Setting the Trap
The mistresses of the Duke's residence had all gathered at the Grand Princess's Shouyuan, the Garden of Longevity.
Now that the Emperor had posthumously elevated the Duke of Zhenguo to King of Zhenguo, it was only fitting that the funeral be elevated in scale as well.
But the Grand Princess had already promised the Emperor she would hold the rites simply, and because she had offered to surrender her title of her own accord, the Emperor had made the posthumous elevation possible at all. The Bai family therefore had to tread carefully, and only by maintaining humility could they protect the clan.
The Grand Princess was not in good condition. Half-leaning against a large saffron-yellow pillow embroidered with a water-chestnut pattern, she sat on the meditation platform, turning the agarwood prayer beads wound about her wrist for a long while before she finally spoke.
"Let the coffin leave the residence on the tenth day."
Lady Dong bowed her head. With the coffin sitting in the courtyard, every glance at it forced her to endure a pain that gnawed at her heart—she had failed even to guard her husband's and her son's bodies. It would be better for the coffin to leave a day sooner. What the eyes could not see, the heart might grieve a little less.
The moment the Grand Princess finished speaking, Nanny Zhang hurried in, paid her respects, and said,
"Your Highness, the Marquis of Zhongyong has taken his own life in prison. Young Master Jin has already returned to the Marquis's estate to prepare for the funeral. He sent word just now—Second Miss is to remain at the Bai residence and is not to go back to the Marquis's house."
Lady Liu shot to her feet, flustered and alarmed, clutching hard at the handkerchief in her hand. At the sudden news, her heart leapt up into her throat.
"C-could my son-in-law be implicated as well?"
Bai Jinxiu looked instinctively toward Bai Jingyan, who sat with her head bowed beneath the lamplight.
Bai Jingyan held a teacup gone cold in her hand. She had already perceived that Prince Liang had killed the Marquis of Zhongyong to seal his mouth.
"Aunt Liu, don't worry. If Jin Lang were implicated, he would never have been let out of the Court of Judicial Review."
Bai Jingyan set down the teacup.
"His Majesty and the Empress could not stop praising Jin Lang as a model for the sons of official families. His Majesty will never do anything to shame himself. What is more, Jin Lang chose loyalty over filial piety, surrendering his own father's evidence of treason for the greater good. Once this matter is concluded, he may well be rewarded."
The Grand Princess nodded. She knew her own grandnephew well enough.
"A'Yan is right. Don't worry. Am I not still alive and well here? Your son-in-law will come to no harm."
Only then did Lady Liu nod, blinking back tears as she thanked the Grand Princess.
Leaving the Grand Princess's garden, Bai Jingyan took Lady Dong's arm and walked out with her, speaking in a low voice.
"Mother has entrusted the affairs of the residence to me, so I will guard the Bai estate well. Nothing will go wrong—Mother need only prepare well for the tenth day."
Lady Dong stroked Bai Jingyan's hand gently.
"You always handle things so carefully that I do not worry. It is only that I worry you push yourself too hard."
After parting from Lady Dong, Bai Jingyan asked Nanny Dong on the way to the funeral hall,
"Did the person we sent to watch Chunyan say anything?"
"Nothing yet."
Taking Bai Jingyan's hand, Nanny Dong lowered her voice and went on.
"But yesterday Chunyan came to find this servant, weeping and wailing. She said she knew full well what she had done wrong, and that all she wanted now was to return and serve at the Eldest Miss's side again—she even gave me a gold bracelet. I accepted it for the time being."
A white lantern hanging beneath the eaves of the corridor, carved with flowers and lacquered vermilion, swayed lightly in the wind.
Bai Jingyan, holding her hand warmer, looked calm and gentle.
There was no one in the Duke's residence who did not know why Chunyan had left Qinghui Courtyard. Not a single servant would have shown her a kind face. She had survived on the items and silver Bai Jingyan had once bestowed upon her—only barely managing to get even a sip of water to drink.
Once the valuables she carried on her person had been relieved from her by servants who fawned on the strong and bullied the weak, Chunyan had finally, too late, come to understand how good Qinghui Courtyard truly was.
Ever since the day she had been reborn, Bai Jingyan had kept asking herself one question. In her past life, how on earth had Prince Liang managed to slip a letter forged in her grandfather's hand into her grandfather's own study?
Few people could come and go from Grandfather's study. Besides Grandmother, the Grand Princess, she alone had been permitted to enter.
It took her a long while of searching her memory before Chunyan came to mind. In her past life, Bai Jingyan had trusted Chunyan deeply—Chunyan and Chun Tao had been her most trusted personal maids. What if Chunyan had used some pretext to fetch something from Grandfather's study, or to return a book on her behalf, and slipped the letter inside then?
In her past life, when those letters had surfaced from Grandfather's study, Lady Dong had already sent Chunyan out of Dadu, so the details could never be learned—there was nothing but conjecture.
But now Bai Jingyan had every preparation in place, and all that remained was to lure the prey into the trap. She would have to keep Chunyan at her side once more, with people assigned to watch her closely.
After a moment, Bai Jingyan spoke slowly.
"For days now I've been craving the taste of that youchamian we used to have—that oil-tea flour noodle porridge. I asked the big kitchen, the small kitchen, Chun Tao, and Chun Xing to try making it, but none of them got the taste right."
Nanny Dong was sharp as a tack and understood at once.
"Every winter, Chunyan used to make youchamian, and each time, Your Highness rewarded her handsomely. If the Eldest Miss wants that taste, this servant will go tell her. We can simply say the gold bracelet she gave paid for the favor."
"Go take care of it, Nanny. Chun Tao alone can come with me to the funeral hall."
When word reached Chunyan through Nanny Dong that Bai Jingyan wanted to eat youchamian, she could not hold back her tears and bowed deeply to the old nanny.
"Nanny Dong, thank you for telling me! Nanny Dong, thank you so much!"
"We're all servants here, child. It isn't easy to scrape together anything of real value—and that was a gold bracelet, after all. I couldn't just take it for nothing."
Then Nanny Dong's expression cooled slightly.
"Let me warn you now: even if the Eldest Miss takes you back into Qinghui Courtyard out of old affection, do not let your guard down. If you slip up one more time, I will deal with you myself before she ever has to say a word. Don't blame me then for being cold."
"I understand! I understand! Nanny, don't worry. This servant will never make a mistake again. I'll devote myself to nothing but serving the Eldest Miss!"
With that, Chunyan drew several gold peanuts that Bai Jingyan had bestowed on her from her breast and held them out to Nanny Dong, her face full of sincerity.
"This is the last of what I own. The Eldest Miss granted them to me last year—I want you to have them, as my thanks!"
Accepting the gold peanuts, Nanny Dong smiled low and said,
"The Eldest Miss is at the funeral hall now. By dawn she'll be cold and hungry."
Chunyan's eyes lit up. She bowed even deeper.
"Thank you for telling me, Nanny!"
It had just gone past the hour of Zi, midnight.
Bai Jingyan sent Bai Jinchi, who was still wounded, to take the three younger sisters inside to rest, and kept vigil over the funeral hall with Bai Jinxiu and Bai Jindong.
Nanny Dong came in carrying a black-lacquered tiered food box and knelt quietly behind Bai Jingyan.
"Eldest Miss. Please eat something, you and the Second and Third Misses. You must take food or you will not have the strength to endure."
"Very well."
Bai Jingyan nodded.
"Jinxiu, Jindong. Come and eat something."
Once the three sisters sat to one side, Nanny Dong opened the food box. Bai Jindong drew near as if spellbound by the fragrant, nutty smell.
"That smell… roasted nuts and grain—"
"Youchamian!"
Bai Jindong gave a start of surprise.
Smiling, Nanny Dong ladled out a bowl for each of them, then brought out several freshly made delicacies from the food box.
Bai Jingyan lifted her bowl, tasted a spoonful, then turned to Nanny Dong.
"Who made this youchamian today? It tastes exactly like Chunyan's."
Nanny Dong knelt neatly at her side, hands folded before her, and answered in a low voice.
"That girl Chunyan made it. Someone must have let word slip to her that Your Highness found the youchamian made in the kitchens wanting. She said you were toiling through the night keeping vigil, so she made youchamian and brought it over."
Bai Jindong gave a quiet laugh. Eating Chunyan's youchamian, she felt not the slightest pity for the girl. A sneer crossed her face.
"She must want to beg Eldest Sister to let her back into Qinghui Courtyard. I heard she's been having a hard time of it lately."
Bai Jingyan pressed her lips together and said nothing. Having emptied her bowl of youchamian, she slowly set down her spoon, wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, and spoke again.
"Where is Chunyan now?"
"Still waiting outside."
Nanny Dong answered.
Bai Jindong smirked.
"I thought so…"
"If she wants to return to Qinghui Courtyard, let her. But tell her to mind her step, and to stay out of my sight."
With that, Bai Jingyan rose to her feet, her face betraying no emotion at all.
Only after Bai Jinxiu and Bai Jindong had finished eating did Nanny Dong gather the empty bowls and spoons and make her way back along the corridor toward the moon gate. Chunyan, bracing herself against the wall, hurried up to her.
"Nanny! Did the Eldest Miss agree to see me?"
Nanny Dong straightened her back and handed the food box to Chunyan. Pressing her handkerchief firmly to her lips, she spoke.
"The Eldest Miss, out of old affection, has arranged for your belongings and told you to return to Qinghui Courtyard. Count yourself lucky. Walk carefully, and stay out of her sight. Keep quiet for a year, half a year—and who knows? She may remember the good in you and take you back at her side after all."
"Nanny, thank you for saying so! Nanny, thank you so much!"
Chunyan wept with joy, covering her mouth with her hand and crying on and on.
"Stop crying! Pack your things and return to Qinghui Courtyard early tomorrow morning."
"Yes!"
Chunyan thanked her over and over, then carried the food box away. It felt as though her days of hardship had finally come to an end.
Watching Chunyan stagger off, Nanny Dong's eyes went cold. She snapped her handkerchief down sharply, then returned to the funeral hall and reported to Bai Jingyan.
"I made it plain to Chunyan that she is to return to Qinghui Courtyard tomorrow morning. That girl is one who grows insolent the moment she is granted an inch. Now that Your Highness has given permission, she will no doubt return swollen with pride, ready to work off all her resentment properly."
Nanny Dong spoke in a low voice.
When Nanny Dong said this, Bai Jingyan did not ask Bai Jinxiu and Bai Jindong to withdraw.
At those words, Bai Jindong's eyes went round.
"Eldest Sister? You're taking Chunyan back into Qinghui Courtyard—wasn't it out of old affection? Do you have some other plan in motion?"
Bai Jingyan reverently offered incense, then bowed. Kneeling to one side, she spoke.
"Nanny, assign people to watch Chunyan closely, and have Chun Tao keep company with her, draw closer to her. You are the most favored maid at my side right now—move a little nearer to her, and word of it will surely be scattered and spread everywhere."