Su Mufeng, however, laughed and patted his son’s shoulder. “Good backbone. A Su family son should have such ambition.”
He turned to his wife, his gaze gentle. “When I married you back then, there were endless rumors about our family, yet haven’t we been happy all these years? What matters most is loving who you want.” Su Mufeng wanted her not to take the elder’s words to heart.
Tang Wanqing gave him a playful glare, but there was a hint of affection in her eyes. She lightly pushed him. “Don’t say such things in front of the child.”
At that moment, the steward came again to report that the second branch of the family had arrived.
Su Mufeng’s younger brother, Su Maolin, entered with his wife, Lady Wang, wearing smiles that were visibly forced.
“Congratulations, elder brother! Congratulations!” Su Maolin cupped his hands and spoke, deliberately raising his voice and sounding overly enthusiastic. “I heard Su’er has regained her consort rank what truly wonderful news!”
Lady Wang smiled and chimed in, the fine lines around her eyes bunching together. “Yes! As soon as we heard, we came straight away. Su’er has always been a capable child. I knew she would surely regain the Emperor’s favor.”
Her words sounded flattering, but everyone knew the second branch had never visited even once during the period when Su Su had been demoted.
Tang Wanqing responded lightly, instructing the servants to serve tea, her smile not reaching her eyes.
Su Maolin glanced around the elegant hall, its decorations refined yet showing subtle wealth, and felt a sting of envy he could not hide. Though their eldest sister-in-law, Tang Wanqing, came from a merchant family, she was the daughter of the wealthiest house in Jiangnan. Her dowry was famous in the capital. Even when Su Su had temporarily fallen out of favor in the palace, the main branch, thanks to the steady income from her mother’s business, had lived far more comfortably than the second branch. Now that their niece had regained her consort rank, the main branch’s foundation was utterly beyond their reach.
“I saw the elder storm out just now,” Su Maolin probed cautiously, idly brushing an imaginary speck of dust from his sleeve. “Was something unpleasant happening?”
Su Mufeng picked up his teacup, gently stirring the floating tea leaves, his tone calm and even. “It was just a disagreement over Jizhi’s marriage.”
“Marriage?” Lady Wang immediately perked up, leaning forward unconsciously. “Which family’s daughter?”
When they heard that Su Mufeng had refused the Lan family’s proposal, the second branch couple looked incredulous, as if they had heard something shocking.
“Jizhi, I’m not blaming you,” Su Maolin shook his head and sighed, putting on a show of heartache. “A marriage with the Lan family how many people would give anything to obtain it. How could you refuse?”
Lady Wang hurriedly chimed in with a sharp, high-pitched voice, “Yes! Miss Lan may be a bit headstrong, but her status is noble! If we had made this connection, it would benefit the Su family and Su’er in the palace. Perhaps… perhaps she could even speak favorably for Su’er before the Emperor!” She thought she was being clever, unaware of how grating her words were to Su Mufeng, Tang Wanqing, and Su Jizhi.
Su Jizhi listened expressionless, silent, as if their chatter had nothing to do with him.
After speaking for a long time without moving Su Jizhi, the second branch couple sat a little while longer, giving some advice, and then left in a huff.
After seeing them off, Tang Wanqing sighed lightly, a trace of worry appearing between her brows. “Now we’ve offended both the elder and the second branch.”
Su Mufeng held her hand, his palm warm and firm. “What’s there to fear? As long as we live comfortably ourselves, that’s all that matters.”
Su Jizhi’s voice was steady and strong. “Mother, rest assured. I will rely on my own abilities to succeed, so that Su’er has someone to rely on in the palace.”
As the sun set, they shared some private conversation and had dinner together. The warm golden light stretched their shadows long and intertwined them. After dinner, Su Jizhi finally left.
Meanwhile, in the second branch’s courtyard, a very different scene unfolded.
“Hmph! Just because she regained her consort rank, she acts like this!” Lady Wang fumed, twisting her handkerchief in frustration but unwilling to smash the newly brewed cup of Rain-Season Longjing tea. “The main branch is so arrogant they even dared to refuse the Lan family’s proposal! Previously, the elders wanted to push our Yue’er into the palace, but the Empress Dowager blocked it. If we could have married into the Lan family, the entire Su family would have risen a level. Yue’er’s future marriage options would be far better; she could even marry into a duke’s house or perhaps succeed Su Su in position… and now? All blocked by the main branch! A family so shortsighted!”
Before she finished, the beaded curtain shifted, and a slender figure froze in the doorway—none other than their daughter, Su Linyue. She had come to say goodnight but had overheard every word of her mother’s bitter complaint.
Su Linyue’s face, bearing a three-part resemblance to Su Su yet delicate in its own way, drained of color in an instant. Overwhelming humiliation and deep jealousy surged within her. She gripped the embroidered handkerchief tightly, her nails nearly digging into her palm. Once again, it was Su Su! She had always stolen the spotlight her path to the palace had been blocked, and now her brother had even obstructed her route to a prestigious marriage by family connections.
Su Maolin’s expression darkened.
Su Maolin’s face darkened, his gaze sharp. “Elder brother is taking advantage of your daughter’s favor to treat everyone else with contempt.”
His resentment stemmed from his own insecurities: when he was young, he had performed poorly in his studies. Later, he petitioned the Empress Dowager but was only given a minor position as a ninth-rank prison officer in the Ministry of Justice.
His wife, Lady Su, though from an official family, came from a relatively low-ranking household her father held only a seventh-rank post and their family was poor, offering him neither status nor wealth.
Thus, he was both envious and insecure, seeing Su Mufeng as more handsome, talented, and wealthy than himself.
“Just wait and see!” Lady Wang snorted through her nose, full of malice. “Favor in the palace comes quickly, but it leaves just as fast. When your daughter falls out of favor again, let’s see if they can remain so arrogant!”
Meanwhile, in the main branch’s residence, the atmosphere was warm and tranquil.
Tang Wanqing sat by the heated kang, embroidering a fragrant sachet by the bright candlelight. Her stitches were meticulous, forming the pine-and-cypress pattern that Su Mufeng favored. Though he held a book, his gaze frequently fell upon his wife. When he saw her rub her neck, he put down the scroll and walked over to her.
“It’s late, be careful with your eyes,” he said softly, gently taking the embroidery from her hands.
Tang Wanqing looked up at him; in the candlelight, the fine lines at the corners of her eyes seemed tender and charming. Though only thirty-five, her careful maintenance preserved her youthful beauty. In the warm glow of the candlelight, she exuded even more grace. Moved, Su Mufeng bent down and lifted her in his arms horizontally.
“Master!” Tang Wanqing called softly, her cheeks instantly flushed, though her hands naturally looped around his neck.
“My dear, you’ve worked hard,” Su Mufeng said, carrying his still-light wife steadily toward the bed in the inner chamber, a playful smile in his eyes. “Let me take you to rest.”
The warm glow of the red candles filled the room, and a quiet sense of springtime intimacy pervaded the air.
In the study of the Bo Xuan courtyard, Su Jizhi stood by the window, gazing toward the palace city. His expression was calm and resolute.
Little sister, are you well in the palace? Don’t worry. Your brother will strive diligently and will never become a burden to you.
As night deepened, the lights in the Su residence gradually went out.
Only in the main branch’s courtyard did that warm lamp burn long and bright.
Far away, in the palace, Su Su leaned against the window of Changxin Palace, gazing at the bright moon. Its clear light fell across her serene profile.
Father, mother, brother… I miss you deeply. May this gentle breeze carry both my longing and the news of my well-being to you.
The carefully restored hall was bathed in the warm glow of candles, dispelling the chill of the winter night. Su Su, barefoot on the thick, soft Persian carpet, walked to the round zitan wood table and lifted a warm cup of milk. The white porcelain cup, cool yet warming her hands, carried just the right amount of heat. She sipped delicately, the rich aroma soothing her mind.
In the corner, the silver charcoal brazier burned brightly. The high-quality red Luo charcoal emitted no smoke, only gentle warmth, filling the hall with spring-like comfort a stark contrast to the previous cramped ear room where she had huddled with Qiuju on a hard plank bed, relying on poor charcoal for heat.
She returned to the couch by the window. Her cloud-patterned sleeping gown, smooth as water, clung to her form, outlining her slender waist and gentle curves.
Outside, the night sky was clear, the bright moon high above, spreading its silver light. Even the cold outlines of the palace walls seemed softened. Moonlight filtered through the newly replaced soft gauze screens, enveloping her in a gentle, hazy glow.
She leaned against the window frame, letting the cool night breeze brush her cheek, bringing a sense of clarity. The warmth and abundance inside the hall contrasted with the cool moonlight outside, reflecting her current state of mind. Reborn into this life, she had once believed she had seen through that man’s coldness and sought only to escape for freedom. Yet now, this sudden promotion and unusually generous treatment felt like a soft yet unyielding net, drawing her back into the depths of the palace.
What exactly does Li Qianche intend?
Is it compensation for uncovering the truth about Prince Ning’s heir? Or is she still merely a pawn, used to balance the Empress Dowager and Consort Zhuang? Or perhaps, it is simply because her resolute decision to leave the palace once challenged his imperial authority?
She lightly swirled the remaining milk in her cup, watching the ripples. In her previous life, she might have rejoiced at such sudden favor, scheming to interpret the Emperor’s intentions and hold onto imagined partiality. Now, she only felt weary. The warmth in this nine-tiered palace, the comforts, the loyalties all seemed as elusive as the moonlight outside.
Very well. She finished the last of the milk, a faint, bitter smile on her lips. Since she could not escape for now, she would go with the flow. The consort rank, the comfortable quarters these were far better than struggling to survive in the cold palace. At least, the warmth she felt now was real; the sweetness on her lips was real; the presence of loyal servants was real.
She lifted her gaze once more to the bright moon, her eyes gradually becoming serene, like a deep, still pond. Since leaving the palace was impossible for now, she would no longer struggle in vain, wasting her spirit. The layers of the palace might be a cage, but they were also the only place she could live safely. Better than exhausting herself in futile escape, she would seek the most stable path to survive within these walls.
She would need to be even more cautious, more clear-headed accumulating wealth, cultivating trustworthy allies, secretly investigating any hidden dangers around her father and brother, and, most importantly, uncovering the puzzling connection between Consort Zhuang and the Ning Prince’s household.
From then on, she resolved to stay quietly in Changxin Palace neither vying nor complaining, neither resentful nor bitter. If fate showed mercy and allowed her to live safely until the emperor’s centenary, to attain the rank of Grand Consort, and to quietly watch flowers bloom and fade, clouds roll and disperse from a corner of the palace gardens, then even this remaining life would be a kind of good ending.
The charcoal in the hall crackled softly, emphasizing the stillness of the night. She placed the empty cup aside, drew the lightly warm embroidered quilt tighter around herself, and resolved that whatever storms tomorrow might bring, at least for tonight she had a warm chamber, a peaceful sleep, and the gentle, clear moonlight by her window.