Through the ages, death alone was the hardest thing

Qin Mansion

Meeting Jia Heng's gaze, Qin Ye heaved a long sigh. "My worthy nephew, there is something you do not know..."

Qin Ye was not, after all, the sort of shameless man who would turn heartless simply because he had powerful backing. He recounted his recent meeting with Jia Zhen. Of course, if Jia Heng recognized the difficulties and withdrew, his own conscience would be clear.

Such were Qin Ye's thoughts as he wavered between the two sides of this tangled predicament.

Jia Heng pondered for a while. Naturally, he could see the conflict and hesitation in Qin Ye's heart. "Uncle Qin, the marriage contract between your daughter and me has already been settled. Surely you do not intend to break the engagement?"

Qin Ye gave a bitter smile. "Of course I would not break it. But this matter involves your clan head, after all. Once you return home, there is no telling what further complications might arise."

"As the saying goes, better to tear down ten temples than destroy one marriage," Jia Heng said. "Powerful though Ningguo Mansion may be, no amount of argument can put it beyond the bounds of reason. Besides, I am a member of the Jia family myself."

In truth, however, Jia Zhen was certain to act outrageously.

The original Dream of the Red Chamber mentioned the Jia Family's interference on several occasions: from Wang Xifeng abusing her influence at Iron Threshold Temple and using the Chang'an Military Commissioner to intervene in the marriage dispute between the Chang'an Prefect and the Chang'an Garrison Commander, to Jia Lian secretly marrying Second Aunt You and Feng-jie persecuting the wronged Zhang Hua. The Jia Family had done this sort of thing far more than once or twice.

Fortunately, his surname was Jia too. If matters escalated, he might appeal to Lady Jia, the most senior elder of the two mansions, to judge the rights and wrongs.

Whether he could actually meet Lady Jia, however, was another uncertain matter.

He therefore needed to take precautions.

He had always planned before acting.

Had he not yet met Qin Keqing, that would have been one thing. But now that he had seen her, if he backed down, would he not become the hapless victim of cuckoldry?

With that thought, determination appeared in Jia Heng's eyes. He said gravely, "Rest assured, Uncle Qin. I will find a way to deal with Ningguo Mansion. As for my marriage to your daughter, please let us settle the wedding date as soon as possible. Otherwise, the Jia Family may resort to further tricks."

Once he married Qin Keqing, it would be much harder for Jia Zhen to obstruct them.

Qin Ye hesitated. "My worthy nephew, is this not too hasty?"

Jia Heng considered this and was about to persuade Qin Ye when he suddenly heard a soft, sweet voice. "Father..."

A graceful silhouette stirred behind the curtain, and a young woman emerged.

Qin Keqing had listened behind the curtain for some time. When she heard that Ningguo Mansion's clan head intended to propose a marriage on his son's behalf, her expression had changed.

"Why... why have you come out?" Qin Ye's expression shifted slightly. Although the separation between men and women was not particularly strict in this era, it was still somewhat improper for an unmarried young woman to appear before an unrelated man.

The Qin Ye household was modest, however, and did not observe quite so many formalities.

"Father, I heard most of what was said just now. Since the engagement was settled long ago, how could we lightly break our word? Even if things prove unsatisfactory, that will be my lot." Qin Keqing looked at Qin Ye and spoke in a clear voice.

Seeing this, Jia Heng could not help looking moved. He truly had not expected Qin Keqing to say such words.

Then again, if she could hang herself in Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion, it would hardly make sense for her to possess no fierce resolve at all.

After all, through the ages, death alone was the hardest thing. Even dying required a certain measure of courage.

When Qin Keqing came out to persuade him, helplessness appeared on Qin Ye's aged face. At last, he let out a long sigh.

This man, who had frittered away half his life in the Ministry of Works, was yielding by nature. Otherwise, he would not have wavered so. If he meant to refuse Jia Zhen, he could have said so at Taoran Residence. Could Jia Zhen really have forced him?

If he meant to break the engagement, he could simply play the villain and send Jia Heng away.

But he feared Jia Zhen's power on the one hand, while on the other he did not want to be the villain and also worried that Jia Heng might cause a scene. Caught between the two, he hesitated and could not decide.

Qin Keqing clearly knew her father's disposition.

Qin Ye's expression shifted before he said, "Very well, very well. Since the engagement is settled, how can we break our word? Baozhu, take your mistress back inside. Appearing before an unrelated man like this-what sort of conduct is that?"

Baozhu came over from the side, tugged at Qin Keqing's sleeve, and whispered, "Miss, let us go back first."

Qin Keqing came to her senses, and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She did not know why she had stepped out in such a rush of anxiety, but only now did she realize how far she had overstepped propriety.

She stole a glance at the young man, who remained composed and carried himself with quiet grace. Seeing him give her a slight nod with warmth in his eyes, she felt her heartbeat quicken. Her cherry-red lips parted, but before she could say anything, Baozhu drew her into the inner quarters.

"My daughter does not understand proper etiquette. You must find us laughable, my worthy nephew." Qin Ye sighed, looking troubled.

Jia Heng's expression grew solemn. "Not at all. Your daughter honors her promises and values integrity and righteousness. She truly is an extraordinary woman."

Compared with Ningguo Mansion, he was merely a member of a collateral branch, and his family was poor. That Qin Keqing was still willing to honor her promise made her all the more precious.

Her stepping forward in particular inspired admiration.

If Qin Keqing could do this, how could he shrink back?

At Jia Heng's praise, Qin Ye smiled. Looking at him, he asked, "But my worthy nephew, how will you deal with the Jia Family?"

"Although Jia Zhen heads Ningguo Mansion, I too belong to the Jia Family," Jia Heng said. "His methods can amount to little more than threats and inducements. If matters escalate, I will first appeal to the Old Madam of Rongguo Mansion. If that still fails, then at worst it will be a lawsuit."

That was how broken engagements worked in this era. Although Jia Zhen belonged to the Ningguo senior branch, he could not cover the sky with one hand. If he truly forced Jia Heng to lodge a complaint with the authorities, the Jia Family would have a headache too.

Still, he reckoned that once he brought the matter before Lady Jia, it would end there.

Soft by nature, Qin Ye looked distressed at these words. "Would that... not set the whole city abuzz?"

Jia Heng sighed. He naturally understood Qin Ye's mindset, but at present he truly had few cards with which to oppose the Jia Family. "Uncle Qin, that is merely the worst-case plan. Jia Zhen may be domineering and overbearing, but if he even steals a clansman's marriage, how could the Old Madam of the western mansion tolerate it? She has always pitied the poor and cherished the weak. Xi could never let him get away with it, could she?"

Qin Ye sighed. "Then that is all we can do. But my worthy nephew, think three times before acting in anything. Caution and thoroughness are what matter."

"Rest assured, Uncle. I understand what is at stake," Jia Heng said.

Though Qin Ye still felt it was not quite appropriate, there was nothing else he could do at present. He settled the wedding date with Jia Heng: the fifteenth of the following month.

After Jia Heng left, Qin Ye sighed repeatedly once more. Returning to the rear courtyard, he looked at Qin Keqing. "I fear there may yet be complications."

"Father, since we have already given him our word, how can we lightly take it back?" Qin Keqing said softly. "I think this Young Master Jia is a man of lofty resolve. You heard what he said just now-he is upright and unyielding as well. If we handle this badly, I fear we may cause even more trouble."

Qin Ye raised his head and looked at Qin Keqing, shaking his head. "But his family... compared with Ningguo Mansion, you will have a hard life."

Qin Keqing sighed softly. "I am not someone who covets wealth and rank. Besides, Ningguo Mansion is a household where bells announce meals served in bronze vessels. A modest family like ours should not reach so far above its station. Since I have already been promised to someone, if we go back on it midway, people will point fingers at me even if I marry into Ningguo Mansion."

Qin Ye sighed and said nothing.

After leaving the Qin Family, Jia Heng's expression remained unsettled. How could he fail to see Qin Ye's inner conflict? As for what Qin Keqing was thinking, he could not yet be sure. A young woman's thoughts were difficult to fathom to begin with.

Still, she had made a good first impression on him. Otherwise, she would never have caught Lady Jia's eye and earned her endless praise.

I still need money for the wedding. And I must obtain scholarly honors as soon as possible. Otherwise, even if I bring Qin Keqing home as my wife, I will not be able to protect her. A sudden sense of urgency rose within Jia Heng.

He returned to the Jia Residence without a word along the way, his mind weighed down with concerns. As soon as he entered the room, Cai naturally asked how things had gone, and he told her truthfully.

"Brother Heng, you handled this well," Cai said. "If Ningguo Mansion dares act outrageously, I will go to the Old Madam of Rongguo Mansion and ask her to intervene."

"The marriage has already been settled with the Qin family," Jia Heng said. "Our most urgent task now is to hold the wedding as soon as possible, before anything changes."

Only once Qin Keqing entered his household would Jia Zhen furl his banners and silence his drums. If he devised further schemes, Jia Heng could only counter each move as it came.

Cai smiled. "You need not worry about the expense. For you to marry and establish a household, my mistress left several hundred taels of silver while she was alive. It will be enough for the wedding."

"Thank you for taking care of everything, Aunt Cai," Jia Heng said gratefully.