"Whoa! Whoa!"
The horse charged into the courtyard, galloping in frantic circles, refusing to come to a halt.
"Can't any of you find a way to stop this brute?" Wei Kang shouted, death-gripping the reins as he barked at the guards who surrounded him but dared not step forward.
Fu Man, standing nearby, was equally frantic, his forehead drenched in sweat.
"Eldest Brother! Eldest Brother! What are you all standing around for? Go and restrain the horse!" Wei Yuan came rushing over, only to see Wei Kang slumped forward, clinging to the horse's back.
A few of the bolder servants tentatively approached, attempting to stroke the horse's neck. Others, who had experience in the stables, made soothing noises to calm the animal's agitation.
After a long while, the horse finally slowed its pace and began to trot in place. The servants lunged forward to grab the reins, and Wei Kang seized the opportunity to leap down.
"You beast!" Once his feet hit the ground, Wei Kang lashed out at the horse with his whip.
The horse startled again, but fortunately, the servants held on with all their might.
Wei Yuan pulled Wei Kang back and instructed the servants, "Take this horse away!" She then turned to her brother. "Eldest Brother, why have you come? And why is this horse acting like it's possessed? Your hair is a mess. Come with me to rest; I'll have someone prepare a calming decoction for you."
"Hmph!" Wei Kang threw his whip violently to the ground and strode toward Wei Yuan’s quarters.
By the time they arrived, He Momo had already dismissed the other young ladies. Only A'jiao remained, sitting on a mat and nibbling on pastries.
Wei Kang grabbed a cup and downed the tea in one gulp. Suddenly, he let out a heavy sigh and smashed the cup against the floor.
Sitting nearby, A'jiao jumped in fright.
"Eldest Brother, what is wrong? Why are you in such a rage?" Wei Yuan had always been favored by Wei Qing, and since marrying into the Chen family, no one had dared to give her a sour face. Being ignored twice by her own brother made her feel quite slighted.
"Yuan'er, you don't know..."
"Know what?"
"The Emperor has decreed a marriage for Father!"
"What? To whom?" Wei Yuan was so startled that she spilled her tea directly onto her skirt.
"That old woman, Pingyang!"
A'jiao choked, falling into a fit of coughing. Wei Yuan finally snapped back to her senses, crying out, "Hot! It's hot!"
"No, Eldest Brother, who told you this? How is that possible? Princess Pingyang is so much older than Father. How could it be her? You must have been fooled!" Wei Yuan hurriedly lifted her skirt as a maidservant rushed over with a handkerchief to wipe it.
"The Emperor issued the edict today. Father and I received it at the Marquis's manor!"
"This..." Wei Yuan finally believed him. "But this... though the Grand Princess is of noble status, she is too old. She is no match for Father!"
He Momo, having heard enough, had already ushered the other maids out, leaving only the most trusted personal attendants.
*Good heavens! What is going on?* A'jiao was so shocked she took a massive bite of her pastry.
"Tell me, how can Father marry someone else!" Wei Kang, a grown man, looked as though he were on the verge of tears.
"Well... Mother has been gone for many years. Father was bound to take a second wife eventually." While Wei Yuan was shocked that the Emperor had chosen Princess Pingyang, she felt it was inevitable that her father would remarry. After all, their grandmother had been mentioning it for a long time.
"Yuan'er!" Wei Kang snapped, his anger flaring.
When the edict arrived today, the entire household seemed overjoyed. Even Wei Deng and Wei Buyi thought it was a grand thing for the Wei family to marry a princess.
He knew that marrying a princess brought prestige, but he did not want his father to marry again. Unlike his younger siblings, he had been raised by his biological mother's side and was deeply attached to her. His younger brothers and sister had been taken away by their grandmother shortly after birth.
Back then, the family wasn't as wealthy as they were now. He and Xian'er had watched their mother perform endless household chores every day. He hadn't understood why his mother had to do those things herself when they had servants. Even when Xian'er tried to help, their mother would be scolded.
He knew their maternal uncle's family wasn't prominent, but weren't he and his father supporting them now? Things would surely improve in a few years.
Furthermore, the Emperor had also bestowed two young women upon his father as concubines!
Since childhood, all the siblings in their house had been born of the same mother. He did not want some... mysterious brothers to come popping out of the bellies of other women!
Absolutely not!
Yet Wei Deng and Buyi were acting like fools, celebrating blindly.
After much thought, Wei Kang felt that only Wei Yuan—who had married back into their uncle's family—would stand firmly on the same side as him. He hadn't expected her to be so indifferent.
"Are you stupid? Do you think the Wei family and our uncle's family will remain as close as before once Father remarries? Right now, we siblings are all from the same womb. But what about the future? If someone else's child comes along, won't our inheritance be given away to others? How can you face Mother's memory if that happens?"
"But Eldest Brother, I don't think Princess Pingyang can have children anymore."
A'jiao nodded in agreement. She thought so too—unless that scoundrel Liu Che sent Wei Qing more beauties! She remembered Liu Che doing exactly that in the past.
"You don't understand. The Emperor also gave Father two young and beautiful concubines! Sister, think about it. You are married out, and our uncle's family is far inferior to ours, relying entirely on our family's patronage. If Father marries someone else and listens to her, and stops being close to our uncle's family... the three of us brothers might be fine, but what will happen to you!" Wei Kang spoke through gritted teeth.
*As expected!* A'jiao felt she was indeed quite sharp.
"What? That won't do! Hmph, I bet that old woman Pingyang instigated the Emperor to do this!" Wei Yuan was now genuinely upset.
Remarrying was one thing, but accepting concubines? How dare she try to drive a wedge between her father, herself, and their uncle's family! The Wei family's assets were meant to be divided among them; how could they be given to outsiders?
"I'm going back to find Father! I'm going to beat those two little vixens to death!" Wei Yuan rolled up her sleeves and prepared to charge out.
"Auntie, hug!" A'jiao quickly called out to stop her.
Wei Yuan rushed back and gave A'jiao’s head a firm pat. "Be a good girl, A'jiao. Auntie is going to teach those two bad women a lesson and then I'll be right back!"
*Those are concubines bestowed by the Emperor! You little brat, you'd better behave!*
A'jiao felt that even if Wei Yuan did kill those women, as long as Wei Qing pleaded for her, Liu Che probably wouldn't punish her too severely. Years ago, when Liu Che had forced a beauty upon Han Yan, Han Yan’s wife had killed her in a fit of rage. That new wife was divorced within six months, but Liu Che hadn't executed her, had he?
However, this was a gamble.
If Liu Che’s ego flared up and he felt the Wei family was disrespecting him, the family would be in deep trouble. And if he overthought it and suspected the Chen family—the maternal relatives—were instigating this, the trouble would be even greater.
"What kind of bad people are they, Auntie? A'jiao wants to hit them too!" A'jiao gripped Wei Yuan’s sleeve with all her might.
He Momo also hurried forward to restrain Wei Yuan and calm her down.
"Enough, Yuan'er, sit down! Those are gifts from His Majesty. If you kill them at will, the Emperor will surely punish you!"
"Then what do you suggest, Eldest Brother? I cannot endure this!" Wei Yuan began to sob.
"We will think of something slowly. Don't worry, we still have time. Clean yourself up and find a time to go back and have a... talk with Father. He dotes on you; he won't let those two women bully you."
"In that case, Young Marquis, why don't you go and wash up first? The hot water is ready," He Momo suggested.
"Fine. Sister, you should rest as well."
Wei Yuan gave a distracted "mm-hmm."
A'jiao, for her part, felt that Liu Ying already had a son and couldn't bear more children. Marrying into the Wei family was likely just a move to gain "greater prestige." Those concubines were at most bargaining chips to increase her own influence; she probably wouldn't openly antagonize the three brothers.
After all, it wasn't worth the cost. Liu Ying was the type of person who never rose early without a profit in sight.
Wei Yuan pondered for a long while before instructing He Momo, "Momo, pack my bags. I'm going back to the Marquis's manor to stay for a few days! I refuse to believe that I can't handle those two little vixens in that time!"
Eldest Brother was right. Among the Wei children, her status was currently the most vulnerable to change.
"A'jiao, you're coming back with me!"
*???!!!*
*What does this have to do with me?*
A'jiao looked at Wei Yuan’s face. *This little brat isn't planning to use a small child like me to fight her battles, is she?*
"I want to go home. I miss my mother and my little brother!"
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
卫伉 | Wei Kang | Wei Qing's eldest son.
卫登 | Wei Deng | One of Wei Qing's younger sons.
卫不疑 | Wei Buyi | One of Wei Qing's younger sons.
安乐居 | Anle Residence | The name of Wei Yuan's courtyard in the Chen household.
尚公主 | Marrying a princess | A specific term (shàng gōngzhǔ) for a man of lower rank marrying a princess.
一母同胞 | Born of the same mother | Full siblings; children sharing both parents.
小妖精 | Little vixens / Seductresses | Literally "little spirits/goblins," used here as a derogatory term for the concubines.
无利不起早 | Never rises early without profit | A proverb meaning someone who only acts if there is something to gain.
