Chapter 9

Feng Yunxiang entered and sent Sui He out.
Sui He looked at Feng—Feng ignored him—and left reluctantly.
Only mother and Feng remained.
Feng Yunxiang came to the bed and apologized sincerely: “My daughter was rude to you, sir. As her mother I beg your pardon first.”
Feng answered with cold silence.
She looked at that face—anger could not mar its beauty—eyes flickering, voice helpless: “I know you’re angry and may not want to hear me. I know forcing marriage is wrong. Still—please hear why.”
She sighed and told how on wedding day her daughter’s childhood betrothed had fled, taking another woman—how Xixi lost not only the marriage but became a laughingstock.
Red-eyed she shook her head with a bitter smile: “The child was struck mad for a time—that’s why she did this. Sir, look at the red silk and wedding paper in the yard—you’ll know I don’t lie. The wedding robe too—she just seized it from the Ge house so nothing would be wasted.”
Feng’s dark eyes moved coldly at last: “None of my concern.”
“True—not your concern. She should not take her hurt out on the innocent.” Feng Yunxiang nodded quickly, ashamed. “When she brought you I scolded her—not to be so willful. But these two days she’s been mocked. She wants Ge’s boy to regret it. Born in the wilds, she’s never seen a man of your looks—admiration—and she’s set on keeping you. I’ve pleaded and scolded—useless—”
Another bitter sigh: “To be frank—we have five sons and only this one daughter. Everyone spoils her. That little tyrant—once she decides, even her father cannot move her. She has suffered greatly these days. As a mother I cannot be too harsh. Sir, I have an impertinent request.”
She bowed low—the devoted mother who aches for her child.
The pose would move any soft heart. Feng was not soft. “I will not marry her.”
“I know—I don’t ask that. Only—for saving you—play along. My daughter is stuck in a corner. If we don’t indulge her, heaven knows what she’ll do next. Please go along for now—let her vent the breath in her chest.”
Feng’s face stayed dark.
Watching him she continued: “Your leg needs months before you can walk. Let us set three months. By then she should be herself again. I’ll prepare generous gifts and see you down the mountain myself.”
“During that time you need do nothing. Food, lodging, your servant, doctor, medicine—all on us. Sui He said you’re separated from family. Our people go down to buy supplies—we’ll ask around. As for Xixi—you need only bow in public, cooperate a little before others, let her save face.”
Feng said coldly: “If I refuse?”
Gentle tone: “Our stockade is deep in the mountains. Without a guide you cannot leave. Your leg—you can hardly leave the bed… I fear there is no other choice.”
Feng was silent a long while, swallowed rage, and yielded: “A false marriage. No sharing a bed. When three months end, I leave at once.”
Even angry he saw the field clearly—no useless struggle, words spare and clean. Feng Yunxiang’s brows lifted in approval: “Good. Settled.”
The more she looked at him the better her daughter’s eye seemed. All a mother could do was this much. Whether sham became real depended on the girl herself.
“Xixi’s mother—are you there? I need a word—”
A neighbor’s voice outside. Feng Yunxiang came back to herself, smiled at Feng: “I’ll go. Rest well. Later my boy will carry you out to bow—a formality.”
**
Deal struck—Feng would not play hard to get, nor short himself. Cold nod. He glanced at breakfast gone cold: “May I have hot food?”
Feng Yunxiang laughed: “Of course.”
**
Xixi had eavesdropped. Mother had settled Feng in few words. She hugged her and kissed her: “Thank you, Mother—you’re the best in the world!”
“Enough—my face is wet.” Feng Yunxiang pushed her off with a look that said *the rest is yours*, and went to the neighbor.
Xixi calmed her excitement, cleared her throat, entered again.
“Thank you for agreeing with my mother.” Bright eyes, brows lifted, she stood by the bed smiling. “They think I’m shocked and pitied me into persuading you—that doesn’t matter. You’re staying three months—let’s get along peacefully, yes? You don’t like me because we just met. Maybe when you know me, you will?”
Feng had not forgotten earlier. Cold sweep: “No.”
“Don’t be so absolute—I’m actually nice.” She moved to sit—his glare stopped her. “Fine, I won’t sit. Try the wedding robe—tell me if it fits. I’ll prepare the ceremony.”
Feng ignored her.
She left happily anyway.
Once gone Sui He shut the door and ran to the bed, voice low and troubled: “Young master—you’ll really marry her? Her mother said false wedding—but they’re all bandits. What if they break word and force real marriage later?”
Feng ignored him.
Sui He knew he was the master’s man—in the seventh young master’s eyes perhaps less welcome than that female bandit. He pressed on anyway: “The master wants you near Pang Sihai’s daughter Yuejiao. Pang Sihai is chief of Apricot Blossom Stockade. He has only that one daughter. Marry her and you take the stockade without blood, pacify the bandits, win great merit for the court—”
“Get out. One more word and I’ll have them throw you off the mountain.”
Sui He’s face crumpled: “I know you hate this and won’t obey the master. But we’re stuck here for now—why not use the time? Even if not for yourself—for the eldest young master. Before we came I heard from his servants—he’s very bad, even wished to die. Fortunately the master found Divine Physician Wang… The master said if you help take the stockade he’ll pay any price for Wang to cure the eldest—you won’t lose your brother.”
The “eldest young master” was Xie Chao of the main line—gentle, warm, talented, fair in all things, truly bright as moon, a gentleman among gentlemen. The only one in the Xie clan who had never bullied Feng—and had protected him once.
Yet Feng hated Xie Chao.
He hated that Chao’s parents were both noble, born clean and honored. He hated that Chao gained without effort what Feng could not have. He hated Chao’s mercy to all—self-righteous charity toward him.
He hated that Chao thought himself clever yet was a fool—knowing the rotten court was beyond saving yet playing the mantis against the cart, ending ruined in name, legs broken, wife and child gone, beyond redemption.
Feng did not want to save him.
Yet his father used Chao as leverage—absurd.
Thinking so, his face grew darker. He mocked: “I’m not as shameless as he—swindling marriage to swallow a house.”
Sui He: “……”
Even he thought the master’s plan rather vile.
And whether real or false, Feng had already bowed with Xiao Xixi before others—he could not marry Pang Yuejiao. Hesitating: “Then… another way? The master only wants the stockade. Finish the task and the poison has antidote—the eldest will be fine.”
Feng’s face was ice. He would not speak.
Saving Chao was not the only path. He never believed his father’s scheme could work—that father was more naive than Chao.
But trapped here he could do little else…
Fine.
He pressed his lips and decided to wait and see.