Chapter 3

Volume 1 Chapter 004: Plans

Hearing his father’s footsteps, Wen Ruoqing, who was kneeling on the ground, raised his head.

“Her father was named Yin Zheng.”

Wen Cunshan was stunned. “Who?”

“Yin Zheng.”

Wen Cunshan grabbed Wen Ruoqing by the collar.

“Is she really Yin Zheng’s daughter? Did you verify it?”

“Yes, absolutely true.”

Wen Cunshan looked up to the heavens and let out a long sigh. “So it is fate. Forget it, no need to kneel anymore. Come with me to the study.”

Wen Ruoqing jumped up, but saw his father staring at him with extreme disgust. He quickly said, “I’ll go wash up and tidy myself first.” With that, without waiting for his father’s permission, he fled in a flash.

He returned to his Jifeng Courtyard. His attendant Wen Jun, quick to read the situation, brought over a basin of water and handed him a small razor. After Wen Ruoqing took it, Wen Jun silently positioned a bronze mirror in front of him.

Wen Ruoqing said impatiently, “Take this mirror away—wait, let me look again. I look just fine like this. Why does everyone find it unbearable?”

Wen Jun, without changing expression, flattered him, “I also think Sixth Master looks very manly like this.”

Wen Ruoqing shot him a glance. “Liar.” Only then did he reluctantly begin to shave.

Halfway through shaving, Cui Jin arrived.

“You’ve finally deigned to tidy yourself up!” Cui Jin clapped his hands and laughed, lifting his robe to sit in the chair by the window, carefully smoothing out the wrinkles in his clothes.

Wen Ruoqing only snorted and ignored him.

Cui Jin saw that after shaving, he had changed into an apricot-colored plain silk narrow-sleeved long robe, and frowned. “How many times have you worn this outfit? Hurry up and change into something new.”

Wen Jun said from the side, “Young Marquis, you may not know—this one is new. Of this style and color, our Sixth Master has eight!”

Cui Jin was about to go mad. “How is it that neither your mother nor your elder sister-in-law looks after you?”

The Wen family ancestors had once suffered a loss over women, and from that time on often admonished their descendants to exercise restraint in this area. The men of the Wen family were not only forbidden from taking concubines or keeping bedchamber maids, but from childhood there were no maidservants attending them in their rooms. All daily living affairs were handled by personal young male attendants and servants.

He could understand all of this, but such sloppiness in clothing and adornment was absolutely intolerable. Take himself, Cui Jin—all four seasons of the year, he had no fewer than a dozen new outfits each season, and every time he went out he never wore the same thing twice. That was the proper bearing of a noble young master. This Wen Six carrying on like this was simply wasting a good-looking face for nothing.

Wen Ruoqing pulled out a belt and fastened it, glancing at him. “Is this the first day you’ve known me?”

“I know you were like this as a child, but aren’t you nineteen now? You’re about to have your coming-of-age ceremony. Look around—among all the young men in the capital, is there anyone like you?”

“What does a man need to dress so flashily for?” Wen Ruoqing glanced at the sapphire-blue brocade long robe with round floral patterns that Cui Jin was wearing. “What, do you have something to say?”

“…No, no,” Cui Jin quickly said insincerely. He picked up a military treatise from the desk and flipped through it, then asked him, “What are your plans?”

“What plans?”

“I just saw your father. He was asking me about what happened on the day of the spring hunt… You know what I mean—about Miss Yin—”

“What else can I do? Marry her.”

Cui Jin spat out a mouthful of tea, coughing violently while pointing at Wen Ruoqing, unable to speak.

“The rumors outside have gotten that bad. If I don’t marry her, who else would ever marry her?” Wen Ruoqing looked completely unperturbed.

“I don’t believe you’re that kind-hearted… Could the rumors be true? Did you and she…”

A book came flying at him. Cui Jin quickly dodged.

Wen Ruoqing suddenly sighed and said in a low voice, “Since even the Emperor has asked my father about this matter, I’m afraid I have no choice but to marry her.”

“I’ve seen Yin Chenbi twice, but I don’t know much about her character. As for her background, it is indeed somewhat low. Why must you resign yourself to this? How about I go speak to my aunt and have her put in a good word for you before the Emperor?”

“Don’t you dare—Yin Chenbi’s poor background is probably exactly what the Emperor is most satisfied with.”

Cui Jin immediately understood. The Wen family had generations of meritorious service, a household of loyal and devoted men. By Wen Cunshan’s generation, they still held military power, and their prestige was deep. Not to mention, all three sons were outstanding, each surpassing the last. The eldest son, Wen Ruobai, had died in battle eight years ago, but the second son, Wen Ruodan, and the third son, Wen Ruoqing, had grown rapidly, overshadowing all the other military sons around them. Even the several sons born to Wen Cunshan’s two younger brothers were brave and skilled in battle, beyond the reach of others.

It was inevitable that the current Emperor would feel wary.

A year ago, though Wen Ruoqing had been granted the title of General of An Yuan, he actually had little real power. Conglin Pass was sparsely populated with barren land. The neighboring counties were so unremarkable that even the barbarians beyond the border looked down on them, and had not invaded in over a decade. Stationing him there was truly a waste of great talent.

Presumably, if the Emperor could see the youngest Wen son take a great tumble in marriage, the imperial countenance could secretly enjoy a moment of pleasure.

This was a hidden understanding among those involved. Wen Ruoqing and Cui Jin, being in the midst of it, naturally understood the subtleties. Cui Jin was silent for a moment, then still felt indignant on behalf of his friend. “So you’re really just going to accept this?”

Wen Ruoqing buried his head in his tea and said indifferently, “Marrying a wife is just marrying a wife. Does it matter who? Besides, she is Yin Zheng’s daughter.”

This time Cui Jin was truly shocked. “Yin Zheng? The Yin Zheng who carried your eldest brother’s body out of Crescent Valley eight years ago?”

Wen Ruoqing nodded. Thinking of distant events, his eyes dimmed.

“…Yin Zheng was hit by five arrows at the time. He clung to a single breath and carried my eldest brother’s body out. He collapsed and died right in front of my father’s tent. Later, my father personally checked Yin Zheng’s records and account books. They only mentioned that he had an elder brother, with not a single word about his wife or daughter. His close colleagues also said they had never heard him speak of his family. We always assumed he had never married or had children, so we gave the pension and compensation from the army, increased tenfold, entirely to his elder brother.”

Cui Jin found it strange and asked, “Then where did this Yin Chenbi come from? Her father is Yin Zheng—is that verified?”

“It is verified. After the spring hunt, I had Wen Jun specifically investigate this girl’s background. Her mother’s surname is Tang. Her maternal grandfather was Tang Ying, a Hanlin scholar of the previous dynasty. After her mother married down to Yin Zheng, she was always at odds with him and forbade Yin Zheng from mentioning her to outsiders. That is why Yin Zheng never spoke of having a wife and children. Only two or three close relatives knew of their marriage. His elder brother, in order to monopolize Yin Zheng’s pension, kept the matter tightly hidden as well. That is why we never knew he had a wife and a daughter and a son.”

“There’s even something like this!” Cui Jin clicked his tongue in amazement. “I never imagined his daughter would turn out to be Gu Rui’s cousin. And she just happened to be trapped together with you… Hmm, this whole thing seems suspicious no matter how you look at it. Li Zhong said that before she ran out, she had heard that you and I were leading troops to search below the cliff—could it be that she knew your whereabouts and deliberately ran there to find you, determined to take a fall in front of you or something? As long as you went to rescue her, she could latch onto you.”

“…Possible.” Wen Ruoqing nodded with great seriousness.

“That’s it, then. When Li Zhong first told me, I still thought her target was either you or me. But she wouldn’t go so far as to poach her own cousin’s corner. Besides, your family has this connection with hers. It seems ten to one she deliberately went to intercept you. Otherwise, how could there be such a coincidence!”

Wen Ruoqing spread both hands. “Even if she did it on purpose, what can I do? Actually, her family is struggling. If she had explained things clearly to us, my family would never have treated her family poorly. All these years, whenever Yin Zheng’s elder brother came to our door, we never let him leave empty-handed… Things have come to this point. I can only marry her, and from then on keep her well-fed and well-housed in the Wen family. I can consider it repaying the debt my eldest brother owed her father.”

Cui Jin’s face showed pity. “Then what will you do afterward? By the way, have you gotten a clear look at her appearance? Want me to draw her for you—oh, no, I’ve forgotten what she looks like too.”

“What does her appearance have to do with anything?”

Cui Jin was about to jump up. “You’re going to be husband and wife! Even if her character is lacking, do you really not care what she looks like?”

“Women—aren’t they all the same?” Wen Ruoqing said with the air of an old hand. “Just look at my mother and my younger sister and you’ll understand. All they do is annoy people all day long. If I can’t afford to provoke them, I can at least avoid them. If she annoys me, at worst after we marry I’ll just return to Conglin Pass. If the Emperor is generous enough to give me a different posting, that works too. In any case, as long as I don’t have to face her.”

“…”

Cui Jin felt like wiping away tears.

“You brat, all you know how to do all day is form cliques, fight, and drink. What do you know about the wonders of mutual affection…” After saying this, he could not help but think of Gu Rui, and a dreamy smile appeared on his face. “You don’t know—”

Wen Ruoqing shuddered with revulsion and interrupted him. “Cui Wenxuan, put away that look right now. Your drool is about to drip down—by the way, about your marriage with Eldest Miss Gu, has the Empress agreed?”

“Strange to say, my aunt couldn’t resist my pestering and finally agreed to meet her on the day of the spring hunt. But when she came back, she refused no matter what. After your matter got out, she loosened up instead. I had already prepared myself to fight my aunt over it.”

“…Is that so? Then I really must congratulate you.”

“Probably my aunt was afraid I’d also run into some sudden disaster like you, knocked senseless by a girl.” Cui Jin did not miss the chance to jab at him, then chuckled. “I’ll stop talking with you. I’m going to the palace again to keep working on my aunt.”

After seeing Cui Jin off, Wen Ruoqing went to his father’s study.

Wen Cunshan had spent half his life in military campaigns, yet he had not discarded books. The wife he married, Madame Jiang, was the daughter of a former Grand Secretariat member. The Jiang family had generations of scholarly tradition, and the children they raised were all deeply learned and full of literary knowledge. However, although Madame Jiang was widely read, her temperament was not steady enough, and sometimes she loved to make unreasonable scenes, which gave her husband and sons considerable headaches.

Still, regarding the sage teachings in books, although she herself often could not put them into practice, she strictly required her husband and sons to know them by heart. From the age of five, her three sons had to rise before the hour of the rabbit to practice martial arts. After martial arts, there was a great stack of copybooks to practice. After breakfast, they listened to the tutor’s lectures. After lunch, they studied riding and archery. After that, they still had to go to Madame Jiang’s room to listen to her teachings for an hour. In the evening, they studied military treatises and practiced sand table exercises. Every day they were as busy as spinning tops, never stopping. That was why Wen Ruobai and Wen Ruodan, as soon as they turned thirteen, ran without a backward glance to the northwest camp at the border, and were only caught and brought back by Madame Jiang before their marriages.

Her sons had it so hard, and Wen Cunshan was no exception. Pressured by Madame Jiang, he had swallowed a bellyful of ink, and in his later years had acquired a somewhat scholarly temperament. This study had been arranged by Madame Jiang. It was located on the eastern side of the outer courtyard of the ducal mansion, near the water. It was a row of three open pavilions, with large groves of bamboo planted in front and back. At this moment, the long windows were half-closed, and one could vaguely see the antique rosewood bookshelves and desk inside.

Wen Ruoqing was about to knock when he heard someone inside exclaim, “Isn’t she just after money? Give her money! Our family has plenty. Give her as much as she wants!” It was his mother Madame Jiang’s voice.

Wen Cunshan said angrily, “Nonsense! I asked Cui Jin. He took Gu Han away by a different route at the time. Miss Yin genuinely did not know beforehand. She went to inquire about Gu Han’s whereabouts to set her aunt’s mind at ease. When you think about it, it was also an act of filial piety.”

“What filial piety? From the tone of the Gu household’s servants, she goes to the Gu family to sponge off them every day, carrying off everything good and bad to her own home.”

“Her family has only a small estate with low income. Her mother is bedridden year-round, and her younger brother is studying at the Gu family school. She is precisely at a time when she needs money.”

“That’s why I say give her money! With a generous dowry, would she worry about no one marrying her? Why must she insist on entangling herself with Qing’er! Even if her father is Yin Zheng, are we to sacrifice a perfectly good son for that bit of gratitude?”

Wen Ruoqing could not listen any longer. He raised his hand and knocked. “Father, Mother.”

Madame Jiang saw her youngest son, now tidied up with a clean, fresh face, step through the door, and she felt even more aggrieved. The marriages of her eldest and second sons had both been arranged by her, and the eldest and second daughters-in-law who had married into the family were also very much to her liking. Yet her third son, who was as handsome as she was, had to marry a girl whose family background and looks were presentable in no way. How could this be acceptable!

She even regretted not having settled her son’s marriage earlier. But how could that be blamed on her? The several young ladies she had considered all had good family backgrounds and appearances, but there were simply too many to choose from. She had only wanted to pick the best one. Who knew that Yin Chenbi would come out of nowhere halfway through!