Chapter 2

Not far away, Pei Xingyu caught up with Cheng Xianzhang from behind and said toward the carriage, "Zijun, you don’t need to worry about what you mentioned before. I will send Mr. Shen a letter tomorrow."

Cheng Xianzhang responded with a simple "Mm," then said, "Thank you."

Pei Xingyu hurriedly waved his hand, "It’s nothing, just a small matter."

Afterwards, unable to resist, he glanced back and leaned in to ask him, "Did you see her?"

"See who?"

"My elder sister-in-law’s younger sister, Miss Yu San. I didn’t notice you greeted her." Pei Xingyu was equally curious.

Cheng Xianzhang’s face remained expressionless as he said calmly, "There’s no need for greetings."

Pei Xingyu sighed helplessly, "Alright, you go ahead."

But then he added, "She’s newly widowed. This is her first outing since then. Most likely, she’ll be looking for a husband in the capital from now on. But she’s beautiful, so she won’t have trouble marrying."

Cheng Xianzhang’s expression flickered slightly, and he asked, "What did you say?"

"What?"

"What do you mean by ‘newly widowed’?"

Pei Xingyu explained, "That cousin from Luoyang, the Yu family’s elder cousin, passed away three months ago. They said it was a brain illness. You didn’t notice Miss Yu was wearing plain clothes, mourning her deceased husband."

Cheng Xianzhang only responded after a moment with an "Oh," then calmly said, "I didn’t pay attention."

"Alright, you go ahead. Take care on the road; I’m heading back," Pei Xingyu said.

Cheng Xianzhang nodded and urged his horse forward.

The sunset painted the sky with streaks of five-colored clouds, like ribbons of silk wrapping the vast and prosperous Chang’an City.

Returning home, Cheng Xianzhang followed his usual routine and went to pay respects at his mother’s Shunfu Hall.

He had lost his father in childhood and was raised solely by his widowed mother. After becoming an official in the capital, he brought her over and never neglected to check on her morning and evening, despite holding a high position now.

At Shunfu Hall, after greeting his mother, he sat beside her.

Madam Zhou was a woman of delicate beauty; even past forty, her features remained graceful, though her face showed more age than other noble ladies in the capital. On her right cheek was a peculiar scar, a row of marks resembling those worn by monks.

Everyone in the capital knew about that scar—it was self-inflicted.

When Cheng Xianzhang’s father died when he was five, Madam Zhou was one of the rare beauties for miles around. Her maternal uncle wanted her to remarry, but she refused. When pressured, she took the incense stick lit before her late husband’s memorial tablet and pressed it against her face, disfiguring herself.

No one forced her to remarry after that. The family was poor, so she washed clothes and sewed late into the night to support Cheng Xianzhang’s studies, aided by relatives in the clan.

Cheng Xianzhang proved capable, passing the imperial exam on his first try, ranking third in the country, becoming that year's top scholar.

From there, his career flourished swiftly. With the emperor’s favor, within seven years, he rose to the position of Imperial Censor.

Madam Zhou’s life of determination and hardship found fulfillment in her son.

Now, sitting upright in the main hall, Madam Zhou said, "Next month is the full-month celebration of the Su family’s second house. I have prepared the gifts. Will you be free to accompany me?"

Cheng Xianzhang replied, "I might not have time. You can arrange everything."

Madam Zhou had no expectations and said, "We’ll see then. After the celebration, we’ll formally propose to the Su family. The wedding will be after Mid-Autumn Festival."

Cheng Xianzhang lifted his head, a flicker of emotion in his eyes, but remained silent. After a long pause, he said, "Very well."

Madam Zhou noticed his expression and asked, "Aren’t you looking forward to it?"

Cheng Xianzhang answered, "There’s no need to rush marriage."

Madam Zhou immediately shook her head, "You must not delay. You are already twenty-seven without an heir. How will you explain that to your father and the ancestors of the Cheng family? This matter is settled and must not be postponed."

Cheng Xianzhang fell silent again.

Madam Zhou could tell he disliked the engagement.

But all suitable candidates had been considered. The Su family’s daughter was the most fitting choice. She saw no fault in her and believed the marriage could not be delayed.

So she sighed and then asked with concern, "How was the Pei family banquet?"

Cheng Xianzhang paused before answering, "Just an ordinary banquet."

Madam Zhou scoffed, "I know those people. They live in luxury every day. Their banquets are lavish, making sure everyone knows how wealthy they are."

Cheng Xianzhang said nothing.

After a moment, he said, "Mother, I have some unfinished business, so I’ll be going."

Madam Zhou looked at her son, wanting to say more but hesitating. She felt increasingly distant from him but couldn’t pinpoint why. In the end, she only nodded.

Cheng Xianzhang bowed to his mother once more and left Shunfu Hall.

In their new residence, Shunfu Hall and Jinxiuyuan were two separate courtyards connected only by a corridor, so they seldom saw each other unless they made an effort.

Cheng Xianzhang went to Jinxiuyuan.

While Shunfu Hall grew various fruits, Jinxiuyuan was filled with exotic flowers and rare plants, truly worthy of its name meaning "Splendid Garden."

However, Cheng Xianzhang had little attachment to flowers. For example, the large peony garden in front of the main residence was usually tended by gardeners; he rarely stopped to look after it himself.

Yet, as he passed along a path and was about to enter the house, he suddenly glanced back toward the peony bushes. The rouge-colored peonies were in full bloom, and a yellow and a white butterfly fluttered gracefully among the flowers.

He was captivated, staring for a long time.

Yu Ying had endured many hardships in recent days. Her father, mother, and grandfather repeatedly lectured her, reproaching her for being willful and impulsive, and now reaping the bitter consequences—widowed at such a young age.

She had thought the worst was over after the first few days, but the days dragged on endlessly, deepening her already gloomy mood.

She had no choice but to sneak out to meet her old friend Xu Chan.

Xu Chan, Su Ruoyue, and Yu Ying had once been close friends. After Yu Ying fell out with Su Ruoyue, Xu Chan firmly sided with her, which deeply moved Yu Ying, and their friendship grew stronger. Though separated by distance, they often corresponded.

Xu Chan had gained some weight, so she was shocked to see Yu Ying looking so small and thin. "How are you still as thin as before? You’ve had a child, haven’t you? You don’t look like it at all."

Mentioning the child made Yu Ying uneasy. She forced a smile and said, "Well... I kept vomiting, so I didn’t gain weight."

"Oh, you were sick during pregnancy? I wasn’t—I was just constantly hungry. Too bad, I’ll never be slim again," Xu Chan said.

Yu Ying laughed, "You were never going to be as thin as before anyway. Now you look better—your face is rounder and your complexion improved. You look more dignified and prosperous."

"Prosperous? I’m barely scraping by," Xu Chan admitted.

The emperor was promoting talent from humble backgrounds, vigorously encouraging the imperial exams while suppressing aristocratic families. These families were having a hard time.

That was why rising stars like Cheng Xianzhang attracted so much attention.

Yu Ying chatted with Xu Chan for a while in her courtyard. Then Xu Chan’s aunt came to deliver tea. Seeing Yu Ying there, she sat down to join the conversation.

As they talked, the subject turned to Cheng Xianzhang. The aunt expressed regret, lamenting that Yu Ying shouldn’t have divorced Cheng Xianzhang; otherwise, she would be living in splendor now.

Yu Ying hated hearing this the most. Since learning he intended to marry Su Ruoyue’s younger sister, she had been harboring resentment. Now, she responded coldly, "What’s there to regret? It’s a pit of fire. Anyone who wants to jump in, go ahead."

The aunt’s eyes brightened, and she asked eagerly, "Why do you call it a pit of fire?"

Seeing her expression, Yu Ying suddenly recalled that Xu Chan’s aunt loved gossip. If Yu Ying told her she had fought with her husband, she would spread it all over the capital the next day.

Full of bitterness, Yu Ying steeled herself and told her, "Why not call it a pit of fire? Auntie, at home, I had the small kitchen with four meat dishes, three vegetable dishes, a soup, two snacks, and a cold dish. That was the standard. If I wanted something else, I could add more. Guess what I ate when I went to their house?"

The aunt recalled Cheng Xianzhang’s poor upbringing, raised by his widowed mother, and thought, "It must be worse than the Yu family."

Yu Ying said, "Two pickled vegetable dishes, one gourd leaf vegetable, and a bowl of millet porridge mixed with sorghum. Even the guard dog at my home wouldn’t eat that!"

The aunt was shocked, "That’s... really too poor. Besides, even if they were used to hardship, your dowry was considerable. You could have eaten from the small kitchen yourself."

"No such luck. His mother ate millet porridge; how could I eat fine rice? They didn’t have a small kitchen. They thought it wasteful, so I had to eat with them. In anger, I went back to my parents’ home, and he didn’t come to fetch me," Yu Ying said.

"And him—his mother’s word was law. She disliked me wearing gold hairpins, making new clothes, visiting my parents, even being with her son. On our wedding night, she feigned a headache so her son would sleep with her. We didn’t consummate the marriage that night."

The aunt was dumbfounded: That was the wedding night!

Xu Chan was also surprised, asking, "I heard about the bad food, but how come I never heard about the wedding night before?"

Yu Ying said, "It’s too shameful to speak of. We were married for over a year, but consummated only a few times. His mother disliked me so much that six months after the marriage, she insisted he take a concubine—a cousin from his aunt’s family. He happily agreed. That year on the Qixi Festival, I was alone while he was with his cousin."

Xu Chan sighed, "No wonder you wanted a divorce. I wanted to advise you then, but I never imagined it was like this."

The aunt agreed, "Taking in a cousin as a concubine—what kind of wife is she if the mother favors the niece? Who’s the wife, who’s the concubine?"

Xu Chan also got angry, "That really is a pit of fire. Good thing you divorced. I remember you divorced shortly after Qixi? Was it because of this?"

Yu Ying said, "That wasn’t the main reason."

Both women asked immediately, "Then what was the reason?"

Yu Ying glanced outside and whispered, "Mainly because he wasn’t up to it."

Xu Chan and the aunt were stunned. Xu Chan was shocked, but the aunt composed herself and quietly asked, "What do you mean by not up to it?"

"Well... he just... wasn’t able to... you know..." Yu Ying hesitated.

Both women stared at her expectantly, waiting for her to continue.

Yu Ying finally said in a low voice, "It was over after about three counts."

Xu Chan immediately said, "No wonder you never got pregnant here but conceived as soon as you went back to Luoyang!"

Yu Ying cleared her throat, "Of course. He wasn’t up to it, but my cousin was... quite normal."

"I wondered why Master Cheng never remarried. Now it all makes sense!" The aunt slapped her thigh, feeling as if a great secret had been unveiled.

Xu Chan grabbed her hand, saying, "In that case, I don’t pity you anymore. Divorce was the right choice. What’s the point of that life? As for the Su family, if they want to sell their daughters, let them."