On New Year’s Day, the Emperor held the grand court assembly in the Golden Hall, as per tradition.
Jiang Xu, who rarely attended court, couldn’t miss this important event. He rose at the fifth watch, before dawn.
Ming Tan also woke up to help him dress in his court robes. She carefully tied knee protectors inside his trousers, explaining, “Father told me about the New Year’s assembly. The rituals are complex with much kneeling. Since you’re not used to it, these will help.”
Jiang Xu remained silent, allowing her to fuss over him.
After dressing him, Ming Tan donned a cloak and accompanied him to the entrance of Qian Hall. The sky was still dim and gray.
She stood on tiptoes to kiss his cheek, then gently pushed him out. “Hurry, my lord. You mustn’t be late.”
Jiang Xu gazed at her flushed cheeks and gave a soft “Mm” before turning to leave.
His footprints gradually faded into the snowy distance. Out of Ming Tan’s sight, the corner of his mouth turned up ever so slightly.
…
For Ming Tan, New Year’s Day wasn’t particularly busy. After paying respects to her in-laws at the ancestral hall and exchanging numerous greeting cards with acquaintances and strangers alike, she had little else to do.
The second day of the New Year, however, was hectic. It was the day for married women to visit their parents. Ming Tan rose early to dress and, with Jiang Xu, made offerings to the God of Wealth. They left in such a hurry that they skipped breakfast, only grabbing some pastries Su Xin had hastily packed.
Outside, the streets were congested with festive traffic. Unable to abandon their carriage full of gifts for horseback, a short journey took nearly half an hour.
When they arrived at the Marquis of Jing’an’s residence, Shen Hua and her husband had already arrived. Shen Hua looked rounder than before, her pregnancy beginning to show.
As the women gathered for their homecoming, the men discussed politics while Ming Tan, Shen Hua, and Lady Pei chatted happily.
Jiang Xu, however, had to visit the palace and couldn’t stay long. After a brief rest, he told Ming Tan he’d return for her later and left before lunch.
Unexpectedly, shortly after Jiang Xu’s departure, Ming Chu and her husband Feng Sanlang arrived from Hezhou for the New Year visit.
This was Ming Chu’s first return to the Marquis’s residence since her marriage. She wore a married woman’s hairstyle adorned with expensive hairpins and a fashionable scarlet jacket. Her healthy appearance suggested the Feng family hadn’t mistreated her, despite Ming Tan’s previous intervention.
Whether chastened by past experiences or eager to regain her father’s favor, Ming Chu behaved exceptionally well towards Ming Tan and Shen Hua.
Ming Tan, seeing no provocation, chose to ignore her. Shen Hua did the same.
However, Ming Chu’s good behavior was short-lived. During lunch, she suddenly turned to Shen Hua and asked with feigned kindness, “I hear you’re expecting, cousin. Are there any foods you should avoid? I’m still quite clueless about these things.”
Her words brought a moment of silence to the table.
“What do you mean? Are you also expecting?” Marquis Ming asked, setting down his chopsticks.
Ming Chu lowered her head and smiled. “Yes, father. I’m one month along.”
Feng Sanlang quickly added, “We were concerned about the journey, given Chu Chu’s condition. But she missed home and wanted to share the good news in person. I couldn’t refuse her wish to visit.”
The Marquis nodded, his expression softening as he looked at Ming Chu.
“So Third Sister is also expecting,” Shen Hua said with a gentle smile. “There are indeed many dietary restrictions for pregnant women. I can hardly remember them all. Fortunately, my mother-in-law instructed the kitchen to avoid all questionable foods entirely.” She then asked curiously, “Third Sister, you’re a month along. Haven’t you consulted a doctor for a detailed list of foods to avoid? How could you be ‘clueless’?”
Ming Chu was speechless.
She had only mentioned her pregnancy to subtly provoke those who couldn’t conceive, but Shen Hua had skillfully turned her words against her.
Ming Chu didn’t fall for the trap, but her husband, fearing the family might think they were neglecting her, hastily explained, “Of course we consulted a doctor. We have a three-page list of forbidden foods, and our household hasn’t prepared any of them recently.”
Ming Chu pinched him under the table. Realizing his explanation contradicted her earlier statement, he stammered, “Chu… Chu Chu is like her cousin. She… she just can’t remember everything when we’re out, so she’s unsure what she can or can’t eat.”
Shen Hua glanced at Ming Tan, who remained unresponsive, only occasionally serving dishes to the Marquis and Lady Pei.
Unsatisfied with Ming Tan’s indifference, Ming Chu couldn’t resist asking, “Fourth Sister, how have you been lately? Any… news?”
“What kind of news does Third Sister mean?” Ming Tan asked, barely looking up.
“Don’t pretend you don’t understand, Fourth Sister. You’ve been married for some time now. Surely there must be some signs of pregnancy? Continuing the family line is crucial. You should pay more attention to this matter. If you can’t bear children yourself, you could always adopt one from a concubine. After all, the bond of nurture can be stronger than that of birth.”
Ming Chu finally vented her schadenfreude, unable to hold back any longer.
Feng Sanlang sensed trouble but couldn’t stop her in time.
Ming Tan smiled lightly, not bothering to look at Ming Chu. Instead, she casually recounted an incident from her visit to Yongchun Garden:
“… That Noble Consort, relying on her pregnancy, started meddling in the affairs of the Prince of Beidi’s household. Guess what happened? The Emperor, in his anger, confined her to her quarters and demoted her rank.”
If a favored pregnant Noble Consort could be demoted for speaking out of turn, what of others? Feng Sanlang broke into a cold sweat upon hearing this and quickly silenced Ming Chu.
Ming Chu glared at him.
Feng Sanlang inwardly lamented his wife’s recklessness. She still thought she was bantering with a sister at home, failing to realize that Ming Tan was now the esteemed Princess of Beidi, far above her in status. Where did she find the audacity to provoke her so carelessly?
Ming Chu’s bravado was just a facade. After hearing Ming Tan’s thinly veiled warning to mind her own business, she felt genuinely uneasy and didn’t utter another word.
The rest of the visit passed without incident. Although Ming Tan showed no outward signs of distress in Ming Chu’s presence, on the way home, she couldn’t help feeling melancholic. Even Ming Chu was pregnant now. Why wasn’t she?
While she hadn’t particularly yearned for children, the ability to conceive and the desire to do so were separate issues. Being repeatedly questioned about it inevitably weighed on her mind.
–
After the second day of the New Year, it was time for visits between friends and relatives.
Jiang Xu left all social obligations to Ming Tan, the household’s mistress. Of course, most visitors were her acquaintances. Only Zhang Huaiyu, Lu Ting, and Shu Jingran came to pay respects to Jiang Xu.
The three arrived together at noon, bringing numerous gifts despite their close friendship.
Coincidentally, just as tea was served, a servant announced the arrival of the young ladies from the Changguo Duke’s mansion and the Zhou family.
Zhang Huaiyu and Lu Ting noticeably paused upon hearing this.
While New Year visits weren’t strictly segregated by gender, Ming Tan had the newcomers invited in. Surprisingly, only one of the announced guests entered.
Before Ming Tan could inquire, Lu Ting asked, “Where is Miss Zhou?”
“My lord,” the servant replied, “Miss Zhou had urgent business at home and turned back just as we reached the gate.”
Bai Minmin glanced at him. “Isn’t it obvious? She heard a certain someone was there. Jingwan is the most proper. With the wedding approaching, how could a man and woman meet outside? Did you need to ask?”
Zhang Huaiyu suddenly opened his fan, raising an eyebrow suggestively. “In that case, it seems Miss Bai hasn’t learned half of Miss Zhou’s propriety. Knowing this young master was here, you still eagerly entered.”
“…?”
“You!”
Bai Minmin’s face flushed red with embarrassment and anger.
But she quickly took a deep breath and laughed coldly. “Young Master Zhang, you’re flattering yourself. Who came because of you? I heard Second Young Master Shu was here—”
She turned to Shu Jingran with a sweet smile, curtsying exaggeratedly. Her tone became overly gentle. “Second Young Master Shu, it’s been a while.”
Shu Jingran felt a chill run down his spine. He laughed awkwardly and hastily bowed in return. “Miss Bai, you’re too kind.”
Zhang Huaiyu lost his composure. He stared at Shu Jingran, then at Bai Minmin, pointing his closed fan at her. “You, how could you behave like this?”
“Like what?” Bai Minmin retorted defiantly.
“You’re a betrothed woman, yet you’re coveting another man!”
“Who says I’m betrothed? Young Master Zhang, you shouldn’t spread baseless rumors. You may enjoy talking nonsense, but don’t tarnish my reputation.”
…
These two were truly a handful. Once strangers who barely acknowledged each other, now they couldn’t meet without engaging in relentless verbal sparring.
Ming Tan finally managed to interject, asking what everyone would like to eat so she could arrange for dinner.
However, with this unexpected gathering, dinner plans were bound to change.
Learning of Zhou Jingwan’s arrival and departure, Lu Ting grew restless and soon found an excuse to leave. Zhang Huaiyu and Bai Minmin continued their banter for a while until the atmosphere suddenly softened. Zhang Huaiyu mentioned a particularly impressive Hu performance at a local teahouse, and Bai Minmin, as if enchanted, eagerly urged him to take her to see it.
In the end, only Shu Jingran remained for dinner. Afterward, Jiang Xu took him to the study to discuss business.
Ming Tan didn’t interfere. Since the New Year, her husband had been frequently visiting the palace and holding discussions. She had occasionally glimpsed maps of Rong Province in the study, giving her a premonition that plans for the last unconquered region of the Northern Thirteen Provinces were underway.
The two men talked by candlelight late into the night. Concerned that her husband hadn’t eaten much at dinner, Ming Tan had a late-night meal prepared and sent to the Wanjuan Study.
In the deep of night, before reaching the study, she spotted a figure quietly slipping out of a side door, heading towards the back gate of the prince’s residence.
Ming Tan paused. The figure was not a guard. It looked both unfamiliar and vaguely recognizable as if she had seen it somewhere before… but she couldn’t quite place it.