Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The wedding date was set for April of the following year, just as the peonies would be coming into bloom.

The Marquis of Huaiyi personally brought the betrothal gifts to Chang’an, showing a great deal of sincerity.

In the end, I could not suppress my curiosity. Taking advantage of an opportunity to serve tea, I stole a glance at my future husband from behind a screen.

Inside the flower hall, a gentleman in an indigo brocade robe sat poised in the guest’s seat. His slender fingers tapped lightly against his teacup, and when he spoke, his voice was as clear and resonant as jade striking stone.

Though I only saw his back, the heart that had been suspended in my chest finally settled halfway.

“Is Fourth Younger Sister satisfied?” Second Older Brother appeared behind me at some unknown moment, tapping my shoulder lightly with his folding fan.

I hurriedly lowered my head, feeling the tips of my ears burn.

I was, after all, a young lady raised in the inner chambers. While I understood that marriage was a matter of family importance, in my private heart, I also hoped for a husband as refined as jade.

The Xu betrothal gifts arrived in one chest after another, filling the entire front courtyard.

The vermilion lacquer gift boxes shimmered with a soft luster under the sunlight.

The steward held a gold-flecked gift list and announced the items in a loud voice. As each item was called, a servant would open it for inspection.

“Two boxes of century-old ginseng from Bizhou!”

“Ten catties of snow clam jelly.”

“A pair of Qingtian stone ruyi scepters-”

Though these items were not the height of fashion in Chang’an, every piece possessed an air of ancient, heavy elegance.

Lüshao whispered in my ear.

“I heard that Mother Xu is not skilled in household management; she must have brought out the very best of her family heirlooms this time.”

I nodded slightly. “She certainly put thought into it.”

I brushed my fingers over the slightly aged patterns of the brocade, understanding that for the Xu family, these betrothal gifts represented the full extent of their sincerity.

The value of a gift lies not in its weight, but in the sincerity behind it.

After all, when it came to wealth and status, who beneath the Son of Heaven could compare to the Kong Clan?

Since I was marrying down, my dowry was also carefully considered.

I selected only two or three of the imperial items bestowed by the Imperial Consort; this preserved the dignity of the Kong Clan without being overly ostentatious.

After Qinglian married, Lüshao was the only personal maid left by my side.

I promoted Xuemei to a first-class maid to accompany me as part of my dowry.

Three days before my departure, I summoned all thirty-six servants who were to accompany me to the flower hall.

The crowd held their breath and bowed their heads. Xuemei and Lüshao stood to my left and right.

“All of you, look up.”

I scanned them one by one. There was Nanny Li, the head cook from the kitchens, and Ah Gui, the errand boy from the outer courtyard.

On this journey to Bizhou, they would be my most trusted arms and legs.

I clapped my hands, and servants entered in a single file carrying trays.

I raised a hand to adjust my hair at the temple, and Lüshao took a step forward.

“Fourth Young Lady is compassionate toward us. In addition to the official rewards from the manor, she is personally granting each of you a hundred taels of silver.”

As each person was called forward, I personally placed the silver into their hands.

“Nanny Li, your grandson has already been enrolled in the Kong Clan School. If he shows promise in the future, he will certainly be well-treated.”

“Ah Gui, the Imperial Physician wrote a prescription for your mother yesterday. No matter how rare the medicine, it will be a blessing if she recovers.”

One by one, they took the silver and knelt on the ground to perform a formal kowtow.

I held my handkerchief, my smile becoming increasingly gentle.

“You are all respectable people from the Chancellor’s Mansion. You know what should be done and what should not.”

“If you do well, you will naturally have a bright future…”

And if you do not do well, I have plenty of ways to deal with you.

The unspoken words sent a chill down everyone’s spines.

Managing subordinates is like training a horse; one must be precise when showing favor.

A fraction too much is pressure; a fraction too little is negligence.

One must give them some sweetness, but also keep a firm grip on the reins.

I looked at their expressions of both reverence and fear with satisfaction, knowing that this display of both grace and authority had taken effect.

Outside the window, the setting sun sank low, stretching their shadows long across the floor.

From this moment on, the lives of these people were firmly tied to my future.