Chapter 5.3

After four days of activities, they returned to Chang’an. During the late night, Yuan Buqu donned his battle armor and joined the returning royal entourage.

Everything was as lively as expected. The spoils from Xue Yantuo amounted to over a hundred carts, filled with rare treasures. The emperor distributed them among all the soldiers and formally issued a decree to bestow titles and honors.

All officers of general rank and above were summoned to the palace’s imperial garden for a grand banquet, which was expected to last for three days and nights, celebrating the victory.

Du Bingyan’s anxious premonitions finally came true!

Currently, Yuan Buqu was celebrating the victory with the emperor at the palace banquet. However, it had already spread throughout Chang’an that the emperor planned to marry Princess Changping to Yuan Buqu because His Majesty was very pleased with him and wanted him as a son-in-law; it was only a matter of time before it was officially announced.

Originally, Yuan Buqu planned to marry Du Bingyan immediately upon returning to the capital to announce it to the world. However, a series of events delayed the formal wedding. The Yuan family’s residence, now a prince’s mansion, had its festive decorations quickly fade. If the emperor decided to marry Princess Changping into the Yuan family, no one would recognize her as “Madam Yuan.”

The royal family would not tolerate the prince consort having other wives or concubines! No one could share the princess’s husband. Now, she truly was an unknown concubine!

Even Li Cheng, who was usually straightforward and just, didn’t dare to say much, fearing that Yuan Buqu, under pressure, would inevitably let her down.

What would he do? Du Bingyan shook her head in self-reproach; she couldn’t keep shifting responsibility onto Ziren, as it was too selfish! Thinking that avoiding decisions meant avoiding responsibility was wrong. Was bringing him more trouble really the right way to love him?

But her troubles didn’t end there. On the evening of the second day of the imperial banquet, three unexpected guests arrived at the Yuan residence!

Her father and two brothers!

Due to the large number of congratulatory guests in the main hall, Li Cheng brought them to the “Furong Hall,” a place reserved for the family, and stayed anxiously by their side. Now, the Yuan family had even more to answer to the Du family!

Du Zhixiang had never been harsh with his only daughter, but this time, his expression was serious, and his tone was stern. Seeing his daughter, he immediately asked, “Have you consummated the marriage with him?”

Du Bingyan lowered her eyelashes and silently nodded.

“Are we worthy of such a prominent person? How can you be so shameless! You haven’t even formally married him, yet you’ve given yourself to him! What does this do to our Du family’s reputation? Two months ago, fearing you would be wronged if you married into the Qi family, I went to Quanzhou to see you! But, the woman claiming to be Du Bingyan at the Qi family was not my daughter! It was that ill-mannered girl from the Li family! Do you know how anxious I was? Why did Li Yuhu end up marrying into the Qi family instead of my daughter? I hurried back to Yangzhou to question Matchmaker Zhang and Matchmaker Lin, only to find out there had been a mix-up at the temple. Matchmaker Zhang even claimed you refused to return to Yangzhou to switch with Li Yuhu because you wanted to be the official wife and didn’t want to be a widow at such a young age! I knew marrying into the Qi family would have been a hardship for you! But I can’t believe my proud daughter is so vain and selfish! If you were favored by the general today, it would be one thing! But look, the whole of Chang’an is abuzz with rumors that General Yuan is going to be the future prince consort! And what are you? Even a courtesan is better off! You’re living in Yuan’s residence with no status, just a plaything! Is this the daughter I raised? Very well!” As Du Zhixiang reached the end of his outburst, he was so enraged that he coughed uncontrollably, while his two sons quickly patted his back.

Du Bingyan knelt, biting her lip. The cowardly Matchmaker Zhang had blamed everything on her, and she had to accept it! But causing her father such distress was truly her fault! She had known that everything wrong would eventually have consequences.

She didn’t regret the path she had taken but felt guilty for disappointing her father.

Du Bingyan’s eldest brother, Du Bochuan, sighed and said, “Yan’er, the mistakes have been ongoing for almost half a year. The Qi family’s young master is not as weak as rumored. Li Yuhu, who impersonated you to marry into the Qi family, is said to be pregnant. Exposing her identity now wouldn’t help, as the Qi family will surely keep Li Yuhu. You’re now the only one made a laughingstock! In Yangzhou, rumors of your vanity have spread far and wide. Father worried about your situation and came here only to hear about the wedding preparations at Yuan’s residence. No one knows you’re Yuan’s wife yet, but once the imperial decree is issued and everyone knows, what will become of you? Why didn’t you return home earlier? Even if you couldn’t marry into the Qi family, you’d have maintained your reputation. But now—sigh!”

“Daughter has been unfilial and disappointed Father.” Without defending herself, she was used to accepting blame in the presence of her father and brothers. She swallowed her tears, feeling the weight of her mistakes. What could she do now that things had come to this?

Du Zhixiang slammed his hand on the table and stood up, addressing Li Cheng, “What arrangements does the general have for my daughter?”

Li Cheng replied seriously, “I believe our young master will not mistreat the lady. Tomorrow, he will return from the palace and handle things properly.”

“How will he handle it properly? Arrange a separate residence for her? Our Du family is respectable enough; it’s more than sufficient for her to be the official wife. If the princess marries in, who can guarantee anything? No, I want to take my daughter back to Yangzhou.” Du Zhixiang made up his mind—“Rather than being a nameless plaything in Yuan’s residence, I’d rather have her marry someone else as a secondary wife! Bingyan, pack your things and come back with me immediately! As for the jewelry and valuables in Yuan’s residence, we must be careful not to take anything by mistake; it wouldn’t be good if we’re mistaken for thieves.”

“Dad…” Du Bingyan exclaimed, looking up in surprise. She hadn’t seen Zi Ren yet, and she didn’t want to return to Yangzhou now, much less marry someone else.

“Are you still hoping that the General will come back and give you something? Stop making me lose face!” Du Zhixiang growled, turning his face away to avoid looking at his daughter’s miserable expression.

Li Cheng stepped closer and said, “You cannot take the young lady away. She belongs to the General, and she will not be taken away by anyone!”

“If he truly considers Bingyan his wife, he must follow the proper procedures, come to Yangzhou himself, and marry her in a proper ceremony, dispelling all unfavorable rumors about her in the city. If he doesn’t care about my daughter, then I certainly have all the more reason to take her back! Or do we have to wait until the Princess herself drives people away? Don’t push things too far!”

Seeing the two elders about to start arguing, Du Bingyan walked over to them and said to Li Cheng, “Uncle Li, I should return to Yangzhou. It will be better for everyone, and you won’t be put in a difficult position. I will leave a letter for Ziren; he will understand. I remember his kindness to me. For now, I hope he can make the best decision for himself on his own. My staying here would only add to his burdens.”

“Madam—”

“Don’t say any more. You can’t decide anything for Ziren.” She sighed, turned, and went to pack her things.

She imagined that Yangzhou was probably waiting to see her make a fool of herself. However, she found she wasn’t worried. She had been weighed down by societal norms for too long and didn’t want to be constrained by things that seemed important but were actually worthless. If her reputation was ruined, so be it! It would be best if all the men who wanted to marry her stayed away! Her decision to return to Yangzhou was not only to comfort her parents but also to give Yuan Buqu complete freedom. If he cared, he would come to find her. She would wait.

After packing a few simple items, she sat at the table and began to write a neat letter:

“Ziren: I am returning to Yangzhou.”

“A few months of affection have deeply etched into my heart, never to be forgotten. As a vulnerable woman, receiving such genuine love from you is something I could not ask for more in life. My return to Yangzhou is not out of anger or to give up on this beautiful feeling but to avoid the current buzz in the city, which might trouble you. Therefore, I’ve decided to give you clear space to think things over.”

“Please don’t come looking for me out of guilt.”

“You must understand what I truly want.”

“Regardless of your final decision, I support you.”

—Bingyan

~

“Brother Yuan!”

Sha Pingwei finally found Yuan Buqu in a pavilion at the corner of the Imperial Garden. He called out, panting, and immediately sat on the railing to rest.

“What are you here for?” Yuan Buqu glanced at him coldly.

“You stirred things up and then left, but you won’t allow those of us who got caught in the chaos to sneak out for a breather?” Sha Pingwei replied, still a bit shaken.

Tonight was the third day of the royal banquet. What had been a joyful atmosphere turned awkward when the emperor brought up the matter of making Yuan Buqu his son-in-law, only for Yuan Buqu to refuse.

Yuan Buqu had directly stated that he already had a wife. However, the emperor didn’t seem to care, saying he didn’t mind if Yuan had several concubines, as long as the princess was made the main wife. This was followed by the chorus of congratulatory remarks from civil and military officials. Everything should have been perfect, but then Yuan Buqu stood up and said, “One should not abandon friends made in times of hardship, nor should one forsake a wife who has shared those hardships. Please forgive me, Your Majesty, but I have no intention of taking a second wife. I am just a humble warrior and cannot bear the heavy responsibility of becoming the imperial son-in-law!” The festive atmosphere was instantly shattered.

After saying this, he left, causing the emperor’s face to darken with anger. The officials were drenched in cold sweat, each thinking that Yuan Buqu would either be thrown in prison or stripped of his rank.

“Fortunately, the emperor understands you, and even more fortunately, my father and Lord Fang managed to calm him down. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be sitting here peacefully!” Sha Pingwei said, admitting that he could never be so reckless. Yuan Buqu was practically risking his life with his actions.

“I won’t marry anyone else. That would make Bingyan sad,” Yuan Buqu said, looking up at the moon. Three days had passed! He missed her so much but couldn’t return right away. These boring banquets clashed with him, yet he had to pretend to fit in. Being promoted, gaining wealth, and earning the emperor’s favor—all of that paled compared to the warmth of holding Bingyan in his arms.

“You’ve already angered the emperor once. Are you planning to do it a second time and drag others down with you? Our emperor may be wise, but he does not go back on his word. Once he says something, he won’t take it back, especially in front of the officials. At this point, don’t be stubborn! Go back to the banquet and speak to the emperor properly. If he understands, he won’t force you. Leaving like this is a clear act of defiance against him.” These were the words his father had instructed him to say, and Sha Pingwei delivered them without missing a beat.

Yuan Buqu’s face was somber; he really didn’t know how to be smooth-talking and diplomatic. Pleasing the emperor would only bring him benefits, but the moment he thought about the emperor pushing Bingyan into a lesser position, he felt a surge of anger. To hell with the princess! He would never marry her.

“I still owe Bingyan a proper wedding.”

“If you want to marry her as you wish, then go explain things to the emperor! If things get worse, it’ll be even harder to fix.”

Yuan Buqu thought for a moment, then nodded. “I’ll go find Uncle Sha. Do you want to come along?”

Sha Pingwei waved him off.

“I’ve been scared by those palace maids; I’ll rest here a bit first!” For two days and nights, the emperor had allowed the palace maids and officials to flirt, and a whole group of palace maids had set their sights on him, a young man! He spent both nights sleeping on the rooftop to avoid getting harassed! Some women can be quite terrifying!

Sansukini: There will be an extra chapter tomorrow. (｡ ♥‿♥｡)

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