While issuing strict orders for their son to cut ties with the Bian family, with the expectation that he could marry directly upon returning to the capital, the couple continued to advance the marriage arrangements as usual.
After the verbal agreement was settled and the Eight Characters were matched, the Meng family began sending betrothal gifts to the Marquis’s residence.
To show the importance they placed on the Marquis of Anle’s household, the main street of the capital was wrapped in red silk that day, and the procession of betrothal gifts stretching from the street entrance to the end of the lane drew half the city out to watch the spectacle.
The Meng family had clearly spared no expense. Leading the procession was a gilded ceremonial guard, followed by twenty-four lacquered red chests adorned with gold tracery, packed to overflowing with freshly tributed Yunjin and Shujin brocades from Jiangnan.
Following close behind were two servants carrying live gifts—a pair of resplendent peacocks. Though their wings were bound, they wore red cloth knots around their necks and gazed spiritedly at the curious onlookers.
In addition, there were ten full chests of silver as bottom-of-the-chest money, each chest sealed with red silk at the four corners, the gleaming white silver dazzling all who saw it.
Behind these came sandalwood dressing cases, with phoenix hairpins inlaid with eastern pearls, kingfisher-feather hair ornaments, and various pearls half-hidden within the boxes.
Most eye-catching of all were the pair of mutton-fat jade discs, so warm and lustrous they seemed soaked in water, carefully carried by two young servants.
Some on the street stood on tiptoe to peer at the procession. Seeing the sweat beading on the brows of the burly chest-bearers and the redwood carrying poles bending slightly under the weight, one sighed: “Every single load here is genuine through and through—not like those other families we saw before, who piled things up on the surface but walked light as air.”
Everyone had eyes. Which families had real wealth and foundations, and which were hollow inside—the common folk of the capital discussed such matters privately.
“The Marquis of Ningguo’s household earned their title through military merit, founding the state alongside the emperor. They say the first marquis amassed great fortune on the battlefield—how could other families compare?”
As they spoke, the procession had not yet ended. At the tail were twelve maidservants, each carrying a gold-traced lacquered box.
Inside were pastry boxes from Hefangzhai, the most famous shop in the capital, displaying an array of colorful cakes and confections. In addition, two Hetian jade ruyi scepters brought up the rear.
A full seventy-two loads of betrothal gifts, stretching from one end of the street to the other.
People in the crowd clicked their tongues in amazement, saying that a marriage alliance between two marquis households was indeed magnificent—that a single piece from the dressing cases would be enough to sustain an ordinary family for years.
“Isn’t that Third Miss Ye rumored to be a husband-killer? Who would still dare marry her?” In the capital, word had long spread that Ye Su had an unlucky fate and would never marry—some even predicted she’d have to become a nun.
“Just a rumor. Many people want to marry a noble lady from a great house, and the Lord Meng who’s marrying her just so happens to have lost a fiancée himself—they’re a perfect match.”
“I see.”
At the Marquis of Anle’s Residence
Looking over the betrothal gift list in her hands, the Marchioness of Anle nodded with satisfaction, then passed it to Ye Su beside her: “Though his family is only the second branch, their wealth is considerable. You can tell from these betrothal gifts—you won’t live poorly once you marry over.”
Ye Su read through it as well: “Seventy-two loads, plus the dowry our family has long prepared—that seems like rather a lot.”
The number of dowry loads carried significance in those times. Noble families typically used the “full set” of sixty-four loads, with some even using the “half set” of thirty-two.
Of course, a marquis household fared better than ordinary noble families, but most only went up to ninety-six loads.
Ye Fei, the eldest legitimate daughter of the eastern branch and Ye Su’s cousin, had been married with a ninety-six-load dowry, while Ye Man had sixty-four.
As for Ye Su’s dowry, besides various precious jewelry, treasures, clothing, land deeds, and shop contracts, there were also large furniture pieces like beds, tables, and chairs—the count had long surpassed ninety-six loads.
Now with the additional seventy-two loads, her total of one hundred and sixty-eight loads would be nearly double Ye Fei’s. As fellow legitimate daughters of the Ye family, and with Ye Su being the younger one, this would be too great an affront to the other’s dignity.
The Marchioness of Anle thought for a moment, then said: “There’s no helping it. Many items in your dowry were bestowed by the palace on the two previous occasions. Even all of Ye Fei’s things combined wouldn’t match yours.”
“Still, one hundred and sixty-eight loads is a bit too conspicuous. I’ll exchange some of the less important items for silver notes to put in your bottom-of-the-chest, and try to reduce it to one hundred and twenty loads.”
The palace had bestowed gifts on both of Ye Su’s previous engagements, and since the marriages never went through, the gifts were never taken back. Thus, her dowry was in fact the most lavish among all the sisters.
“Thank you, Mother.” Being able to convert things into silver was naturally better than keeping dead objects stored in the warehouse. Ye Su smiled gratefully at her mother.
The Marchioness of Anle patted her hand affectionately: “You are my only daughter. All I wish is for you to live well your whole life.”
Ye Su said with full confidence: “Mother, don’t worry. Your daughter knows best how to make her own life good.”
To be honest, she didn’t have high expectations for Meng Zixu, this future husband she had never met. As long as he respected her as his wife, that was enough.
Beyond that, she asked for nothing more.
While mother and daughter discussed the marriage here, far away in Binzhou, Meng Zixu refused to yield so easily.
Though it was unfilial of him not to have informed his parents before letting his teacher promise the engagement on his behalf, he was dead set on marrying the daughter of the Bian family.
Looking at a face so strikingly similar to his late fiancée in his memories, his perpetually stern expression softened involuntarily: “Since I have already proposed to your family through my teacher, I naturally will not go back on my word. Rest assured.”
“Yes.” The fifteen-year-old girl’s eyes were full of admiration and reverence.
Faced with such fervent emotion, Meng Zixu felt a warmth in his heart. He turned his head slightly, even more certain in his resolve not to disappoint her.
He had originally been preparing to write to his parents to explain the situation, but he hadn’t expected their letter to arrive first—and it had already arranged a match with the daughter of the Marquis Anle’s household.
He had never met the girl, and he favored the one he had chosen himself, so he naturally had no intention of following his parents’ wishes.
With no one else around, Meng Zixu gently pulled her into his embrace and promised once more: “Once I resolve the marriage my parents arranged in the capital, we’ll set a date for our wedding.”
Miss Bian didn’t find anything wrong with this. In her heart, the man she had known and looked up to since childhood was so powerful that there was nothing he couldn’t accomplish.
All she needed to do was wait peacefully for him to come and marry her.
His parents refused to yield, and after much deliberation, Meng Zixu entrusted his most trusted subordinate to travel to the capital and go to the Marquis Anle’s residence to call off the engagement on his behalf.
He didn’t go himself because local officials were not permitted to leave their posts without an imperial decree, and returning to the capital without authorization was a serious crime.
Before the gates of the Marquis Anle’s residence.
Upon hearing the middle-aged man state his purpose, and seeing the surreptitious glances cast from all around, Ye Jiyu’s face turned ashen.
He had just returned to the residence from outside when he noticed this middle-aged man seemed to be heading for his household. He casually asked what business he had there.
He had assumed the man had come to discuss matters with his father, but to his surprise, the man clasped his hands in salute, then presented a letter and announced in a clear voice: “I have come to call off the engagement on behalf of my master.”
“Call off the engagement? What engagement? Are you sure you haven’t come to the wrong place? This is the Marquis Anle’s residence.” Ye Jiyu frowned.
But the man replied, “I haven’t come to the wrong place. My surname is Chang, given name Ke. I am a registrar under Magistrate Meng of Shenzhou. I have come to your esteemed residence precisely to explain the situation on behalf of my master.”
“My master was previously unaware that his parents had proposed a match with the Third Miss Ye here in the capital.”
“Unfortunately, my master is soon to be married to someone else in Shenzhou, and truly cannot wed the young lady of your household.”
“You—you were sent by Meng Zixu?” Ye Jiyu shouted in fury, pointing at the man below with a face full of cold menace.
The betrothal between the Ye and Meng families had already spread throughout the capital, and even the betrothal gifts had been delivered. Ye Jiyu had been happy for his sister.
But now this man was saying he had been sent by Meng Zixu to call off the engagement?
And he was saying it publicly before the gates of the marquis’s residence, trampling their dignity into the dirt.
How dare the Meng family be so arrogant!
Ye Jiyu kicked the stunned servant beside him and roared, “Go—fetch me a sword! I’ll go to Shenzhou myself and kill that bastard Meng Zixu!”
Chang Ke’s face twitched, and he quietly took a few steps back. Clearly, his earlier composed demeanor had been a facade.
Before he had come, his master had told him that Second Master Meng and Madam Liu were too resolute in their stance. To escape this marriage, he would have to work from the marquis’s side. Fearing the household might also “force a marriage through coercion,” he chose to make the announcement publicly.
As long as everyone knew that Magistrate Meng had no interest in the Third Miss Ye, the marquis’s household would certainly not force the matter.
But this would inevitably offend the Marquis Anle’s household.
Magistrate Meng was willing to call off the engagement regardless of the consequences—it was only Chang Ke himself who would suffer. He wondered if he would even make it back to Shenzhou alive.
“Young Master, please calm your anger. Let us first go inside and report to the Marquis and Madam,” the servant urged in a low voice.
Since they had sent a subordinate to announce the dissolution of the engagement, they naturally needed to summon the Marquis and Madam to handle the matter immediately.
“Take him inside, and send word to my father and mother!” Ye Jiyu gritted his teeth, then turned with a flick of his sleeve and strode into the residence.