Manman asked hurriedly, "How was it decided?"
"The Marquis's wife sought me as a match for the heir, and the birth-date marriage proposals have already been exchanged." Xie Xiangxiang spoke with a bashful blush. Once the proposals were exchanged, the matter was settled.
"Wasn't Second Miss supposed to be betrothed to the Prince Jing's household?"
"The Xie family needed someone to repay Grandfather's debt of gratitude, so they chose me to go."
As Xie Xiangxiang answered Manman's questions, her eyes remained fixed on Xie Zhaozhao.
Xie Zhaozhao said only a single word—"Good." Her expression remained as serene as ever, revealing neither joy nor displeasure.
Manman remarked sarcastically, "Then congratulations to Second Miss."
Hearing that the words were not kind, Xie Xiangxiang did not argue. She set down her things and left Xie Zhaozhao's courtyard.
As she walked, she sneered inwardly. Xie Zhaozhao, the bitter days are still ahead of you! In this life, you won't be able to stand above everyone else again.
Behind her, Manman let out a light scoff: "Marriages are decided by one's elders. How can she be so arrogant? Shameless."
Yuanyuan was simply puzzled: "People strive to climb higher, just as water flows downward. I've never heard of anyone desperately trying to marry beneath themselves."
Xie Zhaozhao had a suspicion forming in her mind.
Xie Xiangxiang was adamant about marrying Gu Chengyan, and had disparaged the Prince Jing's household's legitimate grandson as utterly worthless. Yet at present, Zhou Lingyun, the Prince Jing's legitimate grandson, had not yet come of age and was studying at the academy. How could he possibly be as dreadful as she claimed?
The only explanation was that Xie Xiangxiang had also been reborn.
In her previous life, Xie Xiangxiang had been deeply unhappy in the Prince Jing's household. The couple had been at odds—Zhou Lingyun had been infatuated with gambling dens and brothels, and Xie Xiangxiang had fought tooth and nail with a pack of concubines, dying even earlier than Xie Zhaozhao.
Before her death, Gu Chengyan had already been enfeoffed as Duke of Yi.
In this life, she was desperately fighting to snatch Gu Chengyan for herself, waiting to become a First-Rank Imperial Decree Title holder and Duchess of Yi, to possess that vast, sky-high wealth and honor.
"Miss, will you be married into the Prince Jing's household?"
"Yes, the sisters' marriages have been swapped. The Prince Jing's household is far superior to the Pingyang Marquis's estate."
Nanny Xu came in and scolded Yuanyuan and Manman: "What nonsense! Talking of marrying this and marrying that—you'll corrupt Miss."
Manman cheerfully recounted the day's events, and Nanny Xu, looking at the young lady she had raised who remained unruffled by praise or criticism, was thoroughly satisfied.
"Miss will only marry better than the Marquis's household! Whether she marries into the Prince's household is for the Master to decide. That one—her word counts for nothing."
The "that one" she referred to was Xie Zhaozhao's stepmother, Lady Xu.
Still, Nanny Xu also leaned toward the sisters' marriages being swapped, believing Xie Zhaozhao would surely marry into the Prince Jing's household.
Xie Zhaozhao smiled without answering.
Xie Xiangxiang left Xie Zhaozhao's courtyard in a foul mood and went to Lady Xu's quarters.
Lady Xu said with displeasure, "Can't you learn a thing or two from her? You go spreading this matter everywhere—you don't understand propriety at all."
"Mother, I only wanted to see how she would react. I didn't expect her to be the same as always—nothing shows on her face."
Having failed to witness Xie Zhaozhao's heartbreak as she had hoped, her sense of triumph was halved, and she felt a pang of unwillingness.
"That is precisely her brilliance—she never lets her emotions show on her face. You're marrying into the Marquis's household, so naturally she will marry into the Prince Jing's household. Who knows how delighted she must be inside!"
Lady Xu said with irritation, "Those two siblings have eight hundred schemes between them. How can you be so foolish? You had the Prince's household on offer and refused it, insisting on marrying into that third-rate Marquis's estate."
"No! Mother, she cannot be allowed to marry into the Prince Jing's household."
"Didn't you say the Prince's household was terrible?"
"I won't marry into it, but I won't let her have the benefit of it either."
"She is the legitimate eldest daughter with a renowned reputation. Her marriage will only be better than yours. If she doesn't marry into the Prince Jing's household, the palace might even betroth her to an imperial prince as his principal consort!"
How could the legitimate eldest daughter of the Xie family marry worse than a marquis's household?
Xie Xiangxiang clenched her fists in resentment. In her previous life, her elder sister had married Hereditary Prince Gu and risen smoothly to become Duchess of the State.
Especially since Gu Chengyan's inner quarters were spotless—even when her elder sister couldn't bear a single child, the Hereditary Prince would rather adopt an heir to inherit the title than take a concubine.
Why should her elder sister enjoy endless favor in her natal family, and after marriage be held in the palm of her husband's hand, always overshadowing her?
Fortunately, she had been reborn!
Xie Zhaozhao, in this life you won't marry better than me, and you won't live better than me.
"Mother, you should…" she whispered to Lady Xu.
At shen hour, Xie Xiangxiang came running in again like a gust of wind. She entered beaming with spring in her face, not even bothering to lower her voice.
"Elder Sister, your marriage has been settled too."
Yuanyuan and Manman were planting balsam flowers in the courtyard. Hearing her words, they dropped their watering cans and ran over, asking urgently: "Second Miss, what did you say?"
Nanny Xu also quickly set down her work.
To be settled this quickly, it must be the Prince's mansion!
Xie Zhaozhao sat on the couch, a book in her hand. The slanting rays of the setting sun fell upon her face, revealing only a gentle softness.
Xie Xiangxiang saw no ripple or expectation in her eyes—not even a change in her posture as she read.
"Elder Sister, aren't you curious?"
"Matters of marriage are naturally decided by one's parents."
Xie Xiangxiang gave a light snort, somewhat dissatisfied. Urged on by Nanny Xu, she blurted it all out: "The old madam of the Marquis's household begged Grandmother to marry you to the Hereditary Prince's young uncle. Grandmother and Father have both agreed."
"The Hereditary Prince's young uncle? Grand Secretary Gu?"
Upon hearing this news, Yuanyuan's eyes lit up with delight.
Pingyang Marquis's youngest son, Gu Shaoyu, had entered the Grand Secretariat at just twenty-six years of age.
If they were to form a marriage alliance with him, it would be even better than marrying into the Jing Prince's mansion.
Xie Zhaozhao was also startled.
Gu Chengyan's young uncle?
She knew very little about this man.
In the memories of both her lives, he never attended any of the capital's grand or small banquets, and she had never privately met any outside man.
She only remembered that in her previous life, when she married into the Pingyang Marquis's household in early summer, Gu Shaoyu was on official business in the south. On the Dragon Boat Festival, news came back to the mansion that he had met an untimely death, his remains never recovered.
"It was the old madam of the Marquis's household who proposed it personally. She said she didn't want to miss out on Elder Sister. Elder Sister knows of Grand Secretary Gu, doesn't she?"
Xie Xiangxiang was gratified to see the flicker of surprise in Xie Zhaozhao's eyes—she knew her sister was also tempted by this prospect.
"Grandmother originally wanted you to marry into the Jing Prince's mansion, but how could the Jing Prince's legitimate grandson compare to Grand Secretary Gu?"
"I thought Elder Sister would surely be pleased, so even though Mother scolded me for being flighty, I couldn't help but come to congratulate you."
She smiled brilliantly, as if her mother had secured the very best marriage in the world for her elder sister, and she was overjoyed on her behalf.
Nanny Xu and Yuanyuan and Manman were all delighted, brewing the finest purple bamboo shoot tea for her: "Second Miss, you've gone to such trouble."
Xie Xiangxiang said cheerfully: "Grandmother and Father and Mother will surely tell Elder Sister about it later. I'll head back now."
Xie Xiangxiang left with her heart blooming with joy.
Nanny Xu chattered on, pressing her palms together: "This is wonderful. The young miss's spirit in heaven has blessed our little miss—she's found a truly fine match."
Yuanyuan and Manman were also thrilled, chattering about going to Huguo Temple to burn incense.
Only Xie Zhaozhao remained silent.
What had previously been mere suspicion about Xie Xiangxiang's rebirth was now fully confirmed: Xie Xiangxiang had been reborn!
Gu Shaoyu died young, and had he not been reborn, no one would have ever known.
Xie Xiangxiang wouldn't even part with the Jing Prince's mansion—the place she despised most—to Xie Zhaozhao, for fear that she might grow wealthy and prosperous. Instead, she eagerly matched her with an old man whose life was already on a countdown.
Her stepmother and stepsister—where was the kindness in that? They had merely racked their brains to secure her a future as a door-watching widow.