Erlang’s wife, unwilling to be intimate with sanlang’s wife after the banter , pushed their hands away. “Are you subtly scolding me for not considering my fourth sister?” she asked.
“Second sister-in-law, am I truly that kind of person?” Sanlang’s wife, who often supported her, countered. Deep down in this room everyone knows that Erlang’s wife’s rejection was merely an act, a challenge for everyone to ponder that would they go against her .
Finally, the third old lady, mustering her courage, interjected. “Enough! Why are we all arguing? Don’t let the fifth branch next door mock us due to this quarrel. Remember, the fifth branch still have Qiniang as an unmarried daughter . If this truly escalates and they knew about this , I fear this treasured opportunity will be taken away from us .” Her words silenced both the second and third wife, who quietly returned to their seats to ponder on their own options now.
The silent third old man then turned to Siniang, seated at the back of the room. He cleared his throat and, in a gentler tone, asked, “Si Niang, what are your thoughts on this? Speak freely. If you truly don’t wish to, we won’t force you.” Compared to the fifith branch, the third branch, at least, possessed a modicum of conscience, with two seemingly sensible individuals.
But Shang Siniang remained still, utterly silent. Only the faint rise and fall of her chest indicated she was alive. Silence, however, only intensified the conflict . The third old lady, already short on patience, grew increasingly irritated by her granddaughter’s lack of forthrightness. Just as she was about to speak, a voice from outside announced, “The sixth lady has arrived.”
Shang Liuniang’s timing was impeccable. Erlang’s wife felt a wave of relief hearing the announcement; Shang Liuniang’s persuasive prowess surpassed her own, and, more importantly, Shang Liuniang commanded respect among the third branch because of her husband’s backing. Her single word held more weight than ten from anyone else. Her arrival now was perfect for resolving the matter at hand without further upsetting anyone.
Indeed, the atmosphere shifted completely with Shang Liuniang’s arrival. Smiles bloomed on the faces of the third old man and his wife, and even Shang Yurong and his wife, typically overlooked, beamed with happiness. Despite having two sons, they considered their youngest daughter the most filial and joyful. She consistently showered them with gifts, took them out shopping and dining, and offered both companionship and financial support, proving far more considerate than her brothers.
Shang Yurong, uncharacteristically, spoke, “Is Liu Niang here because she miss her family?”
“This daughter greets her eldres,” Shang Liuniang replied, bowing to everyone present. Her sweet words and charming smile, however, didn’t seem to genuinely please everyone. Yet, even facing the silent Shang Siniang, she smiled warmly, her eyes crinkling at the corners. She stepped forward, patted Shang Siniang’s hand, and said, “I know my fourth sister must resent me now, so I rushed to explain. The matters within the Min Palace are truly not as simple as you believe.”
Her words elicited a slight reaction from Shang Siniang, who finally raised her head, her eyes holding a hint of inferiority as she looked at her sixth sister. Liu Niang’s well-nourished appearance spoke of comfort, not the hardship of an unloved wife or a wronged daughter like her .
“Isn’t this your idea?” Shang Siniang finally spoke, timidly.
Her third brother , beside her, couldn’t help but interject. “Sixth sister, though you are married into the Jia family, you are still a part of our Shang family. If you have no other option, why should you use fourth sister to pave the way for the Jia family’s fortune? If they desire to enter the Min Palace so desperately, they should send their own daughter, not exploit our family.” His words were swift and unrestrained.
Shang Siniang looked at her brother with immense gratitude, then at Shang Liuniang with a touch of sadness. Seeing her acting so distressed, Shang Liuniang immediately opened her mouth to feign hurt and quickly explained. “I merely feared my family would misunderstand me, so I hurried to clarify. I heard about the affairs of Prince Min’s Palace from my husband’s family. I thought that fourth sister had no place to live here, so I spoke. When I wanted to go back, I heard my husband and father-in-law say that they were also preparing to send girls from their own homes. I heard it was not just girls from the Jia family, but also many merchants and officials were rushing to send girls from their homes.”
“Why is it like this?” How could anyone willingly squeeze their way into becoming a tongfang?
Shang Liuniang spoke with feigned regret. “I only found out after my husband spilled the beans. What the palace said to the outside world was that they wanted a tongfang, but in fact, they had reserved the position of an official concubine for the selected girl. The status of a concubine in the prince’s palace is different fromm any official wife of a merchant family. If you can follow someone into the royal family, naturally the whole family will prosper together and for this Jia family girls will also want to compete.”
Hearing this, the people in the third branch, initially hesitant, could no longer contain themselves. “Seriously? An official concubine?”
“I don’t know if it’s true, but looking at my father-in-law and mother-in-law, I think they are bound to win, so I can’t go wrong if I think about it.” At this point, even Sanlang and Sanlang’s wife, who had been steadfastly opposed the idea , were speechless. It would be entirely different if she could truly become a concubine. With their third branch’s current standing, if fourth sister could indeed become the concubine of King Min’s palace, it would be a true boon for them . Consequently, both of their eyes grew complicated.
Erlang’s wife and the third old lady couldn’t help but grow excited also . It was clearly an unrelated matter, yet it made them feel as if victory was within reach. They hurriedly stood and pulled Shang Liuniang aside, asking, “Have the Jia family found any way in ? Can the Jia family girls truly get in?”
Shang Liuniang, feigning embarrassment, then hesitated. “If this matter truly comes up, fourth sister probably won’t be able to compete with the Jia sister, so let’s forget it.” If she hadn’t said this, the people in the third branch might not have necessarily considered sending Shang Siniang away. But the last thing they heard was that they couldn’t compete and were not as good as others. Suddenly, their eyes burned with determination.
Especially the third old lady and the third old man, they immediately groaned, “Don’t go boosting others while putting us down. I’ve never tried to undermine your own children’s worth. What makes you think Si Niang can’t compete with the girls from the Jia family?”
As soon as they said this, Shang Liuniang felt a secret surge of joy. She knew exactly what her family was thinking. Tears and dramatics weren’t always effective—you had to tailor your tactics to each person to get twice the results with half the effort.
So, she quickly pretended to have misspoken and rushed to explain, “Yes, yes, I was wrong. Honestly, if we compare them, the Jia family girls aren’t nearly as good-looking as my fourth sister. And besides, she’s still so young—if she’s already this charming now, just imagine how irresistible she’ll be in a few more years. Even King Min might not be able to look away.”