Madam Xie took a deep breath and said, "Daoist, I truly thank you this ti."
Qin Liuxi put away the Sanqing Bell, and just then, the dicine was ready. A servant brought it in, and after helping Madam Xie drink it, Qin Liuxi asked for Miss Xie’s birth dates to make a calculation.
With one look, her brows furrowed.
Madam Xie couldn’t see it, but Shunfang saw it clearly. Seeing her expression, a pang of worry struck her heart.
Amitabha Buddha, just by looking at this Female Daoist’s expression, she could imagine endless unpleasant scenarios. What was happening now?
Qin Liuxi turned to Madam Xie and said, "Despite your body not being well, you ca to the temple for the ceremony, rely because today marks Miss Xie’s death anniversary?"
Madam Xie was taken aback and said, "Last night I dread of Wan’er. She stood in thick fog looking at , her lips moving, but I couldn’t hear her. My heart was restless, so I ca to Yufu Temple, because Ksitigarbha Hall also has her longevity tablet and long-burning lamp."
"Nanny Shun said Miss Xie died in childbirth," Qin Liuxi pointed at the birth dates and said, "But I see her birth dates indicate a sudden death."
"What?" Madam Xie sat up startled, her slightly twisted mouth trembling uncontrollably, looking in her direction, and said, "You an sudden death?"
"Yes, sudden death."
"That’s not right, because my lady clearly died after giving birth to a son." Shunfang exclaid in surprise.
Qin Liuxi said, "When a noble lady marries, she is accompanied by attendants. Even if all are not loyal, there should be at least one or two that are. Didn’t anyone notice anything unusual?"
Her words left both of their expressions sowhat embarrassed and awkward.
Madam Xie showed a hint of distress and said, "Wan’er was displeased that I arranged this marriage for her. Originally, I prepared for four attendants to accompany her, but she sent back two rooms, only taking two rooms with her. In ten years of marriage, she never returned ho to visit her family. I know she resented for this."
"Since she was your only daughter and discontent with the arrangent, why did you insist on her marrying?" This was sothing Qin Liuxi did not understand.
Madam Xie said, "Precisely because she is my only daughter, I didn’t want her marrying a General, having a husband like her brother, dying on the battlefield. The Fan Family is a distinguished literary family, willing to marry her, and though the Xie Family could be considered a noble family, we are ultimately from a military family. Marrying into a refined literary family was aspiring for us."
Shunfang hesitated to speak, as aspiring might not be entirely accurate. Though the Fan Family cos from a lineage of refined scholars, they had declined.
Qin Liuxi shook her head, "But, have you considered that marriages call for social equals? Red gates to red gates. This marriage, between a General and a scholar, if Miss Xie were a young lady fond of music, chess, and literature, it would be fine. But if she loved weaponry and combat, marrying soone imrsed in books, what conversations would they have?"
Madam Xie argued, "She did dabble in music, chess, and literature, and it’s not that they couldn’t find common ground. It’s just that she wasn’t expert in them, and martial arts are required for soone from a General’s family."
"But she didn’t choose this husband herself; she married, subdued, and ended up a resentful couple."
Madam Xie was choked up, muttering, "I only wanted her to live peacefully, was that wrong?"
Qin Liuxi sighed, "Sotis, doing sothing for one’s good may beco a burden. Truly, for peace, one need not marry into a literary family. So nobles are easier to get along with. Scholars can have many irritating habits. I don’t know about the Fan Family, but so literary families are very pedantic and strict. Miss Xie, from a General’s background, could she endure all those formalities?"
Madam Xie and the others visibly paled, realizing it was true. Even though the Fan Family had declined, their deanor remained elevated, though they shared the common flaw of Generals, a fundantal admiration for scholars. Unconsciously, they lowered themselves.
She rembered her daughter’s future was to live with her in-laws, so she was always courteous to her spouse’s family, fearing the mother-in-law would tornt her daughter.
Yet in the end, she never saw her daughter’s face even in death.
"Since you’ve received the mourning report, did you not see Miss Xie’s face one last ti?"
"She passed away in high sumr, in a year of drought. By the ti the mourning was reported to us, the burial was already sealed," Madam Xie said, face full of sorrow, "That year I also lost my youngest son; our family was in mourning too, so we couldn’t go there. We only sent a loyal old General and servant, who only saw the child born from the difficult childbirth."
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