My Cold-Hearted Wife Chapter 66

After the banquet ended, each member of the Wang family had their own business to attend to.

The four daughters-in-law had to clean up the aftermath, watching the maids gather the items and ordering people to tidy the pavilions. The young ladies, however, had already returned to their quarters early to rest – except for Wang Yongxu.

She had been summoned by Minister Wang to the study for a talk, mainly to clarify the incident at the water pavilion that day.

Wang Yongxu had a good memory and remembered everything clearly. “Xu Yi-niang was talking with Commandery Princess Jianing. Sister Cheng was the first to notice something was wrong… the dog bit the palace maid first, I didn’t see clearly, the ground was covered in blood… Xu Yi-niang told people to close the windows, and the commandery princess immediately called for help, saying not to worry about the dog, only to save people…”

Minister Wang listened quite attentively.

When she finished, he said thoughtfully, “What’s the name of that little friend of yours?”

“Cheng Dan-niang,” Wang Yongxu said. “She was also the one who administered acupuncture for me today.”

“Oh? Just now, after such a fright, she could still treat you?” Minister Wang asked with interest. “You must have mistaken the person.”

Wang Yongxu said, “How could I? Young Master Xie’s arrow pinned her skirt, and she even fell down.”

“Is that so.” Minister Wang mused. “I’ve heard that the Xu girl handled things properly. At such a young age, she’s already quite composed and experienced.”

Wang Yongxu blushed a little. She was the host today, and when the incident first happened, she had also been in a panic. It was Xu Yi-niang who first came up with the idea of closing the windows and driving off the dog, and who comforted the young ladies who were frightened to tears.

But she refused to praise her sworn enemy, saying, “It was still thanks to Sister Cheng. If she hadn’t thought of a way to lure the dog away, none of us could have escaped.”

Minister Wang smiled but did not pick up the thread. He tapped the table. “Alright, you go back now. Send your father in.”

Wang Yongxu took her leave and called for the Fourth Master Wang to enter.

Fourth Master Wang, a man in his thirties, was as obedient as a grandson before his old father. “Father.”

Minister Wang mused. “Regarding Wu-lang’s marriage, have you and your wife given it any thought?”

“Not yet.” Fourth Master Wang said honestly. “This child is a bit careless. He’s only just passed the xiucai examination. He’ll need to at least become a juren before we can discuss a match with anyone.”

“Juren – you’re a juren too, and what good has it done you?” Minister Wang sighed.

Dragon begets nine sons, each different from the others. He came from a jinshi background, a top figure in literary circles, yet his four sons were not all equally promising. Fourth Master Wang, after passing the provincial examination, made no further progress, and of the whole family, only Second Master Wang held office away from the capital.

Fortunately, there were many grandsons, and several of them were good at studying, so there was no fear of the line dying out.

“Wu-lang is pure and kind by nature. Being rough and careless is hardly a flaw – just find him a good wife and that’s that.” Minister Wang pondered. “The difficulty for your household is San-niang. Her illness makes it hard to arrange a marriage for her. I know this well. Our family can afford to keep a daughter. I’m telling you, you are not to rashly arrange a match for her.”

Fourth Master Wang hurriedly said, “What you say is exactly what I think. Marrying San-niang out would be doing her an injustice. Better not to marry at all. Her two brothers are close to her, so she’ll always have a place at the table.”

“That’s good then.” Minister Wang said. “I have a match in mind. If it can be arranged, it would be a fine union.”

Fourth Master Wang immediately said, “If you say it’s good, then it must be good. We’ll all follow your lead.”

Minister Wang smiled with satisfaction.

Xiefang Palace.

Commandery Princess Jianing sat on the kang in the side hall, leaning against a soft pillow, with a stern old palace maid seated below her.

“I was schemed against.” Commandery Princess Jianing clenched her teeth, her beautiful face full of resentment. “All that effort wasted at the final step.”

The old palace maid said, “Fortunately, no great disaster came of it. Thank heavens!”

Commandery Princess Jianing relaxed slightly, and a smile could not help but appear on her face. “I never expected Young Master Xie’s archery to be so good. Thanks to him.”

The old palace maid had cared for the princess for many years and was no different from a wet nurse. Seeing the smile in her eyes, she could not help saying, “When you came, you were still somewhat hesitant. Now, are you willing?”

Commandery Princess Jianing blushed slightly but said generously, “I originally thought it was an exaggeration. How could there be such a beauty in the world? But seeing him today, his reputation is well deserved.”

She was, after all, somewhat shy. She paused, then asked inquiringly, “Now even if I didn’t want to borrow his strength, I couldn’t. But can the Marquis of Jinghai household truly align itself with our household?”

“The Marquis of Jinghai house and our household have always been close,” the old palace maid said. “If you ask me, the Marquis household has already gambled correctly once – why not gamble again? Besides, this is a matter that benefits both sides. Xie San-lang is neither the legitimate son nor the eldest. With the prince’s household backing him, there’s no telling what he might achieve within his family in the future.”

Commandery Princess Jianing nodded. “Winning over Marquis of Jinghai would indeed be a great boost, but this marriage will likely not be easy to arrange.”

The old palace maid glanced toward the main hall.

Master and servant exchanged a look, both knowing the old matter concerning Princess Rong’an.

For Prince Qi’s household to form a marriage alliance with Marquis of Jinghai, the biggest obstacle was likely not the Marquis and his wife, but the princess who had once ruined a marriage arrangement.

After all, she was the emperor’s own daughter, Empress Xie’s only bloodline.

“Troublesome.” Commandery Princess Jianing pressed her temples. “We cannot let Rong’an bear a grudge. What’s the best way to handle this?”

She was Prince Qi’s most beloved daughter, raised as a boy since childhood. Compared to her other sisters confined to the inner quarters, she was more responsible and more decisive, which was why Prince Qi had sent her alone to the capital.

However, this also made her somewhat less adept at matters of the inner quarters, and for a moment she was at a loss.

The old palace maid was there to make up for her shortcomings. “Your Highness, this matter is not difficult.”

“Oh?”

“The Xu girl came first. No matter who is next, Princess Rong’an will inevitably feel jealous and resentful. But there is one person she will never hate.” The old palace maid smiled with certainty.

Commandery Princess Jianing scolded playfully, “You old thing, still keeping me in suspense? Speak quickly.”

The old palace maid said, “Your Highness, a woman will never hate a man she loves. Only if Young Master Xie himself proposes this marriage will Princess Rong’an be powerless to do anything.”

Those words woke the dreamer from her dream. Commandery Princess Jianing laughed in sudden understanding. “You’re right. That makes it easy then.”

The old palace maid flattered her. “With Your Highness’s beauty and talent, as long as Young Master Xie is not made of wood, he will surely be yours for the taking.”

Commandery Princess Jianing picked up her teacup and did not reply, but a plan was already taking shape in her mind. “Prepare a generous gift. In a few days, I will deliver it to the Marquis Residence myself.”

To win over a man, one must first win over his mother.

The moon was bright and the stars were sparse.

Cheng Danruo sat alone within the bed curtains, hugging the blanket.

She could not sleep. When she closed her eyes, the scenes she had deliberately tried to forget during the day lingered in her mind, refusing to leave.

At the time, she had mustered a reckless courage, thinking that if she died, she died -living had no joy in it anyway. But now that she had truly survived, she could not help but feel the fear in hindsight.

That was rabies, after all.

With any other illness or injury, there might still be a chance to save the patient. But once infected with the rabies virus, one might as well write one’s last will and testament immediately.

Yet she could not show it.

Yan Hongzhi seemed to appreciate her composure and her rationality. It was best, then, that she not behave like a little girl, crying and seeking comfort.

Besides… there was nothing that could comfort her anyway.

The only one who could protect her was herself. Cheng Danruo hugged her knees and slowly closed her eyes.

Her original dagger had already grown dull. She had best find a way to get another one. She could not ask her adoptive father – the still was already something obtained for free, and she could not keep taking advantage of the old man.

Where could she buy a better knife?

Shuanglu Court.

Xie Xuanying was fiddling with his collection of daggers.

In a military family, no matter how few brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones there might be, there would never be a shortage of bows, arrows, and horses. Daggers served as both weapons and ornaments, and a casual search would turn up several.

But these were not all suitable as gifts.

Yes, gifts. Clearly, when he had returned, he had still been annoyed that she refused the plum blossoms, yet now, on a whim, he was pondering what to give that might suit her fancy.

Hairpins, bracelets, and embroidered pouches were completely out of the question -too obvious. He would have to wait until after he had made his feelings known. When would he make his feelings known? At the very least, he first had to resolve the matter at hand, gain a period of respite, and then explain everything to his teacher… In short, it was still too early.

Xie Xuanying was most vexed by this. He cut off the thought and returned to the matter of the gift.

Brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones? His teacher’s household certainly had no shortage of these, and even if he circumvented his teacher’s notice, she would not accept them.

But a dagger… That was not a gift for a girl. Yet Xie Xuanying somehow felt that Cheng Danruo might want it.

She did not only love needlework. The dagger she had used when they encountered the pirates earlier had been kept close to her body – she probably loved blades as well.

This one with green-white jade and dragon patterns would not do – it was a reward from His Majesty. This one inlaid with gold and jewels would not do either – also from His Majesty. This one with cloisonné enamel was from his own family, but it could cut through iron like mud, and if it injured her hand, that would be no good.

After picking and choosing, rummaging and looking through them, he finally selected a lady’s dagger.

It was bronze, with a narrow blade only two fingers wide, yet tough and sharp. It had been given to him by the Commander of the Southern Office for Judicial Affairs. He had chosen it for its delicacy and lightness – it would not seem out of place as a gift for a woman.

He weighed it in his hand and was quite satisfied.

The next question, then, was this: How could he give it in a way that seemed reasonable, so that she would be willing to accept it?

He thought all night and found no answer.

The next day, he rose early and went to work.

The duty of the palace guards was to protect the safety of the imperial city. They rotated through a major shift every ten days, a minor shift every three days, and there were also daily rotations of six shifts on two wings.

As one of the principal officers, Xie Xuanying, in addition to his regular duties, also had to stand watch every month, three days at a time.

During his watch, he needed to spot-check the various posts throughout the palace city several times a day – whether anyone had left their post without permission, whether anyone was dozing off, and whether the palace prohibitions were strictly enforced.

At night, he had to lead men on three patrols to ensure the safety of the palace city. If there was any emergency and someone inside needed to go out, the tally must be checked and verified. Only after confirmation was correct could he approve the opening of the gate, and the next day he would report the matter to the emperor.

Beyond these regular duties, Xie Xuanying also had to be ready at all times to be summoned by the emperor.

Sometimes it was for official matters – for instance, when the emperor wished to take a stroll somewhere and wanted him to attend. Sometimes it was purely out of boredom – if the emperor saw a beautiful flower, acquired a new painting, or received some tribute item, he would call him over to share in the amusement.

Do not underestimate this job.

By controlling the palace gates, one knew whom the emperor had summoned. By attending the sovereign’s side, one could constantly sense the emperor’s mood. Not to mention that when tribute items arrived, if the emperor was pleased, he might reward one with something – all extra income.

When parents are alive, one does not divide the family property.

Xie Xuanying’s private savings were basically all given by the emperor… Ahem. In any case, it was a good post.

He carried out his duties with all his heart and strength.

The morning was uneventful. After lunch, the summons came.

The emperor asked about the plum-viewing gathering, and he answered truthfully.

“A mad dog.” The emperor repeated with interest. “Do you believe it?”

Xie Xuanying replied, “The dog was indeed mad. I saw it with my own eyes.”

The emperor asked, “What are you playing dumb for?”

Xie Xuanying said helplessly, “Your Majesty, dogs don’t pretend to be mad.”

The emperor gave him a roll of his eyes and changed the subject. “Since you subdued the mad dog, did Jianing thank you properly?”

“The Minister of Rites gave me plum blossoms, and I left.” Sensing the emperor’s casual, chatty mood, Xie Xuanying appropriately changed how he referred to himself.

The emperor asked, “You ran off that fast?”

Xie Xuanying: “…”

The emperor was in excellent spirits. He pulled him into a game of chess, won very happily, and rewarded him with a plate of pastries.

Xie Xuanying took the pastries back to the duty room and shared them with others.

There were quite a few colleagues on duty in the palace city – for example, the ministers on daily duty, the key keeper in charge of the keys, the officers responsible for patrols, and so on.

Everyone was long accustomed to Xie Xuanying’s imperial favor and considered it entirely reasonable. “Young Master Xie is back.”

“Thank you all for your hard work.” Xie Xuanying distributed the pastries to his colleagues and reaped a chorus of praise for being “beautiful and kind-hearted.”

Another dull and uneventful day passed.

Over the next two days, he stood watch in the palace, occasionally chatting with others and piecing together the aftermath of the plum-viewing gathering.

Commandery Princess Jianing had sent people with gifts to Minister Wang’s residence and also to his home. She had also punished the palace maid Cai Huan for negligence. However, less than two days after Cai Huan was punished with kneeling, she fell ill and died.

Commandery Prince Feng had made no move whatsoever. All was calm and peaceful.

Three days passed, and he finished his watch and returned home.

On the road, Wang Wu-lang stopped him and asked, “Young Master Xie, do you know that Miss Cheng from Master Zizhen’s household – what is her temperament like? Is she a virtuous sort?”

Xie Xuanying halted his steps and turned his head to look at him. “What did you say?”