Yesterday’s rain had washed away the accumulated dust of the past few days. The sky was a pristine blue without a single cloud. The lush, verdant leaves of the tall locust trees lining the streets rustled pleasantly in the gentle breeze. It should have been a beautiful day, but the half-dried mud on the streets was irritating. The horse’s hooves didn’t feel as solid as usual, giving a sense of softness and emptiness. Liu Chang felt uncomfortable but could do nothing about it. This feeling persisted until the horse stepped onto the sandy path leading to the imperial city, where he finally felt more grounded.
At the palace gates, Liu Chang, familiar with the process, entrusted his items to a trusted palace servant he knew well to deliver them inside. He then found a shady, inconspicuous corner to wait patiently. Although Pan Rong’s contact might have been more reliable, the current situation couldn’t be delayed. The sooner he could act, the better, so he had to use his usual channels. Even if it couldn’t be resolved immediately, he could at least buy some time. As long as he could delay things a bit, he was sure he could think of a solution.
He leaned quietly against the thick, cool palace wall, gazing at the deep blue sky overhead, his eyes somewhat unfocused. The saying goes, “Marry a princess, and you’ll have no peace; sue the government, and you’ll face defeat. Truly fearsome indeed.” Although the position of imperial son-in-law was noble, it was essentially like being a servant. Even though Princess Qinghua wasn’t a princess, her status was still exalted. As her husband, how much better off could he be than an imperial son-in-law? He remembered Princess Qinghua’s husband, who had died young from anger and felt a twinge of bitterness.
He thought back to their innocent childhood days when others considered the daughters of the five noble families to be good matches, but he hadn’t seen any disadvantage in marrying a princess or a noble lady. However, royal marriages were never decided by individuals. She married the son of a duke, while he, due to his unambitious father, married Danniang. He was dissatisfied, resentful, and unwilling to accept his fate, but he had no choice.
Unexpectedly, after just a year, Qinghua became a widow. She came to him, accusing him of not waiting for her and being heartless. Perhaps due to his circumstances, his heart had already hardened. He felt no guilt, believing that neither of them owed the other anything. Their fates were not in their own hands, so why pretend to have such deep feelings? Who were they trying to impress?
He observed that Qinghua was different from the person he remembered. She kept beautiful young men around her and was imperious, willful, cruel, and selfish. However, she had also grown more beautiful. He didn’t reject her advances. It was a relationship of mutual benefit, with no debts between them. Just like his relationship with Mudan – the He family provided the money the Liu family urgently needed, while he gave Mudan the status of the Liu family’s young mistress to “suppress” her illness and allow her to continue living. They were even.
The sight of Mudan always angered him. Her existence was a humiliation, constantly reminding him that even as the son of a noble family, he was no different from the beautiful young men Qinghua kept – surviving by selling his body and looks. His suffering only eased when he saw Mudan cry and grieve. If he couldn’t be comfortable, why should she be? His dignity was only satisfied when the noble Qinghua went out of her way to pursue and please him – he was different from those men who lived off women.
But he never expected things to turn out this way. Even a merchant’s daughter could discard him like worn-out shoes. Was he so worthless? She had recovered from her illness and was now intimately involved with someone else, casually tossing him aside. How could he swallow this anger? Everyone got what they wanted, but no one ever asked what he wanted. He laughed coldly. He wouldn’t let them have their way.
Time passed slowly. The palace walls were too high; the sunlight flickered briefly before disappearing behind the wall, leaving only a bone-chilling shade. Liu Chang could hardly stand it anymore. With no response after such a long wait, he couldn’t help but feel anxious.
Finally, the door opened. It was Yang Deyi, the chief eunuch from the Empress’s palace. Yang Deyi was plump and well-fed, with a smile that could rival the Maitreya Buddha. Seeing Yang Deyi’s smile, Liu Chang’s heart leaped with joy. The matter must have been successful. Before he could speak, Yang Deyi was already congratulating him: “Congratulations, Sir Liu. Your wish has been granted. Her Majesty has approved.”
It felt as if a thousand-pound weight had suddenly been lifted from his shoulders, like a drowning man finally able to breathe freely. Liu Chang was overjoyed. A piece of ancient jade, prepared in advance, slipped unnoticed into Yang Deyi’s hand as he sincerely thanked him: “Thank you for your hard work, Chief Steward.”
Even though he was just a steward, Liu Chang added the word “Chief,” making Yang Deyi smile slightly: “Sir Liu, there’s no need for such formality. Lord Liu had already spoken to me earlier. This matter also involved Princess Kangcheng’s favor, and the Princess had also pleaded with Her Majesty several times. It had to be arranged perfectly. Her Majesty was very pleased with the gifts you sent today and told me that young people are indeed impatient. If she didn’t ask His Majesty to issue the decree soon, she would truly be the villain.”
Liu Chang felt dizzy. What did this mean? He couldn’t understand.
Seeing his confusion, Yang Deyi kindly reminded him: “Originally, Princess Qinghua had tried to appeal a few times, but His Majesty said you already had a wife and it wasn’t appropriate. He was planning to choose a new match for her from next year’s imperial examination graduates. During the Dragon Boat Festival, there was that incident at Prince Wei’s mansion, making it difficult for her to enter the palace for a few days. Princess Kangcheng was also planning to wait a while before bringing up this matter. Now it’s all settled, with Her Majesty arranging everything for you, which is most appropriate. You can go home with peace of mind. I expect the imperial decree for the marriage will be issued within half a month.”
Liu Chang’s mind buzzed, white flashes passed before his eyes, followed by darkness. He could vaguely see Yang Deyi’s mouth moving, his smile dazzling, but he couldn’t hear what was being said. What had gone wrong? He mechanically grabbed Yang Deyi’s sleeve and struggled to ask: “The person I asked to deliver the gifts inside, what did they say to you?”
Yang Deyi’s plump, rosy face revealed nothing, only maintaining a joyful smile: “What does that matter? The important thing is that it’s done. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, there will be no changes. Sir Liu, you’d better hurry home and prepare. We’ll be waiting to drink at your wedding feast.” With that, he bid farewell to Liu Chang without further conversation.
After Yang Deyi entered the palace walls and reached a lush area of flowers and trees, Princess Qinghua, dressed in bright red Hu-style clothing, emerged. She raised an eyebrow and smiled, “Thank you for your hard work, Chief Steward.”
Yang Deyi smiled, his eyes crinkling, continuously congratulating Princess Qinghua. She smiled faintly, discreetly slipping him a package before quietly departing with her head held high.
“No changes” – did this mean it wasn’t certain before, and his haste had brought it about? How was this possible? The Empress wasn’t someone who would take gifts without fulfilling her promise, otherwise, he and Pan Rong wouldn’t have thought to seek her help. Someone must have interfered and conveyed the wrong message. Liu Chang stared blankly at a patch of lush moss at the base of the wall for a while, then viciously stomped on it, grinding the moss into an unrecognizable mess with his foot. His face contorted as he turned to leave.
His servant Qiushi, seeing his master’s fierce expression, was scared but still thoughtfully reminded him: “Young Master, should we wait a bit longer? The person from Noble Consort’s palace hasn’t come out yet… there might still be a chance for change.”
Liu Chang coldly replied: “There’s no point in waiting.” What was there to wait for? Initially, they had approached the Noble Consort just as a precaution, mainly relying on the Empress. Now that the Empress had taken charge and settled the matter, even if the Noble Consort was powerful, she wouldn’t oppose the Empress, Princess Kangcheng, and Prince Wei’s household simultaneously just for a canopy. This much he could still understand clearly.
Just as they were leaving Anfu Gate, Qiushi nervously alerted Liu Chang: “Young Master, the Old Master is over there.”
Liu Chang stiffly raised his head to see Liu Chengcai dressed in purple official robes, adorned with a golden fish pouch, surrounded by attendants as he halted his horse not far away. He gazed at Liu Chang with a faint, mocking smile, as if everything was within his expectations and calculations.
Liu Chang pressed his lips tightly together, staring hard at Liu Chengcai. His heart and lungs felt like the moss he had just trampled – dried up, powerless, without a trace of vitality, aching to the core, in bone-deep pain, unable to breathe.
Liu Chengcai’s gaze briefly swept over Qiushi before he smiled magnanimously: “Congratulations, my son, on getting your wish.”
Qiushi fearfully hid behind Liu Chang, wishing he could disappear. Remembering Xixia’s fate, he couldn’t help but secretly tug at Liu Chang’s sleeve, pleading in a low voice: “Young Master, please endure it. You can’t outmaneuver the Old Master. After all, he’s your father; he won’t harm you.”
A strange smile appeared at the corner of Liu Chang’s mouth as he walked steadily towards Liu Chengcai. Though his throat felt tight, his voice was clear, firm, and steady: “Father, are you heading home? Was the ministry busy today?”
Liu Chengcai was somewhat surprised but then felt satisfied. He had always said that women were all the same – one a merchant’s daughter, the other a noble lady, as different as clouds and mud. His son was just stubborn and couldn’t see reason. Now he had finally come around. It seems forcing him wasn’t a bad idea after all. Seeing his son yield, he no longer pursued the matter and answered kindly: “It was not bad.”
Father and son rode their horses down the street, silent for a moment. Liu Chengcai secretly observed Liu Chang, noticing that since mounting his horse, he had maintained the same posture, his knuckles white as he gripped the reins, his lips pressed tightly together. Feeling a twinge of pity, he said softly: “The money spent is spent. We won’t lose out in the end. In a few days, I’ll use this opportunity to seek a good official position for you. If you follow me and listen to what I say from now on, it will all be for your benefit. You’re my only son, and we’re counting on you to care for us in our old age and bring glory to our ancestors. We won’t harm you, so don’t disappoint us.”
Liu Chang smiled tightly and slowly replied: “Alright. Don’t worry, Father. I won’t disappoint you. I was too willful before.”
Liu Chengcai brightened up: “Women, well, their fierceness and jealousy don’t amount to much. As long as her heart is with you, everything can be worked out. You need to change that temperament of yours. Women prefer to be coaxed.” Madam Qi was fierce and intensely jealous, yet hadn’t he managed to live with her for a lifetime? If he could endure it, why couldn’t his son?
Liu Chang turned his cold gaze towards the horizon and obediently said: “I will heed your teachings, Father.”