Though not close enough to be old friends, the two shared a sympathy born of grievances against the Dong Family.
As someone who had lived in Yangzhou for a decade, Cui Shihan leaned against the horse and deeply inhaled the floral scent on the breeze. “Have you tried authentic Huaiyang cuisine yet?”
“Not yet.”
“I know a place that’s packed every day—you need to make reservations ahead. Another day, I’ll treat you.”
Jiang Yinyue was not one to play coy. Since they had met, whether coincidence or not, they ought to sit down and reminisce. “Sure.”
That evening, Jiang Yinyue received a message from Cui Shihan, inviting her to meet another day.
Jiang Yinyue stood at the back gate with a lantern in hand. Her snow-white robes were cast in warm yellow by the lamplight, trailing on the ground like gilded ripples, a snow lotus blooming in the inky night.
The woman was strikingly beautiful—coldly so when not smiling, with moth-like brows and phoenix eyes, graceful and poised. But when she smiled, the liveliness in her eyes added approachability.
When the back alley was empty, the verdant lamplight faded. Unlike great houses ablaze with lights all night, the Wei Family household in this bustling alley had only a paper lantern swaying at the gate, its glow dim and faint.
A man cloaked in ink-black emerged from the old tree at the alley’s mouth, removed his hood, and quietly surveyed the surroundings. This was the home into which Jiang Yinyue had married—a modest place without deep courtyards, visible from end to end from a high vantage.
He did not know why he had come here—perhaps merely to glimpse his old acquaintance’s husband’s home, the last bit of fond remembrance between them.
The old eunuch standing at a distance sighed silently. As an outsider, he seemed to see more clearly than those involved.
On the day of rest, at the Princess Dowager’s birthday banquet, the Xu Mansion in Yangzhou was filled with high officials, nobles, and wealthy merchants.
The Xu Mansion had been built by local master craftsmen, with carved beams and painted rafters, opulent and magnificent.
Guests filled the halls. Here, the male guests raised cups in toasts and small talk; there, the female guests strolled in groups.
In this lush season, greenery flourished everywhere, fragrant and refreshing. All the noble ladies had arrived, adorned with powder and rouge, dazzling and radiant—more alluring than the blooming flowers, their reflections graceful in the peach blossom pool.
The opera stage in the garden had been set up days earlier, and the troupe was now warming up, awaiting the main performance.
Some noble ladies whispered gossip they had heard.
“It’s said that for the Princess Dowager’s birthday, the Crown Prince will attend in person.”
Those who had not yet heard the news exclaimed in surprise, all eager to see what sort of elegant splendor this “jade tree before the wind” from their fathers’ tales possessed.
“The Xu Mansion has invited storyteller Mr. Gong.”
“He’s supposedly a retired elderly palace historian who turned to storytelling. Seats are impossible to get.”
“Lin Xiuer will be absent today—probably to avoid Consort Liangdi’s limelight.”
In the past, Yan Zhuyu, as the daughter of a minor official, had inevitably crossed paths with many of the noble ladies present, leaving some of them with cold sweats down their backs.
“And Bangyan Wei Qin will bring his wife—that’s the daughter of a second-rank Minister.”
Many noble ladies masked their inner disappointment amid their smiles. How many spring dreams had that clear, scholarly figure in plain robes entered?
“In my view, Lin Xiuer’s absence has little to do with Consort Liangdi—it’s more about Wei Qin.”
Back then, Prefect Lin had used threats and bribes for his daughter’s sake but failed. The onlookers thought Wei Qin disdained eating the soft rice of a high family from a mere fourth-rank prefect. Who would have thought he looked down on even a fourth-rank prefect’s household and aimed for loftier mansions?
A second-rank high official was among those wielding real power in the court, and Minister Jiang Song was a standout.
“I wonder what sort of demeanor a daughter raised in such a high household has.”
“I’ve heard some rumors. They say this Minister’s daughter was originally the Empress’s choice for a crown princess, but because of her arrogant and flamboyant temperament, Your Majesty rejected the marriage proposal. She even became a stepping stone for Consort Liangdi.”
“There’s such a thing?”
The crowd whispered among themselves, their voices drowned out by the Xu Mansion’s festive clamor.
When Jiang Yinyue and Wei Qin arrived, they first presented the priceless Emerald Ruyi at the gift table. Then the couple parted temporarily, and Jiang Yinyue followed a mansion servant to the female guests’ side.
Wei Qin withdrew his gaze from his wife. As he walked with a young attendant into the covered walkway, lingxiao vines climbed sinuously, shading the brilliant spring sun.
Strands of light slanted in, casting crisscrossing beams across the corridor.
Wei Qin walked through the beams, his face—closer to the outer side—alternating between light and shadow.
A petite figure became a vivid splash amid the flickering light and dark.
In a woven robe cinched with a leather belt, the small person dressed in men’s attire, fanning herself with a folded fan, strode forward with a square gait.
The guiding attendant immediately bowed obsequiously. “Oh, Huai Jin County Princess, you’re here early today.”
“Earlier than the Crown Prince?”
The servant boy turned pale with fright. He glanced around and, with a furrowed brow, raised his index finger to his lips. “Shh, shh.”
Though the Crown Prince Your Highness’s attendance at the longevity banquet was no secret, the household servants did not dare reveal even a hint about the honored guest’s whereabouts. Had the Crown Prince Your Highness not wished to appear, the guests likely would not have caught even a glimpse of him.
Who would have thought this Huai Jin County Princess would expose the secret with a single remark.
Cui Shihan ignored the servant boy, who was drenched in cold sweat. She looked toward Wei Qin behind him, her expression neutral as she said in an ordinary tone, “Isn’t this Second Young Master Wei of the Wei Family? It’s been a long time. Should this lady address you as Bangyan or Transport Judge now?”
There was little interaction between low-born sons and high-born ladies, yet Wei Qin had quite a reputation in Yangzhou.
The elegant young master of the Wei Family, bright and clear as moonlight, had shone into the hearts of too many young ladies in their boudoirs.
Seeing Wei Qin merely nod in acknowledgment, Cui Shihan felt no embarrassment. She lightly shook her folded fan and strolled leisurely past the two of them. Instead of heading to the garden where the female guests gathered, she made straight for the small building beside it, only to be stopped by the unfamiliar guards stationed outside.
With a lazy drawl, she said unhurriedly, “Please pass on the message: a daughter of the Cui Clan requests an audience.”
Before the two guards could react, the door to the building was pulled open from inside. An old eunuch with graying hair smiled and said, “Please come in, County Princess.”
Cui Shihan raised an eyebrow and followed the old eunuch up to the elegant hall on the third floor. After paying her respects, she sat down directly across from a figure in white robes.
The elders of the Xu Mansion at her side felt this was highly improper, but not one dared to voice a rebuke.
“Another day, might this lady have the honor of inviting Your Highness to the river for a drink?”
The young woman’s deliberately lowered voice carried a rasp, strikingly similar to that of Grand Tutor Cui, far away in the Capital City.
Wei Xichen smiled faintly, showing no anger at Cui Shihan’s boldness.
“To drink with the County Princess would be this prince’s honor.”
The elders of the Xu Mansion grew even more astonished, but Old Princess Dowager Xu merely fiddled with the prayer beads in her hand, as if it were nothing unusual.
The Dong and Cui families had originally been families of long-standing friendship. The Yide Empress and Empress Dong had been close childhood friends, and it was the Yide Empress who had secretly accompanied Empress Dong the first time she met her fiancé.
Later, after the Yide Empress married into the Eastern Palace, she often summoned Empress Dong into the palace for company. Over time, Empress Dong became a frequent visitor, and feelings developed between her and the Crown Prince, who was soon to ascend the throne.
By the time the Yide Empress learned of it, the Dong Family had already canceled their daughter’s betrothal.
The year after the new emperor ascended the throne, Empress Dong entered the palace as a Noble Consort. She and the Yide Empress were pregnant in the same year, differing by just one month.
The drama of vying for the emperor’s favor became the main act between the former childhood friends.
From then on, the Dong and Cui families became enemies.
Three days before Old Princess Dowager Xu returned to Yangzhou, the Yide Empress gave premature birth. Rumors swirled that it was Empress Dong’s doing, all to ensure the emperor’s eldest son was born on an inauspicious day, as the emperor placed great importance on birth charts.
But rumors were just rumors. As an outsider, Old Princess Dowager Xu did not wish to get involved in the feud between the Dong and Cui families.
“Has Mr. Gong arrived?”
The old attendant at the side replied, “He has, and he’s been seated behind the opera troupe.”
“Mr. Gong is advanced in age and shouldn’t be kept waiting too long. Have him warm up the crowd instead.”
“Yes.”
Amid a chorus of applause, the storyteller made his grand entrance.
The small building was tall, and the elegant hall on the third floor was the best spot for listening.
Wei Xichen held his teacup and listened attentively. At exciting parts, he would even curve his lips in a shallow smile along with the crowd—until his gaze caught a splash of vibrant color.
A haitang-red gown wrapped a graceful figure, her waist slim as a willow, her neck like flawless jade. She sat alone under the stage, propping her cheeks with both hands.
She seemed isolated, yet also accustomed to solitude, disliking empty pleasantries.
Wei Xichen watched Jiang Yinyue, her hair styled in a startlingly beautiful updo, and the teacup in his hand suddenly felt heavy.
At that moment, Fu Zhongcai stepped forward. “Your Highness, Her Majesty has arrived.”
Wei Xichen’s expression remained calm, showing no intention of rising—or perhaps he simply did not wish to appear and cause unnecessary commotion.
Cui Shihan glanced over, her look laden with deep meaning.