Chapter 48: Chapter 48 (Two Chapters Combined)

Chapter 48: Double-Length Chapter

Before Pei Zhen’s engagement was finalized, good news arrived for the Pei family’s sixth branch: Huang Shi was pregnant. Yu Shi was overjoyed, beaming from ear to ear. Her son had been married for several years, but the couple had spent much of that time apart. Now that they were finally together, she had eagerly awaited a grandchild, feeling her duty would then be complete.

She Niang also came to visit. Several guests had already passed through, and Huang Shi chuckled, "My place feels like a revolving door."

"They all came to see you, Sister-in-law," She Niang said cheerfully.

Huang Shi, however, sighed with relief. "No matter what, for me, this feels like I’ve finally fulfilled my obligations to your family."

Such words struck She Niang as jarring. Sometimes she wondered if she was out of step with everyone else. She truly believed that many intelligent and capable women were unfairly dismissed simply because they couldn't bear children.

Yet, she wouldn't voice such unconventional thoughts to Huang Shi, knowing they would likely shock her. Instead, she offered a few comforting inquiries.

After leaving Huang Shi, She Niang returned to her embroidery room to check her work. The items for Li Ju were finished, and her mother-in-law’s shoe uppers were nearly done.

She then took out a piece of dark blue satin to make a pair of kneepads when Shun Niang walked in. She Niang was surprised. "Sixth Sister, what brings you here?"

Shun Niang smiled. "I plan to make a pair of those upturned-toe shoes and thought I’d work on them with you."

As the only two unmarried women in the family, their situations were somewhat similar. She Niang ordered tea, sketched a design, and remarked, "Time certainly flies these days. By the end of March, Second Brother will be engaged, and Second Sister-in-law will probably join the household soon, right?"

"Sometimes I think it’s better to stay at home, peaceful and quiet. But we can’t do that. If we never marry, it’s as if we’re treated as inferior everywhere," Shun Niang mused, speaking from the heart.

It was rare for Shun Niang to share her true feelings, and She Niang agreed. "Yes, women are expected to marry and bear sons to secure their standing. Thinking about it all makes me afraid."

Shun Niang found this curious. "Fifth Sister, I’ve heard how magnificent the Prince of Qing’s residence is—the foremost princely estate in the land. How could you be afraid?"

"Why wouldn’t I be? Even as a future princess consort, I’ll have to serve my in-laws, manage the household, and handle affairs of the imperial clan. In the end, it’s all quite similar. Like you, you’ll become the Marchioness of Xinan, and that comes with its own complexities," She Niang reflected.

In truth, Shun Niang also felt some trepidation. Even though she believed her marriage would be formally arranged and her family’s status was strong, giving her more confidence, she couldn’t help feeling an innate fear when thinking about Xiao Tang’s children and the Marchioness of Xinan.

"Why do people have to marry?" she sighed, putting down her needlework.

She Niang smiled. "But what can we do? We can’t just shave our heads and become nuns. Even temples aren’t truly peaceful—wherever there are people, there’s conflict. There’s no pure land in this world. We can lament to each other as sisters, but in the end, we must keep our spirits up."

In truth, She Niang knew that Shun Niang had also lived a difficult life in her past—married to a talented man like Zhuangyuan Shao, only for him to die young, leaving her with his children from other wives. At least Xiao Tang was a relative and in good health, which should make this life better.

Shun Niang rarely opened up like this to She Niang. She usually spent her time with Old Madam Pei, who was well-connected and seemed to know everything. But now Shun Niang realized that there was always someone more knowledgeable. Fifth Sister, who usually said little, actually had deep insights.

"Fifth Sister, you’re right. After all, we still have it better than many," Shun Niang said with a smile.

She Niang nodded.

Sesame and glutinous rice cakes were brought in, and the two sisters shared a few. Shun Niang found them too sweet for her taste and only ate two. She then whispered, "Fifth Sister, do you know? Second Sister came by the other day and commented that my clothes are too outdated. It made me quite sad. Why would she say that?"

"What were you wearing?" She Niang asked. Shun Niang’s clothes, though modest in color, were not outdated. Especially with her upcoming marriage, her aunt had prepared trunks of new clothes for her—vibrant and beautiful ones that She Niang had seen herself.

Shun Niang hurried back to her room to show She Niang a dark purple spring gown embroidered with lilies. The outfit looked quite dignified, which was fitting for someone about to become the Marchioness of Xinan. Given her youth, appearing more dignified would help stabilize her position.

She Niang herself owned two purple dresses. After examining it carefully, she said, "I don’t think it’s old-fashioned at all. It looks elegant. Ultimately, what you wear should be based on your own preference."

Hearing this, Shun Niang continued to complain, but She Niang refrained from joining in. After all, there was a limit to how much she could interfere. Yue Niang and Shun Niang had been friends for years, while She Niang and Shun Niang only occasionally confided in each other out of shared circumstances.

In the past, She Niang would have spoken her mind freely, as she was naturally talkative. But now she held back. Sometimes, holding your tongue was tough.

Shun Niang vented about various things, but by the next day, she had returned to her usual reserved self. She Niang was used to this.

At noon, Yu Shi asked her to come over to learn some cooking techniques. She Niang occasionally made pastries, usually just pressing molds to create patterns, but she had never properly learned to cook.

When She Niang arrived, Yu Shi had already laid out noodles in the soup hall. For people from Hedong, noodles were a staple, but having lived in various places, Yu Shi was accustomed to both rice and noodles.

Yu Shi said, "Today, I’ll teach you how to knead dough."

"Knead dough? Just add flour?" She Niang stood clueless to the side.

Yu Shi laughed. "No, to make the dough rise, you need to ferment it. There are several methods. One simple way is to use two liang (about 100g) of rice wine for every jin (about 500g) of flour. But we usually use old dough mixed into the flour for better fermentation."

Just learning to ferment dough was tedious. She Niang found it dull but had to memorize the methods: five sheng of premium glutinous rice, three liang of fine yeast, red yeast, and four liang of fermented grains. Then, cook glutinous rice into porridge, crush the yeast, and mix it into warm broth. When ready, filter out the residue to get the ferment.

This method was called "big ferment," suitable for making steamed buns and rolls.

There was also a "small ferment," simpler and used for delicate pastries.

She spent the entire day learning this. The next day, she learned to make scalded dough for small sugar cakes and scallion pancakes. She Niang studied diligently and, having made plenty, sent some to each household.

When Old Madam Pei heard she was learning to cook and praised the taste, she had her small kitchen send over two sweet broths. Meng Shi contributed a recipe for Duhuang pastry, something she had brought from her maiden home. Huo Shi, ever shrewd, had been currying favor with She Niang over the past year or two. She personally came over to shower She Niang with praise and gifted her a veil embroidered with pearls, treating her like her own daughter.

Compared to her previous life, where Huo Shi hadn’t even made her a small garment, her current over-the-top praise felt ironic.

Shaking off these thoughts, She Niang continued learning to steam rice with Yu Shi. The rice was cooked with extra water like porridge, half-done, then scooped out and steamed on a rack.

By the time she mastered these staples, Pei Zhen’s marriage had been settled.

Before the Dragon Boat Festival, she learned to make soup, *zongzi*, and salted duck eggs. Sometimes she thought that if she ever fell on hard times, at least she wouldn’t starve.

Knowing how to cook, sew, and read, she felt that if she had been born male, she would have been skilled in every way.

Quick learners pick up everything fast. At first, her *zongzi* were poorly wrapped, but she soon improved. She Niang recalled a type of Guangdong *zongzi* she had once eaten in Fujian, so she added mung beans, pork, shiitake mushrooms, sausages, and salted eggs to the glutinous rice to make savory *zongzi*.

Besides savory ones, she also made some with honey dates, red beans, and shelled walnuts.

"Once we’re done, have your brother deliver them to the heir. He’s alone in the capital. Although he lacks nothing, this is our gesture of care, especially since you made them," Yu Shi said. She was not a rigid mother. Her relationship with Pei Yiqing was good, but her marriage had begun with great humiliation, so she hoped her daughter would start off sweetly and happily.

She Niang couldn’t help asking, "Mother, how is the construction of the Prince of Qing’s residence coming along?"

Yu Shi replied, "It’s not built from scratch; there were existing structures. The heir has people from the Ministry of Works supervising daily. I heard from your brother that the main courtyard’s five sections are already done, the west side is being painted, and the east side has started construction."

"That’s quite fast. Has the Prince of Xiang moved out?" She Niang asked.

Yu Shi shook her head. "You might not know this, but the Prince of Qing was the first to respond. A few commandery princes followed, but others like the Prince of Jin and the Prince of Xiang haven’t moved."

Yu Shi couldn’t provide more details, so She Niang didn’t press further.

The policy of reducing the fiefs was inevitable, but few truly supported it. The current emperor, though legitimate, was impatient and lacked the Prince of Jin’s cunning, resorting to ruthless methods.

Soon, these matters of state were pushed to the back of her mind. After she sent the *zongzi*, Pei Ji came personally and secretly slipped a long box from his sleeve. "This is from the heir for you."

She Niang smiled slightly, thanked her brother, and waited until he left to open it. Inside was a tourmaline hairpin with pink tassels attached to the end, quite beautiful.

That day, she wore the tourmaline hairpin.

Little did she know that Pei Ji was already aware. He said to Huang Shi, "The heir is swamped with work and wouldn’t have thought of this. I gave him a few hints and suggestions, and he took the hint."

Huang Shi thought to herself that her husband had done so much for his two sisters. Last year, when Li Niang had arguments about running the household with her husband and mother-in-law, he had even invited Wang Pan out for drinks and said plenty of kind words.

Although she sometimes felt that her husband was a bit too naive, living with such a person brought a sense of security.

So, she didn't want to ruin the moment, though she said a bit jealously, "You only seem to give advice to others."

Pei Ji laughed and said, "Of course not! Look what this is."

With that, he pulled out a small box from his coat as if performing a magic trick and handed it to Huang Shi. When she opened it, she found a pair of gold-set jade gourd earrings inside.

She had seen She Niang wearing a similar pair and had mentioned to Pei Ji how much she liked them. She hadn’t expected him to remember, and she immediately cheered up.

"Thank you."

Hearing this, Pei Ji couldn’t help but reflect: a good wife knows how to smooth things over with both families and make everyone happy—so why do some people refuse to do it? He couldn’t understand.

After the Dragon Boat Festival passed, Li Niang came back for a visit and happened to see two trunks of bridal outfits being delivered from outside. She exclaimed, "Why so many bridal outfits?"

"Only one is the actual wedding dress; the rest are everyday clothes. Newlyweds must wear red for the first three days without changing out of red," Yu Shi explained. Though not as wealthy as Old Madam Pei—who was now living on her savings—Yu Shi and her husband had saved considerably over the years. Since their youngest daughter’s marriage was the last major family event and she was marrying into the Prince of Qing’s household, they couldn’t be stingy.

Li Niang happened to catch sight of She Niang’s dowry list. Though she said nothing, she was deeply displeased. Her own dowry had only been sixty-four trunks, while her younger sister’s amounted to one hundred and twenty.

Seething with resentment, she felt her parents had been unfair, and the thought weighed heavily on her mind.

She believed she was more beautiful than her sister and was the eldest daughter, yet her parents had found her a better marriage and provided a more generous dowry. It made her feel like a stepchild.

Even back then, the young man from the Shao family had been just a merchant’s son—truly, her parents hadn’t considered her interests at all.

So, for her wedding gift, she sent only two sets of tea utensils, and even that she thought was too much—after all, they were Ru kiln pieces. Wang Pan, watching from the side, wondered if it was too little. His wife’s cosmetics alone cost dozens of silver taels, not to mention her clothes; the wedding gift seemed pretty cheap.

Uncertain if his wife intended to add more, he kept quiet.

When She Niang saw Li Niang’s wedding gift, she blinked, immediately understanding what was going on. Xia Mama couldn’t help complaining, "Fourth Sister is really something. When she got married, you gave her embroidery, and last time she was in trouble, it was your idea that helped her. And in return, she sends something like this."

"Mama, you need to work on your temper. Do you know why I used to never let things go? It was because the pie was so small back then, and everyone fought over the food on it, unwilling to yield. But now, I have a whole room full of food—why would I fight with her until we’re both bloodied?" She Niang smiled.

It’s hard to understand these feelings unless you’ve been in such a position.

Helping Li Niang wasn’t purely for her sake; it was also for her mother and herself, so there was no real favor owed.

Xia Mama suddenly understood: "Ah, it’s me who’s been short-sighted."

"It’s not that you’re short-sighted—it’s that you care too much about me and are afraid I’ll suffer. But I’m not suffering now." She Niang simply felt that with her bright future ahead, there was no need to keep tangling with Li Niang.

Just like in her previous life, after she married the Prince of Jin as a concubine and reclaimed her dowry, she focused on living her own life.

It wasn’t that she was particularly broad-minded; rather, once you’ve moved to a different social stratum, even if you want revenge, you must first secure your own position firmly.

Meanwhile, regarding the land Yu Shi had originally purchased for She Niang in Hangzhou—since the Prince of Qing’s household was moving to the capital, she had a steward handle the Hangzhou matter and instead bought farmland in the capital.

This task was assigned to Pei Yiqing, who had great connections. With the funds for three hundred mu, he managed to acquire an estate of three hundred and sixty mu. The couple took She Niang to see the property and had the estate managers come promptly to introduce themselves to their daughter, so they would recognize her and not be deceived in the future.

She Niang carefully examined the property records and had the servants’ contracts properly stored.

When the three of them returned from the outskirts, Pei Yiqing made a point to detour to the street where the Prince of Qing’s residence was located and pointed it out to them: "The Prince of Qing and his entourage have already arrived in the capital. Don’t you think it looks impressive? It’s even better than before."

"I just hope that after She Niang marries into the household, they won’t all be crowded together. Look at our family—even though we live together, with two fewer households now, it’s much more spacious, and everyone actually gets along better than before," Yu Shi remarked with feeling.

Pei Yiqing naturally reassured her.

After the Prince of Qing and the others arrived in the capital and settled in, the Princess of Qing, worn out from the journey, still had to pay respects at the palace upon reaching the capital. However, she was in high spirits. Back when they were first granted their fiefs, nine out of ten wished to delay the move as long as possible, but now that they were summoned back, many were reluctant to return.

Li Ju introduced, "Uncle's residence is near ours."

This "Uncle" referred to the eldest legitimate son of the old Prince of Qing, the Prince of Chongning, who had been enfeoffed in Kaifeng and had now returned to the capital.

The Prince of Qing said, "Let's discuss it after we’ve settled in."

Li Ju replied respectfully, "Yes."

Back then, it was uncertain whether the title of Prince of Qing could be inherited in perpetuity, so the eldest son was promptly enfeoffed as a prince in a prosperous place like Kaifeng. No one expected that the late emperor would later grant the title of Prince of Qing as heritable in perpetuity, which is why the fifth son, originally the Duke of Fuguo and one of the old prince’s only two legitimate sons, inherited the title, becoming the current Prince of Qing.

It was said that the Prince of Chongning held a grudge about this. The Prince of Qing, known for his sharp tongue, had even exchanged letters with him in which they insulted each other. Li Ju’s remark was meant as a friendly warning to avoid future conflicts.

The new residence of the Prince of Qing was as spacious as before, but the other mansions were not as large. For instance, the Prince of Chongning’s residence covered only 1.3 acres, with eastern and western courtyards totaling ninety-two rooms.

Real estate in the capital was pricey and could not be compared to the fiefdoms. Li Ju felt relieved that their family was not too large; otherwise, there would not have been enough space.

"The main courtyard is fully renovated, as are the eastern and western courtyards. Even the rear tower has been completed, so Bao Ying can move in. However, the theater building, pavilions, towers, rock gardens, and lakes at the back are still under construction, though the surrounding walls have been built."

The Prince of Qing nodded in approval at his son’s thoroughness.

Seeing her son speak with such confidence, the Princess of Qing smiled and said, "In two months, a new daughter-in-law will join our family, and then Ju'er will have someone to take care of him."

Li Ju pretended not to hear this.

The princess clapped and laughed, "I already got along well with my sister-in-law, and it will be even better once she marries into the family."

A painting titled "Scenery of Lakes and Mountains" had earned the princess praise from the empress dowager, who called her a rare talent among the imperial clan and admired her literary skills. This brought great honor to the princess, who felt deeply grateful to She Niang. If she had painted it herself or hired a skilled artist, the result might not have been as impressive. While professional artists might have better technique, they lacked the delicate touch of a woman’s brushwork and often seemed too mechanical. Moreover, hiring someone else to paint for her would have been considered fraud if discovered.

Li Ju frowned, realizing why the painting she sent had no signature—it seemed she had planned from the start for them to pass it off as their own. It appeared this was not the first time such a thing had happened, given how smoothly it was executed.

After the Princess of Qing arrived in the capital, she was extremely busy. Her birth family invited her back, and there were endless get-togethers with various princes and relatives, leaving her no time to rest. It was not until July that they began setting up the wedding canopy and hanging red lanterns.

The Pei family also became busy. With many members, Yu Shi, along with Huo Shi and Meng Shi, helped out, and everything was well-organized. They had hoped Li Niang would return to assist, but she showed no interest, and Yu Shi felt it inappropriate to insist.

Li Niang was, of course, angry. In her frustration, she nitpicked and found fault with Wang Pan. Some of the older servants in the Marquis of Dingbei’s household, who envied her, even remarked that if Shun Niang had married in, it would have been a true union of families. She thought the old lady would rather have her granddaughter marry a widower with two children for the sake of status than support her own ambitions.

Wang Pan, inexplicably criticized by her, was also displeased. He had several concubines, though none had been formally elevated, so he naturally sought solace with them.

Of course, Li Niang’s resentment was temporary. She soon won back Wang Pan’s affection with her youth and beauty, using a few soft words to regain his favor.

Moreover, Wang Pan knew that Li Niang was the elder sister of the future Princess of Qing and did not want to offend her too deeply.

The couple also visited the Prince of Qing’s residence when the betrothal gifts were delivered. The Pei family was astounded by the display: a pearl-and-jade crown accompanied by four sets of formal attire in deep red ramie, red gauze, plain red silk, and blue gauze, not to mention four broad belts, nine jade ornaments, two gold ornaments, four sets of pearl facial decorations, four pearl hairpins, a pair of four-pearl gold earrings, a pair of plum blossom earrings, a pair of plain gold bracelets, a pair of eight-treasure gold bracelets, four hundred taels of gold, sixteen hundred taels of flower-patterned silver, twenty-four taels of pearls, and fifty taels in silver notes.

There were also four horses, sixty bolts each of ramie, damask, gauze, and brocade, four bolts of deep red gauze, thirty-two northern sheep, sixteen pigs, thirty-two geese, two hundred bottles of wine, six hundred round cakes...

The Pei family had set up a tent outside the main gate and placed an incense table facing south. After receiving the imperial decree, the Imperial Guards delivered the betrothal gifts.

It was a true display of imperial wealth.

She Niang, supported by the court lady, kowtowed to express her gratitude. The court lady, acting on behalf of the emperor, then bestowed upon her a phoenix crown and many splendid garments.

...

There were many who were jealous and envious. Old Madam Pei remarked about Li Niang, "She can’t hold back her envy, not even bothering to hide it when she sees her sister like that."

Nanny Xiang said, "This Fourth Girl truly has no sense of dignity. By the way, that young lady who came along today is said to be the wife of the prince's cousin—she’s quite a beauty."

"I know her, she’s from the Hongnong Yang family," Old Madam Pei nodded.

Nanny Xiang smiled, "I noticed that Lady Yang kept talking to you, almost as if she were treating you like she does the Sixth Madame."

Old Madam Pei curled her lip, "She told me that when Fifth Girl was a study companion in the prince’s residence, she often followed the prince around learning to ride horses. Wherever the prince went, she went too—even when he went to Xiangyang on business, she followed. In the end, it was no small feat for them to end up together. Just listen to that—what a shameless thing to do! A young lady casting aside all modesty like that—I’m afraid she’ll be looked down on the moment she steps into the household."

"Exactly," Nanny Xiang agreed, feeling that such behavior was utterly disgraceful for a young lady.

But Old Madam Pei didn’t dwell on it for too long. Calculating the days, she knew the regional princes were about to start causing trouble. Though the Prince of Qing was favored at this time, in the future, when the Prince of Jin ascended the throne, loyalists like the Prince of Qing would suffer greatly.