Chapter One: Married into the Yang Family

What Yu Wendao did not expect was that just a few days later, he was impeached by the censor, accused of forming factions for personal gain and harboring sentiments for the previous dynasty. By the time of the Dragon Boat Festival, the court issued an edict demoting Yu Wendao to the position of a seventh-rank county magistrate, assigning him to serve in Chaozhou, with a date for his appointment to be determined. Additionally, there was a verbal order stating that he was only permitted to travel alone and was not allowed to bring his wife and children out of the capital.

The grandson did not dare! Upon hearing Yang Shangbao's words, Yang Simu broke out in a cold sweat and could only leave dejectedly with his head down

The eldest son of the second branch, Yang Siyi, was taken aback upon hearing that Yang Shangbao intended to marry You Wu. He was extremely perplexed and exclaimed, "Wu Niang is only sixteen years old, the same age as I am. If she were to marry my grandfather, wouldn’t she become my grandmother? Does this mean that in the future, when I see her, I would have to call her grandmother?"

Everyone thought that she was heartbroken over her father's demotion to Chaozhou and that she had to marry Yang Shangbao to avoid disaster. They offered their advice, but seeing that she remained listless, they felt helpless.

At this moment, You Wu, even with her usual dullness, has finally understood that she has traveled back to ancient times and become a newlywed bride

As a current fourth-rank admonitory official, how could it be reasonable to offer a legitimate daughter as a concubine to someone? Upon hearing the matchmaker's words, I was nearly infuriated to the point of bursting a lung, naturally leading to the matchmaker being expelled from the house, along with all the gifts being thrown out, and I scolded the delusional Sir San San a few times.

Although Yang Shangbao held the official rank of the third grade, he found himself utterly powerless in the face of the Yan family. However, he was a close friend of You Wenda's father and also a fellow townsman, which fostered a bond between them. Therefore, he could not stand idly by and said: "Wenda, the only course of action now is to marry Wuniang off. Once she is in the bridal sedan chair, you can leave."

The eldest son of the third house, Yang Simu, was the most straightforward. He simply ran to the study, knelt before Yang Shangbao, and said: "Grandfather, please let You Wu marry me! I will definitely treat her well and will not allow Yan San Shi to bully her."

During the Eastern Song Dynasty, filial piety was of utmost importance. If one were to marry during the period of filial duty, then Shen Yunan's life would come to an end.

Well, in modern times, one cannot get married, but as soon as one goes back to ancient times, they are immediately married off! Is this a kind of compensation from heaven? You Wu was lost in thought, and after a while, she lifted the curtain again, lowered her head to look at her hands, and saw her delicate fingers, her palms white and smooth, with a few dimples on the back of her hands. She couldn't help but murmur, "Oh, I have indeed crossed over to become a beauty." Since she is a beauty, and upon waking up, there are maidservants attending to her in the room, it seems her family background is not bad. With such conditions, she should be able to marry a suitable husband, right?

On the morning of Yang Shangbao's wedding day, You Wu's lingering fragrance had long since faded away, replaced by the modern You Wu

Yang Shangbao stroked his beard and pondered for a long time, then raised his eyes and said: "How about this, let Wuniang marry me"

You know that Emperor Yan San and the prince consort have colluded, and as soon as you take office, your daughter You Wu is certain to become Emperor Yan San's favored concubine. Therefore, you plan to visit the Yang residence to meet with Scholar Yang Shangbao of the Guanwun Hall, seeking advice.

Yang Shangbao, after listening to You Wen's words, pondered for a while and said: "Apart from this method, there is another way, which is to let Wu Niang marry into my Yang family. Once Shen Yunan's mourning period is over, the Yang family can issue a divorce decree, allowing Wu Niang to remarry Shen Yunan."

When Wu Niang was ten years old, her father made a decision for her and chose Shen Yunan, the third son of the Shen family. By now, Shen Yunan is likely to have already passed the imperial examination, but his mother has recently passed away and is still in mourning, making it impossible for him to bring Wu Niang into his home.

What is there to say? It is simply that treacherous ministers are in power, and the loyal and virtuous are unfortunate

After entering the Yang residence and completing the wedding ceremony, You Wu finally came to her senses in the bridal chamber and shed tears. Oh, Dad, Mom, I have not disappeared, I have merely married into ancient times!

Yang Shangbao shook his head and smiled, saying: "Let it be done this way! In the next few days, we will hold a wedding to welcome Wuniang into the household. After three years, when you return to the capital to report on your duties, Shen Yunan's mourning period will also be over, and we will hold another wedding for them then"

Yang Shangbao smiled in a way that was neither fully a smile nor a frown and said, "What, do you want to compete with your grandfather for a woman?"

The auspicious time has arrived, lift the sedan!

Although Yang Shangbao is still vigorous in his old age, he is already seventy-three years old. At such an advanced age, no one finds it inappropriate to take concubines or maids. However, to formally remarry and take a wife who is merely sixteen years old, such a matter would certainly raise some eyebrows if it were to spread.

"This is outrageous! Lord Yang is already seventy-three years old, isn't he? The bride is only sixteen! What on earth is going on?"

With a loud crash, the teacup in You Wenda's hand slipped and fell to the ground, shattering into pieces

Juventus no longer spoke much, but simply bowed deeply in a gesture of respect

You Wu suddenly raised her head upon hearing the voice, and was met with an old face that was smiling broadly. She couldn't help but slightly open her mouth, exclaiming, "Oh my God, oh my God, this ancient old man's voice and appearance are exactly the same as my grandmother's. Indeed, it is not like my grandfather, but exactly like my grandmother's.

Guess who the groom is? Wrong, wrong, it is not the Jinshi Shen Yunan of this year, but rather the esteemed Yang Shangbao, the scholar of the Hall of Literary Glory.

You Wu is a modern white-collar worker with an ordinary appearance and no experience in romantic relationships. Her relatives repeatedly introduce potential partners to her, but either she finds them unsatisfactory or they find her lacking, resulting in no successful matches. As she approaches the status of a leftover woman, she begins to feel anxious. On this particular evening, during her Nth blind date, the other party is handsome and articulate, which stirs some feelings in You Wu, prompting her to take the initiative to exchange contact information. However, upon returning home, the introducer calls to inform her that the other party was not interested in her and even made some disparaging remarks. Feeling somewhat downcast, You Wu drinks a few glasses of wine before bed, cursing the heavens in frustration. To her surprise, she wakes up to find herself being helped to dress, groomed, and then placed into a bridal sedan chair.

Yuan Dao mentally reviewed several grandsons of Yang Shangbao, excluding those who had not yet reached the age of fifteen, and then excluding those who were already married, leaving only three suitable candidates. However, all three of them were young and charming individuals; if they were to marry You Wu, how could they possibly act as a virtuous man like Liu Xia Hui?

Yang Shangbao has a total of five sons and two daughters. The two daughters have married far away and do not reside in the capital. All five sons have married young ladies from prominent families in the capital. Upon hearing that Yang Shangbao intends to take You Wu as his wife, the five daughters-in-law, although aware that it is merely a temporary arrangement, are unwilling to accept the idea of You Wu becoming their mother-in-law for three years. They cannot help but incite their respective husbands to persuade Yang Shangbao. However, the five sons of Yang Shangbao are purely filial; upon hearing their father's reasoning, they cease their persuasion and quietly withdraw.

Regarding the reason why Yang Shangbao intends to marry You Wu, the Yang family is naturally aware, but knowing does not mean they can accept it. The first to protest was the second son of the main branch, Yang Siming, who exclaimed: "What? Grandfather is already seventy-three years old, and he still wants to take a wife? Isn't that going to make people laugh out loud? If the intention is to have Miss You marry into the Yang family to avoid misfortune, she could marry me, or she could marry the third or fourth younger brothers, so why must she marry grandfather?"

Although the sound of drums and gongs was loud, a few words of discussion still reached Youwu's ears. Upon hearing this, she was taken aback, exclaiming, "My goodness, it's not marrying a young man, but actually marrying a seventy-three-year-old old man. What is going on here?"

When the sedan chair was lifted, You Wu lost her balance and bumped her head against the sedan board, nearly rolling out of the chair. After a great effort, she steadied herself, lifted the red veil to look around, then lowered the veil again, pinched her ears vigorously, and after that pinched her palms, finally collapsing weakly back into her seat

The entrance was crowded with onlookers and cheerers, and when the flower palanquin emerged, everyone clapped and shouted. Moreover, there were many people discussing and commenting.

With the voice of the wedding officiant, a deafening sound of firecrackers erupted outside

The Eastern Song Dynasty has been established for only fifty years, and the current Emperor Kaibao is the third emperor of the Eastern Song, having just passed his coming-of-age ceremony. However, Yang Shangbao is one of the founding ministers, having served through three reigns. Although he is not a first-rank official, his long service across three dynasties has established his foundation, and he is greatly trusted by the emperor. If You Wu were to marry into the Yang family, even Yan San would not dare to act recklessly.

This matter is difficult to articulate

Yuwen could not help but feel delighted, nodding and saying: "This is indeed very good! However..."

It turns out that the current year is the sixteenth year of the Kaibao era of the Eastern Song Dynasty. The current emperor's birth mother is Empress Dowager Yan, and when the emperor ascended the throne, he received significant support from the Yan clan, thus he has shown much favor to the members of the Yan family. Consequently, the Yan clan has been acting tyrannically and doing as they please. This year, during the Buddha's birthday festival, a distant relative of Empress Dowager Yan, who holds the official title of Fifth-Rank Prince Consort and is named Yan San Shi, saw You Wenda's daughter, You Wu, at the temple. Upon returning home, he lost his appetite and could not find peace, tossing and turning. Seeing this, Madam Yan had no choice but to send someone to propose marriage to the You family.

The issue is that Yan San Shi is already married with children, and he has married the daughter of a prominent family. There is no reason for him to stop his current marriage and take another wife for the daughter of the You family. Therefore, when the matchmaker came to visit, although her tone was ambiguous, the You family still understood that Yan San Shi intended to take You Wu as a concubine

Although Yang Shangbao is old, he has never been one to adhere to formalities. Upon seeing You Wenda's loss of composure, he couldn't help but laugh heartily and said, "My old wife passed away ten years ago. Remarrying now would not be considered disloyal to her. It is just that I will have to trouble Wuniang to be a secondary wife."

Having learned of the original owner's plight, You Wu abandoned the thought of fleeing from the marriage. She silently experienced the solemnity and complexity of ancient wedding ceremonies, feeling a sense of regret. Alas, if only the groom were a handsome young man, it would have been a gain; instead, he is an old man.

Although it is absurd to let You Wu marry Yang Shangbao, upon careful consideration, it is indeed the most appropriate solution. You Wenda pondered back and forth, and said softly: "I am just afraid it might tarnish the reputation of the esteemed elder."

Now, if she jumps out of the sedan chair to escape, will she succeed? You Wu pondered, forgetting to hold onto the side of the sedan. As the sedan made a turn, she bumped her head against the wall with a "thud," momentarily causing a splitting headache, yet fragments of the original owner's memories surged in her mind.

When Yang Shangbao lifted the veil, he saw a tear-streaked face. He was momentarily taken aback, then gently asked, "What’s wrong? Who has bullied you?"

Yang Shangbao also realized a problem: You Wu was extremely beautiful, a natural beauty. No matter which grandson married her, it could not be guaranteed that he could keep her, and Shen Yunan might not necessarily believe that You Wu would still remain pure at that time

Upon hearing her father's words, which compelled her to marry Yang Shangbao, You Mu was so shocked that she could not speak. That evening, she arranged to meet Shen Yunan with her close maid, Lan Yue, hoping to explain a few things. Shen Yunan kept the appointment and met You Mu in the back garden of the You residence. It is unknown what Shen Yunan said, but You Mu returned with tears streaming down her face, remaining in a daze for two full days.