Chapter 432 — Divergent

Miao Zhi was slender, with jet-black hair and large apricot eyes that could flash with delight or fury. Yet a cutting sharpness showed through at the corners of her eyes and brows, spoiling her soft beauty and sharpening her features into distinct relief, so that she gave an impression of someone not easy to get along with.

Just now her willow brows were arched high and her apricot eyes glared wide, which only made that impression stronger.

"What fine young lord? Nothing but a worthless wretch living off the shade of his ancestors, eating and waiting to die!" Miao Zhi, held up on either side by two maidservants, only raised her voice the higher. "Father always says he dotes on me, and now he wants to marry me to a good-for-nothing who cannot even inherit the family estate. Can you really bear to watch me scrape by in some great mansion on a few hundred taels of income a year? When that time comes I won't even be able to look after myself. Who will you and my brother rely on then..."

Her father went pale with fright, stepped forward, and clapped a hand over her mouth. "My little ancestor, lower your voice. This marriage is bestowed by imperial decree. We have only cause to rejoice—how could we think of refusing? If the wrong ears hear this and it spreads, disaster will fall on the Miao family! Never mind your father—even your aunt in the palace could not save you!"

With a wrench, Miao Zhi tore her father's big hand from her mouth. "Father, tell me the truth. Did you go and beg for this match yourself, or was it bestowed from the palace?"

"Of course it was bestowed from the palace." Bringing it up put Miao's father in a foul mood as well. "Do you take me for a fool, marrying you to a second son?"

"That makes no sense!" Miao Zhi said in astonishment. "Doesn't the Empress Dowager always look on our aunt with disfavor? Why would she suddenly take it into her head to marry me to the second young master of the Yingzhenguo household? The Yingzhenguo household may be illustrious, but I have heard that its heir is a formidable man—the bandits and highwaymen who come and go as they please dare not even steal from their estate in our county. Tell me, as the wife of such a man's younger brother, would I dare so much as breathe deeply? When the family estate is divided, would I dare contend with him for a share?" She wept as she spoke. "Father, this is no honoring of me—this is shoving me into a pit of fire!" She plucked at his sleeve. "You must not marry me into the Song family, no matter what!"

"I know, I know," her father said helplessly. "But the decree has already been issued. There is no possibility of changing it. If you do not marry, what can be done?"

Miao Zhi lowered her voice. "There are so many sisters in this house. The noble ones in the palace and the Song family have never even seen me. Can't you marry someone else in my place?"

Miao's father was horrified. "Ridiculous talk! That would be the crime of deceiving the sovereign—the whole clan would be exterminated! Do you mean to destroy our entire family?" Fearing she would keep pestering him and say something even more outrageous, he flung off her hand and set his face. "Put such thoughts out of your head. Stay quietly at home and prepare for your wedding. If you dare make trouble, do not blame me for turning my back on you!" Then he turned to the maids and old women attending Miao Su'an. "If the sixth young lady goes missing, I will sell every one of your families—the women to the brothels, the men to the salt works!"

The maids and old women turned white with terror and assented, trembling.

Miao's father then summoned several sturdy old women and threatened them: "Guard the sixth young lady's rooms. If so much as a fly gets in, you may wait for the slave traders to come and haul you away!"

The sturdy old women dared not be negligent, and answered in chorus that it would be done.

Only then did Miao's father go to the main hall.

Miao Zhi stamped her feet in fury, but everyone in the household knew how serious the matter was and was set on watching her. There was nothing she could do but wait for the Song family to send the betrothal gifts.

Song Yan was thoroughly pleased with the match and instructed Du Wei, "Keep watching the Miao family. Find an opportunity for someone from the Miao household to meet with me."

Du Wei did not understand.

Song Yan said, "If I do not show my hand, how will the Miao family dare open their mouths wide and demand betrothal gifts from the Song family?"

The Miao family might be insatiably greedy, but if he could give his father a headache, he did not mind indulging their greed.

With that, Song Yan turned and went to the Crane-Calling Temple Lane—Dou Yan had taken the child back to her natal home for a short stay.

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Song Han was in turmoil.

The woman he wanted to marry was the Jiang daughter famed for her chastity and fortitude, not this obscure sixth young lady of the Miao family!

Why had the Empress suddenly bestowed a marriage on him?

Did his elder brother know about this or not?

His father had gone to the Third Princess's residence—would there be any turn in the matter?

Clinging to a shred of hope, Song Han sat in the hall of the Osmanthus Fragrance Court waiting for Song Cen.

So when he heard that Song Cen had returned, he hurried forward to meet him.

"Father," he said, his gaze full of expectation as he looked at Song Cen, "what did the Third Princess's husband say?"

"What could he say?" Dejection was plain on Song Cen's brow. "There is nothing for it but to enter the palace and give thanks for the imperial favor, and to discuss the marriage with the Miao family."

Song Han fell silent and supported Song Cen with a perfunctory hand as they went into the inner chamber.

While the maids attended Song Cen in changing his clothes, Song Han could not refrain from asking again, "Father, do you know what sort of family this Wanping Miao household is?"

The mention of it put Song Cen in an even worse mood.

"It is the natal family of Consort Miao," he said irritably to Song Han. "They used to run a general store. Later, when Consort Miao found favor in the palace, they went into the construction business. In recent years there have been great changes among the officials of the Ministry of Works, and the Miao family has lost its patron. They have been living off their old capital ever since."

In other words, a family in decline!

Song Han felt himself insulted and his face flushed with anger; his hands clenched into fists of their own accord.

How was he to face the world after this?

Especially since Song Yan had married the niece of Elder Dou of the Beilou Dou clan, and his father-in-law was himself a two-list graduate of the examinations and a scholar of the Hanlin Academy... Would he not be unable to hold up his head before Song Yan for the rest of his life?!

By marrying the Miao daughter, he had brought advantage to no one but Song Yan. No wonder his father suspected Song Yan was behind this.

But how had Song Yan managed it?

Song Han suddenly felt that he had always been very foolish and very naive.

Better to trust oneself than to trust others.

Whoever had thought up this scheme to marry him to the sixth young lady of the Miao family, they would never get what they wanted! Even if the sixth young lady of the Miao family did marry in, he would make her know that it was no easy thing to be the wife of Song Han!

Having settled his resolve, Song Han felt somewhat calmer and asked Song Cen softly, "Father, my elder brother had already taken office before he married, and now I am to marry as well. Could you secure me a post from the Emperor? That way I need not idle about and be looked down upon by my wife's family."

Song Cen's face fell. "Is study not a task?"