This matter wasn’t Gao Sheng’s place to comment on. He nodded silently and asked Gu Chang, “Then what about the Li family’s side?”
Gu Chang replied coldly, “We’ve done so much—if the Li family doesn’t know about it, wouldn’t that be like wearing fine silk robes at night?”
Gao Sheng acknowledged the order. After serving Gu Chang as he retired for the night, he went to inquire about Pei Yan’s situation.
By the time Li Duan investigated and discovered that the rumors about Li Yi’s embezzlement had been spread by the Peng family, and that Li Yi’s impending transfer to serve in Yunnan-Guizhou was Gu Chang’s doing, the Dragon Boat Festival had already passed.
He stared at the canopy above painted with blue-green wisteria leaves, feeling as if all the strength had been drained from his body. He couldn’t even move his little finger.
Peng Shiyi felt he wasn’t obedient enough and wanted to intimidate him, so he had people spread the rumor that Li Jun had returned to transport the silver his father had embezzled. Meanwhile, Gu Xi wanted to break off the engagement but didn’t want others to think it was her fault. She wanted the Li family to initiate the cancellation themselves, so Gu Chang made his move, threatening their family that if they didn’t break off the engagement, he would have Li Duan’s father transferred laterally to Yunnan-Guizhou.
Lin Jue paced around the room like a trapped beast: “We’re now caught between two fires! A’Duan, you mustn’t be careless! The Peng Shiyi situation is manageable—doesn’t he just want us to submit? We’ll submit! We’ll do whatever he says. The urgent matter is to make absolutely sure he doesn’t discover that the Gu family is also targeting us, otherwise we’ll truly become meat on the chopping block, to be slaughtered at the Peng family’s whim.
“As for the Gu family’s side, if there’s really no other way, then let’s just break off the engagement.
“When your aunt found a way to connect with the Gu family before, I already felt it wasn’t quite appropriate. The match is too unequal! Moreover, the Gu family’s second branch is quite poor. I’ve investigated thoroughly—when Old Master Gu divided the family property, the second branch only received less than twenty thousand taels of silver. And that Second Master of theirs doesn’t understand household management at all. How much of a dowry could Miss Gu possibly have!
“Furthermore, think about that young lady from the Gu family—she lost her mother at a young age, yet she can make even her stepmother wary of her. Clearly she’s not easy to get along with! When all is said and done about the Gu family, their only advantage is their scholarly connection. But among the four great families of Jiangnan, three are in Hangzhou. Without their Gu family, there are still the Shen family, the Lu family, and the Qian family. If worst comes to worst, there are the slightly lesser Zhang and Yang families!”
Having said this, he plopped down on the meditation chair beside Li Duan, crossed his legs, and continued: “If it were me, I’d find someone comparable to our own family—either the bride’s brothers could study, or she’d bring a substantial dowry. When it comes down to it, you’re the one who has to live this life. Finding a wife who’ll constantly lord over you—what’s the point of living?”
Li Duan smiled bitterly.
How could he want it this way?
But if he didn’t do this, when the time came for him to enter officialdom, with the Li family’s foundation, they simply couldn’t help him at all.
His father was the best example.
If not for the Lin family having nothing but money and no foundation whatsoever, would his father, at his current age, still be stuck at the fourth rank with no advancement?
But he couldn’t say this in front of Lin Jue.
He rubbed his temples with a headache and said, “As for the Gu family marriage, if it’s possible not to break it off, we should try our best not to. I heard from people in the Wu family that Gu Chang’s mentor, Sun Gao, may be transferred to serve as Minister of Personnel.”
The Ministry of Personnel managed the appointment, dismissal, and rewards and punishments of court officials.
Lin Jue’s eyes lit up at this: “Really?”
“Really!” Li Duan said somewhat wearily. “A member of the Wu family was in the same examination class as me. They specially sent someone to tell me a few days ago.”
Lin Jue lowered his eyelids without speaking.
They both understood in their hearts that the Wu family member had come to pass on this information because they didn’t know the Gu family wanted to break off the engagement and wanted to curry favor with Li Duan.
If news of the two families breaking off the engagement spread, not only would Li Duan be laughed at, but the Li family would be abandoned by others.
After a long while, he finally said dejectedly, “So what do you plan to do?”
Li Duan said, “Mother still doesn’t know about this matter. You help me look after Mother first. I’m planning to go to Hangzhou in the next few days to meet Miss Gu!”
To untie the bell, one must find the person who tied it.
He wanted to find out why Miss Gu was so insistent on breaking off the engagement.
Could the Yu family matter really be that important? Besides, he had his reasons for doing what he did.
Lin Jue laughed and said, “You’re still the one who’s read more books and has a brain. Girls like handsome men—rather than going to find Gu Chang, it really is better to go find Miss Gu.”
After all, Li Duan appeared to be a talented gentleman. What girl didn’t like handsome men? The engagement cancellation had originally been led by Gu Xi anyway. If Gu Xi changed her mind and still wanted to marry Li Duan wholeheartedly, surely the Gu family couldn’t stop her.
Li Duan frowned at Lin Jue’s vulgar speech.
Lin Jue, thinking Li Duan was worrying about going to the Gu family, smiled and said, “I think you’re doing the right thing. If you’re going to go, go quickly. I think there’s no need to choose an auspicious date either. You should set off for the Gu residence tomorrow and find a way to meet Miss Gu. Once you’ve got Miss Gu in your grasp, let’s see what the Gu family can say!”
Though this idea was rather sleazy, it had strong feasibility.
Li Duan secretly resolved to definitely find a way to meet Gu Xi, but said aloud, “I have my own plan.”
Lin Jue, afraid his stubborn nature would flare up again, advised him: “Han Xin was able to endure the humiliation of crawling between someone’s legs and achieved great accomplishments. You should learn from his example!”
That depends on what you’re learning!
Li Duan grumbled internally, thinking Lin Jue was like dog meat that couldn’t be served at a proper banquet.
He set the date for going to Hangzhou. Meanwhile, Yu Tang and Yu Yuan finally found an opportunity to take Xiang Shi to Suzhou.
Xiang Shi had never traveled this far in her life.
She felt that being able to go from Fuyang to Lin’an already counted as being well-traveled and a very fortunate woman. She never imagined she would have the opportunity to go to Suzhou.
Sitting in the rented covered boat, she still felt like she was dreaming.
She opened a package of nest-silk candy, stuffed one into Yu Tang’s mouth, and said in a low voice, “Try this. My father brought it back from the capital when I got married.”
The small covered boat was divided in two by a coarse blue cloth curtain. On one side sat Yu Yuan, Xia Pinggui, Sanmu, and two shop assistants. On the other side sat Yu Tang, Xiang Shi, Shuang Tao, and Xiang Shi’s maid Xia Lian.
The Yu family shop needed to purchase some lacquer. Yu Yuan suggested bringing Yu Tang and Xiang Shi along to let them gain some exposure to the family business.
Yu Bo didn’t agree, feeling that women would be in the way. It was Yu Tang who persuaded Yu Wen, and Yu Wen came forward to convince Yu Bo, which finally gave Yu Tang and Xiang Shi this trip to Suzhou.
Yu Tang had been so excited these past two days that she hadn’t slept well. After boarding the boat and sailing for only half a shichen, once the initial novelty wore off, she began to doze.
Yu Tang yawned as she put the candy in her mouth. Finding it didn’t help with drowsiness at all, but rather made her sleepier, she couldn’t help but lean on Xiang Shi’s shoulder. Her eyelids felt as heavy as a thousand jin as they closed, and she mumbled: “Sister-in-law, I’ll just rest my eyes for a moment.”
Xiang Shi watched her nestle against her shoulder like a child and couldn’t help but smile.
She hadn’t slept well yesterday either, afraid that going would cause trouble for Yu Yuan, and afraid that not taking good care of Yu Tang would displease her. Although she had married into the Yu family less than three months ago, she could see clearly that her father-in-law’s family’s cousin-in-law was not only cherished by the Yu family’s second branch, but her own in-laws and husband also doted on her tremendously. She didn’t want to offend Yu Tang over small matters and affect her relationship with her in-laws and husband. Moreover, Yu Tang was a good person, and her husband doted on her even more, taking her wherever he went. This made Xiang Shi, who had envied her stepmother since childhood, determined that no matter what, she would capture her husband’s heart and spend a lifetime with him as happily as they were now.
She became even more tolerant toward Yu Tang.
But watching Yu Tang fall asleep, she also couldn’t help wanting to sleep.
“Xia Lian,” Xiang Shi quietly instructed her maid, “I’ll rest my eyes for a bit too. If there’s any movement from the young master’s side, remember to wake me.”
Xia Lian had grown up with Xiang Shi and understood her mistress’s thoughts better than anyone. Previously, she had worried that Xiang Shi would marry into a wealthy family as the principal wife and she would be taken as a concubine. Now that Xiang Shi had married into the Yu family, she was happier than anyone—a family like the Yu family wouldn’t keep a concubine living idle. Usually, the madam’s personal maids either married capable shop assistants to retain them, or married shop managers. Whether it was the former or the latter, she felt that if she had such a day, it would truly be a moment to hold her head high, making her life worthwhile.
Since Xiang Shi wanted to capture Yu Yuan’s heart, she put in more effort than anyone.
She immediately nodded, not only carefully taking a pillow to place on her own shoulder for Xiang Shi to lean on, but also took a thin blanket and handed it to Shuang Tao, signaling Shuang Tao to help cover Xiang Shi and Yu Tang.
Shuang Tao suddenly felt that all her years as a maid had been in vain.
She had never been this attentive or proactive in caring for Yu Tang.
Usually, she only did what Yu Tang or Chen Shi instructed her to do, and occasionally she would slack off in the kitchen.
Without comparison there was no difference—would the young lady think she was incompetent in the future?
Shuang Tao carefully covered Yu Tang and Xiang Shi with the thin blanket, but felt somewhat uneasy in her heart.
From Hangzhou to Suzhou there was a direct water route, very convenient. Moreover, going with the current, it only took seven or eight shichen. So many people would take the night boat, boarding in the evening, sleeping through the night, and arriving the next morning. After finishing business in Suzhou, they could take the evening boat back to Hangzhou. It didn’t delay matters and saved a night’s lodgingè´¹.
Yu Tang and her group were no exception. They first took a boat to Hangzhou, then transferred boats from Hangzhou, and arrived in Suzhou after one night.
However, they would stay two nights in Suzhou before returning.
According to Yu Yuan, they needed to look at the lacquerware shops in Suzhou.
Suzhou style, Suzhou style—even the noble people in the palace would find ways to obtain some Suzhou goods to use. This was perhaps why, even though Hangzhou was closer to Ningbo, it was Suzhou people who did more maritime trade.
After sitting on the boat for a day and a night, both Yu Tang and Xiang Shi were like blanched string beans—wilted.
Yu Yuan, this elder brother who forgot his sister after getting a wife, first helped Xiang Shi up. Looking at Xiang Shi’s listless face, he asked with concern, “Are you alright? I’ll go hire a sedan chair right away. You and Little Sister can rest at the inn first. After Pinggui and I buy what we need, I’ll accompany you out to look around.”
Xiang Shi didn’t know what to do with this simple-minded husband. She was afraid that shaking him off would hurt his feelings, but also afraid that continuing to be so affectionate with him would make her sister-in-law uncomfortable. She could only give Yu Yuan meaningful looks and say, “I’m not tired. You go help Little Sister. I’m fine!”
Only then did Yu Yuan remember Yu Tang. He said “Oh” indifferently but didn’t let go of Xiang Shi. Instead, he tilted his head to look at Yu Tang walking behind Xiang Shi and said, “Are you alright? Do you need me to help you?”