The Beauty Within the Gates
Chapter 2
Who is she marrying? Wen Shuse was stunned.
The expression of the young lady opposite, who had been calm all evening, finally showed a ripple of emotion. The Eldest Master Wen remained prostrate, his face unseen, but his back visibly tensed.
The Eldest Madam thought that the Old Madam was intentionally creating this threat by refusing the dowry, and a sense of desolation rose in her heart. She self-mockingly said, “I see that the eldest master’s position as an Assistant Minister is not so impressive after all. In the end, even two chests of dowries are causing trouble. The Ming family next door, also a scholarly household, has a career path that’s not even as good as ours, yet even their steward, who holds no rank or title, can still manage to display a hundred twenty chests of dowries. No one to blame, it’s just that our eldest young lady is unlucky, and shouldn’t have parents like this…”
She was on the verge of openly calling the Eldest Master Wen useless.
The Old Madam ignored her and told the eldest master to rise, then continued, “When the patriarch of the Xie family arranged this marriage with our Wen family, the purpose was to strengthen the bond between our families and continue the friendship of our ancestors. It was not specified which young lady should be married. When you and your wife presented the eldest young lady’s birth details, you were the county magistrate of Zhongzhou, and the Xie family was the deputy governor of Zhongzhou. You said that this marriage would help us climb the ranks to ally with the Xie family, a heaven-sent opportunity. You didn’t ask for too much fortune, only for a stable position in Zhongzhou.”
“To secure this position, I followed your wishes and promised marriage to the eldest young lady. Over the years, the entire Wen family has been supporting you. The second master has been tirelessly busy all year round. Think about how he was a fair-skinned gentleman in his youth, and look at him now, his face darkening year by year. When he returns this time, I fear he will be as dark as charcoal from the stove. He has earned a lot of silver, but where has it all gone? You know in your heart.”
The eldest master’s knees, which had just lifted halfway, went weak again.
“You have the ability and ambition, and now you have reached the position of Assistant Minister. What you wished for in the past has been fulfilled, and the rest is just the icing on the cake.”
Without this marriage, there would be no significant loss for the first branch.
Old Madam first asked for his opinion, “Consider it as a mother’s heartfelt effort. This marriage will go to the second young lady, as a bit of compensation for the second branch. Do you have any objections?”
Her words struck like thunder, and the room was so silent that a needle could be heard falling.
Wen Shuse had no time to ponder the feelings of the first branch at this moment and firmly refused, “Grandmother, marriage is not a trivial matter.”
Outside the city, apart from reclaiming wasteland and building pavilions, there was one more thing she hadn’t mentioned.
She had specially enshrined a Bodhisattva, hoping that it would bring an end to her disasters and calamities, and she had also clearly stated her requirements for her future husband. Afraid that too many wishes would make her seem insincere, she spent a large sum of money to have a golden statue made.
She was confident that even without resorting to force, she could marry a desirable husband.
Lady Madam pretended not to hear, saying nothing and maintaining a calm expression as she waited for the Eldest Master Wen’s response.
Eldest Master Wen’s face had changed countless times. Old Madam’s words, though sweet, hid sharp blades. The fact that she said such things today clearly showed that her dissatisfaction with him had been building for a long time.
The overwhelming shame made him unable to raise his head, too embarrassed to look at Lady Madam directly.
All the glory in his life, including his very existence, had been bestowed upon him by Old Master Wen and Old Madam Wen. Just like in the past when Emperor Xiang offered his life to express filial piety to his stepmother, Madam Zhu. Lady Madam Wen had treated him better than her own son. How much more so should he, given that the old lady had treated him with nothing but kindness, surpassing even that of a biological mother?
Perhaps it was precisely this that had gradually made him forget the boundaries that should exist between mother and son, between brothers.
The eldest madam finally realized that Old Madam was not joking. She showed panic on her face and called out to her mother. Her heart was filled with disbelief as she turned to Eldest Master Wen, whose face was full of guilt, and she immediately sensed that things were going wrong. “Husband, the eldest young lady is your own flesh and blood…”
Eldest Master Wen knocked his head on the ground, producing a dull thud, “Everything is up to you, Mother. Your son is unfilial, causing you such distress. I beg for your punishment.”
—
The night before the wedding, the bride was suddenly changed.
The servants of the mansion were running back and forth between the two courtyards, moving things out one moment and bringing things in the next, creating a chaotic scene.
The eldest young lady, who had already put on her wedding dress, was hurriedly told to take it off. Her phoenix crown was removed from her head, and she sat before the dressing table in plain clothes, still with traces of makeup on her face.
The eldest madam cried until her eyes were swollen. Seeing her daughter in such a state, her tears welled up again. “I’ve always said, this adopted son is still an adopted son, how can he really be compared to a biological one? A label of ‘unfilial’ has been placed on your father’s head, and not to mention the official career, it might even push him to death…”
“Mother, be careful with your words,” Wen Suning, who was unlike her mother in temperament, remained calm in the face of trouble. Like Eldest Master, even if she harbored resentment, she did not show it on her face.
“Did I say something wrong? Does she think that once the second young lady gets into the bridal sedan tomorrow, she’ll be happy? Swapping brides, if the Xie family finds out, who knows what will happen…”
“What can they do?” Wen Suning interrupted softly. “Once she enters their household, she becomes part of the family. Over time, they will have mutual respect in the marriage Since this marriage must go through, whether with tears or laughter, why leave a bad impression, Mother? As long as Father retains his official position and reputation, there’s nothing to worry about. It’s not worth causing a rift with the second branch over this.”
Wen Suning had already calmed down.
Although Deputy Governor Xie held significant power in Zhongzhou, his position was merely an appointment without an official rank. Moreover, recent actions by the court suggested a trend toward reclaiming military authority from regional governors.
The Xie family’s future hopes lay with their eldest son.
Given the eldest son’s talents, marrying into the Xie family would indeed provide security. But even without the Xie family, she had no worries. Her father was a fourth-rank official in the Ministry of Works. Finding a match in the capital might not be inferior to the Xie family’s eldest son.
She could give up marriage, but she couldn’t afford to lack financial support in her future endeavors.
Her second uncle had amassed considerable wealth in Fuzhou over the years, acquiring properties everywhere. Half of the teahouses in Zhongzhou were under his name, and his fortune would only continue to grow.
Money wasn’t everything, but in a place like Eastern Capital, where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold, lacking money was absolutely untenable.
Unfortunately, the eldest madam refused to listen.
She had always admired the character of the Xie family’s eldest son and was convinced he would achieve great things. Now that he had been taken away, she saw him as an even more precious prize.
“We’ve truly become the ones sewing the wedding dress for someone else. Your father has been in the Eastern Capital for half a year. If it weren’t for waiting for this marriage with the Xie family, we would have already moved to the Eastern Capital. I don’t want to stay in this house for a moment longer. Let the second branch stay here and fulfill their filial duties. After tomorrow, we’re leaving…”
Her mother was utterly unreachable.
Wen Suning occasionally felt a sense of helplessness toward her mother. She had no energy left to continue the conversation. “I’m tired, Mother. Please go back first.”
____
The eldest madam was filled with resentment, and Wen Shuse also felt wrong.
On the way back, she had been eagerly anticipating the excitement of the new bride, only to find herself becoming the bride instead.
Everything had happened too suddenly. She was already wearing the wedding dress before she could even process what was going on.
In preparation for making this wedding dress for Wen Suning, Second Master Wen collected dozens of sea pearls from various places. The eldest madam had them all sewn into the wedding dress, which caused the chest area to be made a bit larger.
Wen Shuse and Wen Suning were born on the same day, in the same month and year. Wen Shuse was just a few hours younger than Wen Suning but was taller by two fingers and had a fuller figure.
The wedding dress was tailor-made and fit her even better than it did the eldest young lady. However, Wen Shuse had no mind to admire her own beauty. Instead, she was scrambling to gather information about the man she had just “snatched.”
The eldest son of the Xie family, the county magistrate of Zhongzhou, like Wen Suning, was renowned for his virtuous reputation, though she had never seen him in person.
She had, however, seen the third son of the Xie family.
A month ago, Jing Wangfei, Madam Zhou, had taken an interest in Ming Wanrou, the second daughter of the Ming family, and sent a matchmaker to propose marriage. When her son Zhou Kuang found out, he secretly sent Ming Wanrou a token and arranged a private meeting without informing the elders.
The Ming family had been scholars for generations, and Ming Wanrou had always been a refined young lady, never leaving her home. She was too shy to meet a man privately and, unsure of what to do, sought advice from Wen Shuse.
Wen Shuse had grown up playing with Ming Wanrou. Both were pampered young ladies from noble families, but their personalities were very different, one was indecisive, and the other was full of determination. After listening to Ming Wanrou’s concerns, Wen Shuse already had a guess in her heart.
Meeting secretly without informing their families could not be considered upright, no matter how one looked at it.
Considering the other party’s status, Wen Shuse was worried that if the marriage went through, Ming Wanzhou might offend her future husband before even marrying him, making things difficult for her afterward.
After some thought, Wen Shuse came up with a solution.
If the other party truly had good intentions and wanted to meet before the engagement, it wouldn’t be impossible. They could meet through a curtain, just enough to see each other’s general appearance, and exchange a few words to get to know each other better. This could actually be a good thing for Ming Wanrou. But if he intended to behave like a scoundrel, then he shouldn’t blame her for being merciless.
That day, the Eldest Young Lady Ming arrived first at the meeting spot, while Wen Shuse hid in the shadows, keeping an eye on things.
It turned out that Zhou Kuang’s intentions were far from honorable. He wasn’t alone, trailing behind him were three other men.
Xie Shao, Cui Yan, and Pei Qing.
Xie Shao was the only son of Xie Pushe from the Xie family’s second branch. Five years ago, Xie Pusha retired from his government position and moved his family back to Zhongzhou, where he completely withdrew from politics, living like a hermit. However, his son gradually began to make a name for himself in Zhongzhou, with both fame and infamy spreading far and wide, making him well-known throughout the area.
Cui Mou was the son of a wealthy businessman in Zhongzhou, spending his days idly without any serious occupation.
Pei Qing’s father was a junior official of Dali Temple, and it was said that father and son were not on good terms. The father had gone to the Eastern Capital, but Pei Qing had stayed in Zhongzhou, securing a position as an inspector in the yamen.
The four of them were often seen together on the streets, calling themselves the “Four Talented Young Men” in public, but behind their backs, people called them “young and reckless.”
Wen Shuse had heard of these four men’s names. As a young lady of a noble family, she shouldn’t have gotten involved in such trouble, but since her childhood friend was being bullied, she couldn’t just stand by and do nothing. She watched them closely from behind the wall, and as soon as they arrived, she opened the door and let loose the dogs.
Unexpectedly, the four men, who were usually so imposing, immediately climbed up onto the beams and pillars at the sight of the dogs.
No matter how Wen Shuse later explained to her grandmother that the large black dogs didn’t actually bite anyone and that the piece of flesh Zhou Kuang lost from his backside was from climbing onto the roof and getting scraped by the tiles, it was all in vain. She was first punished by being made to kneel, then sent to a manor outside the city, where she stayed for a full month. She had only just returned to the city today.
How different can they be if they’re from the same nest?
Xiangyun, noticing her thoughts, advised, “Miss, don’t worry. I’ve seen the eldest son of the Xie family. He is well-mannered and of good character, quite different from the third son of the Xie family’s second branch.”
Although the eldest son might not be as striking in appearance, looks were the most unreliable thing. Being too handsome could easily attract unwanted attention.
This statement had some effect.
Take her and the eldest young lady, for example, one is dignified, quiet, and far-sighted and the other lives for the moment, enjoying today without caring for tomorrow.
The difference between people was indeed quite significant.
Wen Shuse’s stiff neck relaxed slightly, but immediately, the nanny pinched her jaw, twisting the fine cotton thread around her face. She cried out in pain, and Xiangyun beside her quickly comforted her, saying, “Moreover, the old madam cares deeply for you. How could she harm you? She believes that the eldest son of the Wen family is a kind-hearted person. Once you marry him, you’ll be well cared for… Although the third son of the Xie family has a bad reputation, once you enter the family, he’ll have to call you ‘sister-in-law.'”
___
As night fell, the lights in the house were dimmed, but the bustling sounds of people and the light from the lamps still spilled through the lattice window, making the lively atmosphere barely diminished.
A carriage stopped in front of a teahouse. The book boy standing at the door, waiting for a while, quickly turned and entered the building as soon as he saw the carriage. A short while later, a young man dressed in fine robes and a jade belt emerged from inside, casually walking towards the carriage. He lifted the curtain, poked his head inside, and, seeing the person, called out warmly, “Brother Xie.”
The person who arrived was Zhou Kuang, who had just returned to the city that night.
Xie Shao shifted slightly inside the carriage, leaning lazily against the carriage wall. His wide sleeves, embroidered with auspicious clouds, swept gracefully as he rested his hands on his knees. He looked over at Zhou Kuang with his dark eyes, watching the scene unfold with an air of amusement.
In terms of both appearance and demeanor, Xie Shao had the makings of a future high-ranking official. Unfortunately, like Zhou Kuang, he had misdirected his talents.
Nourished by the resources of a towering tree, he had grown into a crooked branch, focusing only on spreading sideways.
Every time Zhou Kuang saw Xie Shao’s handsome and noble appearance, but with an air of rebelliousness, the phrase “a wolf in sheep’s clothing” would always pop into his mind.
Having spent a month recovering from his injuries, Zhou Kuang’s rear had healed, but the mental scars remained. Before sitting down, he paused, then immediately started to vent his grievances once seated, “What kind of wretched estate was that? There wasn’t even a decent bed, and the mosquitoes at night nearly drained me dry…” His tone was full of bitterness, and his hatred for the person responsible for his suffering burned fiercely.
Not only Wen Shuse had been punished by being sent to the estate; Zhou Kuang had been banished there as well.
When Madam Zhou found out, she felt that Zhou Kuang had brought shame to the family. Despite his injuries, she had him carried off to the estate outside the city.
As for the second young lady of the Wen family, he had heard of her and even met her once.
Indeed, she was incredibly beautiful, like a celestial being.
But her beauty couldn’t make up for the chunk of flesh he lost from his backside, nor could it erase the humiliation he had endured.
Especially the sound of her silver-bell-like laughter that day, as he hung from the eaves, still lingered in his mind, impossible to shake off.
“For a grown man like me to seek revenge on a young lady would make me seem petty and lacking in grace. I’ll put this debt on her account for now. When she gets married in the future, I’ll go after her husband and strip a layer of skin off him,” Zhou Kuang declared, only to pause mid-sentence as he remembered the upcoming wedding. Once the two families became relatives, this matter would indeed be tricky to handle. But letting bygones be bygones didn’t sit well with him either. After fidgeting for a while, he reluctantly added, “If it weren’t for your sake, I would definitely…”
On the day of the incident, Zhou Kuang had been wearing light-colored robes. After his backside was injured, it looked as if it had been splashed with vermilion dye, making it extremely conspicuous.
Just thinking about it made him wince in pain.
Xie Shao wasn’t without sympathy. “No need to flatter me. My family is marrying the eldest young lady of the Wen family.”
What he meant was that Zhou Kuang could feel free to take his grievance out on the second young lady of the Wen family.
Zhou Kuang hesitated and then looked at him, recalling that it wasn’t just him who had been hurt. Realizing that he leaned in and asked, “Brother Xie, are you also afraid of dogs?”
Seeing that Xie Shao’s gaze suddenly locked onto him, growing cold and distant, Zhou Kuang had a sense that his question wouldn’t end well.
Sure enough, Xie Shao responded, ” I originally intended to treat you with respect, having not had a drink for an entire month, even booked a private room at Drunken Fragrance Pavilion. But now it seems you’re not interested…”
A private room at Drunken Fragrance Pavilion, complete with music, fine wine, and delicacies, would cost at least a hundred taels of silver.
But Xie Shao, the third son of the Xie family, was known for his wealth and extravagance. Not only did he support the entire Xie family, but he was also regarded as a major patron by merchants across Zhongzhou.
When Xie Pushe resigned from his official position, the emperor rewarded him with fifty thousand taels of gold for his contributions to the court. His maternal family, the Ruans family, were the largest spice merchants in Quanzhou. With such a vast fortune, the Xie family was even wealthier than the Jing Wang Mansion.
Money could move even ghosts, let alone people.
“Slap my mouth,” Zhou Kuang said, pretending to strike his own cheek as he quickly apologized. “Tomorrow is your family’s joyous occasion. I guarantee it’ll be lively…”
Suddenly, a voice called out from outside, “Third Young Master!”
Xie Shao turned and pushed open the lattice window beside him. His jade crown tilted slightly as a servant from the Xie family, sent by Old Madam Xie, nearly shoved his head inside, looking panicked. “Old Madam is ill…”