On the third day of the third lunar month, the spring scenery was pleasant, and the peonies and herbaceous peonies bloomed in competition with one another.
Early that morning, Meng Yunlan rose early and headed to Old Madame Pingyuan Hou’s Songhe Yuan.
Seeing her granddaughter Meng Yunlan arrive, Old Madame Pingyuan Hou chuckled and said, “My Lan’er is becoming more beautiful by the day, a true young woman now. This pink outfit suits you perfectly, making you look quite delicate. If I were the Crown Prince, I would certainly be unable to look away.”
“Grandmother, you just enjoy teasing me.”
Old Madame Pingyuan Hou looked at Meng Yunlan with great satisfaction and said, “I am not teasing you. You and Ruoli both grew up by my side and were raised by me. Now that your sister Ruoli has married the Zhenguogong Shizi and become his wife, I also hope you can find a good place for yourself.
The current Crown Prince is nearly twenty, and there are still no concubines in the Donggong’s rear court. You are so beautiful and a pampered daughter of our Houfu; if you enter the Donggong, you will surely gain the Crown Prince’s favor.”
Hearing this, Meng Yunlan lowered her head bashfully. “Grandmother.”
Marchioness Pingyuan chuckled softly and said, “There is no need to be shy. This lotus-root-colored dress was made by your aunt to wear to a palace banquet when she was young. She ended up not going, so it was set aside.
Though many years have passed, this Yunjin fabric is of excellent quality. You shall wear this to the poetry gathering later; do not lose face for the Houfu.”
Meng Yunlan glanced at the Yunjin on the tray held by the maid behind Old Madame Pingyuan Hou and smiled faintly. “Thank you, Grandmother. I will go change now.”
At the manor.
Meng Shuhe did not wake until the hour of the dragon. After washing up, she pushed open the window to breathe in the spring air.
In the manor’s courtyard, the crabapple blossoms were in full bloom.
As Meng Shuhe watched the blossoms from the window for a while, she saw Lu Jing entering through the moon gate.
In his hands, Lu Jing held a lilac-colored Fuguangjin dress. Under the radiance of the morning sun, the Fuguangjin shimmered with iridescent colors, looking like the sparkling surface of water under sunlight.
Lu Jing handed the Fuguangjin to Meng Shuhe and said, “This was made for you by the seamstresses in my family. Wear it to today’s poetry gathering.”
Standing by the window, Meng Shuhe let out a light sigh. “I have caught a bit of a cold today, so I won’t be going to the gathering.”
“You have a cold?” Lu Jing raised an eyebrow. “I will find a doctor to check on you.”
Gripping the window frame, Meng Shuhe suddenly remembered her pregnancy. A doctor’s pulse reading would likely reveal it. She didn’t know if a pregnancy of only six days could be detected, but she didn’t dare take the risk.
“No need. I’ll be fine after some rest.”
Lu Jing replied, “You shouldn’t hide your illness from the doctor.”
“I am fine now and can go to the poetry gathering, but I don’t want to wear this Fuguangjin. It’s too eye-catching.”
Lu Jing chuckled. “Wearing this Fuguangjin today won’t actually be that conspicuous.”
Meng Shuhe said, “I will just wear my newly made pomegranate skirt.”
Lu Jing draped the Fuguangjin dress over the window frame and said, “Very well. I will wait for you in the carriage.”
Meng Shuhe watched Lu Jing’s retreating back and sighed.
After Lu Jing was far away, Lu Xiu said, “Mother, you could have refused him and not gone to the poetry gathering.”
Meng Shuhe replied, “Even if I refuse today, there will eventually come a day when I can’t. If I claim to be ill and he brings an imperial physician to take my pulse, it will definitely be discovered that I am carrying you…”
Lu Xiu was silent for a moment. Meng Shuhe went to change into a pomegranate-red spring dress; though the fabric wasn’t the finest, the color was exceptionally vibrant.
Lu Xiu said, “Mother, I’ve thought of a way for you to avoid marrying Lu Jing.”
“What way?”
Lu Xiu said, “Within the next two days, before the imperial decree for the marriage is issued, you can find a husband to marry first.”
“How can I marry someone while carrying you?” Meng Shuhe whispered. “Wouldn’t that be making some gentleman buy one and get one free?”
Lu Xiu replied, “It doesn’t have to be a real marriage; even an engagement would work.
The reason Lu Jing wants you to be his Taizifei right now must be because he is being pressured by Imperial Grandfather. To protect the girl he truly loves, he wants to marry you first to stall Imperial Grandfather.
As long as you are engaged, can Lu Jing really snatch away another man’s wife?
Lu Jing is almost twenty. Imperial Grandfather must be pressuring him urgently to appoint a Taizifei. Once Lu Jing sees you are already engaged, he will choose another girl to be his Taizifei to appease Imperial Grandfather.”
Meng Shuhe smiled faintly. “That is a good idea, but where would I find such a gentleman to get engaged to?”
Lu Xiu said, “Find a poor scholar. Once the Taizifei position is settled, you can break the engagement with him and give him five thousand taels of silver as compensation. A poor scholar would surely jump at the chance!”
Meng Shuhe gave a soft laugh. “That sounds fine. After all, I truly don’t feel any heartache spending the Shen family’s money.”
Meng Shuhe didn’t put much effort into her makeup. She styled her hair into a cloud bun, adorned it with an agate peach blossom hairpin, and then headed out to the carriage.
Once she boarded the carriage, Lu Jing looked at her and found himself unable to look away for a moment. “You look so bright and beautiful in red.”
Meng Shuhe took her seat and asked, “Would I not be bright if I wore other colors?”
Lu Jing said, “You would still be beautiful. There is no woman in this world more beautiful than you.”
Hearing this, Lu Xiu couldn’t help but grumble irritably, “Sweet talk, slick tongue, and a mouth full of lies.”
Lu Jing looked around but saw no child. He frowned slightly. What was wrong with him lately? Why did he keep hearing a child’s voice?
Meng Shuhe looked at Lu Jing and asked, “Master Lu, where does your sister live? She is five years older than you, so she should be married by now, right?”
Lu Jing shook his head. “Actually, she is not yet married.”
Meng Shuhe was quite curious. “Twenty-four and not yet married? Why?”
Lu Jing smiled faintly. “Because the man she loves is at the peak of officialdom, and she cannot marry him.”
“Why?”
Meng Shuhe was even more curious. “Why can’t she marry someone just because he is at the peak of officialdom? Isn’t it wonderful to marry someone of such status? Is it because your sister is of low birth?”
Meng Shuhe thought that shouldn’t be the case. The little one said Lu Jing was the heir to the Donggong, so wouldn’t his sister be a princess?
Lu Jing looked into Meng Shuhe’s eyes and said, “I haven’t told you what my parents do…”
Meng Shuhe asked, “So, what do your parents do?”
Lu Jing looked at her and said, “My father is the current Emperor, and my mother is the current Empress.”
Meng Shuhe had already learned of Lu Jing’s identity from the little one. Hearing him say it now, she wasn’t surprised at all. “Oh.”
Seeing Meng Shuhe’s calm expression, Lu Jing said, “Did you already know my identity?”
Meng Shuhe replied, “How could I have known your identity?”
Lu Jing asked, “Then why do you show no sign of surprise? And knowing I am a prince, why do you not kneel and pay your respects?”
Meng Shuhe realized her reaction was indeed too calm, so she said, “Master Lu, do you know who my father is?”
“Who?”
Lu Jing was waiting for Meng Shuhe to confess her identity as the daughter of the Pingyuan Houfu.
Meng Shuhe said, “If your father is the Emperor, then my father is the Jade Emperor in heaven. I am the Jade Emperor’s daughter, one of the seven fairies. With this immortal lady here, you mere mortals should be the ones kneeling to pay me respects.”
The corners of Lu Jing’s lips curled slightly as he looked at her. “I am not lying to you. I really am the Crown Prince of the current Donggong.”
Meng Shuhe said slowly, “If you really were the Crown Prince of the Donggong, why would you come to my manor saying you have nowhere to go and scrounging for food and drink? It’s clear you’re lying. My claim to be the Jade Emperor’s daughter is more believable.”
Lu Jing said, “I am not lying to you. Once you arrive at my Imperial Sister’s villa, you will realize that I truly am the heir to the throne…”