Chapter 29. Twin lotus blossoms, symbolizing a lifelong union. ...
Zijuan brought over the tea that had cooled just right. Daiyu took it, but just as she was about to drink it, she suddenly put the teacup down and instructed, "Zijuan, change the water. In the future, pour less tea."
"Yes," Zijuan agreed, then asked, "Miss, should we add some honey to the water?"
While at Longhua Temple, the young lady often drank water mixed with fragrant dew with Prince Duan. Such high-class items might not have been unavailable in the Rongguo Duke's mansion, but they simply never reached the young lady's hands.
“No need,” Daiyu said, then turned to Xueyan and asked, “Where did you put that gilded and carved box?”
Xueyan asked in confusion, "Which one are you referring to, young lady? We have quite a few boxes like that in our room!"
Daiyu had no choice but to spell it out: "The one with the carved twin lotus flowers."
"Oh! It's the one the Prince gave you alone!" Xueyan said with a smile. "It's under this dressing table. You've never seen it before. Why did you suddenly remember it today?"
Daiyu did not answer.
Zijuan had just changed the water when she heard this and looked at Daiyu. She saw that the girl looked a little shy and embarrassed.
Although it is unknown what the young lady and Prince Duan discussed in private, it is ultimately a good thing.
Zijuan thought to herself, judging from today's events, Prince Duan was so protective of the young lady. Thinking back to those days at Longhua Temple, Prince Duan didn't seem like a frivolous person. Now it seems that this marriage is quite good.
I just don't know what the future holds.
With concern for her mistress, Zijuan placed the water cup on the table. Daiyu had already opened the brocade box that Xueyan had brought over, and Zijuan couldn't help but glance at it.
The box was lined with red silk, on which lay a pair of wooden combs. Daiyu could tell at a glance that the combs were made of boxwood, exquisitely crafted, and inlaid with several pearls that felt warm to the touch, clearly of superior quality.
"What a beautiful comb!" Zijuan exclaimed.
Twin lotus blossoms symbolize a long and happy marriage.
Daiyu gently slid her hand across the comb teeth, and Prince Duan was truly fulfilling their marriage agreement in a serious manner.
They achieved being of one heart and mind, but growing old together...
If both of them can maintain good health in the future, then it would be feasible.
Daiyu smiled, put the comb back into the brocade box, and carefully put it away herself.
...
The next day, Chu Heng went to the palace again to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager leaned lazily against the soft pillows and said slowly, "Heng'er, you're here early. Sit down."
Yesterday, Chu Heng went to the Rongguo Duke's Mansion on imperial orders, but he did not inform the Empress Dowager. In addition, the Emperor issued two more decrees, and the matter was out of the Empress Dowager's control, so she was naturally dissatisfied.
Chu Heng sat down and asked with a smile, "Mother doesn't seem to be in good spirits. Didn't you sleep well last night?"
"I'm getting old, I sleep less and dream more, it's inevitable, it's nothing serious," the Empress Dowager said lazily.
Chu Heng smiled as usual: "I often don't sleep well at night, so I know very well how uncomfortable I am during the day. Mother, please don't hide your illness from doctors. Aunt..." He turned to Shuang Yun, "Why didn't you summon the imperial physician?"
Chu Heng was still young when he was poisoned. Even though the late emperor summoned all the famous doctors in the country to treat him, they could only save his life. He had to endure the pain day and night on his own.
For Chu Heng, such pain would likely be unforgettable for the rest of his life.
The Empress Dowager's expression changed. She did not want to recall what happened back then. For three to five years, young Chu Heng could not sleep through the night. The scene of him crying and fainting in his wet nurse's arms was still vivid in the Empress Dowager's mind.
Even though the poison was eventually removed, Chu Heng was still left with a chronic illness. He was bedridden for years, and insomnia and nightmares were commonplace for him.
Shuangyun replied cautiously, "Your Highness, I have already prepared a calming soup."
"That's good." Chu Heng said with a smile, "Mother is not feeling well, so please rest. I will come to pay my respects again tomorrow. We can discuss this small matter tomorrow as well."
The Empress Dowager intended to dismiss him, but upon hearing that he had something to attend to, she couldn't hold back and asked, "There's no rush. Please sit with me for a while."
Chu Heng sat motionless in the chair, thinking to himself, "If the Empress Dowager is on her deathbed one day, and we, her children, come over and say there's something she doesn't know, she'll have to get up and listen to it. If we can help her live a few more moments, that's how we can fulfill our filial duty."
“It’s not good to go to sleep right after eating. Not only will you have indigestion, but you’ll also be more tired at night and won’t sleep well. Neither of these are good ways to maintain your health,” Chu Heng said with a smile. “The imperial physician often tells my son this.”
The Empress Dowager nodded, stroking the jade ruyi in her hand, and casually asked, "You just said you had a small matter to discuss with me. What is it that you wanted to tell me? Your brother will answer you."
Chu Heng smiled and replied without changing his expression, "Yesterday I went to pay my respects to my elder brother and casually mentioned asking him to thank my sister-in-law for me. I didn't expect him to ask me in detail what it was about..."
Chu Heng slowly recounted the emperor's decree, describing it as a complete accident. Whether the Empress Dowager believed him or not...
Chu Heng looked at the Empress Dowager's expression. Whether she believed it or not didn't matter. What mattered was that he had to give the Empress Dowager an explanation so that she could feel a little more at ease and believe that he could still control everything.
Chu Heng thought about the issue of choosing sides again. Regardless of other matters, given the Empress Dowager's temperament, it would be difficult for Chu Heng to choose her.
But the emperor was not necessarily any better than the empress dowager. The supreme ruler above all others only cared about power and was not a brother who would care about his siblings.
In the end, perhaps the only choice is to look at the interests involved. Chu Heng smiled self-deprecatingly to himself. After all, they shared the same blood; he was no different from the Empress Dowager and the Emperor.
In addition, Chu Heng had already made sure to discuss this matter with Miss Lin before he could make a final decision.
After listening, the Empress Dowager pondered for a moment and said, "Your brother has always doted on you, but Jia is, after all, a Noble Consort, unlike ordinary concubines."
Chu Heng smiled innocently, "I've noticed that my brother doesn't really like Consort Jia, so it's not a bad thing that he's pleased with her."
"You've had too little experience; how could you understand these intricacies?" The Empress Dowager smiled. "I'm afraid others will say that the Emperor is using this as an excuse to show favoritism."
Chu Heng then said, "This is my fault, and I must go and apologize to my elder brother."
The Empress Dowager said, "There's no need for you brothers to act like this. Never mind, I'll think of something else to fix later."
Chu Heng lowered his head and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Mother."
A palace maid brought over a calming soup, which Shuangyun helped the Empress Dowager drink. She frowned and leaned against the pillow, saying, "I'll rest for a while. Heng'er, you may leave."
Chu Heng rose, bowed, and took his leave. Unexpectedly, the Empress Dowager suddenly said, "By the way, yesterday you said that you would give Lin girl two governesses in a few days. I let Shuangyun choose them. Heng'er, do you want to go and take a look?"
Chu Heng said respectfully, "With Mother taking care of things, I can rest assured."
The Empress Dowager closed her eyes and smiled.
Shuangyun escorted Chuheng out of Renshou Palace. When she returned, the Empress Dowager was having a palace maid massage her forehead. Shuangyun stepped forward to take over and told the maid to leave.
The Empress Dowager murmured, "Heng'er doesn't know what happened back then..."
Shuangyun whispered, "His Highness was just casually mentioning something from the past. It has happened before, so please don't take it to heart, Your Majesty."
The Empress Dowager nodded slowly: "Hmm... There weren't many people who knew about what happened back then. As long as we don't talk too much, Heng'er won't know. That child has been deep-thinking since he was young. If he finds out, I'm afraid he'll become suspicious."
Shuangyun said, "This servant understands, Your Majesty, please rest assured."
Chu Heng, who had left the palace, didn't care about the Empress Dowager's thoughts. Since yesterday, something had been troubling his mind.
"The Jia family... and their relatives in the capital, who are they...?" Chu Heng opened his mouth to ask, but then stopped.
Zhao Qing asked in confusion, "Your Highness, what are they?"
Chu Heng rubbed his sleeves, a variety of emotions flashing across his face in an instant, before finally pursing his lips and saying, "It's nothing."
That's all in the past.
...
The next day, the sun was shining brightly, and Daiyu was taking down the poetry collections that were drying in the corridor when Zijuan came over and whispered in her ear, "Miss, Auntie just came over. I heard from the little maid in front of the old lady that the old lady sent someone to invite her."
“I remember…” Daiyu sat down on the recliner in the corridor, “The day the Second Madam and the Concubine had a fight, the Aunt was in the Second Madam’s room.”
Zijuan said, "That's right, Miss. I think the reason why the old lady invited Aunt over today must be related to what happened that day."
Daiyu casually flipped through a couple of pages of the poetry collection, but it didn't catch her eye. The servants in the Jia family were gossipy, and her aunt wasn't a very meticulous person either. Could it be that the news spread so quickly because of her?
Just then, Xueyan returned in a huff. She tried to keep her voice down and said to Daiyu, "Miss, didn't you hear what they were saying? It was clearly Second Madam who harmed you, yet some people are saying you're unreasonable and unforgiving. They're turning right and wrong upside down and being completely unreasonable!"
Zijuan was also furious upon hearing this: "Who said that? Tear her mouth apart!"
Daiyu smiled indifferently: "Let them say whatever they want, even if they come to me. But they wouldn't dare. It's something that can't be brought to light, so there's no need to pay attention to it."
Xueyan snorted, "They wouldn't dare say that in front of you, Miss. Right now, they're terrified of you and can't wait to flatter you!"
“Arrogant at first, obsequious at second; a clown,” Daiyu said.
Seeing that their young mistress didn't care at all, Zijuan and Xueyan's anger subsided a lot. Those who were gossiping behind her back were all the Second Madam's people. Since their mistress had lost power, they would be inferior to her in the future. They were resentful and blamed everything on their young mistress. But when they saw their young mistress, wouldn't they still have to be respectful and fearful?
A moment later, a young maid from the main house came over with a smile on her face and said, "Miss Lin, the Prince has sent Eunuch Zhao to deliver some things to you again. The old lady invites you to come over."
Daiyu nodded and said, "I'll go after I change my clothes."
As she spoke, she took Xueyan's hand and led her through the door.
The little girl smiled and agreed again. Zijuan took the fruit plate from the corridor, pulled her to sit on the platform, and said with a smile, "Don't rush to leave, have some fruit first."
The little girl wiped her hands before taking it.
Zijuan placed the fruit plate in front of the little maid and asked casually, "I just heard Dian'er mention Auntie. Has she left yet?"
The little girl said in a clear voice, "My aunt is still here. She's talking to Eunuch Zhao with the old lady."
Xueyan came out of the house and gave the money she was holding to Zijuan.
Zijuan smiled and said, "Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon, Miss Lin will buy you some mooncakes."
The young girl immediately beamed with joy. She quickly put down the fruit, wrapped it in her handkerchief, and said with a smile, "Thank you, Miss Lin..."
"Your aunt's face doesn't look too good. I vaguely heard her arguing with the old lady. Miss Lin, you should be careful when you go over there." The maid said as she put away the handkerchief. "After all, they are relatives."
Zijuan nodded with a smile: "Yes, they're all relatives."
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