Chapter Thirty-Four: Parting Briefly, Reuniting Again

The results were announced: Ming Wan ranked first in both categories, securing her selection as the Benefactor without suspense.

The other girls who were not chosen sighed in disappointment, except for Ming Chu, who excitedly grasped Ming Wan’s hand, her expression brimming with emotion.

“Fourth Sister, see? I was right, wasn’t I?”

A steward from the Princess’s palace arrived, informing Ming Wan that she must return home to study palace etiquette and would formally enter the palace next spring.

“Your servant daughter understands,” Ming Wan replied, suppressing the pride in her eyes.

Ming Chu left Ming Jin Pavilion with delight, leaving the inner palace behind. Glancing at the still green leaves of the plantain tree, she recalled the Princess who once hid there. Though their meeting was brief, Ming Chu felt a lingering pity for her.

After all, the crimson walls of the inner palace were so high, blocking out the vast world, the bustling streets, and the laughter of life.

Little did she know that these towering walls would one day imprison her own life, until her beauty faded and her dark hair turned to snow.

Who then would pity her?

Seated in the sedan chair, Ming Wan’s brow was adorned with delicate blue beads that swayed lightly. She raised her slender, fair hand, gazing at it intently. For once, she smiled with ease. She was about to embark on a new path, one filled with light and possibility—all things she rightfully deserved.

How many times had these hands, skilled in playing the zither, been scraped and bruised? How often had she fallen upon the cold ground? Too many to count, and she no longer wished to. Ming Wan clasped her hands, her smile widening.

Ming Chu lifted the curtain; her heart had already flown back to Jing Wang’s residence, back to Ruohua Pavilion. News had reached the Jing family early, and Ming Chu’s failure to be chosen had been anticipated. Yue Wu and Yun Xi waited at the gate for her.

The sedan came to a halt, and Ming Chu leapt down impatiently, immediately spotting Yue Wu and Yun Xi standing by the gatepost.

Lifting her skirts, Ming Chu ran towards them. “I’m back!” The gentle breeze stirred the stray hairs across her forehead, her smile radiant.

“Miss!” Yue Wu and Yun Xi hurried forward.

Yun Xi grinned, showing her white teeth, and took Ming Chu’s hand. “Miss, Yun Xi feels you’ve been gone for ages and ages.”

“Hehe, what’s that saying?” Ming Chu beamed at them. “One day apart feels like three months.”

Yue Wu gazed at Ming Chu, his smile lingering. Lowering his eyes, he spoke softly, “One day apart—how could it be just three months? It’s a longing that lasts three years and more.”

“What did you say, Yue Wu?” Yun Xi hadn’t caught his words and asked.

Yue Wu’s heart tightened; the words had slipped out without thought. He quickly replied, “Nothing.”

He stole a glance at Ming Chu, relieved to see her chatting away with Yun Xi, seemingly unaware of what he’d said. What he missed, however, was that in the moment he lowered his gaze, Ming Chu’s smile blossomed like peach and plum.

Ming Wan was chosen as the Benefactor, and the Princess Consort of Jing merely offered perfunctory praise—not what Ming Wan had expected. She had brought great honor to the Jing family, so why was she still denied the recognition she deserved?

Suppressing her dissatisfaction, Ming Wan returned to her room with her second aunt.

After they left, the Princess Consort asked Lü Shang, “Do you feel I am too cold toward her?”

Lü Shang hesitated. “Madam must have her reasons.”

“What do you think distinguishes Ming Chu from Ming Wan?”

“I dare not presume to say, Madam.”

“Speak freely.”

“In my humble opinion, Fourth Miss is clever and composed, and treats us maids well. Fifth Miss is more approachable—always smiling, as if she has no troubles at all. We all enjoy talking to Fifth Miss.”

The Princess Consort nodded. “Yes, but you haven’t gotten to the heart of it. Today, when Ming Wan came to see me, she wore a look of pride. She was excited to have been chosen. But I am certain: if it had been Chu who was selected, she would not have been so happy, because she would consider Ming Wan’s feelings.”

Lü Shang suddenly understood.

The Princess Consort smiled. “Despite Ming Wan’s greater fortune—she lost her mother as a child but is still happier than Chu—she lives less joyfully. The reason is simple: she desires too much yet possesses too little.”