Where the Mask Ends - Chapter 25
Chapter 25
A marriage proposal requires the proper pomp and circumstance.
The wedding between Lu Zhuo and Xie Hualou had been scheduled for the eighteenth of the twelfth lunar month. The Duke of Ying’s household had been preparing for the wedding for two months already; even if they had nothing else, the betrothal gifts returned by the Xie family that very morning were perfectly fine to use.
The Duchess of Ying, however, refused to use those old items. She ordered twice the number of brand-new trunks to be brought out and filled them with jewelry, finery, and silk from their storehouse. Each trunk was tied with vibrant red silk ribbons. Both she and the Duke changed into new clothes and set out with a grand, ostentatious procession. Everyone they passed—government officials and commoners alike—was shocked and curious, all dying to know which family the Duke of Ying’s household was going to propose to with such hurried preparations.
With so many people watching, the Duke of Ying leaned toward the carriage window and said to his wife inside, "We’re causing quite a stir. I know you want to show the Cheng’an Earl’s Mansion our sincerity, but what if they misunderstand and think we are forcing their hand?"
The Duchess of Ying could not afford to worry about such things anymore.
Her eldest grandson’s life hung by a thread. A luck-changing marriage, by its very nature, required speed; if she worried about this taboo or that constraint, time would be wasted, and if it led to her grandson’s death, what would it matter if the Earl’s Mansion had agreed or not?
Asking for a luck-changing marriage was already an impolite act. No matter how perfect her etiquette was, the move itself would inevitably breed resentment in the Cheng’an Earl’s Mansion.
The Duchess of Ying had already thought it through. If Wei Rao were willing to marry into their family, she would be a benefactor to the Lu family, regardless of whether Lu Zhuo woke up or not. If Wei Rao refused and was criticized by others for being cold-hearted, the Duchess would adopt Wei Rao as her own granddaughter, protecting her as if she were born of her own flesh and blood.
The Lu family’s wedding procession and the stream of onlookers flowed into Yongle Lane, where the Cheng’an Earl’s Mansion was located.
When the lead carriage pulled to a steady stop in front of the mansion, a buzzing murmur of discussion rippled through the crowd.
"Does the Wei family have a daughter of marrying age?"
"This is the former in-law of Lady Shou’an, the former husband’s family of Lady Li. That daughter abandoned by Lady Li hasn't married yet, has she?"
"Ah, is the Lu family here to propose to the Fourth Miss Wei? That can't be, can it?"
"The Third Miss of the Wei family isn't married either; it must be her. A proper daughter of an Earl; the Cheng’an Earl has a title, though his official rank isn't high, he should be very willing to form a tie with the Duke of Ying’s household."
At that moment, the Cheng’an Earl, already alerted by the commotion outside, hurried out to greet them with his wife, Madam Guo.
The Duke of Ying was the foremost martial commander of the dynasty, respected by the people and valued by the Emperor. Whoever he visited in person was worthy of being greeted by the head of the house.
The couple respectfully invited the Duke and Duchess inside.
Private matters could not be discussed in front of idlers. Once inside the gates, to avoid any misunderstanding, the Duchess of Ying stated their purpose directly to the Earl: "Our elderly couple has made a presumptuous visit to propose to your Fourth Miss. Because of our family’s special circumstances, I ask for your forgiveness for any lack of etiquette."
The Cheng’an Earl was slightly startled. Was the person the Lu family sought actually his niece?
He did not question whether his niece was worthy of marrying into the Lu family, but because of her poor reputation, and having just heard the report from his servants, he and his wife had assumed the Lu family wanted to marry their daughter, Wei Chan.
After his surprise, a complicated feeling welled up in the Earl’s heart.
Regardless of Lu Zhuo’s current condition, being chosen by the Duchess of Ying to be the eldest granddaughter-in-law of the Lu family was a recognition and an honor for any girl, and one that was hard to refuse on moral grounds. The Earl’s worry just moments ago had been about what would happen if Lu Zhuo died and his daughter became a young widow. Now that the misunderstanding was cleared, he no longer had to worry about his own daughter, but he felt an underlying awkwardness—blaming himself for his inability to teach his niece well. Her virtue and talent were not obvious, and even for a luck-changing marriage, the Lu family hadn't considered his own daughter.
"Rao Rao has always been raised by my mother; this matter must be discussed with her. Duke, Duchess, please take a seat in the living room; I will send someone to invite her over," the Earl said with a solemn expression.
The Duchess of Ying added, "Please invite the Fourth Miss as well. After all, this concerns her lifelong happiness."
The Earl, thinking of his niece’s early wisdom and sense, agreed.
The maid sent to deliver the message naturally informed Wei Rao and Old Madame Wei of the Duke and Duchess’s intentions.
Old Madame Wei never imagined that after just discussing the breakup between the Xie and Lu families with her granddaughter, the Lu family would show up to ask for her hand in marriage!
But the timing was insulting!
What, when Lu Zhuo was full of life, only the talented and famous Xie Sixth Miss was worthy of him? Now that he was half-dead and other noble girls didn't dare to marry him, the Lu family remembered her Rao Rao?
It would be one thing if Lu Zhuo’s former fiancée was someone else, but the Xie Sixth Miss was the very person a group of gossiping girls used to belittle Rao Rao. Why should her Rao Rao go and pick up the sick Lu Zhuo that the Xie Sixth Miss had cast aside?
Old Madame Wei wanted Lu Zhuo to recover, but that was a completely different matter from the Lu family coming to propose!
Old Madame Wei almost impulsively wanted to send the maid to drive the Duke and Duchess away.
But she was old, after all. After a brief moment of impulse, she calmed down. These were the Duke and Duchess of Ying; her family could refuse, but they could not be too absolute, or how would they stand in the capital in the future?
"Don't be afraid, Rao Rao. Let’s go hear what they have to say. We will give the Duke of Ying face, but Grandmother will absolutely not agree to them," Old Madame Wei said, patting Wei Rao’s hand with a firm attitude.
Wei Rao’s mind was in a whirl; there were too many puzzles. With the glory of the Duke of Ying’s mansion, they could find a daughter of a noble family or even a daughter of a minor official to perform the ritual. With so many choices, why did the Lu family think of her, with her notorious reputation? Was this a sign of respect or contempt? Furthermore, if she refused, would her reputation become even worse? Did the Lu family count on this to force her?
Thinking of the Duchess of Ying’s kind smile at the Dragon Boat Festival banquet, Wei Rao frowned.
Whether it was kindness or malice, she would know once she saw them.
Wei Rao did not express any opinion for now and obediently supported her grandmother. The grandmother and granddaughter made their way at a leisurely pace to the living room of the main courtyard.
Because she was staying at home, Wei Rao had only applied moisturizing balm to her face and had not worn the makeup that made her look gentle and dignified. With her skin washed clean, her translucent, porcelain-like complexion was revealed. Her phoenix eyes were as enchanting as if filled with affection, her lips were full and the color of the most vibrant petals, and the beauty mark on her lip was charming, enticing one to cup her face and taste her.
She kept her head slightly lowered, focusing on supporting Old Madame Wei, neither nervous nor shy because of the two noble guests waiting in the hall.
The Duchess of Ying was first startled by Wei Rao’s breathtaking beauty.
So the Wei Rao she had seen at the palace banquet had been hiding her light on purpose! Now that she saw her, Wei Rao clearly surpassed Xie Hualou in beauty. Those rumors that used Xie Hualou to step on Wei Rao were purely out of jealousy.
But what satisfied the Duchess of Ying most was Wei Rao’s steadiness. The girl should already know their intentions. She was only fifteen, yet the Duchess was completely unable to see through the young girl’s thoughts. Was she happy that she could marry into the Lu family, or was she angry that the Lu family was disregarding etiquette to force her to perform a luck-changing ritual for her eldest grandson?
A steady person rarely made mistakes in their actions and was very suitable to be the mistress of a household.
The Duchess of Ying looked at her husband to the side with satisfaction.
The Duke of Ying also looked at his wife, thinking that if his comatose grandson could really control his own life and death, knowing that the family had married such a fairy-like beauty as his wife, he would surely be reluctant to die. No man would be willing to abandon such a beautiful wife.
"When the Old Earl was alive, my old man once had the good fortune to drink at the same table as him. Considering that connection, may I call you sister-in-law?" the Duchess of Ying said to Old Madame Wei with a smile.
Old Madame Wei’s tone was distant: "I don't dare. My late husband was a mediocre man; how could he dare to call the Duke his brother?"
The Duke of Ying forced a smile and apologized: "You dare, you dare. I, Lu, am a rough man, and I have always greatly respected the scholarship of your husband."
Chongwen was the courtesy name of Wei Rao’s grandfather. Thanks to the capable manager of the Lu family, they had found it out in a short time, allowing the Duke to say these words without blushing.
Old Madame Wei looked at the Duke, but did not expose the lie further.
Seeing that Old Madame Wei’s attitude had softened slightly, the Duchess of Ying took the opportunity to take over the conversation: "Sister-in-law, the Duke is a coarse man, and I have no scholarship either. I am not good at talking. I’ve rushed over in the middle of the day to bother you, so I won't beat around the bush. My eldest grandson, Lu Zhuo, is critically ill and unconscious. I have tried every method, and now I can only pin my hopes on a luck-changing marriage to save his life..."
Thinking of her grandson, she didn't need to pretend to be pitiful; the Duchess of Ying’s tears fell naturally.
Both were white-haired people who had buried the young. Old Madame Wei could not bear to see this and turned her head to interrupt the rest of the Duchess’s words: "I have heard of your family’s situation, and I have prayed to the Buddha for the young heir to get through this crisis soon. But I truly cannot agree to your request. Rao Rao is the apple of my eye. Regardless of how the outside world slanders or smears her, in the eyes of me, her grandmother, she is the best. If you had come to propose a year earlier, I would have cried with happiness. But what is this now? Is my Rao Rao worse than some peony-talented girl, that she has to pick up what someone else doesn't want?"
As she spoke, Old Madame Wei’s eyes also reddened.
Mourning was necessary, but in a situation like the Lu family’s, even if the Xie family had ignored the mourning period to marry off the Sixth Miss, outsiders would only praise the Xie family’s righteousness. But the Xie family had refused, which, in the final analysis, was because they couldn't bear to let the Sixth Miss take the risk or become a widow. It was the Xie family’s good luck that they happened to run into the Grand Preceptor’s death to preserve their reputation.
What about her Rao Rao? Because of those prejudices, even if she married over now to perform the luck-changing ritual, she would never gain a shred of good reputation. Outsiders would say that Rao Rao was lucky to have picked up a bargain, and would say that if Lu Zhuo hadn't been on the verge of death, it would never have been Rao Rao’s turn. If Lu Zhuo lived, this gossip would only increase; if Lu Zhuo died, Rao Rao would be at a disadvantage as a widow, and if she didn't remain a widow, she would be cursed to death.
No matter what, it was a loss. Why?
It was all the fault of the Duke and Duchess of Ying. If they hadn't come, Rao Rao wouldn't have to face this dilemma!
"Have you ever thought about Rao Rao? Agreeing or refusing are both traps. How do you expect her to live in the future?" Old Madame Wei slapped the table and glared hatefully at the Duchess of Ying, demanding, "Do you think Rao Rao’s reputation is already bad enough that you don't mind splashing another layer of sewage on her?"
"Grandmother, don't be like this."
Wei Rao knelt before Old Madame Wei with her head bowed. She hadn't intended to cry, but she was moved by her grandmother’s tears and could no longer control her own eyes.
Old Madame Wei hugged her granddaughter’s head, crying as she asked the Duchess of Ying: "Your grandson is a treasure, but is my granddaughter just grass?"
She couldn't stop crying, and the Cheng’an Earl and Madam Guo also knelt over, pleading in unison.
The Duchess of Ying shook her head, weeping: "It’s not like that. It’s not what you think. I don't look down on Rao Rao. I love her too much—I love her beauty, I love her chivalry, I love her capacity for tolerance, and I love that she has an Earl for an uncle. Everyone said I couldn't find a girl from a noble family for Shoucheng’s luck-changing marriage, and they all urged me to marry a girl from a low-ranking family, but I refused to give in! My Shoucheng is a treasure, a treasure unique in the world, and even if he is sick and beyond recognition, I must marry him to a true noble lady, a girl who is worthy of him."
Old Madame Wei looked up in shock, and Wei Rao also looked at the Duchess of Ying in disbelief.
The Duchess of Ying wiped her eyes and said to Wei Rao, "Why are noble ladies good? Because their upbringing is guaranteed, and everyone believes that a girl from a noble background will possess noble character. For girls we have never met, outsiders can only judge them by their reputations. But I have seen Rao Rao, I have seen her goodness, so no matter how others rumor, in my heart, Rao Rao is a true noble lady, a pearl that will not wrong my grandson."
The tears rolling down the old lady’s face made everyone present feel that she was speaking the truth, not just using clever words to coax Wei Rao into the marriage.
With such sincerity from the Duchess of Ying, Old Madame Wei felt better, but...
"Grandmother, I want to marry."
A pair of small hands suddenly took hold of her old ones, speaking before she could.