According to the customs of the Great Jin dynasty, Wang Xiaolian should have returned home to visit his family within seven days of his marriage.
However, for unknown reasons, Wang Xiaolian never came back. Once the seven days passed, Nanny Wang could no longer sit still.
She personally went to the Sun family in the neighboring village. The specifics are unknown, but it was said that she returned crying all the way and fell seriously ill upon her return.
Afterward, rumors circulated that she had argued with her son and son-in-law, insisting on bringing Wang Xiaolian back. However, Wang Xiaolian had brought three mu of fertile land as part of his dowry to marry into the Sun family.
With only a few days passed since the wedding, how could Wang Dalan (eldest son) and Wang Erlang (second son) possibly agree to just bring him back?
Ultimately, Nanny Wang compromised and no longer brought up the matter of Wang Xiaolian returning home.
It was said that she entrusted someone to send him many things, which greatly displeased her two daughters-in-law.
When Shen Xuan heard about this, he took no pleasure in their misfortune. In the Great Jin, Ger and women had low status.
Once married, they were like water poured out. Even Nanny Wang, who doted on Wang Xiaolian, had to yield to her two sons.
Wang Xiaolian's marriage was not good, and it seemed unlikely he would ever recover his standing in this life.
Although Shen Xuan felt he deserved it, he couldn't help but feel a little regretful.
He was even more grateful that he was unburdened and wouldn't be forced to marry someone he disliked, which was a blessing in disguise amidst his misfortunes.
***
Shen Xuan calculated the money he had earned these past few days, plus what he had intermittently saved from writing memorials, totaling over two hundred taels of silver.
He had only been transmigrated to the Great Jin for just over a month, and the money he had earned was far more than he had imagined.
If he sold tea for a few more months, he could buy a courtyard in the city, which would be much more convenient than commuting from Yunshui Village every day.
Seeing a good life just ahead, Shen Xuan felt much more at ease. Aside from occasionally missing Lin Ye when he felt lonely, his small life was quite pleasant.
Just when he thought life would continue peacefully, a group of uninvited guests suddenly arrived in Yunshui Village.
This day, Shen Xuan had just returned from the city when he saw two carriages and a group of people stopped outside his door.
Many curious villagers were gathered nearby, and the village chief, Li Youtian, was bowing and scraping while talking to a middle-aged man.
As soon as Li Youtian saw Shen Xuan, he quickly pointed at him and said, "It's him, he's back! Shen Ger is finally back!"
Shen Xuan frowned, dismounted from his mule, and looked at them with a puzzled expression. He then saw the middle-aged man, whom Li Youtian had been fawning over, step forward arrogantly, raise his chin, and ask,
"Are you Shen Xuan? I am Steward Zhao from the Marquis Xue's mansion in the capital. I am here on the orders of the Marquis and Madam to take you back for your wedding."
"It's from the Marquis's mansion?!"
"What! The Xue family really came to pick him up?"
"What kind of luck does this Shen Xuan have? Is he really going to marry into the Marquis's mansion?"
The villagers immediately erupted in chatter...
The Marquis Xue's mansion? Shen Xuan's heart sank. He suddenly remembered the marriage contract he had that existed in name only.
When the Xue family and Lady Shen had arranged the engagement, Shen Xuan was only a three-year-old child and didn't even remember what the Xue family's heir looked like.
It was only when Nanny Wang first returned to the village and gossiped that the Xue family might send someone to pick up Shen Xuan after he came of age that the villagers of Yunshui Village frequently used the matter to mock Shen Xuan.
After the Shen family fell, the Xue family ignored Shen Xuan, and everyone thought the Xue family would never acknowledge the marriage.
But now Shen Xuan was eighteen, and the Xue family had sought him out. He wondered what their intentions were.
"Could it be that the Xue family's heir has passed away?"
"They wouldn't be here to ask me to be a ghost marriage to bring good fortune, would they?"
Shen Xuan couldn't help but think darkly, and he blurted out the question.
As soon as Shen Xuan asked, the villagers also felt it was very likely to be the case. Everyone began discussing animatedly...
Steward Zhao: "..."
He quickly cleared his throat, stroked his beard, and sternly ignored the mention of Xue Fenglin's leg injury, saying,
"How dare you speak so presumptuously about the shizi? The shizi is well and healthy, with no illness or misfortune."
If it wasn't for good fortune, why were they suddenly asking him to marry? He had no intention of marrying a stranger!
Shen Xuan then said, "Since a dignified heir is well and healthy, why would he think of marrying a country Ger like me? This matter is truly strange, and I cannot obey."
Steward Zhao was stunned, not expecting Shen Xuan to refuse him. One must know that the Xue family was a dignified Marquis's mansion, and even he, as a steward, often received gifts from those below.
Anyone who could get even a little bit connected to the Marquis's mansion would try every possible way to climb in. Why was this country Ger in front of him unwilling?
Steward Zhao was not only ordered by the Xue family to pick up Shen Xuan, but he was also one of Bai Shi's confidantes.
Before he came, Bai Shi had privately instructed him that he must successfully bring this country Ger back to the capital.
Therefore, at this moment, regardless of whether Shen Xuan was willing or not, he directly stated firmly,
"Your marriage contract with the Xue family was made by the former Madam with your parents when she was alive. A parent's promise and a matchmaker's words, how can you, a junior, arbitrarily disregard them?"
Shen Xuan didn't expect the Xue family's representatives to be so forceful. After a moment of thought, he rolled his eyes and said,
"But I'm already married, if you don't believe me, ask the village chief?"
The surrounding villagers immediately chimed in,
"Yes! Shen Ger is already married!"
"Shen Xuan also got married a while ago. How can a Ger marry a second time? It seems he won't be enjoying the riches of the Marquis's mansion!"
Village Chief Li Youtian then stammered, "This... Shen Ger was indeed married to an outsider named Lin a while ago, and I was the one who presided over the wedding."
Steward Zhao heard this and said, "If that's the case, since we're at his doorstep, where is the person he married?"
Li Youtian: "That Brother Lin just left the village a few days ago."
"My husband is a merchant, he just went to the capital for business recently and will be back in a while," Shen Xuan interjected.
Steward Zhao was suddenly stunned. He had no idea Shen Xuan would suddenly claim to have a merchant husband.
He was furious for a moment, fearing he wouldn't be able to account for the task Madam Bai had given him. At this moment, a woman in her forties, dressed in fine silk and adorned with pearl hairpins, stepped forward and whispered something into his ear.
After listening, Steward Zhao nodded, straightened his back, and shamelessly said to Shen Xuan, "Your so-called husband isn't registered with the government, so he doesn't count as a proper husband."
After saying that, he pulled out an old, yellowed engagement letter and said, "Here is the marriage contract signed by the former Madam and the Shen family, clearly written in black and white. With this contract, you are our Xue family's husband. Now, obediently come back with us."
The villagers of Yunshui Village: "..."
Everyone was somewhat shocked for a moment, wondering what charm Shen Xuan possessed that the Marquis's mansion from the capital would chase after him, a mere Ger' to marry him.
Shen Xuan: "..."
He never expected this. He had already said he was married, yet the Xue family was still relentless, insisting on marrying a broken-down country Ger who was divorced.
As a dignified Marquis's heir, what kind of noble lady or Ger couldn't he marry? Steward Zhao repeatedly mentioned the former Madam, but without any sign of respect.
Shen Xuan figured that the shizi's birth mother must have passed away, and now the new Madam of the Marquis's mansion was likely locked in a power struggle with the shizi.
Shen Xuan was not foolish and immediately guessed that he was likely caught up in the internal power struggles of the Marquis's mansion.
He had no desire to marry, and even less so to become a sacrifice in the political struggles of a powerful family. He didn't even want to consider the character of the Xue family's heir.
Just entering the Marquis's mansion would mean adhering to many rules, and he would no longer be able to live as freely as he did now.
Moreover, the shizi was only five years old when he was engaged to him. Now, he was in the prime of his life, about to enter officialdom.
How could he possibly be willing to settle for a country Ger like himself? If this person had a bad character and took his anger out on him, what could he, a country Ger with no family support, do in the Xue family? He would be utterly helpless.
Shen Xuan shivered at the thought, feeling that marrying into the Xue mansion would be like stepping into a perilous situation, with absolutely no benefit!
He felt a pang of regret. If he had known this would happen, he would have left with Lin Ye. Even if he had to marry, it would at least be to someone he loved, rather than being forced to wade into the murky waters of the Xue family.
***
Steward Zhao brought over twenty strong household guards with him on this trip. With such a group of people watching him, Shen Xuan had no chance of running or hiding. He could only suppress the idea of escaping for now.
Seeing that Steward Zhao was about to order his escort into the carriage, Shen Xuan quickly said, "Wait, at least let me go back inside to pack up and bring some luggage."
"The Marquis's mansion has everything, there's no need to bring much," the old woman suddenly chuckled. "However, it will be a few days' journey to the capital, so Shen Ger, just pack a few clothes."
Her round face looked kind when she smiled, but her eyes were very deep, revealing a mind full of calculations.
Shen Xuan heard this and went into the house to pack a few clothes. He put the two hundred taels of silver notes into his bosom and also wrapped the hundred taels of gold that Lin Ye had left behind in his satchel.
After taking all his possessions, Shen Xuan walked out of the house, preparing to ride his dappled mule.
However, the old woman said, "Shen Ger, you are about to become the shizi's husband. How can you ride such a crude animal as a mule? Please, step into the carriage."
Shen Xuan saw that the carriage was not small; the carriage compartment was large enough for a person to lie down horizontally.
The wooden door of the carriage could also be latched from the outside. He figured this old woman was afraid he would escape on the mule, so she wanted him to take the carriage, knowing that once the door was locked, he couldn't run away.
Having his plan easily foiled, Shen Xuan could only get into the carriage with a dark expression, deciding to deal with things as they came.
As expected, as soon as he got into the carriage, someone locked the door from the outside. Shen Xuan could only lift the curtain from the carriage window, scan the outside, and then say,
"Aunt Tian, please take this mule back. While I'm gone, your family can look after it for me."
Since he had moved in, Aunt Tian had been quite kind to him, often coming over to chat and sharing some wild vegetables like shepherd's purse and mugwort that she couldn't finish.
Since he was leaving, he would leave the mule with her family, which would be helpful for their autumn harvest work. Even if he didn't return later, he wouldn't feel bad.
Aunt Tian sighed and hesitantly stepped forward, taking the mule, receiving envious glances from the surrounding villagers.
At this moment, the carriage slowly departed, and the group headed out of Yunshui Village. Aunt Tian waved to Shen Xuan and said, "Shen Ger, take care on the road." Shen Xuan nodded, let out a long sigh, and pulled down the curtain.
His departure was sudden; he hadn't even had time to say goodbye to Guiyun Tower. The promised tea recipes would no longer be supplied, and he wondered what Shopkeeper Mei and the others would think.
Business thrives on integrity, and Guiyun Tower was a good connection Shen Xuan had made. They not only helped him avoid entanglement with Daiyue Tower but also settled their accounts promptly.
Although this incident was sudden, it was ultimately his fault. Shen Xuan felt that he couldn't just leave like this and decided that once he reached the capital, he would find a way to send a letter to Guiyun Tower.
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