Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Everyone had turned out in full force today, with three banquet tables set up in the main hall. Old Madam Ming, of course, took the seat of honor, with Qin Ruili, Madam Sun, and Pei Yun's mother-in-law, Madam Tang, sitting beside her. Qin Ding and Qin Sheng sat with their wives at one table, while Qin Chu and Pei Yun shared another.

The rest—the concubine-born sons and daughters and the unmarried younger siblings—sat at another table, while the youngest generation, Qin Yu and the other kids, filled the last one.

"Today, we're throwing this welcome-home banquet for Chu Ge and having a family reunion dinner," Old Madam Ming said, raising her cup of tea in lieu of wine. "Let's all raise a cup, and then we'll dig in."

Everyone raised their cups, of course. Most of the women couldn't hold their liquor, so they toasted with tea instead. Pei Yun, though, could hold her own and knocked back her whole cup with gusto.

Qin Chu glanced at her but said nothing.

"The Princess Consort sure can hold her liquor," Second Master of the West Manor, Qin Ruili, observed with a smile. "Prince Ying was famous in the capital for drinking a thousand cups without keeling over. Looks like the Princess Consort takes after her father."

Qin Ruili was quite a bit younger than his late elder brother, Duke Lao Qin Ruixi, and still looked hale and hearty. Maybe it was also because the family was on the verge of rising in status, but his energy was certainly in full supply.

At a signal from Pei Yun, Bixiao refilled her cup. The wine today was green plum wine, which wasn't all that strong.

"My mother, the Princess Consort, is also a champion drinker among women," Pei Yun said with a raised brow. "I guess I've outdone my elders."

Everyone laughed. Old Madam Ming, seeing Pei Yun bring up Prince Ying and the Princess Consort of Ying, took the chance to ask how they were doing after the couple's visit that day.

"They're both fine. Father and Mother also asked me to send their regards to you, Grandmother," Pei Yun replied with a smile.

Old Madam Ming nodded and said kindly, "That's good to hear. Do have the Prince and Princess Consort come by more often when they have time, to keep up our family ties."

Madam Tang had never been one to hide her feelings. After getting a severe scolding from Old Madam Ming the day before over Qin Yue's matter, and then being humiliated by the Hereditary Prince Consort of Rong's visit that day, she'd had a sour look on her face since the meal started and had barely said a word.

The Hereditary Prince Consort of Rong's visit that day, though friendly on the surface, had been full of veiled digs aimed at the eldest branch of the family. The invitation to the Polo Club had been given only to Princess Zhaoyang, a blatant slap in the face.

So it wasn't just Madam Tang who was upset—Old Madam Ming was too.

Only the West Manor couldn't have cared less. The Rong household's anger was aimed at the eldest branch, not at them. Besides, even though Qin Shun's marriage hadn't been formally settled yet, Madam Sun was already gunning with all her might for the position of Princess Consort of Zhao, so there was no need to look at other prospects. She was even a bit amused to see Madam Tang get put in her place.

Still, this wasn't exactly something to be proud of, and no one was clueless enough to bring it up in front of Old Madam Ming.

Halfway through the meal, Qin Sheng smiled and suggested to Old Madam Ming, "Grandmother, just eating is pretty boring. How about we play some fancy drinking games?"

Old Madam Ming thought that was a great idea. Finding the meal a bit short on entertainment, she asked Qin Sheng what he had in mind.

"When I came in earlier, I noticed the flowers in Grandmother's back garden were in full bloom. How about we have the maids pick one branch each and put them face-down in a basket? Everyone takes turns drawing one, and whatever flower they get, they have to write a poem about it. If we think the poem is bad or off-topic, that person has to drink as a penalty," Qin Sheng said with a smile. "Grandmother, what do you think?"

Old Madam Ming liked the idea and had the maids get it ready. She also made a point of inviting Qin Pan and Qin Shun from the other table to join in.

Both young ladies had just come of age and were being considered for marriage. They were well-versed in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and needlework, so this game would be a piece of cake for them.

Pei Yun, though, looked like she was in a bind.

Writing poetry was definitely not her thing.

Seizing the chance, she got up and offered her seat to Qin Pan, saying with a smile, "I'm no good at poetry and prose, so I won't make a fool of myself. Let Pan Jie'er take my place."

Even though Qin Pan was raised by Madam Tang, she had a super gentle and quiet nature, nothing like her mother's rashness. When Pei Yun pushed her into the seat, her cheeks flushed a little, and she said softly, "Then I'll take Fourth Sister-in-law's place."

"How can we let Fourth Sister-in-law get off so easy?" Qin Ding joked. "No matter—this is just a casual family thing. Say whatever comes to mind. And if all else fails, Fourth Brother can help you out."

If it had been anything else, Pei Yun wouldn't have minded going along. But poetry was something she'd never had any interest in, in either of her two lifetimes. Her mother had forced her to read plenty of books, but composing poetry had always been a complete mystery to her.

Pei Yun pulled a wry face and was about to make another excuse when Qin Chu spoke up first: "The Princess Consort isn't skilled in poetry. As it happens, I've just returned from the northwest and have some injuries that make it inadvisable for me to drink much. How about the Princess Consort drinks on my behalf as a penalty?"

Drinking? She could do that!

Pei Yun's eyes lit up, and she nodded like a pecking chicken, raising both hands in enthusiastic support of Qin Chu's proposal.

Qin Ding teased, "Fourth Brother, you're a top scholar—this drinking game is mere child's play for you. Fourth Sister-in-law probably won't even get a single drop tonight, will she?"

"You're clearly showing favoritism."

Qin Chu smiled and replied, "Elder Brother flatters me."

In the end, Old Madam Ming settled the matter: "Since Chu Ge has injuries, we'll follow his wishes. We'll trouble the Princess Consort to drink on his behalf. Husband and wife are one, so it's all the same."

Pei Yun nodded with a beaming smile, then moved to stand behind Qin Chu. After a moment's thought, she quietly poked his shoulder and leaned close to his ear, whispering, "When it's your turn, go easy and let me drink once or twice."

One reason was to keep up appearances for everyone's sake, and the other was that the green plum wine was quite well-brewed—Pei Yun genuinely wanted a taste.

Qin Chu's dark eyes regarded her, and the corner of his lips curved upward. "Don't worry."

Pei Yun assumed he understood and eagerly prepared to watch the drinking game while sneaking in a couple of cups herself. But halfway through, after having already downed three cups, Pei Yun began to sense something was off.

She stared in silence at Qin Chu, who had just calmly made another wrong turn in the game.

"How can 'jade flute piercing the cold flowers' be used to describe peonies? It would fit wintersweet much better," Qin Sheng laughed heartily. "Fourth Brother, wrong again. Time for a penalty drink."

Qin Chu smiled faintly. "My oversight."

With that, he turned to Pei Yun, personally poured a cup of wine, and handed it to her with a hint of apology in his tone: "Sorry to trouble you, Princess Consort."

"..."

Pei Yun accepted it expressionlessly and downed it in one gulp, glaring at him with murderous intent. This man was getting back at her!

Qin Pan, seated nearby, looked timidly at the couple and whispered, "Fourth Sister-in-law, are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Pei Yun smiled as warmly as a spring breeze, placing both hands on Qin Chu's shoulders. "Let's just continue."

Qin Chu felt his shoulders being squeezed with enough force to cause slight pain, though such force was nothing to him. He turned to look at her and asked in a low voice, "Can you still drink?"

"Why wouldn't I be able to?" Pei Yun retorted stubbornly. "I have an immense capacity for alcohol."

Qin Chu gave an "oh" and said no more.

Everyone present was sharp enough to see that Qin Chu was deliberately plying Pei Yun with wine. But no one dared to interfere in the couple's affairs—not even Madam Tang dared to say a word—so they all pretended not to notice as Pei Yun was coaxed into drinking another three or four cups.

After those cups, Pei Yun was genuinely feeling a bit dizzy. Her forearm draped directly over Qin Chu's shoulder, and half her body leaned against him.

Qin Chu caught the sweet, fragrant scent of green plum wine emanating from her and felt her soft arm resting on his shoulder. His hand, which had been about to pass her another cup, suddenly paused. After a moment, he drank it himself.

Qin Ding and Qin Sheng exchanged knowing smiles. Men understood these things.

"Fourth Brother has finally started to feel sorry for her. If you keep this up and get Fourth Sister-in-law completely drunk, Grandmother will come after you," Qin Ding teased.

Old Madam Ming didn't know what was going on between the young couple, but she guessed it wasn't anything serious and chalked it up to marital playfulness. She simply smiled and had a servant fetch hangover soup, helping Pei Yun sit down.

Pei Yun sipped the hangover soup while secretly watching the others resume their drinking game, inwardly huffing. At least Qin Chu had some conscience left—he hadn't continued plying her with wine.

This amount of alcohol was hardly enough to get her drunk, but if she'd kept going, that would have been another story. She'd have to pretend to be tipsy for a while later and make him feel guilty.

...If that dog of a man even had a conscience.

After that, Qin Chu did not lose a single round and did not touch a drop of wine. Seeing this, the others lost interest and stopped playing. When dinner was finished, the servants orderly cleared away the bowls, chopsticks, and silver plates, and helped everyone rinse their mouths and wash their hands. Old Madam Ming asked them to stay for some more tea, so the group moved to the central hall.

The younger children, being too restless to sit still, stayed outside to play.

Among the children of Qin Yu and Qin Yue's generation, counting both the Eastern and Western mansions, there were now exactly four boys and four girls. The eldest was Qin Yu, who had just turned eight, while Qin Yue was the youngest at just over three years old.

Ming Shi noticed that Qin Yu and Qin Yue had been quietly following Qin Chu and Pei Yun without making a sound, so she glanced at her daughter Qin Ying, signaling her to go over and take Qin Yu and Qin Yue out to play together.

Qin Ying understood and stepped forward to greet them politely, then asked, "Fourth Aunt, is Eighth Sister feeling better now?"

Qin Ying had just celebrated her eighth birthday, a few years older than the other younger siblings. Having been carefully educated by Ming Shi in etiquette and speech, she was exceptionally refined. Her concern for Qin Yue's health at this moment displayed the grace of a caring eldest sister.

Pei Yun didn't reply, just smiled at Qin Yue beside her. Qin Yue, who usually got along well with their attentive sister Qin Ying, smiled back and replied, "Thank you, Second Sister, I'm fine now."

Since the children were all going out to play, Pei Yun quietly asked Qin Yu and Qin Yue whether they wanted to join the adults in the central hall or stay outside to play with their siblings for a while.

Qin Yu was indifferent to the choice, while the livelier Qin Yue pursed her lips, eager to go play the game of pitch-pot.

So Qin Yu, as the older brother, had no choice but to accompany her and join Qin Ying and the others in their games.

Zhou Shi watched it all and let out a light snort. Everyone knew by now what the West Manor was scheming behind the scenes, yet Ming Shi could still act as if nothing was wrong and curry favor with Qin Chu and Princess Zhaoyang.

The adults entered the central hall for tea and conversation. As soon as Pei Yun walked in, she noticed a willow-branch Guanyin painting hanging in the center of the hall. The brushwork was delicate, and the figure exuded solemnity. Guanyin smiled with downcast eyes, her merciful, all-saving presence seeming to radiate from the painting. Below it were two redwood armchairs, one occupied by Old Madam Ming, with two rows of rosewood chairs flanking either side. Qin Ruili, the Second Master of the Western mansion, sat in the seat of honor on the right side, while Lady Tang sat opposite him on the left. The rest of the family sat behind them in order of seniority.

"I've gathered you all here to let you know a few things," Old Madam Ming said. "The second daughter-in-law has already discussed Mao Ge'er's marriage with me. She's picked the daughter of Hanlin Academy Reader Yu. I think it's a good match, and we'll send a matchmaker to finalize the engagement soon."

Qin Mao was Qin Ruili's concubine-born son, the seventh son of the family. His birth mother was a maidservant assigned by Old Madam Ming, who was nominally made Qin Ruili's concubine but in reality spent most of her time serving by Old Madam Ming's side. Thus, Old Madam Ming still had a soft spot for this grandson.

"The Yu family is a scholarly household, clean and upright officials. Lord Yu was the third-ranked scholar (tanhua) in his year." Old Madam Ming said with a smile to Mrs. Sun, "Mao Ge'er has already passed the county-level exam and will sit for the provincial exam the year after next. Having such in-laws is a real catch. You've picked a good match here."

Mrs. Sun hurriedly smiled and replied, "Mao Ge'er calls me Mother, so of course I'll do my part."

Qin Ruili was quite pleased with this match. Since he didn't have a noble title yet, for a concubine-born son to land such a match was already a good deal.

It was only then that Lady Tang came to her senses. So that's why the Princess Consort of Rong hadn't sent their household an invitation, and Mrs. Sun was so nonchalant—she'd already lined up a good match for Mao Ge'er ages ago.

Shun Jie'er had her imperial-consort aunt to look after her, of course, which left only her Pan Jie'er to worry about!

Lady Tang had been furious at the Princess Consort of Rong and had planned to find some excuse to stop Pei Yun from going to the Rong mansion's polo gathering. But now it seemed she had to let her go—and even have her take Pan Jie'er along to check things out.

What a pain.

But Lady Tang hadn't expected that just as she'd made up her mind, she heard Pei Yun say, smiling, "Grandmother, I have something to tell you too."

"The Rong mansion sent over an invitation to their polo match today, but Yue Jie'er still hasn't fully recovered, and I caught a cold a few days ago, so it's not wise for me to go out. After mulling it over, I think I should pass." Pei Yun said, "I heard from the servants that the Rong Heir's Wife came by today—did she mention anything to you?"

Lady Tang's heart suddenly sank, and she stared at Pei Yun, stunned.

Wait, what did she mean she wasn't going?

Old Madam Ming was also momentarily taken aback, but quickly smiled and said, "She didn't say much, just chatted about this and that. Since you don't plan to go, that's that. It's just a polo match—now that spring's here, every household in the capital will be throwing dozens of these."

Those last two remarks were clearly aimed at Lady Tang.

But Lady Tang, with her hot temper, missed Old Madam Ming's hint entirely and immediately blurted out anxiously, "Mother, the Rong mansion's polo gathering draws the most people—dukes, marquises, and those prestigious scholarly families, not to mention the possibility of princes and princesses from the palace attending. How can we just skip it?"

"Princess, Pan Jie'er has come of age now. Take her along to enjoy the excitement and let her meet more people."

Old Madam Ming inwardly cursed her for being hopeless, then frowned and coughed lightly. "What nonsense are you talking? Pan Jie'er's marriage is a matter for her parents and a matchmaker. Are you suggesting she go pick out a husband herself?"

"Mother, you know very well that all the ladies of the major households will be at this polo gathering, so naturally—"

"Enough, say no more."

Old Madam Ming quickly cut her off, not letting her continue with such inappropriate talk. Although everyone tacitly understood that these polo gatherings and flower-viewing banquets were for sizing up potential daughters-in-law and sons-in-law, saying it so openly was simply too crass.

"The invitation was delivered to the Princess, so let her decide for herself. Stop worrying about it." Old Madam Ming said sternly.

Lady Tang's face fell, and only then did she regret being so hasty. She could have discussed it privately with the Princess later.

But with her temperament, she never learned from her mistakes—falling into the same trap repeatedly was a common occurrence.

Seeing that Lady Tang had fallen silent, Old Madam Ming sighed and continued, "Next year, Rui Ge'er will be twelve, old enough to try the county-level examination. His birth mother is up in the mountains observing mourning rites for Meng Shi, so as his legal mother, you should look after him more. Rui Ge'er is clever—who knows, he might even pass the provincial exam someday, and then you'd have honor reflected on you too."

Old Madam Ming deliberately reminded Lady Tang to warn her not to treat Qin Rui as harshly as she had when Qin Mei was married off last year. Qin Mei was a married-out daughter, so that was one thing, but Qin Rui was a young master of the Duke Su mansion with real talent—he couldn't be neglected.

Lady Tang could only nod. She loathed the two children left by Old Concubine Meng to the point of grinding her teeth.

"Rui Ge'er is a bit young, so it's unlikely he'll pass on his first try, but having him sit for the exam to gain experience is still worthwhile." Old Madam Ming then turned to Qin Chu, the most accomplished in the family in terms of the imperial examinations, and said, "Rui Ge'er is your younger brother. When you have time, go check on him and offer some guidance."

The county-level exam was for the title of xiucai. At twelve, he was indeed young and would most likely fail, but Old Madam Ming didn't expect Qin Rui to actually pass—he just needed to go and gain experience, so he could succeed the next time.

Qin Chu nodded in agreement, saying he would visit when he had time.

With all matters addressed, Old Madam Ming waved her hand to dismiss everyone.

But she asked Qin Chu to stay behind.

Pei Yun could roughly guess what Old Madam Ming wanted to discuss with Qin Chu—nothing more than cleaning up the Western mansion's mess and asking them, for the sake of family unity, not to pursue the matter of Qin Yue's fall into the water.

This was something Old Madam Ming could only discuss with Qin Chu; even she couldn't be present.

So Pei Yun didn't ask further and went outside to pick up Qin Yu and Qin Yue to return to Jinxiu Garden.

In the corridor, Qin Xuan, the eldest son by a concubine of Qin Chu's third brother Qin Sheng, along with Qin Ying and Qin Wei, the two children of Lady Ming from the Western mansion, were gathered together playing pitch-pot.

Meanwhile, Qin Ye and Qin Qi, the twin boy and girl born to Qin Sheng and Zhou Shi, were playing with Qin Zhu, the youngest daughter by a concubine of the third branch, in a side hall, surrounded by a circle of maids and matrons watching over the three young masters and misses.

Between the Eastern and Western mansions, it wasn't just the adults who were at odds beneath the surface—the children were just as divided.

But Concubine Yun's son, Qin Xuan, the eldest son by a concubine of Qin Sheng, clearly didn't care about any of that, playing boisterously with the two children from the Western mansion.

In the side hall, Qin Qi, who was eating pastries, shot a resentful glare at Qin Yue, who was happily playing pitch-pot with Qin Ying, and huffed, "We're from the same branch, yet Eldest Brother and Qin Yue spend all day mixing with the Western mansion."

Qin Zhu, who had just turned three, was crawling around on the couch playing, completely oblivious to her sister's irritation. She wobbled to her feet and walked over to Qin Qi, her attention caught by the jeweled hairpin in Qin Qi's hair. She reached out her chubby little hand to touch it, but with a child's lack of coordination, she accidentally tugged at Qin Qi's hair.

"Sss—"

Qin Qi winced in pain and turned to see Qin Zhu grinning foolishly at her. Combined with her earlier irritation, she grew annoyed and shoved her away.

"How does Jiang Shi teach you? No manners at all."

Qin Zhu was only three. Pushed by Qin Qi, she couldn't keep her footing and toppled backward, hitting the redwood kang table behind her with a thud.

She burst into loud sobs from the pain, and the maids and matrons hurried over to check on her. Qin Qi rolled her eyes, grimacing in disgust, and walked over to her brother Qin Wei, who was still leisurely sipping tea, muttering, "What a hassle. Why did they even bring her?"

"Today is the reunion feast that Great-Grandmother specially arranged, so of course the whole family had to come." Qin Wei pulled his sister to sit beside him, glancing at Qin Zhu, who was still crying inconsolably in her nanny's arms, and said, "Why are you picking on Seventh Sister? She's just a baby. Concubine Jiang has always been honest and well-behaved. If this commotion draws people over, you'll be pleased then."

Qin Sheng had two concubines—one was Yun Shi, installed by Lady Tang, who was quite favored and had given birth to his eldest son by a concubine, and the other was Jiang Shi, promoted from a chambermaid. Jiang Shi had only one daughter, Qin Zhu, and was a dull woman who never vied for favor or showed jealousy, content to live quietly in her own courtyard.

Qin Qi naturally looked down on this concubine-born younger sister, saying dismissively, "Even if someone comes, it was her own fault for bumping into things. It has nothing to do with me."

Qin Zhu and Jiang Shi lacked both the nerve and the standing to make a fuss about it.

These serving women all worked in Qingyun Xuan, so they would naturally keep their mouths shut. Fortunately, Qin Zhu's injury was not serious—just a little red spot on her forehead. Her nanny brought out her favorite trinkets to coax her, and soon she stopped crying.

In the corridor, Qin Yue, who had just tossed a red-feathered arrow into the pot, clapped her hands happily, then, hearing crying from the side hall, tilted her head and asked her brother what was going on.

"Nothing, go play." Qin Yu ruffled her hair and gestured that Qin Ying was about to throw, so she should go watch.

Qin Yue always listened to her brother, so she didn't ask further and fluttered over to Qin Ying's side like a little butterfly to watch her throw.

Just then, Pei Yun emerged from the main hall, smiling as she greeted them.

Seeing Pei Yun, Qin Yue stopped playing and trotted over to her side. Realizing Qin Chu wasn't there, she asked where her father had gone.

"Your great-grandmother still needs to speak with your father. Let's head back and rest first," Pei Yun said with a smile.

Qin Yue nodded obediently, and she and Qin Yu stood on either side of Pei Yun. Pei Yun took their little hands and was about to leave when Qin Ding and Qin Sheng, along with their wives, emerged, each instructing their maids and nannies to dress the children properly before returning to their respective courtyards.

Ming Shi noticed Pei Yun bending down in the corridor to help Qin Yu and Qin Yue put on their cloaks. After a moment's thought, she walked over.

"Princess, my family has a physician who specializes in pediatric medicine," Ming Shi said softly with a smile. "How about I write a letter and send a carriage to bring the doctor over to take another look at Yue Jie'er?"

Pei Yun stood up but before she could reply, Zhou Shi and Qin Sheng each came over holding the hands of Qin Wei and Qin Qi, who were all bundled up. Qin Xuan and Qin Zhu were carried by the matrons behind them.

Hearing Ming Shi's words, Zhou Shi raised an eyebrow and said with a sneer, "If Yue Jie'er truly had any discomfort, the Princess could even summon the imperial physicians from the palace. I doubt she's lacking for doctors."

"I just wonder—is the eldest sister-in-law being warm-hearted, or is she feeling guilty about something?"

Ming Shi kept her composure and smiled faintly. "What does the third sister-in-law mean by that?"

Pei Yun watched coldly from the side, saying nothing. Just then, Madam Tang came out, draped in a crimson cloak, walking toward them.

Zhou Shi fell silent. Ming Shi and Qin Ding's couple didn't linger either, nodding to Tang Shi before taking their leave.

Madam Tang clearly doted on Qin Sheng's legitimate children. She first touched their little faces before asking what they had been discussing.

"Nothing much. Third sister-in-law was mentioning the expansion of Qingyun Xuan. Now that Grandmother has put me in charge of household affairs, I naturally have to shoulder the burden for Mother," Pei Yun replied with a smile. "It's just that the servants handling the account books are muddled and haven't gone to Mother to retrieve them yet."

The couple Qin Sheng and Zhou Shi had been proposing to expand Qingyun Xuan by two more courtyards for a while now, claiming that with their many children and concubines, the current quarters were too cramped, so they wanted to renovate.

Ming Lao Tai Jun was not in favor of this, knowing that the couple was both seeking pleasure and hoping to skim money from the household coffers through the renovation. She had never agreed, and only recently, worn down by their persistence, said she would leave it to the eldest branch to decide.

Thus, although Pei Yun brought it up casually, Qin Sheng and Zhou Shi were only delighted at the prospect of actually building the garden and wouldn't question anything.

As for the household account books, Madam Tang had indeed deliberately withheld them. Pei Yun, by raising this in front of the couple and using the garden renovation as bait, ensured they wouldn't speak up for Madam Tang.

Sure enough, the couple exchanged a glance and said nothing. Madam Tang gritted her teeth, knowing she still needed Pei Yun to bring Qin Pan to the Rong Prince's mansion for the banquet, and could only concede.

"No need. I'll have someone deliver them to Jinxiu Yuan later."

Author's note:

Two chapters in one. No update tomorrow—the day after, it's going on the paid list, and updates will move to 11 PM.