Due to the imperial betrothal, Ming Tan had little appetite for several days. Yet no one noticed her low spirits. While the household didn’t go as far as hanging lanterns and decorations, everyone was filled with pride and joy.
On the day of the betrothal announcement, the servants’ monthly wages were tripled. When maids went out to buy cosmetics, shopkeepers, upon hearing they were from the Jing’an Marquis’s household, would not only sell but also gift them extra items like osmanthus hair oil.
Visitors came in an endless stream to offer congratulations and gifts. Invitations for Lady Pei and the young ladies of the Ming family piled up like snowflakes.
If Ming Tan was usually the darling of the Jing’an Marquis’s household, she was now the supreme treasure. Everyone’s eyes were fixed on Zhaoshui Courtyard, afraid they might not do enough to demonstrate their devotion.
“…Even the little sweeping maids outside the courtyard are beaming with pride. These days, they walk with their backs so straight. Girls of eleven or twelve are being called ‘sister’ by everyone. Isn’t that amusing, Young Miss?” Lü’e chattered as she combed Ming Tan’s hair. “Suchin and I have also benefited from your good fortune. Jinxiu House and Cuojin Pavilion sent us clothes and accessories.”
“You don’t know, Young Miss, but outside, people heard that the future Princess of Dingbei favors Jinxiu House and Cuojin Pavilion. Now everyone’s rushing to place orders there. Cuojin Pavilion is booked for hair ornaments until early next year!”
“Of course, no matter how busy they are, making things for you is their top priority. The manager of Cuojin Pavilion said they’re crafting a new set of hair ornaments for you. You’ll surely love it!”
Suchin, unusually talkative, chimed in, “That’s not surprising. Young Miss is Cuojin Pavilion’s great benefactor. They always prioritize her needs.”
Suchin wasn’t wrong. Ming Tan did have deep connections with Jinxiu House and Cuojin Pavilion.
Two years ago, Ming Tan had designed a new style and commissioned the then-popular Wangzhu Pavilion to make a gold and jade hairpin with filigree work, intending it as a gift for her cousin’s wedding. Not wanting anyone to know about her gift in advance, she sent a maid to place the order without revealing her identity.
However, Wangzhu Pavilion was known for judging customers by appearances. While they were usually respectful when making jewelry for the Marquis’s household, seeing a dressed, unfamiliar maid, they assumed it was for an ordinary wealthy family and carelessly assigned the task to an apprentice.
The apprentice, lacking skill and prone to cutting corners, produced a subpar piece. When the hairpin was delivered to Ming Tan, she immediately noticed the flaws.
She didn’t make a fuss at the time, instead finding another gift for her cousin. She then commissioned the newly opened, struggling Cuojin Pavilion to make a hairpin according to her original design.
A few days later, at a flower-viewing party, when noble ladies were chatting about their new clothes and accessories, she brought out both hairpins for comparison. Without saying much, she casually praised Cuojin Pavilion’s craftsmanship.
While ordinary people might not have noticed the difference, these noble ladies had keen eyes. They could immediately tell the quality of materials and workmanship with just a glance.
Overnight, the previously favored Wangzhu Pavilion fell out of favor among the noble young ladies.
Gradually, daughters of officials and wealthy families discovered that Wangzhu Pavilion’s accessories were no longer fashionable. Everyone turned to patronize the newly opened Cuojin Pavilion in the north of the city, and Wangzhu Pavilion’s business visibly plummeted.
Cuojin Pavilion and Jinxiu House had the same owner. Ming Tan’s few words helped Cuojin Pavilion establish itself among the many jewelry shops in the capital. The owner and manager were very grateful, always going above and beyond when serving the Jing’an Marquis’s household.
Now that Ming Tan was the future Princess of Dingbei, both shops had risen in popularity due to her favor. As Suchin said, it was only natural for them to prioritize crafting hair ornaments for her above all others.
However, neither Suchin, Lü’e nor Ming Tan knew that this time, their devotion had a different reason:
“W-what? His Majesty has arranged a marriage for the Prince? The bride is that… that Fourth Young Miss of the Jing’an Marquis’s household?” When Fu, the chief steward of the Prince of Dingbei’s mansion, heard the news of the betrothal, his eyes widened in surprise.
But the servant reporting back felt that Fu’s surprise seemed to contain a hint of inexplicable joy. He bowed respectfully and replied, “Uncle Fu, it’s absolutely true. The imperial edict has been announced. By now, the whole capital probably knows.”
Hearing this, Fu stood up and paced back and forth, muttering to himself, “An imperial edict for marriage… that means the Prince is willing to marry her? If the Prince were unwilling, His Majesty wouldn’t arrange it…”
Thinking this way, Fu nodded, feeling the matter was quite reasonable.
When Jiang Xu returned to the mansion in the evening, Fu found an excuse to deliver account books and observe his expression.
Their Prince didn’t seem displeased, so Fu boldly asked, “Your Highness, I heard that His Majesty has arranged your marriage to the Fourth Young Miss of the Jing’an Marquis’s household?”
Jiang Xu didn’t look at the account books, but raised his eyes directly and said, “Fu, if you have something to say, just say it.”
“May this old servant speak then?” Fu probed, and seeing Jiang Xu’s silent permission, he straightened up and said vividly, “This old servant thinks the marriage arranged by His Majesty is excellent! Your Highness, you’re usually busy with battles and military affairs, not paying attention to these young ladies from noble families, but this old servant knows clearly that the Ming family’s Young Miss is outstanding among the capital’s young ladies! Most importantly, she’s extremely kind!”
Kind?
Jiang Xu glanced at Fu.
“Your Highness, do you know about our mansion’s newly opened Cuojin Pavilion from two years ago?”
The Prince’s estate had many businesses, usually managed by Fu and other trusted stewards. How could Jiang Xu have time to remember every shop?
Fu didn’t expect him to know and continued, “Two years ago, when Cuojin Pavilion had just opened, war broke out in the northern territories. That dog from the Ministry of Revenue embezzled military funds and deceived both superiors and subordinates. You sent an urgent message over 800 li, asking our mansion to raise funds for the military first. There were three installments, totaling several hundred thousand taels of silver!”
“Our mansion managed to raise the money, but gathering it so urgently meant closing many shops. It wasn’t a good time, and many shops couldn’t make ends meet. Fortunately, the newly opened Cuojin Pavilion was profitable and could be used to supplement other shops. Speaking of Cuojin Pavilion, it’s inextricably linked to the Young Miss of the Jing’an Marquis’s household…”
Jiang Xu patiently listened as Fu explained the connection between Cuojin Pavilion and his future princess.
As he spoke, Fu unconsciously transitioned from saying “Young Miss of the Jing’an Marquis’s household” to “Princess.”
“…Our Princess greatly favors Cuojin Pavilion. Hearing that Jinxiu House and Cuojin Pavilion have the same owner, she also likes Jinxiu House’s clothes very much. So this old servant has always instructed the managers below to serve her wholeheartedly. Since it wasn’t a big matter, I hadn’t mentioned it to you before. Don’t you think this marriage is arranged extremely well, with great affinity?”
“…”
Jiang Xu understood Fu’s meaning. However, he didn’t quite understand what this had to do with kindness.
Fu continued enthusiastically, “This old servant has it all planned out. Our Princess must be the most prestigious young lady in the capital! I’ve already instructed that a set of hair ornaments be sent to the Princess in the name of Cuojin Pavilion, using that box of top-quality pearls from our mansion’s treasury! Those pearls are lustrous and flawless, one in a million! Even the Empress probably doesn’t have such quality. What do you think, Your Highness?”
“…”
Wasn’t it already arranged?
He rubbed his brow and said quietly, “Whatever you decide is fine.”
—
Fu was determined to uphold the prestige of their Princess, but, with or without that set of pearl hair ornaments, Ming Tan, as the future Princess of Dingbei, was already highly prestigious in the capital.
The status of the future Princess of Dingbei did indeed greatly satisfy Ming Tan’s vanity. However, whenever she thought of the endless troubles after entering the Prince’s mansion, and the appearance and temperament she cared so much about, she found it hard to smile.
On this day, Zhou Jingwan and Bai Minmin came to the mansion to accompany her in tending to flowers. She held a pair of scissors, absentmindedly trimming flower branches.
At the same time, she kept talking about how unsuitable this marriage was.
With her mind so unsettled, the flower branches in the porcelain vase were scattered, and her trimming lacked any sense of elegance or refinement.
Bai Minmin understood that Ming Tan preferred the Second Young Master Shu. But she didn’t quite understand why Ming Tan thought the Prince of Dingbei was so unbearable.
Bai Minmin asked puzzledly, “You keep calling him a brute, have you met him?”
“Of course I’ve met him, at the Lantern Festival palace banquet.”
“…?”
“I was sitting much closer to the front than you, and I couldn’t see clearly. How did you see clearly?”
Ming Tan made another clean cut with her scissors: “Do we need to see clearly? Don’t you remember what he said to Gu Jiurou!”
“Didn’t Jingwan explain last time that His Majesty intended to deal with the Cheng’en Marquis’s household, and the Prince of Dingbei was likely just going along with it? Besides, I was sitting quite close to the front at that banquet. When no one was paying attention, I stole a glance. Although I couldn’t see, from afar, the Prince of Dingbei seemed very imposing.”
Ming Tan: “Don’t you think my father is also very imposing? Any big, burly man would seem imposing. Even a wild boar would seem imposing to you!”
Zhou Jingwan coughed lightly behind her hand: “Tan’er, you’re being prejudiced against your future husband without even meeting him.”
How could she not be prejudiced?
Arrogant and outrageous in speech, killing without blinking an eye, and his trusted subordinate was a hothead like Shen Yu. How good could such a husband be?
Seeing Ming Tan’s resistance, Bai Minmin suddenly suggested, “How about this? Let’s find an opportunity to secretly take a look at him first. What do you think?”
Hearing this, the scissors in Ming Tan’s hand suddenly paused.