part 3
"Qinghe," I gently held her hand, "say no more."
"But Miss..."
"The General’s Manor is no less distinguished than the Young Lord’s residence," I said. "This marriage may not be inferior at all."
Qinghe parted her lips, yet seeing my calm demeanor, she swallowed her unspoken words. Having served me for years, she knew my temperament well—the calmer I appeared, the firmer my resolve was.
Instead of heading straight back to my courtyard, I wandered onto a secluded path behind the garden and stood there for a while.
The bitter winter wind of the twelfth lunar month stung sharply against my face.
Shen Mudan had already returned to her warm chambers in high spirits, most likely scheming how to live in splendor after marrying into the prince’s mansion. She would never know I agreed so readily neither out of fear nor cowardice to fight for my own fate.
The truth was, three nights prior, I had witnessed Gu Lin climb over the side gate of the Shen Manor’s backyard with my own eyes.
He went straight to the ancestral hall and placed a jade pendant before the spirit tablets of the Shen ancestors.
I recognized that pendant instantly.
It was a keepsake left by my late mother.
She had once told Qinghe, "This jade pendant was given to me by a general long ago. He said if I ever fell into dire straits, I could seek his help with this token."
I had thought it was merely an idle remark. Yet on that frigid night, the man cloaked in dark black knelt on the cold stone floor of the ancestral hall, his voice low and restrained. "Madam Shen once showed me great kindness in my hour of need, a favor I shall never forget. I will lay down my life to protect her daughter with all I have."
I did not disturb him and slipped away quietly.
Thus when Shen Mudan came to seize my betrothal, I could barely hold back a laugh.
She longed to marry the young lord? Very well, I would let her have it.
As for the General’s Manor, I would take it.
On the eve of the grand weddings, the entire Shen Manor was thrown into a flurry of bustle. Bright lanterns lit up Shen Mudan’s courtyard, while countless chests of dowry were carried in and out. The main mistress personally oversaw the maids sorting out the phoenix coronet and wedding robes, wearing an endless smile on her face.
In stark contrast, my courtyard was deathly quiet, not a single person came to deliver my dowry.
The main mistress had never intended to prepare any dowry for me.
"A concubine-born girl is lucky enough to be carried off in a bridal sedan chair. What right does she have to ask for dowry?" Those were her exact words, which soon spread among the servants, exaggerated with countless twists.