Chapter 077: Which Young Man Has Caught Your Eye? (First Update)

Wu Tan tapped the gilded invitation on the table. “Others come to call on her and she claims she’s too busy to receive them, yet she somehow finds even more time to go out for social engagements? She can’t even manage the family’s shops?”

She raised her eyes, fixing Apricot with a deep gaze.

Apricot shivered. “I… Every time Madam goes out, it’s always Chen Gang from the Young Master’s courtyard who accompanies her. I’ll go fetch him right away.”

With that, she dashed off and soon returned from the front courtyard with a guard named Chen Gang. “Greetings, Second Young Lady!”

Wu Tan looked directly at him, wasting no words. “You’ve been secretly following my stepmother these past few times she went out. Did you notice anything unusual while she was away from the residence?”

Chen Gang was bewildered. He thought carefully. “I didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary.”

After a pause, he added, “At every banquet, only the invited guests and one attendant are allowed in. I can’t go inside, but since you gave me the task, I didn’t dare slack off. Every time Madam leaves the house, I go around to the back gate and keep watch. Old Liu from the carriage house—he’s been instructed by the Young Master—waits at the front with the carriage and guards. After each event, I check with him. He says that after Madam goes in, she always stays until the banquet ends and leaves with the other guests. There’s never been any suspicious people coming or going.”

As Wu Tan was questioning him, Wu Qinglin entered.

“Big Brother?” Wu Tan rose to greet him. “What brings you here?”

“I heard Lingzi say you called Chen Gang in for questioning, so I came to see what was going on…” Wu Qinglin glanced at Chen Gang. “Is there something wrong?”

“There is, a bit,” Wu Tan nodded. She instructed Chen Gang, “You may go now. Keep up your vigilance these days. As always, whenever Madam goes out, you follow her.”

“Yes!” Chen Gang cupped his hands to both of them and withdrew respectfully.

Wu Qinglin took a seat by the table.

Apricot said, “Shall I make tea?”

“No need. I’ll just stay a moment.” Wu Qinglin raised a hand to stop her, then looked at Wu Tan, silently asking for an explanation.

Wu Tan said, “I just had Apricot check with the gatekeeper for Madam Meng’s recent whereabouts. I found that she turned away all visitors but has been going out frequently to socialize these past days. It’s suspicious. I suspect she’s taking the opportunity to meet someone outside the manor. After all, in the residence, Grandmother keeps her in check, and we two are watching her. She can’t act with impunity under our noses; slipping out gives her the perfect chance to escape our surveillance.”

“Oh?” Wu Qinglin mused. “Didn’t Chen Gang notice whom she met?”

Wu Tan shook her head, speculating, “He said he and Old Liu staked out the front and back gates as I instructed, watching for any suspicious people around Madam Meng, or if Madam Meng or her maids left in disguise during the outings. But perhaps Chen Gang let his guard down and missed something?”

Wu Qinglin noticed the list on the table, picked it up, and glanced at it. “Unlikely. These three families have no special connections with Madam Meng. If she did anything odd at their homes, the hosts would surely notice and word would spread.”

“Then…” Wu Tan couldn’t figure out where the problem lay.

The siblings lapsed into silence for a moment before Wu Qinglin suddenly murmured, “Unless—she deliberately arranged to meet someone who, like her, was a guest at those banquets.”

Wu Tan’s eyes lit up. “Big Brother, can you get a list of the guests recently invited to those households?”

Wu Qinglin, however, was not as optimistic. “It won’t be easy, but not impossible. Still, even if we get the lists, it may not help much. The noble families of the capital are all intermarried, their relationships tangled together. Each gathering has dozens of guests at least. We have no direction or target for our investigation. Trying to pick out someone connected to Madam Meng from all those names would be like fishing for a needle in the sea. And—right now all we have are suspicions; our deductions may not reflect the truth, understand?”

Just when it seemed they were about to catch Madame Meng’s fox tail, the trail broke off. Wu Tan was a little disappointed. “Yes. And if we conduct a large-scale probe into everyone she’s seen recently, word would easily leak, which would only alert her.”

Wu Qinglin seemed less affected by this result and only reassured her, “No matter. I’ll keep someone watching her. Judging from this, at least she’s not planning anything in the residence right now; otherwise, she wouldn’t be going out so often. Just take your guard whenever you leave, and be extra careful.”

The possibility between Wu Tan and the Crown Prince Xiao Yun had already ended. Madam Meng simply refused to acknowledge Wu Qingqiong’s engagement, so the chances of her targeting Wu Tan were slim.

Wu Qinglin knew this well; his warning was just a reminder.

“I understand.”

Wu Qinglin didn’t stay long in Jingchun Study; after a short while, he returned to the front courtyard.

Wu Tan called for two senior maids to help her sort through her wardrobe and pick out jewelry.

She was still a child at heart, fond of bright colors at her age, but in certain situations, to present herself as a proper lady, she would adjust her choices. Ever since she’d found herself at odds with Huo Yunhua and Xiao Yun, and from observing Huo Yunhua’s attire had guessed at the little prince’s preferences, her own goals became clear. Every time she went out, especially when entering the palace, she dressed as brightly as possible—so long as it wasn’t overstepping her status—determined to disgust Xiao Yun so much that he’d turn away at the sight of her.

After pondering all afternoon, she settled on a narrow-sleeved, cross-collared white top embroidered with vine branches, paired with a crimson skirt with matching floral embroidery. The next morning, having her hair styled and a decorative bindi placed between her brows, she left home in high spirits.

The old lady arrived at the gate before her. Seeing Wu Tan running over from afar, her eyes lit up with delight.

“Grandmother, I thought I’d be out earlier than you!” Wu Tan ran up.

The old lady smiled warmly. “My Tan girl has gotten so diligent lately, picking out her clothes so carefully for every outing. Young ladies should wear these bright colors, they look so festive.”

Wu Tan tugged at her skirt and beamed up at her. “Grandmother thinks so too? I’ve started to think red looks best on me these days!”

“Beautiful, beautiful!” The old lady lovingly patted her hair and took her hand into the carriage.

Madam Zhou paused a moment, a thoughtful look crossing her face.

“Madam, what’s the matter?” Apricot asked curiously.

Madam Zhou collected herself and, taking Apricot with her, boarded the carriage as well.

The Marquis of Dingyuan’s residence and the Duke of Ningguo’s residence were on opposite ends of the imperial capital, separated by nearly the entire inner city. The Wu family’s carriage took nearly an hour before stopping in the lane outside the Zhou household.

“Marquis of Dingyuan’s residence has arrived!” the doorman cried, and the Zhou household quickly brought out a footstool in welcome.

Wu Tan was the first to step down, then turned back to help the old lady.

The Duke of Dingguo was the Empress Dowager Zhou’s own brother, a man of lofty status and advanced years. Even for the old lady’s birthday, with honored guests aplenty, he was not required to greet anyone in person; the ones welcoming at the gate were the heir, Zhou Changjian, and his wife.

“Madam Wu, forgive us for not coming out sooner. Please, come in,” the heir’s wife, Lady Han, greeted them with a smile.

“The road was long—I was the one running late,” the old lady replied, then turned to push Wu Tan forward. “Tan girl, greet the heir’s wife!”

“Greetings, Madam,” Wu Tan curtsied.

Lady Han’s smile grew warmer. “Second Young Lady has grown taller, and even more lovely.”

“You flatter her,” the old lady replied with a laugh.

After a few pleasantries, more carriages arrived, and Lady Han excused herself to greet the newcomers.

As the old lady led Wu Tan toward the entrance, a voice called from behind, “Tan’er!”

Wu Tan turned—her cousin Lin Yan-yao was hurrying over, bypassing a sedan chair in her way.

“Cousin?” Wu Tan was quite surprised.

“Tan’er!” Lin Yan-yao smiled at her, then went to greet the old lady. “Madam Wu, good day!”

Though the Lin and Wu families had not visited each other in years, out of respect for Elder Lin, the younger generation were always cordial to Madam Wu when they met, never showing any discord.

Especially since the old lady felt the Wu family had wronged her former daughter-in-law, she treated the Lin juniors all the better.

She smiled. “It’s been a while since you came to play with Tan girl. Is your family well?”

Lin Yan-yao smiled. “All is well, thank you for your concern. After the New Year, Mother has been stricter with me, so I haven’t had much chance to go out. Next time, I’ll come visit you.”

Lin Yan-yao was fourteen now, about the age to settle down and prepare for marriage with embroidery and trousseau.

The old lady understood and just nodded. “Good!”

Then she turned to Wu Tan. “Since Yao’er is here, go play with her. No need to follow me to chat with a bunch of old ladies.”

“Thank you, Grandmother.” Wu Tan had no interest in pretending to be demure before a group of elderly women. At her grandmother’s leave, she grabbed Lin Yan-yao’s hand and slipped into the Zhou courtyard, asking, “Cousin, how come you’re here today?”

The Lin and Zhou families had no kinship, and since Elder Lin retired, their social obligations had lessened and they seldom attended the gatherings of high officials.

Wu Tan looked around. It seemed only Lin Yan-yao from the Lin family had come. “Just you? Aunt and the others didn’t come?”

“They didn’t,” Lin Yan-yao explained. “It was Jiang Yuzhi who invited me. Her eldest sister and the Zhou family’s legitimate daughter were close friends before marriage. Now that she’s engaged to the Crown Prince, the Zhou and Jiang families are in-laws. The Zhou family sent her an invitation, and she didn’t want to come alone, so she asked me to join her. I checked with the gate—she’s already arrived.”

Jiang Yuzhi’s mother and Lin Yan-yao’s second aunt were sisters by birth, so Jiang Yuzhi and Lin Yan-yao were cousins, the same age, and had played together since childhood.

Wu Tan knew this well, so she thought nothing of it. The two girls entered the Zhou residence laughing and chatting.

The old lady watched them from behind, smiling with true satisfaction. “Let’s go in as well.”

“Madam…” Madam Zhou supported her as they entered. She had been watching Wu Tan’s retreating figure, troubled, and finally spoke. “Do you think our Second Young Lady has her eye on some young man?”

The old lady paused, frowning in surprise. “What makes you think that?”

Madam Zhou replied, “I just feel she’s been acting differently. Every time she goes out, she puts extra effort into her appearance, always picking bright clothes and jewelry, as happy as can be.”

“This… surely not…” At first, the old lady thought Madam Zhou was speaking nonsense, but her analysis unsettled her, and she turned to look at Wu Tan again.

Inside the gate, Wu Tan and Lin Yan-yao, having asked directions, headed off hand in hand toward the garden.

The old lady, thinking on Wu Tan’s recent changes and Madam Zhou’s words, grew inexplicably anxious. “Could it be?”

“It seems so to me,” Madam Zhou said. Second Young Lady had always been idle and lazy, so this sudden interest in dressing up certainly meant something.

The more Madam Zhou thought about it, the more sense it made. She turned to see the old lady looking worried and tense.

Madam Zhou asked, “Madam, what’s wrong? Second Young Lady’s about the right age. It’s a bit early for a betrothal, but not unheard of…”

While there were no strict laws about marriage age in the Dayin dynasty, local custom was for girls to come of age and boys to marry after eighteen, though earlier matches were not unknown—like the Crown Prince’s recent engagement. As for betrothals, there were even fewer restrictions; it was common for families to secure a good match years in advance.

Madam Zhou saw no issue, but her words only made the old lady anxious. “Oh, it’s not that it’s too soon, but… she’s so young… what if she’s tricked by some scoundrel? When we get home, ask Qinglin—they’re close siblings… No, even Qinglin might not know. When we return, call Apricot over for questioning…”

If her granddaughter was being deceived by some young rogue, that would be a disaster.

Especially since the girl was so headstrong…

Madam Zhou had rarely seen the old lady so flustered and quickly agreed, “Yes, yes! I’ll have Apricot ask around when we’re back. Madam, you should go in now; Madam Zhou is waiting for you.”

“Let’s go!” The old lady could hardly question her granddaughter in public, so she repressed her worry and went inside to pay respects to Madam Zhou. Every time the matter crossed her mind, though, her heart tightened.

Meanwhile, Wu Tan and Lin Yan-yao, guided by the Zhou servants, found the pavilion where the girls had gathered.

Inside, seven or eight young ladies sat together, drinking tea and chatting merrily.

Everyone knew each other and came from similar backgrounds. Even if there had been minor disputes in the past, for the sake of decorum and reputation, all were polite in public, merely ignoring those they disliked.

Wu Tan rarely provoked trouble when out. Though there were rumors of her being domineering at home and always at odds with her half-sister, among these girls her reputation was decent.

The Lin family was scholarly, and Elder Lin was famed for his virtue. Lin Yan-yao was a model noblewoman, skilled at socializing.

Thus, the lively circle did not change its tone with their arrival.

After the greetings, Lin Yan-yao looked around for Jiang Yuzhi and asked curiously, “I heard Jiang Yuzhi was coming, but she’s not here?”

“She came, but the Zhou family’s third young lady took her off to pay respects to the Old Madam. She must be in the back courtyard now,” another girl replied.

Mention of Jiang Yuzhi naturally led to the recent sensation in the capital—the Crown Prince’s sudden betrothal. Someone chimed in, “The Crown Prince’s marriage was so sudden! In two months, Miss Jiang will be the Crown Princess.”

“Don’t be jealous—she’s the Crown Prince’s cousin, after all. Closeness has its perks.” A lively girl teased, then grew excited, “Even if I say I’m not jealous, it’s not true. Why don’t I have such a good cousin? Doesn’t have to be the Crown Prince, just someone talented in both civil and martial arts…”

“Talented in both? That’s a high bar!” laughed another.

Amid laughter, someone thought of Wu Tan—

The Crown Prince’s betrothals had caused a stir: one Crown Princess, two consorts, all decreed in a single day. The whole capital was still abuzz.

“Second Miss Wu, isn’t your younger sister also engaged to the Crown Prince? Why isn’t she here? Or did she go to greet the old madam first?” a girl asked.

Wu Tan smiled. “My sister is young. We didn’t expect her to be engaged so soon, so we haven’t prepared much. She’s been busy and probably won’t be out much before the wedding.”

Madam Meng was keeping Wu Qingqiong at home, simply to prevent any mishaps, confining her under the pretext of preparing for marriage.

Wu Tan’s answer was tactful, giving no opening for gossip.

Someone else asked, “What about Miss Huo? She has no ties to the Zhou family, but she hasn’t been seen elsewhere lately either…”

On the Emperor’s birthday, Huo Yunhua had left the palace with a bruised face, but since the others had already departed, no one saw her disgrace and knew nothing had happened.

“I heard she’s ill and resting at home,” someone supplied.

With all three main subjects absent, the topic quickly shifted to clothing and cosmetics.

Wu Tan and Lin Yan-yao chatted with them for a quarter of an hour before a young matron approached from the back courtyard—her hair in a neat bun, dressed in a plain jacket, looking like a housekeeper.

Wu Tan found her profile familiar but couldn’t recall where she’d seen her.

The woman bowed. “Ladies, the Old Madam has received fresh fruit from the palace today and invites you all to come and enjoy some in her rooms.”

As juniors attending a birthday, it was only proper to accept the Old Madam’s invitation.

Yet, if she only wanted them to eat fruit, she could have sent it over; by inviting them all, she surely wanted to see someone among them without singling her out.

The Zhou family had marriage-age descendants, so everyone understood and rose to tidy themselves, following the woman to the back.

The Old Madam, preferring peace in her old age, lived deep within the residence. The woman led, and the girls followed. As they neared the Anhe Hall, Wu Tan glanced up—and felt her luck had run out.

Xiao Yue stepped out from the courtyard at that very moment.

———

Grandmother: Watching my cabbage get nuzzled by someone else’s pig, my feelings are complicated~o(＞_＜)o~

PS: That’s all for now. The rest will be updated tomorrow around noon. Goodnight, my dears~

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