Chapter 3: Husband and Wife (1)
Mingyou Pavilion.
After having a simple dinner with Sunang, Tan Yeon returned to the desk and continued studying prescriptions for prepared medicines (chengyao—remedies compounded in advance).
Worried that the singing drifting from the stage outside might disturb her mistress, Sunang shut both the doors and windows tightly. Before long, the melodious tune came to a stop, yet for some reason the courtyard outside grew even more chaotic with the sound of footsteps going back and forth.
At last, Tan Yeon’s concentration broke. She raised her head and looked out the window.
Sunang, who had been sewing beside her, followed her gaze. After glancing outside, she stood up.
“I wonder what happened. Since no one has come to report anything, this servant will go out and take a look.”
Just as she was about to leave, Tan Yeon called her back.
“Forget it. If no one has come to inform us, it probably has nothing to do with us.”
“But it’s so noisy outside. Something must have happened. Why hasn’t anyone come to tell us?”
Sunang muttered as she recalled the perfunctory attitude of Junang, whom she had met earlier in the kitchen.
“…After all, you are the mistress of this household.”
Tan Yeon let out a soft chuckle.
“Mistress? A contractual mistress?”
At that single sentence, Sunang could no longer respond.
Just two months ago, Sunang had still been living with Tan Yeon in their old countryside home in Jinzhou.
After Tan Yeon’s parents and siblings all passed away, the two of them relied on the small herb field left behind and the medicines they made by hand to survive. Their life was not wealthy, but it was peaceful enough.
However, Tan Yeon’s uncle and aunt were no different from demons wearing human faces. Instead of helping their orphaned niece, they plotted to sell her as a concubine to the wastrel heir of a powerful local family and seize her remaining property.
The dissolute young master was a true fiend among fiends. The women who entered his household as concubines changed every year, yet not one survived longer than two years before falling ill or dying.
Unfortunately, the man truly set his eyes on Tan Yeon and had come several times to cause trouble. The household lived in constant fear that he might break down their door and abduct her by force.
Though Tan Yeon did not show it on the surface, she was deeply anxious. Secretly, she resolved that she could not simply surrender everything to fate.
Thus, despite being an unmarried young lady whose marriage had not yet been arranged, Tan Yeon personally went to Jinzhou City to seek out a matchmaker and asked her to arrange a marriage.
She did not care if the man was old or unattractive. As long as he could protect the household where only women remained, she was willing to marry anyone.
But the person the matchmaker introduced was utterly unexpected.
He was a young general from Jinzhou, a renowned commander throughout Shaanxi, and a man whose name carried great prestige—
General Deng Yue.
There was also another secret that no one else knew.
He was the very young general Tan Yeon had once admired with all her heart when she first discovered what it meant to fall in love.
When Sunang heard that the groom was Deng Yue, she could barely hide her joy. In her heart she thought, “After all the hardships our young lady has endured, heaven has finally granted her some fortune.”
But Tan Yeon firmly stated that the childish crush from her youth had long been forgotten. This marriage must surely involve some other purpose.
Deng Yue had risen rapidly through the military ranks in just a few years, becoming one of the most prominent generals. If he wished, he could marry the cherished daughter of any prestigious family. Why would he take as his wife a woman who survived by selling herbs?
Sure enough, Deng Yue’s mother, Madam Lin, came personally to visit.
Madam Lin carefully examined Tan Yeon. Seeing her delicate appearance and composed demeanor, she seemed quite satisfied. She then expressed her hope that Tan Yeon would soon marry into the Deng family and become Deng Yue’s wife.
She even offered to arrange a separate residence in Xi’an Prefecture so that Tan Yeon’s household could all move there. On top of that, she promised a large sum of money.
When Sunang heard this, her mind went blank for a moment.
But Madam Lin made one thing very clear.
The money was not a formal bridal gift. It was merely a deposit for a contract.
The marriage would last three years.
According to the contract, Tan Yeon would live as General Deng’s wife for three years. When that time ended, she must divorce him amicably and leave.
The Deng family would pay part of the money before the marriage and the remaining amount after the divorce.
The total sum was enormous—enough for the entire Tan household to live comfortably for several years.
Madam Lin even promised that after the divorce, the Deng family would continue protecting and supporting Tan Yeon’s family.
Upon hearing this, Tan Yeon accepted without hesitation.
Sunang fell silent as she recalled those events.
Thus Tan Yeon married into the Deng family. Everything had been done according to the contract with Madam Lin.
At the time, Tan Yeon had said only one thing:
“This is heaven giving us a chance to escape this mire. We only need to take the money in exchange for helping them solve their problem.”
Yes.
It had been an opportunity too good to refuse.
But there had been one additional, troublesome condition.
Although the marriage itself was false, General Deng must never discover the truth. He had to believe the marriage was completely real.
Yet how could someone who entered the marriage under false pretenses convince the other person that it was genuine?
To achieve that, they would have to live as a real married couple for three whole years…
At that thought, Sunang pressed her lips together.
A suffocating silence filled the room.
But soon the quiet shattered again under the noise from outside. Still, no one came to deliver any news.
Just then Tan Yeon walked over, poured a cup of tea, and placed it into Sunang’s hands.
“We only need to secure the money we were promised. Everything else is the Deng family’s affair. If Madam Lin does not wish us to intervene, wouldn’t it be better for us to pretend not to know?”
Her words were not wrong.
But Sunang quietly looked up at her mistress.
If it were possible to stay distant from everything, that would indeed be best.
But what about General Deng?
Could her young lady truly remain indifferent even to matters concerning him?
* * *
Below the stage in the banquet hall, the atmosphere was filled with excitement.
Deng Yue was stationed in Ningxia, one of the Nine Border Garrisons guarding the frontier. Though it was under the same Shaanxi command, it was still several days’ ride away even if one traveled without rest.
Earlier he had sent word that he likely would not return even for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Yet somehow, he had returned before the holiday even arrived.
Madam Lin beamed with delight. She ordered Qingxuan to reward every servant who had brought the news.
The other noble ladies smiled in agreement.
“Perhaps our General Deng defeated those Tatar barbarians in one swift strike just to hurry back and taste the mooncakes.”
“With the general returning safely, what greater joy could there be? Please, come inside. Let us share in the celebration.”
Hearing everyone speak at once, Madam Lin’s smile grew even brighter.
She gave another order.
“Go and invite Yaya here. So many distinguished ladies have come today. She should come and pay her respects.”
About half a quarter-hour later, the firm and powerful footsteps of a man could be heard approaching from outside the garden.
Everyone lifted their heads toward the sound.
A tall and imposing man entered the hall.
He wore a silver-gray brocade robe with a black jade belt at his waist. His long leather boots stepped forward in confident strides, swift as a meteor across the night sky.
A faint trace of dust—evidence of his long journey—rested on his brow. Yet it could not conceal the sharpness of his sword-like eyebrows or the commanding presence in his dark eyes.
The seated ladies gazed at him with admiration.
If only I had a son like that, they thought, all the hardships of raising a child would be worth it.
Madam Lin’s eyes curved into crescent moons as she smiled.
Even traveling by boat or horse along ordinary roads carried danger—how much more so life spent on the battlefield year-round?
That her son had returned alive and well was the greatest blessing in the world.
Deng Yue stepped forward and first bowed deeply to his mother.
“Mother, have you been well? Your son has returned.”
Madam Lin quickly helped him up, repeatedly saying, “Good, good.” She then told him to greet the other ladies present.
Naturally, Deng Yue did not neglect this.
After returning their greetings, the ladies asked whether the conflicts along the frontier had finally subsided. Many families present had military men, so they were familiar with such matters.
Deng Yue answered seriously. A small Tatar unit had attempted an incursion earlier, but it had been repelled by the border forces. Recently, the frontier had been relatively stable, allowing him to take a short leave.
Relieved to hear there was no major trouble, one lady joked,
“But why did the general only enter the city so late at night? Were you afraid that if you arrived during the day, all the young ladies of Xi’an would drop their embroidery and run out just to see you?”
Everyone burst into laughter.
Deng Yue responded modestly,
“You flatter me. It was merely coincidence.”
The lady’s words were somewhat exaggerated, but it was true that Deng Yue was extremely famous among the young women of Xi’an.
Several years ago, during the Qiqiao Festival, something had happened.
He had been returning from the battlefield toward Xi’an and had just reached outside the city when he happened to witness a group of ruffians attempting to abduct women who were performing festival rituals.
When one of the criminals was caught, the peaceful festival instantly turned chaotic. As confusion spread, the ruffians only became more brazen.
