Volume One, Chapter 13: Does She Even Deserve to Compete with Me for a Man?

Wen Yunwan swung her delicate hand violently, sending the jade cup flying in an arc through the air. With a crisp shattering sound, the fragments scattered, mirroring the state of her heart—utterly broken. She stood in the center of her opulent boudoir, eyes wide with indignation, glaring at Nanny Feng.

"Nanny Feng, repeat what you just said. That three thousand taels came from my mother’s private coffers?"

Nanny Feng, who had watched Wen Yunwan grow up, knew her temper all too well. She instantly regretted her loose tongue. The Madam had already paid the three thousand taels, and yet the Third Young Miss was still smashing plates and bowls; if word got out, it would ruin the very reputation that the money had been spent to secure.

Standing amidst the shattered jade, Nanny Feng furrowed her brow, maintaining the submissive posture of a servant while whispering a plea: "Young Miss, why do you torment yourself so? This jade cup was your favorite. Smashing it only adds to your distress. Besides, the money has already been paid; you should simply be more cautious in the future."

Wen Yunwan’s chest heaved violently. She wore an exquisite embroidered gown that swayed with her movements like a blooming peony. Her long hair was pinned up with a simple jade hairpin, with a few stray wisps falling across her shoulders, adding a touch of casual grace. Wen Yunwan was beautiful, her arrogance as bold and unyielding as her nature, brook no interference from anyone.

"Nanny Feng, you actually have the nerve to tell me to be cautious!" Wen Yunwan’s voice trembled. Tears shimmered in her eyes, yet she stubbornly refused to let them fall. "What has come over everyone this past month? Mother tells me to endure, my brother tells me to endure, and even you tell me to endure! Can’t you see that Wen Yunmu is about to climb right over our heads?" As she spoke, a thought struck her, fueling her rage further. "And that Wen Yunxiu—who does she think she is? How dare she flirt with Third Young Master? If it weren't for Wen Yunmu’s instigation, would she dare? Does she even deserve to compete with me for a man?"

Wen Yunwan was furious at Wen Yunmu, but what she found even more intolerable was Wen Yunxiu. Crushing Wen Yunxiu would be as easy as stepping on an ant, provided Wen Yunmu wasn't standing in her way.

"Young Miss!" Nanny Feng snapped. "Keep your voice down! You mustn't say such things!"

"Mustn't? Go back and ask Mother what she has been planning for me!" Wen Yunwan shoved Nanny Feng. "Get out!"

Amidst the wreckage on the floor, Wen Yunwan finally burst into bitter tears.

The first time she heard the name Wei Yan was in her mother’s room. She had been sitting in the outer chamber arranging flowers while her parents talked. Her father had said, "That Third Young Master of the Wei family is quite good. I originally favored the eldest, but he is too old for Mu’er and is already discussing marriage. I saw the third one pulling a bow at the horse track the other day—he looked the part, a fine lad."

"Does the Marquis have his eye on the Duke of Wei’s estate?"

"Yes. The Duke’s estate was once an old family friend, though we grew apart as they pursued official careers. We come from a military background and always feel more comfortable with families of similar roots. Looking around, the Duke’s estate remains the most suitable."

"I hear the third son, Wei Yan, is a bright and dashing young man who studies well, though he is somewhat spoiled as the youngest. Compared to the eldest, he lacks a bit of steadiness."

"Who can say? He is still young; he will naturally settle down as he grows."

Wei Yan. Was this the husband her father had chosen for Wen Yunmu?

The first time she saw him was at a poetry gathering. Wei Yan wore a pale blue robe, reciting verses with others. Wen Yunwan couldn't see his face clearly, but she remembered his voice—deep, like ripples on water, with a lingering resonance.

It was an autumn day, the intense heat having passed, leaving a crisp, intoxicating chill in the breeze.

Wei Yan was a seed sown in autumn. Even knowing it would bear no fruit, she let it sprout wildly within her. Wen Yunwan began to pay attention to everything concerning him. At social banquets, her eyes would always wander, searching for him; every glimpse brought her a surge of joy.

That day at the family school, she finally saw him face-to-face.

Handsome and proud, like the orchid on her desk tended by others, he seemed to possess everything he desired in this world. Such a magnificent man, and yet he was to marry Wen Yunmu!

She still remembered that noon, eating in her mother’s room, asking as if it were mere gossip, "Is Father really going to arrange the marriage between Sister and the Wei family’s third son?"

Her mother shook her head, laughing it off. "Your father hasn't mentioned it again. He says your eldest brother doesn't quite agree. It’s laughable, really—since when do juniors get to meddle in the marriage affairs of the household?" Her mother paused. "I think the Duke’s estate is excellent, and the third son is a fine match."

Her mother looked up and teased her, "Why not tell your father to marry you off to him instead?"

"I would like that!" she answered honestly.

Her mother had always known her heart. And yet, now that Wen Yunxiu was clinging to him, her mother told her to endure!

Facing Nanny Feng, Wen Yunwan felt both ashamed and resentful, weeping until her face was streaked with tears, sinking softly to the floor.

"Young Miss—" Nanny Feng said, unable to bear it. "Don't worry, the Madam won't let this go. In a couple of days, we’ll see that pair of vixens get what’s coming to them!"

"I can't wait! I’m going to beg Mother right now. I want them to suffer!"

"Young Miss, Young Miss, wait for me!"

On the roof, a single tile shifted and slid off.

Wen Yunmu sat at the table listening to Bai Hong. She didn't treat Bai Hong like a servant, and Bai Hong lacked the awareness of one. No one knew what she did; she never performed chores, coming and going as she pleased, bringing back strange tidbits of information daily. For instance, today: "The Nanny by your stepmother’s side says they plan to deal with Concubine Zhao and Wen Yunxiu in two days. Also, your Third Sister is madly in love with Wei Yan and is currently consumed by jealousy."

"Did they mention anything specific?"

Bai Hong shook her head, finishing the fruit on Wen Yunmu’s table. "By the way, His Highness wants me to start teaching you basic martial arts from tomorrow. He doesn't want you to let your skills wither away." Bai Hong eyed Wen Yunmu’s frame, noting she looked out of practice.

"It has been three or four years. Father hired instructors for my brother and me to practice martial arts when we were children. A few years ago, the Madam said it was time for me to learn needlework and etiquette, so she forbade me from continuing."

"I don't see that your needlework is anything special. You’d be better off practicing martial arts—at least you’d excel at something."

Wen Yunmu grabbed the last remaining fruit and threw it at her; Bai Hong caught it with one hand. "Actually, we’ve been keeping an eye on your stepmother and that Nanny of hers. We haven't seen anything suspicious, which is likely not a good sign."

Wen Yunmu sighed. "Indeed."

With her father away on an autumn inspection and her brother nowhere to be found, she was powerless if something were to happen at home.

"His Highness said that if your brother is away, he is your brother. If you need anything, you can have me pass the word."

Wen Yunmu nodded. She suddenly wondered why Wen Yunwan dared to make such a scene over Wei Yan. She must have been certain that Lady Qin would not reprimand her for it. This implied that Lady Qin knew of Wen Yunwan’s feelings. There was a detail: why would Lady Qin allow her own daughter to scavenge for things Wen Yunmu had cast aside?

Had Lady Qin set her sights on the Duke of Wei’s estate? Or, perhaps, had she made secret overtures to them? The Duke’s estate might have been confident that the Wen family would agree, hence why they came to propose so joyfully after Wen Yunxiu’s death.

Could it be that Lady Qin intentionally encouraged her daughter to pursue this affair to secure the marriage?

But to what end? Wen Yunwan was born of the legal wife, and Lady Qin held absolute power in the Marquis’s estate. There were certainly better matches than the Duke of Wei’s estate.

"Hey—" Bai Hong waved a hand in front of Wen Yunmu’s face. "Young Miss, I’m asking you, do you want to go warn your Fifth Sister?"

"No need. I’ll go to the family school tomorrow and ask her myself. But can you help me check if there is any connection between my stepmother and the Duke of Wei’s estate?"

Bai Hong was stunned. "That’s a strange question. If there were no connection, why would the Third Young Master of the Wei family come to your home to study?"

Ah, yes. The families were on good terms, and Qin Weishu was naturally close to the Duchess of Wei. Perhaps she was overthinking it.

Wen Yunmu propped her chin on her hand, poking holes into the final piece of fruit.