Chapter 8: Stepping Out

During the Dragon Boat Festival, she wished she could see Ke Mingxu; then she would know if he truly wore that sachet or not.

Ke Mingxu was a gentleman, and since he had promised, he shouldn’t break his word.

Today was the Dragon Boat Festival, and the young county lady leaned idly against the windowsill, gazing absentmindedly at the clear, azure sky. The day she met Ke Mingxu had been just as splendid.

As May progressed, the weather grew better with each passing day.

Jing Hu took out a handkerchief and, beneath the swallows, embroidered a small cluster of orchids.

She carefully selected the thread colors, blending several shades, and spent the entire afternoon stitching with utmost dedication until she crafted a lively, flourishing orchid.

When Jing Hu turned around, she noticed a pot of orchids resting on the rosewood table nearby. Ke Mingxu had said he would give it to her, and the next day, he sent someone to deliver it.

He only cultivated orchids, while she only kept coral flowers. Though he had written notes on how to care for the plants, she was still worried about nurturing them properly and called the estate gardener to inquire carefully.

To her surprise, the gardener was delighted and told her that this particular plant was a rare and precious Song brocade orchid.

Though it was clearly an orchid, why did it have the character for “plum” in its name? She felt it didn’t quite resemble a plum blossom. Perhaps next time they met, she could ask Ke Mingxu about it.

As she thought this, she felt she ought to urge her mother to relent. How long would they continue to hold grudges against the Princess Consort of Junwang? They were no longer young; it would be better to reason things out.

At least when she quarreled with Zhenning or Li Yi, they might sulk for a few days but would soon reconcile.

Would she next ask Zhenning to rescue her during her own confinement? The thought unsettled her. Ke Mingxu was kind, but how was she to find him?

Should she fetch Qing Rou and have her lead the way to the Ke residence?

She would not trouble her two friends over this matter. Jing Hu certainly wouldn’t tell Zhenning what she planned to do once freed, nor would she confess to Qing Rou that it was she who had specifically asked Zhenning to come get her.

But if one day they all gathered and the story came up by chance, wouldn’t it connect all the dots? They would surely laugh at her.

Let them laugh. The young county lady, elegant and poised, was not afraid of a few young ladies. After all, Qing Rou was a bookworm, and reason would be lost on her when confronted with force.

Zhenning, though, was somewhat pitiable. Her mother, a favored consort born from a palace maid, had fallen out of favor once she bore her. Zhenning herself was not favored and had little standing before the emperor. Though a princess, she dared not jest too freely in his presence.

Zhenning’s two elder sisters were of far higher birth. The eldest, Princess Zhenhui, was the legitimate daughter of Empress Zhang and always carried herself haughtily.

Jing Hu was young when she married and had a poor impression of her, yet she was also pitiable, sent by the emperor to marry into the court of the northern barbarian tribe, the Cile.

In the sixteenth year of the Zhao Yong era, an epidemic struck Yanjing, and the barbarians took the opportunity to invade the northwestern border city, killing Princess Zhenhui on the battlefield.

Truly a tragic fate.

Zhenning’s other sister, Princess Zhenjing, was favored by the emperor but was also somewhat pitiful.

Her birth mother was a cousin of Zhenning’s mother and had died when Jing Hu was merely a child in the tenth year of Zhao Yong, so she never met her.

Yet the emperor loved her dearly. Despite the Empress’s presence, after her death, he posthumously honored her as Empress and even bestowed the crown prince title upon her sixth son, Jing Xuan. No wonder Princess Zhenhui and Zhenjing were often at odds.

In the end, it was all the fault of these men. Princess Zhenjing’s mother was already dead; whether she was granted the title of Empress or not, she would never know. Why humiliate Empress Zhang like this?

Likewise, the quarrel between her mother and the Princess Consort of Junwang was also to blame on her father. Was it so difficult to maintain balance?

Her mother often said she was spoilt, but Jing Hu thought it was the other way around.

As Jing Hu pondered, she heard heavy footsteps approaching. Without turning, she knew who it was.

Yet she did not want to acknowledge him; this father was a bad father, and her confinement was partly his doing.

He could have spoken to the Princess Consort of Junwang to allow her out, but he and her mother had conspired to use this excuse to keep her confined at home.

They all thought she was unaware, but she was perfectly clear in her heart.

Jing Hu remained lying by the windowsill, pretending not to hear, but in truth, she listened intently to his every movement.

“Stay at home too long, and even your father won’t call you anymore. If you ignore me today, you won’t get to see the dragon boat races by the Ba River.”

She never missed the dragon boat races by Ba River if not confined. Though not very exciting, a stroll outside was always better than staying cooped up.

Her expression immediately changed; she turned around with a radiant smile, coquettishly facing the tall man.

Her father, the Prince of Yongning Jun, was a cousin of the current emperor. Their great-grandfather had erred and was stripped of his title by the founding emperor, so while there were many princes named Jing in Yan Liang, only her father lived permanently in Yanjing.

It was said her father resembled his grandfather—broad-shouldered and towering like a mountain. As a child, Jing Hu loved to watch him draped in bear fur and play pretend, imagining herself a heroine capable of slaying a bear.

She hooked her arm through his sturdy one, pouting playfully. “Good father, dear dad, I’m about to mold from staying indoors. Please take me out for a while and let me bask in the sun beyond the estate.”

Though rough in appearance, her father was attentive. “If I didn’t want you out, I wouldn’t have come. But seeing you so unruly, pretending not to hear when your father arrives—”

Jing Hu smiled sheepishly. Next time she was confined, if he came but didn’t free her, she’d just pretend not to hear again.

The Prince of Yongning continued, “Your mother’s illness has healed. From now on, you needn’t stay cooped up every day. But don’t cause trouble. What if you anger your mother again and she falls ill?”

Her father always cared deeply for her mother.

“I’m not the one taking you out today; I have matters to attend to. But because you’ve been relatively obedient lately, I’m sending a few guards to accompany you. You must not cause trouble, or the confinement continues.”

She certainly wouldn’t cause trouble—she was counting on the twelfth day to seek out Ke Mingxu. Her father was reasonable; a little persuasion was all it took. Her mother’s temper, however, was far more daunting, and she dared not offend her.

The young county lady smiled, revealing two dimples. “Understood, Father. I will behave and cause you no trouble.”