Chapter 103 No Regrets "Great Victory—! Her Highness the Eldest Princess slays Lu..."
With the Emperor's will finalized, despite their immense reluctance, the Third Prince and Zhao Ruxuan finally tied the knot on the most auspicious day before the New Year.
Red ribbons fluttered in the air, drums and music filled the air, and the people along the ten-mile-long street craned their necks to watch, praising the imperial grandeur and the perfect match of the newlyweds. The Third Prince, dressed in a bright red wedding robe, rode a fine horse, his face as handsome as jade, a flawless smile on his lips. He nodded to the cheering crowds on both sides of the road, but his gaze never once fell on the bridal sedan chair behind him.
Inside the bridal sedan chair, Zhao Ruxuan sat upright, the heavy phoenix crown pressing painfully on her neck. Everything before her eyes was blurred and distorted behind the swaying beaded curtain. There was no shyness or joy of a new bride; only numbness remained on her meticulously painted face.
Hearing the sound of firecrackers outside, she clenched her fist; her palm was icy cold, but her mind was clearer than ever before.
She knew that she had embarked on a path of no return, not a rosy marriage, but a road leading to an endless abyss. But since she had been pushed to this point, she would drag the culprit who had ruined her down with her into this abyss.
The cannons roared, and confetti flew everywhere.
"The ceremony is complete!"
The master of ceremonies' long, melodious chant pierced the sky. A tear fell from the bride's eye.
This winter in Beijing is destined to be tinged with sadness and desolation.
On the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month, just after the Little New Year, Cui Ting breathed his last in the courtyard filled with the smell of medicine. When the news reached Qinghe, Old Master Cui, upon hearing that a white-haired man had outlived his black-haired son, vomited blood on the spot and passed away that night, following his beloved son.
The successive news of deaths was like a final, devastating blow, completely crushing the Cui family. Out of consideration for past favors, the emperor showed leniency, confiscating all of the Cui family's privately operated mines as a warning to others. He did not further implicate them or confiscate their ancestral property, thus allowing the Cui family a sliver of hope for survival.
However, a cold imperial decree completely severed the future of the Cui family members—the Cui family members were forbidden from taking the imperial examinations or entering officialdom for three generations.
This decree effectively signaled the end of this once-powerful top-tier aristocratic family. Restoring its former glory would be an impossible task.
The turmoil did not completely subside. An investigation into the Cui family's accounts uncovered a connection that led to the heir of the Marquis of Wuxing, the elder brother of the current Third Prince's wife. It was revealed that during his tenure at the Ministry of Personnel, he had abused his power for personal gain, engaging in bribery and selling official positions. Upon hearing this, the Emperor was furious and immediately issued an edict stripping him of all his official posts and ordering him to reflect on his actions within his household.
Marquis Wuxing was terrified and rushed to the palace that very night to plead guilty. He knelt outside the palace all night, tears streaming down his face, recounting the past achievements of his family and pleading with the emperor to show leniency for his young son who was still fighting for the country on the frontier. The emperor was benevolent and did not impose a harsher punishment, but the Marquis Wuxing's family had already lost face and suffered a great loss of power after this incident.
Amidst this chaos, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Marquis of Wuxing seized the opportunity and decisively submitted a divorce petition to the Jingzhao Prefecture. With clear reasons and complete supporting evidence, she successfully extricated herself from this filthy quagmire without much trouble, drawing the attention of many women in the capital who secretly admired her courage.
As winter ends and spring returns, the New Year's banquet will soon be upon us.
As Meng Lingyao took her seat with her father, the hall was filled with the sounds of music and singing. Today, she wore a lotus-colored palace dress, the magnolia pattern on the hem of which was faintly visible under the lamplight.
"Lingyao, please sit here." Miss Xu from the Jingzhao Yin family smiled and beckoned.
As soon as she sat down, Miss Xu leaned closer and whispered, "Look at that newlywed couple."
Meng Lingyao looked up. The Third Prince and his wife sat side by side at the table, their gorgeous clothes dazzling and their appearances complementing each other; anyone who saw them would praise them as a perfect couple.
"They are pretty," Miss Xu shook her head, "but I've been sitting here for the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, and these two haven't even glanced at each other, let alone whispered anything. Tsk—"
"They don't look like newlyweds at all. I'd believe it if you told me they were longtime rivals."
Meng Lingyao casually chimed in, "Miss Xu has a discerning eye."
“Of course.” Miss Xu raised her eyebrows with a hint of pride. “For example, in the short time we’ve been sitting here, Pei Shaoqing across from us has probably looked at you at least seven or eight times.” She winked mischievously. “Whether he’s sincere or not, whether his concern is genuine or not, I can tell at a glance.”
Meng Lingyao subconsciously looked up at the officials' table opposite her. Just then, Pei Xu also looked up at her. Their gazes met silently through the noisy hall.
Pei Xu was dressed in a scarlet robe today, which made his fair skin and jade-like bones appear even more striking, and his face was cold and aloof. Seeing her looking at him, he very naturally picked up the white jade wine cup on the table and raised it slightly to her.
Meng Lingyao understood immediately, smiled gently, and picked up her glass cup, offering a toast to him across the distance. They both tilted their heads back and drank the fine wine in their cups. The wine was warmed and had a smooth, sweet taste.
On his throne, the Emperor took in the scene and smiled at the Empress beside him, saying, "This is the first time I've seen Yanxing in such a state." His tone contained a hint of teasing and consolation. "It's a pity that my elder sister is away on a distant expedition. If she could see this scene, she would surely be greatly comforted."
The Empress followed the Emperor's gaze and also caught the unspoken understanding between the two. She then withdrew her disdainful look from the seemingly harmonious but actually estranged state of the Third Prince and his wife, and a genuine smile appeared on her face as she continued, "Your Majesty is wise. Yanxing is of a cool and aloof nature, and he needs a clever and insightful girl like Miss Meng to accompany him. Only in this way can life be truly enjoyable."
She said gently, "I see that the two children have a very close relationship. I wonder when I will be able to attend their wedding?"
The emperor laughed loudly and waved his hand, saying, "I urged Yanxing long ago. He had his own ideas, saying that he wanted to wait for my elder sister to return in triumph so that she could personally officiate his wedding. Seeing that he was determined, I let him be."
The Empress paused slightly upon hearing this, her gaze softened, and she sighed softly, "I see. Yan Xing... such a pure and filial heart is truly rare."
A suppressed cough came from beside her. The Empress immediately looked over. Consort Jing covered her lips with her sleeve and said in a low voice, "When I came over just now, I caught a bit of a chill, but it's nothing serious."
Before the emperor could speak, the empress spoke first, "Have the imperial kitchen send over a bowl of ginger soup."
"Zheng—"
The music in the hall changed, and Consort Wen stepped forward to perform, holding a pipa. Today, she had specially styled her hair in a "Jinghong" bun, adorned with a jeweled hairpin, and her water-red palace dress was dazzling. For this moment, she had practiced the pipa diligently for three whole months, until even her fingertips had developed calluses.
Her slender fingers plucked the strings, producing a plaintive melody. Consort Wen tilted her head slightly, revealing her graceful neck, her eyes brimming with tenderness. She added a self-composed cadenza to the piece, her fingers dancing across the strings like butterflies, eliciting soft sighs from those in the audience.
As the music ended, its lingering notes echoed. Consort Wen raised her eyes to look at the throne, her gaze filled with undisguised admiration.
The emperor nodded slightly, "My beloved concubine's pipa playing has improved considerably." He then turned to the eunuch, "Reward her."
Consort Wen's smile froze. She looked at the brocades and jewels brought out by the palace servants; these gifts were no different from those of the past. The Emperor didn't even glance at her, his gaze already turning elsewhere. She forced a smile and thanked him, the pearls on her hairpin swaying violently with her movements.
Just when everyone thought the ceremony was over, the emperor suddenly spoke slowly, a rare smile on his face.
"Today, all of you have gathered here to celebrate the New Year, which brings me great joy. Taking advantage of this festive occasion, I also have some happy news to share with you all."
He paused slightly, and waited until the hall quieted down before continuing.
"Consort Jing is gentle and virtuous. She recently discovered she is pregnant, which is a great service to the Emperor's heir. Therefore, she is hereby promoted to Imperial Concubine Jing as a reward—"
Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent for a moment, before bursting into a chorus of congratulations.
Consort Wen suddenly looked up, staring incredulously at the usually low-key Consort Jing—no, now Consort Jing. She watched Consort Jing rise to express her gratitude, and watched the Emperor personally help her up. She gripped the handkerchief in her hand tightly, unable to even maintain a forced smile.
The third prince's wine cup swayed slightly, the wine rippling within. He quickly regained his composure, though the smile on his lips seemed to freeze.
Meng Lingyao silently withdrew her gaze, picked up her teacup, and took a sip. Beneath the glitz and glamour of this palace banquet, undercurrents were indeed surging, and there was no peace for a moment. Her gaze swept across the other side again, and Pei Xu had already returned to his usual cold and aloof demeanor, sitting upright, as if the person who had just been drinking with her from afar was merely an illusion.
Only when she looked over did he slightly lift his eyelashes and quickly exchange a knowing glance with her.
"I'm afraid some people won't be able to sleep tonight," Miss Xu murmured.
At this moment, the eunuch announced loudly, "Present a dance!"
A group of dancers gracefully entered, their flowing sleeves enlivening the atmosphere in the hall once again.
Midway through the banquet, Meng Lingyao left her seat to change her clothes. As she walked along the corridor, she suddenly heard whispers coming from behind the artificial hill.
"Father, if Consort Jing's pregnancy is a prince..."
"Silence!" another voice quickly interrupted, "Is this something you can discuss?"
Meng Lingyao paused slightly, then turned and walked down another path as if nothing had happened. Reaching the plum grove behind the side hall, she saw a familiar figure standing alone under a plum tree. The person was dressed in formal attire, with heavy makeup that made their face look like it was covered by a mask.
This makeup doesn't suit Zhao Ruxuan at all.
She turned her gaze away and said, "Greetings, Third Prince's Consort."
"Miss Meng." Upon seeing her, a complex emotion flashed across Zhao Ruxuan's eyes, before returning to a stagnant state.
The two remained silent, with only the rustling sound of the cold wind blowing through the plum branches.
After a long silence, Meng Lingyao spoke first, "Do you regret it?"
Zhao Ruxuan's fingertips trembled slightly as she raised her hand to touch a plum blossom, the bright red nail polish on her fingernails almost blending into the flower.
"Regret?" She looked up and stared directly into Meng Lingyao's eyes. "I don't regret it at all."
In that instant, the intense light in her eyes reminded Meng Lingyao of her former self.
Footsteps approached from afar; it was a maid from the Third Prince's residence who had come looking for them.
Zhao Ruxuan straightened her sleeves and walked towards her. As she passed Meng Lingyao, she suddenly whispered, "Thank you."
Back at the table, Miss Xu leaned over and asked, "Where did you go just now? I saw the Third Prince's Consort just come back, her eyes were red."
Meng Lingyao picked up the slightly cool teacup and said, "Perhaps the wind outside the palace is strong and has gotten into my eyes."
It was only when Consort Jing was five months pregnant that everyone knew. The news was kept so well and so well that no one even had to think about it. It must have been the work of the Emperor and Empress. And to publicly confer the title of Consort Jing was to give her enough face.
During the tea parties and poetry gatherings in the first month of the lunar calendar, everyone was speculating about the significance of the unborn prince and calculating how the delicate balance between the harem and the court would tilt.
The uproar didn't last long. On the twenty-fifth day of the first lunar month, a military report delivered by express courier, like a thunderclap, cleaved through all the discussions. A courier carrying a red flag rode straight into the Vermilion Bird Gate, his hoarse shouts shaking the entire Heavenly Street.
"A great victory! Her Highness the Eldest Princess has slain Prince Lu Yin in battle!"
The news swept through every corner of the capital like the wind. Restaurants and teahouses instantly erupted in excitement, and storytellers eagerly unleashed their prepared tales of the Eldest Princess, their spittle flying as they spoke. The common people eagerly recounted the tales, as if they had witnessed firsthand the Eldest Princess, wielding her silver spear and riding a white horse, charging straight to the enemy chieftain's head amidst the miasma-ridden mountains of the southwest.
For Meng Lingyao, the significance of this good news went far beyond simply boosting national prestige.
She was painting by the window, the ink still wet on the rice paper—a picture of plum blossoms in winter. The tip of her brush trembled slightly upon hearing the news, a drop of dark ink falling onto a branch, spreading into a deep hue. Outside the window, the maids' barely suppressed excitement drifted in. She looked at the unexpected ink mark, a faint smile slowly curving her lips.
Unable to calm her emotions any longer, she simply put down her paintbrush and went out into the courtyard. The spring chill was still in the air, and several late-blooming plum trees were in full bloom, their sparse shadows casting long, slanting rays and releasing a subtle fragrance.
"Miss, Lord Pei just delivered this." Songlan walked over quickly, carrying a small wooden box, her joy barely concealed.
Meng Lingyao took the wooden box and opened it. Inside lay a newly opened red plum blossom, its fragrance crisp and refreshing. The weather was cold at this time of year, and the snow on the branches had not yet melted.
She picked up the red plum blossom and paused slightly.
Beneath the flowers lay a warm, lustrous mutton-fat jade pendant, its translucent quality even more radiant and white than the snow on the branches.
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Author's Note: I've slightly revised the timeline of Consort Jing's pregnancy mentioned earlier. Also, those readers who felt unfamiliar with the ending should reread the first chapter! [Dog head with rose in hand]
And finally, I'm going to write about my wedding! 555, my keyboard is itching to type! [Sprinkling flowers]
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