Well, there was no doubt about it. The young woman was definitely a love rival.
Xi Cai had once heard her father talk about the various members of the Yang imperial family. The founding emperor had nine sons but no daughters. During the final battle in Hanzhong, he had found a baby girl in an alley. At the time, the infant was still suckling at her mother’s breast, but her mother’s head had already rolled a full ten feet away.
Feeling sorry for the child, the founding emperor had taken off his cloak, wrapped her in it, and brought her back. From then on, she became the adopted daughter of the Grand Empress Dowager.
After the Great Sheng dynasty was established, Emperor Taizong bestowed titles and fiefs upon members of the imperial clan. Although the girl was not related to the Yang family by blood, she was still granted the title of commandery princess. She received the income from her fief and continued living in the imperial palace.
Xi Cai knew the general story of her background, but she did not know the more intimate details. Judging by her age, the girl was probably seventeen or eighteen. Growing up on the privileges and luxuries of the imperial household had clearly made her exceptionally proud.
Her hostility had to be related to Yang Xun.
Xi Cai looked at the man beside her with a wounded expression. Yang Xun frowned and reprimanded the young woman.
“How dare you behave so rudely! This is your sister-in-law. Come over and pay your respects!”
Then he turned to Xi Cai and introduced her in a much gentler tone.
“This is Princess Tianshui, Yang Su.”
Unfortunately, Yang Su was not willing to accept his explanation. The more obviously he treated Xi Cai differently from her, the more resentful she became.
But what could she do about it? All her pent-up grievances turned into tears. She cried out angrily, “What sister-in-law? She’s nothing more than the daughter of a court official! What makes her worthy of being called my sister-in-law?”
Xi Cai felt rather helpless.
Watching Yang Su sob and storm away, she thought to herself that, apart from foreign princesses, members of the Yang imperial family seemed to marry only the daughters of court officials.
If Yang Su was so unhappy about it, she could simply change her surname and stop being a member of the Yang family. Then she might have a chance of marrying someone without all these restrictions.
Of course, that was only her private complaint. She could not abandon her well-practiced habit of appearing virtuous and considerate.
She had already decided how she would behave later. For now, she should focus on meeting the Grand Empress Dowager.
Yang Xun offered the usual reassurance, without displaying much emotion.
“Pay her no mind.”
Xi Cai nodded and followed the eunuch through a luxurious corridor until they reached the throne in the center of the main hall.
The Grand Empress Dowager was dressed in magnificent ceremonial robes as she received their formal bows. Just as Xi Cai’s forehead touched the embroidered cushion for the final time, a plump, fair hand reached out to help her rise.
The Grand Empress Dowager spoke warmly.
“That is enough. You have fulfilled the proper formalities. There is no need to be so particular in private. Quickly, get up.”
Xi Cai thanked her for her kindness, then turned to support Yang Xun. Once they were both standing, she discreetly examined the Grand Empress Dowager from the corner of her eye.
The elderly woman was in her sixties or seventies, yet she had maintained herself so well that she looked closer to fifty. Her figure was slightly plump, and she had fewer wrinkles than most women her age.
However, her hands were unusually chubby. Her fingers were slender at the tips, while the backs of her hands were dotted with tiny dimples.
Looking at those hands alone, Xi Cai would never have imagined they belonged to the woman before her. Perhaps this was what people meant when they spoke of the hands of someone blessed with extraordinary good fortune.
The Grand Empress Dowager quickly ordered the eunuchs to bring over round-backed chairs for them.
“These past few days must have been exhausting for Ninth Son. Preparing for the wedding ceremony must have kept you very busy.”
Yang Xun leaned forward slightly in his chair.
“Thank you for your concern, Mother. The household steward took care of all the arrangements, so I was not particularly inconvenienced.”
The Grand Empress Dowager nodded.
“That’s good.”
She then turned to Xi Cai.
“Ninth Son’s wife is the daughter of Censor Xi. Even here in the palace, we have heard of your excellent reputation. With you by Ninth Son’s side, I am sure everything will be properly taken care of.”
She paused before continuing.
“However, Ninth Son is still unwell and needs time to recover. You will probably have to work hard looking after him. If there is ever anything you cannot manage on your own, simply send someone to the palace to inform me. I will arrange for people to help you. I will not leave you to shoulder everything alone.”
Xi Cai rose to her feet and bowed gratefully.
“Thank you for your kindness, Grand Empress Dowager. Serving my lord is my duty as his wife, so your concern for me is almost too generous. I feel humbled by it.”
She continued sincerely, “I have already told the marquis that minor illnesses and ailments are nothing to fear. With proper care and sufficient rest, he will eventually recover. I also understand a little about medicine, so I can manage the preparation of his herbal decoctions and take care of his daily needs. I only hope that he will recover soon, so that you may finally set your mind at ease.”
The Grand Empress Dowager nodded repeatedly, smiling as she listened.
“You truly are a young lady raised in a family that values poetry, propriety, and education. Your appearance and character are both impeccable. Having found such a suitable wife is Ninth Son’s good fortune.”
She then added affectionately, “You need not be so formal with me in private. Just call me Mother, as Ninth Son does.”
Everyone did their best to exchange pleasant words. Apart from Princess Tianshui, who had thrown her tantrum earlier, the others wore smiles and praised the marriage as a rare and fortunate match.
The Grand Empress Dowager was not merely offering empty words. She generously bestowed a great number of gifts upon the newlyweds, including fine silk, jewelry, writing implements, and cosmetics. She ordered her servants to pack everything into carriages and deliver it to the Marquis of Yanling’s residence.
She also stepped in to smooth things over regarding Yang Su’s earlier outburst.
“That child has been spoiled since she was young. She has a stubborn temper and finds it difficult to change her mind. Ninth Son’s wife, please do not take her words to heart. Just let her be.”
Xi Cai smiled.
“Mother, you are being too serious. She is the marquis’s younger sister, after all. We are family.”
The Grand Empress Dowager was pleased by Xi Cai’s understanding nature. However, knowing that Yang Xun could not remain on his feet for too long, she did not insist that they stay when they rose to take their leave.
As they left the hall, they discovered Yang Su standing near a corner of the building. She was still staring at them with a resentful expression on her pale face.
Xi Cai stopped walking and looked up at Yang Xun.
“My lord, I think the princess truly dislikes me.”
Yang Xun did not want to waste any more time in the palace. He simply told her to let Yang Su be and turned to descend the steps.
Xi Cai hurried after him and, as usual, supported his arm.
In a voice filled with apparent frustration, she muttered, “I’ve lived this long, yet I’ve never been so thoroughly disliked by anyone. Everyone usually says I’m beautiful, but Princess Tianshui thinks I’m nothing special. She must be jealous of me.”
After a brief pause, she asked, “My lord, do you think I’m beautiful? I want you to tell me the truth.”
Yang Xun acted as though he had not heard her question. Then he gave a casual reply.
“Beautiful.”
She immediately sounded displeased.
“Are you just saying that to humor me? We only met for the first time last night. You barely had time to look at me properly. How would you know whether I’m beautiful or not?”
A man who had always been reluctant to deal with social niceties was finally discovering that taking a wife was easy, but maintaining an appearance of marital harmony was difficult.
He had to be patient and continue playing along with her. If they fell out on the second day of their marriage, those foolish officials would have yet another excuse to criticize him.
With that in mind, he reluctantly examined her and said, “Last night, by candlelight, you were so beautiful that I felt ashamed of my own inadequacy. Today, beneath the daylight, you are as precious as a pearl or fine jade, even more beautiful than you were last night.”
He continued with a perfectly composed expression.
“Cui Shou’s poem did not exaggerate your beauty. You are an exceptional beauty, and more remarkably, you possess the noble character of an orchid or osmanthus blossom. No woman in all of Luodu can compare with you.”
He paused, then concluded, “You only need to remember one thing. Other people’s opinions do not matter. In my eyes, you are perfect. That is enough.”
After hearing all this, Xi Cai could only sigh inwardly.
The supposedly untouchable Marquis of Yanling was having a difficult time himself. This was practically an act of humiliation and endurance on his part.
She was certainly attractive, but she was nowhere near as perfect as he claimed. It seemed he had exhausted every compliment he had ever learned about women in his entire life.
If she did not respond with a little generosity and understanding, how could she possibly justify his effort?
Xi Cai said sincerely, “My lord, you are such a gentle and affectionate man. No wonder so many people admire you. I know that hatred never appears without a reason. The princess must be in love with you, which is why she finds fault with me at every opportunity.”
Yang Xun looked straight ahead and replied calmly, “She is my younger sister. How could she be in love with me?”
Xi Cai stepped slowly over the blue-gray bricks of the passageway and gently disagreed.
“You aren’t related by blood. You share neither the same father nor the same mother. It wouldn’t be surprising if she had developed feelings for you.”
As she spoke, her voice grew softer. She lowered her head and murmured hesitantly, “If the princess truly likes you, I wouldn’t be so narrow-minded as to oppose it. My lord, you could bring her into the household as well. I would be happy to treat her as my younger sister, and the two of us could take care of you together.”
She looked increasingly dejected.
“As long as it makes you happy, my lord, I am willing to do anything.”
Only then did Yang Xun turn to look at her.
“My lady certainly has the generosity to accept others. Your broad-mindedness is truly beyond that of ordinary people.”
“Have you agreed, my lord?” she asked, sounding even more miserable. “If you find it difficult to bring up the matter yourself, I can propose the marriage on your behalf.”
Yang Xun considered it for a moment.
“Let’s discuss it another time. We have only just married. Bringing another woman into the household so soon would not look good to outsiders.”
Xi Cai obediently answered that she understood.
In truth, she knew the matter would never come to pass.
If Yang Xun had harbored such intentions toward Yang Su, the princess would have had every opportunity to get close to him long ago. Why would she have waited until after he married someone else to become jealous?
Still, to be honest, Xi Cai would not mind having another woman in the household. The more people there were, the easier it would be to stir up trouble.
Judging from Yang Su’s straightforward temperament, it would probably take only a couple of provocations for her affection to turn into hatred.
Then Xi Cai could use someone else to do the dirty work while keeping herself completely out of trouble.
The thought was rather delightful.
Unfortunately, the opportunity was not available just yet. She would have to put the matter aside and wait until the right moment arrived.
They walked slowly back toward Duanmen Gate.
Although autumn had arrived, the lingering summer heat was still merciless. Even their brief exposure to the sunlight left their skin stinging.
Fortunately, their carriage was not far away. The servants opened the door and helped them climb inside.
Xi Cai smoothed her hair and straightened the hem of her clothing before asking Yang Xun softly, “My lord, I will be returning to my parents’ home the day after tomorrow. Will you accompany me?”
A man who had not even appeared to personally welcome his bride during the wedding ceremony would surely skip the customary visit to his wife’s family.
She had no expectation that he would suddenly follow tradition. In fact, she would prefer it if he stayed behind. Then she could speak freely with her family without worrying about him.
Unfortunately, she had been too optimistic.
Yang Xun replied, “I should visit my father- and mother-in-law to thank them for marrying such a wonderful daughter to me. Even if I must go despite my poor health, I should accompany you.”
Xi Cai was genuinely surprised.
She was beginning to realize that his decisions always seemed to run counter to her expectations. Perhaps she needed to change her way of thinking. The things that seemed least likely to happen according to common sense were probably the very things he had already planned.
Since he intended to go, she could hardly object.
She put on an expression of delighted surprise while inwardly cursing her bad luck.
When they returned to the marquis’s residence, she temporarily set the matter aside. She still had plenty of things to do.
To make sure the wedding had been suitably grand, her parents had practically emptied their household’s coffers.
Xi Cai took out the inventory of her dowry and carefully checked every item one by one. She needed to know exactly what she had brought with her so that, one day, she could take everything back without losing even a single coin’s worth.
Once the inventory was complete, she instructed the maids to carefully seal every chest and trunk. The door to the room also had to be locked, and no one was permitted to approach it.
By the time everything had been arranged and she finally left the room, night had fallen.
She returned to the main living quarters, intending to have dinner. When she entered the inner chamber, she saw Yang Xun reclining leisurely on a bamboo lounge chair, holding a book in his hand.
His loose, flowing robe and wide sash draped softly around him, fluttering gently in the breeze.
Xi Cai deliberately made a little noise to announce her arrival.
He acted as though he had not heard a thing.
To him, the presence of his new wife seemed no different from having another maid in the room.
That suited Xi Cai just fine. As long as he did not become overly affectionate, she could remain comfortable.
She went behind the long folding screen and removed the hairpins and ornaments from her head. Then she used a plain hairpin to arrange her hair simply and examined herself in the mirror.
Most of the powder on her face had worn off, revealing her natural complexion. She applied another layer.
This was part of the etiquette between husband and wife. She could not appear before her husband with a completely bare face. Even if the powder was not as translucent and beautiful as her natural skin, she still had to wear it as a sign of respect.
The ornaments around her body, however, could be removed.
She placed them into their boxes one by one. The gold and jade pieces struck lightly against one another, producing clear, crisp sounds.
She kept removing them until she reached the last clasp at her collar. Holding it between her fingertips, she paused for a moment.
On the day she had left her family home, her face had been hidden behind the bridal veil. She did not know whether Xie Qiao had attended the wedding or whether he had seen her wearing her quju robe.
She was lost in thought when Gong Xi’s voice came from the other side of the screen.
“Madam, the evening meal is ready.”
Xi Cai acknowledged her and straightened her collar before emerging from behind the screen.
She took her seat at the dining table in the front hall and noticed that the dishes were rather light.
There were cloud-shaped baked cakes, tofu prepared in the finest style, water shield with bamboo shoots, fermented yellow sprouts, and two small dishes she did not recognize.
Not a trace of meat could be seen.
Xi Cai clicked her tongue inwardly.
There was chicken at noon. Perhaps the evening meal is deliberately vegetarian to make digestion easier.
She did not think too much about it and began serving Yang Xun food.
“This tofu is easy to digest, my lord. You can safely have a little more.”
After they finished eating, they got up to walk around and aid their digestion. They took a turn through the garden, where Xi Cai was bitten by two mosquitoes.
She returned to the room with two itchy bumps on her leg.
Back in the inner chamber, she lifted her skirt and showed Yang Xun her calf.
The two swollen bites sat side by side, almost identical in size.
She used her fingernails to press a mark into the top of each bump, creating crescent-shaped impressions. Then she made another horizontal mark where the two curves met.
Looking up at him, she asked, “What do you think they look like?”
Her calf was snow-white, with skin as smooth as satin. The mosquito bites were red, swollen, and raised prominently against it.
Yang Xun blinked slowly. He seemed rather puzzled, probably wondering how someone could be so childish and bored.
Nevertheless, he did not want to spoil her fun.
He parted his lips and answered, “Cherries.”
Xi Cai smiled.
“Correct! These mosquitoes certainly know how to bite. They have made the bumps look quite pretty, although they itch a little.”
Yang Xun did not seem to know how to respond.
Xi Cai looked at him with eager anticipation.
“My lord, aren’t you going to scratch them for me?”
Yang Xun appeared somewhat surprised. After hesitating for a moment, he finally extended his fingers and scratched the swollen bumps.
However, his gentle touch did not relieve the itching enough.
Xi Cai took matters into her own hands and pressed two large X-shaped marks into the bites, making them symmetrical.
Then she stood up and instructed a maid to prepare some clean water for the master’s evening wash.
There were side chambers on either side of the inner bedroom, each equipped with a bathing tub. Yang Xun had his usual attendants to help him, so Xi Cai only needed to wash and change herself. She did not have to concern herself with helping him wipe his body.
The second day of their marriage had been far too exhausting.
When Xi Cai finally immersed herself in the hot water, she could not help letting out a long sigh of relief.
She tilted her head back, closed her eyes, and rested for a while. Before long, she was nearly falling asleep.
Yu Wu had to remind her, “Madam, the water is getting cold. You should get out now.”
Xi Cai reluctantly left the bath and changed into her sleeping clothes. Even then, her steps grew slow and hesitant.
Truthfully, she did not want to return to the inner bedroom.
The thought of sharing a bed with Yang Xun made her uneasy.
However, she still remembered her father’s instructions. The political struggles at court had continued without interruption since the reign of Emperor Taizong. For six or seven years, the Marquis of Yanling had proved extremely difficult to deal with. Numerous senior officials had exhausted every possible means to bring him down, yet none had succeeded.
Everyone was growing discouraged.
If conventional methods did not work, perhaps it would not be unreasonable to consider less conventional approaches.
After all, the country had suffered years of turmoil, and the common people had endured more than enough hardship and displacement. Every change in imperial power brought painful upheavals in which countless lives hung in the balance.
The Marquis of Yanling had achieved such great military accomplishments that he overshadowed even the emperor himself. As long as he remained alive and powerful, peace would never truly come to the court or the country.
The responsibility resting on Xi Cai’s shoulders was therefore enormous. She could not afford to retreat.
She gathered her courage, composed herself, and stepped out of the side chamber, lifting the curtain as she went.
The bridal chamber was still decorated with red everywhere. Simply walking into it made her head spin.
The red candles no longer needed to burn throughout the entire night. Beyond the gauzy curtains, a lampstand illuminated the outer room. More than a dozen oil lamps cast a soft, flickering light, resembling scattered stars in the night sky.
Xi Cai climbed onto the bed, rested her head on a soft pillow, and lay down.
She hoped that they could spend the night peacefully, each minding their own business without interfering with the other.
At first, things went exactly as she had hoped.
Their pillows lay side by side, with an invisible boundary between them, like the Chu and Han kingdoms separated by a river. The division was perfectly clear.
But after turning over twice, she opened her eyes in a sleepy haze and discovered that she was facing Yang Xun.
She was startled and was just about to turn away without drawing attention to herself when he spoke.
“Wait a moment. Last night, I introduced myself to you. Don’t you intend to return the courtesy?”
They were sharing a bed, but they were still not very familiar with each other.
Having no choice, Xi Cai imitated what he had done the previous night and wrote on his palm with her finger.
“My name is Xi Cai. My childhood nickname is Titi.”
He lowered his eyes and examined the meaning of her name with great concentration.
“‘Cai’ refers to the beauty of splendid colors and magnificent compositions. ‘Titi’ suggests a woman who is beautiful, clever, and perceptive, yet cautious and discerning, like spring water holding ripples of light beneath its still surface.”
Xi Cai nodded repeatedly.
“My lord, you truly are learned. When people hear the name Titi, they usually think only of beauty and overlook its other meanings.”
He smiled, his expression gentle.
“If I could not understand the meaning of my own wife’s name, it would only show how little attention I paid to her.”
After saying that, he patted the space beside him.
“Come here.”
Not again!
The bed was so wide that another person could easily have slept between them. Asking her to move closer was not unreasonable, technically speaking.
Still, she tried to make an excuse.
“I’m afraid my body heat might make you uncomfortable and prevent you from sleeping well…”
“I have a cold constitution,” he replied. “I won’t mind.”
Xi Cai gritted her teeth.
Left with no choice, she reluctantly moved a little closer.
She raised her hand to straighten the overlapping collar of his robe, then pulled the thin quilt over him and tucked it securely around his body.
In a tender voice, she reminded him, “You are sensitive to the cold, my lord. Please be careful not to catch a chill.”