—— “She is sincere and passionate.”
As soon as Lu Yan’s words sliced through her mind, the Princess Royale was left frowning, blinking, opening her mouth, closing it again. She only managed to say a few obfuscated ‘you’ in succession. Her eyes were so beautiful. But as they stared at him, they were very like those of a confused deer.
“You were the one who said you were willing to try getting used to the Meng girl. You went as far as to shower her in attentions, sending her calligraphy and paintings. If you did not like her, specifically, you could have told me. Who gave you the right to embarrass the girl in such a manner?!”
Lu Yan masterfully stayed silent, making sure the Princess Royale understood he was sulking.
“Why is Mother not asking what she has been up to?”, he demanded in a hurt voice, playing the wronged son to perfection.
If the Princess Royale had been reeling until then, Lu Yan succeeded in delivering a knockout blow.
“She … What could she have done to provoke you?”
Lu Yan, being ever more distant, asked in exaggerated respect:
“Does Your Highness, the Princess Royale, consider that having your humble son followed should not be reason enough for him to feel provoked?”
The Princess Royale was shocked, to say the least.
“How could she have done so?! She spends her days serving at your grandmother’s side, staying in Fuxue Pavilion and studying the calligraphy and paintings you send her. She has not stepped a foot out since she arrived here”, his mother immediately retorted.
She actually did not like Meng Suxi all that much. However, the Old Madam’s words in the girl’s favor had made an impression on the Princess Royale. This being said, one had to wonder, when did Meng Suxi truly attract the Old Madam’s attention as a potential bride for her grandson? It must have been around the time the two ladies had played chess together.
That day, when Lu Yan had returned, he had thoroughly given Meng Suxi the cold shoulder, barely leaving her any face. Seeing the scene, the Old Madam had considered Lu Yan to be too rude. However, Meng Suxi had known better than to show a sullen face. On the contrary, right in front of the Old Madam, she had let her eyes follow Lu Yan longingly.
The Old Madam had seen then that the Meng girl knew when to advance and when to retreat. Such capacities had pleased her. As long as she was willing to make Lu Yan the center of her universe and manage house for him, in the eyes of the Old Madam, status did not matter.
In fact, the old lady had always wondered how the couple of the Third Household managed to live so harmoniously. In his youth, Lu Can had been a true flirt, always surrounded by beauties and letting his eyes wander whenever he had a chance. And yet, Née Wen had found a way to enter his heart and take all the place. The secret lied in the fact that she was proficient at giving in when giving in she should, coaxing her man when he needed to be coaxed and at playing hard to get, passionate and composed as was appropriate. She was a woman who knew how to make a man’s days beautiful.
Newlyweds would always have a phase that made one think they might have been in love. But after a longer period of time, whether days, weeks or years, they would hopelessly fall apart, to be estranged for the remainder of a lifetime. This, however, had not happened to Née Wen’s couple. Thus, who knew, maybe the niece took after the aunt.
The Old Madam’s remarks on the state of affairs had pulled a string in the Princess Royale’s heart. In the past two years, she had seen Grand Duke Yin’s daughter be given away. She had also witnessed Marquis Ning’s girl get married. Both of them she had attempted to set up with her son. Only with Lu Yan’s temperament, one had to be careful. She had at best meekly tried to make him come around, doing her best not to push him into a corner and have him bite them all and run away never to be retrieved. Having been disappointed so many times in her hopes, the Princess Royale could not help have hoped that the extraordinary kindness Lu Yan had shown Meng Suxi to be a sign … And yet …
Lu Yan observed his mother’s darkening face from under his eyelashes, fully aware he had to strike the iron while it was hot.
“Had she kept her peace, I might not have acted in such a way”, he slowly enunciated, observing the Princess Royale knowingly.
The Princess Royale thought things through for a while, shooting Lu Yan’s neck a suspicious glance.
“So … Your neck is part of the ploy to rid yourself of the Meng girl?”, she slowly asked, secretly frightened at his answer.
And she had been right to be frightened. Because Lu Yan decided to touch his neck in reminiscence and answer to the negative.
“It is not.”
“Thus, you are admitting you are not only refusing the girl, but you also made it a habit to stay in Pingkang Lane overnight?!”
The corners of Lu Yan’s lips quivered, being drawn into a suave smirk. His mother did not know him such a seductive expression.
“Yes”, Lu Yan recognized.
He had no other choice but to make his mother believe he was a lecher who spent his free time in the Red Light District. It was the easiest explanation for the marks on his neck.
The Princess Royale’s hands formed fists. She was quite the understanding mother. She could grasp where Lu Yan was coming from. He was a man in his prime and society condoned this type of behavior. Nonetheless, the idea he spent successive nights in the company of one, particular woman from a brothel was simply unacceptable to her!
She took a shaking breath to relieve her stress. And as the idea of selecting him some good, nice, devoted concubine wormed its way into her mind, Lu Yan silenced her with a few categorical words.
“Mother need not worry. I shall naturally break clean from such a habit as soon as I get married.”
Such a cold, unfeeling sentence. Had Lu Yan never heard about feelings, consideration … about humanity?! Princess Royale was left speechless. She could neither praise nor curse him. He left her no space to say more. Who ever said that children inherited their mother’s personality?!
Had the world ever seen a bastard such as Princess Royale Jing’an’s son?!
***
The next evening, the Zhen Ducal Estate hosted a banquet in Madam Meng’s honor. Although the atmosphere was everything good, Princess Royale Jing’an’s behavior towards Madam Meng sent a clear message. The Emperor’s beloved sister would stand in the way of any marriage between her son and Meng Suxi.
What Meng Suxi had done, the Princess Royale did not mention. The girl deserved a chance to save face. And truth be said, Princess Jing’an wished to save face for the Zhen Ducal Estate as well. How could one bring such a distasteful subject to the dining table?! The best way to handle such a situation was to keep silent.
While eating, Madam Meng’s expression remained pleasant and cordial. However, as soon as she stepped out of Yaolin Hall’s West Room, her face sank. Née Wen hurried out, trying to catch up to her sister.
“Second Sister, please wait!”
Madam Meng walked away with a quick stride. The Third Madam, however, stopped her, grabbing onto her hand.
“If we are to argue the matter into a conclusion, I stand behind what Suxi did if the rumors are true. She did not nothing wrong. If the Lu family’s Young Master has a habit of spending his nights and days in a brothel, then Suxi shall not—”
The Third Madam immediately covered her younger sister’s mouth, stifling more irate words.
“I’ve seen Lad Yan grow up. He has no concubines and no stains to his name. So why would he start going to Pingkang Lane as soon as Suxi appears in the Estate?! Besides no one promised marriage! Second sister, there are so many rules in noble families. No one would ever say anything displeasing, but they might imply it …”
Before the Third Madam had the chance to finish her thought, Madam Meng tore the hand covering half of her face.
“I believe I finally understand what Father meant when he maintained married daughters were like spilled water. As soon as Eldest Sister married into the Grand Duke’s family, she forgot her roots. Her acts do not follow her words anymore.”
Madam Meng’s deliberately ambiguous words pricked Née Wen’s ears. Née Wen spoke back, her eyes red with sadness.
“What am I to believe? What Second Sister said today? Or what Suxi told me before?”
Madam Meng blushed at her gentle sister’s veiled remonstrance. Before she had sent Meng Suxi to visit her aunt, Madam Meng had tearfully told Née Wen about the difficult situation mother and daughter found themselves in. Although the First Master of the Meng family was already a third-ranking senior official, he only had the Emperor to back him up.
Thus, Meng Ting’s intentions were obvious. He would be sending Meng Suxi to participate in the Imperial Selection next year, attempting to worm his way further into the Emperor’s graces. The Imperial Selection might have sounded glorious. For many a woman it was a death sentence, whether in the figurative or the literal sense.
The Chengyuan Emperor was the Late Emperor’s eldest son. He was nearly fifty years old. His women had given him no less than six Imperial Princes. Meng Suxi would have been nothing but a bargaining chip, meant to earn her father a noble title.
The Meng family had three daughters: Meng Suxi, Meng Lanxi and Meng Yunxi. Except for Meng Suxi who had been born to Madam Meng, the latter two were daughters of Meng Ting’s beloved cousin, Concubine Zhuang. Meng Ting was deeply devoted to Concubine Zhuang. For fear that his concubine-born daughters would be scorned in society, he had favored them above everything. This supreme favor had given rise to more than one headache, sowing discord among the womenfolk of the household.
Of the three Meng girls, not one wanted to enter the Palace to serve an aging emperor. However, Meng Ting, loving and unbiased father that he was, had hinted more than once that that he would be throwing Meng Suxi to the wolves.
The struggles between the Meng household’s wives and concubines has caused for the three girls to hostilely compete from childhood to adulthood, exhibiting their knowledge, dressing themselves to advantage and caring for their appearance with attention. Whenever Meng Suxi was found lacking, Madam Meng would counter by adding to her daughter’s dowry, which was so impressive it would have made an Imperial Princess green with jealousy. It would be more than enough to buy Meng Suxi an enviable position in the Imperial Household.
The Meng family’s messy circumstances, including Meng Suxi’s aggressive temperament, were all known to Née Wen. If she hadn’t known, why would she have given Meng Suxi’s pointers from the get-go?! Not that it had been of any use. Née Wen shot her younger sister a long glance.
“Very well. Let us go. If Xixi does not wish to enter the palace, just think of another way. Don’t spoil her so much.”
***
In the evening, Lu Yan was sitting in his residence, drinking tea, a book in his hand. Suning Hall’s maid Yun’er came in quietly, informing Lu Yan:
“Young Master, Miss Meng wishes to see you. She is waiting outside of the residence.”
Lu Yan bowed his head to take a sip of tea.
“Have her come in”, he whispered indifferently.
It had to be said that, this time, Meng Suxi was very careful to follow the rules Lu Yan had set. She silently walked towards Lu Yan.
“Would the Young Master permit me to explain myself?”, she asked anxiously.
Lu Yan took a good while before answering. And when he did, he was curt at best.
“Speak.”
The cold look in his eyes made Meng Suxi’s heart skip a bit. Guilt. He could make anyone, whether guilty or not, feel it. She hung her head, her tears falling to the ground. She was sobbing out a confession, her attitude the image of sincerity and contriteness. She did not mean to excuse her behavior or hide any of her wrongdoings. Any normal man’s heart would have softened at the sight of a personable girl’s pitiful appearance.
Meng Suxi however heard the sound of pages being turned. Lu Yan was proving once more he was not a normal man. While she was pouring her heart out to him, he was reading a book. In an instant, all her emotions felt as if they had been carried away by the wind. Was he even listening to her?! She clenched her fists in mortification, lifted her head to look Lu Yan’s way and soulfully whispered:
“Young Master!”
Lu Yan raised his head in turn, shooting Meng Suxi a sharp, deep glance with his narrow eyes.
“I am listening.”
He used a much better tone than when she had walked in. Meng Suxi stared right into his eyes. Then, her sight shifted to the three scratches on his neck. She could not help but think about the woman he must have pressed against his body and who seemed to linger in his dreams. Had he looked at her with such cold eyes as well?
Thinking back to the way she had played chess with Lu Yan, she felt an indescribable sadness wash over her. The taste his preference for prostitutes left on her tongue was so bitter.
“Can Suxi come and play chess with the Young Master tomorrow?”
She had had to close her eyes to bite out her plea. Hearing her words, Lu Yan closed his books in a categorical snap.
“It is quite late. Miss Meng should be returning to her residence.”
Lu Yan’s facial expression conveyed soft indifference. His tone of voice was calm. He was not angry in the least. What he felt, or rather did not feel, was much worse than anger. Indifference. Meng Suxi understood clearly what his refusal meant.
***
After Meng Suxi had left, Lu Yan walked into his bedroom, the sun setting on the horizon. As he was letting exhaustion wash over him and preparing to rest, he heard a knock on his door.
“Come in”, Lu Yan called out.
Once Yang Zong came in, he closed the door behind him, ensured the windows were tightly sealed and walked over to murmur into Lu Yan’s ear:
“Young Master, Miss Shen seems to be ill. This subordinate has been told by Moyue that the Miss has had a high fever for a day now. They did not dare call for a doctor without the Young Master’s approval, fearing to cause undue problems. Thus, they sent for this subordinate first.”
Lu Yan fell into a trance when he heard the two words Miss Shen. He twisted the jadeite ring around his finger, remembering the night he had left. She had fallen asleep in a bathtub full of cold water. It would have been strange for her not to have fallen ill. Lu Yan might not have been proficient in medicine, let alone a physician, but he still could recognize the symptoms of the common cold.
After thinking for a while, he took a piece of paper, preparing to jot down a prescription and have Yang Zong deliver the medicine to Shen Zhen. But as soon as he started writing, her delicate, fragile appearance materialized in front of his eyes, that one sentence resounding through his mind.
“Your Lordship, I am unwell.”
He felt his head pounding. Throwing his pen aside, he had no choice but to say:
“Since the curfew is in force, I will not be needing the carriage. I will ride over.”
