Chapter 55 Springtime in the Capital
Xiao Yu was not in the capital, but Luo Fu and Princess Kangping's relationship became closer and closer. After the Lantern Festival, Princess Kangping was going to the Jiulong Mountain Villa, which was more than 200 miles away from the capital, to soak in the hot springs and invited Luo Fu to go with her. As for the other two mahjong partners, Princess Shun and Princess Fu both had men and children to serve and take care of, so they could not get away.
Luo Fu had neither a man nor children, and had never been to a hot spring before. When she heard that there was something so fun to do, of course she wanted to go!
When she returned home and told her mother-in-law, Deng was very supportive and even quite envious. What was a hot spring? She had never been to one before.
Luo Fu excitedly went back to pack her bags as they were to set off in two days. When Xiao Rong returned in the evening and heard about it from his wife, his face immediately fell: "The third son is suffering outside, and she doesn't seem to care at all. She's only concerned about eating, drinking, and having fun."
Deng scoffed, "Third brother is just asking for trouble. It's not like Fu'er caused him to suffer. Rather than let Fu'er stay at home all alone and get heartbroken because of third brother, I'd rather she go out and have some fun."
The youngest daughter-in-law couldn't bear the loneliness of being secluded in her boudoir and proposed a divorce. Madam Deng was willing to give up the several thousand taels of betrothal gifts she had given out, but she couldn't bear to part with such a good daughter-in-law who suited her so well. She was even more afraid that after the youngest daughter-in-law left, even if the third son was transferred back to the capital in the future, he would not be able to find a new wife because of his temper and would pitifully remain a bachelor for the rest of his life.
So as long as the younger daughter-in-law is still willing to wait for the third son, even if the younger daughter-in-law sets off firecrackers at home every day, Deng will support her.
Xiao Rong: "...In other families, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law don't get along, but you and her are as close as mother and daughter."
Madam Deng: "You know that's good. A mother-in-law who often makes things difficult for her daughter-in-law is disliked, and so is a father-in-law who is annoying. Don't think that you can please Yanzhen and Huaiyun just by giving them a nice face. Yanzhen and Huaiyun still see how you treat Fu'er. The better you pretend before, the more your daughter-in-law will look down on you after you show your true colors."
Xiao Rong: "...Do I, a father-in-law, need to please them? You talk nonsense all day long. I'm going to my study. I can't be bothered with you."
Deng smiled smugly.
.
Luo Fu and Princess Kangping set off early on the eighteenth day of the first lunar month, escorted by fifty strong guards from the princess's residence.
Luo Fu was invited to the princess's carriage. Upon entering, she first flattered Princess Kangping sincerely: "When I married into the Marquis's mansion two years ago, I thought the Marquis's mansion was already quite grand. Today, after personally witnessing the princess's procession, I truly understand what the grandeur of the imperial family is."
Kangping laughed at her: "Is this impressive? I have three hundred personal guards, but I only brought fifty of them this time."
Luo Fu inquired about how much pay the princess's personal guards received per month.
This was a very vulgar question. The imperial relatives and officials' wives that Princess Kangping used to associate with would never ask her this. But given Luo Fu's background, she asked it very naturally, which also allowed Princess Kangping to experience another kind of small pleasure in showing off: "Just like the soldiers in the capital garrison, one tael a month, and if you can make meritorious contributions, you will also receive a reward."
Luo Fu: "If the princess resides in the capital, what merit can her personal guards possibly achieve?"
Kang Ping: "There are many things to do. Sometimes when I go out of the city to hunt, if they shoot my desired prey, it is a merit. Sometimes when there is a fire in the mansion, if they put it out in time, it is also a merit."
Luo Fu thought to herself, it's a pity that she wasn't as familiar with the princess when her brother came to the capital last year, otherwise it would have been much safer to recommend her brother to be a personal guard in the princess's residence.
Three days later, at dusk, the princess's carriage finally drove into her hillside villa, which was comparable to the princess's mansion in the capital.
That evening, Kang Ping invited Luo Fu to go for a soak in the pool.
As Luo Fu wrapped herself in a towel and went into the water, Kang Ping, who was already soaking in the pool, looked her up and down and teased, "No wonder Xiao Yu listens to everything you say in private. Such a beautiful woman, I can't help but feel affection for her."
Luo Fu blushed and submerged into the water, offering the same compliment to the noblewoman opposite her: "Princess, you are the true beauty of the nation. In your presence, I am but a wildflower."
After a while, Luo Fu also relaxed and placed the towel on the smooth and clean stone by the pool, and began to swim like Princess Kangping.
Jiulong Mountain not only has hot springs, but also beautiful lakes, mountains, caves, and ancient temples. The two of them, along with their guards, would go out during the day and soak in the pools at night. Luo Fu was so happy that she almost forgot about home. Except one night when she was soaking in the pool, she was startled by the red marks on the princess's shoulder. After the princess noticed, she asked her meaningfully if she wanted to choose a guard to relieve her boredom. Of course, Luo Fu refused without hesitation. That night, however, she had a shameful dream. In the dream, she was full of her husband, the top scholar, whose whereabouts were unknown.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye. On the sixth day of the second month, Kangping finally returned to the capital with Luo Fu. Before they even parted, Kangping asked Luo Fu if she could ride a horse.
Luo Fu: "I know a little, but I'm not very skilled, and I don't dare to run fast."
Kang Ping: "Then go back and practice more. When the weather warms up in March, we'll go horseback riding out of the city."
Since the nobleman was interested in horseback riding, Luo Fu naturally cooperated. Not to mention that the day after returning to the capital, the princess's residence sent over a beautiful chestnut horse, saying it was a gift from the princess to the third wife.
After the people from the princess's residence left, Luo Fu and her three daughters-in-law gathered around the fine horse. Deng Shi and Luo Fu both looked at Yang Yanzhen.
Yang Yanzhen pondered for a moment, then said with certainty, "These are precious horses from the Western Regions that Kucha presented to our dynasty. Only ten of this grade are ever produced each time. The Emperor keeps some for himself and only bestows them upon imperial relatives and meritorious officials."
Kucha was located west of Liangzhou and was often at war with the Western Hu. In order to seek the protection of the Great Zhou, it submitted to the Zhou and would offer horses every three to five years.
Deng: "...Then, how much silver is this horse worth?"
Yang Yanzhen: "It is in demand but priceless. It is said that Prince Shun once offered to exchange 1,500 taels of silver for a prized Western horse bestowed by the emperor from his father-in-law, Marquis Pingnan, but Marquis Pingnan did not agree to the exchange."
High-ranking officials in the capital all knew that Prince Shun was not favored by the emperor. Apart from receiving a now-old and aging horse from the Western Regions when he first established his residence, he was never bestowed a horse by the emperor again.
Luo Fu was truly astonished. A horse could sell for 1,500 taels of silver, and the key point was that even with silver, you couldn't buy one. How could the princess be so generous to her?
Yang Yanzhen comforted his younger siblings, saying, "Most warhorses retire around the age of fifteen. The higher a person's status, the more frequently they change their mounts. This one should be about ten years old. The princess has younger and stronger horses, so she probably won't use it anymore and is willing to give it away."
Luo Fu breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time, she became more and more envious of Princess Kangping's wealth and nobility. Even Prince Shun couldn't buy such a thing, and the princess no longer cared about the precious horse that she was only ten years old with!
Suddenly, Madam Deng said, "So, your father-in-law's prized horse, which he cherishes so much, is at least twenty years old, an old horse?"
Yang Yanzhen: "..." If we had to make a comparison, my father-in-law's horse was about sixty years old, even older than my father-in-law.
Next to the stables of the Marquis's mansion was a small riding arena. Luo Fu rode her newly acquired steed around a few times. Perhaps because she knew the value of the horse, she liked it more and more as she rode it, and found it increasingly comfortable to handle. Before leaving, she gave the servant who was taking care of the horse one tael of silver: "Listen carefully, apart from the Marquis's wife and the three ladies, no one is allowed to ride my horse. If I find out that you let someone else ride it, I will have the First Madam fine you a year's salary. Of course, if you can't stop them, you can send someone to deliver a message to me in time, then it won't be considered your fault."
Luo Fu was wary of others, not her mother-in-law and two sisters-in-law.
The servant readily agreed.
In the evening, after returning to his residence, Xiao Rong learned that Princess Kangping had bestowed upon his youngest daughter-in-law a precious horse from the Western Regions, a horse even more precious than the one the emperor had once bestowed upon him twenty years ago. Without even having a cup of tea, he rushed to the stable, where he encountered the brothers Xiao Hu and Xiao Lin, who had also come to visit.
The father and his two sons looked at each other and stood reservedly outside the stable, watching the horses.
Xiao Rong was eager for his two sons to leave, while Xiao Hu secretly wondered if he could get the same reward by flattering any prince. Xiao Lin knew that Prince Qi and Prince Fu were not so easy to please or generous, while he lamented that his wife was a quiet and reserved person, and even if she went to the princess's residence with his third sister-in-law, she would not be favored by the princess.
The servant who had received the Third Madam's money watched nervously from the side. After a moment's hesitation, he bowed and approached, grinning like a grandson: "My lord, young master, second master, the Third Madam gave me one tael of silver, saying..."
Xiao Rong raised an eyebrow: "What did you say?"
The servant bent over even more and told the truth. He was shrewd enough to know that if he spoke to any master alone, he might get kicked.
Sure enough, Xiao Rong looked at his two sons, and the two sons looked at him. The three of them scoffed lightly, indicating their disdain for riding their daughter-in-law and sister-in-law's horse, and then left in resentment.
.
On the fifth day of the third lunar month, the spring sunshine was bright. Luo Fu, Princess Kangping, and Princess Shun went out of the city to ride horses. Princess Fu could not ride a horse and could not come.
Princess Kangping brought twenty-four guards with her. One team led the way, while the other team kept watch at a distance behind, in case anyone suddenly ran out and bumped into the princess.
The roadside weeds were gradually turning green again, and the people in the distant fields had begun the new year's spring plowing. It was a very ordinary scene, but for some reason, looking at those strangers, Luo Fu thought of the four prefectures she had never set foot in. She wondered if the disaster victims who had survived the winter were also busy with spring plowing, and if the people of the four prefectures had no idea that an imperial censor had been demoted to a place thousands of miles away for trying to stand up for them.
"Love, you're falling behind!"
Princess Kangping, who had run some distance, turned back and called out.
Luo Fu immediately smiled and chased after him, bathed in the spring sunshine.
The three of them had a meal in a private room at a restaurant in the West Market in the morning. Across a row of open windows, they could see the bustling street below, and hear the casual conversations of the locals.
Intermittently, Luo Fu overheard people discussing how the Crown Prince was almost deposed for corruption.
"So it really was embezzlement? Wasn't the main culprit supposed to be the former Prefect of the Capital, Lord Song?"
"Did you know that Lord Song has a daughter who is being raised by the Crown Prince on an estate outside? Did you know that all the silver Lord Song embezzled was sent to that estate? See, now that you put it all together, everything becomes clear, right?"
Some people also mentioned the four prefectures.
"Last year, your sister's husband's family was affected by a flood, and they were so hungry that they had to stay at your house for a while. How are they now? Have you written to them?"
"Yes, a letter came after the New Year, saying that the Prince of Qi and the Prince of Fu sent people to rebuild the sheds and distributed grain and money to every household, enough to last until this summer's harvest."
"That's great. The Crown Prince is really something, not as diligent as the two princes. Hey, that fabric looks nice, let's go take a look."
In the private room, Luo Fu felt somewhat awkward because her husband was involved, and Princess Shun was also quite embarrassed because her husband hadn't been assigned to the disaster relief mission and therefore hadn't received the people's praise.
Princess Kangping simply listened to the commotion without commenting. In any case, it was her own brother who was being punished and who had rendered meritorious service. Whether her brother was deposed or not would not prevent her from being the younger sister of the future new emperor, nor would it prevent her from continuing to enjoy a life of luxury. Why should she bother with such trivial matters?
After a satisfying meal, the three of them went their separate ways.
About ten days later, Luo Fu had just gotten out of the carriage after playing cards at the Princess's residence in the afternoon when Steward Zhao, who was waiting there, suddenly appeared and said excitedly, "You're finally back! The Third Master has sent a letter, which is with the Lady of the Marquis. He wants you to come over as soon as you return!"
Upon hearing this, Luo Fu instinctively ran towards the Marquis's residence. She ran until she bumped into two maids in the second courtyard before stopping. She suppressed her joy and went to Wanhe Hall in the third courtyard as if nothing had happened.
Sitting in the side room, Deng heard her youngest daughter-in-law's commotion and came out to greet her with two letters in hand. Holding them up at the same time, she said with barely concealed resentment, "Quickly guess which one is for you and which one is for me?"
Luo Fu looked closely and saw that the envelope her mother-in-law was holding in her left hand was flat and already opened, while the one in her right hand was still unopened, bulging and at least as thick as a finger...
So before Luo Fu even saw her husband's letter, she blushed and laughed in front of her mother-in-law.
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Author's note: Don't rush, don't rush, I should be able to write about the return tomorrow. I'll mention both sides in between.
100 little red envelopes, see you at midnight tonight~
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