Jiang Yuehua leaned against the doorway, glancing toward the direction of Ruoshui Pavilion from afar before withdrawing her gaze and instructing her maid, "Prepare the carriage. I'm going out."
Concubine Su happened to lift the curtain and step out just then. Hearing Jiang Yuehua's words, her face lit up with joy. "Yuehua, are you going to see the young master Shen?"
Concubine Su felt somewhat anxious. Now that Jiang Sixian had failed the selection, she would likely give up and resign herself to marrying someone. If she turned back to seek Shen Ze, that would be troublesome. Although Yuehua and Shen Ze had developed feelings over their recent interactions, in the marriages of noble families, emotions were the most useless thing.
Although both were daughters of the Jiangguogongfu, Jiang Sixian's mother was from the Danyang Sun family, while she herself was merely the daughter of an unknown scholar.
Concubine Su, afraid that Jiang Yuehua might miss her chance with Shen Ze, couldn't help but advise, "My dear Yuehua, you and the young master Shen have been seeing each other for quite some time now. Why not bring up the matter of marriage with him, so he can come to propose as soon as possible and settle your union? Now that your second sister has failed the selection, if she were to turn back to the young master Shen…"
Jiang Yuehua chuckled lightly, a hint of disdain in her voice. "Even if she wants to turn back, Shen Ze must be willing. He would never take a liking to such a proud peacock like her. Don't worry, concubine mother."
Jiang Sixian had always looked down on her since childhood. Jiang Yuehua felt resentful but had no way to surpass her. This time, Jiang Sixian's failure in the selection gave Jiang Yuehua a sense of vindication. Wasn't she always boasting about her nobility and excellence? Yet she still ended up failing.
As for herself, at least she still had Shen Ze.
Jiang Yuehua turned back, entered the room, and picked out a few books to bring along. "Alright, concubine mother, I'm heading out now."
"Ah, go ahead."
Jiang Yuehua and Shen Ze's interactions mostly revolved around poetry and literature. Shen Ze was well-read and exceptionally talented, while Jiang Yuehua herself was known as a gifted woman. The two indeed got along harmoniously. A talented scholar and a beautiful lady, under the moonlight and among flowers—it was naturally romantic.
Shen Ze had developed feelings for Jiang Yuehua. Although she couldn't compare to Jiang Sixian, she was still a daughter of the Jiang family. If he explained to his family and expressed his desire to propose, his father would likely agree. However, his father seemed to favor Jiang Sixian more. Just yesterday, he had mentioned to him that Jiang Sixian, having failed the selection, was probably in a state of sorrow—this was his opportunity. He urged him to visit, offering comfort and care.
Shen Ze thought of Jiang Sixian's arrogance and rudeness and had no desire to pay her any attention. Besides, she had been fixated on the Crown Prince. Having failed to become the Crown Prince's woman, she now turned to him—what did that make him?
Just as Shen Ze was troubled by this matter, a servant came to report that the third young lady of the Jiang family had arrived.
Upon hearing that Jiang Yuehua had come, Shen Ze's face brightened with joy. "Quickly invite the third young lady in."
Jiang Yuehua was led by the servant into the flower hall. She smiled gently at Shen Ze and said, "Young master, Yuehua pays her respects."
Shen Ze replied, "No need for formalities. What brings the third young lady here in person today?"
Jiang Yuehua took out the books she had brought and said, "Yuehua acquired a rare ancient manuscript yesterday. Thinking that the young master would surely like it, I hurried over to bring it to you."
Shen Ze took the book from her hands. It was indeed the one he had been searching for. Overjoyed, he said, "Yuehua, thank you. This book is extremely rare. I've been looking for it for a long time but couldn't find it. You must have gone through a lot of trouble."
Jiang Yuehua smiled. "As long as the young master likes it, no amount of trouble is too much for Yuehua."
Jiang Yuehua smiled softly, her eyes filled with him. Shen Ze suddenly paused, feeling as though his heart skipped a beat, a profound warmth welling up from deep within.
He thought, he liked Jiang Yuehua.
He wanted to marry her and spend his life hand in hand with her.
This thought surged forth almost uncontrollably from the depths of his heart after Jiang Yuehua left. Unable to restrain himself, Shen Ze went to find the Marquis of Dingbei.
"Father, I have something to discuss with you. I do not like Jiang Sixian; it is Jiang Yuehua I love. I wish to marry her as my wife."
Only after speaking did Shen Ze realize his mother was also present.
The Marquis of Dingbei and his wife exchanged a glance, neither particularly surprised by their son's words. They had observed their son growing close to the third daughter of the Jiang family in recent days.
The Marchioness Dingbei said, "Ze'er, your mother understands your feelings. However… this third daughter of the Jiang family, I cannot help but feel she is not the right match for you."
Shen Ze assumed his mother was concerned about Jiang Yuehua's status as a concubine-born daughter and explained, "Though Yuehua is a concubine-born daughter, she is a good person. Moreover, Duke Jiang is also fond of her."
The Marchioness Dingbei shook her head and clarified, "When I say this, it is not because she is a concubine-born daughter, but for other reasons."
Shen Ze pressed, "What reasons, then?"
The Marchioness Dingbei replied, "You are aware of the Crown Prince's recent selection of consorts, are you not?"
Shen Ze nodded, "Yes."
The Marchioness Dingbei continued, "All four daughters of the Jiang family attended."
Shen Ze was taken aback, momentarily failing to grasp his mother's implication.
The Marchioness Dingbei clicked her tongue lightly and spelled it out, "She has been intimate with you, almost as if you were deeply in love. If that were truly the case, why would she still attend the Crown Prince's selection? This selection was entirely arranged by Her Majesty the Empress. Although Her Majesty is anxious about the Crown Prince's marriage, she is not a harsh person and does not force all unmarried women of suitable age to attend. For instance, the second daughter of Minister Li's family, who already had someone in her heart, claimed illness and did not go. Yet, the third daughter of the Jiang family attended."
Shen Ze's heart sank, and he instinctively defended Jiang Yuehua, "Perhaps Duke Jiang made her go?"
The Marchioness Dingbei countered, "You just said Duke Jiang is fond of her. If that is the case, and Duke Jiang knows she is in love with you, why would he force her to attend the selection? Moreover, the second daughter of the Jiang family also attended. Does Duke Jiang truly believe the third daughter has a greater chance of being chosen than the second? Would he insist on forcing her to go?"
The Marchioness Dingbei sighed. As a woman herself, she understood the intricacies of the inner household all too well and naturally thought more deeply about such matters.
"I am not necessarily saying this third daughter of the Jiang family has ill intentions. It is just that you have known her for a short time and do not yet fully understand her, is that not so? If you truly feel you cannot marry anyone but her, what harm is there in waiting a little longer?"
Thus, the Marchioness Dingbei declined Shen Ze's request.
Shen Ze, of course, did not believe Jiang Yuehua had ill intentions. Yet, upon further reflection, he thought his mother had a point. He had indeed known Yuehua for only a short time and did not yet fully understand her. If their feelings were genuine, what did it matter to wait a little longer?
The sun rose and the moon set, time passing in a blur. Tomorrow would be the day Jiang Xuerong entered the palace.
That night, Zou Ruoshui slept together with Jiang Xuerong.
The dim candlelight filled the room. Zou Ruoshui, filled with emotion, could not help but sigh, "Who knows when we will meet again after this."
Thinking of tomorrow's parting, Jiang Xuerong also felt a pang of sorrow.
Zou Ruoshui sighed again and roused her spirits, saying, "Enough, let's not talk about these things anymore. Let's talk about something else."
She pulled out a few books from beside her and stuffed them into Jiang Xuerong's arms. "Your concubine mother doesn't have much to give you. Take these books and read them yourself."
Jiang Xuerong took the books, and before even opening them, she was startled by the words "spring palace illustrations" on the cover. Instantly, the books felt like hot potatoes in her hands, and she didn't know where to put them.
"Concubine Mother~ why are you giving me these…"
Zou Ruoshui said, "Why are you so shy? You're a grown girl now; this day was bound to come. Let me explain it to you first. Matters between men and women… well, there's really nothing to it…"
Jiang Xuerong wasn't interested in this topic at all and interrupted Zou Ruoshui, "Don't say it! I'll read it myself when the time comes!"
As she spoke, she covered her ears, her fair cheeks flushing with a faint blush.
Zou Ruoshui watched her reaction and couldn't help but laugh. She was still just a little girl…
Ah, and this little girl was about to get married.
Zou Ruoshui reached out and hugged Jiang Xuerong, gently patting her back, just like when she used to coax her to sleep as a child. "You were so tiny when you were little, and now, in the blink of an eye, you've grown into a young lady."
Jiang Xuerong nestled into Zou Ruoshui's embrace, her eyes growing moist.
The next morning, the weather was as clear as ever.
The servants loaded Jiang Xuerong's belongings onto the carriage, and Jiang Ping, Madam Sun, and Zou Ruoshui all came to see her off.
Jiang Ping said, "The palace is not like home. From now on, you must be cautious in everything you do. Your father is proud of you, and I hope that in the future, Jiangguogongfu will also be proud of you."
Since Madam Sun was, after all, Jiang Xuerong's nominal mother, she also offered a few polite words of advice: "You are, after all, a daughter of the Jiang family. Your every word and action represents the Jiang family, so remember to be careful with your words and deeds."
Only Zou Ruoshui said, "Take good care of yourself. Don't worry about your concubine mother; I'll take care of myself."
Hearing this, Jiang Xuerong's eyes reddened again. She waved her hand and bid them farewell, "I understand. Father, Mother, Concubine Mother, you should all go back now."
With that, she turned and boarded the carriage. As soon as she entered the carriage, the tears welling in her eyes began to fall.
Yin Chan, who was by her side, comforted her, "Fourth Miss, don't be sad. If you gain favor in the future, you'll surely have a chance to see your concubine mother and the master again."
Jiang Xuerong felt that Yin Chan's words were not comforting at all; instead, they made her even more disheartened. "Does that mean there's no hope of ever seeing Concubine Mother again in this lifetime?"
Yin Chan: "…"
Her Fourth Miss truly had no ambition whatsoever.
Jiang Xuerong wiped her tears with a silk handkerchief and quickly composed herself again, murmuring to herself, "Forget it. Let's worry about the future when it comes. Who knows what will happen then?"
She turned sideways and lifted the curtain of the carriage window, looking back. Zou Ruoshui's figure stood at the gate, growing more and more distant.
Jiang Xuerong reached out and waved.
When the Jiang family carriage arrived at the Eastern Palace, the other three had already arrived. Jiang Xuerong stepped down from the carriage using the footstool and looked up to see Luo Huier and the others.
Luo Huier was dressed in splendid attire today, wearing luxurious robes and adorned with jewels from head to toe, displaying her wealth. Luo Huier had always been at odds with Jiang Sixian and, by extension, disliked Jiang Sixian's younger sister as well. When she saw Jiang Xuerong, she said disdainfully, "Why are you so late? So slow."
Jiang Xuerong apologized and took her place beside the girl in the lotus-pink ruqun.
The chief eunuch of the Eastern Palace, Fuman, seeing that they had all arrived, stepped forward and said, "This old servant pays respects to the esteemed ladies. Please follow this old servant."
Luo Huier's gaze swept past Fuman, looking into the Eastern Palace, and she said discontentedly, "Where is His Highness the Crown Prince? When will you take us to see His Highness?"
Fuman smiled and replied, "Please be patient, Liangdi Luo. This old servant will first settle the esteemed ladies. As for His Highness the Crown Prince, you will surely meet him in due time."
Luo Huier pursed her lips, clearly dissatisfied with this response. She turned and signaled to her personal maid, who understood immediately and took out several silver notes, handing them to Eunuch Fu, saying, "Eunuch Fu, you've worked hard. This is a small token of appreciation from our Liangdi, please have some tea."
Eunuch Fu accepted the silver notes and became even more respectful toward Luo Huier. "Thank you, Liangdi Luo."
This series of actions flowed smoothly, and Jiang Xuerong, watching from the side, couldn't help but admire it.
Luo Huier truly lived up to being the daughter of the Pingnanhoufu—her generosity was remarkable. Jiang Xuerong had casually glanced at the stack of silver notes, each worth a hundred taels, and at least five had been given out, amounting to five hundred taels.
It was said that the wife of Marquis Pingnan was the only daughter of the wealthiest merchant in the world, so it was no wonder Luo Huier was so lavish.
Truly incomparable, truly incomparable.
Eunuch Fu led them to the residences of the Crown Prince's consorts. Naturally, such trivial matters were not of concern to the Crown Prince, nor to the Empress. However, Marquis Pingnan had already made arrangements in advance, so Eunuch Fu assigned Luo Huier to Feiyan Hall, the residence closest to the Crown Prince's quarters. Not only was Feiyan Hall the nearest, but it was also the most spacious among the consorts' residences. Seeing this, Luo Huier's maid handed Eunuch Fu two more silver notes.
In contrast to Luo Huier's Feiyan Hall, the residences assigned to the other three were more remote and smaller, especially Jiang Xuerong's, who was placed in the most secluded Mingyu Xuan.
Mingyu Xuan seemed less than half the size of Feiyan Hall. Yin Chan whispered, "Why such unequal treatment? Shouldn’t you also give some benefits to that Eunuch Fu?"
Jiang Xuerong looked around but was not as displeased as Yin Chan. Seclusion had its own advantages.
"Even if I gave him benefits, could I possibly match what Liangdi Luo gave him?"