Chapter 14 "You probably don't know, but the court is impeaching your father..."
Yu An didn't answer. Hearing the sounds of things finishing inside, she went in. She trusted Chu Zhuo'an about what had happened today, but no matter what, she could only wait for Chu Xingjian to return before resolving the matter.
Considering her difficulty in getting in and out, Pei Chengyu took it upon himself to apply the medicine to Chu Zhuoan, so as not to trouble her.
"How can I accept this with a troubled mind?"
Pei Chengyu chuckled, "We're old acquaintances, after all. I'll help you out of respect for Elder Chu."
He made a point of mentioning Chu Xingjian, which made Yu An mistakenly think it was a matter of official kinship, so he didn't say anything more and agreed.
Ten days passed in the blink of an eye. On the day Chu Zhuo'an came out, Yu'an specially took a car to pick him up. After settling in at the Chu residence, she turned back to the Ji residence.
The incident of Chu Zhuo'an getting into a fight could have been a big deal or a small deal. Even if he was punished by Ji Jinghe, it would have been none of anyone else's business. However, some gossipy people spread the word, and even Shen Qiulan, who was staying at home, found out about it.
Shen Qiulan disliked the bad reputation. When she heard that Yu'an was going to go out to pick her up, although she was unwilling, she could not say anything to stop him. She could only give him a warning in the name of Ji Jinghe with a cold face.
Yu An did not want to argue, and obediently agreed.
As the weather grew hotter, Yu'an changed out of her thick clothes into light ones but still didn't see Ji Jinghe once. He stayed in his study every day and didn't return to the courtyard, so Yu'an didn't want to go looking for him.
On April 28th, Consort Wang returned home to visit her family. It was at this time that the best embroidery from the women of the capital was collected.
Yu'an took the finished embroidery and handed it over. The women and young ladies in the same group waited on both sides of the street for news from behind the curtain.
On the long street, which had already been cleared out, the bluestone slabs were scorching hot under the blazing sun. The bright yellow and crimson curtains hung down like flowing clouds, and the phoenix patterns embroidered with gold thread swayed gently in the breeze. The imposing nobility and majesty made even the cicadas chirping around them fall three points lower.
The guards and palace servants stood in neat rows in front of the tent, while only two or three personal maids carried the embroidered items to be handed over and moved back and forth inside and outside the tent.
Yu An waited quietly in a shady spot, but the blazing sun still relented, causing her to break out in a light sweat.
Baozhu stood to the side, fanning herself, and occasionally tiptoed to peek at what was happening behind the tent.
A commotion arose around her, and Wang Wan'er strolled over with her chin held high.
Upon seeing that it was Yu An, he immediately said sarcastically, "Isn't this the young minister's wife? What brings you here?"
Yu An didn't want to pay attention to her, so she took a few steps away, indicating that she should stay away.
Wang Wan'er is the Imperial Concubine's cousin. With the Imperial Concubine present today, it's no wonder that Wang Wan'er's presence indirectly boosts Wang Wan'er's prestige. Yu An understands this perfectly, which is why she doesn't want to have anything to do with Wang Wan'er and wishes to stay as far away from her as possible.
Unfortunately, the other party has always been relentlessly pursuing her, and she can't just give up after only taking a few steps away.
“Sister Wan’er, in my opinion, we don’t need to worry about her. You know what happened at the Imperial Academy a few days ago. Even Vice Minister Ji doesn’t value the Chu family. She still wants to have some face in front of outsiders.”
There were only a few people who always surrounded Wang Wan'er. Years ago, they were all unmarried young women. Now, some were married and others had given betrothal gifts. But no matter how things changed, they still couldn't shake off their obsequious and servile nature.
It was almost as if Wang Wan'er could point at anything and hit it exactly.
A woman holding a round fan covered her mouth and laughed, "Those who come from the countryside are just like that. They still have the mind to wander around outside. If it were me, I would have been too ashamed to show my face to anyone long ago."
Yu'an was too lazy to argue, so Baozhu retorted directly.
"Yes, if it were an ordinary young lady, she would hide at home and dare not see anyone. But no matter how bad our lady is, she has her family to support her and can make a living on her own. Would other people have that kind of support?"
Even if Yu'an is not good enough, she still has a prime minister as her father. Even if her husband's family doesn't like her, she still has the confidence to stand on her own two feet.
Others neither have it nor can they ask for it.
Speechless after being rebuked, Wang Wan'er crossed her arms and said, "We certainly don't have that kind of luck, but even if we were given it to us now, we couldn't accept it. You probably don't know, the memorials impeaching your father in the court are almost piling up. If your father can hold his position, then it's not too late for you to say such boastful things..."
"Miss Wang, is this your own thought, or Vice Minister Wang's? Aren't you afraid..."
Baozhu was about to shout when Yu'an stopped her.
The Imperial Concubine is not far away; if a quarrel were to break out, neither side would be in a good mood.
Acting out of momentary anger will only make you a laughingstock.
Just then, a commotion came from the other side of the tent. It was an imperial edict from the Imperial Concubine, and everyone knelt down to receive it.
Of the nearly one hundred works, six were selected, but Yu An was not among them.
Before Yu An could get up, she heard suppressed laughter behind her.
"I thought she was so amazing, but she still failed to get selected. Your mother is very good at needlework... one of the best embroiderers in Jiangling."
Yuan:......
Wang Wan'er scoffed, then tilted her head back and followed the palace servants into the tent. As the Imperial Concubine's cousin, she would naturally be given some face.
Compared to this, Yu An's disappointment was even greater.
When she was six years old, her mother won two bolts of Shu brocade from the late Empress with an embroidered image of Guanyin Bodhisattva, which was later used to make clothes for her. Now that she has grown up, she also wants to try to learn how to make clothes, but she did not expect that she still overestimated herself.
"Take your things and go back," Yu'an said.
Baozhu was also quite disappointed, so she could only mutter a "okay" in a low voice.
Amidst a chorus of mocking voices, Yu An tidied herself up and boarded the carriage, intending to leave. She hadn't gone far when shouts came from outside.
"Madam, please wait, Her Highness the Imperial Concubine requests your presence."
Yu An was surprised, and then lifted the curtain to look. Sure enough, a nanny dressed in palace attire was standing on the side of the carriage.
Hope was rekindled, and he cherished it all the more, so he quickly got out of the car and followed the old woman.
The six people who were called to stay earlier were all present. They were about to leave after the Imperial Concubine finished bestowing her rewards. Wang Wan'er, one of them, saw Yu An's figure and gave her a deep, piercing look.
The tent was spacious, but since it was a temporary place to stay, the furnishings were rather simple. Yu'an noticed that her embroidery was placed next to the Consort's hand. She looked down and was only slightly distracted when she heard her name being called from above.
With the nanny's reminder, Yu'an felt she had knelt down and performed a grand salute.
The person sitting at the head of the table remained silent for a long time, which made Yu An feel uneasy.
Could it be for some other reason?
After a long silence, Yu An felt that gaze scrutinizing her from head to toe, as if she were being seen through, which made her arched back stiffen slightly.
"So you are the eldest daughter of Grand Secretary Chu? Your mother is from the Li family of Jiangling?" The voice slowly drifted out, seemingly casual, yet each word was precise and clear, and no one dared to take it as mere idle chatter.
Yu An calmly replied, "Exactly."
The Imperial Concubine reached out and picked up the embroidery piece beside her, touching the familiar patterns on it. She felt a sense of reunion after a long separation, realizing that it was clearly something she had personally taught her.
Many years ago, before she entered the palace, she met Lady Li by chance. If it weren't for the dress Lady Li made for her by hand, she wouldn't have caught the emperor's eye during the imperial concubine selection, and she wouldn't have her current status.
When we first met, Yu'an was just a child who would cuddle in the arms of adults all day long; now she's grown up and married.
"Keep the skills your mother taught you safe and sound, don't waste them." With that, the Imperial Concubine beckoned to her.
Yu An sensed this and knelt forward. The Imperial Concubine raised her hand and inserted a golden phoenix hairpin into her hair.
"This is your prize for today."
Yu'an didn't know why the Imperial Concubine still remembered her mother's name, but she couldn't ask, so she could only follow the procedure and kowtow in gratitude.
"What a coincidence! Prince Qi will be coming to pick me up later, along with Vice Minister Ji. You can have some tea here and wait for them to arrive together," the Imperial Concubine said leisurely.
Yu An was slightly taken aback, then agreed repeatedly, and was helped up by the nanny beside her to sit down.
The emperor is old, and the decision to establish an heir will be made sooner or later. Based on Yu'an's understanding of Ji Jinghe, he shouldn't be taking sides at this time, especially since her father, Chu Xingjian, hasn't clearly chosen which side to stand on.
Is it too conspicuous for her to travel openly with Prince Qi now...? But Ji Jinghe has always been cautious, so she doesn't need to worry about it.
Recalling how everyone had been talking about Chu Xingjian's impeachment in front of her recently, Yu An was still worried. Moreover, Chu Xingjian was still abroad at the moment, and even if something happened in the court, she wouldn't know about it soon enough. She was afraid that she would be at the mercy of others.
Thinking of this, Yu'an couldn't help but think of Ji Jinghe again.
The sound of horses' hooves approached from afar, and Yu An looked in the direction of the sound and immediately recognized Ji Jinghe.
She stood up and, after the King of Qi entered, bowed according to custom.
Ji Jinghe was surprised to see Yu An there. A look of astonishment flashed across his face, but it disappeared completely when he went to pay his respects to the Imperial Concubine.
The Imperial Concubine looked at the couple fighting side by side and said with a smile, "Your wife, Fu Hao, have done a lot to please me. I'll tell her to stop talking and stay here to wait for you to go back together."
Upon hearing this, Ji Jinghe noticed the phoenix hairpin that stood out in her hair. He then gracefully bowed and said, "It is my wife's good fortune to be noticed by Your Majesty. On behalf of my wife, I thank you for your kindness."
Seeing the awkward expressions on both of their faces, the Imperial Concubine understood the situation and said nothing more. After giving Yu'an a few more instructions, she set off to return to the palace.
She visited her family today and had a good time. Perhaps because she saw the son of an old friend, she felt relaxed when she returned to the palace.
"Come to the palace whenever you have time. As long as you have this phoenix hairpin, someone will surely let you in," the Imperial Concubine said.
Yu An agreed and watched as the imperial concubine's palanquin slowly departed until it disappeared from sight. Only then did the crowd on the long street leisurely disperse.
My ankle, which I sprained a while ago, still hurts sometimes and I can't put much weight on it. So much so that when I stand up after squatting for a long time, I almost can't stand up.
Ji Jinghe instinctively reached out to help, but she subtly avoided him.
I stretched my hand out into the air, and then casually let it fall back down, and for a moment I felt a sense of emptiness.
The golden phoenix hairpin was so dazzling that it clashed terribly with her attire, drawing attention with just a glance.
Yu An noticed the unintentional act, so before he could react, she reached out and took off the hairpin, handing it to Baozhu for safekeeping.
The scene of the argument that day was still vivid in her mind, as if it happened yesterday. Yu An believed that Ji Jinghe did not want to see her and had nothing to say, so she did not want to make a fool of herself. "Now that it's over, I'll be leaving. Please do as you please, sir."
His anger had long since subsided, and he had originally intended to ask about what had happened that day, but seeing that she had asked first, Ji Jinghe felt awkward speaking up.
Her awkwardness was expected, and he had no intention of dwelling on it.
That's fine too.
She got into the carriage and left. Qingque rushed forward and whispered a few words in his ear, telling Ji Jinghe not to delay and to immediately ride away.
Time has passed, and Zhang Yanche has returned from Chuzhou. Perhaps today will be the day when the clouds part and the evidence against Chu Xingjian is confirmed.
Thinking of this, Ji Jinghe couldn't help but quicken his pace, revealing an unusual frivolity and impatience.
Inside the study, Zhang Yanche was leisurely sipping his tea, looking completely at ease.
"How's the investigation going? Any results?" Ji Jinghe asked as soon as he entered the room, ignoring the tea Zhang Yanche had poured for him.
Seeing his anxiety, Zhang Yanche's expression darkened: "It is possible, but the outcome may be different from what you and I expect."
As he spoke, he pushed a stack of documents wrapped in silk cloth on the table toward him.
A note from the author:
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Ji Jinghe: [Question mark]
Zhang Yanche: [resting chin on hand] Bro, you're done for.
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