Volume One, Chapter 19: Sisters of One Household, Blood Is Thicker Than Water

The flower hall of the Xu residence was in utter chaos.

Qin Huaisheng’s pale blue robe hung half off his shoulders, and his face was marked with several bloody scratches from fingernails, making him look utterly disheveled.

Madam Wang from the second branch sat on the floor, her hair in disarray, wailing loudly.

“Ah, my poor Yan’er! How could she be so dishonored by that scoundrel? How will we ever find her a husband now?”

“Mother, I didn’t do it!”

Seeing Qin Huaisheng dare to deny it, Madam Wang scrambled up and tore at his already scant clothing, cursing him vehemently.

“What kind of refined gentleman do you think this top scholar is? Nothing but a lustful scoundrel! He took the girl’s purity and still denies it! Come, let’s go outside and seek justice—I refuse to believe we won’t get it!”

Madam Qin rubbed her temples, her chest heaving with anger.

This matter was clearly their fault. If Madam Wang continued to make a scene and spread rumors, Qin Huaisheng’s reputation would be ruined.

Qin Huaisheng felt wronged.

He had been peacefully admiring flowers when, without knowing how, he was knocked unconscious. Upon waking, he found a strange woman beside him, equally disheveled.

Before he could react, Madam Wang burst in with a group, insisting he had forced her daughter and demanding an explanation from the Marquis’s household, threatening to report to the authorities otherwise.

Qin Huaisheng’s face turned iron-gray, his eyes dark and menacing.

Madam Qin, overwhelmed by the commotion, slammed the table in frustration.

“Enough! Why make such a fuss over something so trivial? Since your daughter has already shared intimacy with Huaisheng, she will become his concubine! Crying this loudly, are you afraid the neighbors won’t hear?”

Madam Wang wiped her nose, inwardly delighted.

But Xu Huaicheng quietly spoke up, “Shouldn’t this be a marriage? Why call it taking as a concubine?”

Madam Qin snorted coldly, her scorn unmistakable.

“Our Huaisheng is the emperor’s chosen top scholar, ennobled with a title. He’s graciously lowering himself to take your daughter as a concubine. You should count yourselves lucky! Do you think she could ever be his principal wife? That’s laughable!”

Qin Huaisheng clenched his eyes shut in anger, shooting a fierce glance at Yan’er, who was shrinking in Madam Wang’s arms.

“If you agree, the Marquis’s household will send a sedan chair for you in three days. If not, well…”

He abruptly pulled the panicked Yan’er close and whispered something in her ear.

Whatever he said, it momentarily stopped her crying; she looked at Qin Huaisheng in shock.

“I… I’m willing… to enter the household as a concubine.”

“Yan’er!! Are you mad? I raised you all these years for this—to become someone’s concubine? How can you face your father and me?”

Madam Wang screamed, her eyes bloodshot with rage, as if ready to devour Qin Huaisheng and his mother on the spot.

Qin Huaisheng cast a cold glance at Madam Wang, a smile playing on his lips.

“This is the Marquis of Ding’an’s sincerity. If you refuse, go ahead and report to the authorities! I want to see who will lose face then.”

With that, Qin Huaisheng took the long robe handed to him by a servant, put it on, and sat beside his mother.

Seeing her son calm again, Madam Qin composed herself and no longer responded to Madam Wang’s outbursts.

Yan’er tugged on Madam Wang’s sleeve, quietly sobbing.

“Mother, please stop. If I don’t marry, I’ll have to shave my head and become a nun—or maybe I’ll just dash my head against this pillar now…”

She actually turned to the pillar, ready to strike herself.

Qin Huaisheng remained unmoved.

Xu Huaicheng pulled his daughter into his arms. “Yan’er, don’t be foolish. Your mother hasn’t refused.”

Xu Huai’an set his teacup down heavily, clearly upset.

He could see the second branch’s intentions but hadn’t expected them to stoop to such disgraceful means, willing to sacrifice their daughter’s purity just to climb into the Marquis’s household.

He and Madam Qin had already agreed on the marriage, though Madam Qin still had reservations about the dowry.

He had planned to negotiate further, only to be disrupted by Madam Wang.

“Do you not respect me, your eldest brother? After such a scandal, secrecy is already difficult. Yet you still want to take this to the magistrate? Today, I’ll put my pride aside and go with you!”

Madam Wang still feared this eldest brother.

If Xu Huai’an became truly angry and expelled the second branch from the residence, they would be left utterly helpless.

Madam Wang glanced sideways, then awkwardly bowed to Xu Huai’an.

“Brother, please don’t be angry. I was just upset and spoke without thinking. You raised Yan’er; her future is your decision!”

She patted her mouth a few times.

“Look at my foul mouth—please calm down, brother.”

Madam Wang quickly convinced herself.

Becoming a concubine to the Marquis’s household was better than marrying a poor scholar—at least they would be well-fed, dressed in gold and jewels, and occasionally receive some support.

Not a bad deal!

Seeing Madam Wang soften, Xu Huai’an couldn’t be too harsh and just shot a fierce glare at his sulking younger brother, silently cursing him for his weakness.

“Madam Qin, young Marquis Qin, please calm down. Since things have come to this, let’s not damage the relationship between our families. As the young Marquis said, have the sedan chair sent in three days to bring Yan’er in.”

Madam Qin’s eyes gleamed with calculation. She cast a sharp glance at the second branch.

“Not just anyone can enter the Marquis’s household. Even concubines have ranks. But I wonder if Yan’er’s dowry…”

Her expression darkened, and Qin Huaisheng’s face clouded. He bit his lip, refraining from speaking.

Xu Huai’an’s expression faltered, surprised by Madam Qin’s eagerness to reveal her motives.

They had agreed to the marriage so readily, likely because of the dowry.

Suddenly, Xu Huai’an felt some regret.

But now, there was no turning back.

“Huaicheng, take them home first. I will handle the rest.”

Knowing when to stop, Madam Wang understood and obediently left with her daughter.

Madam Qin felt a buzzing in her head, like a swarm of flies. She looked disdainfully in the direction Madam Wang had disappeared.

Xu Huai’an pretended not to notice, clearing his throat awkwardly.

“Madam Qin, since it’s only taking a concubine, will eighteen sedan chairs of dowry suffice?”

Madam Qin secretly rejoiced but feigned disdain.

“And the second miss?”

Xu Huai’an bit his lip, muttering silently about the shameless old woman.

“According to your wishes, one hundred sedan chairs!”

He considered quietly reallocating some from Xu Zhiyi’s dowry if necessary.

They were sisters in one household, after all.

Besides, the emperor had bestowed many rare treasures; Prince An would not neglect Xu Zhiyi.

Pooling resources, they could barely prepare several dozen sedan chairs for her dowry.

Having made up his mind, Xu Huai’an no longer hesitated.

“Madam Qin and little Marquis Qin, what do you think?”

Qin Huaisheng sipped his tea gracefully, his demeanor refined and gentle, charming even Xu Yunwan behind the screen enough to forget her anger.

Forget it—for a mere concubine, it wasn’t worth creating a rift with Brother Huaisheng.

He had only made a mistake any man might make.

Brother Huaisheng must have been deceived by that little vixen; it was certainly not voluntary.

Xu Yunwan quickly comforted herself.

Moreover, she firmly believed that her place in Qin Huaisheng’s heart was irreplaceable.