He paused, and a trace of melancholy entered his voice.
“He died during a war, while protecting the late emperor. That was the first and only time I ever saw the late emperor display such a fragile and helpless expression. He was a good child…”
“Grandfather, I know. You mean Crown Prince Mingxuan,” Shen Tinghe interrupted.
As soon as the late emperor ascended the throne, he posthumously honored this eldest son, who had Prince Qi kindly.”
“His Majesty probably also felt that he had wronged his elder brother. That is why he has indulged him all these years. As long as Prince Qi did not commit some truly serious crime, His Majesty would always minimize his punishment and turn a blind eye to his actions.”
These were things Shen Tinghe was hearing for the first time.
So that was how it was…
She murmured inwardly.
If Prince Qi had never gone missing back then, he would have possessed both the status of the legitimate son and the position of the eldest son. Perhaps the man sitting on the imperial throne today really would have been someone else.
Shen Jun sighed softly.
“Children are debts owed by their parents.”
Hearing this, Shen Tinghe thought of the complicated matters within her own family and remained silent for a while.
The day of the Qianhua Banquet arrived.
Only prestigious families with outstanding achievements and the emperor’s great favor were qualified to host this banquet.
The Ding Shan Prince’s Residence had hosted it just last year, and this year it was the turn of the Duke of Changguo’s Residence.
By now, the Qianhua Banquet was no longer merely an elegant gathering where people composed poetry, played music, practiced archery, and competed in martial arts.
It had gradually become the most important social occasion for the young ladies and gentlemen of the capital. It had also become an “invisible matchmaking competition,” where the wives of various noble families could look for suitable marriage partners for their sons and daughters.
Unmarried young men and women came here to display their talents and graceful manners, while married couples used the occasion to strengthen their connections and gather information. The atmosphere was exceptionally lively.
Outside the Duke of Changguo’s residence, carriages and sedan chairs already crowded the streets, with a long line of luxurious vehicles stretching into the distance. The fragrance of perfume, the shimmer of jeweled hair ornaments, and the lively chatter filled the entire area.
When the green-curtained carriage of the Ding Shan Prince’s Residence slowly arrived and stopped before the gates, the bustling crowd heading inside spontaneously parted to make way.
When the carriage door opened, the first person to step down was Madam Shen of the Ding Shan Prince’s Residence.
She wore a moon-white beizi, with a hairpin adorned with kingfisher feathers and East Sea pearls in her hair. Although she wore no heavy makeup, she could not conceal the graceful and dignified bearing she had possessed since childhood as a commandery princess.
She calmly took the maidservant’s hand and stepped down from the carriage with measured grace, her tranquil gaze sweeping over the crowd.
Immediately behind her came her two children.
Her daughter, Shen Tinghe, wore a lotus-root-pink ruqun embroidered with magnolia branches. The hem of her skirt trailed along the ground, making her look like a peony just beginning to bloom in spring delicate and charming.
Her son, Shen Chengzhou, wore a sapphire-blue robe with narrow sleeves suitable for archery. He was tall and straight, with handsome features.
A perfectly measured smile rested on his lips, but it did not reach his eyes, making it seem somewhat perfunctory.
“Madam Shizi, your dress today is truly breathtaking. We can hardly take our eyes off you. Standing beside you makes all of us feel ashamed of ourselves.”
The speaker was Madam Zhang, whose face was covered in smiles, her flattering tone almost overflowing.
“And Miss Shen, just look at her! She looks as though she were made of water. My own daughter would probably be too embarrassed to come out and meet people after seeing her.”
Madam Li also hurried forward, looking at Shen Tinghe with such warmth that one might have thought she were her own niece.
Madam Shen was already accustomed to such treatment. She gave a slight nod, maintaining a polite yet distant smile as she responded to everyone one by one.
After finally finishing the “welcome” greetings at the entrance, the three of them entered the residence and went their separate ways, each joining their own circle.
The rear courtyard of the duke’s residence was paved with bluestone paths, with winding covered corridors on either side.
A maidservant walked ahead with her hands folded respectfully before her, leading Shen Tinghe along a path shaded by clusters of bamboo. From a distance, she could already see quite a few figures gathered around Chengxin Pavilion.
They were all unmarried young ladies of suitable age from prominent families in the capital. They sat together in groups of three or five, jeweled hair ornaments gently swaying beside their temples, while their laughter and conversation drifted intermittently on the warm breeze.
Just as Shen Tinghe stepped onto the white-jade platform in front of the pavilion, a figure dressed in pale yellow came running toward her in embroidered shoes.
“A-He!”
“A-Xi.”
A smile blossomed in Shen Tinghe’s eyes as she stepped forward to greet her.
The newcomer was Zhou Chenxi, the legitimate granddaughter of the Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, whose grandfather was also a veteran court official.
She had been close friends with Shen Tinghe since childhood and had the most cheerful and straightforward personality.
Zhou Chenxi affectionately linked her arm with Shen Tinghe’s.
“Come on, follow me. A-Wan and the others have been waiting for you in the pavilion for ages.”
The two walked side by side through the flowerbeds. Along the way, quite a few young ladies noticed Shen Tinghe and immediately quieted their conversations. They turned aside, bent their knees, and offered a shallow courtesy, softly addressing her as Miss Shen.
Shen Tinghe calmly returned their greetings with a nod, carrying an air of quiet dignity between her brows.
“In another two months, it won’t be so easy for us to see you anymore, Crown Princess.”
Zhou Chenxi leaned close to her ear, lowering her voice considerably as she whispered the last three words, the end of her sentence carrying a teasing laugh.
Shen Tinghe lightly tapped her arm, embarrassment appearing in her eyes.
“You’re teasing me too.”
As they entered Chengxin Pavilion, candied fruits, fresh fruit, and celadon teacups had already been arranged on the stone table inside. Gu Linwan was sitting on a stone bench, and when she saw Shen Tinghe, she immediately stood up with a smile.
“A-He, you finally came! We’ve been waiting for you for so long.”
“I got held up at the entrance chatting with them for a while, so I’m late.”
Shen Tinghe sat down and picked up a teacup, taking a small sip.
“You all seemed to be having such an animated conversation just now. What were you talking about?”
Zhou Chenxi stuffed a lychee into her mouth and said indistinctly, “We were talking about what happened to Lord Lin Qizhang a few days ago.”
“You heard about it too?” Shen Tinghe raised her eyes.
Gu Linwan smiled.
“Thanks to A-Xi, our walking encyclopedia. Her information always travels faster than anyone else’s. We only just heard about it from her.”
“But how did you know about it too?” Zhou Chenxi asked with a raised eyebrow.
Shen Tinghe put down her teacup and said softly, “When Lord Wang entered the palace to report the matter to His Highness the Crown Prince, I happened to be in the Eastern Palace, so I overheard a few things.”
“Oh”
Gu Linwan and Zhou Chenxi exchanged a glance, deliberately drawing out the sound, their eyes filled with teasing.
“What kind of expression is that?” Shen Tinghe asked helplessly, shaking her head.
“Of course, we’re praising His Highness for his wisdom.”
Zhou Chenxi put away her teasing expression, her voice filled with indignation.
“That wretch Xie Liao relied on being a member of the imperial family and actually dared to do such a thing. I heard that Miss Lin was supposed to marry her childhood sweetheart in just half a month. A perfectly good marriage was ruined by him. Fortunately, His Highness ordered him thrown into prison!”
Gu Linwan was just about to respond when a proud, cold female voice suddenly cut in.
“His Highness is benevolent and magnanimous, so naturally he would never allow an evildoer to escape punishment, even if that person were a member of the imperial family. When my grandfather was teaching His Highness back then, the very first lesson he taught him was that a ruler must possess benevolence.”