Cheng Liqing pondered for a moment and asked, "Did they have a hard time after getting married?"
Li Wanming sneered, "Hard time? That's an understatement!"
"My eldest sister is so intelligent and capable, but the Lady of the Sacrificial Official nitpicked on her. She disliked that my sister didn't know those fancy things like flower - arranging and tea - tasting that the noble ladies in the capital do. Every day, she made my sister stand in the proper posture. What's more, she always pretended to be ill and made my sister attend to her in her room day after day."
"Even that would be tolerable. But within a year, that old hag took the excuse that my eldest sister had no children and took two concubines for her son!"
Anger almost blazed in Li Wanming's eyes.
"Tell me, a couple can hardly see each other all year round. Where would the children come from? My sister might be able to give birth, but would she dare to accept them?"
...
Cheng Liqing was at a loss for words. After a long while, he asked, "What about your second sister's family?"
Li Wanming snorted, "They're a bunch of beasts!"
"When they came to propose marriage, they made all sorts of nice promises. But later we found out that the bastard son already had a beautiful mistress outside and a gentle maid - in - waiting as a concubine in the house! No one in the capital was willing to marry him, so they set their eyes on our family!"
"They took advantage of the fact that our family had just returned to the capital and colluded with the matchmaker to deceive us! Grandma was so ridiculous. As soon as she saw that the family was a noble one, she didn't care about anything and even advised my second sister to endure..."
"With my second sister's temper, how could she endure? A few days after the wedding, my second sister smashed up their Earl's Mansion. I heard she even injured someone..."
"Later, they locked her up on the pretext that my second sister was crazy and didn't allow anyone to visit her."
...
"After mother found out, she tried to get them divorced, but the other family was so powerful that all her efforts were in vain. In the end, it was even difficult for her to see her daughter."
The last ray of the setting sun finally faded away. The room was not lit and plunged into darkness.
"Even this time, we had to lie that mother was ill to get my eldest sister out so that she could see me get married. After the ceremony, she was taken back to the Chen family that very night."
Cheng Liqing lowered his eyes, "So the reason your parents didn't stop you from making such a fuss this time but secretly supported you is that they don't want you to marry into a noble family and end up like your two sisters, right?"
Li Wanming nodded, "Mother said that in the future, I can marry anyone, but never into a noble family! Once you enter a noble family, it's like falling into an abyss. If your husband is not a good man, the mansion of the nobility is a prison."
"So she said that I should decide my own marriage. If I don't want to marry the Prince of Ning's heir, then I don't have to! If I want to choose a husband from the newly - promoted scholars, then I can! Even if in the end I have to keep the child and leave the father, she will always stand by me!"
Cheng Liqing shivered involuntarily. A chill ran up his neck for no reason. "Well... it doesn't have to be that extreme... The Prince of Ning's heir is not that bad, is he?"
Li Wanming glanced at him, "You're from out of town, so you don't know. The Prince of Ning's heir is a well - known jinx and wife - killer in the capital."
"He has a very strong horoscope and has already caused the deaths of several fiancées."
"All the girls who were engaged to him died in strange and inexplicable ways. Some died from falling while walking, some drowned while boating, some choked to death while eating... and there was even one who was crushed to death during a big sale in a jewelry store. Isn't that absurd?"
"Later, matchmakers in the capital would go out of their way to avoid passing by his mansion. He was nicknamed 'The Matchmaker's Bane'."
"The Matchmaker's Bane?"
Cheng Liqing's eyebrows twitched imperceptibly.
"Yes!" Li Wanming said, "I just don't understand. A short - lived man with such a strong horoscope, why does he still insist on getting married? Wouldn't it be better for him to live a safe and lonely life? His family doesn't even have an emperor's throne to inherit."
Cheng Liqing said, "Maybe he has a throne to inherit?"
Li Wanming gave him a disdainful look and continued, "Later, the emperor, for some unknown reason, took a fancy to me and wanted to betroth me to him!"
"Humph, I took the initiative. I got married first! No matter how powerful the Prince of Ning's Mansion is, they can't just rob someone's wife, right?"
Cheng Liqing immediately said, "Surely they won't..."
Just then, Chuntao knocked on the door outside, "Miss, Master, the General is calling you over."
Li Wanming asked, "Can't they hold on anymore?"
Chuntao replied, "Yes, the old lady is making a big fuss and insists on seeing you and the master..."
"Okay."
Li Wanming answered and got out of bed. She pulled Cheng Liqing out of the room and walked towards the main hall of the Li family mansion.
On the way, she whispered to Cheng Liqing, "My grandma doesn't want to recognize this marriage. She'll probably try to force you to break off the engagement. You must hold your ground."
Cheng Liqing said, "Don't worry, wife. Since I've already married you, I'll be a member of the Li family in life and in death. Grandma won't be able to make me leave!"
He had finally married a lively wife. He wasn't going to let go...
In the middle of the night, the main hall of the Li family mansion was brightly lit.
At the top seat sat a noble - looking old woman. She was dressed in a purple brocade jacket and skirt, and the gold hairpin on her head weighed at least two taels. She was covered in pearls and jewels, looking extremely wealthy.
However, at this moment, her hair was in a mess, her eyes were blood - shot, and her wrinkled face was as black as the bottom of a pot.
The floor was littered with broken bowls and cups, in a complete mess.
As soon as Li Wanming and Cheng Liqing stepped into the room, they heard a loud shout, "Kneel down!"
Li Wanming pouted, kicked away the broken porcelain on the floor, found a clean spot, and pulled Cheng Liqing to kneel down with her.
Seeing this, the middle - aged man beside them felt heart - ache.
"Mother, the floor is cold. Let Wanming get up. Moreover, it's inappropriate to let the new son - in - law kneel down right after the wedding."
Li Rusong was in his forties. He had a plump, round face and looked fair and clean. He didn't look like a battle - hardened general but more like a wealthy man living in comfort.
Opposite him sat a valiant lady.
She was dressed in a neat arrow - sleeve short gown, with sword - like eyebrows and starry eyes, looking full of heroism. At this moment, she was holding the lid of a teacup and scraping the porcelain bowl absent - mindedly without looking up.
The old lady Li hit the floor with her mahogany walking stick and scolded, "Do you still know what's appropriate? She's a young girl, but she went to the imperial list and brought back a man by herself. Is that appropriate?"
Li Rusong said, "Mother, it's a tradition in our dynasty to choose a husband from the newly - promoted scholars..."
"But it's supposed to be the elders of the family who do it! When has a young girl ever gone to do it herself?"
The old lady Li's eyes swept over Cheng Liqing coldly, "What if she brought back some good - for - nothing man? Wouldn't that ruin the reputation of our Li family?"
However, Cheng Liqing remained calm and composed.
Instead of answering the old lady Li, he first bowed respectfully to Li Rusong and his wife, "Greetings, Father and Mother."
Then, facing the old lady Li, he said loudly, "I'm a scholar from Langya County who came to take the imperial examination. I'm also an official in a sense. Grandma says I'm a good - for - nothing man right from the start. Does that mean you're saying the court is blind and only selects good - for - nothing men as officials?"
The old lady Li didn't expect this man to be so eloquent. She was so choked that she almost couldn't catch her breath.
Pointing at Cheng Liqing, she trembled for a long time before saying, "You... You got married without a matchmaker or betrothal gifts. You didn't propose marriage, or perform the rituals of engagement and betrothal. You just came to our house and got married. What kind of good man would do such a thing? Do you even know the etiquette and rules!"
Cheng Liqing's eyes lit up. His face showed that he was very interested in discussing etiquette and rules.
He said, "Grandma, you're wrong."