Chapter 98 Chapter 98 July 7th, ...
On the seventh day of the seventh month, the sky was clear and the weather was sunny.
It was rare for Jiang Wan to sleep until noon - after all, she had been working for three consecutive nights to make two cups, so she needed to get a good beauty sleep to replenish her energy.
She still had to visit West Lake with Wen Shen in the evening, and she didn't want to go with dark circles under her eyes.
Jiang Wan had lunch at the He residence. She had been living there for the past few days, chatting with He Wanrong to relieve her boredom, which had improved her mood considerably.
After having a good meal and a drink, she went to He Wanrong's room, hoping to ask her for help on what clothes and makeup to wear when she went to Jianwenshen that night.
After explaining her purpose, He Wanrong said jokingly, "I think you look good just the way you normally do. Clean and beautiful, it suits your temperament. And even without dressing up, Master Wen still likes you."
Jiang Wan blushed and gently hit He Wanrong's shoulder, saying proudly, "What nonsense are you talking about? I'm in a good mood today and want to dress up. Is that not okay?"
"Okay, okay, whatever you say is fine." He Wanrong smiled and scratched her nose, pushing her to sit down in front of the bronze mirror. "That new moon-blue brocade shirt with a ruyi pattern you bought is nice. It not only complements your skin tone, but also matches the light blue of West Lake. As for your hairstyle, try a fallen horse bun. As for makeup... you're suited to something lighter. How about the trendy lazy makeup?"
"All up to you." Jiang Wan agreed with a smile and began to change clothes.
Compared to her, a half-baked ancient person, He Wanrong is a pure ancient person and a lady from a noble family. Of course, she is more knowledgeable than her in clothing matching.
After finishing her makeup and dressing, Jiang Wan turned around in front of He Wanrong and asked, "How is it?"
He Wanrong looked up and down.
Jiang Wan, meticulously dressed, wore a long, floor-length blue dress, the moon-white silk ribbon tied around her waist slenderly framing her figure. A light application of makeup added a touch of color to her already fair, delicate face.
"Not bad, not bad," He Wanrong said with a smile, "Wanwan looks really beautiful when she dresses up. Even I am tempted."
Jiang Wan pulled her arm and pretended to be jealous: "So, do you like my brother more, or me more?"
"How can they be the same?" He Wanrong's cheeks turned red.
While they were joking, the eunuch's thin voice suddenly came from outside the door: "The imperial edict has arrived--"
He Wanrong was startled, but then she reacted and beamed with joy: "The imperial decree to appoint you as the Imperial Merchant has arrived so soon? Hurry, hurry, go and receive it, my Boss Jiang."
The two men straightened their clothes and knelt in the courtyard.
The chief eunuch opened the bright yellow silk book and said: "Jiang Wan received the imperial edict: In the seventh month of the eighteenth year of Chengde, the Emperor Chengde of the Great Zhou Dynasty issued an edict saying: I have heard that I praise those with virtue and reward those with great talent. Jiang Wan, a man from Qingjiang, is skilled in porcelain making. He is both virtuous and talented. I highly commend him. I hereby confer the title of the fifth-rank imperial merchant. I decree this! [1]"
At the same time, the familiar system sound rang out:
"Congratulations to the host for becoming one of the four great imperial merchants and receiving 500 points."
"Learn the pastel technique and overglaze red technique, and earn 200 points."
"Create the Lai Tong Cup, win the favor of the Western Regions envoys, and earn 100 points."
"Solve the crisis at the dinner party flexibly and earn 100 points."
After deducting 80 points for the active potion, and 70 points each for the analysis of pastel craftsmanship and the overglaze red tutorial, Jiang Wan's current score is 2150 points.
After quietly checking the points, Jiang Wan kowtowed to receive the imperial edict. Just as he was about to stand up, the chief eunuch suddenly said, "Boss Jiang, don't be so anxious. There is another imperial edict."
She was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at He Wanrong. They were both at a loss. The eunuch's voice rang in her ears:
"He Wanrong, daughter of Duke He Zhen, receives the imperial decree: In the seventh month of the eighteenth year of Chengde, the Chengde Emperor of Great Zhou issued an edict stating: He Wanrong, daughter of Duke He Zhen, is gentle and virtuous, well-educated, self-disciplined and prudent, and always follows proper etiquette. She is hereby canonized as a princess, given the title Qinghe, and granted a thousand taels of gold and three hu of jewels to comfort the spirit of Lord He. Princess Qinghe is ordered to enter the palace within three days and be granted residence in Xihua Palace to learn the etiquette of foreign nations. This is my decree!"
When the words "Xihua Palace" were read, He Wanrong's face turned pale. After hearing the imperial edict, she didn't even have the strength to kneel straight. She swayed and sat down on the ground.
Jiang Wanze felt a surge of anger rising to the top of his head.
Xihua Palace was the palace where all the princesses who married into the Zhou Dynasty lived before their marriage. Princess Qingrong had also lived there before. Furthermore, all princesses of the Great Zhou Dynasty who reached adulthood were granted fiefs or estates. Only when the princesses who married into the Zhou Dynasty married far away and no longer needed estates were they given gold and jewelry to supplement their dowries.
And the last sentence about learning foreign etiquette was almost like saying that He Wanrong should marry a foreign prince - as soon as she learned the etiquette and showed her face in front of the envoy, another imperial decree for marriage would be issued.
How dare this bastard emperor?! Wanrong had endured so much hardship before her injustice was redressed, only to be sent away to marry before she could even enjoy two days of peace!
Even the imperial edict brazenly stated something like, "Comfort the old Duke's spirit in heaven." No, you wronged him, and then you married his only daughter off to the Western Regions, where she has no relatives, to be a political sacrifice. Is that what you call comforting?
Jiang Wan was so angry that he wanted to curse, and subconsciously tried to stand up, but He Wanrong grabbed his arm tightly.
The latter's look at her was like a bucket of cold water poured over her head, waking her up.
He Wanrong was reminding her: You cannot disobey the order.
Jiang Wan's body froze, and he stood there in a strange kneeling position, motionless.
The chief eunuch rolled up the imperial edict and held it before He Wanrong, saying with a sigh, "Princess, please accept it."
He Wanrong propped herself up, knelt upright, and took it with both hands.
She did not thank him, and the chief eunuch pretended not to remember it and quietly left the Duke's Mansion.
After closing the door, Jiang Wan stood up and cursed, "Fuck this feudal dregs! He even dared to mention the Duke!"
He Wanrong's face was pale and she said nothing.
"Wanrong, run away quickly." Jiang Wan hugged her with heartache. "We still have three days left. Escape to the northern border and no one will find you. Oh, and I'll ask Lord Shen to teach you the art of disguise..."
As she said this, she was about to go out, but He Wanrong stopped her again.
"It's no use. I can't escape."
Jiang Wan was anxious: "Why can't you escape? If you change your appearance, do the soldiers guarding the gate have to watch you wash your face before letting you go?"
"Why do you think His Majesty mentioned Father?" He Wanrong smiled bitterly. "He was warning me. If I don't obey, the Duke's Mansion's hard-earned reputation will be ruined by me. And you, Brother An, and Auntie will all be implicated by me."
"But..." Jiang Wan wanted to persuade him again.
He Wanrong interrupted her, "There's no buts. I've lost everything, so I'm not afraid of anything. It's just a marriage, isn't it? Being the Queen of the Western Regions is better than being a slave in Dunhuang, and it's also safer than being locked up in the dungeons of the Marquis of Jing'an's mansion. Wanwan, we've come this far to overturn this difficult case, so you don't have to worry about me."
"Just... apologize to your brother for me." When He Wanrong mentioned Jiang An, her eyes reddened. "In my next life, I..."
He Wanrong couldn't continue speaking, tears welled up in her eyes. She turned her back to Jiang Wan and quickened her pace into the house.
Jiang Wandai stood in the courtyard and heard the loud sound of a door closing, followed by suppressed sobs.
She had a difficult decision to make.
She raised her head and looked at the lush osmanthus tree in the courtyard.
Memories came flooding back. It was the time in the Marquis of Jing'an's mansion when He Wanrong, risking discovery, begged Miss Wu to protect her; it was the time He Wanrong, ignoring her own efforts to overturn the case, to avoid implicating her; it was the time he spent every night with her in Dunhuang; it was the thin clothes that quietly covered her on the road to exile.
Jiang Wan clenched his fists.
"I won't apologize for you," Jiang Wan said to the crying person in the window, "Just wait, I will never let you go to marry."
After saying this, she strode out and called a carriage.
"Go to the palace gate." Jiang Wan said to the driver.
In front of the Zhou Palace, she showed the fifth-rank official seal she had just received, and the royal guards went to report.
After waiting for about two cups of tea, the imperial guard returned, followed by a palace maid. The maid bowed briefly and said, "Miss Jiang, please follow me."
This was Jiang Wan's second time in the palace, and the road still felt long and oppressive. The road to the Palace of Heavenly Purity wasn't long, but it felt like it took a very long time.
"Sister, do you know which other lady has been crowned a princess today besides Princess Qinghe?" Jiang Wan tried to start a conversation.
Since envoys from both countries came to propose marriage, two princesses would be needed. Since Emperor Chengde was unwilling to marry his own daughter, he would definitely confer the title of princess on another noblewoman.
Then two residences must be prepared in Xihua Palace. The palace maid in charge of arranging these must know about it, and the other palace maids may also have heard some rumors.
The maid tilted her head to look at her. "That's not the case. It's just that the Fifth Princess of the Palace was given the title of An Ning today. This morning, when I passed by Xihua Palace, I saw many of the sisters in the palace tidying up. They said that the Fifth Princess would be moving in tomorrow."
Jiang Wan was stunned for a moment. But then he thought about it and realized it wasn't surprising. Princesses who were to be married off were supposed to be the emperor's sisters or daughters. Even if Emperor Chengde loved his daughters, he couldn't just give both marriages to the ministers—that would cause great dissatisfaction.
Now the eldest princesses have all married. Of His Majesty's daughters, the eldest princess is already married. Of the second, fifth, and seventh princesses who meet the requirements, the second princess is born to a noble concubine, whose father is a second-rank official. The seventh princess is only fourteen years old, intelligent and well-behaved, and is the most favored by His Majesty.
There was only the fifth princess, who was taciturn and her biological mother was just a concubine chosen from the common people.
Just like He Wanrong, after losing the protection of the Duke's Mansion, she became a fish on the chopping board, a victim of the struggle between imperial power and aristocratic family power.
But it doesn’t matter. If the Duke’s Mansion can’t protect Wanrong, she will do it.
Even if it means changing the course of her life.
Jiang Wan stopped in front of the Qianqing Palace gate, and the chief eunuch was just about to lift the pearl curtain and invite her in.
She took a deep breath and walked in. She faced the Great Zhou Dynasty alone.
[1] Modified from the imperial edict of Emperor Zhao of Han appointing Huo Guang as Grand Marshal.
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