MSLV Ch 10 – The Li Family Wants to Break Off the Engagement

After Mu Xingde switched sides, everything went very smoothly. A few days later, at the Songhe Hall of Zhongyong Count Manor, Li Yichen knelt before his grandmother, his expression firm, “Please grant me permission to break off my engagement with Mu Wan.”

Old Madam Li stared at him with a heavy gaze, “Because of Mu Rou?”

Li Yichen affirmed, “Yes, grandson wishes to marry her, and her only.”

His mother, Third Madam Li, chimed in, persuading her mother-in-law, “Mother, it’s not like we are breaking off the marriage with the Mu family entirely, just switching from the eldest daughter to the second daughter. Mu Wan is arrogant and overbearing, not worthy of our Chen ge’er¹. Why won’t you agree?” Her tone carried a hint of complaint.

Old Madam Li laughed out of irritation, “Not worthy? When you accepted the fine paper and brushes, and the famous scholar’s calling cards from Lady Xu, why didn’t you say she wasn’t worthy then? Oh, now that you’ve risen high, you start to despise her?”

Li Yichen’s face turned red, but his mother, still defiant, retorted, “Chen ge’er isn’t wrong! This child worked so hard to improve himself. Since Mu Wan was engaged to him, shouldn’t she also strive alongside him? Our Chen ge’er won the third place in the imperial examination, but what about her? Except for her good-for-nothing reputation, she is nothing.”

Old Madam Li scoffed, “Have you met Mu Wan? Have you seen for yourself that she is really a good-for-nothing?” She then looked at her grandson, “Or have you seen it yourself? Last time I asked you to meet her, instead, you did the opposite!”

Li Yichen stubbornly responded, “Since I do not like her, I don’t want to give her false hope.”

His mother grumbled again, “Of course I have seen her; just her domineering attitude toward Madam Mu showed it all. If she marries into our family, she’ll surely try to ride on my head, her mother-in-law. Also, just because her stepmother didn’t give her monthly allowance on time, she even sold the deed to the Cangzhen Pavilion. Who would want such a reckless and vicious daughter-in-law?”

Old Madam Li suddenly felt powerless. Twenty years ago, their Li family was just an ordinary military household. Fortunately, both her eldest and second sons were capable. After the eldest rose to the rank of platoon commander, both brothers were matched with a pair of sisters from the battalion commander family. One was straightforward and magnanimous, the other clever and capable—it was a good match.

So, when it was her third son’s turn to marry, thinking that the child was intelligent but frail, the old madam carefully chose the daughter of a local scholar, Zhang-shi, for her simplicity and obedience. This way, her son would be taken care of while assuring harmony between the daughters-in-law. Unfortunately, she did not expect that the seemingly obedient ones would become the most arrogant once they gained power. Clearly clueless and ignorant, yet so full of themselves.

“Do you also believe those rumors?” Tired of her daughter-in-law’s self-righteous remarks, the old madam turned to her grandson.

Li Yichen remained silent, but his expression said it all.

“When Lady Xu was alive, there had never been such negative rumors about Mu Wan. Have you ever wondered why?” The old madam sighed. “She’s been away from the capital for three years, and within a few short days of her return, she’s rumored to be arrogant and uncultured. She hasn’t even attended a single banquet, so where did these rumors come from? You’re smart enough to pass the imperial examination, yet you can’t see through this?”

“Grandmother, are you suspecting that Madam Mu and her daughter are behind this?” Li Yichen responded with disbelief. “You’re biased against them. Many have seen Mu Wan’s attitude towards Madam Mu. They are mother and daughter in name, and yet Madam Mu never dares to control Mu Wan. That’s too much. Even if she’s a stepmother, some basic respect is due.”

“Moreover, there are plenty of nasty rumors about Second Miss Mu nowadays, calling her a woman without morals who seduces many men. According to your theory, shouldn’t Mu Wan be responsible for these rumors?”

The rumor, in particular, spurred Li Yichen into action. Unwilling to let his beloved suffer such grievances, he was determined to swiftly break off the engagement with Mu Wan and quickly marry Mu Rou.

“How could that be possible!” His grandmother angrily rebuked him.

“Why couldn’t it be?” Third Madam Li muttered. “The matter from a few days ago has spread far and wide. Many on Rongchang Street saw Lord Wu chasing after her—I think her claiming to have spent time with Marquis Zhenbei was just a cover-up. Perhaps she had really lost her chastity and now wants to ruin Rou’er’s reputation, too.”

Old Madam Li was enraged. Her chest rose and fell rapidly with her anger as she rebuked, “Zhang-shi, you are a woman as well! How can you so readily tarnish another woman’s reputation! Such behavior is utterly reprehensible!” She then questioned, “If Mu Wan were not competent, why would the Marquis of Zhenbei support her cover-up story? He’s not a man who helps just anyone.”

Third Madam Li had no response, but for the sake of her son’s marriage, she remained adamant, “If there wasn’t a real issue, why would Mu Xingde suddenly rush the wedding date? And although it was originally agreed to switch to the second daughter, yesterday they refused, which clearly shows that Mu Wan did something disgraceful, so they are in a hurry to get rid of her.”

The more Third Madam Li spoke, the firmer her resolve grew. She was adamant that, no matter how much her mother-in-law objected, she would never allow her beloved son to be dragged down by a marriage contract with a woman who lacked culture, beauty, and now had even lost her chastity.

Old Madam Li glared, “Did you go to the Mu family to break off the engagement?”

The Third Madam shrank back guiltily, but with feigned bravery, she retorted, “A marriage is done on parents’ order and matchmaker’s words; why can’t I decide on Chen ge’er’s marriage?”

Seeing her daughter-in-law’s stubborn look, Old Madam Li suddenly lost the desire to reason. In a final effort, she tried to reach out to her grandson, whom she considered intelligent. “The wedding was postponed due to Mu Wan’s period of mourning; otherwise, we would be in the midst of preparations by now. It’s perfectly reasonable for the Mu family to want to set a wedding date. If something really happened to Mu Wan as your mother stubbornly believes, do you think the Mu family would be bold enough to make enemies of us by continuing this marriage?”

“You say I am biased against the second daughter, but which proper young lady would seduce her sister’s fiancé?”

Li Yichen hurriedly defended, “No, grandmother, she never seduced me. It was your grandson who fell in love with her at first sight.”

“When your grandson traveled to Shangliu two years ago, I saw with my own eyes her dedication as she tirelessly tended to the disaster victims. She also took the lead in organizing a donation effort to help victims rebuild their homes and distribute free porridge. How could a woman of such character be bad?”

Old Madam Li frowned in confusion, “Are you sure it was the second daughter? Did you talk to her?”

Li Yichen, worried that her grandmother would accuse Mu Rou of taking advantage of the disaster to buy herself a good name, quickly clarified, “I only caught her glimpse from afar. Though she wore simple clothes, her beauty was unmistakable. The disaster victims didn’t even know who she was, only calling her ‘Lady Divine Physician’. Later, I learned from the servant of a prominent local family that she was the young lady from the Mu family.”

Old Madam Li thought this seemed more like something Mu Wan would do. Her sixth grandson was very clever, so she had been meticulous in choosing his marriage. Although Li Yichen had never met Mu Wan personally, Old Madam Li had spent some time with the girl. “Mu Wan spent three years in Shangliu in mourning, and her maternal family is renowned for their medical legacy. How can you be sure it was her sister and not Mu Wan herself?”

Li Yichen felt that his grandmother was being unreasonable, “Lady Xu’s hometown is in Shangliu, and so is the ancestral home of the Mu family. When the Second Miss accompanied her grandfather back to the countryside for ancestral worship, I happened to travel with them. I saw her holding medical books, tirelessly studying day and night. I’m sure it was her.”

“Exactly,” his mother eagerly added. “Madam Mu comes from a scholarly family; the daughters she raised must be better than those of a merchant like Lady Xu. That Mu Wan probably can’t even read well, let alone know medicine.”

Old Madam Li ignored her daughter-in-law’s brainless remarks and patiently explained to Li Yichen, “Madam Mu indeed comes from a scholarly family, but she was sentenced to a brothel due to her father’s crimes. For seven or eight years, she was taught only to please men, and her nature has changed; she’s absolutely not suitable to be a proper wife, let alone to be the lady of the house.”

The evidence was clear to see. As soon as Mu Xingde brought Shen-shi home, Lady Xu didn’t bother to argue and simply stepped down without raising a fuss. In an instant, Shen-shi was promoted from an outcast citizen² to the head madam of a wealthy merchant household. She wasn’t even required to care for the previous wife’s daughter. With such a turn of fortunes, any prudent person would treat Mu Wan sincerely, fostering a mutual relationship between the siblings. This would not only advance the Mu family’s standing, but would also motivate Lady Xu to support Mu Wan’s half-siblings for her daughter’s sake. However, what did Shen-shi do? She didn’t waste time showing off her petty self, always boasting about her scholarly family background, constantly attempting to surpass Lady Xu and inevitably embarrassing herself each time, oblivious to how transparent her futile attempts were to everyone else.

The old saying goes—judge a pig by its sty. What could be expected of a daughter raised by such a short-sighted mother?

But Li Yichen, unable to see his grandmother’s painstaking concern, firmly showed his resolve, “Grandmother, in this life, your grandson will marry only the Second Miss Mu. If you insist on marrying Mu Wan to me, then I will immediately apply for a provincial post, away from the capital for at least three years, and I will never acknowledge her as my wife.”

Hearing his threat, Old Madam Li’s heart chilled, “Fine, if you want to break off the engagement, do so, but don’t wrong Mu Wan. Just remember what you’ve said today. When your family is not at peace and your career does not progress smoothly, do not blame me for not stopping you.”

Li Yichen was thrilled, “Thank you, Grandmother.”

With Old Madam Li’s consent, the Third Madam felt much more justified. To prevent Mu Wan from refusing to break off the engagement, they even spread rumors first, claiming that the Li family wanted to honor this marriage contract, but they could not tolerate Mu Wan’s lack of moral conduct.

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1. Ge’er (哥儿) is an endearment for boys, usually by older family members. The female counterpart is jie’er (姐儿).
2. In Confucianism, people are categorized into scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants according to their birth and profession, with scholars at the top and merchants at the bottom. There is also a category known as 贱籍, roughly translating to “outcasts” or “lowly people,” which includes prostitutes, entertainers, and untouchables.