Chapter 31: Without Exception
Among the Yu siblings, the closest relationship of all was between Yu Qizhi and Yu Lingzhao.
Before Yu Xunyang was born, Yu Qizhi had assumed his mother would give him a younger sister, when he learned it was a brother, he had actually cried in anger.
The Prince and Princess Consort of Zhennan found their second son's demands quite difficult, after all, how could one choose the gender of a child?
Fortunately, the Princess Consort eventually gave birth to a daughter.
Because of this, Yu Qizhi’s patience and affection for his sister were doubled.
Being able to sense his sister's dislike for the Fifth Prince from the smallest details, Yu Qizhi felt somewhat curious about this prince. Zhaozhao was not an unreasonable person, her likes and dislikes didn't come so easily.
At most, she might "not like" someone, but to say she "strongly loathed" someone—so far, there was only one.
Since his sister didn't bring it up herself, Yu Qizhi didn't intend to ask rashly.
What the group was more concerned about now was the Empress’s flower-viewing banquet.
Even though Yu Lingzhao had said that the Empress seemed to treat her with special regard, He Xuan remained vigilant: "That woman originally intended to meddle in your marriage. I'm afraid those little tricks regarding the Qing'an incident were also to curry favor with that person."
Yu Qizhi nodded. "It's just that Zhaozhao reacted quickly and blew the matter up, otherwise, you would have definitely been forced to swallow this bitter pill."
Thinking about how his sister’s methods were now completely different from before, Yu Qizhi felt nothing but annoyance toward Emperor Jianyuan’s family.
If it weren't for the old Emperor's whim to personally bestow a marriage, Zhaozhao wouldn't have been forced to fight a battle of wits and courage.
Seeing her second brother's heartbroken gaze, Yu Lingzhao had no idea what kind of drama he was imagining. She wanted to explain but didn't know where to start.
When you're out in the world, of course society teaches you how to behave!
Even an arrogant princess like Qing'an, who thinks the whole world is her mother, has to learn a lesson eventually.
"Don't worry, Second Brother, I will definitely protect myself and Eldest Sister-in-law." Yu Lingzhao almost patted her chest to give her second brother a guarantee.
Yu Qizhi knitted his brows; with his look of a "melancholy handsome man," there wasn't a noble lady in existence who wouldn't covet him.
Heehee, my second brother is so good-looking.
Before Yu Qizhi could speak, He Xuan spoke up first, "The palace isn't a dragon's den or a tiger's lair, Second Brother, don't scare yourself."
Yu Lingzhao followed with a series of nods. "Although the Princes are all straining themselves to fight for that position now, no one is so blind that they'd dare crash into us again. The cautionary tale of Qing'an is still right there."
Seeing the sister who had always been protected under their wings now having her own ideas, Yu Qizhi didn't know whether the feeling flooding his heart was bitterness or relief.
"You still must not be careless. The methods used in the palace are things none of you have seen before, and that includes you, Eldest Sister-in-law."
Since arriving in the capital, Yu Qizhi had transformed into a talkative old nag.
His sister-in-law had grown up in the Southern Border.
Although the He family held a Prefecture Governor position, their martial background made them a bit more blunt and straightforward, she and the Eldest Brother were childhood sweethearts, pure and innocent.
After their marriage, the Prince's Mansion had a simple social circle, and the Princess Consort was kind. There were never any distressing family squabbles.
What experience did she have in fighting with others?
To put it bluntly, compared to people like Princess Qing'an who played mind games, the Eldest Sister-in-law was arguably more likely to suffer a loss than even Zhaozhao.
If He Xuan knew what her second brother-in-law was thinking, she would only pat his shoulder and tell him he was overthinking it.
Even in the Southern Border, there were social hierarchies among the powerful and noble.
The Zhennan Prince's Mansion was naturally first-class, while the He family was merely a third-rank Prefecture Governor's household.
Her ability to marry into the Prince's Mansion had already stirred up the jealousy of countless people.
Regarding those little schemes and petty tricks between people, where there is interest, there is bound to be conflict.
It’s the same regardless of gender.
Moreover, the way men look at women is different from the way women look at women.
Hearing Yu Qizhi's words, He Xuan instead smiled at her sister-in-law and said, "Everyone says the Second Young Master is brilliant, but from what I see, your second brother is just letting his concern cloud his judgment."
Yu Lingzhao couldn't agree more; she felt the thing she had done most today was nod. "Eldest Sister-in-law is right."
It was one thing for the Sister-in-law to say it, but did his sister feel the same way?
Yu Qizhi raised his eyes and looked at his sister. "Right in what way?"
He Xuan reached out to shield her sister-in-law behind her. Being the Eldest Sister-in-law after all, her words carried weight: "Instead of asking Zhaozhao, you might as well ask me."
Yu Qizhi smiled. "Fair enough. Let's hear it, Eldest Sister-in-law."
He Xuan refused to say more, simply stating, "You'll understand once you get married. The affairs of women and the struggles of men are all the same. No matter when or where, as long as there is something to be gained, there will inevitably be calculation. No one can always have smooth sailing."
He Xuan’s words served as a pointer for Yu Qizhi. He fell into thought, lowering his gaze to watch the tea leaves floating and sinking in his cup, seemingly realizing something.
Just then, Feiyu knocked on the door of the outer study, saying that the Xiuluo Manor had delivered the clothes for the upcoming flower-viewing banquet and invited the masters to try them on.
Xiuluo Manor was one of the two most famous ready-to-wear shops in the capital; the other was the Nichang Pavilion.
*Nichang(霓裳) rainbow colored clothes worn by the Eight Immortals.
Xiuluo Manor was known for the best embroidery skills, while Nichang Pavilion had the best fabrics. If one had their own patterns to be made, Xiuluo Manor was suitable; if one wanted to show off unique materials, Nichang Pavilion was superior.
For the Empress's flower-viewing banquet, Yu Lingzhao didn't want to steal the spotlight, and neither did He Xuan.
However, they couldn't lose face for the Zhennan Prince's Mansion. Thus, Yu Lingzhao had personally stepped in, drawing the floral patterns for both of them and sending them to Xiuluo Manor for custom-made clothes.
He Xuan had loved the patterns her sister-in-law drew at the time. If made into finished garments, they would surely be beautiful.
Now that the clothes had arrived, He Xuan took Yu Lingzhao to try them on.
The shopkeeper of Xiuluo Manor was a young woman surnamed Qin. She dressed neatly and efficiently, possessed bold features and large eyes, and always carried a hint of a smile on her face.
She was currently waiting in the side hall. She had met them once before when she came to the Prince's Mansion to take the measurements of the Heir's Consort and the little County Princess.
Her impression of the County Princess was not entirely similar to the rumors. She also followed her employer's instructions and showed great respect to those from the Zhennan Prince's Mansion.
He Xuan led Yu Lingzhao to the side hall. Seeing Shopkeeper Qin, who always greeted people with a smile, she smiled as well.
"This commoner pays respects to the Heir's Consort and the County Princess. May the nobles be blessed with peace." Shopkeeper Qin bowed to the two, revealing the brocade boxes behind her.
Yu Lingzhao nodded and signaled for her to rise. "It was a lot of trouble for Shopkeeper Qin to come personally. Please follow me to the Chaoyang Residence."
Shopkeeper Qin complied and followed He Xuan and Yu Lingzhao toward the Chaoyang Residence.
Shopkeeper Qin’s impression of this little County Princess was actually excellent. The patterns sent this time were different from the usual styles in the capital.
The moment the garments were finished, her first thought was that if these clothes were sold in the capital, they would likely be loved by countless noble ladies.
Shopkeeper Qin thought this way and wondered if she could ask the little County Princess for these patterns, Xiuluo Manor would naturally offer a fair price.
Yu Lingzhao looked at Shopkeeper Qin, and suddenly, she out of the blue remembered the Qin family, the imperial merchants behind Xiuluo Manor.
It was the family of Qin Baiwan, who refused to marry his daughter to Xiao Ning'an as a Side Consort, only to have his entire family murdered by an adopted son who had secretly defected to Xiao Ning'an.
Xiao Ning'an, you really are a piece of work!
—
Jade: Bai means hundreds, Wan means ten thousand, together the name means million🫠
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