In the quiet of the night, Ming Jingzhou helped Lady Shen remove her hairpin. "My lady, did Jiuzhu suffer any grievances when she entered the palace a few days ago?"
Lady Shen shook her head. "She seemed very happy when she returned, so I didn’t ask much. I suppose she got along well with Consort Su."
Consort Su had enjoyed the emperor's favor for many years and was not an easy person to get along with. Jiuzhu's marriage to the Chen Prince's Mansion was already a done deal, and Lady Shen secretly hoped that Jiuzhu could win Consort Su's affection.
"I wonder who bewitched our daughter into thinking that Prince Chen is a rare good man in the world..."
"Perhaps it was Consort Su?" Lady Shen sat down on the edge of the bed and sighed softly. "Jiuzhu is simple-hearted. Consort Su, who has managed to keep the emperor devoted to her alone, probably only needed a few words to charm Jiuzhu."
At this, Lady Shen's brows furrowed slightly. "Is there really no room for compromise with His Majesty?"
Ming Jingzhou straightened the quilt and lay down beside Lady Shen. "The Imperial Astronomical Bureau has already begun calculating auspicious dates for the wedding. There’s no turning back now."
"If it weren’t for the rumors about Miss Sun and Prince Qi boating on the lake before her engagement to Prince Chen was finalized, our Jiuzhu wouldn’t have to marry that troublemaker." When it came to protecting their child, parents often threw reason out the window. Lady Shen couldn’t bear the thought of her daughter marrying Prince Chen and even resented Miss Sun for it.
Knowing his wife was just venting, Ming Jingzhou didn’t argue. A wise man, whether he agreed or not, would never play the role of a reasonable gentleman when his wife was complaining about others, as the consequences could be dire.
Women were the best teachers in teaching men the art of flexibility.
Jiuzhu had no idea that her parents were lying in bed worrying about her marriage. She leaned on the windowsill, gazing up at the stars in the night sky, wondering what her two masters were doing at that moment.
Were they arguing over who would wash the dishes, or were they admiring the moon?
On the day she left, she...
"Miss." Chunfen stood outside the window with a lantern, softly reminding her, "The autumn night is chilly. You should rest early. Tomorrow, you’ll be climbing the mountain with Lady Shen."
"Don’t worry, Chunfen. Climbing a mountain is nothing." Jiuzhu proudly lifted her chin. "Not just climbing mountains, even climbing trees is a piece of cake for me."
The Taoist temple she lived in was deep in the mountains and forests. When she had nothing to do and didn’t feel like studying, she would sneak up to the mountain peak to watch the sunrise and sunset, listening to the birdsong.
"I know climbing a mountain won’t be a challenge for you," Chunfen explained with a gentle smile. "But getting enough sleep will keep your complexion fresh. Tomorrow, you’ll be meeting other noble ladies during the climb. You mustn’t let them outshine you in looks."
Jiuzhu rubbed her cheeks. People in the capital were so competitive. Even climbing a mountain had to involve such considerations.
"Chunfen, all this comparing seems so pointless." She sniffled and pulled the cloak tighter around her shoulders. The night was getting colder.
Chunfen chuckled. She put down the lantern and helped Jiuzhu adjust her cloak. "Miss, you are the future Princess Chen. Wherever you go, countless eyes will be on you."
"Does that mean if I embarrass myself, Prince Chen will be embarrassed too?" Jiuzhu obediently stretched her neck, making it easier for Chunfen to fix her cloak.
Chunfen paused for a moment. She didn’t know what Prince Chen looked like, but given his reputation in the capital, he probably wouldn’t care much about what Jiuzhu did.
A prince who named his cricket "General Ever-Victorious" and his dog "General Peacekeeper" likely didn’t care about losing face.
"Chunfen, I’ll go to sleep now. You should rest early too." Jiuzhu pulled her head back inside the window, but before Chunfen could react, she popped it out again. "Sweet dreams!"
Chunfen smiled and shook her head. Thinking about how such a lovely young lady like Jiuzhu was about to marry Prince Chen, she couldn’t help but feel worried about how much hardship she might endure. Her smile faded.
Feixia Mountain, located east of the royal retreat, was guarded by soldiers during the Double Ninth Festival to ensure the safety of those who came to climb and enjoy the view.
On this day, both nobles and commoners could come to climb and admire the scenery.
The Ming family’s carriage stopped at the foot of Feixia Mountain. Jiuzhu touched the cornus berry sachet at her waist and followed Lady Shen out of the carriage.
At the base of the mountain, vendors were selling cornus berry wreaths and embroidered handkerchiefs and shawls, creating a lively atmosphere.
Children surrounded the noble carriages, selling cornus branches. The nobles, not stingy with their money, would buy a few branches. The children, delighted with their earnings, would recite a few auspicious phrases before running off.
Jiuzhu also bought a few cornus bracelets and handed them out to Lady Shen and the maids.
The bright red cornus berries looked quite pretty when worn on the wrist.
Jiuzhu gently shook her wrist, and a gust of wind blew her shawl into her face.
"Greetings, Prince Qi."
"Lady Shen, there’s no need for formalities." Prince Qi smiled gracefully and gestured for Lady Shen to rise. His handsome appearance and charming smile made him even more captivating. "The weather is lovely today, and the scenery is beautiful. You and your daughter should take your time to enjoy it."
Pulling the shawl away from her face, Jiuzhu barely had time to see what the prince looked like before she curtsied.
"Your Highness is right," Lady Shen said with a faint smile. "My daughter has just returned to the capital, and I wanted to show her the sights. Thanks to His Majesty’s wise governance, the capital is full of beauty. She’s curious about everything, so please forgive her if she seems a bit overwhelmed."
"Among my brothers, my fifth brother is the most skilled at appreciating scenery." Prince Qi turned his gaze to Jiuzhu. "When your daughter..."
The young girl in the pale yellow dress looked up at him, her eyes filled with curiosity and innocence.
"This humble girl greets Your Highness and Lady Shen."
Prince Qi glanced at the newcomer and nodded slightly. "Miss Sun."
Sun Caiyao, with a shy expression, curtsied slightly to Prince Qi.
Jiuzhu looked at Prince Qi and then at Miss Sun, who had walked straight over after getting out of her carriage. She suddenly understood what it meant to "lower one’s brows shyly, hoping the gentleman understands her feelings."
"My legs are slow, so I’ll take my leave first. Please excuse me, Your Highness and Miss Sun." Lady Shen, being tactful, knew that Prince Qi and Miss Sun, as an engaged couple, would want some private time. It wouldn’t be proper for outsiders to linger.
"Feel free to go, Lady Shen," Prince Qi said warmly.
Sun Caiyao watched Jiuzhu’s retreating figure, her teeth lightly biting her lower lip as she lowered her head to hide her emotions.
"Mother," Jiuzhu whispered as she held Lady Shen’s arm, "I feel like Miss Sun was looking at me strangely."
Lady Shen scoffed. "A few months ago, His Majesty intended to arrange a marriage between Miss Sun and Prince Chen. Unfortunately, Miss Sun and Prince Qi were already in love. How could His Majesty allow a woman with feelings for another man to marry Prince Chen? So, he changed his mind and arranged for Miss Sun to marry Prince Qi instead."
"I see," Jiuzhu nodded in understanding.
"What do you think about it?" Lady Shen asked her daughter.
What did she think?
Jiuzhu hesitated before speaking. "Miss Sun and Prince Qi... seem well-matched?"
Lady Shen: "..."
She had made a mistake. She shouldn’t have brought it up.
She needed to start thinking about how to ensure her daughter wouldn’t be taken advantage of by her sisters-in-law after marrying into the royal family. This straightforward, unfiltered personality of hers must have come from her father.
As they walked, people frequently approached Lady Shen to chat, and nearly everyone looked Jiuzhu up and down as if she were some rare artifact.
If she could charge people for looking at her, she’d make enough money to fill her purse.
Finally reaching the pavilion halfway up the mountain, Lady Shen sat down with a few familiar ladies to enjoy tea and conversation. Jiuzhu sat beside them, smiling and nodding, though her heart had already flown to the mountaintop like a sparrow on a branch.
"I’ll stay here with the ladies for tea. Why don’t you go to the mountaintop and pick some fresh cornus branches for us?" Lady Shen looked at Jiuzhu, who was sitting obediently but fidgeting with her feet, and smiled. "Young girls have plenty of energy. This task is perfect for you."
"Of course." Jiuzhu stood up and curtsied. "Mother and ladies, please wait a moment. I’ll be right back."
With that, she lifted her skirt and trotted out of the pavilion.
The ladies watched Jiuzhu’s retreating figure and remarked, "Your daughter is truly lovely."
It’s just a pity about the man she’s marrying.
"You’re too kind. She’s still such a child at heart," Lady Shen said with a modest smile. "As parents, we only wish for her health and happiness. That’s all that matters."
The other ladies nodded in agreement. What parent doesn’t wish for their child to be free from illness and misfortune, and for everything to go smoothly?
Chunfen knew her young lady could climb mountains, but she never expected her to be this capable. She sat down on the ground, panting heavily, no longer caring about her ladylike demeanor. Meanwhile, Jiuzhu, delicate and soft as she appeared, didn’t even break a sweat, as if nothing had happened.
"Chunfen, sit and rest for a while. I’m going to pick some dogwood branches," Jiuzhu said, taking the silk shawl from her arm and handing it to Chunfen. She shook her head with a sigh, "Chunfen, you’re too frail."
Chunfen: "..."
Young lady, please face the facts—it’s not that I’m frail, it’s that you’re just too energetic!
The dogwood tree wasn’t very tall, and its branches were heavy with bright red berries, beautiful and eye-catching. Jiuzhu climbed up the tree effortlessly, carefully selecting the reddest and most attractive branches.
"Little girl, it’s you again."
Jiuzhu pushed aside the branches and looked down. It was the purple-robed gentleman she had met before. Today, he was wearing a black robe with red patterns, which made his face look as pale as jade.
He looked up at Jiuzhu and pointed to a branch near her. "Could you pick that one for me?"
"This one?" Jiuzhu reached out and snapped the branch with a crisp *crack*. The thumb-sized branch broke off easily in her hand. "Step back, I’ll throw it down to you."
Seeing the clean break on the dogwood branch, Prince Chen silently took a few steps back.
With a rustling sound, the branch landed on the ground.
The autumn wind blew, making the tree sway dangerously. Prince Chen walked back under the tree. "Little girl, come down from there."
"What?" The wind rustled the branches, making it hard for Jiuzhu to hear. She simply jumped down from the tree, brushing the dust off her palms. "What did you say just now?"
Prince Chen: "..."
Whose reckless child is this, acting so boldly?
As the wind died down, faint voices of men could be heard in the distance.
"Miss Sun is fortunate to be engaged to Prince Qi."
"Poor Miss Ming, though. She was raised in Lingzhou, far from her parents, and as soon as she returned to the capital, she was betrothed to Prince Chen. I heard she didn’t leave the house for a whole month after coming back, but in the end, she still couldn’t escape her fate of marrying Prince Chen."
"You’d better keep quiet. If Prince Chen’s men hear you, you’ll be in trouble. Everyone knows he’s vindictive and unreasonable."
"Tch!"
"Hmph!"
After letting out a scoff, Prince Chen turned to Jiuzhu, who was rolling up her sleeves. "Little girl, why are you huffing?"
Jiuzhu continued rolling up her sleeves and started walking in the direction of the voices.
"Hey!" Prince Chen reached out and grabbed the back of her collar. "Where do you think you’re going?"
"To fight!"
