Chapter Thirty
Inside the elephant-drawn carriage, Prince Wei, who had been meditating, suddenly remarked, “That crab walk of yours is not bad.”
Cui Lanyin very nearly rolled her eyes. Was he praising her or mocking her? Only yesterday, she had said that from now on she would walk sideways through Yingcheng, and today he was complimenting her on her crab walk.
She decided to take it as praise. Recalling the matter that had seemed increasingly wrong to her over the past two days, she asked, “Uncle, there’s something I can’t quite understand about Prince Kang. He has so many schemes—how could he not have realized that, if things went awry, he would offend the Li family? Stirring up all this trouble brings far more disadvantages than benefits. Why would he do it?”
“He is also the Li family’s great-grandson.”
Cui Lanyin began to see the point. Because Prince Duan was the son of Concubine Li Shu, many people had overlooked the fact that Emperor Xuanning himself was the grandson of the Li family. Thus, all his sons shared the Li family’s blood.
Cui Lanyin pointed upward with one finger. “Prince Kang wants that position too?”
“The eldest son’s unwillingness to accept his lot.” Prince Wei summed it up with exceptional precision.
With that, many of Prince Kang’s odd actions suddenly made sense.
Otherwise, it would have been absurdly embarrassing for a prince of his rank to personally intervene on behalf of his younger brother’s concubine—and even bring along his own mother, Consort Shun.
Even if Prince Wei had recently stolen some of Prince Kang’s limelight, Prince Wei neither sought power nor fought for favor. His posting to the Ministry of War was merely perfunctory, and in practical terms he posed no obstacle to Prince Kang. Even if Prince Duan eventually ascended the throne, the situation would not be much different.
Her earlier interpretation had been far too superficial. Prince Kang’s moves were not intended to win Prince Duan over. Rather, he wanted to drag Prince Wei into the waters and muddy the situation. If Prince Wei refused to get involved, Prince Kang could simply use the matter to curry favor with Prince Duan.
But once Prince Wei stepped forward, Prince Kang’s scheme would unfold step by step.
“Uncle, let me see if I have this right. This time, you stepped in on my behalf. Although Prince Kang appears to have offended the Li family, he has also highlighted Prince Duan’s inability to handle major affairs. Prince Duan had only just settled his engagement with Li Yixin, and the wedding date had not even been set, yet he went ahead and promised the position of Crown Princess’s Secondary Consort to someone else. What would the Li family think?
“Even if the Li family doesn’t take offense for the moment, with Prince Kang spending day after day trying to drive a wedge between them, it’s impossible for them to continue treating Prince Duan as they always have.
“When the Li family had only Prince Duan to choose from, that would have been one thing. But now every prince is a grandson of Empress Dowager Li. If the Li family abandoned Prince Duan, they would merely be repeating the path they had taken when Concubine Li Shu gave birth to a prince. And if Prince Kang does not take a primary wife and promise the Li family’s daughter the position of empress, then the Li family would have even less to worry about. In that case, there will still be variables in the future, won’t there?”
“Mm.” Prince Wei stretched out his legs and leaned back. “The Li family is not of one mind.”
“I understand now. Empress Dowager Li and Concubine Li Shu are not from the same branch of the family. Back then, Empress Dowager Li had no niece of the right age from the principal branch, so it was Concubine Li Shu, from the Li family’s second branch, who entered the palace.”
Because of Concubine Li Shu and Prince Duan, the Li family’s second branch had gradually grown dissatisfied with remaining in the shadow of the principal branch over the past two years. She had heard that the second branch had previously hoped to betroth Li Yijin to Prince Duan.
Everything suddenly became clear.
“Uncle, have a piece of candy.” Cui Lanyin took a strand-of-silver candy from the food box and held it out to Prince Wei.
Prince Wei turned his head away. Cui Lanyin did not insist and popped it into her own mouth instead. As wisps of sweetness spread across her tongue, she sighed, “The best outcome for us would be for the snipe and the clam to fight while the fisherman profits.”
She did not dare say more, but in her heart she hoped that Prince An or Prince Ping would ascend the throne.
“No need to go so far as carrying my sword,” Prince Wei said slowly.
She remembered how she had told him that, if they ever roamed the martial world together, she would carry his sword for him. So was he saying that they would not be reduced to wandering the martial world?
“I couldn’t carry it anyway. You don’t use a sword, Uncle.” Cui Lanyin’s words held a hint of probing.
Ever since the incident, Prince Wei had remained calm and composed. In truth, Cui Lanyin very much wanted to ask him: with his proud nature, he was unwilling even to humor Emperor Xuanning. Could he really accept having to bow his head and defer to one of his brothers after they took the throne?
But although Prince Wei treated her like a close niece, this was not something she could ask him openly.
Prince Wei, however, paid her no further attention. He found a comfortable position and curled up there to sleep.
When they returned to Prince Wei’s residence, uncle and niece had lunch together. Cui Lanyin then asked Prince Wei for permission. “Uncle, I’d like to go home for a while. I’ll come back tonight and review the accounts.”
Prince Wei flicked a finger to indicate his approval.
So when she said she would return that evening to look over the account books, Cui Lanyin had merely been being polite. “Uncle, you took leave from the Ministry of War this morning. Don’t you need to go back and make up for it this afternoon?”
Chilin, who had come to Prince Wei with a matter to report, blinked several times. Was Second Miss complaining because she herself had to review the accounts that evening and couldn’t stand to see the prince get out of his duties at the ministry?
“I don’t feel like going.” Prince Wei waved a hand, sending them away.
“Some people really can’t be compared…” Cui Lanyin muttered as she walked out, taking heavy, dissatisfied steps. There was nothing she could do about the imbalance.
Chilin blinked hard. He had not imagined it—Prince Wei was genuinely smiling, the corners of his mouth curved upward. In all these years, this was the first time he had seen the prince smile so openly.
He would have to tell Bailin and the others. They would never believe him.
It was not until Prince Wei’s finger-tapping signal reached his ears that Chilin came back to himself. “Should Chiyun and Chiyue accompany her this time?”
Seeing that Prince Wei gave a single tap with one finger, Chilin called out to Cui Lanyin, who had already reached the doorway. “Second Miss, take Chiyun and Chiyue with you when you leave.”
Chiyun and Chiyue were the two female guards who had accompanied her to the Duke of Dingguo’s residence that morning. They were even more skilled at scaling walls and crossing rooftops than Qinglin and the others, according to Buyan.
Cui Lanyin felt that having two such guards accompany her on a simple trip was making rather excessive use of them. “That won’t be necessary, will it…”
Prince Wei tapped twice with two fingers.
Cui Lanyin promptly shut her mouth, left with Chilin, and allowed him to arrange for Chiyun and Chiyue to accompany her back to the Cui residence.
When Buyan later arrived with Buyu and said that Lord Wei had ordered Buyu to go with her as well, Cui Lanyin truly felt that her uncle was getting old. He was being far too fussy.
When they reached the eastern side entrance of the Cui family’s main residence, the gatekeeper had not expected the person seated in the four-horse carriage to be Cui Lanyin. He thought some noble family had come to pay a visit, and when he hurried over to ask, his voice trembled with nerves.
It was only when Aiye poked her head out of the carriage and called, “Open the gate quickly! It’s Second Miss!” that the gatekeeper happily went to unlock it. He then stretched his neck and shouted into the residence, “Second Miss is back!”
By the time Cui Lanyin reached the path between the bamboo groves, she saw Cui Lanzhi and Lady Dong leading the younger members of both branches out to welcome her. She had only been away for two days, yet they were acting as if they had been separated for years.
Perhaps it was merely her imagination, but Cui Lanyin felt that the eyes of Cui Fu and the others from the second branch were shining when they looked at her, as though she had accomplished something truly extraordinary.
With one arm linked through Cui Lanzhi’s and the other holding Cui Lanting’s hand, Cui Lanyin was surrounded by Cui Su and the others as they followed Lady Dong into the front hall. She noticed that, apart from Cui Mian and Cui Chang, everyone from the second branch had come.
Although father and son, Cui Mian and Cui Chang, had not come, with Lady Chang and Lady Dong present, along with Cui Fang and his wife, Lady Ding, the second branch had made it perfectly clear that they would not distance themselves from the main branch. Cui Lanyin had not expected the second branch to stay so close at a time like this.
The front hall consisted of three open bays, ordinarily divided by tall screens. The eastern bay was where Cui Lanyin handled household affairs, while the western bay served as a study for Cui Su and his brothers.
Now the tall screens had been removed, opening all three bays into one. Even with so many people seated together, there was still plenty of room.
Even Cui Chang and Lady Jiang had plenty they wanted to ask Cui Lanyin, but when they saw Buyu serving at her side, along with Chiyun and Chiyue—both clearly guards despite their men’s clothing—and recalled that even Li Yixin and the Princess of An had not made such an imposing display at the Yao family’s house-moving banquet, they were momentarily intimidated. How could they remember what they had meant to say?
After exchanging greetings, Cui Lanyin said to Sangzhi, “Take Buyu, Chiyun, and Chiyue to have some tea and refreshments.”
“I serve Second Young Miss. I have to stay here,” Buyu was the first to refuse.
Cui Lanyin found this amusing. “I’m not a princess, and things are of no great urgency at my great-uncle’s residence. Now that we’re outside, how could I trouble you to wait on me? Go on.”
“The chief steward said you’re the second young lady of Prince Wei’s household.” Buyu was as single-minded as ever, firmly convinced that he was Cui Lanyin’s personal attendant.
Chiyun and Chiyue were more accommodating. Unlike Buyu, they did not insist on remaining in the front hall. “Second Young Miss, Master Chi has instructed us to accompany you from now on. We’ll wait for you beneath the veranda.”
Cui Lanyin had no choice but to let them be. Once Chiyun and Chiyue had gone out, she found a chair and sat down.
Cui Fang and his wife, as well as Lady Chang, had not expected Cui Lanyin to hold such a position in Prince Wei’s household. Even the household’s chief steward treated her with respect.
Cui Lanyin asked, “Why did Second Uncle take leave today?”
Only then did Cui Fang smile. “Your father has been given an official post. Isn’t that the most important matter of all? This morning, I accompanied him to the Ministry of Works to take up the appointment. He’ll begin after the rest day. We gathered here to discuss whether we should hold a celebratory banquet.”
Back then, Cui Chuan had been entitled to grant one of his sons a hereditary position. He had originally intended to give it to Cui Sheng, but Cui Sheng had not wanted it at the time, so he gave the opportunity to Cui Fang instead.
Cui Fang had little ambition. After joining the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, he performed only adequately. Once he had risen to the seventh-rank position of clerical registrar, he had no desire to climb any higher and was content with his circumstances. As a result, compared with his older brother Cui Mian, he got along much better with their younger cousin Cui Sheng.
Cui Mian and his wife harbored plenty of self-serving motives, whereas Cui Fang had none. Neither he nor Lady Ding took advantage of anyone. They seemed content to close their doors and live quietly in their own little world.
Cui Lanyin turned to Cui Su, Cui Fu, and the others. “You don’t practice archery or horsemanship, and you don’t go to the academy. What could possibly be so important?”
Cui Fu’s lips twitched. He opened and closed his mouth several times, but failed to produce an answer.
As usual, it was Cui Su, her younger brother, who spoke frankly. “Second Sister, after you caused such a huge commotion today, how could we possibly concentrate on our lessons or training?”
“You’ve already heard?” Cui Lanyin had not expected the news to spread so quickly.
Cui Jian chimed in, “Everyone at the academy was talking about it. Once they found out we were your brothers, they all came to see us, so we had no choice but to ask for leave and come home.”
Cui Su immediately exposed him. “What a lie. Who was it that came back and shouted for me to go watch the spectacle?”
“You all went to see it?” Cui Lanyin asked.
Cui Su could hold back no longer. He nodded excitedly. “Second Sister, you put on quite a show for the people of Yingcheng today. Someone even sent word ahead of time, drawing everyone from the streets and alleys out to watch the dowry procession pass by. And having someone call out the dowry list aloud—that was a truly vicious move. Children are already singing nursery rhymes based on Empress Dowager Chen’s dowry list. The Chen family won’t be able to hold their heads up for several generations. Everyone in Yingcheng is saying that Prince Wei’s niece has astonishing authority and completely cowed the Chen family. I heard that behind closed doors, the Duke of Dingguo was shouting that he wanted to divorce his wife.”
After Cui Su finished, Cui Fang added, “Actually, we saw it too.”
So every man in the Cui family had watched her make a spectacle of herself in the streets while returning Empress Dowager Chen’s dowry?
Cui Lanyin wanted to cover her face. It was one thing to act overbearing in public, but having her family witness it made her feel just a little embarrassed.
After a while, she remembered to say, “I’ve already offended Prince Duan and Prince Kang, and the Li family has probably added my name to their list of grievances as well. Today, I openly returned Empress Dowager Chen’s dowry, making such a grand display that I’m certain it will offend them even more. Who knows what may happen next? Father can’t easily extricate himself from this, but Eldest Uncle and Eldest Cousin can still keep their distance.”
“That’s why your Eldest Uncle and Eldest Cousin didn’t come,” Cui Fang said, pointing toward the four young men from the second branch seated below them. “After a few years, if none of them manages to pass the examinations, your Eldest Uncle’s family won’t be able to avoid it either.”
“Second Brother and Third Brother have solid scholarship. They’ll surely pass.”
“That will still take several years,” Cui Fang replied. “By then, the nobles will have long since forgotten about your affairs. In the meantime, Jian’er’s studies must not be neglected.”
Cui Lanyin was not nearly as optimistic, but there was no need to say so now. She nodded. “Second Uncle, don’t worry. The family should continue living as usual. We can’t start panicking now over something that may or may not happen on some unknown day.”
“Exactly.” Cui Fang nodded, then continued, “Some time ago, Meng Huaizong sent a trusted aide to speak with your Eldest Uncle. Since it concerns an unmarried young lady, I won’t go into the details. In any case, your Eldest Aunt helped make the arrangements, and Old Madam Meng’s maternal niece has already married. Because of this matter, Meng Huaizong is sending your Eldest Cousin to serve in the Shanxi army. He has promised to give him the rank of hundred-household commander to begin with. Once your cousin gradually earns some merit, he’ll find a way to have him promoted.”
That was good news. It seemed Meng Huaizong was a clear-headed man. Remaining sensible amid the chaos of the Meng family was no small achievement.
“If he learns about what happened to me, will he…?”
“Judging from the way Meng Huaizong handled this matter, I don’t think he’s the sort of man who fears trouble,” Cui Fang said. “Besides, the Li family places great importance on Meng Zhen and his father, and the northwest still depends on them. If you ask me, even if Meng Huaizong marries you, it won’t affect his future in the slightest.”
Worried that Cui Lanyin might misunderstand, Cui Fang hurriedly added, “Second Uncle is only speaking objectively. I’m not here to persuade you to marry Meng Huaizong.”
“I know you’re not that kind of person, Second Uncle.”
Lady Chang, who had remained silent until then, could no longer hold back. “Things are different now from how they were before. The Meng family was too chaotic for you to marry into at the time, but Miss Min has now married, and Meng Huaizong probably won’t marry his cousin from the Luo family. You’re not without means, Lanyin. If you marry Meng Huaizong, your life won’t be difficult. With the Meng family as your connection, your father, your two younger brothers, and your brother-in-law would all have secure futures.”
Cui Lanting tugged at Lady Chang’s sleeve. Realizing that she had once again spoken too freely, Lady Chang quickly tried to make amends. “I truly don’t mean anything by it. Your Second Uncle brought it up, and I simply said what came to mind. Whether you listen is entirely up to you.”
“I know Eldest Aunt only said it because you have my best interests at heart.”
For now, let’s tentatively set updates for 11 p.m. Please give me time to slowly adjust to a suitable schedule.
