The Empress Dowager Orders a Marriage
Standing in front of the door of Cuihong Zhuang, Ye Youqing still had some defenses up. After all, an anonymous note seemed too much like a trap.
It was noon, and the sun was a bit intense, hanging high above. There were hardly any people on the Imperial Street, only the locust trees that covered the sky and shaded the earth in green.
“Eldest Miss!” someone called out from inside the shop, followed by a young man with disheveled hair running towards her. Within a few steps, he stood before Ye Youqing, “You’ve finally come!”
Without saying a word, Ye Youqing nodded and followed him inside, instantly enveloped by the cool shade, alleviating some of the heat from outside.
“Take a look at this.” Ye Youqing handed a stack of papers filled with writing to the young man. “If you have no objections, then proceed according to this.”
The young man respectfully took the papers, carefully storing them away.
“Who is waiting for me?” Ye Youqing asked.
“It’s that crazy woman. She finally came to her senses yesterday. Upon waking up, she insisted on seeing you. I refused, but she threatened me,” the young man said resentfully, “Eldest Miss must be careful. This person is highly skilled in martial arts and acts in a very peculiar way, not seeming like a good person at all.”
“When was the first time you saw her?” Ye Youqing suddenly asked.
“I’ve seen her since I was young. This person always appears and disappears unpredictably, sometimes lurking around every day, and sometimes gone for several months,” the young man thought for a moment before answering.
Ye Youqing nodded upon hearing this and then climbed the swaying wooden staircase, standing in front of the door before lightly knocking with her index finger.
“Come in.” A somewhat husky female voice responded, magnetic, casual yet lazy, mixed with an inherent decadence.
Ye Youqing cautiously pushed open the door. The room was serene, the damp wood smell mingled with the lingering scent of alcohol, spreading along the walls.
A woman sat cross-legged on the couch, wearing old cloth clothes, yet her face was quite young, with the distinct high and elegant nose bridge typical of foreigners, and deep-set eyes. When she looked up, her eyes were a lighter shade of gold than on that day.
Ye Youqing was stunned for a moment because the woman in front of her did not show the slightest hint of madness anymore.
“Ye Youqing.” The woman repeated her name, as if savoring the three words, “Thank you for the other day.”
“Do you recognize me?” Ye Youqing stood still.
The woman did not answer, her gaze shifted upward, staring at Ye Youqing’s hairpin for a while: “That willow leaf pin was left to you by me when you were young.”
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Hearing this, Ye Youqing reached up to touch her head, quickly pulling out a long silver hairpin, the end carved into the shape of a willow leaf.
Qin Xin would put this silver hairpin in her hair every day, Ye Youqing thought it was just something the original owner cherished, and she had never paid much attention to it.
She stared at the hairpin for a while, applying gentle force with her fingers, when suddenly, with a snap, the original stick of the hairpin extended, the tip sharp as a dagger.
Ye Youqing looked up suspiciously, scrutinizing the woman from head to toe.
“When you were young, you were physically weak. I followed my father to the capital, and because I was a girl and did not need to avoid, I had the fortune to be chosen by King Si Rong to be your teaching master for two years,” the woman casually said.
Weighing the willow leaf hairpin in her hand, which seemed hardly different from Ci Ke’s flower hairpin, Ye Youqing suddenly had a light-bulb moment, clearly understanding her identity.
“Does the Noble Consort know?” Ye Youqing suddenly asked.
Hearing this, the woman, whose eyes had dropped, suddenly lifted them in surprise, as if astonished that Ye Youqing could guess her identity, given that in the past, Ye Youqing should have been quite a naive woman.
“She doesn’t know,” she answered.
Seeing the questioning look in Ye Youqing’s eyes, she suddenly sighed and spoke with melancholy.
“You don’t know what happened back then. Seven years have passed, things have changed, people have changed; she is now the Noble Consort, no longer Zhou Ziqiu.”
Half an hour later, Ye Youqing returned to the Duke’s residence, slowly walking on a bridge covered by flowers.
Ye Youqing noticed the pain that overflowed from Shi Li when she mentioned the subject, so she kindly didn’t ask any further. After all, she wasn’t keen on getting involved with the secrets of the royal court.
Yet she couldn’t help but sigh over the stories she knew.
“Eldest Miss!” Suddenly, a crisp and anxious shout came from the end of the corridor. Ye Youqing frowned and promptly stretched out her hand to steady Qin Xin, who nearly stumbled in front of her.
“What’s the matter?” Ye Youqing asked.
“Just now, an eunuch from the palace came with an invitation for the Empress Dowager’s birthday celebration. All the female members of the household are to attend, except for you!” Qin Xin, sweating profusely and disregarding any formality, grabbed Ye Youqing’s sleeve and dragged her towards the front courtyard.
The Empress Dowager’s birthday! As she followed Qin Xin, Ye Youqing bit her lip, blaming herself for completely forgetting such an important event.
Some scheming individual had suggested to the Empress Dowager to host a banquet on her fifty-fifth birthday, inviting all the royals and ministers of the capital, including family members from their households.
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On the day of the banquet, everyone present had to offer a gift to pray for the Empress Dowager’s blessings. The Empress Dowager would review each gift and select the one she was most satisfied with. The person who presented that gift could then make a wish to the Empress Dowager.
Advancement, wealth, or ennoblement, all depended on this moment, making it a significant event for all the royal relatives and nobles in the capital.
Finally reaching the front courtyard, Duke Liang stood in his brown robe, imposing in front of the eunuch, watching Ye Youqing running wildly with her waist bent. His thick eyebrows knotted, his lips moved slightly, but he refrained from scolding her aloud.
Ye Youqing felt the furious gaze of Duke Liang on her but forced herself not to look up, standing obediently beside Zhao Qingrou with lowered eyes. Zhao Qingrou moved her body slightly, blocking Ye Youqing from the Duke’s line of sight.
Only then did Ye Youqing’s back stop feeling prickly. Lifting her eyes, she met Ye Chengzhu’s mocking gaze.
Ye Youqing arrived quite late; the white-faced eunuch had already finished reading the announcement and respectfully handed the invitation to a servant beside him before taking his leave.
Before Ye Youqing could straighten herself, she heard the authoritative and rough voice of Duke Liang overbearing above her head: “Ye Youqing, come here.”
Ye Youqing had always had a bad impression of Duke Liang. Even in the original story, he was always putting his family’s interests first, a typical nobleman of royal lineage.
He seemed not to reject the olive branch extended by the Qin family either; otherwise, he would not choose to marry his legitimate daughter into the house of a third-rank military official. After the marriage, he even neglected the original owner, allowing her to suffer all kinds of torments.
Quietly comforting Zhao Qingrou, Ye Youqing followed him to the main hall of the front courtyard. As the door opened, she saw a back she was all too familiar with.
Qin Wang? Ye Youqing felt a surge of disgust in her heart as she looked up at Duke Liang.
“What is the meaning of this?” Ye Youqing asked, her tea-colored eyes narrowing slightly.
“General Qin has come today to discuss matters of the court,” said Duke Liang in a rough voice. “You are called here now because there is still an engagement between you two.”
“General Qin deceived [me] about the matter of my birthday, have you forgotten?” Ye Youqing looked straight at him as she spoke.
“How impudent.” Duke Liang’s mustache trembled slightly, obviously angered by Ye Youqing’s disrespect. He was about to say something else when he suddenly heard the sound of approaching footsteps.
Qin Wang appeared beside the two. He was still dressed in black, looking very handsome. He bowed to Duke Liang and said with a smile, “Duke, I have been rude. I have some personal matters I wish to discuss with the Eldest Miss. What do you think…”
Duke Liang glared at Ye Youqing for a while, his gaze heavy as if it could crush someone, making it hard to breathe. Then, he harrumphed loudly and turned away.
Before Ye Youqing could sigh in relief, she felt a warm palm cover her arm. She immediately shook it off as if electrocuted, pushing Qin Wang half a zhang (about 3.3 meters) away.
“I will not marry you, don’t waste your effort.” Ye Youqing looked at him coldly.
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Qin Wang stepped back a few paces, then suddenly laughed as if Ye Youqing was overestimating herself and did not take her seriously. He said softly, “Since ancient times, marriage has been decided by the parents and matchmaking words. This is not up to you.”
“Wait and see, Qingqing.” After saying that, Qin Wang even winked at Ye Youqing before striding away and disappearing outside the entrance hall.
Ye Youqing had never seen such a nauseating wink, almost making her vomit. Her delicate hand slowly reached for the celadon vase beside her, absentmindedly smashing the fresh flowers inside into mud. Her gaze gradually deepened.
She remembered Ci Ke saying that Qin Wang was preparing to offer the Empress Dowager’s favorite gift in exchange for the Empress Dowager personally arranging the marriage.
The most crucial point is, if things go as in the original story, it is indeed Qin Wang who comes out on top.
Ye Youqing, upon thinking this, suddenly felt her anger dissipate, turning into a thoughtful smile instead. She wasn’t one to covet what belonged to others, but since Qin Wang was unkind.
She naturally could be unjust.
LP: Disgusting pieces of sh*ts! Yeah, crush them Youqing!