Cui Yu’s appearance drew the focused attention of not only the young girls and daughters-in-law in Shushi Pavilion, but also the female guests in the other gazebos, who were genuinely impressed by his demeanor.
In Liuyun Pavilion, Cui Yu had distanced himself, and only then did Concubine Li wave her folding fan to get Mrs. Cui’s attention.
King Yan took three concubines after his arrival in Yandi. The first concubine, Wen, hailed from a humble and insignificant family background, making her the least of Concubine Li’s concerns. The second was Guo Shi, General Guo’s younger sister, who was both beautiful and came from a renowned family, which had temporarily fueled Concubine Li’s anger. The last concubine King Yan accepted was from the Cui family. She was truly unique.
If Concubine Li and King Yan were considered childhood sweethearts, Madam Cui had practically grown up under King Yan’s watchful eye, as there was a fifteen-year age difference between the two.
Cui Yingchuan, Cui’s father, had been a close companion of King Yan. When King Yan ascended the throne, Cui Yingchuan became an influential advisor by King Yan’s side, despite not holding an official position. Later, he relocated his wife and family to Pingcheng with King Yan and selflessly sacrificed his life to protect King Yan during a war. His wife, unable to bear the loss, soon succumbed to illness, leaving the Cui family’s siblings behind.
King Yan brought the two siblings into the palace to raise them. Madam Cui became King Yan’s concubine at the age of fifteen, and her younger brother, Cui Yu, received an education alongside Wei Yang and other noble brothers. When he turned twenty, King Yan appointed him as a counselor and granted him a mansion near the palace.
Madam Cui was not only young and beautiful but also known for her gentleness, consistently ranking among the top three in the number of times she spent with King Yan each month among the five wives and concubines.
Concubine Li viewed Madam Cui as a serious concern. While Cui might not pose a direct threat to her power, her place in King Yan’s heart might overshadow Concubine Li’s own.
“Sister Cui, how old is Yu Lang?” Side Concubine Li inquired while fanning herself.
Mrs. Cui’s beautiful face revealed a touch of embarrassment as she replied, “He is twenty-six.”
Concubine Li inquired, “Hasn’t his marriage been settled yet?”
Madam Cui lowered her eyes and shook her head.
Concubine Li expressed her concern with a sigh, “You know, given Yu Lang’s looks and the high regard in which the king holds him, his marriage should have been arranged long ago. However, it’s a pity that his luck seems to be quite unfortunate. In the past few years, the king arranged two potential matches for him. In the first one, the woman suddenly fell seriously ill and passed away, and in the second, her face got burnt in a house fire. People began gossiping, spreading rumors that he might be cursed, and the king couldn’t assist him anymore. It’s really…”
Madam Cui gazed at the water, her eyes filled with sorrow. She paid no mind to Concubine Li’s taunts; her heart only ached for her talented younger brother who had remained alone without anyone to care for him all these years.
Concubine Guo offered a comforting smile and said, “Marriage is fated, my sister. There’s no need to worry. Perhaps there’s a better match waiting for Yu Lang.”
Madam Wen patted her hand reassuringly. Madam Cui chuckled, “I’ll borrow my sister’s kind words then.” As the guests arrived, the maids from King Yan’s Mansion, adorned with flowers and graceful manners, served melons, fruits, and tea to everyone.
It was clear that King Yan had something to address the guests, as the dragon boat race would not commence until then.
Laughter and conversation resumed in Shushi Pavilion, and Wei Ying’s cheerful demeanor returned as she engaged in a guessing game with Guo Suying, predicting which dragon boat team would win that day.
Yin Hui, however, watched Wei Ying’s bright smile and couldn’t help but drift back into her own thoughts, reflecting on her past life.
At that time, because Yin Hui abided by the rules in the palace all the time, even better than Xu Qingwan, the lively and active Wei Ying seldom went to Chengxin hall to see her. Therefore,Yin Hui’s knowledge of Wei Ying was limited to the fact that she had stayed in King Yan’s Mansion until she was eighteen years old before her distant marriage, after which she never returned to the palace. The last memory Yin Hui had of Wei Ying was her in a wedding gown, with lowered eyebrows and narrowed eyes.
While Yan Wang’s eldest daughter, Wei Jin, and the second daughter, Wei Shan, happily enjoyed the status of being princesses in the capital, Wei Ying was obviously more favored but had chosen not to return to Beijing. Yin Hui couldn’t help but be curious about what had transpired. However, she had no avenue to ask, as her cold husband would never discuss his half-sister’s private matters. On the other hand, if she inquired among her sisters-in-law, she feared they might later accuse her of interfering too much with family affairs.
Being a daughter-in-law was already challenging, but being a daughter-in-law of the royal family, and in the imperial city, with a mother-in-law and multiple concubines, was even more demanding.
“Sister-in-law?” Someone lightly tugged on Yin Hui’s sleeve, bringing her back to the present. She looked up and saw Wei Ying smiling at her.
“Sister-in-law, what were you thinking about? I called you three times,” Wei Ying remarked.
Yin Hui replied, “I was thinking about Wu Lang. I’m afraid he might get into some mischief and trouble.”
Wei Ying reassured her, “There’s a wet nurse to take care of him, so don’t worry.”
Yin Hui nodded with a smile.
At that moment, Ji Xianxian asked everyone to draw lots to predict which dragon boat would win. Wei Ying mumbled in a low voice, “What’s there to bet on? Father must be number one. Who would dare to surpass him?”
Ji Xianxian, hearing this, rolled her beautiful eyes and said with a smile, “Then let’s bet on who comes in second place.”
And so it became an interesting game. Of the remaining four dragon boat teams, three consisted of elite soldiers selected from the Three Guards, and the fourth team included the three brothers from the Guo family personally participating in the race.
In total, there were twelve female guests in the pavilion on the left side of Shushi Pavilion, including Wei Ying and Guo Suying.