Chapter 773: No Longer a Common Household {Thank You! Again, Thank You! 37 Chapters Owed}

In the afternoon,

the sun slanted westward,

at the eastern gate of the imperial palace,

outside Donghuamen,

under the sunlight, the towering palace walls cast long shadows on the ground.

Golden sunlight streamed out from the gate arch.

Through the arch,

“Cherries! Premium cherries!”

“Golden apricots!”

“Plums!”

Vendors outside the palace gate called out their wares, their voices faintly drifting into the palace grounds.

Because palace eunuchs often came here to buy fruits and vegetables, all the vendors were of clean lineage and well-known origins.

At this moment,

several figures appeared beneath the palace gate arch; after stepping out, they boarded an elegant carriage parked outside the gate.

Shortly after,

the driver whipped the horses, crossing the open ground beyond the gate, passing over the moat, and turning onto the bustling, crowded street outside the palace.

Near Donghuamen was one of the most prosperous districts in the capital.

Even in the afternoon, the street remained packed with carriages and pedestrians.

As the carriage moved along the street, the surrounding noises—voices, shouts, sales calls, the clopping of hooves, the jingling of camel bells—grew louder.

Rong family’s exquisite, luxurious carriage was like a top-tier luxury vehicle in later times: pedestrians and carriages automatically drew back to make way.

Inside the carriage,

Rong Feiyan sat in the center, her back straight against the carriage wall.

The carriage walls were lined with fine silk, padded with cotton, so that leaning against them felt soft and comfortable.

Listening to the sounds outside, Rong Feiyan lifted the dark curtain of the window and gazed out,

yet her mind wandered back to earlier in the palace, when her cheeks had flushed as she stole a glance at Xu Zaijing—only to find his eyes locked on hers.

After their gazes met, Xu Zaijing nodded and smiled at her.

“What did that look of his mean?”

“Perhaps he was congratulating my family?”

“No, there was something else in his eyes!”

“His eyes were so bright, so dark!”

“His eyebrows were beautiful too!”

“I’ve seen him so many times—what does he truly think of me?”

“He never gives me even a hint!”

Rong Feiyan’s thoughts spun endlessly, aimless yet sweetly tangled.

At this moment, the Rong family carriage was heading south; golden sunlight shone directly onto the carriage, and Rong Feiyan’s fingers, briefly exposed to the light after lifting the curtain, grew warm.

Along the road, many pedestrians caught fleeting glimpses of Rong Feiyan inside the carriage, and in that instant, some thought they had seen a fairy.

The onlookers’ gazes followed the carriage as it drove away, leaving only a quiet ache in their hearts.

Xi Bu and Ning Xiang, seated on either side of the carriage, were momentarily dazzled by their lady’s smiling beauty.

Ning Xiang shook her head slightly, then turned to part the curtain and peer outside.

After a moment, Ning Xiang said: “Sister Xi Bu, look—that young lady full of curiosity, glancing everywhere—clearly just arrived in the capital.”

“Ning Xiang, you’ve become quite good at reading people!”

“Hehe, after living in the capital so long, I can tell at a glance—only newcomers would find this so fascinating. Isn’t that right, Lady?”

Looking at their lady, who smiled faintly and gazed absentmindedly out the window, Ning Xiang added: “Lady?!”

“Mm?”

Rong Feiyan snapped back to awareness, fixing her maid with a look that said, “You’d better have a good reason.”

Seeing her lady’s clearly displeased expression, Ning Xiang smiled awkwardly and said: “Lady, look outside.”

During their exchange, the carriage had already passed the “foreign young lady” Ning Xiang had pointed out.

With no one left to refer to, Ning Xiang’s embarrassment deepened. She muttered helplessly: “Lady, we’ve passed her.”

Xi Bu, seated across from her, stepped in to ease the tension: “Lady, now that Her Imperial Highness has borne a prince, I suspect that starting tomorrow, the number of invitations sent to our household will increase greatly!”

Ning Xiang, relieved, nodded vigorously.

“Invitations?” Rong Feiyan asked, puzzled.

“Yes! Lady, the capital is full of distinguished young men—”

Rong Feiyan shook her head, her gaze firm: “No matter how many invitations come, I’ll choose which ones to accept.”

With that, she turned back to gazing outside.

Xi Bu whispered softly: “Lady, forgive me for speaking plainly—you’ve been taught by Her Imperial Highness and always act with prudence, but Lady Hou and the eldest miss may not be so careful.”

Rong Feiyan froze, turning to Xi Bu uncertainly: “You mean—”

Xi Bu nodded: “Yes. Who knows which family might try to slip a concubine to Lord Hou or a maid to Second Young Master, scheming to ally with our household? And you, Lady—”

Rong Feiyan fell silent for a moment, then said: “Xi Bu, you’re right—I ought to warn—”

She paused, then shook her head: “I must wait for my sister. When she wakes, one word from her means more than a hundred from me!”

The Imperial Consort had taken her morning medicine and exhausted herself the entire day; by the time the Rong family left the palace, she had already fallen asleep.

In the evening,

Xingguo Lane,

behind the courtyard of Duke Prefecture.

“Young Master has arrived!”

A maid’s voice announced from outside.

Inside, the Duke and his lady turned toward the door.

Moments later,

Qi Heng entered with a smile, bowing: “Father, Mother.”

“Yuanruo is back,” the Duke chuckled, stroking his beard.

Princess Pingning waved her round fan and nodded: “Heng’er, come sit.”

Qi Heng sat down, smiling at Princess Pingning: “Mother, was the news you sent to the Sheng family this afternoon true?”

Princess Pingning smiled, frowning slightly: “Heng’er, could such a thing be false?”

Qi Heng smiled sheepishly: “His Majesty has gained another prince—our dynasty’s foundation grows even firmer! I imagine His Majesty is overjoyed.”

Princess Pingning laughed: “Naturally. Now His Majesty has another bloodline! The Rong family is no longer what it once was!”

The Duke nodded: “Exactly! Earlier, some in the capital mocked the Rong family as mere commoners with shallow roots—but now, with a prince born, everything changes!”

Qi Heng said, somewhat confused: “Father, Mother, are you overreacting? The Rong family has always been a marquisate.”

Princess Pingning waved her fan a few times, smiling at her innocent, handsome son: “Heng’er, don’t judge only by what’s before your eyes—think long-term. Tell me: if Imperial Consort Rong had only Princess Yu as her child, would the Rong family still be granted an audience ten years from now?”

Qi Heng understood she meant after the prince ascended the throne. He thought a moment, then said: “Mother, it would be far harder—Rong family has no outstanding young men.”

“And what about even later?” Princess Pingning asked.

“It might become harder still—eventually, even the families of Princess Yu’s future imperial sons-in-law would be closer to the throne than the Rongs.”

“And if Imperial Consort Rong has this prince?”

Qi Heng nodded: “Then the Rong family will remain imperial kin, with even more opportunities for audience than now.”

Princess Pingning waved her fan: “At His Majesty’s age, for Imperial Consort Rong to conceive and bear a prince—it must be Heaven’s will!”

The Duke agreed: “If no other palace concubines conceive again, this prince will be the Crown Prince’s only younger brother.”

Princess Pingning smiled, her gaze distant: “I only wonder whether the Rong family can restrain itself.”

“Restrict itself? Mother, you mean that with this situation, many will flock to the Rong family’s door—and they must refuse too many, or risk the Empress’s suspicion?”

“Heng’er, you’ve truly grown up,” Princess Pingning praised.

“Soon, someone will surely send beauties or noble concubines to Lord Hou and his son—accidents will happen, and the Rong family will stumble,” the Duke said.

Qi Heng nodded, his eyes flickering: “Father, Mother, if that’s so, then Miss Rong Feiyan’s status will rise too—many noble houses will come seeking her hand!”

Princess Pingning smiled: “Yuanruo, you’ve misunderstood this entirely.”

Seeing Qi Heng about to speak, she waved her hand with a smile: “You’ll understand later.”

“By the way, since His Majesty has gained an imperial heir, our household must celebrate too. Heng’er, go and set off some fireworks with Buwei.”

Qi Heng, about to speak but holding back, bowed: “Yes, Mother.”

Night had fallen,

within the inner city,

near Lijing Gate,

the crackle and boom of fireworks echoed intermittently.

In a narrow alley,

“Whoa!”

“Tat-tat…”

The sound of hooves striking stone slabs echoed.

Two riders reined in before a grand gate, where two lanterns hung, inscribed with the characters “Shoushan Bo Huang.”

The gatekeeper hurried over, took the reins, and smiled: “Young Master, you’re back.”

“Mm.”

The rider dismounted with swift motions and stepped forward, accompanied by his personal guards.

They passed through corridors and gates.

Amid the maid’s announcement, Huang Qingyue bowed his head and stepped through the curtain into the main chamber.

After greeting his family, Huang Qingyue walked to a nearby maid and washed his face and hands.

By the bright candlelight, after wiping his face with a towel, Huang Qingyue glanced at the Shoushan Bo’s Lady standing beside the table, wiping his hands as he smiled: “Mother, I’ve never seen you wear this dress before—it looks truly beautiful.”

The Shoushan Bo’s Lady glanced at Gu Tingyi beside her and smiled: “Yi’er took my measurements to make it. The fabric is fine, the stitching even finer—how could it not look good?”

Saying this, the Shoushan Bo’s Lady extended her hand: “Everyone, sit.”

After seating, the Shoushan Bo’s Lady feigned reproach: “I’ve raised you all these years, and you’ve never even seen good fabric.”

“Exactly! Mother’s wasted her affection on you,” Mengjie added, smoothing her own dress.

“Oh? Sister’s changed into new clothes too?” Huang Qingyue laughed.

Mengjie was about to boast, but Huang Qingyue continued: “Without a close look, you’d never notice—wearing it on you is such a waste.”

“Brother, what do you mean?” Mengjie frowned.

“How can you speak like that?” Gu Tingyi, beside her, defended her. “You shouldn’t talk to your sister that way!”

The Shoushan Bo, seated beside Lady Yuan, looked at his son helplessly: “Da Lang, why are you staring at me? What can I say?”

Seeing this, Huang Qingyue pressed his lips and bowed: “Sister, I’m wrong—I shouldn’t have spoken like that.”

“Hmph! At least Sister-in-law is kind,” Mengjie said, then smiled at Gu Tingyi.

Amid the light atmosphere, the Huang family dined.

Mengjie was led away by the Shoushan Bo and his Lady; the newlywed Huang Qingyue and his wife linked arms and walked toward their courtyard.

They entered the room and lit the candles.

Huang Qingyue stared at the new clothes laid on the tray and grinned.

He dismissed the maids, then took the garments himself: “Official, try them on—see if they fit.”

“Alright.”

“The Rong Consort has given birth to a prince—have you heard?”

“Mm. I received the good news this afternoon.”

“Sigh,” Huang Qingyue sighed.

“Official, what’s wrong?” Gu Tingyi asked with a smile.

Huang Qingyue spread his arms: “I’ve always heard Jingge and the Prince are close, but I never imagined it was this close.”

Gu Tingyi smiled: “Why do you say that?”

Huang Qingyue, still awed, shook his head: “Today, a comrade told me that before visiting the Rong Consort, Jingge and the Prince wrestled a few times.”

Gu Tingyi, tying his belt, froze: “Wrestled? With the Prince?”

“Mm. Jingge even threw the Prince down.”

“Good heavens!” Gu Tingyi exclaimed, then finished tying the belt.

Stepping back, Gu Tingyi scanned the official in his new clothes and nodded with a smile: “Jingge has been summoned to the palace since childhood by the Empress—of course he’s familiar with the Prince.”

Huang Qingyue shook his sleeves, in good spirits: “Familiar, yes—but for the Prince and Jingge to wrestle like that? That’s another matter entirely.”

Stretching his arms, Huang Qingyue said: “Mother’s right—your stitching is excellent.”

Gu Tingyi smiled.

Seeing Huang Qingyue’s smile fade as if lost in thought, Gu Tingyi asked: “Official, what’s wrong?”

Huang Qingyue shook his head: “Nothing. I just thought of Cousin Yuan Wenshao—if not for Aunt and Elder Cousin’s wife stirring trouble, the Bo Jue Mansion would still be what it was.”

“Official, your troops are mostly cavalry—have you never considered transferring Yuan family relatives here? Though Mother often smiles, I can tell she still misses Uncle.”

“Wife, I’ve already suggested this to Uncle—he won’t come.”

Gu Tingyi frowned: “Why not?”

Huang Qingyue sighed: “Uncle says that after the Yuan family’s downfall, Xu Hou extended a hand, disregarding past grievances, securing his future and recommending his merits—he cannot forget that debt.”

Seeing Gu Tingyi’s confusion, Huang Qingyue smiled: “Wife, you’re still too naive. Back then, the Yuan family’s reputation was ruined, and even after Uncle earned merit, the Emperor harshly reprimanded him. Even if Xu Hou or his officers gave the credit to someone close, Uncle couldn’t object.”

Gu Tingyi nodded: “I understand. So the Yuan family can only remain in the mud. I’ve seen the gift ledger—Uncle’s wedding gift was substantial.”

Huang Qingyue smiled: “Wife, six out of ten horses traded from the Mongols to our realm pass through Uncle’s inspection—he can spot any hidden ailment at a glance.”

“Oh! That’s why!” Gu Tingyi’s expression cleared. She stepped forward: “Enough talk—change clothes.”

“By the way, wife—I heard from my page that Jingge’s retainer Gao Yun has a set of twin siblings, boy and girl?”

Seeing Gu Tingyi blush and lower her head, Huang Qingyue hurriedly said: “No, wife—I meant, since the Prince and Jingge are close, could it be because of this? Where did your mind go?”

Hearing this, Gu Tingyi froze, shoved Huang Qingyue lightly, and clutched the clothes with distaste: “The sleeve’s a bit off—I’ll go fix it for you.”

“It fits fine! It’s so late—”

“Official, go to sleep,” Gu Tingyi said without turning.

Watching Gu Tingyi’s retreating back, Huang Qingyue scratched his head, baffled.

(End of Chapter)