The story goes that in the garden pavilion, the people are happily drinking as dusk came. Huangfu Shaohua got up to thank and bid farewell to them. Minister Meng ordered two servants of the house to carry red veil lamps and send his son-in-law back.
The young master Shaohua left the garden pavilion
He calmly bid farewell to everyone and left
Minister of War and Student from the Hanlin Academy walked him out together
He hopped on the saddle and rode home
Left and right there were servants who carried lamps for light
In a moment, he arrived at the grand gate of the Commissioner-in-chief’s mansion
A group of servants were the first to report his arrival
Which made the master in his study joyful
We only see that led by two red lamps
The charming young man entered the mansion
With a deep bow, he proclaimed:
“Your son is all victorious and can now be married
I am grateful for you in instructing me about military strategy and tactics
My reputation today is all accredited to you, my father”
The Commissioner-in-chief sat in the middle immersed in felicity
He repeated that it is difficult to not disgrace the family
Then he ordered the servants of the Meng mansion to enter
And asked them to go back home sending gratitude to their master
So he requested Provincial Administration Commissioner Qin to be the matchmaker
And selected the eighth day of the month to exchange betrothal gifts
The servants kowtowed and responded aloud
Then they turned around and left still holding veil lamps in their hands
After they departed, the Commissioner-in-chief and Shaohua went to the inner room together
It is certain that Shaohua also told his mother what had happened
Let us stop talking about the things in the Commissioner-in-chief’s mansion
And instead turn to what was happening in the minister’s home
After the whole day’s banquet, people dispersed
The minister and his son returned to the living hall
The madam came to welcome them, and they were all cheerful
Together they appreciated Huangfu Shaohua and the marriage he gained
To have this son-in-law was a reason worth being joyful
People like male and female phoenixes were clearly bound to be a couple by the will of heaven
The couple of the student from the Hanlin Academy applauded
The whole family happily congratulated each other
Now let’s stop describing the blissfulness in the outer mansion
Let’s instead turn to the beautiful lady Yingxue
In the day, she had witnessed the competition to acquire the robe
And returned to the young miss’s boudoir
She smiled and greeted the young miss:
“Please forgive me for not accompanying you and leaving you alone
According to the result of today’s archery contest
You will be married to the Huangfu family
That gentleman is worth of envy
He is fifteen years old in his youth
He is peerless with an excellent appearance and bearing
He is talented in both his knowledge and martial arts skills
You, young miss, have always been praised for your virtue
It is appropriate that you now marry a wonderful husband
He shot three arrows and walked away with the robe
His bravery should be spread all over the four seas
It is indeed that our home has great fortune
Heaven matched the noble gentleman with the pure lady
I worried that young Master Liu would win
Fortunately, it just so happened that he did not succeed
When you, my Miss, live with your husband in the future
There is no need to worry that you won’t be blessed with conjugal felicity”
The beautiful Yingxue finished with a smile on her peach-pink cheeks
Inside she felt happy for the noble young miss Meng Lijun
Lijun was writing wonderful words with her brush
She put down the brush to ponder upon hearing Yingxue’s speech:
“It was heaven that determined the winner of today’s contest of archery
I am deeply grateful that the gods do not lead people astray
Huangfu Shaohua’s talent and appearance are both commendable
I don’t need to worry about our future
However, he made Liu Kuibi leave in a temper
And drove Kuibi, a guest and friend, to be disloyal
Liu Kuibi’s father is an honored marquis
How could he be unwilling to endure disgrace and not restore his honor?
Although the matter of winning the robe went on well
I am afraid that there may be other changes concerning our marriage”
The young miss was wise enough to understand the multifaceted situation
The expression of her dark eyebrows revealed mixture of joy and worry
She then whispered to Yingxue that there is no need to be happy:
“No one knows in the future how things will turn out
The young master Liu, son of the marquis, left in a temper
Certainly he will be furious and break off the friendship
He is from a family of royal relatives who have great authority
There is nothing they cannot do, even in defiance of public opinions or laws
If his father allows his son to act against the law
The consequences are precisely the difficult part to manage”
The dainty young miss let out a long sigh after she had finished
Yingxue smiled and said to reassure the young miss:
“You, young miss, are smart, talented, and beautiful
You naturally possess great blessings”
Lijun smiled faintly after hearing:
“The most talented people have the cruelest fate
It has been passed down since ancient times that ‘good things never come easy’
Lady Su, you still do not know enough about the secular world”
She sat under the screen window after finished speaking
Unknowingly it was already the time of Xu and dusk was coming
The birds’ shadows were sprawling on the trees where they roosted in the evening
In the quiet courtyard, the fragrant smell of flowers was lingering
The maids smilingly drape the curtains
With the lamps lit, the bedroom was bright everywhere
Lijun greeted her parents after dinner
Soon returned to her gauze canopy and prepared to rest
Lady Su served the noble young miss to sleep
Returned to the room opposite the young miss’s boudoir
The maid named Ronglan accompanied the young miss
The fair lady Su Yingxue, however, went to bed with her mother
When Yingxue entered the west chamber
She saw her mother still sewing the needle at the lamp
Her own mother called back to her, saying that the tea was hot
She suggested that Yingxue could drink two cups before resting
The fair lady agreed and sat down casually next to her mother
She leaned against the dressing table and drank the fine tea
The mother lit the lamp and let out a long sigh
As she was threading a needle she said:
“Now that the young miss’s marriage is arranged
But what about your marriage?
You have many uncles, but they are all unkind
The early death of your father made you even more lonely
Fortunately, the madam has always been kind to us
She treats us like distinguished guests
I am alone and have no idea of my own
It seems that we can only rely on the madam in the future
I only wish that your future husband is affluent and honest
I do not excessively expect him to come from a country gentleman or an official’s family
May you and your husband be a couple accompanying each other
To live the rest of your lives of one heart and one mind
As your birth mother, I have no desire for wealth and prosperity
I do not want you to become a concubine, like a small and nameless star”
