Chen Yanyun still remembered the first time he met Jiang Wanqing.
She was wearing a simple white short jacket with red plum blossoms and a goose-yellow pleated skirt, standing gracefully in front of her mother as she answered questions with quiet composure.
At the time, Madam Chen had brought him as a guest to the Jiang residence. Sitting in the outer hall and watching from a distance, she nodded with a smile. "Look at this child—so young yet already so composed. She must be quite clever and sensible when she grows up."
Chen Yanyun was only fifteen then, busy preparing for the Metropolitan Exam. His mind was preoccupied with the books his uncle had told him to study, so he didn’t pay much attention to his mother’s words.
Madam Chen waved her hand dismissively. "Enough. I’m sure you’ll pass with ease. It’s rare for us to come out like this—I brought you to relax, so stop worrying about those things! Some people take the exam well into their thirties or forties and still don’t pass."
Chen Yanyun, ever diligent in his studies, simply smiled and said, "Your son must still strive."
Madam Jiang finished speaking with her daughter and led her out of the main hall.
The two families were old friends, so Madam Jiang didn’t have her daughter avoid the guests.
From afar, Jiang Wanqing caught sight of Chen Yanyun standing behind Madam Chen, dressed in a blue straight robe. In his youth, he wasn’t as striking as he would later become, but there was a gentle refinement in his features, his skin flawless like polished jade.
Jiang Wanqing curtsied to Madam Chen before retreating behind her mother, impeccably proper.
Madam Jiang introduced her daughter, "This is the Third Young Master Chen, the Top Candidate whose reputation has spread throughout the northern capital!"
Chen Yanyun merely smiled. "You flatter me, Madam. Yanyun is but a scholar—no achievements or fame to speak of."
Jiang Wanqing kept her head bowed, listening quietly.
As Madam Jiang and Madam Chen continued their conversation, Jiang Wanqing was dismissed.
Chen Yanyun wanted to borrow a rare Song-dynasty edition from Jiang Pinghai, so Madam Jiang instructed a servant to guide him. They made their way slowly toward the front courtyard.
As he passed a cluster of palm bamboos, he heard a girl’s voice from within. "Biluo, what do you think of these magnolias? They don’t have much fragrance, but if we pick them and dry them, they’d look lovely in the room."
A maid’s voice replied, "Third Miss, the tree looks quite tall—I’m afraid we can’t reach..."
The girl reassured her, "I’ll watch from below. Nothing will happen."
Chen Yanyun sensed trouble. Just in case, he quietly instructed Granny Zheng behind him to go and check.
Standing outside the palm bamboos, he asked the servant guiding him, "Who is your Third Miss?"
The servant answered, "She is our legitimate young lady."
As far as he knew, Madam Jiang had only one daughter—the one he had just seen. Why did this young lady seem so immature?
No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than he heard the sound of something heavy falling. He hurried over to find Granny Zheng already comforting a frightened, tearful maid. Jiang Wanqing stood nearby, clutching a magnolia blossom. The two other maids with her, barely thirteen or fourteen, were frozen in shock at the sight of someone falling.
When Jiang Wanqing noticed Chen Yanyun approaching, she didn’t raise her head, clearly embarrassed.
Chen Yanyun called Granny Zheng over to inquire. She said, "...This servant just checked. She’s unharmed—just startled."He nodded with a smile and said to Jiang Wanqing, "Madam Jiang was just praising the Third Young Lady for being clever and well-mannered. And now the true colors show. Third Young Lady, you’d better be careful—this mustn’t be seen by your mother."
Jiang Wanqing murmured a word of thanks and hurried off with her maid.
For Chen Yanyun, however, this was merely a trivial matter. Soon, he would be taking the Metropolitan Exam.
In the second month of the thirty-eighth year of the Jiajing reign, Chen Yanyun passed as a tribute scholar. In the third month, during the palace examination, the Emperor personally appointed him Second Place and granted him the position of Hanlin Academy Compiler.
The top honors went to the long-renowned Yuan Zhongru.
It was Chen Yanyun’s reputation that truly began to soar. He had yet to be betrothed, and matchmakers flocked to his doorstep.
But Madam Chen refused them all. Later, she said to the Chen patriarch, "I’ve had my eye on the Jiang family’s Third Young Lady for some time now—she’s sweet and well-behaved. If you agree, we’ll send a matchmaker to propose! I think Madam Jiang is of the same mind."
The Chen patriarch trusted his wife’s judgment. "A man should establish his family before his career. Our third son should marry before venturing into the officialdom. Once he’s wed, we’ll arrange marriages for the fourth and sixth sons. Go ahead with your plans."
Delighted, Madam Chen went to Baoding to enlist the help of a highly respected aunt from the Chen family to act as the matchmaker.
She then sought her son’s opinion. Chen Yanyun could vaguely recall Jiang Wanqing’s appearance and saw no issue with it—after all, he would have to marry sooner or later. Seeing that her son did not object, Madam Chen was even more pleased. In truth, his opposition wouldn’t have mattered; she had already sent the matchmaker. He would have had to agree regardless. Besides, there was nothing wrong with the Jiang girl—she had watched her grow up and felt entirely at ease.
By the end of the year, Jiang Wanqing was married into the family.
She had been full of anticipation—what young woman didn’t look forward to marriage? Especially when the groom was Chen Yanyun.
In truth, she had never forgotten him since the day he spoke to her.
But life after marriage was not quite what she had imagined. Once the initial novelty faded, the days grew dull. Moreover, Chen Yanyun was far more preoccupied with his career than with her.
That changed only after the birth of their child.
Jiang Wanqing’s first child was a boy, which undoubtedly secured her position in the Chen family. Not only was she overjoyed, but everyone around her celebrated as well. The child was doted on from the moment he was born. She still remembered the day she gave birth—Chen Yanyun had been at the Imperial Academy. After the delivery, the household was in a flurry of activity. Madam Chen, cradling her grandson, immediately instructed the nurse, "Quickly, have someone saddle a horse and inform Third Young Master that he’s a father now!"
Leaning against the pillow, Jiang Wanqing watched the child in Madam Chen’s arms and couldn’t help wondering how Chen Yanyun would react.
When he returned that evening, she was dozing by the bed. The household had a new little presence, and the atmosphere was entirely different. Hearing the baby’s cries, she opened her eyes to see Chen Yanyun holding the child awkwardly—the infant was wailing, and the nurse was instructing him on how to cradle him properly. He looked utterly flustered.
She couldn’t help but smile.
Noticing her amusement, Chen Yanyun explained, "This little thing is so soft—I’m afraid I’ll hurt him…"
Only then did Jiang Wanqing realize there was something he couldn’t do.He learned how to care for the child and even picked up singing nursery rhymes, though his tunes were off. Fortunately, his deep, gentle voice always managed to lull the baby to sleep. Before the child turned six months old, he was quite attached to him, giggling whenever he saw him.
Children grow up fast, and by the age of four, the boy was already being tutored by his grandfather. This had caused some tension between Chen Yanyun and the elder Chen. Chen Yanyun believed it would be better for Chen Xuanqing to study under his uncle, but the elder Chen remained firm, and the child was eventually placed under his care.
After becoming a Lecturer of the Imperial Academy, Chen Yanyun began studying under Lord Zhang, who was then the Vice Minister of Personnel.
The relationship between husband and wife grew increasingly mundane. Sometimes, when Chen Yanyun dined with Jiang Wanqing, they would sit in silence for long stretches. Fortunately, they had grown accustomed to the quiet. He would read by candlelight while she sewed or learned household management and accounting from Lady Chen.
Apart from their eldest son, they never had another child.
One day, Jiang Wanqing suddenly said to him, "Xue Rong, the bedroom servant girl who attends to you, is of age to leave the household. After discussing it with Mother, we thought of elevating her to concubine. What do you think?"
Chen Yanyun thought for a moment, closed his book, and asked, "Is this Mother's idea or yours?"
Jiang Wanqing replied, "It is my idea."
"Mm, I see," he said indifferently. "Do as you wish."
As she spoke, Jiang Wanqing gripped the thimble in her hand tightly without realizing it. When she released it, she felt an inexplicable sense of loss. Smiling, she said, "It’s getting late. I’ll have the maids come in to help you wash up."
Xue Rong entered, looking more nervous than usual. But Chen Yanyun paid no mind and calmly rose to go to the washroom.
Chen Yanyun didn’t know what Jiang Wanqing was thinking, but if his lineage was sparse, it was customary to take a concubine. Even if Jiang Wanqing hadn’t brought it up, others likely would have. She probably wanted to broach the subject herself to avoid being put in a more passive position if Lady Chen raised it first. Jiang Wanqing had a strong personality.
Half a year after elevating Xue Rong, Jiang Wanqing arranged for him to take Lu Shi as another concubine. This was her way of maintaining balance—two concubines vying for favor and clashing with each other were easier to control than a single one.
When Xue Shi bore a son, the child was taken to be raised by Jiang Wanqing’s side. Xue Shi moved to the Carp-envying Pavilion, and the child grew distant from her.
Chen Yanyun saw through Jiang Shi’s maneuvers clearly.
After all, these were just trivial matters of the inner household. Besides, Jiang Shi’s actions were entirely proper, so he never interfered. Only when she doted excessively on Chen Xuanxin did he occasionally voice his disapproval.
Zhang Ju Lian grew increasingly fond of him and sought to promote him to Assistant Director of the Office of the Directorate of Instruction. Chen Yanyun recognized this as a sign of genuine trust. Zhang Ju Lian had many protégés, but only a handful truly earned his favor. This opportunity was significant. Had it not been for his uncle’s aid during Zhang Ju Lian’s earlier struggles, such mentorship might never have come his way.
Chen Yanyun smoothly entered the Office of the Directorate of Instruction, rising swiftly in his official career. But before he could savor his success, misfortune struck the Chen Family. The elder Chen fell gravely ill, developing bedsores, and withered away within three months.During his severe illness, he held Chen Yanyun's hand and instructed him, "...The Chen Family... you must support it from now on. Your father can no longer guide you. You should follow your uncle..." His voice choked with emotion, "Not listening to me was right—you've turned out well, very well!"
Tears streamed down Chen Yanyun's face as he led the kneeling, hearing the muffled sobs of female relatives behind him. For the first time, he felt utterly powerless.
Life and death are fated, wealth and honor determined by heaven. Human capability is sometimes so limited—no matter how intelligent one might be, they cannot bring back the dead.
Chen Yanyun had thought that since he hadn't grown up with his father, he wouldn't grieve too deeply at his passing.
But blood runs thicker than water—how could he not feel sorrow?
OpenNovel