Mian Tang finished reading the letter, inhaling the floral scent lingering on the paper. For a moment, she could almost hear the buzzing of bees in her ears.
“That man is truly peculiar,” she thought. “If the place was swarming with bees, why did he insist on bathing? He mentioned being stung several times. I wonder how serious it was…”
Suddenly, Mian Tang noticed her lips had curved into an involuntary smile. Alarmed, she quickly suppressed it. Rising slowly, she placed the letter in the brazier and burned it.
However, she hesitated when it came to the dried Fengyao flower. Initially intending to toss it into the fire, she ultimately decided to press it between the pages of a book she often read. The flower’s fragrance was captivating; it would perfume the pages nicely.
These actions dispersed some of her earlier lethargy. After arranging her hair, Mian Tang prepared to change clothes after her meal.
Having risen late, her breakfast was somewhat between meals. Besides a small pot of rice porridge, there was a dish of goose liver. It seemed Fan Hu had managed to sneak some snow geese into the Lu family’s kitchen after all.
Mian Tang was reluctant to eat, but not wanting to waste food, she took a bite. However, the taste wasn’t as delectable as she remembered.
After hastily finishing a bowl of porridge, she headed to the accounting office to check the books.
Halfway there, she encountered her second aunt, Quan Shi, who was also going to review household expenses. They decided to go together.
Mian Tang noticed her aunt’s face was reddened from the cold as if she had been waiting in the garden for some time. However, since Quan Shi claimed their meeting was coincidental, Mian Tang refrained from asking if she had been deliberately waiting for her.
The walk to the accounting office wasn’t long, but Quan Shi seemed to have endless questions. She first inquired about Mian Tang’s purpose in visiting the office.
Mian Tang gave a vague answer, saying she was helping her grandfather review the expenses for the escort agency’s veterans over the past few years.
Then, Quan Shi subtly asked about Mian Tang’s preferences for a future husband. She mentioned having a distant nephew from a well-off family who was reliable and honest. He was a widower but didn’t mind marrying a young woman. If Mian Tang was interested, Quan Shi offered to speak with her father-in-law about it.
Hearing this, Mian Tang turned to look at her aunt.
Quan Shi smiled back, her gaze seemingly laden with hidden meaning. Mian Tang didn’t mind if her aunt knew about her becoming a battlefield wife in the Northwest but found it amusing that she would use this information to test her.
Mian Tang couldn’t help but laugh, saying, “Thank you for thinking of me, Second Aunt, and for choosing such a suitable match. However, I truly don’t wish to marry too early… We’ve reached the accounting office now, so I’ll go check the books. Please make yourself comfortable.”
With that, she entered the inner room of the accounting office, where account books were already laid out on a small table, waiting for her inspection.
Seeing Mian Tang enter without looking back, Quan Shi’s face fell, revealing her displeasure. She had tried to have a nice conversation with the girl, but the ungrateful child had become arrogant!
Moreover, despite the second branch of the family being in charge of household affairs, her father-in-law had now entrusted Mian Tang with managing external expenses. How could this be justified?
Most vexing of all, yesterday at the temple, Madam Su had repeatedly inquired about Liu Mian Tang to Shen Shi from the first branch, much to Quan Shi’s annoyance.
Initially, when the Su family had approached Quan Shi, they had brought a box on behalf of her father, which was why they had stayed for a few days. Her father hadn’t formally arranged a marriage with the Su family but had hinted at the possibility. The next step depended on whether Quan Shi could successfully connect with the Su family during their visit to Xi Zhou.
Since nothing had been finalized, if Madam Su changed her mind and became interested in Mian Tang instead, how could that be acceptable?
Last night, Quan Shi anxiously discussed Madam Su’s behavior with her husband, Lu Mu. However, Lu Mu dismissed her concerns, scoffing, “She doesn’t know what Liu Mian Tang has done. Who would dare to bring such a daughter-in-law into their family?”
Sensing there was more to his words, Quan Shi had pressed him for details.
Realizing he had said too much, Lu Mu knew he couldn’t reveal what had happened on Yangshan Mountain. Instead, he shared only unimportant details, mentioning that Mian Tang had been deceived while suffering from amnesia and had lived as someone’s wife for two years.
When Lu Xian had mentioned this to his brother, he hadn’t specified who the man was. So Lu Mu assumed it was just some rogue soldier and didn’t think much of it, only feeling angry that his niece had been taken advantage of.
Given the current situation, Lu Mu secretly felt relieved that Mian Tang had this scandal in her past, making it difficult to marry off to a respectable family. This would prevent his daughter, Qing Ying, from losing a good marriage prospect.
So he downplayed the situation, only telling Quan Shi about Mian Tang losing her memory and going to the Northwest with a military officer.
After hearing this, Quan Shi was stunned and eventually exclaimed, “You two uncles are something! How could you let Mian Tang get lost and end up in such a situation? If this gets out, not only will she be ruined, but our family’s daughters will lose their reputations too!”
Lu Mu glared at her, saying, “How can you blame us uncles? It was her… Ah, it’s too complicated to explain right now. Just understand the severity of the situation and don’t breathe a word of it to anyone.
Besides, with this secret, she won’t be competing with our Qing Ying for a good marriage to the Su family. And don’t forget, Mian Tang’s father is disgraced. Madam Su wouldn’t want to bring the daughter of a condemned official into her family!”
Somewhat reassured, Quan Shi had decided to wait for Mian Tang today and subtly probe her intentions. After all, Mian Tang was beautiful, and if she tried to entrap the young master Su, it could lead to an ugly situation for the whole family.
She hadn’t expected the insolent girl to be so dismissive and ignore her. Didn’t she realize that if people found out about her scandalous past, she might never be able to marry?
Frustrated, Quan Shi grabbed a few account books and stormed back to her courtyard.
In the days that followed, Mian Tang grew increasingly troubled.
Perhaps because Mian Tang had discovered his actions, Fan Hu became more brazen, often waiting at the back door for Fang Xie or Bi Cao to leave, asking them to deliver items to Miss Liu.
After Mian Tang sternly warned the two maids, they no longer dared to accept anything. As for the monthly letter, Mian Tang stopped receiving it as well.
Mian Tang knew that she and Cui Xingzhou were never meant to be together in this life. Their connection was merely a result of unusual circumstances.
Given this reality, she shouldn’t harbor any lingering regrets.
He was an esteemed prince of a different surname, with outstanding merits, considered a potential son-in-law by the Empress Dowager. She, on the other hand, was merely the daughter of a criminal, incomparable not only to the noble princess but even to girls from ordinary, respectable families.
Perhaps Cui Xingzhou had developed genuine feelings for her during their time together and now couldn’t forget her. But what good would that do? Could he defy the expectations of the entire world to be with her?
If she were facing Cui Jiu from North Street, she would have confidently defended their relationship. But he was Cui Xingzhou, the Prince of Huaiyang. His feelings for her, a mix of truth and falsehood, were something even he might not fully understand.
Rather than prolonging this ambiguous situation, it was better to make a clean break and spare them both the pain of lingering attachments.
After being repeatedly rebuffed, Fan Hu eventually stopped sending gifts. Although Mian Tang knew they were still lurking in the shadows, they no longer disturbed her.
Bi Cao proved to be highly efficient; in recent days, matchmakers frequently visited to inquire about the Lu family’s granddaughter.
Meanwhile, Madam Su, who had originally planned to stay for just a few days, found reasons to extend her visit several times.
Mian Tang encountered her in the garden on a few occasions. Each time, Madam Su enthusiastically inquired about Mian Tang’s business affairs.
After discreetly learning that Mian Tang’s business involvement was merely managing affairs for the Lu family and that her father was a condemned prisoner of the court, Madam Su’s enthusiasm waned dramatically. She then renewed her admiration for Miss Lu Qing Ying.
Nevertheless, Mian Tang kindly advised her second aunt Quan Shi, and cousin Qing Ying that if they truly intended to arrange a marriage with the Su family, they shouldn’t rely solely on others’ introductions. It would be wise for her second uncle to personally investigate the Su family’s background.
Mian Tang felt that the Su family didn’t seem to be the respectable household that Old Master Quan had described.
Perhaps due to her time as Cui Xingzhou’s pretend wife, Mian Tang had learned to discern people’s manners and gained some insight into their character. Many small details about the Su mother and son didn’t seem befitting of true gentry.
In her opinion, they were barely on par with her second aunt’s half-baked official’s family.
However, the mother and daughter were unreceptive to Mian Tang’s advice. Lu Qing Ying, in particular, was convinced that Mian Tang was merely jealous, assuming that Madam Su had rejected her and she was now badmouthing them out of spite.
In truth, Mian Tang had even more information about young Master Su that she hadn’t shared. For instance, he frequently “happened” to encounter her in the garden, following her around while reciting poetry, clearly showing off.
Honestly, Mian Tang had always thought she would appreciate scholarly, refined men. After all, the former Zi Yu had been like that, and later, so had Cui Xingzhou.
Regardless of their virtues or flaws, neither of these men had been ostentatious or showy. Each, in his way, had been a distinguished young gentleman.
While questioning her judgment of men, Mian Tang also felt a subtle pride in her sophisticated taste.
However, young Master Su’s behavior made her somewhat nauseated by the idea of “scholarly refinement.” If not for the fact that he was the treasure of her second uncle’s family, Mian Tang would have been tempted to kick him when he followed closely behind her.
In any case, she had already shared her concerns with her second uncle’s family. If they were determined to see her as jealous, there wasn’t much more she could say. She could only mention it to her grandfather, ensuring he was aware and could keep an eye on her second uncle’s family.
However, Quan Shi’s excited words today seemed to suggest that Mian Tang had misjudged and underestimated the Su family.
Quan Shi had originally planned to enjoy Xi Zhou’s famous crispy duck with Madam Su at the Cuihua Tower. However, Madam Su had informed her that a distant nephew had also arrived in Xi Zhou, so young Master Su was hosting a dinner at the Cuihua Tower to welcome his cousin. Since it was a small family gathering, she had to cancel her plans with Quan Shi.
Quan Shi discreetly inquired and learned that the nephew Madam Su mentioned was a hereditary marquis.
She had long heard from her father that the Su family had influential relatives who could advance young Master Su’s career. Now it seemed to be true!
Madam Su was merely visiting Xi Zhou for leisure, yet this Marquis relative had also come along. The distant cousins were quite close.
Quan Shi was now fully focused on marrying her daughter into the Su family, already viewing the marquis as a relative.
However, she was frustrated that she couldn’t attend their family dinner at Cuihua Tower. She planned to find an excuse the next day for young Master Su to introduce her husband to the marquis.
As if heaven had heard her prayers, late that afternoon, the Su mother and son returned to the Lu residence with a distinguished guest.
Seven or eight ornate carriages stopped in front of the Lu mansion, drawing curious glances from the neighborhood.
The carriage wheels were adorned with gilded iron and jewels, a sight that made onlookers’ hearts race.
A servant ran to inform Lu Wu: “Master… Old Master, esteemed guests have arrived! Young Master Su says the Marquis of Zhennan from Zhen Prefecture has come to visit. Hearing about our newly bloomed winter plum garden, he’s come with Young Master Su to pay respects and admire the blossoms!”
Lu Wu, upon hearing this, remained calmer than the doorkeeper. Having traveled extensively, he had encountered many nobles.
Moreover, their family’s plum blossoms had only opened a couple of days ago and were far less impressive than the plum groves in the suburbs. What was this marquis’s real purpose in visiting the Lu family?
Lu Wu frowned, instructing an old servant to help him change before going out to receive the guests.
When he reached the entrance, leaning on his cane, the second branch of the family was already there. His second son and daughter-in-law wore delighted expressions, leading their children to kneel in welcome. As for the first branch, Lu Xian was out on business, so only his eldest daughter-in-law, Shen Shi, led Mian Tang out from a side gate to kneel in greeting on one side of the door.
Before Lu Wu could approach, he keenly observed the Marquis of Zhennan looking past everyone directly at Mian Tang, seemingly eager to help her up.
His granddaughter Mian Tang quickly raised her head, glaring sideways at the marquis. Her eyes flashed with murderous intent, as if ready to fight to the death if he dared to step closer…
Most surprisingly, the esteemed marquis seemed to shrink back. He then properly greeted Lu Mu first before asking the women to rise.
At this moment, Lu Wu approached, naturally intending to pay his respects to the marquis. However, before he could fully bow, the Marquis of Zhennan quickly helped him up, saying warmly, “You must be the renowned old escort master of Shenwei Escort Agency, Mr. Lu. At your venerable age, there’s no need for such formality. Let’s go inside for tea and conversation!”
This marquis, whose courtesy name was Jiayu, was indeed a forthright person. Without waiting for a response from the hosts, he strode ahead, leading the entire family into the front hall.
Once in the hall, he exchanged polite gestures with Lu Wu before unhesitatingly taking the main seat. He invited the men, and women, old, and young to sit, urging them to be at ease and treat him as an old friend.
However, most of those present were not skilled in social interactions and fell into an awkward silence, unsure of how to converse with this suddenly appeared marquis.
Fortunately, Lu Mu from the second branch was socially adept. He engaged the Marquis Zhao in conversation, quickly developing a sense of kinship as if they were long-lost friends.
Mian Tang sat briefly. When Marquis Zhao began complimenting Lu Wu on his good fortune, praising his descendants as talented and the girls as virtuous, she took the opportunity to excuse herself, saying she needed to change clothes. She left the front hall naturally and did not return.
She did indeed return to her courtyard to change, then took a carriage from the back door to Liangxin Escort Agency.
Business had been good at the agency these past few days, so she went to check on things in the afternoon.
Half an hour after she arrived, a carriage stopped at the agency’s entrance.
Marquis Zhao, who should have been at the Lu residence, entered the agency, fanning himself despite the cold winter day.
Mian Tang, who was working on an abacus, sighed softly upon seeing him enter. She came out from behind the counter and politely asked Marquis Zhao if he had any goods to ship.
Zhao Jiayu, finally able to speak with Mian Tang alone, eagerly said, “Miss Liu, are you still angry with me? I was forced to lie by that Cui Jiu fellow back then. Please don’t hold it against me. When I went to the Northwest and found out you had left, I hurried here to apologize…”
Mian Tang lowered her eyes and said calmly, “This is the first time I’ve met Your Excellency at the mansion. I don’t know the Cui Jiu you mentioned, and as for you, why would you need to apologize to a commoner like me? Your words are truly puzzling.”
Zhao Jiayu quickly changed his tone: “Right, right, I hadn’t met you before… No, wait, Miss, don’t you remember coming to me for medical advice? If you don’t remember anything and pretend not to know me, I won’t accept that…”
Zhao Quan, thinking quickly, insisted that Mian Tang “remember” some of their past acquaintance. The excuse that she had mistaken him for a doctor and asked for a prescription was perfect. It wouldn’t compromise a young lady’s reputation and make their acquaintance seem natural.
Mian Tang, observing Zhao Quan’s bargaining manner, found him quite deserving of a beating.
However, she now knew that someone who could be the Prince of Huaiyang’s close friend was certainly no ordinary person. The seemingly carefree country doctor Zhao turned out to be none other than the Marquis of Zhennan.
As a commoner, she found it overwhelming to frequently deal with these nobles and princes.
Earlier, when she suddenly saw him get out of the carriage at the Lu residence and walk towards her heedlessly, Mian Tang had broken into a cold sweat.
She wasn’t worried about her reputation, but she didn’t want those absurd events to affect the reputation of the Lu family girls.
Fortunately, Zhao Quan had restrained himself in time, sparing her the need to explain to her family. Now, with Zhao Quan insisting on establishing their past acquaintance, she worried about what mischief this capricious marquis might cause if she didn’t comply.
So, Mian Tang reluctantly looked up, examining Zhao Quan again, and said, “Oh, now that you mention it, I do recall… I think I once received some medicine from you when I caught a cold while traveling… But I truly didn’t know you were the esteemed Marquis of Zhennan from Zhen Prefecture. Please forgive any past offenses, Your Excellency.”
Seeing that Mian Tang finally acknowledged their acquaintance, Zhao Quan sighed in relief and lowered his voice, “So, can we agree not to hold anything against each other?”
Mian Tang thought that while Cui Xingzhou had spoken ill of Zhao Quan to her, there was no doubt that Zhao Quan’s manner of speaking was indeed inappropriate.
So she ignored Zhao Quan’s overly familiar tone and continued politely, “May I ask if you have any goods to ship?”
However, Zhao Quan was already accustomed to Liu Mian Tang’s coldness and didn’t take offense.
After returning to his manor at that time, he had been busy dealing with some unsavory affairs. He hadn’t shared a bed with his devout Buddhist wife for a long time, yet she had inexplicably become pregnant.
When Zhao Quan, who had been sent back home, exposed the truth, the old marchioness nearly fainted from anger. She hurriedly ordered people to watch over her daughter-in-law and wrote a letter to her father, who was a censor in the Censorate, demanding an explanation.
Finally, Zhao Quan understood why his wife had insisted on becoming a nun before their marriage and remained devoted to Buddhism afterward. It turned out she had watched too many folktales and had fallen in love with the son of their household manager. Even after marriage, their affair had continued. When she married into the family, she used Buddhist rituals as an excuse to deliberately keep her distance from Zhao Quan.
Now that she was pregnant with an illegitimate child, she had originally planned to give birth in secret and send the child away for adoption. Unexpectedly, one of her maids had let the secret slip, and her mother-in-law found out.
Both families were respectable and couldn’t afford such a scandal. Unfortunately, the pregnancy was too advanced to terminate.
So, Zhao Quan’s father-in-law took his daughter back home, planning to announce after the full term that the child had died during a difficult birth due to the umbilical cord being wrapped around its neck. They would then find an excuse to quietly divorce.
Thus, although Zhao Quan was nominally married, he felt completely free inside.
Once he divorced his current wife and removed the “green hat” of being cuckolded, he could marry whomever he wanted! Although Liu Mian Tang might not be suitable as a principal wife, she would certainly make an excellent concubine.
However, Zhao Quan knew that to win a lady’s favor, he needed to offer a gift.
So, seeing Mian Tang return to the counter to work on the abacus, Marquis Zhao instructed his servant to bring a large brocade box. He took out a wax-sealed porcelain jar and said, “I’ve been thinking about your hand and foot injuries, so I found an ancient remedy. However, one of the ingredients, eagle bone flower, is extremely rare. I went to great lengths to procure and prepare it. Apply it to the affected areas once a day. Once your tendons become flexible again, they can be reconnected, and you’ll recover completely…”
Hearing this, Mian Tang looked up at him skeptically, “Are you telling the truth?”
Zhao Quan thumped his chest, declaring, “As a man of honor, how could I deceive you?”
Mian Tang looked at the jar—for her, the possibility of full recovery was indeed very tempting.
“How much does it cost? I’ll pay you,” Mian Tang said after some consideration.
Zhao Quan protested, “You’re treating me like a medicine peddler? How about this: consider it a gift to make up for my previous deception. Will you stop being angry with me?”
Liu Mian Tang thought for a moment, then asked a different question instead of answering: “Is Marquis Zhao truly related to Young Master Su?”
Zhao Quan tilted his head, thinking. It wasn’t that his memory was poor, but he had so many people claiming to be distant relatives that it was hard to keep track.
However, he realized he didn’t have any blood relation to the Su family. They had met at some tea party and jokingly became “cousins.”
He had come to Xi Zhou specifically to see Mian Tang. Unexpectedly, he had encountered Young Master Su on the street. Su had eagerly claimed kinship with the marquis, and Zhao Marquis, hearing that Su was staying at the Lu residence, had ulterior motives in wanting to become familiar with the Lu family.
So these “cousins” had quickly found common ground.
Hearing this, Mian Tang frowned and said, “Since you’re not relatives, Your Excellency should clarify this. Otherwise, if someone uses your name to act improperly, wouldn’t it tarnish your family’s reputation?”
Zhao Quan nodded vigorously: “My behavior is often inappropriate because I don’t have someone sensible to guide me. But I’ll certainly take Miss Liu’s words to heart. If you could advise me more often, I’m sure the entire Marquis’s household would be grateful to you!”