Chapter 54: The Mandatory Matchmaking Chart

When Lady Lou returned to her own courtyard, Dongfu had already prepared the evening meal.

Fei Rulan was utterly dazed, her heart filled with shock and fear, yet also with the joy of having survived a calamity.

Fei Rumei, being young and understanding only a fraction of the principles involved, had already recovered her usual liveliness.

Fei Ruhe had been stewing in anger. Clenching his fists, he said, "Mother, if it were up to me, I'd have those wicked servants beaten half to death..."

"Shut your mouth! This is no place for you to speak!"

Lady Lou cut him off sharply, then said to Moxiang, "Go and call Brother Han to eat with us as well."

"Yes." Moxiang withdrew from the dining hall.

Lady Lou suddenly questioned her eldest daughter: "Were you really so obedient that you would die just because they told you to?"

Fei Rulan lowered her head and said, "Over this past year, Grandfather has hinted at it many times. Today he spoke plainly, and I... I was simply afraid. In my muddled state, I sought a quick end."

"If he hinted so many times, why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell your father?" Lady Lou slammed the table in fury. "What if Xiyue had been a moment slower returning to the room and failed to save you in time? You wouldn't be eating hot food right now! Has that old man's brain rotted, and yours rotted along with it?"

Fei Rulan clutched the hem of her clothes with both hands, as if counting the loose threads there, not daring to meet her mother's eyes. She explained, "Afterwards... I thought it through clearly. Although I had a marriage contract with that man, he is he, and I am I. His family has already returned the betrothal papers; we have no further ties. If I were to die for that bond, I would simply be dying for others to see, of no benefit to myself, and only bringing grief to my parents. Such a foolish act — I will not do it again."

"It's good that you can see it clearly." Lady Lou finally breathed a sigh of relief. What she feared most was her daughter stubbornly clinging to a dead end.

"Don't any of you touch your chopsticks until I return!"

Lady Lou went back to her own bedroom and quickly returned with a list of names.

A moment later, Moxiang also arrived, leading Zhao Han in.

"Greetings to the Lady, and to the two young misses." Zhao Han cupped his fists and bowed.

Lady Lou wore a gentle smile and said softly, "You've toiled for most of the day; you must be hungry. Sit down and eat with us."

"Many thanks, Lady." Zhao Han did not decline, seating himself very casually.

Lady Lou called out to stop Moxiang: "Don't leave yet. Take this."

Moxiang took the list and asked curiously, "Lady, what is this?"

While serving Zhao Han food with her chopsticks, Lady Lou explained, "The Old Master values his face above all. Having lost so much of it this time, he will likely not let the matter rest. The people on this list were all sent out from Jingxing Court. Go and make proper arrangements to summon them back at once!"

"Yes." Moxiang accepted the order and turned to leave.

Just as she was about to step out the door, she suddenly heard Lady Lou say, "Once this matter is settled, I will have someone escort you to Suqian. The Eldest Young Master is serving as an official away from home and lacks someone to attend him; in the end, he must have someone to serve tea and pour water. If you can bear him a son, I will grant you the concubine adoption papers."

Moxiang trembled from head to toe. She turned back, overcome with emotion, and knelt to kowtow properly before Lady Lou.

"Go on." Lady Lou waved her hand.

Moxiang rose and withdrew, speaking not another word of nonsense the entire time, wholly focused on carrying out her task.

Lady Lou then asked Zhao Han, "Do you know why I am summoning all those people back?"

Zhao Han answered while shoveling rice into his mouth: "The Old Master has suffered a loss but cannot openly vent his anger, so he will inevitably take it out on the servants of Jingxing Court. Moreover, he cannot interfere directly in Jingxing Court's affairs, so he can only strike at the Fei clan's various business properties. The people the Eldest Young Master sent out are all working and handling matters at those properties. If the Old Master harasses them over a long period, they will eventually become disaffected. They will either resent you, Lady, for being unable to stand up for them, or simply give up hope and defect to the Old Master."

"Well said." Lady Lou suddenly turned to her son. "Can you understand the reasoning in all this?"

Fei Ruhe was eating so voraciously that his mouth was slick with grease. He set down his chopsticks and said, "I understand it all. My thinking is the same as Brother Han's."

Lady Lou smiled. "Then let me ask you: when Brother Han faced a difficult situation today, why did he have you personally chase me back, and specifically have you bring Fei Chun along, instead of just sending any random servants?"

"That..." Fei Ruhe thought hard, then answered, "It must be because Fei Chun and I have stronger legs and can run faster than ordinary servants!"

Lady Lou could not bear to look at her son another moment. "Brother Han, explain it to him."

Zhao Han explained, "If the Young Master had stayed, those wicked servants would certainly not have dared to force their way into the inner courtyard again. If they didn't force their way in, we would have had no grounds to detain them. We would have suffered a loss from start to finish, and the other side would inevitably have pressed their advantage, leading to even more trouble in the future. The Young Master had to leave to lure them into the trap. Throw one hard punch to ward off a hundred punches."

"Do you understand now?" Lady Lou asked.

Fei Ruhe scratched his head, feeling his brain was insufficient for the task. He steeled himself and said, "Understood."

Lady Lou asked further, "And what about Fei Chun?"

Zhao Han continued his explanation: "Madam Ling... Lady Ling's side might not cooperate. And indeed, she did not cooperate. When I sent people to block the door, Lady Ling still tried to go out and report the news; she was practically under house arrest by me in her room. If I hadn't sent Fei Chun away on an errand, treating his mother like that would inevitably have wounded the brotherly bond between us."

Lady Lou asked, "Do you understand now?"

Fei Ruhe muttered, "How can I have as many twists and turns in my head as you people?"

Lady Lou asked another question: "Why did you dare to take matters into your own hands and openly detain the wicked servants from Gongbei Court?"

Zhao Han answered, "If someone else were in charge, I naturally would not have dared. But the one in charge here is you, Lady. With your temperament and methods, how could you swallow such an insult? Therefore, it was not that I detained them on my own authority, but rather that I detained them on your behalf."

Lady Lou asked her son, "Do you understand now?"

Fei Ruhe fell completely silent, burying his head and shoveling rice as if trying to stuff his whole head into the bowl.

Fei Rulan had also learned from the maids everything that had happened that day. Only now, at this moment, did she grasp the full meaning behind many of Zhao Han's actions. Her large eyes fixed on Zhao Han, watching him without pause.

As for Fei Rumei, she was a little foodie and paid no attention at all to what everyone was discussing.

As the meal was nearly finished, Lady Lou suddenly asked, "Brother Han, you are fifteen this year, aren't you?"

Zhao Han said, "Fifteen by nominal age."

Lady Lou shifted the topic sharply: "There is no child student examination next year. The year after, you must pass the xiucai examination!"

"I'll do my best," Zhao Han said.

"Not your best — you must pass. Any further delay would be bad." Lady Lou repeatedly stressed the timing.

Zhao Han raised his head to look at Lady Lou, then at Fei Rulan, and pretended not to understand: "I'll do my best."

"Ah." Lady Lou sighed.

Fei Ruhe was still eating, already on his fifth bowl, completely oblivious to what his mother was talking about.

Fei Rulan's face flushed with embarrassment. She stole a glance at Zhao Han, then quickly lowered her head to avoid his eyes.

The meal finished, Zhao Han took his leave.

Watching Zhao Han's departing figure, Lady Lou said to her daughter, "Though he is three years younger than you and of lowly status, he is someone you can rely on. Once he passes the xiucai examination, he can change back to his original surname and given name. If he can be taken as a matrilocal son-in-law, that would naturally be best. But judging by his manner, I fear he is unwilling to marry into the family. You two can just live your own modest life together."

"Mother, I am not marrying," Fei Rulan said, growing increasingly flustered.

Lady Lou asked with a smile, "You look down on him?"

Fei Rulan shook her head. "It's not that, it's just..."

"Then it's settled," Madam Lou said with a scolding laugh. "That little brat — seven apertures of cunning, slippery as an eel. I'll still have to spend effort slowly persuading him!"

"I'll listen to whatever Mother decides." Fei Rulan left as soon as she finished speaking, her face so flushed it was nearly burning, her little heart thumping wildly.

Before this meal, Fei Rulan had no particular feelings toward Zhao Han.

But after Madam Lou forcibly played matchmaker, all sorts of thoughts instantly sprang up in her. Never mind meeting Zhao Han face to face — even just thinking of him now made her unbearably shy.

Fei Ruhe was dumbstruck. "Zhao Han… my sister… they…"

Madam Lou sighed. "What else? Rulan is too old, and she's the widow of a loyal minister who died for his country. What respectable family would be willing to arrange a match? Even if someone were willing, their intentions would likely be suspect. Marrying into that would be worse than not marrying at all."

Fei Ruhe found it hard to accept. "He's my brother, younger than me — how can he become my brother-in-law?" The fellow's eyes darted around. "Better he become my brother-in-law on the other side — that way I'd have some face too."

Fei Rumei, too young to know shame, clapped her hands. "Yes, yes! When I grow up I'll marry Brother Han."

"Nonsense," Madam Lou raised her chopsticks as if to strike, scolding, "Not a single proper idea. Get out of here this instant!"

Fei Ruhe fled with his head in his hands, thoroughly aggrieved. A brother turning into a brother-in-law — what the hell was that?

Zhao Han went back and lay on his bed, equally tangled in knots.

To be honest, Fei Rulan was quite pretty, fully deserving the label of fair-skinned, rich, and beautiful. Yet the thought of actually marrying her and making her his wife still left him somewhat unwilling.

As for why he was unwilling, Zhao Han himself didn't know.

Two words: pure affectation!

Right in the middle of these wild thoughts, Fei Chun suddenly came knocking at the door.

When the door opened, Fei Chun dropped to his knees with a thud and kowtowed repeatedly. "Thank you, Brother, for pleading on my mother's behalf. Otherwise she might have been beaten to death. This great kindness — I will certainly repay you someday, Brother."

Zhao Han laughed heartily. "You and I are brothers — why say so much? Get up, quickly."

Fei Chun remained kneeling, cradling a wine jar in his arms. He raised it high and said, "This is fine wine my father hid away privately. It's been several years already, and he could never bear to drink it. Today I bring it to honor you, Brother. Please do not refuse — you must accept it."

"Then I'll accept it. We'll drink our fill together another day." Zhao Han helped him up, patted Fei Chun on the shoulder, and urged, "Hurry back and look after your mother. She was beaten quite badly this time."

Fei Chun seemed to have grown up a great deal. He cupped his hands in salute. "Brother, I'll take my leave for now. If you have any orders in the future, just send word."

(Thanks to Yaodao Wanhua, thanks to Wardrobe Guest Official Bald Song, thanks to both brothers for their Alliance Leader tips, and thanks to the other brothers for their tips as well. Old Wang bows in gratitude!)

(End of Chapter)