This was Yining’s first night in the capital.
She didn’t sleep well, waking to an unfamiliar voice calling, “Miss, Miss…”
Yining opened her eyes, taking in the luxurious furnishings of her room. Opposite her was a rosewood screen inlaid with jade birds and phoenixes, their feathers lifelike and iridescent. Above hung a five-pearl palace lamp, still glowing softly in the pre-dawn light.
She remembered she was no longer at the Luo family in Baoding, but now a young lady of Duke Ying’s household.
Zhenzhu helped her up. “You asked me to wake you at this time, Miss. But the Duke instructed us to let you sleep in since you were tired last night. The Old Madam likes peace, so our household doesn’t have many morning roll call customs. You can sleep more if you’d like.”
Yining shook her head. “I’m not tired. Let’s get up.” Unlike the Luo family, she needed to pay her respects early to Old Madam Wei, whom she’d just met.
Zhenzhu didn’t argue further. Daimao led a group of maids in, kneeling to present trays of clothes for Yining to choose from.
The wealth of this noble family far surpassed the Luo family’s. Yining noticed that today’s clothes and accessories were entirely different from yesterday’s.
As she dressed, she asked, “Did Father leave early to attend court?”
Daimao smiled and shook her head. “He said he was visiting the Marquis of Ding Bei. The Duke doesn’t attend court regularly, only every three days.”
Yining realized she needed to learn the household rules to avoid feeling lost among all these maids. Looking around, she noticed Songzhi and Qingqu were absent. “Where are Songzhi and Qingqu?”
“The Duke assigned Songzhi to manage your young maids and Qingqu to oversee your small kitchen. She’s preparing your morning goat’s milk,” Zhenzhu answered.
Yining frowned slightly. Wei Ling had moved both maids away from her side?
He probably disliked the Luo family and replaced her maids with his trusted servants, not allowing the Luo family maids to serve her closely.
“Call them back to serve me,” Yining said, handing a simple jade hairpin to Daimao. “Not that one,” she added, pointing to the silk flower in her hand.
Zhenzhu seemed troubled. “Miss, these were the Duke’s orders. We really shouldn’t…”
Realizing they wouldn’t dare disobey Wei Ling, Yining sighed. “Bring them back. I’ll speak to Father about it.”
Zhenzhu agreed and sent a young maid to fetch Songzhi and Qingqu.
Yining then went to Jing’an Residence to greet Old Madam Wei.
The Old Madam had just finished her morning prayers when she returned to find a small figure sitting in her room, studying the paintings on her wall.
Old Madam Wei had a maid bring silver ear soup and asked Yining, smiling, “Do you understand paintings?”
“It’s Dong Qichang’s ‘Snow Clearing over Mountains and Passes,'” Yining said, looking at the painting. “My third brother, Luo Shenyuan, likes Dong Qichang’s work, so I’ve learned a bit. The brushwork is robust, and the use of white space is elegant. It must be an original by Dong Qichang.”
Old Madam Wei was moved by her young, pure face. Her mother must have been very beautiful.
She sat with her granddaughter on the luohan bed, holding her hand. “Your father doesn’t care for calligraphy and painting, and neither does your sister Mingzhu. But I love them. Now that you’re here, we can enjoy them together.”
She didn’t like them either, Yining thought, disappointing the Old Madam. It was all thanks to her third brother’s insistence. She’d have to write and thank him. She smiled sheepishly and said, “I’m just an amateur. I can only speak generally about them.”
Old Madam Wei sighed, stroking her hair and asking softly, “Yining, can you tell Grandmother about your life with the Luo family? Did anyone mistreat you?”
There was no mistreatment… Yining thought of her days with the Luo family, feeling somewhat nostalgic.
When Zhao Mingzhu arrived, she heard Old Madam Wei and Yining talking inside, with occasional laughter.
Seeing Mingzhu, Old Madam Wei called her over to sit. She told Yining, “…I was afraid you’d be bored, so I called your sister Mingzhu’s usual playmates. You can all play together. She gets along well with the second miss of the Zhong Qin Marquis’s family, Shen Jiarou, and the two misses from the He family.” She patted Mingzhu’s hand, saying, “You must take good care of your sister. Don’t let her get tired.”
Remembering the Old lady’s words from yesterday, Zhao Mingzhu felt better. She stood up and smiled.
Yining wasn’t particularly interested in the young ladies of the capital’s noble families. The thought of a group of delicate girls discussing makeup and jewelry gave her a headache. But the Old Madam’s intention to find her playmates was kind, so Yining said nothing and followed Zhao Mingzhu to the flower hall. It was built next to yesterday’s railing, with an especially beautiful view.
Yining had seen Shen Jiarou, the second miss of the Zhong Qin Marquis’s family, yesterday. A year older than her, Jiarou’s personality didn’t match her name’s gentleness, being somewhat arrogant. The He family’s status was lower than both Duke Ying’s and the Zhong Qin Marquis’s households, so their two daughters lacked confidence, speaking softly and unremarkably.
Shen Jiarou had grown up playing with Zhao Mingzhu and was naturally closest to her. Seeing Yining, she pulled Mingzhu aside to whisper and gossip for a while.
Zhao Mingzhu had maids bring silk thread to make knotwork. The He sisters helped cut the thread. None of the young ladies dared to offend the newly arrived Yining, who had the highest status—but they also didn’t speak to her. Feeling bored, Yining suddenly turned to the third miss of the He family and asked, “What kind of knotwork can you make?”
Startled, the third miss of the He family stammered, “I… I know a few.”
Yining felt dejected as no one spoke to her again. Naturally, Zhao Mingzhu didn’t come to talk to her either.
Zhao Mingzhu wasn’t a smooth operator; she had been somewhat spoiled. Previously, as the only young lady in Duke Ying’s household, she was always the center of attention. If she were truly cunning, even if she disliked Yining, she would try to curry favor with her. But she didn’t, because she simply couldn’t think of it and wasn’t used to it. She was accustomed to being pampered.
Yining wasn’t wary of such easily readable people.
She picked up a knotwork to play with when suddenly a male voice came from behind: “Second sister, what are you playing with here?”
Yining turned to see a young man standing behind them, the breeze lifting the hem of his clothes. His features were handsome and proper. Seeing him, Shen Jiarou ran over to pull his arm, smiling and asking, “Brother, why are you here? Didn’t Mother want you to go to the camp with Third Uncle?”
This must be Shen Yu, the son of the Zhong Qin Marquis’s family. Yining remembered Wei Ling mentioning him yesterday.
“Mother wanted me to come to pay respects to the Old Madam,” Shen Yu said with a smile. His gaze fell on Yining, and he couldn’t help but stare.
Yining wore a blue satin jacket woven with gold thread. Her wrist, white as jade, made even her jade bracelet look especially beautiful. Her features had a kind of ethereal beauty, with a hint of allure between her brows. She hadn’t spoken much, her slender white fingers idly twirling the red knotwork, drawing one’s gaze to her hands. One turn, two turns…
“This is Mingzhu’s sister who just returned,” Shen Jiarou told him, then whispered, “Brother, weren’t you going to see the Old Madam?”
Shen Yu snapped back to reality with a grunt. He knew Duke Ying’s young lady had been found, but he hadn’t been particularly interested. However, he didn’t expect… this young lady to be so beautiful.
“Then I should call you Sister Yining,” Shen Yu said to her with a smile.
Yining raised her head slightly and stood up, greeting him politely: “Hello, Brother Shen Yu.”
Her voice was soft and clear. Shen Yu felt as if something had bitten him, leaving a tingling sensation.
Yining, however, felt there was no point in staying longer. She’d rather go back and nap. She bid farewell and left the pavilion.
“…I heard you like reading, Miss. The Duke had the steward make some soft cushions for you, all of the finest material. You can lean on them while reading,” Zhenzhu said on the way back, suggesting Yining take a look at the study. “They were just delivered yesterday after being made.”
With nothing else to do, Yining followed her to the study. She noticed a small figure peeking out from outside the study.
“Who’s out there?” Zhenzhu called loudly. When no one came out, she immediately said, “If you don’t come out, I’ll call the guards.”
The small figure finally emerged—it was Ting’er. He stood hesitantly in the large doorway, looking at Yining without speaking.
Yining hadn’t expected it to be him, thinking someone was spying on her. She called him over: “Ting’er, why are you here alone? Where are your attendants?”
Ting’er pursed his lips and said, “I came to get my book…”
Yining thought for a moment and said, “I remember all the books from the study were moved. What are you here to get?”
Ting’er seemed embarrassed at being caught in a lie, no longer wanting to talk to Yining. “I’m going back!”
Yining grabbed his collar, preventing him from running away. Finding him amusing, she smiled and said, “You can’t just leave like this. Let me escort you back. Do you live in the courtyard next door?”
Yining took Ting’er back to his courtyard. On the way, she asked him, “Don’t you go play with Sister Mingzhu?”
Ting’er replied, “I don’t play with her every day! She lives in the west courtyard, and I don’t want to go there.” He suddenly fell silent for a moment, then asked, “Do you know how to comfort someone to sleep?”
Yining was startled. Ting’er continued, “No one comforts me to sleep. When it’s too dark in the room at night, I ask Nanny Tong to light more lamps.”
Yining was puzzled why Ting’er suddenly brought this up. “Doesn’t Father comfort you to sleep?”
“I only see him once or twice a month,” Ting’er said. “Grandmother is sick again, so I’ve never been raised by her side.”
“What about your wet nurse and maids? Don’t they comfort you to sleep?”
Ting’er shook his head. “They just stand guard outside… I don’t need them to comfort me anyway. I’m not three or four years old.” He seemed to become upset again. “Forget it, you don’t need to send me back. I’m going now!”
Yining was about to comfort him when Ting’er suddenly ran off. Seeing they were already at his door, Yining didn’t chase after him.
Yining felt a bit bewildered. This child’s temperament was truly unpredictable.