Lady Xiang stepped forward and offered a formal salute. Her mother-in-law, Madame Wang, gave her a slight lift of the hand to excuse her, then looked at the items on the square table, her brows furrowing with a touch of reproach.
“Anian’s illness is most aggravated by internal heat. Why are you still letting her eat these lychees?”
“Rest easy, Mother-in-law. I’ve been watching her closely. This large plate may look full, but she’s only had three or four. Look, the shells are still sitting right there.”
Jiang Shiyuan gave a sheepish laugh and obediently put back the lychee she had just picked up. She looked at her aunt with a sweet, innocent smile. Afraid of further scolding, she immediately stood up, walked over, and affectionately took Madame Wang’s arm.
“Aunt, why aren’t you at the viewing stands enjoying the festivities? Why have you come here? Is it too hot outside? Please, sit down. Anian will fan you to help you cool off.”
Seeing her niece’s fawning expression, Madame Wang didn’t feel like nitpicking anymore.
Led by Jiang Shiyuan, she sat down on a circular wooden chair. Glancing out at the dispersing crowds, she spoke with an air of great satisfaction.
“Guess who I ran into on my way here?”
Jiang Shiyuan had seen this expression on Madame Wang’s face before—it was the same look she wore during their post-dinner gossip after the Princess Consort of Prince Chun had stormed their house in a rage upon discovering the marriage swap. This time was clearly no exception.
“Could it be that my second sister has run into more bad luck?”
“Our Anian truly is the cleverest.”
After the compliment, Madame Wang immediately launched into a description of what she had just witnessed.
“During the race today, there was a young man on Xiao Er’s boat named Zhao, the third son of the Minister of Ceremonies. He brought his younger sisters along today. Have you heard of the two Zhao girls? Quite the ‘enchanting’ pair, they say. Word is, when they saw the Heir of Prince Chun today, they could hardly move their feet. In the crush of the crowd, they nearly fell into Qu Yang Pool. The Heir played the hero and rescued the beauties; both Zhao girls are currently in his arms, weeping quite piteously.”
“You should have seen the look on Jiang Shijin’s face. It was priceless. She had to cover for her husband’s wandering eye while maintaining a facade of magnanimity. To live a life like hers… she’s truly become the laughingstock of the Western Capital.”
Madame Wang spoke with intense schadenfreude. If there had been a few slices of chilled watermelon in front of her, the scene would have been perfect.
Jiang Shiyuan handed her a cup of tea and said with a hint of helplessness, “Aunt, you’ve said so much. Have some tea to moisten your throat first.”
Madame Wang took it and drained it in one gulp, her bold and hearty nature unchanged from her younger years.
She came from a family of military generals. For years, she had been doted on by her in-laws, pampered by her husband, and her four sons were all successful enough that she didn’t have to worry about them. Her only regret was never having a daughter.
After Jiang Shiyuan lost her mother, Old Madame Wang had personally traveled south to Xuzhou to bring her to the Western Capital. Seeing the six-year-old girl—as delicate and carved as pink jade yet clearly frail—the family naturally wanted to cherish her like their own heart and soul.
She was given the finest clothes and food, watched over as if she were a precious pearl.
Yet, this child, raised with such indulgence in the Marquis of Wenyuan’s estate, had been plotted against by her own biological grandmother and second aunt. She had been robbed of her marriage alliance by the second Miss Jiang, who was a master of putting on a front. Madame Wang had been furious for days over the matter.
She had gone to their house to scold them and spread the word outside, ensuring everyone in the Western Capital knew exactly how Jiang Shijin had snatched her sister’s marriage. Having seen Shijin’s current plight today, how could she not speak her mind?
Jiang Shiyuan and Lady Xiang exchanged a glance, caught between laughter and tears.
Both knew this was simply Madame Wang’s temperament: outspoken and direct. If she liked someone, she would give them her whole heart; if she hated someone, she couldn’t wait to kick them while they were down.
Pulling Jiang Shiyuan to sit before her, Madame Wang stroked the hair at her forehead. Before Shiyuan could speak, her expression shifted from mockery to deep heartache.
“The Western Capital is full of fine young men. Your aunt was blind before to have picked such a worthless family for you. In the future, we must keep our eyes open and choose a truly good match for you. Only then will I be able to face your mother.”
When Madame Wang had married into the family, Jiang Shiyuan’s mother had still been an unmarried girl. One was bold and spirited, the other serene and humble; they had gotten along perfectly.
Thus, when the younger sister had married far away to Xuzhou, the ones who cried the hardest were Old Madame Wang and this sister-in-law. After bringing Shiyuan back, they poured all their love for the late sister-in-law into this niece.
They had raised her for nearly ten years, loving her to her very bones.
Jiang Shiyuan knew her aunt’s heart, so she took her hand and coaxed her like a child.
“Alright, Aunt, you choose carefully. The man you pick will surely be the best. I will marry whoever you choose with great joy!”
“Good. You just wait peacefully then.”
Hearing this, Madame Wang’s spirits soared. Jiang Shiyuan and Lady Xiang looked at each other again, both suppressing the upward curve of their lips.
Half an hour later, the excitement outside had mostly wound down.
Once the old Emperor departed for the palace, the rest of the crowd followed suit—fathers finding fathers, mothers finding mothers, and young men seeking out young ladies. Jiang Shiyuan watched her aunt and sister-in-law board the Marquis of Wenyuan’s carriage before entering the Jiang family carriage.
Within the last year, Jiang Shiyuan’s father, Jiang Huaishan, had received an ‘Excellent’ rating in his official evaluation. He had been promoted to a fourth-rank Director of the Court of Imperial Clan, overseeing matters related to the imperial family and their relatives. While the rank wasn’t the highest, the authority was clear.
Consequently, the Jiang family’s social standing had risen, and people treated them with significantly more courtesy.
Her brother was still away at the academy, waiting for next year’s Spring Examinations.
Jiang Shiyuan thought she should go to Guanghua Temple in a few days to pray for him. As the carriage swayed forward, it happened to pass the carriage of Prince Chun’s estate.
As the wind lifted the curtains, the two sisters, Jiang Shiyuan and Jiang Shijin, caught sight of each other.
Jiang Shijin’s eyes were red. Looking at Jiang Shiyuan now, her gaze was filled with defiant anger. She realized Princess Qinghuan hadn’t actually shown up to the festivities—she had been tricked by Jiang Shiyuan!
Furthermore, those two Zhao sisters were clearly not to be trifled with. Her mother-in-law had already been planning to find side concubines for the Heir, and it seemed the Zhao family had caught wind of it and come like scavengers. Thinking of this, Jiang Shijin twisted her handkerchief into a mess, mirroring her current state of mind.
Sitting beside her was the Heir of Prince Chun.
He wore a jade crown and possessed bright, starry eyes. His long silk robe made him look as graceful as a tree in the wind. The jade pendant hanging from his waist shimmered with a flowing light. He sat steadily in the carriage, calm and composed, with no trace of arrogance. A faint smile remained on his face, as warm as the spring sun.
“Madam, what are you looking at so intently?”
The Heir glanced over just as Jiang Shiyuan was dropping her curtain.
That mere glimpse of the woman’s beauty left him stunned and breathless. He hurriedly reached out to pull back the curtain, but the other carriage had already pulled away. He asked curiously:
“Who was that? Why has this Prince never seen her before?”