Nanny Ji led the way, with Princess Fuqing and the Fourteenth Princess following behind.
The person in front was terrified but dared not show it, while the two young ladies behind curiously observed the scenery within the prince’s mansion.
It was still early in the first lunar month, and the weather remained bitterly cold. The flowers and trees looked desolate with little greenery, yet the two princesses found it fascinating.
For both Princess Fuqing and the Fourteenth Princess, leaving the palace together was a rare experience.
“This way, Your Highnesses,” Nanny Ji stopped at a courtyard and gestured for them to enter.
Princess Fuqing smiled gently, her voice sweet and soft, “Is this where Seventh Sister-in-law is praying and reading sutras?”
It was a small courtyard with a colorful path of pebbles leading straight to the entrance, simple yet serene.
Princess Fuqing paused to look around before lifting her skirts to enter.
The Fourteenth Princess followed closely, remaining quiet.
As they walked in, the scent of sandalwood grew stronger.
Two pretty maids stood on either side of the door. Seeing the princesses approach, they quickly curtsied, “Greetings, Your Highnesses.”
Princess Fuqing, known for her gentle nature and kindness towards servants, gestured for them to rise, “Please, stand up. Are you Seventh Sister-in-law’s maids?”
A’Qiao and A’Man rose together.
A’Man, having been instructed by A’Qiao to speak less, let A’Qiao respond, “This servant is called A’Qiao, and this is A’Man. We are both senior maids who have served the Princess Consort since childhood.”
Princess Fuqing nodded with a smile, her gaze sweeping inward, “Is the Princess Consort inside?”
“The Princess Consort is praying,” A’Qiao said, stepping slightly aside.
Princess Fuqing saw a graceful figure kneeling before the Buddha statue. Even from behind, she appeared deeply devout.
Nanny Ji also saw the figure and stared intently, her eyes widening in surprise.
However, the dim light and swirling smoke made it difficult to be certain if her eyes were playing tricks on her.
“Princess Consort, Princess Fuqing and the Fourteenth Princess have come to see you,” A’Qiao called out.
The person inside slowly turned her face, nodding slightly towards the door in greeting.
Nanny Ji’s eyes widened, and she unconsciously took half a step back, steadied by A’Man.
Nanny Ji turned to exchange a glance with A’Man, her eyes questioning: How is this possible?
A’Man pressed her lips together, saying nothing.
A’Qiao explained to Princess Fuqing, “The Princess Consort had a dream recently. In the dream, she was told that silent meditation shows true devotion. Since then, she hasn’t spoken.”
“What an extraordinary dream!” Princess Fuqing exclaimed, slightly surprised.
A’Qiao nodded quickly, “Yes, our Princess Consort often has remarkable dreams, unlike ordinary people.”
Princess Fuqing nodded, recalling how Jiang Si had cured her eye condition.
She knew her Seventh Sister-in-law possessed many extraordinary abilities.
“The Princess Consort is heartbroken about not finding her brother’s remains and worried about the Prince’s safety. That’s why she’s so devoted to this period of seclusion and prayer. The Princess Consort can’t properly entertain you, Your Highnesses, so this servant apologizes on her behalf…”
“There’s no need for that. Our visit was unexpected. I just missed my Seventh Sister-in-law dearly, and now that I’ve seen her, my wish is fulfilled. We won’t disturb her prayers any further. When Seventh Brother returns, my Fourteenth Sister and I will visit again.” Princess Fuqing curtsied slightly towards the door and said sweetly, “Seventh Sister-in-law, we’ll come play with you another time.”
The person inside bowed in return to Princess Fuqing and the Fourteenth Princess.
“Fourteenth Sister, let’s go,” Princess Fuqing tugged at the Fourteenth Princess.
The Fourteenth Princess, not one for many words, simply nodded and left the prince’s mansion with Princess Fuqing.
As soon as the princesses left, Nanny Ji’s legs gave way. She pointed inside, stammering, “The… the Princess Consort went out, how is it possible, how—”
She couldn’t continue as the woman inside stood up and walked out.
As the woman left the smoky, dim interior and stood in the bright doorway, Nanny Ji stared in disbelief, pointing at her and exclaiming, “You… you’re not the Princess Consort?”
She hesitated slightly as she said this, for the woman before she looked seven or eight parts similar to the Seventh Prince’s wife.
The woman, looking somewhat pale, spoke with relief, “Have the two princesses left?”
A’Qiao, no longer calm and composed, also looked relieved, “They’ve gone. You can relax now.”
The woman let out a big sigh of relief, leaning against the doorframe to catch her breath.
Nanny Ji grew even more confused, “What’s going on—”
A’Man smiled, “This is our Princess Consort’s elder sister. Elder Miss, you looked so much like our mistress in there, even I couldn’t tell the difference. If I didn’t know our mistress had gone south, I would have thought it was her.”
Nanny Ji finally understood, looking at Jiang Yi with increasing surprise, “How did you manage to look like—”
Jiang Yi, having caught her breath, smiled gently, “Just a bit of makeup. My fourth sister and I already look somewhat alike.”
“I see,” Nanny Ji nodded hesitantly.
A’Man urged, “Nanny, many things are waiting for you to take care of upfront.”
Nanny Ji gave Jiang Yi one last long look before leaving.
Seeing Nanny Ji gone, A’Man couldn’t hold back anymore. She patted her chest, saying, “That was terrifying. Thank goodness you played the part so well, Elder Miss.”
Jiang Yi shook her head, still shaken, “It was my fourth sister’s foresight to make arrangements in advance.”
In Yuhe Court, besides A’Qiao and A’Man, there was another maid called Hongxian, skilled in hairdressing and makeup, who had also come from the Earl’s mansion.
Before leaving, Jiang Si had briefly taught Hongxian some disguise techniques.
Of course, Jiang Si wasn’t an expert in disguise, so her student was even less proficient. However, this didn’t prevent Hongxian from making some slight adjustments to Jiang Yi’s appearance, allowing her to pass for Jiang Si in the dim room.
The sisters already looked somewhat alike, so achieving this wasn’t difficult.
A’Man smiled upon hearing this, “Of course, our mistress is meticulous. She must have planned everything before leaving.”
Jiang Yi nodded with a smile, then thought of her sister traveling far away and grew worried again.
Heaven knows how shocked she was when she received her sister’s letter saying she had secretly left on a long journey. She had rushed to the prince’s mansion, but her fourth sister was already far away.
Fortunately, Hongxian was skilled, and after some makeup, she looked seven or eight parts like her fourth sister, which eased her mind a little.
Her fourth sister had instructed her not to come to the prince’s mansion before the New Year to avoid arousing suspicion. If she couldn’t return before the New Year, Jiang Yi was to quietly move into the prince’s mansion after the second day of the New Year to handle any unexpected situations.
Who would have thought that just two days after she arrived, something like this would happen?
Had her fourth sister anticipated this?
At that moment, Jiang Yi felt even more admiration for her sister.
The younger sister she had been worried about was now far more capable than her useless elder sister.
Before, the family had her second brother to support them, but now that he was gone, only she was left…
Jiang Yi gently wiped the corner of her eye, removing some of the ink used to extend her eyeline, revealing her true appearance.
After leaving the Seventh Prince’s mansion, Princess Fuqing and the Fourteenth Princess went to browse the bustling streets. Finding that most shops had not yet opened, there wasn’t much to see, so they returned to the palace early to pay their respects to the Empress.