Conveying a message into the imperial palace was no simple matter.
Fortunately, Ling Jingshu and Wei Yan had already made an arrangement long beforehand. Should anything urgent arise, she would have someone send a letter to the Imperial Physicians’ Court. Tian Dong made a trip to the Imperial Physicians’ Court every day, and could bring the letter to Wei Yan.
Ling Jingshu wrote the letter that very day, and Wei Yan received it by the following day.
Two days later, Wei Yan came to the Ling residence.
Old Madam Ling had been waiting in a state of feverish anxiety, and the moment she heard that Wei Yan had arrived, she went out to receive him personally.
It was Wei Yan’s first visit to the Ling residence in his capacity as the future son-in-law, so of course he could not wear half-worn plain cloth — nor would it be fitting to wear his official court attire. He had deliberately dressed in a robe of slate-blue brocade, his hair bound up with a white jade crown. His features were handsome, his bearing outstanding. Simply standing there, the manner of refinement and distinction that set him apart from ordinary men was already enough to command admiration.
“This must be Imperial Physician Wei!” Old Madam Ling’s face was wreathed in a warm and amiable smile. “Truly fine in appearance and exceptional in bearing — this old woman has really had her eyes opened today.”
Wei Yan promptly smiled and cupped his hands in a respectful bow, performing the ceremony due from a junior to an elder. “Wei Yan pays his respects to Old Madam Ling.”
Old Madam Ling laughed warmly. “In just a few days, you ought to be changing that address to ‘Grandmother.’ We are family — there is no need to be so formal.”
At the same time, she sent a maidservant to summon Ling Jingshu. “Go and invite the young lady and the young master to come. Tell them that Imperial Physician Wei has arrived and ask them to come out and meet him.”
Her manner was as warm and welcoming as it could possibly be.
By custom, an unmarried couple ought not to see each other again before the wedding. Even if Wei Yan came to call, the Ling Family should have had Ling Jingshu absent herself and avoid meeting him.
Old Madam Ling gave all of this no thought whatsoever, and summoned Ling Jingshu out to see Wei Yan just like that — which was already more than enough to show how pressing and urgent her desire was to draw Wei Yan in.
Wei Yan had already learned of the situation from the letter, and felt considerable distaste toward Old Madam Ling in his heart. Though he very much wished to see Ling Jingshu, the way Old Madam Ling was handling this was far too improper.
If word were to get out, Ling Jingshu’s reputation as a proper young woman would inevitably suffer.
“Please wait a moment.” Wei Yan called the message-running maidservant back. “You need only invite Ling Xiao to come. A’Shu does not need to come out.”
The maidservant startled, then instinctively looked toward Old Madam Ling.
Old Madam Ling also gave a small start. But she saw Wei Yan explain with polished courtesy, “By the common customs of propriety, it is considered inauspicious for an unmarried couple to meet before the wedding. Please forgive this junior for speaking out of turn.”
Old Madam Ling’s aged face flushed. Wei Yan’s words were tantamount to quietly accusing her, an elder, of behaving improperly.
Fortunately, Old Madam Ling had lived long enough that her skin had grown thick and well-seasoned. Her aged face reddened briefly, and then she smiled as though nothing had happened at all. “It is I who did not think things through properly. Very well then — let A’Shu stay in her room, and have A’Xiao come out.”
Wei Yan smiled and said nothing further.
……
This small episode very quickly reached Ling Jingshu’s ears.
Ling Jingshu could not help but smile, and a faint sweetness welled up in her heart.
Only someone who truly cared for a person would be so thorough and attentive in their consideration of them. He would rather bear the pain of missing her than give anyone grounds for gossip.
Indeed — they would be married very soon, and there would be all the time in the world to spend together afterward. At this moment, what did it truly matter whether they met once more or not?
Bai Yu volunteered herself eagerly. “Young Miss, this servant will go and see what is happening in the front hall. If anything comes up, this servant can let Young Miss know right away.”
Ling Jingshu smiled and gave a sound of agreement.
Bai Yu was gone for roughly half an hour before she returned to report. “This servant was waiting outside and could not hear what the Old Madam and the future son-in-law were saying. However, I have heard that the Old Madam has specifically asked the future son-in-law to stay for lunch.”
It seemed Wei Yan had already managed to deflect Old Madam Ling in line with her intentions.
Ling Jingshu curled her lips in a smile and gave an offhand instruction. “I am hungry too — go and set out the meal.”
Bai Yu answered cheerfully and, together with Qiao Yun, busied herself with setting the meal.
Though they could not meet, knowing that Wei Yan was close by, Ling Jingshu’s mood was exceptionally light and pleasant — she ate a full bowl more than usual before finally setting down her chopsticks.
……
At that same moment, in another courtyard, Li Shi sat with her face dark and contorted, her eyes brimming with fury.
Ling Fou sat nearby and said in a small voice, “Mother, why aren’t you eating?”
“Eat, eat, eat! Besides eating, what else do you know?” Li Shi immediately rounded on Ling Fou and barked at him.
Ling Fou’s eyes filled with tears, and he lowered his head and began to cry.
Li Shi had scolded her son to tears, and felt a pang of remorse in her heart. She wanted to coax him with a few gentle words, but truly had no heart for it.
Everything had changed. Ever since Ling Fou had injured his leg, everything had changed.
Ling Fou had once been considered fairly clever and quick-witted, and had been quite favored by Ling Wuye. But now, Ling Fou had been reduced entirely to a cripple, with no future prospects to speak of.
Ling Wuye, disappointed in his younger son, had ended up treating his eldest son by a concubine, Ling Ting, considerably better.
Li Shi’s heart was full of indignation and anxiety. Ling Xiao had had his eyesight cured, and Ling Jingshu had been matched into such a splendid marriage by the Empress. Going forward, would this Fifth Branch not become entirely the domain of Ling Xiao and his sister?
It was precisely because of this that the moment they arrived in the capital, she had rushed to give Ling Jingshu a show of force to put her in her place.
What she had not expected was that the show of force had failed entirely, and she had ended up embarrassing herself instead. She had received a severe public dressing-down from Old Madam Ling, then returned home only to be berated by Ling Wuye. And then later, Old Madam Ling — for the sake of begging and rescuing the Ling woman — had agreed to all the conditions Ling Jingshu had put forward.
When Li Shi learned of it, she was so furious she nearly coughed up blood.
Ling Jingshu had opened her mouth and demanded this enormous sum of dowry goods in one breath. Originally, all of that would have been assets belonging to the Fifth Branch. Now it was all going into Ling Jingshu’s trousseau — what was Ling Fou going to do in future? And more infuriatingly, Old Madam Ling had also agreed to let Ling Xiao go and live at the Wei residence. How was she supposed to get any leverage over Ling Xiao now?
She, as his stepmother, had been thoroughly stripped of all her standing.
Today, when Wei Yan came to call, Ling Wuye had not even allowed her to go out and receive the guest.
She was the legitimate mistress of the Fifth Branch — she was Ling Jingshu’s stepmother. And yet slap after slap had been laid across her face. What face would she have left to manage the Fifth Branch going forward?
Ling Fou’s sobbing drifted to her ears on and off. Li Shi forced herself to suppress the dark gloom inside her and coaxed Ling Fou for a while. “All right, stop crying. Mother didn’t mean to scold you — she was just in a bad mood earlier.”
Ling Fou sniffled and wept for a long while before the crying gradually subsided.
An hour later, Ling Wuye returned.
Li Shi quickly squeezed out a smile and went to meet him. “My lord, how did you return so soon? Has the son-in-law already left?”
Ling Wuye gave a sound of assent. “The Emperor has been unwell and cannot be parted from Wei Yan for even a moment. The fact that he was able to slip away and come to the Ling residence at all was already no small thing. There was simply no time for him to stay longer.”
His tone carried unmistakable satisfaction with this son-in-law of his.
And indeed, there was nothing to find fault with.
In looks, in character, in family standing — Wei Yan was outstanding in every regard, one in a thousand. Though he could not compare to the Crown Grandson, this was still an exceptional match.
Li Shi saw Ling Wuye’s face full of smiles, and the resentment and vexation in her heart only deepened. She deliberately dropped a few words to stir up trouble. “Does he truly have the ability to save someone? What if he has boasted without being able to back it up? We would end up at a loss then — having poured in the gold and silver, yet still failed to save anyone.”