5
“Second Miss, the First Miss sent these as a bridal gift for you.”
Mu Mingtang opened the box and looked inside. It was a set of gold jewelry. But since they were made of gold, likely the First Miss found such common, vulgar items beneath her and had therefore sent them here.
Mu Mingtang promptly slammed the lid shut and clutched the box in her arms with no intention of letting go. “The First Miss is too kind. Although she is older than me, I am, after all, her sister-in-law. In terms of seniority, I actually outrank her. We’re family, no need for such formalities.”
Yet her hands gripped the wooden box tightly, with the resolute energy of someone receiving a red envelope of New Year’s money at a relative’s house—the kind of energy where you hold on and don’t let go.
Clearly, the maidservant was speechless. In fact, not long ago, this very maid had been serving at Mu Mingtang’s side.
Mu Mingtang had fully moved into Jiang Mingwei’s quarters, and all the servants attending her had been Jiang Mingwei’s old staff. As one might expect, this gaggle of maids had been even more critical of Mu Mingtang than Madam Jiang herself. Now that Jiang Mingwei had returned, the maids could finally return to their true mistress.
Now, face to face, Mu Mingtang and the maidservant found each other equally distasteful. The maid disdained Mu Mingtang for being so beneath refinement—only someone as uncouth as Mu Mingtang, a country bumpkin who had never seen the world, would like such vulgar gold hairpins.
Mu Mingtang, for her part, thought there was something wrong with Jiang Mingwei’s eyes. Those high-and-mighty jades and stones might be fine in times of peace, but if something ever went wrong, could you sell jade for cash?
Nothing beats gold. Look at this brilliant, glimmering color—so beautiful.
The maidservant rolled her eyes discreetly and said stiffly, “Second Miss, you’re too kind. Right now, Madam is preparing the dowry for the First Miss. The First Miss is to marry the Prince of Jin as his consort—she cannot appear lacking in dignity. These hairpins are not appropriate for the status of the Prince of Jin’s household, so the First Miss has no use for them. She thought you might find them useful here.”
“You’re absolutely right, I can use all of them.” Mu Mingtang had already put the box away. “As her sister-in-law, I have nothing to give in return. So, I’ll simply wish the First Miss and the Prince of Jin a lifetime of happiness together, may they never part. All right, you may leave.”
The maidservant was incensed. Any woman with an ounce of pride in such a situation would refuse the Jiang family’s charity. But Mu Mingtang had accepted without a second word, completely shameless, pretending not to hear her veiled insults. Fuming at this vulgar woman, the maidservant stormed off.
Now that Mu Mingtang had completely burned her bridges with the Jiang family, she no longer cared about appearances or refinement—she had never possessed such things anyway. Although she had cursed Jiang Honghao to his face that very day, why should she refuse money sent by Jiang Mingwei?
Mu Mingtang didn’t need pride. She needed money.
After the maidservant left, Mu Mingtang shot to her feet and found a new, hidden place for the box of gold jewelry. She had been relegated to the guest room—in the Jiang family’s eyes, she was utterly disgraced, exiled to the hinterlands. But to Mu Mingtang, this life was far more comfortable than the previous year.
For the past year, she had been like a puppet—forbidden to walk with large strides, forbidden to laugh loudly, even forbidden to eat anything except in tiny bites, chewing seven times before swallowing. And no matter what she did, the maids and elder servants behind her would whisper and point, accusing her of failing to live up to the dignity of a noble lady.
Mu Mingtang had had more than enough of that suffocating existence. Now, she lived in a quiet guest room, with no maids forever at her side, no ruler watching her every step from behind. Apart from three meals a day, no one paid her any mind. How wonderful. As for Jiang Mingwei’s “noble lady” lifestyle—anyone else who wanted it could have it.
Having gained a box of gold jewelry for nothing, Mu Mingtang felt refreshed and clear-headed. Even the humiliation she had suffered in the Jiang household that day seemed to fade. If someone insulted her with gold every day, they were more than welcome to come and trample on her dignity.
Mu Mingtang let her thoughts wander for a moment, then suddenly realized something. Jiang Mingwei had inadvertently reminded her of something today. Tomorrow, she would need to remind the Jiang family to prepare her dowry.
Jiang Honghao had sold her for a good price. If he thought he could get away with paying nothing, he had another think coming.
The next day, Madam Jiang saw Jiang Honghao off to court, then cheerfully summoned the tailors she had arranged for the day before to come in and select fabrics for Jiang Mingwei.
Jiang Mingwei did not like bright, gorgeous colors. But for a wedding, she would have to wear red. And as a princess consort, there were many occasions where proper red attire was needed to command presence. That day, Madam Jiang had arranged with the garment shop to select the formal wear for Jiang Mingwei’s wedding—the outfits for paying respects to the emperor and empress, for meeting sisters-in-law, for court audiences, for ancestral rites.
Several wives with their hair tightly pinned gathered around Madam Jiang, their words flowing like honey as they presented various fabrics. One female shopkeeper unfurled a bolt of cloth, showing Madam Jiang the luster from different angles. “Look here, Madam. This fabric is the most noble. Not only is the color perfect, but it also has a subtle pattern. See—when you look at it this way, it shows the ‘Ten Thousand Blessings and Fulfilled Wishes’ motif, and from this angle, it becomes a ‘Jianzi Huiwen’ pattern.”
After the shopkeeper demonstrated, Madam Jiang indeed gasped in surprise. Another shopkeeper, not to be outdone, hurriedly displayed her own fabric. “Dark patterns are certainly understated and elegant, but from a distance, they’re hard to see. Madam, might we suggest you look at ours? This bolt uses three layers of weaving. Walking under the sun during the day, the light on the fabric seems to flow. At night, it shifts to another color entirely!”
“Such craftsmanship!” Madam Jiang exclaimed with genuine admiration. She held the two bolts of fabric in her hands, comparing them back and forth, unable to decide. “The dark pattern is auspicious, the flowing light is beautiful. How should I choose?”
“If you can’t decide, Madam, why not buy both?”
Madam Jiang froze and looked up. The maidservant who had been trying to block Mu Mingtang’s way saw Madam Jiang raise her head and could only bow apologetically. “Madam, this servant could not stop the Second Miss.”
The maidservant also felt terribly wronged. She had plainly said that Madam was busy, but Mu Mingtang acted as if she couldn’t understand polite refusals and barged in anyway. When the unreasonable meet the well-educated, the well-educated have no way to reason. These maids, all accustomed to moving among highborn households, had never encountered such a brute. They had chased after her all the way, pleading, but Mu Mingtang had still broken through to the innermost room.
Seeing the maids’ expressions, Madam Jiang could guess what had happened. She waved her hand. “It’s all right. You may go.”
The maids bowed and filed out. Mu Mingtang, seemingly oblivious to the social cues, walked up familiarly and even reached out to touch the fabric. “These are indeed fine fabrics. They feel like flowing water. I think both are beautiful. Why force a choice, Mother? Just buy both.”
Madam Jiang was put in an awkward position. The shopkeepers exchanged uneasy glances, then forced smiles and bowed. “Second Miss.”
These women specialized in serving the female dependents of officials and nobles, so they were naturally well-versed in the interpersonal dynamics of such highborn households.
“There’s no need for such formality, ladies. Please rise.” Mu Mingtang felt not the least bit constrained. After graciously telling them to rise, she even smiled and said, “My elder sister and I are both getting married soon, and our wedding dates are quite rushed. We appreciate you ladies making the trip for us.”
Both getting married? Madam Jiang’s brow twitched almost imperceptibly, but with outsiders present, she could only give a subtle cough of warning. “Mingtang, today we’re looking at your sister’s dowry. Yours is not urgent.”
“Not urgent?” Mu Mingtang reluctantly stroked the fabric a few more times before letting go. “I’ve been betrothed to the Prince of Qiyang. The Prince of Qiyang and the Prince of Jin are both members of the imperial clan, and they’re cousins. I assumed my dowry would be equivalent to my sister’s.”
Equivalent? What was she saying? Now even Madam Jiang grew flustered. She spoke euphemistically, “There is an order of seniority, after all. Mingwei is the eldest daughter. For your dowry to be the same as hers… I’m afraid that’s not quite appropriate.”
“Not appropriate?” Mu Mingtang smiled. “The Prince of Qiyang is the late emperor’s legitimate son. Even His Majesty himself has said that the Prince of Qiyang is no different from his own son. And yet you, Madam, are marrying off two daughters of the same household, but you would treat the two princes differently?”
Madam Jiang’s expression darkened. She pressed her lips together and shot a glance at the female shopkeepers. Taking the hint, they immediately bowed and excused themselves. “Madam and the Second Miss have matters to discuss. We won’t intrude further. We’ll take our leave for today.”
“Ladies, go slowly.” Mu Mingtang saw the guests off with a beaming smile. Then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, she waved to them. “You ladies have worked hard making this trip. There’s no need to move these fabrics back out. Leave them all here—I quite like them. How much do they cost in total? Put it on the account for now; Madam Jiang will settle the bill later.”
The shopkeepers glanced discreetly at Madam Jiang. Her expression was barely holding. “Jiang Mingtang, that’s enough.”
“My surname is Mu, Madam.” Mu Mingtang raised her arm and casually flicked at a speck of dust that wasn’t there on her sleeve, then raised one eyebrow in an arrogant arch. “As the Princess of Qiyang, do I not even have this bit of authority?”
Madam Jiang was speechless. She glanced in the direction of the shopkeepers and gritted her teeth. “Leave the fabrics for now. I’ll send someone to your shop to settle the account later.”
The shopkeepers’ faces instantly lit up with joy. They praised Madam Jiang’s generosity and the Second Miss’s good fortune in a flurry of obsequious words, then promptly fled.
Once they were gone, Madam Jiang, no longer needing to mask her feelings, let her expression darken. “What exactly are you trying to do? You’d best remember your place. Do you really think that just because you’re going to be the Princess of Qiyang, you can run wild over the Jiang family?”
“Exactly.” Mu Mingtang smiled. “It was Lord Jiang himself who recommended me to become the Princess of Qiyang, wasn’t it? And yet, when it comes to preparing my dowry, you and Lord Jiang seem to have forgotten that I am marrying the Prince of Qiyang.”
“You—!” Madam Jiang pointed at Mu Mingtang in fury. But Mu Mingtang hated that gesture. She slapped it away. “Who do you think you’re looking down on? Is this how you treat a princess consort? His Majesty himself has decreed that the Prince of Qiyang’s wedding be conducted on a grand scale, with various rites and ceremonies even exceeding those of the Prince of Jin. To neglect my dowry is to undermine His Majesty. I said it before: whatever Jiang Mingwei gets, I want the same. If I find a single thing missing, I’ll cut off my hair and become a nun. Then, when the Prince of Qiyang’s household comes to escort the bride, if there’s no one to get into the bridal carriage, you can just send your precious daughter to take my place!”
With that, Mu Mingtang gave a loud “Hmph!” and swaggered off. By now, Madam Jiang was so enraged she could barely speak. She clutched at her chest. The maids on either side immediately rushed to her. “Madam!”
No sooner had the maids cried out than Mu Mingtang came back. To the astonishment of everyone present, she walked up, bent down, and picked up a bolt of fabric. Only after grabbing it did she realize it was heavier than she had expected. There was no way she could carry more than this one. Her eyes swept the room twice, then she pointed at the maids who looked the strongest. “You, you, and you. Take the rest of the fabric and follow me.”
Mu Mingtang took two steps, then noticed no one had moved. She turned and gave them a sidelong glance. “I am the emperor’s personally appointed Princess of Qiyang. Are you refusing an imperial edict?”
“Your servant would not dare.” The maids shot a quick look at Madam Jiang, then lowered their heads, picked up the fabric, and walked toward Mu Mingtang. Mu Mingtang found that the feeling of wielding authority was absolutely wonderful. She gave a smug “Hmph!” and struggled but determinedly carried her load forward. “I love this vibrant red color. It looks so festive and happy. All of you, be careful. If anything falls or gets dirty, I’ll hold you responsible!”
After Mu Mingtang and the pile of bright red fabric had disappeared into the distance, the head maids gathered around, supporting the trembling Madam Jiang with concern. “Madam, what should we do…?”
“A petty upstart drunk on momentary power—let’s see how long her arrogance lasts!” Madam Jiang’s furious shout was followed by another clutch at her chest. The maids quickly steadied her. “Calm yourself, Madam! Don’t injure your health over this!”
**