Duke Zheng’s expression was stern. Zheng Yingying’s birth mother, Madam Chen, clutched at the old madam’s robe.
“Mother, please calm your anger. Yingying already knows she was wrong!”
Tears streamed down her face. “It was that Princess of Lin’an who went mad and struck first. Our Yingying has suffered a great injustice. She is still young and doesn’t understand—please, for your daughter-in-law’s sake, spare her this once!”
Grandmother Zheng did not even look at her. She simply lifted her chin toward Duke Zheng.
Duke Zheng understood and called toward the door, “Zheng Fu!”
The steward, who had been waiting quietly by the entrance, hurried in. “Master.”
“Take the Madam and Second Young Lady away.”
“From today onward, the Second Young Lady is confined to Reflection Pavilion. Without my written order, she is not to step out of her room!”
“She is to copy Admonitions for Women and the Zheng Family Precepts one hundred times each. She may come out only after she finishes!”
The steward bowed. “Yes, Master.”
Madam Chen still tried to plead, “Master, isn’t this punishment too harsh? Reflection Pavilion is cold and damp, and Yingying’s hand is already injured—”
“Take them away!”
Madam Chen trembled, swallowing the rest of her words.
“Mother…” Zheng Yingying looked helplessly at her.
Madam Chen, tears in her eyes, shook her head, signaling her not to speak further.
The mother and daughter were half-supported, half-dragged out of the Hall of Longevity.
Grandmother Zheng closed her eyes again, slowly rolling her prayer beads. “What punishment did the Emperor give that girl?”
Duke Zheng knew she meant the Princess of Lin’an. “She was ordered to kneel in the Reflection Hall for three days, then copy the palace rules three hundred times.”
Grandmother Zheng did not open her eyes. “As long as it looks acceptable on the surface. The Emperor is only useful for this much now.”
She slowly opened her eyes. “As for that boy from the Cui family—what do you think of how he handled today’s matter?”
Duke Zheng answered carefully, “It appeared fair. Punishing Yingying with confinement gave our Zheng family a way to step down.”
“Punishing the Princess also preserved the dignity of the royal family.”
“Cui Weijin has always acted according to rules and balance. He rarely shows personal bias. His actions today may not have been deliberate favoritism.”
“May not have been?” Grandmother Zheng let out a cold snort. “If he had truly followed his so-called rules, he would have thoroughly investigated who spoke first and who struck first.”
“Instead of handling it vaguely as he did now!”
Her tone sharpened. “Look at how he punished that Third Girl of the Cui family—did he show any mercy? Those blows were not for show!”
“If he can treat his own kin like that, do you think he would truly give the Zheng family full respect? He simply does not wish to tear things apart yet and is maintaining a superficial balance.”
Duke Zheng’s brows furrowed deeply, but he did not refute her.
“You must keep a close eye on that boy. Watch how he treats the royal family—especially that suddenly returned mad Princess.”
Duke Zheng nodded slowly. “Your son understands. I will have people observe carefully.”
The topic shifted again. “The eldest has been out long enough, roaming mountains and rivers. It is time he returns.”
“Write him a letter and urge him to come back to Ye City as soon as possible.”
Duke Zheng hesitated. “Mother, the eldest son is carefree by nature. I fear—”
“Fear what?” Grandmother Zheng cut him off. “He is the Zheng family’s eldest legitimate grandson, the same age as Cui Weijin!”
“That one is already Chancellor, standing at the forefront of court, and look at him—playing with birds, flowers, and insects all day. What kind of behavior is that?”
“Bring him back, make him settle down, and secure him a proper official post.”
“How many more years can we old bones support him? Among your younger brothers, which one is truly capable? Who will the Zheng family rely on in the future?”
Duke Zheng knew she was right. His eldest son had been overly indulged by Madam Chen and had achieved little in either civil or martial pursuits, yet he was still the legitimate eldest.
In the end, he nodded. “Yes, Mother is right. I will arrange it soon.”
Grandmother Zheng waved her hand tiredly and closed her eyes again.
Duke Zheng bowed respectfully and left the Hall of Longevity.
…
“Whoosh!”
A pebble flew out, grazing the tail feathers of the fattest sparrow.
It struck the tree trunk, startling all the birds into flight.
“Tsk, I’m rusty.” Princess Ming Zhao clicked her tongue, stuffing the slingshot made of branches and rubber bands back into her sleeve and blowing warm breath into her hands.
“This damn place—no plump birds, and even the stones are all crooked and useless.”
She wore the narrow-sleeved riding outfit she had used in Lingyang for climbing mountains and riding horses. The fabric was thick. Her hair was not pinned but tied high at the back with a strip of gray cloth.
Aside from her face and hands being slightly reddened from the cold, she looked energetic, nothing like the rumors outside that claimed she had “fallen ill in the Reflection Hall, miserable and unattended.”
In Ye City these past few days, rumors had spread vividly—saying that the Princess of Lin’an had caught a severe chill in the Reflection Hall, suffered a high fever, and coughed violently while the Emperor ignored her, leaving her pitiful and alone.
In comparison, her public fight with Zheng Yingying and being punished by Lord Cui seemed far less eye-catching.
“Princess, it’s cold outside. Be careful not to catch a chill—please come inside,” Cuiguo called, poking her head out from the room with a worn padded jacket in hand.
“It’s not much warmer inside. It’s stuffy.”
As she spoke, Princess Ming Zhao bent to pick another flat stone from the courtyard dirt, weighing it in her hand. “Let me try again. I refuse to believe I can’t knock one down to roast.”
Before she finished speaking, a eunuch’s voice sounded from outside the courtyard gate:
“Is the Princess of Lin’an present? His Majesty has sent an order.”
Princess Ming Zhao swiftly stuffed the pebble and slingshot into Cuiguo’s hands, yanked off the cloth binding her hair, and ruffled it into complete disarray.
“Cuiguo, the bedding!”
She had already dashed back into the room like a gust of wind.
Cuiguo immediately understood. She threw aside the slingshot and pebble, quickly shaking out the thin cotton quilt—so thin it was almost transparent—as if she had practiced this many times.
Just as Princess Ming Zhao lay down, a young eunuch led the imperial messenger to the doorway of the side chamber.
“Princess, His Majesty’s verbal decree requests your immediate presence at the side hall of the Golden Throne Hall.”
The figure on the bed stirred, rising with apparent difficulty, her voice weak:
“Please trouble Eunuch Wang to inform Imperial Father that his daughter will arrive shortly.”
“Yes, this servant takes his leave.”
Only after the footsteps faded completely did Princess Ming Zhao throw off the quilt and sit up, her face instantly free of any trace of illness.
“Quick, bring me that small box of cosmetics. I need to look more haggard.”
Cuiguo searched while asking hesitantly, “Princess, are you really going to pretend to be sick?”
“His Majesty will surely feel distressed when he sees you. He wouldn’t truly blame you—the other day he had no choice. But what if he sees through it…”
“It’s not just for Imperial Father.” Princess Ming Zhao had already sat before the bronze mirror, deliberately loosening her already messy hair further, letting a few strands fall over her forehead.
“Imperial Father may feel sorry, but that alone is useless. There are things he needs to see with his own eyes. Only if I am ill can I speak.”
Cuiguo found a small cosmetic box and asked, still puzzled, “Then who else is it for? The Zheng family? They’d be delighted if you were truly sick.”
Princess Ming Zhao took the palest powder and skillfully dabbed it onto her cheeks, eye sockets, and the sides of her nose.
The natural flush from running quickly faded, leaving her face pale and wan.
“Cui Weijin.”