"Enough!"
Yan Liangyu abruptly stood up, her fists clenched tightly, her slender frame trembling uncontrollably. She looked at Zhou Zhengxun, her eyes red-rimmed. "Zhou Zhengxun, is this what you brought your mother here to tell me?"
Zhou Zhengxun instinctively stepped forward, wanting to explain to Yan Liangyu. He reached out his hand. "Liangyu, I..."
Lady Zhou grabbed him back, her gaze as sharp as a blade. "You stay put. This isn't the place for you to decide."
Seeing how easily Zhou Zhengxun was restrained, Yan Liangyu gave a bitter smile, tears glistening in her eyes. "Fine. Since the Zhou family isn't sincere about the marriage proposal, then let's forget it."
Chen Meirong watched Yan Liangyu's pained and heartbroken expression, her own heart twisting as if frying in a pan of oil.
She opened her mouth, her eyes turning red.
Why should her precious daughter be treated so unfairly?
Lady Yan closed her eyes. When she opened them, her gaze was clear and composed. She turned to Yan Liangyu. "Liangyu, have you thought this through?"
Yan Liangyu looked expectantly at Zhou Zhengxun. He looked back at her but said nothing.
With her last shred of hope shattered, she bit her lip, tears streaming down, and nodded.
Lady Yan said, "In that case..."
Seeing that the engagement was about to fall through, Lady Zhou quickly interrupted. "Oh, look at these two young people, throwing a tantrum in front of their elders. How embarrassing! Sit down, both of you. This marriage business is meant to be discussed slowly."
Yan Liangyu had the favor of the Yan family and a wealthy silk merchant for a stepfather.
The Zhou family was in dire need of money. If they lost Yan Liangyu, where would they find such a large sum to smooth things over for Zhou Zhengxun?
So Lady Zhou had no intention of letting the marriage fall apart either.
An Chang'e went to pull Yan Liangyu, urging her to sit. Yan Liangyu bit her lip and didn't shake off An Chang'e's hand, but she also didn't sit. She stood her ground stubbornly, still biting her lip.
Zhou Zhengxun watched her like that, standing stiffly like a wooden post.
His eyes turning red at the corners, he suddenly spoke. "Mother, I truly want to marry Liangyu."
Lady Zhou tugged at him. He stepped forward, stopping in front of Yan Liangyu, equally stubborn.
Lady Zhou sighed. "It seems everyone's emotions are running high today. How about this: let's all calm down. After we've cooled off, we'll talk again. Lady Yan, I'll take my leave."
Lady Yan exchanged a look with Yan Tongshu. The Zhou family wasn't going to break the engagement, nor would they set a wedding date. They were deliberately stalling, waiting for them to bow their heads in defeat. If the Zhou family played dirty, they couldn't get back the betrothal papers, and they couldn't annul the engagement on their own.
Lady Zhou finished speaking and went to pull Zhou Zhengxun. Zhou Zhengxun reached for Yan Liangyu, but Yan Liangyu flung his hand away. "Don't touch me."
Lady Zhou coaxed, "Liangyu is still angry. Give her some time to calm down."
Zhou Zhengxun hesitated. Lady Zhou's face hardened. "Are you ignoring your mother's words now?"
Zhou Zhengxun lowered his head and followed Lady Zhou out.
Once the Zhou family had left, Lady Yan slammed her teacup onto the table, the sound like a heavy blow.
She was usually composed and rarely angry, but now her fingers were clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
Lady Yan fumed, "They've gone too far!"
...
Outside the hall, Lady Zhou looked sternly at Zhou Zhengxun. "I warned you over and over before we came. But the moment you saw that girl Yan Liangyu, you forgot everything. We could have kept those two shops, but now they're gone."
Zhou Zhengxun called out, "Mother," his voice strained. "Can't you just let Liangyu and me be happy?"
Lady Zhou was infuriated. "I've racked my brains planning for you, and you don't appreciate a bit of it."
She clutched her chest, and An Chang'e quickly supported her. "Zhengxun, are you going to anger your mother to death over a woman? She's using every wile she has to secure a good future for you."
Zhou Zhengxun wanted to argue, wanted to rush back to Yan Liangyu and say, forget it all, I'll go with you.
But he wasn't fourteen anymore. He understood things now.
The weight of the Zhou family's status pressed heavily on his shoulders.
An Chang'e scolded him, "Zhengxun, apologize."
He pursed his lips, afraid his mother, just recovering from illness, would fall sick again. "I'm sorry, Mother."
Lady Zhou softened when he apologized. "I know what you're afraid of. You're scared you'll lose that girl. But think: what rank is your father now? What rank are you? Other than you, can Yan Liangyu marry better?"
She continued, "You always say I weigh everything. But hasn't Yan Liangyu done the same? If she didn't know the Yan family had declined, if she hadn't set her sights on your family background, your talent, and your future, would she have put up with so much from you? Would the Yan family have given in again and again?"
Lady Zhou advised, "When you have time, talk to that girl Liangyu. Once you marry, she'll be a member of the Zhou family. Husband and wife share one honor and one disgrace. I drove a hard bargain today, but it was to get her more dowry."
She added, "In the end, it's you two who'll benefit. This is Liangyu's only chance to get a big fortune from the Yan family. If I didn't help you, wouldn't that be a waste? In the end, you'd be the ones to lose out."
Lady Zhou went on, "And tell Liangyu: Yan Tongshu was exiled to the Xianlin Hall. If he doesn't find a patron, he'll never get out. Don't think just because Yan Tongshu holds a rank of third-pin that he's anything special. Being an official isn't just about the rank."
Remembering how Yan Tongshu had used his third-pin rank to belittle her husband's fourth-pin, Lady Zhou fumed with anger. "You, talk some sense into Liangyu. The Yan family is no one she can rely on, and Yan Tongshu isn't capable of being her support. If she wants a good future, she needs to listen. Promise her you'll treat her well and make her the lawful wife."
Zhou Zhengxun's lips moved, wanting to argue but not knowing how.
After all, his mother was speaking the truth.
Yan Tongshu had been exiled to the Xianlin Hall for eight years now. If he could have gotten out, he would have long ago.
The Yan family was clearly on the decline, while the Zhou family was rising.
He loved Liangyu, but he had to admit that her future depended on him. And right now, he didn't have the power to break away from the Zhou family. If he fell out with his mother, he'd only lose, and his marriage to Liangyu would be even less likely.
...
In the hall, Yan Tongshu gently soothed Lady Yan. "Mother, calm down. We'll find another way to get the betrothal papers back. The Zhou family is greedy. If they drag things out, they'll also be dragging Zhou Zhengxun. If it goes on too long, his reputation will suffer, and he won't be able to find a good match either."
Lady Yan nodded and looked at Yan Liangyu. "Liangyu, I'll find you a better match."
Yan Liangyu knelt down, her eyes already swollen and red from crying, tears still falling. "I leave everything to your decision, Mother."
Chen Meirong and Yan Liangrong, hearts aching, helped her up and wiped her tears away.
Chen Meirong tried to comfort her. “Oh, what are you afraid of? Look at your mother—she remarried well enough. Even if the Zhou family proves unrighteous and really drags things out until you’re eighteen or nineteen, I’ll just swallow my pride and have your Uncle Qian give you a few extra shopfronts and some land as a dowry. Then, we’d still have no trouble finding a handsome young man, wouldn’t we?”
Yan Liangrong tugged at Chen Meirong’s sleeve and said quietly, “It’s not about being handsome or young. It’s about feelings. What Liangyu grieves over is that the bond they’ve had for so many years has been wasted.”
At the mention of feelings, Chen Meirong was at a loss. She sighed helplessly. Her own nature was so straightforward and decisive—how had she raised such a hesitant daughter? It made her both angry and heartbroken.
Just as they were consoling one another, Liu Shi, the steward and father of Jinbao, suddenly rushed over in a panic. “Madam, Second Madam, Young Master, Young Ladies—quick, quick, go out to greet the imperial decree.”
Yan Tongshu and the others stared at Steward Liu in astonishment.
“What imperial decree?” Yan Tongshu asked.
The Yan family had all but faded from the official circles in the capital during the reign of the previous emperor, and they had no connection at all with the new emperor. Where could an imperial decree possibly come from?
Steward Liu, still catching his breath, said, “Young Master, I don’t know either. It just arrived—a grand procession. I sneaked a count; there were over thirty of them. There were guards, and eunuchs from the palace.”
Lady Yan stood up. “An imperial decree is a serious matter. There’s no time for questions now. Come, follow me to respectfully welcome the decree.”
Yan Tongshu, Chen Meirong, Yan Liangrong, and Yan Liangyu immediately straightened their clothes and followed Lady Yan with the steward to the front courtyard.
When the Yan family arrived, they found that the Zhou family had not yet left. It seemed they had just stepped out and encountered the decree-bearing eunuch, forcing them to step aside and kneel nearby.
Yan Tongshu knelt behind Lady Yan.
The chief eunuch, Lu Xi, swept his gaze over the assembled crowd and unfurled the imperial decree. “Let the Compiler of the Xianlin Academy, Yan Tongshu, hear the decree.”
Yan Tongshu rose, stepped forward twice, and knelt. “Your servant Yan Tongshu hears the decree.”
