Three ex-husbands and a marriage

Character settings

News of the elopement spread rapidly throughout the region and soon reached the imperial city. Luckily Father had anticipated this and explained to the Emperor immediately. The Hu family took full responsibility and it was said that Grand General Hu vomited blood we he heard the news.

The Emperor took pity on the Bai family and reward us ten boxes filled with gold and jewellery as compensation. In addition to the Hu family's dowry gifts, the Emperor's rewards have the young Miss Bai an extremely wealthy woman.

Of course the compensation was taken from the Hu family as they were fined a year's salary. In the end it was a light price to pay for publicly embarrassing the Bai family. The Hu elders kowtowed and thanked the Emperor for his mercy.

....

I knew that the imperial family is in decline and many factions are forming within the nobility and ministerial ranks. This is the platform the female lead took towards becoming the top dog. Conquer the men, conquer the nation. The Emperor had to make sure that the Bai family are properly compensated for this, after all, it was his imperial decree that settled the marriage.

Even though I am the victim in all of this, the world is not kind to 'abandoned' women. Many jealous people spread malicious rumours about my misfortune. The cruel joke was that after selecting from a thousand men, the one I chose in abandoned me for a maid. The abandoned woman whom the Young Hu Master toyed with and threw away. Isn't it ironic?

A week passed and no one could locate the two runaways. I wondered what Second Brother did with Hu Xuan and started to feel more anxious. Second Brother has always been kind to me since I possessed this body but I could tell that he can be cruel and decisive.

My heart felt uneasy and demanded answers. Finally I could not sit still any longer and put aside my hesitation and invited Second meet me that night.

Since I have come of age, Mother have taught me that my private rooms has become sacred ground and men shouldn't be allowed in without supervision. I thought she was too cautious but she reiterated that it included family members and servants. Thus we met in the watchtower.

"Mingling is finally ready to face me?" he asked calmly as he appeared from within the shadows.

I glanced backwards and stepped away from the window. I approached Second Brother slowly, my heart pounding and tongue tied. Seeing him like this under the candle light, raised conflicting feelings.

"Yes, I am finally ready to hear an explanation. Don't lie to me, Second Brother. I don't want our relationship to change but I cannot forgive those who lie to me," I said. I know that my calm soft voice belies the deafening pounding of my heart.

"What do you want me to say?" he asked teasingly as he took a few steps closer to me.

"What did you to do the Hu family?" I asked.

"Are you worried about that man?" he asked. The cold tone carried a sharp edge.

"Yes. I do not want to have people hurt or die because of me," I said matching his cold energy.

"Mingling, rest assured, that man did really run away with his maid. It is all true, maybe not willing or knowingly, but he is safe and sound."

"What did you have against him anyways?"

"He forced you, he has no right to force you to marry him and it was clear that you do not love him."

"Be it as it may, it is wrong to do such an extreme thing, are you not worried that the Emperor will find out and punish our family? Directly disobeying his decree and blaming the other party, that is a crime!" I said with slightly raised voice and sounded abit shrill.