Because of her chronic illness, Jiang Shiyuan hadn’t participated in many social functions over the years. Aside from her close friend Xiang Xiuqing, she didn’t know many other noble daughters. When she first saw Princess Qinghuan surrounded by a crowd, she had instinctively chosen an inconspicuous spot to rest, chatting with Xiuqing to pass the time in comfortable obscurity.
Suddenly, someone called out: “The play is starting!”
Everyone took their seats. A performance of The Fairy Couple drew applause and cheers from the noble madams and young ladies, but Jiang Shiyuan found it utterly dull. Princess Qinghuan, for some reason, noticed this and spoke up to ask her:
“Which family are you from? I haven’t seen you before.”
“To the Princess: My father is the Vice Prefect of Xuzhou. I am currently staying at my maternal grandfather’s home, the Wen-Yuan Marquis manor, to recover from illness. I came today with my grandmother and aunt.”
“You don’t like this play?”
“I do not.”
When a princess asks such a question, any sensible person would respectfully claim to be delighted to their very core. Only Jiang Shiyuan refused to play along. Old Lady Wang had already prepared herself to offer an apology for the girl’s bluntness, only to hear Princess Qinghuan reply with a laugh.
“I don’t like it either. But since everyone else calls it ‘excellent,’ my dislike has to transform into ‘liking’ as well.”
That single sentence made everyone present feel incredibly awkward, but Jiang Shiyuan looked at the Princess with genuine interest. She hadn’t expected the Princess to speak so candidly. After several more interactions, they naturally became friends. Later, after Xiang Xiuqing married into the Marquis’s manor as the wife of the eldest brother, Wang Su, Princess Qinghuan even joked:
“How about this? I’ll pick one of your second or third cousins to marry. That way, we can play together forever.”
Jiang Shiyuan had doubled over with laughter at the suggestion, while the faces of her second and third cousins turned several shades of interesting. They felt they had bright futures ahead of them and certainly didn’t dare to be “favored” by this particular Princess. Consequently, it wasn’t long before news leaked from the Wen-Yuan Marquis manor.
The second son was incorrigible, spending his days chasing cats and dogs; the third son had fled to Han Prefecture, vowing not to return or marry until the Southern Army was defeated.
Shiyuan remembered that shortly after that news spread, the Princess’s manor followed suit.
Under the guise of recruiting retainers, Princess Qinghuan gathered many “talented and handsome” scholars. Everyone whispered that the Princess was acting with reckless abandon, yet the old Emperor didn’t care at all that the imperial reputation was being tarnished. He even personally bestowed two imperial graduates (Jinshi) upon the manor. From then on, the Princess’s manor gained a fearsome, deterrent nickname:
The Jinshi Tomb.
As for those scholars, while outsiders remained in the dark, Jiang Shiyuan knew some of the inside story: they had all been given new identities and became the secret forces the Princess was cultivating in the shadows.
“What are you thinking about so deeply? You didn’t even hear us coming!”
Suddenly hearing a voice, Jiang Shiyuan turned her head. It was Princess Qinghuan, who had just finished “slaughtering the competition” in the inner courtyard. Standing behind her was none other than Pei Zisu, whom Shiyuan had just seen that morning.
Princess Qinghuan was famously radiant. No matter who stood beside her, eyes were naturally drawn to her first. However, Pei Zisu was an exception. Even standing three paces behind her, his presence was so commanding that it seemed to partially overshadow the Princess; he was a person who simply could not be ignored.
Jiang Shiyuan didn’t want to stare at him, especially with that awkward “marriage” business lingering between them. Instead, she turned her gaze toward the Princess and gave a gentle smile.
“I was remembering when I first met you, and you asked me if I liked The Fairy Couple.”
“So that was it. But you really were bold back then. In that kind of setting, even Old Lady Wang would probably have said she ‘liked’ it just to please me.”
Jiang Shiyuan affectionately took the Princess’s arm and replied, “I had the foresight to know that the Princess doesn’t like being flattered by everyone. So, I did the opposite. See? Didn’t I get my wish?”
She deliberately put on a “sycophantic” face, a look that made Princess Qinghuan burst into laughter.
“That’s true. Now, who in all of Xijing doesn’t know that my closest friend is you? Tell me, when you see those ladies and girls casting looks of envy and jealousy your way, don’t you feel a secret sense of satisfaction?”
At this, Jiang Shiyuan wore a look of utter helplessness. “Not really.”
“How is that possible? Could it be that some blind fool is making things difficult for you? Tell me who it is. I’ll make sure they get more than they bargained for.”
Hearing this, Jiang Shiyuan laughed. “The Princess misunderstands. What I meant was that when I appear before them looking like this, they probably start envying me before they even have time to worry about whether I’m your best friend.”
“How shameless! But it’s the truth. After all, your title as the ‘Number One Beauty of Great Sui’ was something I spread myself. I must say, I truly have excellent taste!”
As the two of them chatted, they appeared to have completely forgotten about Pei Zisu standing nearby.
However, he was quite content to see this side of his cousin A-Nian. Compared to his memories of her, where she always carried an unshakeable trace of sorrow, she seemed much more cheerful and playful now.
Princess Qinghuan glanced sideways at Pei Zisu and softened her tone. With a look that suggested she was watching a good show, she said to him:
“Young General Pei, it’s quite a coincidence that you came today. A-Nian and I had this appointment since early on. You don’t mind, do you?”
“Why should I mind?”
When Pei Zisu spoke, he was answering the Princess, but his eyes were fixed on Jiang Shiyuan. She wanted to avoid that overly intense gaze, but with no one else around, she could only brace herself and face it.
Princess Qinghuan was always sharp and quite well-versed in the affairs of the heart. From Pei Zisu’s undisguised gaze alone, she understood a great deal. She arched an eyebrow at Jiang Shiyuan; though the girl appeared calm, the Princess had known her for years and could tell she was nervous.
In the past, even when Shiyuan saw Xing’an—the man rumored to be the most beautiful in Great Sui within the Princess’s manor—her eyes hadn’t shown a flicker of emotion. This sudden reaction piqued the Princess’s curiosity. She coughed twice and said hospitably:
“After talking to those two all morning, I’m starving. Why don’t we go back to the Hidden Emerald Hall? The cook just made several Huainan dishes; they taste excellent. You two should try them as well. What do you say?”
“Princess, I am an unmarried woman. It might be improper for me to sit at the same table as Young General Pei.”
“What are you afraid of? I’m not married either. Besides, my Princess’s manor is like a steel bucket. If anyone lets a single word slip, I’ll pull out their tongue!”
Princess Qinghuan smiled sweetly as she said this, but the chill in her eyes was caught by Nanny Shen, who immediately stepped forward to help.
“Speaking of which, Eldest Miss Jiang and Young General Pei are relatives. It is perfectly reasonable for family members to accompany the Princess for lunch.”
Only then was Princess Qinghuan satisfied.
Jiang Shiyuan felt helpless. She couldn’t avoid him at home, and now, even after escaping to the Princess’s manor, she still couldn’t get away. With a sigh in her heart, she could only follow them back to the Hidden Emerald Hall.