Chapter Twenty-One: Encounter with a Princess on the Great Road

As the music ended, the hall fell silent for a moment. Shen Zhu rose gracefully from the floor and offered a bow toward the seats of honor.

“Excellent! Excellent!” Ju’er exclaimed twice in quick succession, his face flushed with excitement as he clapped enthusiastically.

Liu Yongcheng and Peng Lun, however, remained composed. Peng Lun kept his head lowered, his thoughts unreadable, while Eunuch Liu asked teasingly, “You keep saying excellent, Ju’er, but what exactly was so good about it?”

Ju’er fixed his eyes on Shen Zhu and replied, “Her legs are supple, her figure lithe, her waist sways like a willow, her face is as lovely as a lotus—she is the very picture of beauty!”

Liu Yongcheng threw back his head and laughed heartily. “It seems Ju’er is bewitched by beauty itself, unable to judge the dance or the song for what they were.”

It was only then that Ju’er realized his uncle was teasing him. He snatched up a cup beside him to mask his embarrassment, took a sip, and after a moment composed himself to say with a laugh, “Since time immemorial, even heroes have found it hard to resist the charms of beauty. If someone as ordinary as I am should falter, no wonder Minister Chu, who has adored beauty for years, would be pleased regardless of the performance.”

Shen Zhu, being praised so effusively, flushed with joy and shyness, her complexion all the more radiant for it.

Liu Yongcheng and his nephew seemed satisfied; it appeared they had matters yet to discuss and were unwilling to prolong the examination. Liu Yongcheng said, “You may all withdraw now. This afternoon, you will depart for the capital. Rest well in the city tonight, and tomorrow you will accompany Master Liu to the Chancellor’s residence to offer birthday felicitations.”

Madam Xu and the others hurriedly acknowledged the order, guiding the group of maidens out, and the musicians filed out in turn.

Back in their daily quarters, the instructors helped them pack several sets of dance costumes, shoes, and socks, along with some gold and pearl ornaments distributed earlier that day, all placed into bamboo trunks to be loaded onto the carriages by the servants.

With departure imminent, most of the girls suddenly found themselves reluctant to part from gentle Yu Jun and Zhenniang, whose eyes too brimmed with tears. Especially Biying, ever so open with her emotions, and the honest, reserved Wu Yunxian—both clung to their friends’ hands, unable to speak through their sobs.

Though Madam Xu still wore a stern expression, her gaze had softened somewhat. She reminded them, “Mind you, don’t cry till your eyes are swollen. If you’re still puffy tomorrow and can’t be presented, that would not do at all.”

At her words, the girls only wept harder.

Lingran, having faced life and death, found that ordinary partings no longer moved her deeply; instead, she was filled with unease and uncertainty about the future. Now she was to enter the household of one of Ming’s most powerful figures, the dangers and unexpected turns ahead far beyond what these simple girls could imagine.

But then, seeing Biying crying until even her nose ran, Lingran suddenly burst out laughing, all her gloom swept away.

What did it matter? Let soldiers come if they must, and water be blocked with earth. When the boat reaches the bridge, it will naturally straighten.

She handed her handkerchief to Biying, comforting her, “Don’t cry! You’re so pretty—who knows, maybe Prince Xiang will take a liking to you and make you his twelfth wife. You’d better remember to look after your sisters then!”

“What nonsense!” Biying, both embarrassed and flustered, wiped her nose, tossed the handkerchief back, and said, “If you keep talking rubbish, I’ll ignore you.”

“All right, I’ll stop,” Lingran replied, watching the handkerchief flutter to the ground. She thought to herself, out with the old, in with the new, and made no move to pick it up.

They had exchanged only a few words before a servant arrived to urge their departure.

The girls waved their farewells to Madam Xu, Madam Zhou, and the others, setting out upon a new journey.

***

The procession of carriages and horses rolled on. This time, the nine chosen maidens were seated three to a carriage, spread among three vehicles, escorted by the imposing cavalry of the Western Office, their banners flying as they made their way toward the capital.

On the road, Lingran couldn’t help but ask Yuan’er about the identity of “Ju’er.”

Yuan’er replied, “It’s said that Eunuch Liu is the uncle of Liu Ju, Commander of the Right Army. They addressed each other that way just now, so it must be Marquis Ningjin, Liu Ju himself.”

“And what sort of man is he?” Lingran asked, recalling how that man had practically ogled Shen Zhu earlier, and thinking he wasn’t likely to be a decent sort.

“I can’t say for sure. I’ve only heard he rose to high rank through merit, and since he’s aligned with Eunuch Liu and General Peng, he probably isn’t a bad person,” Yuan’er guessed naively.

Lingran remained unconvinced.

As they chatted, the cavalry finally entered the city.

The young women, long unaccustomed to the bustle and splendor, were especially entranced—Lingran most of all, for she’d always been curious about ancient marketplaces but had never had a chance to wander one herself. She kept lifting the curtain to peek out at the scenes outside.

Biying was just as curious. Watching Lingran, she too peered out, until Yuan’er, weary from repeatedly stopping one only to chase after the other, finally pleaded, “Please, little mistresses, do stop. If the eunuchs outside see you, it wouldn’t look proper!”

“You mean those fancies?” Lingran tried out her new slang—though she knew it was a bit rude. No sooner had she spoken than Yuan’er clapped a hand over her mouth.

Biying burst out laughing, her smile radiant and bright.

Looking at these two sisters, Lingran was secretly glad she hadn’t actually tried to run away. If she’d been caught, she’d have lost her head for her trouble. To have such sisterly affection was a rare fate indeed, something to be cherished. From now on, whenever good fortune came her way, she’d look after them—let them eat well and live well! She made this vow silently to herself...

The cavalry rode down the most bustling main street, never once turning. Lingran, catching sight of the towering city gate, felt as if she were entering the imperial palace itself.

Suddenly, there seemed to be some commotion ahead—voices shouted, “Make way! Make way!”—and it appeared the guards of the Western Office had gotten into a dispute.

Lingran furtively lifted the carriage curtain and saw that two large sedan chairs had come to a halt in front. On horseback nearby, Peng Lun rode over to the sedan where Liu Yongcheng sat, his posture wary.

“Who dares to block my procession?” came Liu Yongcheng’s displeased voice from within.

“Master, it’s the carriage of a princess ahead!” one of the guards called out.

“Hmph!” Liu Yongcheng sounded unimpressed. “There are plenty of princesses in our court. Which one is so blind as to contest the road with me?”

Lingran found his words odd—historically, Emperor Jingtao died young and had few children. Which princess could he be referring to? Besides, wasn’t this man a staunch royalist? He’d warned her to be loyal and patriotic, yet despite his high position, he was still a servant. How dared he speak so of a princess?

Then Peng Lun said, “Master, that is the carriage of Princess Gu’an.”

“Gu’an…” Liu Yongcheng seemed to sigh. He actually ordered his sedan to stop, and even called Liu Ju from the following sedan to come forward with Peng Lun. Together, they went to pay their respects to the princess.

From a distance, Lingran could see them kneeling before the princess’s carriage, but couldn’t hear what was said. Soon, the three rose and signaled for the Western Office’s cavalry to yield the road.

Lingran thought the ancient people made things unnecessarily complicated. This was a broad avenue, easily wide enough for both parties to pass, yet everyone fussed over hierarchy and protocol.

Still, she was intrigued by this Princess Gu’an. She blurted out, “Just now, Eunuch Liu was asking which princess was so foolish, and now he’s so respectful. What sort of person is she?”

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