Chapter 115.1

The Old Madam sent her grandson off, then sat unmoving in the hall lost in thoughts. The words that Yu Miao Qi had said kept popping up in her mind, making her unable to be at ease.

“Do you think this pair of siblings….” She rubbed her temples and looked towards Ma Momo beside her.

Without waiting for Ma Momo to respond, someone at the door announced, “Old Madam, Second Young Miss is here.”

“Let her come in.”

Yu Miao Qi entered slowly and behind her was a pale looking Bao Sheng. After saluting and greeting her, she beckoned to Bao Sheng, “Come here and tell Grandmother what you saw.”

Bao Sheng knelt down and recounted what she had seen that night in a trembling voice as she buried her head and shivered.

“Good girl. It must be hard for you to walk around the manor at such a time of night.” The Old Madam’s serene demeanor suddenly turned chilly and stern as she ordered, “Take her away and give her a mute medicine and sell her in a few days.” As she said that, scenes of her grandson and granddaughter’s interactions kept running through her mind. She suddenly realized that they were more intimate than ordinary siblings. What kind of a fifteen-year-old girl would let her elder brother carry her around every day? What kind of younger sister would have her elder brother at her bedside all night when she was ill? This kind of care and concern was clearly towards one’s beloved.

Bao Sheng looked up in horror and cried out desperately, “Young Miss, please help this servant! Didn’t you say that you would guarantee that this servant’s safety? You can’t go back on your words!”

“What are these cries for? Gag her and drag her away!” The Old Madam smashed the teacup in her hand and turned to Yu Miao Qi warning her word for word, “You too, keep your mouth shut.”

Instead of answering, Yu Miao Qi questioned, “Grandmother, what are you going to do with Yu Xiang? One would be drowned in a pond if one commits incest and going against morals.”

“It is not your place to interfere with what is to be done with her.”

“Could it be that you are letting her off? If that is so, this granddaughter will not agree. If I am not happy and leak this matter out, your precious grandchildren would be ruined.” Yu Miao Qi covered her mouth and laughed lightly.

“There is no evidence, so go ahead and say it.” The Old Madam shut her eyes and snorted coldly.

“What proof do you need for such matter? As long as others are willing to believe it would be sufficient.” Yu Miao Qi calmly admired her freshly applied nail art.

“What are you going to do?” How the Old Madam wished she could administer Yu Miao Qi with a mute medicine as well. Although she was disappointed with her two grandchildren, she had at least loved them for a decade or two and her affection was still present, so how could it easily be worn down?

“Nothing. I am not that cruel-hearted. Why don’t you hurry up and find a husband for Yu Xiang? When Elder Brother returns and finds out that it’s a done deal, he’ll have to give up. What do you think?”

The Old Madam’s heart slightly stiffened and wavered. She waved her hand and said, “I will think about it. Go back. If something happens to Yan’er and Xiang’er, you won’t fare any better.”

“I know that myself.” Yu Miao Qi chuckled softly as she left gracefully.

Within the next few days, the family that was originally arranged for Yu Miao Qi dispatched a servant to send a letter. The letter stated that their master suddenly fell gravely ill and could not even walk; the future was uncertain. The marriage was delayed and if he recovered, the marriage would be consummated. If not, they would send someone to annul the engagement. The Marquis family holds immense power that they would never dare to seek marriage with a terminally ill person with the aim of driving away from bad luck.[1]

Yu Miao Qi was greatly relieved to hear this news. She inwardly said that the man was indeed a godsend.

The Old Madam only thought that the man was being cursed by the fate of a jinx. After sighing for a while, she began to make plans for the marriage of Yu Si Yu and Yu Xiang. That was right, after much deliberation, she decided to marry off her granddaughter before her grandson’s return.

While she entrusted someone to help her look around, her elder sister-in-law from her parents’ home suddenly sent her a letter saying that she had found a great husband for Xiang’er. This man was an old friend of her mother’s family and was also from a family of scholars. He had just turned seventeen this year and was the eldest di[2] son of the family. He had two younger brothers and two younger sisters, but they were all shu[3] sons and shu daughters, born from a concubine lineage and were no match for him.

His father, who was not a high ranking official in the Ministry of Works, was very successful in the field of water management. He was not a scholar who attached importance to academics, and did not value benefits. Under his father’s tutelage, he was also enthralled with learning. At the age of eight, his abilities became well-known. And at the age of twelve, he ranked first in the children’s county, prefectural and provincial examinations[4] three times in a row. If it wasn’t because his father said that he was still young and needed a few more years of training, the position of top-scholar[5] last year might not belong to Shen Yuan Qi.

Not only was this person talented, but he was also extraordinarily handsome and his high moral character was commended by the masses. In a few years’ time, he would definitely overshadow the current Yu Pin Yan, Shen Yuan Qi and other outstanding people.

How could such a good family take a fancy to Xiang’er? It was not that the Old Madam was presumptuous, but her granddaughter was spoiled by her grandson to the extent that ordinary people would not be able to withstand her stubborn temperament.

After exchanging a few letters, the Old Madam learned that the young man had met Yu Xiang at the Bai Yun Temple during the Annual Sacrificial Festival last year and was enchanted by her that he wanted to marry her. Although his father did not care about fame and fortune, his mother was a scheming woman who wanted to cling to the Marquis’ family’s power. She had also heard that Great Master Ku Hui had cured Yu Xiang’s broken leg and that she would be able to live like a normal person in the future.

The Old Madam finally agreed after much contemplation, and because she feared her granddaughter’s resistance, she kept it a secret.

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[1] 冲喜(chōng xǐ)- It is a kind of folk belief in Asian countries such as China and India. It is to let a terminally ill patient marry others by using this ‘auspiciousness’ to ‘drive away’ bad luck, and it is expected to achieve the effect of treating the illness. Credits: Wikipedia

[2] 嫡(dí)- legitimate

[3] 庶(shù)- children born from a concubine

[4] 小三元(xiǎosān yuán)- In the ancient imperial examination system, a child scholar who took first place in the county, prefectural and provincial examinations was known as the principal candidate. This refers to a person who won three consecutive principal candidates. Credits: Baidu

[5] 状元(zhuàngyuán)- Zhuangyuan/top scholar/principal graduate. It is the advanced scholar (进士[jìnshì], a graduate who passed the triennial court exam) who ranked first overall nationwide.