Madam Wei looked out the window at the drifting snow, the vast expanse of snow reminding her of that white dress.
"A beautiful woman dances, a beautiful woman dances, a beautiful woman's dance touches the heart..."
Who could resist that color?
Who could forget that color?
Her skin was strikingly white.
She can make even the simple, plain white scholar's robes look beautiful and vibrant.
Yan Qing put one hand to her forehead, lost in memories of her youth.
...
The Wei family rushed ahead to prepare for the lady and young lady's journey, and letters were delivered to the Grand Tutor's mansion overnight.
Upon receiving the letter from Lingnan Prefecture, Grand Tutor Yan and his wife, who had already retired for the night, still got out of bed.
The Yan family's house was brightly lit.
"Read it! I want to hear what Ah Qing wrote."
Recently, rumors have been circulating throughout the capital about the chaos caused by the Wei family of Lingnan Prefecture.
Wei Da humiliated the Sun family and was publicly dismembered by Sun Jingming. Wei Er was caught in the act of having an affair with Sun Shi by Wei Da.
The brothers fought, one died and the other was crippled, and this became the talk of the town.
As in-laws, the Yan family also lost face.
However, losing face is a small matter; the death of one grandson and the crippling of another are enough to plunge the Grand Tutor's mansion into a gloomy atmosphere for days to come.
Grand Tutor Yan looked down on all three of his grandsons, wondering how Wei Hanqing had raised his sons, each one worse than the last.
There are many reasons why he looks down on him, but no matter how much he looks down on him, he is still his own grandson. The Wei family is in complete chaos, how could he not be worried when he heard about it?
Not only was he worried, but the rest of the Yan family were also worried.
With the place in such a mess, how can anyone still live there?
The one reading the letter was the eldest son of Grand Tutor Yan.
Halfway through his belief, he exclaimed with delight, "Father, Mother, A-Qing and Xi-Xi are coming to the capital!"
"Oh my!" Grand Tutor Yan and his wife exclaimed simultaneously, finally showing their joy: "Great news!"
"But with a funeral at the Wei residence, how can they possibly leave?"
Wei Da died, and his death was not honorable, rife with scandals. The Wei family held a low-key funeral, and the old man gave the order that not even several relatives by marriage should send anyone to attend the funeral.
He was unconventional in his actions, and when the Yan family lost their grandson, he didn't bother to join in the festivities. Instead, he held a separate funeral for Wei Da at his residence.
The Wei family is currently in dire straits due to their in-laws—the Yan family, the Sun family, and the Li family.
The Sun family accused Wei Er of being inhumane and bullying his elder sister-in-law, thus creating animosity between them. Now, even though they are not enemies, they have reached the point where they are extremely hostile towards each other.
Li is Wei Er's first wife. Now she is making a fuss about divorcing Wei Er. She also wants to take her son and daughter back to her parents' home. Wei Er is crippled. How can Old Master Wei allow her to take away the only two bloodlines of the second wife?
The stalemate between the two families has become a source of much amusement for many.
Facing the Li family, the Wei family faces considerable pressure.
The fewer people who come to Wei Da's funeral, the better. The house is in chaos, and there's no time to entertain guests.
Mentioning her good-for-nothing eldest grandson, the old lady leaned on her cane and said angrily, "Why bring that up again? This is the retribution he deserved. He married a woman but didn't treat her well, insisting on courting death. If he were alive, this old woman would have already smacked him in the face with her cane!"
Ultimately, if Wei Daruo and Sun Shi had even a shred of goodness, why would they have brought disaster upon themselves?
"Mother, Mother, please don't be angry!"
"Madam, please calm down..."
"Grandma, please relax, let your grandson give you a shoulder massage."
The two beauties of the Yan family, Yan Ruqing and Yan Ruyu, coaxed the old lady from either side, and the atmosphere finally eased.
No matter how much you say, Wei Da is dead after all; no amount of cursing can bring him back to life.
"Never mind all that, Ah Qing has already written, let's prepare to receive her."
After the Grand Tutor spoke, Young Master Yan glanced at the list attached to the letter and chuckled, "Our Xi Xi is quite particular."
In terms of food, clothing, daily necessities, and all kinds of regulations, she lives like a princess.
"Nonsense," the old lady scolded him, "Being particular is the right thing to do."
The old man suddenly remembered something and asked, "Is her concubine coming too?"
I was too busy being angry to listen carefully.
Young Master Yan said, "Come! Come with Xi Xi!"
"That's true, someone has to take care of us, keep warm and make the bed, and it's getting cold, so we can't be without someone."
The old lady was talking to herself, while Yan Ruqing and Yan Ruyu behind her were laughing so hard they were about to burst out laughing—why did their grandmother make it sound like their cousin couldn't live without women?
Yan Ruyu couldn't help but laugh: "Grandmother, you should be more worried about how many noble ladies from prominent families in the capital will be able to seduce once my cousin arrives."
"Nonsense!" Grand Tutor Yan rebuked, "What do you mean by 'flirting'? What kind of education do you have?"
"Exactly!" the old lady corrected gently, "That's because our Xi Xi is so charming, she can't stop attracting any suitors."
Their family was open-minded and approved of Wei Pingxi taking a concubine. They thought it was just taking a concubine, not marrying a wife, so what was the big deal?
Those people outside are making a mountain out of a molehill and taking a trivial matter too seriously.
They're just bored and have nothing better to do!
After discussing the arrangements for the reception, the Yan family members went back to their rooms and got into bed, hoping to have enough sleep so they would have the energy to work the next day.
...
Now, back to Lingnan Prefecture, at the Wei family's residence, white lanterns hung high in front of the gate, creating a somber atmosphere against the backdrop of the swirling snow.
The eldest son's life has been all for show. He married a wife and kept her at home as a decoration, deceiving himself and turning a blind eye to his younger brother's affair with his wife. If he hadn't been plotting to "borrow a seed," he wouldn't be in this predicament today.
He tried to trap others, but ended up trapping himself and ruining his reputation.
Wei Da, a renowned gentleman from Lingnan Prefecture who loved his wife dearly, ended up being neither a loving husband nor a gentleman. Few people came to pay their respects, and this whole affair ruined Wei Da's reputation.
Some felt sorry for Sun, while others cursed her, saying that Sun was seeking revenge for her husband's affair with her brother-in-law, and that the messy accounts between the Sun and Wei families were impossible to settle.
Few people wept in front of the Wei family's gate.
The death of his eldest grandson tarnished his century-old reputation, and the old man remained irritable at home.
Wei Er's manhood was injured by his crazed brother, and Li Shi was making a fuss about divorce. The Li family had an old lady who had been the wet nurse of the current emperor, and she was not someone to be offended easily.
The eldest grandson died, the second grandson was crippled, leaving behind a pile of troubles. The old man had to grit his teeth and carry out the funeral. To avoid the limelight, the old man went to the Xiling Pavilion to live a quiet life, leaving the mess to his son to handle.
On the third day after the funeral, Madam Wei wanted to take her daughter to the capital.
The steward went to the opera house to report the news, and the old man was furious. He came to the main hall with disheveled hair and bare feet, only to see his daughter-in-law sitting there with utmost poise and composure, holding a cup of tea.
He laughed angrily: "Your son just died and you want to go to the capital? What's so great about the capital that it's trying to entice you like this?"
"The capital city, right under the emperor's nose, is the great capital of our Great Yan Dynasty. Naturally, everything here is wonderful."
These words contain a trap. If one were to refute them, wouldn't it be seen as dissatisfaction with the prosperity of the capital? To put it more bluntly, it would be disrespect for the emperor.
The old man had been a powerful figure in officialdom and on the battlefield for many years. Although he had delegated power to Wei Hanqing, his former arrogance remained unchanged. He cupped his hands and bowed towards the direction of the capital, saying, "Under the emperor's feet, in the capital of the dynasty, you are naturally awe-inspiring. This old minister has no disrespect whatsoever."
He slowly lowered his hand: "But you can only take Pingxi to the capital if I die."
"Why be so absolute?" Madam Wei said softly, fiddling with her Buddhist prayer beads. "With chaos in the manor, are we supposed to stay and celebrate the New Year instead of leaving?"
Absolutely!
If we stay any longer, it'll really be Chinese New Year.
The old man never liked this daughter-in-law, and even Wei Hanqing didn't dare to talk back to him like that. Even if she was a woman, surnamed Yan, the daughter of the Grand Tutor, and the Empress's younger sister, there were still family rules in this family!
"You dare!"
Madam Wei looked at the white banners that had not yet been taken down outside, fluttering in the wind and snow.
Thinking of her lost eldest son, she sighed: "The Marquis has already agreed to this matter. If the old man is dissatisfied, he can go and talk to him. There is no need to argue with me."
She laughed: "If someone dies in the family, are people not allowed to go out for some fresh air? What kind of logic is that?"
After saying that, she got up and went out, with Li Le considerately helping her.
Stepping outside, the ground was covered with layers of snow that hadn't been swept away, the world a silver-white expanse. Hearing the old man smashing a cup behind her, Madam Wei smiled faintly: "When people get old, their tempers get short."
Li Le didn't dare to respond, and lowered his head even further.
"Let's go."
Old Master Wei slumped into his chair. He had heard Yan Qing's sarcastic remark about him getting old. He asked in a deep voice, "Where is the Marquis? Where is that unfilial son?"
The steward stammered, "Reporting to Master, the Marquis... the Marquis has gone to see the Li family..."
After a long pause, the old man said wearily, "Go down."
"yes……"
The servants backed out, and the air was filled with a sense of loneliness and desolation.
The old man regretted countless times why he hadn't worked harder when he was young and had three, four, five or six sons. Then Yan Qing and he wouldn't have had a chance to be so presumptuous.
Relying on his only son, and on the fact that his son is willing to be her slave, she acts lawlessly and devoutly worships Buddha? Worships Buddha like a load of bull!
...
"Grandfather agreed?"
"He has no choice but to agree."
Madam Wei, watching her daughter pack her personal belongings in the Jingzhe Courtyard, asked in a puzzled tone, "Where are the jade and agate? Why didn't you have them pack them?"
"They tidy up the movable parts, but the children have to tidy up the immovable parts."
Wei Pingxi carefully put away the white jade seal. He glanced at Madam Wei briefly and only noticed that the seal was engraved with beautiful patterns.
Her daughter was different from other women, so she didn't ask any further questions.
However, it's easy to guess that the immovable objects were mostly little toys used for the pleasure of sharing a room with that concubine.