The Beauty Within the Gates
Chapter 9
Yesterday, it was supposed to be the Xie family’s Eldest Young Master’s wedding, but the one who performed the rites was the Third Young Master instead, causing quite a stir. Before anyone could make sense of the twist, by early morning, another rumor had spread that the bride brought into the Xie family wasn’t the Eldest Young Lady Wen, but the Second Young Lady.
Things were getting increasingly chaotic.
Speculations ran rampant, each wilder than the last and more dramatic than the plots of staged plays. As the saying goes, no wall is airtight. The storm of gossip swept over courtyard walls and quickly rolled through the streets and alleys.
With the rumors gaining momentum, the Xie family would be drowned in scandal. Early that morning, Xie Shao arrived at Zuixiang Tower and sent someone to summon Zhou Kuang.
By night, Zuixiang Tower blazed with lights, alive with song and dance, but by day it was merely a teahouse for idle chatter and drinks. Zhou Kuang received the message and climbed over the wall to attend the meeting.
Upstairs, he opened the private room door and saw Xie Shao sitting cross-legged on a floor cushion by the window. Dressed in a dark robe embroidered with round floral medallions, he gazed out at the bustling street below and called out, “Brother Xie.”
Xie Shao turned to look as Zhou Kuang flopped down across from him, beckoning a servant to pour tea. He took a sip and said, “Zuixiang Tower’s tea is still the best. No matter how fragrant the tea at home, it always lacks something.” Setting the cup down, he eagerly reported, “I spent my entire monthly allowance to hire that opera troupe from the White Pavilion across the river to perform at your mansion last night and even brought out the red sandalwood clappers. So? How was that tune? Fiery enough?”
It was fiery, indeed.
Xie Shao didn’t respond, only a faint smile.
Unlike Zhou Kuang, whose rogue persona was all surface, Xie Shao’s defiance was bone-deep. At a glance, he seemed a peerless talent, but when mischief stirred, the true nature of this aristocratic scion revealed itself: a wolf in jade robes.
Zhou Kuang knew that look all too well. The moment Xie Shao gave that faint smile, he felt a chill run down his spine, “What? The performance wasn’t good? If I hadn’t been grounded, I would’ve joined in the fun myself. Such a pity… But don’t worry, when you get married, I’ll make sure to come raise hell for three whole days and nights!”
For once, Xie Shao didn’t bite back with a retort.
He rarely invited people out this early in the day. Zhou Kuang sensed something was off and stopped joking. He got serious and asked, “Brother Xie, if there’s something on your mind, just say it.”
As they spoke, someone opened the door to the neighboring room. Though the two private rooms were separated, the windows facing the street were connected and currently all wide open. The conversation from the other room drifted over clearly.
“Did you hear about the Xie family?”
“You mean how the groom changed from the Eldest Young Master to the Third?”
“That’s just the beginning. The real drama came after. Word is, the bride the Wen family brought over wasn’t the eldest daughter either. Guess who it was?”
There was a pause. Then the voice continued, “The Second Young Lady Wen!”
“You’re kidding me. That actually happened?”
“So it wasn’t the Eldest Young Master’s wedding at all, more like for the Third.”
“Even the Wen family seems to be going along with that…”
Xie Shao turned to Minzhang. “Close the window.”
The noise was instantly shut out. When he looked up again, he saw Zhou Kuang staring at him in stunned silence, completely frozen.
“Actually, there is something.” Since the cat was already out of the bag, Xie Shao saw no point in explanations. Picking up the teapot, he refilled Zhou Kuang’s cup with a fresh serving and continued casually, “I need you to help me start a rumor.”
Zhou Kuang was still reeling from the shocking revelations just now. As Xie Shao set down the teapot and leaned in, his voice dropped to a conspiratorial murmur, “Say that I, Xie Shao, have long harbored feelings for Second Miss Wen and that the wedding yesterday was the result of mutual love.”
The old matriarch wouldn’t be fooled so easily.
Only when gossip from the outside seeped into the Xie Mansion would this farce settle, allowing the old matriarch to finally breathe again.
Zhou Kuang quietly slipped his hand into his sleeve and gave himself a painful pinch. This had to be a nightmare, one he was still sleeping through.
The sharp pain in his arm was real. And still, Zhou Kuang couldn’t believe it. He stared at Xie Shao in disbelief, refusing to accept it, and asked, “Brother Xie… which Second Miss Wen are we talking about?”
It couldn’t possibly be the that Second Miss Wen, the one who set a dog on someone, could it…
Xie Shao didn’t respond. He just looked back at him, his expression as bleak as ashes. That look said everything.
Zhou Kuang: …
Minding own business, yet disaster came crashing down from heaven. At this point, all he could do was feel deeply sorry for his friend. After a long pause, he finally muttered, “Brother Xie… I told you a long time ago to offer sacrifices to the Bodhisattva…”
Just then, the door behind them creaked open. Cui Nian and Pei Qing arrived in quick succession, clearly having heard the news.
“Brother Xie…” they both called, hurried and serious.
And just like that, by early morning, the four talented young men of Fengcheng had all gathered.
___
The shock from last night had taken a real toll on Old Madam Xie. She had truly fallen ill. Xie Shao had only managed to soothe her into slumber in the wee hours, and by morning, she still hadn’t stirred.
Fearing another shock if the newlyweds came to serve tea, her personal maid, Nanzhi, sent word early to Nanny Fang, “The Old Madam is unwell. The tea ceremony shall be postponed until her condition improves.”
This was, after all, a marriage of substitutes, neither side had any real desire to face the other. Avoiding the awkward tea ceremony came as a relief to Wen Shuse.
Although the marriage was far from ideal. The Old Madam had failed to secure the Eldest Young Lady Wen for her grandson and Second Young Lady Wen had already entered the mansion. From this day on, she was officially the Third Young Madam of the Xie family.
Nanny Fang explained some of the household matters to her. Half a month ago, Xie Shao’s maternal grandmother had fallen seriously ill. Upon receiving the news, his parents rushed overnight to Quanzhou and weren’t in the mansion now.
That, at least, confirmed that the mastermind behind the groom swap was none other than the Xie family’s matriarch.
Identical to her own situation.
If Old Madam Xie was ill, then what about her grandmother? Once she learned the truth, wouldn’t she also fall sick with worry?
As for the story Wen Shuse had made up to send back, her grandmother likely wouldn’t believe a word of it.
With her father and brother away, only to return in a couple of months and find out she had married and married Fengcheng’s most notorious prodigal, what would they think?
Everything last night had happened so quickly. The panic, the exhaustion, she had only been focused on finding a way to survive. There was no time to think too deeply.
But now it was morning. Her mind had cleared.
Last night’s chaos had left no room for reflection. Survival was all that mattered. But now, in the cold light of day, the full weight of this farcical marriage settled upon her. A quiet, bitter sorrow seeped into her bones.
Every young maiden dreams of love and she was no exception.
Before departing for the estate, Ming Wanrou had personally seen her off at the city gate, with Second Young Master Ming riding alongside as their escort. Just before parting, the young man suddenly dismounted, and strode up to her, eyes flickering as he looked at her face, unsure where to rest his gaze. “Second Young Lady, take care of yourself. Come back soon.”
The early spring breeze had reddened the young man’s face. It was such a gentle moment, so moving.
This was the kind of man she ought to have married.
But then she thought of the face from last night, furious eyes glaring at her, the harsh voice calling out, “Second Wen!” The contrast was unbearable.
She shouldn’t think about it. The more she thought, the more she wanted to throw herself into a river. The sorrow swelled, threatening to spill over. She needed an outlet now.
Wen Shuse wrapped her arms around herself and burst into loud sobs.
Seeing her cry, Aunt Qing and Xiangyun also started weeping. The three of them clung to each other in a tangled, tearful mess.
Nanny Fang and the Xie family maids stood off to the side, completely at a loss. Truly, the girl was pitiable, and rejected by the elders on her first day as a bride, her groom vanished without a trace. Nanny Fang stepped forward gently and offered, “It’s early spring. The flowers in the courtyard are in full bloom. Why not take a stroll, Third Young Madam? It might lift your spirits.”
Wen Shuse wasn’t someone who wallowed in sadness. No matter how dire the situation, once she cried it out, she could move on. After washing her face, she rallied and took Aunt Qing and Xiangyun to explore the grounds.
And with just a stroll, she rediscovered her happiness.
When she had first entered the courtyard yesterday, she thought it was spacious but she hadn’t expected there to be a small lake as well, complete with boats for rowing.
Back at the Wen Mansion, if she wanted to go boating, she had to travel several miles to reach the nearest lake. Now, with one right in front of her, she immediately asked for a boat to be brought over. The three of them boarded and set out. As they passed under an arched bridge, a sea of flowers suddenly burst into view, an entire field of blooming peonies, bathed in spring sunlight, pink and white like a dream.
Wen Shuse suddenly felt that her perspective had been far too narrow.
So what if love and romance hadn’t gone as expected? If she wanted, she could always read more storybooks or go to a teahouse to listen to grand tales of legendary love, those sweeping, tear-jerking romances. Living vicariously through others’ love stories might just suffice.
Aside from his looks, Third Xie had just gained another point in her eyes.
He knew how to live well.
By noon, the sun was high and warm. Wen Shuse left the peony field and climbed a small viewing tower built beside the courtyard wall to cool off. The tower had three levels. From the top floor, she could see the entire stretch of surrounding buildings and rooftops.
Gray bricks and dark tiles of various heights crammed closely together in every direction. It was a completely different feeling from looking at them on the ground. Up high, with a wide view, she felt as if everything was beneath her feet. All her worries seemed to disappear into the wind.
Suddenly, Xiangyun said, “Miss, can we see the Wen Mansion from here?”
With that, the three of them looked up and began scanning the distance.
“There! Isn’t that it!” Aunt Qing pointed toward the far left corner of the view, at a familiar rooftop just barely peeking out. Even though only part of the courtyard was visible, it was enough to make the three of them excited.
“If Miss ever gets homesick, you can come up here and look. Tomorrow we can even send word back home, maybe one day you and the old madam will be able to see each other from afar,” Xiang Yun said cheerfully
That was wishful thinking. While they could see the distant rooftops of the Wen Mansion, spotting them from such a distance would be impossible.
Just as they were enjoying themselves, a sharp voice sliced through the air from the right courtyard wall, “You know what they say, fame invites trouble as fattened pigs invite slaughter. The moment someone shows a hint of success, all sorts of distant relatives crawl out of the woodwork. That Madam Gu is just a concubine in this mansion, and now even her backwater relatives are showing up. Cousins today, nieces tomorrow! She can barely stay afloat herself, and she still dares to bring you lot in…”
Curious, Wen Shuse craned her neck to look, wasn’t that the front gate of the Xie Mansion?
While the speaker was ranting, she suddenly shoved aside the two people standing at the threshold. With a loud slam, the gate shut in their faces.
The pair, turned away and left outside, finally stepping back, and Wen Shuse could see clearly, one was a woman in her forties, and the other a young girl. Both looked pale and thin, their clothes shabby and worn, without even a bundle of belongings in hand.
The girl stared at the imposing main gate of the Xie Mansion, her expression bleak, “Mother… what do we do now?”
“Let’s go. Looks like your aunt isn’t doing well either. We’ll try our luck in the streets. Better that than starving…”
—
As dusk fell, Xie Shao finally returned to the courtyard. The first thing he did upon entering was ask Nanny Fang, “How’s Grandma today?”
The west wing room beside the main room had already been tidied up by Minzhang. Seeing Xie Shao lift his foot to head that way, Nanny Fang quickly stepped in to block him, “The Old Madam is doing well. As for the Third Young Madam…”
At the mention of Third Young Madam, Xie Shao’s steps wavered slightly. His head throbbed the moment he heard the title. He asked impatiently, “What about her now?”
“Third Young Madam wept bitterly today, heartbroken,” Nanny Fang said quietly, head lowered as she gave her report. “This morning, Old Madam sent word saying she didn’t need to come serve tea and Third Young Madam took it to heart, likely stirred up some sadness she’d been holding in. Once it started, she couldn’t stop. She didn’t eat anything all afternoon. Young Master should at least go have a look.”
They were husband and wife now. They couldn’t live like strangers forever. Given time, who knows? Affection might yet blossom.
Seeing him stay silent, Nanny Fang added softly, “Truthfully, Third Young Madam is quite pitiful…”
Since dawn, everyone in the mansion knew the Wen family had swapped daughters. Not a single person treated her kindly. Young Master had been gone all day…
No support from the elders. No affection from her husband. How could she not be pitiful?
There was a long silence.
After a long pause, Xie Shao finally muttered, “Troublesome.” Yet despite his words, his feet turned toward the main room.
Wen Shuse had spent the whole morning wandering the garden and was a bit tired. She’d taken a nap in the afternoon and missed the mealtime. Now that she was awake, she wasn’t sleepy anymore. She sat under the lamp peeling longans.
Hearing footsteps outside, followed by a maid calling “Third Young Master,” her heart gave a little jump.
Didn’t they prepare the west wing for him?
It was already dark. Why was he coming in here? Weren’t they supposed to stay out of each other’s way?
So, he must be here to fight over the bed.
Before Wen Shuse could even devise a countermeasure, the beaded curtain at the door was swept aside and he came straight in. Without a glance in her direction, he took a seat on the round stool opposite her, his robes flaring as he settled in and spoke directly, “What is it this time?”
See? This man just wasn’t suitable for speaking.
“Last night, we reached an agreement. You agreed to stay in the Xie family. Since you made that choice, don’t act like I’ve wronged you. Let me make it clear, with the Wen family’s cheap trick of a bride swap, you wouldn’t have lasted a single night under the Eldest Young Master’s roof. You should be grateful you ended up with me. If I hadn’t shown a bit of mercy, you wouldn’t even have a place to cry.”
Wen Shuse’s eyelid twitched. She really wanted to seal that mouth of his shut. She crushed the longan in her hand with a sharp crack, the shell crushed to bits.
Xie Shao glanced over, finally noticing the mess of longan shells on the table and the empty bowl of egg custard beside it. With a furrowed brow, he said, “Didn’t they say you had no appetite…”
“Is Third Brother back?“ A bright voice interrupted, followed by hurried footsteps. “Third Brother!”
Before the bead curtain had even stilled from Xie Shao’s entrance, it was swept aside again.
A girl of fifteen or sixteen bounded in, her ankle-length skirt swishing beneath a springtime apricot tunic. With her round face and lively demeanor, she exuded playful charm.
Wen Shuse turned her head and happened to meet the girl’s gaze.
A flash of surprise passed through the girl’s eyes, but it faded quickly into indifference. The girl didn’t bother with greetings, brushing past Wen Shuse as though she were air, and walked straight toward the man seated across from Wen Shuse, her lips curling into a sweet crescent smile, “Third Brother, why did you come back so late?”
Xie Shao’s head was already throbbing and unable to endure more noise, “What is it?”
The girl stood two steps away from him, hands clasped and eyes down, saying, “Today, Madam Gu’s cousin came to the mansion. She said their family had suffered natural disasters, lost their harvest, and had no food left. She brought her daughter here seeking refuge. But Madam Gu seemed… strained herself and refused to help. I happened to run into them at the entrance and couldn’t bear to turn them away empty-handed, so I gave them some silver from this month’s allowance. …”
Madam Gu? Wasn’t that…
Behind her, Aunt Qing and Xiangyun exchanged a look and snuck a glance at their young lady.
Wen Shuse hadn’t planned to pay any attention as it wasn’t her business after all but the coincidence was too striking. Her lashes flickered slightly as she reassessed the girl with newfound interest.
Xie Shao rubbed his temples. “How much?”
“Five hundred taels.”
The scene felt oddly familiar. Based on Wen Shuse’s own experience, she sensed this girl had played her hand too quickly. Asking that much up front was risky, easy to expose a lie.
But then, without even blinking, the man across from her called out toward the outer room. “Nanny Fang, give her a thousand.”
Wen Shuse: …!