The following day, the Crown Princess sent people to deliver the bridal gift to the Ling residence.
The bridal gift was unexpectedly lavish. Beyond the usual fabrics, headpieces, and jewelry, there were also several chests of furs and fragrant spices. The furs were mostly fox and sable; the spices were even more rare and precious — the kind that could not be bought even with silver. Most breathtaking of all were two luminescent night pearls housed in an exquisitely crafted case.
Each pearl was the size of a pigeon’s egg, emitting a soft and lustrous glow. Even more remarkable was that the two pearls were perfectly matched in size, without a single flaw. They were worthy of being handed down as a family heirloom for generations.
Madam Ling the Elder had returned home the day before and taken ill, unable to rise from her bed. And so Ling Daye and his wife, together with Ling Wuye and his wife, came out to receive the bridal gift in her place.
“The Crown Princess’s generosity toward A’Shu fills our entire Ling household with such overwhelming gratitude and honor.” Ling Wuye offered his thanks with a face full of appreciation.
The lavish bridal gift was naturally a delight to behold. Even more heartening was the goodwill the Crown Prince’s residence had chosen to extend toward the Ling Family.
The steward who had come to deliver the gift on the Crown Princess’s behalf had received instructions beforehand and was rather gracious toward the Ling Family. He smiled and replied: “Ling Wuye need not stand on ceremony. The young lady of the Ling Family once saved His Highness the Crown Prince’s life, and Imperial Physician Wei attended carefully to His Highness’s health and recovery for a full half year. The Crown Princess has kept these acts of kindness close to her heart ever since. Today’s bridal gift is merely a small token to express that sentiment.”
“When the young lady of the Ling Family weds, please do not forget to send an invitation to the Crown Prince’s residence. The Crown Princess will certainly come in person to offer her congratulations.”
Ling Wuye responded with a succession of affirmative words, smiling with such particular eagerness that his face seemed to glow.
What a truly remarkable daughter to have raised — one of such extraordinary credit and honor to the family.
Which other young lady’s wedding could claim the Crown Princess herself coming personally to offer her blessing?
Once the steward had been seen off, Ling Wuye said with great contentment: “As for this bridal gift, I shall ask sister-in-law to kindly oversee it and see it stored in the treasury. When A’Shu weds, it will all go with her to her husband’s home.”
Properly speaking, such an important matter as managing the dowry should be handled by Li Shi in her capacity as the stepmother. However, ever since Ling Jingshu had made her position unmistakably clear, Li Shi as stepmother had lost considerable face, and no longer had the nerve to concern herself with such affairs.
Li Shi stood with her head lowered, her expression dark and shadowed, unable to conceal the jealousy, resentment, and anger within — with the faintest trace of a twisted bitterness.
Sun Shi glanced at Li Shi out of the corner of her eye and silently sighed to herself.
She, acting in the role of this elder sister-in-law, was in truth doing a thankless, exhausting job by taking this on. Yet given the situation as it stood, she could hardly refuse and step aside. She could only agree and take it on.
Sun Shi was methodical and organized in everything she did. On one hand she instructed the servants to carry the various chests and lacquered cases to the treasury and arrange them neatly, while on the other she had the gift inventory sent to Ling Jingshu to look over.
…
Ling Jingshu received the gift inventory, glanced over it with only passing interest, and set it aside without much feeling.
The dowry that the Empress and the Ling Family had prepared was already more than enough to keep her comfortable for the rest of her life. She had little interest in fine clothes and splendid adornments. How lavish or modest the Crown Princess’s bridal gift was made no great difference to her.
Bai Yu could not help leaning in to look it over carefully, and the more she read, the more astonished she became: “Young Miss, why has the Crown Princess suddenly become so generous? Every single item listed here is something exceptional!”
Ling Jingshu smiled with light unconcern: “This is her expression of gratitude for the day I saved the Crown Prince. A generous gift is only to be expected.”
Well, that was true enough!
How precious was the life of the Crown Prince? No amount of bridal gifts from the Crown Princess could be considered excessive.
The mistress and maid were chatting casually when Qiao Yun came in.
Ever since leaving the palace, Qiao Yun’s position had become somewhat awkward.
Qiao Yun had been at Ling Jingshu’s side for three years already, and the bond between mistress and maid was naturally one of genuine feeling. However, her identity as a planted informant was a matter of considerable delicacy. Ling Jingshu could make use of her, yet would never open her heart completely to her.
In the palace, the two had relied upon and trusted each other, and lived together in relative peace and harmony. Now that Ling Jingshu had left the palace and was awaiting her wedding day at home, life was essentially calm and undisturbed. As far as the Crown Grandson was concerned, this informant had become largely useless. With Qiao Yun remaining at Ling Jingshu’s side, she served no real purpose.
It was unclear what the Crown Grandson had in mind. Ling Jingshu would very soon be wed; would he have Qiao Yun go along as a bridal maid to the Wei residence? And then what? Was she supposed to surveil the lives of the newly married couple and report back to the Crown Grandson one by one?
Setting aside whether Ling Jingshu would be pleased about this — even Qiao Yun herself found the very thought of it acutely uncomfortable.
Ling Jingshu looked up and met Qiao Yun’s gaze, offering her a gentle smile with her usual warm composure: “Qiao Yun, the Crown Princess has had people send over a bridal gift. Please take the inventory list and put it away safely for me.”
Qiao Yun pulled herself together and smiled in cheerful acknowledgment.
…
The matter troubling Qiao Yun soon found its resolution.
That evening, a hidden guard concealed outside the Ling residence sent over a small case.
“This is a bridal gift sent by His Highness the Crown Grandson — what is inside, this servant cannot say.” Qiao Yun did not dare delay a single moment, and immediately carried the case before Ling Jingshu: “I ask that Young Miss please look it over.”
A bridal gift personally sent by the Crown Grandson?
Ling Jingshu was rarely caught off guard, but she paused for a moment, then silently accepted the case.
The case was not large — only slightly bigger than a fist — crafted from fine golden-thread nanmu wood, with colorful gemstones inlaid all around the exterior. Setting aside whatever was inside, the case itself alone was an exceedingly rare and precious object.
The case felt light — no great weight to it.
When she opened it, inside lay a neat stack of papers.
What was this?
Ling Jingshu took out the papers and unfolded them one by one. When she saw what was written on them, her expression became something impossible to describe.
The first sheet was a deed to a country estate of several hundred mu.
The second was the same.
The third, fourth, and fifth were deeds to shop fronts in the most prosperous district of the capital.
After those came ten banknotes. Each with a face value of five thousand taels — fifty thousand taels in total.
The last sheet was Qiao Yun’s deed of bondage.
…What did the Crown Grandson mean by this? This bridal gift was even more lavish than what the Crown Princess had sent. How could she accept all of this without a second thought?
Qiao Yun, observing proper decorum, did not dare open her mouth to ask, and stood quietly to one side.
After a long while, Ling Jingshu finally spoke: “Qiao Yun, the Crown Grandson had this sent over without a single word of message?”
“In reply to Young Miss, none at all.” Qiao Yun was also quietly guessing at what that thick stack of papers might be. Banknotes she could recognize; the rest she had no way of knowing.
Ling Jingshu reflected briefly, then made up her mind, and said plainly: “The Crown Grandson has given me your deed of bondage. I take it he means to transfer you fully to my care. If you are willing, from this day forward you will no longer be a hidden guard — you will simply be a maid at my side, and you will come with me to the Wei household when I wed.”
“However, I will say this clearly in advance. If you decide to stay at my side, you must be fully and completely loyal to me. You cannot continue sending word to the Crown Grandson. I do not lack for maids, and those whose hearts are divided — I will not keep. “
“If you are unwilling, I will return your deed of bondage to you, and you may return to the Crown Grandson’s hidden guard company.”