Chapter 24 Thoughts
Cheng Shuwen was not a person who liked crowds. From the moment Wen Lingzheng married into the Dingbei Marquis's mansion, she readily handed over the key and token of the household management, relinquishing her power as the housekeeper.
Even during holidays, apart from necessary outings, she stayed in the small Buddhist hall in a secluded corner of the Marquis's mansion and never stepped out.
Old Madam Pei said that it was a heart ailment.
—A heartache that began after the death of her husband, General Pei Ke.
Therefore, the Cheng family had very little contact with the Marquis of Dingbei's mansion. Although Wen Lingzheng knew that the Cheng family had three young ladies and one young master of their generation, she had only seen the eldest daughter of the Cheng family and Cheng Chunru.
This was because Cheng Chunru married into the Yongchang Marquis's family.
Later, Pei Jing passed away, Pei Lin was far away in the northern border, the old lady of the Pei family was bedridden, and Cheng Shuwen stayed in Rongshou Hall every day. The Dingbei Marquis's Mansion and the Cheng family had even less contact.
Therefore, Wen Lingzheng's impression of this Miss Cheng was almost entirely based on rumors and gossip circulating in the streets.
Withdrawing her gaze, Wen Lingzheng pulled Xiao Shanghua behind her, blocking her view. "Why are you listening to these baseless rumors?"
"How can this be baseless accusation? There's no smoke without fire!" Xiao Shanghua said in exasperation, her voice low, "Azheng! Don't underestimate your opponent."
Xiao Shanghua frowned in disgust, her voice muffled.
"My mother said that if the ladies in the mansions of Shengjing really start to use their tricks, they might be even more ruthless than the ministers in the imperial court. At least those men are aboveboard!"
"Just look at the way she looks at Second Brother Pei! Tsk tsk tsk, Ah Zheng, you idiot, you better remember what I said. I know more about these shady dealings in the inner quarters of a wealthy family than you do!"
"Shh! You two, stop fooling around!" Chen Lingwen, who had been standing not far away, appeared beside them at some point. "Official Dong is here!"
Dong Daguan?
Could it be another arranged marriage?
Xiao Shanghua winked at Wen Lingzheng, wanting to ask, but was stopped.
The two straightened up and turned to look outside the hall. They saw that the official Dong had not come alone; he was followed by a group of imperial guards, and in the center walked a row of palace servants carrying various boxes.
Supported by Pei Lin and Cheng Shuwen, Old Madam Pei went out to greet them, while another maid was instructed to go to the east room to summon Pei Ning.
Everyone was trembling with fear, but they did not see the bright yellow scroll that the official Dong always held in his hands.
He lowered his head slightly as a sign of courtesy, and said with a smile, "Old Madam, Lord Marquis."
Although he was a eunuch, he was born with a handsome appearance. Despite his young age, he had the advantage of growing up with his parents and his ability to read people, which allowed him to thrive in the palace.
All the nobles in the capital had to give him some face.
"Thank you for your trouble, sir." Old Madam Pei smiled, returned a half-bow, and asked, "I wonder if Your Majesty has any instructions for my visit?"
With a deeper smile, Dong Daguan waved to the palace servants behind him who were touching the box, and said happily, "Today is Miss Ning's coming-of-age ceremony, and the Empress has specially sent me to deliver this gift."
Pei Lin and the old lady of the Pei family led the people of the Marquis's mansion to slightly curtsy in the direction of the palace.
"Your Majesty, I, on behalf of my younger sister, thank you for your great favor."
Just then, Pei Ning arrived, and Dong Daguan hurriedly took the wooden box from the palace servant beside him. "Miss Ning, this is something His Majesty specifically instructed me to personally deliver to you."
"Three..." The words that were on the tip of her tongue were swallowed back. Pei Ning glanced at Pei Lin, took the box, and ran her fingertips along the patterns on it. Her lips trembled, and she revealed a faint smile.
She curtsied gracefully, her manners impeccable and her demeanor dignified. "Please convey my gratitude to Your Majesty on my behalf, Your Excellency."
"It is my honor." Official Dong bent down slightly, his waist bowing even lower than Pei Ning's.
Pei Lin took the heavy purse from Xingyun's hand, stepped forward, and placed it in Dong Daguan's hand.
"Thank you for making this trip, sir. These are nothing special, so please have a couple of drinks with me."
Seemingly anticipating that Dong Daguan would decline, Pei Lin smiled and said, "Today is my younger sister's coming-of-age ceremony, so I hope you will postpone it. This is just a small amount of wine, nothing more."
With the person in the forbidden area gone, the atmosphere on the field became noticeably more relaxed.
Pei Ning followed Granny Chang back to the east room with the box in her arms, but the sorrow between her brows did not dissipate even after the coming-of-age ceremony.
After the banquet, the matriarch Pei and Cheng Shuwen chatted with several familiar ladies in Rongshou Hall. For some reason, Pei Lin hurriedly left the mansion with Xingyun, leaving only Wen Lingzheng and a few others to accompany Pei Ning back to Yunzhong Pavilion.
After changing out of the heavy dress, Pei Ning felt much lighter.
Having received instructions in advance, Fei Yue prepared a table of food, and Fei Xing also brought over several cups of warm wine. "The old lady instructed that the young ladies should chat and laugh as they please, but don't forget to eat!"
"The old lady is the kindest, unlike my grandfather!" Zhao Rushao picked up her handkerchief to cover her face and coughed twice to clear her throat. "It's always the same old story—Ah Shao! If you misbehave again, you won't get dinner tonight!"
Zhao Rushao's imitation was so perfect that it caused a burst of laughter, and the little maids standing on the sidelines all bent over laughing.
Even Pei Ning, who had been looking listless, started laughing.
The movement was so sudden that Wen Lingzheng, who was sitting next to her, could only helplessly pull her upright. "What's wrong with you? You seem distracted."
Pei Ning shook her head without answering, but instead wrapped her arms around Wen Lingzheng's arm, looked up at her, and changed the subject, saying, "Ah Zheng! Do you want to hear my second brother's jokes?"
"What joke? Tell me quickly!" Always eager for a good show, Xiao Shanghua seemed even more excited than Wen Lingzheng at this moment.
Chen Lingwen, who had been silent all along, suddenly smiled, his softened features revealing a hint of nostalgia, as if he had remembered something.
"You're not talking about... the Jin Yu Fang incident, are you?"
"Yes, yes, yes! That's it!"
Pei Ning nestled in Wen Lingzheng's arms, chuckling softly.
Unable to withstand the combined pressure from Xiao Shanghua and Zhao Rushao, Chen Lingwen had no choice but to honestly recount the whole story from beginning to end.
It was late autumn of the second year of the Qinghe era. The Chunying Pavilion on the Imperial Street had just opened, and it not only offered wine, food, and tea, but also had a full house of beautiful women.
Many members of the royal family and nobility went there, and some even lingered there, indulging in the soft and fragrant beauty.
Li Che, the second son of the Prince of Xiang, who was only seventeen years old at the time and had not yet been married, was also a frequent visitor to the Chunying Pavilion.
—No one expected that he would also bring Li Shan, who was only eleven years old at the time and was still the crown prince, into the case, and the two of them ended up owing a large sum of money.
Li Shan was raised by Emperor Taizong's side from a young age, but unfortunately, the emperor's demands on him were almost harsh.
Moreover, he was born with mediocre talent, and although he was exceptionally diligent, his intelligence was vastly different from that of his elder brother, Li Heng.
Li Shan both respected and feared Emperor Taizong, but lacked the intimacy that should exist between father and son.
At the time, Pei Lin and Xiao Weiyuan were both tutors to the Crown Prince. As soon as the incident occurred, Xiao Weiyuan advised Li Shan to first apologize to Emperor Taizong, using classical Chinese phrases in his speech.
But Pei Lin is the kind of guy who loves to take unconventional approaches!
He somehow learned that Li Che was going to the Jin Yu Fang to gamble with someone. He first pawned the jade ornaments on his clothes to get money, and then persuaded Li Shan with a combination of coaxing and deception.
Unable to dissuade the two and worried that something might happen, Xiao Weiyuan frowned and followed them inside.
It is said that a fully ripe lotus root is cunning.
Pei Lin was only ten years old that year, barely a ripe lotus root! Yet he made a fortune and even colluded with Xiao Weiyuan and Li Shan to swindle Li Che, almost causing him to lose everything.
But Jin Yu Fang was, after all, a gambling den. How could they let the three teenagers off easily after they had won so much money? The matter quickly escalated.
Having just returned to Shengjing from the northern border less than half an hour ago, Marquis Pei Shen of Dingbei was so angry that he didn't even have time to take off his armor. He grabbed a large sword and chased Pei Lin all over the capital.
They cursed him, calling him a bastard who didn't study or practice martial arts properly, but instead chose to learn unorthodox and heretical methods!
Emperor Taizong, however, greatly admired him and, for the first time ever, bestowed upon him a set of jade dice.
"My older brother is really something!" Xiao Shanghua sighed. "He's loved using classical Chinese phrases since he was little. Even my mother says he's more like our father than he is. He's so annoying!"
“Who says otherwise!” Zhao Rushao chimed in. “My family has a military background! But look at my older brother, all he says is ancient sayings and proverbs… It’s so annoying, my ears are calloused!”
Pei Ning stopped laughing at some point, leaned against Wen Lingzheng's chest, and looked out the window with a hint of melancholy in her eyes.
As the sun sets in the west, a faint red glow seeps into the sky, creating a desolate and vast landscape.
"I wonder if we'll ever have the chance to chat and joke around like we did today again."
"Why are you saying such depressing things!" Xiao Shanghua said, puzzled. "Even if the two of them are busy with their wedding this year, aren't we all still in Shengjing City? There will always be a time when we have free time next year!"
Zhao Rushao smiled and agreed, "If we're talking about excitement, the Lantern Festival in Shengjing is the best. When the lanterns are lit, it's as beautiful as a fairyland. Why don't we invite everyone to Fanlou for a meal then?"
"Okay, okay!" Pei Ning readily agreed, then shook Wen Lingzheng's arm, "Ah Zheng, Ah Zheng..."
With a helpless smile, Wen Lingzheng snatched the wine cup from her hand, "I'll do as you say, but you can't drink anymore, you're going to get drunk."
Everyone joked and laughed, but Chen Lingwen remained silent. Wen Lingzheng turned to look at her, looking slightly worried.
She should be a bright and charming girl, as radiant as spring blossoms, but she often finds herself lost in thought for no reason. Today marks the thirteenth time! She is nothing like the lively and spirited princess she knows.
Wen Lingzheng picked a piece of pastry from the plate and placed it in Chen Lingwen's hand. "What's wrong?"
He reached out and tucked her loose hair behind her ear. "Your eyes are all dark and swollen. Did you not sleep well last night?"
Although Pei Ning was drunk, she realized something was wrong, sat up straight and looked towards the door, "Fei Yue, Fei Xing."
The sound of the door closing gradually subsided, and Chen Lingwen no longer concealed anything.
She looked at the pastry in her hand and silently took a bite.
—The sweet aroma filled her tongue, but she couldn't taste it at all.
He just let out a long sigh.
"My mother said that liking something can be accumulated over time."
"But a month has already passed! Ah Zheng, what should I do? I still don't like him at all."
Xiao Shanghua was clearly someone who hadn't figured things out by her age; her clear eyes were full of confusion. "Don't you like Gu Sanlang? Then can you discuss it with the Grand Princess? Isn't it still undecided?"
"That's utter nonsense!" Zhao Rushao grabbed a pastry and stuffed it into Xiao Shanghua's mouth. "Since ancient times, marriage has been a matter of parental arrangement and matchmaker's word. You'd better stop giving such bad advice!"
Wen Lingzheng looked directly at Chen Lingwen and asked, "Does the princess still remember that year when we sneaked out to pick green plums and missed class, and Scholar Liu punished us by making us copy books?"
"Of course!" A glimmer of light flashed in Chen Lingwen's dim eyes, hiding his nostalgia. "It was such a thick book, yet we were forced to copy it all in one class period. We copied it all afternoon, and we could have fallen asleep sitting up."
"In the end, none of us finished copying, only you did!" Wen Lingzheng emphasized the last sentence.
“Where is it…” As if remembering something, Chen Lingwen suddenly froze.
Pei Ning added, "That time, we fell asleep halfway through copying, but Gu Sanlang was afraid you would cry if you didn't finish the task, so he copied it all for you by himself."
"And that time we flew kites!"
Xiao Shanghua swallowed the pastry in one gulp. "The time we went to Jinghua Garden, your favorite kite had its string broken and got caught in a tree. Gu Sanlang saw you crying so much, and even though he can't climb trees, he still tried to get it for you, but he fell pretty badly."
"Although he is indeed a bit clumsy with words and a bit slow-witted, but..."
Xiao Shanghua couldn't help but complain, and was glared at from both sides by Zhao Rushao and Pei Ning, causing her to shrink back in fear.
Chen Lingwen remained silent for a long time before raising his head, his voice becoming very soft, "But I only see him as an older brother, I don't like him at all, not even a little bit... He was forced upon me by my parents! I didn't choose him myself!"
Looking up at Wen Lingzheng, Chen Lingwen said frankly, "Ah Zheng, I really envy you. You and Second Brother Pei... you chose each other yourself, and he chose you too."
Seemingly afraid that Wen Lingzheng might misunderstand, she added, "We've been friends since we were little. I admire you, but I'm not jealous of you."
"Of course I know." Gently rubbing Chen Lingwen's slightly cool palm, Wen Lingzheng smiled and said, "But Mingzhu, this shouldn't be Gu Sanlang's fault."
"You also think I'm wrong?" Chen Lingwen asked, feeling somewhat aggrieved.
Gently smoothing the girl's hair at her temples, Wen Lingzheng shook her head: "The princess is a noblewoman, the apple of the eye of the Grand Princess and the Prince Consort. She's had whatever she wanted since she was little..."
Chen Lingwen retorted, "But all I want is the man I love, and they refuse. They insist on marrying me off to the Gu family, simply because they covet the Gu family's power!"
Pei Ning silently retorted, "The Rongguo Duke's Mansion has three sons. Although they are all legitimate children, there is an order of seniority. If the Grand Princess really covets power, then no matter what she chooses, she should choose Gu Sanlang instead of Gu Shizi!"
Smoothing out the wrinkles on Chen Lingwen's shoulders, Wen Lingzheng asked softly, "Mingzhu, have you ever thought carefully about whether your rejection of this marriage stems from dislike of Gu Sanlang, or dissatisfaction with the Grand Princess and the Prince Consort's arbitrary decision-making?"
Seeing Chen Lingwen turn her head away, she continued, "Mingzhu, although I don't know how to comfort you, I still advise you to have a good talk with the Grand Princess! Listen carefully to her thoughts and tell her your true thoughts as well."
Pei Ning sighed for some reason.
She released her grip on Wen Lingzheng, walked to the window, and pressed the backs of her clasped hands to her nose. "If only everything could go according to our wishes!"
Xiao Shanghua chuckled lightly, her usually carefree eyes now showing a helpless indifference. "Foolish A Ning, you're just spouting nonsense."
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