Chapter 5
Chapter 5
In the end, Mother did not make me kneel through the night.
It was not because she felt sorry for me.
It was because Father had spoken.
His leg ailment had grown worse over the years, and he rarely involved himself in the inner household. But once he opened his mouth, even Mother did not dare defy him.
By the time I returned to my courtyard, my knees were already swollen.
As Qingkui applied medicine for me, her eyes reddened with anger.
“My lady, you used to give way to the Eldest Miss in everything. How can Madam still think you were in the wrong?”
I looked at the little porcelain jar beneath the lamplight.
The ointment Jiang Zhao had given me was cooling. Once it was rubbed on, much of the pain eased.
“Then I simply won’t give way anymore.”
Qingkui froze.
I smiled.
“Find me the register for the lychee paste my maternal grandfather’s family sent over.”
“What are you going to do, my lady?”
“See how many boxes were sent this year.”
Though Qingkui did not understand, she still went to search through the accounts.
Every year, my maternal grandfather’s family sent lychee paste, delivered by fast horse from Jiangnan to the capital.
Ten boxes.
The first box went to my eldest sister.
The second went to Mother.
The third went to Father.
The rest were divided among the elders of the estate, honored guests, relatives, and friends.
From childhood until now, I had only ever eaten the dregs at the bottom.
What my eldest sister could not finish.
Mother said I did not like sweets.
The truth was not that I disliked them.
No one had ever asked whether I did.
Qingkui returned with the register, her expression rather unpleasant.
“There were ten boxes this year. Madam has already had the first two sent to the Eldest Miss’s courtyard.”
I was not surprised in the slightest.
“Go bring one back.”
Qingkui’s eyes widened.
“Madam will be angry, won’t she?”
“Then let her be angry.”
Qingkui looked at me for a moment, then suddenly straightened her back.
“This servant will go at once.”
Half an incense stick later, she came back carrying a box of lychee paste, the smugness on her face not quite hidden.
“The maids in the Eldest Miss’s courtyard refused to hand it over. This servant said that my lady’s knees were injured and she wanted something sweet, and if they would not give it, I would ask the master to judge the matter. Only then did they take it out.”
I opened the box.
The paste was clear and glossy, its sweet fragrance rushing up at once.
I scooped up a spoonful.
It was still cloying.
But this time, the cloying sweetness felt thoroughly satisfying.
Early the next morning, the Crown Prince’s Manor sent gifts of apology.
They said that yesterday’s marriage viewing had failed to come to fruition, and the Crown Prince felt regretful, so he had especially sent some medicinal ingredients to calm the two young ladies of the Xie Family.
Two sets of gifts.
My eldest sister’s set contained eastern pearls, medicinal ingredients, two bolts of cloud brocade, and a box of lychee paste presented from the palace.
Mine contained only medicinal ingredients and one bolt of plain brocade.
Qingkui’s face darkened as she looked at it.
“What does His Highness the Crown Prince mean by this? Yesterday, it was clearly the Eldest Miss who refused the marriage first. Why does she get an extra box of lychee paste?”
I stared at the gift list.
After a long while, I smiled.
In the past, I had always made excuses for the Crown Prince.
My sister was frail.
My sister liked sweets.
My sister, after all, had nearly become the Crown Princess.
But when such favoritism was laid out before my eyes, it truly sobered a person up.
I closed the gift list.
“Accept the medicinal ingredients. Send the plain brocade back.”
Qingkui froze.
“Back to the Eastern Palace?”
“Yes.”
“What about the lychee paste?”
I smiled.
“Go ask the Eastern Palace Chief Clerk whether a box was accidentally left off the list.”
Qingkui’s eyes lit up.
“This servant understands.”
Word of this soon reached Mother’s ears.
When she came to my courtyard, her face looked terrible.
“Ah Zhu, yesterday you already made the marriage affair disgraceful enough. Today, must you haggle with the Eastern Palace over a single box of lychee paste?”
I was eating breakfast.
On the table sat the medicinal congee Jiang Zhao had sent over last night.
He must have heard from Qingkui that I liked sweets, because he had actually added a faint touch of osmanthus honey to the medicinal congee.
The sweetness was light, just enough to suppress the bitterness of the medicine.
I slowly set down my bowl.
“Your daughter is not haggling with the Eastern Palace.”
“Then what are you doing?”
“Since the Eastern Palace said the gifts were meant to calm both young ladies, the gifts should be the same.”
Mother frowned.
“Your sister is frail, and she loves lychee paste most. The Crown Prince sending her a box is only considerate.”
I looked up.
“I love it too.”
Mother froze.
As if she had never heard those words before.
I said, “Mother used to say I did not like sweets because every time lychee paste reached me, only the leftover scraps from the bottom of my eldest sister’s box remained.”
“Those scraps were dry, so of course they did not taste good.”
Mother’s expression shifted slightly.
“How can you still remember such little things from when you were a child?”
I smiled.
“Perhaps because I gave way for too long, my memory became better instead.”
Mother was left speechless by my words.
By dusk, the Eastern Palace sent over another box of lychee paste.
The Chief Clerk came in person with an apologetic smile.
“Yesterday, the people below were careless and missed an item on the gift list. I hope the Second Young Lady will not take offense.”
I did not go out to receive him.
I only had Qingkui accept it.
Later, I heard that the Crown Prince asked about the matter.
After the Chief Clerk reported it truthfully, the Crown Prince remained silent for a long time.
He likely had never imagined that the ever-sensible Second Young Lady of the Xie Family would actually speak up over a single box of lychee paste.
But this was only the beginning.