Chapter 243: A Marriage with the Pei Clan

The intricate web of alliances in the capital was rooted partly in mentorship ties, and partly in the overabundance of marital bonds. Aside from those who inherited titles or entered court through filial recommendations, most scholars relied on the imperial examination to advance. And upon success, the first matter they attended to was choosing a master—whoever's household they joined marked their allegiance. Even if they failed to enter court, they could still find some occupation.

Another means was through marriage. One might speak ill of someone in front of a colleague, only to discover that said colleague is distantly related through a complex tangle of in-laws—an elder cousin of someone's wife's uncle's third son. A single careless word could invite disaster.

Marriages forged interest groups that were resilient and deeply entwined. Take Yan Shuangxu for example—married to Prince Wei, her father willingly aligned himself with the prince in his struggle for succession. When Ye Jiao married Prince Chu, the entire Duke Anguo's household was seen as kin to the prince. But now that the Empress was personally matchmaking for Ye Changgen, the matter became far more puzzling.

"Who?" Ye Changgen asked.

"A daughter of the Pei clan of Hedong," replied Ye Jiao.

The Peis were kin to the Empress, and through them, to the Crown Prince.

Ye Changgen stopped abruptly, his steps halting, unwilling to move forward. "The Pei clan," he muttered, his expression instantly clouded, like a poplar standing alone in the rain.

"He may not agree to the match," said the Crown Princess, elegantly seated beside the Empress in a moment of casual conversation. "I fear they may behave imprudently and provoke Mother's displeasure."

At that moment, Lady-in-waiting Du Xiaoran presented a tray of colorful longevity threads she had just woven. The Empress, pleased, motioned for her to pass them to the Crown Princess.

"They're well made this year," she said. "Take them back for the children."

The Crown Princess accepted the threads. Only then did the Empress sneer, "Now that Ye Changgen has been promoted to Zhechong Commandant, he must quickly secure a foothold in the military. The influence of that title varies depending on the grade of its office. Wherever he wishes to be stationed, he must gain the Ministry of Appointments' approval."

"In other words," the Crown Princess said softly, "it depends on our family's will."

The Minister of Appointments, after all, was from the Pei clan.

The Empress glanced at her, displeased. "Mind your words. It is the will of the court and of His Majesty. Our family merely serves at his pleasure."

The Crown Princess lowered her head, visibly uneasy. She truly wished to steer clear of any entanglement with the Duke Anguo's household. She still remembered that drunken night when the Crown Prince, in his sleep, had whispered a name that sent shivers through her spine—a name that kept her awake till dawn.

"How is that Pei Mo girl? Is she trustworthy?" asked the Empress, interrupting her reverie. "I've never seen her, only heard she brought misfortune to her mother and was raised among the clan in Hedong."

"She's obedient and demure," the Crown Princess replied. "If Mother bids her east, she dares not look west. Only one concern..."

The Empress's phoenix eyes narrowed slightly.

Finding someone suitable to marry Ye Changgen was difficult. The bride had to be of the Pei clan, yet not of too high a status—for he was but a sacrificial piece on the board. In time, her family would need consolation.

"She reads constantly, speaks little, wears a perpetually wooden expression. I fear she knows not how to please a man."

"And her looks?" the Empress asked after a moment of silence.

"She is passably pretty."

"Pretty is enough." The Empress smiled. "A man needn't be flattered—he cares only for a lovely face."

Yet the Crown Princess still worried. "I fear that before Ye Changgen even sees her face, he'll have rejected the proposal."

To use a neglected girl from the Pei clan to forge a marriage alliance with Duke Anguo's household—one that would enable control or surveillance—was a strategy laid bare. Both Li Ce and Ye Changgen would undoubtedly see through it and attempt to avoid it. The Duke Anguo family, now thriving, had many suitors. How could a man entrust his entire life to a woman he hadn't met, didn't love, and suspected of ulterior motives? Even for the promise of power, was it worth the years of painstaking effort?

Just then, a palace eunuch entered, wearing a pleased expression. "Your Majesty, the Duke Anguo household has accepted the match."

"They agreed?" The Crown Princess's features tightened in surprise.

"They need not have!" Ye Jiao snapped, slamming her teacup on the table. "If we refuse to marry, what can they do—force us?"

Ye Changgen gently moved the teacup aside and laughed cheerfully. "Didn't you say she looked decent in the portrait?"

"There are many who look decent!" Ye Jiao said through gritted teeth. "It's the Pei family. Who knows what schemes they hide behind this marriage?"

"Schemes of testing and control," Li Ce said coldly, breaking his silence. "This must be the Empress's doing."

Ye Jiao gave a sharp hum of displeasure. "Brother has refused to marry for years, saying he had yet to find someone who moved him. And now, after all this time, is he to wed a conniving girl from the Pei clan?"

"But she can help your brother rise in rank," Ye Changgen said with mock levity.

Ye Jiao's hand rose in fury, but before it could fall, Li Ce caught her wrist. Was she about to strike? Ye Changgen was a court official—how would he appear at court with scratch marks across his face?

"I'll send someone to investigate," Li Ce said seriously. "Regardless of her background, the girl must be kind at heart."

"No need," said Ye Changgen. "We've already agreed to the Empress's proposal. How can we go back on our word now?"

"But..." Ye Jiao bit her lip in confusion. When had her brother begun to value power above his own heart?

"Good," said the Empress with a smile, rising in the Hall of Propriety.

"Perhaps they agreed just to delay," the Crown Princess thought, still uneasy.

"Then let them not delay further," said the Empress. "The wedding shall follow the Dragon Boat Festival."

"So soon?" The Crown Princess's face showed her shock. "That's in just over ten days! May is traditionally the 'Poison Month.' No one builds houses, moves, or weds—some even abandon children born in May. How can there be a wedding?"

And with such haste, others might think they were desperate to curry favor with the Duke Anguo's family.

"Then in June," said the Empress. "In July we honor the dead—also unsuitable for weddings. Tell the Duke Anguo household: no later than August."

The Crown Princess sat dazed as Lady Du Xiaoran left to deliver the message.

Though the matchmaker was the Empress herself, to preserve the Pei family's dignity, the Duke Anguo household would still need to formally send a matchmaker and elders from the clan.

Over the past year, Duke Anguo's relatives had grown increasingly numerous. Those once estranged, those who had pretended not to know them, even those who claimed to be too distantly related—all came crawling back. Lady Ye welcomed the merry gatherings, but when they asked her children for favors, she had only one response:

"My children lack ability and cannot help."

And if they asked to borrow money, she refused outright. Once, just as a relative was about to speak, Lady Ye asked, "Do you have a secluded, unoccupied house where no one would find us?"

The puzzled relative nodded.

Lady Ye raised her fan to her face and whispered, "Our business is in trouble. We're planning to hide from our debtors at your place."

The relative fled in terror, only realizing the truth long after.

In this way, over a year, half the relatives disappeared. Choosing someone of repute to approach the Pei household was no longer difficult. The hard part lay in Lady Ye's heart—so heavy with grief.

"Jiaojiao says," Lady Ye muttered after barely touching her meal, "she's already obtained the Pei girl's birth chart. We can alter yours to make your elements clash, and the match will fall through."

Ye Rou glanced at her mother, then at her brother. "It's a good plan. This way we offend neither the Empress, nor marry into the Pei family."

Ye Changgen took another large bite of food, chewed, swallowed, then smiled and said, "Why is Mother no longer in a hurry for a grandchild?"