Chapter 53
Chapter 53
Skillful Posturing (3)
“Is the State Preceptor here?”
She asked on the way, her expression earnest.
“I haven’t heard any news of the State Preceptor’s arrival.” The maidservant had also heard about the recent rumours in the capital. She admired the “courage” of the Zheng family’s young lady, but also pitied her for being afflicted with such a one-sided infatuation.
So what if one was a noble lady? There were also things they weren’t able to obtain.
“But His Imperial Highness, the crown prince, His Highness Jin Wang, and His Highness Huai Wang are all here. There, they are in the pavilion, playing with the Princess and County Princess.”
Zheng Wan looked up. Indeed, beyond the moon gate, in the Lijia Pavilion behind the waterfall rockery, was a group of young gentlemen and ladies were drinking and playing. The white pear trees were just beginning to bud, and there was a sea of fresh green.
“Wan’niang! Come here quickly!”
The birthday girl, Princess Rong Yi, flushed from playing. She saw a beautiful woman coming from afar, looked hard, and saw that it was indeed Zheng Wan, and hurriedly waved her over.
When she entered Lijia Pavilion, Zheng Wan untied her dachang and handed it to Luodai. Only then did everyone see that her form was so fragile that it seemed scarcely strong enough to bear the trifling weight of clothing. Even though she was dressed in pink, her face was still white and bloodless; having lost weight, her shiny black eyes seemed even larger.
The young lady of the Zheng family had always been high-spirited. When had she ever shown any timidity in front of outsiders?
Such a weak, slender, and unbearably pitiful appearance made everyone completely believe the rumour. Most of the ladies were secretly happy, but the gentlemen felt otherwise. The imperious beauty who had always been daunting and awe-inspiring, had undergone such suffering, and was now showing such a delicate and timid appearance—it made their hearts itch.
Naturally, Rong Qin was utterly unceremonious.
That day, when the State Preceptor had revealed his true appearance on the marble boat, which of the ladies there who were not yet betrothed did not have their hearts stirred? With that appearance, she was willing to marry him even if he was without those remarkable abilities. But this person, who seemed like a celestial deity himself, was actually looking upon Zheng Wan with exceptional favour——in the first place, her high position was just about to collapse, who could have guessed that another thousand feet of heaven would appear for her to rest upon? Wasn’t that just forcing one to grimace and gnash their teeth in bitter hatred?
Therefore, when she heard that Zheng Wan had offended the State Preceptor immensely while she was recuperating, such that he refused to visit her again and didn’t even reply to a single one of her love letters, Rong Qin ate an extra bowl of rice that night.
“Wan’niang, if you are so unwell, wouldn’t it be better for you to rest more at home? After all, there’s no State Preceptor to treat you anymore,” Rong Qin said, her face full of concern.
Zheng Wan widened her large eyes; first, there was a sorrowful look, then, she quickly picked up her spirits again. “It’s Princess Rong Yi’s birthday, I can’t afford to be absent.”
“It’s such an auspicious day, but you——”
Third Lady Jiang had always acted according to Rong Qin’s inclinations. “——who doesn’t know that you, Zheng Wan’niang, has had two broken engagements in a row. The princess has not yet been betrothed, yet, you still came. Are you trying to pass on the bad luck to her?”
Second Lady Liu looked at the crown prince’s expression and hastened to smooth things over.
“Don’t talk like that. Nine times out of ten, life doesn’t go the way we want it to. Lady Zheng is only recently…”
“Yes indeed. After painstakingly climbing up a big Buddha, she then offended him with that nasty temper. Isn’t that a cause for much regret?”
Zheng Wan counted in her mind: follower one, follower two, follower three, and told herself not to care. After all, she had come here with the purpose of letting Cui Wang, who had gone into his sea of consciousness, look at her current circumstance.
A weak and timid woman— this weakness and timidity were her weapons.
The gentlemen wanted to say something to help, but the matter was just idle chatter between women, and they couldn’t intervene.
“The State Preceptor has arrived.”
At this moment, the steward of Liluo Garden came hurriedly to announce the arrival. The sweat on his forehead was still dripping when a snow-coloured figure appeared on the path.
A broad-sleeved wide robe, black hair like a waterfall. He seemed to have bathed in the wind and snow, but when this wind and snow brushed Zheng Wan’s face, it was soft and warm.
Her eyes curved as she smiled sweetly. Ah, she had made the right bet again.