Chapter 403: Chapter 320: Can She Be a Girlfriend Now? (Extra 2 in 1)_2
Apart from giving everyone an extra reward of three taels of silver, those housekeepers, old maids, and close personal attendants who had worked tirelessly for the Prince Mansion were ordered by the Prince to receive a jar of fine Hua Diao wine from the cellar. Among them, the more astute servants would divide it that very evening—first, to express their gratitude upwardly and acknowledge the Prince’s benevolence, and second, to pull strings downwardly: a drop of kindness today, and perhaps a spring of repayment tomorrow.
Because of this, the entire Prince Mansion was bustling with activity, so much so that even the Prince himself found little peace. His restlessness stemmed from fretting over the "distinguished guests" of the upcoming poetry gathering.
The messenger reported that the thorn in the side of the Prince Mansion had indeed accepted the invitation—odds were, the person would truly attend the poetry gathering.
And the Princess had also caught wind of this matter.
She looked at the Prince, seated in the main hall, and asked for confirmation:
"That Chen Qianhu... is he really coming?"
The Prince scoffed with disdain, then said:
"What would a brute like him know about poetry? He’s just here to create chaos."
"You can’t say that. A guest is still a guest."
"It would be best if he didn’t come."
A wave of irritation welled up in his heart. Though the invitation had been sent out by him, upon learning that the man would actually come, the weight of annoyance settled heavily within him. After all, they were enemies. When your adversary strides into your home to offer birthday congratulations, how could your heart not feel aggrieved?
The Princess stepped forward and smoothed the furrow between his brows, deftly changing the subject:
"Speaking of Wei Ying and her rumors with him, how should we investigate them?"
The Prince was momentarily baffled and asked:
"What do you mean, ’investigate’?"
As a woman, the Princess seemed well-versed in such matters, and as a mother, she was all the more perceptive. She slowly explained:
"My lord, think about it—Wei Ying surely knows of the animosity between the Prince Mansion and that man. If the two truly have a secret relationship, they will undoubtedly avoid each other in deference to us."
The Princess’s words made the Prince realize her point; he nodded repeatedly:
"That.. makes a lot of sense. But it seems that no matter how we investigate, we still won’t arrive at a result."
"That’s where you’re mistaken," the Princess replied, her tone full of poise and forethought. "If we investigate openly, naturally we’ll come up empty. But if we apply the tactic of ’strategic withdrawal’..."
The Prince asked, intrigued, "What do you mean by ’strategic withdrawal’?"
"We should start by spreading word that the Prince Mansion is plagued with worry about having a daughter but no suitable son-in-law, fretting endlessly over her marriage match. Then, spread the rumor that though you, my lord, harbor old grudges against Chen Qianhu, you’ve sometimes marvelled at night, remarking he’s quite the extraordinary man... In short, we feign the appearance of wanting to match them. That way, we will surely uncover the truth."
The Princess’s string of remarks fell into his ears, and the Prince was instantly enlightened, praising repeatedly:
"So that’s the way! Madam, what an ingenious plan."
The Prince, who previously had no clear strategy, now found his mind opened to numerous possibilities.
Thus, while Yin Weiyin was absent, the couple privately conspired together.
...............
As the twenty-eighth of the twelfth lunar month arrived, the gates of the Prince Mansion swung open. Outside, the thoroughfare was a sea of people—high-ranking officials, eminent scholars, carriages adorned with beauty and fragrance—all milling about before the Prince Mansion, creating an impenetrable crowd. Stepping through the entrance, one was immediately greeted by the grandeur of the mansion: fake mountains, pavilion stones, exotic flowers, and rare plants illuminated by rows of lit stone lanterns on either side, casting a radiant golden glow along the paths.
The Prince Mansion, lauded as one of the most affluent residences in the Capital City, came second only to the former Xiang Prince Mansion, which had been confiscated. Even the lowliest open-air pavilions in the courtyard featured pillars made of gold-threaded nanmu wood. The venue prepared to host literary scholars and poets was a four-sided square structure with a circular courtyard—neither a true pavilion nor merely a building. Its central plaque bore the inscribed name "Fenggu Hall," and the framed inscriptions on either side read, "Worry ahead of the world, rejoice after the world."
The characters were painted with costly golden lacquer.
Walking toward the Prince Mansion, Chen Yi held Yin Tingxue’s hand firmly, ensuring no one jostled or bumped into her. The young woman was veiled, her hair styled modestly, with a hint of makeup applied to her face. An average passerby would not recognize that the woman Chen Yi brought with him was none other than the former Xiang Princess Yin Tingxue.
Meanwhile, the attending guests at the gathering, upon noticing the recently celebrated Chen Yi, instinctively stepped aside. The reason was simple: rumors abounded about the longstanding enmity between Chen Yi and the Prince Mansion. Conventionally speaking, this man should not have been invited. And even if invited, he shouldn’t have come. The underlying complexity—who could decipher it? But since those present were no fools, their best course was to avoid provoking unnecessary troubles.
Crossing the threshold of the mansion, Yin Tingxue glanced around to take in this grand estate. Compared to her memory of the Prince Mansion, little had changed: the sights remained the same, the people unchanged.
It was a stark contrast to the upheaval and disarray of Xiang Prince Mansion—the difference was night and day.
Being prone to sentimentality, the young woman wrinkled her nose slightly. But having finally ventured out, she resolved to make the best of it, exhaling softly to compose herself.
Chen Yi gently touched the back of her head with care.
If circumstances permitted, Chen Yi would have preferred to bring Yin Tingxue to live in Xiang Prince Mansion, which remained vacant to this day, awaiting the Empress Dowager’s decree.
Yet under the current situation, such a notion seemed hopelessly far-fetched.
Upon entering the mansion hall, and without bearing any gift for the occasion, Chen Yi and Yin Tingxue proceeded to present their birthday congratulations.
At the entrance where gifts were registered, the eunuch attendant holding out his empty hands approached them. Chen Yi nonchalantly handed over a single tael of silver, which the eunuch skillfully pocketed, before once again stretching out his hands.
Chen Yi stared at him fixedly for a moment.
The eunuch servantly pushed his hands forward slightly, his eyes signaling for more tribute.
Chen Yi reached into his robe again and produced another tael of silver, placing it into the eunuch’s palm.