Chapter 3 — The Dowry Without a Name

She wore the fine garments that Huai-Jin had purchased for her that very day, adorned with hairpins gifted by the Dowager Matron herself. Her complexion was far more vibrant and rosy than it had been when she first crossed the threshold of the manor. Yet, the moment she entered the room, she lowered her head and knelt upon the floor.

"Matron, Marquis, Madam," she whispered, her voice trembling. "After the birthday banquet, please, I beg of you, grant me leave to depart the manor."

Every gaze in the hall shifted toward me. A kinswoman from the clan spoke up first, her tone sharp with disapproval. "Everything is perfectly fine; why must you leave? Has someone been treating you with unkindness?"

Lian immediately shook her head. "The Madam has treated me with great kindness. It is merely that my staying here causes the Madam to endure baseless rumors. I do not wish to be the cause of any discord between the Marquis and his wife."

She was defending me, and as a result, the glances cast my way by the kinswoman grew colder and more accusing. "Huai-Jin owes his life to her. What harm is there in a guest staying a few days? One is a savior, the other is the lawfully wedded wife; it should be a harmonious arrangement. It is a pity that some people have such narrow, jealous hearts."

"You are quite right, Aunt," I replied with a smile. "If you find it so difficult to part with Miss Lian, perhaps it would be best if she went to stay at your manor instead."

The tea cup in the kinswoman’s hand froze in mid-air. "My manor is crowded, and the chambers are far too cramped..."

"Even a small space can be shared," I countered. "Did you not just say that it is perfectly fine for a savior to stay for a while?"

The aunt lifted her cup, suddenly finding the tea leaves floating within it to be of fascinating interest. The Dowager Matron slammed her own cup down onto the table with a sharp crack.

"Ming-Tang, Lian is merely a young woman. Why must you corner her at every turn?"

"She was the one who claimed she wished to leave; I am merely offering her an alternative residence. That is not cornering her. You are the ones insisting she stay in the Marquis's manor while refusing to define her status—yet you call that kindness?"

I looked around the room, meeting every pair of eyes. "She has lived here for half a year. The world outside will not refrain from gossiping about her reputation simply because she has a pretty face. If you truly cared for her, you would provide her with a respectable place to stand, rather than keeping her here while waiting for me to bear the brunt of the scandal."

Lian bit her lower lip, tears shimmering in her eyes. Suddenly, Huai-Jin spoke. "Then we shall give her a status."

The hall fell into a heavy, suffocating silence. He looked at me, his expression resolute, as if he had finally reached a difficult decision. "Lian has a life-saving debt owed to me. I cannot allow her to remain in this manor without a title." He paused, his voice deepening. "She does not ask for the position of primary wife; she only seeks a status that allows her to remain by my side with dignity. Lu Ming-Tang, you are already the mistress of this house. Why must you deny her even this small bit of standing?"

Before I could answer, he added each word with cold precision: "I will welcome her into this house as my equal wife."

Lian seemed startled, quickly prostrating herself on the floor. "Marquis, you cannot! I have never sought to contend with the Madam."

She spoke with apparent sincerity, yet she remained on the floor, showing no intention of rising. The entire room waited for my reaction. The Dowager Matron’s fingers slowed as they moved over her prayer beads. "Ming-Tang, it is a virtue for Huai-Jin to be grateful and loyal. An equal wife still holds a position beneath yours. If you cannot even tolerate this, it can only be seen as a lack of proper perspective."

I did not answer immediately. Qing-He, standing behind me, was trembling with anxiety. Huai-Jin watched me, his eyes already prepared to deliver a rebuke. If I were to throw a tantrum, it would only confirm Lian’s victimhood.

"Very well," I said.

Huai-Jin’s hand, resting on the edge of the table, went rigid. Lian looked up in shock.

"You agree?" the Dowager Matron asked, surprised.

"Mother, you said it yourself: an equal wife is still a wife. And since she is to be a wife, she is no longer a guest who can live here idle and fed." I turned to my maid. "Qing-He, bring in the records for the birthday banquet."

Moments later, the servants brought in two large, heavy trunks. The guest lists for thirty tables, the dietary restrictions of every branch of the family, seating charts, kitchen procurement logs, ceremonial gift tallies, and the schedules for the theatrical troupes—each volume was stacked before Lian. The mountain of ledgers grew higher. Lian’s hands, resting on her knees, began to tighten.

"I... I have never managed a banquet of this scale," she stammered.

"It is no matter," I said, sliding the guest list toward her. "There are ten days left. You have time to learn."

Lian looked to Huai-Jin for salvation. He hesitated for a moment, his hand resting on the stack, but eventually, he pressed the files back down. "The status can be given to Lian," he said, looking at me with an air of entitlement. "But the banquet will still be managed by you."

I stared at the list under his hand, then at Lian, who was still kneeling. They did not just want me to care for his savior; they wanted me to perform the labor of a wife so she could enjoy the title of one. I pulled the stack of records from beneath his hand. He assumed I had finally accepted my fate, his grip loosening. I immediately set the list back down in front of Lian.

"Did you hear him?" I asked.

Lian gripped her handkerchief. "Madam, I truly do not know how..."

"When I was first married into this manor, I did not know how either."

"But you were born into a high-ranking family; you were trained in these matters from childhood. I am just a commoner, how can I compare?"

"Then," I asked, "if you are so different from me, why are you qualified to be a wife just like me?"

Lian went stiff. Huai-Jin’s hand slammed down onto the table.