Chapter Twenty-Three: Uniting Two Families in Matrimony

Shen Muzhi, styled Shiheng, held the titles of Palace Attendant, Bearer of the Imperial Staff, Grand General Who Pacifies the East, and was a senior third-rank military official—a leading figure in the Wu Xing Shen clan of his generation. This time, acting in concert with the Crown Prince to eradicate the Yixing Xu clan, he was the one who planned, initiated, and successfully executed the scheme.

For nearly a century, the great noble families of Chu had not been in a state of harmonious peace, treating each other with deference and affection. Rather, they engaged in intricate alliances and rivalries, attacking and counterattacking one another, competing fiercely in the court, the military, and even among the Three Teachings of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism. However, with the Northern Wei ever watchful, poised to strike southward at any moment, the foundation of the state could not be shaken. Meanwhile, the imperial An clan sat atop the struggle, waiting to profit from the conflict between the clams and the crane. The great houses, no fools themselves, would never truly fight to the death. Thus, these struggles were contained within a manageable scope; aside from installing their own men in key positions or orchestrating the dismissal and exile of rivals, truly bloody scenes were rare.

The Yixing Incident marked the first time that the top-tier noble families resorted to military force, a power struggle that aimed directly for the extermination of a clan. It thus sounded the opening note for this grand and resplendent era of blood and ambition.

Yuan Jie seemed somewhat surprised by Xu You's calm demeanor, so different from the impulsive, guileless brute he had known before. Still, he said no more, only sighed and remarked, "The grudges between the Shen and Xu families go back a long way; who is right and who is wrong, it is hard to say. But at least, Seventh Young Master, you are safe, preserving a line of blood for the Xu clan. When you reach Qiantang, settle yourself well and bear no resentment. Perhaps in a few years, His Majesty might grant amnesty and allow you to return to Yixing and restore your ancestral shrine."

Xu You replied with composure, "The Crown Prince is the heir apparent; my Xu clan are his subjects. The power of life and death is his alone; as subjects, we dare not harbor resentment. In going to Qiantang, I will remember your teachings, Lord Yuan, and conduct myself properly, observing the law and custom."

"Good, good, you are a teachable youth!"

Yuan Jie felt he had said all that was required to honor past relations, and now got directly to the point. "Seventh Young Master, the reason I summoned you from Yixing to Jinling was to discuss your marriage with A-Yuan..."

"The marriage rite unites two surnames, serving the ancestral temples above and continuing the line below. Therefore, the gentleman holds it in high regard." Xu You replied solemnly, "You need not worry, Lord Yuan. Though I am young and unversed in classics, I understand the importance of a gentleman's promise. Since this marriage with Third Lady was arranged by our elders, on the seventh day of the third month next year, I will come to take her as my wife as agreed."

A-Yuan was the childhood name of Yuan Qingqi, and Xu You knew this. He was curious to see how the Yuan clan, renowned for their reverence for Confucian rites, would broach the matter of breaking off the engagement.

Yuan Jie had not expected this rugged warrior to quote the Book of Rites, and for a moment was quite at a loss, so much so that he did not even notice his thick-soled shoe fall from his foot. After a long pause, he decided that this matter could not be delayed any longer. Looking slightly embarrassed, he said, "By all rights, the Yuan and Xu clans have passed through the five betrothal rites; the marriage is proper and lawful. But... Seventh Young Master, the facts are plain. Among the Jiangzuo nobility, marriages are arranged according to family status. Now that the Xu clan has suffered calamity and been struck from the rolls of the gentry, with your present standing, to marry A-Yuan would surely provoke censure both at court and among the people. After much deliberation, I believe it best that we take a step back, for the sake of all concerned."

Xu You’s mind raced as he considered how to respond. He himself felt nothing in particular for Yuan Qingqi, whom he had never met, and the former Xu You was only lustful and covetous, with no real depth of feeling. Thus, whether the marriage went ahead or not was not the main issue at present.

In other words, as long as he could gain sufficient benefit from Yuan Jie, breaking off the engagement would be a win-win for both parties. The problem, however, was that a marriage was no trivial matter—unlike selling lamb skewers at a stall, where you pay and get your skewer, then complain about eating rat meat and demand a refund, followed by a brawl. The delicacy lay in handling the matter so that neither side lost face, nor would Yuan Jie look down on him. Navigating this required real skill in dealing with people and affairs.

Suddenly, Xu You burst out laughing. Yuan Jie’s face darkened; he looked upon Xu You with displeasure, yet prided himself on his composure and did not interrupt the laughter.

After three peals of laughter, Xu You stood up and looked Yuan Jie squarely in the eye. "So, Lord Yuan, you wish to break off the engagement?"

Yuan Jie, a provincial governor and scion of a great house, was accustomed to awe-inspiring authority—idle folk would not dare look him in the eye, let alone be stared at so brazenly. He snorted coldly. "The difference in family status is as insurmountable as a high mountain. It is not the Yuan clan who repudiate the match, but the Xu clan who, through their own failings, have come to this pass. What more is there to say?"

"If that is so, then I will take my leave!"

Xu You clasped his hands in salute, turned, and made to go. Yuan Jie was momentarily stunned, then hurriedly rose from his couch, not caring that he wore only one shoe, and called out, "Seventh Young Master, wait!"

With his back to Yuan Jie, Xu You’s eyes flashed with a hint of mockery, gone in an instant. His boldness came from the Household Marriage Code. To put it plainly, this was the marriage law of ancient times. Unlike the era from which Xu You had transmigrated, the ancient marriage laws were extremely strict, for, as the Book of Rites declared, marriage was the foremost affair under heaven and could not be treated lightly.

According to the code, if the woman broke the engagement but had not promised herself to another, the authorities would have her flogged sixty times, but would still uphold the original engagement. If she both broke the engagement and promised herself elsewhere, the punishment was a hundred strokes; if she further married the other, she would be sentenced to a year and a half of labor. The man, however, merely needed to forfeit the betrothal gifts to dissolve the engagement—an economic loss, but no legal consequence. This, too, was the logic of a patriarchal society—not friendly to women, but, with no other recourse, Xu You could only cling to this leverage, shameful as it was.

Yuan Jie doted on his daughter and would not let her suffer flogging. For women, physical punishment was not only pain, but a ruination of reputation, making future remarriage difficult—especially for noble families, where reputation was paramount. He had already angered his kin by agreeing to the match for certain reasons, and now, with the Xu clan’s disgrace, the only way to end the matter was for Xu You to personally vow to break the engagement and write a letter of dissolution.

Xu You turned. "Does Lord Yuan have further instructions?"

Yuan Jie limped over, having lost a shoe and looking rather awkward, yet he paid it no mind. Seizing Xu You’s hand, he led him back to the armchair. "You are too hasty—can such matters be settled in a few words? Sit. There is more to discuss!"

Xu You sat as bidden, waiting as Yuan Jie returned to the couch, picked up his fallen shoe, and put it on before finally speaking. "What, then, does Lord Yuan propose?"

Having put on his shoes, Yuan Jie sat upright at the edge of the couch, speaking earnestly. "Seventh Young Master, in the present situation, the Shen clan is unlikely to let matters rest. Your first priority should be to keep a low profile, conceal your talents, and let yourself fade from sight, thus lulling the Shen clan into complacency. With His Majesty’s covert protection, you may yet preserve your life. But if you marry A-Yuan, the Shen will only see you as a greater threat. Even if they cannot act now, who knows what means they might employ in a year or two? You would never know peace."

These were words of reason, and Xu You was thinking along the same lines. It was clear this Yuan Jie was astute and not easily deceived. Seeing that neither threats nor bluster would avail, he shifted his strategy to persuasion based on facts and logic.

"A gentleman values his word, acting only as honor demands. Zengzi killed a pig to teach honesty, Guo Ji kept his promises, Weisheng died embracing a bridgepost—all stories I have long admired. I revere the rites of Confucius and would act them out in my life; for the sake of my promise, what is death to me?"

Inwardly, Yuan Jie thought, "A gentleman? As the Master said: 'When substance exceeds refinement, one is uncultivated; when refinement exceeds substance, one is pedantic. Only when refinement and substance are balanced does one become a gentleman.' For a hundred years, the Xus have followed the Daoist Tianshi way—everyone in Chu knows this. You, Seventh Young Master, are famed for your martial prowess, and have probably read few books. Who knows where you came upon these old stories? Your talk of revering the rites of Confucius is nothing but ignorant bravado, a mockery of the sages."

"Even the strictest rites allow for flexibility. The Book of Changes says, 'When pressed to extremity, change; through change, reach understanding; through understanding, endure.' If you are not at the end of your rope, why speak of throwing your life away?"

The scene was indeed peculiar, as if Xu You had become a stalwart little champion of orthodoxy, ready to die rather than break his word, while Yuan Jie was reduced to a petty haggler, bargaining over terms. Their roles had been completely reversed, yet not the slightest sense of incongruity marred the moment.

The war of words continued.