“She’s also a foolish and shameless one, desperately insisting on marrying Qiao Jingchuan, even using my parents’ past affairs as an excuse.”
“My cousin is so outstanding – excelling in all Six Arts and Eight Refinements. How dare Qiao Jingchuan look down on her? He merely wants to use Third Sister as a stepping stone to climb into our family. Third Sister still thinks he’s some kind of good man.”
As Ming Zhouhe spoke, his eyes grew cold with anger. He explained: “Wanting to beat him up was indeed impulsive of me, but I wouldn’t give people any grounds for gossip. I planned to stand right outside his door and say I witnessed him being overly intimate with another woman. This way people would understand why the engagement was broken off, and it wouldn’t affect my cousin’s reputation.”
“Then I’d threaten him not to reveal his relationship with Third Sister, or else I’d ruin his official career. Only by keeping silent for the sake of his future could our family’s reputation be preserved.”
“But after being publicly rejected in marriage, his reputation won’t be good, making it difficult for him to marry into a higher-status family.”
Ming Zhouqing kept glancing at him. “I didn’t expect you to have thought this through so thoroughly. Quite comprehensive. I always thought you were unreliable with your usual joking manner.”
“Second Brother, we’re two of a kind. Who’s the one who usually jokes around with me all day?” Ming Zhouhe snorted.
Noticing their eldest brother’s gaze, Ming Zhouqing coughed. “You really dote on your cousin.”
“If I don’t dote on my cousin, who will? She’s the only relative my mother has left.” Ming Zhouhe sighed. “She should have been as cheerful and lively as Second Sister, but now she’s so quiet and well-behaved, it’s truly heartbreaking to see.”
His maternal grandfather had been a minor fifth-rank official who deeply loved his grandmother. They only had two daughters – his mother and his aunt – who both passed away a few years ago.
“You…” Ming Zhouqing elbowed him in the ribs, glanced around, and relaxed when he saw only the three of them were present. He asked suspiciously: “You’re not in love with your cousin, are you?”
Every time they went out together, whenever Ming Zhouhe saw something interesting, he would always bring a copy back for his cousin from the Shi family.
Ming Zhaohuan also looked at him inquisitively.
Ming Zhouhe glared at Ming Zhouqing. “Don’t talk nonsense. I treat her as my own sister, just like how you and Eldest Brother treat Second Sister. Cousins shouldn’t marry each other.”
“Who told you they can’t? Throughout history and in our current dynasty, how many cousins have married?”
“I say they can’t.” Ming Zhouhe frowned. “My father has a Farmstead north of the city. There’s a family named Zhao living there – the husband and wife are cousins who share blood relations. They had three children.”
“The eldest son has shortened, withered arms, only half the length of normal arms, with fused fingers; the second son has three feet and a large dangling tumor on his face; the youngest daughter has sound limbs, but she’s mentally disabled.”
“A few years ago when my cousin and I went to play at the Farmstead, we were both terrified when we saw that family.”
“Later we investigated other families where cousins married. If they were blood-related cousins, they all gave birth to deformed children to varying degrees. The luckier ones might be physically sound, but most died young or were physically weak.”
Ming Zhouhe lowered his voice further, speaking in a breathy whisper: “Speaking disrespectfully, even His Majesty and the Noble Consort are cousins. The Fourth Prince was born physically weak – I think it’s related to this too.”
Ming Zhouqing’s eyes widened. “My mother wanted me to marry my cousin! I need to persuade her to abandon that idea.”
As for whether he liked his cousin from the Yuan family, Ming Zhouqing didn’t particularly. But with arranged marriages being the norm and him not having any woman he liked, marrying his cousin wouldn’t have been bad – it would fulfill his mother’s wish and count as filial piety.
But upon hearing his third brother’s words, Ming Zhouqing felt he couldn’t do it again – he could be filial to his mother in other ways, but marrying his cousin was out of the question.
After listening to Ming Zhouhe’s lengthy explanation, Ming Zhaohuan spoke up: “Marriage between cousins does indeed carry a high risk of producing deformed children. I’ve seen one drowned child at the border.”
Although intermarriage among cousins was common in noble families, people only saw the healthy offspring because those deemed improper were disposed of early. With enough births, there would always be some healthy ones.
Seeing both elder brothers looking rather serious, Ming Zhouhe stretched and said softly: “It’s not that they can’t marry, just that they shouldn’t have children.”
“But in families like ours, how could they possibly allow not having children?”
His father loved his mother enough to threaten suicide to marry her as his principal wife, but that didn’t stop him from taking concubines to bear more children. His father believed having just one son was too few.
Since ancient times, men had always placed great importance on continuing their family line and expanding their descendants.
“Enough of this topic. I’m hungry too, I’m going to get some pastries from the kitchen to fill my stomach.” Ming Zhouhe lifted his chin, “Elder brothers, are you coming?”
“Let’s go. Tomorrow I’ll join you in teaching that guy a lesson. How dare he scheme against and bully our family’s young lady?” Ming Zhouqing put his arm around Ming Zhouhe’s shoulder, similar eyes flashing with anger.
Ming Zhaohuan followed behind them, his gaze withdrawing from Ming Zhouhe.
This third brother of his was much more reliable than the second one.
The next day, brothers Ming Zhouhe and Ming Zhouqing followed Fang Momo to the Qiao family to retrieve the Betrothal Agreement, with Ming Yuelin pulling Shi Jianli along behind them.
Arriving at the Qiao residence, Fang Momo stood before the main gate with several martial artists, her face cold as she said: “This old servant is Fang Momo from Second Madam of Anguo Gong Manor. Summon Qiao Sixth Young Master and the two heads of the Qiao family immediately.”
Ming Zhouhe and Ming Zhouqing stood expressionlessly beside Fang Momo.
Shi Jianli and Ming Yuelin watched from a carriage parked at the street corner, lifting a corner of the curtain to observe.
Seeing their aggressive approach, the gatekeeper didn’t dare delay and rushed inside to fetch the family members.
Qiao Jingchuan had been anxiously wondering if his relationship with Ming Yueshu had fallen through. Hearing that people from Anguo Gong Manor had arrived, he gritted his teeth and followed Father Qiao and Mother Qiao outside.
Mother Qiao looked fearfully at Fang Momo, steadying herself before asking: “Fang Momo, what brings you here?”
“Stop playing dumb!” Fang Momo shot them a sharp glance, producing the male party’s Betrothal Agreement. “Qiao Sixth Young Master, you became engaged to our maternal cousin last year, but two days ago our Second Mistress discovered you being improperly intimate with another woman – utterly shameless! Today I’ve come on behalf of the Second Mistress to terminate the engagement. Return the Betrothal Agreement!”
Mother Qiao glanced at her son and saw his momentary panic, realizing the situation was unfavorable for their family. But he was still her son, so she had to cover for him.
“Fang Momo, might there be some misunderstanding? My son has always been respectful, frugal, and proper – how could he do such a thing?” Mother Qiao scanned the surrounding spectators while asking politely.
“Hmph! Our Anguo Gong Manor comes from a benevolent and courageous family – we wouldn’t stoop to falsely accusing you.” Fang Momo took two steps forward, her strong physique looming over Mother Qiao with overwhelming pressure.
She leaned down and whispered in Mother Qiao’s ear: “Qiao Zhangshi, if you don’t return the Betrothal Agreement, Qiao Sixth Young Master’s official career won’t go smoothly.”
Mother Qiao trembled and retreated two steps, instructing her maid to fetch the Betrothal Agreement. “We’ll return it, we’ll return it right away!”
Qiao Jingchuan remained standing tall and straight, his eyes slightly reddened, presenting an image of unyielding resilience. While putting on this act, he was simultaneously calculating how to maximize his own interests.
Ming Zhouhe shot him a sidelong glance, thinking, “Keep pretending. Let’s see if you can keep it up in a moment.”
When the Betrothal Agreement was handed over, Fang Momo flung the Qiao Family’s agreement at Qiao Jingchuan. “You fickle scoundrel! While still engaged to our maternal aunt’s daughter, you’ve been carrying on with another woman, exchanging private tokens!”
Qiao Jingchuan looked up, his eyes shifting craftily. “Fang Momo, I know I was wrong, it’s my fault, but Shu…”
“Mmph mmph—”