Lan Xiu did not quite understand what Jiang Yi meant by ‘keeping it a secret for a few more days’. She pondered for a long while on whether to tell her mistress or Madame Jiang about what had occurred. However, in the end, she chose to believe Jiang Yi, at least for a little while longer.
She was also curious to see what exactly would happen in a few days.
Sitting beside Yan Yi Ming, Lan Xiu gently pulled the blanket over her, gazing at her sleeping face. Looking at her mistress’s stunning features, she suddenly felt that it was no wonder the young master was also smitten.
Nowadays, Jiang Yi was highly looked up to in the household, and everyone addressed him as ‘young master’ on a daily basis. Lan Xiu had almost forgotten that he was not actually a biological child of the Jiang family.
Lan Xiu had never thought about this matter before. However, now that she realised Jiang Yi’s feelings, she could not help but see him in a different light. Furthermore, looking at him from this perspective, she realised, aside from his less prestigious family background, he was far superior to any other noble young gentleman she had seen.
When it came to her mistress’s well-being, there was no need to say more. Lan Xiu did not believe there was another man in the world who could care for her mistress more than the young master did.
As for looks, though Lan Xiu had not come across many men in her lifetime, she had seen plenty within the Jiang household, and not a single one could compare to the young master.
Moreover, there were his academic achievements. At just thirteen, he had already passed the prefectural examination. Even Master had praised him, calling him a rare and gifted prodigy. The young master himself was hardworking, far more diligent than any of the other young masters in the household. Her Miss had mentioned that next year was the triennial provincial examination, and the young master was planning to partake in it. If he succeeded, he would become a Recommended Scholar!
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“That Third Young Master Jing was unwilling to give up since he hadn’t seen you, so he wandered around the back garden for quite a while. And guess what?! He just so happened to run into Jiang Yi,” Little Apple said, finding the whole situation amusing. “Third Young Master Jing even thought Jiang Yi was his future brother-in-law and enthusiastically went over to chat with him. Before leaving, he even asked Jiang Yi to deliver a hairpin to you on his behalf—only for Jiang Yi to toss it straight into the lake.”
Yan Yi Ming, still buried in her pillow, let out a quiet chuckle. “That Jing fellow is practically being toyed with.”
“Exactly!” Little Apple sighed before realising it had not quite finished its story. “Oh, right! After that, Jiang Yi dropped by to see you. But you were fast asleep, hehe…“
Yan Yi Ming raised an eyebrow. From Little Apple’s tone, there was definitely more to the story. She thought for a moment and easily guessed most of it. “So, did he take advantage of me?”
“Ahem… Not exactly,” Little Apple coughed. “That kid is surprisingly innocent, he only kissed the corner of your lips.”
Little Apple sounded a little regretful. “I thought he would do something more…”
Yan Yi Ming turned over and gave Little Apple a helpless glance. “Jiang Yi isn’t Jian Yu Yan. He doesn’t have that kind of experience. Besides, he’s still just a teenage boy—his thoughts are purer.”
“Hah! Teenagers’ thoughts are anything but pure,” Little Apple scoffed. “But out of the four male protagonists, Jiang Yi really is the most emotionally innocent. Oh, by the way, Lan Xiu happened to walk in just then, but Jiang Yi dismissed her.”
“If she saw, then she saw,” Yan Yi Ming said nonchalantly as she got out of bed, put on her shoes, and slowly walked over to the vanity to brush her hair. “She would’ve found out sooner or later. Probably within the next few days.”
Her guess was spot-on; Jiang Yi had said the exact same thing.
Little Apple sighed in admiration. After running around all day following Jiang Yi, it was starting to feel a little tired. Deciding it needed some rest, it shut itself down and went to sleep.
====
It had been nearly a month since Madame Jing had come to the Jiang residence, but Madame Jing still felt uneasy. The rumours outside claimed that the Jiang family’s fifth young miss had a congenital heart defect, so she found an excuse to bring in a trusted physician to examine Yan Yi Ming personally.
The physician confirmed that it was not a congenital heart defect. As long as she was well cared for, it would not be life-threatening.
A few days later, Madame Jing visited again personally, and soon after, someone requested Yan Yi Ming’s birth characters. In just another couple more days, the marriage would most likely be officially settled.
The entire Jiang household was overjoyed, and the residence carried an air of celebration. As for the Jing family, since a wedding was approaching, a similar festive atmosphere filled their halls. Over the past few days, Madame Jiang and Madame Jing had grown closer, frequently going to the theatre together and enjoying tea. Their interactions were harmonious, except for one occasion when they unexpectedly ran into another madame at the theatre, causing Madame Jing’s face to reveal a moment of awkwardness.
Madame Jing had not expected to encounter the Zhou family while on an outing with Madame Jiang.
Miss Zhou was the young woman Madame Jing had originally chosen as her third son’s future wife. Though the arrangement had never been explicitly stated, it had long been an unspoken understanding.
Yet, who could have predicted that her third son would become utterly enamoured with Yan Yi Ming?
Madame Jing could not shake off a sense of unease on her way back to her manor. She felt as though something big was about to happen. As she passed a street stall with her maidservants, an elderly man with silver-white hair and a long beard suddenly called out to her.
“Madame, please hold.”
Madame Jing paused mid-stride, carefully studying the old man before realising he was a diviner.
She was a firm believer in fate. Seeing his sage-like appearance, coupled with the anxiety that had been weighing on her chest, she hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and asking, “May I ask where you have come from, esteemed sir?”
“I come from nowhere, and I go nowhere,” the old man replied with a serene expression. “I simply saw that there is a joyous occasion in Madame’s household and wished to offer my congratulations.”
Although the engagement between the Jiang and Jing families was nearly settled, the news had yet to spread publicly. Madame Jing’s heart wavered slightly, making her believe him a little more. Still, she feigned ignorance and softly inquired, “And what joyous occasion might that be?”
“It’s a most auspicious union,” the old man replied, stroking his beard.
Madame Jing exchanged a glance with her maidservant before offering him a polite bow. Then, as if suddenly struck by a thought, she took a piece of paper from the old man’s side and wrote down a few characters before handing it to him.
“I won’t hide it from you, esteemed sir. My son is indeed about to be betrothed. If I may trouble you, please take a look at these birth characters and tell me whether they are a good match.”
The old diviner took the two slips of paper and compared them briefly, then picked up the one bearing Yan Yi Ming’s birth characters. He examined it closely for a moment before furrowing his brows.
Madame Jing’s heart tightened with anxiety. “Is there… something wrong with this person’s birth characters?”
“This birth characters depicts one of premature death,” the old diviner said slowly. “A life cut short—one destined for an early grave. This birth characters is dominated by cold water and damp earth, signifying a fragile body. The reliance on the ‘seal’ star for protection is broken by wealth, leading to a fate of early demise. The energy is murky, the spirit withered—this is the fate of a short life. Madame, may I ask if this person has a chronic illness or a frail constitution?”
Madame Jing’s expression changed drastically.
The old diviner glanced at her briefly before continuing, “Beyond that, this birth characters lacks wood, which governs blood and vitality, indicating susceptibility to illness. By the principles of imperial astrology, this fate follows a strict heavenly decree.”
“…What does that mean?”
“It means this person is fated to be childless.”
Madame Jing’s face was drained of all colour.
She had known Yan Yi Ming was in poor health, but she never expected that she might not live long. What was even worse, she was destined to be barren.
The old diviner, however, seemed intrigued. “I have never seen such weak birth characters before. I’m curious, if I may, Madame, where did you come across this person?”
Madame Jing clutched her chest, her voice bitter as she finally spoke, “She is my son’s betrothed.”
The old diviner stroked his long beard, pondering for a moment before saying, “Madame, I foresaw that you would have great joy in the coming days. If this is regarding your son’s fated marriage, then perhaps… you’re mistaken?”
A mistake?
“If I’m not mistaken, this must be your son’s Four Pillars of Destiny. His birth characters shows a weak Official Star, a strong Day Master, and a Auspicious Star that nourishes the Official Star,” the diviner explained.
“A Wealth Star that nourishes the Official Star…” Madame Jing repeated the phrase several times under her breath before murmuring, “But where exactly is this Auspicious Star?”
“The east holds a lady with an abundance of metal and strong water energy. As for the rest, I dare not say more.”
The east… a lady from the east…
The Jiang family was in the west, not the east. A lady in the east with the Auspicious Star… Was that not the young Miss from the Zhou family, whom she had initially chosen for her son?
Madame Jing left in a daze, failing to notice that once she was gone, the old diviner entered a nearby teahouse. When he reemerged, his long robe was gone, and he left the establishment chatting and laughing with a tall, elegant youth.
By the time Madame Jing returned to the Governor’s residence, her enthusiasm had waned. Looking at her jubilant younger son, she had no idea how to bring up the matter. It was only that night, in the privacy of their chambers, that she finally told Governor Jing about what had happened during the day.
Master Jing, though sceptical, believed it was better to be cautious. He secretly sent someone to the Zhou family to obtain the young lady’s birth characters for further calculations.
And all of this remained entirely unknown to the Jiang family.
As many days passed, Madame Jiang finally noticed that the Jing family’s visits had become far less frequent than before. Feeling somewhat puzzled, she sent someone to inquire, but they could not find out anything substantial.
Something must be amiss. Sensing that something was wrong, Madame Jiang wanted to investigate further, but considering the Jing family’s status, she could not ask directly. Taking heed of Master Jiang’s advice, she patiently waited for three more days.
Unexpectedly, the next day, news spread throughout Luo Yang Prefecture that the third young master of the Jing family had gotten drunk and, in his intoxicated state, had shared skinship with the young lady of the Zhou family. It was said that there were too many witnesses at the scene, making it impossible to cover up.
Madame Jing was flabbergasted. She had already been prepared to break off ties with the Jiang family, but she had never intended for her son’s reputation to be the price. How did this… how could this have happened?!
Initially, it was the Jiang family that had deceived them, yet now, suddenly, it had become the Jing family’s fault.
Madame Jing fell back onto her chair in a daze. Looking at her son, who had been brought home, she was so furious that she wanted to give him a good beating. However, seeing his bewildered expression, as if he had no idea what had happened, she ultimately held herself back.
Forget it. At least the girl involved was from the Zhou family and not someone else. Since this was fate, it was best to formally speak with the Jiang family and break the engagement off for good.
Translator Blistz has something to say:
Dear lovely readers, when this post goes live, I’ll be enjoying my first meal in Taiwan and will be there until the end of May. So, posting will be put on hold because this translator did not have the foresight to prepare more chapters in advance to schedule posts while she’s away..
(~‾‾∇‾‾ )~ Bye
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