Yuxi finally asked the crucial question. "How did Wangye handle this matter?" She still understood Yun Qing quite well. He was n...
Yuxi finally asked the crucial question. "How did Wangye handle this matter?" She still understood Yun Qing quite well. He was not someone who pitied fragrance and cherished jade1.
Xu Wu lowered his head and replied, "Wangye ordered the guards to throw Miss Sun into the drainage ditch, then rode off to the military camp." Yun Qing simply did not take Sun Yulian seriously at all, thinking of her only as a crazy old woman. What proper young lady from a good family would run up to a man and tell him that she wanted to marry him? Even more so when he already had a wife and daughter.
Yuxi's expression eased slightly. However, when it came to a woman who coveted her husband, she would absolutely not show mercy. "You just said the Sun family wants to marry her off. Which family are they preparing to betroth her to?" Based on Sun Yulian's looks alone, quite a few men would be willing to marry her. Yuxi just did not know who this unlucky egg2 was.
Xu Wu answered, "A few days ago, Madam Tan invited an official matchmaker to the Sun family to propose marriage. The Sun family has already agreed, and the two sides are preparing to exchange birthdate cards!" Tan Tuo had only one son, Chonghua, so this marriage proposal was certainly intended for him.
Yuxi had met Tan Chonghua once and had a fairly good impression of him. He was a steady and reserved young man. "Her eyesight is indeed high3; she doesn't even look up to4 Young Master Tan." Tan Chonghua was personally guided by Tan Tuo and was very capable in every way. He was certainly good enough for Sun Yulian.
Xu Wu recounted, "A few days ago, Young Master Tan happened to see Sun Yulian on the street. After he got home, he asked Madam Tan to go to the Sun family to propose marriage."
Yuxi smiled and remarked, "That's why, when choosing a wife, you can't just look at her appearance. Otherwise, after marrying her, she will bring disaster upon three generations5 of your family."
Xu Wu enshrined Yuxi's words as a most reasonable famous saying6. As a result, later descendants of the Xu family prioritised character and ability over appearance when choosing wives.
After leaving the study, Xu Wu immediately went to find Sun Daniu and told him about this matter. "You decide for yourself how this matter should be handled." This matter surfaced at a suspiciously coincidental time. Xu Daniu was set to marry the other Sun daughter in half a month.
Shaking his head, Xu Danu responded, "Boss, even when the dragon gives birth to nine sons, the nine sons are all different7! What's more, Sun Yulian and my wife are only paternal cousins from different branches." Although Sun Hanlian had not yet crossed the doorway8 of his house, in Xu Daniu's heart, he already regarded her as his wife.
Xu Wu nodded. "It is good that you can think this way." As Sun Hanlian had once been one of his potential wives, he attached great importance to the matter and had thoroughly investigated her background. Although Sun Hanlian was not as beautiful as Sun Yulian, she had a good character.
But there was no smile on Xu Daniu's face. With Wangfei's temperament, it would be strange if she could let the Sun family off! "I can trust my wife's character. I'm only afraid that something unexpected will happen to the Sun family, and when the time comes, even the wedding will not be able to go ahead as planned." Before the engagement, Xu Daniu had met Sun Hanlian. Afterwards, he had met her twice more. Xu Daniu was extremely satisfied with Sun Hanlian. Therefore, he did not want her to suffer any grievances either.
How could Xu Wu not hear the meaning inside Xu Daniu's words? "You can be at ease about this. Wangfei handles matters very fairly and will not drag innocent people." The Sun family would probably be punished this time, but it wouldn't go so far as to confiscate their property and destroy their clan.
Xu Daniu could not help cursing: "What kind of rotten matter9 is this! Did this woman never see a man in her previous life?" He was due to get married soon, yet such a thing had happened. How could Xu Daniu not be angry?
Xu Wu patted Xu Daniu on the shoulder. "The Sun family side must certainly be one lump of chaos10 right now. Find someone to pass a message to Third Master Sun, so that they won't worry." Since Sun Yulian had done such a thing, any family that was even slightly particular11 would not marry their daughter to a Sun. Even those already engaged were very likely to call it off.
Xu Daniu hadn't thought that deeply, but he could see the sense in what Xu Wu had said. "I will have someone send a verbal message over right away." Originally, he felt as sweet as if he had drunk honey12 every day, thinking that he was about to get married soon. He had not expected such a matter to arise. It was truly unlucky.
Sun Yulian had stopped Yun Qing on the road and said that she wanted to marry him, but in the end, he threw her into a drainage ditch. Before half a day had passed, news of the incident had spread throughout the entire city of Haozhou.
When Old Master Sun received this news, he was so angry that he nearly fainted. He called over Sun Yulian's biological father, his eldest son, Eldest Master Sun.
Old Master Sun struck Eldest Master Sun on the back with a stick and angrily cursed, "The good daughter you gave birth to is going to destroy the Sun family!" Having angered Pingxi Wangfei, how could the Sun family still stand on its feet13 in Haocheng?
Eldest Master Sun was in so much pain that he knelt on the ground and begged for mercy. "Dad, a thousand wrongs and ten thousand wrongs14 are all your son's fault. You must take care of your health and not get angry." Eldest Master Sun had no real ability. The only reason he was able to live a free and carefree life was thanks to his family.
Second Master Sun hurriedly interrupted, "Dad, now is not the time to blame Dage. The most urgent matter right now is to calm Wangfei's anger." Yun Qing had ordered Sun Yulian to be thrown into the drainage ditch and then walked away, making it clear that he had not put her in his eyes15. What they truly needed to worry about now was Pingxi Wangfei's wrath.
Eldest Master Sun raised his head and said, "Dad, Er Di16, I will take that evil beast17 to the wangfu18 right away to apologise and ask for forgiveness. Afterwards, I'll send her to the family temple, all right?" Sending her to the family temple was already a very serious punishment.
Second Master Sun felt that with such a foolish father, it was truly no surprise that Sun Yulian had acted foolishly. Second Master Sun was a sensible man, and Second Madam Sun was not especially shrewd either, but they still had no right to meddle in the affairs of the eldest branch19.
Old Master Sun shook his head. "She cannot be sent to the family temple, and we also cannot go to the wangfu18 to apologise either." Punishing Sun Yulian by sending her to the family temple would certainly not be severe enough for Pingxi Wangfei, and going to the wangfu18 to apologise would only be pouring oil on the fire20.
Second Master Sun said, "Yulian must be married off within three days." After that, they could suppress this matter as quickly as possible and also calm Wangfei's anger. Had he not had certain concerns holding him back, he would have had Sun Yulian drop dead on the spot. Not only had she lost face and disgraced herself, but she was also going to bring harm to the entire Sun family.
Eldest Master Sun did not dare to object.
At dusk, Yun Qing returned to the residence. As soon as he walked into the rear courtyard, he sensed that something was amiss. He asked, "Where is Wangfei?"
Meiyun replied, "Wangfei is in the side room with Second Miss."
Yun Qing's expression changed, and he asked, "Is Liu-er sick?" With Yuxi in the rear courtyard with Liu-er at that moment, it was most likely that she was unwell.
Meiyun shook her head. "No, Second Miss is perfectly well. It is Wangfei who is in a bad mood." She wouldn't say why Wangfei was in a bad mood.
After entering the side room, Yun Qing saw that Liu-er's complexion was very good, while Yuxi looked dispirited and lacked energy. He sat beside Yuxi and asked, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Since her recovery, Yuxi had rarely fallen ill.
Yuxi did not respond to Yun Qing's words. Instead, she handed Liu-er to Mama Lan and returned to their bedroom. Yuxi knew Yun Qing was not to blame for this matter, but she still felt uncomfortable.
Momo Quan spoke softly beside Yun Qing: "Wangfei already knows about today's matter." Telling Yun Qing a bit of the truth beforehand was also to help him be mentally prepared.
After the couple had left, Mama Lan said, somewhat worriedly, "Momo Quan, today's matter really has nothing to do with Wangye. If Wangfei makes a fuss, she is still in the wrong!" She was afraid that if Yuxi made a fuss, the General would become annoyed, and then those outside fox spirits21 would have an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.
Momo Quan smiled and responded, "If another woman is coveting her husband and she, as his wife, stays completely unconcerned, that would really damage the marriage." No woman who truly cared about a man could stay calm after something like this; only someone who had no feelings for him would be unaffected.
Mama Lan trusted Momo Quan very much. Hearing these words, she nodded. "Momo's words are reasonable, too." However, Mama Lan found it very strange. Momo Quan herself had never been married or had children, yet she had a theory for everything when it came to matters of the heart.🦊
Momo Quan said something that Mama Lan did not understand: "As for men, too tight will not do, and too loose will not do either." If it were too tight, he would feel stifled and, after a while, want to escape. If it were too loose, other thoughts would easily take root over time. However, grasping a balance in this matter was very difficult.
When Yun Qing entered the room, he saw Yuxi sitting on the bed with reddened eye rims. He sat beside her, held her shoulders, and asked, "Are you upset about Sun Yulian?" His wife's thoughts were too heavy23, which was truly worrying.
Yuxi did not make a sound.
Yun Qing did not know whether to laugh or be angry. "That Sun Yulian is just a crazy old woman. Is it really worth getting upset over someone like her?"
Yuxi retorted resentfully, "I've already become a yellow-faced old woman24. How can I compare with those young, beautiful girls outside?"
Hearing the words 'a yellow-faced old woman24', Yun Qing could not help but burst into loud laughter. "Yellow-faced old woman24? If you are a a yellow-faced old woman24, how are other people supposed to live?" After saying this, he held Yuxi's face and looked at it seriously before praising her: "You look just like a beautiful young woman in her two-eight years of age25. On the contrary, I am the one who looks like a rotten old man26!" Yuxi had taken such good care of herself that her skin was soft and dewy, almost indistinguishable from that of a sixteen-year-old girl.27
Yuxi snort coldly. "You're calling yourself a rotten old man26? If you were a rotten old man, how could there still be women crying and shouting28 that they want to marry you?"
Yun Qing withdrew his smile and answered expressionlessly, "What they want to marry is not me as a person. What they want to marry is Pingxi Wang." Pingxi Wang represented power and wealth. That woman merely wanted riches and high status by marrying him.
Yuxi was still very happy that Yun Qing had this awareness. "If you can always think this way, then I will not worry."
Yun Qing stroked Yuxi's head and said, "Don't worry about those absurd, inexplicable people. Come, let us go have dinner."
Yuxi had no intention of letting the Sun family off. Previously, she had used Xiao Yongchang to shake and awe29 those civil officials and military generals; now, she also wanted to use the Sun family to send a message to anyone who might covet her husband: they would pay a heavy price.
Yun Qing knew that Yuxi wanted to deal with the Sun family, so he shook his head. "To punish the entire Sun family just for this small matter—isn't that a bit excessive?"
Yuxi argued, "Today, Sun Yulian dared to intercept you on the road and say she wanted to marry you. If I don't do anything, other women will follow her example. If this keeps happening now and then, you may be fine with it, but I won't be."
Yun Qing thought for a moment and suggested, "Then don't go too far either. There are several Sun family descendants who are very outstanding." Now was precisely the time when capable people were needed, and if such talents were cultivated properly, they could also provide great support in the future.
Yuxi replied, "If the child is not taught, it is the father's fault30. Then we will punish Sun Yulian's branch. What do you think of that?" Punishing Sun Yulian's branch would not injure the tendons and move the bones31 of the Sun family.
Yun Qing nodded. "That is quite good." Several Sun family descendants that Yun Qing valued were not from Sun Yulian's branch.
Footnotes Full List
- 怜香惜玉 (lián xiāng xī yù) — meaning: to be gentle and protective towards women
- 倒霉蛋 (dǎoméi dàn) — slang for an unlucky person
- 眼光高 (yǎnguāng gāo) — literal: 'high eyesight'; meaning: to have high standards
- 看不上 (kàn bù shàng) — meaning: to look down on or consider unworthy
- 祸害三代 (huòhài sāndài) — meaning: bring long-lasting harm to the family
- 奉为至理名言 (fèng wéi zhìlǐ míngyán) — meaning: treat as absolute wisdom
- 龙生九子,九子还各不同 (lóng shēng jiǔ zǐ, jiǔ zǐ hái gè bù tóng) — meaning: even people from the same family can be very different
- 没过门 (méi guò mén) — literal: 'not crossed the doorway'; meaning: not yet formally married into the husband's family
- 破事 (pò shì) —slang for a troublesome, lousy matter
- 一团乱 (yì tuán luàn) — in complete chaos
- 講究 (jiǎngjiu) — having standards or concern for propriety
- 喝了蜂蜜似的甜滋滋的 (hē le fēngmì shì de tiánzīzī de) — meaning: extremely happy and pleased
- 立足 (lìzú) — maintain a position or survive socially
- 千错万错 (qiān cuò wàn cuò) — meaning: no matter what, all the fault is mine
- 放在眼中 (fàng zài yǎn zhōng) — meaning: take seriously or regard as important
- 二弟 (èr dì) — second younger brother
- 孽畜 (nièchù) — harsh insult for a disgraceful younger family member
- 王府 (wángfǔ) — king's residence
- 长房 (zhǎngfáng) — literal: 'eldest room'; meaning: the eldest son's branch of the family
- 火上浇油 (huǒ shàng jiāo yóu) — meaning: make a bad situation worse
- 狐狸精 (húlijīng) — slang/metaphor for seductive women who try to steal someone's man
- I wonder the same thing.
- 心思太重 (xīnsi tài zhòng) — overthinking or carrying too many worries
- 黄脸婆 (huángliǎnpó) — derogatory slang for an ageing, unattractive wife
- 二八年华 (èr bā niánhuá) —meaning: sixteen years old, a girl's youthful prime
- 糟老头 (zāo lǎotóu) — self-deprecating slang for an old, worn-out man
- I forgot that Yuxi isn't 16 anymore. She got married at 16, and her eldest daughter will be three in a few months. That will make her around 19?
- 哭着喊着 (kū zhe hǎn zhe) — meaning: desperately or insistently demanding something
- 震慑 (zhènshè) — meaning: intimidate or deter
- 子不教父之过 (zǐ bù jiào, fù zhī guò) — traditional saying meaning parents are responsible for a child's upbringing
- 伤筋动骨 (shāng jīn dòng gǔ) — meaning: seriously damage the foundation or vitality
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