Upon returning to Hundred Fragrances Garden, the Grand Madam showed signs of fatigue. Her daughters were all quite perceptive and returned to their respective rooms one after another, not daring to delay the Grand Madam’s rest.
Fifth Miss didn’t wait for her two sisters. As soon as she left the main courtyard, she hurried into the corridor.
Sixth Miss also put away her carefree cheerful expression upon leaving the main courtyard. After greeting Seventh Miss, she went straight through the Gathering Eight Immortals pavilion back to Little Fragrant Snow.
But Seventh Miss’s heart was in turmoil. Instead of heading to Jade Rain Pavilion, she entered the western side of Hundred Fragrances Garden and turned into Hundred Rain Gold.
It was spring, and Hundred Rain Gold displayed dozens of pots of early-blooming peonies in myriad beautiful forms. Unfortunately, Seventh Miss had no mind to appreciate them. She sat in the pavilion in a daze for a while before retrieving a small paper tube from her sleeve.
This paper tube had rolled from Eunuch Zhang’s hand into Seventh Miss’s when he’d patted her arm earlier.
Seventh Miss recalled Lady Scholar Jiao’s words: “Traveling south with Eunuch Zhang—bearing duties from the Eastern Palace…”
And Princess Consort Minyue’s statement: “Sworn brothers with Eunuch Lian who grew up sweeping floors together from childhood…”
After all, she spent her years confined to the inner courtyard. The customs of Jiangnan were one thing, but she was quite unfamiliar with the personnel matters of the capital. As for who this Eunuch Lian was exactly, Seventh Miss had no idea whatsoever.
Recalling Xu Fengjia’s brief mentions of Feng Jin, and how Feng Jin hadn’t followed convention to enter the Hanlin Academy but had instead come south immediately after achieving honors, he was becoming increasingly mysterious in her mind.
She exhaled a long breath before slowly unrolling this delicate, tightly wound small paper tube.
Lines of elegant, fine script immediately appeared before Seventh Miss’s eyes.
After reading just a few lines, Seventh Miss was certain this was indeed Feng Jin’s handwriting. Though she’d never read an essay by this young man, handwriting revealed character. This script was beautiful yet precipitous, every stroke urgent—it truly matched Feng Jin’s personality.
The paper wasn’t large, and Feng Jin’s letter was quite concise. Seventh Miss scanned it once and had already finished reading. She read it word by word several more times before sleeving the note and rising to return to Jade Rain Pavilion.
It was already past lunchtime, and the entire Hundred Fragrances Garden was immersed in afternoon drowsiness. As Seventh Miss passed the entrance to Success Residence, she saw the little maid Lianyu sitting on the threshold, her head bobbing as she dozed.
Ninth Brother was still at Shantang Academy and wouldn’t return until evening.
For the first time, Seventh Miss felt a trace of resentment toward Ninth Brother—though his abilities weren’t small, he only knew to arrange eyes and ears in the inner residence. He knew nothing at all about court affairs in the outer residence… The Grand Master had roughly guessed Feng Jin’s whereabouts as early as last year, yet Ninth Brother seemed unaware he even had such a cousin. Even with the person having come south to Jiangnan, there was no reaction at all.
How could one feel confident entrusting him with matters in the official world in the future?
Jade Rain Pavilion was also completely quiet. Seventh Miss walked from the western wing of the garden all the way into Jade Rain Pavilion, only hearing a few cat calls from Moon Arrival Pavilion and someone’s voice speaking. Washing Gauze Cove, the small storeroom… all were peaceful and quiet without a sound.
Lixia was dozing in the main hall, while Shangyuan was doing needlework in the eastern side room. Neither maid was napping.
Seeing Seventh Miss return, they both came forward to greet her. “You’ve finally returned.”
“Have you eaten lunch yet? We were just thinking of going to the main courtyard to ask whether to prepare lunch for you…”
Seventh Miss suppressed her jumbled thoughts and smiled at Shangyuan. “I ate lunch on the boat. Attending to Mother, I didn’t eat well. Go make a trip to the main kitchen and have Sister-in-law Li make me a bowl of noodles.”
She dispatched Shangyuan from the room and pulled Lixia into the western inner chamber.
“Take a look at this letter.” She handed the small paper tube to Lixia.
Lixia raised an eyebrow and wordlessly accepted the tube, slowly unrolling it and reading the letter word by word.
Even someone as composed as her couldn’t help but slowly break out in a sweat between her brows.
After finishing, she contemplated for quite a while before sighing softly. “Tanhua Feng… what audacity!”
Seventh Miss was even more emotional. “One can calculate and scheme endlessly, yet never predict how quickly people can change…”
“But no matter what, for Miss this is ultimately a good thing.” Lixia hurried to comfort Seventh Miss. “That Tanhua Feng wishes to repay kindness shows he understands propriety. Other matters are beyond your control.”
In his letter, Feng Jin had written only three points. First: thanking Seventh Miss for years of continuous care that had helped the Feng family through their most difficult period. Second, now that Feng Jin had achieved success, it was time to repay gratitude. If Seventh Miss desired the Crown Prince consort position, with just one word, he could help elevate her to that position. In the future within the palace, the two cousins would support each other from inside and outside. Third, over the years Seventh Miss had provided the Feng family with over a thousand taels of silver in total—not a small sum. As Seventh Miss awaited marriage, accumulating private savings wasn’t easy. He hoped she could send a reliable person to meet with Feng Jin at a certain location in Suzhou so he could repay this silver in full.
Though the wording was courteous and the language polite, the information this letter revealed was far more complex than these three simple points.
Particularly regarding the selection matter—Feng Jin had only just achieved third place as a mere tanhua. No matter what official position he held, his seat wasn’t even warm yet. Where did he get the audacity to direct Eunuch Zhang, telling him whom to select?
And this thousand taels of silver was indeed no small sum. If Feng Jin had merely been studying honestly in the capital, in just a few years’ time, where had he accumulated this money?
One couldn’t help but think askew!
Seventh Miss relayed to Lixia the few words from Princess Consort Minyue and Lady Scholar Jiao.
“When he fell out with the Yang family back then, though it was awkward, I actually felt somewhat glad in my heart,” she said softly. “A young man with integrity—that can’t be called a bad thing… But I never imagined that Young Master Feng’s integrity also had a price.”
Though Seventh Miss naturally had no place to comment on Feng Jin’s life, watching such a beautiful yet fragile young man become entangled in imperial intrigues filled one with the sadness of colored clouds easily scattered, colored glass easily shattered.
That youth who could look coldly upon the powerful, who’d made an enemy of the Jiangnan Governor-General for the sake of integrity—in just three years, he’d changed completely…
Lixia had no words and could only comfort Seventh Miss. “Don’t think too much about it. Perhaps it’s because Young Master Feng is exceptionally clever… and earned the Eastern Palace’s appreciation…”
“However clever, a newly appointed tanhua—how could he influence the results of an imperial selection?” The more Seventh Miss thought about it, the more unspeakable regret she felt. “Ah, forget it. That’s other people’s family business. I can’t control so much. That Young Master Feng has such glory today can be considered raising his head in pride. Even if this wealth came through improper means, it’s still wealth after all.”
Lixia couldn’t help raising her eyebrows.
With Seventh Miss’s experience and temperament, never mind if Feng Jin was selling his appearance—even if he died in the street, it probably wouldn’t make Seventh Miss this agitated.
Why was it that upon returning to Jade Rain Pavilion today, her words and actions carried irritation, completely contrary to her usual reserved gentleness…
She didn’t speak, only quietly stood behind Seventh Miss and began massaging the stiff muscles at her neck and shoulders.
Soon Shangyuan brought in the noodles. Seeing Seventh Miss’s displeased expression, she didn’t dare say much. After receiving several glances from Lixia, she quietly withdrew from the room.
Seventh Miss knew she’d been unusually out of sorts today.
But her heart was churning—various matters flooding into her mind at once made decision-making difficult… For the moment, it was hard to calm down.
After eating, Lixia had already prepared the bedding and lit some calming incense. After Seventh Miss slept and woke, her mood gradually settled.
“Tomorrow I’m giving you a day off to go home and visit Uncle Zhou and Aunt Zhou.” Leaning on her pillow, she quietly instructed Lixia. “See if Uncle Zhou isn’t busy, then go out avoiding others. If you’re fortunate enough to meet Young Master Feng, absolutely do not accept the money. Just say you congratulate Young Master Feng on achieving tanhua… Ask whether that Miss Feng has learned the Feng family’s raised embroidery technique.”
Lixia’s shoulders trembled. “Miss! Young Master Feng may not value the raised embroidery technique now… You needn’t—”
Seventh Miss revealed a bitter smile.
“Lixia, I’m also in a difficult position.”
The vicissitudes and bitterness in her words moved even Lixia.
“The raised embroidery technique brings Qianxiu Workshop over a hundred thousand taels in annual dividends. How could Cousin Feng not be tempted? Even without Huang the Embroiderer’s chaotic stitch embroidery, halving the profits would still yield several tens of thousands of taels annually. Fine, you know and I know that Qianxiu Workshop reaching its current status is inseparable from the connections Father and Mother have accumulated over the years. But Cousin Feng may not think so.” Seventh Miss’s brow was heavy. “He’ll always want to try before he’ll be satisfied. This was originally Feng family technique. Even if Miss Feng learns it and keeps it secret, only passing it between children—that’s still remembrance of ancestors.”
She paused, half-sitting up to look at Lixia, this head maid she could absolutely trust, both servant and friend, and voiced her core reason in a low voice. “Moreover, when asking favors of others, without a generous gift, how could I possibly ask…”
“Miss means—” Lixia raised her eyebrows, rarely showing confusion. “You’re unwilling to let Young Master Feng do this Crown Prince consort favor for nothing?”
Seventh Miss took a deep breath, biting her lip and contemplating for another moment before nodding resolutely. “No, I’ll have to wrong Sixth Sister this once! When heaven offers and you don’t take it, you’ll suffer the consequences instead. The opportunity has come to my door—I absolutely cannot miss it! Anyone can become Crown Prince consort—but I will not!”
Lixia froze completely.
After a long while, she asked carefully, “Miss… Crown Prince consort is such a tremendous honor…”
But Seventh Miss was already too lazy to explain more to Lixia.
Ever since Xu Fengjia came south to Jiangnan, so many matters were no longer hers to orchestrate. She could only follow the momentum, declining others’ expectations and demands of her.
The future seemed shrouded in layers of fog. She could only continuously act against her will. Though the time wasn’t yet ripe, she could only temporarily accept passivity. But the feeling of having the strings held in others’ hands was truly terrible!
Whether that person was Xu Fengjia, the Grand Madam, or even the Grand Master or Feng Jin… all made her feel indescribably uncomfortable from head to toe.
My fate is mine alone to decide, not heaven’s. Her destiny must ultimately be her own to control!
“You write this letter.” She paced into the western inner chamber, personally grinding a pool of ink and indicating Lixia should sit at the desk. “Don’t include a signature or name. Using my tone, tell Cousin Feng that the palace is treacherous, my talents and appearance are limited. If as a concubine-born daughter I rashly obtained the Crown Prince consort position, I would certainly need to walk on eggshells, exhausting every scheme just to gain a foothold. These ten-plus years at the Yang family have already consumed all my effort—I feel my oil lamp running dry. If I entered the palace, I fear after exhausting my heart and mind, my years would be even shorter. Please ask Cousin to help me be removed from the selection list. That would be his best repayment to me!”
She paused, then frowned and muttered to herself, “No, don’t mention repayment. I’m afraid Cousin Feng may not want to see those two characters. Change it to ‘assistance’—the phrasing probably needs more polishing…”
Having spent these years beside Seventh Miss, Lixia could read several thousand characters. Though her handwriting couldn’t be called beautiful, it was at least neat. As Seventh Miss spoke, she was already putting brush to paper, steady and calm, not revealing a trace of agitation.
This girl was now even more composed than herself.
Having finally made this decision, Seventh Miss was so excited she felt dizzy and faint. As her heart surged, she was already speculating about everyone’s thoughts and possible reactions. Leaning beside Lixia and watching her finish writing this letter, she gradually calmed down. Exhaling a long breath, she grasped Lixia’s hand and said softly, “The Gui family’s second young master—though I’ve only met him once, their Gui family maintains proper family traditions. This generation has no concubine-born sons, and the several concubines I’ve heard are all inconsequential. Though life in the northwest is harder, the local customs are simple and forthright, unlike our Jiangnan’s sinister and soft ways that disgust people. Once I’m married over, I’ll find you a good match and make you a housekeeper’s wife. We mistress and servant can live our lives well in the northwest. Wouldn’t that be far better than becoming that wretched Crown Prince consort?”
Lixia had completely settled down.
“Whatever Miss wants to do, just do it.” She turned to comfort Seventh Miss instead. “You needn’t explain—as long as you’ve made up your mind, through mountains of blades or seas of fire, I’ll follow you without another word!”
Seventh Miss looked at this refined young woman for a long while before smiling faintly.
“Yes,” she responded softly, “through mountains of blades or seas of fire, I’ll keep you at my side!”
#
Though there was no class at Vermilion Profit Pavilion today, toward evening Seventh Miss still changed clothes and went to the main courtyard to pay respects to the Grand Madam.
Just as she lifted the curtain to enter the hall and was about to call out a greeting, she saw Lidong hurriedly lift the curtain from the eastern wing and gesture for Seventh Miss to be silent.
Seventh Miss was about to inquire when she heard the Grand Madam’s voice from the eastern side room.
“Even if the Master doesn’t think of our Qin family, he should consider our children’s face. If this matter spreads to the capital, what face will Second Miss have to associate with relatives?”
The Grand Madam’s voice was rarely so shrill, her tone fragmenting with a somewhat hysterical flavor.
Then came the sound of porcelain shattering. “Unless I’m dead—even if I’m dead, this marriage absolutely cannot happen!”
Seventh Miss couldn’t help but furrow her brow.
Behind her came more soft sounds of a curtain being lifted.
“Moth—” Sixth Miss’s sweet, charming voice cut off abruptly. She walked quickly a few steps to Seventh Miss’s side and together with Seventh Miss listened carefully to the movements in the eastern side room.
“Face, face, face—can face feed you?” The Grand Master also rarely raised his voice. “You don’t know how magnificent his position is beside the Crown Prince—practically obeyed in everything, his word is law—”
“So what if his word is law? Although Little Seventh didn’t come from my belly, I watched her grow up. Marrying into the Feng family, could she possibly have a good life?” The Grand Madam immediately cut off the Grand Master’s words. “Yang Haidong, do you value fame and profit more than life itself? A favored catamite—you dare discuss marriage with him? It would shame us to death! I’m telling you…”
Seventh Miss wanted to keep listening, but Lidong was already asking her and Sixth Miss with an embarrassed expression, “Would both young ladies please withdraw for a moment to avoid awkwardness…”
She had no choice but to leave with Sixth Miss.
Sixth Miss also wore a shocked expression, frequently looking back. The eyes she turned on Seventh Miss were filled with inexhaustible sympathy.