Xie Wan and Miao Anping were stunned.
Miao Anping even exclaimed in shock, “What… what should we do now?”
The guard sighed and said, “If the lord wants his subject to die, the subject has no choice but to die. If a father wants his son to perish, the son has no choice but to perish. No matter how powerful our young master is outside, he must still maintain his role as a child before the Duke. At most, he can only vent his anger like this. What else can he do?”
Miao Anping was overcome with wild joy and pulled Xie Wan towards home.
Xie Wan, however, was hesitant.
The reason he had agreed to be the matchmaker for the Miao family was that he hoped to speak with Song Mo, the son-in-law of the North Tower Dou family, through this matter. What did the second young master of Duke Ying’s mansion have to do with him? Now that the small engagement hadn’t even begun and Song Mo had stormed off angrily, was there still any need for him to go to the Miao family?
But Wanping County was only so big, and Miao Anping was urging him urgently. The sedan bearers, thinking that the Miao family had now connected with Duke Ying’s mansion, didn’t dare to slight him. By the time Xie Wan came to his senses, the sedan chair had already stopped at the main gate of the Miao residence.
He had no choice but to alight.
Miao Ansu’s uncle, father, and other uncles came out in a flurry to welcome him.
Xie Wan entered the gate with his nose in the air.
Miao Anping, however, pulled his father aside behind a pomegranate tree.
“Father, let me tell you, I just encountered the heir of Duke Ying’s mansion,” he hurriedly told his father what had transpired. “It seems this Song Yan Tang is soft at home, and he’s not here today. What do you think, can we renegotiate the amount of the betrothal gifts?”
Miao’s father’s heart began to race, feeling that his son’s suggestion was very feasible.
He immediately sought out Miao Ansu’s eldest uncle to discuss.
After pondering for a long while, Miao Ansu’s eldest uncle said, “A horse doesn’t fatten without night grass, and a man doesn’t get rich without unexpected wealth. Let’s try it first, if it doesn’t work, we can reconsider.”
Miao’s father and Miao Anping nodded incessantly.
The three went to the hall.
After having a cup of tea with Xie Wan, the people from Duke Ying’s mansion arrived to make the small engagement.
The matchmakers from the Song family were a clerk named Qiao Lu from the Five Chief Military Commission and a former classmate of Song Yichun named Li Wen from when he took the imperial examinations.
Mentioning this matter filled Song Yichun with resentment.
He had originally wanted to ask the Third Prince Consort to be the main matchmaker, but the Third Prince Consort refused, citing that he had never been a matchmaker before. Song Yichun had no choice but to settle for asking Marquis Anlu to step in, but unexpectedly, Marquis Anlu still harbored resentment towards Song Mo for causing him trouble. Not only did he not bring anyone, but Song Yichun also had to endure a round of sarcastic remarks at the Marquis Anlu’s mansion. He was so angry that he jumped up and down at home, cursing Song Mo viciously. Then he thought of his uncle Lu Fuli, but Lu Fuli made excuses about being too old and lacking the energy to withstand the commotion, suggesting he find someone younger.
With all these back-and-forths, time was wasted, and they had to hastily find one of his subordinates and a fellow candidate from the same imperial examination to be the matchmakers.
Xie Wan looked at these two people, his eye twitching.
He was a two-time jinshi degree holder, was he expected to drink at the same table with a lowly clerk and a mere xiucai?
He held his forehead, claiming he had caught a chill, and pushed the matter onto the county magistrate Ma Hao, then quickly left in his sedan chair.
Wanping County was an imperial county, and even the county magistrate had to be a two-time jinshi degree holder.
Ma Hao had been secretly relieved that he was just accompanying guests today, but in the blink of an eye, he had become the main host. His face changed immediately, and he sat in the east wing room drinking tea and chatting, refusing to come out to entertain.
The Miao family had no choice but to invite the two matchmakers from the Song family to sit in the west wing room, leaving the fortunetellers from both sides to exchange pleasantries and present the small engagement gifts.
A red gold necklace inlaid with precious stones, ruby earrings the size of lotus seeds, heavy red gold filigree bracelets, and shiny yellow gold horseshoe rings.
When Madam Miao saw these jewels, her eyes crinkled into slits with joy.
The fortuneteller invited by the Song family was Song Third Madam.
She put the necklace, earrings, bracelets, and rings on Miao Ansu.
A hint of a smile appeared in Miao Ansu’s eyes as she was supported by her maids to rise and bow to Song Third Madam.
Song Third Madam took out two gold-threaded handkerchiefs as a return gift, then had the attendant servants bring in gifts for each branch of the Miao family.
With this, the small engagement ceremony was completed.
The Miao family’s eldest aunt and Song Third Madam went to the main hall to discuss the betrothal gifts, dowry, and wedding date.
Miao Ansu’s maid darted in, grinning as she said, “Madam, Young Miss, I’ve seen clearly, that the Song family sent tea and wine. Fourth Master says the tea is top-grade West Lake Longjing, and the wine is authentic Shaanxi Chou wine.”
Miao Ansu smiled, pressing her lips together.
Madam Miao glared at her daughter, chiding, “Are you satisfied now?”
Miao Ansu tugged at her mother’s sleeve, acting coy.
In the main hall, Song Third Madam’s face had turned frosty.
She lowered her head to take a sip of tea, slowly put down the cup, and then said, “As the saying goes, ‘A man picks, a woman follows.’ Thirty-six loads of small engagement gifts and ten thousand taels of silver as betrothal gifts are not much for our Duke Ying’s mansion. When the young master got married, there were one hundred and twenty-four loads of betrothal gifts, costing a full twenty thousand taels of silver. However, the young mistress’s maiden family returned one hundred and twenty-six loads of gifts, including two loads entirely of silver notes worth ten taels each, totaling forty thousand taels, with a total value exceeding one hundred thousand taels. By this measure, your family should prepare… at least thirty thousand taels of silver for the dowry.”
There was no response from the other side.
Could they be too angry to speak?
Song Third Madam looked up, only to see the Miao family’s fortuneteller – the Miao family’s eldest aunt – staring at her with her mouth agape as if she could swallow a toad.
She couldn’t help but laugh coldly in her heart.
A dowry of less than three thousand taels of silver, yet expecting betrothal gifts worth ten thousand taels? How could there be such a good deal?
When she married into the Song family, her betrothal gifts were only worth two thousand taels of silver.
If it weren’t for the intervention of a noble person from the palace, with their status, the Miao family wouldn’t even be qualified to polish shoes for the Song family, let alone become her nephew’s in-laws. Keep dreaming!
Thinking this, she suddenly felt much closer to Dou Zhao.
When Dou Zhao first came, the red envelopes she gave to the servants were all eight fen of silver each. Her daughter alone received eight red envelopes, and because her daughter was Song Mo’s cousin, the Dou family gave an additional reward of one thousand taels of silver.
Could the Miao family afford that?
No wonder her sister-in-law refused to come, she must have known early on that this Miao family was a shameless, fallen household.
Song Third Madam sighed inwardly.
The Duke Ying’s mansion was large and wealthy, it wasn’t that they couldn’t afford these ten thousand taels of silver, but if the Song family gave ten thousand taels of silver in betrothal gifts and the bride entered with only three thousand taels of silver as dowry, wouldn’t that be embarrassing for the Song family?
Her sister-in-law was indeed shrewd!
She didn’t get involved in this matter at all.
In the future, she would need to be more cautious.
The Miao family’s eldest aunt truly didn’t know what to say.
The situation had developed completely beyond her control.
Would any family spend one hundred thousand taels of silver to marry off a daughter?
One hundred thousand taels, how much land could that buy?
With that money, wouldn’t it be better to leave it for sons and grandsons rather than giving it to a daughter to take to another family?
Was the Song family trying to extort them?
As this thought flashed through her mind, she regained her composure and smiled, “We can’t concern ourselves with how other families do things. Madam, you said it well, ‘A man picks, a woman follows.’ If the Song family provides ten thousand taels of silver as betrothal gifts, we will accompany our niece with a dowry of five thousand taels of silver. These are all customary practices, not something you or I can decide.”
“That’s right,” Song Third Madam smoothed her temples and said, “I understand your family’s intentions now, and I will relay them to the Duke when I return. So, about the wedding date?”
The Miao family’s eldest aunt smiled and said, “We haven’t even settled on the betrothal gifts, how can we set a wedding date?”
Song Third Madam snorted coldly in her heart.
It seemed that the marriage negotiations wouldn’t be concluded today.
She would likely have more to deal with in the future.
She wasn’t one to let matters rest easily, thinking that since this marriage was imperially bestowed, surely the Miao family wouldn’t dare to break it off.
Since they were putting on airs, let them keep it up.
When the Emperor inquires about it, would he side with the Miao family?
Even if no one asks, Song Han is a boy. Even if it’s delayed for three to five years, he’ll still have someone to warm his bed. He might even have illegitimate children by then. If anyone should be anxious, it would be the Miao family, who might end up begging the Song family to quickly bring the bride home.
We’ll see who has to watch whose face then!
Song Third Madam simply stood up to take her leave: “If that’s the case, I’ll return to the mansion first. When your family has made a decision, I’ll come visit the in-laws again.”
The implication was clear: the Song family would only provide five thousand taels of silver as betrothal gifts, whether they agreed or not.
The Miao family’s eldest aunt stood there, dumbfounded.
What did the Song family mean by this?
Did they intend to defy the imperial decree?
Weren’t they afraid of the Emperor’s reproach?
She couldn’t help but say, “This marriage was arranged by a noble person in the palace.”
Song Third Madam chuckled lightly, her eyes filled with undisguised mockery: “Our Duke went to the palace to see the Emperor just yesterday. If the marriage negotiations fail, we’ll simply explain it to the Emperor. The Miao family’s eldest aunt need not worry.” With that, she turned to leave.
Madam Miao, who had been eavesdropping behind the door, grew anxious.
The Song family could enter the palace and see the Emperor at any time; the Miao family hadn’t even seen what the Crown Prince looked like, let alone the Emperor. If the Song family were to speak ill of the Miao family before the Emperor, the Miao family wouldn’t even have a chance to defend themselves. Wouldn’t they be wrongly accused?
She hurriedly emerged from behind the door with a smile, calling out to Song Third Madam: “The banquet outside is all setup, just waiting for you to be seated so we can begin.” As she spoke, she quickly stepped forward and linked arms with Song Third Madam, saying softly, “Our family’s gentlemen are already seated with your two matchmakers, we should join them now.”
Others had accompanied Song Third Madam to make the small engagement, and Song Third Madam couldn’t ignore these people and leave on her own, could she?
Madam Miao smiled at Song Third Madam.
Song Third Madam raised an eyebrow noncommittally, allowing Madam Miao to escort her to the women’s section of the banquet.
Madam Miao eagerly pulled the Miao family’s eldest aunt aside and asked in a low voice, “How did it go?”
The Miao family’s eldest aunt looked utterly disgruntled and said, “The Song family is only willing to give five thousand taels of silver as betrothal gifts.” She then relayed what Song Third Madam had said about Song Mo and Dou Zhao’s wedding, adding, “What do you think, is this true or false? If it’s true, we’re in trouble. How could our family afford such a large dowry? If Ansu marries into their family, won’t she be completely overshadowed by the young mistress, unable to move an inch?”
Madam Miao was speechless.
“Is it true or not?” She hurriedly went to find her husband, “I need to discuss this with her father.”
The Miao family’s eldest aunt shook her head and went to take her seat at the banquet.
After hearing his wife’s words, Miao’s father was filled with worry.
Miao Anping, who had come to find his father to accompany the guests, couldn’t help but laugh when he heard this, saying, “Look how worried you all are, what’s so difficult about this?”