Chapter 34
The dishes were delicious, and the hosts were simple and sincere, making the feast a complete delight for all guests and hosts alike.
The Yao family had originally come here for the sake of Prince Wei, but the open-hearted, easy-going nature of the entire main branch of the Cui family grew on the members of the Yao family little by little.
Once they got into a conversation with Cui Sheng, they found that his knowledge and skills covered a wide range of fields, many of which he had mastered, and he held unique, incisive insights into all sorts of academics and practical matters.
Cui Su, Cui Jian, and Hong Ji each had their own outstanding strengths as well.
When the feast came to an end, the three masters of the Yao family sincerely invited Cui Sheng to visit the Yao residence whenever he had time.
The young masters of the Yao family also made an arrangement with the younger generation from both branches of the Cui family to meet and visit each other often in the future.
Cui Fu and the other young people from the second branch of the Cui family knew full well that the Yao family only had the main branch of the Cui family in their sights, so they just listened to those arrangements and did not take them to heart.
The situation among the female relatives was much the same. Their earlier conversation had been interrupted, and when they walked to the path flanked by bamboo groves, Sixth Miss Yao brought up the plan to go to Tianfu Temple to view the cherry blossoms again.
Cui Lanyin believed that since this matter concerned the Yao family, she should align her stance with Prince Wei. Prince Wei's attitude towards the Yao family was still unclear, so she and the main branch of the Cui family could not get too close to the Yao family.
Thus she politely declined, "I have long wanted to visit Tianfu Temple too, but I simply cannot spare the time these days."
Eighth Miss Yao was a straightforward, outspoken girl. "Cousin Lanyin, unlike my Seventh Sister who is busy embroidering her dowry, you are staying in your uncle Prince Wei's mansion right now, where every single need of yours is taken care of by servants. How could you possibly have no time? You just don't want to hang out with us sisters, do you?"
As she spoke, Eighth Miss Yao glanced at Tan Lian. Everyone who understood the unspoken subtext got the hint: she assumed Cui Lanyin still had not gotten over Tan Shao, so she did not want to get close to the young ladies of the Yao family, especially Seventh Miss Yao.
Because Madam Hong had rushed back to Wuxi without even leaving a word of notice, Hong Ji was so angry that he skipped his breakfast entirely. Cui Lanzhi was also feeling very upset, her mind kept wandering, and she could not even keep up with conversations properly.
Just as she was about to stand up for her sister and retort, Cui Lanting beat her to it. "Of course that's not true! Didn't everyone see that the eunuch from Empress Dowager Chen's palace told Second Sister to go to Funing Palace whenever she has time? Not to mention days far in the past, Second Sister went to Funing Palace the day before yesterday and the day before that. With this schedule, how could Second Sister have any extra time to go elsewhere?"
What Cui Lanting said was the absolute truth, leaving Eighth Miss Yao with nothing to say in response.
Tan Lian, just as familiar and easy-going as she always was, poked Cui Lanting lightly. "No one can match you when it comes to having a quick tongue."
She then turned to Cui Lanyin and said, "Cousin Lanyin, the Empress Dowager dotes on you so much. If you tell her you want to take a day off to go out and play with your good sisters, how could she possibly say no?"
Seventh Miss Yao, who had not spoken much the whole time, also chimed in, "It won't just be us girls. My Fifth Brother Yao and the others said they want to come too. We can bring all the cousins along as well. While we admire the cherry blossoms, they can discuss and learn from each other about academics. That way everyone can get to know each other better."
Cui Lanting was about to speak again, but Lady Chang came over and pinched her lightly on the back of her arm. Cui Lanting knew Lady Chang had been stirred by the mention of "discussing and learning about academics", so she could only give Cui Lanyin a look that said she could do nothing to help.
After going back and forth like this several times, Cui Lanyin grew more and more convinced that Cui Lanting was a very good sister, and she smiled back at her. "The Empress Dowager is the most considerate to the younger generation, of course she would not forbid me from going out to play. It's just that Prince Wei asked me to sort out some account books for him. I already put the work off earlier, so I have to get down to it properly now."
"No wonder the Prince kept you to stay at his residence. It turns out he has an important task for you. The Prince's matters take top priority. There will be plenty of chances to view the cherry blossoms later, we can make another appointment slowly," Third Madam Yao put in a word, and the matter was thus settled.
Shortly after, Fifth Madam Yao pulled Lady Jiang aside and said, "I truly wonder where you get all those clever ideas. Adding just two strips of trim to an ordinary dress makes it look so much more elegant and distinguished. Next time I get my hands on some fine fabric, I'll definitely come to you for new dress patterns."
Lady Jiang, who had taken Cui Lanyin's earlier warning to heart that she must not agree to anything no matter what, evaded the request with a sheepish smile. "I'm far too clumsy and unrefined for such things. The thought of designing clothes for others makes me so nervous that my palms are already sweating." As she spoke, she held out her hands for everyone to see, and they were indeed damp with perspiration.
Everyone burst into laughter, and Fifth Madam Yao did not press the matter further.
After all the members of the second branch of the family had left and only their own household remained, Lady Jiang called Zhichun over to knead her shoulders. "I'm worn out both in body and mind. I really don't understand why these noble, high-ranking families are so fond of throwing banquets."
Every member of the family nodded in full agreement, even Hong Ji. They all preferred the quiet, peaceful days of living behind closed doors, enjoying their own little life.
Knowing that Prince Wei was waiting for his meal, Cui Sheng timed it perfectly to step into the kitchen. He prepared four dishes: sweet and sour spareribs with preserved plums, poached fish fillets, stir-fried three fresh vegetables, and steamed shrimp dumplings. On top of that, he made two kinds of pastries: wishful cold rolls and wisteria cakes. He packed all the hot, fresh food into two large food boxes and asked Cui Lanyin to bring them back to Prince Wei's residence.
Cui Lanyin thought that all these delicious treats were a clear display of her sincerity. Once Prince Wei had tasted her food, he would surely be soft-hearted and let her in to see him, she reasoned.
She arrived at Prince Wei's residence right at the start of the you hour, around five o'clock in the afternoon. Full of confidence, she rapped on the door of the study. "Uncle, I'm back! I've brought you dinner."
Buyan quickly opened the door as she expected. Cui Lanyin took the food box from Aiye's hands, ready to step into the study with the other food box that Buyan was carrying.
"Let me take both of these, Second Miss," Buyan said. He took the food box from her, then reached over and took the second one from Buyan as well.
"You still won't let me in?" Cui Lanyin's almond eyes widened in disbelief.
Buyan silently nodded, then carried both food boxes into the study, leaving her outside.
It turned out there really were people who wouldn't soften up even after eating your food. Cui Lanyin had no choice but to turn around and leave, defeated.
The next morning, right after breakfast, Cui Lanzhi buried herself in the side chamber set aside for sorting accounts. She worked nonstop until nearly noon before she finally paused, took the hot tea Buyan handed her, and sipped it to catch her breath.
She had decided to spend the entire day there, and even asked Buyan to bring her lunch to the side chamber. She refused to believe that if she worked this hard, Prince Wei would just ignore her and continue to shut her out.
She had a few bites of a pastry with her tea, and by the time the first period of the noon hour rolled around, Prince Wei would be returning from the Ministry of War in just the time it took for one incense stick to burn.
Cui Lanyin told Buyan to bring over another stack of account books, and got back to work with renewed determination.
"Second Miss, would you like me to go pick up your lunch now?" Buyan asked.
"Go ahead," Cui Lanyin waved dismissively, not looking up from the books.
But Buyan had only been gone for a short while before she came hurrying back, face bright with excitement. "Second Miss, I just heard such a wonderful, fresh piece of news! I had to run back and tell you first."
"What is it now?" Cui Lanyin still didn't lift her head. She was used to Buyan's curious, gossip-loving nature; the maid loved nothing more than chasing down interesting stories and hearing the latest news wherever she went.
"Second Miss, the Emperor has issued an imperial edict. It turns out that when he wrote the earlier decree conferring the title of Princess Duan, he miswrote the name! He was distracted by some urgent matter at the time and didn't notice the mistake, writing Li Yixin instead of Li Yijin. He only realized the error today, and immediately issued a new edict to correct it." Buyan's eyes sparkled as she spoke.
The account book in Cui Lanyin's hands slipped and clattered to the floor. "Is that true?"
"Of course it's true! The imperial entourage that went to the Li family's residence to deliver the corrected edict only just left a little while ago."
An emperor's word is as precious as gold, not a saying to be tossed around lightly. Even the fatuous last emperor of the previous dynasty never once went back on a decree he had issued. Just one such incident would chip away at the emperor's authority. That is why more often than not, even if a mistake is made, the ruler would choose to carry on with it rather than correct it.
The excuse that they had mistakenly written Li Yijin's name instead of Li Yixin would only fool a three-year-old child.
There was no way such a mix-up could happen. Back in Yan City, everyone across the court and the general public already knew that the Crown Prince Duan's fiancée was Li Yixin.
"Did the imperial censors not submit any remonstrances?"
"They did, but all their memorials were suppressed by Chief Minister Li. He claimed that Li Yixin and Prince Duan had incompatible astrological fates, that she would bring misfortune and harm to Prince Duan, so it was impossible for the court to have betrothed Li Yixin to him, and the mistake was merely a clerical error.
You saw exactly what happened right after that supposed name typo. Prince Duan had always acted with discretion, yet he ended up behaving in a way that went totally against his usual character, which led to him being reprimanded and then placed under house arrest. The whole affair is extremely suspicious.
If this situation drags on, it will bring more and more harm to Prince Duan. So His Majesty, in the end, could not bear to see his son suffer any longer. He decided that even if he would be criticized for this absurd move, he would go ahead and correct the original decree out of deep love for his son."
So no matter how preposterous a thing is, as long as those in power declare it to be true, even a lie becomes the truth.
Glancing at the time, Cui Lanyin saw it was already the second quarter of noon, the hour when Prince Wei was due to return. She set down the account book and headed to the study.
"Uncle, I'm coming in," she called out, and without waiting for Buyan to answer, she pushed the door open and walked right in.
Buyan was helping Prince Wei change into his casual household robes. Cui Lanyin burst in like a gust of wind, startling Buyan so much that he could not get the sash tied properly no matter how he tried.
Cui Su was always rather sloppy, often leaving the sashes and buttons on his clothes askew, so Cui Lanyin would chase after him several times a day to straighten them out for him.
In that moment, she did not overthink the situation at all. She naturally stepped forward to take over the task, and in two or three neat motions, tied the sash on the side of Prince Wei's robe smoothly.
Glancing up, she noticed that Prince Wei still wore a stern look on his face. She hurried over to arrange the cushions on the luohan couch properly. "Uncle, please sit down and make yourself comfortable."
Once Prince Wei had settled onto the couch, she took a seat on the nearest chair. "Uncle, what is the Li family's stance on this matter? Did Prince Kang really manage to poach the marriage alliance successfully?"
Prince Wei leaned back, adjusted his posture to a comfortable position, and then closed his eyes.
He always looked like this when he was about to doze off. Cui Lanyin would not let him rest so easily. She stepped forward, grabbed his sleeve, and tugged at him. "Uncle, hold off on your nap for a little while. I have this matter weighing on my mind and I can't settle down at all. Even a few brief words from you would be enough."
Seeing that Prince Wei still showed no sign of moving or speaking, she simply climbed onto the luohan couch. "Uncle, please tell me. I'm begging you, Uncle. You are the most handsome man through all ages, the dream husband of countless young ladies in the Great Ying Dynasty..."
Her words were getting more and more outlandish, and Buyan pressed his lips tight to hold back his laughter. He had never known that the Second Miss could be so lively and playful.
"Be quiet," Prince Wei said, unable to put up with her pestering any longer, and opened his eyes.
"Uncle, will you tell me now?"
"It wasn't Prince Kang."
"Then how on earth did it end up with Li Yijin being the one to marry Prince Duan?"
Prince Wei frowned and looked at her. Cui Lanyin immediately understood that he found the whole story too troublesome to recount, and that the matter was far more complicated than a few casual words could explain.
"Uncle, how about we ask Lord Bai to come tell us the details?"
"Lord Bai is out," Buyan replied. "Master Qing is not in the residence either."
"Then Master Chi or Lord Xuan will do."
Prince Wei closed his eyes for a moment then opened them again. "Chilin."
"Understood." Buyan turned around and went out to fetch the man.
Before long, Chilin followed Buyan into the room. Buyan had already told him on the way over what they needed him for.
Chilin felt a slight headache. How was he supposed to put this into words?
He glanced over at Prince Wei several times, but Prince Wei kept his eyes half-lidded and did not meet his gaze at all.
Then he looked at the Second Miss, who was clutching Prince Wei's sleeve and would not let go. Well, if the prince himself was willing to let the Second Miss hear this, he had no reason to hold back.
Still, Chilin phrased his words as gently as he could. "When Li Yixin found out that Prince Duan had given the Second Miss a five-tail phoenix hairpin, she threw a huge fit at home, swearing that she would never marry Prince Duan no matter what.
That gentle, refined demeanor of Prince Duan is nothing but a facade. In truth, he is an arrogant man who thinks far too highly of himself. When news of Li Yixin's tantrum at home reached his ears, he immediately grew disgusted with her too. It so happened that Li Yijin came over to Concubine Li Shu's palace, and the two of them started talking in private. Then Princess Runing came by to pay a visit, walked in on them alone in the room... She was so frightened by what she saw that the commotion ended up alerting His Majesty. After discussing the matter with Empress Dowager Li and Chief Minister Li, the emperor issued that imperial edict swapping the intended bride from Li Yixin to Li Yijin."
Li Yijin is Prince Duan's own cousin. Surely they had been alone in a room together countless times before, right? How did this time suddenly become such a huge problem?
Cui Lanyin could not quite wrap her head around it. She looked at Chilin and asked, "Did Empress Dowager Li and Chief Minister Li use this as a convenient excuse to make an example of them?"
Chilin had no way to dodge the question. He spoke as evenly as he could. "The two of them had been carrying on an illicit affair. This was the only possible way to resolve the situation."
Though she did not know the full details of what exactly that illicit affair entailed, Cui Lanyin could well imagine that it must have been a thoroughly improper, disheveled scene. A faint blush rose to her cheeks, and she regretted pressing for every last detail. She simply could not fathom how the two of them could have been so reckless and unthinking, right there in Concubine Li Shu's palace of all places.
Seeing how undisciplined and unwise Prince Duan was, it was no longer hard to understand why Prince Kang had never been willing to accept his lot.
But none of that mattered to her anyway. Cui Lanyin tugged at Prince Wei's sleeve and asked, "Uncle, Prince Duan's chances of taking the throne are completely gone now, aren't they? We don't have to run off and live a wandering life out in the martial world anymore, right?"
"Cough cough..." When Chilin met the glance Prince Wei shot his way, he quickly sat up straight and composed himself. "Prince Duan could only have counted on the full, unwavering support of Empress Dowager Li and Chief Minister Li if he married Li Yixin. Now that he is betrothed to Li Yijin, who comes from the second branch of the Li family, why would Empress Dowager Li and Chief Minister Li pour all their efforts into advancing someone else's interests? They certainly will not go out of their way to benefit the second branch of the Li family either. Prince Duan's prospects are indeed completely finished."
Cui Lanyin felt giddy and almost disbelieving that all this was real. Such a massive upheaval had taken place in just a few short days. All the panic and unease she had felt earlier had been nothing but wasted worry.
Wait, something felt off. She asked, "When exactly were Li Yijin and Prince Duan caught together?"
"It happened just this morning."
It had only been this morning, and Prince Wei already knew every last detail of the incident even while he was at the Ministry of War, as if he had been standing right there watching the whole thing unfold.
Concubine Li Shu was very capable at managing palace affairs, and since this incident took place in her own palace, and involved Prince Duan's reputation, she would have done everything in her power to clamp down on the news. At the very least, no one but the people directly involved should have been able to find out what happened.
Even if Prince Wei had informants planted in the palace, the speed at which the news came back was far too fast.
Cui Lanyin thought back to the time Prince Duan had tried to give her that five-tail phoenix hairpin. It had only taken a single day for Prince Wei to uncover every faction's hidden cards and make his move. "Uncle, you had a hand in this whole thing too, didn't you?"
"The young lady is very sharp," Chilin did not deny it. "We simply went along with the plans each faction already had in mind, and the prince gave things a little nudge in the right direction."
"Was it Prince Kang who plotted to get Li Yijin and Prince Duan into that compromising position?"
"Prince Kang wanted to do it, but he did not have the ability to pull it off. We created the perfect opportunity for him."
So the earlier move of leaking the story out to the court officials was just the opening appetizer, and now the main feast was finally being served?
Chilin spread his hands and said, "Our Prince Wei is extremely protective of his own people. Anyone who dares to wrong someone under his wing will never get away unscathed, heh heh..."
Seeing that Youbao says he can't make heads or tails of the family relations, I will sort out the connections among the Yao family, the Tan family, the Cui family and the Hong family for everyone tomorrow.
