Chapter 63

Chapter 63

[The Male Chauvinist’s Victory – 4]

With their commander captured and the chain of command in collapse, the divided Northern soldiers quickly succumbed to panic and began retreating. Once such a rout began, it was nearly impossible to stop.

Liu Che ordered his men to pursue their victory and harvest another round of merit. When he saw the Southern soldiers pressing forward, he called his own troops to a halt. There was no need to compete with the rest for credit.

With the commander of Northern Qi’s southern expedition in their hands, their achievement was already beyond dispute. No one could take it from them.

News that a novice chiliarch had led his soldiers to capture the Northern commander caused an uproar when it reached Jiankang.

The Southern Dynasty flourished in letters and luxurious pleasures but possessed little military strength. For years, Northern invasions had kept it desperately on the defensive. Who could have imagined the day would come when its troops pursued a defeated enemy?

In the great hall, the emperor was delighted. He personally inquired into Yan Hongguang’s background. On hearing that the young man descended from a loyal and righteous family and that his father had also died in battle, the emperor grew emotional. He immediately ordered Yan Gang posthumously created Duke of Anyang County and made an exceptional promotion of Yan Hongguang to the lower-fifth-rank post of Mobile Strike General.

Creating his father Duke of Anyang County was meant to elevate the Yan Family’s status. Exceptionally promoting Yan Hongguang to Mobile Strike General showed that the court valued the young genius and intended to put him to important use.

Before Liu Che even returned to Jiankang to receive his honors, the court’s rewards arrived ahead of him. In addition to gold and silver, he received a residence in which Yan Hongguang could establish his household in Jiankang.

Guan Pu and Guan Sheng were overjoyed to hear that their brother had earned great merit and would soon return. When others described his heroic bearing on the battlefield, yearning filled their hearts. They hated only that they were too young to take up crossbows and gallop across the field of war.

…

From the moment Liu Che departed, Li Jiangxue waited in torment. She knew that Yan Hongguang had first distinguished himself in this war in her previous life, yet now she could not keep herself from worrying.

What if this life differed from the last?

What if her interference had altered the course of Yan Hongguang’s life?

Li Jiangxue was fretting uneasily when a servant arrived to report that Madam Wei wished to see her.

She changed clothes and went to her mother’s courtyard. Upon entering, she found Madam Wei seated upright, satisfaction visible between her brows.

Madam Wei glanced at her daughter. “It seems you did not misjudge him. That Yan Hongguang truly does possess some ability…”

The senior maid beside her laughed. “Madam is joking. In his first campaign, Young Master Yan routed Northern Qi’s army and captured its commander. Even the Reigning Emperor praised him highly. How could that be described as merely ‘some ability’?”

At this, Madam Wei could not keep a smile from her face, though she maintained her dignity and refused to offer further praise.

Li Jiangxue had already gone still. After staring blankly for a long while, she finally recovered and cried delightedly, “Cousin won? He even captured Northern Qi’s commander?!”

That had never happened in her previous life!

Clearly, her rebirth truly had changed the course of his life-and the change was good!

Beside herself with joy, Li Jiangxue looked tenderly at her mother, stepped closer, and tugged at her sleeve. “Mother, you said that if Cousin could earn merit and make his name, you would let us be together. He has done it now. Shouldn’t you keep your promise?”

When Madam Wei had quietly exerted her influence to secure Liu Che the position of chiliarch, she had intended to help the marriage along. Yet now that Yan Hongguang had proven so outstanding in battle, she began to hesitate.

An old saying held that the skilled rider fell from his horse, the skilled swimmer drowned, the skilled drinker succumbed to wine, and the skilled warrior died amid killing. Yan Hongguang was indeed exceptional-but being too exceptional was not necessarily good.

The tallest beam was the first to rot. After this feat, he would certainly be sent out whenever war resumed. He had won this time by luck. What about next time, or the time after that?

If he lost even once, his earlier achievements might vanish, and he could even lose his life. Would her daughter not become a widow then?

And the Yan Family’s status was far too low.

Besides, Yan Hongguang was now rising swiftly to fame. If the Li Family married a daughter to him at this moment, people might say they were speculating on a newly favored man, damaging the family’s reputation. Better to wait. If he truly proved worthy, they could settle the marriage after the excitement faded.

Madam Wei considered all this. Knowing her daughter’s stubborn nature, she revealed none of it. “I will mention the matter to your father and test his intentions. You must not speak rashly yourself. If you anger him, you may ruin what could otherwise be a good marriage.”

Li Jiangxue knew her father had always resented her beloved because of the old affair. She thought no further, agreed happily, and said sweetly, “Mother, you’re so good to me!”

Madam Wei stroked her daughter’s pretty face and smiled.

That evening, when Li Dongshan returned to the residence, Madam Wei brought up Yan Hongguang. She had barely begun when displeasure filled his face.

“Nothing but damn luck!” He flung his sleeve. “He stumbled upon it once. Can he stumble upon it twice? Do not mention that man again!”

Madam Wei herself thought luck had played a role in the battle. Still, hearing her husband belittle their daughter’s beloved displeased her. “Does everyone enjoy such luck? He alone captured a Northern prince. Clearly Heaven favors him, and he possesses real talent of his own.”

She would have been better off saying nothing. Her words immediately reminded Li Dongshan of how he had marched north years ago brimming with ambition, only to be beaten like a dog and escape intact solely because his cousin Yan Gang saved him.

His younger half brothers had mocked him for years over it. He had come to hate Yan Gang and, by extension, intensely disliked Yan Hongguang. He had taken the boy in only because the old master demanded it. Now that the old master was dead, he preferred out of sight and out of mind. He did not even want to hear news of Yan Hongguang.
But Heaven seemed determined to oppose him. The more he disliked something, the more often he encountered it. This time, Yan Hongguang had lucked into a great victory over the Northern Dynasty, and the entire court sang his praises. Li Dongshan could not avoid hearing them even if he plugged his ears.

Now that he was home, his wife continued prattling on about the man. Enraged, Li Dongshan slapped the table.

“So what if he possesses some paltry talent? Instead of sitting here praising someone else’s son, you would do better to educate your own! And Jiangxue is already a young lady of fourteen or fifteen. Tell her to behave like a proper maiden and learn from her younger sister. Jiangyue is younger, yet she speaks beautifully and everyone praises her dignity and elegance…”

Li Jiangxue hated nothing more than being compared to her half sister, and Madam Wei disliked it even more. They might be called sisters, but how could Li Jiangyue, the lowly daughter of a concubine, compare to Madam Wei’s own legitimate flesh and blood?

Her husband was simply too susceptible to persuasion. He blindly favored his concubine and doted outrageously upon Lady Yu and her daughter.

Madam Wei’s face grew colder. “My lord truly values Lady Yu. If that is so, why did you marry me back then? Why not simply make Lady Yu your wife?!”

The Wei Family was powerful now. Though displeased, Li Dongshan had no choice but to lower his head and coax her, half embracing her as he offered a few placating words.

“I saw Brother Cao today, and I also met Xinping. The boy is truly outstanding and would make a fine match for our Jiangxue. Brother Cao does not want him to enter officialdom hastily. He intends for the boy to cultivate his reputation at home, so that when he finally acts, he will astonish the world…”

Then he offered Madam Wei a sweetener. “I heard Jiangxue has hardly gone out these past two months. She has grown older and finally become sensible.”

The Cao Family was a prominent clan of Jiangdong, higher in status than the Li Family and far more influential in the central government. Compared with such a household, the Yan Family was not even worthy to carry their shoes.

Madam Wei began making calculations. She stopped mentioning Yan Hongguang, intending to test her daughter’s feelings later. If Li Jiangxue’s devotion to Yan Hongguang truly remained unshakable, she would think of another way. If not, the Cao Family was clearly superior.

…

Madam Wei’s abacus was clicking busily in her mind. Yet the very next day, when Li Dongshan visited his beloved concubine, Madam Yu, he heard Yan Hongguang’s name again.

“Qiujing, what exactly are you thinking?”

Li Dongshan frowned in displeasure. “Jiangyue is a daughter of the Li Family, nobly born. How could she marry into a ruined household like the Yan Family? Is Yan Hongguang even worthy of her?”

“My lord, don’t be impatient. Hear me out.”

Madam Yu rolled up her sleeve, exposing a length of snowy wrist, and poured him wine with a smile. “Marrying Jiangyue to him offers three benefits. First, it would restore your reputation.”

Li Dongshan looked puzzled. Madam Yu continued slowly, “All these years, you deliberately tempered Hongguang through hardship because you wanted him to understand that plum blossoms gain their fragrance from bitter cold. Your intentions were kind, but outsiders do not know that. Some petty men even accuse you of ingratitude and of betraying the debt owed to the Yan Family. If you now give your precious daughter to Hongguang and join the two families in marriage, wouldn’t those rumors immediately disappear?”

Li Dongshan’s expression improved slightly.

Seeing this, Madam Yu continued, “Second, it would benefit the Li Family. You distanced yourself from Yan Hongguang over the years in order to make something of him-but does he understand your purpose? What if some villain incites him to believe you truly are an ungrateful man? What if he rises to power and seeks revenge upon our family? He has only just entered court and lacks a firm foundation. If you offer him your daughter now, he will certainly be grateful. An established aristocratic clan and a newly risen military noble could complement and support one another. Both sides would benefit. Would that not be good for the Li Family too?”

Li Dongshan fell into thought, plainly tempted. When he looked again at his beloved concubine, his voice had softened. “And the third?”

“Third is Jiangyue’s own heart.”

At this, Madam Yu became hesitant. She carefully observed Li Dongshan’s face and lowered her voice. “When Eldest Young Lady whipped Hongguang, I heard his injuries were terrible. His flesh was torn open, and he lay in bed for more than half a month. Jiangyue was worried and sent someone with medicine. Only then did I learn her feelings. I was such a foolish mother that I knew nothing of my own daughter’s heart.”

Her expression turned sorrowful, tears clinging to her lashes. “Donglang, I do not mind the Yan Family’s low standing, nor do I disdain Yan Hongguang as a crude soldier. I only want to grant Jiangyue’s wish because her feelings are sincere. It is just like you and me in those years. I truly loved you, which was why I willingly became your concubine. I never coveted wealth or honor…”

Li Dongshan was deeply moved. He reached out and gathered her delicate body into his arms. “I understand, Qiujing. I understand your heart completely!”

Madam Yu nestled against him through misty eyes. The corners of her lips curved almost imperceptibly.

The next day, Li Dongshan reluctantly left his beloved concubine’s rooms. Not long afterward, Li Jiangyue came to greet her birth mother. She hesitated shyly, unable to voice her question.

Madam Yu smiled and lovingly smoothed the hair at her daughter’s temple. “Don’t worry. It is settled.”

She waved the attendants out, then said earnestly, “Jiangyue, reputation and family rank are empty things. Hard silver and power held in your own hands are real. Look at the great clans your father considers for your elder sister. To put it bluntly, they’re polished balls of donkey dung-shiny only on the surface. Jiankang may appear prosperous, but it cannot withstand a single blow. In chaotic times, the most dependable man is one who commands troops.”

Madam Yu was a survivalist who practiced what she preached, and Li Jiangyue was the same. An exceptionally martial cousin with a magnificent future suited her perfectly; she was quite willing to accept such a marriage.

…

The moment Liu Che returned to Jiankang, he was led into the palace to answer the emperor’s questions. After a lifetime of hearing others report to him, suddenly reporting to someone else was damned novel.
After leaving the palace, Liu Che meant to go home and see his two brothers. He had barely passed through the palace gate, however, when members of the Li Family who had been waiting there approached and courteously invited him back to their residence.

The man sent to receive him was the Li Family’s steward and Li Dongshan’s trusted subordinate. In the past, he might have watched Yan Hongguang pass directly before him without blinking. Now his aged face bloomed like a chrysanthemum, all solicitous enthusiasm.

Power truly moved men’s hearts.

Liu Che understood his own position. At present, he had merely shown the first glimmer of talent. He was nowhere near qualified to participate in the court’s struggles as a power in his own right.

He still needed to conserve his strength, continue exchanging false courtesies with the Li Family, and quietly accumulate power.

All these thoughts passed in an instant. A smile appeared on his face. He sent the attendant waiting outside the palace gate home with a message for his brothers, then chatted pleasantly with the steward as they rode to the Li residence.

Before coming, the steward had prepared himself for cold treatment. After decades serving a top aristocratic clan, he had seen many men become arrogant the moment they achieved success. Finding the newly appointed Mobile Strike General neither proud nor impatient but friendly in manner, he was surprised and grew even more deferential.

Searching Yan Hongguang’s memories, Liu Che found that the Li Family had welcomed him with such pomp only once before: when he first entered their household as Yan Gang’s orphan.

Li Dongshan finally put away his corpse-like expression. A smile appeared even on Madam Wei’s habitually rigid face. Madam Yu followed behind, beaming. The Li brothers greeted him as warmly as if he were their own brother, and the older girls of the household finally recovered from muteness and learned how to call him Cousin.

Liu Che spat inwardly. “Look how hypocritical these bastards are!” he told his old companions.

Then he turned around wearing a slightly awkward but utterly sincere smile. “I must thank Uncle for your earnest instruction through the years… Naturally, I remember Aunt’s loving care as well, and my younger cousins… Half of my achievement belongs to the Li Family!”

The emperors: “…”

Professional masters of hypocrisy should be banned from competition.

Madam Wei wanted to persuade her husband to arrange a marriage between her daughter and Yan Hongguang. Madam Yu had the same objective, but Madam Wei had spent too long in comfort and privilege to humble herself with soft words. Her persuasion amounted to a few dry statements about Yan Hongguang’s excellence. Hearing them only made Li Dongshan uncomfortable and reminded him of his disastrous performance on the battlefield years ago.

By contrast, Madam Yu truly was a flower who understood men’s hearts. She framed everything from the perspective of Li Dongshan and the Li Family: this would improve his reputation; that would provide another source of support for the family. With a few words, she had thoroughly led Li Dongshan by the nose.

Li Dongshan invited Yan Hongguang to today’s banquet because he intended to repair their relationship and test the young man’s present attitude. If Yan Hongguang bore no grudge and remained sufficiently respectful, Li Dongshan saw no harm in giving him his beloved daughter.

Thinking carefully, it had been years since he had properly looked at his benefactor’s son. Studying him now, he found the young man strikingly handsome and distinguished. With military merit to his name as well, if not for his low birth, the great clans of Jiankang might already have fought one another bloody to claim him as a son-in-law.

After speaking with him for a while, Li Dongshan also discovered that Yan Hongguang differed from his father. His tongue was nimble, and his words always touched exactly the right place in a listener’s heart. It was wonderfully comfortable to hear him speak.

After testing him several times, Li Dongshan made his decision. He urged his sons to return to their books, then said to his wife and concubine, “We men are going to talk. You women need not remain. Go on, take the children and leave.”

Madam Wei assumed he merely wanted to cultivate relations with Yan Hongguang and thought nothing of it. Madam Yu and Li Jiangyue, however, knew what he meant to discuss. Mother and daughter exchanged delighted glances.

Following beside her mother, Li Jiangxue misunderstood too. She thought Madam Wei must have told her father about her and her cousin. Her father was keeping her beloved behind to discuss their marriage. Feeling the position of Empress draw ever closer, she was filled with joy.

Madam Wei led Li Jiangxue out. Madam Yu and Li Jiangyue consciously hung back a step. Li Jiangxue turned, cast her half sister a disdainful glance, and swept away with her chin high.

Li Jiangyue scoffed softly. “Mother, look at that stupid expression…”

Madam Yu sneered as well. “With her temper, she will bring disaster upon herself sooner or later. Ignore her.”

…

Once the women departed and only Li Dongshan and Liu Che remained in the inner room, Li Dongshan used his mild intoxication as an excuse to ask with a smile, “How old are you this year, worthy nephew?”

“This unworthy nephew is eighteen.”

“Eighteen is no longer young.” Li Dongshan patted his shoulder like a benevolent elder. “Now that you have achieved success and gained renown, it is time to establish a household.”

Liu Che bowed sincerely. “My birth father died young, and my mother later suffered an untimely death. You are my closest elder, Uncle. Naturally, I should follow your counsel in so important a matter as marriage.”

Li Dongshan was delighted by his respect. All the old resentment vanished. “What do you think of the daughters of my Li Family?”

Without hesitation, Liu Che answered, “My younger female cousins all possess outstanding virtue and incomparable beauty…”

Li Dongshan nodded happily. “Then how would you like me to give you one of my daughters in marriage?”

Liu Che immediately replied, “I thank my honored father-in-law in advance for your great kindness!”

Li Dongshan was overjoyed. He laughed heartily. “More wine! Today, you and I will drink until we drop!”

Liu Che ate the midday meal at the Li residence and did not leave for home until evening. Beneath the setting sun, he mounted his horse and glanced back at the Li Family’s gates. An almost imperceptible cold light passed through his eyes.

Emperor Gaozu asked idly, “So the marriage is settled just like that?”
Li Shimin said, “Li Dongshan never said which daughter he would give you. What if it isn’t Li Jiangxue?”

Liu Che replied indifferently, “Anyone will do. I don’t care. She need only be a daughter of the Li Family.”

Ying Zheng nodded calmly. “Indeed. What you require is the Li Family’s support. Which daughter you marry is irrelevant.”

Zhu Yuanzhang thought for a moment, then gave a wicked grin. “If Li Dongshan chose Li Jiangyue instead of Li Jiangxue, there would be quite a show.”

Liu Che laughed. “It makes no difference. They’re all the same.”

Zhu Yuanzhang’s guess was perfectly accurate. That very evening, the Li Family put on a fine show indeed.

Li Dongshan had become thoroughly drunk at noon, so he drank no wine that night. After rinsing his mouth with tea, he surveyed the room. His gaze lingered with particular fondness on his third daughter, Li Jiangyue.

“Our family will soon celebrate a happy event,” he told Madam Wei. “I will need my wife to take special care over the arrangements…”

Li Dongshan hypocritically squeezed out two tears. “Brother Yan died saving me and entrusted his wife and son to my care before his death. I did not dare fail his great trust and personally raised Hongguang. Now that Hongguang has achieved success, it is time for him to marry. I discussed the matter with him this afternoon. We decided to unite our families and give Jiangyue to him as his wife.”

Madam Wei’s expression froze. Li Jiangxue looked as though lightning had struck her. Only Li Jiangyue flushed, while Madam Yu smiled and chided, “My lord, Jiangyue is still here. How could you say that before so many people? Where is a young lady supposed to put her face?”

Li Dongshan laughed. “Everyone in the family has met Hongguang, and these are all her own brothers. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about!”

He looked dotingly at his third daughter and teased, “Why? Is Jiangyue unwilling?”

Li Jiangyue rose and bowed, her manner gracious despite her blush. “Marriage has always been decided by the command of parents and the words of matchmakers. Since Father has agreed, your daughter has no objection.”

Li Dongshan nodded happily and was about to tell her to sit when a sharp voice rang out beside them.

“I refuse!”

The laughter in the hall instantly ceased. Every gaze turned toward Li Jiangxue, who had shot to her feet.

Her face was deathly pale. “I refuse!”

Li Dongshan’s face darkened. Madam Wei looked at a loss, while Madam Yu’s smile faded and her brows drew together.

Remembering Li Jiangxue’s recent attentions to Yan Hongguang and her efforts to win over the Guan brothers, Li Jiangyue vaguely understood. Without becoming angry, she raised her cup.

“Your younger sister is young and ignorant. I do not know how I offended Elder Sister again today, but I offer this wine in apology.”

Without waiting for an answer, she drained the cup. Then she coughed and continued, “I am younger and come after Elder Sister in birth order. Even after marrying Cousin, I would never dare place myself above you. Please don’t be angry…”

Everyone knew the legitimate and illegitimate daughters of the Li Family were at odds: the legitimate daughter was vicious and unruly, while the concubine’s daughter was gentle and elegant. Hearing Li Jiangyue blame herself so humbly, no one would truly think her ignorant. They would only conclude that the legitimate elder sister was going too far, causing trouble even on the day of her younger sister’s joyful announcement.

Li Dongshan found her words proper and modest, without half a phrase of grievance. Approval appeared in his eyes. He glanced at his wife and eldest daughter with undisguised displeasure, hoping they would accept the offered path and stop while they could.

Li Jiangxue raged, “Li Jiangyue, stop putting on that false act before me! I can yield to you in other matters, but not Cousin! Only I can be his wife. You are unworthy!”

Li Jiangyue had not expected her to say it openly. Surprise flashed through her eyes, but she reacted quickly. Rather than argue, she looked astonished, then aggrieved. Great tears rolled down her cheeks.

“Elder Sister, please don’t fight me for everything. Father arranged this marriage for me…”

Madam Yu began to weep as well. She immediately knelt before Li Dongshan. “Other matters can be yielded, but this concerns Jiangyue’s entire life! My lord arranged for Jiangyue and Hongguang to marry, and then Eldest Young Lady immediately claimed she loved Hongguang too. If this spreads, what will people think of Jiangyue? How could she still have the face to live?”

She dissolved into beautiful, uncontrollable sobs.

Li Jiangxue exploded. “I was clearly first! You two wretches, stop twisting the truth!”

Seeing her husband’s face turn ominously dark, Madam Wei glared at her daughter to silence her, then hurriedly said, “Jiangxue has feelings for Hongguang. She told me long ago…”

Li Dongshan sneered. “Really? That isn’t how it appears to me.”

He swiftly arranged the relationships in his mind.

His eldest daughter had whipped and injured Yan Hongguang. His third daughter, worried for him, sent medicine. His beloved concubine learned of their daughter’s feelings and begged Li Dongshan to arrange the match. Yan Hongguang had agreed. Yet the moment Li Dongshan announced the marriage, his eldest daughter leaped up to claim she also loved Yan Hongguang-and had loved him first?

Did she truly love Yan Hongguang, or could she simply not tolerate her younger sister possessing anything and had to snatch it away?

Madam Yu understood this man far too well. Her delicate body trembled as she wept and kowtowed to Li Jiangxue.

“Eldest Young Lady, I know you dislike me and Jiangyue, but you cannot do this! My lord chose that husband for Jiangyue. Both sides have agreed, and only the wedding remains. Yet now you suddenly claim you love Hongguang too? I kowtow to you-please stop making things so difficult for your own sister!”

Madam Wei tried to intervene, but it was already too late.

Burning with rage like a wild dog slipped from its leash, Li Jiangxue lunged forward. “You’re lying! Cousin and I clearly love each other! You wretch, you saw that Cousin had earned merit and made his name, so you couldn’t wait to shove your daughter at him!”
The moment the words left her mouth, her vision blurred. Her body struck the table; only then did the pain and the crack of a slap register.

Li Dongshan’s face was filled with angry disappointment. “Have you caused enough trouble? Will you stop only after you drive your father’s concubine and your own sister to their deaths?!”

Li Jiangxue covered her cheek and stared at her father in wounded disbelief. In a rare display, tears spilled from her eyes.

Li Dongshan remained utterly unmoved. He thundered, “Heartless creature! Jiangyue is good-natured and yields to you in everything, but do you remember that you are the elder sister? Whenever she has something good, you try to steal it. She has given way to you for years. Yet you have not repented in the slightest-you’ve only grown worse! Now you even want to steal your sister’s husband? How could I have raised such a cold-hearted daughter?”

Li Jiangxue was Li Dongshan’s first daughter, and her maternal family was exceptionally powerful. She had been doted upon by her father since childhood. This was the first time he had struck her and the first time he had rebuked and cursed her so coldly, without a trace of mercy.

Grievance, fury, and hatred for Madam Yu and her daughter tangled together. Her eyes turned bloodshot as she stared fixedly at her father without speaking.

Madam Wei’s heart ached for her daughter. She shielded Li Jiangxue and cried angrily, “Whatever you have to say, say it properly! Why strike her?!”

“I haven’t even begun with you!” Li Dongshan glared viciously. “It was bad enough that you failed to raise your children properly. You even lied with her to steal Jiangyue’s betrothed. Is that how the principal wife of a great household should behave? Do not think I am unaware of how you have bullied Qiujing over the years! Shrew! Jealous harridan!”

Madam Wei reeled with fury and nearly fainted. “You!”

“What about me? Is this spectacle not ugly enough already?!”

Li Dongshan said coldly, “The marriage is settled. Jiangyue will be the bride. Unless I die, it will not change!”

Madam Yu and her daughter were almost dissolved in tears, yet their eyes shone with gratitude when they looked at him. Tenderness filled Li Dongshan’s heart. He waved everyone away and departed with the two of them.

…

Li Jiangxue returned with her mother like a woman who had lost her soul. She sat rigidly in a chair, eyes vacant, saying nothing.

Madam Wei felt both furious and remorseful. She was furious that Li Dongshan blindly favored his concubine and illegitimate daughter. She regretted not telling her husband sooner about Li Jiangxue and Yan Hongguang, allowing the two to miss each other and letting Lady Yu and her daughter profit.

She sighed inwardly and gently consoled her. “Jiangxue, Yan Hongguang is lost, but there are other men. Your father mentioned the Cao Family’s eldest son, Cao Xinping…”

The instant Li Jiangxue heard the name, intense revulsion and terror surged through her. She covered her ears and screamed hysterically, “I don’t want him! I don’t want anyone! Cousin is the only man I acknowledge. If I cannot marry him, I would rather die!”

Madam Wei had seen her daughter threaten suicide before. Now that Li Jiangxue repeated the words with such a deranged expression, she dared not doubt her resolve. After agonizing for a long while, she finally said, “If you truly want to marry Yan Hongguang, Mother has a way. Whether it will work, however, is uncertain.”

At those words, Li Jiangxue clung to her mother like a drowning woman grasping a log. “Mother, tell me! Hurry!”

“Go to Yan Hongguang and have him speak up!”

Madam Wei said, “Don’t the two of you love each other? If he insists he will marry only you and you insist you will marry only him, can your father force an ox to drink? I suspect Yan Hongguang was deceived too. He heard only that he would marry a daughter of the Li Family. He did not know it would be Li Jiangyue rather than you.”

“Yes, exactly!” Li Jiangxue was overjoyed. “How did I forget? Cousin has only me in his heart!”

The matter was too important to delay. She immediately begged leave of her mother and went to the Yan residence to find her beloved.

After seeing how nearly insane her daughter became upon hearing of Yan Hongguang’s betrothal to Li Jiangyue, Madam Wei did not stop her. She sent servants along and allowed her to seek Yan Hongguang.

Elsewhere, a servant reported to Madam Yu that Eldest Young Lady had gone out. A cold smile touched Madam Yu’s lips.

“Follow her,” she ordered quietly. “Find the proper moment to let my lord hear of it.”

…

“What?”

Liu Che looked utterly astonished. “Your father meant to give me your younger sister, not you? How could that be?!”

“Cousin, it’s true. I heard Father say it with my own ears!”

Tears streamed down Li Jiangxue’s face, hatred filling her gaze. “Lady Yu and her daughter are both vile, especially Li Jiangyue. She has pretended to be pitiful since childhood and fights me for everything. Now that you’ve achieved success, she cannot wait to cling to you too!”

“Surely not?” Liu Che paused and frowned. “When I was injured, Jiangyue sent someone with medicine. She doesn’t seem as awful as you say.”

Li Jiangxue stared at him in wounded surprise. “Cousin, you don’t believe me? She is exactly that sort of duplicitous wretch. You mustn’t let her deceive you!”

Liu Che looked troubled. After hesitating, he finally said, “Jiangxue, could there be some misunderstanding between you and Jiangyue? Why does she target no one but you? Have you ever considered that the problem might lie with you?”

“Besides…” He shook his head. “Jiangyue is so beautiful. I don’t think she could be the sort of person you describe.”