The servants filed in one after another, bearing the rewards; treasures flowed into Lu Qiuci’s Yuhua Courtyard like a stream. Remembrance of Form and Light
“My lady, this box contains night pearls from the East Sea. They are perfect for adorning your silk canopies; their light is as soft as moonlight, and such gems are rarely seen even in the capital.”
“These are ‘Colourful Cloud Brocade’ and ‘Sparrow’s Feather Silk’ imported by merchants from the State of Yu. The brocade is vivid and beautiful, whilst the silk is light and soft; both are perfect for making dresses and skirts this season.”“Additionally, there are some ordinary fabrics such as Pingzhou satin, floral silk, and cloud silk; these can be used to complement the others.”
“These two chests contain the jewellery Her Highness ordered to be prepared for you. Hairpins, hair ornaments, necklaces, pendants, bracelets and earrings—the full set is complete. There are twelve sets in total; you may wear them as a complete set or mix and match the pieces.”
“Over there are ready-made garments. Her Highness said to send a few sets for you to wear first; later, the embroiderers will come to take your measurements and tailor the most fashionable styles for you.”
Lin Yi stood by his side, explaining everything in detail, whilst Lu Qiuci appeared to be listening, though in truth his mind had been wandering for quite some time.
Is this the boundless wealth of the imperial family?
So many rare and precious treasures—they must be worth thousands of taels of silver. And the Crown Princess has simply bestowed them upon him offhand.
And there is gold—yes, there is gold.
As the final, grandest chest was opened to reveal two crates of gleaming gold, Lin Yi continued with a beaming smile: “This is the gold bestowed upon His Lordship by the Emperor. Her Highness said that although the imperial gifts have not yet arrived, she has already drawn this from the treasury for His Lordship.”
Lu Qiuci’s eyes darted about; he finally snapped out of his daze and looked at the two chests of gold, yet something felt amiss.
“Head Servant Lin, isn’t this a bit too much? Has Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess made a mistake?”
The two chests of gold before him did not look at all as though they contained only a hundred taels.
They were almost blinding him.
Lin Yi smiled again and said to Lu Qiuci, “It is two hundred taels. Her Highness said that since you have looked after her so diligently, it would be unfair for you to receive only the Emperor’s reward; so she has added another hundred taels from her own account for you.”
“Her Highness is very fond of you. My lord, please feel at ease staying at the Princess’s residence.”
With that, Lin Yi clapped his hands. Five young attendants, all dressed identically and of similar build, entered from outside.
“Her Highness’s attendants are too young and rather childish. The grounds of the Princess’s residence are vast; I fear they would not be able to look after my lord properly.”
“These are all quick-witted and capable servants. Whichever one Your Highness takes a fancy to, you may keep by your side. Whether it be household chores or rough work, they will certainly be able to lighten your load.”
Choosing a young attendant was indeed essential; Dongyi was too young to be relied upon for many tasks.
He had already entered the Eastern Palace, and there would undoubtedly be more difficult situations to handle in the future; he needed someone to assist him.
Anyone selected by Lin Yi, the head steward, should be capable; it simply comes down to who is most to his liking.
Lu Qiuci looked at the five young attendants. Each had a different appearance, but all were very pleasing to the eye, so he asked them to state their names.
After hearing them all, Lu Qiuci pointed to a young attendant named ‘Di Liu’ and said, “Head Servant Lin, let it be him.” ”
Lin Yi immediately addressed the young attendant: “Do not you dare fail to express your gratitude.”
A look of delight spread across Di Liu’s face as he knelt and bowed, saying, “Thank you, my Lord!”
He then stood up and walked over to Lu Qiuci’s side. As Dongyi was accustomed to standing on Lu Qiuci’s right, Di Liu took his place on the left.
Dongyi cast a cautious glance at this older brother standing a head taller than him, feeling inexplicably anxious.
Now that his master had a new attendant, surely he wouldn’t cast him aside?
The very thought made Dongyi’s heart race; his fingers twisted together involuntarily, overcome by fear and despondency.
It was all his fault; he was utterly useless.
“Does Your Highness require another?”
As if one were not enough, Lin Yi pressed further, but Lu Qiuci shook his head. “I have Dongyi, and with Di Liu added, they will be quite capable of looking after me.”
“Thank you for your concern, Head Servant.”
The Crown Princess had explicitly stated he was to choose only one; how could he dare ask for more? Besides, according to protocol, whether for the attendants in the palace or the consorts of princesses and imperial daughters, the standard number of personal attendants was two.
How could he possibly make an exception for himself?
“Very well, then I shall take my leave for now.”
“Should my lord require anything, simply send Di Liu to summon me.”
Having delivered both the goods and the people, Lin Yi led his servants away.
Looking at the room filled with gifts, Lu Qiuci ordered Di Liu to sort them out. The young servant Lin Yi had found for him was literate and capable of keeping records, saving Lu Qiuci a great deal of trouble.
Lu Qiuci took the opportunity to assign tasks to the two of them. Although Dongyi was not particularly capable, he was the one who was truly devoted to him, so Lu Qiuci assigned Dongyi to the inner chambers, responsible for his personal hygiene, meals and the like.
Di Liu was capable, so Lu Qiuci entrusted him with the management of the other servants in the courtyard, responsible for external dealings, errands and the like.
As for his personal treasury, this should normally have been entrusted to Dongyi, a young attendant in that position, to help manage.
But Dongyi was simply not capable of this at the moment; it would take him some time to learn. With no other option, Lu Qiuci had no choice but to manage it himself for the time being.
His private treasury was now overflowing. To put it simply, those two hundred taels of gold—had they been kept at his original home, his mother would not have been able to earn that amount even after twenty years of hard work.
Upon hearing that his master had not cast him aside, but was still entrusting him with such an important role as personal attendant, Dongyi’s little face immediately lit up.
He looked at Lu Qiuci with great enthusiasm, and a sudden thought occurred to him: the Crown Princess is actually quite nice.
The Princess has bestowed so many gifts upon the young master; she must surely like him. This way, the other men in the Crown Princess’s residence won’t dare to bully the young master in future.
From this perspective, life in the Crown Princess’s residence is far better than it was back at the Lu residence.
At the Lu residence, the young master had to endure daily bullying from Concubine Liu and the Second Young Master.
Just as Dongyi was about to share his thoughts with Lu Qiuci, he turned and saw that there was little sign of joy on Lu Qiuci’s face; indeed, deep worry lingered in those clear, autumn-like eyes.
Dongyi couldn’t help but call out, “My… Lord!”
“My Lord, His Highness has sent so many gifts. Do you not like them?”
Lu Qiuci shook his head; it was not a matter of liking or disliking.
Although he was renowned as one of the Four Gentlemen of the Capital, with unparalleled skill on the zither and a talent for poetry and literature, in reality he was not a truly refined or noble man. On the contrary, having been unloved and frequently mistreated at home, he knew all too well the feeling of a hero brought to his knees by a single coin.
As for wealth and riches, whilst he might not be described as a man who would rush after them like a bird after a grain, he certainly had a fondness for them.
“Dongyi, when we were at the Lu residence, how much monthly allowance did Madam give us?”
Dongyi: “Two taels of silver.”
Lu Qiuci: “To earn those two taels of silver, how much work did Madam require of us?”
This time, before Dongyi could reply, Lu Qiuci answered his own question: “We had to teach Second Brother the zither for one hour each day, tutor Third Sister with her studies, and compose two poems or essays every ten days to submit to the tutor.”
“Setting aside everything else His Highness has bestowed upon us, just consider the two hundred taels of gold—how many two-tael silver ingots would that amount to?”
“If we were trading at the market, with two hundred taels of gold, how much would His Highness expect to get from me in return?”
The sense of dread rising within Lu Qiuci would not abate.
……
The scale of Xu Chen’s rewards to Lu Qiuci was such that the news reached every corner of the Princess’s residence.
Especially Xia Ling and Bai Chuyin.
Xia Ling cared not a whit for Bai Chuyin’s feelings; he knew only that he was furious, his jealousy and resentment completely beyond his control.
“That wretch!”
“If he hadn’t snatched the chance to look after Her Highness, how could such lavish rewards have fallen to him?”
“Clearly, Her Highness didn’t even visit his chambers last night. To spend one’s wedding night alone in an empty bed is utterly humiliating, yet now he’s managed to turn the tables so effortlessly.”
“My lord, what shall we do?” Xia Ling’s young attendant asked anxiously.
Xia Ling: “No, we cannot let him continue to curry favour with His Highness.”
“His Highness might well visit the Yuhua Courtyard tonight. I shall go and snatch him back!”
Filled with fighting spirit, he immediately had his young attendant help him wash and dress, then sent another to gather intelligence, instructing him to report immediately should he spot the Crown Princess heading towards the rear courtyard. He would not let the wretched man snatch the Crown Princess from his grasp.
Tonight, neither that wretch Lu Qiuci, nor his old rival, that other wretch Bai Chuyin, would be able to snatch Her Highness from his grasp.
Xia Ling’s prediction proved correct; come evening, Xu Chen indeed made his way to the Yuhua Courtyard.
Upon receiving the news, Xia Ling, who had been waiting for a long time, immediately became excited. Dressed up to the nines like a cockerel ready for battle, he rushed towards the path Xu Chen would inevitably take to reach the Yuhua Courtyard.
He ran as fast as he could. Xu Chen had barely set foot in the rear courtyard and had not gone far towards the Yuhua Courtyard before Xia Ling arrived before him.
The moment he spotted Xu Chen, he instinctively lunged at him, only to be blocked by the two guards at Xu Chen’s side, who held their swords at the ready.
“How dare you! You dare to block my path!”
The two guards naturally knew this was a young master whom their master doted on greatly. However, unlike the treacherous guards who had surrounded the original master, though hesitation flashed across their faces, they remained completely unmoved without Xu Chen’s command.
Seeing this, the anxious Xia Ling could only cast an imploring glance at Xu Chen, feigning slight annoyance as she called out to him in a petulant tone.
“Your Highness, look at these two dogs—how dare they block my path! They have no sense of propriety!”
As he was pretending to be injured, Xu Chen was seated in the palanquin, looking down upon the farce unfolding before her.
Her gaze was so intense that Xia Ling suddenly shuddered; for some reason, the words stuck in his throat, and he could no longer speak.
Xu Chen appraised Xia Ling with the same gaze one might use to examine an object. As for this man whom the original host had so dearly cherished, he was indeed handsome; his demeanour and movements were charming and endearing. To put it in the language of her past life, he possessed a youthful vigour, and even his coquettishness was captivating.
Yet she felt not the slightest stir of emotion. She parted her vermilion lips and uttered a sentence that sounded utterly heartless.
“Have him dragged away. He’s blocking the way.”
Xia Ling was struck as if by lightning, unable to believe his ears. He had intended to throw a tantrum to elicit Xu Chen’s pity, only to find himself pinned to the spot by Xu Chen’s cold, indifferent gaze.
Everyone feared Xu Chen—this ruthless and tyrannical Crown Princess of the Great Zhou.
Any servant who displeased her would be subjected to a savage beating; losing one’s life was a common occurrence.
Originally, Xia Ling had not been afraid, for he enjoyed Xu Chen’s favour and could act however capriciously he pleased.
Yet at that moment, he suddenly empathised with those servants, for in Xu Chen’s presence, they were all lowly beings, and there was no fundamental difference between them.
If Xu Chen were to take offence, he could just as easily have the whip or the cane brought down upon him.
“Young Master Xia, please step aside,” said the two guards, though they did not actually drag him away.
How could Xia Ling dare refuse? He swiftly retreated to one side, watching helplessly as Xu Chen’s back receded towards the Yuhua Courtyard. Only when Xu Chen’s figure had completely vanished from view did Xia Ling startle and snap back to his senses.
His face went pale; he had no time to think of anything else and hurried back to his own courtyard as if fleeing.