Madam Cen rushed out after Mudan, pulling her back. As she wiped Mudan’s tears, she coldly addressed Madam Cui, “We don’t need such a considerate relative who blindly throws mud at her niece and schemes with outsiders against her. Please leave. I won’t detain you any longer. As for whether my daughter Mudan truly accepted betrothal gifts and is now reneging on the engagement, potentially causing great trouble, you needn’t worry about us. Just relay Mudan’s words to your master! If they want to execute us, so be it!”
Madam Cui’s face alternated between red and white. She thought to herself, “The He family has turned against us as planned. Good. But I can’t let them know that I came here prepared to sever ties with them regardless of the outcome.” She reasoned that with this complete falling out, even if Li Xing couldn’t let go, he would have to. How could he still visit Mudan every few days, delaying his engagement to the Wu family? Or secretly plan to leave town? Once the tree is cut down, how can the crow still call?
With this in mind, Madam Cui mustered her courage and sneered, “Mudan, don’t try to scare me. If you dare to do something, you should dare to face the consequences. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you or fail to recognize good intentions! Now, it’s unclear who’s right or wrong in this matter. You can’t expect them to produce witnesses, can you? By then, you might lose all face! Think carefully about how to respond, lest you regret it later. I’m leaving now!” With that, she strode away quickly.
Hearing the commotion, Madam Zhen rushed out to see what had happened. Seeing the situation, she hurried back inside to grab the gifts Madam Cui had brought. She chased after Madam Cui and threw them at her feet just before she could board her sedan chair, stomping on them and starting to curse. If there was one thing Madam Zhen excelled at, it was adding fuel to the fire and hurling insults.
As soon as Madam Zhen began, Madam Sun and others joined in. Though they didn’t curse as loudly, they chimed in with sarcastic remarks and snide comments. This attracted a crowd of onlookers curious about the situation. Madam Zhen didn’t know the specifics, but she knew Madam Cui had offended Madam Cen and Mudan, pushing Mudan to the brink. She assumed it was just a case of a high-ranking official’s wife looking down on her relatives and bullying them. So she embellished the story based on her imagination, leaving the crowd astounded.
Surrounded by onlookers and hearing many insults, Madam Cui felt embarrassed, angry, and irritated. She wanted to curse back but felt it beneath her dignity as an official’s wife to engage in a shouting match with these vulgar women. She ordered her servants to quickly lift her sedan chair and leave. Seeing one of her servants stooping to pick up the scattered gifts, she angrily shouted, “Leave them! Consider them dog food!” She then added sharply, “Even a dog shows gratitude after being fed for years, but some people turn their backs on years of help over one small matter. They’re worse than dogs!”
Before she could finish, Mudan ran out holding a small bedside screen covered in writing. She cried, “Is my life a small matter? Am I ungrateful and worse than a dog because I refuse to be someone’s nameless concubine? Fine, your family has helped me greatly, and I owe you. Now I’ll repay you with my life!” She couldn’t rely on anyone else; she could only rely on herself. She was ready to lose face – the barefoot aren’t afraid of those wearing shoes. Who would be afraid of whom?
Madam Bai followed closely, trying to restrain Mudan. She pleaded, “Mudan, don’t be so rash. What good will come from this mutual destruction? Is this issue worth such a scene?” Unlike the other sisters-in-law, she didn’t approve of Mudan’s drastic approach to solving the problem. After all, the men hadn’t even returned home yet. Who knew if this was truly Li’s father’s intention? With only Madam Cui present, there was still room for negotiation. If Mudan were to parade around the streets with this screen, it would permanently sever ties with these relatives. The Li family had helped the He family many times in the past – who knew if they might need their help again in the future? They couldn’t burn all their bridges!
Madam Cui took a close look at the small purple sandalwood bedside screen Mudan was holding high. It bore several dozen characters: “I, He Weifang, have no familial relationship with Li Yuan, the Senior Secretary of Prince Ning’s mansion. All my actions are voluntary. No one has forced me. I do not blame Li Yuan.” Though the handwriting was somewhat messy, it was still legible.
Upon seeing the seven large characters “Li Yuan, Senior Secretary of Prince Ning’s mansion,” Madam Cui broke out in a cold sweat. This stubborn girl acted quickly and was truly capable of following through! Since there was no relation to Li Yuan, why mention him at all? And to even write out Li Yuan’s official title – her intentions were clear! How had she never realized before that Mudan was such a difficult person to deal with? If Mudan were to parade around with this screen for even a short while, the entire capital would likely know by the next day. By then, not only would Li Yuan lose face, but Prince Ning would as well. She couldn’t bear that responsibility!
Madam Cui, having navigated official and business circles for years, was always as comfortable as a fish in water. What kind of person was she? One who could be flexible when needed, pure and kind when appropriate, and ruthless when necessary. She immediately ordered her sedan chair to be lowered and rushed towards Mudan. She tried to snatch the small screen from Mudan’s hands to cover those fatal words while putting on a pleasant face, saying, “Mudan, let’s talk this through.
You’re being too impulsive! Even if I, your aunt, have offended you with my words and actions, you shouldn’t be so heartless as to put your uncle and cousin in mortal danger. As a young woman, what good will come from parading this screen through the streets and killing yourself in front of Prince Ning’s mansion? What benefit will it bring you? And what about your parents and family? You may die, but they’ll have to live on, suffering the consequences! Think carefully about what to do before responding. Don’t act in a way you’ll regret later.”
Mudan fiercely pushed Madam Cui away, her eyes red as she sneered, “My mother said her thoughts are the same as mine! We may lose our heads, but we won’t lose our reputation! I’m not afraid of losing face or dying. After I’m gone, people will know that the daughters of the He family aren’t easily bullied and that we have integrity and pride! Become someone’s concubine? Take my life first! Just wait, after I die, someone will avenge me!”
Unless necessary, of course, she didn’t want to parade through the streets or offend Prince Ning’s household severely, embarrassing Li Yuan and Li Xing, let alone lose her life, and cause a heap of trouble for her family. But if she didn’t appear this fierce, how could she make Madam Cui back down? At crucial moments, she could indeed be quite sharp-tongued.
Madam Cui stumbled when Mudan pushed her, only managing to steady herself with Madam Bai’s help. Seeing Mudan already rushing down the steps, she quickly pushed Madam Bai, “Second daughter-in-law, hurry and stop Mudan. This will cause a big problem that no one will benefit from.” She chose Madam Bai because she knew her to be clever and quick-witted.
Madam Bai indeed helped her restrain Mudan. Concubine Wu and Concubine Yang also tried to persuade Madam Cen in the courtyard: “There’s still room for negotiation. Isn’t Mudan being too extreme? If this gets out, it won’t be good for their family, but it will also be hard for us to resolve, and it certainly won’t benefit Mudan. Madam, please say something to call Mudan back.”
Madam Cen shouted, “Should we just let Mudan become someone’s nameless concubine without any explanation? Am I unable to support her, or have I gone mad with the desire to marry into a noble family? For generations, our family has been in trade, but we’ve never had anyone become a concubine! Are you suggesting I should swallow this insult and let my daughter become someone’s mistress? Unless she clarifies everything and resolves this matter properly!”
Concubines Wu and Yang, both being concubines themselves, dared not say more after hearing this. They fell silent and stood aside, motionless.
Hearing this, Madam Cui realized that Madam Cen and Mudan were indeed of one mind. She firmly held onto Mudan’s waist, shamelessly pulling her back towards the He family’s main gate. She ordered her servants to disperse the onlookers, shouting, “The child is just making trouble without understanding. Don’t take it seriously.”
Madam Zhen made a surprised sound and was about to rush forward to help Mudan, but Madam Xue emerged, giving her a stern look. Madam Xue then led the way in pretending to block Madam Cui, telling her to let go of Mudan. Madam Zhen had no choice but to abandon her initial thought and join Madam Xue in half-heartedly allowing Madam Cui and Madam Bai to pull Mudan back through the He family’s main gate.
Madam Cui was sweating profusely, almost to the point of tears. “Mudan, are you trying to end this old life of mine?”
Mudan, firmly held in Madam Bai’s arms, retorted with red eyes, “It’s Aunt who wants to end my young life! I’m returning it to you, aren’t you satisfied?”
Seeing Mudan’s stubborn and unyielding demeanor, Madam Cui felt a headache coming on. So much for being a delicate young lady – she turned out to have the same bull-headed temperament as He Dalang and the others. Thick-skinned, she appealed to Madam Cen, who was coldly watching her: “We’ve known each other for decades. Even if I’ve made countless mistakes, your uncle has had moments of genuine care for you. And Manniangzi has always treated you like a true sister. You don’t need to be so ruthless over one disagreement, do you?”
Madam Cen replied coolly, “Fine, I won’t be ruthless, but you shouldn’t be either. I know why you’ve harbored such malicious intentions, and I recognize what you’re trying to do. Rest assured, once this matter is settled, we’ll keep our distance and never interact again. If it can’t be resolved, I can’t control this child. She has a fierce temper, and her brothers have even fiercer tempers. Who knows what impulsive actions they might take? By then, it would truly be irreversible! I’d like to advise you, sister-in-law, that your husband’s current position didn’t come easily. Don’t ruin it with one rash move.”
Hearing room for negotiation in these words, Madam Cui said, “Alright, alright, I’ll go and refuse them now. Wait for my good news.”
Madam Cen replied indifferently, “I’m an impatient person, and so is my entire family. Sister-in-law, you’ve always been meticulous in your actions. I trust you won’t leave any loose ends.”
Madam Cui’s teeth chattered with anger: “This isn’t a small matter. I need to think carefully about how to handle it properly.” She wondered if Madam Meng was telling the truth or lying. Did Prince Ning truly want Mudan to enter his household? If it was just Madam Meng’s decision, that would be easier to handle. But if Prince Ning also had that intention, it would be troublesome. However, at this point, they absolutely couldn’t accept this person. If she couldn’t think of a solution and Mudan were to stab Prince Ning at a critical moment, that would be a capital offense resulting in the execution of the entire family.
Mudan caught her breath nearby, observing Madam Cui’s expression while saying crisply, “Mother, don’t keep pressuring Aunt. I understand this isn’t easy and we should give her some time. If we’re truly in a hurry, we can always go to Prince Ning’s mansion to find Uncle for a solution.” She wanted to probe whether Li Yuan knew about this matter and also hinted at the possibility of causing a scene at Prince Ning’s mansion to see if Madam Cui would be frightened.
This threat proved effective. Madam Cui furrowed her brow, gritting her teeth and clutching her handkerchief tightly. She hissed, “Don’t worry, Prince Ning isn’t one to take by force. If you refuse, he wouldn’t even bother.” With that, she flicked her handkerchief and turned to leave.
“Wait!” Madam Cen called out. Madam Cui stopped and looked back. Madam Cen stepped forward and whispered in her ear, “Keep a close eye on your son! Blaming others for your inability to control your child – you’re truly something!” She then stepped back and said coolly, “That’s all. You may go.”
Madam Cui trembled with anger, hardly aware of how she left the He family’s gate. Fortunately, she had the presence of mind to leave someone outside to observe the He family’s movements and report back immediately if anything seemed amiss.
Having said those words, Madam Cen felt the long-suppressed anger in her heart finally dissipates. Looking at her daughter-in-law, she tried to appear calm and collected. “Send someone to call your father back. You can all disperse now. Mudan, come with me.”
Seeing Madam Cui walk away, Mudan quickly stuffed the small purple sandalwood bedside screen covered in charcoal writing into the arms of the tearful Mama Lin beside her. She sighed lightly, “Mama, don’t cry anymore. Hold this screen for me, it’s quite heavy.”
Madam Zhen snatched it away irritably, “You know it’s heavy? Couldn’t you find something more suitable? This has been passed down for generations.” She had long had her eye on this screen, only to see it unexpectedly ruined by Mudan.
Grateful for Madam Zhen’s earlier protection, Mudan didn’t mind her tone and simply said, “There wasn’t anything suitable at the time.” If she could have found a proper board, she wouldn’t have grabbed Madam Cen’s bedside screen. This item wasn’t convenient; she’d need to make a new one, with silk pasted on both sides and larger characters, especially the seven characters “Li Yuan, Senior Secretary of Prince Ning’s mansion.” Those would need to be written in vermilion ink, visible from afar for maximum effect.
Madam Cen sighed deeply. This purple sandalwood screen with birds and flowers had been her beloved possession for decades, and today it met its end at Mudan’s hands – though for a worthy cause. Madam Cen gestured for Madam Zhen to take the small screen away, then led Mudan inside. She gently massaged Mudan’s hands, saying lovingly, “Rest for now. When your father and brothers return, we’ll immediately discuss a solution. You won’t have to bear this alone.”
Mudan replied, “We can’t wait. She agreed on the surface to refuse, but who knows what she’s thinking or what unexpected moves she might make behind our backs? We must prepare immediately. First, we need to make a sign quickly – light and eye-catching. If worse comes to worst, I’ll have to use it. Secondly, I need to go to the Huang family right away. We can’t let them make the first move.”
Though Madam Cen had allowed Mudan to confront Madam Cui earlier, she couldn’t bear the thought of Mudan parading with a sign or dying in front of Prince Ning’s mansion. She would rather do it herself. But she didn’t say this to Mudan, instead replying, “I’ll have someone make the sign right away. It’s good for you to visit the Huang family, but will they be willing to intervene? After all, this matter hasn’t affected their family, and helping you would mean offending Prince Ning. You…”
This was also Mudan’s concern, but they wouldn’t know the outcome without trying. She tiredly rubbed her brow, “We’ll treat it as a last resort. If it doesn’t work, we’ll think of something else. I won’t involve Xueniang when I go. I’ll just ask their family to help testify at a crucial moment if needed. I don’t think they’ll refuse. But regardless, we need to confirm their stance first.” Though she told Madam Cen that the Huang family wouldn’t refuse, she was very anxious. If they did refuse, she had no way to force them, and then she would truly have no choice but to take that drastic step.
Madam Cen sighed inwardly and immediately made arrangements. She said she would accompany Mudan, but Mudan replied, “Please ask the eldest sister-in-law to accompany me. Mother, stay home and wait for Father to return. If you agree, you can come to get me later.”
Madam Cen, worried that Mudan and Madam Xue might be ambushed or get into trouble if they went out alone, was considering who else to send along when Mama Feng reported, “Madam, Young Master Zhang has arrived. He heard someone was causing trouble at our door and came to see if he could help.”
Delighted, Madam Cen quickly had Young Master Zhang invited into the main hall for tea. After quickly tidying herself up, she led Mudan out to meet him.
Young Master Zhang wore a black gauze hat askew on his head and a flashy ginger-yellow robe with flower patterns. His sleeves were rolled up high, revealing two thick, hairy arms. His black high-top boots were smeared with some yellowish-green, feathery substance. Seeing Mudan and Madam Cen enter, he immediately stood up and bowed, then looked up at Mudan. He saw her in casual attire, her hair loosely pinned and about to fall, without any ornaments. Her face was bare of makeup, and her eyes were still red. Though she was smiling, it looked more painful than crying, making one’s heart ache. Madam Cen maintained her usual composed demeanor, but her brow was deeply furrowed.
Before Madam Cen could speak, Young Master Zhang went straight to the point after Mudan returned his greeting: “I just heard from my brothers that someone came to bully Sister Mudan, so I rushed over to see what happened. I’ve already sent someone to inform Fourth Brother. Is there anything you’d like me to do, Aunt?”
Madam Cen gratefully replied, “Thank you for your concern, good nephew. Your arrival is like timely rain. There’s no time to explain the situation in detail, but Mudan needs to visit a friend in Xuanzheng Ward now, and there’s no one to escort her. I’m afraid she might be taken advantage of, so I’d like to ask you to accompany her.”
Young Master Zhang patted his chest, promising, “Please don’t worry, Aunt. I’ll ensure Mudan’s safety.”
Without further ado, Madam Cen called for Madam Xue and asked Young Master Zhang how many people he had brought. She prepared horses accordingly and saw Mudan off. As soon as Mudan left, Madam Cui’s lookout immediately rushed back to inform her.
Meanwhile, the Fourth Young Master, being the closest, rushed home upon receiving the news. After hearing a brief account from Madam Cen, he glared and turned to leave. Madam Cen angrily asked, “Where are you going?”
Fourth Young Master replied, “I’m going to kill Li Xingzhi! Removing this source of trouble will solve everything. I’ll also smash his shop to make his mother suffer.”
Madam Cen said, “Nonsense! Why are you dragging him into this?”
“He caused this trouble, who else should I go after?” Fourth Young Master turned his head and strode out. Madam Cen shouted, “Stop him!” But Fourth Young Master moved swiftly, pushing aside the servants who tried to block him with his fan-like hands, disappearing in an instant.
Madam Bai stepped forward to support Madam Cen, consoling her, “Mother, don’t worry. Fourth Brother isn’t reckless; he’s just venting. He always acts with discretion. It seems Xingzhi doesn’t know about this matter, so it might be good for him to find out. If you’re concerned, I’ll go keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn’t cause trouble.”
Madam Cen stomped her foot, “Then hurry up and go!”
Madam Bai quickly called for Fourth Young Master’s wife, Madam Li. The two sisters-in-law, along with several strong servants, mounted horses to chase after the Fourth Young Master.
As the saying goes, “Good news stays at home while bad news travels a thousand miles.” As soon as Mudan left the house, she noticed the changed looks from the neighbors who hadn’t dispersed yet. Some gossipy ones came up to greet her and Madam Xue with curious expressions. Fortunately, Young Master Zhang, with a stern face, rode his horse straight at them. After two such incidents, no one dared to bother them further. They finally felt at ease after leaving the street where the He family lived.
The group left Xuanping Ward, went around the East Market, and arrived in front of the Imperial City, heading towards Buzheng Ward where the Huang family resided. Young Master Zhang cautiously observed the preoccupied Mudan, wanting to inquire about the truth but hesitant to speak up. After a long deliberation, he asked Madam Xue, “May I ask, Elder Sister-in-law, what exactly happened?”
Madam Xue, not wanting to go into details but feeling it was improper to ask for help without explaining, carefully chose her words: “Someone wants to force our Mudan into a prince’s mansion as a nameless concubine. Mudan refused, and that’s what caused the commotion.”
Young Master Zhang was furious. He spat and cursed, “Those bastards! Is there no law? Mudan, don’t worry. If anyone dares to do this, I won’t let them off. Tell me, what do you want me to do now…”
Mudan gratefully replied, “Thank you, Brother Zhang. You’ve already been a great help by escorting us to Buzheng Ward. There’s nothing else for now.” She knew that getting involved in such matters would only cause trouble for Zhang, and while escorting her was fine, she didn’t dare involve him further.
As Young Master Zhang was about to say more, they suddenly heard someone ahead say, “Oh, isn’t that Miss He? Where are you headed?” It was Wu, standing with several men at the corner of Anshun Gate of the Imperial City. The men wore red silk bands around their heads, brown round-collared robes with side slits, and had bearded faces with swords at their waists. Wu looked at Mudan with surprise.
Mudan forced a smile at Wu, “Hello, Manager Wu. I have an urgent business and can’t dismount. Please carry on with your work; I’m in a hurry.”
Wu observed the expressions of Mudan and her companions while smiling and bowing, “Please, go ahead with your business.” After Mudan had gone far, he turned to his companions and said, “Wait for the prince here. I’ll be right back.”