Chapter 5, Jealousy and Rivalry

Shen Yunan suddenly smiled and said: "Young Master Yan, have you perhaps forgotten that Miss Wu is now the wife of Lord Yang, not a girl waiting in the boudoir, and not someone you can marry just because you wish to."

"Mother, how audacious the Yan family is! Why would Master Yang be willing to risk offending the Yan family by marrying me?" You Wu said softly, "Although the Yang family members are somewhat dissatisfied with Master Yang's decision to marry me, they have not expressed any extreme words or actions, which feels rather strange."

Madam Ji, upon hearing this, cleared her throat and said: "Back in the day, Master Yang was falsely accused of colluding with Prince Li, which nearly led to the exile of the Yang family. It was your grandfather who, despite the danger of being implicated by Master Yang, worked tirelessly to negotiate and ultimately found evidence proving that Master Yang had no connection with Prince Li; it was purely a false accusation by others. Only then did the Yang family escape this calamity. Naturally, the younger generation of the Yang family is unaware of this matter, but Madam Guo and others are well aware of the details. Now that our family is in trouble, your father has sought help, and Master Yang will certainly protect you, in order to uphold the bonds of gratitude and righteousness.

The maid's expression was somewhat strange as she stole a glance at You Wu, quickly lowering her eyes again, and replied: "It is the third young master of the Yan family, Yan San Shi."

Yang Shangbao was lost in thought, and after a while, he came to his senses and smiled, saying: "The Eastern Song Dynasty has been established for only fifty years, yet it has completely discarded the old customs, merely adopting the rules and rituals of the previous dynasty, forgetting the principles of human relationships, which is truly ... ... " As he spoke, he looked at You Wu and gently said: "When you choose a husband, it is one thing to consider other factors, but you must remember to choose a man who can protect you and is not afraid of the Yan family."

Due to Yan San's influence, You Wu had no choice but to marry into the Yang family. Subconsciously, she thought of Yan San as a villainous figure. However, upon seeing him now, she found Yan San tall and handsome, with striking features that were not inferior to Shen Yu Nan's. She couldn't help but be taken aback and, rubbing her forehead, asked, "How did you get in here?"

You Wu quietly stepped out, moving away from the pavilion. For a moment, she crouched down, her delicate hand cupped around her mouth, and called out: "Hey, don't you feel thirsty after talking for so long? If you're men, then fight it out; don't just talk big."

Yang Shangbao, upon seeing You Wu's demeanor, could not help but smile and stroked his beard, saying: "Before the establishment of our Eastern Song Dynasty, the people were fierce and the women were particularly bold. Every year during the Peach Blossom Festival in March, men and women would go out together. If a woman took a liking to a handsome young man, she would pick a peach blossom and approach him to express her affection, leading to many successful unions. My old wife, back in the day, also picked a peach blossom and stood in front of me, which is how our story began."

"You are here, so why can't I be here?" A young man dressed in a light blue long gown stepped into one side of the pavilion, glaring angrily at Shen Yunan.

Shen Yunan was startled by the voice and turned to look outside the pavilion. In the moonlight, he saw a young man standing proudly outside the pavilion and could not help but exclaim: "Yan San Shi, how come you are here?"

Indeed, Shen Yunan and Yan San Shi are actually not much different. You Wu noticed that Madam Ji was looking over with a troubled expression. To avoid causing her further worry, she refrained from mentioning the incident of Yan San Shi climbing over the wall. Instead, she quietly bent down, picked up the jeweled flower that Yan San Shi had dropped, held it in her hand, and softly said: "Mother, tomorrow have someone return the dragon and phoenix bracelets to the Shen family"

Is this possible? You Wu is foolish.

"Very well, in the future, after fulfilling my filial duties in front of my grandmother and father, with their approval, I will surely have the opportunity to take you on a trip to Jiangnan." Shen Yunan noticed that You Wu did not express any willingness to sacrifice for him, which further confirmed his belief that You Wu was not a suitable candidate for a legitimate wife. However, it was truly difficult to give up on such a beauty, who had once been his fiancée. Thus, he coaxed her, saying: "You should keep the token for now. When I have the chance to discuss it properly in front of my grandmother and father, I will certainly provide you with an explanation."

You Wu was mindful of Shen Yunan's reputation, not wanting to lose face in front of the servants, and even less wanting anyone to know that he was still entangled with her, his half-fiancée. Upon hearing the shout, he would undoubtedly flee. As for Yan San Shi, he had originally climbed over the wall to enter and certainly did not want to be caught on the spot. Indeed, as soon as she shouted, both Shen Yunan and Yan San Shi jumped up in unison and ran towards the wall.

You Wu was somewhat puzzled and said: "But my mother is extremely worried, fearing that ... ... "

"Wumei..." Shen Yunan caught the box with his right hand, placing his left hand over the surface of the box. Just as he intended to grasp You Mu's hand, he found that You Mu's hand had quickly retracted, and he missed the opportunity to hold it. Just as he was about to speak, a male voice suddenly rang out from outside the pavilion, saying: "Shameless!"

Hearing Shen Yunan's words, Yan San Shi refused to comply and exclaimed, "Did you not break off your engagement with Miss You? On what grounds does Miss You have to listen to you? Since you dare not marry her, you should just leave."

Thank you, Brother Shen, for your concern. As for my matters, I still have my parents to make decisions for me. You Wu did not wish to entangle herself further with Shen Yunan, so she directly picked up the box and placed it in Shen Yunan's hand, saying: "Brother Shen, hold this well. If any members of the Shen family come to demand the token in the future, we will certainly have to spit in their faces."

Yan San Shi ignored Shen Yu Nan, took a step to the left, and looked past Shen Yu Nan's shoulder, gazing at You Wu and saying: "Miss You, you dropped a pearl flower in the temple last time, I brought it back to return to you." As he spoke, he fished around in his pocket, pulled out a handkerchief resembling a picture book, unfolded it layer by layer, revealing a small pearl flower, and held it out.

Shen Yunan was furious, the pent-up frustration from the evening nearly erupted, but he restrained himself and asked, "Young Master Yan, what do you intend to do?"

The calmer You Wu appeared, the more frightened Lady Ji became, whispering: "Daughter, please do not think of anything unwise. If anything were to happen to you, I would not be able to live either"

Madam Ji pondered for a moment and finally said: "Daughter, regarding today's matter, you should inform Master Yang and let him decide. Your father is not here, and the only one who can help us is Master Yang."

You Wu, feeling helpless, comforted her, saying: "Mother, do not worry, I will not do anything foolish. I still have to wait for Father to return and find me a suitable husband!"

Shen Yunan was extremely angry in his heart, and he turned his head to Yu Wu and said: "You go back to the front first, I will handle things here."

Shen Yunan set down the box, took a step forward, blocking Yan San's gaze, and said angrily: "Young Master Yan, what is your intention in trespassing into a private residence?"

"Which Young Master Yan?" You Wu could not help but feel surprised and suspicious. Could it be that Yan San Shi still dares to cause a commotion at the Yang residence?

You Wu almost laughed again, is this how one comforts a child? For a moment, she felt a sense of emotion; if the original owner were to marry such a scoundrel, she would eventually be consumed until nothing was left. She said: "No, you should take back the token. If it causes discord between you and your family for my sake, it would be placing you in an unjust position, inviting the scorn of the world. I cannot bear this sin."

Madam Ji hurriedly expressed her gratitude, glancing at Yang Siming and then at Yang Siyu. Seeing that both of them had red lips and white teeth, she couldn't help but feel regret. Had she known that the Shen family would call off the marriage, she should have arranged for You Wu to marry one of them instead of marrying Master Yang.

Shen Yunan and Yan San Shi were both taken aback at the same time, just as they were about to speak, they suddenly heard You Wu's sharp voice screaming, "There are thieves! Come quickly! Two thieves have climbed over the wall and entered, hurry and report to the authorities!"

"Wumei, why can't you understand my heartfelt intentions?" Shen Yunan coaxed for half the evening, but seeing that You Wu was impervious to his advances, stubbornly refusing to step back or agree to become a concubine, a surge of frustration welled up in his heart. He suppressed it and lowered his voice, saying: "Yang Shangbao is already of advanced age and cannot protect you for many more years. What will you do when he stretches out his leg one day?"

Madam Ji disregarded societal opinions and arranged for You Wu to meet Shen Yu Nan alone. The intention was for Shen Yu Nan, upon seeing You Wu, to remember their past feelings and honor their agreement, allowing You Wu to have a glimmer of hope. However, upon suddenly hearing news of a thief entering the garden, realizing that something was amiss, she hurriedly led people to the garden, only to find You Wu standing alone outside the pavilion, with no sign of the thief. She quickly asked, "Where is the thief?"

Heavens, who can tell me what is going on? You Wu is secretly sweating

You Wu, upon hearing the voice of Madam Ji, rubbed her eyes and looked up, saying: "Shen Yunan wants me to be his concubine, but I did not agree."

You Wu noticed that several strong women were following Lady Ji, and not wanting to say too much, she simply stated: "Two cats jumped over the wall and I thought they were thieves, which frightened me, so I started shouting in panic"

"What?" Lady Ji fell onto the stone bench, murmuring, "Your father was previously a fourth-rank official. Although he has now been demoted to seventh-rank, he still holds an official position. How could he allow you to become someone else's concubine? Shen Yunan is being too excessive."

Hearing You Wu's voice, Yan San Shi's raised eyebrows immediately relaxed, and he gazed at You Wu with a dazed expression, honestly replying: "I climbed over the wall to come in"

Madam Ji comforted You Wu, saying: "I have already written to your uncle. Once your uncle receives the letter, he will certainly come to the capital to take care of a few matters. With your uncle here, if there are any arrangements made by outsiders, they will certainly not allow anyone to bully us."

Yang Shangbao waved his hand and smiled, saying: "Do not worry, aside from the young man of the Shen family, there are plenty of fine young men in the world. With the title of the matriarch of the Yang family, you can freely admire the handsome young gentlemen from other families at the banquet. If you take a liking to anyone, just let me know, and I will make the arrangements for you."

As they were speaking, a maid entered and reported: "Master, Madam, the young master of the Yan family has come to visit and wishes to meet with you both."

Hearing You Wu's assurance, Madam Ji let out a slight sigh of relief, but then she thought of Yang Shangbao, who was already of advanced age. Even if she wanted to protect You Wu, it would not be for many years. If she could not wait for You Wendao to return and You Wu suddenly became a widow, what would she do then

Madam Ji did not see Shen Yunan's shadow, and knowing something was amiss, she waved her hand to dismiss the maid, and then asked: "Where is Shen Yunan? What on earth is going on?"

So there is this layer of relationship. You Wu nodded slightly, feeling a sense of relief in her heart. Since the Yang family members are people who know how to be grateful and repay kindness, they should not make things too difficult for her in the short term.

Upon returning to the Yang residence, You Wu informed Yang Shangbao about Shen Yunan's situation with the You family. Yang Shangbao, upon hearing this, did not become angry; he merely clasped his hands behind his back and said: "The young man from the Shen family is short-sighted; it is fine if you do not marry him"

On the second day, Yang Siming and Yang Siyi came to escort You Wu back to the Yang residence. They entered and paid their respects to Madam Ji, conveying the words of Yang Shangbao: "Grandfather said, if there is any matter concerning the You family, just have someone inform the Yang family. We are all relatives, and there is no need to stand on ceremony"

Yan San Shi looked at You Wu and said: "Miss You, I am willing to divorce my wife and remarry, welcoming you as the primary wife. Please consider it."