“That makes sense. What do you think of Xiao Ya? These are the only two in the family who haven’t married out. Choose and see which one you actually like. Don’t worry about Xiao Ya’s generational status—if you like Xiao Ya, I’ll immediately expel you from my tutelage. That way there won’t be any problem. You know, Xiao Ya is rather simple.”
Yun Ye continued walking forward with his hands behind his back. Di Renjie quickly caught up, his hands waving frantically. “That won’t work, Master! Can I not choose either of them? I’m scared when I see them.”
Yun Ye slapped Di Renjie on the head and said, “So now you know how to be picky! Xiao Wu is the cream of the crop among women—suited for home and family. Choose her and I dare say right now that the Di family will certainly prosper and flourish. In just a few decades you’ll absolutely be one of the Great Tang’s foremost prominent households. Ungrateful wretch! Master saved the best for you, yet you don’t appreciate it. If I tell your parents, believe it or not, they’ll immediately arrange the betrothal. When Xiao Wu goes to your home, your parents will definitely hold her in the highest regard. Such a fine woman—only one like this has appeared in thousands of years. You still won’t properly treasure her.”
Di Renjie stubbornly said, “We don’t need Xiao Wu’s help—in a few decades the Di family will also become a prominent household. This disciple still has that confidence. If I don’t have this capability after being influenced by what I’ve seen and heard by your side, I’ll die of shame.”
The sun overhead was somewhat dazzling. Yun Ye found a shady spot to sit down, patted the ground indicating Di Renjie should also sit, then said, “This child Xiao Wu is too strong-willed and naturally intelligent—she learns everything quickly. You know about those charts she’s been working on recently, right? That’s a new field of study. Master calls it deduction. It can discern people’s hearts, identify the loyal and treacherous, but it can also bewitch hearts and collapse empires.”
“The Empress wanted to betroth Xiao Wu to an imperial prince. I refused. No matter which prince Xiao Wu was betrothed to, the imperial family might fall into great chaos. To avoid harming people and devastating the common folk, I firmly refused. She’s different from Shishi. Shishi has always been a kind-hearted good child—marrying Li An will certainly bring a lifetime of peace, so I don’t worry.”
“Xiao Wu is someone who pursues perfection. Being a prince’s consort definitely won’t satisfy her, because she’ll discover that above the prince’s consort there’s still the crown princess and the empress. As long as she feels she should strive for it, then it’s all over. With her current assets and learning, once she gets this idea, she might actually achieve her wish. So, Master doesn’t dare entrust Xiao Wu to others—except you.”
Di Renjie cried out miserably, “If Xiao Wu marries me and also gets this kind of idea, what then? My parents together wouldn’t be enough for her to handle in one go.”
Yun Ye said with a cunning smile, “No, she won’t. Being in the imperial family is one set of rules, being in your family will be another set of rules. Xiao Wu will certainly be filial to your parents, care for your younger siblings. As for how she treats you, that depends on how you treat her. However much love you give, she’ll return that much love. Her family situation wasn’t good, so she values her own family even more.”
“Boy, you two have been together intimately all these years. Rather than marrying those ignorant fools, it’s better to marry Xiao Wu. Even in the future in the bedchamber, you’ll have more to talk about. Besides, boy, you’re also a prodigy now. Even though you usually hide it well, you’re still a prodigy. Master is an old demon, you and Xiao Wu are young demons. In a few years you’ll become great demons, and in the future you’ll also become old demons. If demons don’t marry demons, what are you waiting for? This matter is settled. When I get home I’ll ask Xiao Wu’s opinion. If this child has no objections, I’ll write to your parents and have them prepare betrothal gifts.”
Di Renjie nodded with a bitter face. After hesitating, he prepared to make one final struggle. “Master, you’ve considered everything—haven’t you considered this disciple’s feelings at all?”
“A real man must be ruthless with himself to amount to something. Look at your master—I married several foolish wives, that’s another kind of ruthlessness. You marrying a clever wife is also a kind of ruthlessness. When mountains fall, real men shoulder them. Always calculating these things is rather unambitious—let’s pursue something else.”
Di Renjie nodded, thus agreeing to marry Xiao Wu. Yun Ye let out a long breath of relief. A huge stone weighing on his heart had been removed. Ever since Xiao Wu created those charts, he’d been so worried that wrinkles appeared on his face. Now it was good—marrying Xiao Wu off to Di Renjie. Hopefully the two of them would spend a harmonious and happy life together.
Only many years later did Di Renjie understand that his careless agreement to marry Xiao Wu was an outrageously mistaken decision. Although he had children and grandchildren filling his hall, a harmonious family, his elderly father lived to ninety before passing away with a smile, and his five sons were all shrewd and capable—dragons among men—and the Di family had thoroughly become Great Tang nobility with inheritance for hundreds of years looking secure, at Master’s eightieth birthday banquet, sitting wordlessly facing Master, in the end Master quietly consoled him: just endure a bit more and it will be fine!
Having settled Di Renjie’s matter, Yun Ye returned to the manor and watched with a beaming smile as Xiao Wu served him tea. Before he could open his mouth, he heard Xiao Wu say, “Master, Xiao Wu was raised by you. Just handle the marriage arrangements as you see fit.”
Xiao Wu spoke openly and generously. Yun Ye instead felt somewhat embarrassed. He coughed and said, “It’s not quite like that. If you have someone you like, tell Master. Master will go propose for you. Don’t care about nonsense like only men can propose. To ensure your own future happiness, pursuing someone once isn’t shameful.”
The small person actually sighed and said, “If there were a man worth pursuing, I definitely wouldn’t let him go. You’ve unconsciously raised this disciple’s standards. Now looking around, only Xiao Jie is still acceptable. All the other young men look detestable. The family you’ve arranged for me must be Xiao Jie’s family, right?”
“Uncle Di and Auntie are extremely good people—generous and kind. Xiao Jie is also the only person who can compare with this disciple. Though he acts foolish and slow, he’s actually full of schemes. Having such a husband is actually quite good. It’s just that this disciple is three years older than Xiao Jie. Could we wait until Xiao Jie is eighteen before we marry?”
“That’s natural, though it disappoints your youth somewhat—it’s rather regrettable.” Yun Ye rubbed his nose, quite embarrassed.
“Master needn’t be embarrassed. You’re this disciple’s closest person. You pulled Xiao Wu out of a dark pit, taught me knowledge, taught me principles of being human. In clothing, food, housing, and travel you never treated me poorly. Now you’re worrying about this disciple’s marriage—even parents wouldn’t do more. Sometimes this disciple wishes she could just be surnamed Yun—that way I could live in this house with even more peace of mind.”
Yun Ye reached out to stroke Xiao Wu’s beautiful hair and said helplessly, “They say ugly women are hard to marry—who knew that our Xiao Wu, such a devastatingly beautiful woman, would also be hard to marry. In another world, Xiao Wu would always find her beloved. Unfortunately in the Great Tang, after searching high and low, only Xiao Jie can barely match you. As for others, forget it. Master also isn’t willing to have you marry into the imperial family. With your temperament, perhaps Li Chengqian, Li Tai, and those fellows would suffer great misfortune. It’s better to marry Xiao Jie. If a person’s life doesn’t experience marriage, funerals, weddings, they can’t be considered complete. Master can’t bear to have Xiao Wu walk the tragic life path of Hypatia. Our Xiao Wu is heaven’s favored child, so you should have a life matching a favored child. Study well, live well—precisely because life was bad before, now we must work hard to live well.”
Yun Ye’s words made Xiao Wu cry uncontrollably. Lying on Yun Ye’s shoulder, before long her tears soaked a large patch of the clothes on his shoulder.
Di Renjie stuck his red-eyed face through the window and said, “Senior Sister, rest assured—I’ll definitely treat you well.”
“Get lost!” Xiao Wu glared with her large eyes and said viciously to Di Renjie…
Li Anlan stood by the pond looking over from afar, not knowing what the master and disciples were doing. It wasn’t appropriate to go over. Seeing Di Renjie walking over with his head hanging, she lifted his head to look and said, “A face full of bad luck.” Di Renjie angrily turned his head and walked toward his bedroom.
Then she saw Xiao Wu walking over with red-rimmed eyes from crying. She affectionately touched her face and said, “Poor thing, your eyes are all red from crying.” Xiao Wu forced a smile and also returned to her bedroom.
Li Anlan grew even more curious. She tiptoed to the window and heard her husband softly chanting, “Sun in the east, rain in the west—though it seems not clear, there is clarity.” It seemed very meaningful. She stuck her head in and asked, “What are you three master and disciples sneakily doing? Xiao Jie looks like he’s been hit by frost, Xiao Wu has lost her usual spirited vigor, and you’re hiding in the room composing poetry that seems very profound. Who has feelings for whom?”
Yun Ye nodded and said, “You’re right. I’ve betrothed Xiao Wu to Xiao Jie. What do you think of this match? You’re a woman with careful thoughts—help me think whether it’s truly appropriate or not.”
Li Anlan jumped in from outside the threshold and said, “Of course it’s suitable! Xiao Wu is beautiful, Xiao Jie is intelligent—this is truly a match made in heaven. There couldn’t be a more compatible pair in the world.”
“You also think Xiao Wu isn’t suitable to marry your younger brother?” Yun Ye had told Li Anlan about Zhangsun’s plan. Now being so enthusiastic with praise, the only reason was that Li Anlan believed Xiao Wu wasn’t suitable to marry into the imperial family.
Li Anlan sheepishly waved her handkerchief and finally placed her hand on her husband’s shoulder, saying, “I always feel Xiao Wu can somehow see through people’s hearts. A few days ago when chatting idly with me at home, without realizing it I told her so many palace matters. You know I never want to mention these things. Apart from you bringing them up to tease me when there’s nothing else to do, no one dares to inquire. But that day I involuntarily talked with her all afternoon. If she hadn’t said it was time for dinner, I would have wanted to continue. This was too abnormal. That night lying in bed, I discovered something was wrong—that dead girl was using me as an experimental subject.”
“In the imperial family, I’m not the cleverest, but I’m not foolish either. Chengqian, Qing Que, Xiao Ke—they’re smarter than me, I admit. But as for the remaining younger siblings, I don’t believe they’ve surpassed me. If Xiao Wu married one of them, who knows what would happen. So I say husband betrothing Xiao Wu to Xiao Jie is a good marriage match.”