The imperial decree soon arrived at the Duke Zhen’s residence.
Miss Wen of the Duke’s household was still ill, so the decree was received by her third uncle, Shao Hong.
Shao Hong did not fully understand what had happened, but marriage was no trivial matter—it concerned his niece’s lifelong happiness, so he was extremely cautious. He slipped several gold ingots to the eunuch who had come from the palace: “I hope you can give me some guidance.”
The chief eunuch smiled: “Rest assured, Master Shao. His Majesty will not mistreat our Miss Wen. The Imperial Astronomer made an error when calculating her birth date, and the Emperor intends to hold them accountable! There are many matters in the palace, so we must return now.”
Once the palace attendants left, Shao Hong and his wife discussed the matter at length, but could make no sense of it. They then summoned the eldest grandsons of the first and second branches, Shao Junliang and Shao Junshou.
The Shao family was a renowned aristocratic clan in Ling City, a prestigious lineage of officials and scholars, respected throughout the Wei dynasty.
The Shao household was strict in its rules, especially in separating men and women. The two brothers had rarely seen their cousin Wen Yanyu except during the New Year or festivals. Most dealings with her were handled by the women of the family. Only during the journey escorting her back to the capital had they spent more time with her.
Local officials entering the capital were forbidden from associating too closely with court officials. Shao Hong knew the Emperor’s spies were watching them, so he dared not act rashly. He only helped tidy up the Duke’s residence and avoided making connections with the capital’s nobility.
Now, faced with this situation, Shao Hong asked Shao Junliang and Shao Junshou to investigate.
Emperor Jianxing, aware that the Shao family would be suspicious, deliberately allowed some information to leak to test their attitude.
The next day—
Shao Hong was so furious his beard bristled: “Outrageous! Truly outrageous!”
Shao Junliang and Shao Junshou also felt deeply aggrieved. They had grown up hearing stories of their uncle and cousin fighting bravely on the battlefield, always regarding them as heroes of Wei.
For a hundred years, Wei had been at war with Cang. Cang seized Wei’s land, plundered its wealth and women, and slaughtered its people.
Duke Zhen had reclaimed five cities and hundreds of miles of territory, earning Cang’s hatred. When he died, not even his full body was recovered—an arm and a finger were taken by the enemy as trophies for military merit. His two sons, aged sixteen and thirteen, unmarried and childless, also perished on the battlefield!
And now, only a few years later—
Wei finally enjoyed peace, yet the Fifth Prince had already forgotten the bloodshed that secured it and now insulted the Duke’s only daughter!
And that Wei girl, daughter of the Minister of Rites—she should have been the most proper and virtuous, yet she committed such vile acts!
Shao Junliang tried to calm his uncle: “His Majesty is already protecting our cousin’s dignity by handling it this way. Third Uncle, the Fifth Prince is the Empress’s legitimate son. At this critical moment, we cannot oppose him.”
Shao Hong thought carefully and then said: “You’re right. The Emperor favors Prince Qin more. If our girl marries him, wealth and honor will surely follow.”
But his wife, Madam Jiang, grew increasingly upset: “You men are just going to let it go like this? What about our girl’s dignity? From what I know, Prince Qin has a violent temper, while the Fifth Prince is gentle and refined. The Wei girl stole such a fine marriage from us—shouldn’t we hold her accountable?”
Shao Junshou quickly interjected: “Aunt, don’t be angry. It’s not that we’re afraid of trouble; it’s that now is not the right time to stir up trouble. As for men, whether they’re good or bad, you only know after marriage. Everyone says the Fifth Prince is good, yet look at the vile thing he’s done.”
Madam Jiang bit her lip: “To be trampled on like this—I truly cannot bear it.”
But since the Emperor had already made arrangements, no matter how unbearable it felt, as ministers, they had no choice but to obey.
Besides, though the Shao family was close to the Wen family, they were still only the maternal relatives. Some matters were not convenient for them to interfere in or speak about.
It was truly pitiful for Miss Wen—losing her parents and brothers at such a young age, with no elder relatives of influence in her clan. Even when bullied, she could only endure it silently.
Madam Jiang sighed: “Still, it’s rare—our girl’s health has improved. Yesterday, after the imperial decree arrived, she seemed much better. Perhaps marrying Prince Qin will bring her good fortune. I haven’t told her about the change in the marriage yet. I’ll speak to her about it.”
Though she said this aloud, Madam Jiang still felt uneasy. She believed Prince Qin was a bloodthirsty madman and feared that her helpless niece would suffer bitter days if she were to marry him. If she married in Ling City, the Shao family could still look after her. But in the distant capital, if she suffered grievances, she would have no choice but to swallow them in silence.