At the Earl of Changning’s residence, after Old Madam Song saw off the Eleventh Princess, the two maternal uncles’ wives from the Cui family, and Madam Shen, she deliberately kept Song Chuyi behind to speak privately: “I seem to have heard the Eleventh Princess mention something about the Eastern Palace to you. What’s this about? Could it be that the Prince of Dongping actually quarreled with Consort Fan?”
This truly was a rare and curious thing to hear. The elder Lady Fan was famous for knowing how to raise her son. During the seven or eight years Zhou Weizhao wasn’t in the capital, relying on her clever, handsome, lively and quick-witted son, the elder Lady Fan had gained quite a bit of favor before the Emperor and Crown Prince. Zhou Weiqi had indeed been raised to be filial and obedient, famously dutiful and compliant before the elder Lady Fan. To actually hear that they had quarreled, Old Madam Song recalled the recent matter with Han Zhi—because of those petty old grudges, the elder Lady Fan had recklessly insisted on opposing the younger Lady Fan, even forcing Han Zhi to death. The Prince of Dongping must certainly be holding back a bellyful of anger. Men were always more rational than women—whatever vengeance or grievances existed, before matters of benefit they could all be set aside completely. Whatever tremendous reasons the elder Lady Fan might have, in the Prince of Dongping’s view it came down to one thing—the elder Lady Fan had severed his right arm.
While asking this, Old Madam Song nodded toward Nanny Huang and received from her hands a small black lacquered gilt box which she passed to Song Chuyi: “Take this with you. On the day of the deity manifestation when you go to watch the excitement, remember to bring it to avoid offending the gods.”
Song Chuyi opened it and saw a white jade qilin so lifelike it seemed ready to leap from the box at any moment. She couldn’t help but startle, then laughed: “No wonder Grandmother kept me behind alone—it’s to favor me, giving me such a fine thing just for myself.”
Old Madam Song scolded her: “If it weren’t for you being someone who easily attracts trouble, I wouldn’t be planning to give you such a fine thing now. No matter what, I should wait until you’re ready to marry and give it to you to put in your dowry chest.”
Song Chuyi’s fate had always been a thorn in Old Madam Song’s heart. Bringing this up, she couldn’t help but recall the unanimous statements from Master Yuankong and Master Yuanhui at Huangjue Temple, and worriedly knitted her brow: “Tomorrow when you go out with Mingzi and the others, if your eldest aunt and the rest want to go hear scriptures at Master Yuankong’s place, you shouldn’t go.”
Better to avoid provoking whatever words Master Yuankong might say, lest the rumors that had finally died down a bit be brought up again by people.
Song Chuyi agreed, then thought for a moment and first explained to Old Madam Song the reasons behind Zhou Weizhao and the elder Lady Fan’s falling out: “It should be that Consort Fan unscrupulously suppressed that younger sister of hers from the Marquis of Jinxiang’s household, so the Prince of Dongping worried she was going too far and would offend the Marquis of Jinxiang, which is why they quarreled. But this family is really quite interesting, especially the subtle relationship between Consort Fan and the Marchioness of Jinxiang. The Marchioness of Jinxiang’s son essentially died at Consort Fan’s hands now—this point was revealed to the Marchioness of Jinxiang long ago. For the sake of her son and daughter, she’s probably planning to do something.”
Old Madam Song had no favorable impression of either sister. Moreover, if Consort Fan really did have a falling out with the Jinxiang Marquis side, she wouldn’t have the mind to meddle in the Chen family’s affairs, much less keep a close eye on Song Chuyi wanting to win over and use the Song family. She was quite happy to watch these two sisters fight each other, and raised the corners of her mouth in a half-smile: “If that’s really the case, then there’ll be quite a show to watch next.”
She glanced at Ziwei who was coming through the door carrying hot water, then told Song Chuyi to return early, and specially instructed her: “With Third Madam Chen spreading the word like this, there will inevitably be some people with designs on Mingzi who will take advantage of this time to come calling. Although we’re anxious to help Mingzi choose a good family, we absolutely cannot let these people get their way. Tomorrow watch over Mingzi more carefully—be wary of attracting flies.”
Even Song Chumi had people from the Zhang family trying to scheme against her, let alone Xiang Mingzi who had lost her mother, possessed a large dowry, and had been adopted under the First Master’s name. After this commotion between Third Madam Chen and Old Madam Xiang, those with designs on Xiang Mingzi would certainly increase. And this time it coincided with the deity manifestation—reminded thus by Old Madam Song, Song Chuyi immediately became alert and agreed. Seeing that Ziwei had already personally lifted the curtain, she took her leave of Old Madam Song and departed.
The next day brought uncommonly fine weather. Though the morning wind made people instinctively cover their faces and ears, a bright sun already hung on the treetops, and even the window lattices were overlaid with a layer of golden, mottled light and shadow. Everything was brilliant gold, making one’s mood involuntarily brighten along with it.
Song Chuyi wore a blue embroidered overjacket trimmed with gold, with a frost-white pleated skirt underneath. At her waist was the white jade qilin pendant Old Madam Song had given her, and over everything she wore a cloak of pale yellow woven from wild duck down. Her whole person was brilliantly colorful, appearing exceptionally spirited and beautiful.
First Madam Song led her and Xiang Mingzi to sit in the foremost eight-treasure carriage with vermillion tassels. As soon as they boarded, she instructed them: “At the si hour today, the princess and the two princesses will leave the city. We must first go to Babao Mountain to see them off. You two needn’t come forward—just follow me and bow from a distance.”
The Bureau of Astronomy had determined that the princess should marry departing from Babao Mountain, so the princess had first performed rites and said her farewells at the Imperial Ancestral Temple the day before, then stayed overnight in the detached palace on Babao Mountain. At si hour the next day, she would be accompanied out of the city by officials from the Ministry of Rites. All the imperial and enfeoffed ladies should go to congratulate and see her off.
Song Chuyi nodded. At this point, the Ninth Princess had never been one to contain herself, and with ten thousand parts of unwillingness in her heart, and probably having heard the news that the Eleventh Princess and Second Young Master Shen could marry, she had no desire to touch the Ninth Princess’s sore spot. Who knew if this Ninth Princess might really be deranged enough to do something.
She and Xiang Mingzi followed behind First Madam Song, prostrating themselves on the ground from afar behind a group of enfeoffed ladies, watching the expressionless Ninth Princess, clad in bright red wedding robes, board a great palanquin carried by sixteen men, before finally straightening up.
Then she caught sight of the younger Lady Fan, so thin she was almost skeletal, yet somehow wearing a pleased smile on her face—the younger Lady Fan was truly an exquisitely beautiful woman. When she had last seen the younger Lady Fan at the Jinxiang Marquis’s residence, she had been amazed by her beauty. But that younger Lady Fan had been rigid, like a wooden beauty. Yet at this moment, though gaunt and haggard, she somehow made it impossible to look away.
She felt that at this very moment, the younger Lady Fan was like a candle, burning at its brightest—which was also when it was about to go out.
The younger Lady Fan happened to see her too, and actually slowly nodded at her with a smile.
Earlier she had been crying heart-wrenchingly, yet now in the blink of an eye she was actually smiling cheerfully. Xiang Mingzi felt rather unsettled being looked at by her, and tightened her grip on Song Chuyi’s hand, somewhat guardedly shifting her position closer behind First Madam Song.