After noon passed and the sun began to slant westward, it was time for the daughters of the Jiang household to depart for the Lantern Festival.
The other members of the Jiang household would also go together, though they wouldn’t board the Linglong Boat but would instead appreciate the lanterns of the entire capital from the riverside taverns.
The coachman had been waiting early at the household gate. Jiang Susu was the first to board the carriage, beckoning Jiang Ruan and the others to come up. Jiang Li and Jiang Dan also rode in the same carriage as Jiang Ruan and the others. With several Jiang household guards following, they were taken to the banks of the Yongding River, where the Linglong Boat was already waiting.
Although the Linglong Boat was said to be spontaneously organized by the noble ladies of the capital, the expenses each year were actually covered by the palace. Not by the Empress, however, but by the currently most influential Consort Shu, who was also the Eighth Prince’s birth mother. Consort Shu enjoyed the Emperor’s unwavering favor, holding a position in the palace that even the Empress had to fear somewhat. Her maternal family was also wealthy and powerful, thinking nothing of these expenses. They generously covered the annual costs of both the Linglong Boat and Qingsong Boat for the Lantern Festival, claiming it was merely for the sake of liveliness, though their deeper intentions were unknown.
The carriage moved leisurely along the roads of the capital. Jiang Li and Jiang Dan, being concubines’ daughters, were also attending the Lantern Festival for the first time. Jiang Dan timidly kept her head down in silence, while Jiang Li appeared somewhat anxious. If not for considering Jiang Ruan and Jiang Susu’s presence, she would have already lifted the curtain to peek outside.
Jiang Ruan was resting with her eyes closed when she suddenly heard Jiang Susu’s voice: “Does Big Sister know any talents?”
Here it comes, Jiang Ruan sneered inwardly, but raised her eyes with surprise: “I don’t know anything particularly noteworthy. Why does Second Sister ask this?”
“Big Sister, why be so modest?” Jiang Susu pretended to be annoyed: “Among our own sisters, surely there’s no need to be shy? Big Sister may not know, but every year on the Linglong Boat during the Lantern Festival, young ladies from each family display their talents to claim the top prize. Whoever wins can receive the most beautiful lantern on the boat.”
Jiang Ruan lowered her head in contemplation: “It does sound interesting, but I truly don’t know anything.”
“How could that be?” Jiang Susu said: “When First Madam was alive, she was accomplished in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. I don’t believe she never taught you.” Her tone was innocent, like that of a truly frank and sincere young girl, yet her words were infuriating in their implications. Back then in the Jiang household, who didn’t know that Zhao Mei, though a woman of exemplary character, was born into a military family yet willingly learned music, chess, calligraphy, and painting for Jiang Quan’s sake, only to still not win his favor? The refined accomplishments she had forced herself to learn for Jiang Quan’s sake appeared as childish as a beginner’s attempts before the capital’s foremost talented woman. Jiang Quan favored Xia Yan and would bring her to any occasion, making Xia Yan’s elegance increasingly highlight Zhao Mei’s perceived crudeness—at least in the world’s eyes.
Now Jiang Susu was bringing up Zhao Mei’s study of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting again—the sarcasm was evident.
“Second Sister is wrong about that,” Jiang Ruan said with a smile: “Surely not all of Second Sister’s learning came from Mother’s personal instruction? Naturally not. Father hired tutors to teach Second Sister, but living on the estate, I certainly didn’t have the fortune of having tutors.”
Jiang Susu was momentarily speechless, then after a pause said: “But I see Big Sister is so intelligent—surely you’re not without any talents. Besides, this concerns our Jiang household’s reputation. Big Sister should think of some presentable skill, at least enough to get by.”
“What does Second Sister think I could do?” Jiang Ruan asked.
Jiang Susu looked at her somewhat suspiciously, but seeing Jiang Ruan’s candid gaze, as if she truly wanted help making a decision, she said: “Calligraphy, chess, and painting cannot be mastered overnight, and Big Sister hasn’t learned music either. Why not perform a dance? There should have been song and dance performances on the estate too—learning a few movements from such dances would suffice.”
Jiang Ruan nodded: “That’s a good idea. Second Sister thinks very thoroughly.”
Jiang Li beside them snorted coldly: “Better not make a laughingstock of yourself.” Though she said this, her eyes flashed with schadenfreude. Meanwhile, Jiang Dan timidly smiled at Jiang Ruan.
Jiang Ruan leaned back: “In that case, I should indeed think carefully about what dance to perform later.”
“I believe Big Sister will surely astound everyone,” Jiang Susu said with a smile.
Jiang Ruan closed her eyes, seeming to be in deep thought, but her mind was suddenly crystal clear.
The boat was full of daughters from prominent families—what kind of talents hadn’t they seen? Yet Jiang Susu’s suggestion was for her to perform those rustic dances that could be performed casually on any stage in the countryside. If she really danced such a thing, by tomorrow she would become the laughingstock of the entire capital.
Jiang Susu was indeed using the same methods as in her previous life, but the play wouldn’t unfold as she wished this time.
After traveling for some time, they heard the coachman call out, and the carriage swayed to a stop. Several maidservants lifted the curtain from outside, and the passengers alighted from the carriage one by one.
Jiang Ruan was the last to leave the carriage. When she stepped onto the riverside grass and saw the scene before her, she couldn’t help but feel a moment of disorientation.
By the time the carriage had stopped, the sky had already grown completely dark. In the deep, curtain-like night sky, countless bright Kongming lanterns were reflected. The capital was already brilliantly illuminated, and the moat flowing at their feet was also bright with lights. Various kinds of lanterns completely filled the entire river surface, appearing like a flowing river of lights at first glance. At the front, two boats carved with dragons and decorated with phoenixes were adorned with many exquisite lanterns, with wisps of incense smoke rising from them and the sound of pleasant laughter and conversation drifting out.
These were the Qingsong Boat and Linglong Boat. Jiang Ruan took a deep breath, then heard a servant announcing in a drawn-out voice: “The Jiang family misses have arrived—”
The laughter and conversation stopped abruptly, and gazes from the large windows of both boats converged on the several young ladies who had arrived fashionably late.
As the capital’s foremost beauty, Jiang Susu naturally enjoyed such attention. Today she wore a silver squirrel jacket paired with a white plum narrow silver long skirt, her hair styled in a flowing cloud chignon with only a white jade plum blossom hairpin at her temple. As she walked, the snow-white cloak on her body swayed in the wind—ethereally beautiful like a fairy descending to earth.
However, people’s gazes only lingered on her for an instant before falling on the young lady behind her.
The young lady’s entire figure was enveloped in a bright red crane cloak, making her skin appear white as jade and filling observers with imagination about the graceful figure beneath the cloak. Her eyes were like autumn water and her brows like ink paintings. Under the lamplight, her expression was pitiful, yet her upturned alluring eyes contained an elusive coolness. Her red lips curved gently, and her jet-black long hair was simply gathered in a small bundle at the back, allowing the rest to cascade down freely. Unlike the ethereally refined fairy, she was seductive and brilliantly beautiful. Though perfectly proper with natural aristocratic bearing, she seemed to unconsciously entice. Step by step she approached the crowd, actually making people involuntarily hold their breath, unable to distinguish whether this young lady, like a spirit of the mortal world, was dream or reality.
She was so beautiful it was startling.