The peach forest in winter had lost the sounds of all the cicadas and birds, and it seemed especially quiet. Under the deliberate listening of the few of them, the originally not very clear sound of the zither became even clearer.
The white-faced, beardless attendant pricked up his ears and listened for a moment, then said with a flattering smile, “Your Highness has such keen hearing. Such a beautiful and pleasant tune, if you had not said so, this servant would have overlooked it.”
As a servant, bowing and scraping to flatter the master he served was part of his duty. Such fawning words, the young man had long since heard enough of.
However, he was in a good mood, and when he heard it he only took it as amusement: “Since we are here, then let’s go in and take a look.”
As he spoke, he casually shot the attendant a sidelong glance and smiled. “And let’s also see who exactly can play a tune that even you, Liang Jiugong, find pleasant.”
Liang Jiugong chuckled, and followed along with Kangxi’s steps.
The master and servant sang in tune, and naturally diverted the subject that Feiyanggu had just gone to great lengths to bring out.
A dark glint flashed in Feiyanggu’s eyes. It looked like the Cao family truly enjoyed deep imperial favor.
At Taoyao Pavilion, the climactic section of the piece Cao Yue was playing had already passed, and the zither music gradually slowed down. If the earlier part made one feel as if immersed in warm sunlight upon hearing it, then this part made people unconsciously calm their minds and focus their spirit, as if the restlessness in their hearts had been smoothed away.
The zither music stopped, and An Ning was the first to speak up and praise her: “Miss’s zither skills have become even more refined. This servant is completely intoxicated by it and unable to pull herself out of it.”
What was a top-tier die-hard fan? This was it. If Cao Yue’s zither music were a piercing demon sound right now, An Ning would still close her eyes and say that Cao Yue played well in order to comfort her young lady.
Cao Yue helplessly lifted her head and glanced at An Ning: “It’s this zither that is good, not that my zither skills have improved.”
In her previous life, as a favored concubine, she had been proficient in music, dance, and so on, and in this life she had been learning the zither since childhood. She knew very well what level she herself was at. It could not really be called improved, only that the sound quality of this Jiaowei zither added a bit more charm to her piece.
“Why should Miss be so modest? In this one’s opinion, Miss’s zither sound can be said to be unparalleled.”
Putting aside everything else, only speaking of the zither sounds he had heard, the young lady before him ranked first.
An abrupt, low male voice came from behind the pavilion. Cao Yue and her servant both stiffened. Before they could think further, An Ning turned around and sternly berated Kangxi and the other two: “How dare you be so presumptuous, who are you people? How dare you eavesdrop on my young lady playing the zither?”
Cao Yue was sitting with her back to Kangxi and did not turn around. Kangxi looked with great interest at Cao Yue’s back and paid no attention to An Ning’s reproach.
Liang Jiugong, being the most loyal and most perceptive servant, did not need Kangxi’s instructions and took the initiative to answer An Ning: “Miss’s words are quite unreasonable, are they not? My master is standing here openly and aboveboard, how can that be called eavesdropping?”
Because he had looked at the portrait painted by Cao Yin in advance, An Ning only needed one glance to know what identity the speaker had, including the owner of the voice at the beginning.
So when she had just now scolded them like that, she had actually been somewhat frightened in her heart.
But on second thought, at this moment, in their view, she and her young lady did not know their identities, so her behavior could not be considered rude.
Thinking of this, the last bit of fear left in An Ning’s heart also disappeared, and she argued with Liang Jiugong righteously: “How does that not count as eavesdropping? This peach forest belongs to my young lady. You barged in without permission, and you still think you have the reason for it?”
“You…” Liang Jiugong was choked with anger. Thinking of how he served by the emperor’s side, whether in the palace or outside the palace, whether concubines or ministers, who did not give him some face? It had been some years since he last tasted the feeling of being made to lose face by someone. He had not expected to experience it today.
Liang Jiugong steadied his breathing. Just as he was about to ask An Ning which family she belonged to, Cao Yue appropriately gave An Ning a low rebuke: “Do not be rude.”
Thus Liang Jiugong watched helplessly as the maid who had just been full of sternness instantly became obedient: “This servant was wrong.”
Cao Yue extended her hand, and An Ning hurriedly helped her up. She naturally turned to face Kangxi and the others, and curtsied. “Please forgive us, young masters. This maid of mine has no ill intent. I ask the young masters not to take it to heart.”
Years of experience and accumulation made her voice, just like that zither music earlier, clear and moist as water, trickling into a person’s heart, making one feel refreshed all over after hearing it. Such a voice and such composure were not things anyone could learn.
The very instant Cao Yue turned around, Kangxi had already seen her appearance in full and complete detail. At that moment, many words describing a woman’s beauty flashed through Kangxi’s mind, yet he felt that none of them matched the appearance of the young woman before him.
Fairy-like bearing and jade-like countenance, nothing more than this.
Jiangning City, Cao Residence Study
Cao Xi and the father and son, Cao Yin, sat facing each other. Cao Xi’s visibly aged hand stroked a celadon cup, letting the mist rising from the cup wet his eyelashes.
After a long silence, Cao Yin spoke first: “Father, my son has received word that the emperor has already arrived at the peach forest. At this moment, he is probably already seeing my younger sister. We have no way back.”
Their Cao family was the emperor’s trusted inner circle, and only by receiving the emperor’s trust were they able to remain stationed in the Jiangning area for generations. But human hearts were always never satisfied. Even if they received the emperor’s trust, who could say whether there would one day come a time when they lost it.
Only if there were one of their own in the inner palace would they truly feel at ease.
Cao Xi let out a long breath. “The Cao family has wronged Yue’er.”
In his entire life, he had only gotten one son and one daughter. His daughter was his late-life child, and from a young age he had cherished her in the palm of his hand. Just thinking that one day she would have to go serve the emperor as a consort, and even have to labor over the family, made his heart hurt as if cut by a knife.
The celadon cup was suddenly set down. Cao Xi hesitated and said, “Perhaps Yue’er still has a way out. Ziqing, this father remembers that earlier you had someone groom the Li family’s cousin, Wang shi?”
Cao Yin did not answer immediately, but first took a sip of hot tea before saying, “Father, that Wang shi is not even one-tenth of my younger sister.”
People feared comparison the most. If Wang shi were simply pulled out and looked at on her own, she really was also a beauty. But once she stood in front of his younger sister, the difference in quality was immediately clear. He did not think that after the emperor saw his younger sister, he would still take a liking to Wang shi.
Cao Yin had always been decisive in his actions, and there were very few times when he changed his mind after making a decision. Seeing that Cao Xi was still unwilling to bear it, he continued: “Father, my son also sent someone to ask my younger sister yesterday. My younger sister still has not sent any message back to this day, which shows that she has already made up her mind. Since that is so, we should respect my younger sister’s opinion.”
Once the words reached this point, Cao Xi could no longer object. He could only look at Cao Yin and seriously instruct him: “No matter whether this matter succeeds or not, and regardless of what happens in the future, you must remember that Yue’er is your biological younger sister from the same mother. You must always put her first in everything.”
“My son understands. Father, rest assured.”
Cao Yin could not help but feel a little relieved in his heart. He pitied Yue’er, but compared with Yue’er, he valued the Cao family’s favor and glory, and their future development, even more.
The reason he had sent someone to the estate yesterday to ask Yue’er for her opinion was only to preserve the brother-sister affection between them. Fortunately, the final result was all developing in the direction he had expected.
After Cao Yin left the study, he pondered for a moment before lifting his foot and going to Lady Li’s courtyard in the south wing, where he instructed Lady Li: “Send Wang shi back.”
With his younger sister’s jade-like beauty set before him, Wang shi no longer needed to stay. It would only prevent others from thinking of her.
Lady Li was startled. She did not even have time to have someone serve tea, and hurriedly said, “Master, what is this about? Didn’t we agree to wait until tomorrow…”
Before Lady Li could finish speaking, Cao Yin shot her a look, and Lady Li immediately fell silent: “Master thought it over again. Right now, master has just taken up the post of Jiangning Weaving Commissioner, and is at the eye of the storm. It really is not suitable to make any unnecessary moves. As for Wang shi’s side, it would be better to stop here.”
This excuse sounded utterly insincere. Lady Li was a smart person, so naturally she understood the perfunctory meaning in Cao Yin’s words.
But this concerned Wang shi. She had boasted to her brother that she would definitely send Wang shi to the emperor’s side. Now, everything was ready, only the last step was missing, and yet she was being told to send Wang shi back.
If this matter truly failed, what face would she have left when facing her natal family in the future?
Lady Li was so angry that her chest rose and fell continuously, but she did not dare directly question Cao Yin about why he was doing this. She could only hint at it and say, “Has master really thought it through? Wang shi was groomed with a great deal of effort by master.”
Wang shi’s appearance and figure were both excellent, especially that air of weakness and pitifulness about her, which especially suited men’s tastes.
They said that the Empress Dowager in the palace was as frail as a Han woman…
How could Cao Yin not know what scheme Lady Li was making? He gave a light hum. “Wang shi is a Han woman, and the Empress Dowager is still in the palace.”
Although the status of the Cao family bannerman household was not very presentable either, compared with Wang shi’s status as a Han woman, it was still considerably higher.
After speaking, Cao Yin flicked his sleeves and left.
Looking at the departing back of Cao Yin, Lady Li only felt her head throb painfully, and her mind was filled with how she should explain this to her natal family.
At this time, Wang shi timidly poked her head out from beside the doorframe, looked cautiously at Lady Li, and half bit her lips, her posture pitiful: “Madam…”
She had heard everything in their conversation. It was precisely because she had heard it that Wang shi felt unwilling. Why should she suffer so much hardship, while others could use just one sentence to break apart the beautiful dream she had cherished for so long?
If this were in ordinary times, when Lady Li was pinning high hopes on Wang shi, the moment Wang shi made this kind of expression, Lady Li would have already gone along with Wang shi’s wishes.
Only now Wang shi had already lost her value in Lady Li’s eyes, and had even made her lose face in front of her natal family. How could Lady Li still be willing to give Wang shi a good face?
Glancing sideways at Wang shi, Lady Li spat in a low voice, “Useless thing.”
Wang shi’s little face instantly went pale.
Lady Li ignored her, and while walking toward the inner room, instructed her dowry nursemaid: “Tell the gatekeeper to prepare a carriage and send her back.”
At the back gate of the Cao residence, Wang shi looked at the carriage before her that was miserably shabby to the extreme. Her slender fingers dug tightly into her palm. Hearing the sound of the door closing behind her, Wang shi could no longer hold back her expression, which became fiercely distorted: “What do they take me for? A little cat or dog that can be discarded at will?”
When they needed her, they treated her with every possible kindness. When they did not need her, they discarded her without the slightest mercy. Why!
Thinking that if she returned just like this, her stepmother would definitely marry her off to that old lecher as his secondary wife, Wang shi felt a wave of disgust.
After forcing herself to calm down, Wang shi’s eyes lit up. She turned her head and said to her personal maid, “Taoyu, my cousin has been recuperating alone for a long time at the estate in the outskirts. As her cousin, I should also go see her and do my share of caring, right?”
Cao Yue was different from her. Cao Yue had been spoiled and loved from childhood, and her words still carried a great deal of weight in the Cao family. With the friendship from carefully flattering Cao Yue in the past, as long as Cao Yue was willing to help her say just one sentence in front of Cao Yin, then she would definitely not be sent back.