Ji Fu drove the Yang family’s carriage toward Three Canal Bank. Not far outside the city, they saw Sang Shisi sitting at a tea stall under a Chinese parasol tree. Both Ji Fu and Xiangyou recognized him. Seeing him stand up and look toward the carriage, Ji Fu stopped.
The Yang family had sent four guards along. The quick-witted Xiangyou turned to invite the household guards into the tea pavilion. As she passed by the carriage, she quietly told Xiang’er, who was sitting on the shaft: “Young Master Sang has business with the Madam.”
Understanding, Xiang’er helped Ji Yingying down from the carriage.
Sang Shisi sent his attendant to keep the Yang family guards company over tea, then walked toward Ji Yingying with his hands behind his back.
Since it wasn’t appropriate to wear mourning clothes for the return visit, Ji Yingying wore a cyan-colored wide-sleeved robe and white skirt, with a veiled hat concealing her face. She gave Sang Shisi a graceful curtsy and smiled: “Young Master Sang, it’s been a while.”
Sang Shisi wore a troubled expression: “How should I address you? If I call you Third Madam Yang, Third Young Master will surely end our friendship.”
“Oh? How strange,” Ji Yingying said carelessly, looking at Sang Shisi’s cunning expression through her veil. “I married the Yang family’s Third Young Master—what does that have to do with the ‘Third Young Master’ you speak of?”
Sang Shisi smiled bitterly: “I didn’t sleep well last night. Yang Third Master spent the whole night reciting tongue twisters. I’m confused now—aren’t the two Yang Third Masters the same person?”
So he went to see Sang Shisi last night? At the root of it all, Yang Jingyuan’s inner conflict remained unresolved. He simply refused to acknowledge that she, who had married into the Yang family, was his wife.
Ji Yingying had been through enough turmoil these past few days and lacked the energy to continue this circular conversation with Sang Shisi. She asked directly: “Young Master Sang, please just say what you need to say.”
Sang Shisi glanced furtively toward the tea pavilion and said in a low voice: “Find an opportunity to slip out the back door today. I’ve arranged a carriage to take you away. Even if you leave the Yang family, you’ll still be Third Madam Yang.”
As if afraid she wouldn’t understand, he raised his eyebrows meaningfully.
So he wanted her to use the return visit as an opportunity to secretly leave and join Yang Jingyuan in Santai County. That way, Yang Jingyuan would forgive her and acknowledge her as his wife.
What a ridiculous idea! Sneaking out the back door to escape, avoiding the Yang family guards. What would happen when the Yang family went to her mother and brother to demand her return? He was truly selfish.
She hadn’t forgotten what he said last night. Now he’d changed his mind and wanted her to go with him?
“Was this his idea?”
“I also think it’s a good plan. Since you’re already married, it’s not exactly eloping. Leave a letter saying you’ve gone to serve your husband. With written proof, Old Madam Yang won’t make things difficult for your mother. She also won’t be in a position to bring you back.”
Before last night, Ji Yingying might have been moved by this. Now, she told Sang Shisi coolly: “Last night, Yang Jingyuan told me that even if I died, he wouldn’t look back. He said I married the Yang family’s Third Young Master, not him. Tell him this: since I’m not married to him, how could I go with him? Adultery is punishable by drowning in the ancestral hall’s pig cage.”
“Hey, hey, don’t be stubborn about this. This is a great opportunity. You won’t get another chance like this. What’s the difference between staying in the Yang family and being by his side? A wife should prioritize her husband in all things, shouldn’t she?” Sang Shisi urged anxiously.
“But I’m not married to him, so how can I prioritize him?”
Seeing Ji Yingying’s unwavering stance, Sang Shisi sighed helplessly: “The carriage will wait for you at the dye house’s back door for an hour at the beginning of the Wei hour.”
“No need to wait. Tell him exactly what I said: I absolutely will not elope with a man who isn’t my husband.” Ji Yingying firmly refused, then got back into the carriage with Xiang’er and ordered them to continue on their way.
Young Master Sang Shisi watched the Yang family’s carriage disappear into the distance and clicked his tongue: “Yang Third Master, let’s see how you handle this.”
“This is a great opportunity. You won’t get another chance like this.”
Old Master Zhao used bamboo tongs to pick up a tea cake, carefully roasting it over the fire.
Zhao Binsong, the Zhao family head, and Zhao Xiuyuan sat kneeling across from the low table, slowly digesting the Old Master’s words.
“Yang Jingshan is bedridden, his legitimate grandson still young. His second legitimate son focuses on the shops and has no great talent for brocade weaving. The Yang family is in discord. If the Yang family’s First Branch cannot win the Jin King title this year, the position of family head will change hands. Yang Shi took advantage of the mourning period to marry Ji Yingying into the family, wanting her to wholeheartedly select colors for the Yang family’s competition brocade. But what if Ji Yingying were to die now?”
If Ji Yingying died, it would surely be another devastating blow to the Yang family’s First Branch. With the First Branch holding consecutive funerals, merchants would consider Yang family brocades inauspicious. If the brocades wouldn’t sell, the Second and Third Branches would cause even more trouble.
“Ji Yingying cannot be used by the Zhao family, and she absolutely must not select and arrange silk threads for the Yang family’s competition brocade,” Zhao Binsong understood his father’s meaning.
Grandfather wants her dead. Zhao Xiuyuan gathered his courage and said: “If we were to abduct her…”
They could hide her away and force her to work for the Zhao family. He could still possess her.
“Are you so confident she won’t be found? If this fails, where would the Zhao family hide its face? Don’t forget, she’s no longer the Young Miss of the Ji family. She’s the Third Madam of the Yang family’s First Branch in Yizhou.” Old Master Zhao placed the fragrant roasted tea cake in a bowl and ground it heavily with a jade pestle. “Second Young Master need not involve himself in this matter. Let your father handle it.”
Zhao Binsong agreed and hurriedly left to arrange personnel.
“Grandfather, grandson takes his leave as well.” Zhao Xiuyuan bid farewell to Old Master Zhao, his heart pounding with anxiety.
“You will stay here with your grandfather today and await news.”
Zhao Xiuyuan looked up in surprise and saw his grandfather’s eyes as sharp and cold as an eagle’s. He lowered his head: “Yes.”
The carriage stopped at the Ji family gate.
Ji Yaoting, having received word, was already waiting outside.
Seeing only one carriage, with no husband accompanying her, Ji Yaoting felt another wave of sadness. He quickly descended the steps, about to lift the carriage curtain to help his sister down himself. Suddenly, the sound of rapid hoofbeats arose, and he instinctively looked up.
By then, Xiang’er had already jumped down and lifted the curtain.
Ji Yingying bent to exit the carriage compartment, and as she looked up, she screamed in fright, nearly falling back into the carriage.
This was like seeing a ghost! When did he appear? Ji Yingying stared at Yang Jingyuan who had suddenly materialized before her, her heart still pounding wildly.
Yang Jingyuan’s face was expressionless as he bent down to lift her from the carriage.
“Let’s talk inside, don’t keep Mother waiting long,” Ji Yaoting said, more relieved than surprised. Yang Jingyuan’s sudden appearance meant at least his sister wouldn’t be alone for her return visit.
The Yang family guards were also surprised and hurriedly bowed to Yang Jingyuan.
Xiangyou’s eyes brimmed with tears, nearly wanting to throw herself at Yang Jingyuan’s feet and cry her heart out.
Last night he was all sarcasm and mockery, and now he shows up playing the good son-in-law? Or did he realize his mistake after venting his anger and talking all night with Sang Shisi? Ji Yingying came to her senses and secretly glanced at Yang Jingyuan. The light had been poor last night, but now in the bright sunlight, his features were clear, handsome as a painting. Her Third Young Master was just so good-looking, even wearing hemp mourning clothes he was still handsome. Hearing him call Ji Yaoting “Elder Brother,” Ji Yingying couldn’t help but smile broadly. He still couldn’t bear to part with her after all.
Following behind Ji Yaoting toward the second gate, Yang Jingyuan lowered his head and whispered like a mosquito: “Don’t get too happy too soon. Once you return to the Yang family, you’re not my wife.”
Oh my, how frightening! Did he think she would still cry and threaten suicide to make him stay? Ji Yingying smiled like a flower, showing no weakness: “My husband is the Yang family’s Third Young Master. Aren’t you him?”
If you don’t acknowledge it, why did you come?
Yang Jingyuan fell silent. He smiled coldly, thinking: what’s the point of arguing? When it was time to return, he would simply abduct her and take her away.