If Ji Cheng could hear Fourth Miss Wang’s words now, she would likely applaud in agreement. Pretending for just one day already felt incredibly difficult to Ji Cheng.
Today, many young ladies from noble and prestigious families have arrived, totaling around twenty or thirty. Shen Yuan, with great consideration, introduced Ji Cheng to all of them. Consequently, Ji Cheng not only had to quickly match their faces with their names but also understand their backgrounds and origins.
In these young ladies’ circles, social ranking was of utmost importance. Even the slightest mistake could offend someone. Young girls tend to be narrow-minded, and one error could significantly damage their impression of you.
Therefore, Ji Cheng had to clearly understand who these girls’ fathers were, their titles, and their official positions. If their fathers held similar ranks, she needed to know their mothers’ backgrounds – which great families they came from. She even had to be clear about their grandfathers’ and grandmothers’ histories. Not to mention the intricate web of relationships between them – were they paternal cousins, maternal cousins, or related by marriage? Or perhaps daughters of mentors or old friends?
Ji Cheng felt that even if ancient sages like Yan Zi or Zhuge Liang were reborn, they might struggle to memorize all this information accurately in such a short time.
Thus, Ji Cheng could only try to speak less, listen more, and observe. She attempted to guess their preferences from their conversations, then interject at appropriate moments with comments that hit the mark. She couldn’t blindly agree with their discussions, nor could she refute them outright. The balance was incredibly delicate.
For Shen Yuan, these social intricacies came naturally, as she had over a decade to memorize these complex relationships and varied preferences. But Ji Cheng had only been in the capital for about a month. After a round of socializing, Ji Cheng felt her head spinning, though thankfully, she hadn’t made any major missteps.
In Ji Cheng’s eyes, any of these people could potentially become her sister-in-law or other relatives in the future. She didn’t want to offend any of them, so she indirectly flattered them. Fourth Miss Wang’s earlier observation about the difficulty of pretending rang true.
Seeing that Ji Cheng conversed appropriately and could chat easily with others, Shen Yuan no longer felt the need to escort her everywhere. After all, some young ladies, while politely exchanging a few words with Ji Cheng out of respect for Shen Yuan, didn’t truly wish to engage with her.
Ji Cheng didn’t try to curry favor excessively, as that would only lower her status and invite contempt.
However, those who looked down on others were in the minority. Most people were quite friendly towards Ji Cheng, with some being particularly enthusiastic.
At that moment, Miss Qi was gazing at Ji Cheng with intense interest. “Is Miss Ji wearing snow mist silk?” she asked.
Mist silk was already an extremely light and thin fabric, and snow mist silk was the finest among them. Layered together, it resembled the light clouds and thin mist encircling mountain peaks at dawn, making the wearer appear like a goddess from Wu Mountain, seemingly about to float away with the clouds.
This delicate snow mist silk, with threads only one-tenth the thickness of a hair, took an ordinary woman a year to weave, and the process couldn’t be interrupted. If broken, it would become a defective product.
Its exorbitant price was understandable.
However, such items weren’t listed as tribute goods. The local officials weren’t fools. Snow mist silk was extremely difficult to produce in full pieces. Even slightly rough fingers could easily break the threads. If it were listed as a tribute item, it would have to be presented annually. What if there wasn’t enough quality product in a given year? That could cost someone their head.
Therefore, local officials spent considerable money to ensure snow mist silk was removed from the list of tribute goods. Although this affected its reputation, the price continued to rise year after year, making it as valuable as gold per inch.
Ji Cheng was particularly fond of snow mist silk and had gone to great lengths to acquire the ice-blue piece she wore. The blue was like the pale blue of ice under a blue sky, enhancing its ethereal, misty appearance.
Ji Cheng nodded. She had deliberately chosen this outfit. Marriage was about uniting two families, and she had already displayed her value. Now she waited for the other party to reveal theirs.
Ji Cheng’s thoughts were clear. She didn’t mind if her future in-laws valued the Ji family’s wealth; it was her leverage. She was even willing to support their entire family, as long as they provided something of equal value in exchange.
The young lady before her, Qi Hua, was from the Yunyang Earl’s household.
The Yunyang Earl title was bestowed by the founding emperor and had been passed down for five generations. This generation’s Yunyang Earl was the fifth, and the next would see a reduction in rank. After the current Earl’s passing, not only would their noble stipend decrease significantly, but even the facade of their mansion would need to be altered, no longer able to be called an Earl’s residence.
But for now, the Yunyang Earl was still in good health, though he lacked great ability and merely lived off his ancestors’ legacy. The household’s expenses had long exceeded its income.
Ji Cheng’s family pawnshop had received many items from the Yunyang Earl’s household, most of which were never redeemed.
As for Qi Hua, she was slightly older than Ji Cheng but still unmarried. Although she was graceful and elegant with no major flaws, her dowry was too small. Coupled with the Yunyang Earl’s household’s decline, she had few suitors.
Nowadays, noble families emphasize maintaining connections within their circles. Most had no real official positions at court, relying instead on a complex network of in-laws and old friendships. Many had daughters in the palace, preferring the route of palace connections over high official positions at court.
Therefore, when arranging marriages for their eldest sons or grandsons, these families sought brides from equally prestigious backgrounds to form alliances. For second sons, they considered whether the bride’s dowry could support their son’s expenses after the family division.
Given these considerations, Qi Hua didn’t meet any of the criteria, explaining why, despite being an Earl’s daughter, she remained unmarried at nearly sixteen.
“Only someone with Miss Ji’s complexion could do justice to this snow mist silk,” Qi Hua praised, her face showing a hint of envy. “Though for today’s Hundred Flower Banquet, this snow mist silk might be a bit too plain.”
Truthfully, Qi Hua felt somewhat uncomfortable. She saw that Ji Cheng, merely a merchant’s daughter, wore jewelry and clothes that exuded nobility, making her, an Earl’s daughter, look like a street vegetable seller in comparison.
“Miss Qi is too kind,” Ji Cheng flattered. “Sister, you’re as elegant as a chrysanthemum. Your bee and butterfly chasing chrysanthemum hairpin truly complements you perfectly.” Ji Cheng had gauged Qi Hua’s personality from the moment she saw her.
Lacking confidence, Qi Hua held her chin slightly higher, her gaze lingering mostly on others’ attire. Envy was inevitable, but Qi Hua’s pride wouldn’t allow her to admire openly, so she always looked at others with a slightly critical eye.
Ji Cheng knew that people like Qi Hua had fragile self-esteem and couldn’t bear any slight, or they would surely resent you. So she chose to praise the only noteworthy item – Qi Hua’s hairpin.
Qi Hua’s face lit up with a smile. “This is the work of Master Ling from the Baiyan Pavilion. His lifework was a set of twelve flower hairpins, and this chrysanthemum is one of them.”
“No wonder,” Ji Cheng smoothly continued. “I thought the chrysanthemum’s stamens looked incredibly lifelike, and the bee and butterfly seemed almost real from afar. I knew it wasn’t ordinary, but I didn’t realize it was Master Ling’s work.”
Suddenly, Qi Hua felt as if she had found a kindred spirit in Ji Cheng. “Sister, you have such a good eye,” she said. She felt extremely comfortable around Ji Cheng, finding her words pleasing and her attitude warm. Moreover, Ji Cheng’s lower status, combined with her connection to the Shen family, made her the perfect candidate for a close friend.
As people become closer, they tend to talk more, and with proper guidance, even things usually kept private can be revealed unknowingly.
Ji Cheng soon learned that Qi Hua had an eighteen-year-old brother who was still unmarried and currently served as a palace guard. Although he didn’t attend to the emperor directly, Qi Hua claimed her brother could converse with the high-ranking eunuchs, which was already quite significant.
Sometimes, the words of a chief eunuch in the inner palace carried more weight than those of a cabinet elder.
Ji Cheng quite liked Qi Hua’s cleverness. After inquiring about Ji Cheng’s age and learning she was still unmarried, Qi Hua began enthusiastically praising her brother. She didn’t seem to care whether this carrot dangled before a donkey was attainable for Ji Cheng or not; Qi Hua had already hinted that Ji Cheng could start “planning.”
As for how to plan? Starting with Qi Hua, the potential future sister-in-law was certainly not wrong.
Ji Cheng just smiled faintly, rarely responding.
Qi Hua understood that Ji Cheng, being a young lady, was naturally reserved and shy. She stopped talking about her brother and instead asked, “Sister Cheng, you’ve been in the capital for over a month now. Have you met your cousins from the family?”
Ji Cheng nodded. Apart from the third young master Shen Zhen from the second branch who was in the military camp, she had met all her other cousins.
Qi Hua seemed to think of something, her cheeks flushing as she lowered her voice, “The first young master Shen’s wife passed away years ago. Why haven’t we heard any news of him remarrying?”
Ji Cheng hadn’t expected Qi Hua to be so ambitious. From what she knew of Madam Huang, Qi Hua probably wouldn’t meet the Second Madam’s standards. “I’m not sure, but my eldest cousin will surely remarry eventually. The household needs someone to manage it, and young Hong’er needs a stepmother to look after him.”
Qi Hua had used her brother to bait Ji Cheng, so naturally, Ji Cheng could use Shen Yu to tease her back.
However, Qi Hua then said, “That’s exactly the point. The eldest young master must be quite old now. His delay in remarrying might prevent his younger brothers from arranging their marriages. I heard at the Peony Banquet that Princess An He has been quite anxious about this matter.”
Ji Cheng hadn’t noticed any anxiety from Princess An He. The princess’s outings were always accompanied by a ceremonial procession, making casual trips inconvenient. Therefore, apart from visiting the palace and paying respects at temples, Princess An He rarely left the Qing Garden.
Qing Garden had specially purchased small actors from Jiangnan who sang and performed daily. Princess An He seemed quite content.
“I wonder what kind of person the second young master Shen will marry in the future?” Qi Hua sighed.
Ji Cheng was at a loss for how to respond. She had no chance of becoming Shen Yu’s second wife, let alone marrying the only son of Princess An He.
But seeing the sparkle in Qi Hua’s eyes when she mentioned Shen Che, Ji Cheng could understand to some extent. His appearance was indeed exceptionally handsome and refined, dazzling to the eye. It was no wonder he became an obsession for many young ladies.
“I wonder what kind of person could capture the heart of such a man,” Qi Hua sighed again.
Ji Cheng had never worried about such things, but she didn’t want to continue this conversation with Qi Hua. Her eyes turned towards Shen Yuan in the flower garden nearby, and at that moment, Shen Yuan and the young ladies with her were also looking at her.
“Ah, it’s truly enviable. It seems all the spiritual essence under heaven has gathered in your Shen family. Not just your sisters, even your relatives are one more beautiful than the next. It’s impossible not to admire,” Li Hui sighed with a smile. “If that one were standing by the water, wouldn’t she be the very image of the Goddess of the Luo River? When I read Cao Zijian’s ‘Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River,’ I always felt he had described the goddess too beautifully and ethereally. Only today do I realize it was my own limited experience.”
“That’s my third aunt’s niece, Cheng,” Shen Yuan said with a smile, hearing Li Hui praise Ji Cheng.
Li Hui naturally knew about the Shen family’s third madam. She replied, “Oh, I see. I hadn’t expected that.”
Shen Yuan smiled slightly, immediately understanding the meaning behind Li Hui’s words. Her third aunt indeed had some shortcomings, but it wasn’t her fault. After all, she was limited by her background.
Meanwhile, Ji Cheng, catching Shen Yuan’s glance, apologized to Qi Hua and walked over to Shen Yuan.
Shen Yuan first introduced Li Hui to Ji Cheng. Ji Cheng then learned that this young lady, who looked as dignified and noble as a palace consort, was actually from the Jingwu Marquis’s family. Her grandmother was the elder sister of the late emperor, Princess Zhengping, known as the longest-living royal family member.
After they had greeted each other, Shen Yuan half-covered her face with a fan and complained to Ji Cheng, “What did you and Qi Hua have so much to talk about?”
Shen Yuan’s implication was clear – she also looked down on Qi Hua. However, her way of showing dislike was much more subtle than Fourth Miss Wang’s. She would still send Qi Hua invitations out of courtesy, given their distant family connections, but that was the extent of it.
Ji Cheng could see that among the twenty or thirty young ladies present, each had a group of close friends. They gathered in twos and threes or groups of four or five. While not strictly divided, there was a clear “birds of a feather flock together” dynamic.
Li Hui, overhearing, also advised, “You’re new to the capital and might not understand, but in the future, it’s best to avoid talking too much with such declining families. Otherwise, people might think you’re of the same ilk.” Li Hui offered this advice to Ji Cheng out of respect for Shen Yuan.
“Thank you for your guidance, Sister Hui,” Ji Cheng responded graciously, but her heart sank. The class distinctions among the capital’s powerful families were too stark, making Ji Cheng feel somewhat daunted.
It hadn’t been like this several decades ago. Otherwise, Ji Cheng’s aunt wouldn’t have been able to marry into the Qi Duke’s family back then.