Since the princess liked it, it must be delicious.
Wen Ye said with a serious expression, "Try it, husband, and you'll know if I'm lying or not." She didn’t feel like eating any more of it anyway.
Compared to these delicate little pastries, Wen Ye much preferred the lavish feast spread across the table.
Wen Ye stopped Xu Yuxuan, who was still eager for more, saying, "You've already finished one box. Save the other one for your father." Xu Yuxuan then looked longingly at Xu Yuejia across the table.
Xu Yuejia ignored his son's pleading gaze and took a bite. After a moment, he said, "Perhaps the servant bought the wrong ones." Wen Ye pretended to realize, "You're absolutely right, husband."
She quickly changed the subject and called for Nanny Ji to come in and help Xu Yuxuan with his meal. Xu Yuejia took the opportunity to quietly push the pastry box further away.
The box, now missing two pastries, sat lonely at the corner of the table as the family of three enjoyed a harmonious dinner. After the meal, Xu Yuejia returned to his study in the front courtyard, while Wen Ye had Nanny Ji carry Xu Yuxuan back to the main courtyard. It was still early, and after eating her fill, Wen Ye strolled leisurely around the hall to aid her digestion. Tao Zhi stood in the center, holding a storybook, and began reading aloud in a clear voice.
Wen Ye listened contentedly, thinking to herself, "Who says there’s no audiobook narration in ancient times? This is it!" After the reading session, she soaked in a relaxing bath and went to bed by 9 PM.
Having gone to bed early, she naturally woke up early the next day. By 6 AM, Wen Ye was already awake.
With nothing planned for the day, Wen Ye leisurely had her breakfast and continued reading the storybook she hadn’t finished the night before.
After a while, Liuya came in to announce that the young master was heading toward the west courtyard. Wen Ye put down her book and instructed Yun Zhi to lay a thick blanket on the floor near the couch, scattering various exotic trinkets she had bought from the West Market on top.
As soon as Xu Yuxuan arrived at the west courtyard, he was immediately drawn to the array of strange toys on the floor and naturally dove right in.
The study had underfloor heating and was covered with a soft, thick carpet, so he wouldn’t catch a cold or hurt himself.
The west study was no longer the way it had been when Wen Ye first arrived. The original desk and chairs had been pushed to the side, and the large open space in the middle had become Xu Yuxuan’s play area.
Xu Yuxuan had never played so freely before. Upon entering the study, he only called out "Mother" once before becoming completely absorbed in the toys spread across the floor.
Wen Ye responded softly and continued reclining on the couch, engrossed in her storybook.
Xu Yuxuan was living up to the saying, "Children grow up in the blink of an eye." In what felt like no time at all, carrying him had become a bit of a strain. Wen Ye wasn’t one to make things difficult for herself—if one toy couldn’t keep him occupied, she’d bring out a whole box. The mother and son, separated by a short distance, went about their activities without disturbing each other, creating a harmonious atmosphere. Occasionally, when Xu Yuxuan got particularly excited, he would call out "Mother," and Wen Ye would always respond.
After finishing the final chapter of her storybook, Wen Ye stretched and glanced to the side. She noticed that Hexiang and Ren Dong were the ones attending to Xu Yuxuan.
Where was Nanny Ji?
Wen Ye voiced her confusion, "Ren Dong, has Nanny Ji gone out?"
When Xu Yuxuan arrived at the west courtyard, she had been at a crucial part of her book and hadn’t paid much attention to how many people had accompanied him. Ren Dong replied respectfully, "Madam, Nanny Ji isn’t feeling well. She’s unable to attend to the young master closely for the next couple of days." Wen Ye sat up and asked, "But she was fine yesterday, wasn’t she?"
Ren Dong explained, "Yesterday, while you were away from the west courtyard, the young master wanted to watch someone kick a shuttlecock. Nanny Ji tried to demonstrate for him. At the time, it seemed fine, but this morning she woke up to find her legs stiff and sore. She can barely walk now."
Hearing this, Wen Ye’s lips twitched slightly. She then asked, "Has a doctor been called?" Ren Dong nodded, "Yes, the doctor said she’s strained her muscles and needs to rest for a few days." Wen Ye said, "Let Nanny Ji rest well. You and Hexiang will have to work harder for the time being." Ren Dong quickly replied, "Taking care of the young master is my duty." Wen Ye smiled faintly and said nothing more, though she glanced at Xu Yuxuan a few more times, thinking to herself, "He really knows how to wear people out."
Truth be told, Nanny Ji was only thirty-nine years old, but for someone who hadn’t engaged in much physical activity for years, suddenly kicking a shuttlecock for half a day was bound to leave her legs in bad shape the next day.
After the end of the first lunar month, the weather began to warm up gradually. Wen Ye also learned from Xu Yuejia that the selection of Princess Changle’s companions had been finalized, and Wen Ran had unsurprisingly not been chosen.
There were two companions selected: one was the youngest daughter of the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial’s fourth branch, and the other was the only granddaughter of the head family of the Academy of Hanlin Scholars. Xu Yuejia put down his book and said, "The matter is settled. The two companions will enter the palace soon, so you can rest easy." Wen Ye replied, "Thank you, husband, for your help."
Xu Yuejia said, "I didn’t do anything."
Wen Ye knew that he had only informed her of the emperor’s criteria for selecting the companions.
"However," Xu Yuejia added, as if recalling something, "your younger sister, Wen Ran, scored the highest in several of the minor tests during the selection." Wen Ye’s face lit up with pride, "My sister is exceptionally clever. It’s only natural that she came in first." Xu Yuejia’s lips curved slightly, "I recall you two share the same mother."
Wen Ye sensed something off in his tone. She looked up at Xu Yuejia and immediately countered, "At least I can grasp certain problem-solving methods after learning them once, unlike you, who only knows one way to do things."
After her retort, she went to bed.
Wen Ye put down her book, pulled up the blanket, and turned her back to him, saying, "Husband, don’t forget to turn off the lamp." When it came to matters of a man’s pride, even Xu Yuejia wouldn’t admit to anything. After turning off the lamp, he said, "The process doesn’t matter." His tone sounded a bit defensive. Wen Ye thought to herself, "…How dare you bring up the process?"
The bolt of brocade Madam Shen had sent was more than enough to make two sets of spring clothes for a child. Seeing that there was still some left, Concubine Chang made an outfit for Wen Ye as well. The leftover scraps were temporarily stored away, to be used later for making small accessories.
By the time the three outfits were completed, news of Wen Ran’s failure to be selected as the princess’s companion had spread. Concubine Chang, worried that her younger daughter might be upset, hadn’t yet sent the clothes to the main courtyard.
She had the kitchen prepare some of Wen Ran’s favorite dishes.
In truth, Wen Ran wasn’t upset at all. Whether she was chosen or not, she could accept either outcome. She had intended to tell her mother the truth, but when she saw the table laden with her favorite dishes, she decided to hold off for the moment.
She thought, "I’ll explain after finishing this meal."
There was candied sweet potato, sweet braised pork, milk tea with double the usual amount of sugar, and soft, sticky red bean cake. Wen Ran, who was in the process of losing her baby teeth, rarely got to indulge in so many sweets at once.
Concubine Chang, wanting to comfort her daughter, had instructed the kitchen to prepare extra sweet dishes.
Wen Ran sipped the sweet, fragrant milk tea, her usually mature expression softening with delight.
After finishing her meal and rinsing her mouth, Wen Ran finally told her mother the truth, "Mother, I’m actually not upset at all." Concubine Chang, who had been preparing to offer some final words of comfort, was taken aback, "What?" Wen Ran explained honestly, "Not being chosen has its advantages too. The emperor awarded the top three candidates with many fine gifts."
She had come in first place and received more than the second and third place candidates combined. Wen Ran thought the emperor was even more generous than her father.
She wished the princess would hold a companion selection every year so she could receive even more treasures.
Wen Ran had noticed that the emperor didn’t seem to choose the companions based on who scored the highest in the exams.
She wasn’t confident about coming in last place, but she felt fairly certain about securing first place.
Concubine Chang glanced at the maids attending to her daughter and asked, "Why didn’t anyone tell me this?"
Wen Ran replied, "I asked them not to tell you yet." She had originally planned to surprise her mother before the meal, but Concubine Chang had ended up comforting her instead.
Concubine Chang looked at the table full of sweet dishes and finally understood what had happened.
Wen Ran chuckled and added, "I went through the gifts earlier, and there are some nice pieces of jade. I’d like to send a few to my fourth sister to make jewelry." Concubine Chang thought for a moment and said, "Pick one piece to send, and keep the rest for yourself. After all, these are imperial gifts." Wen Ran nodded, though she didn’t fully grasp the significance.
The jade and the three outfits were delivered to the Duke’s residence three days later.
Of course, it wasn't just these two items; Madam Shen also added a few things, as the gifts were sent under her name. Although she didn't particularly like Wen Ye, she couldn't let the Duke's household think that the Wen family was too shabby. When Wen Ye received these items, she was in the main courtyard, being measured by a nanny for her spring wardrobe. Consequently, the items sent by the Wen family were brought to the main courtyard.
The spring clothes for the household had to be made before the start of spring, and measuring now was not too late. They started with the main courtyard, and as it happened, Wen Ye was there that day. After Madam Lu had her measurements taken, she asked the nanny to measure Wen Ye as well. Watching Wen Ye turn around in front of her, Madam Lu felt the urge to dress her up.
She said, "This year, we'll make a few more spring outfits for you."
"You have a good complexion, fair skin, and you look good in any fabric," Wen Ye replied shamelessly, "I think so too. Sister-in-law has excellent taste."
Madam Lu: "..."
The Duke's household had a rule that the masters were to have four sets of clothes per season.
This was just the household's regulation, but Madam Lu often provided additional fabric for the seamstresses to make a few more sets.
Wen Ye had married into the household during the winter, and the clothes in her wardrobe were part of her dowry from the Wen family. They were likely last year's styles, somewhat outdated. While they were fine for wearing at home, they weren't suitable for going out.
With many spring banquets coming up, it was just the right time to prepare a few more outfits in advance.
Madam Lu instructed the nanny to take careful measurements.
Hearing that among the items sent by the Wen family was a set of clothes for Xu Yuxuan, Madam Lu took out the outfit and examined it briefly. The stitching was fine, the size was right, and the style was also good.
Now Xu Yuxuan had a set of clothes made by his maternal grandmother.
As to which maternal grandmother it was, Madam Lu didn't want to delve into that.
Besides the items for Xu Yuxuan, there were also two sets of women's clothing at the bottom of the box. It was obvious who they were for, but Madam Lu didn't touch the jade and letter placed on top of the clothes.
After the seamstress finished measuring Wen Ye, Madam Lu glanced at the spring robe made for Xu Yuxuan by the Wen family, as well as the two sets of women's clothing in the box, both made of cloud-patterned brocade.
Concubine Chang of the Wen family certainly couldn't afford such fine fabric, so it must have been provided by Madam Shen.
Madam Lu paused, then looked up and said, "It just occurred to me that I still have a few rolls of Shu brocade. One of them has a color that would suit you very well. I'll have Qingxue send it over later."
Wen Ye glanced at the children's robe in Madam Lu's hands: "..." She couldn't help but sense a hint of competitiveness in her tone.
