Chapter 223: Hello Chang’an
Chapter 223: Willing to Marry
2023-06-17 Author: Fei 10
For quite a while, Wei Miaoqing finally managed to open her mouth and make a sound:
“Mother, Father, Brother, Second Uncle, Second Aunt… tell me, how could I be so unfortu—”
Before that word “unlucky” could come out, Duan Shi yanked her daughter into the side chamber.
As Marquis of Zheng Wei Qin and Wei Shuyi also went into the side chamber, the second master of the Wei family, Wei Yu, stepped forward and silently shut the door, then he and his wife and children automatically withdrew to the hall outside to keep watch.
Standing under the corridor, Wei Yu sighed once.
His elder brother by nature pursued freedom and ease to excess—in plain words, he was unreliable. And this unreliable elder brother was paired with a sister-in-law who was also well-versed in the art of being unreliable…
Yet such a pair could somehow give birth to a child like Zigu, who was altogether too reliable. There could only be one explanation—things reach the extreme and then reverse, at the bottom there is rebound, life is born at the point of death.
But such an extreme rarity, like a miracle appearing in the world, was destined not to be sought often. Thus by contrast, Qing’er’s temperament resembled that of her parents much more.
So at this moment inside the side chamber, it must be that Zigu was leading three others—one reliable one, leading three unreliable ones.
The youngest of the unreliable ones, with no outsiders present, had already abandoned expression management, and with a long face cried:
“…How is it that this drudgery of becoming Crown Princess has ended up circling around and landing on my head? I have always remembered Brother’s instructions, and behaved plainly without being conspicuous at all!”
Saying this, crying, she looked toward Wei Shuyi: “Brother, you must give me an explanation!”
Wei Shuyi sighed softly: “Brother knows, you truly have behaved without being conspicuous. The blame is only that I, as your brother, was far too conspicuous in court, and have dragged you down with me.”
“It is also Father’s fault.” Marquis of Zheng also earnestly reflected on himself: “It’s all because I am the family’s legitimate eldest son. Though in all ways inferior to your uncles, I nevertheless inherited this Marquis of Zheng title, giving you this overly distinguished and conspicuous family background… which has caused you to be chosen as Crown Princess.”
Looking at such a father and brother, Wei Miaoqing’s sobbing stalled.
“Mother also bears responsibility.” Duan Shi held her daughter’s hand, her eyes slightly red, guilt heavier than her husband’s: “Who let Mother give you such flawless beauty? If only you had a mole on your face, then you would not have been chosen as Crown Princess.”
“…” Wei Miaoqing completely could not cry anymore. She really could not help but doubt: “Are you comforting me, or taking this chance to boast?”
“Though there may be suspicion of boasting, it is nonetheless the truth.” Wei Shuyi’s expression grew more serious: “Since the Holy Emperor’s purge of the Changsun faction, countless real positions have been left vacant. Now is exactly the moment of struggle with the Cui clan for power. At such a crucial time, it is necessary to settle the matter of Crown Princess early, lest the aristocratic clans seize the chance to take advantage.”
“Second, in that proclamation by Luo Guanlin, he wildly attacked the Holy Emperor for oppressing and mistreating the Crown Prince. Only by selecting as Crown Princess a young lady of truly eminent birth and background can such criticisms be effectively silenced.”
At this point Wei Shuyi lowered his voice: “But to prevent losing control and indirectly letting the Crown Prince grow too powerful, the choice must also be from among ministers the Holy Emperor trusts…”
“In short, all these conditions—I matched every one of them.” Wei Miaoqing again felt like crying. She really didn’t want to be Crown Princess!
Marquis of Zheng consoled his daughter a while. Seeing that ordinary words of comfort had no effect, he said: “...I heard that the Holy Emperor is also preparing to bestow marriage upon the heir of Prince Rong. When I just saw that edict arrive, I even thought my daughter was to be married off to Yizhou, and would never see her parents again.”
“Thinking this way, being chosen as Crown Princess, at least still remaining in the capital—it counts as fortune within misfortune…”
This “fortune within misfortune” made Wei Shuyi want to cover his face. What kind of treasonous talk was this?
“What nonsense are you blurting?” Duan Shi glared at her husband, then hugged her daughter’s shoulders, and whispered: “If you ask Mother, in the current situation, whether you truly will become Crown Princess is still uncertain… The Crown Prince is still young, even preparing the wedding will take at least two or three years. I heard that ever since Changsun Yuan was taken away and punished, the Crown Prince was so frightened he fell ill. Perhaps being sick and sick… he might… right?”
Wei Miaoqing: “?”
Mother’s words were restrained, yet not completely restrained.
Seeing the whole family looking at her with complicated expressions, Duan Shi said sheepishly: “By no means am I cursing anyone… I just mean, this situation, as it stands—though one could put it positively and say the Crown Prince is still here—yet it’s possible one day this position of Crown Prince will change hands, then this marriage naturally will… right?”
Wei Miaoqing was strangely persuaded.
“What Mother says… though unsuitable to speak to outsiders, is indeed the truth.” Wei Shuyi finally said: “It is best not to rush—let’s watch how things develop.”
Though she thought her brother was inept in matters of love, in serious matters she still listened to him. Hearing this, she calmed her heart and nodded.
Though she appeared loud and dramatic, at her core she was not willful or reckless. She was a daughter of the Wei family; some principles she understood well. Even if this dilemma had no solution in the future, she would not, for her own selfishness, disregard her family.
But this did not stop her from asking: “Speaking of the marriage for the heir of Prince Rong—has the candidate for Princess Consort been decided?”
To say it was unkind, but she did want to hear which young lady was more unlucky than herself.
Wei Shuyi: “Not yet truly decided. The heir of Prince Rong is said to have caught cold and fallen ill, and is still recuperating these days, unable to leave the capital for a time, so the Holy Emperor is still considering.”
At first the Holy Emperor’s urgency was surely because of her…
Now that she was chosen, the Holy Emperor could settle down, and more calmly deliberate on that matter.
“But it should be within these two days.”
Wei Shuyi, seeing through his sister’s thoughts, sighed: “You must know—not everyone thinks as you do… Whether Crown Princess or Princess Consort of Prince Rong, in many people’s eyes, these are by no means misfortunes. To marry into the imperial clan alone is already enough to make countless people yearn for it.”
Only after pacifying Wei Miaoqing did Wei Shuyi invite their second uncle’s family back inside to speak.
Outside, under the corridor, Wei Yu was extending his hand beyond the eaves to feel the fine drizzle.
A light rain added yet more chill to the capital.
The next day, when the sky cleared, was a rest day of the Imperial Academy. Members of the Cijue Society and the Wuer Society happened to run into each other at the Listening Sound Pavilion.
Different from last time when they met here with blades drawn, since the Confucian Temple incident, the grudges and prejudices between them had silently dissipated. With Cui Lang and Qiao Yubai present, everyone could even speak amicably now.
“I heard that Lady Chang took Young Master Chang out of the city to seek treatment—who knows when they’ll return?” a student of the Cijue Society asked about Chang Suining.
Cui Lang could only look toward Qiao Yubai. He felt somewhat aggrieved—his master went out of the capital to seek a physician, and didn’t even tell him.
Meeting Cui Lang’s aggrieved gaze, Qiao Yubai only smiled silently, with a faint bitterness in his heart.
“Thank you all for your concern. The return date is not yet set—seeking treatment for an injury cannot be rushed.” Qiao Yubai replied with a smile.
“That is true enough…”
“Why couldn’t that physician be invited to the residence to treat Young Master Chang?”
“Many capable people have their own eccentric rules…”
“When Lady Chang returns, may Brother Qiao inform us.”
Qiao Yubai agreed.
Song Xian, though silent, also listened patiently at the side.
He too hoped she would return soon. The words of apology he owed her had been stifled in his heart for so long.
While scholars and examinees gathered talking and composing verse, in an upstairs private room, a slender figure in pale green sat alone, distractedly drinking tea.
She had always loved music, and the Listening Sound Pavilion was her most frequent haunt. At this moment, a female musician was playing the pipa for her behind a beaded curtain.
“…Why did you stop?” When the music faded, the young lady came back to herself.
That female musician, long familiar with her, could not help but chide: “A piece has finished, am I not allowed to stop? I have played so long with such effort, yet Young Lady Ma, perhaps you haven’t heard a single note?”
Ma Wan, after a start, apologized: “Indeed, I was distracted… Lady Qingyin, do not blame me.”
She then ordered her maid to offer silver.
The Listening Sound Pavilion had tea, wine, and performances, but to have a musician play privately was charged separately.
The musician accepted, then without further banter, rose with her pipa, gave a smiling curtsey, and withdrew.
“Young Lady, do you have worries?” the maid softly asked.
Ma Wan gave no reply.
The maid sighed inwardly. No need for an answer—though others might not know, she, as personal maid, could see clearly what troubled her lady.
After a long time, Ma Wan finally spoke, her face desolate: “Let’s go back.”
Whenever she had time she would come here to listen to music. It looked the same as always, but in her heart she knew—since the Mid-Autumn Hibiscus Banquet, nothing was the same anymore.
Perhaps soon she would no longer need to come here. Perhaps everything ought to be let go.
As Ma Wan rose, her expression suddenly changed. She turned toward the window, listened a moment, then asked her maid: “Xiqin… did you hear it?”
With the maid’s nod, Ma Wan at once lifted her skirts, quickly left the room, descended the stairs, and went toward the elegant courtyard.
That long-missed sound of the flute guided her step by step to a lotus pond.
When she saw that equally long-missed young man’s back, she unconsciously slowed her pace, staring blankly for a while.
At first she had been drawn by the loneliness in his flute, a solitude unfathomable, unattainable, yet irresistibly calling her closer.
They had once exchanged through music alone, never speaking of other matters. At that time she had not known he was the heir of Prince Rong, Li Lu.
Not until the Hibiscus Banquet, when she saw him and learned his identity, and also witnessed his deep affection pledged to another.
Only then did she realize—what she had thought was mutual understanding, had only been her own overthinking. Indeed, they hadn’t even known each other’s identities and family backgrounds—what else could there have been?
When the flute stopped, the youth standing at the pond’s edge turned to look at her. His weak yet handsome face showed a not unfamiliar smile: “So it is Lady Ma. Long time no see—have you been well?”
It was the first time he called her by surname, yet there was no strangeness in it… So this was how it sounded when he called her “Lady Ma.”
Ma Wan silently clenched her embroidered handkerchief. How absurd—her intention to give up had just rekindled in a moment, merely from this one greeting.
So much for thinking herself lofty in character—she had sunk to such lowliness. Even knowing his heart lay with another, she could not cut off her own yearning.
“I am quite well… I wonder, has Young Master’s cold fully healed?”
As soon as Ma Wan asked, she regretted it. These words revealed her unusual concern.
Yet the young man only smiled and nodded: “It has mostly recovered. Thank you, Lady Ma, for your concern.”
“That is good.” Ma Wan’s fingers loosened and tightened again around the handkerchief. Looking at the flute in his hand, she said: “Just now, hearing Young Master’s flute, it seemed you had worries…”
Li Lu said: “About to leave the capital, inevitably I have many thoughts.”
“Young Master…” Ma Wan did not know how she found the courage, but she truly asked: “Is it that you still cannot let go of Lady Chang?”
The deeds of that Lady Chang had been so resounding. She too had thought often recently—such a striking young woman, surely difficult to forget.
The young man looked toward the withered lotus pond, and said slowly: “The matters of the world cannot be forced. Since I know there is no fate, with time passing, I suppose I can gradually let go.”
He did not say outright “I have already let go,” for that would make his former feelings seem too cheap. Some things—going too far is also wrong.
Women are always moved by deep feeling, even if that deep feeling is given to another.
Ma Wan could not describe her feelings, but seeing his expression, he truly did not look like one unwilling to come out of his obsession. Willing to come out of it… that was very good.
Unconsciously she stepped closer by two paces, and smiled faintly: “Then may Young Master… soon regain peace of heart.”
“Borrowing Lady Ma’s good words.” The youth’s expression was gentle, and with a smile he asked: “A soulmate is hard to find. I have long not heard Lady Ma’s zither. Before I leave the capital, may I still be fortunate enough to join with Lady Ma in one more piece?”
As he spoke, he gestured toward a nearby pavilion.
There, a zither was always placed for guests to play.
Suppressing the ripples in her heart, Ma Wan lightly nodded.
One sat within the pavilion plucking strings, one stood by the pond playing flute—their sounds blended and complemented, wordless tacit understanding between them.
The flowing music seemed to soothe all restlessness. Yet Ma family’s maid, watching this scene, felt ever more uneasy… Was it her illusion? Why did she feel as though this heir of Prince Rong was using this to flirt and entice her lady?
That day, when Ma Wan returned home, night was already falling.
On the way back she had already made a decision. After changing clothes in her quarters, she went to find her grandparents.
After paying respects, Ma Wan said: “Grandfather, Wan’er has something to discuss with you and Grandmother alone.”
Ma Xingzhou then ordered the servants to withdraw.
Inside the hall, Ma Wan knelt down, and said: “Grandfather, Wan’er is willing to marry the heir of Prince Rong.”
Ma Xingzhou and his wife exchanged a look of surprise.
“Wan’er…” the old Madam Ma asked in shock: “Why have you suddenly come to this decision? Did you hear something?”
“Yes. Wan’er knows that the Holy Emperor is now selecting a consort for the heir of Prince Rong. Wan’er also knows that her own name is on that list, and that the Holy Emperor is very inclined toward Wan’er.”
“Was it your mother who told you?” The old Madam Ma sighed, gazing lovingly at her most beloved eldest granddaughter: “But don’t worry. Since your grandfather has not yet nodded, the Holy Emperor will not force our Ma family. I was just discussing this matter with your grandfather just now…”
“That’s enough.” Ma Xingzhou interrupted his wife, looking at his kneeling granddaughter: “Let me speak with Wan’er alone first.”
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