Upon arriving at Langrun Garden, Dingyi found that, contrary to what Chen Jing had said, the Noble Consort was not waiting for her to serve. The consort had risen early and was seated upright in the main hall, examining her chiseled armor with lowered eyes, not even lifting her eyelids at the sound of approaching footsteps.
The atmosphere was different—Dingyi had sensed it the moment she entered the garden. She had thought there would be no further turbulence regarding the marriage, but reality was always more unpredictable than expectations.
She stepped forward and curtsied, "Wishing the Noble Consort eternal blessings and peace."
The consort gave no response, leaving her to remain in that position. At first, it was bearable, but soon her calves began to cramp unbearably. This deep curtsy was a skill only palace maids practiced; outside, the Qi people were polite but exchanged greetings with a quick dip and rise on the streets—nothing like this prolonged ordeal. Dingyi inwardly groaned. It seemed the Noble Consort was making a show of authority, not merely instructing her in etiquette. Greater trials likely lay ahead.
Sure enough, the consort only allowed her to rise after finishing a cup of tea. Gritting her teeth, Dingyi straightened up, her lower half feeling numb. She steadied herself and bowed her head to await instructions. The consort spoke, "I summoned you today to clarify certain matters. A prince’s wedding is not something to be arranged lightly. Even common families inquire into a bride’s background! Tell me, do you know a man named Mu Liansheng?"
Dingyi’s heart skipped a beat—so this was the root of the trouble. She had only recently returned to the capital and had no intention of reconnecting with him. It wasn’t that she forgot old ties once elevated, but she feared Mu Liansheng was a bottomless pit, never satisfied no matter how much silver she gave. If he found out about her current situation, she would never shake off his demands—daily visits for money, threats of exposure at the slightest disagreement. Such a life would be endless.
Now, he had taken his grievances straight to the Noble Consort, likely having given up on extorting her directly. Dingyi sighed, her mind in turmoil. By nature, she was straightforward—if she had done something, she would admit it openly. But the timing was terrible, right in the midst of marriage negotiations. A bride with a tainted past would be rejected by most families, let alone the imperial household—the foremost family in the realm. Could she deceive them so easily?
She steeled herself. Even if it meant lying outright, nothing mattered more than being with the Twelfth Master.
She shook her head. "Your Grace, this servant does not know this person."
"Don’t know him?" The consort straightened, scoffing. "Wasn’t your alias Mu Xiaoshu? He was your foster father, who raised you for over a decade, toiling day and night to support your expenses in the capital. And now you claim not to know him? How easily you discard gratitude when profit is at stake."
Dingyi felt a surge of disdain. Mu had twisted the truth—she had stayed with the Mu family for six years, and after coming to the capital, he had hounded her for money intermittently. By any fair measure, she had long repaid whatever she owed for those six years of upkeep. Now, with him turning against her, she could hardly defend herself and could only stubbornly deny it. "Your Grace, do not heed baseless rumors. My acquaintance with the Twelfth Master is not a matter of days. Even if you distrust me, you should trust his judgment.""Why bring men into this? I'm asking you now—Twelfth Master is utterly bewitched by you. If we ask him, how much truth would he be able to discern?" Noble Consort's lips curled slightly downward as she scrutinized Dingyi from head to toe. "Aren't you supposed to be from a scholarly family? Don't you understand even the most basic etiquette? And yet you still dare to stand tall and answer me like this?"
Dingyi stiffened at her reprimand and immediately knelt to kowtow. "This servant was flustered. I beg the Noble Consort to forgive my offense."
Noble Consort cast her a disdainful glance. "You should be flustered. Denying it won’t help. Summon Mu Liansheng—let’s settle this face to face and get to the bottom of it."
Chen Jing, having received the order, went out to summon the man. Mu Liansheng entered with his head bowed and back hunched, kneeling and knocking his forehead against the floor. "This lowly Mu Liansheng kowtows to the Noble Consort, our revered Buddha."
Noble Consort commanded him to identify the person. "Turn around and look—is this the daughter you raised? Be certain, this is no joke. In two days, she’ll be the Secondary Wife of Prince Chun’s household. Slandering royalty is punishable by flaying and dismemberment."
Mu Liansheng gulped audibly. "This lowly one wouldn’t dare. I’m just a poor farmer—if not for the injustice, I wouldn’t have come to you. All these years, if not for merit, at least I’ve toiled hard. Yet now this girl won’t even acknowledge me as family. Thinking about it at night, my heart burns with resentment. Noble Consort, you are the reincarnation of Guanyin. I beg you to uphold justice for this lowly one."
Noble Consort had no patience for his grievances. She cared only about Wen Dingyi’s origins. With a jerk of her chin, she signaled for him to look, sitting back like a fisherman waiting for the final verdict.
Mu Liansheng tilted his head to peer at Dingyi and, without needing a second glance, declared firmly, "It’s her. Even if she turned to ashes, this lowly one would recognize her."
But Dingyi began to ponder. Mu Liansheng was a reckless fool with no strategy. No matter how much he hated her, at worst he’d complain to the Shuntian Prefecture or curse her in the communal courtyard. He’d never think to—nor have the means to—reach Noble Consort. Clearly, someone had guided him. If so, she could turn the tables. Coldly, she said, "You’ve been put up to this, haven’t you? Twelfth Master is currently handling a case involving certain people—I won’t name them, but you know who they are. They sent you here to disrupt Twelfth Master’s plans, didn’t they? Someone promised you silver, so you came before Noble Consort to slander me. How much did your master pay you? Name the sum, expose the one who bribed you, and Twelfth Master will reward you double." Then, turning to Noble Consort, she kowtowed again, shuffling forward on her knees to press close to the footrest, her voice trembling with tears. "Noble Consort... Mother, Twelfth Master and I love each other sincerely. Even if I suffer injustice today, I wouldn’t hesitate to die for him. Since you reside outside the Inner City, you may not know of the case Twelfth Master is handling—an old matter dredged up, bound to stir upheaval. He’s already overwhelmed by it. Mother, please don’t listen to slander or let others manipulate you."
Her words now carried some weight. Noble Consort fixed a piercing gaze on Mu Liansheng below and demanded sharply, "Is what she said true? If you dare lie even once, we’ll uncover it and ensure you die without a whole corpse!"Mu Liansheng was also panicking. Offending that side would truly mean certain death, so he could only cling stubbornly to his accusation. Prostrating on the ground, he said, "Your Noble Highness, you are wise and discerning. Can't you see she's using the Twelfth Master as a shield to exonerate herself? Ask her—isn't she Wen Lu's daughter? Isn't the case the Twelfth Master is handling related to Wen Lu? She got close to him just to exploit him. She slipped up herself, and I caught her red-handed."
Dingyi trembled with rage. This scoundrel—back when he was beaten half-dead in a ditch over gambling debts, if she hadn't fished him out, he’d have long been in the underworld. Now she truly regretted it. If she’d let him die then, none of this would be happening. Even after promising him money, he still wouldn’t relent. It seemed Prince Zhuang hadn’t just offered him silver but also held his life in his grip!
The Noble Consort, enlightened by Mu Liansheng’s words, exclaimed, "Wen Dingyi, Wen Lu... there’s no mistake. You seemed like such a decent girl, yet who’d have thought you’d be so cunning. Earlier, you said you were orphaned, and my heart truly ached for you. I thought, this child has had it hard. When the Empress pleaded for you, I softened and agreed. And this is how you repay us—scheming against my son and me? Let me make this clear: though your family once held high status, that’s in the past. Later, you disguised yourself as a man and even became a headsman. Who do you think the Twelfth Master is, to be trampled upon like this by you?"
She was already at a loss for words. The case hadn’t been fully tried yet, and admitting now would only mean death. All she could do was plead tearfully, "There are countless people surnamed Wen in this world—how can you be sure I’m Wen Lu’s daughter? I beg Your Highness to investigate thoroughly and not let enemies rejoice while loved ones grieve."
The Noble Consort spat, "Who’s your 'Highness'? Shameless! Still trying to weasel your way out at this point? Chen Jing, bring them in! Mu Liansheng’s testimony alone might be biased, but let those who lived with you day and night identify you. That way, there’ll be no mistake."
Dingyi turned her head in dread as her master, Xiazhi, and a few neighbors from the compound entered. A sinking feeling told her it was over. Even if her master and senior brother didn’t expose her, what about the others? She slumped to the ground. Fine—if this wasn’t her fate, no amount of striving would change it. She only worried that after this, the Twelfth Master’s impartiality in the case would be questioned. Mu Liansheng’s appearance couldn’t have been more perfectly timed.
Yet when her master entered, he didn’t even glance at her. Flicking his sleeves, he kowtowed and said, "Wu Changgeng, warden of Shuntian Prefecture, pays his respects to the Noble Consort."
The Noble Consort cut straight to the point. "Crow Cutter, how many apprentices have you taken?"
Wu Changgeng, rolling up his horse-hoof sleeves, replied, "Your Noble Highness, this humble one has only ever taken two apprentices—one named Xiazhi, the other Mu Xiaoshu."
The Noble Consort nodded. "Then where is Mu Xiaoshu now? Look at the person before you—is she your junior apprentice?"
Dingyi pressed her lips together and glanced at her master. Wu Changgeng’s gaze barely skimmed over her as he clasped his hands and said, "Your Noble Highness, my unfilial apprentice was a man, not some girl. He stayed with me for five or six years, closer to me than his own family. I couldn’t bear to see him spend his life as an executioner, so when he wanted to leave his post and serve in Prince Xian’s household, I didn’t stop him. Later, he followed the Seventh Prince to Ningguta. I don’t know what happened there, but... he never returned."His face was filled with sorrow, but the Noble Consort noticed it without saying a word. Chen Jing seized the moment to step forward and address the neighbors from Tongfu Lane, "What about you? Mu Xiaoshu lived in the same courtyard as you—don’t tell me you can’t recognize her." He turned and ordered someone to bring in a large tray. When the cover was lifted, it revealed neatly stacked silver ingots, each weighing twenty-five taels, totaling at least ten ingots. He sneered, "There’s no mouth in this world that silver can’t pry open. See this? All you have to do is speak up—confirm whether Mu Xiaoshu is the person standing before you. If you tell the truth, this silver is yours. Buy land, buy a house—whatever you please."
At the time, a liter of rice cost only fourteen or fifteen coins on the market. For these common folk, two hundred and fifty taels of silver was an astronomical sum—perhaps more than they could earn in a lifetime. The crowd exchanged uneasy glances, their mouths dry. Nodding would betray Wu Changgeng, but shaking their heads would betray themselves and their families. Just as they hesitated, Sanqingzi’s wife spoke up, "We can’t take this blood money. Sure, it might buy us a couple of carefree years, but we can’t frame an innocent person for it!" She glanced at Dingyi and pointed, "How is this Xiaoshu? Xiaoshu’s nose was flatter, and her eyes weren’t this big. Our Shu’er had a square face—this one’s oval! They’re completely different people!"
"Hey!" Mu Liansheng grew frantic. "Sanqingzi’s wife, just because your Shunzi took someone as a godmother doesn’t mean you can deceive the Noble Consort! Lying before Her Highness is a crime punishable by death!"
Sanqingzi’s wife spat, "You shameless old man! Back then, you’d block the alley every day, forcing Xiaoshu to earn money to support you. She was just a child, barely an apprentice with no money to give you, and you’d beat and curse her. Later, the poor girl had no choice but to push wheelbarrows hauling grain after work. Others carried three sacks per load, but she could barely manage one without stumbling. And you—you had the nerve to exploit her! Now that Xiaoshu’s gone, you’ve set your sights on an innocent person, trying to ruin them for dirty money. The heavens are watching you—watch out for a lightning strike that’ll damn you for eternity!"
What was meant to be a confrontation quickly devolved into chaos with the common folk present, everyone cursing up a storm, from ancestors to descendants. The Noble Consort’s head throbbed from the noise, and she summoned a group of eunuchs armed with clubs to silence anyone who dared shout. Once order was restored, she slapped the armrest of her chair and barked, "Such touching neighborhood loyalty! Wonderful. Drag them out and beat them until they tell the truth!"
The eunuchs acknowledged the order and were about to act when someone entered from outside. In the dead of winter, he fanned himself, his eyes glinting with mischief as he bowed playfully. "Hongtao pays his respects to the Noble Consort."
The Noble Consort was taken aback. "Seventh Lord, what brings you here?"
The Seventh Lord grinned. "It’s the New Year, after all. I acquired some fine cloud brocade and came to deliver it to the three Noble Consorts. When I entered the garden, I heard there was quite the spectacle here—how could I miss it?" He glanced around. "Master Wu is here too? What’s going on? Oh, and my twelfth brother’s wife is here as well?"Seventh Lord was a master at stirring up trouble. Once he arrived, the matter was as good as dead. The Noble Consort pulled a long face and said, "We're asking whether Dingyi is Mu Xiaoshu. The Twelfth Master can't marry a woman of unknown origins as his Secondary Wife. If he doesn't care about face, I still do!"
Seventh Lord slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Mu Xiaoshu? What a coincidence! You summoned her master, so why didn't you send for me? Mu Xiaoshu followed me to Ningguta and stayed by my side for over half a year—I know her well! Look at you with your silver and rods—anyone who didn't know better would think you're trying to bribe or extract a confession under torture!"
The Noble Consort looked at him, somewhat deflated. "Then tell us, Seventh Lord, is she Mu Xiaoshu or not?"
Seventh Lord turned to glance at Xiaoshu. It was only today that he had learned her real name. The thought pained him—they had all kept it from him, treating him like a fool, despite him having been utterly sincere with her.
He raised his head, a faint sorrow on his face. "No, my Shu'er... is lost. We made it to Suifenhe, fought with slave traders, and in all that danger, she was lost—gone. As for this sister-in-law of mine, just look at her. Does she seem like someone who's been rolling in mud and water? Others might not know the Twelfth Master, but you're his birth mother—how could you not know him? He may look refined, but he's sharper than a weasel inside. No one could deceive him. Don't worry about anything else now. Just remember this: the Twelfth Master's opponent this time is formidable. If you make him fight on two fronts, he'll resent you for it later. If they're happy together, let them be. Why make yourself the villain for nothing? If neither the palace nor the Changchun Garden says anything, you can enjoy your peace. Playing the villain only earns you scorn from both sides. Look at me—I've learned my lesson. I'm doing well now, helping others, and everyone likes me."
The Noble Consort blinked, at a loss for words. Every time she saw the Seventh Master, she felt a sense of helplessness. The man had transcended worldly concerns, and arguing with him was pointless. She stood up and looked down at Dingyi. "Enough, I'm tired. You'd better watch yourself. Go back and tell the Twelfth Master that if he wants a grand wedding, two bridal sedan chairs must enter together. I've already picked out his Principal Wife. Tomorrow, I'll go to the palace and then to the Changchun Garden. Your matter is settled." She then turned to Chen Jing and pointed. "Look at the kind of people you've brought here, playing children's games. Enough—chase them all out quickly. I don't want to see them anymore!"
Chen Jing, tail between his legs, obeyed with a "Yes" and herded everyone out like ducks.
Seventh Lord stepped forward to support Dingyi. Seeing her legs wobble, he had a young palace maid help her out. With tears in her eyes, she called to him, "Seventh Lord, did you come to save me?"
Hands behind his back, he tapped his folding fan against his spine. "Of course. I was accompanying my Mongolian wife to see the Empress when I ran into Sha Tong at the Shunzhen Gate. The Twelfth Master is in a Grand Council meeting and can't come immediately. I was so worried I even left my wife behind to rush here and save the day, lest you suffer."
She sighed. "I've been... plagued by misfortunes. I owe you everything."Speaking of this, Seventh Lord became even more upset. "You never treated me as one of your own..." He had a bellyful of words he wanted to pour out, but noticing extra ears nearby, he waved his fan to dismiss everyone. Then he stepped forward, offering his arm for her to lean on as they walked, chattering all the while: "So this is your real name... Dingyi is quite nice, but it still doesn't sound as good as Xiaoshu. From now on, I'll keep calling you Shu'er. My Mongolian Princess Consort is called something like Man... I found it too awkward to pronounce, so I changed it to Xiaoman. Adding that 'little' makes me think of you." He suddenly stopped in his tracks, looking at her with a woeful expression. "Shu'er, my Princess Consort is too fierce. If three sentences don't go her way, she rolls up her sleeves and starts hitting me—I've become a complete pushover. You're so much better. But why did you choose Hongce? He's only slightly more accomplished than me, yet you picked him and ended up with such a terrible mother-in-law to torment you. Why put yourself through this? Now with two bridal sedans entering the gate together, what are you planning to do? Does it hurt your heart? My shoulder's free—you can lean on it if you want!" Before Dingyi could react, he reached out and pulled her into his embrace.
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