Chapter 6. Tacit Understanding.
After explaining the reason, the Empress Dowager said, "It's a bit hot today. I'm going to change my clothes. You can talk here for a while."
After saying this, the Empress Dowager helped Shuangyun leave the side hall, leaving only a few palace maids to serve her.
Chu Heng and Daiyu rose to respectfully see off the Empress Dowager, neither of them uttering any further words.
Since the Empress Dowager had made up her mind, and people were under her roof, they had no choice but to bow their heads; further words would be of no use.
Chu Heng and Daiyu both thought so.
After a moment of hesitation, Daiyu spoke first, asking, "Is Your Highness much better?"
Chu Heng nodded almost imperceptibly and replied succinctly, "Alright."
Daiyu felt she had fulfilled the Empress Dowager's expectations, and given her ladylike reserve, she didn't say much. It was up to Prince Duan to make conversation.
Of course, she also thought it was fine if Prince Duan did not intend to speak.
It would be best if Prince Duan remained taciturn throughout his life.
Chu Heng had no intention of speaking. Since they were destined to be husband and wife, they might as well start getting used to it from today.
In the end, their relationship remained so polite and indifferent.
So, Chu Heng and Daiyu sat down, one looking down at the floral pattern on her skirt, and the other smoothing the tassels on her jade pendant.
The hall fell silent for a moment.
The tranquility was broken by Shuangyun's sudden return. She led several palace maids carrying snacks and tea, personally setting them down one by one, and said with a smile, "The Empress Dowager is talking with Princess Yongkang and will be back in a while. She was worried that Your Highness and Miss Lin might be bored, so she asked me to bring you some newly made snacks from the Imperial Kitchen to try."
Chu Heng and Daiyu rose to thank the Empress Dowager, their smiles perfectly timed, their movements remarkably synchronized, leaving Shuangyun stunned.
Shuangyun thought to herself, "Judging from this point alone, the Empress Dowager doesn't need to worry too much. The Prince and Miss Lin are truly a match made in heaven."
Unfortunately, their telepathic connection was not the kind of telepathic connection the Empress Dowager had hoped for.
Shuangyun smiled and said, "His Highness doesn't usually drink tea, so I had someone brew some honey water and floral dew, both of which are His Highness's favorite flavors. I wonder what kind of tea Miss Lin likes? I've brewed two cups of this year's tribute tea for you to try."
The two thanked her again, and Shuangyun coughed lightly, her smile becoming even brighter: "The Empress Dowager has recently acquired a piece of calligraphy by the late Gu family. Please, Your Highness and Miss Lin, take a look."
Chu Heng and Daiyu smiled, but they both wondered how long the Empress Dowager's charade would last.
Shuangyun curtsied and smiled, "This servant doesn't understand these things. Please allow me to take my leave so I can go and serve the Empress Dowager."
Daiyu smiled and said, "I wouldn't dare to delay you, Aunt."
Chu Heng said with a half-smile, "Aunt, please take care."
As Chu Heng and Daiyu watched Shuangyun leave, they unexpectedly bumped into each other. After a moment of surprise, they both looked away.
Although it was only for a moment, Chu Heng and Daiyu both understood each other's feelings at that moment.
It's so annoying.
It is certainly painful for one person to suffer, but having someone who shares the same suffering does not alleviate the pain in the slightest.
The good news is that no matter how annoyed they are, they don't seem to have any intention of making things awkward on the surface.
"That's right," Chu Heng and Daiyu thought at the same time.
"Please unfold this calligraphy, young lady," Daiyu said first to the palace maid holding the scroll, then turned to Chu Heng and said, "Please forgive my presumption, Your Highness."
Chu Heng never cared about such trivial matters. He tilted his body slightly, propped his chin up, and said in a muffled voice, "It's alright."
Upon hearing this sound, Daiyu couldn't help but glance at him, only to see a bulge on his cheek, clearly indicating that he had something in his mouth.
Chu Heng noticed her gaze, nodded slightly, and casually asked, "Candy, want some?"
Among the snacks that Shuangyun had just brought was a dish of candy. Daiyu glanced at it and saw that it was a kind of hard candy.
From honey water to candy, Prince Duan may look like a young man, but his tastes are those of a child.
Daiyu thought that the young prince, who had been loved by his mother and brothers since childhood, must have been carefree all these years, except for his poor health. It was not surprising that he had such childish hobbies.
"Thank you, Your Highness." Daiyu shook her head. "I don't really like sweets."
"Oh." Chu Heng chewed the candy in his mouth, rinsed his mouth, and then turned to look at the unfolded scroll.
Gu Dajia of the previous dynasty was skilled in running script. His strokes were fluent, lively and natural. People at the time said that he captured the style of Wang Xizhi. Unfortunately, very few of his works have survived to this day, so each one is very valuable.
Daiyu didn't care about Prince Duan's perfunctory attitude and turned around to appreciate the calligraphy.
The hall fell silent once more.
After a while, Daiyu was so engrossed in looking at the painting that she forgot where she was and said softly, "This brushwork looks like it was done by Master Gu in his later years."
Chu Heng subconsciously interjected, "The last two years... um?" Before he could finish speaking, he looked at Daiyu on the other side with a question in his eyes.
The feeling of having someone around while appreciating calligraphy and paintings was really... strange, and Chu Heng felt extremely uncomfortable.
Daiyu clearly hadn't expected to get a response to her words. She paused for a moment before explaining, "I have a calligraphy piece by Gu Dajia in my family. It was originally kept by my grandfather, and later my father gave it to me."
Chu Heng raised an eyebrow and said, "You also have Gu Dajia's calligraphy, not bad."
It turns out this marriage wasn't entirely without its advantages. Next year, he'll be able to admire Master Gu's original calligraphy, which he's never seen before. He already has two pieces, so Miss Lin won't be at a disadvantage either.
Chu Heng's mood improved slightly.
Daiyu didn't understand his implied meaning and frowned in surprise. That was her painting, and even if she married into the royal family in the future, it would be part of her dowry.
Surely a prince wouldn't try to take his wife's dowry for himself?
Daiyu subtly sized up Prince Duan. This royal prince, who enjoyed great favor, did indeed seem capable of such a forceful act of plunder.
This was truly a case of loose lips sinking into trouble. Daiyu secretly regretted her words, reminding herself to be more careful in the future while trying to think of a way to make amends.
Before Daiyu could even come up with the right words, the Empress Dowager sent someone to summon them to pay their respects to the Emperor and Empress.
...
After hearing Shuangyun's report, the Empress Dowager sighed helplessly: "Alas, I have racked my brains, but in this situation, let alone going to Longhua Temple, even if we get married today, what good will it do?"
"That girl from the Lin family isn't bad with words, so why doesn't she know how to speak to Heng'er in a nicer tone!" Of course, the Empress Dowager had no faults with her own son, so she naturally took her anger out on Daiyu.
Shuangyun massaged the Empress Dowager's shoulders to comfort her, saying, "Your Majesty, Miss Lin is, after all, a young lady from a respectable family. How could she possibly be so timid on our first meeting?"
If Miss Lin really tries to please the Prince, the Empress Dowager will naturally have other grievances. Shuangyun sighed inwardly; being a royal daughter-in-law is no easy task.
The Empress Dowager frowned and said, "So what if she's from a respectable family? Does she expect Heng'er to cater to her?"
Shuangyun quickly smiled and said, "Your Majesty has misunderstood me. An unmarried girl is naturally different from a married woman. In the future, the princess will naturally serve and please the prince. Speaking of which, Your Majesty, this is the first time the prince has met Miss Lin. The two are not familiar with each other. You sent them to Longhua Temple so that they could spend more time together."
"We're not familiar with each other yet, so I don't know what to say. But once we get to know each other, we'll have plenty to talk about." As Shuangyun spoke, she walked to the front and presented a cup of tea to the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager did not take the teacup, but frowned and said, "I was too hasty."
"Your Majesty, don't worry, there are still many days ahead, take it slow." Shuangyun massaged the Empress Dowager's shoulders again.
These words were especially pleasing to the Empress Dowager's ears, and she couldn't help but smile. There was still a long way to go...
Soon, another palace servant came to report that the prince and Miss Lin were discussing Gu Dajia's calligraphy. The Empress Dowager burst into laughter, her wrinkles crinkling at the corners of her eyes.
“Not bad, not bad. Heng’er has always loved this, and Lin’er understands it too. They are a perfect match.”
Shuangyun added a few kind words, and the Empress Dowager's good mood was completely restored.
At that moment, the emperor, accompanied by the empress, the eldest son, and the eldest daughter, came to pay their respects to the empress dowager. The empress dowager then sent someone to summon Chu Heng and Daiyu from the side hall.
Upon hearing this, the Emperor knew that the Empress Dowager was deliberately creating an opportunity for the betrothed couple to be alone. Although he felt it was against etiquette, he couldn't bring himself to say it in front of the Empress and the children. Therefore, he simply instructed someone else: "Go and call Man'er over as well."
The Empress Dowager paused, then smiled and said, "I almost forgot, Shuangyun, go and check on the Eldest Princess."
Soon, Chu Heng and Daiyu entered the hall one after the other. Just as they were about to bow, the emperor sent someone to help them up.
The emperor laughed and said, "It's not like we're in the Haiyan Palace up ahead. Here with Mother, we're just having a family reunion. Fifth brother, if you keep up these formalities, Mother will scold me."
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager laughed and said, "You brothers' affairs always drag me into this."
The Empress smiled and said to Daiyu, "Miss Lin, although this is the first time we've met, we'll meet many more times in the future, so there's no need to stand on ceremony. Jie'er and Rong'er greet Miss Lin."
Daiyu quickly stepped aside, curtsied, and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, I dare not accept such an honor."
“What is there to be afraid of? They are all juniors.” After saying that, the Empress turned her head with a smile, “Mother, please have Miss Lin sit down next to me. I felt close to Miss Lin the moment I saw her.”
The Empress Dowager smiled and said, "Please sit down, and let Jie'er and Rong'er sit with their grandmother."
The hall was bustling with activity when Yongkang arrived. The Empress Dowager first excused her from formalities, and a palace maid brought out an embroidered stool for her to sit down.
The Empress Dowager embraced her grandchildren and laughed, "Why are you so slow? You've made all these people wait for you."
The emperor glanced at his mother and laughed, "Perhaps she's gone off to play somewhere again. Man'er, you're a young lady now, you must never do this again."
Yongkang pursed his lips and said, "Mother, Imperial Brother, please allow me to say a few words before you judge my crime."
The Empress Dowager shook her head: "You're overthinking things, girl. How did you get punished? I was just teaching you some manners and etiquette."
“I know all the rules the nannies taught me, so there’s no need to trouble Mother and Brother.” Yongkang was stubborn and never yielded to anyone.
This was considered an insult to the Emperor and Empress Dowager, so their expressions were not pleasant.
Chu Jie and Chu Rong nestled close to their grandmother, barely daring to breathe.
Having witnessed such scenes many times, if Prince Duan remained silent, she would inevitably have to speak up to intervene.
Daiyu looked at Chu Heng, who casually put down his teacup and slowly said, "Mother, Imperial Brother, I'm hungry. When shall we eat?"
A note from the author:
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