Spring of the Blade - Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Yuequan delivered the Old Madam's order and hurried toward the Fourth Miss’s courtyard, Danyue Pavilion.

The afternoon hours had become sluggish and leisurely. In the Fourth Miss’s courtyard, the pomegranate flowers were in full bloom, a cluster of vibrant red forming a sea of flowers beneath the steps. The lattice windows of the main room were thrown wide open, facing that very pomegranate tree. Inside, half a figure was obscured by the foliage; one could only see a mass of thick, dark hair and half of a beautiful, delicate profile.

"Is Sister Yuequan here?" Chuntai greeted her with a smile, "What wind blew you over here?"

Yuequan pressed down on her hand, turned, and looked toward the lattice window of the study. "I am looking for the Fourth Miss."

Qingyuan heard them speaking, put down the brush in her hand, and stood up. Baoxian went out to welcome her in and asked in a low voice, "Has something happened?"

Yuequan felt a kinship with the Fourth Miss, so she had come to deliver the message personally, hoping to give her a moment to prepare. She stepped forward, performed a formal greeting to Qingyuan, and said gravely, "The Old Madam has sent me to summon you to Huifang Garden. Miss, do not delay; quickly comb your hair and head over."

Qingyuan felt a twinge of surprise. Seeing that Yuequan’s expression was far more solemn than usual, she said, "Sister, if there is anything, please do not hide it from me." She beckoned Chuntai to come over, used a fine-toothed comb to smooth the hair by her temples, and changed into a light over-garment.

Yuequan glanced outside and whispered, "The Old Madam just saw the Inspecting Censor’s wife off. The reason the Censor’s wife came to call was because the son of the Marquis of Danyang had proposed to his mother that he wished to take the Fourth Miss as his wife. Now, the Marquis’s residence is in an uproar; I fear trouble is brewing. The Marchioness requested the Censor’s wife to speak with the Old Madam. This fire is impossible to avoid—it is bound to burn you, Miss. Quickly, think of how you will answer the Old Madam’s questions."

A buzzing sound echoed in Qingyuan's brain. In truth, when Li Congxin had said those words, she had not imagined the situation would evolve to such a point. She had been clinging to a shred of hope, thinking the young Marquis would not act so impulsively, but she realized now that she had overestimated him.

She was only fourteen, after all. Facing such a predicament, it was inevitable that she felt flustered, and her complexion paled. Baoxian hurried to comfort her, "Miss, keep your composure. If the Old Madam truly questions you because of this, do not be afraid; just tell the truth."

Qingyuan steadied herself and sighed, "I do not seek out trouble, yet trouble comes knocking at my door. If I had known this would happen, it would have been better never to have met that young master; it would have saved me so much trouble." Beneath her words, she genuinely felt a desire to retreat. A young master from a marquis household who acted solely on his own whims without regard for her well-being—this simple incident was enough to show that they were not meant for the same path.

In any case, there was no escaping it. She would simply have to submit to whatever came. She finished tidying herself and headed to Huifang Garden. Just as she crossed the threshold, Madam Hu and Qingru arrived right behind her.

The Old Madam sat ramrod straight in the seat of honor. As Qingyuan bowed to her, the old woman’s face was devoid of color. She asked sternly, "I ask you, what exactly is going on between you and the legitimate son of the Marquis of Danyang?"

Qingyuan lowered her head and replied, "Replying to Grandmother, your granddaughter has spoken with him properly two or three times; I do not know what it is you are asking about."

The Old Madam’s face was filled with fury, clearly dissatisfied with such a breezy answer. To the side, Madam Hu sat like a stone statue, her expression cold and hard. Only her eyes were alive, shifting to size Qingyuan up as if she were a stray cat or dog.

"I told you not to provoke the son of the Marquis of Danyang! Why did you refuse to listen? Now that people have come to our doorstep to confront us, I have to risk my old face to settle this for you—but where does that leave the reputation of the Xie family?" The Old Madam slapped the side table with a resounding crash that could be heard from outside. Her piercing voice rang out like cymbals, lashing out at her, "Do not think I don’t know what you are thinking. Earlier, when I cautioned you, you treated it as if I were trying to sever your marriage prospects. You agreed with your mouth, but in your heart, you were surely unconvinced. I have lived to this age; what haven’t I seen? You are a daughter of the Xie family after all—would your grandmother ever harm you? The Marquis of Danyang’s residence is a good match, it is true, but you are not suited for them. They say one should cut the fabric to fit the hat, but whether you can wear that hat is something I should have spelled out for you! I usually see you as clever and bright, but who knew you would become so muddled when it concerned your own affairs? Now look at this—they have entrusted a middleman to come and wash their hands of the matter. I ask you: do you still have any face left?"

Qingyuan was left speechless. She felt aggrieved, and her resentment toward Li Congxin for meddling only grew.

Madam Hu, seeing that the Old Madam was incensed and that Qingyuan was standing there like a mute, intervened to soothe the old woman, "Mother, please calm your anger; it is not worth ruining your health over."

Qingru added fuel to the fire, sounding sarcastic from the side, "Fourth Younger Sister is truly capable. Our marriages are all decided by the commands of our parents, but only Fourth Younger Sister is so quiet and stealthy—she has even found a husband for herself."

Qingyuan wanted to retort, but in the end, she held back. There was no other way; the more she said, the more she would fan the flames. She replied softly, "Grandmother, please do not be angry. Your granddaughter truly has no dealings with the young master of the Marquis’s house. Grandmother, you must believe me."

Whether to the Old Madam or Madam Hu, these words sounded utterly dishonest. They hadn't even brought it up yet, but Qingru jumped out to refute her: "No dealings? You’re trying to trick a three-year-old! If there were no dealings, why would he send you mung bean cakes? If there were no dealings, why would he write you letters in secret?"

This outburst left the Old Madam and Madam Hu in an extremely awkward position. Qingru, that girl, didn't know how to navigate the subtleties and loved to jump the gun. Everyone had tacitly agreed never to mention that letter, but with this revelation, it was clear that they had all colluded to scheme against Qingyuan, ensuring she could not keep her appointment with the young Marquis.

To support such a thick-headed person must truly be the most difficult thing in the world, thought Qingyuan. She suddenly felt a sense of sympathy for the Old Madam and Madam Hu, so she lowered her head and remained silent.

Indeed, ginger gets spicier with age. After a brief silence, the Old Madam spoke again, "The way the Marchioness of Danyang handled this is also improper. If things were not orderly within her own household, she should have closed her doors and dealt with it. There is no reason to come to another's house to settle scores. Their side has a young master who is used to the grand stage, while our side is a girl in her chambers; to come to us to demand an explanation—is it not laughable?"

Madam Hu chimed in smoothly, "Mother speaks perfectly. There are many muddled people in this world; how can one guarantee they will all act properly? In any case, now that the matter has been laid out, we know where we stand. This business between the Fourth Girl and the Marquis’s son is absolutely not to be." As she spoke, she looked at Qingyuan with eyes full of feigned pity, though her lips carried a smile, "Fourth Girl, you must have your own plans in mind. Since you understand, draw back in time and give up this dream."

Qingyuan looked at the smile on Madam Hu’s lips; it was sharp as a blade. She was probably calculating that since she was out of the running, Qingru now had a chance. She did not know what came over her, but a surge of grievance filled her chest, nearly bursting her heart. She bit her lip and suddenly blurted out, not without regret, "In that case, our family and the Marquis of Danyang's residence will never be able to form a marriage alliance."

Qingru was stunned. She stared at her and retorted with a sneer, "Where does Fourth Younger Sister get such confidence, that you think the Xie family has to rely on you to support its standing?"

The Old Madam lowered her eyes and sighed inwardly. When it came to intelligence, the Fourth Girl was truly much smarter than the Second. The Second Girl only knew how to be sharp and competitive and didn't even understand common sense. If she really managed to enter the Marquis’s household, she would likely be left with nothing but scraps.

Qingyuan was determined to poke at Qingru’s sore spot. Perhaps it was a case of "killing a thousand enemies but losing eight hundred of one's own," but when one is in the heat of anger, one cannot care about such things.

"Second Sister, have you never heard the saying: 'Leave a line of friendship, so that we may meet again in the future'? Since the Marchioness did not even leave a shred of grace and sent someone directly to our door, the meaning is clear: the Marquis of Danyang’s residence will not form a marriage alliance with the Xie family. It doesn't matter if it is a daughter of a concubine or a legitimate daughter, or whether one is at fault or not; they will marry none of us." She smiled, a detached smile, "Second Sister, think about it. We are both respectable, grand families. If one has no salt, one must make do with brine—wouldn't it be a laughingstock if this got out? I truly knew nothing of today’s incident, and I have no regrets that things with the young Marquis didn't work out. I only feel pity for Second Sister. Originally, with your background, marrying into a Marquis’s household would not have been difficult. Now that this road is cut off, Second Sister should settle your heart as well."

As soon as she finished speaking, Madam Hu lost her composure and stood up abruptly. Qingru might have lacked in other areas, but she excelled in violence. Without a second thought, she raised her hand and slapped Qingyuan across the face.

With a sharp crack, the blow exploded against her cheek like lightning. The people present gasped. Qingyuan’s mind went blank; she was unable to process what had happened for a long time.

Baoxian was furious and anxious. She shielded her mistress and turned back, saying, "Second Miss, why do you do this? If our Miss has done something wrong, it is for the Old Madam and Madam to discipline her. For you to lay hands on her yourself—be careful that you do not lose your own dignity as a young lady!"

After hitting her, Qingru felt a twinge of panic, but she prided herself on having a higher status than Qingyuan, so she refused to back down even a little, "I am disciplining her on behalf of Grandmother. What was that she just said? What 'no salt, make do with brine'? Who is salt, and who is brine? Who is decent, and who is not?"

Sisters fighting—this had never happened in the Xie household since it was established. The Old Madam was enraged, pounding the table and shouting, "I am not dead yet, and now the world has turned upside down!"

Madam Hu, seeing that the situation was not good, kept signaling to Qingru. On the other side, Qingyuan was sobbing while covering her face. Madam Hu, like a mother who rushes to smooth things over when her children have caused trouble, reprimanded both sides with a mix of apparent fairness and hidden bias, "You are sisters in the same house; even teeth sometimes bite the tongue. Your sister was disrespectful and hit you; I will apologize to you on her behalf. However, you are a young lady of the household—you should know that some things should be said, and some things should not." She used her handkerchief to clumsily wipe Qingyuan's tears, "Alright, alright, stop crying. With so many eyes watching, do not let the servants laugh at you."

She was the one who was hit, yet the one afraid of being laughed at was Madam Hu. Such warped logic could only come from her. Qingyuan gently pulled away, escaping from beneath that handkerchief scented with orchid fragrance. She bowed to the Old Madam and said, "Grandmother, in the days I have been back, you have seen how this family has treated me. I was raised outside and did not learn the rules of the Xie family. Now that I have had to be 'disciplined' by my own sister, I truly find myself intolerable. I beg Grandmother to have pity on me and let me return to the Chen family. From this day forward, I will have no dealings with the Xie family. You may pretend I never existed."

After she finished speaking, she bowed again and, not waiting for the Old Madam to respond, turned and walked out. This maneuver forced the Old Madam to react, so she hurriedly told those at the gate to stop her, frowning, "You are a descendant of the Xie family; you have no business with those Chen people. Even if there are some things in this house you are not satisfied with, you should not go around talking about leaving. The Chen family only raised you for a few years; the Xie family is your root. I called you here today to give you some advice, who knew that in the end, it would descend into this..." She finished by glancing at Qingru, who shrank back in fear. The Old Madam said bitterly, "Why are you still standing there? Go and apologize to your sister."

The Old Madam wanted to downplay the incident, as she was unwilling to let her go, yet also unwilling to act as an impartial judge—after all, Qingru was someone she had raised, and the bond could not be compared to an outsider's. If Qingru had been willing to lower her head, Qingyuan might have let it pass. But Qingru refused; she glared at her with hatred, blaming her for being relentless, wishing she could pierce a hole through her with her eyes.

Qingyuan, conversely, felt at ease. Madam Hu had harmed her mother, and now Qingru was bullying her. When the time came to settle old and new scores, no one could blame her.

She took half a step back, "Since Second Sister is unwilling, Grandmother need not force her. I will endure this slap from Second Sister; I thank you for the 'lesson.' The hour is getting late, and I shall return to Danyue Pavilion. Grandmother, please calm your anger. Your granddaughter takes her leave."

Walking out of Huifang Garden, the twilight was just beginning to gather. Baoxian helped her walk back. Today was different from before; they did not even exchange a word.

Qingyuan felt it strange. She tilted her head to look at her, and the girl quickly turned her face away, rubbing her teary eyes against her shoulder.

Qingyuan’s heart, which had been as hard as iron, suddenly softened. The things in this world were truly marvelous—not a single one of her own flesh and blood felt pity for her, yet the servant by her side gave her the care she could not get from her kin. She smiled and gently comforted Baoxian, "It does not matter. Days are long. Today she held the upper hand, but tomorrow I will surely make her pay it back twofold."

Baoxian gave a miserable smile, "I know. Miss let her have her way once, and she will owe you for that slap for the rest of her life. I am just... just grieving for you. Such a lovely young lady..."

Qingyuan pressed her lips gently, "I am not that precious. What is one slap?"

Baoxian held her hand tightly, "One day, Miss will be someone else's treasure. Suffering such misery today is just to clear away disasters for your future wealth and prosperity."

So that was it; a person who suffers must be good at comforting themselves. Qingyuan was about to joke with her when she suddenly saw the Master of the house hurrying into Huifang Garden. Unlike usual, he had not come alone; he was followed by several attendants, and with that hurried, fierce manner, it was nine-tenths likely that something had gone wrong at his post.