As the night wore on, the pig’s trotter beauty cream finally finished simmering. Early the next morning, just as she rose, Shu’er excitedly presented Mudan with a small porcelain jar about the size of an infant’s fist. “Mother, look! It’s done. Try it quickly, and if you like it, give some to us servants to try too.”
Mudan glanced at the white, fragrant cream in the delicate porcelain jar. It looked and smelled quite nice. She smiled and said, “You’re only fourteen or fifteen, still a blossoming flower bud with delicate skin. What’s the rush?”
Hearing Mudan mention the word “flower,” Shuaishuai, who had been cooped up inside due to the cold weather, began enthusiastically calling out, “Dead lotus, dead lotus!”
Irritated by the noise, Mudan grabbed a pine nut from a silver plate and tossed it at the bird. “Quiet! It’s too early in the morning for this racket!”
Shuaishuai deftly caught the nut and swallowed it, excitedly shouting, “Mudan, Mudan, Mudan is so lovely!”
“Such a nuisance,” Kuan’er hurried to change the bird’s water and food. “If you didn’t talk, no one would think you were mute.”
Shu’er helped Mudan with her morning ablutions and reported, “As you instructed, we rewarded those who stayed up to make the cream last night. We also distributed it to each household according to the number of people. There are sixteen jars left, all here.”
Mudan turned to look and indeed saw sixteen small white porcelain jars, each about the size of an infant’s fist, lined up on the table. The mouths of the jars were covered with colorful silk, making them look more like medicine than skincare products. She casually used a silver hairpin to apply some to the back of her hand and rubbed it in. It felt quite moisturizing and had a pleasant scent. She instructed, “Give one jar each to Mama Lin and Grandma Feng. Send two jars each to Madam Bai, Li Manniang, and Madam Dou. If you girls want some, take one jar each, and give one to A’tao as well. I heard from the Madam that it’s good for treating cracked hands and feet in winter.”
Shu’er feigned reluctance, saying, “But if we take all those, you’ll only have four jars left for yourself.”
Mudan pursed her lips and said, “If you don’t want it, just leave yours for me.”
Shu’er let out a dry laugh and quickly said, “I’ll go find a box for you and get paper, ink, and brushes to write the notes.”
Mudan chuckled and spat playfully, “You little hypocrite!”
Just as she finished speaking, Shuaishuai chimed in, “Little hypocrite!”
“You bad bird!” Shu’er rolled her eyes in exasperation and made a throat-slitting gesture at Shuaishuai.
Suddenly embarrassed, Shuaishuai fluttered about but was pulled back by its chain. It could only stand on its perch, puffing up its feathers in a show of defiance, repeatedly squawking, “Little hypocrite! Little hypocrite!”
Shu’er made a few mocking faces at the bird before contentedly going to fetch the items.
As Mudan finished packing the gifts and writing the notes, but before she could seal the box, Gui Yan, a maid from Madam Cen’s quarters, entered with a smile and a curtsy. “We have a visitor, Madam. The Mistress requests your presence.”
Mudan quickly rose and washed her hands. “So early in the morning, before we’ve even had breakfast? Who could be in such a hurry?”
Gui Yan smiled and replied, “I’m not sure. But they’re dressed beautifully, and the lady is quite lovely and friendly. Even the maids accompanying her are wearing silk and satin, adorned with gold and silver. They’re all very pretty and have brought many gifts, saying they’ve come to apologize to you.”
Mudan immediately guessed who it might be. She had thought that with Jiang Changzhong sent to the army camp and the Zhu Duke’s mansion just having been manipulated by Jiang Changyang, that person wouldn’t have the time or mood to come. To her surprise, they had arrived so quickly.
Seeing Mudan frown and remain silent, Gui Yan quickly asked with a smile, “Does the Young Mistress not know who it is?”
Mudan examined her hairstyle and attire in the bronze mirror, answering indirectly, “How many people did she bring?”
Gui Yan counted on her fingers and said, “Not many, probably around twenty. Four maids, two elderly women, eight guards, and eight sedan chair bearers. The entrance hall is packed.”
As Shu’er adjusted Mudan’s flower hairpin and smoothed her loose hair with a comb dipped in water, she grumbled, “That’s not many? Are they here to hunt tigers? Who is this person? Such a grand show just to apologize.”
Mudan replied, “They’re not here to hunt tigers, but to raise leopards.”
Upon hearing this, Shu’er immediately fell silent and looked at Mudan with concern. She wasn’t as close to Mudan as Yu He was, and Mudan didn’t share many things with her. However, during this time when Yu He had been focused on Fang Yuan, Shu’er had been constantly by Mudan’s side and couldn’t help but notice certain things. Why would the Zhu Duke’s wife come to see Mudan with such a grand entourage? What did it mean? Could it be harmful to Mudan?
Mudan checked her reflection one last time, confirming that she looked presentable and her clothes and accessories were appropriate. She then turned and said, “Let’s go.” Noticing Shu’er’s worried expression, she quickly patted her shoulder and shook her head slightly. Judging from Second Young Master Jiang’s behavior last time, Madam Du wouldn’t do anything to her. At most, she would test her, and Mudan only needed to respond appropriately.
As the mistress and her servants arrived at the front hall, they saw two women in sky-blue silk robes standing ramrod straight at the entrance, their eyes fixed straight ahead, completely expressionless. They didn’t even lift an eyebrow as Mudan passed by. Mudan glanced at them before entering the main hall with a bright smile.
As soon as she entered, she saw a gracefully aged beauty sitting at the head of the room, smiling warmly at her. Behind her stood four stunningly beautiful young women in water-red robes with their hair in hanging braids. They, too, stood with solemn expressions, like dragon maidens before the Guanyin Bodhisattva.
Madam Cen, who was seated to the side, said with a smile, “Dan’er, come quickly and pay your respects to the Madam.”
Mudan hurried forward a few steps and curtsied, saying, “Greetings, Madam.” Before she could finish, a pair of warm, soft hands steadied her, and the faint scent of winter plum blossom wafted to her nose.
Madam Du smiled and said, “No need for formalities. I came here to apologize on behalf of my unworthy son. How could I let you bow to me?” Her voice sounded both gentle and cheerful, very pleasant to the ear.
Mudan looked up at Madam Du and smiled slightly, “You are our guest, my elder, and of noble status. It’s only right that I pay my respects to you.” Before her, Madam Du had jade-like skin and a beautiful face. Her shiny black hair was styled into a foot-high chignon, adorned with a nine-tree flower hairpin. The hairpin was exquisitely crafted in pure gold, with intricate branchwork and vivid leaves. Small birds, either inlaid with precious stones or carved, perched in pairs on the branches. As Madam Du moved, they seemed to flutter their wings, ready to take flight, adding a lively touch. Paired with her silver-red gold-embroidered brocade robe and pale yellow eight-panel small floral pattern silk skirt, she exuded an air of nobility and beauty, yet remained approachable.
Madam Du was also observing Mudan. Mudan wore a short vermilion brocade jacket trimmed with white rabbit fur, paired with a matching eight-panel silk skirt. There was nothing particularly fancy about her outfit, save for a palm-width cyan waistband. On the waistband hung a pair of translucent jade peonies as skirt weights, with long cyan silk tassels reaching down to her ankles. Her hairstyle was simple, but her hair was thick, soft, and lustrous, with a bluish-black sheen. Her only hair ornament was a pair of double-stranded gold hairpins, each topped with a peony made of clustered rubies. The gems were of such high quality that they seemed to emit flashes of fire as she moved. Despite the simplicity of her attire, it perfectly accentuated Mudan’s bright and elegant beauty.
Madam Du was momentarily lost in thought, seeing another face superimposed on Mudan’s. Years ago, that person had also been as radiant as the morning sun, able to stand out in the simplest of outfits, drawing all eyes to her wherever she stood… Now, she must be waiting to see Madam Du’s downfall. Her son had become successful, easily throwing the Zhu Duke’s mansion into chaos and disgrace, while Madam Du’s son had become a hopeless case… Most infuriating of all was Jiang Chong’s attitude. A sharp pain stabbed at Madam Du’s heart, and a flash of coldness passed through her eyes as she unconsciously tightened her grip on Mudan’s hand.
Mudan smiled gently and said, “Madam?”
Madam Du snapped back to reality, withdrawing her hand. She smiled warmly and said, “Oh my, seeing you beautiful young ladies makes me realize how old I’ve become.” She glanced at Mudan and continued, “More than ten years have passed in the blink of an eye.”
“That’s because Madam has been living well, which makes time seem to fly,” Mudan politely invited her to sit down. She then walked behind Madam Cen and stood there, looking affectionately at her as she smiled and said, “My mother often tells us siblings that decades can pass in the blink of an eye. Time truly flies.”
Her demeanor and words were calm and graceful, showing no signs of timidity. Madam Du couldn’t decide whether she was disappointed or satisfied with Mudan’s attitude and behavior. On one hand, she hoped Mudan would indeed be as Jiang Changzhong had speculated – romantically involved with Jiang Changyang, bewitching him to the point of refusing to marry anyone else, thus preventing Jiang Changyang from forming advantageous alliances through marriage. On the other hand, she regretted that Mudan had turned out this way, with beauty and wealth to boot. She wished Jiang Changyang would end up with an ugly, annoying, poor, and inexperienced wife instead.
She inwardly gave a bitter smile, knowing that was impossible. Even if Wang Shi had kept Jiang Changyang in the mansion and allowed her to arrange everything, the wife she would have chosen for him wouldn’t have been like this – at best, she would have been a decorative piece. Compared to that, a woman of low birth and status was preferable. The current priority was to figure out the exact nature of the relationship between these two, and then decide how to proceed.
With this in mind, Madam Du smiled and said, “Dan’er, my unworthy son has done something terrible out of ignorance. He should have come to apologize in person, but his father has sent him to a military camp as punishment. Therefore, I’ve come to apologize on his behalf. I’ve failed in my duty to teach him properly, and I hope you can forgive him, considering his youth and inexperience.” She waved her hand, and a purple sandalwood box was placed in front of Madam Cen. “This is an aged wild ginseng to help calm your nerves.”
“I can’t accept such a valuable gift!” Mudan’s eyes widened in alarm, her face showing concern. “Was the Second Young Master sent to the military camp because of the incident where I was frightened by Chasing Wind? I explained to everyone at the time that it was a misunderstanding and my fault, not his. How could it have come to this?”
Madam Du finally showed a sorrowful expression, sighing lightly and appearing hesitant to speak, perfectly embodying the image of a loving mother worried sick about her son.
Mudan anxiously said, “You must be very upset, Madam.” After a moment of silence, she cautiously suggested in a conciliatory tone, “How about I ask my brother to ride out and catch up with the Duke, to explain that it wasn’t the Second Young Master’s fault? Would that be alright?”