After the Double Seven Festival meeting, Madam Hu grew increasingly pleased with Peng Fan Jin. Regardless of Peng Fan Jin’s preferences or temperament, as long as she was generally suitable and worthy of being the Young Lord’s wife, that would suffice. And if nothing else, Peng Fan Jin’s status certainly made her worthy.
Later, the Wei Guo Duke’s mansion also invited Madam Hu for a visit, and she brought Qin Yan along.
It was said that day Peng Fan Jin had gathered with two of her closest friends at home, giving them another chance to observe Qin Yan. Qin Wan happened to be at the Yi Qin Prince’s mansion administering acupuncture that day, so she missed going with Madam Hu. When Madam Hu returned with Qin Yan, her evident delight showed that both families had intentions toward the marriage.
While Qin Yan’s marriage prospects were progressing, soon it was the nineteenth of the seventh month – Prince Cheng’s wedding day.
Given the hostility between the Marquis’s mansion and Prince Cheng’s mansion, with Qin Xiang caught in between, the Loyal and Brave Marquis naturally wouldn’t go looking for trouble by attending. However, they couldn’t completely ignore propriety, so they sent a steward with gifts but didn’t attend in person.
Neither Lord nor Lady Qin attended, and Qin Wan especially kept her distance. Moreover, this day was the death anniversary of her own family.
While celebratory music rang out at Prince Cheng’s mansion, Qin Wan was writing a memorial text at home. Her father, mother, and her former self had no graves – she had nowhere to pay respects. She could only write a memorial text and burn it along with incense, hoping it would somehow reach her parents in the underworld.
After writing for most of the day, Qin Wan finally finished. Together with the incense and paper money that Fu Ling had prepared in advance, she burned everything in a corner of the back courtyard. Since it was considered inauspicious to commemorate the deceased outside of traditional festivals, Qin Wan naturally wouldn’t let Lord and Lady Qin know. Though Bai Ying and Fu Ling knew about it, they didn’t know exactly whom Qin Wan was commemorating, as today wasn’t the death anniversary of Lord and Lady Qin.
Fu Ling had long felt unable to understand Qin Wan’s thoughts – both in Jin Zhou and even more so after returning to the capital. Later, when Qin Wan examined corpses and such, she always took Bai Ying with her. Bai Ying knew martial arts and was stronger than Fu Ling, so Fu Ling harbored no resentment. She only felt confused about whom Qin Wan was commemorating now, but seeing Qin Wan’s reticent state, she didn’t dare ask.
The memorial service lasted until late at night. Thinking about how she hadn’t seen Yan Chi since their meeting at the Double Seven Festival, Qin Wan decided to visit the palace the next day and take the opportunity to visit the Grand Princess.
Early the next morning, Qin Wan took her palace entry token and set out by carriage. At the palace gates, she unfortunately encountered Prince Cheng and Feng Chen Bi’s carriages – they were also supposed to pay their respects to the Empress Dowager early the next morning.
The area before Zheng Yang Gate was wide open, and Qin Wan couldn’t avoid the encounter.
As soon as the carriage stopped, Feng Chen Bi’s voice rang out, “Who do we have here? It’s the Noble Princess Yong Ci herself.”
Qin Wan stepped down from her carriage to see Prince Cheng and Feng Chen Bi standing outside the city gate with their servants.
Today they both wore their official rank clothing. Prince Cheng Yan Qi wore a dark red princely robe embroidered with four-clawed coiled dragons, while Feng Chen Bi wore a floor-length dark red palace dress with embroidered auspicious clouds and cranes. Her hair was styled in a married woman’s fashion, and today’s dark palace attire subdued her former delicate vulnerability, making her appear somewhat more dignified. However, her small face was still powdered an unnatural white with pearl powder, and combined with her bright red lipstick, she appeared insubstantial, unable to carry off the grand ceremonial clothing.
Qin Wan curtseyed, “Greetings to Prince Cheng and Princess Cheng.”
Yan Qi narrowed his phoenix eyes and waved his hand, while Feng Chen Bi stared coldly at Qin Wan.
She had disliked Qin Wan for stealing her spotlight before, and now looking at Qin Wan, her eyes held several additional layers of inexplicable hatred. Qin Wan hadn’t seen this young lady for many days and didn’t understand how she had offended her.
Feng Chen Bi had always been pampered and proud. Naturally, Qin Wan didn’t care whether she felt hatred or joy, and after rising said, “Please, Prince and Princess, go ahead.” She had no desire to walk with these two.
The couple should first pay respects to the Emperor, then the Empress, and finally, the Empress Dowager, while she could go directly to Shou Kang Palace and avoid them. She had planned it well, but Feng Chen Bi didn’t move, saying, “Is Princess Yong Ci going to pay respects to the Empress Dowager? Perfect, we can go together.”
What kind of goodwill was this from Feng Chen Bi? She wanted to walk together.
As Qin Wan grew wary, Yan Qi smiled and said, “We’re also going to Shou Kang Palace. Today, Father Emperor and Mother Empress are all waiting there…”
Qin Wan inwardly cursed her bad luck, though she wasn’t afraid of the two – she simply didn’t want to walk alongside people she disliked.
“In that case, please, Your Highness, go ahead…”
Qin Wan was a person who observed proper etiquette, and at her words, Prince Cheng finally smiled and turned to leave.
As he turned to walk away, he didn’t even wait for Feng Chen Bi. Wearing the heavy palace dress, she naturally wanted to keep up with Prince Cheng’s pace, but after following for a short distance, she was not only out of breath but still far behind Yan Qi. Feng Chen Bi bit her lip and gave up following. She turned her head to look at Qin Wan behind her – she had said they should walk together specifically to humiliate Qin Wan!
After all, her status was now extraordinary!
Seeing Feng Chen Bi deliberately waiting for her, Qin Wan knew she had something to say. Sure enough, supported by her maid, Feng Chen Bi said while staring straight ahead, “Come to think of it, the Princess and I are now somewhat related by marriage.”
If it were someone else, hearing this suddenly would probably ask why in confusion.
But Qin Wan understood immediately and smiled, “The Princess’s status is noble; naturally, we couldn’t be related.”
Feng Chen Bi smiled mockingly, “Oh? There’s a concubine in the Prince’s mansion named Xiang’er, who I hear is the legitimate daughter of the Qin family’s third branch. By rights, she should be the Princess’s legitimate elder cousin’s sister. What’s wrong? Has the Princess forgotten?”
The matter of Qin Xiang couldn’t be avoided. Qin Wan sighed, “I do know of this person.”
Seeing Qin Wan’s indifferent response, Feng Chen Bi laughed coldly, “A legitimate daughter of the Qin family, yet she voluntarily became a concubine. Princess Yong Ci maintains such a shameless attitude. The Qin family truly has a fine upbringing, no wonder they raised such a lowborn daughter.”
Qin Wan smiled, completely unperturbed, “On your first day of marriage, the Princess is so concerned about a concubine. Could it be because you know that Prince Cheng was originally infatuated with the Qin family’s daughter and forcibly took her from the Marquis’s mansion?”
Feng Chen Bi’s expression changed, and Qin Wan continued, “These are all the Princess’s family matters, and I have no wish to interfere. But the Princess making such a spectacle of telling everyone shows that you don’t have Prince Cheng’s favor, since he already had a concubine before you entered the household. This must be quite embarrassing for the Princess. Moreover, while the rights and wrongs of this matter are now difficult to judge, even though Prince Cheng’s status is noble, if word spreads about him forcibly taking a Qin family daughter, I doubt His Majesty would approve. The Princess would do well to be more cautious.”
Feng Chen Bi had intended to use Qin Xiang to humiliate Qin Wan, but she hadn’t expected Qin Wan to be not only completely unbothered but to hit her where it hurt with just a few sentences. Moreover, mentioning that the Emperor might investigate Yan Qi left Feng Chen Bi unable to argue. She felt a surge of stifled anger in her heart that she couldn’t express, “You… you… it was your cousin who debased herself to seduce Prince Cheng!”
“The incident happened at the Wei Shan hunting grounds. Instead of following his ancestors’ example of competing in the hunt, His Highness Prince Cheng forcibly took an official’s daughter right under His Majesty’s nose. Does the Princess want to argue this point with me? Would you like to discuss it in front of the Empress Dowager and Emperor later?”
Qin Wan turned to look at Feng Chen Bi, her gaze carrying a sharp edge that made Feng Chen Bi shudder. She had never known that the seemingly gentle and graceful Qin Wan could have such a knife-like gaze!
“You… I…”
Though Feng Chen Bi was spoiled, she was all show and no substance, unable to handle real confrontation. Qin Wan’s status and position were now completely different, and Feng Chen Bi was already wary of her. Seeing Qin Wan’s sharp words made her even more fearful. These matters could only be used to privately humiliate the Qin family – how could she speak of them in front of the Empress Dowager and Emperor? Not only would Empress Dowager and Emperor not help her, but Prince Cheng would likely be the first to blame her for causing trouble. Last night at the wedding, Prince Cheng had treated her properly according to custom, but when she couldn’t contain her anger and asked about the Qin family trash, his expression immediately changed. The wonderful wedding night was ruined just like that!
Feng Chen Bi deeply hated Qin Xiang, but before she could deal with Qin Xiang, she ran into Qin Wan. She had wanted to humiliate Qin Wan but instead hit a wall.
Feng Chen Bi pressed her lips together tightly, not saying another word.
The surroundings fell silent, and Qin Wan felt more at ease. Qin Xiang had brought this upon herself, and there was nothing she could do. When Feng Chen Bi came looking for trouble, she naturally wouldn’t show weakness, but if she went too far, Qin Xiang would be the one to suffer.
As Prince Cheng’s primary wife and the Noble Consort’s niece, it would be all too easy for her to deal with a mere concubine.
Qin Wan sighed – it was beyond her reach, and she had no desire to pity Qin Xiang.
The journey to Shou Kang Palace continued without incident. At the entrance, Prince Cheng did remember to wait for Feng Chen Bi. The Emperor and Empress’s ceremonial carriages waited at the palace gate, indicating everyone had arrived.
Qin Wan stayed a step behind, waiting for the royal couple to enter before following them into Shou Kang Palace. However, she didn’t go to the main hall – it wouldn’t be appropriate while the Prince and Princess were paying their respects.
Just as she was planning to wait outside the hall, Matron Su hurriedly approached from the side, presumably to report to the Empress Dowager, but spotting Qin Wan outside, she immediately came forward to bow. Seeing her anxious expression, Qin Wan quickly asked, “What’s wrong, Matron?”
Matron Su looked distressed, “Princess, the Ninth Prince has disappeared!”
Qin Wan frowned, “How could he disappear? Weren’t you watching him?”
Matron Su was nearly in tears, “His Highness was sleeping, so this servant didn’t watch him closely. But when I stepped out briefly and returned, His Highness was gone. I thought he might have gone out to play or come to the Empress Dowager, but after asking around, no one has seen him. I went back to search again, but everyone says they haven’t seen His Highness.”
“No one has seen His Highness? With so many people guarding…”
Matron Su smiled bitterly, “Princess doesn’t know, but His Highness frequently manages to slip away on his own. We don’t know how he finds ways to get out. I’m worried about him and was about to inform the Empress Dowager so she could dispatch people to search for him.”
Qin Wan pondered briefly, “Prince Cheng and his Princess just entered the main hall. Here’s what we’ll do – I’ll go look for him first, and you send some palace maids to check his usual spots. Just let the Empress Dowager know briefly, so she won’t worry.”
Matron Su gratefully thanked her, and Qin Wan left Shou Kang Palace with Bai Ying.
Outside the palace gates, Qin Wan headed straight for the Imperial Garden. She remembered seeing Yan Sui playing alone in the corridor near the Imperial Garden last time, the same day she witnessed Feng Ling Su dealing with a palace maid.
If he were a normal child, Qin Wan wouldn’t be so worried, but Yan Sui rarely spoke. If something was wrong, he might not cry or make a fuss, which made it especially concerning.
Following the palace path toward the Imperial Garden, it was still early with few people about. This made it harder for Qin Wan to ask if anyone had seen Yan Sui. As she walked farther, she grew anxious, wondering if Yan Sui might be hiding in some corner, or perhaps still somewhere in Shou Kang Palace…
With these thoughts, Qin Wan slowed her pace. Just then, two palace servants approached, speaking quietly among themselves. Seeing them, Qin Wan quickly asked, “Have you seen the Ninth Prince?”
At this question, the servants’ expressions changed slightly, but they didn’t immediately deny it.
Qin Wan could tell they had seen Yan Sui, “Where is the Ninth Prince?”
The servants recognized Qin Wan and dared not be disrespectful. One of them said softly, “We did see the Ninth Prince just now… He… he seemed to be heading toward Yong Ning Palace…”
Yong Ning Palace! Qin Wan remembered – this was where Consort Jin had lived!
No wonder these servants looked strange… Had Yan Sui run back to Yong Ning Palace?!
After Consort Jin’s incident, Yong Ning Palace had become somewhat taboo within the palace. Why would Yan Sui run back there?
Qin Wan didn’t want to talk more with these two and hurried off in the direction they indicated to find Yan Sui.
Yong Ning Palace was in the northwest of the inner palace, naturally in a quiet location. Consort Jin had entered the palace late, so she couldn’t get a prime location, but this hadn’t affected her favor. She was the only one who had shared the Noble Consort’s favor for many years, which was why many later suspected the Noble Consort had harmed her.
Qin Wan walked until she was out of breath. When she reached Yong Ning Palace, she saw its gates were long locked.
The once-glorious Yong Ning Palace, home to His Majesty’s most recently favored consort, now stood desolate. A year after Consort Jin’s death, not only were the gates tightly shut, but the vermillion paint on them had faded and peeled, and cobwebs covered the door frames. In this late summer, it looked particularly desolate and forlorn. Qin Wan looked around but couldn’t find Yan Sui.
Qin Wan frowned, and Bai Ying said, “Miss, could it be that the Ninth Prince never came here?”
Qin Wan shook her head and walked around the outer wall of Yong Ning Palace toward the back. The palace’s remote location, now abandoned and empty, gave everything around it a desolate feeling. The palace chambers further northwest were uninhabited, making the surroundings silent and deserted. As Qin Wan walked around the building, the scene grew increasingly desolate until she came to another ceremonial gate.
Yong Ning Palace occupied considerable ground, and besides the main gate, it had a ceremonial gate connecting to the Imperial Garden. Now, Qin Wan stood outside this ceremonial gate. If the main gate was locked, this gate would naturally be closed too. And there was Yan Sui, his small figure crouching by the old gate covered in green moss and vines. The nearby plants partially concealed him – if one didn’t look carefully, they might not even notice someone crouching there. Qin Wan’s heart ached at the sight…
“Ninth Prince?” Qin Wan called softly. Yan Sui’s body moved as he turned to look.
Seeing it was Qin Wan, Yan Sui’s expression remained calm, but he didn’t speak. He simply turned back around, fiddling with something on the ground. Qin Wan walked through several clusters of knee-high weeds to reach Yan Sui and saw he was holding a tree branch, using it to dig a hole in the ground. He was trying to bury a small cloth bundle in the hole.