Chapter 236: Chapter 236: The Marriage (Part 4)
"It is said that before the Grand Aunt passed away, she held the Grand Dowager’s hand and made her promise that after her death, she would choose one of the Sixth Miss or the Eighth Miss from the mansion to marry into the Marquis Mansion as a second wife. They are all guessing which miss will eventually marry into the Marquis Mansion."
Sixing was too shocked to speak. Marry the Grand Young Master as a second wife? If this is true, the Eighth Miss is still so young, so only the Sixth Miss is suitable. Without thinking, she blurted out to Xiqiu: "Miss, you can’t agree to this." Xiqiu raised her eyebrows and looked at her: "Why can’t I agree?"
"Because..." Sixing mumbled, unable to articulate her thoughts. After thinking for a long time, she looked up with a determined face: "If you marry into the Xuanning Marquis Mansion, it would still mean being under Lady’s control, which contradicts the freedom you always talk about, so you must not agree!"
Xiqiu helplessly looked at her and laughed: "Marrying the Cousin Young Master would free me from Lady’s control?"
"That..." Sixing paused: "But the Cousin Young Master is good to you, and he’s in Shandong, which is better than being in the Capital!" Xiqiu didn’t reply, but Chunliu interrupted Sixing: "No matter how good the Cousin Young Master is, he still has a concubine. Whether the concubine will agree to him marrying the Miss is one thing, even if she does, life won’t be easy there!"
Sixing wanted to argue, but Chunyan frowned at the two of them and said, "Stop arguing, it’s not about whom the Miss wants to marry now, it’s about whom Lady will let her marry. What’s the point of discussing this?" She finished speaking and turned back to Xiqiu: "Miss, what should we do?"
Xiqiu gave Chunyan an approving look and nodded: "Chunyan has indeed grown up and doesn’t just look at the surface anymore." Chunyan blushed with embarrassment and said, "Miss even has the heart to tease a maid!"
Xiqiu then sipped her tea: "Chunyan is right. It’s not about whom I want to marry; it’s about what Lady decides!" Based on her understanding of Tong Xihua and Lady, if the Grand Dowager had really promised to choose between her and Tong Xiyu to marry into the Marquis Mansion, it definitely wouldn’t be her.
Not because Lady was dissatisfied with her, but because Tong Xiyu was more suitable than she was.
A child who is five years from coming of age, what could she do in the Marquis Mansion, besides tending to Xing or seeking Lady’s opinion in everything? Tong Xiyu’s nature would allow Lady not only to keep tabs on Xing’s movements but also to extend her influence into the Marquis Mansion through Tong Xiyu’s hand!
This was indeed Lady and Tong Xihua’s ultimate intention.
Sixing, not usually slow-witted, suddenly had an epiphany after Xiqiu’s words. She looked at Xiqiu with a terror-stricken expression: "Miss, do you mean if Lady decides on the Eighth Miss, then she has to settle your marriage too, as the younger can’t precede the elder!"
Xiqiu nodded seriously, and Sixing fell silent. Chunyan and Chunliu exchanged glances and carefully asked Xiqiu: "Miss, why don’t you..." Why doesn’t the Miss fight for it, even if the Grand Young Master is a second marriage? If the Miss misses this chance, it would be as difficult as the sky to find someone more suitable than the Grand Young Master!
Chunyan thought that marrying into the Xiao Family was the best choice now. Most importantly, the Miss couldn’t just let Lady arrange her marriage at will!
Xiqiu lowered her eyes, then suddenly looked up at Chunyan and said: "You don’t need to accompany me to the Marquis Mansion tomorrow. Wait until I leave with Lady, then pawn the golden headpiece the Grand Dowager gave me and use the silver to light a Long-lasting Lamp for Big Sister at the Puji Temple." She paused, then handed Chunyan the pocket she always carried: "When you see Master Puning, give her this pocket, and don’t say anything else."
Chunyan looked surprised. Since when did the Miss have dealings with Master Puning? She took the pocket and nodded to Xiqiu: "This servant understands!"
Xiqiu looked down with a sullen face and said nothing more, recalling her last encounter with Master Puning, which was at the back mountain of Puji Temple. They passed by each other without a chance to speak. She hoped she was doing well now!
Sixing pulled Chunyan out of the door and nervously asked her through the curtain: "What exactly does Sixth Miss mean?"
Chunyan mumbled and shook her head! If she could figure out what the Miss meant, she wouldn’t be so anxious.
Sixing sighed: "What if Lady really decides on the Eighth Miss to marry into the Marquis Mansion and randomly arranges a marriage for the Miss?" She looked at Chunyan: "I’m going out for a while; if the Miss asks, cover for me."
Chunyan didn’t agree but instead pulled her back and said: "Don’t go looking for the Cousin Young Master. Even if you find him, what can he do? You really think the concubine would let the Cousin Young Master marry the Miss? That would be much harder than the Miss trying to marry into the Marquis Mansion!"
Sixing was discouraged and sat moodily on the stool outside the door, saying nothing with Chunyan for a long time!
Two days later, the First Master and the Concubine both responded. The Concubine said she would be on her way in a few days, as for the First Master, because the court dispatched a governor to inspect and is now at the Hu-Guang Yongzhou territory, he couldn’t leave at the moment, so he set a departure date for early March. Lady received the letter and said nothing, and Nanny Fang carefully consoled her: "The First Master is also helpless; please empathize with him!"
Lady threw the letter to the ground and said with red eyes: "When Xihua was giving birth, he didn’t return. Later, when she was bedridden, he still didn’t come back. Now that Xihua is gone, he still hasn’t returned... I really don’t know what’s more important to him, family and children or his position!"
As the saying goes, one should mediate instead of incite separation. Nanny Fang said nothing, and Lady furiously vented for a long time. After she was done, Nanny Fang handed her tea with a smile, and Lady sighed: "I also know that the most urgent matter now is not Xihua’s funeral, but the responsibility she entrusted before her death. Now that the First Master isn’t returning, I have to wait for the Concubine to arrive, and then discuss with her."
Nanny Fang knew that what Lady wanted to discuss wasn’t because she couldn’t decide, but rather something that needed the Concubine to handle!
Five days later, the Concubine arrived in the Capital. Lady had received the news early and was waiting for her at home. The two went into a room to talk, and the Concubine couldn’t wait to ask Lady: "Sister, in your letter, you said that the Grand Dowager agreed for you to choose one of the two girls in the mansion to marry as a second wife. Is it true?"
Lady nodded. The Concubine was stunned, then beamed with joy. After all, having a connection like the Marquis Mansion is a good thing for her.
"So how did you decide, sister? Who is it?"
Lady pondered for a moment and didn’t answer the Concubine, but asked: "I have asked Madam Chen to help inquire if there are any eligible young men in the Capital, but it won’t be quick to get some information back. I called you here to see if there are suitable families in Shandong?"