There had been no rumors of discord between the two. The only incident anyone recalled was during the Mid-Autumn Festival at Baixiang Garden, when Meng Fu had made a shocking remark, saying that it was now the Marquis who was managing household affairs at the Marquis Manor — that was the only sign of disagreement they had shown in public.
There weren’t many people in the imperial capital — but there were plenty of idlers. And where there are idlers, there is gossip.
These kinds of things are best asked directly of the people involved, but the gossips didn’t know where Meng Fu had moved to. When they went to the Meng family to inquire, Meng Yanxing only said he no longer had this daughter. When they went to the Marquis Manor to ask Xie Wenzhao, he simply said it was a matter of incompatible feelings.
Everyone found this explanation unconvincing — or at least not entirely convincing. After several days of gossiping, they finally came up with a more plausible guess: Meng Fu had been married to Xie Wenzhao for four years, yet there were still no children in the Marquis Manor. Could it be that this was the reason the two divorced?
At the center of this gossip storm, Xie Wenzhao did not gain the satisfaction he’d wanted after the divorce. But others didn’t see it that way. The old madam of the Marquis Manor sat on her couch and said to Xie Wenzhao:
“Now that you’ve divorced her as you wished — when are you going to marry that sweetheart of yours? These past two years, your father’s health has been worsening. Just yesterday, he told me that if he can’t see a grandson before he dies, he won’t die in peace.”
Xie Wenzhao said: “How could Father say such a thing? I’ll go to the palace tomorrow to request an imperial physician for him.”
The old madam said sternly: “Don’t change the subject — when are you going to marry again?”
It had already been a few days since the divorce, and Xie Wenzhao still couldn’t make up his mind. He lowered his head and said, “Let me think about it.”
The old madam slightly furrowed her brows and said, “Although you just divorced Meng Fu, and it might seem a bit improper to remarry immediately, the two of you separated cleanly and without conflict — others won’t gossip about it.”
Xie Wenzhao opened his mouth slightly. He wanted to ask the old madam: What if that person is Meng Fu’s own younger sister?
In the end, he didn’t say those words. He had always thought that he and Meng Yu were in love with each other, that he was wholeheartedly devoted to Meng Yu, and Meng Yu must feel the same toward him — but that day at the Meng residence, after learning the truth about what happened back then, Xie Wenzhao began to waver.
Why did Meng Yu insist on having Meng Fu marry him? What exactly had she been thinking back then? When she saw him, heartbroken and wasting away for her, did she feel like he was just a fool being toyed with in the palm of her hand?
What kind of person was the girl he liked, truly?
The old madam saw that he still had that hesitant, wavering look and slammed the table, shouting: “Xie Wenzhao, are you trying to make me die of anger?!”
Xie Wenzhao knew he was in the wrong and stood there obediently to be scolded, not daring to argue back even half a word.
The old madam felt like she had punched cotton — there was no resistance, which made her even angrier.
After Meng Fu divorced Xie Wenzhao, everyone believed that Meng Fu’s future days would not be easy. Although she wasn’t cast aside, it wouldn’t be much better.
When they heard that she had been driven out of the Meng family by Meng Yanxing, people sympathized with her even more. That Meng Yanxing didn’t want his daughter to divorce was understandable, but this action was truly too heartless.
Now that Meng Fu had left the Marquis Manor and no longer had her natal family either, her future days — it seemed — would surely be difficult.
What everyone didn’t expect was that, at this time, the Empress Dowager would frequently summon Meng Fu to the palace. She even said at a banquet that it was thanks to Meng Fu that the little prince was now willing to speak, and that she herself even wanted to adopt Meng Fu as her goddaughter, so the Emperor would take better care of her.
Even though the Empress Dowager spoke so sincerely, the Emperor still did not act warmly. He only replied blandly with one sentence and didn’t even glance in Meng Fu’s direction again.
Of course, no one found this strange — His Majesty had always been like this, completely uninterested in women.
What they didn’t know was that, after the banquet, in Zichen Hall, the Emperor who was supposedly completely uninterested in women was holding Meng Fu on his lap, kissing her again and again, and in the end, even their clothes were nearly torn.
Time passed like a white horse darting past a crack, quickly and in a rush. Whenever His Majesty had time, he would disguise himself as a coachman to bring Meng Fu into the palace, or take her out on excursions.
By the time Meng Fu finished writing the final story of Night Talks of Mount Qi 《岐山夜谈》, more than three months had already gone by.
The final story in Night Talks of Mount Qi had the most words — it was a story about deicide. That year in the seventh month, there was a great drought in Shu. The land turned red for a thousand li, white bones piled like mountains. Celestial gods and fox yao both descended to the human world — the former came to receive their offerings, the latter came to steal them.
They went back and forth, causing many laughable incidents. Eventually, the fox yao was so angered it lost its reason, and simply impersonated the celestial god’s envoy to swindle people. To make the world believe him, he distributed all the food stores he had accumulated in his cave over the years to those who were about to resort to eating their own children.
Sure enough, he was instantly recognized by the people.
The celestial god flew into a rage and declared he would rain down divine punishment to punish these foolish mortals who couldn’t recognize true worth — but before he could finish speaking, he was knocked to the ground by the crowd.
At that moment, the statue in the temple also collapsed with a loud crash, and the fox yao became the new god.
Whom do mortals worship? Whom do they seek?
A god? A fox? A ghost? A human?
Whichever one is of use — that is who they follow.
This story, The Fox God (《狐神》), was the one Meng Fu put the most heart into — it served as a perfect conclusion to the entire Night Talks of Mount Qi. After finishing, she sent the complete manuscript to the publishing house.
And during these past three-plus months, the matter of Meng Yu and Xie Wenzhao had also been stirring up a great storm in the imperial capital.
At first, no one knew about their private affair. It was only when Meng Yu saw that Xie Wenzhao intended to cut ties with her that she decided to go all in and set him up.
People were utterly shocked — like having their butts cut with a knife — opening their eyes in disbelief.
He had just divorced the elder sister, and now he was entangled with the younger one? The Marquis of Xuanping really had good fortune.
Xie Wenzhao first learned that Meng Yu had originally wanted to replace Meng Fu in marrying the late crown prince. Then he was set up by Meng Yu like this, which led to a huge argument between the two.
Meng Yu stood before him without a trace of remorse. She knew she couldn’t hide it from Xie Wenzhao, so she spoke righteously: so what if she wanted to marry the late crown prince? So what if she deliberately spread the rumors? If he loved her, shouldn’t he love all sides of her? Was his love that shallow?
Xie Wenzhao was left speechless by her questioning.
What exactly did he love about Meng Yu? After learning all this, could he still love her as before?
“I do love you, Xie Wenzhao. Back then, you didn’t lose to the crown prince’s person — you just lost to his status and power,” Meng Yu said with a bewitching tone. She stepped closer and whispered, “And besides me, can you really fall in love with anyone else?”
Xie Wenzhao truly couldn’t answer Meng Yu’s question.
The sound of that zither he once heard in his youth had become his heart demon. Added to that, the old madam in the residence urged him daily to marry quickly, and the old marquis’s health truly worsened by the day — under all this pressure, Xie Wenzhao finally gave in.
His life had already become this miserable. How much worse could it possibly get?
Marrying Meng Yu — at least it fulfilled a dream he’d had in his youth.
Everyone was stunned by this — was Xie Wenzhao into Meng Yanxing or something? Why else would he bypass so many fine young women just to marry Meng Yanxing’s daughters?
Even the old madam of the marquis manor hadn’t expected that Xie Wenzhao’s sweetheart would be Meng Yu. She was so furious she cursed Xie Wenzhao for several days straight. Once this matter spread, what would outsiders say about their marquis manor?
And when Meng Yanxing found out about it, his reaction was even more intense than the old madam’s — he was so enraged that he had a stroke and collapsed in bed. Once he could speak again, the first thing he said was: “I do not allow it.”
But what use was his disapproval?
Now bedridden, the household matters were all handled by Madam Meng. Though she didn’t much approve of this marriage either, she couldn’t withstand Meng Yu’s persistent pleading and ultimately agreed.
The old marquis’s condition worsened day by day. No one knew when he might pass. Once he did, Xie Wenzhao would have to observe three years of mourning. But Meng Yu was already getting older — she couldn’t afford to wait.
This marriage had to be arranged early — and maybe, just maybe, it would even bring some good fortune.
The old madam of the Marquis of Xuanping’s residence, no matter how unwilling, seeing that Xie Wenzhao had clearly set his sights on Meng Yu, could only grit her teeth and suppress her disgust to acknowledge this marriage — and it was set to take place next month.
She only hoped that once Meng Yu married into the marquis manor, she could conceive a child as soon as possible, so the marquis manor wouldn’t have lost face over her for nothing.
In the palace, when Li Yue heard this news, he directly burst into laughter, startling Pang Huazhen, who was currently checking his pulse.
Someone else, Xie Wenzhao, was getting married — what was His Majesty so happy about?
He didn’t understand. Truly didn’t understand.
Translator’s note:
I’ve missed a lot of updates already. I’ll do 10 chapters today.