As the door swung open, Ming Tan collided with Jiang Xu’s chest, not noticing the person outside. Jiang Xu and Shu Jingren, standing at the doorway, exchanged a glance before Jiang Xu averted his gaze and slammed the door shut.
Shu Jingren stood dazed for a moment. Just days ago, when he had encountered Jiang Qizhi, the latter had dismissed the rumors of being “deeply in love with his wife” as utterly ridiculous. Yet tonight… Tactfully, Shu Jingren turned to leave. A sudden thought made him chuckle softly, his steps lightening as he walked away.
Inside the study, Jiang Xu released Ming Tan and took the food box. “This Prince misunderstood the situation.”
Ming Tan ignored him, walking angrily to the curio shelf. She picked up a military treatise she couldn’t understand, pretending to read while secretly glancing at Jiang Xu from the corner of her eye.
At least he was sensible enough to finish the bird’s nest porridge and jade belt cakes she had painstakingly prepared, even if his apology lacked sincerity.
Seeing the empty dishes, Ming Tan remembered her purpose. She put down the book and returned to the table, dawdling as she packed up the food box.
As she mentally rehearsed what to say, Jiang Xu suddenly asked, “Aren’t you hot?”
It was April, and hints of summer heat were already in the air. She usually wore light, thin clothes, but today she was wrapped in layers, even covering most of her typically exposed fair neck.
Ming Tan froze. Now that he mentioned it, she did feel stifled, with a thin layer of sweat forming on her back. Still, she stubbornly made up an excuse: “It’s always a bit colder during… those days.”
“Your monthly cycle isn’t over yet?”
Ming Tan grew alert, instinctively covering her collar. Changing the subject, she said, “The ink has dried. Let me grind some more for you, husband.”
Jiang Xu had only asked casually, without much thought. However, Ming Tan’s inexplicable nervousness caused him to glance at her a few more times.
Grinding ink seemed easy, but it was quite taxing. Before long, Ming Tan’s palms were numb, and sweat beaded on her forehead. Her small face flushed red, and when Jiang Xu wasn’t looking, she fanned herself with one hand.
After grinding half a stick of ink, she carefully broached the subject: “Husband, are you well acquainted with Marshal Lu?”
Jiang Xu’s brush paused slightly. “Why do you ask?”
“Have you heard about Marshal Lu proposing to the Zhou family of the Hanlin Academy?”
“I have.”
“Do you know why Marshal Lu is proposing to the Zhou family?”
“How does that concern this Prince?”
Ming Tan hesitated. “Well… Jingwan is my close friend. Marshal Lu’s proposal has scared off other suitors, and she’s been quite distressed lately.” She paused, then added, “I’m worried about my friend, which distresses me as well.”
Jiang Xu finally looked up. “Other suitors not visiting has nothing to do with Lu Ting. They blame others for their cowardice?”
Ming Tan fell silent. Something felt off, but her husband’s words seemed logical.
After a moment’s hesitation, she carefully asked, “Marshal Lu has a fearsome reputation. We don’t know if his intentions are sincere… The Buddha’s Birthday is coming up, and many families will attend the ceremony at the Great Xiangguo Temple. Could you arrange for Jingwan to meet Marshal Lu in person?”
Jiang Xu remained silent.
Seeing no response, Ming Tan tugged at his sleeve and whispered, “My monthly cycle is over. Won’t you come to bed tonight, husband?”
The study fell quiet for a moment. Then Jiang Xu set down his brush. “This Prince will inform Lu Ting.”
That night, Qian’an Hall, quiet for days, became lively again. As the red candles flickered and the fragrant bed curtains hung half-closed, Ming Tan sat astride Jiang Xu, whimpering and teary-eyed. Even then, she couldn’t help but feel distressed about her new clothes, torn and carelessly tossed on the floor.
If she had known, she wouldn’t have worn that outfit. It was made from the new Yaohua satin from Suzhou, with only a few bolts in the entire capital. The Empress had given her two bolts, and she had only worn this new dress once. True, it was a bit tight and difficult to remove, but did he have to tear it? Such a brute!
Noticing her distraction, Jiang Xu suddenly thrust hard.
Ming Tan let out a cry and quickly wrapped her arms around his neck, begging for mercy. In her mind, she thought: This won’t do. I must make Jingwan pay for this bolt of satin!
On the eighth day of the fourth month, the Buddha’s Birthday festival arrived. Buddhist temples throughout the capital opened their doors early for the Buddha bathing ceremony and vegetarian feast. The Great Xiangguo Temple was the liveliest, welcoming a steady stream of officials and nobles.
This was Ming Tan’s first formal public appearance since marrying into the Prince of Beidi’s household. While she hadn’t noticed much difference within the confines of the manor, stepping out made her acutely aware of the vast gulf between being the fourth young miss of the Ming family and the Princess Consort of Beidi.
As her sedan chair arrived at the Great Xiangguo Temple, the abbot personally came to welcome her. A group of ladies and young misses curtsied and greeted her in unison: “We pay our respects to the Princess Consort of Beidi.”
With no Crown Prince appointed and all the princes still young, it meant that for many years to come, there would be no Crown Princess or Prince’s Consorts. Among the princes, only the Prince of Beidi wielded significant power and held an extraordinary position. In essence, apart from the Empress Dowager and Empress who rarely left the palace, Ming Tan was now one of the most noble ladies in the capital.
Ming Tan was aware of this, which explained why Princess Fengzhao and Countess Yongle, long lost in the crowd, performed their curtsies with such evident reluctance.
In the past, Ming Tan had been popular among the capital’s young ladies. Now, as a princess consort, those seeking to curry favor were even more numerous.
Fengzhao watched as the crowd fawned over Ming Tan with identical flattering smiles, finding their sycophancy increasingly irritating.
It had been nearly a year since the spring poetry gathering at the Pingguo Manor, where Fengzhao had become the laughingstock of the capital. The Prince and Princess of Yi had confined her to the manor for self-reflection. If not for their recent efforts to arrange a marriage for her, they likely wouldn’t have allowed her to show her face in public yet.
The mere thought of this arranged marriage made Fengzhao even more indignant. Her parents intended to marry her off to the Jiangyang Marquis’s household in Sichuan.
The Jiangyang Marquis was over thirty and already had an heir. How could she, a princess, be expected to become a mere second wife to a marquis? What a humiliation! Moreover, during his brief ten-day official visit to the capital, the Jiangyang Marquis had already taken two beautiful maids. One could only imagine the debauchery in his Sichuan manor!
What pained her most was that despite the man’s despicable character, her parents disregarded everything, and focused solely on marrying her off to pave the way for her brother’s career!
Fengzhao’s heart twisted with anguish. Seeing Ming Tan, who once lowered her eyes before her, now radiant and dressed in brocade robes embroidered with peonies and trimmed with dark silver thread, with a phoenix hairpin adorned with peony and spring sleep tassels, Fengzhao felt as if Ming Tan was deliberately rubbing salt in her wounds even after a year.
…
“We’ve long heard that the Prince of Beidi cherishes his princess consort dearly. Seeing the princess consort’s radiant complexion today, those words certainly ring true.”
“Of course! How could His Majesty’s golden words about ‘cherishing one’s wife’ be false?”
At this, the crowd exchanged knowing glances and burst into giggles.
Fengzhao, hearing this, felt suffocated and turned to leave. As she did so, she happened to encounter Zhai Nianci, who had also left earlier, equally irritated by the conversation.
“Stop right there. Who are you? How dare you not pay respects to this princess?”
Fengzhao, desperate to vent her frustrations on someone, unfortunately, chose the wrong target.
Zhai Nianci turned around, scrutinizing Fengzhao from head to toe with disdain before rolling her eyes. “Oh, it’s Princess Fengzhao from the Prince of Yi’s household. I thought it was someone important. You’re hardly worthy of this countess’s respect.”
While a countess indeed ranked below a princess, Fengzhao’s noble status was no match for Zhai Nianci’s backing from the Empress Dowager. What could Fengzhao do if Zhai Nianci refused to pay respects?
Hearing this, Fengzhao flew into a rage. “You!”
A nearby maid quickly reminded her, “Princess, this is Countess Yongle, daughter of Princess Wenhuichang. ‘Yongle’ is a title bestowed by the Empress Dowager herself.”
Countess Yongle?
Fengzhao knew of her existence but had never met her. She had no real sense of Empress Dowager’s favor and could only think that even imperial favor couldn’t supersede the rules of propriety and hierarchy. Besides, she hadn’t yet been married off to Sichuan – if she let every cat and dog step on her now, what would become of her in the future?
With these thoughts, her pent-up anger manifested as a sharp slap—
“Slap!”
“You’re just an adopted countess. The Empress Dowager giving you a title is her benevolence, but you’re not even part of the imperial clan. How dare you act so arrogantly before this princess? Someone, hold her down and make her kneel before me!”
Zhai Nianci was stunned by the slap. Holding her face in disbelief, she asked, “You dare to hit me?” Still in shock, her mind buzzing, she added, “Have you gone mad? I’ll report this to the Empress Dowager!”
“You disrespect your betters, assault your superiors, and still dare to throw around the Empress Dowager’s name? This princess thinks you’re the mad one. Kneel!”
Like Ming Chu, Zhai Nianci was, at best, spirited and, more accurately, only knew a few fancy moves without true martial skill. When two trained guards came at her, she was quickly subdued.
She was kicked behind the knees, and forced to kneel before Fengzhao. Suddenly clear-headed, her mind exploded with anger: “Let me go! Are you all dead? Do something!”
Zhai Nianci had brought her people, but the sudden turn of events had left them stunned, allowing Fengzhao to gain the upper hand. Now that they had come to their senses, the attendants from both sides began to fight, quickly causing a commotion outside.
The noise drew everyone’s attention. Ming Tan led a group out, shocked to see Princess Fengzhao and Countess Yongle in such a state. After a moment of stunned silence, she called out, “Stop! What are you doing?”
“Countess Yongle showed no respect for her betters, refusing to pay respects to this princess and speaking insolently. I’m merely teaching her a lesson. What of it?” Fengzhao, less disheveled than Zhai Nianci, adjusted her hairpin and spoke with conviction.
Zhai Nianci, furious and humiliated like never before, retorted, “Who do you think you are? You’re not worthy of my kneeling or laying a hand on me!”
As Fengzhao was about to reply, Ming Tan quickly signaled for both to be restrained.
She had figured it out. These two brainless women had collided, each thinking themselves supremely noble, and had come to blows at the slightest provocation, creating an unprecedented spectacle in front of everyone.
How many more surprises did these two have in store? She was struggling not to laugh out loud.
But of course, she couldn’t laugh. She had to hold it in.
Ming Tan composed herself, adopting the demeanor of a princess consort, and spoke calmly, “The Great Xiangguo Temple is a place of Buddhist serenity, and today is the important Buddha’s Birthday. Your brawling here has brought shame to the imperial family.
“Broadly speaking, you two could call me aunt. As such, I can’t avoid the responsibility of disciplining you on behalf of the Prince of Yi and Princess Wenhuichang. Take Princess Fengzhao and Countess Yongle to the small Buddha hall. Have them kneel for two hours to reflect on their misconduct and the damage they’ve done to the imperial family’s reputation.”
Princess Fengzhao: “…?”
Countess Yongle: “…?”