On the very second day after Han Zhi returned home, a matchmaker arrived at the Su Family.
"Matchmaker, whose family's young gentleman is the match you're bringing up today?" The master of the house welcomed the matchmaker inside and asked with a puzzled look.
"It's the young gentleman of the Fuping Earl Mansion in the southern part of the city, the very same young master who just won first place as Jieyuan yesterday. He is eighteen years of age, blessed with a striking appearance and profound scholarly talent," the matchmaker said with a smile.
At this, the man paused for a moment, then looked over at his daughter, Su Zhen.
The latter was sitting quietly, as if leaving everything to her father's discretion. In truth, over the past couple of days, suitors had been coming by; her two uncles had personally brought gifts and traveled with their eldest sons to propose marriage.
However, the man had refused, which meant the two uncles hadn't even caught a glimpse of Su Zhen. But now, another suitor had appeared, and he had yet to find out whether his daughter would be willing to meet him.
"Ba Niang, what are your thoughts? Would you like to meet and see him?" he asked.
Su Zhen gave a slight nod and said, "Since he is a Jieyuan, he must have some measure of talent. It is indeed worth meeting him. Why not set it for tomorrow?"
That being the case, the man said, "Very well, we shall accept the matchmaker's token now. If the meeting goes well, we can finalize the marriage arrangement."
The matchmaker smiled, nodded, and said, "Many thanks, Official Su. This old woman will head back now and bring the news to that young gentleman."
"Sorry to trouble you."
Watching the matchmaker leave, the Mistress, who had been sitting quietly to the side all along, spoke up: "Husband, what is the meaning of this? Didn't you see my two younger brothers just yesterday? Why agree to their matchmaker's proposal today?"
"I never wanted to marry Ba Niang off to her maternal uncle's family in the first place. Cheng Zhicai's conduct is far from scrupulous. Even if it would be a marriage between already-related families, wouldn't I fear breaking Ba Niang's heart?"
Cheng Zhicai was Su Zhen's maternal cousin, which made him the Mistress's nephew.
Needless to say, the Mistress was Madam Cheng, and the man was Su Xun.
"But social customs are simply like this nowadays; the worst we can do is discipline him more strictly in the future," Madam Cheng argued.
Su Xun waved his hand and said, "Enough, enough. The great matter of marriage is not something we can decide in a single word. It depends not just on us, but on Ba Niang's own wishes as well."
Madam Cheng looked at Su Xun, let out a sigh, and said no more, leaving him to have his way.
Over at the Fuping Earl Mansion, Han Zhi and his parents listened to the matchmaker's report. At that moment, Han Zhuo asked, "That Su Banniang, whose young lady is she?"
"Answering the young master, she is the daughter of Official Su Xun from the western part of the city."
Hearing this, Han Zhi finally remembered—Su Zhen was Su Banniang, Su Shi's elder sister, and currently the only eldest daughter of the Su Family. She had read widely since childhood and was immensely talented...
It was only a pity that later on, after marrying her maternal cousin, she was mistreated to death.
"Tomorrow, Young Master Han will need to prepare a gold hairpin and a bolt of fabric to go and meet his prospective bride," the matchmaker reminded him.
Han Zhi stood up, nodded, and said, "I understand. Thank you, Mother Matchmaker."
With that, Han Zhi took a silver ingot from his pouch and placed it into the matchmaker's hand. Receiving the silver, the matchmaker's smile grew even wider as she began to chatter again:
"This old woman offers her premature congratulations to Young Master Han. At the second quarter of the Mao hour tomorrow, I will come to escort Young Master Han to the Su Family."
"Very well, sorry to trouble you, Mother Matchmaker."
With those words, the matchmaker took her leave. Han Zhi was the second to leave, returning to his room alone.
His room had four walls—or rather, they could hardly be called walls, being instead four floor-to-ceiling paper-pasted lattice windows. Sitting at his desk, a sudden, inexplicable irritation rose in his chest, and he called out directly: "Yueping!"
At that moment, one of the "walls" was pushed open, and a maid-attendant walked in.
"Young Master, what are your orders?"
She was Han Zhi's personal maid, having accompanied him since childhood and knowing his temperament very well. Yet recently, he had become somewhat difficult for her to fathom.
"Tomorrow when we go to meet the prospective bride, we need to prepare a gold hairpin and a bolt of silk. Go and get them ready. Make sure they are of good quality, so others don't feel we are looking down on them."
"Yes."
...
The next day, accompanied by the matchmaker, Han Zhi arrived by carriage at the gates of the Su Family. Catching sight of Han Zhi, Su Xun was the first to bow and offer a greeting: "Greetings, Official Han."
"Greetings, Official Su."
"I hardly dare accept such courtesy." Su Xun quickly reached out to help Han Zhi up. "My humble daughter is still waiting inside. Please come in, Official Han."
Upon entering the main hall, only Su Shi and Madam Cheng were present; Su Zhen was nowhere to be seen. At that moment, Su Xun said, "Our dwelling is crude, with no fine places to entertain Official Han for your meeting. Shall we go to the entrance of my daughter's boudoir to speak?"
Perhaps this was a test devised by Su Xun and the others, but Han Zhi did not refuse. He took Yueping with him and followed them along.
After making a few turns, Han Zhi was led to a small courtyard, but there was no one in the yard. At this, Su Xun immediately frowned, looking somewhat puzzled as if the situation had exceeded his expectations.
He called out, "Ba Niang? Official Han has arrived!"
There was no response. Wearing an apologetic expression, Su Xun looked at Han Zhi and then led him into the courtyard once more. In truth, he was afraid in his heart, terrified that his daughter might take a dislike to this Jieyuan.
Seeming to sense that Han Zhi had stepped into the courtyard, a sigh suddenly drifted out from the room.
"Forgive me, Official Han. Yesterday I conceived the first half of a poem, but for reasons unknown, after writing the upper stanza, I was unable to compose a matching lower stanza. Tossing and turning all night, I finally failed to sleep, and now I have yet to finish dressing my hair, making it inconvenient to receive you."
Su Zhen's voice came from inside the room. Han Zhi was slightly startled, and understanding dawned on him instantly:
She was testing him!
While unofficial histories recorded "Su Xiaomei's Three Tests of Qin Langjun," this had now become "Su Banniang's Playful Test of Jieyuan Han."
He exchanged a glance with Su Xun, who by then must have understood Su Zhen's meaning as well, and took a small step back. At that, Han Zhi spoke up:
"I had previously heard that Lady Su is exceptionally talented, and today I learn that she has composed a new lyric. Therefore, I make so bold as to ask: might I have the honor of hearing it? If I am clever enough, perhaps I can help resolve Lady Su's vexation."
The room fell silent for a moment before Su Zhen's voice rang out once more: "In that case, I shall recite it for you to hear."
After waiting briefly, Su Zhen recited:
"Emerald curtains hang low, veiling jade hooks, fragrant breezes brush the face, intoxicating the pavilion of the heart. The zither plays a song of longing, a thousand lines of brocade script filled with entwined sorrow. The new moon is like a hook, cloud-like hair falls loose, and the hedge reflects against the ornate window, which in turn reflects the candle."
Upon hearing this, Han Zhi was quite taken aback; for a moment, he genuinely could not think of a matching lower stanza.
"I must trouble Official Han with this, then."