Chapter Twelve: The Taste

As expected, by the time they were nearly finished with their evening meal, the Crown Prince still had not returned.

Jing Hu and Ke Mingxu sat facing each other, with the scenic Ba River flowing beside them. He ate with great refinement—a testament to the cultivated manners ingrained over generations in noble families. This was how he was always meant to be.

Jing Hu looked at him and thought he was perfect in every way. If he were hers, that would be even better.

Today was the Dragon Boat Festival, and naturally, the Banyue Pavilion had prepared zongzi. Though she was not fond of glutinous rice delicacies, since she was with Ke Mingxu today, she decided to try some and share in the festive spirit.

She chose the jujube-filled zongzi, while Ke Mingxu selected the ham variety. They first sliced the zongzi into small pieces before savoring them slowly.

At first, Jing Hu ate politely, but soon found it somewhat tedious. Noticing that his zongzi smelled more fragrant than hers, a playful impulse stirred within her. She picked up a clean pair of chopsticks and took a piece from his plate.

Ke Mingxu seemed unbothered and even pushed his plate slightly forward. “Young Lady, if you don’t mind, please help yourself.”

Jing Hu returned the gesture, nudging her own plate forward. “Brother Ke, you too.”

But then she recalled, “Brother Ke doesn’t seem fond of sweets.”

Ke Mingxu smiled and picked up a piece from her plate with another pair of chopsticks. “An occasional indulgence offers a different flavor, I suppose.”

That piece of jujube zongzi, though eaten by him, seemed to sweeten her heart. She remained cheerful and chatty all the way until he escorted her back to her residence.

Upon stepping through the gate and seeing him depart, she began to regret her noisiness, wondering if he found her bothersome.

When Jing Hu returned home, the hour was not early. She unexpectedly encountered her elder brother, Jing Xun.

Jing Xun had always treated her kindly, as he did any beautiful woman, though his true affection lay with a woman of plain looks.

He was to marry Yuan Niang from the Wan General’s family, whose given name was Wan Zhiyu. According to Qing Rou, she was close friends with her two elder sisters.

Their grandfather, General Wan, was arguably the greatest military commander of the current dynasty. A few months ago, he had decisively defeated the northern tribes of Xili, driving them far beyond the Woshui River, deep into the Wucao Plains.

It seemed that the northwest would remain peaceful for a long time.

This marriage was arranged personally by her usually careless brother before the emperor, securing a prestigious imperial match. Lately, Jing Hu’s mother, the consort, had been somewhat displeased.

Her sister-in-law hailed from the Ke Grand Tutor’s household. Though the Grand Tutor enjoyed the emperor’s favor, he was an elderly man.

Ke family’s next generation had no one yet fit to inherit his position. Even Ke Mingxu, who had topped the imperial exams, would need at least a decade of perseverance before he might claim that seat.

By contrast, the Wan family was different. Though General Wan had retired, his son still commanded the imperial guards. The men of Jing Hu’s generation had also earned military honors in the northwest, so if war were to break out again, fame and merit would come swiftly.

The young county lady knew what her mother was scheming. Jing Xun had been a prodigal, neither scholarly nor martial, much disliked by their father.

Such a man, by virtue of birth alone, was made heir apparent. Hence, her mother had long coveted this position for her brother.

Jing Hu never concerned herself with such matters. With her status already secured, she found the calculations pointless and uninteresting. Since her mother never discussed these things with her, she was glad to remain ignorant.

Now that Jing Xun had also earned merit in the northwest and secured a good marriage, Jing Hu hoped that her mother and brother would soon let go of their worries.

Sometimes, she felt that her mother and brother were less open-minded than she was. With the prestige of the Yongning Prince’s Mansion and their imperial lineage, there was no need to covet what did not belong to them.

Caring less made life more comfortable.

Her thoughts wandered until her brother spoke, “Jingling, what are you thinking about? You’re about to walk into a pillar.”

He seemed in good spirits today, speaking with the casual tone of a carefree rake. Jing Xun leaned close, and she quickly caught the scent of his perfumed powder.

Jing Hu shot him a glare. “You’d better watch yourself, Third Brother. You’re about to be married—don’t give my formidable sister-in-law any reason to hold something over you.”

“This time the emperor has arranged your marriage. Lady Wan can’t easily disassociate from you now, but being from a military family, if she wanted to discipline you, I’m afraid it would be quite easy,” Jing Xun replied with a smile, clearly unoffended by her words.

“Jingling, our Yongning Prince’s Mansion isn’t exactly a bastion of purity either,” he teased.

“Why do you talk so fast, like one of those pedantic old scholars in court?” Jing Hu had never much patience for her brother’s flippancy and often spoke with a sharp edge.

“I’m just kindly warning you, brother. Last time you angered Lady Wan and fled to the northwest. Now she’s about to enter our home—where will you run?”

Jing Xun then asked, “How did you know I was with a woman today?”

Jing Hu rolled her eyes and waved her hand, trying to dispel the scent.

He quickly caught on and sniffed his sleeve. “I’m used to this smell; it doesn’t seem so fragrant anymore.”

Then, boldly, he said, “It’s the perfume your sister-in-law favors. When she moves in, you better watch your tongue.”

He noticed that Jing Hu had just returned from outside and looked quite happy. He grabbed her sleeve and sniffed again. “Strange, this scent feels somewhat familiar.”

Feeling guilty, Jing Hu yanked her sleeve away. “Similar scents aren’t so strange. If you want me to keep quiet, Third Brother, you’ll have to watch your words.”

She added, “Once the new sister-in-law arrives, I’ll ask if she really uses this perfume. If you want to silence me...”

She held out her hand. “One thousand taels of silver.”

Jing Xun stood still, leaning against a pillar with his arms crossed. “Last time it was only five hundred taels. Jing Hu, your price is rising fast.”

Jing Hu smiled, revealing two shallow dimples. “Last time you weren’t betrothed yet. It was cheap to hush me then. Now that you have a fiancé, I’m risking more to keep your secret.”

“Since the risk is greater, I can’t afford to lose out.”

Jing Xun laughed heartily, stood up straight, casually unfastened his purse, tossed it to Jing Hu, and turned toward his courtyard.

“Five hundred taels, no more. Today I was indeed out with your sister-in-law. Next time, I’ll take you for a stroll by Jinshui Lake.”

Jing Hu watched his retreating figure, weighed the purse in her hand, and turned back to the Fangshi Pavilion with satisfaction.