Eight Treasures Trousseau

24

Chapter Twenty-Four: Undercurrents

The weather became increasingly hot. Hua Xi Wan started to take off her brocade palace attire and to wear wide-sleeved silk dresses. The fragrance in the rooms was switched to the cool and insect-repelling mint fragrance. But even so, she felt it was uncomfortably hot. Already lazy to start with, she disliked going out even more. If there was a matron who would invite her to some part tours, she would cleanly refuse them because she could not tolerate walking outside in this temperature.

Bai Xia and the other servant girls knew that she had a hard time in summer, so when they served her at this time, they would use all kinds of cooling methods. They were just worried that Junwang Ye would be unhappy that Junwang Fei refused all the invitations. The relationships between womenfolk were also very important among prestigious families.

Hua Xi Wan asked with a smile after learning of their worries, "What do you feel about Princess Rui He's personality?"

Bai Xia, Lu Zhu and the others stared at each other. A moment later, Lu Zhu said hesitantly, "This servant does not dare to discuss the noble princess."

"Ha." Hua Xi Wan lazily leaned back on the chaise. She picked up a lychee that had been skinned and iced. After eating it, she said, "The so-called inner compound relations are either from those lower to those above them, or for those who band together. Our junwang fu does not want to band with others, and just hopes to live clean days. It is not important for me to go to these tours or not." She was not as virtuous as Sheng Junwang Fei, who didn't just run a good household of the inner compound of the entire wang fu but also had a high reputation among the womenfolk.

There were those who said she relied on her status, and those who said she was too proud. In any case, these women who did not have good opinions of her still had to carefully give smiles and treat her well. So was it important if those people liked her or not?

If the status of men in the entire dynasty depended on the good relationships between women, what was the use in having these men?

"Princess Rui He is always high up and has a proud attitude. But in all of Jing, who dares to not respect her, who doesn't flatter her?" Hua Xi Wan's voice was unconcerned. "Even if you are extremely skilled, in front of noble status, everything is futile."

Bai Xia and the others were silent. Junwang Fei's words were too direct and displeasing to hear, but the truth was so. Everyone desired power. In front of power, the so-called friendships were not worth a mention. They remembered back at the marquis fu, there had been womenfolk who said their taitai was too valiant and was rough. But in front of Taitai, how many of them were impolite and didn't have a smile?

"Right, Junwang Fei, the day after tomorrow is the sixth day of the sixth month. Should we invite Lin Ping Junzhu back to the junwang fu to stay for a day?" Lu Zhu suddenly remembered that the sixth day of the six month was Daughter's Day. According to tradition, the family would invite the daughters who were married back to their paternal home for a short visit. But Lin Ping Junzhu had not sent anyone to call at Junwang Fu since she had come to Jing, so this matter would be awkward to treat.

"Didn't Junwang Ye say that everyone should act as normal? We do the same as what we have done before." Hua Xi Wan did not have a lot of good feelings for her sister-in-law, so she was too lazy to even pretend. Since even Yan Jin Qiu, her younger brother, was distanced from this person, what did it have to do with her, the sister-in-law?

In the Judicial Office, Yan Bo Yi looked at the information gathered from all places. The information indiscernibly all pointed at the Crown Prince. He looked at the Chief Justice who was sitting in front of him and was sweating, and put the information back down on the table. "Official Zhao, what do you think of this matter?"