Chapter Fifty
E Yue, who had expected the Empress Dowager to make trouble, only heard a long sigh. "Granny Gui, go and invite He Ya." The Empress Dowager said only this and then said nothing more. He Ya came out carrying the little princess, and E Yue immediately bowed deeply. The Empress Dowager waved her hand. "Go back!" He Ya, unaware of what had happened, followed E Yue to bid farewell to the elders in the palace.
Back at the princess's residence, He Ya immediately became arrogant. Even though she knew in her heart that it wasn't E Yue's fault for not returning in time, He Ya still couldn't help but throw a tantrum. E Yue had to coax and persuade her to calm her down. Finally, E Yue gossiped about the inside story of the now-executed Prince Shuo's family, diverting He Ya's attention.
Heya was very curious about Xinyue's death; her older sister had asked about it a few days ago. Hearing gossip, Heya immediately put on a serious expression and asked the wet nurse to take the little princess outside so she could hear a story.
"When Princess Xinyue first married into Prince Shuo's mansion, she was very obedient and lived a stable life as a consort."
When Xinyue first entered Prince Shuo's residence, she treated everyone there well, from servants to concubines. She was especially kind to Haoxiang, saying she wanted to be his friend and treat him like family. Haoxiang, fearing gossip, enrolled in the army during recruitment season. Prince Shuo disapproved of Haoxiang going to the army; he only had one son and couldn't bear to part with him. He planned to pawn Haoxiang's documents and send him to the palace as a guard. Upon hearing that Haoxiang was going to the army, Xinyue immediately thought of Nudahai, who had saved her, and told Prince Shuo that Haoxiang should go to the army and become a useful person. Prince Shuo, seeing Xinyue's youthful figure and perhaps the prospect of her bearing him a son or daughter, turned a blind eye to Haoxiang's decision. After Haoxiang went to the army, Xinyue became particularly close to the servants. Prince Shuo initially didn't pay much attention, simply considering Xinyue a wise and virtuous person.
When Crescent Moon interacted with the noblewomen, she always spoke in a condescending tone, criticizing them for punishing servants, saying that servants were also human beings.
Xinyue had always wanted to befriend Nudahai's wife. Although she was now married, she still couldn't forget Nudahai and wanted to ask him directly why he had become so cold towards her since arriving in the capital. Unfortunately, while Xinyue was eager, Yanji had no interest in associating with such a princess. Yanji always avoided Xinyue, making Xinyue think she was a cruel person. Xinyue often told the wealthy women who came to curry favor that Yanji looked down on her.
Some rumors reached Yan Ji's ears, but she pretended not to hear them.
Feeling dejected at not seeing Yanji, Xinyue saw a farmhand in Prince Shuo's mansion who looked remarkably like Nudahai. Xinyue took the initiative to show concern for the farmhand. Xinyue was usually close to the servants, and the farmhand didn't seem to mind. However, one day, Xinyue invited him to drink, which startled him. That was the Prince's wife! But the farmhand was a passionate young man, and after drinking, he found it difficult to control himself. The stamina of a young man is different from that of a middle-aged man. From then on, Xinyue always found various excuses to invite Prince Shuo to Pianpian's place, while she secretly slept with the farmhand. Soon after, Xinyue became pregnant. Prince Shuo, believing it to be his child, was overjoyed and was about to go to Xinyue to express his gratitude when he unexpectedly saw her embracing a servant.
"Oh my god!" He Ya exclaimed, "This is a disgrace to the royal family. This matter concerning the prince consort should not be discussed with anyone."
"This servant understands."
He Ya instructed E Yue not to tell anyone, but when she was summoned to the palace, she told He Rui everything. He Rui's lips twitched a few times as he listened. Xin Yue had wasted the past few years in the palace. "You must not tell anyone else. This matter concerns the face of the royal family."
"How is the Fifth Prince's health?" He Ya asked calmly.
"Heya, don't mention the Fifth Prince's matter in the palace anymore."
He Ya looked into He Rui's earnest eyes and nodded. "Just now, I heard from the front that Consort Ling is pregnant?"
"Not only that, Consort Xin is also pregnant," He Rui said casually.
"Empress Dowager, she..." He Ya was worried about the Empress's reaction.
“The Empress Dowager has four sons, the eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, and fifteenth. If she receives exclusive favor, the censors might submit a memorial accusing her of being ‘jealous.’” He Rui put down his teacup. He wondered whether Consort Ling’s pregnancy was good or bad. If he remembered correctly, Consort Ling was having a prince. He Ya stayed with He Rui for a while before taking her leave. Married princesses were not allowed to stay in the palace without imperial decree, and He Ya had to leave before the gates were closed.
~~~~~
Time flew by, and a year passed in the blink of an eye. The palace, now in its twenties, was filled with joy as the Emperor's most beloved Princess Guren Herui was about to be married. After the first month of the lunar calendar, the Empress began to re-examine the dowry, and Herui's wedding dress was tried on and altered repeatedly. On the first day of the fifth month, Herui stood behind the Empress and performed her final ancestral rites before her marriage.
The sixth day of the fifth lunar month was He Rui's wedding day, a date chosen by the Empress Dowager and the Empress after consulting several almanacs. He Rui was to be married from Jingyi Pavilion in Jianfu Palace. Before stepping into the sedan chair, He Rui looked at the Empress and said, "Empress Mother, please be patient. Think of Seventh Princess, think of Yongqi and the others." After saying this, she was helped into the sedan chair by Baozhu. The red-roofed sedan chair carried He Rui out of the palace, embarking on a new life.
Listening to the matchmaker's auspicious words and the eunuch reading the emperor's decree, the newlyweds then followed the matchmaker's instructions to make a puppet and complete the wedding celebration.
After the servants withdrew, He Rui met Haricha's gaze, her face growing even redder, and she lowered her head in embarrassment. Twisting her sleeves, she wondered why Haricha wasn't saying anything; she was practically starving.
Haricha, unsure of what to say, could only look at He Rui and wait for the princess's command.
Having not eaten all day, He Rui couldn't wait for Haricha to speak, so he decided to stand up and fend for himself. He Rui forgot that their clothes were tied together; standing up was easy enough, but getting to the table to eat was a bit difficult. Sure enough, he lost his balance and fell forward.
Seeing the danger, Haricha immediately wrapped his arms around He Rui's waist, cushioning her fall with his own back to prevent her from getting hurt. "Is the princess alright?"
"No... well, I'm hungry." He Rui tried to get up, but their clothes were still connected and couldn't be unbuttoned, so he could only say it shamelessly.
"This servant will carry the princess to eat something." Harichagai picked up He Rui and sat her at the table, letting her sit on his lap. He carefully placed some snacks on her plate to stave off hunger. He Rui didn't notice their impolitely intimate posture; she was only focused on the food, she was truly starving. By the time He Rui realized how close they were, she was already about eight-tenths full. Meeting Harichagai's smiling eyes, He Rui felt her face flush bright red.
“The princess and the servant think differently.” Harichagai had the straightforwardness of a grassland person, and he said whatever came to mind.
"What kind of princess do you imagine?" He Rui didn't think about getting down. "When no one's around, she calls me Rose."
"This servant thought the princess was arrogant. But that year in the Yuanmingyuan, when I saw her kneeling down in the snow-covered courtyard to admit her mistake, refusing to get up no matter who asked her, I realized she was a very serious person. Wrong is wrong, and right is right." Harichagai stared into He Rui's eyes. Mongols are unconventional, yet loyal. A Mongol would not have multiple wives and concubines, only one wife. Even if it was a high-ranking princess, he would cherish and pamper her.
He Rui was drawn in by Haricha's earnest gaze; it seemed love at first sight really was real. (Please imagine your own intimate moments.)
~~~~
Princess He Rui returned to her parents' home on the ninth day after her marriage. On that day, He Rui got up early and had her maids change her clothes and makeup before entering the palace to express her gratitude. Haricha Gai had been waiting at the gate. When He Rui came out, he helped her into the carriage before mounting his own horse.
Upon entering the palace, He Rui first went with Haricha to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to express their gratitude to the Emperor. After leaving the Hall of Mental Cultivation, He Rui walked alone towards the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility.
When they arrived at Cining Palace, the concubines who had come to pay their respects had already dispersed, leaving only Lanxin to chat with the Empress Dowager. He Rui, in the courtyard, invited a eunuch to announce their arrival, naturally rewarding the eunuch with some silver. The eunuch swiftly announced their arrival, and instead of the same eunuch who had just made the announcement, came two of the Empress Dowager's most trusted matrons. One matron led the matron and maid He Rui had brought to the palace to a side hall, while Granny Gui helped He Rui into the room.
After He Rui paid her respects to the Empress Dowager, she summoned him to her side. "Let me see," she said, "marriage really makes a difference. Lan'er, come and see too, your fourth sister looks even better than before!"
"Grandma is right, Lan'er also thinks Fourth Sister is beautiful." Lan Xin smiled as she followed the Empress Dowager to marry He Rui, who didn't seem to mind. "Grandma, after Lan's sister gets married, she'll definitely be even more beautiful than He Rui. Lan's sister is a beauty in the making."
"Haha, you are all beauties. Tell me, the prince consort has been bullying my granddaughter."
"Reporting to Grandmother, the Prince Consort treats He Rui exceptionally well." He Rui paused for a moment, "How could He Rui be so capable as to receive such love from Grandmother, Father, and Mother?"
The Empress Dowager patted He Rui's hand. "Why not? As long as he is sensible, I love him. Go to Yongshou Palace and talk to the Empress. She has been counting down the days since you got married."
Lan Xin accompanied He Rui to Yongshou Palace. Along the way, Lan Xin whispered about the Empress's situation. Consort Ling had regained favor, and the Empress's days were becoming difficult. Consort Ling would occasionally try to sow discord between the Empress and the Emperor. He Rui patted Lan Xin's hand and said, "Sister Lan, things in the harem are fickle; fortunes change every three years."
Lan Xin didn't say anything more, and the two walked towards Yongshou Palace. At the entrance of Yongshou Palace, before He Rui could even step inside, she was stopped by a palace maid. "Princess He Rui, Consort Ling asked me to deliver some gifts. These gifts are quite large, and I'm afraid they might be damaged. Could the Princess please go to Yanxi Palace instead..."
"What a bold servant! Guards! Drag this servant away and give him twenty lashes! What is the Grand Eunuch doing?" He Rui showed no respect for Consort Ling. "Lan'er, go inside first and tell the Empress Dowager that I'm going to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to find out when this concubine's maid was allowed to bully the princess."
Author's Note: Following on from the author's note in the previous chapter...
When Mariko received her admission notice, she was stunned. Staring at the words "Elementary School" on the notice, she rubbed her eyes, turned to her mother Rinko, and pointed at the notice. "Mom, am I seeing things?"
Rinko's mother walked over and looked at the contents of the notice. "Mariko, why is it the elementary school!" Rinko's mother looked at her daughter in confusion. She remembered that the registration clearly stated it was the high school. Could it be that her daughter's grades were so bad that she could only attend the elementary school? Rinko's mother was disheartened by her own thoughts.
After finishing breakfast, Ryoma asked, "Sis, which teaching building did you go to?"
"It's the one closest to the main gate."
"I remember the high school exam was in the last building." Ryoma casually poured cold water on Mariko's enthusiasm. Rinko looked sympathetically at her daughter, who was completely devastated, and patted her head comfortingly. "Apply for the high school again next year. Mariko, just be a happy elementary school student this year!"
Mariko was on the verge of tears, her face filled with misery.
Ryoma would never reveal that he deliberately didn't remind his sister that she had gone the wrong way that day, because she had eaten his hamburger.
After feeling down for a week, Mariko took the schoolbag that her mother, Rinko, had prepared and walked to school with her younger brother.
Mariko was in Class 1-A, while Ryoma was in Class D. Ryoma escorted his sister to her classroom first, then earnestly told her that he would come to find her for lunch and asked her to wait for him in the classroom. Mariko pouted unhappily; her mother hadn't given her any allowance this morning, giving it all to Ryoma instead. Without responding to her brother, she turned and went into the classroom.
Ryoma didn't care whether his sister agreed or not; he figured she would just wait patiently.
The first period of the morning was English, which Mariko hated most. Known as a bookworm in her past life, Mariko had an absolute aversion to English; the sight of the alphabet made her dizzy. Listening to the teacher's conversation in English, Mariko, lost in thought, was trying to recall how she passed the CET-6 (College English Test Band 6). Unable to remember, Mariko stared blankly at her English book. This scene was clearly seen by the English teacher in front of her. The teacher, already displeased with the student who had shown her such disrespect in the first period, nodded imposingly at the student's name, "Echizen Mariko, please repeat what I just said!"
Mariko slowly stood up and looked at her English teacher with a puzzled expression.
Looking at Mariko's innocent expression and her puzzled blinking eyes, the English teacher was instantly charmed by her adorable look. She gently repeated her question, "Echizen, please repeat what I just said!"
Mariko's puzzled eyes flashed with understanding. "Echizen, please repeat what I just said!" Mariko then gave her English teacher a very cute smile.
The student sitting behind Mariko couldn't see her expression and assumed that Echizen was playing a trick on the teacher. The English teacher, standing opposite Mariko, surprisingly spoke in a very gentle voice, "That's a correct answer. Everyone should pay attention."
The students gasped and all turned their attention to Mariko.
Is Mariko pretty? No, with her chubby cheeks, Mariko is simply adorable, resembling a trendy SD doll. But Mariko has incredibly beautiful eyes. Although all three siblings have the same eyes, Mariko's eyes seem to speak volumes. Many people are captivated by those eyes. After spending time with her and learning about her personality, they might feel a surge of resentment, but looking into those eyes, they can't help but gravitate towards her. The only ones immune to Mariko's eyes are the Echizen family.
In the following English class, regardless of whether Mariko was genuinely listening or just pretending, she outwardly appeared to be listening attentively.
After class, the students all glanced at Mariko, seemingly casually, and tidied up her appearance. Mariko, unaware of their antics, simply slumped lazily onto her desk, feeling incredibly sleepy. She was really letting loose now, unable to sit still in the classroom. "That awful Ryoga," Mariko thought resentfully, "he actually kicked me home."
Mariko finished her morning classes in a daze. If someone were to ask her what she had learned that morning, she would definitely look at the person asking the question with a confused expression. At noon, Ryoma went straight to report to Class 1-A after class and saw his older sister sprawled on her desk, her eyes half-closed like a lazy cat.
Ryoma pulled his hat down to shield his eyes and called his sister's name from the doorway. Ryuzaki Sakuno, carefully following Ryoma, peered into the classroom through another door in Class 1-A and immediately recognized the languid girl Ryoma was looking for. Sakuno couldn't see the girl's face clearly, but she was very interested.
Hearing Ryoma call the girl's name in a very soft voice, Ryuzaki Sakuno felt a little disappointed. She turned and left, feeling a pang of sadness in her heart.
Upon hearing Ryoma's voice, Mariko immediately jumped out of the classroom, asking, "What do you want to eat?" With Mariko's movement, everyone else in the classroom looked towards the short boy at the door. If Ryoma, at 151cm, was considered tiny, then the adorable Mariko, at only 150cm, was truly a loli. Three years older than her younger brother, Mariko was incredibly frustrated by her small stature.
"Let's go to the supermarket to buy lunchboxes." Ryoma turned and walked ahead.
"Hey, where's Mom's bento? Didn't you take it this morning?" Mariko followed slowly behind, wanting to eat the bento her mother made.
Ryoma wondered who had complained of being hungry that morning and eaten both of their bento boxes. He glanced at his sister's figure; her face was chubby, but her body was perfectly proportioned. Where did all that food go? His sister was lazy and greedy—Ryoma had known this since he was little. He even thought his sister must be a pretty good tennis player, but she was too lazy to run around. She'd just stand in one spot, and if the ball hit her, she'd return it over the net. If the ball didn't reach her, she definitely wouldn't go for it. His sister spent most of her day sleeping, just like Karupin at home—eat, sleep, sleep, eat. But Ryoma couldn't understand why, given his sister's lazy and gluttonous nature, she would decide to wander with his brother. And, his sister's terrible English was baffling. How could his sister, who grew up abroad, have such poor English?
Ryoma went into the supermarket and bought four loaves of bread and four bottles of milk. When he came out, he found Mariko squinting under a tree. Ryoma sighed. What he couldn't understand was who had the bigger appetite. Ryoma had to admit that eating with someone who had a big appetite made him eat more too.
"Hey, my cute little brother, let me lean on you for a bit." Mariko, who felt sleepy after eating, found a suitable pillow.
Ryoma lowered his hat and leaned against the tree, letting his sister sleep.
Ryuzaki Sakuno, who was heading to the supermarket, spotted Ryoma sitting under a tree from afar. As she got closer, she saw someone leaning against him, hidden by low branches. Normally oblivious, Ryuzaki Sakuno suddenly realized, for some reason, that the person leaning against Ryoma was the girl from Class 1-A. Looking at the two of them together, Ryuzaki Sakuno's eyes welled up with tears, whether from emotion or something else, it was unclear.
Ryoma looked in the direction of Ryuzaki Sakuno; he only remembered that the girl opposite him was in the same class as him. He pulled down his hat, deciding not to move; his sister was even more terrifying when she wasn't fully awake.
The afternoon classes were relaxed, and for someone accustomed to exam-oriented education, such a relaxed learning atmosphere evoked a strange sense of frustration. One period was a regular lesson, and the second was either physical education or home economics; today was home economics. Mariko followed her classmates to the home economics classroom. Passing by Class 1-D, Mariko suddenly had the urge to see what her younger brother was doing during recess. Peeking into Class 1-D, she saw a noisy commotion, as if they were talking about something. A sharp-eyed girl spotted her and quickly called out to Ryoma. Mariko raised an eyebrow. How did she know she was looking for Ryoma?
Ryoma turned to look at Mariko by the door, got up and went inside. "Is there something you need?"
"My class today is home economics. Cute little brother, what would you like to eat?"
Ryoma's lips twitched slightly. "Just don't blow up the home economics classroom."
"Hey, how dare you talk to your older sister like that?" Mariko yelled at Ryoma, her face full of hurt expression, her eyes brimming with tears of anger. The students from Class 1-A who were walking with Mariko were very unhappy with Ryoma; how could he have made their class's adorable child cry?
Looking at the angry faces of the group, Ryoma sighed inwardly. These people had been tricked by his sister. "I want cookies."
"I'll definitely make cute cookies for my little brother." Mariko, trying her best to express her role as an older sister, had a determined look in her eyes.
Ryoma turned and went back to the classroom to pray for the home economics class.
Sitting very close to the door, Ryuzaki Sakuno suddenly felt particularly good. That girl was Ryoma's older sister.
Ryoma's prediction that the home economics classroom would be destroyed didn't happen. Mariko didn't even bump into any flour; it was all done by her classmates. Mariko had been curled up at her desk in the sunlight since arriving at the classroom. Her classmates worked tirelessly to make crispy cookies.
After home economics class, it was time for club activities. Mariko, who was about to go back to sleep in the classroom, was surrounded by a group of classmates who asked her which club she wanted to join. "Are there any clubs that are really, really easy?" Mariko asked after being told that she had to join a club.
"It seems there aren't any clubs that are really free. Echizen, why don't you join our choir? All you have to do is sing."
"But I'm tone-deaf!"
"Join the housekeeping club! You don't have to go every day, and you'll get delicious food." A girl caught Mariko's eye and threw out the bait.
"Really?" Mariko asked in surprise, surprised that there was such a great club.
The girl nodded vigorously.
Mariko thought about it for a while and then nodded, "Okay, then I'll join the home economics club."
Mariko, who had been lured into the home economics club, looked at the club's activity schedule in her hand, squinting her eyes. It seemed like a very relaxed club.
Back home, Mariko was immediately stopped by Rinko's mother, who asked how life was at the new school and if she had joined any clubs. Lying in the hallway, looking at a photobook, Nanjiro sighed, "Youth! Youth!"
Mariko, sprawled on the sofa, lacked any ladylike demeanor. With a comfortable sigh, she answered Rinko's mother's questions, mentioning things like, "My English teacher is strange; she joined the home economics club," and adding that she'd made a friend. Rinko asked if it was a boy or a girl, while Nanjiro outside listened intently to his daughter's reply.
"Hmm..." Mariko thought back to the person who had dragged her to the home economics club, whether it was a boy or a girl. After thinking about it for a while, Mariko, who had collapsed on the sofa, actually fell asleep.
Looking at her daughter's confused sleeping face, Rinko's mother was a little worried. "Mariko's personality is too absent-minded, it's really worrying." Coming out of the living room, Rinko sat down next to Nanjiro and reached out to take the photo album from his hand.
Nanjiro lay flat on his back, gazing at the sky. "Mariko is a smart girl. She and Ryoga wandered for two years. If she hadn't been too comfortable lately and lost her purpose, how could Mariko have angered Ryoga and thrown her back to Tokyo?"
Lunzi looked up and said, "I wonder if this kind of laissez-faire education will harm them."
“Their lives should be their own to decide. We can only offer guidance. Even if they regret it someday, they must bear the consequences themselves.” Nanjiro rarely showed such a serious expression. However, Nanjiro’s seriousness didn’t last long, as his youngest son returned.
"Ryoma, how's the new school? Your older sister is sleeping in the living room, so please be quiet." Rinko's mother got up, noticing that the children had all returned and it was time to prepare dinner.
Ryoma said "Oh," and glanced around the living room. No one was on the sofa. He went upstairs. There was a bag of cookies by the door of his room. Ryoma remembered his sister mentioning a home economics class that afternoon. He hesitated for a long time, staring at the cookies, before finally picking them up. He tasted one. "Delicious." He'd give his sister's home economics class a 30 out of 100. If Ryoma knew the cookies weren't made by Mariko, would he still give them a good score?
Mariko, lying on the bed, stared wide-eyed at the ceiling, but she really had no idea what to look for. She rolled over, muttering, "Tch, Dad's got a sharp eye; he can even tell that."
After dinner, Ryoma, unusually, invited his sister to play tennis. Mariko glared at her brother with resentment. "No." He wanted to commit suicide; why was he holding her back? Didn't Ryoma know that strenuous exercise wasn't advisable after dinner? Ryoma felt awkward under his sister's resentful gaze. Had he said something wrong?
"Ryoma, don't bully your older sister. You just ate dinner, playing ball will cause indigestion."
Ryoma turned his head away. "Does my sister even exercise?" "She just stands there and keeps serving."
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