Chapter 110

Chapter 110: Princess Royal of Anyang

The coachman of Song Manor pulled hard on the reins and stopped the carriage at once. Inside, Chun Zhi and Song Wan’er were jolted badly, and the maids fell against one another.

Chun Zhi quickly reached out to help Qing Ye and the others up, then asked in a low voice: “Are you all right?”

Qing Ye sat up and answered: “It was just a shake. Luckily I didn’t hit anything.”

Song Wan’er lifted the curtain to look outside, then said with a frown: “Who was that?” She saw a carriage pulled crosswise in front of them. Four maids stepped down from it; two set out footstools, and two lifted the curtain.

A richly dressed middle?aged woman and a young noble lady stepped down one after the other and, without looking around, walked straight toward the Princess Royal Manor.

Seeing the crest of the Wang Clan hanging on that carriage, Song Wan’er leaned back to ask Chun Zhi: “Sister, could that be Empress Wang’s family?”

Chun Zhi looked out the window and at once spotted Sixth Miss Wang, Wang Yi Yue, then said: “It really is.”

There were many carriages behind them. The Wang Clan’s carriage had suddenly sped up, cut in, and stopped crosswise at the gate of the Princess Royal Manor, as if they were the grandest ladies present and everyone else was only here to accompany them.

“Court Lady Cao, why are you greeting guests in person today?” Madam Wang stepped up to exchange pleasantries with Court Lady Cao at the gate. Thinking the greeting was for her and her daughter, she spoke with an easy smile.

This Court Lady Cao was the most capable person at the side of the Princess Royal of Anyang. There were very few she would personally come out to welcome, which showed how much the Princess Royal valued those guests.

“Madam Wang and Sixth Miss Wang, welcome. Please, come in,” Court Lady Cao said with a smile, then called a young maid to guide them.

She did not linger to chat with the Wang mother and daughter. She stayed at the entrance as if still waiting for someone.

Seeing this, Madam Wang felt a little displeased.

At banquets across the Capital, she and her daughter, as the wife of the Grand Preceptor and his legitimate daughter, were always among the most important guests. Yet today the Princess Royal of Anyang treated them like ordinary visitors. She wondered who was being regarded as the most important guest.

Madam Wang and Wang Yi Yue slowed their steps on purpose, wanting to see exactly whom Court Lady Cao was waiting for.

The Wang coachman drove their carriage off to the side. Just as the Song Manor coachman was about to pull forward, another carriage arrived and stopped at the gate of the Princess Royal Manor.

This time Ji Ru Zhen and Lu Jing Yun stepped down.

She was the Chancellor’s daughter, and he was the Top Scholar of this year’s examinations. They were both well known in the Capital. After greeting Court Lady Cao, they also headed inside.

Again Court Lady Cao only ordered a maid to guide them, while she herself remained waiting at the gate.

Still holding the curtain, Song Wan’er glimpsed Lu Jing Yun and could not help muttering: “What bad luck.” She whispered: “Why do we run into him again today?”

They said the Capital was big. [Not really,] Song Wan’er thought, [or why do I keep seeing the very person I don’t want to see?]

Chun Zhi said softly: “All right, Wan’er, put down the curtain.”

She had planned to wait and let the carriages behind move up first, so she could get down only after the Wang mother and daughter and the Lu couple had gone in. But the carriages behind kept to their places in neat order.

After being cut off twice, Chun Zhi felt the ones behind were a little too strict about first?come, first?served.

The Wang mother and daughter and the Ji couple all slowed down, curious about who Court Lady Cao was waiting for.

With no other carriage pulling up, the Song Manor coachman drove forward and stopped right in the center of the gate of the Princess Royal Manor.

Qing Ye got down and set the footstool. Jin Yi and Luo Shang lifted the curtain from left and right.

Song Wan’er stepped out first, went down to the ground, then turned back and reached up to help Chun Zhi: “Sister.”

With the Song Clan crest hanging from the carriage, the moment Song Wan’er stepped down, everyone’s gaze gathered on them.

Meeting those gazes, Chun Zhi stepped out and slowly descended from the carriage.

Someone whispered: “So this is the one who is already settled to be the Princess Consort of Chang’an!”

Another sighed: “She is truly beautiful. No wonder Prince Chang’an fell for her!”

A third murmured: “Though she is a merchant’s daughter, there’s nothing gaudy about her. That is rare.”

Chun Zhi acted as if she did not hear a word. Holding Song Wan’er’s hand, she walked up to Court Lady Cao and dipped her head in greeting.

“Greetings to the two Miss Song,” Court Lady Cao said with a warm smile as soon as she saw Chun Zhi. “The Eldest Princess ordered me to wait here for you. Please, come with me.”

Earlier, when the Wang mother and daughter and the Ji couple arrived, Court Lady Cao had only sent maids to guide them. Only for the Song sisters did she personally lead the way, which made it clear that these two were the honored guests she had been waiting for.

The Wang mother and daughter and the Ji couple could only watch as Court Lady Cao led Chun Zhi and Song Wan’er right past them.

“Chun Zhi…” Lu Jing Yun tried to step forward to speak with her, but Ji Ru Zhen grabbed his arm.

Ever since he learned Chun Zhi had jumped into the river, Lu Jing Yun often seemed absent?minded. Lately he kept sending calling cards to Song Manor and even went there in person. Ji Ru Zhen, after finding out, had quarreled with him many times.

In the past Ji Ru Zhen had attended banquets alone. Lu Jing Yun never went with her. Today he had volunteered to accompany her, and she had thought he had changed.

Only when she saw Chun Zhi did Ji Ru Zhen realize he had come because he wanted to see her.

Furious, Ji Ru Zhen dug her fingers into Lu Jing Yun’s arm. He only stared after Chun Zhi as she walked away, as if he could not feel the pain.

A few steps away, the Wang mother and daughter watched Court Lady Cao lead the Song sisters past. Madam Wang, so angry her nose seemed crooked, said to Wang Yi Yue: “That Miss of the Song family is only a bit more neat?looking than others. She is hardly stunning. Why must Prince Chang’an insist on her?”

“Mother!” Wang Yi Yue protested, but her heart ached even more. [What do I lack compared to this Song Chun Zhi? Why does Cousin see only her and not spare me even one look?]

By now more than half the guests had arrived. Many had come for the future Princess Consort of Chang’an. Seeing Court Lady Cao personally guide the two young ladies, everyone more or less guessed the truth.

The Princess Royal Manor was vast. There were rockeries, gardens, pavilions, and waterside halls everywhere. Most unusual of all, the estate even had a small lake.

Court Lady Cao led Chun Zhi and Song Wan’er through layered corridors, under archways, and over a bridge until they reached the lakeside.

The peerless Princess Royal of Anyang reclined on a beauty couch. She lifted a pale hand and scattered a handful of fish food.

Hundreds of bright koi rushed over to feed, swimming toward the Princess Royal of Anyang. Beauty and scene together, the richness seemed limitless.

Chun Zhi and Song Wan’er stared, stunned for a moment.

Bringing them forward, Court Lady Cao said: “Eldest Princess, the two Miss Song have arrived.”

Chun Zhi and Song Wan’er came back to themselves and saluted together: “Commoner Chun Zhi and commoner Song Wan’er pay respects to the Princess Royal of Anyang.”