Chapter 100

Chapter 100: An Invitation from the Second Prince’s Consort

Tao Yi Ran had been certain that Xin An would be terribly ill at ease today; no matter how glib her tongue, it could not change the fact that she was a salt seller’s daughter. A low-born merchant girl barging into a grand occasion like the Water Blossom Banquet would draw plenty of stares. Who could have guessed she actually knew the Heir Apparent Consort of Prince Cheng’s household.

The Commandery Prince’s estate and a marquisate were worlds apart. A marquisate rested on the Old Master’s military merit, but Prince Cheng’s estate belonged to the imperial clan; they were not to be mentioned in the same breath.

After Xin An exchanged a few words with Li Yu Yan, the two of them laughed softly. A breeze set the lotus leaves swaying, and the onlookers all turned to admire the pool of blossoms. Someone, seeing Xin An apparently currying favor with Li Yu Yan and feeling unwilling to accept it, stepped forward with a smile to provoke her: “I have heard the Huai River region is wealthy, Second Young Madam; could you tell us whether the lotuses there are as splendid as those in the capital?”

Lifting her eyes, Xin An found the speaker unfamiliar. Ordinarily Tao Yi Ran should have made the introduction, but Tao Yi Ran was feigning deafness and dumbness to avoid the Second Prince’s Consort, so Li Yu Yan took the initiative: “This is the young lady of Lord Zhang’s household, Lord Zhang being Prefect of the Capital Region; Younger Sister Xin may address her as Second Miss Zhang.”

Xin An offered thanks and, thinking to herself, [Did her mother just lose face to the Tang family? As the daughter, she must think I am easy to bully and has come over to claw back some pride,] smiled at Second Miss Zhang as she replied: “In the Huai River region, lotus is mostly cultivated for the sake of lotus root. The leaves spread like tiers of green to the horizon, with many leaves and few blossoms. The flowers vary in form, most commonly white and pink. Lotus roots beneath white blossoms are crisp and lightly sweet; those beneath pink blossoms are fragrant, sweet, and tenderly glutinous.”

She added with a candid grace: “I do not know much about the capital’s lotuses, but this lotus pond before us must be the peerless hue of summer in the eyes of scholars. This sweep of blue-green alone is enough; just that one stalk of Caiyunfei looks as lovely as rosy cloud, like a fairy, making it hard to look away.”

She concluded without arrogance: “The lotuses in both places are beautiful, but their uses differ, so it is hard to judge which is superior.”

Second Miss Zhang had not expected a merchant girl from out of town to shut her down so neatly. Her expression soured, but her mother, quick on the uptake, smoothed over the awkwardness with a few words, and the girl withdrew in chagrin.

Xin An still wore a faint smile, yet she sighed inwardly: [Yes, I am from the Huai River and I am a merchant’s daughter, but that does not mean I am some mud-footed bumpkin who has never seen the world. On the contrary, the more money one has, the more one sees. Not being qualified to use something does not mean one is not qualified to behold it. Why do they all imagine I am easy to squeeze?] [Little brat!!!]

Li Yu Yan gave her a smile, then moved to the Second Prince’s side to speak with him; after all, they were family, both members of the imperial clan.

The later the guests arrived, the higher their rank. Xin An did not leave; she stood behind Madam Wang, quietly putting names to faces. Unless she was addressed directly, she absolutely would not speak. She appeared obedient and well-behaved, and since Second Miss Zhang’s little trap had failed, people were less inclined to look down on her, or at least not quite so much.

When the guests were mostly assembled, Yan Wen Hui invited her to stroll the grounds, saying with a smile: “The grounds of Duke En’s estate are the finest in the capital; whether or not you can name the blossoms, they are all here. It is called the Hundred Flowers Garden.”

Feigning astonishment, Xin An answered with a laugh: “In that case I must take a look, since I may not return until next year’s Water Blossom Banquet.”

Guiding her past views and vistas, Yan Wen Hui chatted as they walked, introducing a new acquaintance or two from time to time. Xin An felt grateful and mustered all her energy to converse with these people; she had to make others feel that Yan Wen Hui’s eye was keen and that she herself was not someone who knew nothing.

Before long Lin Yao, Han Wan’er, and the others gathered as well. With them by her side, no one came forward to mock Xin An, and her outing went much more smoothly.

She had thought she would simply wait for the meal to begin, eat, watch a bit of opera, and return home in peace. Instead, a palace-robed maid came in quick light steps, bowed, and said: “Second Young Madam, my lady the Second Prince’s Consort invites you.”

Xin An was a little surprised. In her previous life, when she attended the Water Blossom Banquet, there had been no such thing. That time she had been mocked from start to finish; how could she have seen the Second Prince’s Consort?

Yan Wen Hui asked what the matter was, but the maid only replied with delicate reserve: “Second Young Madam will know once she goes.”

Since it was the Second Prince’s Consort who had issued the invitation, Xin An answered without fuss: “Since the Second Prince’s Consort invites me, of course I should go.”

She told her friends she would come find them later. Lin Yao reminded them they would be talking in the pavilion by the rockery and told her to head there directly afterward.

The palace-robed maid led the way, Xin An following behind, which drew several measuring glances. After a winding route with many turns, they reached another waterside pavilion. Nan Feng and Qing Yang felt their eyes were not enough; they were afraid they would not remember the path back.

“Please wait a moment, Second Young Madam,” the maid said as she went in to announce her. A short while later she returned to invite Xin An inside. The waterside pavilion held not only the Second Prince’s Consort but also another lady who bore some five parts resemblance to her. Xin An stepped forward to curtsy and introduced herself with precise courtesy: “Lady Xin of the Marquis Wei Yuan estate greets the Second Prince’s Consort and greets Madam Xu.”

Madam Xu, the Second Prince’s Consort’s birth mother, had a brisk air about her and waved her down amiably: “Second Young Madam, there is no need for formality; please sit.”

No sooner had they sat than the Second Prince’s Consort asked directly, without ornament: “Were you not originally promised as the Heir Apparent’s wife of the Marquis Wei Yuan estate? How is it that you became the Second Young Madam instead?”

Understanding at once, Xin An answered with a shallow smile: “It was a match ordained by fate.”

“Do not try to trick me with that,” the consort retorted with a hard brow and a face that said she was not easy to placate, then demanded, “Speak honestly.”

After a brief silence, Xin An let a wry smile show and conceded as much as she would: “It was nothing but the result of helpless circumstances, though calling it a fated match is not entirely wrong.”

“I heard Tang Rong went to the wrong bridal chamber,” the consort pressed, “and once he went in, he never came out?”

Xin An inclined her head: “It is all in the past. Fortunately, Second Young Master is a rare good man, so I did not come off the worse for it.”

The Second Prince’s Consort lifted her eyes in a look that all but said, You are a coward. Madam Xu chuckled and eased the tone: “As the old saying goes, men fear the wrong trade and women fear the wrong husband. Second Young Master Tang is handsome and open-tempered; if he and Second Young Madam can make a fine story of it, that is a happy thing.”

“It certainly will be,” Xin An replied without losing her balance.

The mother and daughter’s warmth left Xin An guessing. They were being so cordial without having met before; there had to be a purpose. Since they did not speak first, she played dumb. [Father always said that when currying favor, do not climb the pole yourself. Let the other party open the subject, and only then hesitate and make it a little difficult so they value you.]

Madam Xu glanced at the consort, then drew a pleasant smile as she said: “We invited Second Young Madam here to ask about one matter. If it is convenient, may we beg you to tell us.”

“Please ask, Madam Xu,” Xin An answered evenly.

“I have heard the Xin family trades not only in salt, but in sugar as well,” Madam Xu said.

Xin An was a little surprised. Everyone knew the Xin family sold salt and held several salterns, but few knew they also traded sugar; very likely even Tang Gang did not know. That was a new line of business her father had discovered two years ago after half a year away from home.

“Please do not misunderstand, Second Young Madam,” Madam Xu explained matter-of-factly. “Our Xu family is a house of loyal valor. In earlier years we followed the Old Marquis Tang to the Huai River. It is a fine place, so we left some men there. Through them we learned that the Xin family has sugar in hand.”