After seeing off the official from the Ministry of Rites who had come to deliver the imperial decree, the atmosphere in the Ming Family was heavy with tension.
Ming Jingzhou held the decree in his hands, trembling slightly, as if it were not an embroidered scroll adorned with golden dragons and auspicious clouds but a thousand-pound hammer.
"Uncle," Ming Cunfu, worried that Ming Jingzhou might collapse from the shock, quickly stood up to support him.
The marriage of his cousin to the royal family should have been a joyous occasion, but the thought of who Jiuzhu was to marry made it impossible to utter the word "congratulations."
Everyone in the capital knew that the Emperor doted on Consort Su and favored her son, Prince Chen, even more.
Prince Chen had been granted the title of prince alongside the Eldest Prince, who was five years his senior, before he even turned fifteen. Now, at the age of twenty, his palace outside the imperial grounds was lavishly decorated, yet he was often kept in the palace by the Emperor, overshadowing all other princes and princesses.
Rumors in the court suggested that Prince Chen was the de facto crown prince. If not for Consort Su's humble origins and Prince Chen's lack of both seniority and legitimacy, the Emperor would have long since named him heir apparent. However, apart from the handsome face inherited from his mother, Prince Chen had little else to commend him, and many court officials were reluctant to see him ascend the throne.
Jiuzhu knelt on the ground, glancing at her father's sorrowful expression and her cousin's heartbroken face. She then stood up, carefully approached Ming Jingzhou, and took the decree to read it.
"The decree says that Prince Chen is naturally gifted, handsome, and studious. These are all good words," she said, rolling up the decree and handing it back to Ming Jingzhou. She patted his wrist gently, "Father, there's no need to be so upset."
Looking at his daughter's sweet and innocent face, Ming Jingzhou's voice trembled, "Even the melon seller in the West Market praises her own goods, let alone..."
Let alone the Emperor, who was arranging a marriage for his own son.
Ming Cunfu coughed lightly, reminding his uncle not to speak disrespectfully of the royal family, "Cousin, Uncle and I are just reluctant to see you leave us."
Years ago, when their branch of the family fell out of favor in the court and was exiled to a harsh, remote region, Ming Jingzhou had entrusted his newborn daughter to the care of their clan elders to protect her. After the current Emperor ascended the throne, Ming Jingzhou and his brothers were exonerated and returned to the capital to resume their official duties.
Although officials in the capital were forbidden to leave without imperial permission, Ming Jingzhou had repeatedly sent people to Lingzhou to bring his daughter back. Initially, the clan elders had always refused, citing her frail health and unsuitability for travel.
But Ming Jingzhou and his wife missed their child dearly. After a year of careful nurturing, they hired a physician to accompany her and finally brought their six-year-old daughter back to the capital.
When "the little cousin" was brought home, Lady Shen immediately sensed something was amiss. Though the girl bore some resemblance to her and Ming Jingzhou, she couldn't shake the feeling that this child was not their own.
Upon investigation, they discovered that shortly after the three brothers were exiled, the clan, fearing retribution from powerful officials, had abandoned the child in the wilderness.
The name Jiuzhu, meaning "precious as jade and pearls," reflected her parents' love for her. Yet, those heartless relatives had callously discarded their treasure.
Upon learning the truth, Ming Jingzhou and Lady Shen were devastated. They immediately sent the imposter back to Lingzhou, severed ties with their clan, and established their own household.
Ming Cunfu's father and second uncle, being of the same lineage, had endured hardships together during their exile. Naturally, they couldn't bear this injustice either and joined Ming Jingzhou in cutting ties with the Lingzhou Ming clan, ensuring that the three families had no further connection to them.
Jiuzhu had been found by Ming Cunfu just a few months ago in a small, dilapidated Taoist temple in Lingzhou. The temple's walls were peeling, its roof and windows broken, so shabby that even rats avoided it.
The sixteen-year-old girl, clutching a large steamed bun, looked up at him with a satisfied expression. Upon seeing him, she quickly hid the bun behind her back and asked, "Are you here to offer incense or seek a fortune? The deities in our temple are very efficacious."
Ming Cunfu glanced at the dusty statue on the altar, struggling to see where its efficacy lay.
But later, he found himself hoping the temple was indeed efficacious, as the two female Taoist priests had told him he was blessed by the God of Literature and would achieve great success, meet noble benefactors, and enjoy a smooth career.
As a scholar, who wouldn't want to "pluck the laurel branch from the moon"?
It simply had to be true!
"Brother Cunfu," Jiuzhu tugged at his sleeve, "What are you thinking about?"
Ming Cunfu snapped out of his thoughts but before he could answer, hurried footsteps echoed from outside the courtyard.
"Is Mother back?" Jiuzhu walked quickly to the door, just as Lady Shen approached.
Seeing Jiuzhu standing at the doorway, Lady Shen's anxious expression softened instantly, "Jiuzhu, why are you standing here? The autumn wind is chilly, don't let it hurt your face."
Jiuzhu noticed the scent of incense on Lady Shen and held her arm as they walked inside, "Mother, don't worry, my skin is thick, the wind won't bother me."
Though they had only been reunited for a short time, the bond between mother and daughter was already strong, as if an invisible thread of fate connected them.
As soon as Lady Shen sat down, she ordered the servants to bring Jiuzhu a nourishing soup. She gazed at her daughter's delicate face, her eyes filled with tenderness.
There is a kind of thinness that only a mother can see.
Over the years, Lady Shen had imagined Jiuzhu enduring all sorts of hardships, to the point where even the tragic characters in operas reminded her of her daughter. What if her own child had suffered like this?
So, when Jiuzhu stood before her, alive and well, Lady Shen developed a habit of constantly offering her food. It was as if she wanted to pour all the love she had accumulated over fifteen years into every bite, wrapping her daughter in the warmth of her affection, letting her know that she had always loved her, cherished her, and never abandoned her.
Fortunately, Lady Shen loved to offer food, and Jiuzhu loved to eat. Thus, the boundless maternal love flowed smoothly into Jiuzhu's stomach.
"The gatekeeper said that an official from the Ministry of Rites came to deliver a decree," Lady Shen said, gently touching the amulet she had obtained for her daughter, "What was it about?"
"The decree announced that the Emperor has arranged a marriage between Prince Chen and Jiuzhu, making her the Princess Consort of Prince Chen."
"Which prince?"
"Prince... Chen."
"Which consort?"
"Princess Consort of Prince Chen."
Ming Cunfu, fearing that Lady Shen might be overwhelmed, quickly added, "The official consort."
The room fell silent for a long time. Finally, Lady Shen shoved the half-retrieved amulet back into her sleeve.
What useless deities! If they couldn't even protect her daughter, what was the point of worshipping them!
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, and she stood up, ready to storm out.
"My lady, calm down, calm down!" Ming Jingzhou quickly stood up and grabbed her sleeve, "Let's discuss this behind closed doors."
She mustn't charge into the palace—that would cost her her head!
Jiuzhu watched her parents tugging at each other and asked, cupping her face in confusion, "Is Prince Chen not good?"
Ming Jingzhou and Lady Shen turned to look at their daughter, their eyes filled with the sorrow and anger of seeing a priceless treasure stolen by bandits.
"Let's sit down and talk," Jiuzhu said softly, her Lingzhou accent gentle and sweet. Having grown up in a Taoist temple in Lingzhou with little contact with outsiders, she had an innate innocence that made her words sound like a gentle plea. Hearing this, her parents' hearts melted.
"Prince Chen is..." Ming Jingzhou hesitated, opening and closing his mouth before finally sighing, "I will go to the palace and beg the Emperor to revoke the decree."
"Is he hideously ugly?" Seeing her father's reluctance to speak of Prince Chen, Jiuzhu's mind conjured up an image of a green-faced, fanged monster with bear-like arms and a wolf-like body.
Glancing down at her slender, pale wrist, Jiuzhu suddenly found the nourishing soup brought by the maid unappetizing.
"He's not ugly, but Prince Chen is..." Ming Jingzhou paused, "complicated."
Not only was he not ugly, but he also had a face that young girls adored. However, as a man and a prince, a handsome face alone was not enough.
Dismissing the monstrous image from her mind, Jiuzhu looked at Ming Jingzhou with bright eyes, "Father, let's talk about it slowly then."
"Prince Chen's mother, Consort Su, comes from a merchant family. Since entering the palace, she has enjoyed the Emperor's exclusive favor for many years. Over time, the Emperor, for Consort Su's sake, broke protocol by granting Prince Chen a princely title at a young age, even giving him a title that outshone those of his brothers."
The title "Chen" symbolized the zenith, the meeting point of heaven and earth—a name of profound significance. No emperor would lightly bestow such a title on a young prince.
"The palace has no empress. What does it matter which consort the Emperor favors?" Jiuzhu didn't see what was so complicated about this.
"You don't understand," Ming Jingzhou said. As a member of the civil officials, the intricate web of grievances and alliances between Prince Chen, his mother, and the court officials could fill ten books, each of which would sell well in the markets.
Ming Jingzhou straightened his official robe: "Let your mother and cousin keep you company. I will go to the palace to see His Majesty."
He had finally found his daughter, so lovely, so innocent and charming. How could he let her marry someone like Prince Chen!
"Father..." Jiuzhu reached out to stop him, but her father's back was too resolute. She only managed to brush the hem of his robe.
"Don't stop him," Lady Shen intervened. "Let him try, at least..."
At least it would ease his heart a little.
"Drink the soup," Lady Shen said, forcing a smile as she brought the soup to her daughter. She remembered the soup the maid had brought earlier, which Jiuzhu hadn't touched yet.
No man could ever come between her and her determination to raise her daughter well.
"Madam," a servant hurried to the door to relay a message. "Someone from the Bright Moon Palace has come. They say Consort Su has acquired a famous painting and invites the young lady to the palace to appreciate it."
Since when did appreciating paintings have anything to do with Consort Su?
Lady Shen held the soup steadily, smiling at Jiuzhu. "Take your time, no rush. After you finish, have someone accompany you to freshen up."
Jiuzhu drank the soup in a few gulps and stood up to head to the backyard. As she did, she vaguely saw the household steward leading a middle-aged woman in a purple dress towards them.
"That must be the young lady of your esteemed household," the female official from Bright Moon Palace stopped and nodded with a smile at the steward. "Though I haven't seen her face, I can tell at a glance that your young lady possesses extraordinary grace."
"Haha, you flatter her too much, Auntie," the steward thought to herself.
You're kidding, right? From this distance, you'd be lucky to tell if it's a man or a woman.
She had seen too many families who praised the bride-to-be to the heavens before marriage, only to nitpick every little thing after the wedding.
Was this female official really complimenting their young lady?
No, she was clearly eyeing the young lady's status as the daughter of a civil official!
People in the palace were all scheming.
"Chunfen, this phoenix-tail hairpin is so heavy," Jiuzhu said, touching the golden hairpin by her temple, worried it might fall. It was woven from pure gold threads and looked incredibly valuable.
The dangling pearls swayed by her cheeks, making her delicate face even more charming.
Chunfen's heart melted at the sight of Jiuzhu's puppy-like, watery eyes. She quickly averted her gaze. "Young lady, you must dress up properly when meeting Consort Su in the palace."
As she put down the jade comb, it accidentally teetered on the edge of the dressing table. Before Chunfen could cry out, Jiuzhu caught it and placed it back on the table.
"Young lady," a maid outside whispered a reminder. "The palace carriage is ready."
Jiuzhu confidently stepped into the carriage heading to the palace. Occasionally, she would paint at the Taoist temple, but since her two masters were poor, they had to conserve their ink, brushes, and paper.
Still, both masters praised her, saying she had a natural talent for painting. So, appreciating a painting shouldn't be too difficult for her.
"Madam," Lady Shen's trusted maid noticed her worried expression and comforted her. "The young lady is your and Master's flesh and blood. She must have inherited your talent for art."
Lady Shen: "..."
Oh no.
