Chapter 907 - 383: The Death of Ma Yue (Part 2)
Xiang Wei’s eyes moved slightly; she didn’t expect it was An Zhichen who rescued the young lady. Although Xiang Wei knew An Zhichen had gone to Haikou, she didn’t have much faith in him, instead placing her hopes on the people from the Marquis’ household. She didn’t expect An Zhichen to have such skills, actually managing to rescue the young lady, which wasn’t bad at all. She asked, "How is the young lady?"
Bai Yi nodded and said, "Miss Yueyao is quite well. Apart from suffering a bit during the journey to Haikou, she has been doing well there. People there say that while Miss Yueyao was at the General’s Mansion, she was as she was in the Capital City, either painting or reading every day. That incident didn’t have much impact on her."
Xiang Wei breathed a sigh of relief. If the news coming back was correct, the young lady indeed hadn’t suffered any harm. That’s good, and not having suffered any real harm will make it easier to convince her later.
Bai Yi smiled and said, "Xiang Wei, you guessed right; Miss Yueyao wants to break off the engagement."
Xiang Wei rolled her eyes, "Isn’t An Zhichen too useless?" Isn’t the saying that a hero rescuing a beauty is the best way to win a beauty’s heart? How come after rescuing the young lady, not only did he not win her over, but instead she wants to break off the engagement?
Xiang Wei didn’t want to admit it was Yueyao being cold-hearted, but instead blamed An Zhichen for being useless. If An Zhichen were present, he’d surely be spitting blood.
Bai Yi laughed, "It’s not that Elder An is useless; it’s that Miss Yueyao has her reservations. However, Elder An has already stated that he absolutely won’t break off the engagement, and the Second Old Grand Master of the An family also disagrees with breaking it off, so this marriage won’t be easy to cancel. It seems Miss Yueyao is stubborn; this marriage, I reckon, will have some ups and downs." Bai Yi could understand why Yueyao insisted on breaking off the engagement. She was kidnapped for over two months, and An Zhichen knew the details. How could someone as proud as Yueyao marry An Zhichen when she was at a disadvantage? An Zhichen has a lot to work on if he wants to win the beauty’s heart back!
Xiang Wei thought for a moment, "If we can ascertain that An Zhichen truly has no reservation about the young lady being kidnapped, I’ll definitely facilitate this marriage." Conversely, if An Zhichen harbors any reservations, this marriage must be broken off.
Bai Yi chuckled, "You’re overthinking it. If he minded, using this opportunity to break off the engagement, none of us could say anything about it. Up till now, he insists on marrying Miss Yueyao; if that’s not sincerity, what is? Do you think there’s something about the young lady that he’s plotting for?" Bai Yi had to admit, An Zhichen’s heart is indeed broad. Yueyao’s judgment of character is quite good.
Xiang Wei thought for a moment and shook her head. To say there’s something on Yueyao that An Zhichen is plotting for, apart from her person, there’s really nothing else: "The marriage is still far off; let’s talk about it when they return. When are they supposed to come back?"
Bai Yi said, "There’s no set date yet, but I think it’ll take at least a month. It’s too cold to be traveling now." After a pause, he added, "By the way, an Imperial Censor impeached Zhou Shu this morning, accusing him of bribing local officials, trampling human lives, and forcing good people into concubinage..."
Xiang Wei wasn’t surprised. With the young lady facing such a big issue, Fan Jun’s intervention now is already considered late. However, as long as he’s willing to act, it’s good enough.
Bai Yi, after some consideration, said, "Xiang Wei, the reason Elder An could rescue the young lady so quickly is because a mysterious person informed him of the place where she was imprisoned. Xiang Wei, who do you think this mysterious person could be?"
Xiang Wei smiled, "This is Yueyao’s secret, and I’m not at liberty to disclose it. However, this person has nothing to do with the Marquis’ household." Haikou being such an important place, the General Secretary Department must have placed many people there. If my guess is correct, the person who sent the message must be from the General Secretary Department. Xiang Wei felt that Fan Jun wasn’t as cold-blooded and ruthless as rumored; at least concerning the young lady, she saw some human warmth in him.
Bai Yi felt a bit disappointed. However, knowing Xiang Wei’s nature, since she didn’t want to speak, forcing her wouldn’t help.
After seven days of mourning Ma Yue, Ma Chengteng instructed Ma Yuan to send the Spirit Pivot back to their hometown, and also take Lady Cheng back. Initially, Ma Chengteng wanted Madam Tang to accompany the Spirit Pivot back, but because Madam Tang had fallen ill from the shock and couldn’t make the journey, Ma Yuan had to escort the Spirit Pivot back to their hometown.
Su Zhu cautiously entered the bedroom and said softly, "Madam, the Chief Steward has already sent Second Master’s Spirit Pivot away. The Old Madam has also gone along."
Madam Tang’s lips curled into a cold smile. She knew that Ma Chengteng intended for her to accompany the Spirit Pivot back to their hometown. If her husband had deep sentiments for her, she would certainly have gone to the hometown with him and observed three years of mourning. Given the current situation, she wouldn’t go back to the hometown to endure such hardship. Moreover, once gone, who knows when she’d return, leaving her son alone at Ma’s Mansion, she couldn’t rest easy.
Su Zhu’s eyes were red as she said, "Madam, what will we do from now on?" With Second Master gone, it means no one is left to lead the second branch. In the future, with just a widow and orphaned child, it’s uncertain how life would proceed."
Madam Tang felt very distressed, but thinking of her son, she gritted her teeth and said, "Don’t worry. Father-in-law is strong and healthy; he can definitely hold out for ten or twenty years." Even if Father-in-law is gone, before her son reaches adulthood, the elder brother wouldn’t dare push them out for the sake of his reputation. Once her son grows up, gets married, and starts his own family, that’s how they’d live the rest of their lives.
Su Zhen shed tears, "Madam, but you’re still so young. How will you endure the future?" Her master, barely in her early twenties, would have to live as a widow. A whole life like this, just thinking about it made her particularly saddened.
Madam Tang gave a bitter smile. What else could she do? Even if she didn’t consider her son and wanted to remarry, she would need her father-in-law’s permission. The Tang family were mere merchants; how could they prevail over the Ma family? Madam Tang sighed lightly; perhaps this was fate, a fate impossible to escape no matter how hard one tries.
Su Zhu came in and said, "Madam, Maternal Auntie Lu requests to see you." Maternal Auntie Lu was Ma Yue’s concubine. Now that Ma Yue was dead, Madam Tang didn’t mind such minor matters, so she directly promoted her as a Maternal Auntie.
As soon as Maternal Auntie Lu entered the room, she knelt on the ground and cried, "Madam, I heard that the Third Young Lady had a fever yesterday, I plead with you to let me take care of the Third Young Lady, I implore you, Madam." After entering the mansion, Madam Tang had Maternal Auntie Lu hand over the child to the wet nurse for care.
Maternal Auntie Lu knew that now Ma Yue was dead, her only hope was her daughter. But given her unfamiliarity with the surroundings, she dared not stir up trouble. Yet, upon learning of her daughter’s fever, she couldn’t restrain herself anymore.
Madam Tang could hardly bring herself to glance at Maternal Auntie Lu, "Since you wish to raise her yourself, then go ahead. Su Zhu, have the wet nurse bring the Third Young Lady to Maternal Auntie Lu’s courtyard."
Maternal Auntie Lu didn’t expect Madam Tang to be so agreeable. She constantly heard Ma Yue speak of Madam Tang, assuming Madam Tang was a kind-faced but evil-hearted person. But since her arrival at Ma’s Mansion in the past few days, she hadn’t lacked anything in terms of food and clothing. Though the servants were cold and indifferent, none had made things difficult for her. Doubt crept into Maternal Auntie Lu’s heart; did the master speak of this Madam? Putting aside her doubts, Maternal Auntie Lu kowtowed to Madam Tang, "Thank you, Madam."
Madam Tang lay on the bed, staring at the green canopy. Speaking so lightheartedly, but thinking of spending the rest of her life alone, her heart inevitably filled with desolation. Yet what good is there in compromising? By being born a woman, one has already been dealt such a hand.