Chapter 22 Filial piety and virtue are renowned within the court; perilous paths are entrusted to outsiders. ...
When Wen Shiqin woke up the next day, he felt a splitting headache. When he opened his eyes, he saw the shimmering water reflected in the cabin window and realized that he was in the cabin on the return journey.
He subconsciously reached out and touched his chest. His fingertips touched the silver hairpin, and his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, suddenly settled down. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Remembering that Mu Hualin was known for his high alcohol tolerance and would surely wake up earlier than him, he got up, straightened his clothes, and stepped out of the cabin. Sure enough, he saw him leaning against the side of the boat, his clothes fluttering slightly in the river breeze, gazing intently at the scenery where the water and sky met.
Wen Shiqin silently stepped forward, took out a silver hairpin from his sleeve and handed it over, his expression calm and unwavering.
"Oh, what does this mean? Are you going to give me this treasure?" Mu Hualin raised an eyebrow and smiled, "I am not worthy of it. If you regret it later and try to cut me with your sword, I will not be able to handle it."
“This isn’t mine; it belongs to the county princess,” Wen Shiqin said, his voice deepening.
Mu Hualin was taken aback upon hearing this, her eyes filled with surprise: "Yingying's?"
Mu Hualin scrutinized him for a long time and came to a conclusion.
"You're two-timing me?!"
Wen Shiqin rubbed his temples helplessly: "Please return this hairpin to me and tell her that I am not worthy of her affections. I hope she will find a good man soon and not be stuck with a commoner like me."
Wen Shiqin handed over the hairpin without saying another word, then turned and lifted the curtain to return to his cabin, leaving Mu Hualin standing alone on the ship's side.
The river breeze was still gentle, the river water was still clear, and egrets flew away in pairs, but Mu Hualin had no heart to appreciate it anymore. He remained motionless and silent for a long time.
After a long while, he gazed at the vast expanse of misty water and murmured something, his tone full of confusion and melancholy:
"Yingying... in what way am I inferior to him?"
This soft question drifted away on the river breeze, crossing north from Xiangzhou, heading straight for Bianjing, passing through misty waves and sandbars, finally gently stirring the plain-colored window screen in front of the dressing table of the young lady in the prince's mansion.
Cen Wanying was combing her hair by the window, lightly applying rouge. She was born with a noble and beautiful appearance, with round and lively eyes like a cat, and lips that were red without any rouge.
After the maid finished helping her with her makeup, she turned to the old nanny Song beside her and said, "Nanny, please tell my father that this coming-of-age banquet need not be too extravagant. Nowadays, the court is advocating that princes and nobles be frugal, and I don't like such grand occasions. It's too tiring to deal with people."
With a smile, Granny Song stepped forward and helped her adjust the silver hairpin in her dressing case: "Princess, you are as precious as gold and jade. This coming-of-age ceremony only happens once in your life. How could Prince Jing not care? This is not only out of affection for you, but also to maintain the dignity of the Prince's mansion. It will also let the young men who will seek your hand in marriage see that you are the Prince's darling. After the marriage, he will not dare to neglect you."
"Granny!" Cen Wanying's ears turned red, her brows furrowed slightly, and she placed the gold hairpin she had just put in her hair on the table. With a hint of reproach, but in a soft voice, she said, "If you say such things again, I'll get angry!"
Seeing her like this, Granny Song became curious: "Oh, what's wrong, Ying'er? Your coming-of-age ceremony is over, how far are you from finding your ideal husband? Perhaps the Prince will arrange a marriage for you this year!"
These words made Cen Wanying feel both ashamed and afraid. She had known for a long time that her father had been looking for a good husband for her, but she had just thought it was the usual path for young ladies and had agreed to it without hesitation.
But she had never seen such a gentle and pleasant morning at Jinming Pond.
The mimosa trees are laden with fruit, and the wind blows them all over the place. Looking up, I see a young man on the polo field, so dashing and charming.
He has still not returned the hairpin he hastily stuffed into his hand to express his feelings.
At first, feelings were expressed quietly, thoughts were kept to themselves, but later, having gained one's goal, one desires another.
After calming her chaotic thoughts and putting away her dressing case, Cen Wanying walked gracefully towards the study of the Prince of Jing.
The King of Jing and his queen were deeply in love in the past. The queen gave birth to several children, but unfortunately, she died young. All the children died young, and the queen herself also passed away. Only their daughter, Wanying, survived. Therefore, the King of Jing cherished her as the apple of his eye and loved her more than ever.
Upon arriving outside the study, one could see Qu Xianshang, the head of Hua Manzhu, standing by. This woman was originally the head embroiderer of the palace's embroidery academy. After leaving the palace, she established her own embroidery workshop. Furthermore, through her elder sister's marriage to Prince Jing as a concubine, she gained access to the embroidery professions of princes and nobles. Within a few years, she made Hua Manzhu the most outstanding embroiderer in Bianjing, a position that others could hardly match.
She was born with pearly white teeth and delicate features, and was pure and aloof. However, she was over thirty and still unmarried. Rumors began to circulate in the city that she had feelings for women. Someone once saw her drawing eyebrows for her personal embroiderer, and the rumors spread like wildfire, becoming a topic of conversation.
When she entered, Prince Jing was bent over his desk, writing with ink still wet on the Xuan paper. Upon seeing Cen Wanying, he put down his brush and said with a smile, "Ying'er, your coming-of-age ceremony is approaching. If you want any embroidery, fabric, or trendy items, just tell your aunt, and the manor will grant your request."
Cen Wanying approached the table, lowered her eyes and said, "Father, I don't want anything. I just want a simple coming-of-age ceremony."
Seeing her listless appearance, the King of Jing sensed something was amiss and asked gently, "Has someone mistreated you or wronged you? Tell your father, and I will stand up for you."
Cen Wanying's eyes suddenly reddened, and she looked up and said, "It is not that I have been wronged, but I am thinking that I am about to get married and will eventually have to leave my father... I do not want to get married early. I want to serve you by your side for a few more years, chat with you, and manage the affairs of the household."
These words struck at the heart of the King of Jing's weakness. He sighed and said, "How could your father not want you to stay? But a woman is born to be taken home, and she must eventually find a good man to love and protect you in your father's place. Rest assured, when I choose a husband for you, I will be extremely selective and you must nod in approval before it is settled. I will never let you suffer the slightest grievance."
Qu Xianshang, standing to the side, spoke up at the opportune moment, his voice warm and gentle: "Your Highness is known for his filial piety and virtue, and Ying'er also possesses a pure and filial heart. Such affection is truly rare."
Upon hearing this, the King of Jing immediately replied humbly, "Upholding filial piety is the duty of every child and is nothing unusual."
Before he could finish speaking, Qu Xianshang chimed in, "Your Highness is being too modest. Who in the capital doesn't know of your renowned filial piety? Now that the Dowager Consort's birthday is approaching, and it coincides with Ying'er's coming-of-age ceremony, such a double celebration, Your Highness must have already made plans for it?"
When the topic of his birth mother's birthday banquet came up, a cloud of sorrow appeared on the King of Jing's face.
Previously, the Emperor had held a grand birthday banquet for the Empress Dowager, where many learned scholars gathered, and their poems and essays all praised the Emperor's filial piety, making his reputation for filial piety and virtue spread throughout the land. However, this word "filial piety" had always been a mark that Prince Jing regarded as a guiding principle. His filial piety towards his parents was known to everyone in the capital, but now it had been overshadowed by the Emperor's prestige, and the face-conscious Prince Jing was already filled with resentment.
With his birth mother's birthday approaching, although he dared not overstep the official regulations, he was unwilling to be outdone. He immediately said to Qu Xianshang, "Can your embroidery workshop finish embroidering some scrolls of the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars? The Dowager Consort has always loved needlework, and she will surely be pleased to see them. As for the expenses, even if it costs ten thousand taels of gold, you may ask for it."
Upon hearing this, Qu Xianshang looked troubled: "Your Highness may not know, but there is only half a month left until the Dowager Consort's birthday, and Hua Manzhu also needs to prepare for Ying'er's coming-of-age ceremony. I am really too busy to take on this task."
Upon hearing this, the King of Jing sighed and softened his tone: "Very well, if we really can't make it in time, we'll just find some other ingenious ideas."
Unexpectedly, Qu Xianshang changed the subject, seemingly casually offering a suggestion: "Your Highness, don't be anxious. A few days ago, I met an embroiderer from Huayun Pavilion. She mentioned something, saying that the embroiderer from Huayun Pavilion is an extremely skilled needleworker, and she usually embroiders verses from the Classic of Filial Piety and similar works."
"More importantly, that beautiful lady often said that embroidering mourning items requires ingenuity and sincerity, rather than simply piling up hours of work..."
Upon hearing these words, the King of Jing was immediately displeased.
These words seemed to expose the rumors he had been keeping hidden, subtly mocking his emphasis on pomp and circumstance over sincerity, directly hitting his sore spot of being concerned with saving face.
His face instantly hardened, his brows furrowed, and he scoffed coldly, "Oh? Since you have such skill and such insight, then let Huayun Pavilion embroider this scroll painting."
"Go and deliver this message immediately, giving Huayun Pavilion half a month to complete this task. If they fail to finish the embroidery, it will be disrespectful to the imperial family and the royal family!"
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