Chapter 42: Indifferent to Life and Death, Ready to Fight Anyone Who Disagrees

Xianyu put on the air of a schoolmaster, guiding the conversation with calculated patience.

"Madam Mei once declared in her own home that she would never reconcile with Jian Aozhu. How could she possibly be the one to petition the Emperor for a marriage decree?"

"Then who requested the bestowal?"

Aside from the Jin family, who else in the Mei household carried enough weight?

"It was Jian Aozhu herself who entered the palace and begged the Eldest Princess to intervene, which is how she secured the Empress Dowager’s decree."

Having finally found a chance to shine, Jian Aozhu had naturally trumpeted the news with great fanfare, even broadcasting her sworn sisterhood with the Eldest Princess. For a time, the Jian family was caught in a whirlwind of both pride and panic.

The Jian matriarch and the legitimate eldest daughter, who had previously tormented Jian Aozhu, wailed and lamented in the General’s residence for three days and nights. In the end, it was the Jian matriarch who had to swallow her pride and beg for forgiveness from Su Huirong, Jian Aozhu’s birth mother, just to find a modicum of peace.

Lu Lan, for his part, had not expected that this wretched woman possessed such significant influence.

"It is said that the Ministry of Justice’s residence dared not defy the Empress Dowager’s edict. The Mei family is preparing to send the betrothal gifts on the same day as our young master: August twenty-sixth."

As these words fell, the Water Cloud Pavilion plunged into an instant, deathly silence.

The maids and attendants wore grave expressions, their eyes wide as bells.

On the same day as their young master?

It was a blatant, deliberate attempt to clash with their celebration.

Shengjing City was neither small nor large. While one could ignore the common folk, there was an unspoken understanding among the noble and prestigious houses: whenever there was a wedding or a funeral, word was sent out in advance to avoid conflicts. Otherwise, if a bright red bridal sedan were to cross paths with a funeral hearse—with one side weeping while the other cheered—the scene would be dreadfully inauspicious.

High-ranking families prioritized grandeur and reputation above all else. A wedding happened only once in a lifetime; no one would intentionally invite bad luck by clashing with another house. Everyone made space for one another to ensure the ceremonies were magnificent.

Therefore, it was extremely rare for two prestigious houses to hold such events on the same day, unless it was a calculated provocation.

Tong Yan, unable to contain his indignation, walked up to Lu Lan and complained, "Master, it’s intentional. They are absolutely doing this on purpose. They’re riding roughshod over us."

The Duke of Yu’s residence was a house of imperial relatives and nobility, whereas the Ministry of Justice’s residence was merely a second-rank official’s household. In terms of status, the two were simply not on the same level.

How dared they?

Yirong was so angry she trembled. "Indeed, Master. If they manage to overshadow us with their betrothal ceremony, the entire city will know by the time the wedding procession occurs. If they outshine us again, we will never be able to hold our heads high in the streets again."

"Perhaps we should change the date? Move it earlier or push it back?" Xianyu suggested, scratching his scalp.

Both women gave him looks of utter disdain. Xianyu was truly spineless.

Xianyu looked aggrieved; he had no other options, as it was a decree from the Empress Dowager. Everyone stared expectantly at Lu Lan. After a long pause, Lu Lan spoke, unhurried and calm.

"We will not change it. Life and death are mere trifles—if they want to challenge us, we’ll meet them head-on. What is there to fear?"

He had never backed down in his life. Since they were practically slapping his face, he certainly would not retreat. Let’s see whose resolve was harder.

Xianyu looked worried. "But… the Mei family has the Empress Dowager’s decree, and we…"

How could they possibly outshine that?

A faint smile touched the corner of Lu Lan’s lips. The Empress Dowager’s decree was indeed an unparalleled honor, but could the Empress Dowager attend the Mei family’s ceremony in person? Of course not. An imperial decree could not be eaten for sustenance.

Consort Dai, however, could grace the Lu family with her presence. Having a living person, deeply favored by the Emperor, attend the wedding feast—would that not be more shocking than a mere written edict?

When the time came, it would be hard to say who would overshadow whom.

...

At the Nine-Turn Pavilion, word reached Yan Shiyue’s ears, and it quickly ignited a firestorm.

Yan Shiyue no longer had the heart to chant Buddhist sutras and summoned the head steward, Uncle Zhong, for a consultation.

"I hear the son of Minister Mei and the concubine-born daughter of General Jian are about to marry, and it is by the Empress Dowager’s decree?"

Uncle Zhong nodded vigorously. "Yes, Madam. It is on the same day as our young master’s betrothal. I have inquired, and they claim that since the Second Miss Jian and the Second Miss Gu are close friends, they decided on the same date."

"You believe such drivel? Madam Jin of the Mei family has loved competing with me since we were young. Decades later, she is still the same stubborn creature."

Back in the day, both had been renowned beauties in Shengjing, and during the year they married, they had even competed over the size of their dowries; in the end, Yan Shiyue had emerged victorious.

A cold sneer played on Yan Shiyue’s lips. "She is just bitter about losing her prospective daughter-in-law! The Mei family lacks the destiny for it; they are not worthy of Gu Xingwan."

"Madam, we must hasten the arrangements for the wedding." Uncle Zhong felt the time was far too tight.

The date had been chosen by Lu Lan himself, and he had been quite urgent, insisting that the betrothal take place in ten days—the twenty-sixth of August. The Lu family had consulted a master, and the date was found to be highly auspicious for both Lu Lan and Gu Xingwan. Uncle Zhong had also checked the schedules of other major noble houses and found no conflicts. He hadn’t expected the Mei and Jian families to suddenly strike, backed by an imperial decree.

Yan Shiyue had originally intended to handle the matter with deliberate pacing, but that seemed impossible now.

"Has Si-lang managed to gather the funds?"

"Likely not. No one has inquired about the Dashan Mountain property yet; it cannot be sold in such a short time."

Yan Shiyue nodded.

There was no time to wait. Since someone intended to humiliate the Lu family, they had to act quickly.

"Uncle Zhong, you and Nanny Fan work together to manage the preparations. Si-lang has just purchased the Shangzhuguo residence, so his pockets must be tight. Take ten thousand taels of silver from my private treasury."

"Remember..."

"We must not let the Lu family lose face."

A fierce, unyielding determination burned in Yan Shiyue’s eyes. On the surface, this wedding was the business of the younger generation. In reality, it was a battle of wits between two old rivals, Yan Shiyue and Madam Jin.