Old Madam Wei’s expression was calm and unruffled.
“Whether her love is genuine or feigned, Yan An truly ought to marry a wife to bring him good fortune. Since she went to such lengths to secure this marriage, she will certainly cherish the status of Seventh Madam and guard Yan An for the rest of her life.”
Old Madam Wei did not care whether Shang Lingjun truly loved Xie Yan'an. What she wanted was a woman who would stay by Yan An’s side for a lifetime.
Whether he was alive or…
A memorial tablet.
Though Old Madam Wei was very unwilling to face it, she understood in her heart that Yan An probably did not have much time left.
Finding a woman like that was not easy.
If her family background was too high, they would be unwilling. If it was too low, she would likely be marrying into the family for the sake of advancement. And having another relative from a humble family would inevitably bring a great deal of trouble.
Besides, who would willingly marry a dying man?
She might endure it for a year or two, but could she endure it for ten or twenty years? Resentment would inevitably grow in her heart. If she sought affection outside the marriage, Yan An would be unable to rest in peace even after death.
Old Madam Wei would never allow such a thing to happen!
But Shang Lingjun was different. She harbored hatred, and what she wanted was the status of Seventh Madam so that she could trample the Third Branch beneath her feet.
Moreover, Shang Lingjun had fallen out with the Xiao family and had no maternal family to rely on. She could only depend on the towering tree that was Old Madam Wei.
A person with something to gain could be controlled. Old Madam Wei would find it far too easy to keep her in check…
Old Madam Wei’s gaze seemed capable of seeing through every hidden detail.
“That girl appears delicate and spoiled on the surface, but she actually has quite a temper. Just look at the wound on her head—she struck with real force. She and the Third Branch will have plenty of quarrels in the future. Didn’t she want the status of Seventh Madam? Then give it to her.”
Who among the young had never possessed a bit of temper?
Old Madam Wei even admired Shang Lingjun’s ruthlessness somewhat. She had been willing to go so far as to destroy the futures of Xie Zhaoqing and Xiao Jing in one stroke, yet she had remained calm and composed enough to bargain and negotiate terms with her.
She had courage.
Perhaps she would even catch Yan An’s eye.
“Find her a physician to examine her injuries. Tomorrow, open the ancestral hall and amend the clan register.”
Old Madam Wei gave the order.
Hearing this, Nanny Qiu knew that Old Madam Wei had already made up her mind. She even seemed to have developed some admiration for the girl.
“Yes.”
…
After a physician had rebandaged Shang Lingjun’s wound, she went to lie down on the bed while Qingzhi stood guard outside.
Now that all her plans had finally settled into place, Shang Lingjun had the leisure to ask about the male ghost’s origins.
[Hey, judging by your accent, you’re from Shengjing too. Where do you live? What’s your surname and given name?]
Xie Yan'an hesitated for a while before asking, [What year is it now?]
[The twenty-second year of the Jianzhao era.]
Shang Lingjun remembered the year she had married very clearly.
Xie Yan'an suddenly felt like teasing her.
[Then… I was born in the fourteenth year of the Yuankang era. Little girl, call me Grandpa!]
Shang Lingjun was puzzled.
[You’re deliberately taking advantage of me, aren’t you? You don’t sound like an old man.]
This male ghost had actually been alive during the reign of the late emperor. By her calculations, he was forty-six years older than her.
If he were still alive, wouldn’t that make him sixty-two?
Xie Yan'an clicked his tongue.
[What kind of thing is that to say? I was only seventeen when I died.]
[You’re really not making this up?] Shang Lingjun still did not believe him.
[Uh… Why would I lie to you?]
Xie Yan'an’s voice sounded somewhat uncertain. As though trying to cover it up, he cleared his throat, then said in a solemn tone:
[This old man’s surname is… is Huo. Yes, a single-character given name: Chuan. You may call me Grandpa Huo.]
The situation had arisen too suddenly. For the time being, he could not let Shang Lingjun know his true identity, so he would make up a false name first!
(Author’s note: Until the male lead’s identity comes to light later in the story, we’ll temporarily continue using Huo Chuan’s false name. Thank you!)
Shang Lingjun was speechless.
[Huo Chuan, is it? You were only seventeen when you died, so why are you calling yourself “this old man”? I was twenty-five when I died in my previous life. You should be calling me Big Sister. Come on, say it—Big Sister Shang!]
Huo Chuan: […]
Who calculated things that way?
Huo Chuan was just about to argue with her when the door was suddenly kicked open with a bang. Two broad and burly older female servants charged in, looking fierce and menacing.
“Young Madam, please come with us!”
These were people sent by her former mother-in-law, Madam Qu. They probably still did not know that Old Madam Wei had decided to arrange the exchange marriage.
Shang Lingjun was not surprised. Tonight was destined to be a sleepless one.
She raised a hand to stop Qingzhi, who was about to speak up. She was also very curious to know what had happened to Xie Zhaoqing and Xiao Jing.
The Xie family ancestral hall was cold and gloomy. On either side of the many ancestral tablets, only two candles burned, their flames swaying in the wind.
Xie Zhaoqing knelt on the icy floor tiles, his face pale and completely drained of color.
Madam Qu remained there with him, her expression dark and gloomy.
Footsteps sounded, and Shang Lingjun entered the ancestral hall.
The instant Xie Zhaoqing saw Shang Lingjun, intense hatred erupted from his eyes, which were webbed with red veins.
“You wretched woman! What nonsense did you spout in front of the outside guests? You’ve ruined me!”
He lunged at her, wishing he could stab Shang Lingjun to death to vent his rage.
“I didn’t do it on purpose. Don’t come any closer…”
Shang Lingjun pretended to be frightened and stumbled backward, then “accidentally” lifted her foot and kicked him squarely in the face.
After Xie Zhaoqing fell and cried out in pain, Shang Lingjun flailed both hands in apparent panic, not knowing what to do. One palm “happened” to land across his face.
Smack!
The entire sequence of movements had flowed together seamlessly, and the sound of the slap rang especially loudly throughout the ancestral hall.
Xie Zhaoqing’s whole body froze. What had just happened?
“You ran into me yourself. It has nothing to do with me.”
Shang Lingjun waved both hands repeatedly, her expression utterly innocent.
[Heh…]
Huo Chuan really could not hold it in. Her acting was a little too exaggerated, wasn’t it?
Seriously injured and unable to get back up, Xie Zhaoqing was so furious that he was nearly driven mad.
“You wretched woman! You did that on purpose. I’ll never forgive you…”
Shang Lingjun wrinkled her nose, her face filled with disdain.
“You’re the wretched one! A mere ‘Xiaohuan’ and you still tried to imitate others by taking a wife. I must have suffered eight lifetimes of bad luck to marry a filthy thing like you. Bah! You’re disgusting. Fortunately, everyone told me the truth…”
Xie Zhaoqing’s eyes nearly bulged from their sockets. That green-tea schemer actually dared to insult him?
She had indeed revealed her true nature. All that innocence and fragility in the past had been an act!
“How dare you! You’ve gone too far! Seize her!”
Madam Qu slammed the table and rose to her feet. She was Xie Zhaoqing’s mother, as well as the wife of the Third Branch.
The reason she had waited until now to speak was that she had been observing Shang Lingjun, trying to determine whether her having run to the front courtyard to cry for help had been deliberate or accidental.
Yet she could not tell.
There were two possibilities. The first was that this little vixen, Shang Lingjun, had simply managed to accomplish such a foolish thing by blind luck.
The second was that she had done it deliberately.
If it had been deliberate, then her acting was truly superb, and the depths of her scheming were unfathomable!
Madam Qu’s gaze grew dark and deep. Whether Shang Lingjun had done it intentionally or not, she would not escape responsibility!
Several fierce-looking older female servants advanced toward Shang Lingjun step by step.
“Stop.”
Qingzhi entered and paid her respects in turn.
Madam Qu immediately fell silent.
“Why have you come, Miss Qingzhi? Did Mother-in-law send for me?”
Qingzhi was one of the senior maids serving Old Madam Wei, so Madam Qu naturally recognized her.
Qingzhi shook her head and spoke in a voice neither loud nor soft.
“Old Madam says that the Xie family wronged the new bride, so she has arranged an exchange marriage for her. The new bride is now the new wife of Seventh Master. She hopes that Third Madam and Young Master Xie Zhaoqing will be mindful of their words and conduct.”
Madam Qu stood frozen in astonishment.
“This… this… How could that be allowed?”
Xie Zhaoqing looked as though he had seen a ghost. His voice even broke as he shouted,
“What did you say? Grandmother arranged an exchange marriage for her and made her marry Seventh Uncle?!”