Married the Princess First, Fell in Love Later - Chapter 5

In the Wen family’s dining hall, the long table was filled with chicken, duck, fish, and meat. Old Madam Wen sat at the head of the table, looking at Wen Chenxu with delight, doting on her in every way.

Because of the hierarchy and strict sense of order, no one dared to touch their chopsticks until Old Madam Wen did.

When she finally did, she picked up a piece of red-braised pork and placed it directly into her “precious grandson’s” bowl.

“My precious grandson, eat more meat. Look how thin you’ve become.”

“My precious grandson, Eat more meat. Look how thin you’ve become” Wen Shengjun was disgusted by the two-faced nature of Old Madam Wen. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes, twisting her mouth as she mimicked her grandmother’s voice in a whisper, sounding particularly cynical.

Old Madam Wen picked up piece after piece of meat, not stopping until she had filled her precious grandson’s bowl to the brim.

The plate of red-braised pork, which had been full just a moment ago, now only had a few pieces left. Wen Chenxu did not dare to reach for her chopsticks and looked to her mother for help.

Hua Qiuyu frowned, feeling very displeased. She had anticipated that her mother-in-law would favor boys, but she had never expected it to be this blatant—she wasn’t even pretending anymore. With a grandson present, she no longer spared a single glance for her granddaughters.

Hua Qiuyu felt both anger and guilt. She was angry at her mother-in-law’s severe preference for sons over daughters, and guilty because she knew her daughters must have suffered while they lacked parental protection. After all, her mother-in-law treated her children this way even when she was home; one could only imagine how it was when she was away.

“Mother, Xu’er is still young. Eating so much greasy meat will make it difficult for her to digest.” As Hua Qiuyu spoke, she took the bowl filled to the brim with meat and distributed the pieces fairly among her four daughters.

“You!” Old Madam Wen’s face turned angry at being openly challenged. She looked at her son, hoping he would uphold justice for her, but he was burying his head in his rice, looking as if he were completely oblivious to what was happening at the table.

Seeing that no one would help her, Old Madam Wen had no choice but to swallow her words.

“Thank you, Mother” Wen Zhaojun and Wen Xin were like two peas in a pod; their manners were identical, both extremely elegant. After expressing their gratitude, they fell silent, eating their meal like true young ladies of a wealthy family, strictly adhering to the rule of not speaking while eating.

The second daughter, Wen Shengjun, was different. If she could be quiet, she wouldn’t be Wen Shengjun.

As she picked up a piece of meat and placed it in her mouth, chewing and swallowing, she said loudly on purpose: “Wow, this is so delicious! It’s so good that Mother is back! If Mother hadn’t returned, how would Big Sister, Third Sister, and I ever get to eat this much meat?”

“You little brat! How dare you slander me! When have I ever deprived you of food or clothing?” Old Madam Wen shouted loudly, as if she believed that whoever was the loudest was in the right.

“Grandmother, I didn’t say you deprived us of anything. Why are you so angry? You really shouldn’t overthink things; be careful not to hold onto such gloom, or you might not live to be a hundred~”

Wen Shengjun kept a smile on her face the whole time, but her words were like little knives, each one stabbing at Old Madam Wen’s heart. Old Madam Wen was so angry her face turned red. She pointed at Wen Shengjun, stammering “You, you, you” for a long time without being able to form a complete sentence. Finally, she threw down her chopsticks and cursed angrily: “Fine! You all are the family, and I am the outsider! You all eat together, and I, this dying old woman, will just wait to enter my coffin!”

As Old Madam Wen spoke, her eyes were fixed directly on her son, filled with resentment, as if she were blaming him for marrying a shrew and giving birth to a daughter who only knew how to anger her.

She leaned on her cane and walked toward the exit of the dining hall, wobbling as she went. She walked extremely slowly, hoping in her heart that her son would come to coax her.

“Mother, why must you be like this? Our family is finally gathered together; there is no need to take a child’s careless words to heart.”

Wen Changsheng did try to soothe her, but it was to no avail; the words he spoke were not what Old Madam Wen wanted to hear.

Old Madam Wen let out a cold snort and retorted aggressively: “She is fifteen! She has reached the age of hair-pinning [adulthood]. I was sixteen when I conceived you. How is she a child? She clearly feels that I, this grandmother, have lived too long and wants me to enter the coffin early.”

Wen Changsheng was rendered speechless by Old Madam Wen’s words. He was skilled at fighting wars, but not at fighting verbal battles. If he supported his mother, he would be failing his daughters, who had lacked parental love growing up. If he supported his daughters, he would be unfilial.

Wen Changsheng fell silent. Seeing his dilemma, Hua Qiuyu gently patted Wen Chenxu’s back, signaling her to step in and smooth things over.

Having grown up in the borderlands, Wen Chenxu was incredibly clever. She instantly understood her mother’s hint. She rose from her seat, ran to Old Madam Wen’s side, held her hand, and acted spoiled: “Grandmother, don’t go. Xu’er likes Grandmother, and I like my sisters too. Xu’er wants to eat with everyone!”

Being stared at by her precious grandson’s watery eyes, combined with that soft, sweet voice that sounded like honey, made Old Madam Wen swoon. Her anger evaporated instantly, and she regained her smile.

“Good, good, good. My grandson is the best and loves Grandma the most. Since Xu’er wants to eat with Grandma, then Grandma will certainly satisfy you!” With that, Old Madam Wen held Wen Chenxu’s chubby little hand and returned to her seat.

The meal was chaotic. Hua Qiuyu and Wen Changsheng thought the disaster was over, but they didn’t realize that was only the beginning.

Old Madam Wen loved Wen Chenxu so much that she couldn’t bear to be separated from her. She proposed that Wen Chenxu sleep in her room, saying she wanted to chat more with her precious grandson.

Hua Qiuyu and Wen Changsheng immediately refused. How could they possibly hand Xu’er over? If their mother-in-law discovered that Xu’er was actually a girl, all their efforts to deceive the world over the past few years would be in vain.

Though somewhat dissatisfied for not achieving her goal, Old Madam Wen thought there would be plenty of time in the future to get close to her precious grandson, so she didn’t say anything more and returned to her room.

Wen Chenxu’s three sisters hadn’t seen their mother in a long time, so they chatted with Hua Qiuyu for quite a while before finally allowing her to return to her own room.

The room shared by Hua Qiuyu and Wen Changsheng was quiet and dark. Hua Qiuyu thought Wen Changsheng had been called away by Old Madam Wen and hadn’t returned yet. To her surprise, as soon as she lit a lamp, Wen Changsheng’s figure appeared before her.

Hua Qiuyu was startled, but after only a moment, she regained her composure. She walked over to her husband and placed her hands gently on his shoulders, kneading them at a steady pace.

As she kneaded his shoulders, Hua Qiuyu asked softly: “Changsheng, why are you sitting in the room without the lights on?”

Wen Changsheng placed his hand over Hua Qiuyu’s, stopping her from kneading his shoulders.

“Xu’er is asleep, so I didn’t light the lamp,” Wen Changsheng said, looking toward the bed with a complex expression.

Hua Qiuyu sensed that his mood was off. Thinking about all the difficult situations he had faced today, she began to worry as well.

“Is my husband worried about Mother? The grudge between Mother and A-Sheng has existed for a long time and won’t be resolved overnight. But Mother did remind me of one thing—A-Sheng is almost at her age of hair-pinning. We missed A-Zhao’s hair-pinning ceremony, and we cannot miss A-Sheng’s as well.”

Wen Changsheng nodded: “Don’t worry. I will make sure A-Sheng’s hair-pinning ceremony is celebrated grandly. And not just A-Sheng’s; I will make it up to A-Zhao by hosting a proper one for her as well.”

Hearing this, warmth flooded Hua Qiuyu’s heart. She thought to herself that the man she loved had not let her down.

Just as Hua Qiuyu wanted to offer her husband some praise, she saw a bitter smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He opened his mouth to say something, but seemed afraid to speak.

“Husband, is there something else you want to tell me? We are husband and wife. If you have something on your mind, don’t hide it; tell me, and we will find a way to overcome these challenges together.”

Hua Qiuyu’s words gave Wen Changsheng courage. He spoke again: “Wife, tomorrow when we go to the palace to receive our rewards, I want to petition the Emperor to allow our Xu’er to enter the Imperial Academy.”

Hua Qiuyu seemed terrified; she took several steps back. She looked at her husband with incomprehension. Always supportive of him, this time she did not want to agree. She had already failed her three eldest daughters; she did not want to fail her youngest as well.

“Changsheng, let alone whether Xu’er could even get into the Imperial Academy—the palace is heavily guarded. If she enters the academy, she will definitely be unable to leave the palace, and we certainly won’t be able to get in! Xu’er is still so young. Leaving us to live among a group of royal relatives she cannot afford to offend will surely cause her to suffer!”

As she spoke, Hua Qiuyu became increasingly agitated, tears flowing down her cheeks. She stared intently at Wen Changsheng, waiting for his defense.

Wen Changsheng had anticipated that Hua Qiuyu would be reluctant, so he was not surprised. He stood up, pulled her into his arms, and said softly: “Qiuyu, I am worried about all the things you are worried about, too. But if Xu’er continues to live at home, Mother will sooner or later discover that Xu’er is a girl. However, entering the Imperial Academy is different; Mother will never find out. Moreover, every teacher at the Imperial Academy is the best in their field. Whether it is literature, martial arts, ritual, music, medicine, or trade, Xu’er will receive the best education. Your eldest brother works in the Imperial Hospital; if you are afraid that Xu’er will suffer, we can arrange for him to look after his niece.”

Hua Qiuyu listened to Wen Changsheng’s words and began to think. After reflecting on it, she felt that her husband was right. Sending their youngest daughter to the Imperial Academy was the best course of action. But a mother and daughter share a heart—Xu’er was a piece of flesh from her own body; how could she not be reluctant, how could she not feel pained?

Hua Qiuyu buried her head in Wen Changsheng’s chest, sobbing. She did not dare to make too much noise for fear of waking their youngest daughter, unaware that the moment she had become agitated, Wen Chenxu had already woken up. However, thinking her parents were fighting, she was at a loss and chose to pretend to be asleep. Listening in, she learned that she was the reason her parents were arguing, and that she would soon be sent to the palace to study.

It was impossible not to feel sad, and impossible not to feel afraid. But what was the use of sadness and fear? In the borderlands, she had seen many children whose fates were far more miserable than hers. In comparison, her parents had already treated her with great love.

In the darkness, a pair of eyes blinked, reflecting a subtle glimmer. The owner of those eyes was contemplating her future.