Setting the House Rules

Because of her pregnancy, Hua Meng's emotions had fluctuated wildly of late. By the time Ling Cui returned from seeing Lu Shi and the others off, she appeared to have composed herself and had begun discussing dinner with Jiang Chan.

"The Imperial Kitchen sent over fresh river prawns early this morning. I've just peeled them, and in a while I'll stir-fry the shrimp with a few vegetables for Your Highness." Jiang Chan waited until Hua Meng nodded before continuing, "There's also yam and fish head soup and tofu rolls. Is there anything else in particular Your Highness would like?"

Just hearing Jiang Chan name the dishes was enough to make images of them spring unbidden into Hua Meng's mind.

Remembering that she couldn't eat much at a sitting these days, Hua Meng nodded. "That sounds good. Prepare those."

With Hua Meng's order given, Jiang Chan naturally went to make the preparations.

After Jiang Chan went to cook and Qiu Die went to rest, Ling Cui brought out the shoe soles Lu Shi had brought into the palace, which were said to have been stitched by her mother herself.

"Miss, look! These are the shoe soles my mother stitched for me." Ling Cui happily showed them off to Hua Meng, but when Hua Meng paid her no attention, she gave a little chuckle and continued, "When I saw Madam out just now, she asked me to pass a few words on to you."

At that, Hua Meng immediately gathered her thoughts and looked at Ling Cui, waiting for her to speak.

"Madam—no, I mean Old Madam." Ling Cui was a little muddled, but Hua Meng quickly understood what she meant.

"Old Madam said the young masters at home have all grown up, and you've married too, so from now on she'll be Old Madam. The young madams in the family will each be called Madam, with their number, and the young masters will be ranked by age, with their names added. For example, Brother Can will be First Master Can from now on."

As soon as Ling Cui finished speaking, Hua Meng nodded to her. "Mother is right to do this. Our family will certainly have more and more social engagements from now on, and it's time she moved up a generation."

Otherwise, when the Hua Family women visited other households, women about her mother's age would all be called Old Madam, while her mother alone was still Madam Hua. It would make her sound like a junior.

Ling Cui nodded as she listened to Hua Meng. When Hua Meng fell silent, she brought up another matter. "Old Madam also told me that from now on, my parents, my brother, and his wife will be your servants alone, Miss."

Hua Meng knew about this.

Her mother had bought her an estate outside the city and put Ling Cui's father in charge of it, while Ling Cui's brother helped her manage the shops in her dowry.

According to her mother, she would later send two more families over to help look after her dowry.

That way, with the three families keeping watch over one another, none would dare deceive Hua Meng.

At the thought, Hua Meng couldn't help marveling inwardly at her mother's loving heart. For her sake, her mother had put a great deal of thought into this.

While Hua Meng and Ling Cui were speaking of Lu Shi in Sparrow Plume Palace, Lu Shi, who had finally returned home, had only just sat down and taken a sip of tea before she looked at Hua Teng beside her. "Our Mengmeng doesn't have it easy in the palace either."

Lu Shi knew that although Hua Meng's rank in the palace was not the highest, she was still first among the women there.

But after entering the palace today, seeing its towering walls and experiencing its strict rules, she still couldn't help feeling that life was hard for her youngest daughter in those palace depths.

How many women had those square palace walls imprisoned?

Would her Mengmeng ever be able to leave the palace again?

None of the Hua Family had expected those to be Lu Shi's first words after catching her breath. Hua Teng had intended to lecture her and remind her to remember the emperor's grace, but when he thought of their delicate, tender youngest daughter, he couldn't help swallowing every word.

Lu Shi didn't notice Hua Teng's reaction. After saying that, she went straight on to relay everything Hua Meng had entrusted to her and all her cautions for the Hua Family.

Looking at her children and grandchildren seated below her, Lu Shi summed up earnestly, "In any case, don't think yourselves important just because your sister and aunt has become an imperial consort. There are plenty of people under heaven more noble than our Hua Family. From now on, if any of you does something wrong, even if I'm gone, you are not allowed to go to your sister and aunt for help."

"That five-courtyard residence was bestowed by His Majesty in recognition of Mengmeng's merit in carrying a child. Our family didn't buy it ourselves, so you must understand this. Everything the Hua Family has today is because of Mengmeng."

"But I must also remind you that the sons and grandsons of the Hua Family must not look at today's glory and think of sending daughters into the palace in the future. In the end, it is up to you men to bring honor to the Hua Family's name."

Having said this, Lu Shi looked at her eldest son, who stood at the very front and had hurried back from the academy especially. "Eldest, when your father and I are gone, you'll be the head of this family. Other families all have house rules. For now, draw up a set for our Hua Family."

Having finally brought up what she and Hua Teng had discussed the previous night, Lu Shi added, "The rules must state clearly that if any good-for-nothing wastrel appears in the Hua Family in the future, his legs are to be broken at once. I'd rather the Hua Family support him for the rest of his life than let him go out and harm others!"

Hearing Lu Shi's words, Hua Mao instinctively wanted to refuse. After all, his father was still alive.

But perhaps because he had guessed Hua Mao would have misgivings, Hua Teng spoke up as soon as Lu Shi finished. "Eldest, this is my wish as well." Hua Teng raised a hand and stroked his beard before continuing, "I've been promoted through His Majesty's great grace, so naturally I'll be busy for a while. You know your second brother's temperament, and your third and fourth brothers will both be busy with the provincial examination. That leaves only you to do it."

At this, Hua Teng glanced at Lu Shi beside him. Seeing that she had no intention of speaking, he concluded, "By the rules of the great families, you are the next head of our Hua Family. You're the most suitable person for this."

With Hua Teng having said all that and Lu Shi remaining silent but looking approving, Hua Mao could only agree to take on the task.

After discussing the house rules, Hua Teng turned to Lu Shi, who sat beside him. "Is there anything else you want to say?"

Lu Shi had spent a tiring day in the palace. She was just about to say there was nothing else and go rest for a while when she remembered Hua Meng's instructions to find a physician for Hua Lian's mother-in-law.

As soon as she mentioned it, before Hua Teng could speak, Hua Peng, Hua Meng's second brother, said, "Mother, leave this to me. I know Huichun Hall, and I know Imperial Physician Jiang too."

Hua Peng didn't say how he knew Imperial Physician Jiang, but he had always been sociable. Since he had said so, Lu Shi, who knew well that he wasn't one to talk nonsense, nodded and agreed to let him fetch a physician from Huichun Hall.

Hua Meng knew nothing yet of what had happened at the Hua household outside the palace, but Emperor Jing'an did.

Had it been another family, Emperor Jing'an might not have known so much in such detail. But the Hua Family women had spent so long in the palace that day, and because he had previously intended to visit the Hua household, he had planted an informant there.

He had only asked in an idle moment, but unexpectedly learned how Lu Shi had instructed her children and grandchildren.

"This Lu Shi truly is a clever woman."

Emperor Jing'an nodded with satisfaction. He had previously worried that the Hua Family would be blinded by their sudden wealth and honor, but now it seemed that with Lu Shi there, at least the Hua Family's present generation and the next would have no problems.

"In that case, I can make more arrangements for my imperial child."

Wei Fugui, standing beside Emperor Jing'an, appeared not to have heard his murmuring, but he knew in his heart that the Hua Family's good fortune was yet to come.

Emperor Jing'an was in a good mood. After morning court the next day, he had Wei Fugui send Xiao Jiangzi to Sparrow Plume Palace to tell Hua Meng that he would come over for dinner that evening.

Hua Meng had planned to rest well today and visit Three Green Palace tomorrow. Who would have thought Emperor Jing'an was coming that evening?

"It's difficult for me to serve him in bed now, so I suppose I don't need to bathe and change two hours in advance like before, do I?" Hua Meng had just finished asking Qiu Die when Yang Jiu's announcement sounded from the doorway.

"Your Highness, Her Highness Consort Qi has sent someone with an invitation."

Hearing Yang Jiu's announcement, Hua Meng instinctively looked at Qiu Die.

Qiu Die didn't know what Consort Qi wanted either, but now that the invitation had been delivered to their door, they couldn't pretend they knew nothing about it.

When Qiu Die went out to receive the messenger and saw that Consort Qi had actually sent Chunlan, her most trusted attendant, with the invitation, she immediately grew wary.

"Sorry to trouble you to deliver the invitation, Sister." Qiu Die had spent many years in the palace, and Chunlan had served Consort Qi for more than a decade, so Qiu Die could properly address her as Sister.

Chunlan first smiled at Qiu Die, then said, "Our mistress heard that the orchids in Fragrant Iris Court in the imperial garden are all in bloom, so she has specially arranged a banquet and invited all the consorts and ladies of the harem to admire them."