CHAPTER 296: CHAPTER 296: ENGAGEMENT (4)

Xiao Yanyi advised the Grand Dowager, "Mother, the Imperial Decree has been issued. Marrying the Sixth Miss is also the will of Fourth Brother. If we insist on opposing, it would be futile. It’s better to go with Fourth Brother’s wish. Please send someone to the Tong Mansion while First Master Tong is still there to settle Fourth Brother’s marriage, to avoid more complications." He paused for a moment, then spoke earnestly, "Fourth Brother hasn’t been living in the mansion for years. If I hadn’t used your health as leverage, he wouldn’t have agreed to speak to the Emperor about moving in three years later. If things get stiff over his marriage now, I’m afraid he won’t return again!"

She knew very well that over the years her mother-son relationship with her fourth child had faded a lot. It was only recently that things began to improve. She didn’t want to strain it again because of this. "Second Son!" The Grand Dowager looked at Xiao Yanyi’s deliberately calm expression with heartache and said, "Let’s go with what you said then!" After speaking, she closed her eyes in exhaustion, but suddenly opened them to look at Xiao Yanyi and said, "The Commandery Princess hasn’t been feeling well these days; you should spend more time with her too."

Xiao Yanyi’s eyes flickered as he nodded slightly, "I understand, Mother!"

In the Tong Mansion, ever since the Imperial Decree came down, Xiqiu had seemingly become the most honored person in the residence. Even when Chunyan and Chunliu went out, the maids almost wanted to carry them. Chunyan’s face was full of smiles; the Sixth Miss’s marriage matter was finally settled. Although she didn’t know how high of a rank the Great Governor’s position was, since it warranted an Imperial Decree, it must not be low in power and authority.

She felt like the whole sky suddenly brightened up. The worries of the past few years were suddenly lifted from her heart. She greeted people with smiles everywhere, and the Zhiqu Courtyard was bustling with people coming and going every day. Even First Master’s colleagues, who usually didn’t visit the Tong Mansion much, came by to congratulate him. First Master spent the whole day in the outer courtyard receiving guests, busying himself to no end.

The bustle here was overwhelming, but on the other side, Lady’s illness had worsened. Nanny Fang brought Doctor Hu into the mansion overnight. After checking her pulse, Doctor Hu shook his head and said, "She shouldn’t be agitated. There was a trend of improvement, but now with the worsening of the illness, it’s like adding frost to snow."

Nanny Fang’s eyes turned red immediately. She kneeled in front of Lady, crying. Lady lay on the bed, her face grey and her mouth tilted more severely. She furrowed her brows and asked Nanny Fang, who listened several times, then nodded quickly and replied, "I understand, my lady. Tomorrow, I’ll visit the Zhou Residence and have them choose a new date." With the mourning period this year, the wedding has been postponed to next year, so naturally, the date needs to be set anew.

The Sixth Miss is marrying the Great Governor, already in a position higher and more powerful than the Zhou Family. Fourth Miss’s marriage arrangements should not fall below that of the Sixth Miss.

Lady couldn’t nod, so she blinked to show satisfaction. But thinking that Xiqiu would eventually marry into the Marquis Mansion, and in such an honorable manner with a marriage granted by the Emperor, she felt like a heavy stone was pressing on her chest, making it hard to breathe. A mere concubine’s daughter actually soared to such heights!

She was unwilling, unwilling!

Nanny Fang looked at Lady, intending to say something, but seeing her in this state, she didn’t dare to speak. She showed a hesitant expression. Lady, understanding Nanny Fang well, furrowed her brows and asked her. Nanny Fang’s eyes moved slightly, "Mrs., the Third-Ranked Scholar Jiang has been reinstated, personally appointed as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel by the Emperor, holding a Standard Fifth Rank!"

Lady’s eyes shifted, somewhat skeptical. Nanny Fang added, "The news isn’t wrong. I specially asked First Young Master, and he said the same." Hearing this, Lady suddenly closed her eyes. Even when Nanny Fang held the medicine spoon to her lips, she refused to take it. Nanny Fang persuaded, "Mrs., don’t overthink. I heard from First Young Master that Master Zhou is quite appreciated by several elders at the Hanlin Academy and will have an unlimited future. Perhaps one day he’ll enter the Cabinet and rise to become Prime Minister, and then Mrs. will have her due shine."

Lady said nothing, keeping her eyes closed!

Nanny Fang sighed, just about to turn around, when Lady unexpectedly opened her eyes and stared at Nanny Fang, muttering for a while. Nanny Fang nodded, "I understand, Mrs., I will keep a close eye on Fourth Miss." Lady closed her eyes again.

Apart from the Emperor-granted marriage, another not insignificant event was drowned in the tidal wave of discussions. The other incident involved the former fourth-rank Minister of Rites who attempted suicide by swallowing court beads while in prison; on the seventh day, his funeral was held... Very few people attended, but the Zhou Family had a decent relationship with the official from years back, and Madam Zhou was a close friend of the Minister’s wife. So, Madam Zhou brought the Zhou family’s young master to personally offer a three-animal sacrifice. However, at the funeral, the Minister’s wife, unable to bear her husband’s tragic death, lost the will to live, and in front of guests, she dashed her head against the coffin, blood splattering instantly. Before she died, she clutched Madam Zhou’s hand and entrusted her only orphaned daughter, and out of kindness, Madam Zhou agreed to bring the fourteen-year-old Miss from the Minister’s Mansion into her own home.

Lady, of course, did not know this, nor did Nanny Fang care, and she went directly to the Zhou Residence. The next day, the Zhou Residence sent someone to reschedule the date, changing the wedding to August 12 of the next year.

Lady finally sighed in relief and began to worry about Tong Shen Zhi’s marriage. Next year, Miss Jiang’s mourning period will end, and the two family’s marriage matters will also need to be on the agenda. She rescheduled Tong Xiyan’s marriage to August, intending to bring her daughter-in-law home according to the sequence of age.

Now that she’s unwell, Sixth Girl is managing the house. If Miss Jiang enters the house earlier, Sixth Girl would have to hand over the management power!

Regarding the Jiang family’s marriage, Nanny Fang inquired with First Master, who personally sought a matchmaker to negotiate with the Jiang Family. Having long settled on the marriage between the two families, but with many complications arising, formality was skipped, and First Young Master’s marriage was settled within two days, set for May 6 of next year!

Lady felt even more discontented, consequently recovering from her illness even more slowly. Meanwhile, First Master was getting busier, sending off Second Master and had Second Lady temporarily stay to assist First Master in social dealings with relatives. She invited her sister-in-law from her parental family as a matchmaker to negotiate over marriage arrangements with the Marquis Mansion, exchanging both families’ birthdates, passing the Nalgea ceremony, and settling the marriage for October 10 of next year!

When Xiqiu heard about the marriage being finalized, she said nothing, but Madam Xia held her crying and laughing, with mixed feelings of joy and worry, "I’ve been thinking about your marriage every day. Now that it’s set, I’m daily worried about you going into marriage with your husband not treating you well!" She sent a maid to inquire about Fourth Master Xiao’s affairs and was increasingly horrified. He had booked a room at the Drunken Red House with Third Master from the Ren Family, and there’s still a room reserved for him there. He kept a mistress and has an illegitimate son. Although he has no one by his side now, who can guarantee there won’t be someone in the future? With Sixth Miss being so young, she surely couldn’t manage such a person. If treated well, it would be fine; if not, how would she live in the days ahead!

Xiqiu smiled slightly at Madam Xia, then leaned in to whisper reassuringly, "You need not worry, Madam. I have met him before... he is not as wicked as rumors suggest." Madam Xia was startled, unable to believe, "You say you know each other? When, and how did you meet?"