Jung-won turned her head and said, "He's just a child. You're overthinking it."
Madam Su never really listened to Zhenxiu's words. Seeing Zhenshu bring in water to wash her feet, she asked Zhenshu, "Is this true?"
Zhenshu nodded and said, "The Fifth Young Master and Zhenyu are of similar age and status, so they are naturally a good match."
Madam Su was extremely disappointed. She hung her head and sighed, saying, "Who told your father to be an illegitimate son? He didn't get a single penny from the family division and is stuck in that poor, remote place. He doesn't even have a proper future, let alone save up for a dowry."
Zhenshu advised, "If someone truly loves your eldest sister, why would they care about the dowry? Gold and silver are just inanimate objects, but people are alive. If someone has the means, why worry about not making money? Mother, don't worry too much."
How could Madam Su not be worried? After wiping her feet, she lay on the bed in silence for a long time. Zhenyuan, along with several of her sisters, removed their hairpins, combed their hair, and straightened their clothes and shoes. They were busy in silence when Rongrong from Madam Shen's room in the fourth branch lifted the curtain and came in with a smile, curtsying and saying, "Greetings, Second Madam and the young ladies!"
Madam Su hurriedly sat up straight and pointed at Zhenshu, saying, "Quickly pour Rongrong a cup of tea."
Rongrong quickly waved her hand and said, "No need, I'm just here to deliver a message, I'll leave after that."
Madam Su put on her shoes and got out of bed. She pulled Rongrong over and sat her down on a chair. She then took the tea from Zhenshu's hand and personally handed it to Rongrong before saying, "Miss, you've had a long day. Why don't you rest your feet here for a while? Did Fourth Madam send you here on some business?"
Rongrong took the tea, stood up and said, "How dare I trouble Second Madam to serve tea personally? I'm so sorry! Just now, Fourth Madam received a message from the Old Madam saying that there will be a flower party at the Marquis of Nan'an's mansion the day after tomorrow. Just now, Consort Rong from the palace personally sent someone to deliver a letter, asking the young ladies in our mansion to come to the Marquis of Nan'an's mansion to enjoy the flowers and have a party the day after tomorrow."
Upon hearing this, Madam Su was overjoyed and said with a smile, "Thank you for coming to tell me, Miss Rongrong. But did the Prince's Mansion invite only a few young ladies? Did they not mention who would accompany them?"
Although she didn't say it aloud, she secretly hoped that Consort Rong in the palace would take pity on her and allow her to go out and make a declaration.
Rongrong chuckled and said, "Since it wasn't explicitly stated in the letter, it's likely that the Fourth Madam will still be accompanying you."
Although Su was disappointed, she did not dare to show it on her face. When she saw Rongrong get up to leave, she quickly took out a handful of copper coins from her pocket and stuffed them into Rongrong's arms, saying, "Thank you for your trouble, miss. Use this money to buy a bowl of tea to moisten your mouth."
Rongrong took the item into her arms, smiled slightly, and got up to say goodbye.
Now, more than a century has passed since the founding of the Dali Dynasty, and the dukes and marquises in the court are all related by marriage. Song Jingnian, the daughter of Lady Zhong of the Song family, entered the palace as a concubine when the current emperor was still the crown prince, and has served him for more than twenty years. Although she has never received the emperor's favor, she is always humble, polite, and knows how to behave appropriately, which has earned her much praise from the emperor. She has only one son named Li Xucheng, the second among the princes, and only one year younger than the crown prince Li Xuzhe.
According to the laws of the Dali era, when a prince reached adulthood, the emperor would bestow upon him a title and fiefdom, and he would leave the capital to reside there. He was not permitted to return to the capital without an imperial edict. Throughout the past century, most princes had requested wealthy and peaceful inland prefectures as their fiefdom, hoping to secure a life of peace and prosperity. However, Li Xucheng requested Liangzhou as his fiefdom, a place frequently harassed by northern barbarians, a harsh and impoverished region. Furthermore, Liangzhou had always been on the border of the dynasty, constantly embroiled in border conflicts, ensuring unrest within the prefecture. The emperor, who had always cherished this obedient and peaceful second prince, repeatedly urged him to go to the peaceful and prosperous Shu region, but Li Xucheng remained unmoved, insisting on going to Liangzhou. Left with no other choice, the emperor granted his request, bestowing upon him the title "Ping," hoping that Liangzhou would be free from turmoil from then on.
Since Prince Ping had gone to Liangzhou, the emperor showed even more respect to Consort Rong. Although her title did not yet include the character "noble," in terms of the various treatments given to the concubines in the palace, Consort Rong was already comparable to the emperor.
It is precisely because of this that the Song family has gradually gained some status in the capital over the past two years, and Zhenyu is able to frequently visit the homes of various nobles and dukes by relying on Consort Rong. This time, the four sisters of the second branch came to the capital together, which was planned behind the scenes by Consort Rong, Song Jingnian, so that they could meet guests and socialize in the homes of various nobles and dukes.
The reason Consort Rong was willing to help her second half-brother was because she was farsighted and shrewd. She knew that her mother, Lady Zhong, had lost her own son, and her only legitimate granddaughter, Zhenyu, was about to be married. Although she was a royal consort, the palace was like a deep sea, and she couldn't often leave to be by Lady Zhong's side. Zhenyu had no parents or brothers, Lady Zhong herself had no legitimate sons or grandsons, and Lady Shen's two sons were too young to handle things. Although Song Angu had been raised by Lady Zhong, she had practically drowned him, and now he spent his days drinking and fooling around in the capital, relying on Consort Rong's name, making him even less reliable.
Although her younger brothers were all suppressed by Zhong Shi and had no hope of turning their lives around, the daughters of the second wife were said to be beautiful. If they could find a good husband in the capital, they would be a great help to both Zhong Shi and Zhenyu in the future.
It was for this reason that Consort Rong made a special plan after receiving Rong Anrong's letter, intending to have the daughters of the second branch of the family find suitable husbands in the capital.
The next day, the young ladies from the second wife spent the day at Zhong's feet, acting as loving grandmother and granddaughters. The day after that, the group of young ladies dressed up and got ready, and together with Shen, they hitched up the carriage and headed to the Nan'an Marquis's residence.
The current Marquis of Nan'an, Tao Ren, is the son of Tao Kechang, the most capable military governor under Emperor Taizong during his southern campaign. Tao Ren himself now holds the position of Grand Tutor in the court, making him a man of considerable influence. He has two daughters, Tao Suyuan and Tao Suyi. One is already married to Dou Kechang, the heir of the Marquis of Beishun, while the younger daughter, Tao Suyi, has some connection with Zhenyu through Dou Mingluan. It was Tao Suyi, the second young lady of the Marquis's household, who received them at their visit.
The Marquis of Nan'an's mansion, after all, was a century-old family business, and its interior was quite simple and elegant. Although it had tall eaves and pillars, and winding paths, the most charming place was Tao Suyi's boudoir. Fragrant paths were shaded by clusters of flowers, and secluded walls were hidden by emerald bamboo, making it a very quiet and elegant place. She stood gracefully at the entrance of the courtyard, dressed in a moon-white dress and adorned with simple silver hairpins, holding a book in her hand. Although her appearance was not particularly beautiful, she exuded a faint scholarly air about her.
Zhenshu remained disguised as a maid, following behind the young ladies. Although she was far away, she could clearly sense that Zhenyu's enthusiasm was not as high as yesterday. Zhenxiu and Zhenyi, who were used to wearing golden and emerald headdresses and necklaces, saw that the second young lady of the Nan'an Marquis's mansion was dressed plainly and not as gorgeously as the two maids beside her, so they naturally had no desire to fawn over her.
Just as the young ladies of the Song family were about to exchange greetings under the guidance of Madam Shen, Dou Mingluan, dressed in a crimson-white ruyi ruyi qunqun, came out from the courtyard and greeted Zhenyu with a slight smile, saying, "Why didn't you come earlier today, sister? You've made me wait anxiously."
Zhenyu wore her usual cloud-shaped shawl and phoenix-tail pleated skirt, and her headdress was as dazzling as a golden pagoda. Smiling, she took Dou Mingluan's hand and asked, "Why do you look so haggard today?"
Dou Mingluan took out a handkerchief and lightly covered her nose before saying, "I caught a bit of a cold last night from kicking off the blankets. I'll be fine tomorrow."
Zhenyu glared at Binghuai, the maid behind Dou Mingluan, and said, "That's the trouble caused by these maids' oversleeping. Why don't you drag them out and give them a beating?"
Dou Mingluan still covered her nose and said, "It has nothing to do with them anyway, let's go inside quickly."
Tao Suyi's boudoir was also simple and elegant, very spacious and bright. In the living room today, there was a small tatami bed with very soft furnishings, and a small table on the tatami bed, which was most convenient for the two of them to have a heart-to-heart talk. There were also seven or eight large round chairs with plush cushions and pillows, and tall tables were placed between the chairs. In the center of the living room was a large square table, on which various dried fruits, fresh fruits and candies were placed.
Chapter 10 Du Yu
Inside the room sat a short, unmarried woman with a round face and almond-shaped eyes. Upon seeing the group of women enter, she rose and gracefully curtsied. Tao Suyi smiled and said, “Sisters, this is my cousin from my maternal family, her given name is Shiqiu. We are all unmarried, only a year or two apart in age, so there’s no need for such formalities. Let’s chat here for a while, without any formalities, before heading to the back garden to admire my family’s late-blooming peonies, shall we?”
The others naturally responded without hesitation.
Then Nie Shiqiu slowly walked over and said, "Please, sisters, take your seats."
She and Tao Suyi greeted the young ladies of the Song family and Mingluan, and then sat down on two round-backed chairs at the lower end of the room.
Zhenyuan was one thing, but Zhenxiu was content to show off her social skills and charm among the young ladies in the capital these days. She thought that all the young ladies in the capital were like Zhenyu, gossipy and troublemaking women, or like Dou Mingluan, who knew a few lines of poetry and could recite them fluently, and who would become frivolous and elated with a little flattery.
But when they arrived at the Marquis of Nan'an's residence, they saw that the young lady of the mansion had a scholarly air about her, and that she was also very poised and elegant. She seemed approachable, but there was nothing they could do to flatter her. So the two of them had no choice but to follow the crowd and take their seats. For a long time, they did not dare to say a word.
Although a group of maids were attending to her, Tao Suyi still personally poured tea and served cups to her guests. The teacups she used were a complete set of Yue ware celadon, their glaze a lustrous, verdant green that shone brightly in the hand. The teacups themselves were as clear as a lake, and when filled with pale yellow tea, the combination of pale yellow and verdant green, along with the fragrant aroma, made one feel as if they were floating on a lake in the spring sunshine, a scene of endless beauty and charm.
Lady Tao, the wife of the Marquis of Beishun, was Tao Suyi's elder sister. Dou Mingluan was quite close to her, and naturally, upon arriving in her territory, she would try to emulate her refined manners. Nie Shiqiu, needless to say, was no exception. Only Zhenyu, having lost her mother at a young age, lacked proper upbringing in matters of etiquette. Moreover, she was strong-willed from childhood and disliked gentleness, so she disliked putting effort into such things. Now, seeing these young ladies so dainty and refined, she felt even more displeased and too lazy to imitate their manners. She picked up her teacup, drank it all in one gulp, and gently placed the teacup back on the table. Zhenxiu and Zhenyi, seeing this, also followed suit, drinking their tea in one gulp and setting down their teacups.
Seeing this, the maidservant behind her brought over a teapot to refill the teacups. Zhenyu noticed that Tao Suyi and Dou Mingluan were still holding small cups, seemingly engrossed in something. Not wanting to be the first to speak, she glanced out the window and vaguely saw Zhenshu still wearing that long jacket, standing in the courtyard with the other maidservants. Zhenshu was tall and slender, a head taller than the other maidservants, so she could easily see her.
Yesterday, Zhenyu and Zhenxiu were busy laughing and scolding the young ladies of the capital, and hadn't had time to report the grudge that Zhenshu had offended them at the Marquis of Beishun's residence the day before. Now, with all the women in the room, and in front of the other three young ladies of the second branch, making things difficult for Zhenshu in public was quite an interesting matter.
Thinking of this, Zhenyu slowly tilted the teacup, letting the tea fall onto her shoulder, before feigning surprise and exclaiming, "Fourth Sister, why did you bump into me?"
Zhenxiu was sitting next to her, deliberately pressing herself very close. While no one had noticed before, now everyone's attention was on Zhenxiu, and they genuinely thought Zhenxiu had bumped into Zhenyu. Zhenxiu didn't know Zhenyu's intentions, but she knew she had to be considerate of her direct sister. She put down her teacup, stood up, and said, "It was my carelessness, sister, please don't be offended!"
Zhenyu waved her hand and pulled her to sit down, saying, "What are you saying? You just didn't notice. Quickly call a maid to come in and change my cloud-shaped shoulder cape."
As Zhenxiu was about to get up, Zhenyu leaned over and whispered, "Call Third Sister to change."
Zhenxiu understood, went out and took Zhenyu's bundle from An'an and handed it to Zhenshu. She bowed and said gently, "Good second sister, I accidentally knocked over Zhenyu's teacup just now. She spilled tea on her shoulder and asked you to replace it yourself. Please don't embarrass me. Please serve her well and ask her to forgive me."
Zhenshu said, "What kind of second sister am I? She is your biological second sister. Don't make me feel so bad."
As he spoke, he carried the bundle into the house, walked up to Zhenyu, curtsied, and said, "Please come this way, Second Miss, to undress."
Zhenyu moved the chair back and pointed to the young ladies sitting in the center, saying, "It's just a cloud-shaped shoulder piece. We are all sisters here, so it's no problem. Please change here."
Zhenshu, without suspicion, first personally untied the already wet cloud-shaped shoulder ornament for Zhenyu. She unfolded her bundle to the side, took out another willow leaf-shaped cloud-shaped shoulder ornament in the shape of a ruyi, and bent down to tie it for her, when she heard Zhenyu say: "Your head is too high, it makes me unable to breathe, kneel down to tie it."
Zhenshu glanced down at Zhenyu and saw that although Zhenyu's expression was indifferent, a cold smile played on her lips and her eyes were full of mockery. Suddenly, she understood. Zhenxiu's claim that Zhenxiu had knocked over the teacup was probably intentional, meant to humiliate her. Zhenshu was naturally stubborn and had never been disciplined by Madam Su. Having read many books, she also possessed a certain arrogance. She was about to explode with anger, but then she glanced back at Zhenyuan and saw that although Zhenyuan was very beautiful, she looked uneasy, her fingers clenched tightly together as she looked at her. Zhenyuan was probably also worried about her being embarrassed in public.
Thinking of this, Zhenshu secretly comforted herself: No matter what is said, Zhenyu is still her older sister, so what's wrong with kneeling?
She knelt down, stretched out her long body, and reached out to tie Zhenyu's cloud-shaped shawl before rising and curtsying, "Second Miss, it's tied."
Seeing that she hadn't retaliated against her provocation, Zhenyu was still seething with anger, but she couldn't humiliate her in public any longer, so she smiled and said, "Then you stay behind me and serve me. Don't go too far."
Since she couldn't be humiliated in public, she would make the other sisters of the second wife stand behind her as a maid, while the others sat and she stood, so that they would all feel embarrassed for a while.
Tao Suyi raised her eyebrows and looked at Zhenshu for a while, then smiled slightly and said, "Song Er, this maid in your household is quite interesting. She looks neither humble nor arrogant, with square shoulders and upright posture, not like a servant. Unlike the ones in my household, although I am always busy, they always slouch and have hunched shoulders, without any proper posture."
Seeing that Tao Suyi had also noticed Zhenshu, Zhenyu felt a little smug and deliberately raised her voice, saying, "We servants are born to serve others. Although we have to obey our masters' orders and kneel to pay our respects, we are naturally spineless. How can we be upright and strong?"
Tao Suyi originally intended to use the maidservant as an excuse to have a few words with Zhenyu, but after hearing that Zhenyu's views were completely opposite to her own, she did not want to talk to her any further and smiled slightly as she picked up her teacup.
Nie Shiqiu looked around with a smile, then suddenly bowed and said, "Sisters, do you know about the strange thing that happened in the capital the other day?"
Dou Mingluan lowered her head and remained silent upon hearing this. Zhenyu, unaware of the situation, raised her eyebrows and asked, "What is it? I have no idea."
It turned out that Tao Suyi had been aloof and cold since childhood, and was not good at socializing. However, Consort Rong of the palace had entrusted Lady Nie, the wife of the Marquis of Nan'an, with the task of hosting some talented young men from her distant relatives and kinsmen. It was said that these men were to be chosen as husbands for several daughters of her maternal family, the Song family, from the second branch. Lady Nie accepted the order and was ready to handle the matter. However, her eldest daughter, Suyan, was already married, and Suyi, being aloof and cold, feared that the young ladies of the Song family would be left unattended, leading to an awkward silence. Therefore, she summoned Nie Shiqiu, the daughter of the third branch of her maternal family, the Nie family, to accompany her.
When it comes to warming up the atmosphere and socializing, Nie Shiqiu is naturally much better than Tao Suyi. Seeing that the atmosphere had become awkward, she quickly took over the conversation.
She deliberately lowered her voice and said, "Do you know Du Yu, the heir of the Du family, the Duke of Du, the military governor?"
Zhenyu said, "Of course. He's not known for being unruly. When I was a child, I visited his home and saw his father carrying a whip, searching the whole house for him. Later, I heard that he was imprisoned for murder. Could he be about to be beheaded?"
Nie Shiqiu took a sip of tea, lowered his brows and said, "He is the heir of the Duke's mansion. Although the Prince of Zhongshan is gone, the Duke of Du is his father. Even if he really killed someone, they would only exonerate him. They would not really kill him."
Zhenyu slapped the back of the chair anxiously, saying, "They've had a different wife in their household all these years, and we haven't had any contact with them since. Tell me what happened to him? I'm so worried!"
Nie Shiqiu and the young ladies of the Song family were all staring at him with wide eyes. Only then did he gently put down his teacup, tap his hand on the edge of the table, and say, "He was originally imprisoned in the Yingtian Prefecture prison for murder, but who knew that he would escape the day before yesterday."
Zhenyu exclaimed in surprise, "Escaped? I remember he was imprisoned two years ago, and he was only sentenced to four years in prison. He could have served two more years and been released. Why would he escape?"
Nie Shiqiu said, "Exactly, that's the strange thing. My second brother is an official in Yingtian Prefecture. He told me that although Du Yu also went to prison, his cell was right next to the prefect's office. He had his own room, which was spacious, bright, and very comfortable. Because he hadn't studied hard in his studies, Duke Du hired a famous teacher to come to the prison to teach him every day for two years without interruption. Since he was the heir of a duke, Yingtian Prefecture didn't put him in handcuffs or shackles, and he moved around like a normal person. He even had extra time every day to practice martial arts and weapons." "Staying in prison like this, aside from the inability to move freely, how is it any different from being a normal person? And for the past two years, he has behaved very well in prison, showing not the slightest intention to escape. Perhaps that's why the guards of Yingtian Prefecture lowered their guard. The day before yesterday, after breakfast, the tutor came to review his lessons, and after finishing, left with the books. It wasn't until the guards brought lunch at noon that they discovered Du Yu had brazenly slipped away wearing the tutor's clothes, and the person tied to the desk in the cell was none other than Du Yu's tutor."
Zhenyu laughed twice and sighed, "That's exactly how he acts. When I was little, I went to the Duke's mansion as a guest. He acted very formally and held a small hairpin box in his hand, saying he wanted to give me a hairpin. When I opened it, a gecko rolled out of it."
Dou Mingluan, whose face was already pale, suddenly stood up, covered her mouth with a handkerchief, and said to Tao Suyi, "Good sister, let me lie down in your inner room for a while. I feel a little dizzy right now."
Tao Suyi got up and helped her walk into the inner room. Nie Shiqiu said to Zhenyu and Zhenyuan, "Since she is not feeling well, let's not make a fuss here. Shall we get up and go for a walk outside?"
After Zhenyu and Zhenyuan got up and went to the outer room, the group went to the backyard.
The Marquis of Nan'an, Tao Ren, was originally from Jiangnan, so the layout of his family garden naturally differed from that of the Marquis of Beishun. It lacked the expansive, spacious woodlands and expansive lakes. This garden, though small, was exquisite in every detail, filled with yellow stones and strangely shaped trees. Behind the moon gate grew ivy, and the narrow bridge was adorned with ancient moss, exuding the refined elegance of Jiangnan. Nie Shiqiu and Zhenyu had been playing here for a long time, eager to reach the peony garden. Zhenxiu and Zhenyi naturally followed closely behind Zhenyu, while Zhenyuan moved more slowly and gradually fell behind. Zhenshu slowed her pace to keep up with her.
After all the young ladies and maids had gone far away, Zhenyuan took Zhenshu's hand and said, "I'm sorry to have troubled you to stand there for half a day today."
Zhenshu said, "What grievances have I suffered? It's you sitting there looking even more distressed than I am."
☆, Chapter 11 Dou Wu
Zhenyuan sighed and said, "That's right. They are all girls we've never met before. We're not familiar with them and have nothing to talk about, so it's naturally very awkward. Besides, I've been walking around too much these past few days, and my feet are sore and painful. I really envy your natural feet, which make you move around quickly and easily."
Zhenshu then laughed and said, "Now you know how good natural feet are, right? You shouldn't have followed your mother's example and bound your feet to the size of your palms, making it difficult to walk."
As the two were chatting and laughing, the path suddenly turned, and two people stood there. One was a young man with a fair complexion and red lips, wearing a straight-hemmed robe with brocade patterns and a small crown. He was none other than Dou Keming, the fifth young master whom they had met at the Marquis of Beishun's residence the day before. The other was a slender man with delicate features, wearing a blue cloth robe and a headscarf. Upon seeing Zhenyuan, he bowed deeply and said, "I have offended you two elder sisters. Please forgive me."
Dou Keming, holding a folding fan, pointed at the young man wearing a turban and said, "This is my friend Zhang Rui. What brings Sister Song here?"
Zhenyuan said, "We originally wanted to go with the other sisters to see the late-blooming peonies in this garden, but I was too slow and ended up leaving."
The path was narrow to begin with, and now that Dou Keming was standing in the middle of it, Zhenyuan and Zhenshu naturally couldn't pass him and could only stand opposite him. Dou Keming stared intently at Zhenyuan, scrutinizing her from head to toe, his gaze frivolous, as if the woman before him was already his possession. After a long while, he said, "I heard the other day that you, sister, are not yet betrothed. I wonder what kind of man could catch your eye?"
Zhenyuan was shocked to hear Dou Keming bring up marriage so directly. Although he was slightly younger than her, he was still a grown man, and it was inappropriate for him to discuss marriage in public. Though she thought this, her tongue seemed to freeze in her mouth, unable to utter a single word. Zhenshu, however, stood coldly behind Zhenyuan. Seeing her blushing face and silence, he spoke loudly, "Marriage is a matter of parental arrangement and matchmaker's word. If Young Master Dou wishes to discuss marriage, he should go to the Song residence and speak with his elders. This narrow path is hardly a suitable place for such a discussion."
Two days ago, Dou Keming saw Zhenyu in the bamboo grove with a slender, slightly dark-skinned pretty maid, but at the time he was so focused on Zhenyuan that he hadn't noticed her. He had seen all of Zhenyu's personal maids before, but they were all mediocre. Now, seeing this pretty maid following Zhenyuan, he assumed she must be Zhenyuan's personal maid. If Zhenyuan were to become a concubine in the Marquis's mansion, this maid would naturally be her personal attendant. A concubine's maid…
Dou Keming frowned and looked for a while, then suddenly bit his lip and smiled, saying, "There's also a pretty matchmaker!"
Zhenshu had read widely since childhood, including "The Romance of the Western Chamber." Hearing him mention Hongniang, she knew exactly what he was up to. She stood in front of Zhenyuan and stared at Dou Keming, saying, "We don't have Hongniang here, nor do we have Lüniang or Huangliang. Young Master Dou must have mistaken you for someone else."
Dou Keming, instead of being angry, laughed and patted his folding fan, saying, "Please don't be offended, maid. I know you're eager to help your mistress. But men should marry when they come of age and women should marry when they come of age. Your daughter will eventually get married. When that time comes, will you still be able to help her like this?"
Zhenshu said, "We are now heading to the Peony Garden. We are afraid that the young ladies ahead will be anxious waiting. Please, Young Master Dou, make way for us."
Dou Keming now looked at the two beauties with increasing affection, and was reluctant to let them leave. Furthermore, Zhenyu had promised to give him Zhenyuan as a concubine, so he now regarded Zhenyuan as his own concubine, unable to get enough of admiring her. Hearing Zhenshu urging him like this, he half-annoyed and half-teasingly said, "Your maid is too calculating. If I marry your daughter in the future, we will still have to meet. Now, give me some gentle words so that we can meet again in the future."
Zhen Shu sneered inwardly, cursing inwardly: "Keep dreaming."
She took two steps back to avoid Dou Keming's approach and said, "If you really want to marry, you should go through the proper formalities of marriage. Although my eldest sister doesn't have a dowry of a fortune, she is not one to give herself away easily. As for becoming someone's concubine, that's just wishful thinking."
As a maid, a slight offense to her master could be considered a sign of being pampered and charming. However, to openly contradict her would be considered tactless. Dou Keming initially found this maid to be neither servile nor arrogant, possessing a thorny beauty like a rose. But her repeated targeting and defiance made Dou Keming lose face in front of his friends. He pointed at Zhenshu with his fan and said, "A mere maid dares to utter such arrogant words..."
Zhang Rui, dressed in a blue cloth robe beside him, reached out and touched the handle of Dou Keming's fan, and pulled Dou Keming with one hand, saying, "Brother Keming, how can we men cause these young ladies to cry here? Are you perhaps drunk and talking nonsense at the banquet? Let's leave here quickly."