"What… what did you say? Did you mishear?" Li Chenxuan seemed unable to believe his ears, shaking his head at Chang Bai.
Chang Bai nodded. "Young Master, this servant did not mishear. This servant personally heard the Eldest Young Lady speaking to the demure maid beside her."
Li Chenxuan couldn't help but take two steps back, shaking his head in disbelief. "How is that possible? To be a concubine? Sister is the legitimate daughter. Whoever she marries, she will be the main wife."
Chang Bai truly did not have the heart to continue striking his young master, but he knew he had to speak. Otherwise, the Eldest Young Lady would have no chance at all.
"Young Master, this servant has inquired within the mansion. The Master has betrothed the Eldest Young Lady to Wu Dakang, a military officer of the fifth rank."
"Wu Dakang? That Wu Dalang who already has eight concubines at home?"
Chang Bai nodded. "Yes."
Li Chenxuan, enraged, kicked the table. "Father, what is he doing? To betroth Sister to a mere fifth-rank military officer, and as a concubine?"
"Young Master, you may not know, but this Wu Dakang is someone the Regent King favors."
Li Chenxuan froze and gritted his teeth. "So that's how it is. Father is trying to curry favor with the Regent King, the sycophant."
He couldn't help but curse.
To think that he, the Censor of the Imperial Court, a dignified official of the third rank, would grovel at the feet of a fifth-rank military man.
He truly disdained it.
But even though he disdained his father's actions, what could he do?
Li Chenxuan slumped onto the chair, feeling dejected. He could do nothing. He didn't even have the courage to speak against his father.
He had no capital and no right to speak.
But he would not give up.
Tomorrow, he would definitely sabotage this marriage.
Qiao Garden
Before the bronze mirror, a woman watched as the maid beside her removed the golden hairpin from her hair and asked, "Has Li Chenxuan returned to the mansion?"
A woman behind her replied, "Replying to the concubine, yes."
Concubine Qiao huffed, "He dares to return? Shouldn't he be staying properly in the palace?"
"Concubine, I suspect the Eldest Young Master has learned of the Eldest Young Lady's marriage," the woman said.
"So what if he knows? It is already a done deal." Thinking of this, Concubine Qiao's face revealed a hint of a smile.
Finally, she wouldn't have to look at Lin Danfeng's children anymore. From now on, this Li mansion would be hers to command.
"Oh, where is the Master?" Concubine Qiao asked.
The woman replied, "Replying to the concubine, the Master has not yet returned."
"Are tomorrow's arrangements all prepared?" Tomorrow, while Li Fanghui hosted the Hundred Flowers Banquet, she intended to solidify her position as the mistress of the household in front of these noble ladies.
"Concubine, please rest assured, there will be no mistakes tomorrow."
"That's good. If I become the mistress of this mansion, you will all rise with me." Concubine Qiao beamed with joy. She had been waiting for this day for a long time.
The next day
Li Fanghui ordered her Hui Garden to be inspected again. Seeing that there were no issues, she finally felt at ease and sat down on a nearby chair to rest.
Qingxiu walked in from outside and whispered, "Eldest Young Lady, Young Master requests your presence in the study."
Li Fanghui was taken aback. "Why would he want to speak with me now?"
Qingxiu shook her head. "This servant does not know. Young Master's attendant, Chang Bai, said so."
"Qingxiu, please inspect everything carefully here. I will return shortly."
"Eldest Young Lady, please rest assured leaving this place to this servant." Qingxiu said.
Study
Li Fanghui looked at Li Chenxuan and asked, "What is it?"
Li Chenxuan looked up, his eyes red and swollen, clearly having cried.
Li Fanghui was startled and took a few steps forward. "Little brother, what happened to you?"
"Sister, tell me, did Father betroth you to Wu Dakang?"
Upon hearing this, Li Fanghui's gaze flickered, and then she slowly lowered her head. "You… how did you know?"
"Sister, why didn't you mention it in your letter?" Li Chenxuan was anxious. Such a major matter, and she didn't tell him?
"What use would it be to tell you?" Li Fanghui looked up at him and asked.
Li Chenxuan was stunned. "I…"
Li Fanghui stepped forward, looking at him, and said, "I struggled, I resisted, but I am a member of the Li family, the daughter of Father. I need to strive for the future of the family. This is my responsibility."
"Nonsense! The future of the Li family is the responsibility of us men. What need is there for you to do anything for the family?" Li Chenxuan said angrily.
Li Fanghui smiled upon hearing this, her eyes filled with tears. "Father said that as a daughter of the Li family, I have this responsibility. Moreover, Wu Dakang… he is part of the Regent King's faction. In the future… if the world changes, he will be…"
"Enough, enough…" Li Chenxuan growled.
"Little brother…"
Li Chenxuan stepped forward, grabbed her hand, and asked word by word, "Sister, just tell me, are you willing?"
If not, he would kneel to his father until he died to make him abandon this idea.
Li Fanghui turned her face away, her voice choked with sobs. "Ah Xuan, this is fate."
Li Chenxuan's body trembled. "Sister, don't resign yourself to fate. Don't resign yourself."
Li Fanghui smiled. Never before had he felt her smile so desolate. "Ah Xuan, Father promised me that as long as I agreed, Mother would forever be Madam Li."
Li Chenxuan's body stiffened.
Father knew Sister's weakness. Sister's weakness was Mother and him.
Now, Father was threatening Sister with Mother's status. How could Sister not obey obediently?
And, at this moment, he had no standing to oppose Sister.
"Truly despicable," he could only grittily spit out those three words.
Li Fanghui shook her head. "It is a fair trade. I use my marriage to ensure Mother remains Madam Li forever. It is worth it."
Worth it?
Li Chenxuan wanted to say it wasn't worth it, that it was sacrificing Sister's entire life. But he couldn't say it. He had no standing, he was useless, unable to change Sister's fate, nor the father's determination to make Concubine Qiao the main wife.
Sister knew this, which was why she agreed.
He collapsed onto the ground, tears streaming down his face.
"Ah Xuan, Sister hopes you will be well, whether in this mansion or in the palace, because you are Sister's last living relative."
Therefore, she would protect the person most important to her. She didn't say it, but Father had promised her that as long as she behaved, Father would ensure her brother's life in the palace would be easier.
Her life was over like this. She wanted to plan for her brother.
Would Mother agree with her doing this?
Emerging from the study, Li Fanghui's face was already filled with smiles.
In Hui Garden, Li Fanghui was entertaining the noble ladies of the capital with whom she was friendly.
"Sister, why didn't you invite all these sisters to come?" A voice sounded, and a maiden dressed in a brightly colored long dress gracefully approached.
Upon seeing the arrival, Li Fanghui's expression darkened. She stepped forward and coldly said in a low voice, "Who told you to come?"
"Eldest Sister, why are you speaking to your sister like this? When there are guests at home, shouldn't you inform your sister?" Li Fanghua said with a smiling face, but her tone was full of veiled criticism towards Li Fanghui.