The New Year's gifts continued unabated. On the first day of the lunar year, presents from superiors such as the Empress Dowager and the Empress arrived one after another.
Qi Daiyu barely had time to step indoors—no sooner had one group of visitors left than another arrived.
Of course, she wasn’t just receiving gifts; she had to give them as well.
For the Empress Dowager and the Empress, she offered handmade shoes, socks, and forehead bands. For Concubine Shu and Consort Ning, she selected safe choices like vases and embroidered screens. To Concubine Miao and Concubine Cao, she gifted fine brocades and hair ornaments.
She couldn’t forget the Eldest Prince, the Eldest Princess, or the Second Princess either.
All in all, she received far more than she gave, and the storerooms of Yanqing Residence grew considerably fuller.
Qi Daiyu handed out five taels of silver in red envelopes to each of the palace servants in Yanqing Residence as New Year’s rewards, ensuring everyone could celebrate the holiday joyfully.
To her surprise, the Qi family had also sent her gifts: a small embroidered screen carved from ebony, two rhinoceros-horn and jade fans, six velvet flowers from the renowned Chuiyu Workshop in the capital, a box of persimmon cakes, and a box of amaranth dumplings.
These items must have cost at least several dozen taels. Qi Daiyu’s heart skipped a beat—had her father embezzled her new sister-in-law’s dowry?
Surely not. Qi Caishang wouldn’t dare.
Besides, only the screen and fans were truly valuable. The rest, especially the amaranth dumplings, tasted unmistakably like the handiwork of her grandmother.
After some thought, Qi Daiyu wrapped thirty taels of silver and sent Putao to deliver it back to the Qi family.
Outside the palace, a middle-aged man in a blue robe, with a short beard and an air of refinement, accepted a money pouch from a eunuch and bowed in thanks.
Once the eunuch was out of sight, the man opened the pouch—twenty-five taels.
There was no reason for his daughter to send such an odd, uneven amount. Clearly, the eunuch handling the delivery had pocketed five taels.
"Tch! Those rootless scoundrels are nothing but greedy!" Qi Caishang cursed inwardly.
Tying the pouch to his belt, he strolled leisurely toward the southern market.
With his delicate features and scholarly demeanor, his neatly trimmed beard lent him an almost immortal air. Dressed in Daoist robes, he might have been mistaken for a revered master from some mountain temple. Yet his upright gaze and cultured bearing also suggested a learned scholar from the Hanlin Academy.
But all such illusions vanished the moment he spoke.
Stopping at a stall selling pork offal soup, Qi Caishang tossed out a one-tael silver ingot.
"Old Zhu! Two catties of pork head meat, one catty of lungs, two taels of heart, and four taels of blood! Oh, and those leftover ribs—throw those in for me too, eh?"
Old Zhu rolled his eyes. "Master Qi, you still owe me two hundred coppers from last time. Add what you’re asking for today, and this one tael isn’t nearly enough!"
Nowadays, being addressed as "Master" was reserved for great Confucian scholars or renowned literati. But when Old Zhu called Qi Caishang "Master," it wasn’t out of respect—it was a mocking nickname.
He knew the man was a supervisor at the Imperial Academy, technically a teacher to many students. But he also knew his character—less like a mentor and more like a swindling merchant!
Unfazed, Qi Caishang stroked his beard. "This humble one is no longer worthy of the title 'Master.' After the New Year, I’ll be reporting to the Ministry of Works."
A promotion?
As a small-time vendor, Old Zhu couldn’t help but feel a twinge of reverence for officials. He stopped his banter and quickly packed the requested items. "Master Qi, since it’s the New Year, consider those two hundred coppers waived—for good fortune!"
Qi Caishang feigned surprise. "Ah, how embarrassing—"
Yet his hands snatched the goods without hesitation.
"Ah, Old Zhu, you’re too kind! Between us, who needs such formalities? Since it’s your gesture of goodwill, this elder brother will gladly accept. It’s getting late, and my old mother awaits. I’ll take my leave now and return another day to support your business!"
Old Zhu wiped his brow with a towel and spat once the man was out of earshot. "All high and mighty on the outside, but full of shady tricks. And he calls himself an official..."
Qi Caishang remained blissfully unaware—or perhaps he knew and simply didn’t care.
With these extra savings, today’s trip was well worth it.
As for whether he was bullying common folk?
Qi Caishang had his own moral compass. In his view, Old Zhu often shortchanged customers—he was just meting out justice!
Arms laden with offal, Qi Caishang turned into a narrow alley in the southern district.
Property in the capital was expensive. The eastern and western quarters housed the nobility, while ordinary folk crowded into the south. The Qi family had originally lived on the city’s outskirts before moving here over twenty years ago. Yet even now, they still rented.
Their home was technically a two-courtyard residence, but in reality, it was only half. The landlord had split the original house down the middle with a wall, leasing each side separately. The Qi family occupied the left half with the main gate, paying an extra ten taels in annual rent for the privilege. After all, Qi Caishang was an official—he had appearances to maintain.
"Wife, I’m back!" Qi Caishang called out as he entered.
The Qi household was small: Old Madam Qi, Qi Caishang and his wife Mrs. Wan, Qi Chuchu, and Qi Qinglong—five family members in total, plus one maidservant and one elderly servant woman. The latter handled laundry and cooking, while the maidservant, technically Qi Caishang’s concubine at twenty-eight, mostly assisted Mrs. Wan with needlework.
Originally seven mouths to feed, the addition of Lang Tianyu and her personal maid brought the count to nine.
As the sole breadwinner, Qi Caishang felt the pressure keenly.
Mrs. Wan came out to greet him. Compared to her husband’s lean frame, she was sturdily built, her wheat-toned skin and strong features offset by strikingly bright, lively eyes.
"Why buy all this?" She took the parcels from him, frowning at the assortment of cheap cuts—tough and troublesome to prepare!
At least the ribs could make a decent soup, which would pair well with the amaranth dumplings.
Qi Caishang grinned. "Stir-fried, these are delicious! A plate of this with a cup of wine—what could be better? Come now, dear wife, it’s the New Year. Let the men of the house relax a little. After the holidays, Chuchu will be heading south. Let father and son share a proper talk tonight!"
At the mention of this, Mrs. Wan fell silent.
Qi Caishang then handed her the money pouch from his waist.
Mrs. Wan peeked inside. "From our daughter?" she asked eagerly. "Is she well?"
Qi Caishang was already rummaging for wine. "How would I know? I didn’t see her. But if she could send silver out, she must be doing alright."
Mrs. Wan pinched his arm in frustration. "Can’t you find a way to visit her? You’re being transferred to the Ministry of Works, aren’t you?"
"That won’t happen until after the New Year. Don’t worry—I’ve got it all planned!"
"You've got nothing but hot air!" Mrs. Wan was about to retort when she saw her new daughter-in-law emerge. Not wanting to embarrass Qi Caishang in front of her, she let go of his ear.
"Tianyu, you're here?" Mrs. Wan greeted her, while Qi Caishang seized the chance to slip away.
"Mother." Lang Tianyu had an open, dignified appearance and a straightforward personality. "I overheard a bit earlier—is Father planning to drink with my husband? I happen to have a fine jar of Cangwu wine. Shall we bring it out?"
"Certainly." This was a trivial matter, and Mrs. Wan didn’t refuse.
Noticing the worry between her mother-in-law’s brows, Lang Tianyu added, "Are you concerned about Eldest Sister? Now that I think of it, I once had a friendship with one of the imperial concubines. Though we haven’t been in touch for years, if I were to send a letter, she might still remember our past bond and respond. If you’re truly worried about Eldest Sister, I could write to her?"
Though she had only recently married into the Qi family, Lang Tianyu got along well with Qi Chuchu, who had shared many family matters with her—including the story of the eldest sister who had entered the palace as a consort.
She’d heard that this sister was frail and introverted, sensitive by nature. Who knew how she was faring in the palace? It was only natural for her mother-in-law to fret after three years without seeing her daughter.
Mrs. Wan was tempted but ultimately declined. "I couldn’t trouble you like that. As you said, it’s just an old acquaintance—such connections should be saved for critical moments. As for your eldest sister, we can still send letters to the palace. That’s enough."
Seeing her resolve, Lang Tianyu didn’t press further.
Still, she couldn’t help but wonder. According to her husband, the family had sent many letters to the palace over the past three years, yet there had never been a reply—until this year, when the eldest sister had suddenly written back, even sending gifts.
Could it be that she had been out of favor before but had recently risen in status?
---
In the palace, Qi Daiyu was exhausted after days of ceremonial rites and festivities.
Though deeply fascinating, participating in every single traditional celebration was utterly draining.
By the seventh day of the new year, the mandatory events finally ended. As for the optional ones, Qi Daiyu firmly decided to skip them.
Just as she was about to lounge in her chambers and browse Lunar New Year films on her screen, a eunuch arrived with an imperial summons.
The Emperor had invited Consort Zhuang, Qi Daiyu, and Concubine Cao to admire the ice sculptures on Qionghua Island in the Western Gardens.
Qi Daiyu had never been to the Western Gardens before. The area boasted the vast Taiye Lake, with Qionghua Island at its center.
She’d heard that the lake had frozen solid a month prior, and before the Lantern Festival, artisans would carve intricate ice sculptures, hang ice lanterns, and set off fireworks to celebrate the occasion. Today, the Emperor had decided to inspect the preparations in advance.
Excited by the prospect of something new, Qi Daiyu forgot her fatigue and dressed for the outing.
Upon arrival, she found Concubine Cao already there, chatting with the Emperor.
Jiang Yuan, however, was taken aback when he saw Qi Daiyu. Why was she here?
Recalling his own decree, he understood.
He had made the decision on a whim, but since the high-ranking consorts were occupied with receiving noblewomen, he had instructed Quan Fuhai to invite whichever concubines were free.
As it happened, Qi Daiyu was one of them.
"Perfect timing. You’ll want to take a good look today," Jiang Yuan said to her.
His words were cryptic—neither Qi Daiyu nor Concubine Cao understood.
"Why must Consort Hui observe carefully?" Concubine Cao asked.
"To broaden her horizons and refine her taste, of course."
At this, Qi Daiyu suddenly remembered the army of snow ducks still melting in her courtyard.
Then she looked up and saw the breathtaking ice carvings—"Twin Dragons Playing with a Pearl," "Phoenixes Dancing in the Sky," "Celestial Beings Descending," "Divine Tree Bestowing Blessings"—all exquisitely lifelike.
Qi Daiyu: "..."
Was he implying she lacked taste?
Before she could recover from her disbelief, Jiang Yuan summoned an artisan.
"Your Consort Hui is fond of ducks. Carve one for her, and hang a lantern beside it for the festival."
The artisan was baffled. He could sculpt dragons and phoenixes with ease, but a duck? This was a first.
Still, he bowed in compliance, already pondering how to craft a duck that was both recognizable and artistically refined.
Jiang Yuan smirked, teasing her deliberately. "Does my consort approve?"
Qi Daiyu: "..."
Snow ducks were adorable, yes.
But a lone duck amidst a gallery of meticulously carved masterpieces?
She didn’t even want to imagine it.
Was it too late to return to her quarters?
