A Willing Mistake, My Lady – Chapter 47

Qingmei’s Marriage

The Peach Blossom Immortal¹ Plants a Peach Tree

In the backyard of the county yamen, Advisor Fan was leafing through a thick volume of legal codes, searching for a breakthrough in the current case.

            

“If all else fails, we can only have her daughter come beat the Dengwen Drum²,” Advisor Fan said after a moment of deliberation. “For this matter to progress, we must have a formal plaintiff.”

“If she comes forward to accuse that man Wu, will that really allow her to take her mother away?” Shen Hetang doubted a divorce could be obtained so easily.

“That depends entirely on how the girl drafts her petition,” the Advisor replied, also at a loss for a better solution. “She could accuse him of chronic abuse, physical assault, or poisoning. In any case, simply keeping her confined makes it incredibly difficult for the court to grant a divorce.”

            

The laws of this era were extremely harsh on women. If a man took a lover, it was dismissed as a mere romantic dalliance. But if a woman engaged in an extramarital affair and her husband’s family brought charges, she would be drowned in a pond.

In various legal records, she had even read of heinous punishments inflicted upon women, such as beating the womb with clubs, forcing them to wear red-hot iron shoes, or worst of all, trapping a woman in a sack with cats and rats to be clawed and bitten to pieces.

Fortunately, the magistrate of Qingyuan County, their “parent official,” was an amiable little old man. Shen Hetang had yet to witness such inhumane torture here.

            

Yet, what should have been a straightforward case was incredibly complicated simply because the wife wanted a divorce. On the surface, Wu Daoyuan had committed no physical assault, abuse, or poisoning. Instead, he maintained the facade of a devoted husband who refused to abandon his gravely ill wife—a display widely praised as a supreme virtue. If he refused to consent to a divorce, Li Qingmei’s mother was doomed to remain in Wu Manor, and her ultimate fate would be all too predictable.

Furthermore, having failed to lay his hands on Li Qingmei and even suffering injuries at her mother’s hands, Wu Daoyuan would certainly never let bygones be bygones.

As for accusing Wu Daoyuan of attempting to force himself on his stepdaughter—leaving aside the fact that he had failed, even a successful accusation might not land him in prison. He would likely claim he had been seduced by his stepdaughter, using the jewelry he gave her as perfect evidence of his innocence.

            

This was turning out far more troublesome than she had anticipated. In Madam Lin’s physical state, she would struggle to survive another month locked away from the sun. Should we just smuggle her out secretly? But running away was a last resort; their future lives would be plagued with endless complications.

“None of these grounds apply,” Shen Hetang said, pinching the bridge of her nose as a headache began to form. “Are we truly left with no choice but to stand by and watch her be locked up until she dies?”

“Do not fret, do not fret. Let this old man think of another way for you, young friend,” Advisor Fan said composedly, looking at his troubled junior.

            

“Do you have a plan?” Shen Hetang asked, noticing the Advisor’s look of supreme confidence, as though he had an ace up his sleeve.

“Then this old man shall speak plainly,” the Advisor said, swaying his head. “While standard custom dictates that a married woman must obey her husband under the Three Obediences³, this lady is a second wife. In her case, she may also seek support from her children.”

“What does that mean?” Shen Hetang asked, not quite following.

            

“A daughter is also a child. If a mother is miserable in her second marriage, her children have the legal right to take her away, bringing her into their own home to support and care for her.”

“There is actually such a reasonable clause in the law? This is a ray of hope!” Surprised, Shen Hetang felt the tension in her brow instantly melt away.

“Although this law is rarely invoked, it indeed exists. However, do not rejoice too soon. There is a catch,” Advisor Fan noted.

            

“What catch?” She knew there was no such thing as a free lunch.

“Has that friend of yours married? If she were a son, she could take her mother away directly. But as a daughter, she must have her husband’s written consent and guarantee before she can take her in. Unmarried women are not permitted to do so.”

“Ah… she really isn’t married. Well, it will depend on her choice. At least it is a way out.” She could only help Li Qingmei up to this point. Getting married was far less time-consuming and had a much higher chance of success than fighting a lawsuit. If the man had a decent character, it would also resolve Li Qingmei’s own marriage prospects in one fell swoop.

            

Sigh, I will go back and hear what Li Qingmei thinks. If she refuses, our only option will be to smuggle her mother out, have them flee Qingyuan County, and start anew elsewhere on their own.

In a room on the second floor of the inn, Li Qingmei looked significantly cleaner and more presentable than she had days prior. Upon hearing Shen Hetang’s proposal, she looked up with a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

“Shen-dage, why don’t you let me follow you instead?” Li Qingmei pleaded, still refusing to give up and desperate to make one last attempt. “I promise I won’t compete with jiejie for anything! I can even serve her. If she has a companion, she won’t feel lonely.”

            

Shen Hetang watched Li Qingmei. Seeing the girl refuse to see reason and go so far as to begin untying her sash, her expression turned cold.

“Take off one more thread and I will wash my hands of your mother’s affair entirely,” Shen Hetang said, her voice flat and devoid of any emotion. “Perish that thought this instant, and I shall pretend this never happened.” Her icy words instantly shattered Li Qingmei’s lingering hopes.

Li Qingmei buried her face in her hands, sinking to the floor in tears. The last shred of hope she clung to had finally died.

            

Left with no other choice, she accepted Shen Hetang’s proposal: find someone to marry within three days, and retrieve her mother within five. As for finding a husband, she could ask Chuntao and Jiang Chenyu to ask around, though she could also search on her own.

Yet, anyone she found on her own would likely be far less reliable than a candidate vetted by Jiang Chenyu and Chuntao.

Jiang Chenyu could not help but laugh when she was handed the task. After going in circles, how had the matter of Li Qingmei’s marriage ended up on her shoulders after all?

            

Fortunately, Jiang Ning had no shortage of men under her command. Once the circumstances were laid bare, Li Qingmei’s delicate looks would likely make her a popular prospect. All she had to do was introduce them and let the two parties make their own choices; she was merely acting as the intermediary.

Although Li Qingmei’s reputation was tarnished, many of the sailors in the fleet were orphans. They had no family to arrange marriages for them, and without a wife to manage their hard-earned money, they were prone to squandering it all.

Since Li Qingmei also insisted on living with her mother, the two sides were a perfect match—a fair trade that was still infinitely better than the bottom-tier options a matchmaker would peddle. Had it not been for Ah Tang, she would never have meddled in Li Qingmei’s messy affairs. Even if she put her heart into selecting a good husband, Li Qingmei would not necessarily show any gratitude.

            

But she could not bear to see Ah Tang fret, so she would gladly lend a hand. Whether Li Qingmei appreciated her efforts was of no consequence.

Though Ah Tang appeared aloof and distant to outsiders, she was the sort of person who would quietly drop a few copper coins whenever she passed a beggar. Jiang Chenyu was willing to safeguard the gentle kindness Ah Tang harbored deep inside—just as Ah Tang had once used her own fragile body to shield her years ago.

To Jiang Chenyu, Shen Hetang was like gold submerged at the bottom of a river, gleaming in secret for her eyes alone. She could not bear the thought of anyone else discovering her treasure.

            

Indeed, a wide pool of candidates made all the difference. In just two days, Li Qingmei selected a husband. The two quickly signed their marriage contracts, and held a modest wedding banquet on the third day.

On the fourth day, beneath Wu Daoyuan’s stunned, dumbfounded gaze, they invoked the legal codes of the Great Qian. Under the supervision of the yamen bailiffs, they officially escorted Madam Lin out of the cellar.

Although Madam Lin had previously struck Wu Daoyuan, his failure to report the incident meant he had lost any legal initiative. Furthermore, Madam Lin’s wretched condition was plain for all to see, leaving him with absolutely no room for denial.

            

This ordeal nearly caused Wu Daoyuan’s lungs to burst with fury. Before his head wound could even heal, his rage forced him back into bed, leaving Nanny Wu to run herself ragged catering to his every need.

The enemy of one’s enemy is a friend. Seeing Wu Daoyuan sick with rage elevated Jiang Chenyu’s spirits for a long time, making even Li Qingmei look far less irritating.

When Qingmei’s mother came to specially thank Ah Tang and her, she suddenly said something.

            

“Miss Jiang,” she said, “I wonder if my symptoms share any similarities with your late mother’s illness?”

After saying this, she left with her daughter.

Jiang Chenyu stared after Madam Lin as a seed of suspicion took root in her heart. Her own mother had always been frail, and her early demise had never raised any questions. But Madam Lin was different—her health had been perfectly robust before she entered that household…

            

In the days that followed, Jiang Chenyu went out of her way to hire a physician to examine Madam Lin and prescribe restorative treatments, hoping to uncover some hidden clue. Madam Lin was exceedingly cooperative; whether for her own wellbeing or to repay their timely intervention, she had every reason to comply.

Li Qingmei’s husband, Huang Qingshan, was one of the men in Jiang Ning’s crew. At twenty-two years old, he was an honest, loyal fellow whose grandmother had passed away several years prior, leaving him a bachelor.

Possessing average looks but a resolute character, he was tall and dark-skinned. When he was seventeen or eighteen, his family had been so impoverished that his grandmother’s medical expenses left him unable to afford a bride. Since joining Jiang Ning’s fleet, however, he had earned a considerable amount of silver over the years, making it the perfect time to settle down.

            

Li Qingmei was pretty in a delicate, modest way, which perfectly suited Huang Qingshan’s tastes. When he learned of her harrowing experience at the hands of the flower-picking thief, his heart swelled with pity.

As a lone bachelor, he had no fear of any neighborhood gossip that might follow their marriage, nor did he have any family who would stand in their way.

There had been three other young men who took a fancy to Li Qingmei, but they ultimately backed out upon learning of her tarnished reputation. Not everyone possessed the courage to disregard the wagging tongues of the crowd.

            

Only then did Li Qingmei truly realize how precarious her situation was. Fortunately, Huang Qingshan seemed like a decent man. Since her sole focus was rescuing her mother, she was perfectly content as long as he was willing.

Ever since she had boldly offered herself to Shen-dage, she had entirely snuffed out any illicit feelings, leaving her with the sense that it made little difference who she married.

Shen Hetang, however, felt that Huang Qingshan’s resolute nature was precisely what Li Qingmei needed; with his firm hand, her petty, manipulative tendencies would be straightened out within three months. He was, in fact, the perfect match for her.

            

The physician who returned from examining Madam Lin suspected her severe depletion of vital energy was caused by incompatible food combinations or long-term exposure to toxic house plants. However, these were mere conjectures that required further confirmation; it would be best if they could secure concrete evidence from within Wu Manor.

Upon hearing this, a chill capable of freezing vegetation filled Jiang Chenyu’s affectionate eyes, and she stared in a daze at the wall partitioning the courtyard for a long time.

Seeing her standing motionless in the courtyard, Shen Hetang walked over and pulled her into her embrace.

            

“What are you doing out here? Aren’t you cold? The wind is picking up,” she murmured, trying to warm her with her own body heat.

“It is nothing. I just wanted some fresh air.” Jiang Chenyu placed her hand over Shen Hetang’s wrist.

Shen Hetang looked up at the heavy, dark clouds rolling across the sky. There was no fresh air to be had, only the oppressive weight of an impending storm.

            

“We still haven’t drunk that wine we talked about last time,” Shen Hetang said, tapping the back of Jiang Chenyu’s hand one by one as she listed them. “On my way back, I went to Ruyi Restaurant and bought you baked pumpkin, pan-fried tofu, phoenix-tail shrimp, and their specialty, West Lake vinegar fish.”

“Come, let’s go back and drink!” Jiang Chenyu smiled, catching her sleeve and pulling her back toward the bedchamber.

Thick storm clouds blocked out the last traces of daylight, accompanied by occasional bolts of lightning that sliced through the dark sky, casting fleeting, brilliant flashes across the dim room.

            

Shen Hetang reached out and shut the window tight. Before long, she heard the rumble of thunder; the heavy rain was not far off.

Inside, the room felt cozy and warm. Two floor lamps had been dragged beside the round table, and a jar of Daughter’s Red⁴ had been uncorked and decanted into a jade-green wine pot.

Jiang Chenyu quietly watched Shen Hetang, who had already finished several cups of wine without showing the slightest hint of intoxication. Smiling to herself, she poured three more cups. Under the soft lamplight, Shen Hetang toyed with the jade-green cup, pressing it against her pale, jade-smooth cheek and tracing her crimson lips, yet refusing to take a sip.

            

Her elegant, ethereal eyes held an enticing hook, sweeping a glance over Jiang Chenyu as if seeing right through her trick, causing Jiang Chenyu’s heart to skip a beat.

“Since you are drunk, let’s have Chuntao clear it away,” Jiang Chenyu said, the smile at the corners of her lips impossible to suppress.

“I am not drunk. I am perfectly sober,” Shen Hetang replied, intentionally widening her eyes as she spoke with deliberate clarity.

            

Outside, the heavy rain seemed to patter down endlessly. Once the food was cleared away, they took a simple bath and retired to bed early.

But the hour was still early, and sleep eluded them. A tiny oil lamp burned softly inside the canopy bed. Jiang Chenyu extended a pale, slender finger, slowly tracing a line down from Shen Hetang’s forehead.

She paused at her crimson lips, brushing them gently before letting her finger wander down to trace her collarbone.

            

Shen Hetang kept her eyes shut, lying quietly on her side. Soon, however, she felt a small hand fumbling with her collar. When she finally opened her eyes, her inner robe had already been pulled halfway open, exposing her jade-white shoulder to the cool air.

At this, she finally understood why Jiang Chenyu had wanted to ply her with wine; she was still bent on stripping her clothes. Actually, she did not particularly mind; she was simply dangling a carrot before a rabbit, finding it amusing to watch her remain so utterly fixated.

She simply watched the mischievous woman in silence, her gaze clear and bright, looking both drunk and yet perfectly sober.

            

Seeing that she remained still and silent, Jiang Chenyu grew bolder, her small hand venturing further. Yet, before she could achieve her goal, she suffered a swift defeat.

The pink silk ribbon once again found its way around her wrists. After a long while, the crisp collision of beads echoed in the room, rapid and chaotic, sounding like a frantic percussion instrument.

Hearing the tinkling of the bead curtain, Shen Hetang raised her hand to pull Jiang Chenyu’s fingers down from the bed curtains, truly fearing they might soon be covered by the canopy.

            

By the time Shen Hetang untied the ribbon, the beauty’s dark hair was in a wild tangle, the corners of her eyes flushed and damp. Her soft, porcelain skin was adorned with a flurry of pink marks, a scattering of deep rose and light blush, with several overlapping like clusters of blossoms—strikingly alluring.

Jiang Chenyu wrapped herself tightly in the thin quilt, biting her lip as she turned away, refusing to pay her any mind.

“What is it? Are you angry?” Shen Hetang cooed, sliding closer. “How about I let you bite me back?” She draped her arm over the other’s waist, pulling her close…!

            

“…Liar… You… You… Let go!” Jiang Chenyu stammered, using her forearm to block her, her face burning as she turned her head away in annoyance.

“I suppose I really am drunk. Wife, I was wrong,” Shen Hetang murmured, sweeping Jiang Chenyu’s long hair to one side and nuzzling her face affectionately against her snowy neck.

Jiang Chenyu was not truly angry. It was just that she always seemed to be the one on the losing end, while Ah Tang was unwilling to shed even a single layer of clothing. She was displeased. Hmph!

            

The spring rain outside grew heavier, the sound of water pooling into miniature rivers and flowing to the low-lying areas echoing clearly even through the closed windows.

The person on the bed felt a bit cold under the thin quilt, and the sound of the rain outside also made her afraid. After a moment’s thought, she turned back around and curled into her embrace; as expected, she felt much warmer and more secure.

Although Shen Hetang was more than happy to hold her close—the skin beneath her fingers felt incredibly smooth and delicate—she worried Jiang Chenyu might catch a chill in the dead of night. She tucked the quilt securely around her, got out of bed to fetch a fresh set of undergarments, and climbed back in.

            

Only when she saw Shen Hetang holding a pale green dudou⁵ and a matching pair of undergarments did Jiang Chenyu realize she was still completely bare. She instantly hid her face behind her long hair and slid rigidly back under the quilt. Ahhh, how could I have forgotten I wasn’t wearing anything? This is too embarrassing…

Although… still… I am not yet used to being so brazenly naked!

But to Shen Hetang, this flurry of mental activity and slow movements only appeared as: dark hair draped over her shoulders, the pink marks on her snow-white skin appearing and disappearing, and those eyes watching her fetch the clothes with a cute, dazed expression, looking both adorably innocent and pitiful.

            

“Put on your clothes; it is cold at night, do not fall ill.”

“…Mm…” Jiang Chenyu let out a tiny, mosquito-like squeak, burying herself even deeper beneath the covers.

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