Never to Find Her Again - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

When Mother heard I had changed my mind, she was so shocked that the teacup slipped from her hand and overturned.

“How can you marry him? Xie Family’s First Young Master, he… How could he possibly be a good match?”

I could not blame Mother for reacting that way.

Xie Family’s First Young Master, Xie Wangzhi, was known for his ruthlessness.

He was the Commander of the Imperial Guards, a close minister to the Son of Heaven. He held the authority to patrol and arrest, and he controlled the Imperial Prison.

And the Imperial Prison was a place more terrifying than death.

Anyone targeted by the Imperial Guards would be lucky to escape with only a layer of skin peeled off. No one came out of that place whole and intact.

All the important officials at court feared Xie Wangzhi to some degree.

Xie Wangzhi had never married all these years. Once, a woman deliberately splashed water onto his clothes and tried to use it as an excuse to get close to him. Before she could even touch him, Xie Wangzhi twisted her arm out of its socket with a backhanded move.

In all of Shangjing City, no one had ever seen him spare any young lady a second glance, nor had he ever set foot in places of pleasure. Rumor had it that Xie Family’s First Young Master had no interest in women at all.

Besides, though Xie Wangzhi was the eldest son, he was born of a concubine. He was ten years older than me. Back when I was still learning to recognize characters, he was already arresting people and handling cases all over the capital. That was why, when this marriage arrangement was first mentioned, no one had thought of him.

Mother had no mind for anything else. She stared hard into my eyes.

“Yun’er, tell Mother the truth. Did that Third Young Master Xie say something to you? Mother has seen everything you’ve done all these years. If Third Young Master Xie has done anything to you, Mother will not let him off lightly!”

I took Mother’s hand in mine. “Xie Shenzhi didn’t say anything. I figured it out myself. It is true that he saved my life, but unfortunately, fate has not joined us. His heart is not with me. If I force him to marry me, we will inevitably become a distant husband and wife in the future. Besides-”

I turned my head to look at Father.

“Besides, marrying Xie Wangzhi will be greatly beneficial to our Su Family.”

Perhaps my gaze was too resolute. After a long silence, Father said slowly, “You’ve decided?”

“I’ve decided. I won’t change my mind again.”

I had thought this marriage would be delayed a while longer, but the Empress Dowager suddenly fell gravely ill. To make the Empress Dowager happy, His Majesty remembered a joyous match she had bestowed in earlier years. After court was dismissed, he specifically mentioned it to Father and Old Master Xie.

Half a month later, the Xie family sent the betrothal gifts to the Su Family.

The Xie family’s gifts were exceptionally generous: a full sixty-four carrying poles. The front hall could not hold them all, and some even had to be carried into the rear courtyard.

The maids in my courtyard were all beaming with joy.

“Sixty-four carrying poles, the highest standard. Miss, the future son-in-law truly cares about you.”

I looked at the room and courtyard filled with bright red and knew perfectly well that Xie Wangzhi and I barely had any acquaintance. This was merely a marriage bestowed by the imperial family, so he had no choice but to make it respectable.

I was only a little curious how Xie Shenzhi had ultimately explained it to his eldest brother.

The wedding date was set for three months later.

I never saw Third Young Master Xie again.

I heard that Cui Sanniang’s two elder brothers had itchy hands again and went out gambling. They used Xie Shenzhi’s name, and the gambling house did not make things difficult for them. It merely delivered the IOU with great fanfare to the stone lion at the entrance of the Xie residence, tucking it into the lion’s mouth.

I did not know how that matter was finally settled. I only knew that Cui Sanniang’s sliced-noodle soup shop no longer opened.

Xie Shenzhi found another small residence for her to live in, where she was waited on for all three meals a day.

The moment I heard it, I felt it was improper.

I had only met Cui Sanniang once, and the first thing she did upon seeing me was bring up the matter of the shop rent.

Clearly, she was proud and cared deeply about such things-about those rumors saying she had seduced Third Young Master Xie and attached herself to him.

If she truly lived up to those rumors and became a caged canary, I feared she and Third Young Master Xie would quarrel.

Unfortunately, none of that had anything to do with me anymore.

I simply embroidered my wedding gown.

The weather grew warmer by the day. The Young Lady of the Duke of Song’s Household had known me since childhood, and her birthday was approaching, so she invited me to the Jewelry Pavilion in the South City to pick out some jewelry.

It was not only Mother; Song Ruoxi was also deeply curious about my sudden turn to discuss marriage with Xie Wangzhi.

The legitimate daughter of the Su Family was discussing marriage with Xie Family’s First Young Master. Though both men were from the Xie family, after all, the rumors in the streets had always said that the Su Family favored Third Young Master Xie.

Along the way, Song Ruoxi hesitated several times, her eyes darting toward me again and again. Seeing how hard she was holding back, I could not help saying, “Go ahead and ask.”

Sure enough, she asked that question.

How was I supposed to answer?

Should I say Xie Shenzhi did not love me, and if I married him, I would only torment myself?

Or should I say Xie Wangzhi held even greater power at court, and marrying him would be greatly beneficial to the Su Family?

After thinking it over, I said against my conscience, “To be honest, I have admired Xie Family’s First Young Master for a long time.”

Just then, a unit of Imperial Guards was handling a case. A troop of men and horses galloped past. The man at the lead rode a black horse, with darkly embroidered flying-fish brocade patterns on his robes and a Xiuchun Cold Blade at his waist. His face was cold and stern, his expression indifferent.

It happened to be him.

My voice died in my throat, and my heart skipped a beat.

Song Ruoxi did not seem to have seen clearly who had just ridden past. Dust billowed up, and she covered her mouth and nose, coughing lightly twice before complaining in a low voice, “Of all things, we had to run into this pack of living hell-kings. They aren’t going to raid some household again, are they?”

After a pause, she remembered the topic from before and stared at me with burning curiosity.

“You’ve admired Xie Family’s First Young Master for a long time? How come I never knew? When did that happen?”

I lifted my eyes to the sky, my mind blank as I made up nonsense.

“…At Her Majesty the Empress’s banquet during the Mid-Autumn Festival last year.”

“Huh? Did Xie Family’s First Young Master go? I remember Lord Xie never participates in those things.”

I confirmed dryly, “He did. You just forgot.”