Free Web NovelChapter 187: Chapter 186: Qingming
The day before Qingming, it rained heavily all day in the Capital.
Perhaps due to the mental burden of De’an’s water crisis, Yunluo felt somewhat heavy-hearted as she watched the continuous curtain of water under the eaves.
Meanwhile, many citizens in the Capital had heard rumors about De’an.
The official road from De’an to the Capital had been partially cleared; while carriages couldn’t pass, horseback riders or pedestrians could manage. Several officials from the Ministry of Revenue had already set out.
The situation in De’an City was unclear, causing unrest among the people in the Capital, who feared the torrential rain might bring disaster to the Capital as well.
Fortunately, on the day of Qingming, though the Capital remained cloudy, there was no rain.
The sky was incredibly dark. Yunluo freshened up and got dressed before heading to the ancestral hall with her parents.
Du Gongfu, with a stern face, stepped down from the sedan chair and gestured to the bowing juniors.
Old Mrs. Xia seemed to have had a restless night and was lacking in spirit, with Lanzhi supporting her closely.
Miao Family stepped forward to greet her, saying, "Old Madam, the floor inside the ancestral hall is dry, with mats laid out. The ground outside is still wet, and though we’re not unwilling to endure hardships, kneeling on such damp ground might harm our bodies. So I thought we’d use leather mats."
Old Mrs. Xia nodded slightly.
She wasn’t one to strictly adhere to rules.
The bluestone ground was already uncomfortable to kneel on under the blazing sun, let alone now when it’s so damp. Kneeling for even a quarter-hour would be unbearable for the knees.
She, an old lady, would feel even more swelling and pain in her feet before the rain fell, and getting sick afterward would be unwise. Moreover, there were several delicate young ladies here, what was the point of suffering?
Miao Family breathed a sigh of relief and quickly instructed the servants to fetch the leather mats.
As per the hour, Du Gongfu recited ancestral rites in the ancestral hall.
Yunluo knelt outside the hall and glanced at the spot beside her, where Yun Ru had knelt last year, which was now empty.
Over the course of a year, her elder sister’s place for ancestral worship had changed.
As for herself, if nothing unexpected happened, by this time next year, she’d be paying respects to the ancestors of Dingyuan Marquis Mansion. She’d be kneeling at the Mu Family’s ancestral hall, a place she could envision with her eyes closed.
A three-bay single-eave resting hilltop, enshrining several generations of Mu Family ancestors; the Chastity Arch bestowed during the Shuntian First Year wasn’t yet constructed, lacking the imposing gravity of later years.
However, thinking of that ancestral hall, Yunluo still felt uncomfortable, as she naturally disliked it.
The ancestral rites concluded in an orderly manner.
For the succeeding days, there was still no sunshine in the Capital; fortunately, although there were a few bouts of rain, they weren’t heavy, and it was mostly overcast.
This damp and rainy weather provided Yunluo with an excuse to avoid Princess Yunhua’s urging for horse riding practice.
Yunluo received a letter from Princess Nanyan.
This seemed to be the first time receiving a letter from Princess Nanyan. On a thin piece of paper, a brief note mentioned that they would bring Mu Lianhui along to the hunting ground during the visit to Cining Palace.
Yunluo raised her eyebrows, pondering over the note in her hand.
The Empress Dowager didn’t favor Mu Lianhui, yet had to appease both Dingyuan Marquis Mansion and Yunluo, the yet-to-wed Heir’s Wife. By her nature, the Empress Dowager would certainly not add Mu Lianhui to the mix.
If she had intended from the start to let Mu Lianhui accompany, there would be no need to mention it to Yunluo.
Who knows who added a few extra words.
It likely wasn’t the Imperial Consort, as she was naturally cautious and was loyal to the Empress Dowager’s lead. Even if her heart favored Mu Lianhui, she wouldn’t propose such an idea now, lest it wouldn’t elevate Mu Lianhui but rather make the Empress Dowager dislike her even more.
Yunluo lit the paper over the oil lamp, and the flame consumed it swiftly.
The next day, the decree for the hunting ground was issued to various mansions, just as Princess Nanyan had told Yunluo, with Mu Lianhui’s name included.
The departure date was set to April 9th.
Yunuo came looking for her, laughing, "Have you learned to ride, Fifth Sister?"
Yunluo gave her a sidelong glance, saying, "You really don’t know me, do you? Not even as good as a three-footed cat, just putting on an act."
Such candidness made Yunuo burst into laughter, "Then you better take care, I’m telling you, those going along are better than you."
Taking advantage of Princess An Ran’s connections, she had met many noble ladies in the Capital; while not exactly close, she had some understanding.
Most of the young ladies going to the hunting ground were from military families, proficient in horse riding.
"Am I the only novice?" Yunluo asked.
Yunuo pursed her lips and laughed for a while, "There’s another. The youngest daughter of General Huang, Huang Jie, she can’t ride."
"Who?" Yunluo was quite surprised, "General Huang’s daughter?"
Seeing Yunuo nod, Yunluo found it hard to believe.
In her impression, General Huang was a brave and battle-hardened man, robust and powerful, wielding a long sword with imposing might, even his laughter was three times louder than that of ordinary people.
General Huang spent his life in the military, even in old age, he dared to fight at the border, yet his daughter couldn’t ride a horse.
"You haven’t interacted with Huang Jie; this person truly..." Yunuo shrugged, "Paint a tiger badly and it becomes a dog instead."
According to Yunuo, Huang Jie’s temperament was completely different from her sisters.
General Huang’s first wife passed away early, leaving behind four children. General Huang, a robust man, couldn’t take care of them, so he followed his parents’ wishes to marry a fill-in wife.
The fill-in wife’s ancestors were scholars, her family fell on hard times, but she retained an air of literary pretentiousness; Huang’s mother was this lady.
When General Huang was still an Assistant General, she loved poetry and painting, constantly talking about the sages of the past. Not only did she pressure young Huang Jie, but she also insisted on the daughters left by the first wife learning music, chess, calligraphy, needlework, and virtues. Despite Huang’s ever-increasing war merits, his wife still disliked martial displays, valuing elegance and romance.
Raised by her mother, young Huang Jie was scolded every time she wanted to join her brothers and sisters in riding.
Unable to control the children left by the first wife, the fill-in wife gradually turned a blind eye to them, but treated her own daughter Huang Jie with even more severity, hoping to prove that a girl taught under cultural refinement was truly successful.
"Girls from military families love playing pitch-pot and riding horses; she knows neither, yet when alongside scholarly girls doing poetry and chess, she’s not adept either. All around, she doesn’t belong anywhere, so her words gradually gained a sour tone," Yunuo moved closer to Yunluo, "I’m not here to gossip, rather, this person’s sourness leaves everyone uncomfortable. You should keep your distance, just in case."
Yunluo replied with a smile.
She understood that previously, Yunuo wouldn’t bother telling her these things, preferring to watch Yunluo fall into traps and laugh from the sidelines.
But now, given Yunuo’s age and circumstances, she couldn’t afford to be reckless anymore.
If Yunluo embarrassed herself outside, people would hesitate to propose to Yunuo, ruining Du Family’s reputation.
Both bearing the name Du, they represented each other’s image; neither could afford to lose face.
