The courtyard was draped in white mourning, a sight that tugged at Yan Ning's heart. Having not left her room for months, Yan Ning's complexion was sickly and sallow, causing both De Xuan and Yun Wan anxiety.
The rustling of hanging flower garlands and the fragrance of chrysanthemums lifted the curtains hanging above the crystal curtains. In past winters, even in the freezing cold, Yan Ning disliked the curtains covering the crystal curtains during the day. Now, in late winter, Yan Ning had never interfered with such matters. The mansion was heated by an underfloor heating system, and the curtains held a mixture of warm and cool air, creating wisps of steam.
"Madam, it's very warm outside today, why don't you go for a walk?"
After a long while, Yan Ning finally turned to look at Ju Xiang beside her. People in the manor and the capital had long since changed how they addressed her. Yet, whenever she heard the words "Fu Jin," she wanted to avoid them. If there were no title of Fu Jin, and if Fu Kang'an were still alive, she would simply be Lady Fucha.
Juxiang stood by the bedside, looking at Yan Ning, whose face showed pain. She also didn't want to call Yan Ning "Madam," lest it cause her heartache. But it was the rule, and she couldn't violate the etiquette.
Having emerged from his grief, the Emperor Emeritus bestowed marriages upon Yunwan and Wuergong'a, and upon Yunxin and Prince Yi, Ci Mianyu, on the same day. Yan Ning was shocked. Even Heshen and Fu Chang'an were unaware of Yunwan and Wuergong'a's affair; only the Fucha family knew. How did the Emperor Emeritus find out? If it was merely a coincidence, it seemed far too much of a coincidence! With Heshen's help, she entered the palace to meet the Emperor, hoping to ascertain his intentions.
The two emperors, each the highest ruler, resided in the Forbidden City, causing auspicious clouds to float above it. Yan Ning stepped onto the palace bricks once more, but she could no longer recall the trepidation she felt upon her first entry. Back then, all was well. Now, however, the old acquaintances were gone, and the new ones were oblivious to the past sorrows.
The Empress Dowager was gone, Consort Rong was gone, and most of the concubines who were over fifty years old had also passed away. The Emperor, out of filial piety, still selected concubines for the retired Emperor, but for the retired Emperor who was over eighty years old, those honors were nothing more than superficial honors.
Yan Ning, dressed in a deep crimson cheongsam, crossed the palace thresholds. Since Fukang'an's death, she had worn only deep crimson clothing. The common people knew that Fukang'an favored deep crimson, and seeing Yan Ning wearing this color every day, they called deep crimson the color of good fortune. Women hoped their beauty would be as striking as Yan Ning's, while men hoped their careers would rise as smoothly as Fukang'an's.
Having spent over twenty years in the capital, Yan Ning had mastered the calligraphy of regular script, clerical script, and seal script; she could recite the Four Books on Men and Women; and she could distinguish the four types of brocade from Jiangnan. The man who had initially drawn her into the vortex of palace politics was no longer there; to her, the vast and cold Forbidden City was now an empty city.
At the entrance of the Sanxi Hall, Wu Shulai informed Yan Ning that since Fukang'an's coffin returned to the capital, the Emperor Emeritus had spent half a day in the Sanxi Hall every day. Yan Ning looked at the Emperor Emeritus sitting on the warm couch. The room was unlit, and all she could see was a blurry black shadow with a hunched back.
She walked to the Emperor Emeritus's side and knelt down to pay her respects. The Emperor Emeritus stared only at the items that Fukang'an had treasured for decades after Yan Ning returned to the capital and sent to him, and said in an aged voice, "Have you come to inquire about Yunwan's marriage? I am not confused!"
Yan Ning knelt beside the Emperor Emeritus, and things gradually became clearer in her eyes. The Emperor Emeritus's bright yellow dragon robe shimmered with a faint golden light, illuminating his deeply lined face.
She knew in her heart that the Emperor Emeritus had done this to eliminate any future pretext for the Emperor to attack or slander Fukang'an's reputation. She looked to the Emperor Emeritus's side and asked the question that Fukang'an would ask if he knew his true identity: "If Fukang'an were not a member of the imperial family, would the Emperor Emeritus still be willing to treat him this way?"
Upon hearing this, the Emperor Emeritus chuckled a few times, tapping his hand on the table filled with Fukang'an's treasured possessions, as if rebuking Yan Ning for her shallowness. "Do you think my bond with Kang'er and his father is based on this? Do you still care about blood ties? Truth and falsehood, falsehood and truth! Only this affection is real!"
Yan Ning was taken aback. She didn't understand what the Emperor Emeritus meant by that, but in her heart, she agreed with his words. As long as the feelings were genuine, what did it matter if their identities were real or fake?
Another sweltering summer has arrived, and the mourning clothes in the mansion have finally been replaced with red silk. Yunwan and Yunxin sat side by side in front of the dressing table. Yan Ning's face showed her mother's satisfaction. She first combed Yunxin's hair, reciting the words that Granny Fushou had taught her.
"One comb to the end, a harmonious marriage; two combs to the end, flying wing to wing; three combs to the end, a lifelong bond of love."
Both were principal wives, so they wore bright red wedding gowns, which made their faces even more beautiful. Marriage should be a joyous occasion, but the two women looked at Yan Ning through the bronze mirror with reddened eyes.
June flowers and butterflies fluttered, their fragrance filling the air. Music drifted over the courtyard walls, reaching the ears of those inside. Yan Ning saw the two out of their chambers, her heart less joyful than the music. De Lin and De Xuan, their faces beaming with happiness, stood guard outside, ready to escort Yun Wan and Yun Xin to their wedding. Yan Ning stood on the steps, embracing Yun Wan and Yun Xin, their heads covered by red veils adorned with mandarin ducks, and whispered softly, “You are married now, unlike in your own home. You must not act willfully, nor should you wrong yourselves. You are marrying members of the imperial clan, and will inevitably live in the same courtyard as concubines. Remember, daughters of the Fucha family must not harbor jealousy and harm others or children!”
Then, Yan gazed at Delin and Dexuan. "If you suffer any injustice from your husband, remember that you still have brothers in your mother's family to stand up for you!"
Upon hearing this, Delin avoided Yan Ning's gaze. He had informed the Emperor Emeritus about the matter between Yunwan and Wuergong'a, so that his father's special status would not become a reason for the Emperor to make things difficult for the Fucha family in the future.
De Xuan, also puzzled by Yan Ning's words, waved his fist and smiled, "If my two brothers-in-law dare to bully my sisters, I'll punch them and make sure even their concubines won't recognize them!"
With her red veil covering her face, Yunwan lifted her skirt and kicked Dexuan, feigning anger, "If you dare to ruin Wuergong'a's face, I'll beat you so badly that even your mother won't recognize you!" Dexuan jumped to avoid Yunwan's kick and looked at Yan Ning with an innocent expression.
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