This translation is by Pocketrobbin at S h a n g h a i f a n t a s y . c o m
Winter sunlight bathed Hangzhou, its rooftops and streets draped in a layer of silvery white.
Pedestrians drew their sleeves close around themselves. A shivering child in a threadbare cotton coat stared at the steaming buns in a street vendor’s bamboo steamer and could not help swallowing hard.
Yet at the end of Longjing Street, the most prestigious stretch of Hangzhou, inside an elegant courtyard with white walls and black-tiled roofs, a plate of steaming buns had been placed before a large dog with its tongue hanging out and a golden bell around its neck.
Several servants dressed in gray stood nearby, along with a middle-aged man dressed as a steward.
“Be more careful. Today’s banquet is extremely important to our Ning Manor, and all the guests are distinguished. Didn’t I already tell you about their dietary restrictions earlier? Miss Yan can’t eat mutton, so why did you make these mutton buns?” The Ning Manor’s head steward, surnamed Zhang, spoke coldly to the other servants.
The servants shrank their necks and exchanged glances. One of them rubbed his hands together before stepping forward cautiously. “Steward Zhang, these mutton buns were specially ordered by the young master. He said to make only one plate.”
Steward Zhang seemed to realize something. His eyes narrowed slightly. After a moment, he said flatly, “Everything today is to be arranged according to Miss Yan’s preferences. Put the young master’s orders aside for now.”
Steward Zhang passed through the covered corridor and garden before entering the banquet hall, which had heated walls built into it. It felt as though he had stepped straight from winter into spring.
From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the young woman drinking tea at the seat on the right, closest to the host’s seat.
The banquet hall was as warm as spring. The young woman had removed her white brocade fox-fur cloak, revealing a purple martial outfit underneath. She had a slender, graceful figure, but her features were merely ordinary. Her attire made her look like someone skilled in martial arts, yet her movements as she drank tea possessed the bearing of a refined lady. Her entire presence, however, was cold and rigid, making her seem rather taciturn.
Steward Zhang glanced sideways again, his gaze shifting to Ning Mo, who sat opposite the young woman sipping tea.
He had handsome, sword-like brows knitted tightly together, and his expression was so unpleasant that anyone could see it at a glance.
Steward Zhang sighed inwardly. Miss Yan had neither talent nor beauty, so it was no wonder their young master resisted her so strongly. Unfortunately, Miss Yan had been born into an excellent family. Her family background was precisely what the Ning Manor needed.
Still, on an occasion like today’s, the person occupying the young master’s thoughts was clearly still that mutton-loving beauty. He really was ‘deeply devoted’.
At the host’s seat, Master Ning’s brows furrowed slightly as he looked at Ning Mo with a trace of displeasure. After Steward Zhang leaned over and quietly reported what had happened in the kitchen, even more anger accumulated in Master Ning’s eyes.
But he quickly turned his attention to the other man sitting on the left, apart from Ning Mo, whose temples were already showing a hint of gray. Master Ning spoke with polite courtesy, “Lord Xiao has traveled such a long way to come here. I wonder whether the food at my humble residence is to your liking?”
“Lord Ning, you’re too modest. While I was on the road, I had already heard that the West Lake vinegar fish at your residence is considered one of the finest dishes in all of Hangzhou. It is truly my good fortune to have the chance to taste it today.”
The two exchanged another round of polite pleasantries. Yet while Lord Xiao spoke, the corners of his eyes frequently paid attention to the Yan siblings.
Although Lord Xiao dressed simply, Master Ning— or rather, everyone present except the Yan siblings— showed him a faint but unmistakable degree of respect.
Master Ning currently served as the Provincial Administration Commissioner of Zhejiang. He was already the highest-ranking official in the province, but he was not satisfied with that. His goal was to enter the upper echelons of the imperial capital’s aristocratic clans.
The Lord Xiao sitting on the left had come from the imperial capital. On the surface, he was merely conducting a routine inspection, but in reality, he was there to assess Master Ning’s political achievements.
Great Liang had always been dominated by aristocratic families. Master Ning had not been born into one of those clans, and if he wanted to secure an official post in the imperial capital and enter the ranks of its great aristocratic families, political achievements alone would not be enough.
He needed a stepping stone.
The marriage between his son, Ning Mo, and Yan Jingshuang, the di daughter[1]daughter born to the main / primary wife jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3323078_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3323078_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); of the First-Class Marquis Weiwu[2]Marquis of Mighty Valor jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3323078_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3323078_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });, was precisely that stepping stone for the Ning family.
And today was the engagement banquet for Ning Mo and Yan Jingshuang.
Anyone perceptive enough could sense the purpose behind this engagement banquet. Coupled with Ning Mo’s expression, they could not help recalling some rumors that had been circulating throughout the city recently.
It was said that Ning Mo had never liked Yan Jingshuang and had only been forced by family pressure and the constraints of propriety to reluctantly pretend to get along with her.
It was rumored that Ning Mo had long since given his heart to someone else. His beloved was as beautiful as a celestial maiden and exceptionally talented, far superior to Yan Jingshuang in every respect. The only problem was her humble family background, which had prevented her from ever earning Master Ning’s approval.
The guests could not help looking at Yan Jingshuang with a little more pity. But among the women, after the initial sympathy came a trace of hidden mockery.
Several noble young ladies gathered around one table, idly admiring their newly painted crimson-dyed nails.
“Today is Miss Yan’s big day. I wonder if she’s happy?”
“Who knows how long she’ll be able to stay happy?” Another noble young lady in yellow said with a smile as she picked up a candied golden date.
Because Yan Jingshuang was Ning Mo’s fiancée, few of the noble young ladies in Hangzhou actually liked her.
Who could blame them? Ning Mo had a handsome face, an excellent family background, and was even known as the foremost scholar of Jiangnan. What young maiden would not dream of him?
Yet the young man they had set their hearts on was engaged to someone with neither talent nor beauty. None of them could accept it. But Yan Jingshuang’s family was one of the most powerful in Hangzhou, and she was also highly skilled in martial arts, so these noble young ladies did not dare offend her openly.
Now, seeing Ning Mo’s expression, they realized that the rumors were probably at least partly true. At first, they had been both shocked and angry to hear that Ning Mo had someone he loved. But when they thought about how Yan Jingshuang was the truly unfortunate one, that anger gradually turned into schadenfreude.
After all, everyone could clearly see Yan Jingshuang’s love for Ning Mo. It could practically be said to have blinded her.
The more humbly she loved him, the more these noble young ladies looked down on her. In their eyes, Yan Jingshuang was shamelessly clinging to Ning Mo, refusing to let go despite having no dignity.
So they guessed that even if Yan Jingshuang had heard the rumors circulating outside, she probably did not care at all. She wholeheartedly believed in Ning Mo.
Hmph. So what if she had a good family background? So what if she became Ning Mo’s fiancée? She still could not win his heart.
This engagement banquet was nothing more than the Ning family making use of Yan Jingshuang.
The noble young ladies who had been able to attend this banquet all had some connection to the Ning Manor, so they knew a little of what was happening behind the scenes.
All they needed to do was patiently watch Yan Jingshuang slowly turn into a laughingstock.
Thinking of how Yan Jingshuang would eventually be left alone in an empty marital home, depressed day after day, the noble young ladies who had ordinarily been suppressed by Yan Jingshuang’s family background could not help revealing a hint of satisfaction.
At this moment, in everyone’s eyes, Yan Jingshuang seemed completely unaware of everything. She had not noticed the mocking or sympathetic gazes surrounding her.
She was simply focused on drinking her tea.
Yan Shouyi, who had come in place of Marquis Weiwu, rarely sat with his back so straight. But before long, he began to feel uncomfortable, relaxed his shoulders, and picked up an orange to peel.
When he tried to sit upright again, Yan Jingshuang, sitting beside him, spoke slowly, “Eldest Brother, you can just relax.”
Yan Shouyi immediately straightened his back, his voice deliberately casual, “Jingshuang, today is your big day. As your elder brother, of course I have to put on a good show. Although your brother is the number one wastrel of Hangzhou, I still know how to distinguish right from wrong when it comes to serious matters.”
After saying that, Yan Shouyi grinned and stuffed a segment of orange into his mouth.
But when he leaned forward to pour tea, he suddenly moved close to Yan Jingshuang’s ear. The carefree smile remained on his face, but his frivolous voice abruptly became serious as he lowered it to a whisper, “Jingshuang…… do you want to think about this engagement again?”
Yan Jingshuang’s expression did not change. Not even a ripple appeared on the surface of the tea in her hand.
She lowered her eyes to the tea in her cup. It was Yunwu tea, a variety comparable to tribute tea.
The Ning family’s sincerity certainly seemed quite substantial.
Yan Jingshuang said, “Eldest Brother, I know.”
Seeing that Yan Jingshuang was still as impervious to persuasion as ever, as though she had already decided that Ning Mo was the one for her, Yan Shouyi could not help sighing inwardly. He thought that if Ning Mo truly dared bully Yan Jingshuang, he would definitely teach the brat a proper lesson.
Just as the two were speaking, a pair of exquisitely crafted embroidered shoes, made from fabric that was not particularly fine, stepped into the banquet hall through an inconspicuous side door.
The newcomer was petite and did not attract much attention from the guests. But the moment that person entered the banquet hall, Ning Mo’s eyes suddenly lit up.
From several tables away, Ming Chuxue exchanged a distant glance with Ning Mo.
Yet the instant their eyes met, her soft, rabbit-like eyes suddenly froze. Then her lips pressed together slightly, and a faint redness gradually spread around her eyes.
Ning Mo’s heart clenched painfully. He wished he could run to Ming Chuxue right then, pull her into his arms, and comfort and cherish her properly.
“Ahem.” Master Ning’s voice pulled Ning Mo back to his senses.
When he glanced over again, his younger sister, Ning Bi, had already quickly pulled Ming Chuxue away.
Ning Mo was, after all, Master Ning’s son. As a father, Master Ning still hoped his son could be happy.
Besides, it was perfectly normal for a man to have multiple wives and concubines.
When the time was right, there would be nothing wrong with Ning Mo taking Ming Chuxue as a concubine.
Master Ning was devoted to his official career and viewed matters within the household rather simply. He had greatly underestimated Ming Chuxue’s position in Ning Mo’s heart.
Ming Chuxue[3]明初雪 – First Snow of Dawn jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3323078_1_3').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3323078_1_3', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); was the pure white snow at the very center of his heart. Even the word ‘concubine’ would be an insult to her.
If Ning Mo wanted to be with Ming Chuxue, he intended to marry her properly in a grand eight-bearer bridal sedan. He wanted Ming Chuxue to become his legitimate wife, acknowledged openly and without question.
But for now, the time was not right.
To Ning Mo, this engagement banquet was nothing more than a transaction.
He would become engaged to Yan Jingshuang, and in return, his father had agreed to help Ming Chuxue enter Guixu Academy.
Thinking of Ming Chuxue’s longing for Guixu Academy, Ning Mo was willing to endure pretending to be affectionate with Yan Jingshuang, whom he did not like.
Ning Mo’s hand, hidden beneath the low brown-wood table, slowly tightened, wrinkling his luxurious dark-blue brocade robe.
But when he raised his eyes, he unexpectedly met Yan Jingshuang’s gaze from across the table.
He had always known that Yan Jingshuang was in love with him.
Looking at Yan Jingshuang’s ordinary features, the grievance and resentment he felt at being forced into this situation shifted into a trace of irritation toward her.
Leaving aside the fact that Yan Jingshuang’s looks were not to his liking, he favored romance and refined arts, whereas Yan Jingshuang knew only how to brandish swords and spears.
Why did she have to cling to him so stubbornly?
Could she…… not have self-awareness?
The thought had barely arisen when Ning Mo, who was praised by others for possessing the bearing of a gentleman, froze for a moment. He immediately suppressed it.
A gentleman should not speak ill of others in his heart.
But Ning Mo’s mind was in such turmoil that it never occurred to him that he had never once made his rejection clear to Yan Jingshuang. That was why Yan Jingshuang, who valued promises above all else, had clung to this marriage agreement with such unwavering determination and followed Ning Mo all this time.
Ning Mo took a sip of tea, quickly suppressing his emotions. Ming Chuxue’s entry into Guixu Academy had to succeed. He could not be impatient.
Once Ming Chuxue entered the academy, he could simply break off his engagement with Yan Jingshuang.
With that thought, a trace of apology appeared in Ning Mo’s gaze toward Yan Jingshuang.
When the time came, he would tell Yan Jingshuang everything.
Since Yan Jingshuang had feelings for him, she would surely understand his difficulties. In the past, no matter what he did, Yan Jingshuang had always understood him.
Besides, Ming Chuxue was a literary prodigy among women. With such extraordinary talent, would it not be a great pity if she could not enter Guixu Academy?
In Ning Mo’s impression, Yan Jingshuang cherished talented people and understood matters of right and wrong. Even if the two of them were not destined to become husband and wife, surely Yan Jingshuang would not bear to see Ming Chuxue’s talent wasted.
Thinking that way, Ning Mo’s sense of guilt eased somewhat. He tugged the corners of his lips into a faint smile at Yan Jingshuang, exactly the same reassuring smile he had shown her time and time again whenever he deceived her because of Ming Chuxue.
Yan Jingshuang had always behaved gracefully in front of him, and her perpetually cold expression would reveal a rare, faint smile.
But this time, Yan Jingshuang did not return his smile.
Her clear, dark eyes remained fixed on Ning Mo. Her brows and features could hardly be described as beautiful, yet at this moment, they suddenly possessed an inexplicable power that captivated the heart.
Ning Mo’s hand paused as he poured his tea, and a strange feeling welled up inside him.
But while Ning Mo was momentarily stunned, Yan Jingshuang, sitting opposite him, slowly rose to her feet.
Her distinctive purple martial outfit was impossible to overlook as she walked toward the center of the banquet hall, naturally drawing the attention of those around her.
Master Ning had been chatting with the inspector from the imperial capital, trying to build a closer relationship, when he caught sight of Yan Jingshuang stepping into the middle of the hall from the corner of his eye.
A subtle frown touched his brow.
Though Marquis Weiwu held the noble rank of a First-Class Marquis, he was ultimately a military man by origin, and his entire household lacked any sense of decorum.
Leaving aside the fact that she was not dressed formally for such a solemn occasion today, for Yan Jingshuang to step forward now, before the proper time for the announcement, seemed far too impatient— inviting others to laugh at her for nothing.
Master Ning felt somewhat embarrassed, but because of Yan Jingshuang’s family background, he could only put on a hypocritical smile.
“Jingshuang, is there something you need? If you need something, just tell Uncle Ning. Our two families are about to become even closer, so you don’t have to be shy.”
Yan Jingshuang had simply arranged her hair into a bun today, securing her long, jet-black hair with a white jade hairpin.
Most of the guests could only see her from behind.
There was no denying that although Yan Jingshuang’s appearance was unremarkable, her figure was exceptionally graceful. It had nothing to do with attraction between men and women; it was simply an appreciation of beauty.
She was like a solitary, cold moon, pristine as snow and frosted with winter.
Hearing Master Ning’s words, Yan Jingshuang, whose figure was as straight as a green pine, paused. Then she slightly cupped her hands and gave a solemn bow.
“Since Lord Ning has put it that way, then please forgive my impertinence.”
The next moment, Yan Jingshuang slightly raised her eyelids. Her purple clothes gave her an unusual air of austere coldness.
In a calm voice, she said, “I want to break off the engagement.”
References[+]