Matching Outfits

The carriage bearing the insignia of Prince Cheng'an's Residence traveled on until it stopped before the gates of the Grand Princess's Residence.

An elderly nanny surnamed Li was already waiting at the entrance.

It was the first day of the lunar month, and according to custom, Prince Cheng'an and his wife were to pay their respects to the Grand Princess. Nanny Li had therefore prepared everything early.

The Grand Princess's Residence was quiet these days, and the elderly nanny was delighted that Prince Cheng'an and his consort were paying a rare visit.

She had already waited at the entrance for the time it took an incense stick to burn.

When Su Luoqian and Lu Jingsi stepped down from the carriage, Nanny Li hurried forward to greet them. "Greetings, Your Highnesses."

"You may dispense with the formalities, Nanny Li."

Su Luoqian spoke softly.

Today she wore a dusky-mountain-purple dress woven with subtle gold-thread patterns. Her matching dangling ornaments and hairpins were all set with purple jade, lending her an outstanding air of delicate grace.

Lu Jingsi wore a dark-night-purple satin robe, his ink-black hair gathered beneath a silver crown inlaid with jade. He was tall and slender, with a handsome, distinguished bearing.

Nanny Li looked at the picture-perfect couple before her, smiling so broadly she could hardly close her mouth.

"The Grand Princess has just finished copying scriptures in the Buddhist hall. Your Highnesses, please follow me."

Su Luoqian understood and went to the Buddhist hall with Lu Jingsi.

The Grand Princess's Residence was large and neatly laid out, with hills and water features in abundance. There were also quite a few maids and servants, yet it still felt somewhat empty.

The grounds around the Buddhist hall were even more secluded and peaceful, with a faint hint of sandalwood in the air.

Prince Consort Lu's memorial tablet was enshrined in the Buddhist hall. Whenever they visited on the first day of the lunar month, Zhou Anyun would have them offer incense to him first.

Today, Zhou Anyun wore a plain-colored dress, with no ornament in her coiffure save a single hairpin.

She was dressed simply and elegantly, yet one could still see how striking she must have been in her youth.

She stood before the memorial tablet, and when she heard footsteps behind her, she stepped aside.

Su Luoqian and Lu Jingsi both bowed to her.

Zhou Anyun nodded slightly. "A-Si, Qianqian, offer incense first."

"Yes, Mother."

The two accepted incense from Nanny Li and rose after solemnly kneeling and bowing.

Only then did Zhou Anyun lead them to the front hall.

The servants brought tea, and Zhou Anyun finally had a chance to take notice of her son and daughter-in-law.

She lived a secluded life, but he was her only son, and naturally she hoped he was living well.

She knew her son's temperament better than anyone, though, and feared that the young lady of the Su Family who had married him might suffer some emotional grievances.

Still, they had a long life ahead of them, and no one could say what the future held.

Once the three were seated, Su Luoqian chatted with Zhou Anyun for a while before saying, "Earlier, Mother seemed to have some headaches and poor circulation of qi and blood. As it happens, I obtained some fine agarwood at Yuanfu Temple a few days ago. It can promote circulation, and I hope Mother will accept it."

Fine agarwood was something one could encounter but not seek out, and finding it depended on fate and sincerity.

Su Luoqian had Zelan hand the wooden box to Nanny Li, who presented it to Zhou Anyun.

Zhou Anyun only opened it and took a few looks before she could tell that the agarwood was indeed of excellent quality.

A faint smile curved her lips, and she nodded.

The mother- and daughter-in-law talked at length about the agarwood.

Su Luoqian came from a merchant family, but Zhou Anyun held no prejudice about class or family background and was very pleased with her daughter-in-law.

Now that Zhou Anyun devoted herself to Buddhist worship, she spoke with Su Luoqian about agarwood and sandalwood, and Su Luoqian could say a thing or two about both.

Zhou Anyun asked how she knew so much at such a young age.

Su Luoqian smiled obediently. "My mother often goes to Yuanfu Temple to worship Buddha. I accompanied her a few times and heard a little."

Besides, the Su Family's businesses were spread far and wide. She had seen a great deal since childhood, so she knew a little about such things.

At the mention of Cui Anlan, Zhou Anyun's expression softened. "Are your mother and father keeping well?"

"My father and mother are both well. Sorry to trouble you with concern, Mother."

The two chatted happily, while Lu Jingsi barely spoke as he sat to one side.

Only his gaze fell on Su Luoqian from time to time.

His dark eyes were deep and still, their emotions impossible to read.

Yet none of this escaped Zhou Anyun, who sat in the seat of honor. She lowered her eyes and sipped her tea, a faint smile in those eyes that seemed to see through the ways of the world.

"All right, it's about time. You should go to the palace and pay your respects to the Empress."

"Yes, Mother."

Su Luoqian and Lu Jingsi rose and bowed to Zhou Anyun, then made their way through the corridors toward the residence gates.

Zhou Anyun and Nanny Li watched the two depart, smiling with relief.

Nanny Li said, "It seems this marriage may yet have a happy ending."

Zhou Anyun turned her gaze from Su Luoqian and Lu Jingsi's departing figures to the clear blue sky. Her voice was gentle and unhurried. "With A-Si's temperament, he could easily make a young lady angry. I hope the path of his love life goes a little more smoothly."

Zhou Anyun and Prince Consort Lu had been of one heart and deeply in love, so she naturally knew that if one could win another's heart, one would have a place to belong no matter where life took them.

Hearing her words, Nanny Li replied, "Rest assured, Your Highness. He will."

The main hall of Chunyuan Palace.

The palace was spacious, and its corridors were high and broad.

The Empress sat upright in the seat of honor, dressed in magnificent finery with gold and silver phoenix hairpins. Her face was dignified and gracious as she spoke softly.

The crown prince and crown princess stood in the hall, apparently having only recently arrived.

Su Luoqian and Lu Jingsi entered after a palace nanny announced them and bowed. "Greetings to Your Majesty the Empress."

The Empress smiled kindly. "Rise. We are all family, so there is no need for such ceremony."

Su Luoqian rose and stood to one side. She lifted her eyes slightly and saw Qin Shuning wink at her.

Su Luoqian smiled at her with her lips pressed together.

The Empress then said, "Crown Princess, Princess Consort, come walk with me in the imperial garden. You two brothers needn't disturb us women while we talk."

With that, she descended from her seat with the elderly nanny's support and left the main hall with Su Luoqian and Qin Shuning.

It was summer, and the flowers in the imperial garden were vying to bloom, a hundred blossoms competing in beauty amid a riot of purples and reds.

Walking ahead of them, the Empress asked casually, "Before coming to the palace, did you pay your respects to the Grand Princess?"

Su Luoqian replied, "Your Majesty, we did."

"Mother is in good health, and all is well."

The Empress seemed to give a soft sigh. "That's good."

Before the Empress married, she and Grand Princess Zhou Anyun had been close friends, as dear to each other as sisters.

Later, Zhou Anyun married Prince Consort Lu, while the Empress married into the imperial family. The two remained close, and it was only in recent years, as Zhou Anyun had begun living in seclusion, that they had seen less of each other.

But their friendship from youth remained, and they still thought of each other.

"Come to think of it, I haven't seen Anyun in a long time."

The last time seemed to have been at the palace banquet for the New Year.

Su Luoqian said softly, "Mother misses Your Majesty the Empress very much as well."

As the three talked, they came to a pavilion. Beyond it, a corridor wound its way through the garden, and several pomegranate blossoms stood out in particular.

Pomegranate blossoms were auspicious flowers.

They were often used by those wishing for children, and also in prayers for greater blessings and longevity for the family.

The Empress shifted her gaze slightly toward Qin Shuning's flat belly. "These pomegranate blossoms are lovely. Crown Princess, you could have someone pick a few to put in your room."

As soon as she said it, Su Luoqian and Qin Shuning both understood.

Once again, there was no avoiding the subject of having children.

Qin Shuning kept her eyes down and her thoughts to herself. She obediently curtsied and replied, "Yes, Mother."