Youthful Glory

For a moment, the hall was so silent you could hear a pin drop.

Ming Tan thought she must have misheard. Although Prince Dingbei enjoyed the Emperor's deep favor and wielded significant power, Gu Jiurou was, after all, the legitimate daughter of Marquis Cheng'en. Such words were far too arrogant and impudent.

Yet for a long while, the only two in the hall who had the standing to rebuke him remained silent.

Empress Zhang's silence was somewhat understandable—Consort Yu, Gu Jiurou's elder sister, had caused her no end of trouble in the imperial harem.

But Emperor Chengkang, who had always doted on Consort Yu, didn’t even offer a perfunctory remark to smooth things over. He simply drank on his own, as if the matter had nothing to do with him.

By the time the figure in black brocade robes departed, the hall was still deathly quiet. The palace attendants merely bowed in farewell—no one dared to stop him.

Before the banquet, no one could have imagined it would end so abruptly.

When they left the palace, it was not yet the end of the evening. The sky hovered between dusk and darkness, and the imperial avenue was just beginning to light up with splendid lanterns.

As Ming Tan stepped onto the carriage stool to board her palanquin, she suddenly heard someone call from behind, "A Tan!"

She turned and, upon recognizing the caller, couldn’t help but smile.

Bai Minmin had intended to rush forward immediately after calling out, but when she caught sight of Ming Tan’s inadvertent glance and smile, the dazzling lanterns burning brightly behind her seemed to dim instantly in comparison.

Her pearly teeth and bright eyes were like limpid autumn waters; her delicate brows and curved lips resembled the gentle stars and moon. A beauty beyond compare—this was surely it.

Bai Minmin stood frozen for a moment, only snapping out of it when her maid discreetly nudged her.

Bai Minmin was the legitimate eldest daughter of the Changguo Duke’s household and Ming Tan’s cousin on her mother’s side. Close in age, they had grown up together and were the dearest of friends.

Earlier in Changming Hall, the seats for the Changguo Duke’s household and Marquis Jing'an’s household had both been on the left side, so the two hadn’t had a chance to meet. Now that they were outside the palace, Bai Minmin eagerly sought her out.

She stepped forward, warmly taking Ming Tan’s hand, then smartly curtsied to Madam Pei. "Minmin pays her respects to Aunt."

Straightforward by nature, she wasted no time in stating her purpose after the greeting: "Aunt, since it’s the Lantern Festival today, I specially asked my elder brother to reserve a riverside seat at the Listening Rain Pavilion. I’d like to invite A Tan to enjoy the lanterns with me. May I borrow her for a few hours?"

Bai Minmin’s actual aunt was Ming Tan’s late birth mother, Lady Bai. Given her status and temperament, her willingness to address Madam Pei as "Aunt" was undoubtedly the highest praise for Madam Pei’s reputation for "virtue and kindness."

Madam Pei couldn’t have been more pleased. Of course, she agreed, offering gracious words and even sending attendants to accompany them. She also gave detailed instructions to Lü’e, urging her to take good care of her young mistress.

It had to be admitted—Madam Pei was a clever woman. Bai Minmin hadn’t mentioned Shen Hua at all, so she conveniently "forgot" the expected courtesy of a marquis’s wife, refraining from suggesting that Shen Hua join them for the festivities.

After Bai Minmin left with Ming Tan, Madam Pei didn’t feel the slightest awkwardness. She simply carried on as if nothing had happened, cheerfully discussing the variety of sweet dumplings prepared at the manor with Shen Hua.

Shen Hua, however, felt deliberately slighted by the three of them, humiliated for no reason. Her smile in response to Madam Pei was strained, and her hands, hidden in her sleeves, clenched until her knuckles turned white.

This incident weighed on Shen Hua all evening, but Bai Minmin forgot about it the moment she turned away. On the way to the Listening Rain Pavilion, she marveled at how well Madam Pei handled things, then segued into complaining about the tedious rules her new sister-in-law had imposed after taking charge of the household—and how difficult her life had become as a result.Ming Tan was eager to ask Bai Minmin about serious matters, but during the bustling Lantern Festival, the streets were filled with noisy carriages and lively crowds, making it inconvenient to talk. She had no choice but to restrain her impatience and wait until they reached the Listening Rain Pavilion to inquire in detail.

The Listening Rain Pavilion was the most famous teahouse in the capital, renowned for its excellent tea and snacks, as well as its breathtaking riverside views.

During early spring and late autumn, when drizzles fell and mist rose over the river, the sight of leaning against the railings to listen to the rain amidst the vast expanse of misty waves was highly cherished by the refined scholars and literati of the capital.

Moreover, every year during the Lantern Festival, official boats would set off fireworks on the Xian River, while both banks of the river were adorned with a spectacular display of lanterns, creating a scene of "fish and dragons dancing through the night."

The Listening Rain Pavilion, with its prime location, was the best spot to witness this dazzling spectacle. No matter how high-ranking or influential one was, securing a riverside seat for the Lantern Festival required booking months in advance.

Bai Minmin had reserved a private room on the third floor. Though not spacious, it was exquisitely arranged and offered a fine view. However, the best vantage point was undoubtedly the central warm pavilion next to theirs.

As the attendant led Bai Minmin and Ming Tan upstairs, four people were already seated around a table in the central pavilion, chatting and drinking leisurely.

The man near the door was dressed in luxurious attire, every item on him extraordinary. But the most ostentatious was the mutton-fat white jade pendant at his waist, engraved with the character "Zhang."

"Zhang" was the surname of the Empress's maternal family. Anyone with even a slight knowledge of the capital's noble families would recognize that the wearer of such a jade could only be Zhang Huaiyu, the Empress's younger brother.

At the moment, Zhang Huaiyu lounged casually by the table, twirling a wine cup in his hand as he teased the black-clad man beside him with a smirk, "Your Highness, the commotion at the Changming Palace banquet this time was quite something. That young lady poured out her heartfelt affections in vain—I heard she left the palace in tears."

The black-clad man didn’t even lift an eyelid, but Lu Ting, seated across from him, asked in a low voice, "Gu Jinzhong’s daughter?"

Gu Jinzhong was the name of Marquis Cheng'en.

Zhang Huaiyu raised an eyebrow and nodded.

A sharp glint flashed in Lu Ting’s eyes. "She’ll have more to cry about soon." He then raised his cup and drained it in one gulp.

Compared to Zhang Huaiyu’s flamboyance and Lu Ting’s ruthless aura, Shu Jingran, dressed in a moon-white robe with cloud patterns, exuded the refined elegance of a noble gentleman in a chaotic world.

Shu Jingran rotated the jade ring on his finger and shook his head with a smile. "Humiliating someone is a small matter, but after this incident, rumors of Prince Dingbei’s arrogance and disregard for others will likely spread through every street and alley by tomorrow. When the time comes to seek a good marriage, the noble ladies of the capital might..."

Before he could finish, a faint creak sounded outside, followed by the muffled voice of an attendant, "Young ladies, this way, please."

It seemed guests had arrived in the adjacent private room.

Shu Jingran stopped speaking, and the others tacitly fell silent as well.

"A Tan, come sit. I had them prepare the tea and snacks in advance—all your favorites. Oh, where were we?"

Bai Minmin was a talkative one. Without pause, she had gone from venting about her own troubles to discussing the palace banquet at Yong Garden."The palace banquet, yes, the palace banquet. Your family’s maids really do love to gossip. How could Shen Hua possibly aspire to the Prince Dingbei’s household? Her brother Shen Yu may have earned the prince’s favor, but there’s no reason for him to marry his subordinate’s sister as his princess consort. Not to mention, Gu Jiurou was publicly humiliated. Speaking of which, Gu Jiurou was truly bold—with His Majesty and Your Highness present, she not only declared her admiration outright but also insisted on performing a song. What was she thinking?"

"Gu Jiurou’s actions were quite audacious, but that Prince Dingbei was far too rude and arrogant." With Bai Minmin by her side, Ming Tan felt completely at ease. Moreover, with Lü E guarding outside, she rested her chin on her hand and voiced her disdain without restraint. "A crude and vulgar brute, hardly a decent man."

Zhang Huaiyu: "..."

Lu Ting: "..."

Shu Jingran: "..."

Even the "crude and vulgar brute" himself paused momentarily.

Unaware, Ming Tan elegantly sipped her tea before finally remembering the main topic. "By the way, have you found out what Uncle plans to do these past couple of days?"

Bai Minmin had been feeling like she’d forgotten something important. Now that Ming Tan brought it up, it clicked. "Oh, no. You saw it yourself the other day—my father was so furious he practically wanted to grab a kitchen knife and storm the Duke Ling’s residence. But after being persuaded by that Mr. Zhou, he’s been unusually composed these days. I suspect he’s waiting for your father to return to the capital before discussing further."

Hearing this, Ming Tan’s delicate brows furrowed slightly.

She had learned about her fiancé’s disgraceful behavior when she visited the Marquis Chang’s residence to pay respects to the family matriarch. Bai Minmin had dragged her to the study to secretly look for a novel.

They had already found the novel when, just before sneaking out, her uncle Bai Jingyuan and his advisor Mr. Zhou entered the study. The moment they stepped in, Bai Jingyuan flew into a rage, smashing a fine inkstone and cursing the Duke Ling’s ancestors for eighteen generations, leaving them no chance to avoid eavesdropping.

"Engaging in an affair with his cousin and fathering a bastard before even marrying his rightful wife—only the Liang family could stoop to such despicable behavior! That little bastard thinks he’s royalty just because he’s climbed a rung higher. If not for this betrothal being arranged early, the Liang family’s rotten reputation wouldn’t have stood a chance with A Tan in eight lifetimes! Does he think the Marquis Jing’an’s household is extinct or the Marquis Chang’s household is gone? Absolutely outrageous!"

Both Ming Tan and Bai Minmin had been stunned, frozen in place for a long moment.

By the time they recovered, Bai Jingyuan and Mr. Zhou had already stormed out like a whirlwind.

At the time, Bai Minmin had been so furious she wanted to confront her father immediately and demand he go to the Duke Ling’s residence to seek justice for Ming Tan.

But as Mr. Zhou had advised, the matter was disgraceful, and making a scene would benefit neither side. Moreover, Ming Tan’s father was already on his way back to the capital for his official report. If her uncle acted rashly, it might overstep his authority.

Having forgotten about it momentarily, Bai Minmin now felt her anger flare up again.

She devoured three pastries in one go, cursed the Liang family just like her father, then slammed the table and assured Ming Tan, "This is entirely the Liang family’s fault. How could such a despicable man be a worthy match for you? A Tan, don’t worry. With my father here, this betrothal will definitely be annulled!"

"I know he’s unworthy, but annulling the engagement..."Ming Tan didn't continue, but both Bai Minmin and the person next door understood perfectly well—this world was especially harsh on women. Regardless of the reason, breaking off an engagement would inevitably damage the woman's reputation.

Ming Tan paused, then suddenly propped her chin on her hand and leaned closer, tentatively asking, "Minmin, if the engagement is called off... how should I act to appear chaste and resolute?"

"...?"

"Chaste and resolute?"

Bai Minmin set down the pastry in her hand and actually gave it some thought. "I remember when the fifth daughter of the Li family had her engagement broken off, she personally went to her fiancé's house and cut her hair to declare her resolve. And then there was the third daughter of the Fang family in the east of the city—her fiancé redeemed a courtesan before their wedding and even took her in as a proper concubine because she was pregnant. When the Fang family's third daughter found out, she hung a white silk rope from the beam and took her own life."

"...?"

"Perhaps not quite that resolute."