Time waits for no one.
Upon returning from paying condolences at the Xie residence, the Duchess of Yingguo immediately instructed the steward to handle the matter of breaking off the engagement with the Xie family, insisting it must be settled before noon. Afterward, she went to the Hall of Pine and Moon to check on her eldest grandson. Seeing that his condition remained as grave as before she left, with no signs of improvement, the Duchess closed her eyes briefly, turned away from the hall, and summoned her four daughters-in-law to the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness, where she and her husband resided.
Ever since Lu Zhuo had fallen seriously ill, the entire Duke's Manor had been on edge.
At the Duchess's summons, He Shi (Lu Zhuo's mother), Second Madam, Third Madam, and Fourth Madam hurried over as quickly as possible. He Shi arrived first, as she had been keeping vigil by her son's sickbed and followed her mother-in-law directly when informed of the meeting.
Once everyone had gathered, the Duchess addressed her three daughters-in-law, excluding He Shi: "Old Tutor Xie has passed away unexpectedly, and the Xie family is in mourning. Sixth Miss Xie is now unsuitable for the Marriage to ward off misfortune for Shoucheng. I have already sent someone to break off the engagement. I called you here to discuss arranging a new marriage for Shoucheng. Among the noble young ladies in the capital, do any of you have suitable candidates in mind?"
Upon hearing this, He Shi burst into tears, her mind too overwhelmed to think clearly. She could only bow her head and weep silently.
Why was her Shoucheng so ill-fated? He had fought valiantly in battle, only to fall critically ill just as his fiancée's family was plunged into mourning. Now, even the Marriage to ward off misfortune had to be arranged all over again.
The Duchess glanced at He Shi.
She had given birth to four sons. Apart from He Shi, whom her eldest son had met on the frontier and insisted on marrying despite her humble background, the other three daughters-in-law were all noble young ladies she had personally selected for her sons. When attending social events, these three daughters-in-law had contact with almost all the marriageable noble young ladies in the capital.
Thus, the Duchess relied entirely on these three daughters-in-law to recommend candidates for her new eldest grandson's wife.
Even in the urgency of arranging a Marriage to ward off misfortune, she was determined to select a virtuous and upright young lady for her grandson, unwilling to let him settle for less.
Second Madam, Third Madam, and Fourth Madam exchanged glances, their expressions troubled.
If Lu Zhuo were in good health, they need only spread the word, and noble young ladies would surely compete fiercely to marry him. But now, with his life hanging by a thread and no one optimistic about his recovery—even the Xie family had used their mourning as grounds to refuse the Marriage to ward off misfortune—what noble family would dare marry their daughter into such a situation? These were all noble young ladies, and there were certainly more suitable matches than a dying heir to the Duke of Yingguo.
Each of the three daughters-in-law could easily list a string of eligible young ladies. The problem was, even if the Lu Family wished to marry one of them, the young lady's family would not consent. If they acted as intermediaries, the families of the women, out of respect for the Lu Family's reputation for loyalty and sacrifice, might find it difficult to refuse the proposal outright. But if they reluctantly agreed to marry their daughter into such circumstances, they would surely resent the daughters-in-law for speaking up.
Lu Zhuo was their nephew, and they wanted to save him, but the matter was fraught with complications.
Asking someone to participate in a Marriage to ward off misfortune was already impolite, let alone approaching families who had previously expressed interest in forming ties with the Lu Family. The mother-in-law had carefully selected Sixth Miss Xie, renowned for her talent and beauty, only for her to enter mourning. Now, if the Lu Family hastily sought a replacement, what would those noble families think?
Second Madam, speaking on behalf of her sisters-in-law, expressed their difficulty to their mother-in-law: "Mother, most noble families would be unwilling. A forced match is never sweet. Why don't we choose a gentle and dignified young lady from a less prominent family?"
Such a family would likely be pleased to form an alliance with the Duke's Manor, even if their daughter were to become a widow after marriage.
The Duchess clenched her hands tightly.The kind of family your daughter-in-law mentioned is essentially selling their daughter, exchanging her for influential relatives.
She was unwilling; her Shoucheng deserved better.
She remained silent for a long time, leaving only the intermittent sobs of He Shi echoing in the hall.
The Duke of Yingguo grew irritated by his eldest daughter-in-law's weeping and said sternly, "Forget it. What's the use of a marriage to ward off misfortune? If it really worked, there would be no one dying of illness in this world. Shoucheng is the one who suffered the injury. If he’s fortunate, he’ll pull through without any such marriage. If he—"
"Shut up!" the Duchess of Yingguo suddenly burst out, tears streaming down her face as she confronted her husband. "When Shoucheng was twelve, you threw him to the borderlands. He didn’t return until eight years later, and after less than a year by my side, you took him out again and brought him back in this state. As his grandfather, you don’t feel for him, but I do! I am determined to arrange this marriage for him. If you can’t stand to hear it, then get out! Don’t stay here spreading gloom!"
The Duke of Yingguo, who commanded thousands of troops and faced no disobedience outside, was scolded by his wife and couldn’t muster even a hint of anger.
He didn’t dare leave either; if he did, his wife would never forgive him for the rest of her life.
Glancing at his second daughter-in-law, the Duke of Yingguo sighed and said, "Then let’s follow his second aunt’s suggestion and choose a family from among the minor officials’ daughters."
The Duchess of Yingguo refused to settle for less!
She understood the heart of Xie Hualou’s mother, Lady Yang, who had broken off the engagement under the pretext of mourning. She bore no hatred and would not seek revenge against Lady Yang or the Xie family. But back then, she had proposed the marriage because she believed Xie Hualou was the young lady in the capital most suited to her eldest grandson. Now that the Xie family looked down on her ailing Shoucheng, if she were to find someone far inferior to Xie Hualou for him, how aggrieved would her grandson feel when he woke up?
For the sake of her pride, the Duchess of Yingguo was determined to select a daughter from a noble family, one whose appearance and character were no less than Xie Hualou's...
Suddenly, a face as radiant as a peony flower surfaced in the Duchess of Yingguo’s mind.
Wei Rao, the fourth young lady of the Cheng'an Marquis household.
The Duchess of Yingguo had seen both Xie Hualou and Wei Rao. When noble ladies and young misses gossiped, they always ranked Xie Hualou’s beauty above Wei Rao’s, but such comparisons took reputation into account. Wei Rao had a poor reputation, so the official wives were reluctant to praise her. Even though few had actually seen either Wei Rao or Xie Hualou, they echoed others’ opinions and hypocritically passed judgment.
In the Duchess of Yingguo’s view, both Xie Hualou and Wei Rao were beautiful. Xie Hualou was like a peony raised in a pot since childhood, with any imperfections carefully pruned away by the gardener, resulting in a beauty so dignified and elegant that even the most refined gentlemen could find no fault. Wei Rao, on the other hand, was like a peony growing wild in the fields. She cared not for others’ preferences, following her own whims, beautiful in a bewitching and dazzling way.
If Xie Hualou and Wei Rao stood side by side, everyone would notice Wei Rao first.
It wasn’t that Xie Hualou’s looks were inferior to Wei Rao’s, but in a world so bound by propriety and rules, the "unconventional" stood out more sharply.
As for character.
Compared to the idle gossip outside, the Duchess of Yingguo preferred to trust her own eyes.
At a palace banquet, Wei Rao had been criticized for the silk crabapple flower in her hair, with rumors claiming she schemed to seduce men. But when Wei Rao exerted herself to rescue Qi Miaomiao, the silk crabapple flower fell from her hair. The Duchess of Yingguo, witnessing this, felt that a young lady with such chivalrous spirit and the wisdom to save others couldn’t be a bad person. She specifically had a maid pick up that silk crabapple flower, and after smelling it, the Duchess confirmed her suspicion: the butterfly had been drawn to the flower—it was merely a coincidence.
Another criticism against Wei Rao that day was that she had set her sights on Qi Zhongkai and was betting on him.The Duchess of Yingguo only learned about the betting incident after the palace banquet ended. Now that she knew Wei Rao had not intentionally curried favor with the Qi Family, her bet on Qi Zhongkai became perfectly understandable. Among the two top contenders for the championship, her grandson Lu Zhuo was Sixth Miss Xie’s fiancé, and Wei Rao was constantly compared to Sixth Miss Xie—only a fool would bet on her grandson to win. As for Han Liao, he had proposed to Shou An Jun’s granddaughter and been rejected, so Wei Rao naturally would not want to associate with him either. Unable to bet on the top two, the third-ranked Qi Zhongkai logically became Wei Rao’s best choice.
After this analysis, the Duchess suddenly realized that Wei Rao was not only beautiful but also intelligent and broad-minded. She knew how to avoid suspicion and did not become angry or humiliated after being scorned by Madam Marquis of Pingxi despite having saved someone out of kindness.
Moreover, Wei Rao came from a marquis family, and her father had died a loyal and respected death. Aside from her reputation being tarnished by misunderstandings, she was a perfect match for her eldest grandson in every way.
“Wei Rao, the fourth daughter of Cheng’an Marquis’ household—it’s settled.” Wiping away the tears provoked by her husband, the Duchess of Yingguo showed a faint smile.
He Shi looked up with tear-blurred eyes. She had been crying so bitterly that she hadn’t heard clearly whom her mother-in-law was referring to.
The Duke of Yingguo was usually either leading troops abroad or training soldiers in the camp, so he rarely heard of the young ladies well-known among official wives. Even regarding his eldest grandson’s former fiancée, Xie Hualou, he simply listened to whatever his wife praised.
However, Second Madam, Third Madam, and Fourth Madam had all heard the rumors about Wei Rao. At this moment, each wore expressions of pity. Their nephew was ill, and few young ladies genuinely wished to marry him, but did it have to be the notorious Fourth Miss Wei?
The Duchess of Yingguo knew what they were thinking and asked coldly, “Everyone says Fourth Miss is frivolous and improper, but have any of you witnessed it yourselves?”
Second Madam: “I heard she smeared perfume on silk flowers…”
Duchess: “Rumors. I’ve smelled those flowers—they had no scent at all.”
Third Madam: “She tried to flatter Madam Marquis of Pingxi…”
Duchess: “She acted kindly to save someone. Despite Madam Marquis of Pingxi humiliating her, did she even care?”
Fourth Madam: “She admires Qi Zhongkai…”
Duchess: “Admires my foot! It was only because Shoucheng and Han Liao weren’t options.”
Too impatient to explain further, the Duchess even resorted to crude language.
The Duke of Yingguo stared at his wife in disbelief. “Foot” was his own catchphrase, and his wife always scolded him for being vulgar because of it. He never expected her to use it today.
After listening for so long, He Shi finally reacted and spoke up for the first time: “Mother, are you referring to Shou An Jun’s granddaughter, the daughter born to Li Guiren and her former husband?”
The Duchess stared at her and said, “So what if I am? Do you disapprove of the Zhou family’s tradition of remarrying? Ridiculous! Which dynasty or era has ever forbidden widows from remarrying? Only those prestigious families care about face, preferring their daughters to earn chaste widow honors in their husband’s household to bring glory to the maternal family, rather than letting them remarry and embrace a new spring.”After speaking, the Duchess of Yingguo swept her gaze over He Shi, Second Madam, and Third Madam in turn: "After my eldest, second, and third sons sacrificed themselves for the country, whether you stayed for your natal families' sake, for your children's sake, or simply couldn't forget them and refused to remarry - whatever the reason, since you never brought it up, I as your mother-in-law couldn't well advise you to remarry. But if any of you ever have such intentions, I absolutely won't stand in your way. This is the kind of person I am, which is why I've never found anything wrong with Shou An Jun's family, much less would I dislike the fourth young lady because of it."
At this, the hall fell completely silent.
The Duchess of Yingguo asked: "Does anyone still object?"
He Shi cried: "As long as she's willing to marry, as long as she can wake Shoucheng with the marriage, she'll be my own daughter!"
Second Madam worried: "Hearing Mother's words, the fourth young lady indeed has nothing wrong with her. It's just... the Empress Dowager..."
She left her words hanging, but everyone understood her meaning.
If there was anyone who hated Shou An Jun the most and couldn't bear to see her family prosper, it would certainly be the Empress Dowager in the palace.
The Duchess of Yingguo responded directly with a cold laugh: "What does my choosing a granddaughter-in-law have to do with the noble in the palace?"
Others might fear the Empress Dowager, but she wasn't afraid. To speak disrespectfully - without her sons sacrificing their lives, how could the Empress Dowager enjoy such comfort in the palace?
The Duke of Yingguo supported his wife: "Our Lu Family's marriage matters need not consider those concerns. The question is, you've praised Fourth Miss Wei to the skies, but is she willing to marry into our family?"
The Duchess of Yingguo's expression turned serious. She wasn't confident about Old Mrs. Wei and Wei Rao's attitudes either.
"Wait until the Xie family's marriage document is returned. This afternoon, you'll accompany me to Cheng'an Marquis' residence."
"Do I still need to go? The Wei family only has an old lady. Wouldn't my going be inappropriate?"
"Nothing inappropriate about it. I'll ride in the carriage, you'll ride on horseback - we'll go with great fanfare!"
At Cheng'an Marquis' residence.
After lunch, taking advantage of the fine weather, Wei Rao accompanied Old Mrs. Wei for a walk in their small garden.
"How unpredictable life is," Old Mrs. Wei sighed. "Such a good marriage, with the wedding just days away, actually ended just like that."
Yongle Lane where Cheng'an Marquis' residence stood was only two streets away from Qingping Lane where the Xie residence was located. Hearing the funeral music coming from the Xie residence, Old Mrs. Wei naturally brought up the matter that had shaken the entire capital - the coma of the Duke of Yingguo's heir. Especially this morning, when news spread of Old Tutor Xie's death, followed immediately by the cancellation of the marriage between the Xie and Lu families. At this moment, probably all the capital's residents were discussing these two families.
Wei Rao was somewhat curious: "Grandmother, tell me - if the old tutor hadn't died, would the Xie family have been willing to let Sixth Miss undergo marriage to ward off misfortune?"
Old Mrs. Wei replied: "Whether willing or not is hard to say, but they certainly would have agreed to the marriage."
Refusing would damage the entire Xie family's reputation.
Wei Rao thought of Sixth Miss Xie, whom she had never met but whose reputation was well-known to her, and Lu Zhuo, who remained unconscious and could only seek help through a marriage.
These two people who originally had nothing to do with her had now become somewhat entangled with her for various reasons.
"I hope Young Master Lu recovers quickly," Old Mrs. Wei said with heavy heart. "Someone so young shouldn't die like this." She had no particular friendship with the Duchess of Yingguo, but both had lost sons. The Duchess had lost three sons at once. If her eldest grandson met with misfortune too, how heartbroken would the Duchess be?
Good people shouldn't suffer such bitter fates.
Wei Rao watched the sandalwood prayer beads turning in her grandmother's hand. At this moment, she too hoped Heaven would show some mercy.Lu Zhuo, though arrogant, was a fine general.
"Madam! Madam, please come quickly! The Duke and Duchess of Yingguo have arrived at our residence!"
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