"Are you complaining that I don't know how to manage the household?"
Empress Su, upon seeing him, showed no surprise. In a gentle tone she asked, "Why didn't you announce your arrival?"
Wei Mindan was still clad in his ceremonial robes—the golden dragon motif spreading from his shoulders onto his chest—though a few creases had appeared at his cinched waist. Moreover, a thin sheen of sweat was already forming at the corners of his forehead. Most likely, he had just come from court and, having had no time to return to his quarters to change, had rushed here straight away.
"I heard, Mother, that you and Sishan had such a pleasant conversation that I didn't dare disturb you. You won't hold that against me, will you?" he said respectfully.
At this, the chief palace maid, Nishang, felt a surge of incredulity. Having served the Empress intimately for many years—and having, at the very least, encountered His Highness the Crown Prince on several dozen occasions—she knew that whenever the Empress summoned the ladies of the court, the Prince always kept his distance, as if unwilling to become involved in even the slightest way. Even Miss Yao, who had been betrothed since childhood, had to be pestered and cajoled with every conceivable excuse before he would reluctantly spend a mere fifteen minutes with her. And yet today, here she was, practically running over with eager eyes.
Taking a small step while still kneeling, Yao Sishan respectfully greeted him, "Your humble servant wishes Your Highness well." At the end of her greeting, she lifted her head and looked at him with a pitiful, coquettish expression.
Wei Mindan turned his face away for a moment, thinking to himself, This woman—last time we met she was lashing out with sarcasm, and now she's so obedient. She certainly knows how to read the wind. When he turned back, a faint smile had already appeared on his face.
He stretched out his hand as if to help her up. Yet just as his fingers were about to brush against her pristine, jade-like wrist, he suddenly paused and leaned close to her ear to whisper, "That will count as one favor you owe me."
For a moment, Yao Sishan was stunned. Does he really still keep such petty accounts? Gritting her teeth and suppressing her discontent, she replied, "If that's the case, please, Your Highness, be a good man and see it through to the end."
Wei Mindan pursed his lips and, without a word, through the thick fabric of his garment lightly squeezed the small hand hidden in her wide sleeves. At first, Yao Sishan tried to wriggle free and whispered, "Your Highness, this isn't in accordance with propriety."
He only gave her a smile that was neither entirely mocking nor entirely sincere and replied, "When you were sneaking a peek at others engaging in that sort of business, why didn't you say it was improper?"
Fine then—it appears this matter will be something you can tease about for a lifetime.
However, once the two had seated themselves, he immediately let go as if nothing had happened. Empress Su, noticing them now and then whispering into each other's ears, couldn't help but be amused.
"My son is good in every way—but he sure doesn't know how to win a lady's heart. Other men of age, while not degenerating into a harem of wives and concubines, at least have two or three chambermaids to attend to them. Yet Wei Mindan here wouldn't let even a maid set foot in his sleeping chamber; his daily life is entirely managed by his attendants. A young man with clumsy, rough hands simply cannot compare to a bedside companion who knows how to care for him."
Now that her own son had finally chosen a woman, as a mother she not only felt no inclination to heap compliments upon the new bride, but was rather inclined to tease her harshly. Empress Su fixed her expression and declared, "Yao of the Yao family, I did not summon you—and yet you dare to act on your own accord? Get on your knees properly for me!"
Without changing his calm expression, Wei Mindan raised his hand to block her, signaling that she need not say further. "Mother, what wrongdoing has Sishan committed?"
At these words, Empress Su's delicate eyebrows shot up, and a flash of anger crossed her face. "I am here to scold someone—why are you meddling?" she snapped.
"If Sishan has erred in any way, simply tell your son," he replied. Then, rising to his feet and bowing deeply, he added, "I will see to it that she is properly disciplined; you need not trouble yourself, Mother."
Who says that once you've raised a daughter she belongs to another? In her eyes, her son had effectively turned his back on the family, being utterly partial to his wife.
Empress Su pouted and, with a hint of reproach, said, "Are you worried that I might bully her?"
"I dare not, Father; I'm merely overly concerned," he replied lightly—as if it were nothing more than a passing remark.
Yao Sishan studied the contour of his profile. Wei Mindan possessed excellent bone structure—high-set brow bones, deep-set eyes, and sharply defined features. One would expect him to have an air of heroic vigor, yet his naturally red lips and white teeth rendered him exceedingly dashing. For a moment, his lips trembled ever so slightly, almost imperceptibly.
Yao Sishan couldn't help but smile. Some men, though imposing on the surface, become so nervous when uttering romantic words that their lips quiver.
After chattering on for a while, Empress Su finally relented and instructed, "Now, take some of the purple jade white snow cake I made with my own hands and bring it home to taste." In this half-reluctant manner, she had at last accepted this daughter-in-law.
After seeing them off, Empress Su exchanged knowing glances with the palace maid and said, "See? I told you so! My son is so stubborn—if I don't push him a bit, how will he ever honestly reveal his heart? He fancies that girl yet won't let her know, and then their life together will be terribly awkward!"
The other palace servants dared not retort, meekly replying, "Yes, Empress, you are most wise."
Inside, Nishang broke into a cold sweat for her mistress. Had Empress Su been even more pushy earlier, it might have provoked His Highness the Crown Prince into some outrageous act. After all, a Crown Prince who can keep a beautiful woman in his embrace without losing his composure is admirable—and if he were ever to lose his restraint, his future Crown Princess would truly be enviable.
Meanwhile, Yao Sishan had just stepped out of Fengyi Palace. The sunlight shone directly on her brows and lashes, overwhelmingly dazzling her, and she instinctively raised her hand to shield her eyes. Seeing this, Wei Mindan immediately summoned a servant and had an embroidered parasol brought. Under its cover, a cool breeze began to dissipate the heat on Yao Sishan's face. Once she felt slightly relieved, Wei Mindan resumed speaking:
"Next month, on the seventh day of the first lunar month, is Huacheng's birthday. At that time a banquet will likely be held in the palace to celebrate—and Mother has arranged for you to join in the festivities."
Upon hearing that it was the Empress's wish, Yao Sishan shivered uncontrollably and hastily declined, "No, no—I am a quiet sort; I don't care for such raucous scenes."
"Huacheng is my own younger sister, spoiled from birth and even given to a rather headstrong nature," Wei Mindan said with a smirk and a roguish glint in his eyes. "If you don't give her this courtesy, and she really gets angry, I won't be able to restrain her."
Yao Sishan's eyes shifted from confusion to clarity—and then even to apprehension. "What on earth are these people? What kind of wild beasts are they?" she thought silently.
Stunned, she fell silent for a moment. Noticing her reluctance, Wei Mindan lowered his voice to coax her, "Don't be afraid—I'm just teasing. With me around, can she really turn the world upside down? At worst, you'll owe me another favor."
Hearing this, Yao Sishan regained some composure. Deliberately feigning coyness, she chided, "Hasn't Your Highness already treated me as your betrothed? A husband and wife are one—why then discuss favors owed or not?"
"You do have a point," he began, but before she could say more, he interjected, "Just as close brothers settle accounts clearly, so must husband and wife."
He had long seen through her habitual little tricks—constantly using her beauty to spout a barrage of empty words. If he continued to indulge her every whim, he feared that one day she might completely overpower him with nothing but her talk.
"Hmph, you have no sense of romance," she retorted.
Wei Mindan ignored her teasing and said, "It's settled then. In a few days, I'll have Huacheng deliver a message to your household." He paused and added, "I have some business later; I'll have Liang Zhan personally see you off."
"Your Highness's kindness is well-received; however, Lord Liang is, after all, Your Highness's personal attendant, and I am not in a position to command him," she replied. Though her words adhered to decorum on the surface, they betrayed that she still harbored reservations about him.
At this, Wei Mindan felt a twinge of irritation, and his tone turned slightly sour. "Return to your residence as soon as possible—don't loiter about the palace on your own," he said, then brushed his sleeve as he turned to leave.
Bowing gracefully in a rare display of proper decorum, Yao Sishan said, "Thank you, Your Highness, for seeing to my sister's matter. Truly, the entire Yao family is in your debt."
At that moment, the favor in her words, unlike her earlier flippant tone, carried the weight of genuine gratitude.
Suddenly, Wei Mindan felt as if the two of them were separated by a great river—no matter how desperately he might run forward, the endless current would forever keep him on the opposite bank. Yet even so, he vowed that he would dam the seas and level the mountains if need be. Turning away, he murmured in a low voice, "There's no need to thank me—I was doing it for my own sake as well."
After their parting, it wasn't long before the eunuch Zhou Ruihai arrived bearing the imperial edict. He personally went to the mansion to announce it, while notices were posted at the city gates of every prefecture and county, proclaiming the news to all. In one fell swoop, the mansion of Duke Ying produced not one but two royal consorts—a display of unbridled favor.
According to the Zhou Li, a gentleman's wedding requires six formalities—betrothal gifts, inquiry of the name, receiving auspicious signs, tribute submission, choosing the wedding date, and a personal escort—a tradition that the Yin Dynasty continues to observe. The Crown Prince's wedding was far more elaborate than that of ordinary official families; the auspicious date for the marriage was set for six months later. In contrast, the Third Prince's wedding was arranged in a very hasty manner—taking only one and a half months to complete, with social hierarchies made starkly apparent.
Yao Sishan had no choice but to admit that Wei Mindan was a master at winning people over. Before the betrothal gifts were finalized, he had people prepare five pieces of tribute tea from the North Garden of Jian'an in Fujian—each tea cake exquisitely fashioned with a dragon-and-phoenix pattern carved in pure gold, exuding the utmost luxury. Their father, whose sole passion in life was tea, was overjoyed upon seeing them; he immediately exclaimed, "How fortunate we are—to have Your Highness value us so highly!"
At this, Yao Sishan's lips twitched. How could her father, so easily bribed without even realizing it, have managed to navigate the treacherous intrigues of the court for all these years? Duke Ying, delighted, immediately ordered that an extra chest of dowry be added to Second Miss's bridal inventory. The upper layer was lined with several pieces of delicate ice-cocoon gauze, while the bottom was padded with bright white savings.
Yao Sishan couldn't help but let out a light snort. So now, who truly got the better deal? Her days of happiness, it seemed, would not last long.
Before long, two invitations arrived from the palace. One was for the 28th birthday celebration of Princess Huacheng, broadly inviting the distinguished ladies of the capital to join the banquet in merriment. However, the gilded invitation delivered to Yao Sishan was embroidered with a peony motif unrivaled by any other, whereas the one given to Yao Sisou was decorated with the "Yu Meiren" design—also known as "Sai Mudan."
The Yu Meiren flower is large and vividly beautiful, rivaling the peony in splendor; yet the entire plant is poisonous, and everyone shuns it. Moreover, according to folk legend, this flower is said to have arisen from Yu Ji's self-sacrificial act of love, symbolizing a woman's fidelity. Isn't that clearly an insult to Yao Sisou?