A couple of days later, Luo Shenyuan invited Minister Xu Wei to visit.
Xu Wei was known for his amiable nature, even among common folk in the streets and alleys. Though Wei Ling and he didn’t share the same political views, they would still greet each other when they met and maintained a decent relationship. Xu Wei sat drinking wine with Wei Ling, smiling. The two men enjoyed their drinks and conversation, seeming closer than usual.
Xu Wei had come to the Marquis of Ying’s mansion early in the morning, as he had been concerned about Luo Shenyuan’s marriage prospects for a long time. Yang Ling had married at eighteen, but here was Luo Shenyuan at twenty-two, reportedly without even a concubine. How could this continue?
When Minister Xu invited Luo Shenyuan to dine at his home, he even had his wife compile a list of eligible young women in the capital for him to consider. Each time, Luo Shenyuan would just smile and flip through it, never showing interest in anyone.
His wife had told Minister Xu, “Your Lord Luo is indeed talented, and few women may truly be worthy of him. But isn’t his standard a bit too high?” She had grown to dislike Luo Shenyuan.
Thus, Xu Wei was very curious to see what kind of woman Luo Shenyuan had chosen that made him willing to marry. Unfortunately, he couldn’t see her now and would have to wait until after the wedding.
Minister Xu left in high spirits, his belly full of wine from Wei Ling’s hospitality.
The Marquis of Ying’s mansion was bustling with activity. Old Lady Wei, along with her maids and Mrs. Song who had come to help, was busy inventorying Yi Ning’s dowry. Every day, items were being brought out from the storerooms. Many items in a bride’s dowry were typically inherited from her mother, but since Yi Ning had no mother, Old Lady Wei took extra care to add many things. After reviewing the draft dowry list that Old Lady Wei had prepared, Wei Ling thought for a moment and had the steward open his storerooms. These hadn’t been cleared in a long time and were covered in dust. But after the servants swept away the dust with feather dusters, the long-hidden treasures were revealed one by one. He selected some more items to add to his daughter’s dowry list.
When the dowry list was finally handed to Yi Ning, she was drinking soup and nearly choked.
Mama Song read it to her: “Look here, a thousand-crafted nanmu wood canopy bed, a carved purple sandalwood screen with auspicious designs, a five-panel jade screen, an ivory-inlaid dressing table… These are the large items. For smaller pieces, there are two pairs of blue and white glazed plum vases, various glazed pieces in brown, blue, enamel, peacock green, and blue-and-white, ten underglaze red pieces, two pairs of golden phoenix candlesticks, a pair of turquoise-inlaid hand mirrors, six white jade bowls. Below are the jewelry items: two boxes each of blue and red sapphires, four hu of Hainan pearls, eight gold filigree hairpins, four sets of jeweled and pearl headdresses…”
Yi Ning snatched the list to look for herself, her temples throbbing. Just the items on this dowry list were worth a full 20,000 taels! It was far too much, especially these large pieces – all inlaid with jade or made of nanmu wood. How eye-catching they would be when carried through the streets. It seemed a bit too ostentatious.
Qingqu, standing nearby, also gaped in surprise: “So many things! How many loads of dowry will this be?”
“The Marquis has already calculated – 120 loads,” Mama Song answered with a smile. “Young Miss, please check if there’s anything else you’d like to add to the dowry list. The Old Lady said you can just let her know.”
Yi Ning took the dowry list to see Old Lady Wei, who was having tea with Mrs. Song.
Hearing Yi Ning’s words, she smiled and beckoned her over: “You’re the only young miss in our Marquis of Ying’s household. Who else would we give a dowry to if not you?” She felt that Yi Ning always acted somewhat cautiously, unlike a typical young lady from their household. Perhaps it was because she had lived a difficult life before, without anyone to protect her, so she tried to keep a low profile to avoid trouble. Old Lady Wei raised an eyebrow and said, “Yi Ning, you haven’t been by my side for long, so you didn’t have anyone to back you up. When Mingzhu was little and wanted to go out, I would send twenty or thirty maids to accompany her. You’re a proper young lady, don’t be afraid! No matter how grand the display, our Marquis of Ying’s household can afford it.”
This was the first time Yi Ning had heard the Old Lady speak so directly, truly befitting a first-rank noblelady.
She wanted to say something more, but the Old Lady interrupted her: “Tomorrow your elder sister will come to show you the formal makeup for your wedding day. How about that?” She stroked Yi Ning’s hair, which was as soft as a handful of silk, and very fine. Children with fine hair were often more delicate than others.
Suddenly, her heart was filled with tenderness. Yi Ning was still so young, so delicate, yet she was about to be married.
Yi Ning noticed the Old Lady’s expression suddenly become very gentle.
She was always afraid of stepping out of line, always thinking it was best to be cautious and avoid mistakes. As the wedding approached, she found herself growing even more nervous for some reason. What was there to be nervous about? She was just marrying Luo Shenyuan, who had watched her grow up.
Never mind, she still had guards as part of her dowry, so why worry so much? She smiled and nodded: “Alright, I’ll do as you say!”
Old Lady Wei smiled contentedly and continued discussing the wedding arrangements with Mrs. Song. Her tone was gentle, and Yi Ning sat on a round stool listening to the two older women talk. The elders spoke slowly and gently, and with sandalwood incense burning in the room, there was a sense of timeless serenity. She took a grape from a plate, peeled it, and fed it to the Old Lady.
While Yi Ning’s dowry was extravagant, it was Luo Shenyuan who truly suffered. After all, there was no precedent for the groom’s betrothal gifts to be less than the bride’s dowry.
It wasn’t that Wei Ling was intentionally testing him, but he had presented a dowry worth 20,000 taels of silver, and that was just what was on the list. Luo Shenyuan would need to provide betrothal gifts worth at least 30,000 taels to match.
When Luo Shenyuan heard the news from the Marquis of Ying’s messenger, he merely smiled slightly: “Very well, I understand.”
He didn’t seem to show any sign of pressure.
No matter how wealthy the Luo family was, they were not royalty or nobility. Producing such a large sum at once would be difficult.
The messenger wondered silently how the new Vice Minister would manage this.
News of the new Vice Minister of Works’ long-standing engagement, and his imminent marriage, spread quickly through the noble circles of the capital.
Xie Yun heard about it from Cuiyu and immediately changed color, raising her head in surprise: “Which family’s daughter is he engaged to?”
Cuiyu’s voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz: “It’s said to have been arranged by their grandmother years ago. Because the bride was still young, it wasn’t formally settled until recently… You know who it is, it’s the Marquis of Ying’s daughter, Wei Yining. The one who was almost betrothed at the palace banquet.”
Xie Yun frowned even more: “That’s impossible. Wei Yining is his sister, a girl not even fourteen… How could she marry him!”
“Second Miss, perhaps we’ve misunderstood,” Cuiyu continued. “I suspect Lord Luo is marrying this young lady from the Marquis of Ying’s household not because of a childhood engagement, but because of the trouble she caused at the palace banquet with the proposed betrothal. The Marquis of Ying had no choice but to marry her off. Lord Luo, being Wei Yining’s brother, is probably doing this to help her, forcing himself to say he’ll marry her.”
Xie Yun knew about this. After that palace banquet, her aunt couldn’t sleep for nights and had someone send a message to the Marquis of Ying’s household, hinting that they should marry Wei Yining off soon. But in such circumstances, how could they find a good match? She had even heard that Wei Ling had considered young scholars of ordinary backgrounds. Could it be that Luo Shenyuan was marrying Wei Yining to help the Marquis of Ying’s household?
“I’ve also learned that before Lord Luo, Cheng Lang was planning to propose to the Marquis of Ying’s household. It was almost settled… but was interrupted by the courtesan you sent. Perhaps it’s because of this that Lord Luo had to step in. Otherwise, there might truly be no suitable person willing to marry their young lady.”
Cuiyu kept her tone very even, trying not to upset Xie Yun.
Xie Yun was even more shocked to hear this: “Cheng Lang was originally planning to propose to the Marquis of Ying’s household?”
Cuiyu nodded gently, and Xie Yun felt a roaring in her ears. She suddenly lost all strength and collapsed onto the chaise lounge.
Cheng Lang had never intended to marry her… yet she had ruined Cheng Lang’s marriage prospects, and because of this, Luo Shenyuan was marrying Wei Yining. Wasn’t this like she had pushed Luo Shenyuan away with her own hands… If Cheng Lang had married Wei Yining, Luo Shenyuan wouldn’t be marrying her now.
“I must see him!” Xie Yun suddenly stood up from the chaise lounge. “I need to persuade him. If he doesn’t like Wei Yining, he shouldn’t marry her just to help her. Someone else will surely marry her…” After thinking for a moment, she gritted her teeth, “I’ll arrange for someone to marry Wei Yining, and have my aunt arrange the betrothal!”
“Second Miss, please don’t be foolish!” Cuiyu quickly helped her sit down. “The Marquis has already mentioned a marriage arrangement at the palace banquet, and now everyone knows it’s Lord Luo. How could the Empress arrange another betrothal now? Besides, the Empress won’t interfere in this matter anymore. Moreover, Lord Luo has already asked his teacher, Grand Secretary Xu Wei, to act as a matchmaker. Even if you say something now, it won’t change anything…”
Xie Yun understood all this; she was just too anxious and heartbroken.
Leaning against the sapphire blue Hangzhou silk cushion with its intricate melon vine pattern, Xie Yun began to cry. Tears slid down her chin as she murmured, “But I love him so much.”
She looked as lost as a child. Cuiyu had rarely seen their proud young miss look so vulnerable.
She could only try to console Xie Yun: “You should consider this: if Lord Luo is willing to marry her just to help his sister, it shows he doesn’t take his marriage seriously at all. What good would it do for you to marry such a person? I think even the Marquis of Ying’s young lady may not fare well in this marriage, since Lord Luo only sees her as a sister. Otherwise, why wouldn’t he have gotten engaged all these years?”
Xie Yun gazed at the vibrant red begonias blooming in the sunlight outside the window, pressing her lips together. It was unclear whether she had taken in any of what Cuiyu said.
“Even if he doesn’t like Wei Yining, he still has to marry her…”
Cuiyu laughed bitterly to herself. Her young miss was usually such a clever person, how could she be so confused when it came to Luo Shenyuan? The point she was trying to make had nothing to do with liking or not liking.
Xie Yun turned her head away without speaking. At that moment, someone from outside announced that the head maid from Madam Xie’s quarters had arrived.
Xie Yun invited her in. The maid entered, lifting the curtain, and curtsied with a smile: “Second Miss, great news! Someone has come to our mansion to propose marriage to you! Madam says it’s the Fourth Young Master of the Cheng family, Cheng Lang. He’s asked our aunt to come and make the proposal.”
How could Cheng Lang be sending someone to propose to her?
Xie Yun stood up abruptly, her face even more pale. After composing herself, she said to Cuiyu, “Help me to the main hall to see.”
When she arrived at the main hall, she saw her family’s aunt talking excitedly with the Old Master: “That Cheng Lang, I’ve never seen anyone more handsome. When he sits down, he’s like a painting come to life, and his talent is truly outstanding. When the Cheng family’s Old Master entrusted me with this task, I thought, what a perfect match this would be! So I rushed over immediately.”
The Old Master Xie was naturally pleased. The potential in-laws were moving quite quickly. Stroking his beard, he smiled and said, “Indeed, I quite admire young Cheng Lang.”
Hearing this, the aunt knew there was hope and became even more eager: “That’s right, I hear he’s about to be appointed to a high position in the Censorate! He’s truly worthy of our Yun’er!”
Hearing this, Xie Yun bit her lip. If nothing unexpected happened, her grandfather would agree to this marriage. Thinking of the courtesan named Lian Fu, she asked softly, “What happened to her after that day? Where is she?”
“This servant doesn’t know. She hasn’t been seen since entering the Marquis of Ying’s mansion. It seems the plan didn’t succeed,” replied Cuiyu.
Xie Yun sighed slowly. At the time, she hadn’t considered things thoroughly enough. After such a scandalous incident, the Marquis of Ying’s household would certainly do everything to cover it up for Cheng Lang. If someone took drastic measures and killed Lian Fu, there would be no possibility of her causing any more trouble, no matter how much she might want to.
Elder Xie noticed his granddaughter approaching and waved her over with a smile. The great-aunt took Xie Yun’s hand, exchanging warm greetings.
“Yun’er, have you met that official, Program Lang? He’s truly talented and graceful. I’m sure you’d like him too. Countless girls in the capital wish to marry him!”
Xie Yun remained silent.
After Elder Xie had the steward escort the great-aunt out, he turned to Xie Yun and said, “Yun’er, I know you don’t like Program Lang, but there are few in the capital worthy of you. Why don’t you meet him first? You might end up liking him.” Seeing Xie Yun’s continued silence, Elder Xie continued, “I’ve invited Program Lang to our home. He’s waiting in the front hall now, with your father entertaining him. Come with me to see him.”
Xie Yun raised her face. She had rarely faced setbacks in her life. The boys in her family were not as intelligent as her, and her parents and elder brother doted on her. Her aunt, the Empress, loved her most and had her by her side since childhood to broaden her knowledge. At three, she knew a thousand characters; at five, she could recite the Analects; by eight, she could study with her grandfather.
She took a deep breath. Since her grandfather insisted on her meeting Program Lang, she would do so.
She followed her grandfather to the front hall.
Program Lang sat in the grand chair, drinking tea and engaging in pleasant conversation with her father. His manner was gentle and warm. He glanced back when he heard them approach.
Xie Yun looked at him, suddenly recalling the first time she saw him in Xinqiao Hutong. He had emerged from the shadows, the warm yellow lantern light illuminating his jade-like face, handsome and graceful. She had indeed never seen anyone more attractive, and couldn’t imagine any woman standing beside him. If not for Luo Shenyuan, this man would be truly outstanding.
Program Lang caught a glimpse of the water-blue, orchid-embroidered skirt hem peeking out from behind the screen.
He knew marrying that person was no longer possible. She had discovered his unsavory thoughts, and he had nearly forced himself on her. It would be difficult for her to treat him normally now. Program Lang understood clearly that those youthful hopes and infatuations could only be suppressed in his heart, unsure when they might resurface.
A cold, indulgent smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Xie Yun didn’t want to marry him? Then he would insist on marrying her. He had plenty of methods to deal with women like her.
After the engagement ceremony, the Marquis of Ying’s manor became even livelier. Shortly after Mr. Xu left, the betrothal gifts prepared by Luo Shenyuan were carried from Fuxue Hutong into the Marquis of Ying’s manor.
The list of betrothal gifts totaled a staggering 40,000 taels of silver.
Wei Ling examined the list for a long time before laughing heartily, “What a fine son-in-law I have!” Although the Luo family was well-established, they were still an official family with more financial constraints. It was unclear how he had managed to produce 40,000 taels of silver, but he must have been prepared for some time. However, when Wei Ling brought Yining back years ago, he gave Luo Chengzhang 50,000 taels in bank notes as a gesture of goodwill. He wondered if some of that money was being used here. Even for the Marquis of Ying’s manor, 50,000 taels was no small sum.
Wei Ling called for the steward, and before he even entered, said directly, “Add all the items from the young miss’s betrothal gift list to her dowry. Have Zhenzhu keep it with her and only tell her after she’s married.” He wanted to give his daughter a surprise. When she was married and saw the betrothal gift list, she would know her father’s kindness.
The steward, who had just entered, nearly tripped over the doorstep and stammered, “My Lord, doesn’t that mean the young miss’s dowry will total 70,000 taels?”
“Is that too much?” Wei Ling asked with a smile.
It was far too much! Moreover, judging by the Marquis’s expression, he seemed quite pleased with receiving such a large betrothal gift from the Luo family. Wiping his sweat, the steward asked, “My Lord, do we still have enough in our coffers?”
Wei Ling raised an eyebrow, “What kind of talk is that? Can’t your Marquis give a bit more dowry for his daughter’s marriage?” He only had one daughter, and if not for her, who else would he give it to? Thinking about how she would soon be another family’s daughter-in-law, serving her in-laws and managing a large household, Wei Ling still felt reluctant to let her go.
A dowry was a woman’s backbone; the more substantial the dowry, the straighter her back. Besides, they had Luo Chengzhang to consider.
Wei Ling felt he should talk with Luo Chengzhang.
Yining also looked at the betrothal gift list, thinking her third brother was getting the short end of the stick. She would only take 20,000 taels, while he was giving 40,000 taels. Luo Chengzhang had always been frugal; if he knew about this, he would surely be unhappy.
She ate some newly available autumn pears and instructed her maid to find Ting’er to come and eat pears.
Just then, Songzhi came to report, “Miss, the second Madam Luo and the Heir Apparent’s wife of the Marquis of Dingbei have come to visit. They’ve just been to see the Old Madam and are now heading our way.”
Lin Hairu and her elder sister had arrived! Yining hadn’t seen them in a long time and quickly asked her maid to invite them in.
Lin Hairu entered carrying Nan’er. Upon seeing Yining, she smiled warmly.
Yining wanted to hold Nan’er and play with him, but the nearly one-year-old boy was shy. Unfamiliar with the Marquis of Ying’s manor, he hid in Lin Hairu’s arms, pursing his lips. Yining saw his soft, pink cheeks and kissed him. He quickly retreated into Lin Hairu’s embrace, not daring to look at Yining.
“This child is timid,” Lin Hairu said. “He takes after his father’s temperament. His father says he was the same as a child.”
Yining, however, found the child’s shyness endearing and wanted to tease him a bit. She took Nan’er into her arms. Though he didn’t cry or fuss, he clung to Yining’s clothes, not daring to move. After a while, he warmed up to her, softly calling Yining “sister” repeatedly.
Lin Hairu then said, “He should call you ‘sister-in-law’ now, not ‘sister’.” She tried to teach Nan’er the new form of address, but he insisted on calling Yining “sister,” looking at his mother in confusion. He didn’t understand why his mother wanted him to call Yining “sister-in-law.”
Luo Yihui watched this with amusement and turned to Yining, saying, “We’ve just settled on the wedding date with your grandmother, and your third brother agrees. It’s set for the eighth day of the ninth month.”
That was less than half a month away!
Yining was slightly taken aback. “Was this his decision?”
The “he” she referred to was, of course, Luo Shenyuan. Luo Yihui nodded with a smile, “Yes, it was. Your grandmother agreed as well. Do you think it’s not good?”
It wasn’t that it wasn’t good, just too sudden… Yining couldn’t quite explain it. When she had agreed to marry him, she hadn’t expected it to happen so quickly.
Luo Yihui put down her teacup and took out a booklet from her sleeve. “Yining, take a look at this.”
Yining took it and looked, finding it increasingly familiar. She raised her head in surprise and looked at Luo Yihui. “Is this…?” It was the dowry Old Madam Luo had left for her years ago!
She hadn’t taken it with her when she left the Luo family, and in fact, hadn’t even thought about it at the time.
Luo Yihui nodded with a smile. “Your third brother brought it for you. When you left back then, Father didn’t give it to you. He went to quite some trouble to get this for you.” When she first learned that Luo Shenyuan wanted to marry Yining, she was shocked and thought it absurd. She had taken a carriage to Xinqiao Hutong that very night to question Luo Shenyuan. Her tone hadn’t been kind, and Luo Shenyuan had remained silent for a long time before finally asking her, “If I don’t marry Yining, what will happen to her? Can you look after her for the rest of her life, or will the Marquis of Ying’s manor do so?”
At that moment, she had been taken aback and said nothing more.
“I know,” Yining said, tracing the gold-embossed edge of the booklet, her eyes momentarily clouding with confusion.
Luo Shenyuan had always been kind to her since childhood. But his nature was so aloof that it was difficult for him to express his emotions, except for that rainy night. Yining couldn’t quite understand if he truly liked her.
He had proposed that they continue to treat each other as siblings, which had surprised her, but she had agreed. She thought it might be for the best, as she was still young.
Lin Hairu wasn’t surprised.
In fact, after slapping Luo Shenyuan that time, she knew her stepson’s heart couldn’t be swayed and had been waiting for this day. She wasn’t as worried as Luo Yihui; it was good to have Yining marry into the family. She would become Yining’s mother-in-law and wouldn’t have to worry about some cruel mother-in-law mistreating her. It also resolved Luo Shenyuan’s marriage situation in a way that made him happy. Thinking of all this, Lin Hairu felt completely at ease. She ate several more bowls of rice than usual and slept well every night, feeling quite content. She looked forward to Yining marrying into the family to keep her company.
She tried again to get Nan’er to call Yining “sister-in-law,” but he just clutched his pear and ate it, ignoring his mother.
The bride wasn’t allowed to see the groom before the wedding day. Unable to see Luo Shenyuan, Yining didn’t know what he was doing or thinking, which created a sense of anticipation.
Looking at Lin Hairu’s smiling face, she suddenly felt very nervous about her upcoming wedding day.
He would walk towards her in his red wedding attire, so tall and handsome. Surely, he would look wonderful!