Spring Remains the Same - Chapter 55

The Prince of Dai was hosting a banquet. Especially at a time when the princes were vying for power, it was certainly not a simple gathering of friends and family for pleasure. He must have intended to use the opportunity to convey something more profound.

As the banquet began, Puyang followed a maidservant toward the rear courtyard. The men and women were entertained in separate areas; the Prince of Dai hosted the male guests in the front, while the female relatives gathered in the back, hosted by his consort.

Puyang was uneasy leaving Wei Xiu in the front. In her eyes, her brothers and nephews were no different from tigers and wolves; she feared her Sir would be snatched away. Looking back, she saw Wei Xiu among the crowd.

In the eyes of the world, she was a man. Puyang had introduced her to everyone, but it wouldn’t be proper to stay too close. For one, it would be detrimental to their reputations; for another, it would make it seem as if Wei Xiu was dependent on her, unable to act independently.

The crowd was boisterous, and laughter reached her ears from time to time. Princes and nobles always held a certain respect for famous scholars, and with Wei Xiu’s name already quite renowned, they spoke to her very politely. Puyang could only see her profile—see her listening intently, her smile warm, nodding from time to time. Her elegant and refined bearing was captivating.

After a moment, as if sensing her gaze, Wei Xiu slowly turned her head and looked toward her. They were separated by a distance of about ten paces, with many unimportant people standing between them.

Amidst this sea of faces, all irrelevant disturbances seemed to fade away. Their eyes met, and for a moment, Puyang was lost in a daze. Wei Xiu’s gaze gradually softened, no longer the well-mannered mask she wore for others. It was as if, upon touching the softest part of her, all defenses had fallen away.

A maidservant at her side urged her on. Puyang returned to her senses. Wei Xiu gave her a slight nod, signaling for her not to worry. Only then did Puyang smile and turn to leave. Her palace attire floated lightly, her movements graceful and gentle.

The rear courtyard was already filled with noble ladies. Cloud-like coiffures swayed, and the scent of fragrant powder filled the air. The guests were all princesses, royal consorts, and the madams of several powerful and influential families. As soon as Puyang arrived, several princesses gathered around her, and the madams also rose to curtsy.

When Puyang was in a good mood, she never put on airs and gestured for everyone to dispense with the formalities.

Socializing was not just a matter for men; there were also the interactions between their wives. After making the rounds and attending to everyone, Puyang went to speak with her several sisters.

This was likely what it meant to be well-liked.

Her temperament was unrestrained, and she was rarely willing to suffer a loss. Now, her influence was decisive. Far from being jealous, the other princesses were quite envious, believing that this was how a daughter of the Son of Heaven should be—inspiring awe and caution.

At that time, many princesses harbored ambitions for power, mostly influencing court politics through their consorts. But few, like Puyang, took matters into their own hands. The princesses seemed to find this more impressive and greatly admired Puyang, flocking to her side, wanting to learn from her. Princesses, after all, were also the Emperor’s children. Having witnessed power from a young age, they had a natural sensitivity to certain things.

But how could Puyang’s current position be so easily emulated? Not to mention her experiences from a past life, which helped her seek fortune and avoid disaster, but even the path Wei Xiu had paved for her—how many could achieve that?

Throughout the banquet, Puyang was never without company, and the Prince of Dai’s consort also showed her goodwill on the prince’s behalf.

When the banquet ended, Puyang walked out with several others. Most of the princesses were also married, and their consorts were waiting in the front hall to accompany them back to their residences. Princess Jiangling’s consort had been sent out of the capital on His Majesty’s orders, so she walked with Puyang.

Somehow, the conversation turned to Princess Pingyang, who had not come today.

At the manor’s gate, the Prince of Dai was seeing his guests off. The carriage from Puyang’s residence was already waiting. As they approached it, Princess Jiangling was saying, “Her? She’s gone off to another palace for some fun. I’m afraid she’s too happy to think of returning.”

After speaking, she laughed twice, her words filled with ambiguity.

Puyang remembered that just a few days ago, Pingyang had gotten into a huge fight with her consort. Every princess’s residence was assigned three hundred armored soldiers for their use. How could a consort, single-handedly, win against a princess? He had been tied up and thrown in the courtyard for a night, becoming the laughingstock of the capital.

They had fought so fiercely, how could they have reconciled in just a few days? Puyang couldn’t help but ask, “Didn’t I hear she just had a falling out with her consort?”

Princess Jiangling’s expression grew even more suggestive. Covering her mouth, she giggled coquettishly, “Who says her pleasure must come from her consort?”

Puyang: “…”

She had been very busy these past few days and hadn’t paid attention to her sisters’ private affairs. So Pingyang already had a male favorite at this time? Seeing that Jiangling could make a joke of it, it was clear that quite a few people knew.

“Greetings, Aunt Jiangling. Greetings, Aunt Puyang.” Xiao Dewen approached and bowed to them.

Puyang and Jiangling’s expressions instantly became serious. They said affectionately, “Dewen, dispense with the formalities.”

He was taller than the last time she had seen him, and his bearing was more self-assured. Jiangling asked, “Where is your mother? Why are you here alone?”

Xiao Dewen smiled shyly and looked at Puyang. “Your nephew wishes to pay his respects to Sir Wei. I heard from a servant at Uncle Dai’s residence that Sir Wei has already come out.”

Puyang’s heart skipped a beat. She glanced back at the carriage. Jiangling also realized something was wrong. It was not a glorious matter for a princess to keep a male favorite. It was one thing for her to gossip about it privately with her sister, but if it reached the ears of others and was spread around, she would be at fault.

She quickly said, “It’s getting late, let’s all return to our residences.” Then, seeing Puyang give her a look, she immediately understood and said to Xiao Dewen, “You can see Sir Wei at your Seventh Aunt’s residence anytime. Why the rush? I’m not at ease with you going back by yourself, so how about I give you a ride?”

Before Xiao Dewen could react, Puyang chimed in, “That’s right.” She was always assertive and directly summoned the eunuch attending Xiao Dewen to help him into the carriage.

After getting rid of the irrelevant person, Puyang turned around. As she lifted the door curtain, she saw Wei Xiu inside, looking at her with a half-smile. Puyang was instantly embarrassed; she was afraid Wei Xiu had heard everything they had just said.

The carriage began to move slowly. Puyang said falteringly, “Sir, you were in the carriage. Why didn’t you show yourself?”

Wei Xiu smiled. “I was about to pay my respects to the two princesses, but upon hearing a secret, it seemed inappropriate to make a sound.” Her appearance would only have embarrassed the two Highnesses.

Puyang thought so too. The Emperor probably didn’t know about Pingyang’s affair yet. Others who knew would most likely just laugh it off and not speak of it in public. It was, after all, not something worth publicizing.

Her face was a little red. She said in a low voice, “Not all princesses are like that.”

Although she felt that Pingyang’s actions were not really a big deal—a male favorite was, after all, just a plaything for amusement. The princes could take concubines, so what was it for a princess to keep a few playthings? But she herself did not like it, finding it utterly uninteresting and improper. If one had the energy, it was better spent on other things. Besides, Puyang glanced at Wei Xiu. She only needed this one person. If it weren’t for this person, she would rather have no one.

Like a cat that had retracted its sharp claws, she looked over with a timid gaze. It made Wei Xiu’s heart soften; she really wanted to reach out and stroke her. She restrained herself and comforted her with a smile, “I know.”

Hearing her say this, Puyang was finally relieved. When you like someone, you fear leaving even the slightest stain in their heart.

“How was the banquet?” Puyang asked.

“The Prince of Dai was attentive. As for the rest, there was nothing special,” Wei Xiu said calmly.

Puyang thought of Xiao Dewen approaching just now and asked, “Did the Prince of Donghai not speak with you, Sir?”

Wei Xiu had clearly noticed as well. A trace of interest appeared in her eyes. “The Prince was constantly on the verge of approaching, only to stop, as if wanting to get close but being timid.” After a pause, she commented, “He put on a good show.”

Puyang couldn’t help but smile. “If Dewen knew you said that, Sir, he would surely be heartbroken.”

Wei Xiu also smiled, looking completely unconcerned.

Puyang thought about it. In a way, she and Xiao Dewen had many similarities. Both were in weak positions, both lacked backing, and both were unlikely to ascend the throne. Thinking about it, if Sir Wei could choose her, it wasn’t so strange that she had chosen Xiao Dewen in the previous life. However, from the looks of it now, it seemed Sir Wei rather looked down on Xiao Dewen.

This made her a little curious. “Does Sir Wei think Xiao Dewen has any redeeming qualities?”

Wei Xiu thought for a moment and said, “He does. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. The Prince’s strength lies in his decisiveness. Knowing I am already in your residence, he is still unwilling to give up and wants to give it a try. He also reads the situation clearly and is very patient. At the banquet just now, he simply acted like a child, pretending not to notice when others slighted him.”

Without a father’s protection, it was inevitable that some of his cousins would look down on him, yet he endured it.

After her analysis, Xiao Dewen seemed to have quite a few strengths. Puyang asked again, “And his weaknesses?”

Wei Xiu answered her, “Perhaps because he was raised by women, the Prince’s thoughts are quite convoluted, and he’s always fond of playing petty tricks. He’s still young now, so his act of ‘wanting to get close but being timid’ can be seen as pitiable. When he’s older, it will inevitably seem less than forthright and will likely become repulsive.”

Puyang’s gaze darkened. Xiao Dewen was not one to be content with falling behind. Once he knew his shortcomings, he would surely find a way to correct them.