Even Ming Tingyuan was stumped when asked about the auspicious date. He remained in the dark, without a shred of information.
In truth, after Emperor Chengkang bestowed the marriage, the Ministry of Rites had been busy arranging the wedding between the Prince of Dingbei’s household and the Marquis of Jing’an’s family.
Royal weddings were inherently complex affairs. If the court didn’t pay much attention, some procedures could be rushed through without much fuss. However, with the emperor’s directive to follow the highest standards for a prince’s wedding ceremony—even allowing for some excesses—the intricacies multiplied exponentially.
The Imperial Astronomers proposed auspicious dates, but the elderly officials at the Ministry of Rites debated endlessly. Some found the dates not auspicious enough, while others worried about the tight schedule, fearing they couldn’t complete all procedures before the wedding.
Some even considered far-reaching implications: With the ongoing power transition at the northwestern border, what if unrest erupted? Would His Highness, the Prince of Dingbei, need to quell the disturbance? If so, should the wedding be rushed before his departure, or should they wait for his return to welcome the princess into the household?
Faced with these considerations, the Imperial Astronomers had no choice but to propose new dates. The Ministry of Rites pored over ancestral customs, meticulously planning the highest standards as decreed by His Majesty.
Although no specific schedule was set, the Ministry of Rites implied that completing all the betrothal rituals would likely push the wedding into the following year.
Upon hearing this news, Ming Tan couldn’t help but think the wedding date seemed excessively far off!
For Ming Tan, the wedding date indeed felt distant. However, for Ming Chu and Shen Hua, it was already causing some anxiety.
It wasn’t uncommon for young ladies from noble families to wait a year or two after their coming-of-age ceremony before marriage, but by then, most had potential suitors in mind.
Ming Chu and Shen Hua had long since reached marriageable age. One had been in the borderlands with no suitable matches to consider, while the other focused on maintaining the family’s reputation for proper upbringing and her brother’s promotion. Neither had actively sought a husband before.
Now, with Ming Tan’s imperial betrothal, their marriages, which should have been on the agenda, became more pressing.
Lady Pei had always prioritized reputation. Regardless of her true feelings, she outwardly showed great concern for their marriages.
She frequently took them to various social events—flower viewings, tea tastings, elders’ birthday celebrations—essentially familiarizing them with all the suitable families of appropriate status and marriageable age in the capital.
Shen Hua was extremely popular among these suitable households. Though her family background was somewhat weaker, she was still a legitimate daughter. She was beautiful and well-mannered, and her elder brother showed great promise in his career advancement. Recently, many suitors have come to propose marriage.
As for Ming Chu, she wore a sullen expression every time they went out. Being only a concubine’s daughter, her conduct paled in comparison to Shen Hua’s.
However, she was still a proper young lady of the Marquis of Jing’an’s household. Her experience accompanying her father to the border and the Marquis’s favor towards her were advantages. Combined with her good looks, there were still quite a few suitors seeking to ally with the Marquis’s power.
But Ming Chu’s pride was high, and she found fault with every suitor who came calling.
“The second son of Baron Rongping’s second house seems quite suitable,” Concubine Liu gently explained. “He’s the only son of that branch, destined to inherit the household. Moreover, he’s achieved some scholarly merit in the recent imperial examinations without relying on ancestral privilege. He must have some talent.”
“Suitable? How is that suitable!” Ming Chu retorted. “The Rongping barony is nothing but a declining noble house. The main branch still holds the title, and when the old baron passes, the second branch will have no claim to it. What household is there for him to inherit? And after two attempts at the imperial exams, he’s still ranked outside the second class. What talent is that supposed to show?”
“You think the Rongping barony’s status is too low?” Concubine Liu pondered for a moment before suggesting, “Then what about the sixth son of the Marquis of Fengchun? The sixth young master—”
“A son of a concubine? If I marry him, wouldn’t that just be two concubines’ children together? What kind of families are these? They’re not worthy of me!”
Concubine Liu fell silent.
She put down the name cards in her hand and after a long pause, suddenly spoke softly, “Chuchu, if you’re trying to compare yourself to Ming Tan, you’ll never measure up. Whether it’s the Prince of Dingbei’s household bestowed by the Emperor, or even the Duke of Ling’s household she rejected, these aren’t matches ordinary girls can aspire to.”
“I know it’s because she’s the legitimate daughter and I’m from a concubine, but how am I inferior to her in any way?” Ming Chu was aware of the reality, but still felt resentful, her tone bitter.
She was still basking in the past glory of being the cherished daughter of the commander when they were stationed in Yangxi.
Although Shen Hua’s words at the Duke of Ping’s residence had somewhat shaken her out of her self-satisfaction, leading to some restraint in recent days, her deeply held beliefs couldn’t change overnight.
Hearing this, Concubine Liu fell silent again.
After a while, she said, “Of course you’re not inferior to Ming Tan. It’s all my fault.” Her voice dimmed, “It’s my fault that you can’t marry into a family as good as Ming Tan’s, or even match up to a distant relative’s family.”
“Mother,” Ming Chu called out urgently, “I didn’t mean that. I’m not blaming you!”
Concubine Liu kept her eyes lowered, remaining silent.
“That despicable Ming Tan is one thing, but how could I not measure up to that wretched Shen Hua? Mother, what nonsense are you saying?” Ming Chu had never taken Shen Hua seriously and couldn’t understand why her mother would say she couldn’t match up to Shen Hua.
Concubine Liu spoke softly, “Did you know that the second son of Li, the Education Official from the Imperial Academy, has proposed to the young lady from the Fengheyuan?”
Ming Chu asked, puzzled, “Education Official Li?”
“Though an Education Official is only of the sixth rank, assisting the Sacrificial Official, the Li family is of noble and pure lineage. Their eldest son married the elder sister of the Hanlin Academy Scholar Zhou’s daughter—the same Zhou family that Ming Tan is close with.
“In our dynasty, Hanlin Academy Scholars are often groomed for high positions in the government. With their support, and considering that the current Sacrificial Official of the Imperial Academy is aging and about to retire, Education Official Li’s promotion is surely imminent.
“Moreover, I’ve heard that the second son himself is diligent, studious, cultured, and refined—a person of great virtue. The young lady from Fengheyuan seems quite satisfied with this match. The madam is planning to arrange a meeting for them soon.”
Indeed, this seemed like a respectable family, certainly better than the Rongping barony or the Fengchun marquis’s household, which had titles but no real power.
But why would such a family propose to that despicable Shen Hua? She’s nothing but a pretender, acting weak and polite to please the elders!
Since their feud began upon returning to the household, Ming Chu had often run into obstacles set by Shen Hua. Now, hearing that Shen Hua was satisfied with this match, she felt even more determined to prevent Shen Hua from getting her way.
Concubine Liu continued, “If you could find a match like Education Official Li’s family, I would be at ease.”
With Ming Tan’s match to the Prince of Dingbei’s household as a benchmark, Ming Chu didn’t think much of a sixth-rank official’s family. However, she believed she was more than worthy of such a match. Of course, the most important thing was to prevent Shen Hua’s marriage from proceeding smoothly.
Remembering that Lady Pei had indeed mentioned recently that if there were any suitable families among the suitors, she could arrange meetings for both of them, Ming Chu suddenly had an idea.
Seeing Ming Chu hastily leave the courtyard after a perfunctory “Mother, you needn’t worry,” Concubine Liu composed herself and slowly picked up her teacup, taking a sip.
The attending maid sighed softly and said gently, “You’ve put so much thought into planning the Third Young Miss’s marriage.”
“If I don’t plan for her, who will truly look out for her interests?” Concubine Liu said flatly, looking at the tea leaves in her cup and glancing towards the distant moon gate.
She had already inquired about the Rongping barony and the Fengchun marquis’s household. They were all just for show, and Ming Chu’s disdain for them matched her own.
But Ming Chu, raised with such pampering and indulgence, had become too ambitious, always wanting to compete with Ming Tan. There wasn’t a second household in the Great Xian Dynasty like the Prince of Dingbei’s, and even if there were, they would never consider marrying Ming Chu.
She had to make Ming Chu face this reality, and then guide her to willingly strive for the best marriage within her reach.
She thought the Li family, which Shen Hua favored, was quite good—with promising prospects and a family of gentle people who could tolerate Ming Chu’s spoiled nature. As for how to compete in this match, she had some ideas, but the most important thing was for Ming Chu to be willing.
If she didn’t provoke Ming Chu today, how would she ever be willing?
As summer approached, the sun grew increasingly fierce. Early in the morning, the various courtyards of the Marquis of Jing’an’s residence bustled with activity, preparing for an outing.
Today, Lady Pei intended to take the three young ladies of the household to offer incense at the Great Xiangguo Temple. Ostensibly for worship, it was arranged for Ming Chu and Shen Hua to meet potential suitors.
Originally, Lady Pei had only arranged for Shen Hua to meet the second son of the Li family. However, Ming Chu suddenly came to her, saying she found the sixth son of the Marquis of Fengchun quite suitable, and suggested arranging a meeting as well. Lady Pei thought it was a good idea and included the invitation.
Ming Tan initially didn’t want to go. They were meeting their potential matches, and she already had a husband, so why join the crowd?
But unexpectedly, the night before, just before bedtime, Shen Hua sent a maid with a message. She said her brother, before leaving for night duty at the capital’s military camp, had inadvertently mentioned that His Highness, the Prince of Dingbei, would be visiting the Great Xiangguo Temple tomorrow.
Upon hearing this, Ming Tan perked up, sitting upright in bed. She immediately sent someone to inform Lady Pei that she would also be going to offer incense at the Great Xiangguo Temple tomorrow. She even sent messengers late at night to the Duke of Changuo’s residence and the Zhou family, inviting Bai Minmin and Zhou Jingwan to join them. After doing all this, she sat back at her dressing table, carefully applied jade dew to her face, and spent nearly half an hour selecting her clothes and accessories.
As a result, before leaving the next day, Ming Chu eyed her suspiciously, thinking: Could it be that this despicable Ming Tan can’t stand to see her and Shen Hua doing well, so she’s deliberately dressed up to make sure the ladies and young masters of those two families can only see her? For someone who’s already engaged to be so flamboyant, it’s simply shameless!
The Great Xiangguo Temple was not as secluded and quiet as the Lingmiao Temple. It covered a vast area and was extremely popular, with worshippers coming and going in an endless stream daily. Therefore, it was quite common for ladies from various noble households in the capital to encounter each other here.
Sure enough, outside the temple, the Marquis of Jing’an’s group met Bai Minmin and Zhou Jingwan.
Ming Tan was close friends with these two, and since she had no real business here today, it was natural for her to join them.
As they walked together towards the temple, when they reached a fork in the path and separated from Lady Pei and the others, Ming Tan asked in a low voice, “Wanwan, did you bring the zither?”
“How could I not follow the young miss’s instructions?” Zhou Jingwan teased Ming Tan softly, then signaled to her maid behind her.
The maid curtsied and hurried to retrieve the zither from the carriage outside.
Ming Tan was extremely skilled in zither playing and owned many fine instruments, but it wasn’t convenient to bring one today. So she had asked Zhou Jingwan to bring one when she sent the message last night.
The three of them made their way to the resting area on the back mountain of the temple.
Unless there was urgent business, people of status who came to offer incense at the Great Xiangguo Temple would usually stay for lunch, rest their feet, and enjoy the scenery on the back mountain. Although Ming Tan didn’t know what important matter her future husband had come to the temple for, or when he would arrive, she figured it would likely involve the back mountain area. If fate allows, they might even have a chance encounter.
Finding a flowery pavilion, the three ladies had a cup of clear tea and chatted for a while.
When the maid brought the zither, Ming Tan lit some incense with her delicate hands and played a tune.
Zhou Jingwan was a cultured person with some insight into zither artistry. After listening, she smiled gently and said with deep meaning, “Atan, your zither skills have improved greatly. Today’s tune seems particularly well-prepared.”
Bai Minmin didn’t have much knowledge about this, but the tune Ming Tan played wasn’t some obscure piece. She had heard it at least a dozen times and was quite familiar with it.
Hearing Zhou Jingwan’s praise, she felt a bit confused. Was it really that good?
Originally, she wasn’t going to say anything, afraid of being mocked by the other two for saying something wrong. But she couldn’t hold back her curiosity. After hesitating for a while, she finally asked, “Why did it sound like there was a wrong note in the last section?”
Ming Tan rested her chin on her hand and beckoned Bai Minmin to come closer. Then, with a mysterious air, she said slowly and deliberately, “What do you know? This is called a mistake in the tune, Jiang Lang takes notice!'”
Shu Jingran and Zhang Huaiyu, who had been listening from afar, suddenly understood; Lu Ting, who had been dozing off while listening, woke up a bit; and Jiang Lang, upon hearing these words, true to his name, glanced over.