Mudan smiled and said, “You’ve been searching for Jin Buyan for days, and Prince Jing’s mansion didn’t say a word. But as soon as we had an incident, Lady Qin suddenly appeared. I suspected it wasn’t a coincidence. Did they use Jin Buyan’s information as a bargaining chip?”
Jiang Changyang nodded, “That was the implication.” A single Tanhua Tower could generate many chapters. He estimated that the Emperor wasn’t looking to settle scores, but rather using this incident to test various parties’ reactions. Once the truth was uncovered and the Emperor got what he wanted, Jiang Changyang risked offending many people if he wasn’t careful. Uncovering the truth wasn’t difficult; the challenge was how to emerge unscathed.
The night passed without incident. On the day of the Fen Wang Mansion’s banquet, the Duke’s mansion sent Jiang Yunqing over early in the morning. As Jiang Changyang had predicted, Jiang Yunqing wasn’t wearing the luxurious outfit chosen earlier. Instead, she wore a light goose-yellow short jacket with a bean-green eight-panel gauze skirt, a duck-yellow shawl, and two exquisite, valuable accessories. Her clothes were scented with a subtle, dignified fragrance, making her look fresh yet mature – truly befitting a daughter of a noble house.
She was accompanied only by Wet Nurse Wu and her maid Xiangcheng, without Wet Nurse Niu. Mudan guessed this was because the Old Madam still hoped to encourage this marriage and didn’t want Wet Nurse Niu, who belonged to Madam Du’s faction, to interfere.
At the hour of Wei, the Fen Wang Mansion indeed sent a carriage. Jiang Yunqing was surprised, as she hadn’t expected them to send a carriage for Mudan. She looked hesitant, now wary of everything. Mudan’s closeness to the Fen Wang Mansion wasn’t good for her, as she couldn’t be sure whom Mudan would choose between them and the Fen Wang Mansion.
Mudan casually explained, “I was startled that day and became anxious at the sight of carriages. Also, I…” Her face reddened slightly. “Your brother initially forbade me from going out. I sent someone to apologize to the Fen Wang Mansion, and the Princess Consort sent Lady Chen to check on me. She said her carriage was spacious and soft, with gentle horses. I couldn’t refuse such kindness.” The real reason the Princess Consort insisted on her presence was for Jiang Yunqing’s sake.
Sensing something, Jiang Yunqing dropped her hesitant expression and smiled, “Sister-in-law, how are you feeling?”
Lin Mama laughed, “Our young mistress is a bit shy about it. Don’t tease her, miss.”
Observing Mudan and Lin Mama’s expressions, Jiang Yunqing became more certain of her suspicions and smiled, “Congratulations to my elder brother and sister-in-law. This is wonderful news.” She promised to make baby clothes for her future niece or nephew.
Wet Nurse Wu, initially surprised, joined Xiangcheng in kowtowing and offering congratulations. Mudan had Lin Mama reward them, and they all happily boarded the carriage to the Fen Wang Mansion.
As Zang Mama had said, there weren’t many guests, mostly older ladies with a few young women around Jiang Yunqing’s age. Mudan knew them all as acquaintances of Madam Wang. Jiang Yunqing, unused to such gatherings, felt uncomfortable and stayed close to Mudan, barely moving after greeting everyone.
Chen Shi and the mansion’s servants discreetly observed her, but she showed no reaction, keeping her eyes fixed on the stage. The performance began with a comedy sketch, followed by a puppet show. Both featured the most renowned artists in the capital, who, generously paid by the Fen Wang Mansion, performed with great enthusiasm, eliciting laughter from the audience. Seeing that no one was giving her a hard time and enjoying the excellent performances, Jiang Yunqing gradually relaxed, occasionally sharing jokes with Mudan.
The seating was segregated by gender, with a screen between the men and women. While the women laughed heartily, they still maintained some restraint. The men, however, laughed uproariously without inhibition. Hearing the merriment from the men’s side, the Princess Consort of Fen beckoned Ying’er over and instructed, “Go check if Xiao Si is enjoying himself.”
Shortly after, Ying’er returned with a smile, reporting, “He’s watching intently, not even touching his favorite fruits.”
Delighted, the Princess Consort asked for two more puppet shows. Ever since hearing about Xiao Si trying to snatch Gao Duanshu’s puppet, she had guessed he might enjoy this and arranged it to please him. Hearing of his enjoyment gave her as much satisfaction as drinking iced sour plum soup on a hot day.
Jiang Yunqing observed this exchange thoughtfully. Xiao Si was socially inept, and it was Gao Duanshu who had deliberately provoked him. She realized her slap had been wrong. The Fen Wang Mansion’s forgiveness was indeed magnanimous.
After several performances, the Princess Consort grew tired. She asked the Heir Consort to entertain the guests while Chen Shi helped her up. She then invited Mudan to join her: “Your condition is delicate, and you must be tired from sitting so long. Come rest with me in the back.”
Mudan, suspecting the Princess Consort wanted to speak privately, agreed. Jiang Yunqing, afraid of being left alone among strangers, panicked and tugged at Mudan’s sleeve, softly calling, “Sister-in-law.”
The Princess Consort glanced at Jiang Yunqing and smiled, “If you’re tired of the show and don’t mind the stuffiness, you can join your sister-in-law.”
“Thank you, Princess Consort. While the performance is enjoyable, my sister-in-law needs care. I don’t mind the stuffiness,” Jiang Yunqing replied gratefully, rising to bow. Her manners and speech, honed under Madam Du’s tutelage, were impeccable.
As they walked to the back, the Princess Consort carefully observed Jiang Yunqing’s every move and asked kindly, “Does Miss Qing rarely go out?”
Jiang Yunqing answered cautiously, “My grandmother is elderly, and my mother doesn’t like going out.” She then bowed again to the Princess Consort and Chen shi, “Please forgive my rudeness towards the Duke of Pingyang.”
Mudan interjected, “Everyone in our household says the Princess Consort and Madam are magnanimous and don’t hold grudges. I assured Qing’er not to worry, as she’d see for herself how kind you both are.”
The Princess Consort, pleased by the flattery and believing in her generosity, laughed heartily. “It was just children’s play, nothing to fuss over. I invited you today because I felt you were wronged too, hoping you wouldn’t hold it against my Xiao Si. Yet here you are, apologizing to us first.”
Jiang Yunqing’s eyes reddened briefly before she composed herself and said softly, “It was my fault.” She realizes her mistake in using Xiao Si for revenge, driven by her desire to escape her tragic fate and retaliate against her family. Her true remorse began when Xiao Si spared her—she understood her grievances were with her family alone and shouldn’t involve others. Unable to express these thoughts, she could only admit her fault.
Chen Shi sighed, “Well, now that the misunderstanding is cleared up, let’s not speak of it anymore. The wind is picking up; let’s go inside to rest.”
The group moved on to other topics, with Jiang Yunqing remaining quiet but attentive to Mudan’s needs.
In the back garden, the Princess Consort signaled Mudan to join her for a private conversation about recent letters from Madam Wang. Jiang Yunqing, sensing it was inappropriate to follow, offered to stay outside and admire the chrysanthemums.
The Princess Consort asked Chen Shi to accompany Jiang Yunqing in the garden. Mudan exchanged a glance with Jiang Yunqing, silently asking her not to wander off.
Inside, the Princess Consort had Mudan sit beside her and smiled, “I couldn’t say much earlier with so many people around, but now I want to properly congratulate you two. Have you written to your mother-in-law with the good news?”
“Yes,” Mudan smiled slightly. “Mother had everything prepared long ago, even making clothes and shoes before she left.”
The Princess Consort sighed, “She’s finally seeing her efforts bear fruit. When you first married, she was extremely worried about you two.” She didn’t elaborate, but Mudan understood Madam Wang’s concerns about potential infertility and the resulting gossip and family pressure.
After a moment of silence, the Princess Consort asked, “Your carriage was struck by a mad bull, and then you encountered Prince Min?”
Mudan answered truthfully, explaining how Prince Min offered to help find a doctor and then invited Chengfeng for drinks, which was declined.
The Princess Consort shook her head, smiling, “Ah, Prince Min… How could Chengfeng be in the mood for drinks after such an incident? Prince Jing is much more thoughtful and careful. Today is Xiao Si’s birthday, and he’s the only one who remembered, sending gifts over.”
“I only heard about it from Zang Mama that day, so I also prepared some small gifts for the Duke of Pingyang to play with. I didn’t mention it earlier since you hadn’t brought it up,” Mudan replied, noting inwardly how Prince Jing seemed to have a hand in everything.
The Princess Consort laughed, “That Zang Mama, such a chatterbox. I just wanted to create a lively atmosphere without burdening everyone. But since you’re family, I’ll accept your gifts.”
Suddenly, they heard laughter from outside—a young man’s voice. Mudan, worried about Jiang Yunqing, became anxious. The Princess Consort was also startled, exclaiming, “Who would dare to come here and laugh so boldly?”