Refusing the Marriage Alliance, I Founded a Dynasty - chapter 1

“Xiang Langjun, have you thought this through?”

I sat at the lower seat, while at the upper seat sat my father and stepmother.

Natural disasters and human calamities, the people lived in misery.

Plague, war, drought, locusts. The Sage Emperor in the Imperial City lingered behind curtains, seeking immortality and medicine. In such troubled times, I had no heart to hold a grand Hairpin Ceremony; a simple family banquet at home with my parents and brothers would suffice.

Though it was simple, though only family accompanied me, though only my stepmother tied up my hair, it was still my Coming-of-Age Ceremony. For him to barge in so rashly, bringing neither proper gifts nor kind words, and to open his mouth only to break off the engagement-though I had long learned composure under my tutor’s guidance, I could not help but feel a spark of anger.

I looked at my father. He gazed at me in silence. His legitimate eldest daughter being humiliated was, in his eyes, nothing but a good show.

I suddenly smiled and said, “Did you inform your esteemed father and mother before coming here, Xiang Langjun?”

The fair face of Xiang Sanlang flushed red; on closer look, even his neck was red.

“Of course they know!”

His voice was a notch louder.

It was mere bravado-I could hear the weakness beneath his bluster, so how could my father not?

My younger brother, A Fan, suddenly stood up, but was pressed back down by my Elder Brother.

With both parents present, it was not his place to speak.

I bowed to Xiang Sanlang, then gave instructions to the servants. The family servant brought me brush and ink, along with a Treasure Box.

I never liked practicing calligraphy, but my tutor forced me to copy books daily to temper my character, and so I had painstakingly developed a fine hand. Thanks to my tutor’s teaching, otherwise, even if no one saw it today, ugly writing would still be a disgrace.

With brush and ink, I wrote a Divorce Letter and handed it to him, along with the Betrothal Token. Xiang Sanlang had not expected things to proceed so quickly; his handsome brows and eyes showed his astonishment.

He held the items, at a loss for what to do. I summoned a servant, pointed at him, and said, “Throw him out!”

“Meng Yu, you-”

The son of the Yongyuan Xiang Clan, Xiang Ke, elegant as jade, ethereal as an immortal. His beauty and talent were sung in the streets and alleys, whispered in the boudoirs, and lingered in the pleasure houses, yet he had never imagined he would one day be chased out with a broom.

Wearing a vermilion cloak, I stood quietly at the door, watching others point and whisper at this most distinguished Langjun of Yongyuan, watching his hands tremble, snowflakes falling on him, mixing with mud, soiling his flawless white silk robe.

I said, “Xiang Sanlang, the Xiang and Meng Clans have long been close, and our elders arranged our betrothal before we were born. If nothing unexpected happened, we would have married in three months. Today is my Coming-of-Age Ceremony, yet you came uninvited, without a calling card or congratulatory gift, and demanded to break off the engagement with nothing but words. The Meng Clan has never been lacking in propriety-may I ask, Langjun, why do you insult my Meng Clan?”

Xiang Ke’s face turned paler and paler, inch by inch. I wondered if I was mistaken-he was always fair-skinned, unlike me, who practiced archery and riding; standing next to him, I made him look even more feminine.

Xiang Ke said softly, “I did not know today was your Coming-of-Age Ceremony. I will apologize another day.”

I asked, “There are still three months before the wedding. You break off the engagement with me-do you have someone else in your heart?”

He did not answer, his gaze shifting to behind me.

I looked at him calmly and said, “The Xiang Family is noble, I dare not reach so high. Please inform your esteemed elders, and do not disturb the future of the Meng Clan’s daughter.”

The Treasure Box presented by the servant contained our Betrothal Token, which had originally been kept by my Mother. After her passing, I kept it myself.

I threw the box out, hitting his brow. Though I held back a little, it still left his brow bleeding, making him look even more wretched.

The heavy doors of the Mansion closed. I turned and saw my Concubine Sister’s face, deathly pale.