Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play-Chapter 33: Eccentricity

"The Liu An family only has a few acres of barren fields, a crippled father, a shrewish mother, and they can't even afford a decent courtyard in the Capital. If Wanwan is betrothed to him, wouldn't she be forced to scrape by eating bran and swallowing chaff? How does that compare to the Fang Family, a first-rank Marquis lineage, with Fang Chuning being upright and valiant? Having such a son-in-law wouldn't just be an honor for you, would it?" Lady Feng's eyes reddened as she argued her case with conviction.

"Oh, my heavens, you ignorant woman..." Feng Changlin was enraged, clutching his chest, but Feng Wan quickly stood to support him. "Father, please calm down. This matter arose because of me. Don't blame Mother."

"Wanwan, sit down. This matter has nothing to do with you." The matriarch, feeling sorry for her eldest granddaughter, drank three sips of tea in succession to suppress the anger in her heart. "Mrs. Zhang, I understand your grievances stemming from your family's decline, and I sympathize with you. The Feng Family barely survived that rebellion; we were almost destroyed. The two brothers, one scholarly and one military, had to stabilize their positions to return to the Capital. After Wenrong ranked first in the Imperial College examinations, I selected a few potential matches for him, and you were dissatisfied with all of them, insisting on betrothing him to the eldest daughter of Princess Ning Ru. I understood your sentiments and granted your wish. But Princess Ning Ru leads a leisurely, wealthy life, and her husband's position in court is insignificant. Fang Family is different. Shu'er is already promised to the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion. If we have another daughter marry into the Fang Family, then the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion and the Fang Family would be closely linked by marriage. There's already tension between the imperial authority and the Marquis Zhenbei; how can the Emperor tolerate a marital alliance between the Marquis Zhenbei and Fang Family? Have you even considered that the Su Family from Jiangnan, wealthier than nations, is our ally? With Shu'er marrying into the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion, the marquis would indirectly control not only Jiangnan Su Family's vast wealth but also military power and finances. If Wanwan also enters the Fang Family, how stable do you think the Emperor's throne would be?"

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Tears welled up in Lady Feng's eyes as years of bitterness and resentment surged like a tide, drowning her. "Mother, is my husband not also your son, just like my second brother? You constantly plan for the second branch's grandchildren, but have you ever considered my Wanwan and Ling'er? Just because Feng Shu is promised to Xie Zhang, does that mean Wanwan can only dream of a high-status marriage and would have to live her life depending on others?"

"Enough!" Feng Changlin rose to his feet, raising his hand as if to strike her. Lady Feng stubbornly tilted her face upwards, though tears streamed down relentlessly. She swallowed years of grievances and pain, refusing to yield and sacrifice her daughters for the benefit of the second branch.

Feng Changlin, overwhelmed with sorrow, couldn't bring himself to deliver the blow. Instead, he knelt and kowtowed. "Mother, I beg you, for the sake of her motherly heart, please forgive her."

Feng Wan's eyes reddened as well, fiercely clutching her handkerchief as tears fell from her lowered face. Feng Ling wanted to defend her mother but dared not defy her grandmother. Fengyu, distressed by Feng Wan's plight, watched her sympathetically but hesitated to speak.

Fengyu truly adored Feng Wan. Her eldest sister was gentle and graceful, protective since childhood. She never hesitated to share anything good and always showed fairness—whatever she gave Feng Ling, she would thoughtfully prepare for Fengyu as well. When Fengyu faced isolation and humiliation at the Imperial College, Feng Wan had stood up to shield her.

But the Fang Family—marriage there simply could not happen!

The matriarch ignored Feng Changlin, even more disappointed in Lady Feng. "Wanwan is the eldest daughter of the Feng Family, deserving of a marriage to an equal household, ensuring a peaceful, harmonious life throughout her years. Why would she need to rely on anyone else? You are obsessed with competing against the second branch, but you must understand that in life there is always a higher mountain, always those doing better than you, and always those worse off. If you truly cared for Wanwan, you would not meddle in her marital arrangements."

"Mother, when the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion proposed for Feng Shu, you said the same—to leave everything out of my hands!" Lady Feng, now tearful, pointed at Feng Wan. "She is the elder sister; in terms of appearance and character, how does she lose to Feng Shu? The Marquis Zhenbei Mansion wanted an elder daughter as their bride. Overlooking Wanwan and choosing Feng Shu—where does that leave Wanwan's dignity?"

Feng Changlin cast aside decorum, rushing forward to cover her mouth. "Ignorant... Stop embarrassing yourself further."

"Let her speak!" The matriarch slapped the table.

"It's clear you are biased!" Lady Feng unwillingly accused. "Otherwise, the bride to the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion should have been Wanwan!"

"This matter has long passed, yet you still hold onto resentment." Disappointment weighed heavily in the matriarch's voice. "When we were exiled to Ningzhou, why did the Marquis propose a marriage alliance with the Feng Family? Was it just because the Marquis and the Master shared a camaraderie? How naive of you! The Marquis Zhenbei Mansion had its sights set on the Jiangnan Su Family. During the downturn of your household, bedridden with illness, I avoided exposing the truth to protect your dignity and prevent discord among the sisters. Instead, I told you that the Marquis preferred Shu'er. Marriages between unequals demand enormous sacrifices from the weaker side. Everything has its price tag. If you covet unmatched wealth, you must be prepared to match its weight in value."

Feng Changlin lowered his head in shame, unable to face anyone.

Lady Feng's complexion drained as she stared at the matriarch in a daze. She understood all too well but had numbed herself with false pride, clinging to the illusion of being the eldest daughter of a noble family. The matriarch's words shattered her dreams. Lady Feng broke down in tears, crumpling feebly onto the floor.

At the pitiful sight, the matriarch's heart softened. Both Feng Wan and Feng Ling knelt beside Lady Feng to comfort her. Feng Wan pleaded, "Grandmother, please don't be angry with Mother anymore. Wanwan's marriage will be entirely as you decide."

The matriarch sipped her tea, her reprimands already delivered. If they could make her see reason, it would be worthwhile. Though Lady Feng had her faults, Feng Wan proved to be a sensible and dutiful child. "Wanwan, marriage is like a second chance at life for a woman. A match to a high-status family isn't necessarily the key to happiness. Harmony between husband and wife, filial children, and financial security make for a good life. Today, I wanted the three of you here to witness and learn. The Feng Family is inevitably entangled in the power struggles between the imperial authority and the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion. Every decision must be made with caution, especially concerning matrimonial arrangements. No houses of towering prestige are suitable for any of you—including Yu'er. Zhang, you claimed I favored the daughters of the second branch. But Yu'er was promised to Jiang Yang. If not for Jiang Yang breaking the engagement, the matter would have been settled. Had the marriage proceeded, Jiang Yang's mother and son would have depended entirely on Yu'er's dowry to scrape by. Yet she never uttered a word of complaint, nor did Mrs. Su dissent. Do you still believe I'm biased?"

Only now did Lady Feng grasp the reality: why one daughter from the second branch could marry up and shine like a gem, while the other was fated for a less advantageous match, cast out like a discard. As she came to terms with it, she spoke in sorrow, "Must Wanwan and Ling'er only marry men like Jiang Yang?"

"Certainly not!" The matriarch's tone softened as well. "We will diligently seek families of equal standing. The Capital has plenty of respectable households among the literati. As long as the husbands are ambitious and sincere toward the girls, the marriages will be good ones."

"Apologize to your mother this instant," Feng Changlin urged.

Lady Feng still harbored traces of discontent, but the matriarch sighed deeply, exasperated by her obstinacy. "Zhang, after our exile, we faced the reality of likely never returning to the Capital. People moved on, and old connections faded. The Master's network proved unreliable. Both the eldest and second branches stabilized their footing and secured careful alliances. Your eldest son's rapid promotion to third-rank official is undoubtedly due to his honesty and competence. But without backing from the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion, would he have climbed so high so quickly? Without their support, we would still be in Ningzhou—or perhaps Liling—unable to return to the Capital for the rest of our days."

Feng Changlin appeared uneasy but accepted the matriarch's judgment without resistance.