Chapter 34 - Truth behind the Feast

Commandery Princess Qingjiang was worried about her half-brother’s marriage on the terrace while Song Yixiao was speculating about her thought in the midst of appreciating the flowers. “It is my second time that I have met with this commandery princess. I haven’t offended her before, but why did she show favor for me just now?”

Even though she didn’t know Commandery Princess Qingjiang well, she still knew that this high-born lady couldn’t leave out her two cousins and dedicated herself to discussing about needlework. Obviously, it was an intentional act!

“Is it because Dowager Consort of Hengshan told her something?” She was ruminating, “But if she wants to make Lu Kou’er and her sister resent me, the Dowager Consort can directly talk to them in private. Why does she have to let Commandery Princess Qingjiang know about it? Even if Commandery Princess Qingjiang agrees not to leak it out, it is not a decent thing at all.”

Then she had the same idea as Lu Kou’er and her sister. “Or maybe these two sisters have pissed off Commandery Princess Qingjiang so she tries to criticize them via me? If so, I am too grieved!”

However, due to the disparity in identity, Song Yixiao couldn’t do anything about it regardless of her resentment. She was still muddle-headed when she heard someone call her, “Yixiao?”

“Sister Muting?” Song Yixiao turned around and advanced to greet the comer smilingly in a hurry, “What a coincidence!”

“It’s not a coincidence!” Jiang Muting walked over and held her arm, saying casually, “I’ve heard that you are here, so I come here for you.”

Song Yixiao was surprised to hear her reply, because they were only acquaintances.

Especially Jiang Muting was the niece of Virtuous Consort Jiang. Although Virtuous Consort Jiang only gave birth to Princess Yushan, she was a high-order imperial concubine equally senior to Noble Consort Cui anyway. Moreover, she also raised Prince of Wei, Lu Heyou, for which she couldn’t be underestimated.

Besides, the Jiang Family didn’t prosper in light of Virtuous Consort. Instead, there were sons and brothers of the Jiang Family who served as government officials in the previous dynasty and current dynasty, making the threshold of the Jiang Family not lower than that of the Jian Family. Therefore, Jiang Muting usually hanged out with the noble ladies of similar identity.

Now that Jiang Muting claimed to find her deliberately, she couldn’t help feeling surprised, “I wonder what I can do for you.”

“Go far away. I want to have a private conversation with Yixiao.” Jiang Muting sent away her maids and scolded Song Yixiao with a frown, “Why didn’t you listen to me? Xue’e has written to you, asking you not to go out. However, you still came here! What kind of feast do you know is this today? If Xue’e didn’t send me word in the Zhanchun Venue that I should find you and keep you from any trouble!”

Song Yixiao was startled, “Xue’e wrote me a letter? I didn’t receive it!”

“Is there anything wrong?” Jiang Muting was shocked and started to doubt Wei Mengying. In her eyes, since Princess Consort Wei abandoned her first husband and got remarried, it was no wonder that she just left her daughter at risk so as to have a son-in-law of high birth.

However, although she thought little of Song Yixiao, given her upbringing, she couldn’t criticize Song Yixiao’s mother face to face. Thus, she just made a casual remark in passing and said, “Today the feast is to select spouses for several noble persons. Those who are lucky enough to be selected may not be beneath your mother in the future. Do you understand?”

Wei Mengying was a princess consort. According to Jiang Muting, these noble persons even included princes that were granted titles?

Song Yixiao was worried about her marriage, but she knew that even though she was undoubtedly beautiful and talented, she shouldn’t compete for such wealth and rank without the backing of father and brothers. If there was no accident, she would surely fail.

She was not a gambler to risk her prospect and life for the silver lining. Hearing that, she was so furious, “I found it so strange that Commandery Princess Qingjiang acted so weirdly to me! Is it because she has heard that I lived in the mansion of Marquis Boling for a few days and suspects my motive of coming here for failing to hook up with Yuan Xuepei and Jian Xubai?”

Otherwise, why did a commandery princess make her a cannon fodder without resentment?

Worse still, she couldn’t make any explanation! After all, Commandery Princess Qingjiang didn’t speak explicitly. She couldn’t rush to Commandery Princess Qingjiang and say that she had nothing going on with Yuan Xuepei and Jian Xubai.

Jiang Muting saw her depressed face and supposed that she must be frightened, so she said in a softer voice, “Don’t be too worried. There are a lot of people today. As long as you don’t manage to cut a smart figure, you will probably go through the motions among these young girls. After all, there are only a few noble persons. How can all be selected?”

“Thank you, Sister Muting!” Song Yixiao said gratefully, “Otherwise, I would think of it as an ordinary feast and take no precaution!” While saying grateful words to Jiang Muting, she found the matter getting increasingly confusing.

If Jiang Muting was telling the truth, today’s feast was set for the imperial descendants to select spouses. Then why did Dowager Consort of Hengshan ask her to come?

Although she didn’t believe that she would be selected and even the Dowager Consort exhorted Lu Kou’er and her sister, no one would know what would happen next. Didn’t the Dowager Consort fear an unexpected result?

“If the Dowager Consort hopes me to come, that will explain why I didn’t receive the letter from Xue’e!” Song Yixiao didn’t suspect Wei Mengying of losing the letter. Because it was done by Wei Mengying, Wei Mengying would remind her at least before she came in case that she might fall in danger rather than put herself under the patronage of a higher-up.

However, before she went out, Wei Mengying only regarded the invitation as an ordinary event and advised her to behave herself and leave a good impression on Commandery Princess Qingjiang. Obviously, even Wei Mengying didn’t know the real purpose of the feast!

“Mother is a princess consort now. Even if the ladies of similar position belittled her for her getting married, she is a respectable lady. Even Jiang Muting knows about it. Why can’t she?” Song Yixiao was getting surer to believe that all of these were schemed by the Dowager Consort, “Who can do it other than the Dowager Consort?”

It was startling when she thought it over!

Song Yixiao let out a sigh and thought, “What if Jiang Muting lies to me?”

However, her thought was perished after a while. Commandery Princess Qingjiang sent them word that the guests had all arrived and they should leave for the Yifang Gazebo to climb the mountain and attend the feast.

When they arrived at the Yifang Gazebo, as Jiang Muting said, they found a bevy of beautiful young girls. All the guests were young girls! None of them were plain-looking! The girls here were beautiful, each of whom was attractive in her own way.

If this was not a matchmaking event, what else could it be?

“We will climb the mountain later.” Jiang Muting, arrogant and yet responsible, conducted Song Yixiao onto the Yifang Gazebo to meet Commandery Princess Qingjiang. After saying something trivial, she advised Song Yixiao secretly, “We shall not stay beside Her Highness. That’s where those who want to steal the thunder should sit. Yet, we can’t stay too far, or who knows whether we will encounter any dirty thing?”

Song Yixiao felt the same way so she consented to the advice.

Very soon Commandery Princess Qingjiang commanded all to set off, “Since we are all here, shall we set off? Those who are unable to take the mountain road can tell the servant to get a sedan.”

Despite the offer, even the weakest girl wouldn’t require a sedan. Generally, the Shangsi Festival featured spring outing. The scenery in the Zhanchun Venue was so good that it was an enjoyment to ramble among the mountain forest and flowers. Even climbing mountains and fording streams couldn’t make one burn the candle at both ends. Moreover, as all the invited girls basically knew about the true purpose of the feast, who dared to appear too frail to stand a gust of wind?

How could a weak woman marry a highborn man?

Therefore, after Commandery Princess Qingjiang started walking first, all the rest people all followed her step.

Nothing special happened at the foot of the mountain, for the land was still flat. However, as everyone started to climb upwards, despite the faraway distance, clearsighted people could still see the girls walking ahead.

Upon seeing them clearly, someone exclaimed disgruntledly, “Who is the one wearing the light cyan dress? She is walking neck and neck with Commandery Princess Qingjiang in public and even goes ahead of Her Ladyship for several times. Even if she is vivacious, she is too ignorant of curtsey! Doesn’t she see the commandery princess of the imperial clan deliberately walks half step behind Commandery Princess Qingjiang to show respect?”

“Shut up!” Song Yixiao heard that and raised her head to take a look. The one who was speaking had been stopped by her companion, “That is the daughter of Daiguo Grand Princess as well as Commandery Princess Nanzhang, Ji Zixiang. She is the legitimate cousin of Commandery Princess Qingjiang. Why can’t a girl be vivacious before her cousin? Commandery Princess Qingjiang doesn’t say anything at all. You are being too nosy!”

Daiguo Grand Princess?

Not only the nosy girl but also those around her all stayed silent.

The two Grand Princesses couldn’t be offended, which was a tacit understanding among the noble descendants of the imperial clan.

“Ji Zixiang? Hmm!” Song Yixiao didn’t care about the small incident but after walking for a while, she heard Jiang Muting mutter in a low voice, “Isn’t a rude and impolite girl ignorant of curtsey?”

Did she hold grudge against Commandery Princess Nanzhang?

Song Yixiao pretended not to hear that and yet kept the incident in mind.

The mountain of the Zhanchun Venue was not short for the spoiled weak girls.

However, Commandery Princess Qingjiang wasn’t going to make it hard on anybody. The feast was set at the halfway up the mountain. The mountain road, paved with quartzite bricks until the mountain peak, was rather flat before the halfway of the mountain. Moreover, the view in the mountain was lovely. Walking and chatting, the people reached the square at the halfway of the mountain.

With only one side facing the mountain road, the square’s other three sides faced the cliffs, surrounded by white marble fences. The center of the square caved in for several meters. There were a few chairs at the corner with the center paved by carpets. It seemed that the setting was used for entertainment.

Now the seats and various precious dishes were all set around the square with some screens and curtains standing in between, which manifested the splendidness of the feast and meanwhile kept the food from the wind.

As Commandery Princess Qingjiang saw that everything was ready, she asked all the guests to take a seat. After they were all seated, the servants brought hot water and napkins for the guests to tidy themselves and then served them with fruit, desserts and drinks.

When the fruit was served, a bevy of music performers arrived and entered the dented place. After they sat down, they started to play songs.

“What a nice place!” Commandery Princess Nanzhang proposed a toast to Commandery Princess Qingjiang and said smilingly, “I thought you were kidding about setting the feast in the mountain. Now as I see the foggy scenery outside the fence and look at the outline of the imperial city from a distance, I’ve realized that it is much enjoyable to have a feast in this place than among the flowers or by the river!”

Commandery Princess Qingjiang acted much calmer, “You may find it intriguing as you do it once in a while. You wouldn’t agree to really live here.”

“My dear cousin, please spare me. You know I love bustle and prosperity most. No matter how beautiful this place is, it is sparsely populated. I cannot stay here for long.” Commandery Princess Nanzhang refused to live here determinedly as expected.

While they were chatting, the square also became bustling probably because of the musical sound.

Jiang Muting’s father was a third-rank government official, with her auntie being the Virtuous Consort and her cousin being the Princess. Therefore, she acquainted herself with a lot of ladies in the imperial city. Almost all the guests at the feast knew her and greeted her.

Inevitably, someone asked about Song Yixiao, “This lady looked unfamiliar. Is she one of your relatives?”

According to Jiang Muting, Song Yixiao was a stepdaughter of Princess Consort Wei, who lived under the roof of Prince of Hengshan. Jiang Muting was asked by the sister of Marquis Boling to look after her. Afterwards, the present guests instantly lost interest in Song Yixiao. They did nothing but to ridicule Jiang Muting, “I was wondering why you were so warm-hearted. It turns out that you are requested by Yuan Xue’e. Yet, you don’t have to be so cautious. How can Virtuous Consort Jiang not take your matter to her heart? Moreover, you and Prince of Wei are childhood sweethearts…”

“What are you talking about?” Jiang Muting flushed instantly and said angrily, “Yixiao is younger than me. And she doesn’t hang out often. What’s wrong with my bringing her out?”

Song Yixiao smiled with no words uttered and yet felt rather confused, “They just imply that Jiang Muting is the designated girl to be the wife of Prince of Wei?”

By reason she was the blood niece of Virtuous Consort Jiang. Although Prince of Wei was not born by Virtuous Consort Jiang, he had been raised by her since he was a baby. In this case, he and Jiang Muting were kind of cousins. As a saying went, a waterside pavilion got the moonlight first. The background of the Jiang Family was good enough to have a descendent to be a princess consort. Hence, it was very likely that Jiang Muting would marry Prince of Wei indeed.

The problem was…

“The Princess Consort of Wei in the previous life was Commandery Princess Nanzhang!” Song Yixiao saw that Jiang Muting was chatting with other guests and had no time to pay attention to her, so she cast a glance at Commandery Princess Nanzhang sitting on the seat of honor, “I may misremember other princess consorts, but the Princess Consort of Wei used to give Madam Liu a set of head ornaments. And Ms. Wu especially mentioned the maiden family of Princess Consort of Wei in the midst of boasting, saying that this princess consort was the beloved daughter of the Grand Princess… I will never misremember!”

Thinking of this, she couldn’t help pinching her eyebrows and felt like sighing and covering her face with both hands, “Jiang Muting! My dear! You want to protect me? You are even unable to fend for yourself!”