The cicadas' chirps in late April were not yet irritatingly loud. In the teahouses and wine shops on Changming Street, like a spring breeze blowing overnight, the virtue of the second mistress of the Ningwang Mansion was on everyone's lips.
Noble ladies in the whole city began to sing her praises, saying that Mistress Kang was kind, generous, and broad - minded. They said that after the new bride from the Xiao family married in, Mistress Kang not only didn't cling to power or claim credit but also patiently taught the new bride how to handle household affairs.
Especially in the preparation for the Dragon Boat Festival gifts this time, Mistress Kang supervised every single item.
From making the gift list, to packing the presents, and then to arranging the carriages for delivery, she did everything personally. She truly treated her niece - in - law like her own daughter, teaching her every detail.
Of course, the spread of this virtuous reputation was mainly due to Li Wanming's extensive publicity.
After returning from the Chengping Princess Mansion, Li Wanming accepted seven or eight invitations at once. Early summer was the peak time for various gatherings in the capital, such as poetry clubs, flower - viewing banquets, and boat rides. She used to be lazy and declined many of them.
But now it was different. She seized every opportunity of such gatherings to highly praise her second aunt! Especially the story of how her second aunt taught her to prepare the Dragon Boat Festival gifts, she told it vividly!
When Mistress Kang first heard these rumors, she was a bit dazed.
Especially Li Wanming's overly sweet face at the flower - viewing banquet and the sickly sweet "Second aunt loves me" that squeezed out of her throat... It sent shivers down Mistress Kang's spine!
She didn't understand. All she did was provide a list from previous years and send a few housekeeper wives. Moreover, she even set a huge trap... How did it turn into "personally teaching Li Wanming how to tick the gift list with a cinnabar pen and even demonstrating how to tie the double - loop knot on the brocade box" in other people's mouths?
Was she really that virtuous?
What on earth was Li Wanming up to?
Could it be that... she was showing her submission through this opportunity?
Mistress Kang was utterly confused, but the flattery she received at the flower - viewing banquet and the boat ride was real.
The wife of the Minister of Rites held her hand and praised her for being "kind - hearted"; the wife of the Xingyuan Earl even sighed in public, "It's really rare to find someone who is willing to help the younger generation these days"; even the usually aloof and cold wife of the Qingguo Duke praised her as "virtuous".
A blush crept onto Mistress Kang's cheeks, and she gradually lost herself in the endless praises.
In the end, even when she spoke, she would say, "As elders, we should naturally help the younger generation. She is young and doesn't know anything. For such an important matter as the Dragon Boat Festival gifts, we must take more care."
...
In the blink of an eye, it was the fourth day of the fifth lunar month. The days grew hotter with the cicadas' chirps.
Li Wanming sat in Shiyong Study, slowly sipping a bowl of rock - sugar lotus - seed soup.
The twilight was like a warm cup of honey - infused tea, slowly covering the green - tiled eaves.
"I've been praising my second aunt all day today. My throat is almost on fire. Fortunately, tomorrow is the big day. Otherwise, I'll really run out of words if I keep praising like this."
Qinglan pursed her lips and smiled. "The gifts for each mansion were all sent out this morning. I'm sure the Guangyi Marquis Mansion must be in an uproar by now."
Originally, the festival gifts for each marquis mansion included two boxes of golden - silk candied - date zongzi, twelve multicolored sachets embroidered with twin lotus flowers, a pair of璎珞 jade - ring necklaces, and a large brocade tapestry screen with a pattern of two cranes holding a fish.
However, for the Guangyi Marquis Mansion, some special "thoughts" were added.
"The zongzi in that box didn't use golden - silk candied dates but lotus cores. One bite and it will be extremely bitter." Qinglan's voice was as calm as the water in a deep pool. "The bitterness of the lotus core is beyond description. I'm sure Lady Hou will feel the pain of the late mistress when she saw her beloved daughter die young."
"The twin - lotus on the sachet originally symbolized marital harmony, but I specifically asked someone to embroider the lotus petals with fading silk threads... This twin - lotus died early and never got to see the day of full bloom."
"The jade - ring necklace originally symbolized reunion, which is the best omen. But the pair we sent had cracks on it. Moreover, the璎珞 was woven with white silk. When Marquis Huo sees it, what will come to his mind is not a reunited family but his young daughter who hanged herself."
"As for the brocade tapestry screen with the pattern of two cranes holding a fish... The crane is a loyal bird, but in the pattern, the male crane pierced the female crane's throat with its beak and crushed two crane eggs under its claws. I also specifically asked someone to write a poem on the back: 'A night of wealth and prosperity, yet from the tomb comes the cry of the crane.'"
Li Wanming sat in front of the dressing table, slowly taking off the jade bracelet on her hand and carefully placing the ring on the table.
Chuntao was taking out the hairpins from her hair. "Will Marquis Huo and his wife understand? After all, the marquis mansion must receive a lot of gifts. What we did is so subtle. What if they don't understand? Won't all our efforts be in vain?"
"They will definitely understand." Li Wanming combed her long black hair with a rhinoceros - horn comb one stroke at a time. Her black hair shone coldly like silk under the candlelight.
"If one has a guilty conscience, they will see ghosts everywhere. The zongzi with lotus cores, the withered twin - lotus, the white - silk璎珞 jade - ring necklace... It's enough for them to recall the ugly things they did back then!"
"Qinglan, go and ask for leave from my second aunt on my behalf. Tell her I'm sick and won't accompany her to the Dragon Boat Festival palace banquet held by the Empress Dowager tomorrow."
Li Wanming gently placed the comb on the table. "It's really a pity that I won't have the chance to watch the big show tomorrow."
...
The Dragon Boat Festival palace banquet in the palace started at the end of You Hour and ended at half of Xu Hour.
But at the exact Xu Hour, Li Wanming was sitting in the middle of Jujing Hall, calmly waiting for Mistress Kang to come back and settle the score with her.
The hourglass in the corridor ticked, and the cicadas' chirps gradually faded. As the twilight deepened, finally, disordered footsteps came from outside the porch.
Li Wanming tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Her slender fingers gently stroked the edge of the celadon teacup. Her eyes were as calm as a cold pool, without a single ripple.
With a "pop", the bamboo curtain hanging at the door was lifted, rattling. Mistress Kang rushed in with her hair in disarray.
"You knew it all along... Didn't you?!"
Her voice was hoarse, her face pale, and her chest heaving violently. She stared fixedly at Li Wanming, with flames seemingly shooting out of her eyes.
Li Wanming calmly took a sip of tea and said in a calm tone, "I don't understand what you're talking about, Second aunt."
"Don't understand?"
Mistress Kang gritted her teeth, and her words were almost squeezed out from between them.
"I'm asking you, what kind of gifts did you send to the Guangyi Marquis Mansion? Who told you to send those? You deliberately pretended to be sick and didn't go to the palace today, didn't you? You just wanted to make me look bad in public and get me scolded by the Empress Dowager..."
"Was Second aunt scolded by the Empress Dowager?"
Li Wanming slightly widened her eyes, the corner of her lips curving up slightly, showing a proper amount of surprise. "During such a nice Dragon Boat Festival palace banquet, why would the Empress Dowager suddenly scold Second aunt? Did Second aunt do something shameful?"