Chapter 048
Chapter 48: The Hongmen Banquet
Chun Yue soon returned and bowed to Madam Lin as she reported: “Eldest Miss, I found out. Old Madam Wan and Madam Wan came today, and they want to propose a match for Second Miss.”
Madam Lin looked at her daughter with confusion: “Qing Yao still has six months before her coming?of?age. Why is the Wan family in such a rush?”
Xia Meng Yan understood what her mother meant. As a daughter of the Xia family, it was not the Wan family’s place to hurry them. She asked Chun Yue: “Which young master is the Wan family speaking for?”
Chun Yue said: “Lu Rong Fang, the concubine?born son of the Lu family’s first branch.”
Mother and daughter both paused in surprise: “A concubine?born son?”
Xia Qing Yao was the legitimate daughter of the second branch, yet the Wan family wanted her to marry a concubine?born son as principal wife.
There was no need to say more. There had to be some hidden reason; otherwise Old Madam Wan would not have come in person.
Xia Meng Yan thought it over. The Lu family’s standing in the Capital was not low. One reason was that in the Imperial Palace, Her Highness Consort Ping was a legitimate daughter of the Lu family’s second branch and the sister of the Lu family’s current head.
Consort Ping was humble and low?key, easy to get along with. Among the many consorts in the Imperial Palace, she always kept the peace and was well liked by the palace maids and eunuchs. It was said Emperor Xuan Ming was pleased with her and spent a few days at her palace every month.
Xia Meng Yan felt that Consort Ping held a steady place in Emperor Xuan Ming’s heart not only because she did not fight or compete, but also because she had only one child, a princess. In other words, the only thing she could lean on was the Emperor’s favor.
“Mother, don’t worry, I will find out what’s going on,” said Xia Meng Yan.
Madam Lin looked at her daughter’s growing belly. She wanted to say more, but her words turned into tender worry: “Whether the second branch is good or bad has nothing to do with us. Right now you and the child matter most. If the two branches truly reach a point where we cannot get along, your father and I will separate and divorce.”
Xia Meng Yan knew her mother was worried about her. In just a few days, her mother had brought up divorce twice. She joked with a smile: “Mother, can you really bear to leave Father?”
“Why not?” said Madam Lin lightly. “I’m tired of these scheming days. After the divorce, we’ll buy a mountain and raise the child together.”
Xia Meng Yan laughed. Her mother was bold and rich indeed: “Alright. When that time comes, everything will be as Mother says.”
Autumn Lotus Court.
After she returned, Xia Meng Yan went straight into the study. Her mother had already thought of a way out for her, but she could not let her parents take risks for her sake. She wrote three words on the paper: Wan, Xia, Consort Ping, then linked them to recent events.
After a long while, an impossible thought surfaced: [Does Emperor Xuan Ming want to warn the Xia family?]
Her brush slipped. A pool of ink spread and slowly swallowed the character “Xia.”
She shook her head, trying to scatter that thought. If Emperor Xuan Ming wanted to warn the Xia family, he could punish her father directly. Why go in circles? Her eyes narrowed as her gaze settled on the four characters “Consort Ping.”
“Song Mo,” she called.
Guard Song almost lost his footing. The Eldest Miss usually called him Guard Song, and he had thought the master did not remember his given name. He steadied himself and answered: “Eldest Miss.”
“After the silver from the Marquis Xuan Ping Residence entered the palace, has any news come out?” she asked.
Song Mo shook his head: “The Dali Court looks like it is investigating, but no one from the Ping An Marquis Manor has been summoned.”
Xia Meng Yan asked again: “Has Emperor Xuan Ming summoned the Ping An Marquis since then?”
Song Mo frowned, then said with certainty: “No.”
Two hundred thousand taels of silver. Emperor Xuan Ming did not press charges. A blade now hung over the heads of the Ping An Marquis Manor and the Huo family, yet both families showed no reaction at all?
Now, a consort favored by the emperor was about to become in?laws with the Xia family. Did Emperor Xuan Ming know?
Xia Meng Yan felt as if a great net was drawing close around them: [It is closing in, but I cannot find a weak spot.]
“Eldest Miss,” Chun Yue knocked, then entered to report: “An Imperial Physician from the Imperial Palace went to the Ping An Marquis Manor. Our people say that His Majesty heard the Ping An Marquis was kidnapped and specially sent the physician to treat him.”
“The Ping An Marquis was kidnapped?” Xia Meng Yan paused, then understood.
No wonder no scandal about Lin Ye Lan had spread in the Capital. Someone was covering it up for him.
Xia Meng Yan guessed what would happen next: the story would be that remnants of the mountain bandits from Northern Fortress Pass slipped into the Capital to take revenge on the Ping An Marquis; the Ping An Marquis fought hard and killed them all. After that, the Ping An Marquis Manor would shake off its disgrace and once again become the Capital’s new favorite.
Song Mo also sensed things were not simple: “Eldest Miss, should we keep digging to find who is helping the Ping An Marquis behind the scenes?”
Xia Meng Yan shook her head: “The force behind him is above us. If we keep digging, we will only expose our own strength.”
The study fell quiet. A pin could be heard.
“Does Father have any hidden agents?” she asked.
Song Mo was startled. He glanced at Chun Yue. Chun Yue understood and withdrew from the study.
“Yes,” he said, “but they are rarely used.”
Back when the trouble at the Ping An Marquis Manor first happened, Xia Meng Yan had already guessed that her father had hidden agents. Since he did not say, she did not ask.
“Does the Lu family?” she asked.
“Yes,” Song Mo answered cleanly. From the day he was assigned to the Eldest Miss, his loyalty belonged only to her.
Xia Meng Yan raised her hand. Song Mo leaned close to listen. After a moment, he slipped away and vanished.
At dinner, Old Madam Xia sent word for them to eat together.
When Xia Meng Yan arrived, the whole Xia family was already there. Two concubines from the second branch, who rarely showed themselves, sat near the door with their children. When they saw her, they nodded.
“You’re late and let your elders wait. No manners,” said Old Madam Xia with displeasure. Without waiting for Xia Meng Yan to explain, she looked to Su Ran and said: “Serve the meal.”
Xia Meng Yan sat by Madam Lin. Madam Lin patted her hand, telling her not to be angry. Xia Meng Yan gave a small smile to assure her mother there was no problem.
“Mother, is there some big news today?” asked Xia Ping Yuan. He had gone out to meet friends and had not been at the manor. When he heard the news, he rushed home.
Old Madam Xia’s eyes brightened, sweeping away the gloom of these past few days as she spoke of the Wan family’s visit: “The Lu family has taken a fancy to Qing Yao. If we agree, after her coming?of?age we will settle the marriage.”
Madam Wan chimed in by the side: “The Lu family’s matriarch is in poor health, so Lu Rong Fang’s mother has long managed the household accounts…”
When he heard “concubine?born,” Xia Ping Yuan’s eyes flashed with surprise. He ignored their patter and looked at Xia Xing Yan as he asked: “Second Brother, do you think this is suitable?”
The words were light, but to everyone present, they carried a faint edge.
Xia Meng Yan also looked at Xia Xing Yan, wanting to see how he would justify himself. The Lu family letting a concubine manage the household was already a scandal, and now a concubine?born son wanted to take a Xia family legitimate daughter as principal wife? Any normal family would refuse on the spot. Yet here the Xia family sat together, as if celebrating?
Xia Xing Yan’s eyes dodged. Guilty, he gripped his chopsticks and said: “The Lu family is Consort Ping’s maiden family. We cannot afford to offend them.”
Xia Meng Yan and Madam Lin exchanged a look: [What a ridiculous excuse. Is it that you cannot offend them, or have they promised you benefits?]
“If you two are unwilling, I can find a way,” said Xia Ping Yuan.
When he had returned, the steward already told him that Xia Xing Yan had stabbed himself. He had not cut off an arm, but at least he would remember the lesson and not dare harbor evil thoughts again. As long as the second branch behaved, Xia Ping Yuan would lend them a hand for the sake of blood ties.
Old Madam Xia set her prayer beads on the table with a crisp sound: “As long as Meng Yan stays in this manor, Qing Yao will never find a good match. The groom may be concubine?born, but Consort Ping is the matchmaker. If Qing Yao marries over, her mother?in?law manages the household. All she will do is enjoy blessings.”
Madam Lin could not stand seeing her daughter wronged, so she answered right away: “If Mother and Sister?in?law mind that Yan’er lives in the manor, we can move out. That way, if Qing Yao is treated badly later, you will not blame Yan’er.”