The Lantern Festival of the fifth year of Chengkang passed without incident amid the bustling excitement, and the festive atmosphere gradually faded with the melting winter snow.
The investigation into the two people who had pushed Ming Tan into the water yielded no results. Fortunately, the Ling Guo Gong family was sensible enough to accept the story that Liang Zixuan had fallen into the water. They even had Liang Zixuan stay in bed for a few days to support this narrative.
Lady Pei, unaware of the truth, thought the Ling Guo Gong family handled the situation graciously and would be good in-laws. Ming Tan, however, felt no gratitude. When the Ling Guo Gong family sent people to inquire about her health and offer gifts, she barely acknowledged them.
—
As spring arrived, tailors and embroiderers from Jinxiu Workshop were once again invited to the Jing’an Marquis’s mansion to take measurements and make clothes.
Planning for the period after breaking off her engagement, when it would be unwise to draw attention, Ming Tan chose subdued colors like moon white, sage green, and light blue.
Lady Pei, assuming her daughter simply wanted a change, didn’t object. She only selected two pieces of brightly colored fabric for outer garments, saying kindly as she leaned against a pillow, “It’s fine to wear more subdued colors at home, but spring brings outings to enjoy the greenery and flowers. Young ladies look lovely in bright, lively colors. Everyone appreciates a spirited appearance.”
“Mother is right,” Ming Tan agreed obediently, though she inwardly lamented that she wouldn’t be able to wear these beautiful clothes out during spring.
Lady Pei, always meticulous about such matters to avoid criticism, added extra items to Ming Tan’s order and did the same for Shen Hua.
After sipping some tea, she remembered something and instructed the Jinxiu Workshop matron, “Make a few more outfits with the remaining fabric, sized for the Third Young Miss. It’s been years since we’ve seen her, so we’re not sure of her current measurements. We’ll have these ready, and if they don’t fit, we can make new ones when she returns to the capital.”
“Yes, my lady,” the matron replied, while inwardly wondering if these outfits should be made to the same exacting standards as the Young Miss’s. Her experience in noble households had taught her to notice such subtle shifts in attitude.
It wasn’t just Lady Pei’s attitude that was ambiguous; both Ming Tan and Shen Hua paused momentarily at the mention of the “Third Young Miss.”
The Jing’an Marquis’s family had always had more sons than daughters. In Ming Tan’s generation, the girls could be counted on one hand. When the Old Madam was alive and the branches of the family lived together, even cousins were ranked by age.
Ming Tan had no older legitimate sisters, and her two female cousins from the second and third branches were already married. Ming Chu, her half-sister, was still unmarried and close to her in age. However, Ming Chu and Concubine Liu had been accompanying Ming Tan’s father, the Jing’an Marquis, at the border for five years and hadn’t returned to the capital.
Ming Tan had been so focused on her father’s return and the possibility of breaking off her engagement that she had forgotten Ming Chu and Concubine Liu would return as well.
Her relationship with Ming Chu had always been poor. With Ming Chu’s return, wouldn’t there be one more person to mock her when she broke off her engagement?
As for Shen Hua, her first thought was that Ming Chu, the Third Young Miss, was the same age as her. Although a concubine’s daughter, Ming Chu came from a prestigious family and was favored. Their social status was comparable, and there were limited suitable marriage prospects in the capital. With Ming Chu’s return, they might find themselves competing for the same matches.
For a moment, everyone in the room fell silent, lost in thought.
—
As the date of the Marquis’s return approached, Lady Pei not only had Jinxiu Workshop prepare clothes but also began directing the servants to tidy up the mansion.
She was extremely thorough in household management. Within days, the entire mansion was refreshed, including Concubine Liu’s courtyard, which was also renovated. Not a single flaw could be found.
Seeing Lady Pei so attentive, Zhang Mama couldn’t help commenting while doing her hair, “My lady, why bother with Liu’s quarters? That lowborn woman has occupied the Marquis for five years. She must be quite arrogant by now.”
Lady Pei, admiring her still elegant face in the mirror, didn’t respond.
With no one else around, Zhang Mama leaned in and whispered, “After all, heirs are most important in a household. My lady has struggled in this area, but there are beautiful maids in the mansion. Or there are plenty of pretty young girls from good families in the capital. The Marquis has been with Liu for so long; he must be tired of her by now.”
Lady Pei picked up a hairpin and held it to her head, appearing unconcerned.
“My lady!” Zhang Mama couldn’t help but exclaim.
Lady Pei glanced at her from the corner of her eye and said softly, “Your words are misguided.”
She put down the hairpin, her gaze becoming distant and deep. “The bond between the Marquis and me is what it is. When he was assigned to a post outside the capital, it was I who requested to stay in Beijing, unwilling to endure the hardships of the border. I should be grateful to Liu. In five years at the border, the Marquis hasn’t taken any new concubines or fathered any children. She’s saved me a lot of trouble. If it had been another concubine accompanying him, I doubt she would have been so capable.
“As for heirs, it seems I’m not destined for it. Adopting a child would be troublesome and could never inherit the title. Rather than such complications, it’s better to focus on Tan’er.
“Over the years, you should have realized that our family’s future depends half on marrying off our daughter and half on the eldest son. When I married into this family, the eldest son was already quite grown, so we couldn’t develop a close mother-son bond. But in recent years, because of Tan’er, he’s shown me proper respect.”
Zhang Mama agreed with this point: “In the years since the eldest young master took up his post in Pangshan, he’s never failed to send letters and gifts. Knowing about your chronic knee pain, he even sent a special prescription from Pangshan. Though not greatly talented, he’s certainly courteous and considerate.”
Thinking of this, Lady Pei’s lips curved in satisfaction.
After a while, she suddenly remembered something and asked, “By the way, has Tan’er been acting strangely lately? When we went to the palace some days ago, she stared at the Liang family’s women for quite a while. She’s usually so well-behaved in public; it’s unlike her to be so impolite. And after falling into the water on the Lantern Festival… when the Liang family sent gifts and inquired after her, she seemed indifferent, not at all pleased.”
Zhang Mama replied, “The young miss is still young. The Liang family was chosen by the previous lady for the engagement, and the two families don’t interact much. It’s natural for her to be curious. As for the Liang family’s gifts and concerns, surely the young miss is happy to be valued by her future in-laws. She’s just too shy to show it openly.”
Lady Pei still felt something was amiss but said no more.
—
While the Jing’an Marquis’s household awaited the return of its master, the nobility in the capital were more focused on another sudden, explosive event:
Cheng’en Marquis Gu Jinzhong was found guilty of multiple crimes, including forcibly occupying farmland and illegally operating salt mines. He had been stripped of his title, his property confiscated, and sentenced to exile a thousand miles away. The favored Imperial Consort Yu was also implicated and banished to the Cold Palace. Fortunately, the punishment didn’t extend to all family members; apart from those directly involved, the rest were merely demoted to commoner status, with the men barred from the imperial examinations.
People couldn’t help but sigh when discussing this matter.
“Demoted to commoners and barred from the examinations – the Gu family has no hope of regaining their status for at least three generations,” Bai Minmin sighed. “Gu Jiurou was bold enough to perform at the Lantern Festival palace banquet. How could things change so drastically in just a few days?”
Zhou Jingwan, daughter of a Hanlin Academy scholar and friend to Ming Tan and Bai Minmin, spoke softly, “It’s not sudden at all. I was home with a cold that day and didn’t attend the banquet, but I heard about what happened in the palace. The atmosphere that night foreshadowed much of what was to come.”
Ming Tan had already figured out the connections. Zhou Jingwan’s words aligned with her thoughts.
Only Bai Minmin was confused: “Tan’er, you understand this? How is it not sudden? What was foreshadowed?”
Ming Tan didn’t bother to explain, instead pushing a plate of walnut kernels towards her. “Eat some of these. They’re good for the brain.”
“…?”
Bai Minmin reached out to swat her.
Ming Tan dodged quickly, then said primly, “Look at you, completely lacking the virtuous composure that Jingwan and I possess. How can we establish our reputation as the ‘Three Beauties of the Capital’ with you acting like this?”
“…?”
“Jingwan might qualify, but what do you know about virtuous composure? You only pretend in front of others, you braggart!”
Ming Tan retorted, “At least I know how to behave properly in public, unlike you!”
“Alright, that’s enough,” Zhou Jingwan said, hiding her smile behind her handkerchief. Her voice was always soft and gentle. “Stop bickering. I’ll explain.”
The three of them were sitting casually by the courtyard in Zhaoshui Courtyard, surrounded by trusted people, so there was nothing they couldn’t discuss.
Zhou Jingwan patiently explained, “On the surface, this incident was triggered by the close relationship between the Beijing County Magistrate Zhang Ji and the Cheng’en Marquis. Zhang Ji supposedly collected evidence of the Gu family’s crimes in secret. But think about it – Zhang Ji’s career advanced because of the Cheng’en Marquis. Why would he suddenly turn on his benefactor? Can a corrupt official have such a sudden change of heart?
“Moreover, in the past, when censors accused the Cheng’en Marquis of wrongdoing, His Majesty always dismissed the charges lightly. But this time, he flew into a rage in court and ordered a thorough investigation…”
Hearing this, Bai Minmin seemed to vaguely understand something.
Zhou Jingwan stopped there and changed the subject, “The Prince of Dingbei often campaigns in the north and rarely returns to the capital. I don’t know much about his temperament. But even if he truly is arrogant because of his military achievements and doesn’t respect Imperial Consort Yu and the Cheng’en Marquis, if he had directly embarrassed them at the palace banquet, His Majesty and Her Highness should have at least mildly reprimanded him.”
“Oh… I see,” Bai Minmin organized her thoughts. “You mean His Majesty had already planned to deal with the Gu family, which is why the situation was so awkward that night, and neither His Majesty nor Her Highness spoke up for Gu Jiurou… Thinking about it this way, it’s quite possible that the Prince of Dingbei already knew His Majesty’s intentions, which is why he acted so brazenly and disrespectfully, right?”
“In my opinion, that Prince is simply that arrogant by nature.”
A mere brute, what could he understand? Ming Tan thought dismissively as she elegantly applied henna to her nails.