CHAPTER ONE (PART 1):As far as the eye could see from the little loft, was the sight of flourishing flowers in the yard. On top of that, with the meticulously cared for decorations around her, it could be said that Cui Miao He was raised indulgently within the manor.
Although the Cui Family could not be counted as prominent or high ranking, under the guidance of the Che Family, was able to seek work in the Ministry of Appointments, and was able to have a bit of a reputation to their name in the capital city.
As the eldest daughter of the Cui Family, she naturally should have been spoiled, and her days should have been content beyond any other, but unfortunately, her mother died early and current lady of the Cui Family was a second wife. After she married into the family, she also bore a daughter, and for her own daughter’s position in the Cui Family, Lady Cui saw Cui Miao He as a nail in her eye, a thorn in her flesh.
What she looked to, what she thought of, was Cui Miao He committing a wrong so she could drive her out of the Cui Manor in a right and proper way.
Regarding this, although Cui Miao He was very clear what they thought, she didn’t care about it too much and lived her own life in a carefree way. Towards the two, she minded her own business and they minded theirs.
They were afraid of consequences as she was related to the Che Family, and so didn’t dare to be too presumptuous in front of her.
Until that day, Minister Che somehow offended the current Prime Minister and was accused of misconduct, and even send the Emperor into a rage and had their house searched.
Because they had always been close to the Che Family, even they were called into question. Officials from the Ministry of Justice came to the Cui Family and searched a few times, and although they did not find any evidence, it allowed her stepmother to come up with an excuse.
She completely ignored the past friendship between the two families, and urged Father to force her to break all connections with the Che Family to avoid being implicated again.
Not being allowed to visit wasn’t much, but even giving them help in the form of money was forbidden. She thought that Father would have at least taken into account old affections, but who knew that Father would take in Stepmother’s slanders this time, and not only forbid er from going to find Yuan Yu jie jie, but also forbid her from taking any money from the house to help the Che Family who had fallen into misfortune.
How hateful!
Thinking about this, a flaming rage suddenly rose up in Cui Miao He’s heart. She’s always thought that if others so not offend her, she would not offend others. She didn’t think that not fighting would let Stepmother think that she was a pushover.
“Miss, why is your expression so bad, are you feeling unwell?” Huan Huan carried a meal box, and was currently preparing her master’s lunch. When she saw her master’s dark face, she asked with concern at once.
“I…”
A mouth full of grievances about to spill out, she caught a glimpse out of the corner of her eye of a person. She swiftly held back the anger from her face, and put on a smile on her face as if she was performing a conjuring trick.
She would let Huan Huan see her mood, but wasn’t willing to let her little sister who was born of the same father but different mother catch a glimpse.
“Mei Mei, why have you come?” Cui Miao He asked lightly, fixing her gaze on her younger sister’s delicate and beautiful face. Although there was a bright smile on her face, it did not reach her eyes.
“I’ve come specially to congratulate Jie Jie.” Cui Yun Xiu sat gracefully in front of her elder sister, and spoke hastily before the servant poured tea.
“Congratulate?” Cui Miao He repeated, not understanding. Her eyebrows puckered up at the expression of taking joy at other people’s misfortunes in her eyes.
Although she and Cui Yun Xiu were sisters in name, she wasn’t much closer to her than a stranger.
She was very clear that her stepmother and younger sister saw her as a p.r.i.c.k in their eye, a thorn in their flesh, and she was used to treating the two as air. If she could not see them, she would not, and they would mind their own business.
And now Cui Yun Xiu had come bursting into her courtyard without any good intentions.
Her att.i.tude was neither cold nor warm, and not at all in a hurry to get her to leave. She wanted to see what Cui Yun Xiu was up to.
“Of course, I should congratulate Jie Jie.”
Under the instruction of Stepmother, Cui Yun Xiu was more like a girl from a wealthy family than her, the eldest daughter.
Seeing her appearance of effortless and composed grace, this act of a wealthy girl attracted notice and praise.
“You keep saying congratulations, but why do you not say from where your happiness comes from?”
Cui Miao He really become curious about where this bout of happiness came from. She had been put under house arrest by Father for the last few days, and her heart had been caught up with the Che jie jie who had met with misfortune. These things, that pair of mother and daughter knew very well, and now coming to congratulate her, she was only afraid that they would make a joke out of her.
“Eh, Jie Jie doesn’t know yet? Mother has arranged a marriage for Jie Jie already!”
On Cui Yun Xiu’s face was a mysterious smile, and if one were to look closely, a faint expression of taking joy in another’s misfortune could be seen.
Looking at her crafty smile in her eyes, a bad feeling rose up Cui Miao He’s heart. It looked like even if the Emperor’s investigation of the Che Family did not harm the Cui Family, it harmed her.
The only support which she had that the mother and daughter were afraid of had fallen, and they had come over to step on her.
Liang Yu Xian never thought well of her, and the man she had found likely wasn’t an ideal husband.
Cui Miao He looked quietly at her younger sister, her face still showing a bit of an unaffected and innocent expression. Even though she had always acted lovable and foolishly in front of her two good friends, Che Yuan Yu and Ji Jun Han, she did so because she knew that they genuinely loved her. She didn’t need to put an act in front of them, and could wholeheartedly be herself.
She didn’t ask any further, and Cui Yun Xiu became anxious. After all, a husband was what every girl hoped for, how could she not be curious? Seeing her elder sister light and cal manner, she couldn’t hold it in anymore and asked: “Jie Jie, aren’t you curious who he is?”
“Not curious, because I won’t agree to this.” Pursing her lips. Cui Miao He smiled because she saw the astonishment in her younger sister’s eyes.
“You… why do you refuse? Since olden times, a girl’s marriage was decided by her parents. If Mother wants you to marry, what right to you have to refuse?” She was beaten by her elder sister again, and Cui Yun Xiu was angered to the point of gnashing her teeth at how composed her sister was.
“If I don’t want to marry, who can force me!” With a sweep of her eyes, a cold look burst forth. No matter who the person was, she would not get on the marriage sedan obediently, so she was not curious in the least.
That confidence was really infuriating, and so Cui Yun Xiu didn’t care about keeping her in suspense anymore, and said quickly: “No one cares if you agree or not. In any case, Lady Chai has been urgently trying to find Chai She Xia a bride these last few days, and when the matchmakers came to discuss, Mother asked them to take your portrait to General Chai’s manor. If General Chai sees something in you, then you will be his wife.”
“Oh? So that counts as us trying to connect ourselves with higher ranking people!” Cui Miao He said lightly, the expression on her delicate face completely calm, not at all showing even a thread of anger or difficulty.
“You’re willing to marry Chai She Xia?”
In reality, with Chai She Xia’s family background and now at the peak of his power, he was the wealthy husband that many unmarried girls hoped for.
Even herself once secretly hoped to be able to become Chai She Xia’s wife, to be able to be married off grandly, and to live the rest of her life in riches without any worries.
Who knew that in these last two years, opinions of Chai She Xia gradually became worse, and even though his prospects were the same, and many scandals came out. First, he beat to death a servant girl for a small matter, then it began to circulate that he liked men. Not only did he have secret relations with several gentle and lovely looking men, he would often take pleasures and have fun in the manor. His acts of indecency set abuzz the talk among high ranking officials and n.o.blemen.
At first when she heard these rumors, it was thought that it was a mistake, but slowly as these rumors become old, and more people believed them, even she who had not believed at the start believed in them without any doubt now.
Because of that, her original yearning for Chai She Xia turned into avoiding him at all costs, so when Lady Chai sent over matchmakers, she immediately thought of her elder sister. To her, this was killing two birds with one stone.
Not only could she properly and legally marry off this thorn in her side, she could see Cui Miao He suffer, having to live out the rest of her days like a widow, that was something that really pleased her.
“From the olden days, the marriage of us girls was ordered by our parents and arranged by matchmakers?” Even if the fury in her heart was like a fierce beast, rearing it’s head and snarling to escape it’s cage, but in order to stop her younger sister from catching even a thread of anger, a smile burst from Cui Miao He’s lips and she kept herself composed as she spoke.
“You know that Chai She Xia likes men, if you marry him, you might as well be a living widow for the rest of your life.” Not believing that she would not be able to frighten her older sister, Cui Yun Xiu stared with bright eyes, putting on a show of deep worry and concern.
“Even if it’s true, it’s my life, what is there to be afraid of?”
Knowing that her younger sister wouldn’t be satisfied until seeing her afraid and trembling, how could Cui Miao He let things go her way? So even if she was raging on the inside, she still spoke and smiled, relaxed.
“You…” Seeing her relaxed and composed, Cui Yun Xiu gnashed her teeth with hate.
She should be afraid, because Chai She Xia’s personality was cruel and he liked men. If a woman married that sort of man, what sort of hopes could they have for the rest of their life.
“You’re so concerned about Jie Jie, and I’m endlessly touched by it. Could it be that you’ve come to tell me this today because you’re willing to take my place?”
Her remaining patience had long trickled away to nothing, and seeing Cui Miao He put on yet another smile, and to guess so sweet-tempered and appreciatively, the bold but rather slow Cui Yun Xiu turned ashen, and just as expected, and hastily lied: “I… already have someone I like. Don’t think of pushing that terrifying man onto me, don’t think of destroying my life. You no longer have anyone supporting you now, Mother won’t sit by and watch you act high and mighty. You just wait and marry into the General’s Manor, and spend the rest of your life in misery!”
Not being able to pretend anymore, Cui Yun Xiu simply stopped acting out sisterly affections, and glared at her elder sister before turning and leaving.
Looking at the speedily retreating figure in front of her eyes, the calm expression on Cui Miao He’s face immediately disappeared. Hearing her younger sister’s words, how could she not panic?
She had never thought about marrying anyone, and even if she married, she would never be willing to marry a man who long had a bad reputation. No, that wouldn’t do. She had to think of a solution, she wouldn’t foolishly let herself be taken advantage of by others.
The artists in the city must have had very good business lately!
Chai She Xia looked coldly at the portraits which almost covered the entire writing desk, the veins on his forehead could not help but throb.
He easily ripped a few of those portraits, and took a few steps forward, and made a brushing motion with his hand, and the portraits fell all over the floor. Mixed among them were his military books and military strategy diagrams.
Upon seeing this, the servant behind him was speechless towards his master’s anger. Before he had the chance to bend down and tidy up, a bright and teasing laugh broke the quiet, causing the master and servant’s line of sight to be directed at the newcomer.
“Why are you angry so early in the morning?”
“You’ve here!” Already used to his good friend’s habit of coming in without notice, he just raised his head, not even bothering to hide the impatience on his face.
“Tell me, what are you angry about so early?”
“I’m angry at my extremely bored mother.”
With that one sentence, and seeing the portraits of girls everywhere, Ju Su Sheng was already very clear on where Chai She Xia’s anger came from.
“Your mother is taking care of your marriage?”
“Humph!” Chai She Xia didn’t answer, and just gave a loud snort.
Ju Su Sheng didn’t take his friend’s rudeness to heart, and smiled faintly, and flipped through the elaborately drawn portraits.
Eh… it’s her!
Looking at the true to life portrait in front of him, he immediately recalled the lovable appearance of the person in the portrait, and couldn’t help but grin. Then he looked at the mountain-like Chai She Xia towering in front of him, and got an idea.
This quick-witted and intelligent maiden was worthy of Chai She Xia, and this could be considered as a good marriage!
Still looking at the portrait, he said in a moderate tone: “This maiden has a good look about her, her lips are smiling and her eyes are quick, she looks like a lively and agreeable maiden.”
“If you like it, you can have it.” He didn’t think that his friend with his exceptionally high standards would so easily praise someone in the portraits. At first, Chai She Xia was stunned, then he spoke hastily to try rid himself of trouble.
He thought that the pile of portraits were exceptionally annoying, and that if anyone wanted them, he would be eager to give them all away and save himself some trouble.
“If you give these away, wouldn’t Lady Chai just find some more?” Towards Chai She Xia’s straightforward personality, Ju Su Sheng couldn’t help but shake his head and smile.
“Uh…” Hearing that, Chai She Xia paused and thought about it for a moment, and knew that Ju Su Sheng’s words made sense.
Even if he gave away all the portraits, knowing Mother’s personality, she would struggle on and send over even more.
This time, she was really determined to find a wife for him. If he yielded and brought a wife home to be put on display, then he would only be afraid that his mother who had been pampered out of control by Father would not give up.
Thinking about this, his mood turned nastier, and another frightening layer of frost appeared on his face.
CHAPTER ONE (PART 2): “Therefore, rather than having your mother pester you endlessly, why don’t you just pick one that’s nice to look at.” Ju Su Feng suggested.
“Women, how troublesome!” Chai She Xia refused without a second thought. Just thinking of his few experiences with women, even him, the young general who had fought a hundred battles shivered.
“Women are troublesome, but right now it’s even more troublesome that you do not have one.” In Chai She Xia’s mind, he thought that even ten women wouldn’t be as troublesome as his headstrong mother. He really hit the nail on the head with that sentence. “So I should listen to my mother, and find trouble to place by my side?” Chai She Xia said stuffily, ten thousand sorts of disagreement flickering through his face.
Seeing as he still had n.o.ble aspirations in his heart, he wholehearted looked forward to the chaos in the imperial court to settle, to take soldiers to the northern desert borders and to conquer new territories for the dynasty.
“This trouble might not necessarily be trouble.” This sentence was also not necessarily said to be comforting.
Thinking about their good brother Zhang Sun Cheng Yin, wasn’t he concerned about Che Yuan Yu?
“How is it not trouble. Remember that Fang Qing girl last year, and Wu Tong. Weren’t they all trouble?” Chai She Xia said in an unpleasant tone.
Just thinking about the trouble that Fang Qing and Wu Tong had caused, the wrinkles in his forehead could crush a bug to death.
Fang Qing was a servant that his mother had arranged for him, but she actually fell in love with a scholar who had rushed to the capital to take the examinations. In order not to ruin the Chai Family’s reputation, and taking Fang Qing’s happiness into consideration, he had no choice but to put on a show and “beat to death” Fang Qing so she could change her name, and return home with the scholar and live out the rest of her live in bliss.
Although he had done a benevolent thing, those who did not know the true story cursed his heartlessness behind his back.
So for women, he had sufferings that could not be spoken!
And that Wu Tong girl, she was obviously a girl but liked to dress as a man. That in itself wasn’t anything to worry about, but she completely disregarded differences between men and women, and liked to get touchy-feely with him on the busy streets, and so the rumour that he liked men spread like wildfire. That would have been forgotten about, but then she ended up saying that she didn’t want to be trapped in the small courtyard of the Chai Manor, and after a while of them being all but husband and wife, she insisted that he was a brother to her, and relying on his love for her, went far away to roam distant lands.
She was alright having walked away from the problem, but had brought him a bad reputation.
His personality had always been careless, and he didn’t really care what other people thought of him, and those rumours had brought him a time of peace.
But who knew that once those rumours reached Mother’s ears, they brought about much fuss over nothing. Although Mother reasonably let Wu Tong leave, she was afraid that he would not be able to take a wife because of those rumours, and so she would not be able to have a grandchild. So, she was doing the best to make sure he married in the short amount of time, and produced a fat little child.
So, the portraits in front of him were the poison left behind by those rumours.
“They are troublesome, but even more troublesome is your mother, right!”
That was right on the spot. Chai She Xia heard what was said, and his tall figure went stiff.
“To attack the root of the problem, so your mother stops bothering you, you should do what doesn’t make her worry.”
Ju Su Sheng said that naturally, with the air of brotherly affections like he wished the best, but craftiness flashed through his eyes.
“So what you mean is that I should choose a woman myself?”
Wouldn’t that be just making it troublesome for himself? In the future, there would be large troubles and small troubles. Did he even want to live anymore if it was like that?
“Of course, pick a woman to calm your mother down. After, you’ll have time to make plans, and you would have earned yourself some peace and quiet. Isn’t that right?”
“That…”
After hearing that, Chai She Xia thought that it made a bit of sense, but also thought that it was a little strange, so he stared at Ju Su Sheng, trying to figure out what he was up to.
“Hey, you think I would try to hurt you?” Ju Su Sheng did not try in the least to cover up that he thought that Chai She Xia had no conscience, and even brought up an expression of faint dejection on his face.
“You’re always full of sinister plots, who knows what you’re calculating now?” Chai She Xia said unpleasantly to Ju Su Sheng’s dejected face.
Since they met, he with the careless personality had been tricked by his words many times. Thankfully no harm came of it, but who could blame him for doubting him.
“Alright, seeing as you don’t recognise good intentions, I won’t say anymore.” Spreading out his arms, Ju Su Sheng shut his mouth, an annoyed expression on his face.
Upon seeing this, Chai She Xia felt guilty. He and Su Sheng had always been good brothers, and along with Cheng Yin, the three of them helped each other achieve goals in the imperial court. He really shouldn’t have doubted him.
He changed his mint, and thought that his good friend had a bit of a point, and for the sake of some peace and quiet, would try to fix a lost cause.
“Then you tell me, who do I pick?”
Hearing this, Ju Su Sheng’s eyes flashed, and pretended to carelessly point at a picture on the ground. “Her!”
Following his good friend’s finger, Chai She Xia’s gaze travelled to the portrait, and seeing the alert and crafty eyes of the person in the picture, he did not think that it was a good idea.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but his friend was one step ahead and said: “Then what do you think should be done?”
Hearing his always resourceful friend asking what else could be done, the rough Chai She Ye didn’t know what else he could say, and could only his lips and stare at the portrait on the floor.
The peonies placed in the main hall, apart from being eye-catching, in the last few years, because the imperial concubines in the palace started a trend of bestowing peonies, the common people began to like them as well. This brought about peonies becoming expensive, and if one did not have some family status, then they would not be able to get peonies.
Looking at the peonies which represented riches and honor, Cui Miao He did not think that there was anything special about them. Compared to the grace of the peony, she preferred the cool elegance of the daffodil.
Even though peonies were not the flowers she liked best, she still wanted reach out and touch the blossoming flower. Just when it was almost within reach, a cold shout suddenly sounded–
“Stop!”
Hearing that, she immediately turned towards the owner of that voice to see Stepmother staring coldly at her, saying: “Is that flower something that you can touch?”
Towards this stepdaughter, although she had never truly mistreated her, but never had a good expression to show her either.
Cui Miao He glared back at her cold faced stepmother, and pursed her lips and didn’t talk.
Although she was discontent, she didn’t flare up at once. She wanted to know what Stepmother called her over to the main hall for.
Liang Yu Xia became nervous because of the glare, and became angry.
“Don’t you know how precious the peony is?”
Towards this question, Cui Miao He just sneered, not even wanting to bother moving her lips at Stepmother’s discomfort.
“You…” Because of this sort of stare that seemed to penetrate one’s heart, she had never been able to see Cui Miao He as her own child.
Before, Liang Yu Xia would take into consideration the reputation of her relative, Che Hui Dong, and would not be too severe on her on the surface, but since the Che Family was in trouble, she no longer had so many qualms, and was eager to kick this eyesore out of the house.
“You called me here so urgently just to tell me how expensive this pot of flowers is?” Cui Miao He finally opened her mouth, and although her tone was steady, the impatience in her voice could be heard.
Right now, Liang Yu Xia was taking unfair advantage of the fact that she had no one to lean on, and sometimes even when Father was faced with Stepmother’s strength, he would rather have less to do and more peace, and so would turn a blind eye to her increasingly stepping over his head.
Before, Cui Miao He wouldn’t find trouble before herself, but since knowing that Stepmother had thought deliberately and carefully about roping in the Chai Family, she brazenly wanted to push her into a pit of fire. The anger in her heart raged and burned, and she didn’t care about being accommodating anymore.
“Seeing as you know how precious it is, why did you reach out to touch it?”
“It’s the property of my Cui Family. If i want to cherish it, then I will. If I don’t like it, then I can ruin it. What right do bystanders have to point the finger of blame at me?”
“You…”
This d.a.m.ned girl, she had formally thought that she was an ordinary girl from a wealthy family. Where did she learn to be so clever and eloquent?
If she didn’t marry her off quickly, the day would come when she would climb up over her head into a higher position.
She thought again, Cui Miao He and Yun Xiu were about the same age. If she didn’t marry off Cui Miao He quickly, then how would Yun Xiu find the ideal husband?
Thinking of that, she restrained the anger boiling inside, and and forced out a smile, and said: “Your father hopes that you can go get close to Lady Chai for a while, to let her get to know you better. If you can get Lady Chai and General Chai to like you, then that will greatly increase your chance of marrying into the Chai Family, and live out the rest of your days happily. Also, General Chai is an important young person in the court, if he could say some good things about your father to the Emperor, it could help your father’s career, and using General Chai’s name, his old position could be restored or he could even have a higher one.”
After hearing that, Cui Miao He wore a sweet smile on her face, and just when Liang Yu Xia thought that she would obey, she said: “Seeing as you’re concerned about Father’s career, why don’t you let my younger sister try to get Lady Chai’s favour? If we talk about appearance, she is a great beauty, and don’t you always say that her skill in the four great arts suppresses mine?”
Seeing as the mother and daughter didn’t know of not doing to others what they would not like done to themselves, then why should she be polite?
“How can I send Yun Xiu, that Chai She Xia’s reputation…”
Liang Yu Xia hastily tried to backtrack, but once the words left she mouth, she saw a cold smile on Cui Miao He’s face, and swallowed her unsaid words. Her eyes widened, unable to believe that she let down her guard like that, and couldn’t hold up her smile for any longer.
“I’m telling you, this time even if you don’t want to marry you still have to. Your father has already sent your portrait to the Chai Manor. If General Chai chooses you, then even if I have to tie you up, I will marry you off there. Don’t mention the value of the betrothal gift, but the help that his position will give to your father. This is an important responsibility that you have as the eldest daughter of the Cui Family.”
After she finished talking, Cui Miao He just stared coldly at her.
That stare was like it was telling her, there was no one in the world who could force her to do something she was unwilling to do.