In the second month of the third year of Chaoning, heavy rain had fallen for days over the capital. Dark clouds pressed down from above, shrouding the city in a thin mist.
By all accounts, few would want to go out in such weather, yet the main hall of the Yongkang Marquis’s residence was packed with people, bustling with activity.
The assembled ladies chattered away, their conversation reaching a fever pitch, but the beautiful young woman seated at the head remained silent throughout, a hint of weariness in her brows and eyes.
The young woman seated at the head was none other than the Marquise of Yongkang, Li Wan. Her skin was as fair as snow, so delicate it seemed it might yield water at a touch. Her features were exquisitely refined—rosy lips, white teeth, and brows and eyes like a painted scroll. She was utterly captivating. Her figure was not of the gaunt, skeletal sort, but curvaceous and well-proportioned, giving her an overall appearance of vibrant vitality.
On her slender wrist hung a pair of jade bracelets, symbols of her status as the matriarch of the marquis’s household. The jade’s color was as clear and translucent as a verdant pool, enough to make onlookers envious.
Seeing her remain silent, the assembled ladies began to grow uneasy. Could it be that she found their daughters lacking in some way? But their daughters—if not masters of every art—were certainly learned and accomplished. Surely they were not unworthy of the young heir of the Yongkang Marquis’s household.
What they did not know was that Li Wan had simply not rested well the night before, which was why her eyes and brows showed signs of fatigue.
Before her marriage, Li Wan had always believed that men skilled in literature would be humorous, gentle, self-restrained, and temperate. It was not until she married Pei Qing that she realized how shallow her thinking had been.
That man was a “beast” in human clothing.
Tonight, she would make him sleep in the study.
Just then, a slightly sharp but probing voice came from the wife of the Censor-in-Chief, Shi Shuyan: “We’ve been talking so long our mouths have gone dry. Why don’t you just tell us plainly, Sister Wan, what kind of daughter-in-law you and the Marquis are looking for?”
Pei Qing, the Marquis of Yongkang, had been a prominent figure in the capital in his youth. Rising from a civil official, he had earned the deep trust of the late emperor, later becoming the Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince. After the Crown Prince ascended the throne, Pei Qing leapt to become the Prime Minister, second only to the emperor himself. What was more, he remained virtuous and upright—in twenty years of marriage, he had never taken a concubine, and had only one son and one daughter. Now that his eldest son was approaching marriageable age, the ladies of the capital’s noble households naturally would not let such a “prized catch” slip away.
“Every one of your daughters is outstanding, sisters,” Li Wan said, her brow arching slightly, her smile gentle. “Whichever young master is fortunate enough to marry them will be blessed indeed. However, marriage is ultimately a matter for the children themselves. It should depend on how the child feels. Why don’t I ask Yan’er for his thoughts before we come to any conclusion?”
That same excuse again…
The ladies exchanged subtle glances. Madam Zhong, the wife of the Censor-in-Chief, had already spoken once and thus felt bolder. She raised her handkerchief to cover the corner of her mouth. “Sister Wan, that’s not quite right. Marriage has always been a matter of parental decree and matchmaker’s word. As the young heir’s own mother, why can’t you decide on his marriage for him? Just tell us plainly—what kind of girl do you like?”
Li Wan felt a headache coming on, her brows knitting together. Just then, a plump-faced matron with a stern expression walked in. “Madam, the Empress has summoned you to the palace this afternoon.”
This was clearly a pretext, but the current Empress did frequently summon the Marquise of Yongkang to the palace, so none of the ladies suspected anything.
Li Wan said “Very well.” Seeing this, the other ladies could hardly remain in the Yongkang Marquis’s residence. “Then we shall take our leave.”
Li Wan smiled faintly, her eyes shimmering with a watery light. “Mama Zhang, please see the ladies out.”
“Yes, Madam.” Mama Zhang’s tone was respectful. “Madam Zhong, this way, please.”
As soon as the ladies had left, Pei Yan arrived. He was tall, with a face as fair as jade, and his temperament was even more refined and scholarly than his father Pei Qing’s. He walked up to Li Wan and clasped his hands in greeting. “Your son pays his respects to Mother.”
Unlike his stern father, Pei Yan had always loved his gentle, warm-hearted mother. She was not as strict with him and Zhaozhao as their father was. When he and Zhaozhao got into trouble as children and their father was about to administer family discipline, one appearance from their mother was enough to spare them the beating. As he grew older, Pei Yan came to respect his mother even more.
Seeing the hint of weariness in his mother’s beautiful brows, Pei Yan asked, “Mother, are you troubled again over your son’s marriage?”
Li Wan gave a light frown, her soft tone tinged with helplessness. “This past month, every lady in the capital has been trying to sound me out about your marriage. I’ve been fending them off with every excuse I can think of, but now I truly can’t come up with any new ones. Pei Yan, why don’t you just tell me—what kind of girl do you actually like?”
Pei Yan thought it over seriously, then answered in a measured, earnest manner: “Your son likes someone gentle and virtuous. It doesn’t matter if she’s not particularly clever, as long as she’s thrifty and can manage the household well—that’s the kind your son likes.”
Li Wan’s expression turned somewhat strange. There were indeed plenty of gentle girls in the capital, but to be both virtuous and thrifty—even if such a girl existed, would she really take a liking to her son?
“Is there nothing else?” Li Wan refused to give up and continued asking.
Was there no one who shared similar interests and compatible temperaments? That way, after marriage, they could compose poetry and paint together in spring, and warm wine and admire flowers together in winter—how delightful that would be.
Pei Yan frowned, thought seriously for a moment, then replied, “She should also be filial to Father and Mother, and treat Zhaozhao well.”
Li Wan: “Don’t you have a type you like yourself?”
Pei Yan shook his head earnestly. “No.”
Li Wan studied him carefully, and seeing that his words truly came from the heart, she pressed her lips together. “Then go back and think about it some more. Tell me once you’ve figured it out.”
“Yes, Mother.” Pei Yan gave her a deep look, somewhat puzzled as to what he had done to upset her. He lowered his head slightly. “Your son will take his leave now.”
“Do you think any girl would still marry him like this?” After he left, Li Wan let out a faint sigh.
Mama Zhang couldn’t help but smile. “Madam need not worry. Our eldest young master simply hasn’t woken up to such matters yet. Once he does, he’ll know what kind of girl he wants to marry.”
Li Wan propped her chin on both hands and complained softly, “But his father wasn’t like this at his age.”
Li Wan still remembered how the young Pei Qing had presented himself before her with refined elegance and attended to her with the utmost care. Though she later realized those might have been a man’s pretenses.
Mama Zhang fell silent for a moment. Perhaps in the entire marquis household, only the madam thought their marquis had a good temper. She smiled slightly. “The marquis may have been precocious.”
Li Wan lowered her head and fiddled with the square glass lamp on the table, neither confirming nor denying. Seeing this, Mama Zhang asked, “Would Madam like to have her meal now?”
Li Wan: “I want to sleep for a while first.”
Mama Zhang’s expression softened, and she said, “Very well.”
Outside the window, the heavy rain continued. Li Wan woke again because she heard voices outside the door.
A man’s voice was low and magnetic. “What did Madam have for lunch and this afternoon?”
Mama Zhang replied, “Madam rested after receiving the ladies this morning. She didn’t have time for lunch, and she hasn’t eaten anything this afternoon either.”
Inside the inner chamber, Li Wan, lying in bedding made of golden silk, covered her ears with her hands. She truly couldn’t stand this man’s constant concern for her, as if she were a precious, fragile piece of porcelain. But she was already a mother—she could take care of herself perfectly well.
Before Li Wan could lower her hands and continue listening to the commotion outside, the pear-blossom bed curtain was lifted, and a pair of large hands with well-defined knuckles scooped her out of the bedding. He had probably just come from court, as he was still wearing his purple official robe embroidered with crane patterns. His bearing was restrained, but because his expression was gentle at the moment, he carried an added air of scholarly refinement.
“Wanwan.” He gathered Li Wan entirely into his arms, his slender fingers hooking under her chin as he looked her over.
Li Wan opened her mouth. “Husband is back.”
Pei Qing touched her forehead, his tone tender. “Why do you look so haggard? Did those ladies this morning upset you?”
Li Wan shook her head gently. Perhaps because she had just woken, her voice was still a little hoarse. “Do you know what kind of girl your son likes?”
“I’m not a worm in his belly—how would I know?” Pei Qing’s tone was mild, but his attitude was utterly indifferent.
“Then is that the same attitude you’d take toward Zhaozhao’s marriage?” Li Wan asked, seeing his careless demeanor.
A faint, ambiguous smile curved at the corner of Pei Qing’s lips. He was about to answer that yes, he would take the same attitude toward Zhaozhao’s marriage, but seeing his wife’s slightly annoyed expression, the words at the tip of his tongue took a hard turn. “How could that be? Yan’er and Zhaozhao are your children and mine—how could I not care about their lifelong matters? But Wanwan, you must understand one thing: compared to the young masters and misses of other households, the Yongkang Marquis Estate has already given them ample protection. If we continue to fuss over every little thing for them, we’ll spoil both children.”
Li Wan shot him a fierce glare, wanting to retort but finding no words at the moment. She lightly pressed her lips together. Thinking she had taken his words to heart, Pei Qing curved his lips into a smile and leaned down to kiss her on the mouth.
Mama Zhang walked in and saw exactly that. She quickly lowered her head. “Marquis, the meal is ready.”
Pei Qing gave a slight nod and told her to set the food in the flower hall—they would be there shortly. Mama Zhang acknowledged with a “Yes.”
As soon as Mama Zhang left, Pei Qing made as if to scoop Li Wan up. “Let me carry Wanwan over.”
Li Wan said she could manage on her own and dodged Pei Qing’s hands, walking gracefully toward the flower hall.
Watching her slender, brisk figure, Pei Qing’s phoenix eyes darkened slightly.
He stood there for a moment, then slowly drew a faint, carefree smile at the corner of his lips and followed after her.
Li Wan had just woken up with no taste in her mouth and only wanted soup, but Pei Qing wouldn’t allow it. He insistently held her in his arms and forced her to eat a few pieces of pastry, until Li Wan looked weary and waved her hand saying she couldn’t eat any more. Only then did he let her go, and the servants dutifully brought over fruit and tea to cut through the richness.
Pei Qing lowered his head. “Would you like to go for a walk?”
Li Wan shook her head, staring at the man’s handsome and stern face, then suddenly said, “Husband, tonight you’ll sleep in the study.”
“What does Wanwan mean by that?” Pei Qing’s expression paused. He turned the jade thumb ring on his hand, leaned back slightly, and asked.