Youthful Glory

With Ming Tan and Bai Minmin's comforting words, Zhou Jingwan felt much better and temporarily stopped her tears. They went together to the front to listen to the sutras, and no one noticed anything amiss.

Although there was an unexpected incident, the Buddha Bathing Ceremony at the Great Xiangguo Temple was still considered quite successful. Everyone observed the rituals, sought enlightenment, and made prayers. The temple distributed blessed beans and fragrant herbal drinks, which delighted the children. By the time the evening drum sounded, the temple closed its gates to see off the guests, and the crowd gradually dispersed.

It wasn’t until Ming Tan was on her way home that she remembered Feng Zhao and Yongle County Princess, whom she had punished by sending to the Buddha hall.

Because she had been accompanying Jingwan today, she had only made them kneel in the Buddha hall for a short while—quite a lenient punishment for them.

Upon returning to the manor, Ming Tan had gifts prepared and sent Suxin to deliver them to the residences of Consort Yi and Princess Wenhui. She instructed Suxin carefully to first express her apologies for meting out punishment on their behalf, then to recount in detail what had happened at the Great Xiangguo Temple to Consort Yi and Princess Wenhui.

Suxin was always reliable in handling tasks, so there was naturally no room for error. When she returned to report her mission, she brought back even more gifts in return. Both Consort Yi and Princess Wenhui also entrusted her to convey their apologies for failing to discipline their charges properly and promised to impose stricter supervision in the future.

Whether they would actually discipline them in the future didn’t matter much to Ming Tan. If Consort Yi and Princess Wenhui had been diligent from the start, their daughters wouldn’t have grown up with such disgraceful temperaments. Sending Suxin was merely a formality, allowing her to enjoy a few days of peace.

"Has His Highness not returned yet?" At the third watch of the night, after finishing her ablutions, Ming Tan noticed the lack of movement outside and casually asked.

Lü'e replied, "Miss, have you forgotten? His Highness left for Hezhou early this morning. Though Hezhou is nearby, it might not be possible to return within a day. Why not rest first, Miss?"

"I can’t sleep," Ming Tan leaned against the chaise lounge, idly flipping through a miscellaneous book before dismissing her. "You may leave first. I’ll read for a while."

"Yes."

Lü'e responded, replaced the candle with a brighter one, added a small spoonful of mild incense to the burner, and quietly withdrew from the inner chamber.

When Jiang Xu returned late at night, the Qi'an Hall was still brightly lit. However, Ming Tan, who had been leaning against the chaise lounge, had unknowingly fallen asleep.

The book beside her happened to be open to the supplementary notes on last year’s recipe for warding off evil incense, which had been omitted. Jiang Xu glanced at it and noticed a deep crease where she had pressed the page.

In her drowsy state, Ming Tan felt herself being lifted into a slightly chilly embrace. She murmured "husband" unconsciously, then nestled closer into his arms. Her breathing was calm and even, carrying a faint fragrance—

That night in the capital, aside from Prince Dingbei’s residence, another place still brightly lit and restless was the Yi Prince’s residence, located south of Tongbei Street.

Consort Yi had thrown a fit in the manor, splashing hot tea and smashing bowls, utterly exasperated by Feng Zhao’s troublesome behavior.

"Consort, please calm down. This matter wasn’t entirely the young mistress’s fault. That Yongle County Princess spoke disrespectfully and insulted her. Even if this were brought before His Majesty, we wouldn’t be without justification," a maid tried to console her.

Consort Yi closed her eyes and pressed her fingers to her forehead. "Do you think our Yi Prince’s residence has enough face to ask His Majesty to intervene?"

Although the Emperor was at odds with the Empress Dowager, he certainly wouldn’t go against her for the sake of the Yi Prince’s residence. If the Empress Dowager was determined to teach a lesson to her beloved granddaughter—

Consort Yi’s headache grew worse.That troublemaker Feng Zhao is bound to bring ruin upon the Yi Manor sooner or later! Offending both the Empress and Princess Dingbei wasn't enough—no sooner had she been let out than she managed to provoke the Empress Dowager. Had they known this would happen, they should never have allowed her outside and simply married her off to Shu Province instead!

"Prepare gifts and send them to the Princess's residence first thing tomorrow morning. Say that the County Princess behaved improperly and injured someone, and that we're apologizing to Yongle County Princess on her behalf," Consort Yi calmly instructed. "Also, assign more people to keep watch and prevent the County Princess from leaving the manor."

"Yes," the maidservant replied, but after a moment, she hesitantly added, "But what about Marquis Jiangyang..."

She had nearly forgotten—Marquis Jiangyang was still waiting to meet Feng Zhao. And this meeting couldn't be avoided.

After some thought, Consort Yi said, "Keep her under watch for now. There's no harm in letting her out on the day of the meeting."

......

"Did Mother truly say that?"

The maidservant hesitated, trembling as she replied in a small voice, "County Princess, Her Highness only has your best interests at heart."

Feng Zhao slumped into her seat, her face deathly pale yet filled with resentment. She gripped the edge of the table, her nails digging into the wood until they turned white, yet she seemed oblivious to the pain.

For her own good? Who would believe such words?

It was all because Marquis Jiangyang's family was exceedingly wealthy and had earned some favor from the Emperor due to their ancestors' merits—enough to pave the way for her brother's ambitions.

That wretched Ming Tan! If not for that vile woman, how could she have fallen into such dire straits today?

As if struck by a sudden thought, Feng Zhao abruptly stood up, pulled open a jewelry box filled with pearls and jade, and carelessly grabbed a handful, shoving them into the hands of the maidservant who had brought the news. In a low, firm voice, she said, "Do something for me. If you succeed, this entire box will be yours."

The maidservant was terrified.

After hearing what Feng Zhao whispered into her ear, her unease only grew.

Yet, in the end, the maidservant couldn't resist the temptation of gold and jewels. Besides, it was just a matter of procuring some medicine—it wasn't as if the County Princess was being allowed to leave the manor. Surely it wasn't such a big deal. Gritting her teeth, she agreed.

......

The night passed without dreams. When Ming Tan awoke the next morning, she found herself inexplicably in bed, with neither Suxin nor Lü'e by her side.

Summoning a young maid from outside, she learned that His Highness had returned to the manor the previous night but had left again before dawn.

Ming Tan was initially displeased, but the maid added, "His Highness said that the peonies cultivated in the palace this year are exceptionally beautiful and would complement Your Highness's delicate complexion perfectly. He has already ordered several pots to be brought back for Your Highness to admire."

"Did His Highness truly say that?"

Ming Tan was delighted but also skeptical. Her husband rarely spoke sweet words to her—would he really tell others that peonies suited her delicate complexion?

The young maid smiled. "If Your Highness doesn't believe it, you can ask Sister Suxin and Sister Lü'e when they return. Everyone heard it."

Earlier that morning, Lü'e had gone to the storeroom to fetch incense, while Suxin had gone to the kitchen to oversee breakfast preparations. It was nearly half an hour before the two of them returned to Qi'an Hall.

As soon as they arrived, Ming Tan eagerly repeated the maid's words and asked, "Did His Highness really say that?"

Seeing Ming Tan's hopeful expression, the two exchanged a glance and nodded in unison.

Ming Tan couldn't suppress the smile that tugged at her lips. She immediately asked Lü'e to help her dress so she could go admire the peonies in the garden.

Lü'e agreed, though inwardly, she felt uneasy.

"Her Majesty the Empress sent word that the peonies cultivated in the palace this year are exceptionally beautiful and would complement Your Highness's delicate complexion perfectly. If you like them, you may have a few pots brought back to the manor for Your Highness to admire. His Highness has already sent someone to fetch them."

—That was what His Highness's attendant had actually said that morning.But since His Highness also responded with an "Mmm," it seemed he thought the same way. Since the young miss was so happy, it was best not to dampen her spirits.

With this in mind, Lü'e stopped overthinking and swiftly tied Ming Tan's hair into a simple yet elegant bun. To complement the sight of the Yao Huang peonies, she adorned it with a hairpin featuring a butterfly dancing among peonies.

The peony was the queen of flowers, and Yao Huang was the finest among peonies—its petals plump and perfectly arranged, its tender yellow hue strikingly vivid and delicate. Even amidst a garden brimming with exotic blooms, it stood out brilliantly.

As Ming Tan admired the flowers, Suxin suddenly approached. "Young Miss, an invitation from the Pingguo Duke's residence."

Ming Tan accepted it without surprise.

After the Bathing the Buddha festival, the fourth and fifth months of the year lacked major celebrations, but the noble households of the capital competed to host poetry gatherings and flower banquets, ensuring no shortage of excitement.

Last year in late spring, the most talked-about event had been the poetry gathering at the Pingguo Duke's residence. Though it was abruptly cut short halfway through, it had gathered a dazzling array of talented scholars and beauties, boasted an extravagant display, and—most memorably—ended with an imperial decree arranging a marriage.

Perhaps to make up for last year's unfinished event, this year the third young miss of the Pingguo Duke's residence, Zhang Hanmiao, was organizing another late spring gathering. This time, it was called an "elegant assembly" rather than a poetry gathering, as the scale had expanded significantly.

Though young, Zhang Hanmiao was meticulous in her arrangements. After extending a verbal invitation yesterday at the Great Xiangguo Temple, the formal invitation had now arrived.

Ming Tan skimmed the contents and was slightly surprised to see that it not only invited her but also Prince Dingbei and his Consort.

Only then did she recall that Zhang Hanmiao had mentioned yesterday that this year's gathering would include an archery range and a polo field. In that case, inviting married couples made perfect sense.

Though her husband probably wouldn’t want to attend such an event, would he?

That evening, after her bath, Ming Tan changed into sleeping robes and sat by the courtyard of Qi'an Hall, enjoying the soft spring breeze as Lü'e stood behind her, drying her hair.

Just then, Jiang Xu strode in.

Spotting him, Ming Tan quickly curved her lips into a smile and rose to greet him at the moon gate. "Husband!"

Ming Tan had only quickened her steps slightly, but Jiang Xu mistook it for her rushing into his arms. Instinctively, he loosened the hands behind his back and opened them slightly, ready to catch her.

Ming Tan hadn’t originally intended to do so, but she wasn’t foolish—seeing his gesture, she happily threw herself into his embrace.

Lü'e lowered her head to hide a smile, curtsied, and signaled to the maids in the courtyard to discreetly withdraw.

Ming Tan wrapped her arms around Jiang Xu’s lean waist, then rose on her tiptoes to loop them around his neck instead, pouting coquettishly. "A Tan waited so long for you—last night too."

Jiang Xu calmly replied, "Mmm." After a pause, he finally dredged up a considerate question from his mind. "Cold?"

"If my husband holds me, I won’t be cold." Ming Tan tilted her head, gazing at him with sparkling eyes.

"..."

Without another word, Jiang Xu suddenly swept her up into his arms and carried her inside.

Truthfully, after that night of unrestrained passion, Jiang Xu had noticed his little Consort seemed rather fearful of intimate matters. Whenever she had a request, she’d whimper and evade after a perfunctory attempt.

But today, she was unusually proactive. Just as he had been planning to retire early, she climbed onto him and nuzzled against him, asking, "Husband, do you really think A Tan is as delicate and lovely as the Yao Huang peony?"

Jiang Xu hesitated for a moment, as if realizing something.

After a brief pause, he replied neutrally, "Mmm."

Ming Tan rested her chin on his shoulder, gazing at him from extremely close range. "Then, will my husband accompany A Tan to the Pingguo Duke's late spring elegant assembly?"She had originally thought her husband wouldn't go, but with the current pleasant atmosphere, she felt it wouldn't hurt to try: "Cousin said her husband will be accompanying her."

"When?" Jiang Xu asked.

Ming Tan recalled, "In ten days."

"This prince has to go to Qingzhou in a few days and will stay there for some time."

"I see..."

Ming Tan wasn't particularly disappointed, just slightly regretful. Her husband was so extraordinarily handsome - what a pity not to show him off!

As Ming Tan was lost in regret, her little head moved away from Jiang Xu's shoulder. But suddenly the brocade quilt was half lifted as she was pulled back into the arms of the man beside her, their lips meeting.

In the flickering candlelight of the room, Ming Tan heard a low, ambiguous voice whisper by her ear: "That depends on your performance."