Spring of the Blade - Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Qingyuan said it was so. Originally, she had no improper thoughts regarding that young master; she had merely felt a fleeting admiration for the rare sight of such a well-rounded gentleman in Hengtang. Once the moment passed, she had not kept it in her heart.

The Old Madam was worrying far too early. "I am only fourteen, after all," she said with a smile to Baoxian.

They had gone to attend the Spring Banquet and returned only late in the afternoon. By the time she had settled the Old Madam and returned to the Danyue Pavilion, it was already dusk. Baoxian had just finished helping her change her clothes, tidying them piece by piece to hand over to the maids in the lower quarters for washing. Hearing her say this, she could not help but turn back and look at her, smiling: "Is fourteen still a child? In another year, you will be fifteen, and then you must discuss marriage. You don't know, Miss, but nowadays, when families look for wives, they start paying attention at your age. Time passes in a blink; if there is any negligence, you might miss a good marriage."

Qingyuan lay leisurely on the beauty couch, listening to Baoxian’s incessant instructions. The lattice windows were half-open, and a plum blossom branch from outside stretched inward, emitting a faint, secluded fragrance. A thin crescent moon climbed into the horizon, a thread as fine as wandering silk, possessing the beauty of delicate, lonely fragility.

Marriage... She smiled. Her own mother had given her heart to the wrong person; how many marriages in this world could truly be trusted? In the years she spent with the Chen family, although she saw her grandfather and grandmother accompany each other to old age, her grandfather had also had several concubines in his youth. In any wealthy and noble household, there was almost no woman who did not have to worry about her husband.

Seeing that she did not respond, Baoxian assumed she truly had no interest in such matters. She carried the clothes out to the young maid at the door and turned back to light the incense with a fire-twist.

The young lady was still young and always needed guidance. If the Old Madam had agreed to let the few personal maids she had brought from the Chen family stay when she first arrived, she would not have to worry about these things. Now that the Miss was alone, she and Chuntai had to rely on her for their future; naturally, she could not let her be vague.

"Miss, what do you think of that young master from the Marquis of Danyang’s house?"

Qingyuan was dispirited, "I only spoke a few words to him; I cannot tell what kind of person he is."

But within the borders of Shengzhou, a family of that marquis rank was already considered top-tier. Baoxian smiled again, "Miss, you are usually prudent; why are you so indifferent regarding your own lifelong event? Why did the Old Madam say that the Marquis of Danyang’s house is not of the same path? Could it be that the two families had a feud in the past? If they truly had a feud, the young Marquis would not have approached you... Miss, listen to me. Right now, the marriage between the eldest Miss and the Earl of Founding’s house is practically settled. The remaining second and third Misses have no prospects yet. Although the third Miss is raised under the Lady’s name, her birth mother is of low status, and she is still not equal to the eldest Miss. I fear that in the Old Madam’s eyes, the second Miss’s marriage is the most important... The second Miss is born to the legitimate wife; if she marries into a lower family, would that not bring shame to the family gate?"

Baoxian had not spoken plainly, but Qingyuan understood: she felt that the Old Madam intended to save the good matches for the second Miss, and that the fourth Miss’s marriage was unimportant and could be put off until later.

Qingyuan could not help but laugh. Baoxian had not heard what the Old Madam had actually said—that she had every intention of raising her as an old maid. If she had heard it, one wondered how she would have cried out in injustice.

She lay on her side, playfully remarking, "Don't say that; the second Miss's status is a very good match for the Marquis of Danyang’s son."

Baoxian looked at her, at a loss as to how to explain the stakes involved. She only said, "There is no one in this house planning for you, Miss. You should think more about yourself."

Qingyuan, of course, understood, but regarding marriage, there was no need for anxiety at the moment; discussing it in two or three years would still be in time. She slowly closed her eyes and began to calculate how soon the Earl of Founding’s house would come to propose, so she could borrow the excuse of offering congratulations to visit Aunt Lian’s Hanxiang Pavilion.

However, after waiting five days, there was no movement from the Prefect’s wife. The Old Madam was able to remain calm, but Qinghe was restless and uneasy. Unable to speak to others, she quietly took Qingyuan’s hand that morning after paying her respects, saying, "Fourth Sister, let us go stroll in the garden."

Qingru and Qingrong happened to pass by and glanced at them. Qingru scoffed, "Is the eldest sister so close with the fourth sister now? Is there something you have to say behind people's backs that you can't let us hear?"

Qingrong fanned herself with her round fan, the tassels at the base flying wildly from her quick movements. She turned her gaze away with disdain, looking up at the sky, and sneered sarcastically: "Second Sister, don't you know? The eldest sister is to be betrothed to the Earl of Founding’s house, and the fourth sister has climbed onto the Marquis of Danyang’s son. Their social status is now equivalent, so why would they be willing to speak to us in a humble tone!"

Qingru could not bear to hear such things. It was already infuriating enough that Qinghe had climbed such a high branch; this time, this little hoof Qingyuan also wanted to climb upward. So, she gritted her teeth and squeezed a few words through them, "She is hardly worthy!"

In this world, intentional perfection is difficult, but ruining things is all too easy. Qingrong was not in a hurry, her expression mocking, "Oh my, the Earl of Founding’s house is a bit too leisurely; I feel anxious for the eldest sister. Didn't you see each other with your own eyes that day? Is there something unsatisfactory that requires further deliberation? As for the fourth sister, you must never enter a marquis or duke’s house. If people were to know of the good deeds your mother committed, getting a cold shoulder is a minor thing—what if you were beaten and thrown out? What would you do then!"

The two sisters giggled and walked away, leaving Qinghe so angry her face turned white. She spat, "Rotten-mouthed things, becoming more arrogant and unrestrained by the day!"

Qingyuan’s expression remained unchanged as she consoled her, "Big Sister, let go of your anger. A person who is not envied is a mediocre one. Look at things more broadly."

Qinghe sighed, "You are truly broad-minded."

If she were not broad-minded, how could she stand her ground in the Xie family? She had heard these cutting words before, and if she took every single one to heart, she would have died of anger long ago. Qingyuan smiled, "Let’s go."

Taking another path, they entered the garden. The layout of the Xie mansion’s garden was clever and deeply characteristic of the south of the Yangtze River—there were eaves stabbing the sky, building corners connected to the clouds, and hidden paths leading to bright spaces, with winding water returning in circles. Walking through the blossoms and willows on the bluestone road in the spring sunlight, one could see layer after layer of moon gates in the distance; standing at one end and looking toward the other, it resembled a series of interlocking rings.

Qingyuan pulled her to sit on a stone bench by the road, scrutinized her face, and asked, "Big Sister, are you unhappy? Why are you so sorrowful?" She also intended to lead her toward that topic, so she said softly, "Although Third Sister’s words just now were unpleasant to hear, there is some truth to them. The Earl of Founding’s house shows no movement; it always makes one feel uneasy... Big Sister, why don't you send someone out to inquire?"

Qinghe’s temper was mild, quite unlike her mother’s. Aunt Lian was a sharp-tongued person, but because she had not borne a son, she had been suppressed for years. Originally hoping her daughter would have a day of success so she could earn some face for herself, she was naturally even more anxious than Qinghe when the marriage showed no follow-up. She had suggested several times to send people to ask, but unfortunately, Qinghe was a stubborn person who insisted on maintaining the airs of a wealthy young lady. Upon hearing that she had to send someone out, she would cry and throw a tantrum, refusing to agree no matter what.

Hearing Qingyuan say this now, Qinghe finally wavered, "You mean the same thing?"

Qingyuan nodded, "A family of that rank must have many servants coming and going. You only need to ask if they are preparing wedding gifts."

Qinghe sat in a daze for a while before finally making up her mind. She did not say much more and hurried back to the Hanxiang Pavilion.

"Miss..." Baoxian called out.

Qingyuan stood up, smoothing her clothes and tucking her hands into her sleeves, "Go ahead and do it."

Those who come prepared can always welcome prey that rashly hits the target.

Aunt Lian instructed her over and over again to be careful and discreet. If even a hint of news leaked out, even if the marriage succeeded, the eldest daughter would be a laughingstock once she arrived at the Earl of Founding’s house. People’s mouths are just two flaps of skin; they could mock a person until they felt humiliated. They would say, 'Look at the eldest daughter of the Xie family, so eager to marry into our house that she couldn't wait five days, sitting and standing in agitation at home, as if she had not seen a man in eight hundred years'—did she want her face or not? Therefore, the servant sent out had to be extremely careful, pretending to observe the surroundings of the Earl’s mansion unintentionally. Unfortunately, after half a day, he did not even see a single feather of a wild goose.

Just as he was trying to figure out a way to strike up a friendship with those entering and exiting the mansion, someone tapped him on the shoulder from behind, "Isn't this a person from Aunt Lian’s courtyard?"

The servant was startled, "Who are you?"

The man, dressed as a servant, said, "You don't recognize me? We also have ties to the Xie mansion. My younger sister is named Qingmei; she used to serve in your mansion. Tell Aunt Lian; she will surely recognize the name. Why, I see you lingering here for half a day—is there something the matter?"

The servant was worrying about not finding anyone to ask. Since he had been caught, there was nothing to hide, so he asked how the preparations for the eldest son’s marriage were coming along.

The man said, "It will be within these two days that they go to the Xie mansion. We are also looking forward to the betrothal. In the future, once the eldest Miss is married, a little bit leaking through her fingers will be enough for us to live comfortably."

Thus, the servant returned to report, beaming with joy, and said, "Congratulations to the Aunt. I have found out everything. The Earl’s mansion has already prepared the betrothal gifts, but the date on the calendar was not good, so they intended to delay it by two days. Once they pick a grand, auspicious day, they will send a matchmaker; the Aunt only needs to wait for good news!"

Upon hearing this, Aunt Lian’s usually stiff face bloomed with surprise and joy. "Who did you ask? Is it reliable?"

The servant said it could not be more reliable, "A younger sister of a long-term attendant at the Earl’s mansion, named Qingmei, who used to serve in our house. She said to tell you, and you would definitely know. At any rate, there is some connection; she would not deceive me."

"Qingmei?" Aunt Lian thought for a moment but had no impression at all. There was a rule for official families when naming their slaves: it was either Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, or Plum, Orchid, Bamboo, and Chrysanthemum; the eight characters were shuffled and reorganized. If someone had not served her personally, she could not easily recall them. Regardless of who it was, she wanted a definite word. Learning that the Earl of Founding’s house would come to betroth in a few days, her heart was put at rest. She rewarded the servant with some money and sent him away, hurrying to bring the news to Qinghe.

The servant, weighing the money as he left the Hanxiang Pavilion, bumped into Mama Shang from the kitchen. The woman was his cousin’s wife. As if performing a magic trick, she pulled out a roasted squab and stuffed it into his arms, pulling him aside to whisper: "Did you just mention Qingmei to Aunt Lian? Does the Aunt still remember her?"

The servant was a bit dazed, "How does Auntie know about Qingmei?"

"Oh, that girl was originally driven out for committing a crime. Now she still wants to come back, so her brother found me and entrusted me to ask the Aunt’s intention." Mama Shang replied casually, "Well? When you mentioned Qingmei, did the Aunt have any reaction?"

The servant said, "What reaction? Aunt Lian thought for a long time and simply didn't remember. This path is not going to work. Auntie, advise them to stop hoping for it sooner."

Later, these words reached Qingyuan. She had arranged this whole circle just to observe Aunt Lian’s reaction. If she had been the one to handle the business of those years, even if more than ten years had passed, upon suddenly hearing that name, she could not have helped but lose her composure for a moment.

Mama Tao felt a great deal of regret, "Aunt Lian’s temper is very sharp. I originally thought she had the greatest suspicion, who knew I had guessed wrong."

The dog that bites does not bark. Since Aunt Lian was ruled out, only Lady Hu and Aunt Mei remained. Baoxian looked at Qingyuan and asked, "Miss, what are you preparing to do next?"

Qingyuan stood in front of the plum vase, fiddling with the peach blossoms she had just brought back. With one long and one short branch, she very patiently fiddled with them back and forth, adjusting them into a pattern she was satisfied with, responding languidly, "The Master will return in a few days, and the Third Master will get married next month; both the Lady and Aunt Mei have their hands full. It is better to be busy; when people are busy, trouble inevitably arises, and only when it is chaotic is it good to act."

When she said these things, she did not sound like a fourteen-year-old child at all. That composure and deep scheming were things that those who oppressed and underestimated her probably dared not imagine.