Volume One, Chapter Three: Let Her Wait Outside
Xiao Huai had many affairs to attend to and no time to marry or take concubines. Yet whenever he returned to the capital, his mother would obsessively try to arrange a marriage for him, and now even his grandmother was stepping in to meddle.
Today, Zhou Ning had accompanied Yao Yan all day. He thought the person sent this time was different from the previous ones. After some thought, he said, “Your servant believes the lady sent by the matriarch is quite decent. General, perhaps you might consider—”
Xiao Huai shot him a cold glance. “When have you ever said otherwise? And this time it’s special? Different from the rest? If you like her, then why not send her to your room?”
“I wouldn’t dare,” Zhou Ning said with an awkward smile, quickly waving his hands in denial. “I just feel that since you’ve already dealt with her this time, the matriarch or the old lady will surely send someone else next time. It wouldn’t make sense to refuse every time. Better to accept this one first to keep the peace for a while. Don’t you think so?”
Zhou Ning’s reasoning was sound. Xiao Huai rubbed his slightly throbbing forehead. These matters indeed vexed him. Every day, when he paid respects to his mother, he was dragged to inspect this and that. Better to accept the one his grandmother sent and deal with matters gradually.
“Very well, leave it to you to arrange,” he said after a pause. He recalled that the woman might be the same one he saw yesterday—timid, with no other distinct impressions. Yet today she had dared to confront him, using him as a threat. She seemed a simple, unwise soul.
He asked, “What is her name?”
“Yao Yan,” Zhou Ning replied. “That’s the name she was given when sold here. Her surname is rare, and her beauty is even rarer. You’ll see for yourself.”
Xiao Huai nodded but cared little for her beauty.
Since he had decided to use Yao Yan as a pretext to appease the old lady’s arrangements, he must make an appearance accordingly.
Yao Yan’s belongings were few—only two sets of personal clothes neatly packed and ready to go. Yet when she returned from Third Miss’s quarters, her small bundle was damp, clearly having been deliberately doused.
Ping’er had gone out to work, and many people could enter the room. Yao Yan wanted to leave quietly, not wishing to cause trouble. After all, the old lady had surely arranged new things for her, so she left the old ones behind.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, followed by an unfamiliar male voice: “Miss, the General has ordered me to escort you.”
Yao Yan hesitated, then slowly moved forward to open the door. Through the crack, she saw a man with a long scar running down from his brow—an ordinary-looking man she didn’t recognize.
He stepped back and smiled, revealing his teeth. “Miss, my name is Wu Gong. I’m a subordinate of the General, sent specifically to fetch you.”
At these words, the waiting maids exchanged glances, secretly wondering if Yao Yan had truly caught the eldest son’s eye—that he would send someone personally to fetch her.
---
Wu Gong immediately noticed the wet bundle on the small table inside but said nothing, stepping aside to let her pass. “Miss, please follow me.”
Yao Yan glanced at the startled Egret Storehouse and followed Wu Gong.
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The late master of the Xiao household had once been an imperial censor under the former emperor. Now, the head of the main branch was Minister of Works, and the second branch head was the chief scholar of the Imperial Academy. Though the family boasted many official honors, true status rested with the matriarch and the mistress of the main branch.
The matriarch was the legitimate daughter of the Chen family from Huaiyang, a venerable clan with centuries of heritage and profound influence. The mistress was the only daughter of the current Princess Chang, a princess herself, married into the Xiao family. Though not considered a political match, her status as a princess gave her unparalleled backing, commanding respect throughout the household.
Either of these two women could easily afford a dowry that would cover the household’s annual expenses. The prominence of the Xiao family was not sustained by the salaries of two third-rank officials alone.
In contrast, the second mistress came from a lesser background—daughter of a county magistrate outside the capital. Though her family had grown influential locally by leveraging the Xiao name, they were still considered minor gentry compared to the matriarch and the mistress.
Thus, within the household, the mistress of the main branch managed the household provisions, while the second mistress lived idly, concealing her countless grievances, never daring to show even a hint of discontent before her noble mother-in-law and co-wives.
Upon hearing that the matriarch had personally sent someone to the main branch, Second Mistress Guo ground her teeth and spat, “I knew she was biased. She’s sending people from my branch to be concubines in the main branch. My son, Qin’er, is already twenty-one and unmarried. Why doesn’t she worry about him?”
Guo was strikingly beautiful, which explained why Second Master had married her. Over the years, she had rarely concerned herself with anything beyond occasional jealous quarrels. Well-preserved, she appeared younger than her years.
Her eldest son, Xiao Qin, sat below her sipping tea. Hearing her words, he muttered, “The main branch has no maids in their rooms. Didn’t Mother send several to my rooms?”
“That’s because I’m your mother and care for you. Does the matriarch care for you?” Guo said bitterly, longing to manage the household provisions herself but having had no chance for years. She vented in the room, “She favors the main branch because the eldest son fought in the war and became a general. All the best things go there.”
She eventually wiped her tears, clutching her son’s sleeve as she sobbed, “It’s all my fault for not marrying into a good family. Because of me, you’re not valued.”
Xiao Qin grew tired of hearing this. He knew clearly that his grandmother loved both branches equally. His uncle and father were brothers, both born from the same womb. How could she treat them differently? Only his mother failed to see this.
After Guo cried a while, Xiao Qin tried to leave but was stopped.
She asked, “Are you satisfied with the lady I arranged for you to meet? You’re not young anymore and should marry soon, to give me the first great-grandchild of the Xiao family and something to be proud of.”
Xiao Qin saw the portrait of the lady—slender and fragile, the opposite of his preferred type. Moreover, her family background was modest. He wanted a wife from as prestigious a family as his uncle and grandmother’s, someone who could be an asset in the future.
Seeing him silent, Guo pressed on, “Son, you know our family’s lowly status. It’s hard enough being overshadowed by your elder uncle’s mother-in-law. If you don’t make a mark with your children, what will become of me?”
He understood her meaning without her finishing. He was deeply vexed by his mother’s narrow vision but could only reply vaguely, “We’ll see. Elder brother hasn’t married yet, so why the rush?”
---
He knew what schemes Guo had been up to, but since she was his mother, he pretended ignorance. After some thought, Xiao Qin said, “I’ll marry when elder brother does.”
Guo was left speechless and let him go, summoning her attendant, Madame Zhou. “Is there any news from over there?”
Madame Zhou, who had accompanied Guo as a dowry maid and served in the household for over twenty years, replied, “The eldest son personally sent someone to fetch her. He must be pleased.”
The matriarch wanted to silence rumors in the capital, but Guo was used to opposing the main branch. How could she let that happen?
“Then go fan the flames of gossip. I don’t believe it won’t reach the main branch’s ears.”
Madame Zhou hesitated. “Madam, if the mistress finds out, even if—”
Having served Guo all her life, she knew her mistress was short-sighted. She had gently warned her before, but Guo paid no heed and planned to return to the countryside in a few years to retire.
Guo, fearing her princess sister-in-law, fell silent and muttered gloomily, “Fine, we’ll talk in a few days.”
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On the way to Xiao Huai’s quarters, it was Yao Yan’s first time riding in a sedan chair, carried by four men. She felt uneasy inside.
Arriving at Xiao Huai’s residence, she stepped out of the chair with a thin sheen of sweat on her forehead.
Hearing the noise, Zhou Ning peeked out, then told the man writing inside, “General, Miss Yao Yan has arrived.”
“Let her wait outside,” Xiao Huai said, unimpressed by the so-called beauty his grandmother had sent. “I’ll see her after I finish writing.”
Zhou Ning glanced at the paper filled with ink and thought, Clearly, the general is just making rules for the lady and using that as an excuse.
The weather was cold and windy. Seeing Yao Yan’s delicate appearance, he wanted to let her rest in the side hall but dared not disobey the general’s orders. So she remained outside in the courtyard.
The tree shadows gathered like green clouds. Winter was approaching; perhaps snow would fall overnight.
When Xiao Huai finished writing and began reading, some time passed. Zhou Ning had already lit a lamp inside, and the cold wind howled outside. Only then did Xiao Huai realize someone was still sitting outside.