Chapter 1 Prologue: The Third Year of Shengde
"Look at this jade, it has excellent translucency and color, it's truly a fine piece."
On the table was a jade disc that had been propped up. A maid lit a lamp and placed it behind the disc. A beautifully dressed woman was sitting at the table, carefully examining the jade disc in front of her.
The woman's fingertips lightly traced the pattern on the material: "Look here, take this piece and make a pierced pine and crane pendant. This color is perfect for the crane feathers."
The maid beside her bowed slightly, her tone full of admiration: "It is the lady's ingenuity that is remarkable. If it were anyone else, they would only carve jade cicadas from plaques, and would never have thought of such a fine pattern as pine and crane."
The woman looked at the jade from left to right, becoming more and more satisfied with it. She then ordered, "Send someone to Qibaoge to invite their jade carving master."
Before she could finish speaking, a maidservant hurriedly approached, stopped at the door, and curtsied: "Madam, Aunt Cui has arrived."
Upon hearing the name "Aunt Cui," the woman's carefully drawn eyebrows furrowed involuntarily, and her tone carried a hint of impatience: "What is she doing here?"
The maid at the door hesitated for a few moments before replying, "Aunt Cui said... she heard that Madam took a piece of jade from the Prince of Jin's treasury, so... so she came to ask Madam what she intends to use it for."
Princess Jin slammed her hand on the table in anger, her tone becoming sharper: "Do I have to report to her to take anything from the manor?"
The maidservant quickly stepped forward, saying, "My lady, be careful with your hands," and gently massaged the hand that Princess Jin had used to slap the table.
The maid at the door shrank back, secretly glancing at the Princess Consort's expression. The maidservant glared at the other maid: "Speak quickly if you have something to say."
"It was Aunt Cui who said that the jade was a gift from the Emperor Taizu before the Prince of Jin was enfeoffed. Its quality, origin, and whereabouts are all recorded in the palace and the mansion. If you want to use it, you must also record its purpose and whereabouts clearly." The maid buried her head in her chest, not daring to breathe too loudly, for fear of being implicated by Aunt Cui for no reason.
Princess Jin was indeed furious. She stood up, took a few quick steps, pointed outside the door, and said, "Listen to this! Listen to this! She's treating me like a thief! As a princess, do I have to be subservient to a mere seventh-rank clerk like her? Does she think she's the one in charge of this Prince Jin's residence?"
The two maids, one inside and one outside the room, stood with their heads bowed, not daring to speak. Cui Dianbu was a high-ranking lady-in-waiting in the inner palace, not someone they, as servants, could openly criticize.
"Bring her in," Princess Jin said, pointing to the maid at the door. "I want to see how she's going to make decisions for me."
Soon, Cui Dianbu entered the room, first bowing respectfully, and then said unhurriedly, "The storeroom in the manor is of course at the Princess Consort's disposal. I shouldn't bother the Princess Consort with such trivial matters, but imperial gifts are different after all, and all comings and goings must be clearly distinguished, so that it will be easier to explain when the palace asks in the future. Therefore, I would like to ask the Princess Consort to tell me what the items are for, so that I can record them."
Although Cui Dianbu had been in the mansion for nearly four years, he did not dress like a mansion official, but only wore the official uniform of a female palace official.
Princess Jin looked at the neat seventh-rank female official's uniform and listened to Cui Dianbu repeatedly saying "bestowed by the emperor" and "in the palace." Even though she was full of anger, she couldn't utter any harsh words.
Cui Dianbu, on the other hand, had an indifferent expression, his eyes half-closed, and he appeared to be doing his job in an official capacity.
Princess Jin held back her anger for a long time before finally saying, "Is it alright if I have a part carved?"
Cui Dianbu pressed further, "I wonder if the Princess Consort of Jin intends to use this herself or give it away? If she is giving it away, to whom will it be given?"
"You!" Princess Jin's eyes widened, her meticulously groomed, nail-painted fingers pointing at Cui Dianbu. "Are you still not done? Do I have to report to you who I associate with? Why don't we take down the plaque of the Prince's Mansion and change the family name to Cui?"
“Your Highness, you are too kind. As a clerk, I have a duty to perform my duties. Moreover, this matter involves the palace and the late Prince Jin. The Emperor Taizu entrusted me with the responsibility of inventorying and recording Prince Jin’s assets and belongings. All of Prince Jin’s old belongings, regardless of size, must be registered and recorded for the palace to inspect. I hope Your Highness will not make things difficult for me.”
Princess Jin was speechless for a moment. If she were to criticize Cui Dianbu for compiling the register, it would be an expression of dissatisfaction with Emperor Su. But how could she possibly explain who the gift was intended for?
Other items were one thing, but the jade material was taken from the Prince of Jin's private treasury. She thought it was just a piece of jade and it didn't matter, but who knew it was also a gift from the Emperor.
Seeing that Princess Jin remained silent for a long time, Cui Dianbu took it upon himself to say, "If Princess Jin has not yet decided what to do with this jade, then I will put the jade back in the storeroom and retrieve it when Princess Jin has decided what to do with it." Without waiting for Princess Jin's reaction, he went forward and picked up the jade and left.
Princess Jin watched helplessly as Cui Dianbu moved the jade away. She opened her mouth but couldn't utter a word of rebuttal, and in anger, she shoved the table hard.
The lamp on the table, used to illuminate the jade tablet, wobbled a few times, rolled to the ground, and made a "thud".
Just then, Qiuyou, the maidservant beside the Princess of Jin, lifted the curtain and came in, saying as she walked, "I've already spoken with the kitchen. They happen to have some fresh, plump geese on hand, which are perfect for making sesame and greasy shredded rolls."
Qiu You glanced at Chun Yan, who was squatting down picking up the lamps that had fallen to the ground, and walked lightly to the Princess of Jin's side as if nothing had happened. He placed a plate of candied fruit on the table and said, "The kitchen has made some new plum balls. They said they learned a new recipe. Please try them, my lady."
Princess Jin glanced at the golden, carved plum blossom ball, but said nothing.
Qiu You reached out to help Chun Yan put away the lanterns, and then started a conversation, saying, "I saw that the kitchen was grinding Sichuan fritillary bulbs. They said that the princess has been coughing a bit lately, so they're grinding some to make pear soup for her. Speaking of which, it's been a long time since you've been to the west, so why don't you go and see the princess?"
Since the princess came to the capital, she has been coughing several times a year. The pears and lilies in the mansion are prepared every day. Princess Jin has long been used to it. At this moment, she was in a bad mood, so she said irritably, "Qin An and Doumiao look at her more closely than they look at their own eyes. Do I need to look at her?"
Qiu You responded with a smile: "My lady, are you just saying that out of anger? Did the little maids do something wrong? I'll discipline them properly later, so they won't be so clumsy and annoying."
Chun Yan tugged at Qiu You's sleeve and whispered, "It's Clerk Cui."
When they arrived for the autumn outing, they happened to see Clerk Cui leaving. Hearing Chunyan say this, they were not surprised, but they joked, "Clerk Cui doesn't come here even once a year. What wind blew her here today?"
"Hmph." Princess Jin sneered, "I think she's deliberately trying to annoy me."
Qiu You just smiled when he heard this, and turned to look at Chun Yan with his eyes. Chun Yan leaned in and whispered to Qiu You, "My wife took a piece of jade to make an accessory, but Cui Dianbu insisted on recording it and took the jade away."
Qiuyou pulled Chunyan aside a few steps and asked in a low voice, "Is this Ahlang's?"
Chun Yan nodded.
Qiu You glanced around the court and, seeing that the Princess of Jin was still secretly angry and not paying attention to the two of them, mouthed to Chun Yan, "What are you going to do with this?"
Chunyan pursed her lips and remained silent, then held up two fingers.
Seeing this, Qiu You felt a headache coming on, but she couldn't say anything to her mistress. After thinking for a moment, she forced a smile and tried to persuade Princess Jin: "Cui Dianbu comes from the palace and receives a salary from the palace. Whether it's right or wrong, she only cares about behaving properly so that she can report back to the palace. She wouldn't care about anyone in this household. She's appointed by the emperor, so it's not good to argue with her. In any case, she's only in charge of the registers in those few storerooms and we rarely see her. Since that's the case, it's better to just not see her. Madam, just pretend that she doesn't exist in the household. Why bother getting angry with her?"
Seeing that Princess Jin remained turned away without reacting, she leaned down and whispered in her ear, "She is a member of the inner palace. It's already an exception that she's been outside the palace for so many years. Sooner or later she'll have to return to the palace. Can she really stay with you forever, my lady?"
Upon hearing this, Princess Jin looked up at Qiu You. Qiu You secretly gave Princess Jin a reassuring look. Princess Jin snorted and said, "For the sake of the palace, I will tolerate her for a few more days."
Seeing that Princess Jin's tone had softened, Qiu You quickly pressed her advantage: "Most of the items in those storerooms are imperial gifts, which have been carefully sealed and untouched for many years. This shows that while imperial gifts sound prestigious, they are actually very risky. If you accidentally offend someone, you'll suffer the consequences. Let Clerk Cui manage things if he wants. My lady, you have the resources at your disposal. What kind of jade can't you buy? Why insist on using those old, outdated items?"
After listening, Princess Jin pondered for a moment and agreed: "You're right, imperial gifts are a hot potato." Thinking that Yulang was about to enter officialdom, if someone with ulterior motives discovered that the jade ornaments he wore were imperial gifts, he would probably get into trouble. She was secretly glad that the jade material hadn't been used.
However, the jade's luster is truly delightful. With Yu Lang's demeanor and bearing, how could such impure and filthy jade be a suitable match? We must carefully select a superior piece of jade.
Thinking of this, Princess Jin made the following arrangements: "During your autumn outing, go and visit all the top jewelry shops in the capital. Ask them to bring out their finest jade materials so I can pick the best ones out."
Qiu You hurriedly replied, "Don't worry, my lady. Tomorrow I will go and call the managers of all the shops. You can also pick out a few pieces of jewelry and headwear."
Princess Jin lightly tapped Qiu You's forehead, teasing him with a mix of reproach and playfulness: "You're so thoughtful." Her gaze swept over the Spring Banquet, and just as she remembered something else, she casually asked, "Where's the land deed? Didn't you bring it back with you?"
Chunyan stepped forward and replied, "I asked the nanny in charge of the storeroom, and she said that although the house deeds and land deeds are on record, they are not in the storeroom, but are all in Qin An's hands."
If Cui Dianbu was the number one person Princess Jin disliked the most, then Qin An was undoubtedly the second most disliked. Seeing Princess Jin's face darken again, Qiu You quickly advised, "It's useless to take it now anyway. Why not wait until things settle down? Would Qin An still dare to hold onto it then? If we ask him for it now, Qin An is cunning and might come up with some underhanded tricks behind our backs, which would only make things worse."
Princess Jin also thought there was some truth to it. Once the palace agreed, would Qin An dare to disobey the imperial decree? She waved her hand and said, "Alright, let's just leave it there for now."
Both the autumn outing and the spring banquet breathed a sigh of relief and happily talked about other things, finally managing to steer the conversation away from this topic.
In the evening, after Qiu You helped Princess Jin lie down, he quietly turned off the light in the inner room and came out to see Chun Yan making the bedding in preparation for keeping watch in the outer room. He then pulled her outside.
He walked all the way to Chunyan's bedroom, glancing around to make sure no one on night duty was paying attention, before closing the door and whispering to Chunyan, "What happened during the day? Why did you touch my husband's private treasury, mistress?"
"After you left, my wife asked me to bring out all the household registers. Somehow, while looking at them, I saw the jade material and asked me to fetch it from the register."
Qiuyou slapped Chunyan's arm reproachfully: "You didn't even try to dissuade your wife from taking it. How could you actually go and bring it over? Don't you think about it? That's Alang's private treasury. Forget about whether it's an imperial gift or not, it's absolutely wrong for your wife to take Alang's old things to give to other men. Do you think Clerk Cui will cover for us? If the palace finds out, who knows how they'll blame us."
Chunyan felt a bit scared after hearing this and weakly defended herself, saying, "I didn't think that much at the time."
Qiu You paced around the house twice, sighing repeatedly: "I always feel uneasy. If my wife brings up any more house deeds or land deeds with Qin An, you must delay it as much as possible. It would be best if you could dissuade her from this idea. After all, my husband died a violent death. Now that he's trying to take over his private property, I feel really uneasy."
Chunyan felt a chill run down her spine after Qiuyou's words. She gripped Qiuyou's hand tightly, her voice trembling slightly, "Don't scare me. Prince Jin used to be quite easy to talk to. Besides, so many years have passed, he should be fine, right?"
Qiu You murmured "Amitabha," saying, "I hope nothing bad happens, but you absolutely mustn't go to Qin An's place. Qin An is utterly loyal to A Lang, and as an inner court official, he has countless connections within the palace. As long as Qin Dianbu doesn't make mistakes in his duties, he won't meddle, but Qin An will never tolerate you treating A Lang's old belongings like this. Now that the Emperor Emeritus has abdicated and the new Emperor has ascended the throne, I don't know what the palace's attitude is towards our household. It's best to avoid trouble if possible."
Chunyan was somewhat puzzled: "Last time I asked my wife, she said that it's only natural for men and women to marry, and even the sage can't say anything about it. Even if Qin An is dissatisfied with my wife, what can he do about it?"
"Silly Chunyan, that's not how it seems."
The two maids accompanying the Princess of Jin on the autumn outing and spring banquet were from her dowry. Because the Princess of Jin was marrying a prince of the imperial family, her family was worried that she would be alone and far away and would have no way to express her sorrow. That's why they carefully chose the maids to accompany her on the autumn outing and spring banquet.
Chunyan is honest and straightforward, while Qiuyou is meticulous and thoughtful. Even if she is neglected in the Prince's mansion later, she will still have someone to talk to and joke with.
Chunyan always listened to whatever the Princess Consort and Qiuyou said without much thought. Qiuyou had no choice but to speak frankly with her: "My lady has given away quite a few things from the manor over the years, and the number of things given to that Shuanghong Yuqing is countless. If Qin An has any ulterior motives and uses my lady to send out items bearing Alang's mark, then a charge of usurpation would be enough to make people suffer."
Chunyan disagreed: "Qin An wouldn't do that. Although he hasn't been very friendly to us, he hasn't made things difficult for us all these years. Qiuyou, aren't you overthinking it?"
"You can't judge a book by its cover. Who can say for sure? The palace doesn't keep fools." The conversation just now reminded Qiuyou, and she instructed Chunyan, "Tomorrow, find out the list of the lady's clothes, jewelry, and frequently used items, and we'll check it carefully together."
"What are you checking? Nothing's been stolen recently." Chunyan was completely confused by Qiuyou's explanation.
"Can you still distinguish which of your wife's headdresses, clothes, and household items are specifically for a princess, which were gifts from the palace, and which were added by your husband? You and I are used to the things we use in the mansion, let alone your wife. If you don't figure it out now, it will be against the rules if you continue to wear and use these things after you leave the mansion."
Chunyan suddenly realized and said "yes" several times. Qiuyou gave Chunyan a few more instructions before letting Chunyan go to keep watch at night.
The precautions taken during the autumn outing did not last long, as the Princess of Jin's memorial was eagerly sent to the palace.
A note from the author:
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