Madam Bai smiled, “You really can’t remember? Think carefully. This happened just yesterday. Besides the Li family, did you meet anyone familiar or ask anyone for help?”
Mudan frowned, thinking for a moment. Suddenly, she recalled Wu San’s serious tone when he told her not to worry, that it was just a small matter, like a drizzle that would stop naturally before long. A small matter, a drizzle, not taking long… Because of the chance encounter with Yuhe’s plea for help, saving her from being trampled, the steward at Prince Ning’s estate causing trouble, the kind warning, the eager assistance, and then buying the stones, Madam Bai’s intervention, Pan Rong’s relationship with Jiang Changyang… Mudan was now almost certain who that person was.
Seeing Mudan’s expression, Madam Bai knew she had guessed correctly and said, “Indeed, it’s him. Although he asked me not to tell you, I think I should give you a heads-up. You should know who’s helping you, why they’re helping, what the reason is, and whether you can repay this favor or not.”
There’s never such a thing as help without reason or a free lunch in this world. Once or twice could be seen as a coincidence or someone being kind-hearted, but if it happens three or four times with such quick responses, even asking Princess Consort Min for help, the debt of gratitude, while not enormous, is certainly not small. This far exceeds the scope of ordinary sympathy or loyalty. Even if Madam Bai hadn’t mentioned it, Mudan would have realized it. After a long silence, she said, “I suppose you know he’s helped me more than once or twice. I think he’s a good person.”
Madam Bai sighed softly and said in a low voice, “I didn’t say he was a bad person. I just hope you’ll be careful. You should ask what needs to be asked and not remain in the dark. It’s not that he’ll do anything to you, but what will you do when the day comes that the debt of gratitude is too big to repay?”
Madam Bai’s words struck a chord with Mudan. Since coming here, she had received care from relatives and had innocent friends like Xueniang, but Madam Bai was the only friend of similar mental age who could talk to her and genuinely care for her. She couldn’t help but stop on the roadside and say softly, “I have many things on my mind that I usually can’t find anyone to talk to. Hearing you say this today, I’d like to take the opportunity to talk to you about it.”
Madam Bai said, “It’s still early. Let’s not go in yet and walk around outside for a while. We can go in later.”
Hearing this, the Taoist priestess smiled and said, “Madam, there’s a pavilion not far ahead with nice scenery around. Would you like to sit there?”
Madam Bai agreed and walked with Mudan down the small path, turning into the woods. Not far in, they indeed saw a small pavilion. The two entered and sat side by side, generously rewarding the Taoist priestess and asking her to leave. Nianyu led Kuan’er and the other attendants to wait outside, not disturbing their conversation.
Mudan told Madam Bai about all the help Jiang Changyang had given her, saying, “The Dragon Boat Festival incident was very coincidental. I was grateful to him but only thought of him as chivalrous, nothing more. The subsequent minor helps, though making me uneasy, didn’t seem particularly outstanding, as he wasn’t excessively enthusiastic in each incident. Moreover, among the people I’ve met, many capable individuals are willing to help others in trouble, like you, Princess Kang Cheng, and many others. If I could truly sympathize with someone, I would do the same, not for any reward or other purpose. So I didn’t think much of it, even fantasizing that I could repay this favor by cultivating a few good peonies for him. But this time, I’m a bit alarmed… He’s being too enthusiastic. If this continues, I really won’t be able to repay his kindness.”
He saved her from being trampled and asked for peonies as thanks; he gave her headache medicine and said she could pay for it; when the steward at Prince Ning’s estate caused trouble, he warned her and reacted to some extent, but wasn’t particularly urgent, and the He family resolved it themselves, with him only finding out afterward; buying the stones, though benefiting her, was also because his friend needed money, and he had other requests. Only this time, he quietly and quickly resolved the issue, faster than she could have imagined, completely different from the previous help.
She indeed couldn’t repay this increasingly heavy debt of gratitude, especially not knowing what the other party wanted or why they were helping her. Thinking of this, Mudan became a bit agitated. She was being somewhat ungrateful—logically, she should be happy and grateful to receive help from others in times of trouble. But if Jiang Changyang had asked for her opinion before intervening, she probably wouldn’t have turned to him unless necessary. People are generally like this, seeking help from those close to them first and only turning to outsiders as a last resort. Asking for help is difficult, and she felt the same way. But he had handled it quietly without asking.
Should she ask him about his intentions? If she asked and he had no ulterior motives, just wanting to be chivalrous, her abrupt questioning might invite ridicule and possibly lose a potentially genuine friend. But if she didn’t ask and this continued, she would feel uncomfortable. The favors were getting bigger each time, especially after what she had just been through. She could no longer interact with him as casually as before, foolishly thinking she could repay his kindness with a few good peonies.
Madam Bai pondered for a long time, carefully considering that before knowing Jiang Changyang’s true intentions, she shouldn’t lead Mudan to think in that direction. What if… wouldn’t she be doing more harm than good with her good intentions? She chose her words carefully, “Perhaps we’re overthinking it. Don’t take it too seriously. I guess he might sympathize with you. His mother, the former Duchess Zhu, divorced Duke Zhu against everyone’s opposition due to some issues. It caused quite a stir at the time, and she tried everything to take him away. I heard the mother and son went through a lot of hardships after leaving the Zhu family. Maybe he sees you going through these things and feels empathy, which is why he’s helping you.”
Mudan smiled, “Maybe so. But regardless, things have come to this point, and I must be grateful. I’ll have to thank him later and ask what needs to be asked. Too many things have happened recently, and I’m just overly cautious.”
Madam Bai sighed, gently patting Mudan’s shoulder, “If you need anything in the future, remember to tell me. Don’t be afraid of troubling me. If I can’t help, I’ll say so and won’t force myself, but most of the time, having one more person means one more way.”
The closeness of friendships is often reflected in this aspect. If they’re close friends, they’re usually the first ones thought of and easiest to approach when in need. The more distant the relationship, the less likely one is to think of or ask them unless necessary. Mudan nodded seriously, “I understand. The same goes for you. I might not be able to help you with big things, but I can certainly listen to you and keep you company.”
Madam Bai laughed, “Silly girl, that’s the most precious thing. Let’s go, it’s time to go in.”
Like most people’s preferences at this time, today’s flower-viewing banquet was also held outdoors. At the end of the small path, there was a relatively open and spacious area specially reserved, with screens set up and a long, wide table placed in the center. The table was laden with fruits like pears, pomegranates, chestnuts, walnuts, and grapes, along with wine and pastries. Around the table were crescent-shaped stools, exquisitely carved and decorated with colorful tassels.
Several young women in gorgeous attire were chatting and eating from the table. When they saw Madam Bai and Mudan enter, they called out to each other like sisters, laughing and making a fuss, all asking who Mudan was. This time, Madam Bai’s answer was slightly different from before, saying, “She’s my good friend. The Princess Consort of Min happened to see her once and took a liking to her, so she specially asked me to bring her here to join us today.”
Hearing this, the young women unanimously stopped inquiring about Mudan’s identity and affectionately called her Danniang, offering her food, seeming very friendly.
Not long after, the Taoist priestess who had guided them earlier led five or six women over. The one in front, wearing an ivory-white plain silk robe with white chrysanthemums in her hair, looking dignified with a faint smile, was Madam Meng.
When everyone saw her, they greeted her as enthusiastically as they had Madam Bai and Mudan earlier, without especially bowing or greeting her, or giving up their seats. They sat as haphazardly as before. Madam Meng was a bit displeased inwardly but thought that these noble young ladies were all so arrogant before marriage, and naturally wouldn’t respect her position as a fifth-rank consort of a prince, so she endured it. However, when she caught sight of Mudan beside Madam Bai across from her, she was greatly shocked, almost doubting her own eyes. She signaled with her eyes to her maid Linian, asking her to check if it was indeed Mudan.
When Mudan saw Madam Meng and her maid staring at her with suspicious expressions, she calmly smiled back at them. This smile made Madam Meng frown. After four eyes confirmed it, the person opposite was indeed identical to the He family’s daughter. But how could she appear here? And sit so comfortably across from her? Didn’t Madam Cui go to the He family yesterday as instructed? Was the matter settled or not? She had left early this morning without waiting for Madam Cui’s report.
Something was off. The He family were just merchants. Even if He Danniang was previously married to Secretary Liu’s son, that was in the past, and with Princess Qinghua in the picture, how could she mingle in such a place? How could these arrogant noble ladies allow her to sit at the same table? Madam Meng increasingly believed she must have seen wrong. After pondering for a while, she smiled at Mudan and tentatively called out, “Sister He…”
“Sister my foot,” Mudan thought bitterly, but she still smiled and curtsied, saying, “Madam, you flatter me. I don’t deserve such an address.”
“It is you!” Madam Meng exclaimed, startled and leaning back while clutching her handkerchief. She quickly regained composure and giggled, “It’s you. I was so surprised when I saw you, thinking I must have been mistaken. But you looked so familiar, and I wondered how there could be someone so alike in this world. So I gathered my courage to ask, and it is you!”
Mudan smiled, “Indeed it’s me. When I saw you come in earlier, I also thought I was seeing things, but it turns out I wasn’t mistaken.”
Hearing this response and noticing her completely different attitude from before, Madam Meng felt very uncomfortable. She said, “I am who I am, how could I be mistaken? But you, how are you here? It’s truly surprising.”
One of Qiu Manniang’s cousins laughed, “You needn’t be surprised. She’s a guest of Princess Consort Min and a good friend of Sister Bai. It’s perfectly normal for her to be here.”
Not having heard anything about such connections from Madam Cui, Madam Meng suddenly gripped her handkerchief tightly, utterly shocked. Countless thoughts flashed through her mind. Madam Bai was one thing – even as the legitimate daughter of the Bai family, she was just the daughter-in-law of a marquis’s heir, and her husband was a good-for-nothing playboy, not worth worrying about. But Princess Consort Min was quite troublesome. How did He Mudan know her?
Fine, knowing Madam Bai and Princess Consort Min wasn’t that rare. What was strange was that she had just instructed Madam Cui to do that thing, and coincidentally, He Mudan appeared here. Did Madam Cui even go to the He family yesterday? What was the He family’s and this girl’s attitude? Was her appearance here related to that matter? Madam Meng stared intently into Mudan’s eyes and smiled, “What a coincidence. Since that last time, I’ve been thinking of you, wondering when we might meet again. I’ve been quite regretful…”
“Well, you’re not regretful now, are you?” Someone suddenly interrupted Madam Meng. With this voice, seven or eight people escorted a plump, fair-skinned woman in her fifties. She wore a purple silk robe over a yellow eight-panel gauze skirt, with extravagantly luxurious high-platform sandals. She had moth-like eyebrows and long eyes, smiling like a sunflower.
Mudan guessed this must be Princess Consort Min, a perfect match for the plump Prince Min. Indeed, everyone stood up to greet her, escorting her to the head seat, and sending someone to fetch Qiu Manniang and Qin Alan back.
Mudan felt nervous. Madam Bai had lied, saying she was Princess Consort Min’s guest and much liked by her. Now that the principal had arrived and didn’t recognize her, wouldn’t that be embarrassing? Just as she was thinking this, Madam Bai smiled and said, “Princess Consort, I’ve brought the person you asked for. Task completed. Do I get a reward?” As she spoke, she pulled Mudan along, indicating that they should go greet Princess Consort Min separately.
“Listen to you all. Isn’t she her good friend? Bringing her friend to play, isn’t that a favor? Isn’t it proper? Now she wants to claim a favor from me. Well, all people are greedy, especially you ignorant little ones. Alright, what do you want? Speak up.” Princess Consort Min smiled, half scolding, half indulgent. After Mudan curtsied, she personally helped her up, had her sit beside her, looked her up and down, and said, “It’s been a while, and you’ve become even more talented.”
She spoke as if it were all true. Mudan smiled without speaking, not knowing how to respond.
Princess Consort Min didn’t require her to answer, just talking to those around her, praising Mudan for being capable, intelligent, and ambitious. Mudan felt embarrassed, while others, out of respect for Princess Consort Min, joined in the exaggerated praise. Qiu Manniang, who had just returned, also chimed in sweetly, “Indeed, I like this Sister He the most. Next time, I must invite her to play again.”
Madam Bai just smiled, while Madam Meng felt increasingly uncomfortable. Whether due to a guilty conscience or not, she felt Princess Consort Min’s remark about everyone being greedy seemed specifically directed at her. Being a conspiracy theorist, she projected her thoughts onto others and increasingly felt today’s flower-viewing banquet was unusual, seemingly targeted at her. After thinking for a moment, she moved closer to Princess Consort Min.
Princess Consort Min finished praising Mudan and moved on to praising the other girls one by one. When Madam Meng squeezed up to her, she was praising Qin Alan, no less enthusiastically than she had praised Mudan, making Qin Alan blush. Princess Consort Min laughed, “Why are you shy? Your sister’s grace and character were well-known and widely praised in the royal family. The Emperor and Empress often say that princesses should be as humble, kind-hearted, magnanimous, and upright as her. Daughters raised in the same family, how could you be much different? I think you’re not inferior to your sister at all. You deserve my praise.”
Madam Meng was suddenly stunned. Comparing Qin Alan to the late princess, and coming from Princess Consort Min, who had always been close to the Empress – what did this mean? Were they considering a marriage alliance? Looking at the blushing Qin Alan, her heart was filled with resentment. Why them? Just because their surname was Qin? Because they were from one of the five noble families? How was she inferior to them?
Just as she was seething with resentment, Princess Consort Min noticed her and beckoned, “Come here, I have something to discuss with you.”
Madam Meng approached with a face full of smiles, curtsied gracefully, and said a few flattering words. Princess Consort Min, being older, naturally enjoyed such compliments, smiling and nodding repeatedly, “You’re so thoughtful. Your words are still as sweet and pleasing as ever.” Then she shooed away Qiu Manniang, who was clinging to her side, “Didn’t you say you prepared some good pipa players? Hurry and have them come out to play! You’re more relaxed than us guests as the host. Go on, let your Sister Meng sit.”
Madam Meng sat down next to Princess Consort Min, but seeing Mudan on the other side, she felt a strange sensation. Princess Consort Min said with a smile, “The other day, I was chatting idly with the Empress. We talked about how, with Princess Ning’s recent passing, there’s no capable and trustworthy person managing the household, and Prince Ning has taken on such an important task. The Empress was very worried but unable to intervene directly. That’s when we thought of you.”
Madam Meng, eager for promotion and suddenly aware of a competitor, perked up at the mention of her name by her superior. She focused all her attention on capturing any useful information. Just as she was waiting for more, Princess Consort Min suddenly changed the subject, asking Mudan to peel a pomegranate for her and teaching her how to choose one with thin skin, large seeds, and small pits.
Madam Meng interrupted at this crucial point and felt as if seven or eight small hands were scratching at her heart, unbearably frustrated. After enduring for as long as she could, she finally hinted, “It’s been a while since I’ve had an audience with the Empress. Is Her Majesty in good health?”
Princess Consort Min suddenly came back to herself and laughed, “Oh my, I’m getting old. It’s like this: The Empress said that Prince Ning is now busy with state affairs and has no time to manage household matters. You’re now the highest-ranking person in Prince Ning’s household. You should learn from the late princess and manage the household affairs well. Remember, nothing should happen that could damage the reputation of the prince’s household. The servants below should be managed properly, and the concubines should be kept in check. If there’s anyone who’s inconsiderate, misbehaving, or causing trouble, regardless of who they are, they should be severely punished. If demotion isn’t enough, then expel them. If that’s still not enough, then punish them according to the law… Do you understand?”
“I understand,” Madam Meng stiffened, her smile frozen as she glanced at Mudan, who was holding a silver tray, eyes downcast, seriously peeling a pomegranate, appearing completely unconcerned.
Princess Consort Min patted Madam Meng’s shoulder heavily and smiled, “You’re a clever person. It’s good that you understand.”
Madam Meng, being delicate, winced at the heavy pat but dared not cry out in pain, forcing a smile through gritted teeth.
Princess Consort Min sighed, “Look at that, I used too much force again. After all, I’m someone who’s tilled the land and dug up clods. My brute strength is just too much. I’m not worried about you not understanding. I heard you treat people very well usually. For example, my little friend here – didn’t you give her a string of pearls when you first met? I heard those pearls were very valuable, quite impressive, right?”
Madam Meng’s hair stood on end instantly. She glared at Mudan like a fighting cock. This little vixen had indeed complained to Princess Consort Min, no wonder the princess was saying these pointed words to her. She gritted her teeth and said, “Princess Consort is joking. What valuable pearls? It was just a small trinket, fine for casual play but not fit for formal occasions.” Just like this He Mudan, fine for casual play but not fit for formal occasions, she thought.
Princess Consort Min suddenly changed her expression and said sternly, “You dare to use something not fit for formal occasions to deceive people? I thought you didn’t know!”
Madam Meng was so frightened that she immediately stood up from the crescent-shaped stool, hands at her sides and head lowered, nervously saying in a low voice, “Princess Consort, please calm down. What have I done wrong?”
Princess Consort Min, ignoring the expressions of others, held out her hand to Mudan, who understood and immediately took out the string of pearls and placed them in her palm. Princess Consort Min threw the pearls at Madam Meng’s face and said loudly, “The most important thing for a person is to be upright. Crooked ways cause no end of trouble. How dare you, with your shallow eyes and foolish ignorance, try to scheme against my little friend with just a string of pearls! You have some nerve!”
Publicly humiliated, Madam Meng’s face turned pale with anger, her whole body trembling. She not only hated Mudan but was even more furious with Madam Cui, wishing she could stab her with dozens of transparent holes. Madam Cui not only didn’t tell her the truth, but after going to the He family yesterday, she didn’t even come to report what had happened. If she had been prepared, she wouldn’t have suffered such humiliation in public today.