide wing buildings built facing each other, separated in the middle by lush, dense flowering trees, connected by a slender straight corridor. From above it resembled a slanted H shape. Female guests were in the left wing, male guests on the right.

First Madam Lou, as if forgetting that day’s dispute, enthusiastically pulled Shaoshang and her mother around the entire place, now introducing several relatives from the main family, now paying respects to several elderly ladies of high virtue and prestige. Shaoshang’s age and seniority were both young, so she bowed to nearly everyone, bending and bowing until dizzy. Finally, an over-eighty white-haired old man came forward. First Madam Lou quickly brought Shaoshang to the corridor to kowtow, calling out “Great Uncle is well.”

This trembling Old Marquis Ban was siblings with Lou Yao’s deceased grandmother and was probably the longest-lived person in the entire capital. When the palace bestowed food and medicine, the Emperor always remembered to include a portion for this old man.

Old Marquis Ban’s age made him seem somewhat muddled. After Shaoshang performed her bow and stood up, he looked her over for quite a while, then grinned with his mouth that had few teeth left, laughing loudly while patting the shoulder of Lou Yao beside him: “A’Gou, this bride of yours is quite beautiful! I told you long ago, marrying a beautiful bride is more important than anything. Look at the woman A’Mao married—that’s why he died so early…”

Lou Yao’s face was completely red. He clasped his hands, not daring to argue. The pale-faced young man supporting Old Marquis Ban said helplessly: “Grandfather, this is the Lou family’s cousin A’Yao, not my deceased father!”

First Madam Lou smiled bitterly while sighing repeatedly. Second Madam Lou beamed with joy, repeatedly praising the old man’s excellent judgment! To prevent the old man from continuing to say inappropriate things, Lou Yao quickly joined Young Marquis Ban in supporting the old man and leaving.

After completing various ceremonies, Shaoshang, Cheng Yang, and Wan Qiqi were led as usual by servant maids to the side hall where young ladies gathered.

Cheng Yang’s heart was uneasy. She pulled at Shaoshang’s sleeve: “If anyone speaks ill of us today, we’ll go directly to find Great Aunt. You absolutely must not get agitated!”

Wan Qiqi said indignantly: “What’s there to fear! On such a fine day, whoever dares grow dog eyes and bully us—you don’t need to move, just watch me!”

Shaoshang sighed: “Cousin Sister, rest assured. Today I absolutely won’t quarrel, much less fight. Sister Qiqi, you also aren’t allowed to move. With your skills, that whole room of young ladies wouldn’t be enough for you to beat.”

Walking into the side hall, a room full of young ladies in red and green all looked over without averting their eyes. Shaoshang walked over with a smile, pulling Cheng Yang with her left hand and Wan Qiqi with her right, properly greeting everyone. The young ladies all returned the courtesy. Lou Xi sitting in the corner was a beat slower, reluctantly returning the courtesy as well—clearly she’d been severely dealt with after that day.

Most surprisingly, Wang Xi beside her actually came forward with a smile, taking Shaoshang’s hand, her mouth full of “that day was a misunderstanding, it was all elder sister’s fault.” Shaoshang rather admired this young girl’s psychological resilience.

Today was probably the most peaceful, tranquil banquet attendance since Shaoshang’s “debut.” The young ladies ate and drank, conversing cheerfully, absolutely not saying anything unpleasant nor bringing up any inappropriate topics. Shaoshang was very satisfied—after all, she didn’t want to cause a commotion every time she went out.

In good spirits, when Wan Qiqi boasted about how well she played the transverse flute, Shaoshang went along with the girls’ clamoring, pulling out her beloved green bamboo transverse flute from her sleeve and performing a tune to add to the fun—the flute sound was like harmonious wind in an empty valley, fine rain on a spring day, filled with gentle, tender affection, making listeners can’t help but smile slightly, as if recalling the most gentle and beautiful childhood memories.

The flute sound transmitted to the main hall in the adjacent room. The women all slowed their hand movements, listening with gentle expressions, showing Madam Xiao looks of appreciation a hundred times more sincere than during their earlier greetings.

When the tune ended, the young ladies in the hall all looked at Shaoshang with kind eyes. In their hearts, they all thought: How could a girl who could play such a moving melody be as detestable and laughable as the rumors said?

Shaoshang lowered her head, caressing the flute, smiling slightly.

This was the first time she realized that perhaps it wasn’t merely Old Master Cheng’s inherited talent—perhaps she herself originally had that little bit of musical genes. It was just that in her past life, she had lived coarsely and barbarously, radical and indignant. Apart from purposefully focused studying, studying, and more studying, she had never enjoyed other beautiful learning—musical instruments, singing, painting, dancing… she hadn’t tried any of them.

Purely, from the heart, learning merely for love and beauty—these things she had once scorned could actually bring such happiness.

“…Hey, isn’t that Eleventh Young Master?!” Some young lady called out. The young ladies, like fireflies chasing a light source, suddenly gathered at the window railing on the east side.

Shaoshang also stood up. Through the gaps between the girls’ heads, she saw on the terrace of the opposite wing building, Ling Buyi’s garments fluttering as he stood alone in the distance. Across the several dozen zhang of straight corridor, one couldn’t clearly see that young, handsome general’s expression. But his tall figure like a pine branch, under the spring sun’s bright rays, carried an imposing elegance, beautiful as a dream.

One young lady pressed her chest and sighed delicately: “My heart aches to death! Even if I marry, I’ll never forget Eleventh Young Master’s appearance for my entire life!” Another young lady with tears in her eyes said plaintively: “Even if I marry three times, my heart will still ache!”

“Even if I marry ten times, I won’t forget…”—the young ladies all began lamenting sorrowfully.

At this time, the silent Wang Xi suddenly raised her head and smiled: “Shaoshang, what about you?”

“Let me think… ” Shaoshang used her fingers to press the sound holes on the flute in her sleeve one by one, pretending to clutch her chest in shock: “I was wondering why my heart doesn’t ache—turns out I’ve had a change of heart!”

At these words, the lamenting young ladies all burst into laughter, their melancholy swept away completely.

The young ladies sat down again. Probably having discovered they all fanned over the same idol, their laughter and conversation now seemed even more open and comfortable than before. Cheng Yang finally set down her worries and chatted with a newly acquainted, equally shy and timid girl. Wan Qiqi boasted to three to five little sisters just over ten years old about her legendary past exploit of single-handedly beating four petty thugs.

Shaoshang held a bowl of hot millet soup, slightly lost in thought.

Actually, there were so many beautiful things in this world—the transverse flute that produced wonderful melodies when pressing the sound holes, the willow catkins like snowflakes when spring wind drifted by, that bluestone step under the corridor that would slightly rise when stepped on, Lou Yao’s red face when teased by her with no way to retaliate… And also, Ling Buyi. He was a very good person. Being able to watch him from afar like this was truly wonderful.

Lost in thought for who knows how long, Lian Fang suddenly came in from outside with small steps, gently and quietly leaning beside Shaoshang, pressing close to her ear and whispering several sentences. Shaoshang was bewildered for a long while before reacting: What? He wants to see me?!

Did handsome men of this era all refuse to follow the script? Shouldn’t he, like Yuan Shen, quietly wait for her by rocks or beside pools? To actually so brazenly have a servant maid pass a message? Did he think she was someone with a secret affair with him, shamelessly meeting with another person in her fiancé’s home?!

Lian Fang said in a low voice: “Commander Ling also has three more statements. First, he truly has something to say to you. Second, he asks the young miss to rest assured… he… Commander Ling says he won’t harm you, and asks, asks you to trust him.”

Shaoshang froze, once again extending her hand into her sleeve to touch the flute holes, from the first to the last, then smiled lightly. Actually, she did trust him, but well—

“I won’t go. Go tell him this matter is inappropriate—better to forget it.” Unfortunately, her romantic cells weren’t sufficient to support taking risks. She smiled and asked: “By the way, weren’t there three statements? What’s the third?”

The little servant maid’s expression was conflicted, saying with difficulty: “Commander Ling says if you don’t go, he’ll come find you himself. When that causes a huge incident, you can just wait to break off the engagement and marry him… If you don’t go, he’ll take it as consent to the marriage!”

Shaoshang’s mouth opened slightly, her eyes widening in disbelief.