Little Cardamom

Chapter 7 – Back to Capital

The day passed unhurriedly, and soon it was the eighth day of February. The marquis of Jing’an, who was appointed as the marshal of Yangxi District, returned to the capital after his full term.

He is in charge of the military and political power, with outstanding political achievements in his term and has returned to the capital to report on his duties, which is related to the changes in the court officials, many people are secretly concerned.

The Emperor Chengkang sent down a message ordering the Marquis of Jing’an to go to the capital to face the Emperor immediately. When he entered the city, Ming Ting Yuan separated from his family and servants in different ways, going straight to the Qi Xuan Gate and detouring to the Marquis of Jing’an’s residence on Nan Que Street.

When they heard that the marquis had gone straight to the palace without passing through the family gate, and that Mrs. Liu had come back first, the people in the marquis’ house slowed down a lot. After all, there is no rule in this world to welcome a concubine into the house with great fanfare.

When Mrs. Liu and Ming Chu got off the cart, only Mrs. Pei’s Zhang Mama was waiting at the corner door with a few maids and ladies.

Maybe it’s because of the exclusive favor, after five years of staying in the bitter cold place near Yangxi Road, Mrs. Liu’s appearance is the same as before, and even gained some luster.

Ming Chu, the third young lady, is difficult to be recognized at first glance. When she left the capital, she was only 11 or 12 years old, five years have passed, her appearance has grown, and her temperament is also very different from before. She is dressed in a bright red dress, and she is very radiant. She actually has some of the valiant style of a heroic tiger girl.

“You let me enter through the corner door with my mother?” Ming Chu frowned, dissatisfied with Zhang Mama’s arrangement.

She knew that wherever she went in Yangxi Road, she was the jewel in the palm of the hands of the Marshal Sir, and no one treated her poorly.

However, this pick is very unreasonable, this is the capital. The main door can’t be opened, and even Mrs. Pei usually goes in and out through the corner door. Of course, if they returned to the house with the marquis today, they could actually have the light of entering through the main door.

Zhang Mama was about to explain when Mrs. Liu came forward and held Ming Chu’s hand, tightening it silently.

Thinking of Mrs. Liu’s reminder all the way back to the capital, Ming Chu stiffened and decided to hold her tongue for now. She pulled a face and swept past Zhang Mama and went straight in the corner door.

At the same time, Ming Tan was throwing a big temper tantrum in the Zhaoshui courtyard.

She slapped the letter paper in her hand on the table, and couldn’t help but sweep the exquisite tea bowls and teapots off the table in one go.

The sound of cracking porcelain was sudden and crisp. She slapped the table and suddenly got up, while spinning around the house, she said: “Cheapskate, just cheapskate! I thought this family was just unruly and shameless, but I had underestimated them, and they actually schemed against this lady!”

She was so angry that her voice trembled a little. After clenching her fingers, her knuckles turned white, and pale green meridians were faintly visible on the back of her hand.

Su Xin and Lu’e were terrified, but they didn’t know what had happened.

These two days, the young lady is full of spirit, and will be dressing up to overpower the third young lady who returned to the house today. This morning, she also had someone take the morning dew on the flowers, and combined it with jade face powder to apply a thick layer, saying that after washing the face like this, the skin will be extraordinarily smooth and bright.

But just after breakfast, the maid from Bai Mansion sent a letter, saying that Bai Minmin wanted to come and tell her in person about the letter, but remembered that it was not appropriate to visit the Marquis today, so she had to write the matter into a letter and have it sent to her.

It is unknown what was written on the letter, but the little Miss of Ming family who has always recited that “prestigious ladies should not lose their manners no matter what they encounter, what is the difference between shouting and dropping things and a crazy woman from the marketplace” had a big fit of madness ……

Thinking back to the year before last golden chrysanthemum banquet, the Fengzhao Princess came out half way and took away the position of “flower lady” that she was supposed to have. When she came back, she just slammed a porcelain cup, and slammed it on the consort’s couch, and didn’t even break it.

But this time, breaking the tea cups and porcelain pots is not the end, she went around the house a few times, and then suddenly took that letter and rushed out.

Seeing this situation, the always stable Su Xin panicked, busy chasing after to warn: “Miss, where are you going? The third young lady and your aunt have already returned to the house. You haven’t worn your new hairpin yet!”

Ming Tan’s footsteps gave a pause.

Oh, yes. The hairpin.

And that mother and daughter.

She turned back, walked all the way into the inner room, and sat back in front of her dressing table with no expression on her face.

Su Xin gently touched Lu’e. Lu’e was a bit confused and stammered twice before responding: “Little… Miss, don’t be angry, people are not beautiful when they are angry. …… It’s not that you are not beautiful, Miss is beautiful in every way, but when you smile, you are more, more beautiful and charming!”

Not sure if it’s Lue’s compliment, or if she looked at her own face and then stopped being angry, after Ming Tan sat down and calmed down a lot.

Her father had gone to the palace to face the Emperor, it would be a joke if she were to rush out and not find anyone.

Also, when her father comes back, she can’t just rush up and ask for a divorce. She hasn’t seen her father for five years, and who knows how many demon winds are blown by Ming Chu and Aunt Liu to her father. If there is any misunderstanding that it is because of her lack of manners that has made the Duke of Ling to look down on her, it will be a bad thing.

Moreover, she is not too sure. Although she remembers being treated well, but it was unlike her uncle treating Bai Minmin that kind of love to the bone. She is also unsure if will her father be willing to offend the Duke’s House for her.

She picked up the newly made silver moon tassel hairpin on the table, looked at it for a while, and suddenly ordered, “Su Xin, take a plain handkerchief and soak it in some garlic juice.”

“Yes.”

“There is one more thing, come here.”

She gestured for Su Xin to come closer, put the letter sent by the maidservant of the Bai Mansion back into the envelope and handed it to her, adding a few instructions in a low whisper in her ear.

Su Xin has always been one of the people who don’t ask questions when the master doesn’t say anything, and after accepting the errand, she retreated with her hands clasped.

Ming Tan breathed a sigh of relief and instructed Lu’e: “Refresh my makeup, no need to be too grand, and change the clothes to something else.”

She had only been thinking about how to overpower Ming Chu, but had forgotten that meeting her father was the more important thing.

So under her repeated scrutiny and guidance, Lu’e finally transformed her into a beautiful and delicate woman with a little bit of softness.

She took a look in front of the bronze mirror, and curved her lips in satisfaction: “Let’s go to the Lan Xin courtyard.”

Lan Xin courtyard is Mrs. Pei’s courtyard, and to go there from Zhaoshui courtyard, one has to walk through the corridor and around the wall, and has to pass through DongKua garden.

A group of people went forward along the Chaoshou corridor, and as soon as they reached the garden of Dongkua, they heard a noise ahead.

“Oh …… is the granddaughter of the old lady’s maiden brother, the old lady has been gone for how long, this relationship is really distant. If I remember correctly, the old lady’s maiden family was originally a provincial family, downgraded to inherit the title for a long time, and for some years there is no contact with our house, I do not think it is any serious relation.” Ming Chu mocked.

Shen Hua: “Third sister you!”

“You what you, cousin, I gave face to the old lady who was gone to call you as cousin, you really do not consider yourself as an outsider. I have just returned to the house with my mother, and you are here in the garden reading some sour poems, are you not intending to give me and my mother more trouble? If you want me to say, you should also do your part when you are under the fence!”

Ming Chu was already unhappy because she entered the house through the corner door, and the subordinates she met along the way were far less attentive than those on Yang Xi Road, and then she ran into Shen Hua reciting some poem about hurting spring in the garden, so she couldn’t hold in her evil fire, and her words were full of sarcasm. Even her tone was full of unreasonable and unforgiving arrogance.

Shen Hua was extremely angry.

In the past, she and Ming Tan were often furious, but Ming Tan was at least a famous noblewoman, she had hidden a needle in her pocket, how could she be so rude and impolite without the manners of a lady!

She was about to open her mouth and say something back, when suddenly there was another breezy mockery from behind her: “Third sister, be careful, mother is in Lan Xin courtyard, and not here.”

Both sides turned around unconsciously.

Just to see a group of green-clad maidservants around the corner of the corridor, and after walking for a distance, the group of maidservants stopped and spontaneously formed two rows, and hung their heads respectfully—

A young girl in a jade white and gold silk embroidered brocade dress walked in, her snow white skin and black hair, her pupils are water-cut, her slender hand gently shaking the fan. With each step forward, the silver moon tassel pin in her hair will lightly shake out a fine luster.

Obviously, it is not very gorgeous dress, but from a distance, there is a fragile and delicate feeling like a precious porcelain bottle, which is afraid of falling on the ground and holding it in the palm of the hand for fear of breaking, so beautiful that people can’t take their eyes off.

Even though Shen Hua had seen a lot of this scene, she was stunned for a moment before she came back to her senses. For a moment, she didn’t know whether to secretly mock Ming Tan’s pretentiousness as usual, or to thank her for deterring a certain shrew who didn’t know the meaning of ladylike propriety.

“This is Fourth Miss, isn’t it?” Aunt Liu quickly recognized Ming Tan, smiled warmly and said in a soft voice, “I haven’t seen you for a few years, fourth young miss has really grown up beautiful now.”

She failed to stop Ming Chu earlier, mainly because she did not take Shen Hua too seriously. But Ming Tan is different, if Ming Tan wants to seize this title to say things, in front of Mrs. Pei more than eight out of ten. Nine of them won’t be good.

“Aunt praises a lot. I see that the third sister has also grown…different from us girls who have lived in the capital for a long time.”

Ming Tan responded to Aunt Liu’s words, but didn’t give Aunt Liu a look. She only measured Ming Chu from top to bottom, the way Ming Chu had just measured Shen Hua.

Ming Chu came back to her senses as an afterthought: “You!”

“You what you, third sister, this is the capital, pointing your finger at people, it’s very indecent.” Ming Tan used her fan to slowly press her finger down, “Third sister has not returned to the capital for a long time, so she must have forgotten many rules. Like today, not knowing where the mother is, and disrespecting distant cousins, and not taking pity on young sisters by pointing at them. Just one instance outside would be enough to make people laugh for half a year. It is the third sister who should be more proper, right?”

Ming Chu was stuck in a rage by what she had said before, staring at Ming Tan, her eyes almost spitting fire!

When she was about to pull out the soft whip at her waist, Aunt Liu went forward to hold her down and shouted, “Chu Chu!”

Ming Chu stared at the young girl in front of her, and the word “b!tch” came to her lips, but for some reason, she finally swallowed it back.

Her mother was right, no matter what, she had to endure until after the betrothal, Mrs. Pei is her first mother, if she caught her fault and made a big deal out of it, it would be too bad if she made a stumble when she was discussing the marriage!

After persuading Ming Chu, Aunt Liu forced a smile again and looked at Ming Tan: “Fourth Miss, Chu Chu she ……”

Ming Tan did not bother to listen, and directly interrupted: “It is late, I still have to pay my respects to mother, so I will not accompany you.”

Shen Hua saw this and followed: “Fourth sister, I will join you.”

She had never liked Ming Tan, but today, under the background of Ming Chu, she felt that this rival had a lot more beautiful appearance.

As the saying goes, the evil one has his own way of being evil. This fourth sister of hers will choke people. A mouthful of indecent, a mouthful of rules, but also charged with the crime of “not pitying young sister”, only one year younger, no matter how young, the skill of putting gold on his face is really natural.

But a moment later, Shen Hua felt that she was wrong.

The young lady of the Ming family sings the opera more effectively than the kung fu of putting gold on her own face, and can force the famous actor of the Fu Chun class to die.

The two of them went to Mrs. Pei’s place and sat there for a short time before someone came in to pass on the news that the Marquis had returned to the house and was coming to the Lanxin courtyard.

Everyone got up to welcome them.

When Shen Hua was wondering, she caught a glimpse of Ming Tan taking a handkerchief from her wide sleeve and pressing her eyes, and then her eyes were red and shining with tears.

Shen Hua is now thinking, she usually did not notice what deep father-daughter love she has for the Marquis of Jing’an …… then she saw her carrying the hem of her skirt, pouncing on the middle-aged man who just walked into the courtyard, with a tall body and short beard, and repeatedly shouted “father”.

The voice of Ming Tan is soft and clear, with a little pretense of holding back the tears, it can make people rise up the desire to protect.

As expected, Ming Tingyuan, who had not seen his little daughter for five years and who was supposed to have difficulty recognizing her face, immediately patted Ming Tan’s thin shoulder and said soothingly in a coarse voice: “Good daughter, what’s wrong? Are you being bullied?”

Ming Tan raised her little head, and with red eyes, shook her head and said, “No, it’s because Ah Tan missed her father too much.” But as soon as the words left her mouth, clear tears flowed down her eyes.

She wiped them with a handkerchief and took a half step back, saying, “Ah Tan has met father, it’s Ah Tan who has lost her composure and forgotten the rules of etiquette, please forgive father.”

Ming Tingyuan was very happy in his heart.

The youngest daughter he has not seen for five years, is dutiful and understands the rules and manners, but the point is that she has grown up to be like a heavenly fairy, well, she is worthy of being the daughter of him, Ming Tingyuan.

TRANSLATOR’S CORNER:
I am not a native speaker of either Chinese or English. I basically MTL and edit the text, sometimes I also use some sites for reference. I can’t guarantee that everything here is accurate, But I try to stick to the author’s work as much as possible. Please feel to comment any mistakes