Chapter 4 Determination

“A’Shu!” Zhao You was stunned. He was about to say something, but his sister sent him a reassuring look. Suppressing his anger, he stopped paying attention to Feng Ting anymore.

Feng Ting was also deeply resentful with their previous encounter. Conscious that he was being chased away, he did not intend to stay for a long time. As soon as the bethrothal presents were brought in one by one, he perfunctorily announced his departure and left with the attendants.

Zhao You couldn’t wait to drag A’Shu and his wife inside. “A’Shu, what do you mean just now? If you accept the bethrothal presents, the marriage will be settled!”

A’Shu took a seat. She first served warm soup for her elder brother and sister-in-law before responding, “Elder Brother, take it easy. I just want to ask you, what do you think of Liu Xun?”

Zhao You took a sip of the warm soup and hesitated for a moment. Seeing his sister’s unruffled expression, he calmed down and mused, “This man is adept at hiding his emotions in the face of great changes. Although some people say that he is unfilial and only cares about himself to survive in the world, I think that his mind is very shrewd. He can endure hardships in order to accomplish his goals. He is patient and keeps a low profile. Given time, he will certainly go far.”

A’Shu nodded and said, “A’Shu and Elder Brother think alike. The Empress Dowager and the Grand Marshal still want to drive him out of Chang’an. If my guess is right, he will be sent to Hebei. Since Elder Brother thinks he will go far, I think he will probably succeed. Who knows if he will stand up to Geng Yun as an equal one day.”

Although she knew that her elder brother was familiar with the ways of the world, could distinguish right from wrong and weigh the pros and cons, at the end of the day, he was still young. If the matter involved a close family member, he would be alarmed and flustered due to shortsightedness.

“This marriage was forced by the Empress Dowager. Refusing means offending both the Empress Dowager and the Grand Marshal, not to mention Liu Xun. Especially in the future, if Liu Xun really becomes successful, the relationship between me and Empress Zhang will never be washed away.”

Zhao You’s handsome face gradually cooled down.

It had been five years since Emperor Shunkang invaded Chang’an and gradually stabilized the state. True enough, the next step was to purge Hebei of warlords. Except for Liu Xun, no one else could take this great responsibility.

In these chaotic times, no one could guess who would be the next Prince, or even ascend the throne as the Emperor. Like Liu Xun, not only was he the eighth-generation descendant of Emperor Wu, but he was also well-regarded by people. Such member of an aristocratic family shouldn’t be offended easily. If only there weren’t family ties with Empress Dowager Zhang, as an elder brother, he might agree to this marriage after personally inspecting Liu Xun’s character.

But at present, this marriage was bound to be criticized. How could he ensure that his sister would live peacefully and happily in the future?

Seeing that he was still hesitant, A’Shu added, “Besides, we have seen how the Empress Dowager acts. If things don’t go her way, she will only cause more trouble. But if I get married, I can return with Elder Brother. With us far away in Handan, she can’t do anything to me. This is like killing several birds with one stone, so why not do it this way?”

Just now, her brother’s desperate face reminded her of the tragic scene in her dreams. She vowed to keep her family safe. At this time, the situation could only be eased if she took advantage of the marriage. As long as the entire family was safe, this sacrifice was really nothing. Furthermore, she knew Liu Xun’s ability. It would not hurt to depend on him.

As for the future, it would not be too late to make plans after leaving the shackles of the Empress Dowager.

“But——” Zhao You frowned and hesitated for a long time. Seeing that his sister was calm and unconcerned, he gritted his teeth and said, “So be it. The bethrothal presents have been delivered. I can only consent according to the Six Ceremonies and Three Rites.”

Although he was still angry, he went out to find a distant relative near Chang’an to help him prepare for the marriage.

……

A few days after the marriage was decided, A’Shu temporarily moved with her brother and sister-in-law to a house where a distant relative of the Zhao family lived. It would serve as her maiden home before her marriage.

Zhao You was busy preparing the dowry, while Deng Wan accompanied A’Shu every day.

That night, when A’Shu went to sleep, Zhao You still didn’t return. Deng Wan held an oil lamp and knocked on her door. “Just now, your elder brother ordered someone to send a message. I’m afraid he won’t be able to come back today. I can’t sleep so I thought I’d stay with you. If you still have nightmares, I can take care of you.”

A’Shu knew that she must have something to say to herself. She turned sideways and let her in without saying much.

Strangely enough, ever since she made up her mind to get married, she had been sleeping well for several days without any more nightmares.

The two of them laid down together after turning off the lights. They talked for a while, and were about to fall asleep when Deng Wan suddenly held her hand and said in a soft voice, “A’Shu, you don’t have to marry Liu Xun if you don’t want to. You don’t have to wrong yourself.”

She leaned over and said solemnly through the darkness, “If a woman can’t find a husband she likes, she will suffer a lot in the future. Sister-in-law has heard that many sisters from my clan bathe their cheeks with tears everyday because their marriage is unsatisfactory, and they end up losing their youth and beauty and dying of depression…

“Sister-in-law knows that you are a good child and is afraid of affecting the family. But this is a lifelong affair so you must be careful. Don’t worry and just follow your own heart. If worst comes to worst, we’ll add more of our family property in the future. If it doesn’t work, Sister-in-law still has a lot of dowry. It’s more than enough to support you and your elder brother.”

A’Shu was speechless. She stared at Deng Wan’s sincere face through the moonlight. Suddenly, her eyes felt a little hot. “Sister-in-law, why are you treating me so well?”

Although she hadn’t come out of her bodouir yet, she also heard that in ordinary households, sisters-in-law rarely got along with each other. But ever since Deng Wan entered the Zhao family, she never had a dispute with her sister-in-law. Even if she had acted willfully and recklessly in the past two months, Deng Wan was not angry at all.

Deng Wan smiled, her eyes shining brightly. “You are your elder brother’s most beloved sister. Your sister-in-law has married a good husband. My love for him extends even to the crows perching on his roof. You are like a sister to me. If you marry into a good family in the future, you will understand my heart.”

A’Shu’s heart filled with overflowing happiness.

It was precisely because of such a sister-in-law that the elder brother in her dreams could get full support no matter how much sacrifice he made for her sister.

She had no way of repaying a family member such as this. She could only keep her safe. Deng Wan’s words did not make her give up her mind. On the contrary, she became even more determined to push it through.

“Sister-in-law, I don’t feel wronged. It was my own choice to marry Liu Xun.”

Deng Wan looked at her for a moment. In the end, she could not help but sigh helplessly. “Alright, since you have made up your mind, Sister-in-law won’t give much advice. But in the future, you must also remember to share all your hardships with your family. If you encounter difficulties, just speak up. Don’t suffer by yourself.”

A’Shu smiled in response. Something flashed in her mind. “Sister-in-law, there’s something I really want to do right now.”

“What is it?”

She leaned closer and whispered in her ears.

……

On the other hand, Zhao You made people travel from Handan to Chang’an day and night, transporting all the gold, silver, property and house deeds that had been prepared several years ago.

Although his relatives advised him not to go to a lot of trouble since the dowry would still be returned with A’Shu in the future anyway, he did not relent. As long as this dowry was given on time, he could be assured that his sister would not be looked down upon after marrying.

In Changle Palace, Empress Dowager Zhang was pondering. Everyone knew that it was her who was marrying off a daughter. Hence, to save face, she also sent a lot of dowries befitting a Lady of a County.

In this way, although A’Shu still did not get the title of Lady of a County, but because of these two dowries, she was more conspicuous than the ordinary Lady of a County, and the public impression was not much different.

On the other hand, in order to appease the ministers, at the instigation of Geng Yun and the Empress Dowager, the Little Emperor issued an imperial edict to grant Liu Xun the title of Prince of Xiao, and his wedding ceremony should follow the system of princes.

By the fourth day of June, the sun was shining brightly. It was an auspicious day to marry.

Today, A’Shu was getting married. The mansion of Zhao’s side branch, which served as her temporary maiden home, had been decorated overnight. At this moment, the entrance gate was bustling with people waiting for the escort team.

Early in the morning, the servants washed and dressed up A’Shu under the arrangement of Deng Wan.

The girl in the room stood in a graceful manner. She was dressed in a dark-colored train, clogs and stockings. Her black hair was tied into a high cloud fairy bun, decorated with pearls and jade, and matched with a large jade ribbon. Her skin was as white as snow, her waist was as thin as a willow, and her eyes were picturesque. Overall, she looked graceful, delicate and soft.

All the servants and women around praised Lady Zhao for her beauty: Her husband wouldn’t be able to take his eyes off of her.

Zhao You, who had been restless since early morning, was pacing back and forth in the courtyard. Anxious of any mistake and missing the auspicious time, he sent out a few scouts on the way, along with reminders one after another.

But as the hour drew near, he was no longer fretting about missing the auspicious time. He only wished that his sister would come out much later to delay the pain of parting.

After a long time, A’Shu finally came out of the house and said goodbye to her brother and sister-in-law.

Zhao You was also neatly dressed in new clothes. Looking at his sister in wedding dress in front of him, he suddenly remembered the time when he led her through the vast and flat land outside Handan when they were younger. For a while, his heart was overwhelmed with emotions. He felt sour and astringent. He couldn’t speak for a long time.

A’Shu’s heart was no less agitated than her brother’s. She endured the unhappiness, forcing herself not to cry, lest she ruin her makeup.

The siblings looked at each other without saying a word. After a while, someone outside shouted, “The Prince of Xiao’s carriage is coming.”

Zhao You seemed to have woken up from a dream. Clenching the two corners of the table tightly in his hands, he collected his emotions and said in a hoarse voice, “Go, Little Sister. Don’t forget that Elder Brother will always be here.”

A’Shu couldn’t speak a word. With tears in her eyes, she folded her hands and bowed respectfully. She walked out of the house and waited in the courtyard by the door.

In a moment, there was the sound of footsteps of horses and carriages outside the gate, heralding the arrival of the escort team.