Translator: 247reader

TLC: Tygris

Chapter Three: First Birthday Celebration

After twenty years of marriage, Lady Yan understood Duke Chu’s character and personality.

He valued his clan and the Duke’s Mansion.  Occasionally, he might be partial to one person or another, but generally, he treated everyone equally.

It could be said that the eldest two daughters had been too wilful, but when digging deeper into the issue, it could be said that the Duke of Chu’s mansion had not properly educated their daughters. It was she who had failed to teach their daughters, which had made them a laughingstock.

Over these past few days, Lady Yan had been worrying about these things. She was also afraid that the scandals would affect the Duke of Chu’s Mansion and the future of her eldest son, Chu Yuancheng.

Lady Yan clasped her handkerchief tightly in both hands and ordered in a deep voice, “Make a pot of Baishan Maojian tea, ^[1]Maojian tea is a valuable type of green tea, typically grown on misty mountainsides; Baishan means “White Mountain,” which could be a growing location or a typo for Baima or Benshan Maojian tea, both well-known varieties. and ask the kitchen to prepare two dishes that the master likes.”

Lady Yan went back to the dressing table, adjusted her hair, and then stood up to greet him at the door.

Soon, Duke Chu walked into the courtyard. He wore a black cloak, and was followed by a servant carrying a wooden box.

The Duke was tall and strong, and in the darkened night, his figure was even more conspicuous. From the appearance of his daughters, it could be inferred that he had been a handsome man in his youth, and he was no worse now, with a fair complexion and a well-groomed beard which added a touch of dignity.

Lady Yan took a few steps forward, and Duke Chu said helplessly, “It’s cold, why bother coming out?”

Lady Yan said, “It’s only a few steps, and the chill isn’t too great.”

Duke Chu held Lady Yan’s hand, only to find it icy cold. His relaxed brow furrowed again. “You still say you’re not cold? Quickly, come inside.”

The couple walked into the house together.

Duke Chu’s servant, Chen Bai, did not go in. He handed the box in his hand to Nanny Chen and said, “This is the crispy goose ^[2]酥鹅 (Sū é), Crispy goose, is a marinated, fried goose dish popular in Southern China. we brought back from Zui Xiang Ju.” ^[3]Drunken, Fragrant Building; this is the name of a restaurant.

The crispy goose from Zui Xiang Ju was Lady Yan’s favorite.

With a smile, Nanny Chen took the box and handed over a purse.

Lady Yan removed Duke Chu’s cloak. It was chilled from being outside for so long, but Duke Chu himself wasn’t cold. When the maid brought the tea, he handed the first cup to Lady Yan, saying, “Madam, warm yourself up.”

Lady Yan smiled and gestured with her hand for the maid to leave.

They were the only two left in the room. In the flickering candlelight, Lady Yan’s face was pale. She took a sip of tea and said, “Ying’er has already been sent away. It will only take a few days to reach Lunan by carriage. This is Ying’er’s fault for being too willful, but it’s also my fault…”

Duke Chu interrupted her. “If you’re talking about neglecting her education, then as her father, I’m even more derelict in my duty.”

He took a sip of tea. “It was my excessive indulgence that caused Jin’er to face such a disaster. Madam, you’ve worked so hard to manage the estate. Now that things have come to this, don’t blame yourself. Be careful that you worry yourself sick. Yesterday, I couldn’t bear to see Ying’er leaving for Lu’nan, so I didn’t go to see her. Madam, please don’t take it to heart.”

Lady Yan’s nose felt slightly sore, and she dabbed at the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief. “My Lord Duke is right.”

Duke Yan reached out to pat Lady Yan’s shoulder. “It’s not a huge concern. Yuancheng and I are here to take care of everything. We shouldn’t put the burden of bringing respect to our family on our daughters.”

Duke Chu changed the subject and continued, “But the two daughters have fallen into bad straits, and remain a joke in outsider’s mouths. Yuanhao is currently looking for a bride, and Yi’er will come of age in two years. Everyone is watching to see how they marry. If things continue to go downhill, it will be difficult for Jin’er and Ying’er to return.”

Lady Yan understood his reasoning. Duke Chu had always discussed court affairs with her.

The Emperor was now aging. He would be fifty-four after this year’s Qianqiu Festival, but he had not yet appointed a crown prince. The eldest prince, Prince Qing, was thirty-two years old, and the youngest prince, the Seventeenth Prince, was only three years old. ^[4]“Qing” is not Prince Qing’s name, but part of his title, Qing Wang (庆王, with “Qìng” meaning to celebrate or congratulate); the same with Li Wang and Chen Wang below. The Seventeenth Prince is presumably too young to have received a “Wang” title yet.

The Sixth Prince, Prince Li, ^[5](黎王), with “Lí” likely referring to the Li surname. and the Seventh Prince, Prince Chen, ^[6]陈王), with “Chén” likely referencing the historic state of Chen.  This name may suggest that the Emperor has high hopes for him. who had insisted upon marrying Chu Jin, were now twenty-two and twenty-one years old respectively. They were in the prime of their lives, both were married, and both were highly valued in the court.

Only her daughter was trapped in the Buddhist temple.

Lady Yan still remembered that when Chu Jin had been admired by the Seventh Prince, Duke Chu had been happy to see it happen. After all, the Chu family had boasted a royal concubine, Duke Chu’s aunt.

But Concubine Chu was now in an outer palace, worshipping Buddha. ^[7]This was a common outcome for concubines without children after their Emperor died; it could also be a punishment for wrongdoing. It would be excellent if the Chu family could produce another imperial concubine.

At that time, Chu Jin had been only sixteen, and who wouldn’t envy her for being adored by a Prince? Who could have known that, on the eve of their marriage being granted, Prince Li would ask the emperor to grant him a marriage as well? Afterwards, it was only in the winter of the year before last, after half a year of back and forth, that Lady Yan had taken the initiative and imprisoned Chu Jin in the family temple.

Chu Jin was only nineteen years old now, and she had been locked up for more than a year.

The best years of a girl’s life were being wasted in a tiny courtyard.

There was no need to even mention Chu Ying.

As for Chu Yi, if Lady Yan wanted her two daughters to come back, Chu Yi naturally could not marry an ordinary person.

Lady Yan said, “I will closely watch over Yi’er’s marriage.”

Duke Chu replied, “Of course. I will keep an eye on it as well.”

Duke Chu had neglected even moreso to discipline this daughter. People were like that; they liked those who sweet-talked and flattered. Moreover, Chu Yi’s concubine-mother had been gone for many years. Duke Chu had almost forgotten about this daughter.

Now, needing to rely on Chu Yi, he could only make up for it in other ways.

Chu Yi was the third child in the family and a shu daughter. Lady Yan was still considering how to treat her, but Duke Chu felt that no matter how Chu Xin and the others might marry, Chu Yi must marry well.

This did not just mean marrying into a noble family; it also entailed respect from her future husband’s family and harmony between the eventual husband and wife.

The two talked for half the night, and when it was time for morning greetings, Chu Yi found that Duke Chu was also there.

Chu Yi often saw Duke Chu. This did not mean that Duke Chu came to her courtyard to ask about her well-being, but that every so often she could see him from afar when she came to pay her respects. On ordinary days, the two of them would not exchange more than a few sentences.

Officials of the Yue Dynasty had a day off every five days. Today, Duke Chu was accompanying Lady Yan.

It was the sixth day of the first lunar month, which happened to be the day when Duke Chu took his day off.

Chu Yi didn’t take this too seriously, but when everyone was about to pay their respects and take their seats, Duke Chu spoke up. “Ying’er isn’t at home. Yi’er is the oldest now, so sit in the front.”

Chu Yi seemed to feel the weight of everyone’s eyes on her back, but she still obediently sat in the front.

Then, like carrots pulled up one-by-one from a field, Chu Xin and Chu Qi moved forward.

As they had just paid their respects yesterday, Lady Yan asked Chu Xin and Chu Qi how their studies were going. “You should be able to keep up with what the teacher is teaching. Don’t slack off in your studies, and work harder on your needlework.”

Chu Xin was only a year younger than Chu Yi. She smiled and said, “Thank you for your concern, Mother. Teacher Huang is extremely talented; I have benefited greatly from studying under her. I haven’t neglected my needlework either. Here is a handkerchief I embroidered. Please take a look, Mother.”

The snow-white handkerchief was embroidered with a pair of lotus flowers. Chu Yi took a glance at it and found it was indeed exquisite, something that modern craftsmanship couldn’t match.

Chu Xin was only twelve years old, and in this regard, Chu Yi was indeed far behind.

But thinking it over again, if she couldn’t stand out, it was better to be an invisible person.

Lady Yan praised, “It is indeed greatly improved.”

Chu Xin smiled and said, “I made two pairs of socks for Mother and Father. Mother has now spoken, so you can’t complain about my embroidery skills.”

When Chu Xin said this, she glanced at Chu Yi and smiled, as if waiting for praise from Lady Yan and Duke Chu.

Duke Chu said, “Not bad, you’ve done well for a daughter. It’s getting late, so let’s disperse. Yi’er, your mother said she enjoys meals better with you, so stay behind today.”

With a calm face, Chu Yi answered, “Yes.”

Chu Xin looked incredulous. She had thought… she had thought that she would get to stay in the main courtyard to eat.

~

The meal was different from yesterday’s. It was still a table full, but the dishes had changed and were more abundant than the day before.

However, a father who didn’t care much about his shu daughter, a mother in name only, and a daughter who didn’t like to talk much sitting at the same table made for a strange affair.

Chu Yi also knew that if her two sisters had not gotten into trouble, her breakfast now would be a bowl of porridge, two steamed buns, and two plates of side dishes – never all this.

The maids all retreated. Chu Yi stood up and served the dishes for Lady Yan and Duke Chu.

Duke Chu waved his hand and said, “Sit down and eat. We are a family, so why should we care about these empty formalities?”

Chu Yi replied, “Thank you, Father.”

Chu Yi was very obedient and serenely drank the fish congee. The food in the main courtyard was delicious. The fish was filleted and boneless. She didn’t know how they had been cooked, but they were particularly tender and smooth, without any fishy smell, and were smoothly integrated into the porridge.

There were two bowls of bird’s nest soup on the table. She didn’t know whether the additional bowl was for Duke Chu or intended for her, but it should be for Duke Chu.

Duke Chu picked up a steamed soup bun for Lady Yan and a shrimp dumpling for Chu Yi. He said, “I am unaware of what you like.”

Chu Yi replied, “This daughter doesn’t have any dietary taboos.”

Duke Chu smiled and said, “Quiet and easygoing, not bad.”

Chu Yi never expected that she could be praised for not disliking any foods. She smiled, lowered her head, and ate quietly.

Lady Yan drank the bird’s nest soup first. “Yi’er, you should have some bird’s nest soup after your meal.”

Chu Yi’s face was gentle and calm as she nodded and replied, “Yes, Mother.”

Lady Yan’s eyes softened. “Today is the first birthday banquet for the young heir of the Yong’an Marquis’ Mansion. Your sister-in-law would be lonely if she went alone. You should go with her.”

Chu Yi responded, “Yes.”

Lady Lin had been born into the Yong’an Marquis’ Mansion.

It had been two days since Chu Ying’s departure, so this would mark the first time the women from the Duke’s Mansion had left since Chu Ying’s matter. The Yong’an Marquis’ Mansion’s young master’s first birthday banquet would be attended not only by the Lin family but also by women from other noble households.

Chu Yi would represent the face of the Duke of Chu’s Mansion this time. If she lost face for them again, they would really have very little left.

Resources had been given to her, and that meant that she had to do something. Although Chu Yi also wanted to lie down and do nothing, she was just a shu daughter. She had seen Chu Ying’s fate; she didn’t want to die.

It was unlikely that there was bird’s nest soup for her to drink  in Lunan.

Lady Yan nodded. “The Duke’s Mansion and the Yong’an Marquis’ Mansion are in-laws. Just treat this as a normal visit between relatives.”

Chu Yi put down her spoon and smiled at Lady Yan. “My sister-in-law treats me very well. I think the Yong’an Marquis family will also be kind. Don’t worry, Mother.”

Lady Yan said, “This is your first time going out, so how could I not be worried? There’s no time to make clothes, so I’ll take charge of choosing some jewelry for you. You can’t lose face when you go out.”

The clothes for all four seasons were made for the girls in the mansion together. The materials were all good, and the colors were fashionable. No one had ever been treated unfairly.

She relied on the Duke’s Mansion for food, clothing, housing, and transportation. Her di mother and Duke Chu would not allow her to act willfully. As for Chu Jin, Chu Yi didn’t have the heart to compete against others.

It would be best if this trip to the Yong’an Marquis Mansion ended without any merits or demerits.

Duke Chu said, “Your sister-in-law will be here for you, don’t worry.”

This time, Chu Yi drank the bird’s nest soup with a clear conscience. Once a day was more than enough. She could go back and tell her kitchen that they didn’t need to make bird’s nest soup for dinner. She didn’t have much jewelry, so she’d just leave it up to her di mother. After all, wearing them would tell everyone she was from the Duke’s Mansion.

Chu Yi thought that she would only receive two hairpins, like last time, but the main courtyard sent over two full sets of jewelry.

The jade-ornamented box contained a jade hairpin, a pair of bracelets, a pair of gold and jade earrings in the shape of a longevity locket, and two small pear-shaped hairpins made of jade pieces and gold threads. The bodies of the hairpins looked like they were made of gold.

Chu Yi spotted a jade pendant tied with a jade-colored silk cord and a jade comb. It was small and exquisite. If she combed her hair and wore this, it would definitely look good.

The other box had about the same number of jewelry pieces as the first, but they were decorated with pearls. The jade pendant had been replaced with a plum blossom-shaped pendant made of rice-grain-sized pearls, which also looked quite pretty.

There were so many things that Chu Yi hesitated. Could it be that the Yong’an Marquis Mansion was a den of deep water and burning fire? She feared that this visit might be fatal.

But it was no use thinking about these things now. She couldn’t send the jewelry back.

Chu Yi accepted the items, asked the maid to register them, and left them alone.

~

The next morning, after packing up, she went to the main courtyard. Her eldest sister-in-law, Lady Lin, was also there. Lady Lin had been married for almost two years and had a daughter who was only five months old.

Lady Yan didn’t linger. She waved her hand and said to Lady Lin, “Your younger sister is here. You should go quickly before it’s too late.”

Lady Lin bowed respectfully. “Don’t worry, mother. I will take good care of my Third Younger Sister.”

It was only three ke past Chen shi ^[8]Roughly 7:45 AM. It would take less than an hour to reach the Yong’an Marquis’ Mansion, and when they arrived it would not yet be noon; neither early nor late.

Chu Yi more-or-less understood her di mother’s intentions.

While it was true that they attached great importance to this banquet, the Duke’s Mansion was of a high status. No matter what might have happened, the title of Duke was still higher than that of the Yong’an Marquis.

The two sisters-in-law left the house carrying gifts, followed by a group of maids.

After they boarded the carriage, they hadn’t been sitting for very long before Lady Lin said with a smile, “Third Younger Sister, you are dressed so beautifully today.”

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