Chapter 12 Pei Yu: "Song Huiyin is nothing special..."
"Tao Ao".
The sudden sound attracted everyone's attention, even Madam Pei, who was returning to her room, stopped in her tracks.
Huiyin glanced down at the pitiful He Jiaying, then stepped forward with neither servility nor arrogance. "You are highly respected and were sent by Her Majesty the Empress to assist Madam in managing the household. But in the end, Madam is the true mistress of the Pei family, isn't she?"
Tao Ao narrowed her eyes and instantly understood Huiyin's thoughts. She asked, "Madam Song, you are the victim in today's drama. If the truth had not been found out, you would be the one being tortured on the ground right now. If you were the one being tortured, I'm afraid I would beat you to death and no one would have the heart to plead for you."
"Hasn't it happened yet?" Huiyin retorted.
Tao Ao was puzzled and looked at Huiyin with a question in her mind. But then she saw the beautiful young woman help up He Jiaying, who was unsteady on her feet, and put her into the arms of the worried Shuying behind her.
Then, she heard Huiyin's voice. Huiyin seemed to be speaking to her, but also to He Jiaying: "I never think about things that haven't happened yet. I only look at the present moment and act according to my heart."
Tao Ao saw Huiyin turn her head and smile at her, but the words she uttered were as heavy as a thousand pounds.
"Madam is the mistress of the Pei family. She can decide our fate, whether we stay or leave, and punish us. Madam is the Empress's sister-in-law and General Pei's birth mother. She is also the most honored person in the Pei family. Although she doesn't manage affairs much, she has the final say in the inner quarters. Even the Empress cannot disregard Madam's reputation. Tao Ao, don't you agree?"
Tao Ao lowered her head and remained silent. Huiyin's words, on the surface, were a reminder, but in reality, they were a warning to her, a warning that as a servant, she had overstepped her bounds and acted as the mistress of the manor. She also remembered what the young general had told her before he left: the mistress was gentle by nature and asked her to be more tolerant.
At first glance, these words seem insignificant, but upon closer examination, they are strikingly similar to Huiyin's words, both subtly urging her to respect the female ruler as the head.
Tao Ao broke out in a cold sweat instantly. Yes, she had always relied on being bestowed by the Empress and had been arrogant ever since arriving at the Pei residence, often overstepping the Empress's authority to make decisions. The Empress was not concerned with domestic affairs and would let her have her way, but would the Young General tolerate a servant woman bullying his mother?
Besides, she has already left the palace and will never be able to return to the Empress's side. She will probably grow old and die in the Pei family. She must not offend the Empress and the young general.
Having figured out the key to it, Tao Ao put down the moss-covered board in her hand and respectfully knelt down to Madam Pei, saying, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I have overstepped my bounds. Please punish me."
Madam Pei stared blankly at her, then turned to look at Huiyin, her mouth moving, but she didn't know what to say.
Huiyin sighed and walked to her side to remind her, "Aunt Tao was also doing this for the Pei family, so how can she be considered guilty?"
Madam Pei immediately chimed in, "Yes, yes, if it weren't for your help all these years, the Pei family would probably be in chaos." She wiped the fine sweat from her forehead and secretly glanced at Huiyin under her sleeve.
Huiyin: "..." She really couldn't imagine how someone as gentle as Madam Pei could raise such a sharp-tongued son as Pei Yu.
She gestured for Madam Pei to look at the injured He Jiaying. After Madam Pei understood, she said, "Jiaying was indeed at fault today and deserves to be punished! However, these twenty strokes of moxa will definitely disfigure her. If a young woman has a wound on her face, that is a huge matter. In my opinion, she has already learned her lesson today, so the remaining moxa punishment can be waived and replaced with a month of confinement."
Madam Pei's tone became stern. She looked at He Jiaying and said, "If you do it again, your aunt will not protect you. You should pack your bags and go back to your hometown in Yizhou."
Ignoring Shuying's attempt to help her from behind, He Jiaying pushed her away and knelt on the ground, sobbing, "Auntie, please put it down. Jiaying will remember this and will never do it again."
Tao Ao nodded in agreement. Madam Pei did indeed have the air of a matriarch.
Huiyin stood aside and witnessed the end of this farce from beginning to end. After Tao Ao used both kindness and threats, the maids in the courtyard turned pale with fright and swore that they would not reveal a word about what happened today.
Looking at Huiyin's pale face, Madam Pei felt immediately guilty. She took Huiyin's hand and said softly, "My good child, I'm so sorry you had to suffer like this. Don't worry, I will definitely make it up to you. Poor thing, why is your face so pale? Go back and rest quickly!"
Huiyin subconsciously raised her hand to touch her face, and when she looked down, she saw that her slender fingers were covered with fine lead powder. She quickly wiped it off on her dress with her hands behind her back. Fortunately, Madam Pei hadn't touched her face, and she almost gave herself away.
Madam Pei was busy calling a doctor to treat He Jiaying's injuries and didn't notice Huiyin's subtle actions. However, Tao Ao, with her keen eyes, saw through Huiyin's trick.
Instead of exposing her, she stepped forward and curtsied, saying, "I have long heard Her Majesty the Empress say that Lady Song is extremely intelligent, and seeing her today, I can confirm that she is indeed extraordinary. If you hadn't pointed it out to me, I'm afraid I would still be in the dark."
Seeing that she wasn't angry at being offended, but instead sincerely thanked her, Huiyin instantly breathed a sigh of relief. She had cleverly used a scheme to her advantage today, managing to appease He Jiaying while also winning over Madam Pei.
However, the matter of Tao Ao was unexpected. When she saw Tao Ao and Madam Pei confronting each other, she felt something was wrong. Pei Yu's regard for his mother was obvious to all, so how could he tolerate someone else putting pressure on Madam Pei?
Seeing that Tao Ao possessed an extraordinary demeanor and was a gift from Empress Pei in the palace, she risked speaking up, hoping to enlighten her. Fortunately, the people around Empress Pei were not fools, and she understood everything after only a few words.
Huiyin returned the greeting to Tao Ao, saying, "I dare not, it was merely a matter of taking advantage of the situation."
Looking at the graceful young woman before her, as beautiful as the moon and as gentle as spring, Tao Ao couldn't help but sigh. With such talent and magnanimity, no matter where Huiyin was, she would one day rise to great heights.
She also understood why Empress Pei insisted on making Huiyin the Crown Princess despite the Emperor's opinion; it wasn't because she valued Huiyin's background, but because she valued her as a person.
On the way back, Huiyin's usual gloom vanished, and a long-lost smile appeared on her face. Her steps were light and agile, like the wind and a willow. Yan Niang seemed to see the carefree Huiyin of the past, a girl full of youthful spirit, so radiant that one couldn't bear to disturb her.
Huiyin picked a peony that was in full bloom in the greenhouse, tucked it into the right side of her hair, and asked Yanniang cheerfully, "Do I look good like this?"
Yan Niang's eyes were filled with tenderness. The young girl was dressed in simple clothes, with her hair tied in a single bun. Her hair fell softly to her ears and fluttered in the breeze.
The vibrant peony in her hair could not diminish the beauty of her features. She quickly exclaimed, "This servant has not read many books, but to borrow a saying from the ancients, if not for the descent of a fairy from the Jade Terrace, how could the peony have been overshadowed by the dust of the world!"
Her head-shaking and swaying as she recited amused Huiyin, who then affectionately took Yanniang's arm and complained in a seemingly distressed manner, "Mother Fu, you're just good at flattering me!"
Yan Niang stroked Huiyin's silky hair and asked the question that had been bothering her: "Was it out of pity for He Jiaying just now?"
Huiyin gazed at the kingfisher soaring high in the distance, her eyes drifting into the distance: "I am not the kind of person who repays evil with kindness. She bullied me like that, and she deserved to be taught a lesson. Madam Pei favors her, and I also need to win Madam Pei's favor. If I really caused her any problems today, do you think Madam Pei will blame Tao Ao or me?"
Yan Niang didn't reply, so naturally she blamed Hui Yin; people's hearts are always biased.
As soon as the two returned to Linshui Pavilion, a large group of maids filed in carrying trays. Chunfen, who was beside Madam Pei, said respectfully, "Madam Song, these are the clothes and jewelry that the Lady has prepared for you. Please take a look. If there is anything you don't like, please let us know."
Huiyin counted the past twelve finished garments, each with vibrant colors and outstanding embroidery. They were made of the finest Shu brocade, clearly crafted by Yuyi Pavilion, the largest garment workshop in the capital.
She raised her hand to touch the pearl-encrusted hairpin and asked, "I am just a concubine, aren't these things too presumptuous?"
Chunfen flattered, "Madam Song, please don't say that. You are now the apple of the eye of the Queen and the Young General, so it is only right that you do so."
If it were the Huiyin of the past, she would have been overjoyed to see such jewels and fine clothes. But now, she felt nothing at all. She nodded perfunctorily and instructed Yanniang to accept the gifts.
Seeing Huiyin's indifferent expression, Chunfen suspected that she did not like the things that had been sent, so she quickly explained, "The Lady has also instructed the tailors in the manor to come tomorrow to take measurements for Lady Song. She has opened the manor's treasury and instructed the tailors to go there and choose the fabrics of their choice to make spring clothes for you."
The Pei family was incredibly wealthy, and Huiyin had only scratched the surface of it. She shook her head and said, "No need. This is more than enough. Please pass on a message to Madam: I'd like to go out of the mansion tomorrow to visit the former site of the Song family. I wonder if that's possible?"
Seeing that Huiyin seemed uninterested, Chunfen had no choice but to agree, bow, and take his leave.
In the evening, Huiyin hunched over a lacquered table, studying a map of Chang'an. She planned to leave the mansion the next day to investigate.
On the sandalwood desk, Huiyin's delicate hands traced the yellowed tiger-skin map. She removed her hairpins and wore only a pink, straight-hemmed robe with wide sleeves rolled up at her arms. Every now and then, she picked up a pen and began to record something on bamboo slips.
A censer of sandalwood burned beneath the lotus-shaped candlestick on the left, its smoke rising slowly. The windowsill was not closed, leaving only a sliver of the setting sun slanting across it.
Yan Niang knelt before the candlestick, glancing at Huiyin with a faint smile from time to time, her needle and thread never ceasing. Before long, a lifelike flower bud began to take shape.
A gentle evening breeze swept by, and the room was filled with tranquility.
Asang carried a lacquer tray into the house, on which was placed a gilded animal-shaped waist plaque with a wolf tooth hanging from the bottom.
"Just now, Chunfen from the Lady's courtyard came and asked me to pass this item on. She also left a message: The Lady bestows an inner courtyard waist token, which can be used to enter and leave the mansion, dispatch the stables, and mobilize the guards in the mansion to accompany you."
"Understood, you may leave." Huiyin took the waist token and examined it. The pattern looked familiar; she felt like she had seen it somewhere before, but couldn't quite place it.
Huiyin hadn't rested well last night either, and by the time of Xu (7-9 PM), she felt exhausted. Yanniang, who had been watching over her, got up to tidy up her desk and urged her, "It's getting late. You haven't had a good rest for several days, and you still have dark circles under your eyes. Go and get some rest."
Huiyin raised her hand to cover her yawn, squinted, and climbed onto the bed. Yanniang carefully tidied the bedding beside her, reached out and touched Huiyin's forehead, and whispered, "Sweet dreams."
She turned off the light, slowly retreated outside, her footsteps fading into the distance. Huiyin fell into a deep sleep, dreaming of someone she could never have dreamed of.
That happened at the selection banquet for the imperial concubines. Because the Empress had privately revealed that she was to be chosen as the Crown Princess, she was surrounded by people flattering her throughout the banquet. She finally managed to escape and find a quiet place to relax.
Huiyin was leisurely sunbathing on a swing in the flowerbed when she suddenly heard a noise ahead. She sat up and looked over. Two men walked into a pavilion not far away, one after the other. She recognized one of them; he was the Crown Prince, the main guest of this banquet.
Another man, with his back to her, was tall and slender, with an extraordinary air about him. A beast-patterned waist badge hung from his lean waist, its pattern ancient and its shape strange. He lay casually in the pavilion, talking to the people around him.
From her angle, she could only see the man's slender waist outlined by his black robe, and the pavilion was filled with the aroma of wine flowing through the water.
Hearing his languid voice, Huiyin blurted out something unusually nasty. He said to the Crown Prince sitting upright, "My aunt said that Song Huiyin is intelligent, knows the big picture, and is worthy of the position of Crown Princess. But after seeing her today, she is nothing special. She is just a vulgar person with only a pretty face."
Huiyin snapped the peony in her hand. She leaned down to listen. Aunt, who else could it be but that young killing god, so familiar with the Crown Prince?
She had heard of his valiant military exploits and unparalleled bravery in the army, and admired him greatly as a young hero. Now, however, she realized how outrageous he was, casually criticizing other women in private without ever looking in the mirror to see how much better he was himself.
Huiyin listened intently in the flowerbed. After a while, she heard the Crown Prince speak up for her: "Cousin, you must not speak ill of women! I have met Miss Song several times, and she is not as despicable as you say."
Huiyin didn't hear the rest of their conversation, but the phrase "nothing special" left a deep impression on her, especially that languid tone.
Her first impression of Pei Yu was that he was eccentric and unruly, lacking any gentlemanly qualities, and was one of the people she hated most in her life.
A note from the author:
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Thanks to that lazy bum who just wants to eat, drink, and wait to die for the two bottles of nutrient solution!
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