FYM - 44

By the seventh month, after months of gloom hanging over the western capital of Chang’an, a piece of good news finally arrived: Song Shuyan’s second sister, Song Shuqing, was set to marry Jia Xin, a newly minted jinshi scholar.

Song Shuqing, a year older than Song Shuyan, had indeed reached the age for marriage. She and her birth mother, Lady Wu, had long been anxious about this matter, fearing that the mistress of the household might delay her matrimonial prospects. Fortunately, Song Dan, their father, was not so harsh as to neglect his concubine-born daughter. He had already been considering potential suitors for her. After the spring examinations earlier in the year, he had arranged for her to meet several newly graduated scholars. Among them, Jia Xin, ranked ninth on the prestigious list, stood out with his handsome features and respectable family background. Though from humble origins, his future seemed promising with the Song family’s support. Both Song Shuqing and Lady Wu were pleased with the match. They exchanged horoscopes in the sixth month, and by the seventh month, the wedding was officially completed.

With this, the only unmarried daughters remaining in the main branch of the Song family were Song Shuyan and her third sister, Song Shuqian. In a letter sent to Qiantang by their second brother, Song Shuqing mentioned that Lady Wan and her third sister had overplayed their hand. Initially determined to marry into the Duke of Jin’s household, they hadn’t anticipated the Fang family’s sudden fall from grace, leaving their marriage plans in limbo. Moreover, the mother and daughter duo refused to settle for anything less, stubbornly holding out and delaying their own prospects indefinitely.

Between the lines of the letter, Song Shuyan could sense her second sister’s joy in her new marriage and her satisfaction at outshining Lady Wan and her daughter. As a younger sister, she naturally rejoiced for her sibling. However, the mention of the Fang family stirred complex emotions within her. She sighed inwardly, realizing that it had been half a year since their fateful parting on the river. Perhaps for the rest of their lives, they would remain apart, like dreams dissolving into nothingness, just as the moonlit flowers of spring fade away without a trace.

Two months later, another piece of bad news arrived: Song Dan and his younger brother, Song Bo, had been demoted and banished from Chang’an for publicly punishing a tardy servant who had failed to deliver an official tablet to the palace, thereby disturbing the Emperor’s peace. Accused of being crude, arrogant, and lacking in personal virtue, they were both ordered to return to their ancestral home in Jinling.

This turn of events came as a shock to Song Shuyan. Her father was known for his gentle and cautious nature, while her uncle was far from reckless or rude. How could they have openly punished a servant in the palace? Even if they were angry, surely they would have…

Upon hearing this news, Lady Zhou, her grandmother, merely smiled knowingly. Her expression was deep and meaningful as she asked Song Shuyan, “Yingying, what do you think of this?”

What did she think?

Her grandmother’s question implied there was more to the story. After some reflection, Song Shuyan suddenly understood. The situation in Chang’an had grown increasingly perilous, and the Song family had become thorns in the Emperor’s eyes. Her father and uncle must have finally buckled under the unbearable pressure and deliberately committed a minor offense to temporarily escape the capital.

“Your father and uncle are quite clever,” the old woman remarked, lifting her teacup with a leisurely smile. “To retreat is the wisest choice. But this will surely give the Crown Prince a headache.”

Indeed.

The Song family was not like the Fangs—they lacked the courage to withstand imperial wrath while protecting the heir. Their decision to leave Chang’an now appeared hesitant and wavering. In terms of integrity… they had fallen short.

“The Song family’s resolve is weak, and the road ahead will be difficult…” Lady Zhou sighed again, her gaze far-reaching. “Let’s hope changes don’t come too swiftly. At least let your marriage be settled first.”

The Song family acted quickly. By late September, the entire household had relocated back to Jinling, confirming that the demotion was a deliberate move by Song Dan and Song Bo, with the family well-prepared.

Not long after, another letter arrived from her second brother. It mentioned that their father wished for her to return to the family home in Jinling. This was expected, and Lady Zhou encouraged her to go. However, Song Shuyan hesitated, reluctant to deal with the large, distant family and unwilling to part from her beloved grandmother.

“It’s not as if you’re traveling thousands of miles north to Chang’an. How far can Jinling be from Qiantang?” the old woman teased, though her heart ached at the thought of separation. “Go for a while… and when you miss us, you can always return.”

Jinling, once the ancient capital of six dynasties, exuded its own unique charm. Slightly northwest of Qiantang, it took about two days to reach the remnants of the old Taicheng fortress. Though not as majestic as the western capital, Jinling was renowned for its natural beauty and talent-rich history—names like Yuecheng, Moling, and Jiankang echoed through time. Generations of heroes had risen and fallen, their glory eventually turning to dust.

As the premier family of Jiangnan, the Song residence in Jinling was even more opulent than their estate in Chang’an. When Song Shuyan returned, she saw countless carriages outside the gates, as families from across Jiangnan came to pay respects to the returning Song brothers. Fortunately, her second brother personally greeted her; otherwise, she might have waited a long while to enter.

“It’s been exactly nine months since we last saw each other…”

Song Mingzhen, her second brother, was now of age, taller and stronger than before. However, the shadow of the Lishan incident still lingered. Denied his rightful place in the military examinations due to the Emperor’s grudge, he remained an unappointed scholar—a stroke of ill fortune.

“In the blink of an eye, you’ve already come of age. Who knows when you’ll marry, like Shuqing… Ah, how time flies…”

He spoke lightly of these matters, but Song Shuyan understood that he buried his disappointments deep within. She didn’t press him, instead smiling and asking, “So, are you unhappy with the groom Sister found?”

“What’s there to like?” Song Mingzhen complained as they walked into the estate. “A frail, pedantic scholar—if not for his luck in passing the exams, he wouldn’t even be worthy of tying her shoes. I don’t trust him either. If he rises in the future, who knows what face he’ll show…”

Zhui’er, who had accompanied them, giggled, clearly delighted to see the second master. She chimed in, “They say brothers-in-law rarely get along. Seems even Second Master isn’t immune!”

Song Mingzhen, always approachable with the younger maids, laughed at the teasing. “I am indeed ordinary. This time, when our young mistress chooses a husband, I’ll personally oversee it. We can’t let any smooth-talking frauds take her away.”

Their laughter filled the air, creating a lively atmosphere. Song Shuyan smiled gently and asked, “Did Sister stay in Chang’an with her husband?”

“How could it be so easy to stay in Chang’an? There’s bound to be an assignment elsewhere…” Song Mingzhen sighed. “Father pulled some strings, but times have been tough this year. In the end, they were posted to Lizhou as a magistrate. It won’t be easy…”

Lizhou…

The desolate land of Bashan and Chushui… truly remote.

Song Shuyan fell silent, feeling both wistful for her sister and reflecting on her own future. What kind of husband would she have? What was his character, origin, and livelihood? How would she meet him, and step together into the hall to honor heaven and earth? And finally, how would she spend the rest of her life with someone unrelated to her?

For Song Shuqian, the third young miss, such worries weighed even heavier.

She had met the brilliant heir of the Fang family when she was twelve or thirteen. For years, she dreamed of marrying him. Her mother had often said they were a perfect match. But who could have foreseen the unpredictable winds of fate? Even the illustrious Fang family could fall from grace. With her beloved Yi Zhi far away in Yichuan, all her fantasies dissolved overnight. It was truly a dream shattered, leaving her heartbroken.

Adding to her distress, her father and uncle were banished from Chang’an. Whom should she marry now? Those pedantic scholars of Jiangnan? What were they compared to the noble Song family?

Song Shuqian was both sorrowful and angry. On the journey from the western capital to Jinling in September, she cried incessantly aboard the ship for days. The fish in the river seemed to know of a disheartened noblewoman traveling from Chang’an to Jinling, ready to leap into the water to join them.

Lady Wan, seeing her daughter’s despair, grew increasingly worried. Day after day, she consoled her, saying, “Back then, the Fang family was at the height of its power, and your Yi Zhi was truly exceptional. But if you keep comparing every man to him, who in this world could possibly measure up? Besides, the Fang family has declined. Even if he stood before you today, could you marry him with peace of mind? What if the Emperor decides to punish the Fangs one day? Where would you cry then?”

Song Shuqian understood these words but couldn’t forget the best man she had ever known. Comparing others to him left her perpetually dissatisfied. She argued, “But I—I can’t forget him! Mother, let me be foolish just this once. Why not marry into the Fang family as a marquise? Must I follow the example of that concubine-born girl from the second branch and marry into poverty?”

“My precious child, how could I treat you like that…”

Lady Wan’s heart ached as she watched her daughter’s suffering. Soon, tears streamed down her own face.

“Just wait and see. I will find you a good husband, ensuring you a lifetime of peace, prosperity, and happiness!”

This promise carried weight. Lady Wan spared no effort in seeking a suitable match for her daughter. She scoured the talented youths of Jiangnan, meticulously evaluating their family backgrounds, appearances, and abilities. Yet, finding someone who excelled in all three areas proved nearly impossible. Her ambitious plans simply couldn’t materialize.

Deeply troubled, she resorted to entertaining her daughter by introducing lesser candidates, even pulling in sons from lesser merchant families in Jinling. Thankfully, Song Shuyan had her grandmother in Qiantang and her second brother nearby to protect her from being hastily married off to some impoverished household.

Though this strategy initially worked, it soon lost its charm. Fortunately, by the end of October, Lady Wan’s eldest daughter, Song Shuying, returned to Jinling with her husband, Wan Sheng, for a visit. Song Shuqian, who had always been close to her elder sister, finally wiped away the tears she had held for months and began to open up again.