Broaching the Matter of Marriage
Bai Jingyan changed into lighter clothing and stepped out to the pavilion with Bai Jinxiu. Dong Zhengzhen's face was flushed scarlet, and the moment she caught sight of Bai Jingyan approaching, she sprang to her feet and bowed in greeting.
"Sister, hurry — please say something to them!"
Bai Jinxiu covered her mouth with her handkerchief and laughed.
"To see the ever-composed Zhengzhen worked up like this, the youngsters must have truly overstepped."
Dong Zhengye answered with a smile of her own.
"She's right. It's all my fault as the younger sister. I promise I'll never breathe a word about your marriage prospects again."
"Oh, come off it! We're all one family — what's wrong with a little teasing?"
Bai Jinchi batted her eyes at Dong Zhengzhen.
"Go on, Zhengzhen, tell us. You met Grand Preceptor Zhen's grandson, didn't you? I know everything. If it weren't for that examination-cheating scandal, Zhen Cuilu would have placed first overall in the palace examination!"
Dong Zhengzhen flushed an even deeper red, then snapped and fussed in frustration.
"Keep this up and I won't say another word to any of you!"
"You're all too wicked. To toy with a girl's marriage like this."
Bai Jinxiu gave Bai Jinchi's head a light tap.
"So the Grand Preceptor sent a matchmaker to raise the subject of marriage?" Bai Jingyan asked Dong Zhengzhen with a smile.
A trace of irritation flickered across Dong Zhengzhen's face. Then, cheeks still burning, she sank onto a chair, nodded, and began twisting her handkerchief between her fingers as she spoke.
"This morning Old Master Tan called on my mother with the proposal. She told him she would need to discuss it with my father first — nothing has even been decided yet, and already these girls are spreading it everywhere."
"Sister, don't be angry. When did we ever go around spreading it? It was just family, joking among ourselves. Please don't be upset — we won't mention it again."
Dong Zhengfang said this while giggling behind her handkerchief.
"Old Master Tan — from the household of the late Imperial Tutor?"
Bai Jingyan asked.
Tan Song, the retired Imperial Tutor, was one of the most respected men in the capital. If the Grand Preceptor had gone so far as to engage Old Master Tan as matchmaker, then this marriage proposal was made in earnest.
"I've heard Jin Lang speak of Zhen Cuilu — an honest gentleman and a brilliant scholar, they say, and the noble families of the capital are practically circling him like hawks. If it works out with you, Zhengzhen, it would be a fine match indeed."
Dong Zhengzhen only frowned and twisted her handkerchief harder. Then she turned her face toward the lake, her expression sour with some unspoken displeasure.
"Zhengzhen — is there someone else you've set your heart on?" Bai Jingyan asked.
Dong Zhengzhen jolted and sat bolt upright. She blinked rapidly, then lowered her head and fiddled with her jade bracelet.
"No. Of course not."
"Zhengzhen, once a marriage is decided, it cannot be undone for a lifetime. Your father and mother adore you dearly — they would never force you into a choice you don't want at such a critical moment. If there truly is someone in your heart, it's best to speak of it early. And if the one you love is a good person... whether Zhen Cuilu placed first or not, no one will bend your will against you."
At Bai Jingyan's gentle counsel, Dong Zhengzhen pondered for a long moment, then lifted her head to meet her gaze.
"Don't worry, sister. I'm only at loose ends, that's all. If I had someone in my heart, I would have told my parents long ago. Oh — when Uncle the Top Scholar heard that you and Jinchi had received your titles, he sent congratulatory gifts."
Changing the subject, Dong Zhengzhen handed a golden casket to each of Bai Jingyan and Bai Jinchi. Inside each lay a soapstone seal, carved by the Top Scholar's own hand.
"Oh! It's beautiful! Please give Uncle our sincerest thanks!"
Bai Jinchi was utterly delighted with the gift. Atop each seal sat a cat so lifelike it seemed ready to leap off the stone, drawing gasps of admiration.
"Everyone in the Dong family has such skilled hands. My cousins, and now Uncle too — remarkable, truly."
Bai Jingyan's seal was carved with plum blossoms, every petal exquisitely rendered.
Looking at the finely wrought seal, Bai Jingyan found herself thinking of the jade hairpin Xiao Rongyan had made for her with his own hands — and her ears burned red all over again.
She tucked the seal back into its casket.
Dong Zhengzhen, Dong Zhengye, and Dong Zhengfang, having heard that Bai Jingyan would return to Suyang the next day, had obtained Lady Song's permission to visit the Zhenguo Commandery Princess's estate. Only when the sun began its descent toward the western hills did they rise, reluctantly, to take their leave.
Bai Jingyan escorted them out personally, but before they had even passed beyond the gates, the eunuch Gao Demu arrived at the head of a procession bearing an imperial edict.
Dong Zhengzhen and her party hurriedly followed Bai Jingyan's lead and knelt behind her to receive it. Once the decree conferring the rank of Princess upon Bai Jingyan and Commandery Princess upon Bai Jinchi had been read aloud, reward goods came streaming in a long line into the estate. The two concubine-born daughters of the Dong family could hardly contain their envy.
Bai Jinchi was in high spirits. While the eunuch recited the inventory of the Emperor's gifts item by item, she winked at Bai Jingyan — as much as to say, I earned this through my own efforts, so praise me.
Bai Jingyan performed her obeisance and accepted the edict.
"Your servants Bai Jingyan and Bai Jinchi thank His Majesty for his grace. The wealth His Majesty has bestowed shall be used entirely to crush the bandits of Suyang — never for private ends. In this way we shall repay His Majesty's kindness."
Second Madam Yu instructed a maidservant to press silver coins into the hands of the eunuchs, and to Old Demu himself she slipped a pouch with a silver ingot tucked inside.
"Eunuch Gao, you've had a long journey."
"Princess Zhenguo, Commandery Princess Gaoyi — you earned honors in the war against the Northern Jiang; this is His Majesty's own reward. How could you call it a hardship? I was merely the messenger."
Gao Demu piled on the sweet words, offered a cupped-hand bow, and took his leave.
"Sister, His Majesty has bestowed such fine things — and you'd spend every last piece on putting down bandits?"
Dong Zhengfang gazed at the resplendent jade vessels and pearls and jewels, and envy lit her eyes like fire.
There was a gold hairpin worked in filigree and inlaid with pearls and precious stones, and a begonia-shaped gold hairpin wrought with the Five Bats Encircling Longevity motif. The ruby set into its flower-edged ornament was as large as a pigeon's egg, blazing with splendor.
Before she could stop herself, Dong Zhengfang blurted out,
"You and Jinchi bought these with your lives on the battlefield — why shouldn't they be used for a wedding trousseau instead of..."
Before she could finish, Dong Zhengye seized her by the sleeve.
Realizing her slip of the tongue, Dong Zhengfang faltered, backed away two steps, made a hurried apology to Bai Jingyan, and withdrew.
She had meant no harm — she had simply forgotten, in the moment, that Bai Jingyan had once stood before the spirit tablet of the late Prince of Zhenguo and sworn she would never marry.
"Zhengfang didn't say it out of any ill will!"
Dong Zhengye spoke up.
"I know. It's all right."
Bai Jingyan answered with a smile.
After seeing the Dong sisters off, Second Madam Yu hurried to summon the Grand Princess and ordered the servants to lay out a feast. It need not be a full celebration, she said, but at the very least they ought to shut the gates and have a good laugh together.
In the old days, Lady Dong had managed every household affair single-handedly, so Second Madam Yu — delighted as she was — had no idea what to prepare first. Fortunately, Bai Jinxiu stepped in at her side, and the servants moved briskly through each instruction.
The Grand Princess watched Second Madam Yu flutter about in her joy and said with a smile,
"Madam, surely you haven't forgotten the lotus-seed pigeon soup while you've been laughing?"
"Oh dear!"
Second Madam Yu clapped a hand to her forehead and laughed all the louder.
"Quick, quick — send someone up to the kitchen and have it served at once. It should be ready by now!"
The lotus-seed pigeon soup was something Second Madam Yu had prepared herself, in person, for Bai Jingyan. Before the girl entered the palace, Second Madam Yu had been startled to see how pale her complexion had grown. Remembering how Lady Dong used to simmer lotus-seed pigeon soup for Bai Jingyan whenever her appetite failed, she had stolen a quiet hour to slip into the kitchen and cook it with her own hands.
Two carriages from the Dong estate turned slowly at the far end of the street. Dong Zhengzhen leaned against a small cushion, eyes closed, slowly turning her bracelet between her fingers. The clop of hooves and the light tap of lanterns swaying against the carriage came faintly to her ears. She spoke toward the window.
"What time is it?"
The maidservant riding alongside answered her.
"My lady, the hour of shen is nearly ended — between three and five in the afternoon."
The end of the shen hour... surely he won't still be waiting?
Dong Zhengzhen bit her lip and closed her hand tightly around the bracelet.
As the carriage rounded the corner of the street, she lifted the silk curtain hanging over the window with a hand white as white jade and gave the maidservant her instruction.
"I'm going to Shifangzai to buy confections for my mother. Tell my sisters to go on ahead."
"Yes, my lady!"
Her maidservant answered and hurried on quick feet toward the carriage following behind.
At the corner, the two carriages turned in opposite directions — one toward the Dong estate, the other toward Changming Lane.
The carriage drew up before the door of Shifangzai, and Dong Zhengzhen's maidservant darted inside. A moment later she came rushing back out and pressed close to the carriage window, speaking in a low voice.
"My lady — His Highness is still waiting for you!"
Dong Zhengzhen's heart thundered. She bit down hard on her lip and sat frozen in thought for a long while.
"My lady! His Highness has waited more than two full hours!"
The maidservant urged her in a hushed voice.
Steadying herself, Dong Zhengzhen pulled her hat down firmly over her brow. Taking her maidservant's hand, she stepped slowly down from the carriage and went straight up to the second floor.
At the entrance to the elegantly appointed room, her maidservant gave a nod to the young attendant standing at the door, and he promptly slid it open.
Standing outside, Dong Zhengzhen glimpsed through the gauze of her veil the figure by the window — and her eyes reddened. The moment she stepped inside, the maidservant hastily shut the door and stood watch outside with the attendant.
The man at the window was Prince Liang. When he saw Dong Zhengzhen standing there in silence, having removed her hat, his own eyes grew damp.
"I heard the Grand Preceptor went to Old Master Tan to arrange a match between you and Zhen Cuilu. Did they come to your family to speak of marriage?"
Dong Zhengzhen clutched her hat tightly and stood at the door without a word.
"I can't bear it any longer! I must go now and plead for the match myself. Even if it breaks both my legs, I will kneel and beg — I will beg Lord Dong to give you to me!"
Prince Liang strode forward in his agitation, caught his foot against the leg of the table, and nearly pitched headlong.
"Your Highness!"
Startled, Dong Zhengzhen rushed to steady him.
"Zhengzhen..."
Looking at her as she held him upright, Prince Liang suddenly began to weep aloud.
"Foolish, stupid — I know full well I'm not worthy of you! Once before, to save Prince Xin, I took another man's lies for truth and very nearly dragged the Bai family down into ruin. It was all my fault. But I have paid for it! When everyone mocked me and tormented me... only you, Zhengzhen — only you were different. You alone treated me as though I were something more! If I lose you, there will be nothing left of me. Zhengzhen, I cannot go on without you!"
Dong Zhengzhen's chest felt as though it were tearing apart, and tears spilled down her face unchecked.
She had been six years old, attending a palace banquet, when she had done nothing more than hand her handkerchief to the boy being bullied by Prince Xin — and she had never imagined he would remember it to this day. That he would say no one, in all the years since, had ever shown him such warmth.
What kind of life had he lived, that a passing kindness — offered without a second thought — could be treasured in his memory for more than ten years?