Ye Jingchuan was going to Taizhou, and the Song family had also received the news. Old Madam Song instructed First Madam to prepare gifts to send over, and couldn’t help but sigh to First Madam: “He really is such a fine young man, what a pity.”
His Highness the Grand Heir was naturally excellent in every way, but his status was what it was—following him in the future would mean facing quite a few difficult trials. Moreover, Empress Dowager Lu, who had always seemed fairly clear-headed in the past, had recently been doing things that troubled people’s hearts.
First Madam dared not pick up this thread of conversation. After thinking for a moment, she smiled and spoke of tomorrow’s palace banquet instead, then helped Old Madam Song settle in for the night before leaving.
The next day when she entered the palace for the banquet, Old Madam Song happened to encounter the Princess Consort of Zhennan. The Princess Consort of Zhennan was as poised and dignified as ever, but her complexion carried a trace of haggardness that couldn’t be concealed. Even having her own Song Yan go to Hubei had frightened Old Madam Song so badly her heart nearly leaped out of her chest—putting herself in the Princess Consort’s shoes, Old Madam Song only felt heartache and fear on her behalf. She grasped her hand and patted it: “You must also set your mind at ease. Children and grandchildren have their own fortunes.”
The Princess Consort of Zhennan’s eyes grew hot with tears. Last night Ye Jingchuan had only returned home near dusk, refused dinner, and didn’t even glance at his usually most beloved lotus paste filling. He had sat alone in the family pavilion the entire night in rigid stillness. When the maid reported this to her, she went out to see him sitting on the stone bench in the pavilion with his arms crossed, leaning against a pillar—it nearly shattered her heart.
Her steps slowed slightly as she clutched Old Madam Song’s hand tighter, her voice even growing somewhat choked with emotion: “Our boy has always been single-minded. When he was small he was single-minded, and when he grew up his mind didn’t grow with him—still the same pinpoint focus.”
Song Chuyi had already been designated by imperial decree as the Grand Heir’s consort—no one could harbor thoughts of her. But as a mother, she still felt heartache for her own son.
The normally composed and self-possessed Princess Consort of Zhennan had never lost her composure like this before. Old Madam Song squeezed her hand: “Each person has their own fate, and this is also the children’s own destiny. Jingchuan is a good child, and time is long—what do they understand? There will be even better matches in the future, so don’t be too anxious.”
The Princess Consort of Zhennan could only think this way as well. She turned her head to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, then made conversation with Old Madam Song: “Why haven’t I seen Sixth Miss?”
Old Madam Song laughed: “Look, she’s right over there—she ran into the Eleventh Princess and the young lady from the Lu family, and they pulled her aside to talk.”
The Princess Consort of Zhennan followed Old Madam Song’s gaze. The young lady was wearing a lake-blue shark silk gauze robe, with a snow-white three-inch-wide belt at her waist, adorned with only a jade cicada to weigh down the skirt. Her hair was arranged simply and refreshingly, decorated with only several fingernail-sized pearls dotting the updo, revealing a section of cream-white neck. Looking from afar under the bright sun—snowy skin and flower-like beauty, waves of light flowing in her eyes—she was both dazzling to the eyes and yet made one unable to help but look a second time despite the dazzle. The beauty held a fan, smiling with charming dimples that made it impossible to look away.
Looking at such a pleasing sight, she only felt more stifled in her heart and forced another smile.
Lu Chonghua had returned to the Lu family from Qingning Hall after the Crown Prince’s incident and rarely went out. Finally seeing Song Chuyi today, she couldn’t help but pull her over and half-jokingly, half-seriously complained to her: “You promised to be the host and invite me to play at Earl Changning’s manor—turns out those were just empty words to humor me. I’ve waited all these days and still haven’t received an invitation card.”
As she spoke, she playfully spread her hands, her eyes containing reproach and resentment though her face was wreathed in smiles, making people laugh heartily.
The Eleventh Princess couldn’t help but reach out to pinch her face: “There have been so many family matters recently, and my aunt has been busy—where would she have time to play?”
Lu Chonghua rarely displayed such girlish petulance. She widened her eyes and hummed: “Your Highness the Princess is also helping her humor me. Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival—even Her Majesty the Empress is hosting a banquet for the female family members to enjoy the moon. After this meal, this evening on Vermillion Bird Avenue, the Ministry of Works has prepared twenty thousand taels worth of fireworks to set off. Though I’ve never been to the capital before, I’ve heard that on Mid-Autumn night these fireworks continue without cease all night long, the curfew is lifted, and the lanterns blaze as brightly as the Lantern Festival. On such a lively and wonderful day, surely you’re all going to join in the excitement?”
Song Chuyi held no ill will toward this young lady from the Lu family. She never had ill will toward people who were sensible, and moreover, Lu Chonghua was after all the Crown Princess’s own niece, and truly quite skilled at conducting herself in society—though she paid respects to the Crown Princess every few days, she always chose times when Zhou Weizhao wasn’t there, and never brought up matters of being cousins.
The Crown Princess held some resentment toward her brother and wasn’t close to him, but had always maintained an excellent relationship with her sister-in-law. Naturally she also extended that affection to her obedient and sensible niece. Previously, because Lu Daye had harbored thoughts of having both Ehuang and Nüying, she had been forced to distance herself somewhat from Lu Chonghua. Now that she knew the Lu family had abandoned those thoughts, and Lu Chonghua was truly a girl without any malicious intentions, she gradually grew closer to her.
Song Chuyi didn’t feel jealous at all. The Crown Princess was an exceptionally sensible person—even when she had previously felt affection for her niece from her natal family, she had restrained and distanced herself out of fear that Song Chuyi might overthink it. Such a good person—whatever she wanted to do, Song Chuyi wanted to try her best to fulfill.
Lu Chonghua frequently kept the Crown Princess company and provided emotional support. In reciprocation, Song Chuyi naturally also wanted to be close to her. Hearing her speak this way now, she couldn’t help but laugh: “And you still say we’re not taking you along? Look at how clearly you’ve explained it all—do you still need us to take you?”
Lu Chonghua took her hand and smiled at the Eleventh Princess: “If Your Highness and you don’t take me along, how can I go out?”
After joking and laughing for a while, they followed the palace maids who had come to invite them inside. As they walked, Lu Chonghua leaned close to Song Chuyi’s ear and quietly told her: “My great-aunt originally planned to have the young lady from the Du family come make things difficult for you, but she’s already abandoned that idea now. You can rest assured.”
In fact, Empress Dowager Lu had also hinted at this to her, but she had consistently played dumb. When really pressed, she went out and sought Princess Rongcheng’s help, and afterward never heard Empress Dowager Lu mention the matter again.
As she thought of this, she happened to see Madam Du walking ahead and sighed again: “It’s just that Miss Du is also a pitiable person. I heard she’s now so ill she can’t get out of bed.”
Song Chuyi had also met Du Fangxi several times. Back when a group of capital noblewomen followed the Ninth Princess in making things difficult for her, among the few who didn’t join in adding insult to injury was this Miss Du. When the Ninth Princess struck with her whip, aside from the Cui sisters and her own sisters, only this Miss Du had offered her a handkerchief.
She recalled what Yin Yunduan had mentioned—that Madam Du had asked a matchmaker to approach Earl Guangen’s manor to feel out their intentions, wanting to secure a match between Du Fangxi and the eldest son of the heir of Earl Guangen. Her steps paused slightly.
At the time, Yin Yunduan had without hesitation told the Earl’s wife to send her away. First, they couldn’t take the Grand Heir’s route, and second, their attempt to curry favor with the Song family by other means was also refused. Given Elder Du’s calculating nature, no wonder Miss Du had become bedridden with illness—her condition had grown even more serious.