It was midnight when Jiang Changyang emerged from his study. Unable to sleep, he decided to practice boxing in the courtyard. He continued until he broke a sweat and the sky began to lighten. Only then did he wipe himself down with cool water from the well and retire to his room.
After sleeping for just over two hours, he was awakened by hushed voices outside his window. His servant, Youyuan, was quietly telling Wu San that the master had only gone to bed at dawn. Wu San was inquiring about the reason.
Jiang Changyang sat up and called out, “Wu San, come in.”
Wu San entered, lifting the curtain. Seeing Jiang Changyang still in bed and not looking particularly lively, he was slightly surprised. Without questioning, he simply smiled and said, “Young Master, Lady Bai’s household sent a message earlier. They wish to visit Fang Garden and request someone to guide them. I wasn’t sure if Miss He was prepared, so I sent word to her first.”
“What was the response?” Jiang Changyang asked.
“Miss He sent Madam Feng to receive them. Lady Bai, Miss Seventeen, and young Master Pan are ready to leave after breakfast.”
Jiang Changyang frowned. “Just the three of them? What about the others? I mean, didn’t Miss He invites Young Master Pan as well?” Hadn’t she said yesterday that they were still friends? Why had she only invited Lady Bai and the others, excluding him?
He wanted to ask why he hadn’t been invited. Wu San, observing his expression, said, “How could Miss He be so discourteous? Of course, everyone was invited. It’s just that Young Master Pan hasn’t risen yet, and Lady Bai didn’t want to wake him. I thought that if Young Master Pan stayed, you would naturally want to keep him company, so I didn’t send anyone to call you. Should I go wake Young Master Pan?”
“No need. Perhaps the ladies have some private matters to discuss. It would be inconsiderate for us to join them,” Jiang Changyang’s expression relaxed slightly as he got out of bed to dress. “Take a few men and personally escort Lady Bai and the others over.”
Wu San asked, “Won’t you sleep a bit more? There’s nothing urgent today.”
While putting on his boots, Jiang Changyang replied, “I can’t sleep anyway. I might as well handle some matters at hand. Send Youyuan in to help me wash up.”
Wu San acknowledged the order but didn’t leave. Instead, he fetched water and wrung out a cloth to hand to Jiang Changyang. Jiang Changyang glanced at him but accepted the cloth silently.
After Jiang Changyang finished washing up, Wu San said, “Young Master, the matters at hand aren’t urgent. They can wait. I heard from some farmhands that there’s a forest about ten li east of here. The rabbits and pheasants are plump. Why don’t you and Young Master Pan go hunting? You could catch something for dinner at Fang Garden and pick up Lady Bai and the others on your way back.”
After a moment of silence, Jiang Changyang replied, “Very well. Go make the arrangements.”
Wu San had wanted to ask about the letter, but after a moment’s hesitation, he changed his mind and left to make the other arrangements.
Jiang Changyang picked up a book and flipped through a few pages, then irritably put it back. He got up and headed to the falconry.
——*——*——*——
Yuhe and Mudan were discussing Qin Sanniang’s situation: “We went to Tongshan Ward but couldn’t find Yan Balang. Even the house had been sold. Young Master Lu’s men made extensive inquiries and learned that a month ago, Yan Balang’s newly wedded wife had an affair. He divorced her, then got into a drunken fight over a woman in Pingkang Ward, killing someone. He was arrested on the spot and is now in jail awaiting execution. After this incident, his elderly father felt too ashamed to face anyone, so they sold the house and the whole family moved away. Yan Balang is now in jail without a single visitor.”
Mudan gasped, “What about Qin Sanniang? Did you hear any news about her?”
Yuhe replied, “A neighbor said they saw her half a month ago outside a jewelry shop in the West Market. She and her maid were dressed in fine silks, riding tall horses, accompanied by five or six strong attendants. She spent money lavishly as if she had come into good fortune. The neighbor wanted to greet her, but Qin Sanniang’s attendants, fierce and menacing, wouldn’t let anyone approach. Now everyone’s saying Qin Sanniang’s misfortune turned into a blessing. If Yan Balang hadn’t divorced her, she wouldn’t have met with such good luck. Some even envy her. Young Master Lu is very worried. He’s staying at an inn and has asked the master to help, willing to spend a fortune to find out about her situation. He fears she might have been tricked by some scoundrel and can’t return.”
Mudan was momentarily speechless. She didn’t believe Qin Sanniang had been tricked by scoundrels. Considering the Yan family’s misfortune, she suspected this was Qin Sanniang’s revenge. The person behind this had a plan, a purpose, and power. Qin Sanniang’s price was likely herself, with her beauty as her weapon. Whether she could return probably wasn’t even a consideration for Qin Sanniang.
Was it worth sacrificing everything to take revenge on such a man? Mudan hadn’t experienced what Qin Sanniang had and couldn’t fathom her feelings or determination. She thought she might hate and want revenge too, but she wouldn’t sacrifice her entire life for such a man and such a matter.
Different people make different choices when faced with the same situation. Mudan couldn’t judge whether Qin Sanniang was right or wrong. She only hoped that whoever Qin Sanniang had met this time would treat her better than Yan Balang had.
Yuhe, who had never met Qin Sanniang, considered her a stranger. After reporting to Mudan, she put Qin Sanniang out of her mind and excitedly asked, “Miss Dan, is the Jiang family’s garden well-built?”
Shuer quickly smiled and said, “They just built a high platform in the lake, planted some bamboo, and made water flow up and down. There’s nothing else special about it. It’s not as beautiful as our Fang Garden, nor as big.” As she spoke, she secretly winked at Yuhe, signaling her to stop asking.
Mudan said calmly, “They don’t rely on the garden to make money. It’s just for their enjoyment, so of course it doesn’t need to be big. Besides, they have plenty of fields around them. Unlike us, who have nothing but this garden. How can we compare?”
Yuhe sensed that something unpleasant must have happened yesterday. She exchanged a glance with Shuer, indicating they should step out to talk privately. Mudan, familiar with their habits, knew they were going to discuss yesterday’s events. She ignored them and continued reviewing the account books.
Just as she finished looking over this month’s expenses, before she could total the figures, Kuan’er came in to report, “Miss Dan, Lady Bai, and her party have arrived at the main gate.”
“Go fetch Ying’niang and Rong’niang. We’ll go out to greet them immediately,” Mudan said, quickly tidying her clothes and hair before heading out. Madam Lin quietly asked Kuan’er, “Who all came? That Liu fellow didn’t come along, did he?”
Kuan’er replied, “No, he didn’t. It’s just Lady Bai, Miss Wu, and the young master.”
Madam Lin sighed in relief, “That’s good. I was really worried he might come.”
Mudan smiled, “What are you worried about, Mama? Even if he were shameless enough to come, we couldn’t refuse him entry. In the future, Fang Garden will be open for business. If someone rents the garden for a party and he’s among the guests, would we refuse the booking? Let him come if he wants. We’ll just treat him like any other guest.”
Seeing Mudan speak so casually, and remembering what Shuer had told her about yesterday’s events, Madam Lin sighed inwardly. Was it another case of reaching too high? Her poor Miss Dan. It would be better to find someone more suitable. That Young Master Lu from the other day seemed quite nice, and his family is wealthy. Yangzhou is far away, and the climate is good for health. She wondered if he was already married. She’d have to ask Yuhe for details. If he’s a good match, they should quickly inform the madam. Early birds catch the worms. Even if Young Master Lu wasn’t suitable, the Lu family surely had many outstanding young men. Three-legged toads might be rare, but there are men everywhere. Why worry about finding a husband for Miss Dan?
With these thoughts, Madam Lin’s mood improved. She smiled at Mudan, “Miss Dan is right. He’s not even worth comparing to cats and dogs. We should treat him like cow dung on the roadside.”
Unaware of Madam Lin’s rapid planning, Mudan noticed her mood had lifted from yesterday’s gloom and felt relieved herself. “Irrelevant people can be treated however you like, Mama.”
Soon, Ying’niang and Rong’niang arrived. The group went out together, chatting and laughing. In the distance, they saw Madam Feng leading Lady Bai and Wu Xilian. Both ladies were looking around curiously, occasionally stopping to ask Madam Feng questions.
Mudan felt a bit nervous. Although Fang Garden had been designed by the monk Fuyuan, it hadn’t been evaluated by ladies from noble families like Lady Bai. The opinions and tastes of such women often had unexpected effects, greatly influencing public opinion. Many people assumed that trends from the imperial palace were the most fashionable, elegant, and desirable, even if they were quite ugly. They would be enthusiastically embraced, and even those who disagreed wouldn’t dare say so openly, fearing ridicule for lacking culture or taste. In Mudan’s heart, Fang Garden was her best creation, but she wasn’t sure if it would meet Lady Bai and Wu Xilian’s approval.
Mudan stepped forward quickly, greeted Lady Bai and Wu Xilian, then introduced Ying’niang and Rong’niang. She tentatively said, “My garden is rough and simple. I fear it might not meet your standards and may embarrass me.”
Wu Xilian, feeling a bit uncomfortable seeing Mudan today, quickly smiled and said, “Not at all. Although it’s just taking shape, I find it very charming and elegant. The winding streams and pavilions are impressive enough, but these rocks are truly rare, not to mention your precious peonies. In two or three years, when the vegetation is lush, it will surely become a famous garden.”
Sensing her goodwill and desire for reconciliation, Mudan smiled back, “I’ve been worried it wouldn’t meet your approval. Hearing you say this puts my mind at ease. Don’t just mention the good points though. If you have any suggestions, please share them while the craftsmen are still here, so we can make timely improvements.”
Lady Bai laughed, “She’s said everything I wanted to say. This garden is truly wonderful. Don’t worry, just get ready for the money to roll in.”
Wu Xilian gave Lady Bai an odd look, surprised to hear such a common phrase from her… But she found herself agreeing, “Yes, Axin is right. Don’t worry, Dan’niang.”
Lady Bai looked at Mudan approvingly and said, “Dan’niang, why don’t you show us around? It might not be this peaceful once it gets busy.”
Encouraged by their approval, Mudan’s enthusiasm rose. “If you come, I could close the garden for a day just to entertain you. How about that?”
Wu Xilian was quite different today compared to yesterday, being particularly kind to Ying’niang and Rong’niang. This made Mudan wonder if she had taken the wrong medicine. But Wu Xilian being nice to them was better than being arrogant and dislikeable, so Mudan was more polite and gentle in her speech towards her.
With the host being attentive and the guests being agreeable, all being young women, the atmosphere was much better than yesterday. The group wandered around the garden for nearly half an hour before going to the Xiefang Pavilion for tea and conversation.
Midway through their chat, Pan Jing fell asleep. Mudan led Lady Bai to the guest room, leaving Rong’niang and Ying’niang to accompany Wu Xilian. After settling Pan Jing, Lady Bai sat down with Mudan and dismissed the servants. She said, “Dan’niang, Alian asked me to apologize on her behalf. She says she misjudged you and asks you not to hold it against her. She’s been pampered since childhood, developing a straightforward personality. She says whatever comes to mind, but she doesn’t mean harm. She’s not a bad person. She was too embarrassed to say this herself, so she asked me to do it.”
No wonder Wu Xilian was behaving that way today. Mudan had disliked her when she was forced to swear, but knowing she apologized wasn’t too bad. Mudan smiled, “She’s your friend, how could she be a bad person? I just thought she was a bit arrogant and rude, but I didn’t think she had any ill intentions. Since she’s apologizing, I naturally won’t stay angry.”
Lady Bai smiled, “I knew you wouldn’t take it too seriously. At the time, she was thinking about Miss Nineteen, who is her clan sister and very close to her. If she didn’t know about this, it would be fine, but since she did, she naturally wanted an explanation. Otherwise, she’d be letting Miss Nineteen down. She didn’t realize it would hurt you. You didn’t give her any face and threatened to splash water on her, which made her come to her senses and realize she was in the wrong and had fallen for Liu Chang’s trick. She told me you were fierce, terribly fierce.”
Mudan laughed, “I wasn’t just threatening her. If she had pushed me too far, I really would have done it.”
Lady Bai affectionately pinched her cheek and said, “I told her you weren’t just threatening. Didn’t you notice how careful she was when talking to you today, always watching your expression? By the way, Liu Chang left last night. I heard from Pan Rong that he was punched twice by Jiang Chengfeng. Did he do something to you again?”
Mudan’s mood became a bit heavy. After a moment of silence, she told Lady Bai what Qiushi had said.
“This Liu Zishu is detestable. He just can’t stand to see you do well,” Lady Bai gently squeezed Mudan’s hand, frowning. “But this possibility exists. The key is, what do you think?”
Mudan said solemnly, “We’re far from that stage.” Although he had told her that day that he could make his own decisions about his affairs, they hadn’t clarified anything. Moreover, times have changed. Back then, although Lady Wang had been separated from Duke Zhu for many years, she hadn’t remarried. It made sense for this son to stay with his single mother to fulfill his filial duties. Jiang Changyang probably could decide whom to marry. But now Lady Wang was about to marry someone else, and Duke Zhu would certainly not allow him to stay with Lady Wang and let her arrange things. However, the bond between mother and son was deep, far stronger than with this father. To keep Jiang Changyang, inheriting the title might not be necessary, but interfering with his marriage was entirely possible.
Lady Bai sighed, “Actually, in these matters, the key is the man. For example, the Princess of Fen and the Prince of Fen back then. If he truly has intentions and can protect you from suffering, why not? Jiang Changyang is a very good marriage prospect. He could protect you.”
“Lady Cui has just passed, and now we’re talking about Duke Zhu?” Mudan said with a bitter smile. “These things are about fate. Let’s not talk about it anymore.”
Lady Bai was stunned. After a while, she reached out and stroked Mudan’s hair. Inwardly, she made a decision: if Jiang Changyang truly had intentions, she would do her utmost to make it happen. But she didn’t know that Pan Rong had dealt Mudan a heavy blow earlier.
Mudan found Lady Bai’s expression amusing. Why had everyone been looking at her like this since yesterday? As if she were some pitiful creature. She took Lady Bai’s hand and said with a smile, “Axin I’m very picky. I want him to protect me, respect me, not interfere with me, not take concubines, not mess around outside, and be good to my family and friends. There probably aren’t many men who can meet these conditions. He might seem good now, but he might not be able to meet these conditions at all. If it came to that point, I’d probably scare him off as soon as I opened my mouth. I’d better keep looking. Maybe I’ll meet someone like that.”
Lady Bai couldn’t help but laugh, “All right, I won’t persuade you then, lest I cause you to miss out on such a perfect man. Nianyu and the wet nurse can watch over things here. Let’s quickly head back, or Alian might think we’re deliberately neglecting her.”
As they walked back to Xiefang Pavilion, they saw Wu Xilian playing liubo with Rong’niang and Ying’niang. Yuhe was leading Kuan’er and Shu’er in attendance, while Sasa was gnawing on a tree branch nearby, making strange noises. Wu Xilian’s maid was playing a grass game with Atao and the young maids of Ying’niang and Rong’niang under the pavilion. It was quite lively.
Wu Xilian looked up and gave Mudan a slightly shy smile. Mudan sat down next to her and asked, “Who’s winning now?”
Rong’niang said proudly, “I’m winning.”
Wu Xilian tossed her dice and said, “You join in. I’m losing terribly. I need to change my luck.”
Shortly after Mudan and Lady Bai joined the game, Atao came in with shining eyes and said, “Young Master Jiang has arrived with another young master. They’ve brought some game and a pair of snow-white hunting hawks. The craftsmen say they’re white rabbit hawks. There’s a big crowd outside looking at the Hawks now.”
Rong’niang and Ying’niang immediately stood up excitedly, asking, “Where?”
“Did they go hunting?” Mudan looked at Lady Bai in surprise. Lady Bai was also surprised, “Pan Rong was still asleep when we left. Where around here can you go hunting?”
Atao smiled, “My lady doesn’t know, but there’s a forest about ten li from here. There aren’t any big games, but there are plenty of rabbits and pheasants. I just saw that Young Master Jiang and his companion mostly brought back rabbits and pheasants. They must have gone there.”
Wu Xilian smiled, “Let’s go take a look.”
Mudan stood up and said, “You go ahead. I’ll go to the kitchen to arrange dinner. I’ve never entertained so many distinguished guests before, so I’m a bit worried.”
Lady Bai glanced at her but didn’t insist, leading the others out. Mudan wasn’t intentionally trying to avoid Jiang Changyang, but as she had said, having just lost Lady Cui, she didn’t want to deal with another Duke Zhu situation. She needed time to think carefully. Before she decided how to treat Jiang Changyang, minimizing contact with him was the most appropriate course of action.
Jiang Changyang and Pan Rong had a bountiful hunt today, but compared to the pile of rabbits, pheasants, and wild ducks they brought back, people were more interested in the pair of snow-white, purple-eyed, golden-footed rabbit hawks. Pan Rong was proudly showing them off as if they were his own. Jiang Changyang, the actual owner, was pushed to the side, watching the commotion with his arms folded, feeling extremely bored.
Suddenly, Madam Feng came out to disperse the crowd: “The young ladies are coming to see. Everyone, go back to your duties.” As the craftsmen scattered, Jiang Changyang felt his heart tighten. He couldn’t help but look towards the door.
He saw Lady Bai, Wu Xilian, Rong’niang, Ying’niang, and others coming out one by one. His heart skipped a beat with each person, but in the end, he was disappointed. Even after the last maid walked out, there was no sign of Mudan. With guests here, had she gone off somewhere? Was she planning to gradually distance herself from him? Jiang Changyang suddenly felt very angry, feeling all the anxiety, uncertainty, and discomfort that had been building up since last night mixed, making him want to explode immediately.
He impulsively asked Atao, who was standing on tiptoe to see the commotion: “Where’s your mistress?”
Atao, all her attention on the beautiful hawks, didn’t even turn to see who was asking. She replied, “She went to the kitchen to arrange dinner.”
Jiang Changyang looked around. Seeing everyone focused on the spectacle and Pan Rong busy showing off, with no one paying attention to him, he turned and walked toward where he thought the Fang Garden kitchen might be. After a few steps, he turned back to pick up two live pheasants before striding off with his head held high.
Mudan had just finished checking the dishes prepared by Zhou Ba’niang in the kitchen and was satisfied. Figuring the commotion at the front was probably dying down, she thought it would be a good time to make an appearance, fulfilling her duties as a host by inviting the two new guests to the back for tea and entertainment while waiting for dinner. She left the kitchen with Yuhe, following the pebble path towards the front.
As they rounded a Taihu rock, Yuhe pointed ahead and said, “Miss Dan, isn’t that Young Master Jiang? Where is he going?”
Mudan looked up and indeed saw Jiang Changyang striding towards them, carrying two long-tailed pheasants. His lips were tightly pressed together, and he looked very displeased. In a moment, he saw her. He stopped, frowning as he looked at her, his lips still tightly pressed, without his usual smile.