Ji Cheng glanced at Shen Yu’s retreating figure, doubting if she had been delirious during her illness. Perhaps Shen Yu treated her no differently than a stranger. If he truly had any interest, he wouldn’t have avoided eye contact and maintained such a distant, cold attitude.
Ji Cheng was not one to act without purpose. If there was no benefit to be gained, she wouldn’t waste her efforts. She decided to test the waters for a few more days. If nothing came of it, she would quickly withdraw to avoid damaging her friendship with Lu Yuan and prevent future awkwardness.
Well, now Ji Cheng had remembered her friendship with Lu Yuan again.
Since Ji Cheng had promised Hong’er, she naturally took him to play in the garden. The winter garden was rather desolate; they couldn’t climb trees to find bird nests or wade into the water to catch fish.
Moreover, since Hong’er’s incident of falling into East Lake, he has developed a fear of water surfaces. He wouldn’t even glance in that direction when passing by the water’s edge.
Ji Cheng noticed this and thought it wouldn’t do. One must get back up where they fell.
“Hong’er, are you afraid of water now?” Ji Cheng asked.
Hong’er’s little face immediately turned red. “I’m not afraid, but Grandmother doesn’t allow me to play near the water anymore.”
Older people were often like this, always thinking about how to keep children away from danger rather than teaching them how to face it. Ji Cheng took Hong’er’s hand and said, “Don’t be afraid. It’s just one incident of nearly drowning. Do you know how I learned to swim?”
Hearing this, Hong’er became extremely curious. He had heard maids gossiping that it wasn’t unusual for men to know how to swim, but a woman who could swim was quite extraordinary, especially a woman from the North.
Ji Cheng said, “I nearly drowned when I was little too.”
“Ah?” Hong’er’s curiosity only grew.
It seemed Ji Cheng truly had a talent for handling children. She had never nearly drowned. She was a natural; she loved splashing around in the bathtub as a baby. Later, when she went out to play with her second brother, she would watch enviously as the boys cooled off in the water holes during summer. She imitated their movements on the side, practiced in the bathtub for a few days, and then boldly went to practice in the water holes. At first, she swallowed several mouthfuls of water, but with a do-or-die attitude, she managed to figure out how to swim.
Ji Cheng lied to Hong’er to make him feel that she could empathize with his experience. “I fell off a boat while touring a lake. There were many people on the boat, and naturally, those nearby were rescued first. I was far from them and nearly lost my life. After being rescued, I was afraid of water for a long time. But later, I thought, am I going to avoid water for the rest of my life? What if I encounter a similar situation again and no one is there to save me? So I steeled my resolve and practiced in my family’s shallow pool.”
Ji Cheng made it sound simple, but Hong’er was still afraid. “I…”
“Don’t be afraid. I’m not asking you to learn to swim now. The water is frozen over. I’ll teach you how to ice skate,” Ji Cheng said.
“You know how to do that too?” Hong’er was utterly impressed by Ji Cheng. Children admire those who seem to know how to do everything.
“Of course,” Ji Cheng reached out to pull Hong’er, but he stepped back, still afraid the ice might crack again.
Ji Cheng laughed, “You little coward. Last time, you used a hammer to break the ice. I don’t know where you got the strength from, but hitting it so hard at such a young age… If the ice surface had cracked, it would have easily split along the fissures. Moreover, the weather was warmer a few days ago, so the ice wasn’t as thick as it is now. This time, we’re not breaking the ice. We’ll go to West Lake. The area near the woods there has thicker ice.”
Although Hong’er followed Ji Cheng to West Lake, he still dared only to watch from the shore. Ji Cheng didn’t push him. In Jin North, almost the entire river would freeze over in winter, even allowing horse-drawn carriages to cross, so almost everyone knew how to ice skate.
Ji Cheng was an expert among them. She had special shoes made by an old blacksmith in Jin North, with cow leather uppers and a row of blades underneath, though they weren’t sharpened.
Ji Cheng put on her shoes and walked back and forth on the ice a couple of times, occasionally stomping her feet. This was to prove to Hong’er that the ice was solid.
However, simply walking on ice wasn’t a great feat, nor would it capture a child’s interest. Although Hong’er found Ji Cheng amusing, he showed no intention of trying it himself.
But in the next moment, Ji Cheng pushed off with her back leg, glided forcefully, and using that momentum, she leaped into the air, spinning twice before landing steadily. Then she began to glide across the ice surface, her movements resembling a swallow darting through clouds.
Ji Cheng was quite cunning. She had planned how to entertain Hong’er before bringing him to the garden. The dress she wore today was a rare front and back split skirt, which was best for ice skating as it didn’t get in the way. If she had worn her usual skirts, they would cling to her legs when moving forward, not only looking unattractive but also easily causing her to fall.
Ji Cheng’s dress was ice-blue layered gauze. As she skated forward, the layers of gauze fluttered, giving her an ethereal appearance. The ice-blue color sparkled with tiny flecks of silver, making Ji Cheng look like a celestial maiden about to take flight.
After the high-difficulty move of spinning twice in the air, Ji Cheng performed a fast spin on the spot, crouching with her right leg raised. She spun like a top, causing Hong’er to applaud continuously and cheer.
Not only Hong’er, but even the passing maids and older women found it fascinating and stopped to watch.
Meanwhile, after leaving Chang Heng Court, Shen Yu had intended to go to the outer court, but thoughts of Ji Cheng prevented him from leaving immediately. Previously, Ji Cheng rarely came to Chang Heng Court without reason, and Shen Yu knew she was avoiding suspicion. But why had she suddenly come after recovering from her illness?
Rui Xue suspected it was due to a woman’s intuition, but Shen Yu’s suspicions arose from his cautious nature.
Shen Yu recalled Shen Che’s assessment of Ji Cheng: ambitious and capable. Was her visit to Chang Heng Court for his sake?
It wasn’t that Ji Cheng’s intentions were too obvious, but everyone knew that at her age, she still wasn’t engaged and had come to the capital seeking a marriage. So Shen Yu couldn’t be blamed for overthinking.
If Ji Cheng had come for him, then Shen Yu would immediately become wary of her. Perhaps she hadn’t come before because she felt there was no hope, but now she had come because she had noticed his feelings. If so, Shen Yu had to admit that Ji Cheng was indeed quite cunning.
It wasn’t bad for a woman to have her plans, but if she was too clever, it might not be so pleasant.
As Shen Yu pondered this, he heard that Ji Cheng had taken Hong’er to the garden, so he changed direction and headed there.
When Shen Yu arrived at West Lake, he heard a chorus of cheers. Ji Cheng was performing an aerial spin, but unfortunately, she was unlucky. Having not practiced for so long, her skills had become rusty. The first successful attempt had likely been partly due to luck, but this time she lost her balance upon landing and fell with a “splat.”
Everyone present mentally sympathized with Ji Cheng, thinking, “Ouch, that must hurt.” Even Shen Yu was no exception.
Ji Cheng got up, not daring to rub her buttocks in front of everyone. Enduring the pain, she said to Hong’er, “That doesn’t count, it was a mistake. I’ll do it again.”
This time, she performed two beautiful consecutive spins.
“Teach me, teach me, Sister Cheng!” Hong’er, seeing how skilled Ji Cheng was, forgot his fear and ran towards her. Fortunately, Ji Cheng caught him quickly, or Hong’er would have certainly fallen face-first on the ice.
“Alright, I can teach you, but this is my unique skill. It’s called…” Originally, it was called “Flowers Blooming Side by Side,” but that name wasn’t suitable for children, so Ji Cheng quickly renamed it: “Double Dragon Spin.”
This name sounded impressive, and Hong’er was even more eager to learn upon hearing it.
“Okay, first you need to perform the discipleship ceremony,” Ji Cheng was also tired, so she skated to the shore with Hong’er and sat down.
Hong’er indeed knelt respectfully and kowtowed to Ji Cheng, performing the disciple’s rite. Ji Cheng accepted it graciously, “Good. A day as a teacher, a lifetime as a father. Will the disciple listen to what the teacher says?”
Hong’er responded loudly, “I will listen.”
“Good, then the teacher says, let’s eat first and learn another day.” Ji Cheng burst into laughter as she spoke. Hong’er immediately realized Ji Cheng was teasing him, just like when she had tricked him about being a spirit last time.
“Second Uncle.” Hong’er was about to make a fuss when he saw Shen Che nearby and quickly complained, “Second Uncle, please judge. I just knelt and kowtowed to Sister Cheng, but she immediately refused to teach me.”
Shen Che patted Hong’er’s head, “Your Aunt Cheng is putting on airs, asking for tuition fees, you fool.”
Hong’er slapped his forehead, “Oh, right.”
Seeing Shen Che’s approach, Ji Cheng immediately composed herself, transforming into a completely different person from moments ago. She greeted him gracefully, “Cousin Che.”
Shen Che said, “I didn’t know you were so skilled at ice skating.”
Ji Cheng replied softly, “It’s passable.”
Shen Yu stood behind a tree next to Ji Cheng and Shen Che. Observing the two, he could see that Ji Cheng was quite wary of Shen Che, not at all the admiration Shen Yu had initially imagined.
After seeing Shen Che, Hong’er’s sharp eyes quickly spotted Shen Yu as well. Naturally, he no longer dared to pester Ji Cheng about learning to ice skate and respectfully ran to stand beside his father.
The first month of the lunar year was the busiest time for social interactions. Shen Yuan and the others were out visiting today, so Ji Cheng couldn’t find time to teach Hong’er the next day either. This day was the Marquis of Jing’an’s banquet, which was Shen Yuan’s maternal grandfather’s family.
At the Marquis of Jing’an’s mansion, it was inevitable to encounter many familiar faces one might prefer not to see. For instance, Wang Siniang was the niece of Lady Wang, the wife of the heir of the Marquis of Jing’an. Naturally, Wang Siniang had to attend the Marquis of Jing’an’s banquet.
Wang Siniang was about the same age as Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan was to be married this May, while Wang Siniang’s marriage had yet to be arranged. This should have been a cause for surprise and gossip, but the Wang family was currently at the height of their power. Imperial Consort Wang and Consort Wang almost dominated the harem, even forcing Noble Consort Huang to take a step back.
Under these circumstances, everyone naturally assumed that Wang Siniang’s delayed engagement was due to the Wang family being selective. They had the right to be choosy. Whether in terms of family background or appearance, Wang Siniang was considered the top among the noble ladies of the capital.
Therefore, any madam with unmarried nephews or sons was exceptionally warm towards Wang Siniang. After all, Wang Siniang was not getting any younger, and no matter how good her family background was, she couldn’t delay much longer. They all thought they might be able to seize an opportunity.
Wang Siniang skillfully entertained the noble madams, her demeanor clearly showing that she could manage a household without any need for further instruction if married off.
As for Ji Cheng, she usually played a supporting role on such occasions. However, her graceful manner, excellent conversational skills, and neither overbearing nor servile attitude caught the attention of several madams who engaged her in conversation. Spring was the time for planning the year, and those looking to arrange marriages were particularly active at this time.
Today, Madam He née Zhou also came with He Ning. Upon seeing Shen Qian and Ji Cheng, He Ning proactively approached them to chat.
Madam He asked Ji Cheng, “Why haven’t you visited our mansion for so long? Aning has been thinking of you. Have you created any new letter papers recently?”
Ji Cheng replied that she had designed a new version of “Four Seasons Brocade” letter paper, which would be printed after the Lantern Festival. “I was ill for the past few days and couldn’t pay my respects to you, Madam. I had planned to bring the new flower-patterned letter paper to show you and Aning at your banquet the day after tomorrow.”
Madam He was immediately delighted. “That’s wonderful. I don’t see your aunt today. I had hoped to chat with her.”
Ji Cheng’s eyes widened slightly, wondering if she had misunderstood. Why would Madam He suddenly mention her aunt? Had news of Shen Cui’s affair spread?
However, Madam He’s expression didn’t seem to indicate she was probing. Ji Cheng had interacted with this lady a few times and knew she wasn’t one for deep scheming. Ji Cheng could understand why a woman from a scholarly family who enjoyed poetry would marry into the “rough” family of the Protector-General of Anxi. The simple family structure was likely one reason.
“My aunt is ill, so she couldn’t come,” Ji Cheng said.
“Oh, I’ll visit her in a few days then,” Madam He replied.
Truthfully, Madam He and Ji Lan were strangers, and there was no need for such familiarity. The only possibility was that Madam He had taken a liking to Ji Cheng and wanted to betroth her as a daughter-in-law.
A ripple of excitement spread through Ji Cheng’s heart. This was the first time since her arrival in the capital that someone had shown interest in her. She felt a sense of being valued. As the saying goes, “A scholar dies for the one who understands him,” and Ji Cheng felt an inexplicable fondness for Madam He.
Seeing Ji Cheng’s face suddenly flush, Madam He knew the girl had guessed her intentions. She was quite satisfied with Ji Cheng. Her appearance and character were flawless, even for her picky son. Young people tend to be attracted to beauty. Although her family background was quite good, they had been living on the frontier for years. Many noble ladies of the capital were unwilling to marry so far away, and Madam He didn’t approve of the local girls. He Cheng’s marriage had been in limbo, but upon seeing Ji Cheng, Madam He was immediately satisfied. The potential mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had common topics to discuss, which was excellent.
Ji Cheng didn’t have a strong aversion to marrying far away. Moreover, the future focus of both the Ji family and Shen Che’s affairs would be in the Western Regions. Having connections with the Protector-General of Anxi would make many things easier.
With this, Ji Cheng finally felt half the weight lift from her heart. Her happiness showed in her demeanor.
“Has Miss Ji encountered some good fortune? Your eyes are filled with joy,” Wang Siniang approached and greeted her.
Ji Cheng smiled gently and said, “I saw the old plum tree blooming beautifully, so I’m happy.”
“I thought perhaps Miss Ji had some happy news approaching,” Wang Siniang smiled.
Ji Cheng’s heart trembled. Wang Siniang’s eyes were indeed sharp.
“I heard from Madam He that Miss Ji is the creator of Qing Jian. I never would have guessed. I knew that painting style couldn’t be produced by an ordinary artist,” Wang Siniang continued.
“You flatter me,” Ji Cheng said modestly. She had no intention of discussing it further, but Wang Siniang seemed very interested in her.
“Oh, right, has Miss Ji’s injury fully healed? Last time, the Chu heir insisted it was I who knocked you off your horse. I was so embarrassed I couldn’t show my face. Fortunately, nothing serious happened, but he still glares at me coldly whenever he sees me. It’s rare to see him so concerned about someone.”
Ji Cheng responded lightly, “Probably because I’m a relative of the Shen family.” With one sentence, Ji Cheng deflected Wang Siniang’s provocation.
Wang Siniang smiled brightly, “Oh, is that so? I thought the Ji family was about to produce another legend. Last time it was Young Master Qi kneeling in the snow for three days and nights to propose. Who knows how exciting it will be next time? It’s truly enviable. How is it that the women of your Ji family are so capable?”
Ji Cheng’s eyelids drooped, fearing that Wang Siniang had learned of Shen Cui’s shameful actions and was now mocking her.
However, Ji Cheng had come a long way. She had never before registered in Wang Siniang’s eyes, but now she had become a thorn in Wang Siniang’s side. It was a different kind of achievement.
“No matter how capable, how could we compare to the young ladies of the Wang family?” Ji Cheng deftly replied. Out of three Wang sisters, two had entered the palace as imperial consorts. Wasn’t that capability?
Speaking of the two Wang sisters who had entered the palace, Ji Cheng had originally thought Wang Yueniang should have made a move by now. But one or two months had passed without any news, which made Ji Cheng doubt Wang Yueniang’s abilities once again.
However, just two days later, big news came from the palace: Wang Yueniang was pregnant.
Emperor Jianping was overjoyed. At his age, to succeed in planting a seed so quickly indirectly highlighted his virility. The emperor was also a man, especially an older man, and his vanity in such matters was certainly not small. Moreover, Emperor Jianping didn’t have many sons to begin with, only two so far. The mortality rate for young children was high, so having more children meant less worry about the succession of the throne.
Wang Yueniang’s pregnancy catapulted her status. She directly rose from Consort Wang to Imperial Concubine Wang, just a step below Noble Consort Huang who had given birth to the second prince.
Women during pregnancy can be temperamental even without underlying issues, let alone someone like Wang Yueniang who was full of schemes. Just two days after her pregnancy was confirmed, Wang Yueniang complained of stomach pains. The imperial physicians were at a loss. Finally, a Taoist master Zhang entered the palace and performed a ritual. Strangely enough, Imperial Concubine Wang’s stomach immediately settled down.
While the child in Wang Yueniang’s womb calmed down, others couldn’t remain calm. It was said that this little dragon’s fate was too noble, being the son of the Jade Emperor descending to the mortal realm. The blessings were too great, and a relative needed to go to a Taoist temple to cultivate and pray for the little dragon.
This responsibility ultimately fell on Wang Siniang’s shoulders.
A Taoist temple was no ordinary place. Even if it was just proxy cultivation, it still meant becoming half a monk. Moreover, whether one could return was questionable. Wang Siniang was already seventeen. By the time Wang Yueniang gave birth after ten months of pregnancy, she would be eighteen. Delaying marriage at this age would lower her value.
Wang Siniang never expected Wang Yueniang to pull such a move on her. This slow, torturous method wasn’t something a fool like Wang Yueniang could have come up with.
Truthfully, this “cultivation and prayer” was all nonsense. Everyone knew what was going on. But if Wang Siniang refused to go, and something happened to Wang Yueniang’s child, she would bear a great sin. Wang Siniang had no way to break out of this situation. To say Wang Yueniang was punishing her sister? But why would Wang Yueniang punish her sister?
When Wang Siniang heard the news, she was so angry she wanted to run to the palace and shout at her muddleheaded imperial brother-in-law about what a degenerate Wang Yueniang had been before entering the palace. But Wang Siniang knew that wasn’t feasible. Harming Wang Yueniang would bring misfortune to the Wang family. Noble Consort Wang was getting old and couldn’t compete with Noble Consort Huang anymore. The Wang family still needed to rely on Wang Yueniang. If the Wang family fell, Wang Siniang would be nothing.
Before leaving the capital, Wang Siniang entered the palace to “express gratitude” as was customary, and had a sisterly meeting with Wang Yueniang.
After dismissing the palace maids, the fake smiles on both sisters’ faces naturally disappeared without a trace.
Wang Yueniang tiredly covered her mouth with a handkerchief and yawned, “Ever since I became pregnant, I’ve been wanting to sleep all day. If a sister has nothing to say, please leave.”
“Your Highness, do we have to be like this? Everyone outside is laughing at our Wang family. I know you’re upset, but it’s the Shen family who hurt you, not me,” Wang Siniang said softly.
Wang Yueniang replied, “Wasn’t it all thanks to sister’s advice?”
Wang Siniang said, “I had no idea the Shen family would be so arrogant.”
Wang Yueniang waved her hand, “That’s all in the past, why dwell on it? But it’s funny, initially, it was my sister who advised me on how to deal with Shen Cui and Ji Cheng. Do you know who gave me advice this time?”
Wang Yueniang’s eyes narrowed, and she continued, “It was Ji Cheng. Don’t you think karma has come around too quickly?”
Wang Siniang asked in surprise, “You and her?”
Wang Yueniang snorted, “She’s now just a dog under my command, biting wherever I point. Sister, you’ve been worrying a lot about her, haven’t you? Who would have thought that Chu Zhen would take a fancy to her instead of you.” Wang Yueniang giggled.
The Wang family wanted to gain the support of the imperial clan. In case Emperor Jianping passed away, although the attitude of the civil and military officials was important, the matter of choosing an heir was ultimately a royal family affair. If someone from the imperial clan supported the Crown Prince, it would make his claim more legitimate.
Logically, as the eldest, the Crown Prince shouldn’t face any danger from Noble Consort Huang’s son. But the unsettling factor was that Emperor Jianping hadn’t appointed an empress. If Emperor Jianping intended to establish the second prince, he only needed to make Noble Consort Huang the empress, and the second prince would become the legitimate son, changing his status.
Therefore, the Wang family was eager to gain the support of the imperial clan and set their sights on Chu Zhen’s marriage. However, when they tried to sound out the Princess Consort of Nan County, they received no response. At South Garden, Chu Zhen even directly snubbed Wang Siniang for Ji Cheng’s sake. Otherwise, why would Wang Siniang lower herself to quarrel with Ji Cheng?
Although Wang Siniang knew that Wang Yueniang was provoking her to deal with Ji Cheng, using her as a pawn and that Wang Yueniang must also hate Ji Cheng, Wang Siniang hated Ji Cheng so much that even knowing she was being used, she wanted to deal with Ji Cheng to vent her anger.
As for what Ji Cheng was doing at this moment? She was about to receive some great news.
Madam He and He Ning were set to return to the western frontier in spring. He Ning’s marriage had also been arranged, to a nephew of the Zhou family, strengthening the family ties.
Madam He’s second son, He Cheng, had also arrived in the capital these past few days, specifically to escort Madam He and He Ning back. Of course, meeting his future bride was also on the agenda.