Prinzessin Xiangsi

Kapitel 5

Qingdai kept talking, “Young Master Gao asked me what I was doing here, so I told him that after leaving the Yu family, I came to Huzhou to stay with relatives and am now living at my maternal grandmother’s house.”

Upon hearing this, You Tong finally looked up at her and asked, "Have you told him where you're living now?"

Qingdai's face flushed crimson, and she stammered, "Young Master Gao insists on asking... me..."

You Tong lowered her head and remained silent for a while before slowly closing the book. After a long time, she whispered, "Qing Dai, you've been by my side for seven years now."

Qingdai was surprised and flustered, not knowing why she suddenly asked about this matter. She dared not ask, and honestly replied, "Yes, this servant entered the manor in the first year of Wude."

Youtong looked at her, sighed, and said, "I remember you're two months older than me, and you're seventeen now, it's about time you got married." Seemingly oblivious to Qingdai's sudden change in expression, she asked directly, "Do you have feelings for Gao Heng—"

Before she could finish speaking, Qingdai had already knelt down on the ground, trembling with fear, "Miss, this servant dares not. Young Master Gao, he...he..." but she couldn't finish her sentence.

You Tong looked at her without speaking for a long time. After thinking for a long time, she slowly said, "You should know that the Gao family is not of high social standing and would never marry you as their principal wife."

Qingdai's eyes reddened, and tears immediately streamed down her face. She forced back her sobs and bit her lip, saying, "I am but a servant, how dare I have such extravagant hopes? Miss, please let me stay with you. I am willing to remain unmarried for the rest of my life."

You Tong turned her face away and didn't say anything more. She just weakly raised her hand and said, "Get up first, wash your face and go back to your room to rest. Let me think about this matter carefully."

She couldn't sleep well at night no matter what. When she faked her death and left home, she only thought about her own carefree life, forgetting to ask the two maids if they were also willing to live this kind of life with her. Now that Bai Ling's fate is unknown, Qing Dai must find her a good home. However, the Gao family... the Gao family... is ultimately not a suitable match.

The next morning, a guest came to see him. Qingdai opened the door first, and after a while, she blushed and hurriedly ran into Youtong's room, stammering and embarrassed. Youtong wanted to go out to check, but Qingdai stopped her. After hesitating for a long time, she awkwardly whispered, "It's...it's Young Master Gao...sent the matchmaker..."

You Tong was stunned for a moment. After a while, she sat up straight in the armchair and said in a low voice, "First, invite her to the hall for tea and tell her that your grandmother is unwell and cannot be exposed to light. I will set up a screen in front of the bed. In a little while, you can invite her over and talk through the screen."

Qingdai blushed and agreed, then hurriedly took her leave with small, quick steps.

Youtong quickly placed the newly bought bamboo screen in front of the bed, completely obscuring the view. She then put away the coral ornaments on the display shelf, replacing them with official kiln porcelain. After opening the window and carefully inspecting the items to ensure everything was in order, she took out a small white porcelain bottle from the drawer, poured out a small amount of emerald green pills, and swallowed them with water. A moment later, her throat felt dry, and Youtong coughed, her voice becoming hoarse.

A moment later, Qingdai came and knocked on the door. Youtong asked her in a hoarse voice to invite the person in.

Through the screen, Youtong couldn't see the ice lady's face, but judging from her tone and attitude, she seemed quite sincere. Only a few months after leaving Qiantang, Youtong had learned from this ice lady that Gao Heng had already married his first wife and was now seeking to take Qingdai as his second wife. Although Youtong had already expected this, hearing it with her own ears still made her very uncomfortable. She gave a few perfunctory replies but didn't immediately agree.

The matchmaker wasn't in a hurry to urge him, but simply smiled and said, "Marriage is no trivial matter, and it's only right that the old lady considers it carefully. However, I'm not boasting, but that young master Gao is truly a fine man; everyone in the surrounding area praises him. He's not the kind of man who's blinded by beauty. So many beautiful young ladies in Huzhou City want to marry into his family, but he's never even glanced at them. I've heard that he's also acquainted with the young lady's former master and has even seen her a few times before. To see her again now is surely fate..."

After the matchmaker left, Youtong asked Qingdai if she was willing to marry into the Gao family. Although Qingdai still insisted on staying with her, her eyes clearly showed some hesitation. Seeing this, Youtong sighed inwardly and the next day sent a letter to the matchmaker, thus agreeing to the marriage.

Then came the preparation of Qingdai's dowry. Having served Youtong for so many years, Youtong naturally wouldn't mistreat her. Moreover, since she would need money to support herself after becoming a concubine in the Gao family, the dowry was a necessity. Although the Yu family's estate had been burned down by bandits, Youtong had still secretly saved a considerable amount of silver. She prepared two hundred taels of silver notes, two sets of gold jewelry, and a small shop in Qiantang City for Qingdai.

Since it was a concubine's marriage, the ceremony was much simpler. To show that it was important, Gao Heng still sent betrothal gifts and chose an auspicious day to discuss the matter, finally settling on November 9th.

Before her wedding, Youtong carefully instructed Qingdai on how to conduct herself, saying, "The matriarch of the Gao family comes from a prominent family and is very particular about etiquette. After you enter the household, you must maintain a good public image and avoid giving anyone cause for complaint. Don't try to compete with Madam Gao in the mansion; she is the principal wife, and she will always have the upper hand if things escalate. But don't be too weak either. If she goes too far, don't cry and whine to Gao Heng. Just occasionally show weakness and express your grievances. Be careful what you put in your mouth; don't take medicine indiscriminately, and don't trust others blindly. Even Gao Heng's words should be carefully considered..."

Qingdai wrote everything down, and in the end, the two of them couldn't help but shed tears again.

On November 9th, a bridal sedan chair welcomed Qingdai into the Gao family's gate, leaving Youtong completely alone.

After Qingdai left, the courtyard became quiet and deserted. Some of the neighbors were gossipy and spoke ill of Qingdai behind her back, saying things like she coveted the Gao family's wealth and broke off her engagement to become a concubine in the Gao household. Youtong was too lazy to explain to them. Most of the time, she stayed at home with the courtyard gate closed, reading and daydreaming. Sometimes she would go out to investigate Jiutou Mountain, thinking about when she could sneak into the mountain stronghold. Even if she couldn't find the "Jade-Faced Scholar" to take revenge, she would at least find out about Bai Ling.

She certainly didn't expect that some things would come knocking on her door for no reason.

That morning, she was having breakfast in the alley outside when she felt something was wrong, as if someone was watching her. But when she looked around, she couldn't find any trace of them.

Feeling uneasy, she hurried back to the courtyard, and the pricking sensation finally disappeared. You Tong closed the doors and windows, poured herself a cup of tea, and drank it down sip by sip. Just as she was about to get up, her vision suddenly blurred, and she cried out in alarm, but it was too late. Her limbs went limp, and she collapsed to the ground.

Before she fell, everything went black, and a pair of broad, strong arms wrapped around her.

When Youtong woke up again, she was no longer in her room. She was swaying and making creaking and clattering sounds. She opened her eyes with difficulty. She was covered with a silver silk quilt, above which was a small window, and above that was a royal blue velvet roof.

"You're awake?" someone said from the side; it was a man's voice.

You Tong sat up abruptly, her eyes wide as she stared at the man before her. It was none other than the man she had crossed paths with at the prefectural government office that day. He was dressed in black today, but the collar and cuffs were trimmed with gold thread. The originally dignified color had somehow taken on a dissolute air on him. His skin was still dark, and his eyes were long and deep-set. He was now squinting at her, and suddenly he laughed, "I thought you wouldn't wake up until the day after tomorrow at the latest. I didn't expect that after drinking 'Nine-Day Intoxication,' you only slept for three days."

You Tong secretly circulated her inner energy and found that she was not restrained. She relaxed slightly, glared at him, and asked, "Who are you?"

The man looked at her with a smile, "Ninth Sister, have you forgotten? I'm your Fifth Brother."

Author's Note: Okay, the story is finally starting to unfold.

So, I went out to dinner with friends today, and then they dragged me to play mahjong, and... I lost again...

I'm going to quit gambling!!!

Cui Family of Longxi

ten

You Tong remained silent, while the man looked at her and smiled. Two shallow dimples appeared on his rugged face as he smiled, which annoyed You Tong greatly. She wished she could punch him hard and see if he could still smile so happily.

You Tong certainly didn't think the man had mistaken her for someone else. She clearly remembered the name "Wen Feng" that the man had blurted out when he lifted her veil on the roof that day. She thought she looked somewhat like that woman, but she didn't know why he had gone to such lengths to capture her.

With this thought in mind, You Tong calmed herself down, sat up straight, leaned back, and waited patiently for him to speak.

The man, however, was in no hurry. He leisurely leaned against the carriage wall, mimicking her posture, and said with a lazy smile, "Ninth Sister just woke up, so her head must still be a little dizzy. We'll stop for a meal and stay overnight in Yunhe County, and Fifth Brother will tell you the details later."

"Yunhe County?" Even the usually composed You Tong couldn't sit still upon hearing this name. Yunhe County was at least three days' journey northwest of Huzhou. She had only taken a nap, and when she woke up, she was already thousands of miles away. How could she not be shocked? "Are we going home, Fifth Brother?" You Tong blinked and asked again, changing her approach.

The man's eyes lit up, and he looked at her with a half-smile for a while before finally smiling with satisfaction. "Yes, let's go home. My father and mother are worried sick about Ninth Sister who has been out for so long. Fourth Brother and Sixth Brother were sent out to look for her, but they didn't go far, only searching in the four counties of Longxi. But we didn't expect you to be so fast, and you've managed to hide in Jiangnan without us noticing."

You Tong looked ashamed. "It's all my fault. I've made Uncle and my brothers worry."

The man smiled broadly. "You've spent so many years in the Nanshan Temple, eating vegetarian food and chanting Buddhist prayers, and you're still so impatient. Luckily, everyone in the family loves you. If you apologize properly, no one will make things difficult for you. If you didn't want to marry into the Shen family, you should have just said so. How could you just leave without a word, making us go through so much trouble to suppress this matter? Running away from home is no small matter. If word gets out, how will our Cui family sisters face anyone in the future?" As he finished speaking, a hint of sternness appeared on the man's face, as if he were truly reprimanding this ignorant girl.

You Tong gleaned the gist of the matter from his words. It seemed this Ninth Miss was truly unloved at home; otherwise, why would she have been "eating vegetarian food and chanting Buddhist prayers in the Nanshan Temple for so many years" for no apparent reason? She wondered what kind of man her family had promised her that had caused Miss Qian Jin to run away from her arranged marriage. In truth, the Ninth Miss's situation was somewhat similar to her own, and the fact that she had managed to remain undetected despite the extensive search by the Cui family truly showed her considerable skill.

The man seemed to see through Youtong's thoughts and said seriously, "You believe everything others say. If the third young master of the Shen family were truly a worthless playboy, why would your uncle and aunt have arranged a marriage for you? With the Shen family's status, even the eldest daughter of the Cui family's main branch would be a match for him. Now, it's fallen into the hands of an orphan like you. How can others not be envious? They'll inevitably say hurtful things behind your back, hoping you'll leave so they can benefit themselves. I've seen the third young master of the Shen family with my own eyes; his appearance and demeanor are exceptional. I just received news yesterday that he, with the help of others, has captured the bandit stronghold of Jiutou Mountain outside Huzhou City, achieving a great feat—"

"Nine Heads Mountain?" You Tong was shocked, but she forced herself to remain calm and put on a show of watching the excitement. She said, "I heard about it when I was in the city. Those bandits were so audacious that they actually... actually went to the prefect's office to provoke him. And now, they've been wiped out. It's truly justice and retribution."

The man laughed and said, "Isn't this all thanks to the brilliant plan of the third son of the Shen family? Although that kid looks like a woman, he's really got some tricks up his sleeve. I don't know how he gained the trust of the chief of the mountain stronghold and actually became the seventh chief. With him acting as an inside man in the stronghold, how could we not take it down?"

You Tong's hands, hidden under the covers, trembled slightly, but her voice grew increasingly calm. "Seventh Master, the Jade-Faced Scholar, this Third Young Master of the Shen family is truly remarkable, possessing both wisdom and courage."

Even the smartest man couldn't have guessed that there was such a entanglement between You Tong and Shen San. Seeing that she could actually call out Shen San's name in Jiutou Mountain, he couldn't help but laugh and said, "Even you know his name. It seems that his banditry these past few days has not been in vain."

You Tong smiled coldly and said, word by word, "That's natural."

The man looked at her thoughtfully for a long time, frowning without saying a word.

Along the way, You Tong gradually learned the general outline of the incident from the man. The tall, strong, and dark-skinned man in front of her was the fifth son of the Cui family of Longxi, named Weiyuan. His father was the head of the Cui family, and Cui Wenfeng, who had run away from her arranged marriage, was born to the fifth branch of the family.

The Cui family is one of the four major families in the world. Besides the branch in Longxi, another branch is in Qinghe, which is the family of You Tong's mother. These two branches originally came from the same clan, but they gradually drifted apart and had less contact due to various reasons.

Wen Feng's father, the Fifth Master Cui, was also the eldest son of the Cui family. In his youth, he was especially favored by the old master because of his good studies. In the twentieth year of Yuanqing, the Fifth Master Cui, who was only twenty-seven years old, even passed the imperial examination with top honors in all three categories, and was extremely favored for a time.

Unfortunately, Master Cui worked too hard in his early years, which caused him to fall ill. He passed away from illness just after turning thirty, leaving behind only one daughter, Cui Wenfeng. A few years later, his fifth wife also passed away, leaving Wenfeng an orphan without parents.

After the old master passed away, the position of head of the family was initially inherited by the eldest branch of the Cui family, that is, Cui Weiyuan's eldest uncle. Later, when the late emperor was establishing the crown prince, he chose the wrong side and offended the current emperor. Not long after, the emperor found a pretext to demote him repeatedly. Unable to bear it any longer, the eldest master of the Cui family committed suicide by drowning. After that, Cui Weiyuan's father, Cui Guangqing, inherited the position of head of the family.

Wen Feng was an orphan, and her personality was withdrawn and introverted. In addition, she had spent many years observing mourning for her parents, living a secluded life and residing in the Nanshan Temple to pray for their well-being. Very few people in the Cui household had ever seen her. This was the main reason why Cui Weiyuan was so audacious as to dare to bring back a fake to deceive them.

As for the marriage between Wen Feng and Shen San, it was indeed arranged by Master Cui before his death. At that time, he was still in the Hanlin Academy and loved drinking tea and playing Go. Master Shen was also a Go master. The two would play a few games whenever they had free time. Later, they even felt like they had known each other for a long time. No one knows who brought it up first, but with just one sentence, the marriage between Wen Feng and Shen San was settled.

At that time, the Shen family had not yet risen to prominence, and Fifth Master Cui had not mentioned it to anyone except Fifth Madam, leaving behind half a jade pendant sent by the Shen family as a token. It wasn't until recently, when Wen Feng came of age, that the Shen family sent someone to the mansion to discuss the marriage, and only then did the entire Cui family find out. Wen Feng, this little orphan girl who had always been ignored, suddenly became a hot commodity.

No one knows what Wen Feng was thinking, or if someone in the Cui family said something strange to her, but this girl actually had the idea of resisting the marriage. But she was quite composed and didn't tell anyone. The Cui family never thought that such a young girl could actually run away. Then, one day, she suddenly ran away from home.

Even if a young woman were found and returned after running away from home, her reputation would be ruined, and the Cui family couldn't afford to lose face like that. Therefore, Cui Guangqing kept Wen Feng's departure a secret. Apart from the second and fourth sons who were in charge of finding her, only Cui Weiyuan knew about it. Even the old lady was kept in the dark, only told that Wen Feng was ill from missing her deceased mother and was currently recuperating.

You Tong seemed to accept the arrangement obediently, which surprised Cui Weiyuan. He had prepared a lot of threatening words, but he didn't have a chance to say them. It felt like punching cotton, leaving him with no strength to use.

But Cui Weiyuan wasn't entirely at ease. He had interacted with Youtong before; her swordsmanship was undoubtedly from a prestigious school. Yet, despite several attempts to subtly inquire, Youtong either evaded the question or directly refused to answer. What troubled him even more was that Youtong showed no objection to the marriage in his place; in fact, a hint of excitement occasionally flashed in her eyes. This made Cui Weiyuan begin to doubt whether his decision had been too hasty.

Jiangnan is thousands of miles away from Longxi, so it's not something that can be reached in just a few days. Moreover, along the way, Youtong still has a lot to learn. Not to mention, there are the Cui family's seven aunts and eight aunts, more than a dozen uncles and aunts, and about twenty brothers and sisters, plus their respective maids and servants, whose names alone number in the hundreds.

Fortunately, Cui Wenfeng rarely interacted with others and usually lived in the temple. She had neither close friends nor enemies with whom she disliked. Therefore, she did not need to spend too much energy dealing with people when she arrived at the Cui residence.

The Cui family mansion was located in Qingshui, Longxi. Apart from the head of the Cui family and a few relatives who served as officials in the capital, the rest of the clan lived there. Cui Weiyuan was not in a hurry to send Youtong back to the Cui family. Instead, he rented a courtyard outside Qingshui City to settle Youtong in first. He sent someone to deliver a letter to the mansion to inform them of the situation, and also bought several maids to take care of Youtong in the future.

Although he called it serving, it was really just surveillance. You Tong knew this in her heart, but she didn't say anything and obediently let him do whatever he wanted.

Once inside the Cui family, recognizing people is a minor matter; the rules and etiquette must not be violated in the slightest. Cui Weiyuan assumed that Youtong was a person from the martial arts world who did not know etiquette, and fearing that she might make a mistake after entering the mansion, he specially invited a nanny from the capital to teach her etiquette.

Although the Yu family wasn't a prominent clan, Cui was a true heiress, and from a young age, she had raised Youtong to be extremely well-mannered, rendering the nanny Cui Weiyuan had painstakingly hired to teach her etiquette completely ineffective. This made Cui Weiyuan even more uncertain.

Author's note: My stomach hurts, time to crawl off to sleep.

I'll reply to everyone's comments tomorrow.

First visit to the Cui family

eleven

After living outside the city for about a month, with the New Year approaching, Cui Weiyuan began preparing to send Youtong back to the Cui residence.

The Cui family's lavish lifestyle was naturally even more extravagant than that of the Yu family. Moreover, Wen Feng was now engaged to the Shen family, which boosted her status. She had four sets of winter clothes, one inside and one outside, as well as a set of cloisonné headdress inlaid with emeralds, a set of gold thread jewelry adorned with pearls, and countless other fabrics and ornaments.

When the items were delivered, Cui Weiyuan secretly observed Youtong's expression. She remained indifferent throughout; even when he took out a bright red cloak with a white fox fur collar from the box, Youtong only glanced at it briefly and offered a lukewarm thank you. Seeing this, Cui Weiyuan felt even more uncertain.

These past few days, he had been keeping a close watch on Youtong's words and actions, but the more he observed, the more puzzled he became. It was clear she came from a good family, was elegant in manner, not greedy for vanity or wealth, and possessed a resolute and decisive character. She didn't seem like the type to be coerced into a substitute marriage. Yet she had agreed, not only without complaint but also with complete acceptance.

However, no matter how confused Cui Weiyuan was, it was too late to back out now. Firstly, he had already reported the discovery of Wen Feng to the Cui family. Secondly, he had just received news that his second brother, Cui Weifeng, had found his ninth sister, Wen Feng, who had always been timid and weak, and had actually married someone without making a sound.

With no way out, Cui Weiyuan had no choice but to grit his teeth and continue down this path. He secretly comforted himself, thinking that no matter what, she was just a girl with no relatives or friends, and right under his nose; no matter how restless she was, she couldn't cause any trouble. But he forgot that even a timid and weak girl like Wen Feng could run away from home when pushed to the limit, let alone this audacious girl in front of him.

Cui Weiyuan's good days were already fading away as You Tong's carriage gradually drove into the Cui family's gate.

The Cui family of Longxi is a family with a history of over 100 years.

Unlike the understated and refined luxury of Qiantang, the Cui family blatantly displayed the immense power of this century-old clan. Not to mention the carved beams and painted rafters on the roof and the blooming flowers in the garden, even the main gate at the entrance was carved from a single piece of sandalwood. Even with his extensive knowledge, You Tong couldn't help but feel a jolt in his heart.

Rosewood is difficult to grow, taking five years to form one growth ring, and eight hundred years to mature. Hence the saying, "An inch of rosewood is worth an inch of gold." Ordinary families would treasure any piece of rosewood they acquired. The Yu family also had rosewood carvings, but they were mostly small items like Go board holders and pen holders. The richest family in Qiantang, the Hu family, acquired a rosewood desk from overseas years ago, which attracted crowds of people in the city to admire it. The Yu family was indeed a century-old aristocratic family, wealthy and powerful, even their main gate was built so ostentatiously.

You Tong followed closely behind Cui Weiyuan, her eyes fixed straight ahead. Today, she wore a pine-colored pleated long skirt with a peach-pink pipa-shaped collar, her hair styled in a hibiscus-cloud bun, adorned only with a plain pearl hairpin. Since she had just been engaged, she didn't want her face to be too plain, so she applied a light touch of rouge to her cheeks, which, against her porcelain-white skin, made her exceptionally charming and lovely.

According to custom, the first thing to do upon entering the mansion is to pay respects to the old lady. This is You Tong's first appearance in the Cui family. Cui Weiyuan is even more nervous than You Tong. He keeps turning his head to look at her along the way, and several times he wanted to say something to comfort her, but seeing that her expression was normal, he couldn't bring himself to say anything.

Wen Feng's return to the mansion had already been reported home, so the old lady and the wives, young masters and young ladies of the several branches of the family were already waiting in the hall, chatting and laughing, making it quite lively.

Upon hearing that Wen Feng and Cui Weiyuan had arrived, the old lady quickly invited them inside. You Tong took a deep breath, not even glancing at Cui Weiyuan, and walked through the door with her head held high, back straight, and the most elegant steps.

This courtyard is called Xuande Hall, which was the residence of Old Master Cui before his death. After Old Master Cui passed away, the old lady continued to live here. When Cui Weiyuan mentioned this matter, Youtong knew that the person in charge of this large courtyard was still the old lady in front of her, whose hair was white but whose spirit was vigorous.

Everyone in the room wore a smile. Seated on the central couch at the head of the table was Madam Li, the matriarch of the Cui family. She was over sixty years old, with most of her hair white, but her eyes were still bright, and she looked quite energetic. As Youtong entered, a maid immediately brought her a cushion to greet her.

Just as You Tong was about to kneel down, the old lady personally got off the bed and helped her up. She took her hand and pulled her to the side of the bed, saying with a loving expression, "We're all family, why bother with these formalities? Let the old lady take a look. Oh my, your little face is even prettier than before. It's true what they say, girls change a lot as they grow up, becoming more and more beautiful."

Cui Weiyuan was startled, and the smile on his face stiffened.

You Tong's face flushed slightly, and she lowered her head, whispering, "It's all thanks to Fifth Brother. I wasn't feeling well a few days ago, and Fifth Brother invited a doctor from the capital to come and take good care of me. Fifth Brother insisted on making me eat more, and look, Grandmother, my face has gotten so plump." As she spoke, she gave Cui Weiyuan a reproachful look, but her eyes were full of gratitude.

Cui Weiyuan immediately got goosebumps, but he still had to force a smile and said to the old lady, "Grandmother, do you think I'm being wronged? You've been giving me countless instructions, practically making me sign a pledge, insisting that I take better care of Ninth Sister's health. But she's heard these strange things from somewhere, saying that girls should be thin to look good. Tell me, what's so good about being skinny? A round and plump face is considered auspicious."

Everyone burst into laughter. Among them, a round-faced girl with almond-shaped eyes, who looked even younger than You Tong, chimed in with a charmingly naive expression, "Fifth Brother, how could you understand a girl's feelings? Who would be so round and chubby? If they went out, wouldn't people laugh at them for only knowing how to eat all day and looking like a pig? But Ninth Sister isn't fat at all. Look, her face is even smaller than mine." The little girl grinned and stepped forward, bringing her face close to You Tong's, and asked seriously, "Don't you all think so?"

Everyone burst into laughter at her actions, and the old lady, clutching her chest, exclaimed, "You tenth girl, you're really... really a fool... how will you ever get married in the future..."

The girl was being ridiculed by everyone, and she looked furious, glaring and puffing out her cheeks, but she only appeared charming and cute, not arrogant or domineering, which made people like her.