Youthful Glory

Due to the imperial marriage decree, Ming Tan had little appetite for several days in a row. Strangely, no one noticed her low spirits. The entire household, though not going so far as to hang lanterns and decorations, was brimming with pride and joy.

On the day the decree was announced, the monthly wages of all the servants in the mansion were tripled. When the young maids went out to buy cosmetics, the shopkeepers, upon hearing they were from the Marquis Jing'an's household, not only sold them goods but also insisted on throwing in two boxes of osmanthus hair oil as gifts.

Visitors bearing congratulatory gifts arrived in an endless stream, with excuses so varied they couldn’t be refused. Invitations for Madam Pei and the young ladies of the Ming family piled up like snowflakes.

If Ming Tan was usually the little ancestor of the Marquis Jing'an's household, now she was the grand ancestor. Every eye in the mansion was fixed on Zhaoshui Courtyard, afraid she wouldn’t make enough demands to let them prove their devotion.

"...Oh, and even the little maids sweeping outside the courtyard are over the moon these days. When they go out, they walk with their backs so straight—girls of eleven or twelve, and everyone calls them 'elder sister' now. Isn’t that amusing, miss?"

Lü'e chattered away while combing Ming Tan’s hair. "Suxin and I have also basked in your glory. Brocade Workshop and Gold Inlay Pavilion sent us clothes and jewelry.

"Miss, you wouldn’t believe it—when word got out that the Consort of Prince Dingbei favored Brocade Workshop and Gold Inlay Pavilion’s garments and headpieces, people flocked there to place orders. The queue for custom jewelry at Gold Inlay Pavilion is now booked until early next year!

"Of course, no matter how busy they are, your orders naturally take priority. The manager of Gold Inlay Pavilion said they’re crafting a brand-new set of headpieces for you, and you’re sure to love them!"

Suxin, rarely one to join in the banter, chimed in this time. "What’s so surprising about that? Miss is Gold Inlay Pavilion’s great benefactor. They’ve always prioritized her requests."

Suxin wasn’t wrong. Brocade Workshop and Gold Inlay Pavilion indeed shared a deep connection with Ming Tan.

Two years ago, Ming Tan had designed a new style herself and commissioned the then-popular Pearl Gaze Pavilion to craft a filigree gold-and-jade 'Embrace of Blessings' hairpin as a wedding gift for her cousin.

Not wanting anyone to know about the gift in advance, she had deliberately kept her identity hidden when sending her maid to place the order.

But Pearl Gaze Pavilion was known for judging clients by their appearance. While they usually treated the marquis’s household with utmost respect, seeing the plainly dressed and unfamiliar maid, they assumed she was from an ordinary wealthy family and casually assigned the task to an apprentice craftsman.

The apprentice, lacking skill and fond of cutting corners, skimped on materials. When the finished hairpin was delivered to Ming Tan, she immediately spotted the flaws.

She kept her displeasure to herself, simply finding another gift for her cousin while secretly commissioning the newly opened and struggling Gold Inlay Pavilion to recreate the hairpin according to her original design.

A few days later, during a flower-viewing banquet where noble ladies chatted about their latest acquisitions of clothes and jewelry, Ming Tan brought out both hairpins for comparison. Without saying much, she casually praised Gold Inlay Pavilion’s craftsmanship.

To the untrained eye, the differences might have seemed negligible. But these noblewomen had sharp eyes—they could tell the quality of materials and craftsmanship at a glance.

Overnight, Pearl Gaze Pavilion, once highly favored, quietly fell out of grace among the elite young ladies.Some noble and wealthy young ladies gradually noticed that the jewelry from Wangzhu Pavilion was no longer in vogue. Everyone had turned their attention to the newly opened Cuojin Pavilion in the northern part of the city, and Wangzhu Pavilion's business had visibly plummeted.

Cuojin Pavilion and Jinxiu Workshop shared the same owner. Back then, Ming Tan had helped Cuojin Pavilion establish its footing among the numerous jewelry shops in the capital with just a few words. The owner and the shopkeeper were deeply grateful and always went above and beyond when handling matters for the Marquis Jing'an's household.

Now that Ming Tan was the future Consort of Prince Dingbei, both shops had risen in prominence due to her favor. Just as Suxin had said, it was perfectly normal for them to prioritize crafting exquisite headpieces for her over others.

However, neither Suxin, Lü'e, nor even Ming Tan herself knew that this time, their diligence stemmed from a slightly different reason than before.

"Wh-what? His Majesty has bestowed a marriage upon the Prince? The Consort is... that youngest daughter of the Marquis Jing'an's household?" Uncle Fu, the chief steward of Prince Dingbei's residence, was so shocked upon hearing the news of the imperial marriage decree that his eyes nearly popped out of his head.

Yet the servant delivering the message couldn't help but feel that Uncle Fu's surprise seemed mixed with an inexplicable joy. Bowing respectfully, the servant replied, "Uncle Fu, it's absolutely true. The imperial decree has already been announced, and by now, the entire capital must know."

Upon hearing this, Uncle Fu stood up, clasped his hands behind his back, and paced around in circles, muttering to himself, "An imperial marriage decree... so the Prince must have agreed to the match? If the Prince were unwilling, His Majesty wouldn't have issued the decree..."

Thinking it over, Uncle Fu nodded, convinced that this matter was quite reliable.

When Jiang Xu returned to the residence that evening, Uncle Fu seized the opportunity to observe his expression while delivering the account books.

Their Prince didn't seem displeased, so he mustered the courage to ask, "Your Highness, I heard His Majesty has decreed your marriage to the fourth young lady of the Marquis Jing'an's household?"

Jiang Xu didn't even glance at the account books, simply lifting his eyes and saying, "Uncle Fu, speak your mind."

"Then this old servant shall speak?" Uncle Fu ventured cautiously. Seeing Jiang Xu's tacit approval, he straightened up and began animatedly, "This old servant believes His Majesty's choice is excellent! Your Highness, you're usually occupied with military campaigns and affairs, so you don't pay attention to these noble young ladies. But this old servant knows—that young lady Ming is truly outstanding among the capital's elite maidens! Most importantly, she is exceptionally kind-hearted!"

Kind-hearted?

Jiang Xu glanced at Uncle Fu.

"Does Your Highness know about Cuojin Pavilion, which opened under our residence's name two years ago?"

The Prince's household owned numerous businesses, usually managed by Uncle Fu and other trusted stewards. How could Jiang Xu possibly remember every shop?

Uncle Fu didn't expect him to know either and continued, "Two years ago, just after Cuojin Pavilion opened, war broke out in the north. That corrupt official from the Ministry of Revenue embezzled military funds and deceived the court. You sent an urgent message eight hundred li away, ordering our household to raise military provisions first. Three batches in total—millions of taels of silver!

"Our household managed to produce the funds, but raising them so urgently forced us to close many shops. It wasn't a prosperous season, and many businesses couldn't stay afloat. Thankfully, the newly opened Cuojin Pavilion had income to cover the losses of other shops. And this Cuojin Pavilion is closely connected to that young lady of the Marquis Jing'an's household..."

Jiang Xu patiently listened as Uncle Fu recounted the connection between Cuojin Pavilion and his future Consort.

As he spoke, Uncle Fu's address for her unconsciously shifted from "the youngest daughter of the Marquis Jing'an's household" to "the Consort.""...Our princess consort has always held Cuojin Pavilion in high esteem. Upon hearing that Jinxiu Workshop shares the same owner, she's also grown quite fond of their garments. So I've always instructed our shopkeepers to serve her with utmost care. Since it wasn't anything significant, I never mentioned it before. Don't you think this marriage arrangement is most fortuitous, bound by fate?"

"..."

Jiang Xu understood Uncle Fu's implication. What he didn't understand was how this related to kindness.

Uncle Fu continued enthusiastically: "I've already planned everything—our princess consort must become the most distinguished young lady in the capital! I've given orders to present her with a jewelry set from Cuojin Pavilion, using that box of premium pearls from our princely vault! Those luminous pearls are truly one in ten thousand—even Her Majesty the Empress probably doesn't possess their equal. What does Your Highness think?"

"..."

Hadn't he already given the orders?

Rubbing his brow, Jiang Xu responded indifferently: "You may decide."

While Uncle Fu was determined to bolster his princess consort's prestige, the truth was Ming Tan—the betrothed of Prince Dingbei—already commanded immense respect in the capital, with or without those pearls.

The title of future Princess Consort of Dingbei certainly satisfied Ming Tan's vanity. Yet whenever she contemplated the endless troubles awaiting her after marriage, along with the appearance and demeanor she particularly cared about, her smile would vanish.

That day, Zhou Jingwan and Bai Minmin visited to arrange flowers with her. Distractedly trimming branches with shears, Ming Tan kept voicing her dissatisfaction with the marriage arrangement.

Her unsettled mood reflected in the haphazard floral arrangement—lacking all elegance and refinement.

Bai Minmin could understand Ming Tan's preference for Second Young Master Shu. What puzzled her was why Prince Dingbei should be as unworthy as Ming Tan claimed.

"With all this talk of him being a brute," Bai Minmin asked curiously, "have you actually seen him?"

"Of course I have—at the Lantern Festival palace banquet."

"...?"

"I was seated much closer than you, and even I couldn't see clearly. How could you?"

Mingtan snipped decisively: "Why would I need to see clearly? Don't you remember what he said to Gu Jiurou!"

"Jingwan explained last time—His Majesty intended to deal with Marquis Cheng'en's household. His Highness was merely following the imperial will. Besides, I stole a glance during the banquet from my relatively close seat. Though unclear, he appeared quite majestic from afar."

Mingtan retorted: "Would you say my father appears majestic too? Of course a hulking brute would! Even a wild boar would seem majestic to you!"

Zhou Jingwan coughed delicately behind her sleeve: "A Tan, isn't this prejudice against your future husband when you've never properly met?"

How could she not be prejudiced?

Arrogant words, ruthless killings, with subordinates like the reckless Shen Yu—what redeeming qualities could such a husband possibly have?

Seeing Ming Tan's resistance, Bai Minmin suddenly suggested: "Why don't we find an opportunity to secretly observe him first?"

At this, Ming Tan's shears abruptly stilled.