However, such rare chess manuals proved extraordinarily difficult to obtain. Cui Xingzhou remained uncertain whether he could locate the missing half to fulfill the Winter Creek Hermit's lifelong aspiration.
Having secured the coveted chess manual, Cui Xingzhou's journey reached its natural conclusion. After presenting the hermit with fine Lu Mountain tea he'd brought as a gift, he took his leave with appropriate ceremony.
His mother's birthday celebration loomed just two days ahead. Distant relatives and longtime friends had already begun arriving at the prince's mansion, and his presence was required to properly receive and entertain the guests.
Therefore, after departing from the Winter Creek Hermit's mountain villa, he and Marquis Zhao Quan of Zhennan made their descent and transferred to a canopied four-horse carriage bearing the prince's mansion insignia, traveling together back to the estate.
The Huaiyang Prince's mansion lay in close proximity to Lingquan Town, situated just across the water from Zhenzhou Prefecture.
Though the old princess's birthday celebration had yet to commence and darkness had fallen, an animated atmosphere of arriving guests and horses filled the space before the mansion gates.
With the prince finally returned, the entire household sprang into heightened alertness, staff members hurrying forth to welcome him home.
Cui Xingzhou's first obligation was to pay his respects to his mother.
Knowing her son would return this evening, Princess Dowager Chu—who typically retired early—remained in the main hall alongside Lian Silan and her mother, awaiting Cui Xingzhou's arrival to receive his formal greeting.
When Cui Xingzhou appeared in the courtyard after turning past the pavilion, dressed in wide-sleeved, pale-colored robes cinched with a tight broad belt, the hanging lanterns illuminated his handsome features, causing his gold crown to gleam and rendering his striking appearance even more distinguished.
Lian Silan stole a shy glance at her future husband, slightly pursing her lips as she waited for her cousin to draw near.
However, Cui Xingzhou maintained his forward gaze, declining to spare his cousin more than the briefest acknowledgment.
From childhood through adulthood, he had never cultivated particular closeness with this cousin four years his junior. Even in private settings, they found little common ground for conversation.
The proper way between husband and wife ought to be one of mutual respect, conducted with the formality of honored guests. Just as Liu Mentang maintained respectful relations with her husband, even without intimate discourse, they could coexist in peaceful stability.
Cui Xingzhou harbored no interest in the romantic notion of "eyebrow penciling depth changing with the times" after marriage, but he considered a wife's respectfulness to be of paramount importance.
In this regard, a properly educated lady like Lian Silan would surely prove superior to a fallen noblewoman such as Liu Mentang.
After greeting his mother with appropriate deference, Princess Dowager Chu spoke with gentle concern, "I haven't seen you in so long, you seem to have lost weight. If official duties aren't pressing, you should remain at the mansion for several days. You can sample Silan's cooking; the tonic soup she prepares for me proves quite nourishing."
Hearing her aunt Chu's praise, Silan smiled and responded with soft modesty, "It's just that you don't mind my clumsiness, Aunt. I know my culinary skills are lacking; how could I dare to embarrass myself in front of my cousin?"
Observing Silan's humble demeanor, Princess Dowager Chu smiled and addressed Silan's mother, her sister Lian Chu-shi seated nearby, "Look how modest Silan is, not at all like your temperament!"
The Princess Dowager spoke truthfully. Her sister Lian Chu-shi had always been fiercely competitive at home, coveting the finest of everything, and hadn't mellowed even after marriage and motherhood. Yet her daughter Lian Silan had emerged as a graceful, gentle young woman—well-matched with her son Cui Xingzhou.
Having been absent from home for an extended period, after paying respects to his mother, Cui Xingzhou settled briefly to engage in courteous small talk with his mother and aunt.
Lian Chu-shi smiled and chatted pleasantly for a time, then abruptly shifted the conversation's direction, saying with calculated cheer, "Sister, Xingzhou has been alone outside for so long without a maid to tend to his needs. This can't continue. There's still a year until his marriage to Silan. Why not let Silan's maid Qianxiang serve the prince first? At least she could take care of his daily needs, couldn't she?"
This proposal to send the maid before the young lady proved quite unexpected. Aunt Lian Chu-shi appeared to be suggesting Qianxiang serve as Cui Xingzhou's chambermaid—a transparent arrangement.
Princess Dowager Chu couldn't help but glance toward Lian Silan seated nearby. The young woman showed no surprise, merely lowering her head slightly without speaking. The Princess Dowager then assessed Qianxiang directly.
The maid's appearance was proper enough, though not quite as refined as Lian Silan herself, and she didn't present as the seductive type...
At this juncture, Cui Xingzhou intervened smoothly, "I often move between military camps, which isn't convenient for a maid's presence. My manservants prove quite attentive; Aunt needn't concern herself with my welfare."
Hearing the prince's polite deflection, Lian Chu-shi persisted undeterred, "Qianxiang isn't like those pampered servants raised in grand houses. You can utilize her freely, Your Highness. When you and Silan marry, she'll already understand how to serve properly and can assist Silan in managing your daily needs. Isn't that advantageous?"
Princess Dowager Chu was easily swayed and, hearing this reasoning, found it sound. She attempted to persuade her son, "Since it's your aunt's kind intention, why not agree?"
However, Cui Xingzhou showed no inclination to yield. He reached for a nearby teacup, gently rotating the lid, and casually redirected the conversation, "A few days ago, one of my soldiers mentioned seeing Uncle Lian's servant in Lingquan Town. I assume he was there to purchase porcelain. Did he find anything satisfactory? Would you like me to help select a few pieces?"
Lian Chu-shi froze momentarily, preparing to steer the discussion back when Lian Silan spoke with gentle tact, "Mother, you're overthinking. Even if the cousin wanted to choose a maid, there are plenty of capable and attentive ones in the mansion, all trained by the Princess Dowager herself. How could Qianxiang's carelessness compare to their skill and attentiveness?"
She then gracefully transitioned to discussing accompanying Princess Dowager to the temple for a vegetarian meal the previous day, recounting amusing incidents that made Princess Dowager Chu laugh heartily. The topic of sending a maid was thus smoothly circumvented.
When Cui Xingzhou rose to bid farewell to his mother and retire to his studies, Lian Chu-shi also took her daughter to say goodbye, returning to Lian Silan's guest quarters.
Once sequestered in the private chamber with no outsiders present, Lian Chu-shi's face flushed crimson with anger as she glared at her daughter, demanding, "Didn't we agree earlier to send Qianxiang to Xingzhou's side first to understand the situation there? I finally persuaded my sister to agree, why did you stop it?"
As she spoke, her anxiety intensified, and Lian Chu-shi continued with worried agitation, "Heavens above, like father, like son! The prince's mansion's scandalous affairs never end! Back then, I knew the old Prince Cui Xie was a philanderer, which is why I stubbornly refused to marry him. I held out until my parents had no choice but to switch the marriage contracts with your aunt, letting her marry Cui Xie instead while I married your father.
Look at your aunt—if not for her natal family's support, she would have been devoured by those seductresses long ago. How could she have the comfortable life of a Princess Dowager now? Her troubles back then were nothing compared to the peace and comfort of our household... If you don't wise up, you might end up like your aunt. When that time comes, your father's middling official position won't be able to help you!"
Hearing her mother's self-aggrandizing narrative, the usually gentle Lian Silan cast Lian Chu-shi a dismissive glance, quite uncharacteristic of her public persona.
Lian Chu-shi, failing to notice her daughter's meaningful look, pressed on, "I only agreed to your marriage because I saw that Xingzhou, as an only son, has a good temperament, unlike his father's philandering ways. Who knew that Xingzhou would quietly establish a house in Lingquan Town to keep a mistress? Isn't this following in the footsteps of the late prince? If we don't take precautions early, you'll be the one to suffer!"
As Qianxiang assisted her in removing her hairpins, Lian Silan responded with measured calm, "Mother, I've told you many times not to be so blatant. Did you hear cousin's hint today? He noticed his father's servant Shumu investigating the residence in Lingquan Town. If you keep trying to push people into his household, isn't it obvious you're trying to plant spies? Given cousin's temperament, how could he allow that?"
Lian Chu-shi recognized her daughter's logic was sound, but she couldn't release her resentment, "So we just let him keep a mistress? Where will we put our family's face then?"
Lian Silan replied with cool rationality, "Didn't Shumu find out with silver? They say the woman was a merchant's wife kidnapped by bandits, who somehow caught the cousin's eye. Such a woman with a tarnished reputation is just using her beauty to amuse the young master. Given the cousin's status, no matter how much he favors her, she can't be brought into the light. Since she's just a private diversion, why spoil cousin's mood and risk annoying him?"
Lian Chu-shi felt puzzled how her daughter could demonstrate such patience, so unlike her own impulsive nature. But Silan's reasoning proved sound. Today, when the prince suddenly mentioned her husband Lian Hanshan's servant Shumu, he was clearly issuing a warning.
Her nephew, though appearing gentle and courteous in demeanor, wasn't as soft-hearted as her sister. If she insisted on placing a maid in his household, it would only produce the opposite of her intended effect.
A few days prior, when the servant went to investigate again, the soldier they had previously bribed had vanished. When they inquired with others, all remained tight-lipped, leaving him empty-handed. Reflecting on it now, given Cui Xingzhou's character, he must have punished that soldier, making it impossible to extract any further information.
After her initial wave of jealousy subsided, Lian Silan had also reasoned through the situation. When she becomes the mistress of the prince's mansion in the future, she'll have abundant methods to deal with that mistress. Why risk displeasing her cousin before the marriage even occurs?
Since circumstances stood thus, she would affect ignorance. It proved better to have a woman with a tainted reputation serving her cousin than to have him follow in the late Prince of Huaiyang's footsteps, taking in noble ladies from other families as untouchable favored concubines.
With this calculated perspective, Lian Silan gently persuaded her mother to retire for the night. She then applied a pearl face mask and bound her hair with light gauze before retiring to bed.
These days, Lian Silan was taking exceptional care of her appearance. She had heard from the soldier that the merchant's wife was exceptionally beautiful, which stirred within her a certain unease and competitive spirit.
However, even great beauty would inevitably fade with time. How long could one rely on looks alone? As the future principal wife, she should demonstrate greater magnanimity and avoid the short-sightedness that characterized her mother.
Earlier, though her mother had bitterly criticized the old prince for being a philanderer and unfit for marriage, Lian Silan knew that in their household, her mother had countless times wept with regret, lamenting her father's mediocrity and questioning why she had been so foolish as to insist on switching places with her sister.
When her grandfather had chosen husbands for the two sisters, he had selected the simple and honest Lian Hanshan as a son-in-law, recognizing Chu-shi's gentle nature as requiring such a match.
After insisting on switching places with her sister and marrying him, Lian Chu-shi discovered that while her husband was indeed honest, he was also profoundly unambitious! He lacked all the social graces essential in officialdom and had remained stagnant in the same local position for years without advancement.
In stark contrast, Cui Xie—originally merely a regional military governor—had repeatedly achieved remarkable military feats, been enfeoffed as a prince by the previous emperor, and despite encountering some setbacks, had ultimately brought glory to his ancestral temple and gradually expanded his fiefdom.
In private moments, Lian Chu-shi was consumed with regret, frequently lamenting that if she hadn't insisted on switching, she would be the mistress of the prince's mansion now.
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