Chapter 76 In the stillness of the night, Shen Yuan Tower remained unchanged...
In the stillness of the night, the Shenyuan Tower was still warmly lit by candlelight. Qin Ji was flipping through several letters, while Xiao Yanhui sat in front of her dressing table, combing her long hair without him. Neither of them spoke, and the room was filled with a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere.
Xiao Yan's gaze lingered on the bronze mirror on the dressing table, but her thoughts drifted back to when she went to see Qin Ji's mother earlier that day.
The scenes she had witnessed in the backyard during the day, especially Qin's mother's drastically fluctuating emotions, her eyes that were a mixture of innocence and madness, and the icy warmth of her palms, kept swirling in her mind.
When she entered that courtyard today, she had a feeling that something was wrong, but when she tried to find out exactly what was wrong, she couldn't.
However, after a few words of conversation with Qin's mother, she recognized her as the woman who had hit her with a stone a few days ago and then ran away singing a nursery rhyme.
Xiao Yan had never encountered her in a normal state, but judging from the two states he had seen today, the one with a better personality, innocent and charming, was probably her appearance before marriage, as a daughter of the Qin family. However, in that state, her memories were clearly mixed, otherwise she wouldn't have recognized Qin Ji as her nephew.
As for her manic state, it should be the same as when she was abandoned and imprisoned in the cold palace.
In this state, she seemed unable to distinguish between her son and husband. Judging from the nanny's quiet waiting reaction, the frenzied Empress Qin actually had limited destructive power. There were sharp hairpins and rings on the dressing table, and even scissors on the embroidery frame, but she only pushed, smashed, and tore, without picking up any sharp weapons to hurt herself or others. She would just go crazy and fall asleep on her own after she was tired.
She still seemed to retain some semblance of basic rationality; all her aggression appeared to be directed only at the young Qin Ji.
After Qin Ji finished reading all the letters, he looked up to see her deep in thought, her brows furrowed. He sat down beside her, his voice carrying a barely perceptible hint of weariness: "Still thinking about your aunt?"
Xiao Yan raised her head, the candlelight flickering in her eyes. She hesitated for a moment before organizing her thoughts: "Qin Ji, Aunt... since Mother has asked to see me, she must be sure that she is in good condition, or at least that she feels she can communicate with me smoothly, for that's why she wants to see me, right?"
"What do you mean?" Understanding Xiao Yan's implied meaning, Qin Ji turned his gaze towards the backyard, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
"You must have heard some things while waiting outside the Moon Gate today. Mother was completely out of it today; in fact, her episode was more severe than usual. Isn't that strange?"
It doesn't make sense that someone who hasn't tried to meet their daughter-in-law in over a year, finally decided to arrange a meeting, only to choose a date when they were at their worst and least clear-headed.
Xiao Yan didn't think it was just a coincidence or that she was being paranoid. On the contrary, she thought that before the meeting, some people or things had deliberately provoked her, making it more plausible that she couldn't maintain a clear-headed communication.
Qin Ji's eyes darkened and his tone became serious: "Her condition has been fluctuating over the years. Because of this face... I almost never appear in front of her, but both my uncle and I have people keeping an eye on the backyard, and we have never found anything amiss."
“I know, just by looking at that courtyard, you can tell that Mother has been well taken care of.” Xiao Yan nodded slightly, but then her tone trailed off: “Mother seems to rely on Granny Zhou, who has been serving her all along?”
Qin Ji nodded: "Yes, she is an old woman that my aunt has had since she was a young girl. She has been with her for a long time, through all kinds of changes, and has never abandoned her. She has practically watched her grow up. Over the years, she has taken good care of her and always stayed by her side."
The more he spoke, the softer he became, and the stronger the sense of danger in his voice grew.
"If Mother went mad because of the trauma she suffered in the palace, then she has been away from that environment for so many years since she returned to Jiangzuo with you, and the source of the trauma is far away in the capital. Why hasn't she gotten better? Even if she hasn't completely recovered, has her condition improved?" Xiao Yan asked softly.
"Repeatedly, in a cycle that begins anew." When he said these words, Qin Ji's tone was icy cold.
After he finished speaking, the room fell into a deathly silence, with only the faint crackling of the burning candle wick. His face gradually turned extremely ugly.
He never doubted Granny Zhou. From childhood to adulthood, in his mind, Granny Zhou was always by that person's side, and she was truly a rare source of support and warmth for him.
During his years in Jiangzuo, he had indeed had very little contact with the two of them, but if he looked back into his earlier memories, many previously overlooked details suddenly came to mind.
The woman didn't vent her resentment on Li Hui from the beginning, but Granny Zhou always seemed to say, "The little prince is so much like the emperor, why doesn't the emperor come to see him?"
The Second Prince was highly favored by the Emperor, which also made Consort Shu even more beloved by His Majesty.
In this palace, a mother's status truly depends on her son. If our little prince were more favored, perhaps His Majesty would come.
...and there are countless other examples of such persuasion.
But Qin Ji at the time didn't notice anything wrong with these words. Granny Zhou often mentioned the days when she was abandoned in Jiangzuo and the sharp, knife-like rumors in her ear, but because of her sympathetic and compassionate expression, no one noticed anything amiss.
But looking back now, isn't it these repeatedly brought-up old traumas that, over the years, have been subtly cutting and rubbing salt into her already fragile nerves, constantly tormenting her, especially if supplemented with medication...?
Back then, I was too young and naive to understand or realize it. But nowadays, it's actually quite easy to make someone slowly and naturally go insane.
This thought sent a chill down Qin Ji's spine.
"I will investigate." He clenched his fist so tightly that his knuckles turned white, but at this moment he really didn't want Granny Zhou to be a disloyal person, otherwise, how vicious could her "loyalty" of more than twenty years be!
Xiao Yan reached out and gently placed her hand on his taut fist: "I'm just guessing, there's no evidence. Perhaps... I'm just overthinking it."
Qin Ji grabbed her hand in return, with a rather strong grip: "No, there's no such thing as being overly suspicious in this kind of thing, and thinking about it carefully, things do seem a bit strange."
Back then, my aunt thought the emperor had always neglected her, but in reality, that was precisely when she held the most importance in his heart. Just because my aunt couldn't see it doesn't mean the other concubines couldn't. Driving someone insane through subtle manipulation was something they were capable of doing.
"In any case, this suspicion must be investigated. I can't rest easy until I get to the capital. If it really is..." He didn't finish his sentence, but the ruthlessness that flashed in his eyes said it all.
After their late-night conversation, the two never mentioned the incident again. However, half a month later, when Granny Zhou returned home to visit her family, she was tragically robbed by bandits. All eight members of her family perished, and Granny Zhou herself was tortured to death while resisting them. Since there were no close relatives left, it was the Qin family who collected her body.
......
A shocking accident provided the surrounding counties with fodder for gossip for ten days or half a month, but the story faded after the wedding. Now, the hottest topic is that Prince Cheng is going to welcome his princess into the palace.
In just a short time, not only the entire Jiangzuo City, but also the neighboring prefectures have come to know that Prince Cheng and his consort have complementary destinies. It was because the prince married the consort that he was able to overcome his life-or-death ordeal. The two are a match made in heaven.
Of course, the legendary story of a wealthy merchant's daughter becoming a princess consort in one fell swoop also continued to spread from Jiangzuo as the center.
Some say the woman is stunningly beautiful, others say the prince's family has fallen on hard times and he's after her large dowry, while still others have fabricated an extremely moving and tragic love story for them. Some have even gone so far as to create a tale where the prince knelt before the emperor's palace for three days and three nights before finally obtaining the emperor's approval for the marriage.
There are all sorts of opinions, but the main theme of most stories is that lovers will eventually get married. Incidentally, these stories also portray a sensitive and enlightened emperor who is moved to tears by his son's love, a flesh-and-blood emperor.
So on this day, the Prince officially welcomed the Princess into the mansion. The usually quiet Prince Cheng's mansion was surrounded by crowds of onlookers, making it even more lively than their wedding.
Hearing the firecrackers outside the carriage, Xiao Yan slammed another storybook based on them onto the table. She looked at Qin Ji across from her with a headache: "Qin Ji, even if you want to manipulate public opinion, can you at least restrain yourself? We're practically the top storybook writers in teahouses now."
"And look at the image these books have created of me! I'm happy to say I'm stunningly beautiful, but what's with this whole 'weeping, innocent flower' vibe?! And this one too,"
Xiao Yan, still fuming, picked up another book, opened it, and shoved it in front of Qin Ji: "What's with this virtuous act of taking the initiative to find you a concubine?"
"Let me tell you, if you dare to have any tricks up your sleeve, I'll chop you into mincemeat."
"Yan Hui, you're really wronging me. I only had the first four books written, and you read each one before they were circulated. This has nothing to do with me." Taking the book from her hand and setting it aside, Qin Ji took her hand and said, "My Princess Consort, it's time for us to enter the manor."
"Why did you spread this so widely? There were even firecrackers going off outside, you..." Thinking of the large crowd of onlookers she had just seen, Xiao Yan felt her head throbbing again. Would it be too late for her to put on a veil now?
It was obviously too late, because Qin Ji had already half-pulled and half-carried her off the carriage.
"Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!" The sound of firecrackers rang out once again.
The main gate of Prince Cheng's mansion was wide open, and the gilded copper nails gleamed brightly in the sunlight.
Although there were quite a few onlookers, there wasn't much of a commotion, after all, this was still an era where imperial power was supreme.
Upon landing, Xiao Yan Hui immediately displayed an elegant and graceful demeanor. The two equally charming individuals walked side by side into the Prince's mansion, creating a truly beautiful scene.
Both of them walked quite quickly, and upon entering, Xiao Yan realized that the Prince Cheng's residence was not as magnificent as she had imagined. Its overall architectural style differed from the imperial city, instead aligning with the garden style of Jiangzuo City. However, it possessed a more profound and dignified air.
The imperial road, paved with bluestone slabs, led straight into the depths, flanked by towering blue brick walls. Upon seeing them, the servants standing at attention all knelt down in unison to pay their respects, their movements perfectly synchronized.
The servants usually do not kneel, so this formality is probably because it is their first meeting with Xiao Yan Hui, and they are being extra solemn and respectful.
As you slowly walk forward, you see countless courtyards within the Prince's Mansion. The eaves, brackets, painted beams, and carved pillars are not necessarily more exquisite than those of other wealthy families in Jiangzuo, but the scale and grandeur of the Prince's Mansion are unmatched by any other.
Take, for example, the lanterns hanging under the eaves. The plain gauze covers on them faintly reveal cloud and dragon patterns. Only the Prince's Mansion in the entire Jiangzuo City can use them.
"This is probably how the privileged class manifests its sense of superiority," Xiao Yan thought to herself.
She muttered to herself about the Prince's Mansion, and others in the Prince's Mansion were also muttering about her. The servants in the front row wore uniform indigo cotton-padded jackets, their heads bowed and eyes lowered, their footsteps barely audible as they moved, displaying extremely strict manners.
Those further away, while also bowing to the two, secretly glanced at the unexpected hostess out of the corner of their eyes, taking advantage of the distance.
She was indeed very beautiful, but not to the extent described in the storybooks as being so stunning that she could topple kingdoms.
She possessed a unique气质 (qi zhi, a kind of refined elegance or aura), a calm and composed demeanor tinged with a touch of aloofness, making her seem completely unlike someone from a merchant family. Faced with the imposing grandeur of the Prince's mansion, her eyes seemed to show little surprise or fear; her gaze was excessively calm.
Several old women standing further away exchanged glances, some curious, some inquisitive, and a hint of barely concealed contempt—the merchant's daughter had risen to become a princess in one fell swoop; it was truly a case of a sparrow flying to the top of a branch.
As Xiao Yan Hui and Qin Ji walked over, the servants relaxed considerably. One of the more well-dressed maids, seemingly relying on her seniority, whispered to her companion, "She looks quite pretty, but her voice..."
Before he could finish speaking, a stern-faced head maidservant beside him immediately swept her gaze over, her expression cold and sharp: "How dare you gossip about His Highness's affairs? Have you forgotten all the rules? Go to the punishment room and get ten lashes on your hands. If you hear another word from him, you can leave on your own."
The maidservant turned pale with fright and immediately fell silent. She didn't dare beg for mercy and retreated tremblingly to receive her punishment. With this example of making an example of someone, all the whispers around her instantly disappeared, and all the servants lowered their heads even further.
The two people walking ahead were naturally unaware of this little incident. At this moment, Xiao Yan was asking the steward of the Prince's mansion where the embroidery room was and whether the embroiderers inside had come to see him.
Qin Ji glanced at Xiao Yan Hui suspiciously. Asking about the embroidery room right away wasn't like her. Qin Ji had always felt that Yan Hui was hiding something very important from him, but he was still in the observation period and didn't have the right to ask.
But she wasn't really hiding it; just like now, she asked the embroidery room so directly, without even pretending.
"In response to Your Highness, His Highness did not reside in this Prince's Mansion for many years, so the embroidery workshop in the mansion only had four old embroiderers left over from before. They are all too old to do delicate work, but they can still do some sewing and mending, and they can make clothes decent and elegant. However, if Your Highness wants those delicate works or fashionable styles, we will have to go outside and hire some new ones."
The head steward, Granny Feng, was a plump old woman who spoke very frankly and kindly. She didn't seem like someone from the palace, at least Xiao Yan had a very good first impression of her.
"Then so be it. I was originally thinking of inquiring about the styles in the capital and making a few fashionable pieces so that I wouldn't be laughed at as a country bumpkin when I go to the capital next year." Xiao Yan replied with a smile, her words immediately turning into something like "country bumpkin."
Upon hearing this, Granny Feng knew that the princess cared nothing about her family's status, so she didn't hold back in her speech: "Where in the capital can you find good styles? We in Jiangzuo have fine silks and clothes. Those fashionable styles were all passed down from here. In my opinion, what the princess is wearing is the best of the best."
"In that case, when I go to the capital, I should have my family prepare a few embroiderers to take with me." Xiao Yan said casually, but her mind was on Su Jinyue, the heroine of the novel.
She should have been in the embroidery room of Prince Cheng's mansion at this time.
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