Song Chuyi anticipated that Han Zhi seeking revenge against her wouldn’t happen in a short time—although that residence in the suburbs of the capital was registered under Wei Yanjun’s name, who in the capital didn’t know whose man Wei Yanjun really was? Moreover, those who died alongside Wei Yanjun included so many unfamiliar young women.
Soon rumors began spreading in teahouses, theaters, and restaurants, saying that the woman who died with her face slashed beyond recognition was actually Han Zhi’s lover. Because Han Zhi was getting married and could no longer keep her, he had secretly prepared to send her away, but who knew they would encounter bandits. In the end, the entire group died.
Whether it was true or not, so many people had died, and there were countless connections to Han Zhi. Both the Imperial Guard and the Shuntian Prefecture authorities came knocking one after another.
In the end, it was only through the Marquis of Jinxiang’s estate spending a great sum that this matter was finally settled.
After this storm completely passed, another major event occurred in the capital.
The Empress Dowager had passed away.
Emperor Jianzhang had always been renowned for his benevolence and filial piety. He immediately ordered that civil and military officials suspend court for three days. Court officials were forbidden from marriage for two years after three months had passed, and common people also had a year of mourning. Naturally, the matter of selecting companions for the princesses was delayed as well.
All the women of the inner quarters with imperial honors had to enter the palace to mourn. Old Madam Song and the First Madam were so busy they were barely home. When the Empress Dowager’s grand funeral finally ended, they faced difficulties again regarding Song Chubin and Song Chuxuan’s matters.
Although the current Emperor was merciful and specifically left a three-month grace period for the people below, once the Ministry of Rites’ procedures ran their course, both she and the First Madam held imperial honors and had to enter the palace to mourn. Even after the lying-in-state, they had to go pay respects. Where would they find the time to arrange Song Chuxuan and Song Chubin’s weddings within these few months? But being the case, it would inevitably have to be postponed another two years.
After sighing, they still found a way to communicate with Jiangyin through Yu Shi. Fortunately, that side was very satisfied with this marriage match. Moreover, since it was national mourning, it wouldn’t be appropriate to hastily look for new matches in such a short time. Both sides agreed on two years later.
The First Madam never expected things would pass so easily. Holding Song Chuxuan, she sighed with lingering fear for quite a while—after all, the Jiangyin marriage was truly a rare good match. If they had missed it, her daughter was remarrying and would be even older in two years, making it even harder to find a match.
By the time Empress Dowager Rongxian’s funeral affairs concluded, nearly half a year had passed again. Song Chengru ultimately couldn’t return this year either—the situation in Yangzhou was an absolute mess of tangled threads with a vast web of connections behind it, making it extremely difficult to resolve.
Around midyear, Cui Shaoting sent word back saying he was reinforcing city walls and repairing the Great Wall.
Song Chuyi knew that the situation in the north must be tense. Although the Tartars had held back for these two years, they ultimately couldn’t restrain themselves. Since they couldn’t farm, year after year they could only plunder from the Central Plains. After lying low for a while following the Tongzhou incident, now that they had recuperated, they were clearly preparing to make a comeback.
Yu Shi finished reading the letter, but still felt uneasy in her heart. She pulled Madam Cui aside and talked incessantly: “If they really start fighting, who knows what will happen. After all, he used to fight pirates…”
Madam Cui herself had become quite haggard from Empress Dowager Rongxian’s funeral affairs, but her spirits were actually quite high. No matter what, with Empress Dowager Rongxian dead, the mountain pressing down on the Emperor and Empress had collapsed. From now on, no imperial censor could use this pretext to threaten to bash their heads in the Hall of Supreme Harmony claiming Emperor Jianzhang was unfilial and ungrateful.
She clasped Yu Shi’s hand in return to comfort her: “How could it be that frightening? Shaoting has calculations in his heart. Back in Fujian when things were so difficult, he still prevailed. Now changing locations to fight, would he suddenly not know how to wage war? Where’s the logic in that? Just set your mind at ease. In the blink of an eye, nearly two years have already passed. In another year, he’ll be able to return to the capital to report on his duties.”
Although Yu Shi knew that Madam Cui was deliberately choosing comforting words, she had no other option at the moment. She sighed deeply and glanced outside, sighing: “I only hope it’s as you say—that in another year he can return to the capital to report on his duties. Otherwise, I fear he won’t even make it back for the two sisters’ weddings.”
Cui Huaying and Cui Huayi’s weddings had also been delayed due to national mourning. Fortunately, seeing that two years would soon pass, she had recently begun discussing wedding dates with the wife of the Earl of Guangping. At least there was something to do.
Bringing up this matter, Madam Cui couldn’t help but fall silent for a while. After all, the two sisters Cui Huayi and Cui Huaying’s ancestral home was in Boling. They should return to Jinzhong to prepare for their weddings. Since the marriage had already been brought up, Yu Shi should take the two sisters back to Jinzhong.
“Right now is a troubled time. Taking them back would actually be a good thing.” She laughed once, then quietly lowered her voice: “Inside the palace, the Worthy Consort and the Noble Consort are now at daggers drawn. The Crown Prince has also taken on another Good Lady.”
Originally, the Worthy Consort and Noble Consort at least maintained appearances, but then the Ninth Princess’s Pekingese scratched the Eleventh Princess’s face, and that’s when the matter truly blew up.
Which young lady didn’t treasure her face? Especially since these were daughters of heaven—scratching someone’s face was tantamount to taking their life! Yet the Ninth Princess didn’t take it seriously at all, instead saying her Pekingese had been frightened. Consort Song endured and endured, but instead of seeing the Worthy Consort and Ninth Princess come with pleasant words to apologize, she waited to hear the Ninth Princess say she wanted to summon the imperial physician to treat the Pekingese’s illness. She finally couldn’t hold back and went to Qingning Hall.
The Empress frowned and told the Emperor. The Emperor had originally thought it was just petty squabbling between children and laughed it off. Only when he heard that the Ninth Princess had even said the Pekingese was more important than the Eleventh Princess did he truly fly into a thunderous rage. He immediately punished the Ninth Princess with confinement and had that Pekingese beaten to death as well.
It was only when Prince Duan returned before the new year last year and pleaded for her, speaking a cartload of both soft and hard words, that the Ninth Princess was finally released. But the enmity between the two sides was thus established.
Now that national mourning had passed, the matter of selecting companions for the princesses would be brought up again. They were all getting older now—if they didn’t hurry, it would violate protocol.
But selecting companions was also a difficult matter. Two years ago, the Ninth Princess had inexplicably insisted on having Song Chuyi and no one else. Now two years had passed, and with the Eleventh Princess incident in between, she would probably be even more unwilling to let it go.
But no one understood this cousin’s temperament better than Princess Duanhui and Madam Cui. At the slightest disagreement, she could lash out at her sister over a mere dog. Since childhood she had been obstinate.
Madam Cui smiled bitterly: “Perhaps it’s all my fault. Back then, Tingting’s matter was noted by the Worthy Consort. Now her daughter is fixated on Xiaoyi like this.”