Chapter 31: A Young Girl’s Thoughts
I stood behind the rose arch, watching Cheng Shuyao hesitate several times before finally boarding a horse carriage waiting outside the gate.
Seated outside that carriage was a young man in brocade clothes.
Since the founding of the “Brocade Guards” by His Ancestor, their official robes have featured pythons, flying fish, and dou niu.
It seemed the person coming to pick up Cheng Shuyao was from the Brocade Guards.
The man said to the Eldest Young Mistress, “Madam Cheng, please rest assured. Since Minister Liu has agreed, he will certainly handle it well.”
The Eldest Young Mistress replied with a smile, “Rest assured, rest assured, I am very relieved. Minister Liu’s work is naturally impeccable.”
The man cupped his hands, and the carriage gradually moved away.
The Eldest Young Mistress breathed a sigh of relief.
The old woman beside her said, “Madam, you finally have something to look forward to. With Miss Sun going like this, she will be someone by His Majesty’s side. Currently, although the palace is full of imperial concubines, none have borne His Majesty any offspring. In the future, if our Miss Sun has a child, your and Master’s prosperity and wealth for the rest of your lives will be secured.”
The Eldest Young Mistress clasped her hands together and said, “Amitabha, I hope Yao’er proves useful.”
The old woman said, “It is still you who has the means. If one were to go through the usual channels for the imperial selection, it would be extremely difficult, and if one were to fail, wouldn’t it be a laughingstock for that impoverished second branch? Fortunately, Minister Liu came up with this idea. His Majesty visits the temporary palace every ten days. Minister Liu is someone by His Majesty’s side. As they say, the land route is difficult, so take the water route…”
The Eldest Young Mistress commanded, “Don’t say too much. Just wait for good news at the manor.”
“Yes,” the old woman fell silent.
The Eldest Young Master, Cheng Cangshi, stumbled in, drunk.
The Eldest Young Mistress scolded, “Where can I find a good-for-nothing like you? From Yangzhou to Jizhou, and then to the Capital City, you can’t stay still, always seeking out prostitute houses! You neglect all proper matters!”
Cheng Cangshi hiccuped and said, “How is it not a proper matter? If I didn’t frequent prostitute houses, how would I have met Minister Liu? Yu Zhen, you only blame me for my debauchery, but you don’t know my merits.”
“Tell me, what merits do you have?”
Cheng Cangshi said, “Mother said that since we have no children, the Cheng family’s grandchildren are few, and she wanted to give Qiao Xiang from my chambers to me. I claimed to be unwell and refused…”
“No children? I at least gave birth to two daughters, and Zhu Sangyu hasn’t even laid an egg. Why didn’t your mother suggest sending a concubine to Second Master? She’s clearly biased.”
The Eldest Young Mistress flicked her handkerchief and said, “Ever since I entered your family, I have embodied the four virtues of a good wife and virtuous woman, and I have been a hundred times more filial to your mother. Yet, your mother still looks down on me. In the end, isn’t it because you are not as successful as Second Master? As the saying goes, a husband’s honor brings his wife glory. After you lost your official position, we were always looked down upon. I want to see, when our Shu Yao has a bright future, which way the wind will blow in this Cheng family mansion!”
“You are not allowed to speak ill of my mother!”
Drunk Cheng Cangshi glared, unusually fierce for once.
The Eldest Young Mistress began to cry aggrievedly, “Cheng Cangshi, you heartless man, I, I, I can’t live anymore—”
Seeing his wife cry, Cheng Cangshi softened, put his arm around her shoulder, and coaxed, “My dear Yu Zhen, what’s the use of arguing for temporary superiority? Look at the long term. The days when Minister Liu gives us favors are still ahead. Try not to worry, don’t make me feel distressed…”
The Eldest Young Mistress wiped her tears with her handkerchief and chided, “You must be of one mind with me.”
“Of one mind, of one mind. You are my wife, who else would I be of one mind with? Don’t look at Second Master acting all high and mighty; he might not be as attentive to Zhu Sangyu as I am to you. You know about Second Master’s past with the Xun family girl. It was only because Mother disliked it that Second Master didn’t go further back then. He always wanted to be perfect, without any moral failings. But who knows what he truly thinks in his heart!” Cheng Cangshi said.
The Eldest Young Mistress laughed and cursed, “In the end, you brothers are both foolishly filial! I’m just waiting to see Zhu Sangyu’s misfortune, when Second Master divorces her and she becomes a discarded wife, then I’ll be happy!”
The couple bickered and laughed as they returned to the South Garden.
Xiao Yin, who had come out to fetch water, heard the Eldest Young Mistress’s words and was secretly angered, stamping her foot.
Xiao Yin saw me behind the rose arch and hurried over, saying, “Miss, when did you return? Did you hear what she just said? Clearly, she herself did something wrong, so why does she hate you? If you ask me, you still have the confession written by the Eldest Young Master last time. If you put aside your pride and deal with them severely, they’ll know who’s boss!”
I walked directly towards the East Courtyard, “Has Second Master returned?”
“Not yet. Half an hour ago, the Son-in-law sent He Ming back to say that he’s busy with official duties tonight and will likely return very late. He asked you to sleep first and not wait for him.”
I returned to my room to wash up.
Xiao Yin said from the side, “The Eldest Young Mistress is celebrating too early. In the days we’ve been in the Cheng family, we’ve seen that Miss Yao has always been quiet and indecisive, unable to even manage the servants in the manor, let alone enter the imperial palace. As they say, accompanying the emperor is like accompanying a tiger. The Eldest Young Mistress is clearly setting her daughter up for disaster!”
I removed my hairpin and carefully put away the golden brush given by Minister Zhang, saying, “How the Eldest Young Mistress behaves is none of our concern. What I worry about is that it will bring disaster to Second Master in the future. Second Master is currently serving in the Ministry of Revenue, which is closely related to Minister Zhang’s New Policies and is a very important task.”
Xiao Yin said, “That’s right, the Third Young Miss came to the East Courtyard today and said there was a letter from Yangzhou. She wanted to talk to you.”
I got up, carrying a lantern, and went to the Main Courtyard.
The Third Young Miss’s boudoir was located in the side room of the Main Courtyard, very close to the Old Madam.
The light in the side room was still on.
I knocked and entered. The Third Young Miss was sitting on the bed reading.
Seeing me, she smiled, “Second Sister-in-law, you’re here.”
I sat beside her, “Qing Shi, what are you reading?”
She remained silent.
I glanced over; it was a storybook of Romance of the West Chamber.
“Second Sister-in-law, during this time, I’ve been ill and have read many idle books in my chambers. To speak frankly, without fear of your amusement, since childhood, I’ve been doted on by my parents and protected by my elder brothers, growing up carefree in the manor. Whatever I wanted, I got immediately. Therefore, once I encounter something I cannot obtain, I become fixated on it, and over time, it becomes an obsession.”
The page of Romance of the West Chamber in her hand was open, and the lyrics were quite beautiful:
Fallen blossoms form a formation, wind scatters ten thousand points, causing sorrow, the pond dreams of dawn, the railing bids farewell to spring.
Butterfly powder lightly stains flying catkins like snow, swallow mud fragrantly clings to fallen flower dust.
The threads of spring are short, the willow strands long, separated by the shade of flowers, the person is far, yet the horizon is near.
The fragrance has faded like the golden powder of six dynasties, the spirit of the three Chu regions has diminished.
I gently patted her hand.
She said, “Second Sister-in-law, I recall all the moments between myself and Brother Mingxu. My childish affection for him over these years is truly a source of endless melancholy. Brother Mingxu, he is a very good person, but he doesn’t have me in his heart, and he never will. I can’t force it. I regard Brother Mingxu as a dream in my chambers. I am Cui Yingying, and he is not Zhang Sheng.”
I flicked her nose, “He is not Zhang Sheng, so who is Zhang Sheng?”
She lowered her head, “Second Sister-in-law, don’t tease. People consider you a confidante.”
“The letter from Yangzhou, what did it say?”
“He said that a while ago, the tea artisans at our Huizhou tea garden were poached, causing some trouble. He went to Huizhou. He will arrive in the Capital City later. He entrusted someone to bring me a lantern.”
The Third Young Miss took out a lantern from a box by the bed and showed it to me.
This lantern was not made of ordinary paper but of moon-shadow gauze. It was shaped like the moon. From a distance, it looked like the full moon in the sky.
“Second Sister-in-law, what do you think he means by this?”
“Mr. Lu is afraid that the Third Young Miss might be careless when walking at night and fall,” I smiled.
Then, I lowered my smile and said seriously, “Mr. Lu probably wants to say that the moon in the sky has its phases, but his heart is always full, never waxing or waning.”
The Third Young Miss pondered my words for a long time, then said, “Thank you, Second Sister-in-law. After you said that, my heart feels much clearer. Tomorrow, I will send him an umbrella. He tested me, and I will test him too.”
After chatting for a while, I got up and left.
Along the way, I stepped on the scattered moonlight, the night breeze caressing my face.
“Spring is short, willow strands are long, the person is far, the horizon is near.”
This line from a play echoed in my mind.
Like dewdrops on lotus leaves, from east to west, from west to east.
Returning to my room, I lay down.
The space beside the pillow was empty.
The Eldest Young Master and his wife, though they quarreled, showed affection. The Third Young Miss and Lu Gui, though not explicitly stated and separated by distance, harbored feelings for each other.
Only Cheng Huaishi and I, husband and wife for a year, sharing a bed for many days, treating each other with respect, have never experienced romantic intimacy.
Does he love me?
Mother once told me that the way of a couple is like the sea and mountains; one part foolishness, two parts simplicity, seven parts tolerance, to achieve perfect fulfillment.
Mother was an exceptionally virtuous wife, but did she achieve fulfillment? For the Zhu family, her heart was filled with longing for half a lifetime, and after her death, people moved on and the warmth faded.
I turned over in bed, crushing the doubts in my heart.
The next morning, I went to the Old Madam’s place to pay my respects.
The Third Young Miss was also there, looking much better.
The Old Madam was very comforting and invited us to have breakfast together.
The Cheng Residence used cooks from the south, who made stuffed rice balls, soup dumplings, and boiled dried tofu, just like in Yangzhou.
At noon, the Eldest Young Mistress arrived at the Main Courtyard with a spring in her step, her brows and eyes full of joy.
“Mother, great news, great news!”
The Old Madam did not look up, “For no reason, what is there to be so happy about?”
The Eldest Young Mistress sat down and said to the Old Madam, me, and the Third Young Miss with a smile, “Last night, Shu Yao had an audience with His Majesty! She hasn’t returned yet! Just now, someone from the Brocade Guards came to the manor to deliver a message, saying that His Majesty intends to confer the title of Imperial Concubine upon Shu Yao! The imperial decree will likely arrive soon!”
The Third Young Miss said, “Eldest Sister-in-law, take it easy. An Imperial Concubine is an eighth-rank position. You’re already this happy; if Shu Yao becomes a beautiful concubine in the future, won’t you set off firecrackers for seven days and seven nights?”
The Eldest Young Mistress said displeasedly, “You little girl, what do you know? This is a matter of bringing honor to our ancestors!”
“Honor which ancestors? Why did Shu Yao suddenly have an audience with His Majesty when she was fine in the manor?”
As soon as the Old Madam finished speaking, a loud shout came from outside the door: The imperial decree has arrived—
The Steward quickly set up an incense table.
The family rushed to the entrance and knelt down in unison.
The one delivering the decree was a young eunuch.
“I, bearing the mandate of heaven, hereby decree that Cheng Shuyao of Yangzhou, whose family has a distinguished lineage and whose virtue grows ever more renowned, shall be selected into the imperial harem and conferred the title of Imperial Concubine, to attend His Majesty’s side. Receive this imperial command and enjoy my favor and honor.”
The Old Madam remained motionless.
The Eldest Young Mistress nudged her, “Mother, receive the decree!”
The Old Madam slowly accepted the imperial decree.
The Eldest Young Mistress quickly stuffed a handful of gold ingots into the young eunuch’s hand.
The entire Cheng Residence was immersed in a strange atmosphere of anticipation, not yet fully joyful.
