Chapter 13: Persuasion

TL: 247reader

TLC: Tygris

(TL Note: Hey, y’all! Sorry for how long this has taken – I’m having a few health issues at the moment and things are slow. Hope you enjoy!)

To clarify matters?

Chu Yi remembered what Duke Chu had said. Chu Jin didn’t know that Prince Chen was married. She suspected that Lady Yan was unwilling to disclose the information, but even with this information unknown, Chu Jin was already eager to find out what had happened. If she were to find out, she would likely be even more eager to demand an explanation.

In the worst case, it might be such a blow that she’d fall seriously ill.

Could she tell Chu Jin about Prince Chen’s marriage? Since Duke Chu had given her the instructions, it meant that the decision was hers. She was the only daughter currently allowed to leave the Duke Chu Mansion. Surely, Lady Yan and Duke Chu wouldn’t resent her because of Chu Jin.

Chu Yi took two steps forward. Taking a stick of incense, she lit it, and bowed three times to the Buddha statue before putting it in place. “A few days ago, Second Elder Sister was sent back to our ancestral hometown by Mother.”

The two were full-blooded sisters, so their relationship ought to be deeper.

The room was truly dark. Chu Yi lowered her head, unable to even clearly see Chu Jin’s expression. She said, “I think Second Elder Sister would be willing to trade places with Eldest Sister. She doesn’t want to go out and would rather stay indoors all day. How could she even think of running away?”

Though Chu Jin’s lips moved, she said nothing.

Chu Yi sighed softly. “I don’t know if Second Elder Sister just doesn’t like going out by nature, or if she’s afraid of something, but that night when I saw her off, she was in tears and wanted to see Mother. She must have had regrets, but Mother didn’t see her.”

“Of my two elder sisters, one is in the household temple and the other in Lunan. I don’t know how you two spend your days, but when I go out with Eldest Sister-in-law, there’s not much help she can give me. I really can’t handle it alone.”

“Yesterday, I went to an apricot blossom banquet hosted by Duchess Ying, and I met the daughter of Minister Qin.” Chu Yi wanted to mention the matter of Prince Chen getting married in a tactful way, but, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Chu Jin’s shoulders trembling.

She was astonished. Had Chu Jin known long ago about Prince Chen’s marriage?

Chu Jin pursed her lips, her face pale.

Half a year had passed since last year’s Mid-Autumn Festival. The household temple sat in the northeast corner of the Duke Chu Mansion, just abreast of the outer walls. A prince’s wedding was a bustling occasion, and the entire capital had been alight with the sound of gongs and drums.

Chu Jin looked at the scriptures in front of her and put down her pen. “Third Younger Sister.”

Her voice choked. “I know His Highness Prince Chen is already married. I only want to go out to clarify matters.”

How could she not know? On the day of Prince Chen’s wedding, Qin Shuyan had intentionally asked the wedding sedan to linger outside for a while. There were not many such grand and lively weddings in the whole of the capital. And the maids outside, even if they had been warned by Lady Yan, still couldn’t help but say a few words in private.

Chu Yi looked down at her. “What is there still to clarify, Eldest Sister? His Highness Prince Chen acted after weighing the pros and cons. Minister Qin holds real power in the court. How could His Highness treat his wife with disrespect?”

Chu Jin knew and understood all this, but she just couldn’t let go emotionally. She didn’t directly respond, but instead asked, “You met Second Miss Qin; what did she say to you?”

Chu Yi turned her head away. “She said that you seduced the two princes and had been locked away in the temple by Mother.”

Chu Jin was an intelligent person. Since she knew everything, why worry about the consequences?

Chu Yi said, “Eldest Sister, Father will never let you go to Prince Chen’s mansion again, even if he were to ascend the throne in the future, and I won’t help you pass any letters over. Besides, what’s the point of you going there? Will Prince Chen divorce his wife for you?”

If he were willing to divorce her, then why would he have married her in the first place? He would probably just be pleased, pleased that Chu Jin was still obsessed with him even after such a long time.

Chu Jin said nothing else.

Chu Yi glanced outside, then bowed. “I’ve said everything I need to say. That’s all there is to it. I hope you’ll think about things carefully.”

She pushed open the door. Outside, the sky was bright. Staying in a Buddhist temple like this, one couldn’t even tell  what time it was outside, but Chu Jin had been there for over a year.

Coming out, she asked Yunxia, ​​and found out that she had only been in the household temple for a ke. It wasn’t yet noon.

Yunxia had been waiting outside. As they returned, she kept looking back. The courtyard walls and tall trees looked like giant, man-eating beasts.

If it were their young lady…

She shook her head, deciding that she couldn’t have such thoughts.

Rather than returning to the main courtyard, Chu Yi went straight back to Yixia Pavilion.

Lady Yan must have known that she had been there and also knew that she would leave. Whether she had succeeded in her persuasion or not would only be revealed by Chu Jin’s actions.

Chu Yi couldn’t help but think that she should be more careful in the future. Chu Jin was the legitimate daughter; Lady Yan and Duke Chu had poured a lot of effort into her. But she wasn’t the same.

Chu Yi was merely obedient. If Duke Chu told her to do so, then she would go to persuade Chu Jin. Whether Chu Jin would listen or not was beyond her control. With seven days left until the end-of-the-month flower viewing banquet hosted by Princess Chen, it was best for her to stay in  her courtyard, reading, rather than go out.

After returning to Yixia Pavilion, Chu Yi asked Nanny Li to open the storeroom. She selected a few decorations and placed them on the treasure cabinet in the study.

Most of the books delivered yesterday were ones which Duke Chu had read, with history books being the most numerous. They were all placed on the bookshelf.

The rest of the things, like medicinal herbs, decorations, etcetera, were still in the warehouse. They would be brought out when she thought about them. There was no rush to fill a prescription, as Chu Yi felt that there was nothing wrong with her.

Besides, when going out, being thin wasn’t without its benefits. At the very least, it made her look like someone easy to bully.

Two days of leisure followed. She paid her daily respects and spent the rest of her time reading, sleeping, and eating. Chu Xin would occasionally make a few sarcastic remarks, but those words didn’t bother Chu Yi at all.

Every time, Chu Xin jumped up and down with anger. She felt like she had punched soft cotton. Worst of all was that her concubine-mother didn’t care about her in the least. All she received each time was a scolding.

Concubine Zhao was busy arranging Chu Yuanhao’s marriage. Since ancient times, marriages had been decided by parents and arranged by matchmakers. She was Duke Chu’s concubine, while Lady Yan was Chu Yuanhao’s di mother.

Chu Yuanhao’s marriage ought to be decided by Lady Yan. If Concubine Zhao went out of the house to arrange it, not only would she be unable to find a good marriage partner, but she would also displease Duke Chu.

Spring had just begun, and there were so many banquets, where there were surely some nice young ladies to be seen. But she hadn’t observed Lady Yan going out recently.

Concubine Zhao was anxious, but she didn’t dare to inquire into the matter further.

But today, after respects had been paid, Lady Yan called for Chu Yi and asked Concubine Zhao to remain as well. “Concubine Zhao, please stay. I have something to say.”

Concubine Zhao guessed that it was about Chu Yuanhao’s marriage, but she hadn’t expected Lady Yan to let Chu Yi stay as well.

Lady Yan had not yet eaten. Concubine Zhao had experienced the meals in the main courtyard before; they were always sumptuous.

The maid set the table. Lady Yan was helped to her seat by Chu Yi, before saying to Concubine Zhao, “You sit down, too.”

Lady Yan once again started with the bird’s nest soup. As she drank, she said, “The Eldest Young Master and the rest will be back at the end of the month. When they return, I’ll ask Yuanhao for his opinion and then consider his marriage. Don’t be impatient either. During Yi’er and Wanqing’s last two excursions, things went well, but now isn’t the best time to discuss marriage.”

Lady Yan smiled at Chu Yi and said, “Yi’er, be attentive when you go out. It’s best to find a girl with a clean family background and good character. The rest can be set aside for later.”

Chu Yi hadn’t expected this to become her problem. Chu Yuanhao was seventeen years old and she was only thirteen. How could she possibly help her brother find a wife?

Glancing at Concubine Zhao, she suddenly realized that Lady Yan had said this for Concubine Zhao’s benefit.

Over these past two days, Chu Xin had been needling her repeatedly – not while she was paying her respects in the main courtyard, but primarily on the way there. However, the maids in the household were all the Duke’s Mansion’s people, so how could Lady Yan not know?

With a smile, Chu Yi said, “Yes, Mother.”

Concubine Zhao smiled and nodded. “Thank you, Third Miss.”

Chu Yi said, “I will do my best to take care of Elder Brother’s matter.”

After dinner, Concubine Zhao made her farewells, and Lady Yan went to wash her hands. She said to Chu Yi, “You are young, so you don’t need to pay special attention. There are many girls in the capital. Make more friends and go visit them often.”

Chu Yi nodded. She then heard Lady Yan say, “Go see your eldest sister again. She has something to tell you.”

No wonder Lady Yan had said such things to Concubine Zhao. It turned out that Chu Jin had come to her senses.

Chu Yi bowed. “Then this daughter will go over now.”

This was Chu Yi’s second visit to the household temple, only this time, the maidservant accompanying her was Liuxia. They still took the same route, passing through two courtyard walls before reaching the temple.

The door was still locked and was only opened after handing over her token.

Chu Yi had thought that something would be different this time, but it seemed that she was overthinking it.

Chu Jin was copying Buddhist scriptures in front of the statue of Buddha. When she heard the door open, she put down her pen and turned around, saying, “Third Younger Sister is here.”

Chu Jin stood. Straightening her skirt, she brought Chu Yi to the inner room.

This courtyard was smaller, with three rooms, one on each side of the main chamber. One side held the bedroom, with a bed and a table. It was clean and tidy, with nothing else of note.

Chu Jin said, “It’s a little shabby. Third Younger Sister, please sit down.”

Finding a chair, Chu Yi sat.

Chu Jin took a book from the table. “I wrote this recently. It’s been over a year, and I’m not sure how much of it is still accurate.”

“The first two pages contain medicinal food recipes given to me by our aunt in the palace. They were prescribed by the imperial physicians in the palace to nourish one’s body/health. They need to be taken continually, or they won’t be effective.” Chu Jin had a faint smile on her face as she spoke. Even though she was dressed in plain clothes and bare of makeup, she still had the demeanor of a noblewoman.

Chu Yi said, “Many thanks for your concern, Eldest Sister.”

Originally, she hadn’t wanted to visit their mansion’s doctor, and now that she had a prescription, one from the palace, no less, it saved her the trouble.

It was merely a book. The first two pages held recipes, but what did the rest hold?

Chu Jin pushed the book toward Chu Yi. “Prince Chen…to outsiders, he appears gentle and dignified, but he is also emotionally-driven and suspicious. Over my time  in the household temple, I’ve also thought that his past affection might have been for the sake of the Duke’s Mansion.”

Duke Chu was a fourth-ranked court official, and he came from a noble family. If Chu Jin had been the daughter of a minor official, then even if Prince Li intended to annoy Prince Chen, he would not have rashly asked the emperor to grant him a marriage.

Prince Chen was likely the same.

Chu Jin lowered her head slightly, as if reminiscing. “Prince Chen likes sweet things and likes me to wear amber. He doesn’t like poetry and songs, but likes lively and smart women. I should still have jewelry in my room that Prince Chen gave me, patterned with peach blossoms. There’s also a pair of bracelets which he gave me. If you need them, go take them.”

Chu Jin and Chu Ying had both moved out, but their possessions remained in their courtyards.

Even if she had come to her senses now, she couldn’t return. She had to remain in the temple. How could she give up halfway on praying for her grandmother?

Hearing these words from Chu Jin, Chu Yi felt inexplicably distressed. “Eldest Sister…”

Chu Jin took a deep breath, smiled, and shook her head. “It’s okay. Qin Shuyan and I were good friends, but not bosom companions. I don’t know what she thinks of me now, but if her sister said that, then she must care a great deal about what happened back then.”

“We sisters are somewhat similar. I’m afraid she’ll be uncomfortable when she sees you. This book contains the preferences of the capital’s noble young ladies. Some of them should have already married. If you have any questions, please come and ask me. I’m good friends with the Yongkang Marquis’ Mansion’s Second Miss. If anything goes wrong, you can go to her.”

Chu Jin thought for a moment and added, “I really don’t know Prince Li, nor do I understand him. I’ve never even met him.”

His disastrous proposal had been a surprise, but someone who could come up with such a trick was definitely not a good person.

Chu Jin said, “Third Younger Sister, you should go to the flower viewing banquet Princess Chen is hosting at the end of the month. You are young and still two years away from your coming of age. As long as you are careful to avoid getting involved in any trouble, there is no need for you to worry about anything else.”

Under no circumstances should Chu Yi end up like her.

Because of those previous affairs, Chu Yi had suffered. Chu Jin would not mind if the incident was brought up again, so long as she could derive some benefits from it.

Chu Yi’s emotions as she took the book were complicated. She didn’t know what Chu Jin had been thinking while writing this. “Thank you, Eldest Sister.”

Chu Jin replied, “You and I are blood sisters.”

Chu Yi took the booklet and made her farewells.

As she left, she asked in confusion, “I’m sure that our parents have advised Eldest Sister before, but why is it that this time…”

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