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After dinner, the Princess kept the masters behind and dismissed everyone else. They all knew that the Princess must be planning to educate the Second Master not to speak carelessly with his mouth wide open at the palace banquet the next day, to save face for himself and, more importantly, for his heroic son. She would also instruct the Eldest Master to constantly remind him, ensuring he didn’t lose his composure or face, and especially not to let him drink too much.
Lu Man and the others returned to Donghui Courtyard by sedan chair. Seeing that Jiang Zhankui and Jiang Jiu were still full of interest, she didn’t send them back but instead went to the main hall to chat and laugh together. They played until the hour of Xu (around 7-9 PM) before she let them return.
After coaxing Jiang Yue to sleep, Lu Man also went to bed early, but she couldn’t fall asleep. Confusion, panic, and uncertainty about the future mixed together, making it impossible for her to calm her mind and fall asleep.
She felt that her heart was quite small, unable to let go of the grievances she had suffered in the past. When she hadn’t seen him, she thought more about his good qualities. Now that she was about to see him, she couldn’t help but think about the bad things. People are just so contradictory!
Sigh, no matter what, starting from tomorrow, her life would be different…
The next day, Lu Man got up early and, as soon as she was dressed, hurried outside to check the weather. Even though it wasn’t fully light yet, it was clear that today would be a sunny day.
Jiang Zhankui and Jiang Jiu arrived early at the dining room, they knew breakfast would be served a bit earlier today.
By the time they finished eating, the sky was just beginning to brighten.
The servants had already started sweeping and hanging lanterns and red silk, bringing out the good decorations from the storeroom and arranging them according to their masters’ preferences. They wore newly made uniforms and were all joyful. Especially Steward Ming and Deputy Steward Wang, whose laughter could be heard from the front courtyard to the back.
Lu Man looked around the room once again. The bedroom had been decorated by Mama Wang and Liu Ya with a festive air, with the bed curtains, bedding, and window curtains all changed to red, making it look like a bridal chamber, which made her feel a bit uncomfortable.
In the side room of the main hall, there were various exquisite decorations such as a large screen with a white jade carving of a prosperous peony, a folding screen with an embroidered design of wealth and good fortune, a large ornament of red agate with carp leaping over the dragon gate, a rosewood table inlaid with jade carvings and gold paint, a large flower vase with colorful patterns from the Wu kiln, pink tea sets, a dragon-design incense burner with gold inlay, and glass palace lanterns, among others. Almost all the good decorations in the house had been displayed.
Seeing that the house was basically ready, Lu Man and the others prepared to go to the Crane Hall.
Jiang Zhanwei’s return today was a great joy, and it was necessary to dress up in a grand and festive manner.
However, Lu Man knew that she would be the target of teasing today and was too embarrassed to dress too flashily, lest she be ridiculed for no reason. Nor could she dress too modestly, for fear of displeasing the elders.
She deliberately chose to wear a smoke-hued red jacket embroidered with magnolia flowers, with white fox fur trim at the collar, front, and cuffs, paired with a silver-red skirt adorned with flower patterns. She wore three hairpins of varying lengths, inlaid with jade, in her hair, and her makeup was a light shade of rose. She looked festive yet elegant, radiant yet gentle.
She took extra care to dress up Jiang Zhankui, Jiang Jiu, and Jiang Yue, all in bright red jackets (or gowns for the girls) with gold thread embroidery and long skirts (or pants for Jiang Zhankui), adorned with seven-treasure necklaces and red hair ribbons. At Jiang Jiu’s request, Lu Man even applied a beauty mark on their foreheads, making the two girls look exceptionally beautiful.
Once they were dressed, they put on thick cloaks and headed to the Crane Hall.
Today was indeed a fine day, although the wind was bitingly cold, the sky was clear, and the morning sun was bright. The snow had been cleared from the ground, and red silk and lanterns were hung on the branches and under the eaves, creating a festive and harmonious scene.
The main hall of the Crane Hall was warm as spring, with the floor heating system burning and charcoal stoves alight. The room was even more vibrant, with numerous potted plants such as roses and cyclamens brought in from the greenhouse. Stepping into the room felt like entering a bright and colorful spring from the freezing winter outside.
They took off their cloaks and entered the side room, where they saw that all the masters were present, except for the masters who had gone to the yamen and the sixth and seventh young masters who had gone to the streets to watch the festivities.
As soon as they sat down, someone came to report that the Xie family’s army had arrived at the city gate, and the Crown Prince had gone out to welcome them.
Three quarters of an hour later, another report came in: the Xie family’s army had entered the city, with Third Young Master Jiang, Grand Marshal Xie, and two young and valiant generals leading the way on tall horses. Following them was the prison cart carrying Prince Wanyan Tu, and after several rows of soldiers came the Crown Prince in a jade carriage and Grand Marshal Xie on a fine steed…
The messenger boy was eloquent: “…Among all the soldiers, our Third Young Master Jiang is the most handsome and imposing. Oh my, the young ladies and women praising Third Young Master are the most numerous.”
His words amused everyone, and Princess Changting laughed heartily, saying, “You little monkey, so good with words. Quick, reward him with two taels of silver.”
Young Madam Han covered her mouth with a handkerchief and laughed, saying, “Fourth sister-in-law hasn’t seen Third Brother-in-law yet, has she? He’s the most handsome one among our family’s men.”
Fourth Young Madam Jiang, holding her large belly, pretended to be in disbelief and exclaimed, “Could Third Brother-in-law be more handsome than Eldest and Fifth Brother-in-law?”
Young Madam Han laughed and said, “Of course.” Then, pointing at Lu Man, she joked, “Look at Third Sister-in-law, she and Third Brother-in-law are a match made in heaven, like a fine steed paired with a fragrant carriage, the most compatible couple.”
This sent everyone into fits of laughter.
Madam Huang laughed and said, “These young wives should be scolded for talking about their brothers-in-law behind their backs.”
Princess Changting also laughed heartily and said, “Quick, go pinch that little monkey’s mouth. How can a sister-in-law talk about her brother-in-law and sister-in-law like that, even mentioning fine steeds and fragrant carriages?”
Jiang Zhanyu joked, “Grandmother, you can’t let anyone pinch my sister-in-law, otherwise, my elder brother will be sad when he returns. He didn’t become a hero, and he’s not as handsome as Third Brother. If you let someone pinch his wife, just think how heartbreaking that would be.”
This made everyone laugh even more.
As a modern person, Lu Man’s skin was actually quite thick. But she wasn’t familiar with Jiang Zhanwei, let alone intimate with him, and their true relationship was complicated. Being teased like this made her somewhat uncomfortable.
By noon, the messenger reported that Grand Marshal Xie had led some generals into the palace.
Soon after, Marquis Jiang sent word that Jiang Zhanwei and the others had been invited by the Emperor to attend the banquet in the palace. After the banquet, there would be performances to watch, and they would also need to report on some frontline matters, so they might not return until the evening.
Princess Changting was also tired and, after keeping everyone for lunch at the Crane Hall, sent them back to rest. Since Jiang Zhanwei wouldn’t be returning early, she told them to come back to the Crane Hall at the beginning of the hour of Shen (around 3-5 PM). She was too excited and had barely slept the night before, so she needed a good rest.
Lu Man and the others returned to Donghui Courtyard.
As soon as she turned the corner of the side building, Liu Ya came to report that several other soldiers who had gone to war with Jiang Zhanwei had returned, bringing back over ten carts of goods, which were placed in the front courtyard. They were also being entertained with drinks by Steward Ming and the others in the back of the courtyard.
Lu Man nodded and said, “Don’t touch those things, let Third Young Master deal with them when he returns. Take good care of those soldiers and give each of them a reward of twenty taels of silver.”
Twelve soldiers had gone to war with Jiang Zhanwei, and eight had returned. The families of the four soldiers who had died in battle had already been comforted by Steward Ming and Liu Chun, and each family had been given a hundred taels of silver. Other matters would be addressed after Jiang Zhanwei’s return.
The principle of either succeeding or becoming a martyr was just that cruel.