Chen Anzhi felt a splitting headache, as if two small hammers were competing to beat the fastest rhythm inside his head. He frowned and shook his head.
“Master, you are finally awake!” His servant Wangjiang looked distressed.
“Why did I sleep here last night?” Chen Anzhi was surprised at the hoarseness of his own voice when he spoke.
Wangjiang inwardly lamented, knowing that Chen Anzhi was aware he shouldn’t have spent the night here. But he dared not voice it, instead he said, “Master, the Princess Consort instructed that you should go to her immediately upon waking.”
Chen Anzhi pushed himself up from the bed, and Wangjiang hurried to support him. As Chen Anzhi walked towards the outer room, fragmented memories of the chaotic events from last night began to surface in his mind. Reaching the outer room, he accepted the face towel handed to him by a maid. The cool, damp cloth on his face instantly made him much clearer-headed.
Chen Anzhi was momentarily stunned, and the wet cloth fell to the ground.
The maid picked up the cloth but couldn’t hand it back, so she wrung out a new one and handed it over. After holding it up for a while and seeing Chen Anzhi still dazed, she couldn’t help but call out, “Master?”
Chen Anzhi took the wet cloth, slowly wiping his face. The ludicrous scenes of last night kept replaying in his mind. He frowned and asked, “What time is it?”
“It’s the end of the Hour of the Snake (9am – 11am) ,” Wangjiang replied.
With many matters on his mind, Chen Anzhi hurriedly washed and dressed, and immediately headed to the Princess Consort of Jinnan. Just as he entered the courtyard, Lady Gu, who served the Princess Consort, whispered a warning, “The Princess Consort is angry, do not argue with her.”
Chen Anzhi nodded absent-mindedly and continued inside. He stepped over the threshold, and before he could utter a word of greeting, a teacup shattered at his feet.
Chen Lingyan was startled and let out a light cry.
Fang Qingyi gently advised, “Aunt, don’t be upset, it’s bad for your health.”
Chen Anzhi was quick to admit his fault. He bowed and said, “It was foolish of me, causing you worry, Mother.”
“Worry?” The Princess Consort was so angry she shook her head, “You think it’s a small matter! Making her lose face, it’s actually the entire capital laughing at you, at our Jinnan Mansion! You know very well how this marriage came about! Your imperial grandfather is most concerned with stabilizing the various states, and you are adding to his troubles! If you could understand this, you wouldn’t have acted so recklessly. You spend all day indulging in pleasure, showing no ambition!”
The last sentence was squeezed out word by word through gritted teeth.
Chen Anzhi frowned, clearly displeased with his mother’s assessment of his lack of ambition.
How could the Princess Consort not see his thoughts? Her old ailment of headaches subtly flared up in her anger. She shook her head in disappointment, “Because of your foolishness, your father went to the palace early in the morning. Yet you slept until this hour, and today you outrageously made your new wife come alone to greet and serve tea.”
There were more people than just mother and son in the room. Clearly embarrassed by the scolding, Chen Anzhi, knowing he was at fault, did not argue but acknowledged his mistake in a soft tone, “I truly realize my mistake.”
Chen Lingyan tugged at her mother’s sleeve and pleaded, “Mother, brother knows he was wrong. Please forgive him this once.”
Fang Qingyi gracefully offered tea to soothe her throat.
The Princess Consort’s anger slightly abated. She looked at Chen Anzhi and spoke in a deep voice, “Anzhi, these are troubled times. Do not jeopardize your father’s policy of prudence. You should understand, in the imperial family, a single mistake can lead to complete ruin, not just for you, but for the entire family!”
Chen Anzhi solemnly knelt down and earnestly said, “All the fault lies with me being foolish yesterday. I will go to the palace and personally apologize to my imperial grandfather. It was the fault of being drunk; I will never drink so much again.”
After a long while, the Princess Consort sighed.
After all, he is her own flesh and blood.
Chen Lingyan smiled and winked at her brother. Chen Anzhi hesitated for a moment before standing up.
The Princess Consort spoke again, “What do you plan to do with the two prostitutes you brought into the residence yesterday?”
Chen Anzhi immediately explained, “They are refined courtesans, not prostitutes.”
“I am asking how you intend to handle this!” The Princess Consort slammed her hand on the table, causing the tea utensils to clatter sharply.
Chen Anzhi carefully chose his words before speaking, “Naturally, concubines are decided by the mistress of the house. If she agrees, they will stay. If she does not, they will be sent away.”
The Princess Consort’s face showed no expression. Chen Anzhi glanced at her and quickly looked away, unsure if his mother approved of his words, feeling uneasy.
A long silence ensued.
Lady Gu entered from outside, noting that it was time for lunch. She asked if they should set the table and if the heir would stay to dine.
The Princess Consort ordered Chen Anzhi, “You will have lunch at Tanxiang Yingyue.”
Chen Anzhi quickly replied, “I had planned to do so.”
Tanxiang Yingyue was the courtyard of You Yuji.
Chen Anzhi hesitated before speaking again, “Then… I will go ahead.”
The Princess Consort sighed. Chen Anzhi immediately dared not turn to leave.
“My dear Anzhi, I am your mother. Even though I am angry and scold you, I always favor you. But if Lady You were my daughter, I would have had you cut into a thousand pieces for what you did!” Having a daughter herself, the Princess Consort could not bear the thought of this happening to Chen Lingyan. “If not for the court changing the mourning system, she would still be mourning her father. With her country destroyed, father dead, mother ill, and no siblings, you, a towering man, bully an isolated and helpless woman like this? She is to be your lifelong companion! Fortunately, Lady You has a broad heart. If she had taken her own life with a white silk or poison, you would be a murderer!”
Chen Anzhi’s face turned red with shame, and his eyes reddened. He sincerely said again, “I know I was wrong. I will never drink again and will never make such a mistake again. I will treat her well and make it up to her!”
With her headache becoming unbearable, the Princess Consort no longer wished to speak. She wearily waved her hand. Chen Anzhi could only wipe his tears and withdraw.
Fang Qingyi watched Chen Anzhi’s retreating figure, still picturing his reddened eyes for another woman. She placed her hand on her lower abdomen, lowered her eyes in sadness, and slowly bit her lip.
When Chen Anzhi arrived at Tanxiang Yingyue, he could clearly feel the uneasy glances from the servants in the courtyard. He tried to ignore them and stepped inside.
You Yuji was adjusting her hairpins as she came forward, evidently having been lying down.
Chen Anzhi awkwardly began, “Were you resting? Did I disturb you?”
“I was just leaning on the couch for a bit.”
Chen Anzhi nodded absentmindedly, feeling somewhat unable to face You Yuji. He glanced at the couch under the window where she had mentioned resting. A book lay at one end, next to a thin blanket. In his mind, he pictured the scene of a beautiful woman lounging on the couch, lazily reading.
“What book are you reading?” Chen Anzhi walked over and picked up the book, discovering it was a medical text. He was a bit surprised and blurted out, “You can understand this?”
He quickly added, “I didn’t mean it that way…”
You Yuji remained silent, quietly looking at Chen Anzhi.
Her silence made Chen Anzhi even more uncomfortable. He didn’t know whether to put down the medical book or keep holding it, his thumb repeatedly rubbing the book’s corner.
He forced himself to clear his throat, but the tremble in his voice betrayed his unease.
You Yuji averted her gaze.
She had thought she wasn’t ready and didn’t know how to face Chen Anzhi, that she would feel angry, embarrassed, or wronged upon seeing him.
Unexpectedly, he was the one feeling uneasy everywhere, while she felt a surprising calm.
The room was still adorned with the red decorations from their wedding, the double happiness character on the carved window mocking his awkwardness. Just when Chen Anzhi felt he couldn’t stay any longer, You Yuji spoke.
“Has the heir had lunch?”
Chen Anzhi quickly replied, “I came to eat with you.”
The maid Zhenxu turned to give orders, while another maid brought a bowl of scented water for washing hands. Chen Anzhi quickly washed his hands and grabbed a towel to dry them. He looked towards You Yuji and saw her having her sleeves rolled up by a maid, revealing a small section of her fair wrist, white as snow. His hand drying slowed down as he watched her delicate hands being placed into the water.
The flower petals in the porcelain basin floated with the ripples, sticking to the smooth white skin of her hands, then slid off gently with her movements, clinging to her slender fingers.
Chen Anzhi looked away, but the image of the wet, vibrant red petals lingered in his mind.
He heard the servants setting the table outside and thought he should say something to her. He knew he had gone too far yesterday, but the words of apology were stuck in his throat, unable to come out.
Seeing You Yuji heading to the outer room, Chen Anzhi followed and softly said, “If you need anything, just let me know. If something isn’t comfortable, instruct the servants to replace it.”
You Yuji nodded. Chen Anzhi glanced at her, seeing no other expression on her face, feeling an indescribable emotion.
The two sat down. Chen Anzhi glanced at the dishes on the table and frowned, “How can the cook serve such things? Don’t they know the heir’s wife is from the western regions and prefers beef and lamb?”
You Yuji sipped her floral tea, her slender fingers slowly turning the cup, and said, “Although the mourning customs have changed, my father hasn’t even been dead for a year. I should continue eating vegetarian for some time. It is indeed inappropriate for the heir to dine with me.”
Chen Anzhi was taken aback, feeling a sudden regret for forgetting about her deceased father. But what did she mean by her words? Was she telling him not to come and dine with her in the future?
Chen Anzhi lowered his head, eating the plain vegetables and coarse porridge, feeling increasingly uncomfortable.
Knowing he was in the wrong, he had humbled himself to come over, but why was she treating him like this? On the way here, he had been anxious, imagining she might cry, accuse him, but never expected this kind of attitude from her.
He couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong, but he felt completely out of place.
Chen Anzhi gripped the silver chopsticks harder, his knuckles turning white.
You Yuji slowly ate a piece of bamboo shoot. Si Kingdom didn’t have bamboo shoots, and since she arrived in Chen Country, she had grown fond of the taste.
“I have something to say…” Chen Anzhi cleared his throat. “I want to keep the two people I called back to the residence yesterday. Everyone knows I brought them here, and if I send them away now, it would be too humiliating for them…”
Talking about saving face? Baohe widened her eyes in anger, almost wanting to scratch him.
“Alright.” You Yuji hardly hesitated.
“What?” Chen Anzhi thought he had misheard.
“Are you going to arrange their accommodations, or should I?” You Yuji looked at him calmly.
Chen Anzhi opened his mouth but was at a loss for words.
Wangjiang hurriedly walked in with a troubled expression. He whispered a few words into Chen Anzhi’s ear, and Chen Anzhi’s face changed dramatically. He put down his chopsticks and walked out briskly, almost tripping over the threshold.
You Yuji continued to leisurely eat another piece of green bamboo shoot.
After finishing her lunch, she instructed Lady Jing to settle the two courtesans from the night before, then went back to her bed for a nap. After waking, she lazily leaned on the soft couch by the window and continued reading the book she hadn’t finished in the morning. In the evening, she took a pillow and strolled around the prince’s residence to familiarize herself with the surroundings.
“Madam!” Baohe came chasing, out of breath. “The… the heir has… has brought back another concubine!”
You Yuji was surprised. Chen Anzhi had left in a hurry at noon and now, in the evening, brought back another concubine? This was the same heir who looked down on the customs of the prairie people? You Yuji found it amusing.
Without saying anything, she continued walking forward, climbing the stone steps to the pavilion on the rockery, enjoying the cool late autumn breeze and reminiscing about the prairie winds.
You Yuji didn’t expect to see Si Que.
Dressed in white, holding a qin, he walked slowly, as graceful and aloof as ever.
You Yuji was stunned, knowing she couldn’t mistake him, yet hoping she was wrong. She lifted her skirt and hurried down the steps, causing a few small stones to tumble down and stop at Si Que’s feet.
She stopped halfway and softly called, “Your Highness…”
Si Que paused, glanced at the stones by his feet, and slowly raised his eyes to look at You Yuji standing halfway up the steps. The cool breeze blew her layers of red skirts backward, blending with the embroidered red clouds in the sky, forming a vivid picture.
Si Que squinted against the light and said, “We meet again.”
In fact, what he wanted to say was something entirely different.
***
Translator’s Note: Si Que/Princess Que’s pronouns would still be (he/him) even though she doesn’t know that he’s cross-dressing.
