Chapter 54: Sixth Sister Is Well
Xue Qingzhi prepared a separate banquet for Prince Duan, isolating him from the rest of the Xue Mansion.
After the meal, the two went to the inner chamber to talk.
As soon as they sat down, Xue Lan pushed aside the curtain and entered.
“Father, you cannot simply forgive Xue Liu like this…”
He hadn’t eaten his meal earlier. Upon returning to his room, he had applied some of his wife, Madam Xu’s, cosmetics, but it still couldn’t hide the red handprint on his face. The more he thought about it, the more indignant he became, so he came to ask his father to make a decision.
He was startled to see Prince Duan present and was momentarily speechless.
Xue Qingzhi shot him a glare in secret, his gaze falling on Li Huan.
“To bring such a trivial family matter to the court, is that not embarrassing? Hurry and pay your respects to Your Highness!”
Xue Lan lowered his head and cupped his hands in greeting.
“Xue Lan greets Your Highness, and Father…”
Seeing Li Huan’s calm expression and silence, Xue Qingzhi’s tone became even more severe.
“A person in their early twenties, rash and without judgment, quibbling with a young lady. You possess neither the demeanor of an elder brother nor the grace of a gentleman, and show no propriety! Withdraw at once!”
Xue Lan thought of the trouble he had with Xue Liu and had originally wanted to use this opportunity to cause her some grief. However, with his father’s anger and Prince Duan’s complete indifference, he ultimately dared not say more and dejectedly took his leave.
Xue Qingzhi looked at Li Huan awkwardly.
“My son is ill-mannered; I have made Your Highness laugh.”
Li Huan picked up his teacup and took a sip, as if he hadn’t heard anything.
“Last year, many regions suffered from floods, Zhao Hong had unrest, and the southern borders were in constant distress. His Majesty worried about state affairs day and night, his hair turned white from raising funds for disaster relief, and his health deteriorated significantly. Now that the new year has passed and all is renewed, and the state is stable, the Minister must be cautious in his words and actions, and not cause His Majesty further worry and distress over trivial matters.”
Xue Qingzhi repeatedly agreed.
“This subordinate will certainly fulfill his duties diligently and pragmatically.”
Although he spoke earnestly, he inwardly speculated on the meaning behind Prince Duan’s words, feeling uneasy.
Unexpectedly, Li Huan chuckled, “The Minister’s Mansion is wealthy. The dowry list for your Fourth Miss alone has drawn envy from many prominent families in Shangjing.”
A faint sweat broke out on Xue Qingzhi’s forehead. “To be honest, I am usually busy with official duties and lack the ability to conduct business and accumulate wealth. Household matters are mostly managed by my wife. Since my father passed away, our fortunes have declined year by year.”
Crying poverty before an Imperial Prince was a valid tactic.
However, Xue Qingzhi spoke the truth, not against his conscience.
“That dowry, though it appears generous, mostly comes from Princess Ping Le’s gifts. Speaking of which, I have not yet had the opportunity to submit a memorial expressing gratitude for the Princess’s benevolence.”
Li Huan looked at him, “Ping Le also grew up under the Minister’s watch. Do you not understand her temperament?”
Xue Qingzhi’s heart skipped a beat, and cold sweat trickled down his spine.
He couldn’t comment on Princess Ping Le’s character. However, one thing was certain: the Princess had been pampered and doted upon since childhood. In her eyes, few people were worthy of her attention. Although she and Fourth Miss had been acquainted since childhood and met twice a month for gatherings at the Women’s Society, playing together often, it was indeed unreasonable to claim that so much wealth was all from Ping Le’s gifts.
He was immediately ashamed.
He should have taken it seriously when his elderly mother inquired that day.
He had also harbored a stroke of luck and a desire for wealth.
He cupped his hands and bowed his head, “It was my oversight. I will find that wicked daughter later and question her thoroughly.”
Li Huan glanced out the window, “Your mansion has seven courtyards, doesn’t it? It must be worth quite a sum of silver.”
Prince Duan was not old, but his mind was deep, and he spoke with reservations.
Xue Qingzhi couldn’t figure out why he was saying this for a moment.
“Please, Your Highness, enlighten me.”
Li Huan said, “The Ministry of Revenue is investigating the backlog of accounts in the Gold Department, and old debts are being unearthed. Your Fourth Son-in-law has been too prominent recently, attracting attention. The Censorate has submitted a memorial, and His Majesty will surely order a thorough investigation as is customary. If something is discovered, this deficit will require a considerable amount of silver to fill.”
In truth, everyone knew about the deficit in the treasury silver.
Like greedy rats, they devoured the grain. No one’s hands were completely clean; it was only a matter of how much was taken, openly or secretly, whether it was taken securely, whether it was eaten alone or shared. This was not just the Ministry of Revenue; if it were the Ministry of Justice, there would also be some unclear and ambiguous subtle accounts…
The mess in the Ministry of Revenue originally had nothing to do with Xue Qingzhi.
However, the dowry list that had caused a bloody case came from the Fourth Miss of the Xue Mansion.
He was greatly alarmed and rose to bow to Li Huan.
“Your Highness knows best what kind of person I am. After many years in office, while not perfect, I can be considered upright and honest.”
A family that was upright and honest could not produce such a dowry for a concubine’s daughter’s wedding.
Li Huan did not state it directly, only saying, “Accounts are audited every year. The matter can be big or small, depending on how it is investigated. With the Eastern Palace watching now, the Ministry of Revenue cannot be easily deceived. If this net is cast, who knows how many people will suffer.”
Hearing this, Xue Qingzhi understood.
The matter was caused by his daughter’s marriage. The more people implicated in this investigation, the more people his Xue family would offend…
Not to mention others, the officials in the Ministry of Revenue were probably grinding their teeth and cursing him at home right now.
The families of officials and nobles were intricately connected.
One walked on thin ice in the Imperial Court.
If anything were to happen, only Prince Duan could protect the Xue family.
Xue Qingzhi knew it was time to pledge his loyalty.
With tears in his eyes, he quickly walked up to Li Huan and knelt down in a panic.
“Your Highness…”
He cupped his hands and looked up, displaying the heart of a loyal subject.
“This subordinate has always served the public with a single heart, never overstepping. Heaven and Earth can bear witness. For years, I have been loyal to Your Highness, with no divided heart.”
Li Huan looked down at him for a moment. The sharpness in his dark eyes gradually faded, replaced by a gentle smile.
“Father-in-law, please rise quickly. Although I am an Imperial Prince, I must also uphold the ancestral laws and the principles of human relations. You are an elder; how can you kneel to me?”
He personally helped Xue Qingzhi up.
Before Xue Qingzhi could express his gratitude and engage in further pleasantries, Li Huan placed a hand heavily on his shoulder.
“The Sixth Miss of your household is quite intelligent and resourceful, possessing considerable courage. She was abandoned at the Old Mausoleum Swamp from a young age, likely enduring much hardship to survive. Father-in-law should show her more care…”
Xue Qingzhi’s eyebrows twitched, and hatred surged within him.
It was indeed that troublesome thing who had angered Prince Duan.
“If Your Highness does not wish for this wretch to serve you, leave this matter to me. I will find a way to prevent her from entering the mansion and offending Your Highness’s eyes…”
Li Huan’s gaze flickered, and he smiled.
“Sixth Miss is very good. Father-in-law, please take good care of her.”
Xue Qingzhi’s mind buzzed, experiencing a brief blankness.
He didn’t quite understand what that meant.
Xue Yueying and Xue Yuechen both departed the mansion at dusk.
Li Huan rode his horse in front, while Xue Yuechen sat alone in a carriage. Gu Jie did not return to pick up Xue Yueying; a carriage arranged by the First Madam took her back to her mansion.
The entire family saw them off at the gate.
Perhaps thinking of the dire situation at Marquis Jingyuan’s Mansion, Xue Yueying’s face showed reluctance to part, especially towards Xue Qingzhi. She cried for a long time, her eyes swelling like peaches.
Xue Qingzhi was distracted today and repeatedly urged her to get into the carriage quickly, lest she be late and displease her in-laws.
At this moment, Xue Yueying understood what it meant to be a married daughter, like spilled water.
“Father…”
Her throat choked up, and she kept looking back.
“Mother!”
Xue Qingzhi sighed and waved his hand.
Madam Fu sneered and remained silent.
The others were all silent.
Qiao’er comforted her and helped her into the carriage.
Xue Sui, along with other Xue Mansion sisters, stood at the manor gate, silently watching as the two carriages slowly departed in opposite directions.
However, no one noticed the two scouts from the Eastern Palace lying on the eaves and blue tiles, hidden by the lush old locust tree outside the Xue Mansion’s walls, their waists nearly breaking from exhaustion.
“Quickly report to Your Highness that Prince Duan is accompanying the Princess Consort on a visit and will return after supper.”
–
After the three-day return visit, the weather grew warmer.
With Fourth Miss Xue sent off, the mansion began preparing for the other young ladies’ weddings.
Because Prince Duan disliked extravagance, the Xue Mansion did not plan to make Xue Sui’s wedding overly ostentatious. The necessary dowry was prepared, and it didn’t need to be as grand as Fourth Miss’s wedding, nor did it require complicated procedures. They didn’t even need to prepare a wedding dress, which saved trouble.
However, after hearing Prince Duan’s words, Xue Qingzhi felt uneasy and couldn’t proceed with a perfunctory ceremony.
Prince Duan’s Mansion was not an ordinary household. Marrying into it meant the rank of Ru Ren. The banquet not only needed to be held but also had to be lively, so as not to displease Prince Duan.
When he subtly brought it up, Madam Fu’s face immediately fell.
In front of the Old Madam, she said sarcastically,
“Master doesn’t manage the household and doesn’t know the cost of firewood and rice. This mansion has a large family, with so many people from top to bottom. Food, clothing, and daily necessities – do they not all cost money? We just finished arranging Fourth Miss’s wedding, how much money is left in the accounts? Now we have to have a grand ceremony, and the rest of the people, are they not going to live?”
“If Sixth Miss has a grand ceremony, what about Eighth Miss and Ninth Miss? How will their weddings be arranged? Besides, Master, don’t you look at Sixth Miss? She’s always picking fights and finding fault. Does she even appreciate your efforts?”
Xue Qingzhi said, “Whether she appreciates it or not, I am her father. The characters for ‘Xue’ cannot be written with two different strokes. She bears the surname Xue and inherits the prestige of the Xue family. If she disgraces herself, it is the Xue family that is disgraced.”
“Hasn’t the Xue family disgraced itself enough? Does this little matter matter?”
Madam Fu retorted, refusing to back down.
The couple had been at odds recently, and Old Madam Cui’s head ached from listening.
“You ignorant woman with long hair and short knowledge, if you find managing the household tiresome, then hand over the account books and let the third son’s wife manage it. I saw how well and properly she organized the celebration banquet last time; all the guests praised the food and said it upheld the Xue family’s dignity.”
Madam Fu heard this as an attempt to seize her authority and sneered again.
“After all calculations, I am the outsider, neither here nor there.”
She sat down in a huff, twisting a handkerchief in her hand, and raised her head to say:
“Let’s not discuss this for now. I have come today to seek a decision from the Old Madam and Master. Regarding Eighth Miss’s marriage, there are two families: one is Guo Zhaoxuan, the fourth son of the second branch of the Duke of Zheng’s Mansion. The second branch’s master is Guo Rui, the Assistant Minister of the Court of Imperial Entertainments. Guo Si Lang is well-mannered and the youngest son of the second branch, very doted upon.”
“The other is the eldest son of Zhao Hanwen, a Doctor at the Guangwen Academy. This young man is exceptionally talented and has a good reputation in Shangjing. He is also handsome, though his family background is slightly lower. However, he is highly praised by his teachers at the Imperial Academy, who believe he has a good chance of succeeding in the upcoming imperial examinations. With his father’s many disciples, his future is assured.”
“After careful consideration, only the young men from these two families are worthy. In terms of background and character, they are both a step up for our Eighth Miss. If we are to decide, it must be soon, otherwise, good young men will be snatched by other families. It won’t be my fault as the Mistress for not being capable and mistreating a concubine’s daughter…”
She deliberately brought this up at this juncture.
However, Old Madam Cui listened attentively.
“Zhao Hanwen, Doctor at the Guangwen Academy, comes from a family of upright officials with a good reputation. He is the eldest son marrying a wife, which is very good. The Duke of Zheng’s Mansion has a high status, but it is an unequal match. Eighth Miss is impatient and rash, and her actions often lack consideration. I fear she will not be able to handle the complexities within.”
Madam Fu’s lips curled, and she glanced at Xue Qingzhi.
Though unspoken, they both understood.
When young ladies and gentlemen discuss marriage, it is always for the consideration of the family.
Although the position of Doctor at the Guangwen Academy is not high, he has a reputation for integrity and prestige, respected by scholars throughout the land, and he is not involved in court disputes, unlike the Duke of Zheng’s Mansion, where the forces are complex.
Marriage alliances are a double-edged sword; both advancing and retreating have their thorns.
Given Eighth Miss’s temperament, a stable life would be best. The grandmother had truly put her heart into this.
Madam Fu then said, “That was my intention as well, but a daughter cannot be controlled once she grows up. Eighth Miss met Guo Zhaoxuan, the fourth son of the Duke of Zheng’s family, once at Pu Ji Temple, and she took a liking to him herself. Otherwise, the Guo family would not have come to propose marriage…”
“Nonsense,” Old Madam Cui said, “It is the parents’ command and the matchmaker’s words. How can a young lady make her own marriage decisions?”
Madam Fu’s tone was laced with a smile, “If she were my own flesh and blood, I could shape her as I pleased, and the daughter-in-law would be mine to decide. But Eighth Miss is not. With the previous lessons learned, I should interfere less. It is all up to the Old Madam and Master to decide.”
Old Madam Cui heard her words laced with sarcasm and her chest heaved with anger, leaving her speechless for a long time.
It ended unhappily once again.
