Chapter 64

## Chapter 64: Concubine Han's Overture

In the airy, covered walkway, Dong Yuting and He Jinglin walked side by side toward the Orchid Bamboo Courtyard.

It was the height of summer, and even the breeze offered little relief, carrying only stifling heat. Mindful of the heavily pregnant woman beside her, Dong Yuting slowed her pace, matching He Jinglin’s deliberate steps.

Just as they rounded a corner, they encountered another pregnant woman with a prominent belly. Dong Yuting quickly reached out to prevent Han Yan from bowing, saying with a smile, “Please, no need for formalities. We’ve just come from Mother’s place.”

Han Yan wore a faint, delicate smile, her demeanor perpetually fragile. “I’ve just finished accompanying the Old Madam in Buddhist devotions.”

As a concubine, she could only refer to the matriarch as “Old Madam,” not “Mother.”

“You’ve worked hard. In a few days, you should rest properly indoors. It’s not easy to move around with such a large belly,” Dong Yuting said with concern. “Your belly…”

Han Yan’s limbs were as slender as willow branches, as if a gust of wind could carry her away, yet her belly was even larger than He Jinglin’s. If Dong Yuting remembered correctly, they were both in the same month of pregnancy.

A blush spread across Han Yan’s snow-white face as she lowered her head. “The physician said it might be twins.”

Dong Yuting nodded gently. No wonder her belly was larger. “In that case, you must be even more careful.”

Tears welled up in Han Yan’s eyes as she said gratefully, “Thank you for your concern, First Madam.” She glanced at the maid behind her, and Duo Er quickly handed two handkerchiefs to Han Yan, who then presented them with both hands to Dong Yuting and He Jinglin.

The handkerchiefs were embroidered with blooming twin lotus flowers, their green and pink threads intricately layered. Upon closer inspection, a lifelike fish could be seen in the corner.

He Jinglin sighed in admiration. “Concubine Han’s needlework is truly exquisite.” The handkerchief gifted to her featured a field of chrysanthemums, embroidered with various shades of yellow—golden, apricot, and pale—along with chrysanthemums in different poses and a backdrop of layered mountains, creating a rich and vibrant scene.

Dong Yuting inwardly marveled as well. Even Concubine Wang would have to concede defeat in the face of Han Yan’s skill. Recalling the recent rumors, she said, “Since you’re pregnant, you should avoid such delicate work. If you exhaust yourself, how will Second Madam explain it to Mother?”

Han Yan lowered her eyes, her expression pitiable, and her voice as soft and sweet as a sweet green rice cake. “There’s no need to worry, First Madam. Second Madam instructed me to do this work, so I took the opportunity to embroider these two handkerchiefs for you and Third Madam. I have no other talents, but I do have some skill in embroidery. Please accept these as a token of my respect.”

Her words were impeccably diplomatic, leaving Dong Yuting no room to refuse. She accepted them with a smile.

He Jinglin, however, asked, “But I’ve heard from the servants that Concubine Han is also skilled in poetry. Is that true?”

Dong Yuting glanced at her and saw only genuine curiosity in He Jinglin’s eyes, with no ulterior motives.

Han Yan replied, “I’ve only read the *Book of Songs*. The servants are just exaggerating.”

He Jinglin traced the raised embroidery of the poem on the handkerchief, her eyes filled with admiration. “‘My hiking spirit on Double Ninth remains high; Golden blooms cover the hills, adorning my head.’ This is a poem from the rare manuscript of poet Liu Xueqing. There’s no need for you to be so modest, Concubine Han.”

Han Yan smiled shyly but did not deny it further. She bowed gracefully and stepped aside to let them pass.

He Jinglin sighed softly. “She’s quite pitiable. I’ve heard that Second Sister-in-law has been in a bad mood lately. She’s been giving the maids in her courtyard a hard time, and the concubines are constantly being ordered around. What’s worse, Concubine Han is pregnant, yet she’s still being subjected to strict rules. It’s almost…” She trailed off, unwilling to finish the sentence, as she herself was pregnant and found the topic inauspicious.

Dong Yuting continued, “It’s also her own fault for misjudging people. Ever since the family was implicated in the exam fraud case, Madam Lin has been avoiding us like a mouse avoiding a cat. Originally, Second Sister-in-law intended to call off the marriage alliance between the two families, but after this incident, Madam Lin hurriedly sent a reply, claiming illness and canceling the visit. She even returned all the gifts Second Sister-in-law had sent—a whole chestful.”

While the reply was easy to deliver, the chest required several servants to carry it from the outer courtyard to the Clear Breeze Courtyard, drawing everyone’s attention. Zeng Huiyan was utterly humiliated and rarely ventured out afterward. But she was also to blame—the marriage hadn’t even been finalized, yet she had sent so many gifts, as if Li Bohui was desperate. The Old Madam and Second Master took turns reprimanding her.

Unable to defy her mother-in-law or her husband, and knowing she was at fault, Zeng Huiyan vented her anger on others. The maids and concubines in her courtyard bore the brunt of her temper, and servants now avoided her whenever they saw her, afraid of becoming her punching bag.

So, was Concubine Han’s recent diligence in accompanying the Old Madam to Buddhist devotions and her gifts to Dong Yuting and Third Madam an attempt to seek protection?

Dong Yuting touched the handkerchief embroidered by Han Yan, noting the fine and intricate stitches that revealed her dedication. Since arriving in the Qianyuan Dynasty, Dong Yuting had experienced various arts—music, chess, calligraphy, and painting—but needlework, which required the most patience, was the hardest for her to adapt to. Coming from a fast-paced era where everything was condensed into short videos and brief texts, sitting still for hours to embroider a handkerchief was nearly impossible. For her, practicing calligraphy and needlework were equally challenging in self-cultivation and character refinement.

She thought to herself: The art of complaining lies in evoking sympathy without uttering a single grievance. Judging by He Jinglin’s expression and earlier words, Han Yan had succeeded.

When they entered the Orchid Bamboo Courtyard, the Old Madam had just finished her prayers and was sitting with her eyes closed, meditating.

Seeing them, she brightened and quickly pulled He Jinglin to sit beside her. “What brings you here today?”

Dong Yuting was left standing to the side, but Yuan Xiang promptly attended to her, serving tea. Dong Yuting had long grown accustomed to the Old Madam’s extreme partiality and sipped her tea quietly. She recalled how Li Bohui, Li Nianyao, Li Bohan, and Li Borui had all been similarly favored in the past. Now, He Jinglin was the object of her affection.

“I came to see you, Mother. It’s been a while since I last visited,” He Jinglin said, sitting beside the Old Madam on the couch, presenting a picture of a harmonious mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationship.

“Tomorrow is Chongyang Festival, and we’re having a small family banquet. Why come today?” the Old Madam chided gently, then glanced at Dong Yuting. “You should have advised her against it.”

Dong Yuting remained unperturbed and smiled. “Since Sister-in-law became pregnant, she hasn’t been able to serve you as often as she’d like. She’s been feeling guilty, so please let her visit.”

Pleased by this, the Old Madam patted He Jinglin’s jade-like hand. “I know you have a good heart.”

Sighing, the Old Madam turned to Dong Yuting. “Even though Mr. Zhang won’t be taking them climbing for Chongyang, don’t forget to send gifts to Hui Geer and Han Geer’s classmates and their teacher’s wife. Don’t neglect them just because Mr. Zhang canceled the outing.”

“Don’t worry, Mother. The Chongyang cakes, chrysanthemum wine, and cornus pouches are all prepared. We’ll send them over tomorrow.”

The cancellation of the Chongyang outing was related to the recent exam fraud case. The Imperial Guard, tasked by the Emperor with investigating the matter, had quickly got to the bottom of the case. Starting with Prince Yongming’s faction, the Imperial Guard, being highly skilled and selective, swiftly cleared them of suspicion.

The exam answers found in Dong Yuting’s Crispy Fragrance Pavilion had been planted by two men hired from the market district. Initially brought in to catch a thief who had been breaking into the shop, they had turned out to be the culprits themselves. They had stayed at the pavilion to prevent the shop assistants from discovering their plot. On the day the Capital Prefecture cooperated with the Imperial Guard to search the market district, they left the answers behind and fled.

This discovery was thanks to Fang Lan. As one of the few literate employees and an avid learner, she often stayed late to prepare meals for the two men. While they ate, she would study the poems posted on the walls. Her handwriting was poor, so she practiced by tracing Dong Yuting’s calligraphy on the back of her hand, though no one else had noticed.

The investigation then led to the Ward Head, who, upon being confronted, collapsed in fear. He confessed that the two men had been former market guards who left their posts after being injured. Hearing of his troubles, they offered to help catch the thief in exchange for payment, claiming their injuries made it hard for them to hold steady jobs. The Ward Head, sympathetic and worried about financial loss, hired them as security for the Crispy Fragrance Pavilion.

It now seemed likely that the two “thieves” were the same men. Following the Ward Head’s clues, the Imperial Guard tracked them down to a farm outside the capital, where they found two corpses.

As for the Ministry of Rites, the Imperial Guard discovered that the Vice Minister of Rites had leaked the exam questions, resulting in eleven nearly identical exam papers. The Vice Minister claimed he had only sold the questions to Cui Ming, the son of the Chief Administrator of Huzhou, and knew nothing about the other ten candidates. However, Cui Ming was found dead shortly after the Imperial Guard began their investigation. According to the coroner, he had been killed nearly a month before the other two—shortly after the civil service examinations.

The other ten candidates claimed ignorance, saying Cui Ming had shared what he called “his teacher’s practice questions” with them.

Upon learning this, the Emperor was so angry it made him ill. Although he ordered the Imperial Guard to continue the investigation, the key witnesses were dead, making further progress difficult. Under such circumstances, officials dared not engage in festivities, fearing impeachment if they celebrated.

All of this was relayed by Li Lingchuan. After his account, Dong Yuting asked, “Was it really Prince Xiankang who did this?” Such a clean and ruthless operation seemed unlike the prince and his consort, who were known for their kindness and benevolence.

From the outcome, the Vice Minister was dismissed, Prince Wulie’s influence waned, and although Prince Yongming was cleared of suspicion, the fact that the key figures in the case were also dead left a stain on his reputation. Prince Xiankang, though not explicitly praised, emerged favorably as his rivals suffered losses.

Prince Pingning, meanwhile, was the most innocent. Tasked by the Emperor to investigate, he was reprimanded for failing to uncover the truth.