Wei Changying had left Xianshuang Court after practicing boxing. Zhu Lan came up to her when she was walking the short dozens of steps from the courtyard gate to the front of the house, and articulated Wei Gaochan's reason of visiting her.

The maidservants were at first surprised to see Wei Changying, but then they were overjoyed!

Everyone was wondering that since Wei Changying and Wei Gaochan had no enmity in the past, how come Wei Changying was so glad to hear about the unforeseen upheaval in her cousin's marriage? Even Wei Changying herself had realized this, and she tried to hide her happiness. After entering the gate, Wei Gaochan had only spoken a few words to Mrs. Duan, and Wei Changying already promised to help them.

And then after sending her grateful cousin away, Wei Changying hurriedly took a bath and got dressed. She then rushed to see Old Madam Song and asked rightfully to go to Wei Huan's study with Wei Changfeng so as to observe the specifics of the preparation for the war at the north of the province. This request was immediately rejected by both Old Madam Song and Madam Song when she first mentioned the day before. While she was still upset about it, Wei Gaochan had given her an appropriate reason to go ask again, and it would be impossible for her not to take the chance.

Old Madam Song was well aware of her intention to use her cousin's situation for her own benefit. Frowning, she pointed at Wei Changying's forehead and said, "Although your grandfather's study is also in the rear courtyard, most of the a.s.sistants and servants who come in and out now are men. What will people say if a daughter of an eminent family like you goes there, hmm?"

Wei Changying said smilingly, "Grandfather's a.s.sistants are all elderly men. As for the servants, all are from our family, so what's the matter? Besides, grandfather and Changfeng will both be there, i I'm not to see the other men by myself."

Old Madam Song said, "You always have a reason. But why are you in such a hurry? When your grandfather has figured out all the details, could Changfeng not let you know?"

"Yesterday grandfather already brought Changfeng with him to see Lv Zifang. But why could Lv Zifang give the iron tablet to Changfeng? I have not a single idea even now.... Grandfather kept Changfeng in the study yesterday, and he hadn't returned to Liuhua Yard for the entire night." Wei Changying complained, feeling aggrieved.

Old Madam Song sighed, "You naughty child, how come you always find trouble for yourself? These things should be your grandfather's concerns, and Changfeng will learn to deal with them. Isn't it nice that you don't need to worry about them?"

There was a trace of undetectable sorrow and disconsolateness in the old madam's tone, but Wei Changying was in her youth, how could she understand the feeling of Old Madam Song who had already spent half of her life? Wei Changying pretended not to hear those words at all and kept urging, "I will just listen by the side. Grandfather's study is huge, and there won't be a problem for an extra person standing there.... I'll go and grind the ink and lay the paper for grandfather, is that alright? Grandmother! Grandmother! Now everyday I'm either learning martial arts or listening to my mother's teachings. I am so bored. It's rare that something new is happening, so please just let me go and listen by the side!"

Old Madam Song wanted to coddle her, but at the same time she felt that she should not spoil her. Feeling troubled, she said, "This is such an important issue, and you treat it as a story to entertain yourself? That's not allowed."

The hesitation and wavering in her tone could not be hidden from Wei Changying, who knew exactly how to sweeten things up. She said immediately, "How could I treat this as simply listening to a story? Grandmother just think about it. Fourth sister is so glad to get married, and who knows that only after a couple of days of preparation, something goes wrong! Although our family all know that fourth sister is not to blame, and as a matter of fact, she is the one who should be feeling aggrieved. It is Song Han and his son to blame. However, earlier we have already congratulated fourth sister at the third branch. After that, how would fourth sister find an out without being embarra.s.sed? Now that fourth sister hasn't said anything, she just wants to know the reason.... Grandmother, wouldn't it be too sad if she can't be told the reason? After all, it is her who is getting married!"

Even if Wei Gaochan was feeling upset, her marriage was still decided by her parents. If she were to really marry Song Duan as promised by her muddle-headed father Wei Shengnian, that would be a dilemma then!

Old Madam Song thought that she was helping her granddaughter by stopping her from getting married. What more could her granddaughter complain about? She wasn't her lineal granddaughter, so Old Madam Song didn't have time and energy to coax her and calm her down. But Old Madam Song also knew that Wei Changying might not be asking entirely for her cousin. She was curious about the inside story of the war in the north of the province herself, and she was only using Wei Gaochan's situation as an excuse.

Therefore, the old madam said composedly, "Really? According to what you have said, Gaochan now has grievance in her heart?"

"No, of course not!" Wei Changying was not silly. She knew that her grandmother had always coddled her and her younger brother, but was indifferent to her cousins. Although the third branch children weren't resented by their grandmother as much as the second branch, it would still be an exaggeration to say that grandmother was affectionate to the third branch. Old Madam Song had devoted all her thoughts to the eldest branch that even her beloved lineal daughter Wei Zhengyin who had married into the capital far away did not receive much from her, let alone her grandchildren of the concubines.

If Old Madam Song were made to think that Wei Gaochan was resentful because of this incident, she would not sympathize with her granddaughter at all, and would only blame her for being immature.... Wei Gaochan was the eldest daughter among the children of the concubines, and if grandmother resented her, what future could she possible hope for?

Wei Changying wanted to use her cousin's entrustment as an excuse, but she did not want to bring any harm to her. Hearing Old Madam Song's words, she quickly explained for Wei Gaochan, "Grandmother, how could you not know about fourth sister's virtuous bearing? She has always been gentle and demure. After all, she was taught by third aunt, so how could she be resentful towards the elders? Not to mention this is her own marriage—wouldn't it be reasonable that she wants to know what is going on?"

Old Madam Song shook her head and said, "You! You come to me as soon as your sister entrusted you. You have me and your mother in your own house, so even if you bring trouble to yourself, we will look after you. However, if you develop such a tendency to always mind other's businesses, would the elders in the Shen family also think for you like me and your mother after you marry into your husband's house in the future?"

"I know exactly that now I have grandmother and mother to count on! That's why I dare to do whatever I want." Wei Chang said smilingly, "After I get married, where could I find such good things? Therefore, while I am still the First Miss, I have to enjoy more the blessing of being protected by my grandmother and mother! If I don't enjoy it now, there won't be any chance after I become my husband's wife!"

This remark cast a sudden pain in Old Madam Song's heart—so many of her children had died young, and she thought that she had no luck in having her own grandchildren in this life. But the gracious heaven saw and pitied her. He had gifted her Wei Changying and Wei Changfeng siblings, so in exchange for a life of safety and happiness for her two grandchildren, she would even be willing to die immediately. The granddaughter who was cherished and beloved by her had already turned seventeen years old, and she would soon be a member of the Shen family next year.

In the past seventeen years, Old Madam Song had regarded her granddaughter as the apple of her eye and had found that no matter how much she coddled her, it was not enough. She was her lineal granddaughter, and although reckless and unruly her requests were, she was still considered lovely by Old Madam Song, nonetheless. But would the Shen family treat Wei Changying the way she did?

And no wonder this child was so enthusiastic at inquiring about the matter in the north of the province.... Old Madam Song sighed in her heart. Originally, how would Wei Changying be so interested in the war? It was most likely that the child had been counting that the day of her marriage was getting closer. Although she had been rattling in front of the elders that she had practiced martial arts unfailingly every day for the past twelve years, and that she had gained excellent skillset which would enable her to beat up her husband and make him so obedient that he wouldn't dare to violate her a tiny bit, she was not even sure herself if she would succeed as a matter of fact....

How could she be sure of it? Speaking of that, although Wei Changying was born in the capital, when she returned to Fengzhou, she was only about a year old. Even if she had seen all Shen Xuan, Shen Cangfeng, and Su Xiuman, how could she remember anything given that she was only a baby then? These people were completely strangers to her. Not only was she unfamiliar with the people, she was also unfamiliar with the place—in the distant capital, the second uncle, the lineal grandmother and the eldest branch were in deep conflict. Let alone relying on them, she should be careful not to be harmed by her uncle and aunt!

As for her own aunt, of course she was in favor of her. But Wei Zhengyin was just a woman, and as far as seniority was concerned, she should be considered as Madam Su's younger sister-in-law. Besides, the family of Wei Zhengyin's husband the Su Family in Qingzhou was a large family, and there were many sisters-in-law, aunts and uncles for her to take care of. She also had her own lineal children to look after. Even if she took great care of her niece, to what extent could she protect Wei Changying?

According to Wei Changfeng, Wei Changying was the Fengzhou Wei Family's lineal daughter—and who would dare to find trouble with her after she got married? Yes, it was obvious that n.o.body would risk hurting the decency of a daughter from the Wei Family, one of the six great gentlefolks within the country. But in the rear courtyard, how many of the rivalries were not done secretly? If insidious means were used, it wouldn't matter how well Wei Changying was protected. How could she not know given her experience growing up in a big family that in order to make someone suffer, it was not necessary to make a scene in public?

After getting married, it was hard to say whether Wei Changying would ever return to Fengzhou again in her life. The support of her maiden family was nothing more than a guarantee that as long as she would do nothing terrible, her status as the wife would be unshakable....

As for more than that, wouldn't she be counting on herself?

The coddled and beloved apple of the eye, who had spent seventeen splendid years living freely and speaking carelessly at such a beautiful time of her youth, was soon to depart from a familiar and relaxing environment to the distant capital, where her husband's family the Shen family lived—She was soon to leave the elders who had watched her grow up, and became a member of an outsider's family!

Wei Changying seemed to be unconcerned at all, but how could she not be nervous from the inside?

Old Madam Song recalled that her granddaughter had been talking more and more about beating up Shen Cangfeng over the past year—She hadn't spoken about this as often as when she was working hard on martial arts. Madam Song had been busy managing family affairs, and she was always concerned about her husband's illness. Besides, Wei Changying always had a vigorous and domineering temperament, so even Madam Song had neglected her daughter's change in the past year. The fiercer she had become, the more nervous she was getting.

If she were not worried about her situation after getting married, how could Wei Changying keep on insisting that her martial arts had already been good enough? How could she keep on plotting to beat up Shen Cangfeng until he could not fight back? Because of fear, she had become more aggressive.

This aggressiveness was not displayed for others, but more for comforting herself—leaving her hometown where she lived when she was seventeen years old, saying goodbye to the amicable elders who she was so familiar with, bidding farewell to her brothers and sisters who she had grown up with together.... "Although I am going to a completely foreign place and enter a completely unfamiliar family, I am not afraid. I know martial arts. I am tough. So even if I am not in Fengzhou, even if I don't have my grandmother and mother by my side, even if Changfeng and Cousin Song are far away from me, I still have the ability to protect myself!"

"I am not afraid if Shen Cangfeng doesn't treat me well. If that's the case, I know martial arts, and I can beat him up!"

"I am not afraid if my mother-in-law Madam Su treats me badly. If that's the case, I know martial arts, and I can beat up Shen Cangfeng to make her worry about him!"

Behind such childish words was nothing more than a sensitive heart which belonged to a girl who was struggling with having to marry to a place far away!

The words that came out from Wei Changying's mouth seemed to be her act to sweeten up her grandmother, but inadvertently she had unveiled her true desires at this moment. After her marriage, would there still be a chance for her to be protected by her grandmother and mother in their caring ways? Would there still be a time where she could laugh, do whatever she wished, and say whatever she wanted with no worries at all?

Therefore, while she was not married yet, while she was still the First Miss of the Wei Family and not the young madam of the Shen family, she should enjoy it while she could!

She should enjoy it while it lasted! Because after getting married, after leaving Fengzhou, after becoming someone's wife, there would be no more of her old life!

What Wei Changying was really concerned about was not the war in the north of the province, nor was she truly curious enough to have to go to Wei Huan's study.... The reason for her to cause so much trouble was just to enjoy being capricious and mischievous while she still could, and to enjoy the last of her time being the coddled, beloved apple of the eye.

Because next year she would not be the First Miss anymore, but a young madam....

When she was still the First Miss, she had her grandmother, her mother, her cousin, and her brother to count on. She was still free, unrestrained, and no one could do anything about her. But as a young madam, she would have her father-in-law, mother-in-law, sisters-in-law, aunts and uncles to worry about... and she also would have to deal with her husband, whom no one had any idea if she would be able to get along with.

In the future, who knew if there would be any concubines that she had to share her husband with? And who knew whether the concubines would give birth to any child that had to share the same father with her own children?

And she could only face all of this herself—Fengzhou and the Capital were thousands of miles apart that even the most urgent military message would take a couple of days back and forth.... The difficulties that a wife would encounter could not be just a few matters. Could she possibly go back to her maiden family for help every time?

With such a strong disposition, how could Wei Changying afford to be embarra.s.sed like this?

And the Wei family also could not afford to lose face by having taught a daughter who would rely on her maiden family for everything....

Therefore, with every day that pa.s.sed, she would only have less and less of her good days. While it was still perfectly justifiable for her to be coddled in the arms of her grandmother, while others were still protecting her as always, while she was still the First Miss who was beloved by the elders, respected by her peers, and admired by her servants, she would take every opportunity to indulge in such sheltered love and connivance.

Because after a few months, everything she had known was about to be gone.