Chapter Six

The Lantern Festival of the fifth year of Chengkang finally passed amid the bustle and clamor, ending with a scare but no real danger, and the festive atmosphere quietly faded away along with the ceasing winter snow.

No clue had yet been found about the two who had shoved Ming Tan into the water, but fortunately the Duke of Ling’s household was sensible and accepted the story that Liang Zixuan had fallen in. They even let Liang Zixuan lie in the residence for several days to bolster the claim.

Madam Pei, unaware of the truth, simply thought the Duke’s household handled matters quite generously and was a family worth befriending. Ming Tan, however, refused to be indebted; when the Duke’s household sent people privately to offer condolences and gifts, she didn’t even spare them a proper look.

With spring arrived, the seamstresses and embroiderers from Jinxiu Workshop were once again summoned to the Jing’an Marquis Household to take measurements and make garments.

Mingtan, preparing ahead for the rain, had already decided it would be inconvenient to show off for a long time after breaking the engagement, so she chose subdued, elegant colors this time: moon white, wormwood green, and pale cyan.

Madam Pei thought she was after something new and did not forbid it. She even picked out two more brightly colored bolts for her outer jackets and, leaning in with a matchmaking aunt’s familiarity, said, “Normally in the mansion, plain is fine, but spring is for outings and flower-viewing. A young lady should wear fresher, livelier colors—she’ll look spirited. Who wouldn’t like that?”

“Mother is right.”

Mingtan didn’t delay much and obediently agreed, yet she felt annoyed inside at not being able to wear those pretty clothes out in the spring.

Lady Pei never let herself be criticized over minor matters of food, clothing, and expenses; she added a set for Mingtan and, in the same way, one more for Shen Hua.

After sipping the froth off her tea, she remembered something and instructed the housekeeper of Jin Xiu Workshop: “Make a few more sets in the young miss’s measurements from the remaining bolts. By the time they’re ready, the third miss will be returning. It’s been years—who knows what shape she’ll be in now—so prepare them first; if they don’t fit, we’ll have them altered when she gets back to the capital.”

“Yes.”

The housekeeper mouthed an affirmative to the task, but inwardly she pondered whether these garments should be as finely made as those for the young miss. After all, she often moved through the deep courtyards and mansions; she couldn’t be so out of touch as to miss the subtle change in the demeanor of the current Lady Hou.

In truth it wasn’t only Madam Pei whose attitude shifted—Ming Tan and Shen Hua both froze for a moment when they heard “Third Miss.”

The Jing’an Marquisate had always been vigorous in yang and weak in yin; by Ming Tan’s generation, the number of girls in the family could be counted on one hand. Back when the old madam was alive and the branches of the family had not split, the cousins had lined up by seniority together.

Ming Tan had no legitimate elder sister above her; the two cousins from the second and third branches had already married out. The half-sister Ming Chu was still keeping to her chamber and was about the same age as her. Only Ming Chu and Concubine Liu had accompanied their father, the Jing’an Marquis, to garrison the frontier, and they had not returned to the capital for five years.

Ming Tan had earlier only remembered that her father would return to the capital, and that the matter of breaking the engagement could then be put on the agenda; she had forgotten that Ming Chu and Concubine Liu would also be coming back.

She and Ming Chu had always had a terrible relationship. Now that she was returning, wouldn’t there be yet another person present to laugh at her when the engagement was called off?

As for Shen Hua, the first thing she thought of was Ming Chu—this third Miss Ming was the same age as her. Though a daughter of a concubine, her family was quite prominent and she was favored; weighing their statuses, she was comparable to Shen Hua. Suitable marriage prospects in the capital were not hard to come by, and with Ming Chu back, the two of them would likely collide over match negotiations.

For a moment, everyone in the hall fell silent, bowing their heads in thought—

Seeing that the return date was near, Madam Pei had Jin Xiu Shop prepare clothes and at the same time began ordering the servants to tidy up the marquessate.

She was extremely meticulous in managing the household; within a few days the entire marquessate was made to look brand new. Even Concubine Liu’s courtyard was refurbished, leaving not a single fault to be found.

When Nurse Zhang saw how attentive Madam Pei was, she couldn’t help but mutter while combing her hair, “Madam, there’s no need to fuss over Concubine Liu’s place as well. That girl isn’t fit for the public eye—she’s lived in the marquess’s house for five years, and now she’s likely grown very reckless.”

Madam Pei examined the still delicate, graceful face in the mirror and said nothing.

With no one else around, Madam Zhang drew closer and lowered her voice: “When it comes down to it, having heirs is what matters in this household. It’s difficult for you in this regard, but the mansion isn’t without pretty maids. Failing that, there are plenty of delicate, well-bred girls in the capital. After all these years with Lady Liu, the Marquis must be tired of the novelty.”

Madam Pei picked up a hairpin and toyed with it against her head, showing little concern.

“Madam!” Madam Zhang couldn’t help calling out again.

Pei’s eyes flicked slightly; she said in a cool voice, “What you just said is off.”

She set down her hairpin, her gaze growing deep and distant: “My bond with the Marquis is only this much. When he was assigned elsewhere, it was also because I did not want to endure the hardships of the frontier that I asked to remain in the capital. I should be the one to thank Madam Liu; during those five years at the border, the Marquis neither took a new consort nor had a single child, which saved me a great deal of trouble. Had another concubine accompanied him, she wouldn’t have had such skill.

“As for heirs, I simply don’t have that fate. Adopting a little one would be troublesome and burdensome, and in any case could never inherit the title. Rather than go through such twists, it’s better to put my thoughts and care into Adan.

“After all these years, you should see clearly: the future of our marquisate depends half on marrying off the daughters and half on the eldest son. When I entered the household, the eldest was already not young and we didn’t develop a mother-child closeness, but over the years because of Adan, he has not lacked in showing me respect.”

Zhang Mama agreed heartily: “Eldest went to take up his post on Mount Pang these past few years; correspondence and gifts never once lapsed. He knew the madam had that old knee trouble and even specially brought back a folk remedy from Pangshan. Not a great scholar, yet courteous and sentimental.”

Madam Pei, thinking this over, also curved her lips in satisfaction.

After a while she suddenly recalled something and asked, “Right, has A-tan been acting a bit odd lately? A few days ago when she went into the palace, she stared at the Liang family’s women for quite a while. She’s usually so well-behaved in public, she wouldn’t be so disrespectful without reason. And there was Yuan Xi falling into the water… Later when the Liangs sent gifts and showed concern, she was indifferent, as if she wasn’t pleased.”

Zhang Mama said, “The young miss is still small; that match with the Liang family was arranged long ago by the previous head, and the two households seldom interact, so some curiosity is normal. As for the Liang family’s gifts and concern—if the future in-laws take a liking, the little miss would be pleased deep down, but girls are thin-skinned about face and don’t show it easily.”

Pei still felt something was off, but said no more—

Compared to the Jing’an Marquisate waiting for the head of the household to return to the capital, what the capital’s nobles had been paying even more attention to in recent days was another sudden, completely unforeseen scandal—

Cheng’en Marquis Gu Jinzong had usurped farmland and privately opened a salt mine, committing multiple offenses. He has now been stripped of his title and had his household confiscated, sentenced to exile a thousand miles away; the once-favored Noble Consort Yu was implicated in the case and has been sent to the cold palace. Fortunately, the punishment did not extend to the families: aside from those directly involved, the rest were merely demoted to commoner status, and the men barred from taking the imperial examinations.

When people discussed the matter, they couldn’t help but sigh.

“Demoted to commoner and barred from the imperial examinations—within three generations of the Gu family there’s no hope of restoration.” Bai Minmin sighed. “At the Shangyuan palace banquet Gu Jiu Rou still dared to offer a song, and that was only a few days ago. How could things have turned so suddenly?”

Zhou Jingwan, the daughter of a Hanlin scholar who was close with Ming Tan and Bai Minmin, spoke softly: “Not sudden. I stayed home that day with a cold and didn’t attend the banquet, but afterward I heard some things about what happened in the hall. The scene in the hall at the time actually hinted at many things.”

Ming Tan had long figured out the key points. What Zhou Jingwan said was exactly what she had in mind.

Only Bai Minmin was baffled. “A-Tan, you understood that? How is it not sudden, how does it foreshadow things?”

Mingtan couldn’t be bothered to explain, and pushed the pile of walnut kernels on the table toward her: “Eat more, it’ll help your brain.”

“…?”

Bai Minmin reached out to hit her.

Mingtan hurriedly dodged, and, still prim and proper, said disdainfully, “Look at you—none of the slightest virtue or modesty like Wanwan and me. At this rate, how will the reputation of the ‘Three Beauties of the Capital’ ever spread?”

“…?”

“Wanwan is one thing, but what do you have to do with Xianshu Zhenjing? Always putting on airs in front of others, completely shameless!”

Mingtan: “That’s still better than you not being able to put on airs in front of others!”

“Alright.” Zhou Jingwan lifted her handkerchief and let out a light laugh. She had always been delicate; her voice was soft and gentle. “Stop bickering. I’ll tell you.”

The three of them sat idly by the courtyard well at Zhaoshui Courtyard, sipping tea; with familiar faces both inside and out, there was nothing they couldn’t say.

Zhou Jingwan patiently explained, “On the surface, this matter was presented as County Magistrate Zhang Ji of the capital prefecture being too close to the Cheng’en Marquis, privately gathering lots of evidence of wrongdoing against the Gu family. But think about it carefully: Zhang Ji owes his rapid rise to the Cheng’en Marquis—why would he suddenly turn accuser? Could a corrupt official really abandon his vices and become virtuous overnight?

“Moreover, memorials have previously impeached the Cheng’en Marquis and the emperor always let them slide. But this time, during court he exploded with fury and ordered a thorough investigation…”

Hearing this, Bai Minmin seemed to have a faint realization.

Zhou Jingwan stopped there and changed the subject: “Prince Dingbei is frequently on campaign in the northern territories and seldom returns to the capital; I don’t know his temperament well. But even if he truly prides himself on his achievements and neglects Consort Yu and Marquis Cheng’en, to insult someone so openly at a palace banquet, His Majesty and the Empress would have at least reproved him a little.”

“Oh… I see.” Bai Minmin straightened her thoughts. “You mean to say that the emperor already wanted to deal with the Gu family, so when things got so ugly back then, neither His Majesty nor the Empress spoke up for Gu Jiurou… If that’s the case, then Prince Dingbei might very well have already known the emperor’s intention, which is why he acted so brazenly and disdainfully?”

“In my view, that prince was simply that brazen to begin with.”

A brutish man wouldn’t understand such things. Ming Tanssi, with a composed air, was lightly tinting Dan Kou, rather unconcerned.