It was well-known that Imperial Concubine Duan was quite concerned over the marriage of Sima Han. Although he was the fourth son of the emperor and the family of Imperial Concubine Duan was prominent, those ministers who had unmarried daughters still wanted to avoid being involved in this issue. They all shuffled off the request. As a result, the girls recommended to Imperial Concubine Duan were either ugly or poor, some of which even couldn’t afford meals.
How could Imperial Concubine Duan find a satisfying daughter-in-law among them? Sima Han was the only child of her deceased sister. She had to select the best for him. Therefore, while other princes had already chosen their fiancées, Sima Han was the only one remaining undecided.
Why did Qin Yunuan bother to take this hot potato?
Thinking for a moment, Leng Changxi decided that the idea made sense. Though Qin Yuzhao was not clever, she looked quite handsome, no less than Qin Yuwan did. What’s more, her age was just fourteen, the same as Sima Han was. The most important thing was that she came from the mansion of Grand Commandant. With a background like that, she was suitable to be the concubine of Sima Han.
“The boy’s own opinion also matters,” the unspoken word was that Leng Changxi agreed.
“So do I,” nodded Qin Yunuan. She didn’t want to force two people to live together without any love. However, she thought if the marriage succeeded, it could help Qin Yuzhao get rid of the embarrassing situation in the mansion of Grand Commandant as well as do a good deed. “The love issue should not be solved by force. A true heart is better than a good family background in the selection of a future company.”
The way Leng Changxi looked at Qin Yunuan was full of desire. Suddenly, he spoke in a tempting tone, “My heart for you is definitely true.”
Qin Yunuan was busy swallowing the tea in her mouth, so she didn’t answer, but her face was blushed again.
“The emperor will hold a paddock hunting to welcome the diplomatic corp of North Di to the Royal City in three days. All the princes and several imperial concubines will be present. As they will invite some ladies to accompany them, you can take the opportunity to bring your fourth sister,” Leng Changxi made the plan calmly.
Qin Yunuan smiled, “Why are you so sure that I will be invited?”
Leng Changxi turned his face slowly and said, “Because Sima Ray will try his best to see you. This is the way he does. He always likes to snatch. This time he wants to snatch at my person. He really has a nerve!” Leng Changxi spoke in a way he rarely did, with a wave of childish anger. Where was the broad-minded General Leng?
Qin Yunuan clamped off a smile and made a joke boldly, “What’s the matter with you? Are you jealous?”
“Well, yes,” to her surprise, Leng Changxi answered frankly, moving closer to her and said, “Anyway, I will come too. You mustn’t talk to him!”
…
As Leng Changxi had expected, the moment Qin Yunuan returned to the mansion of Grand Commandant, the gatekeeper hurried to tell her that a royal invitation had arrived, asking her to attend the paddock hunting in three days. In the Royal City, the number of people receiving such invitations was less than twenty, and Qin Yunuan was a knockout among them.
The person who was most mad about the fact was Qin Yunzhuang.
The way back to the Fuxi Courtyard was passing the front door of the Caizhi Courtyard, in which Qin Yunzhuang had already made a racket and smashed lots of things, but she still felt angry. Hearing that Qin Yunuan was nearby, she rushed to the door with overweening arrogance and saw Qin Yunuan passed by with Maner.
“You bitch! Come here!” the voice of Qin Yunzhuang was hoarse.
Qin Yunuan kept walking, pretending that she heard nothing.
“I am talking to you! Qin Yunuan, come here!”
At this moment, Qin Yunuan stopped, turned around, and smiled at Qin Yunzhuang whose beautiful face was filled with anger, “Were you calling me just now?”
“Then who?”
Taking two steps forward, Qin Yunuan said, “‘Bitch’ is the word used to call animals. I’m not an animal, so I can’t understand the word you said just now.”
“You…” Qin Yunzhuang pointed at Qin Yunuan angrily, with her beautiful eyebrows raising high, “I know that you are insidious! What tricks have you played? How come you, a daughter of a concubine, received the invitation while I didn’t? You are just a daughter of a concubine!”
Qin Yunuan said nothing but smiled. Qin Yunzhuang continued, “Ah, now I understand. All the things about you before are fake. You are the evilest person! You showed a cold face to Prince Ray, keeping him at an arm’s length on purpose. You also framed Prince Ray and me up. All you do is to show how innocent and sensible you are, so that you will marry Prince Ray as his concubine. What, you want us to share a husband? Bah! You don’t deserve it!”
What ridiculous words! Qin Yunuan couldn’t find a word to describe Qin Yunzhuang’s good feeling about herself.
“You are thinking too much. I don’t care about the thing you cherish,” Qin Yunuan was telling the truth. Although Sima Ray looked mild and polite like a real gentleman, but Qin Yunuan knew exactly what he was behind the mask.
Suddenly, Qin Yunzhuang changed her tone and said, “Well, if things were not like what I said, what about you helping me to meet Prince Ray? What, I bet that you don’t dare to do so!”
It turned out to be a provocation. Qin Yunzhuang must have missed Sima Ray so much that she lost her mind. However, Sima Ray only saw her as a loose woman, one that couldn’t wait to sleep with him.
“The invitation mentions that I can take one person with me,” Qin Yunuan smiled, “but I’ve decided to take Qin Yuzhao. She seldom leaves home, so it will be great if she gets a chance to see outside.”
Seeing that Qin Yunzhuang was going to go across the yard and keep quarreling, Qin Yunuan raised her eyebrow and pointed her thin finger at the stone threshold in front of the yard, “Beware! Father has forbidden you from going out of the yard. One step forward and you are out.”
Qin Yunzhuang hesitated and then felt great resentment. If the nurse Gui beside her didn’t stop her by asking her to tolerate, she would rush out and tear Qin Yunuan into pieces, who dared to talk to her like that!
Qin Yunuan smiled again and turned to Maner, “Well, Maner, we need to go home now. Qin Yuzhao hasn’t known the good news yet. Later send some chamomile here. The eldest sister gets angry so easily. She needs it indeed.”
Maner was also a clever one, just like her hostess. She said on purpose, “Is the chamomile that only we have? Those from West Xia?” Those were rare and precious, sent by Leng Changxi after he learned that Qin Yunuan loved drinking scented tea.
“Yes, ” Qin Yunuan smiled at Qin Yunzhuang, “Those are so rare that they can’t be bought on the market. I just want you to try some fresh things.”
“You…” In the past, Qin Yunzhuang always had the best things. She used to be the almsgiver, but now she had to take the alms from the daughter of a concubine, who couldn’t compete with her in every aspect. Nurse Gui hugged her around the waist tightly. Seeing that Qin Yunuan was far away, she told Qin Yunzhuang seriously, “Grand Miss, you should restrain yourself. Nowadays even Madam doesn’t dare to offend Third Miss without a reason. What can you do otherwise?”
“I am not convinced!” Qin Yunzhuang stamped her feet, “I was born by Madam, but she was born by a concubine. My mother is the eldest daughter of the Dou Family. Even though my father is not fond of her, it won’t harm our position. We have the Dou Family as a backer. My uncle promised that if I suffered any wrong in the Royal City, he would avenge me even if he was in Hangzhou. What’s more, most officers are the students of my grandfather. Why should I be afraid?”
“Grand Miss,” nurse Gui lowered her voice. It seemed that the mistress didn’t know that nowadays the Dou Family couldn’t even protect themselves, so she had to persuade her in euphemism, “Grand Miss, the time has changed and the good old days are gone. The Dou Family is no longer the prominent family they used to be twenty years ago.”
Qin Yunzhuang gave nurse Gui a sidelong glance, spoke disdainfully, “Humph! I remember that you have betrayed me once.” She still remembered that nurse Gui had reported her to her mother in secret. “This time I will give you a chance to make amends for your faults by good deeds. Go searching for the person who gave Qin Yunuan courage not to be scared of me at all. The chamomile from West Xia? If I can’t figure out the answer, I am no longer Qin Yunzhuang!”
In the evening, after Qin Yunuan had checked Baochuan’s homework, she picked the clothes she was going to wear in the paddock hunting in three days along with Maner and Tong. Qin Yuzhao had never worn new clothes. Lucky that she was the same tall as Qin Yunuan even though she was half years younger than Qin Yunuan. So Qin Yunuan selected a Xiang skirt with pink grounding and white blossoms, a light-colored jacket, a long gown in light green and a bead sheet flower, and ordered Maner to send them to Qin Yuzhao.
“But what should I say to Concubine Liu?” Maner worried that the stingy Concubine Liu would misunderstand the kindness of Qin Yunnuan.
“She is not a fool, so she won’t refuse these clothes because she knows the stake. However, we cannot expect that she will return the favor. I do all this for Qin Yuzhao. For her, we just keep not interfering with each other.”
As soon as Maner was out, Ting Xue came in with a copper basin to help Qin Yunuan clean up. She wasn’t focused, as if she were hiding some secrets.
“What happened?” Qin Yunuan spread the chignon, “Did the brothel refuse to release your sister?”
“No,” Ting Xue shook her head, “The money you gave me was enough to buy back my sister’s freedom. But I saw something that I shouldn’t see several days ago. I was wondering if I should tell you.”
Qin Yunuan stood up to open the window. The silver moonlight shoot in, making the house more silent and romantic.
“Now that you mentioned it, it seemed that you chose to tell me. Just go straight.”
Ting Xue gave a salute and said, “Several days ago when I came to the brothel to free my sister, I saw Grand Young Master drinking in it accidentally. The procuress told me that Grand Young Master slept there every day and kept drinking heavily, crying for ‘nannan’, a nickname nobody knew whose it was.”
“Nannan?” Qin Yunuan felt shocked. Was it the nickname of Qin Yunzhuang when she was young?
