Early the next morning, Li Wanming directed Chuntao to tidy up the cozy chamber in the Tingxue Studio for Cheng Liqing to live in.
They had held their wedding in a side courtyard on the west side of the Li family mansion the day before to avoid arousing suspicion. Now that the wedding procedures were completed, it was natural for them to move back to her original courtyard.
Li Wanming stood in the middle of the courtyard and stretched lazily. "It's still more comfortable to live in my own courtyard."
Suddenly, a sneer came from the courtyard gate. "I heard that elder sister got married yesterday. Congratulations, elder sister! I didn't expect that elder sister could catch a desirable husband right under the imperial list. You're really amazing!"
The young girl standing at the gate was about fifteen or sixteen years old. She was dressed in a bright red brocade ruffled skirt, with pearl hairpins, earrings, and jade bracelets all over her body, looking like a big lantern wrapped in gold and silver.
Li Wanming didn't even glance at her. "Sun Miaoqing, if you've got nothing better to do, why don't you go and check if the front yard has been swept?"
"You..."
Sun Miaoqing's face turned pale. She immediately dropped her sarcastic tone and shouted sharply,
"What are you so proud of? You've just married a penniless scholar in a hurry, and he even missed this year's spring imperial examination! What's there to show off about? Do you still think you're the future princess of the Prince of Ning's Mansion?"
Sun Miaoqing was the granddaughter of Mrs. He, Li Wanming's grand-aunt.
She was the same age as Li Wanming. Since the Li family returned to the capital, she had always secretly compared herself with Li Wanming but could never outshine her.
Li's father was a fourth-rank general, while Sun's father was just a poor scholar. It was only through the Li family's connections that he managed to buy a seventh-rank petty official position in a county on the outskirts of the capital...
This made the arrogant Sun Miaoqing extremely unconvinced.
When the news that Li Wanming might be betrothed to the heir of the Prince of Ning spread, Sun Miaoqing was so angry that she almost spat blood!
How could Li Wanming be worthy of it?!
In terms of appearance, talent, and knowledge, which aspect of herself was not better than this ignorant and vulgar woman?
Why could she marry into the Prince of Ning's Mansion, while she herself had to exert all her efforts just to try to marry the son of a vice-minister of the Ministry of Personnel?
It was so unfair!
Unexpectedly, at a critical moment, Li Wanming had a moment of madness. She went to catch a husband under the imperial list and brought back a poor scholar...
Haha!
Sun Miaoqing's anger immediately dissipated.
So what if her father was a general? So what if her elder sister married into a high-ranking family?
It couldn't change her lowly fate!
If she didn't have the destiny to be a princess, she just didn't!
She couldn't even eat the duck that was cooked and brought to her mouth. She was truly a born pauper and a lowly person!
...
It had only been about a year since Sun Miaoqing's father bought the seventh-rank official position. She had never mingled in the circle of capital's young ladies, so naturally, she didn't know the rumors about the heir of the Prince of Ning. She still thought that marrying into the Prince of Ning's Mansion was an excellent match.
She was thinking that Li Wanming would surely regret missing such a good match.
And by that time, she would have become the young mistress of the vice-minister of the Ministry of Rites' family. Then she would surely be able to trample Li Wanming under her feet.
Li Wanming was too lazy to deal with her. She casually said, "If you want to be a princess, just go quickly. There must be no queue at the gate of the Prince of Ning's Mansion. Maybe the prince and princess will even line up to welcome you... Chuntao, see the guest out!"
"Yes!"
Chuntao, who had been holding back for a long time, immediately brandished a big broom vigorously. "Why are there so many dirty things at this gate? It's really dirty! Extremely dirty! I've got to sweep it properly!"
Sun Miaoqing was so scared that she quickly stepped back. "You lowly maid! Be careful not to dirty my clothes... Just like your mistress, you're both so unruly! I'll tell grandma and have your skin peeled off..."
"Which grandma are you talking about?"
Li Wanming looked up. "Is it your grandma from the Sun family or my grandma from the Li family? You're so used to calling grandma all day long. Don't forget your own surname in the end."
Sun Miaoqing was so angry that she couldn't speak. She cursed a few words fiercely and then turned around and ran away.
Chuntao complained aggrievedly, "That cousin thinks that just because she's discussing a marriage with the son of the vice-minister of the Ministry of Personnel, she can always come and cause trouble for you. She really thinks she's the legitimate young lady of the Li family!"
Hearing this, Cheng Liqing frowned slightly. "The vice-minister of the Ministry of Personnel? You mean Guo Wei? Your cousin is discussing a marriage with his son?"
Li Wanming nodded. "Yes. I heard that he's a fourth-rank official, half a rank higher than my father... Grand-aunt was so happy that she was floating when she walked."
Chuntao snorted. "Humph! Isn't it all because of our general's face? Otherwise, with her own family background, how could she ever climb so high?"
Cheng Liqing sighed. "This Miss Sun is probably going to suffer..."
Li Wanming was stunned. "What do you mean?"
"Well, I heard... that the son of Guo Wei, cough, has some secrets..." Cheng Liqing's face inexplicably turned red.
"Secrets? What kind of secrets?" Li Wanming didn't understand.
Cheng Liqing tapped her forehead gently with his index finger. "A young lady shouldn't inquire about such things... Anyway, the family of the vice-minister of the Ministry of Personnel is not a good match. Your Li family had better not get involved with them."
Li Wanming pouted. "It's her Sun family. It has nothing to do with our family!"
After another half an hour of busyness, they finally tidied up the cozy chamber, and Cheng Liqing moved in.
He didn't have many belongings, so the move was quick. He had everything in order in the time it took to drink a cup of tea.
After they were done, they sat in the courtyard lazily enjoying the sun. They ate honey oranges and chatted idly. It was really pleasant.
"Does that Miss Sun always live in your house?"
"She comes every now and then. When grand-aunt comes to visit my grandma, she comes along."
"Oh. Didn't you say she has a younger brother who is going to be adopted by your father? Why haven't I seen him?"
"That chubby kid is still young. Maybe he's playing outside..."
Just as they were talking, Chuntao suddenly ran in in a hurry.
"Something's wrong! Something's wrong! Miss, I just heard over there that grand-aunt is telling old madam that she's going to sue you in court!"
"Sue me?" Li Wanming was stunned. "What for?"
"Grand-aunt said that you got married without a matchmaker or betrothal gifts, and you didn't even inform the groom's parents. This is abducting a good man, and you'll be in trouble!"
Li Wanming stood up.
The marriage between her and Cheng Liqing had been rather absurd.
They hadn't informed their parents on both sides, and there had been no formal wedding procedures. Even though it was a case of catching a husband under the imperial list, it was still too frivolous.
If no one cared about it, the matter would be left alone. But if someone really made an issue out of it, it would be quite a headache.
Without the consent of the groom's parents and the procedures of betrothal gifts, Li Wanming's actions were indeed no different from abduction.
If grand-aunt He insisted on this point and took the matter to court, not only her but also the Li family might be charged with disregarding the law and having poor family management.
Li Wanming didn't expect that grandma, in order to annul this marriage, would actually be instigated by He and come up with such a vicious plan.
Chuntao said anxiously, "They said that if they want this marriage to be legal, the groom must marry into the bride's family. Marrying into the bride's family doesn't require betrothal gifts, but..."
But even in this relatively open dynasty, it was still a disgrace for a man to marry into the bride's family.
Cheng Liqing was an official. If he became a son-in-law, people would surely point fingers at him. How could he enter the court in the future?
They were sure that Cheng Liqing would never agree, so they came up with this vicious plan.
Unexpectedly—
"Fine, I'll marry into your family."
Cheng Liqing was sitting in a wicker rocking chair, holding a cloisonné hand warmer. He looked very relaxed. "Isn't it just marrying into the bride's family? It's no big deal."
Li Wanming stared at him with wide eyes. "You... Have you thought it through? This is marrying into the bride's family, not something else. You have to sign a document!"
Cheng Liqing didn't care at all. "Then I'll sign it."
"You... Will your parents agree?" Li Wanming couldn't believe it.
Cheng Liqing smiled again. "Don't worry, my dear. They'll only think that it's a blessing from our ancestors that I can marry a wife."
Indeed, with his reputation as the "mother-in-law's nightmare" in the capital, he had managed to marry a wife who was still alive and kicking after the wedding without any effort?
If the prince and princess of Ning knew about this, they would probably wake up laughing in their dreams. How could they care whether he married into the bride's family or not?
If they were here, they would surely push him into the Li family's ancestral hall right away. Marry in! Hurry up and marry in! You must marry in!
Cheng Liqing stood up, his eyes flashing with a sly light.
"Moreover, if I marry into your family, my dear, you'll be the one to hold up the Li family in the future... What chance does that grandson of the Sun family have!"