The other party also saw Xie Zhaozhao.
The man looked her up and down, a flicker of admiration flashing through his eyes.
Xie Zhaozhao's eyes grew slightly warm at the sight of her elder brother again, but with an unfamiliar man present, she greeted him gracefully and openly: "Brother."
"Are you heading out, little sister?"
Xie Yu's heart filled with joy at the sight of his sister. She had lost her mother at birth and had been well-behaved and sensible since childhood—at such a young age, her feminine virtues and decorum were already exemplary.
Xie Zhaozhao lowered her brows with a faint smile and said composedly, "Brother, Grandmother has summoned me to meet the guests at the residence. I shall take my leave now."
With an unfamiliar man present, she could not linger. After replying, she took small steps backward and departed.
Xie Yu watched his sister walk away, feeling a trace of chagrin.
Today was Grand Secretary Gu's first visit to the residence. Had he known his sister would pass through here on her way to Grandmother's Wutong Courtyard, he would not have brought Grand Secretary Gu on a garden tour.
Gu Shaoyu watched Xie Zhaozhao hurry off with swift steps, the corners of his lips curving upward.
The eldest young lady of the Xie family truly lived up to her reputation as a lady of a distinguished household. Her bearing was upright, her steps light and measured—each one as precise as if it had been calculated to the inch. The hairpin and earrings at her head barely swayed.
The solemnity of Guanyin, the captivating beauty of a peony—the "Guanyin visage" was indeed well-deserved.
If his guess was correct, the guests she was going to meet were the old madam of the Pingyang Marquis Manor and the marquis's wife, were they not?
Xie Zhaozhao arrived outside Wutong Courtyard and happened to encounter Xie Xiangxiang also heading toward Grandmother's courtyard.
The maidservant at the gate immediately went in to announce: "The eldest young lady and second young lady have arrived."
Marquis's wife Lady Tu sat in the main hall of Wutong Courtyard, watching the pair of sisters approach from afar, her emotions somewhat complicated.
The eldest young lady was tall and slender, wearing an apricot-yellow round-collar beizi embroidered with peonies over a moonlight-white cross-collar jacket, with a peach-red peony-patterned long skirt below, and a crimson peony-clustered cape over her shoulders.
Her complexion was like morning glow reflecting off snow, like a lotus emerging from water; her hair was like spring clouds, her eyes like autumn ripples, her lips like vermilion cherries.
The legitimate eldest daughter of the Xie family, with a face like Guanyin—truly beautiful.
The second young lady, Xie Xiangxiang, wore a snow-white satin jacket embroidered with gold-thread peonies among trailing blossoms, its collar densely stitched with intricate patterns, paired with a rosy-cloud brocade skirt. The pearl held in the phoenix hairpin in her hair gleamed with a lustrous, rounded sheen.
The second young lady was said to be betrothed to the legitimate grandson of Prince Jing.
Marquis's wife Lady Tu felt resentment in her heart—both young ladies of the Xie residence were destined to have no connection with her own son.
"Zhaozhao, Xiangxiang, come quickly and greet the old madam and the marquis's wife."
Their stepmother, Lady Xu, also wore a complicated expression. She discreetly sized up Xie Zhaozhao before warmly inviting the two young ladies to pay their respects to the guests.
Xie Zhaozhao, seeing this woman who had been her mother-in-law in her previous life, felt only disgust. In her past life, Lady Tu had known full well of Gu Chengyan's mistress and that both adopted sons were Gu Chengyan's own flesh and blood—yet she had still tormented her daily for being unable to bear children!
In this life, she would have nothing more to do with Lady Tu.
She offered Lady Tu a perfunctory but courteous salute—proper in every formality, neither fawning nor arrogant, as noble as an immortal in the clouds.
Lady Tu found herself inexplicably holding her breath, a sense of humility and submission welling up within her.
It was Xie Xiangxiang who, smiling brightly, greeted Lady Tu with great courtesy and added, "The spring chill is still sharp, Aunt. Do take care of yourself."
Her show of goodwill and humble demeanor instantly smoothed the ruffled feathers that Xie Zhaozhao had left Lady Tu with.
The old madam of the marquis manor cast her shrewd, aged eyes over Xie Zhaozhao several times before saying with great kindness, "Good child, do sit down and let us talk."
Xie Zhaozhao and Xie Xiangxiang sat properly in Wutong Courtyard for a quarter of an hour before Grandmother sent them back.
After leaving Wutong Court, Xie Xiangxiang was in a fine mood, accompanying Xie Zhaozhao along the covered corridor as they admired the pear blossoms blooming profusely in the courtyard.
"Elder Sister, I heard the Living Buddha came to the mansion today?"
Xie Zhaozhao smiled faintly, evading the topic, and asked instead, "When will Mother exchange the birth-date marriage proposal with the Jing Prince's grandson she's been considering for you?"
A trace of awkwardness crossed Xie Xiangxiang's face. "Well… Mother says she wants to make further inquiries first."
"The Jing Prince's household is wealthy and illustrious, with unbroken imperial favor—surely it must be excellent."
"Excellent, my foot! It's just a facade hiding rot within! He keeps company with courtesans, walks his dogs, and spends his days either in gambling dens or brothels. Marrying a man like that would mean a lifetime of misfortune." Anger and contempt flashed across Xie Xiangxiang's face.
Xie Zhaozhao pressed her lips together lightly and smiled. "A daughter of the Xie family marrying into the Jing Prince's household is a marriage above your station. Regardless, once you marry in, you'll have a lifetime of comfort and high status. I'd even have to bow to you when we meet in the future!"
Xie Xiangxiang swallowed the words she'd been about to say and told Xie Zhaozhao, "Elder Sister, I still have matters to attend to. I'll head back first."
Xie Zhaozhao reached out to catch a snow-white pear blossom, her features soft and gentle. So Xie Xiangxiang wanted to back out of the engagement too?
Back in her own courtyard, she began reviewing the account books of the shops.
These shops were all part of her mother's dowry. After her mother passed away, they were entrusted to Nanny Xu, who had come with the dowry from her maternal grandmother's family, to manage on her behalf.
From the age of eight, Nanny Xu had taught Xie Zhaozhao hand in hand how to manage the household and run the shops.
Sunlight streamed through the lattice window onto her pale, slender hands, dust motes drifting and settling in the light—much like Xie Zhaozhao's perpetually composed face in the sunshine, dignified and serene as the years passed peacefully.
At the beginning of the noon hour, Yuanyuan, who had been lingering around Wutong Court gathering information, returned to the courtyard with a strange expression on her face.
"Miss, what do you make of Second Miss's intentions? She's actually pestering the Madam to marry the Marquis of Pingyang's eldest son!"
The maid in the Madam's courtyard said that last night, Xie Xiangxiang had suddenly rushed to her mother's courtyard, insisting on withdrawing from the Jing Prince's household engagement. She claimed the Jing Prince's household was a place that devoured people without spitting out their bones, and demanded that Lady Xu find a way—she wanted to swap marriages with the eldest miss.
The Marquis of Pingyang's household had a thin foundation of wealth and power. Had it not been for the old Marquis of Pingyang saving Xie Zhaozhao's grandfather's life, how could the Xie family possibly have married a legitimate daughter down into that household?
Lady Xu had exhausted every means to secure a marriage above her daughter Xie Xiangxiang's station into the Jing Prince's household—yet now, on the very day the birth-date proposals were to be exchanged, Xie Xiangxiang was adamantly refusing.
Lady Xu pleaded with her earnestly not to miss this opportunity with the Jing Prince's household, but Xie Xiangxiang refused to listen to reason. Lady Xu slapped her hard across the face, and mother and daughter had a tremendous quarrel.
"Second Miss is threatening to die if she doesn't get her way. She says if the Madam blocks her marriage into the Marquis's household, she'll be ruining her lifelong happiness."
"She also said the Marquis of Pingyang's eldest son has caught the Crown Prince's eye, and that Young Master Gu is certain to rise swiftly. If she marries him, she's sure to be granted the First-Rank Imperial Decree Title, and told the Madam to just wait to become the mother-in-law of a Duke. Is she having some kind of fit?"
Manman was equally bewildered. "Hasn't she always mocked Miss for marrying beneath her station? Why is she suddenly trying to snatch it away?"
"Let her be." Xie Zhaozhao paused for a moment—why did what Xie Xiangxiang said feel so familiar?
At noon, Xie Xiangxiang arrived carrying a flat basket of apricots to offer Xie Zhaozhao, her eyes unable to conceal her smugness and bashful delight.
"Elder Sister, the engagement has been settled."