The most dissolute couple in the capital

In Cui Qinghui's courtyard stood two sycamore trees. It was late spring, and their leaves were emerald green, casting warm sunlight like scattered gold across the ground.

She sat on the embroidered stool by the window, holding the mutton-fat jade pendant in her hand, turning it over and over to examine it, her face expressionless.

Bai Li brought in a bowl of white fungus soup. Seeing her young mistress in this state, she secretly groaned.

"Miss, this jade pendant is so beautiful. In my opinion, it's even more lustrous than the most expensive one in the jade shop in the south of the city."

Bai Li cautiously began to speak, trying to steer the conversation in a positive direction.

Cui Qinghui tossed the jade pendant into the dressing case, making a crisp "click" sound.

"What's the use of being pretty?" She turned her head, her almond-shaped eyes brimming with grievance. "Didn't you see my sister's pearls? Those are pearls! I...I've never seen them before!"

Bai Li quickly put down her bowl, leaned closer, and lowered her voice: "Miss, please keep your voice down, the walls have ears."

"I knew it," Cui Qinghui bit her lower lip, her voice lowered but the resentment in her tone growing stronger, "Mother is clearly my biological mother, so why does my sister get all the good things? First, there's the eldest son of the Zheng family—do you know Zheng Wenyuan? He was a successful candidate in last year's autumn imperial examination, a direct descendant of the Xingyang Zheng family, and he's handsome. Which young lady in Chang'an wouldn't want to marry him?"

Bai Li opened her mouth, wanting to say that the marriage with the Zheng family had never happened, but Cui Qinghui didn't give her a chance to speak.

"The Zheng family marriage failed, and she turned around and married Prince Liang!" Cui Qinghui became increasingly angry as she spoke, slamming her hand on the table. "Who is Prince Liang? He's the Emperor's own younger brother! A first-rank prince! His food, clothing, and daily necessities are all provided by the Imperial Household Department, and his annual salary alone is—"

"Miss!" Bai Li's face flushed red with anxiety as she reached out to cover Cui Qinghui's mouth. "How could you even be asking about the royal family's salary? If word gets out, Madam will definitely punish you!"

Cui Qinghui pushed Bai Li's hand away, pouted, and remained silent.

But the resentment in their eyes doesn't lie.

Seeing that she had calmed down a bit, Bai Li quickly pressed her advantage: "Miss, how old are you this year? The Empress issued an imperial decree two years ago saying that women should not marry too early, seventeen or eighteen is just right. The eldest young lady is sixteen this year, and when she reaches the age, she will naturally get engaged. This is in accordance with the order of seniority, and it has nothing to do with whether the madam is biased or not."

"But will I ever be able to marry into a family even better than a prince?" Cui Qinghui raised her head, her eyes slightly red. "Our Cui family is a collateral branch. My father was just a sixth-rank secretary. My sister was able to marry the Prince of Liang because she saved his life. And me? What do I have?"

Bai Li gently smoothed her hair with a tender expression: "Miss, you are beautiful and talented, and you are the legitimate daughter of the Madam. You have a long road ahead of you. Besides, that Prince Liang... everyone says he has difficulty having children. It might not be a good thing for you to marry into that family."

Upon hearing this, Cui Qinghui's eyes darted around, seemingly somewhat comforted by the words, but she still refused to back down: "Hmph, even if she has difficulty conceding children, she is still a princess consort, a first-rank noblewoman. Who wouldn't bow to her when she goes out?"

Bai Li sighed helplessly, knowing that once her young mistress got stubborn, not even ten oxen could pull her back. She simply changed the subject: "Miss, the white fungus soup won't taste good when it's cold, please at least have a couple of sips."

Cui Qinghui picked up the bowl in a huff, took a sip, and then put it down again.

"Bai Li," she suddenly lowered her voice, "do you think Mother gave all the good stuff to my older sister?"

Bai Li was taken aback: "What do you mean by that, Miss?"

"Think about it," Cui Qinghui counted on her fingers, "Although Mother said she didn't approve of my sister's marriage, she never really stopped it from beginning to end. When the palace bestowed gifts, the first thing Mother did was to have someone count my sister's dowry. And me? I didn't even have a trace of it."

Bai Li was both amused and exasperated: "Miss, the eldest young lady is about to get married, so taking stock of her dowry is a proper matter. Which family doesn't do this? Besides, the bulk of the eldest young lady's dowry was left by her biological mother, and it has nothing to do with us."

Cui Qinghui was silent for a moment, then muttered softly, "What about the portion from the public funds? Will Mother give all the good stuff to my sister?"

Bai Li opened her mouth, but ultimately didn't dare to respond.

She knew in her heart that although Madam Li treated the eldest daughter politely on the surface, she was not her biological daughter after all, and it was already a sign of her virtue that she did not mistreat her. As for the dowry from the public treasury, it would be neither more nor less according to the rules.

But she couldn't say that; if she did, the young lady would only worry more.

"Miss," Bai Li thought for a moment and tried a different approach to persuade her, "Think about it, once the eldest young lady gets married, you'll be the only legitimate daughter in the manor. Won't the madam's heart be entirely focused on you? When she chooses a husband for you, it will be a truly careful selection."

Upon hearing this, Cui Qinghui's expression finally softened somewhat. She lowered her head and fiddled with the white fungus in her bowl, before finally saying in a muffled voice, "I hope so."

-

main courtyard.

Li sat behind a large rosewood desk, a thick stack of account books spread out in front of her, the beads on her abacus clicking away.

Yu's mother stood to the side, holding a cup of hot tea. She handed it to Li after Li finished calculating a bill.

"Madam, please rest your eyes. There's no rush to settle this debt today."

Madam Li took the teacup, took a sip, and rubbed her temples. "We have to hurry, even if we don't want to. The two young ladies returned from the palace today with gifts from the Empress Dowager. Qingyi received a pair of Eastern pearls."

Mrs. Yu gasped, "Dongzhu? That means—"

"The imperial decree for the marriage will arrive soon." Madam Li closed the account book, leaned back in her chair, her expression a mix of joy and worry.

Mrs. Yu rubbed her hands together and lowered her voice, "Then... what did the master say?"

"What else can the master say?" Madam Li curled her lips slightly. "Our Cui family is going to have a princess. This is a great honor. Even if the master doesn't say it, he must be relieved."

Mrs. Yu nodded, then tentatively asked, "What about the eldest daughter's dowry...?"

"The bulk of Qingyi's dowry came from her biological mother." Madam Li tapped her fingers lightly on the table twice. "When that older sister married into the family, her dowry was quite substantial. Although it has been somewhat diminished over the years, the foundation is still there. With another portion from the public coffers, it won't be too meager."

Madam Yu understood the implied meaning and cautiously replied, "Does Madam mean that the public share... should be handled according to the rules?"

"Of course, we'll follow the rules." Madam Li glanced at Madam Yu. "She's marrying a prince. If her dowry is too meager, it will be a disgrace to the Cui family, and the master will be the first to object. But it doesn't need to be too generous either. There's also Hui'er to come. It's not good to favor one over the other."

Mrs. Yu nodded knowingly.

Madam Li continued, "Once the imperial decree is issued, you should take people to inventory the trunks and boxes left by her mother. They've been sealed and untouched all these years, so some of the fabrics have probably gotten damp, and the silks probably have mold spots. Also, those hairpins and jewelry are from over ten years ago; if you wear them now, people will laugh at you. What needs to be altered should be altered, and what needs to be re-set should be re-set."

"Yes, I've got it." Madam Yu replied, then hesitated for a moment, "Madam, what about the silver for the reform..."

"It will come from public funds," Li said decisively. "This is legitimate expenditure. I'll talk to the master about it. Reform is reform, but the original items cannot be lost. Every single item must be registered and recorded so that Qingyi can review it later, lest we give others cause for criticism."

At this point, Madam Li paused, as if she had thought of something else, and added, "It's not enough for just our people to make the register. Go and tell Qingyi to send a trustworthy maid from her courtyard to accompany our people to do the counting from beginning to end."

Mrs. Yu was slightly taken aback.

Li picked up her teacup, gently skimmed off the foam with the lid, and continued slowly, "The last two lists must be matched perfectly. Only when she personally approves them can the matter be considered clean and neat. Otherwise, people will say that I, as her stepmother, have mistreated her in this matter."

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Yu's admiration for Mrs. Li deepened even further.

"Madam's idea is very thoughtful. I will go and do it right away," said Madam Yu, bowing.

"Oh, by the way," Madam Li said, as if remembering something, "how was Hui'er's mood after she came back today?"

After carefully considering her words, Madam Yu said, "The second young lady... seems alright, but she hasn't come out much since returning to her courtyard."

Madam Li sighed softly and put down her teacup: "This child is too thoughtful."

She pondered for a moment, then instructed, "Tomorrow, have the sewing room make two new outfits for Hui'er using that Shu brocade. Also, pick out a pair of gold-inlaid jade earrings for her from my private collection, and say they are a gift from me."

Madam Yu agreed, and then heard Madam Li say, "Hui'er is still young and doesn't understand. She'll understand when she's older. No matter how well Qingyi marries, she'll still belong to someone else's family. Hui'er is my own flesh and blood. Isn't this family's future all for her?"

Madam Yu nodded repeatedly: "What you say is true, Madam. The second young lady is still young. In a couple of years, when she has grown up, with Madam's discerning eye, she will surely be able to find her a good husband."

Li didn't respond to that, her gaze fixed on the account book, her fingers unconsciously stroking the cover.

"Mother Yu," she suddenly spoke, "do you think Qingyi truly wants to marry Prince Liang?"

Mrs. Yu was taken aback, not expecting Mrs. Li to ask this.

"This servant...this servant dares not speak presumptuously."

"You've been with me for so many years, what's there to be afraid of saying?" Madam Li waved her hand.

After thinking for a moment, Madam Yu said carefully, "Miss usually seems gentle and kind, but I always feel... this child has her own ideas."

Li's eyes narrowed slightly.

Madam Yu continued, "This is such a coincidence. But I think, how could a young lady from a secluded family have such audacity? Unless she really wants to marry Prince Liang."

After saying this, even Mrs. Yu herself felt it was absurd. "But this doesn't make sense. What kind of girl would refuse to marry into a respectable family and insist on marrying someone else..."

It was none of her business to comment on the affairs of princes and nobles. The two of them stopped talking at this point and just looked at each other in confusion.

In the end, Madam Li shook her head: "Forget it, no matter what she thinks, the imperial decree is a done deal. Since she has chosen this path, whether her future is good or bad is up to her own fate."

She reopened the account books, moved the abacus beads, and her tone returned to its usual calm: "Go and make the arrangements. Once the imperial decree arrives, the first thing to do is to take stock of the dowry. Have the steward prepare the keys to the storeroom in advance."

"Yes, this servant will take care of it right away." Madam Yu bowed and turned to leave the main courtyard.

As dusk deepened, the lanterns under the eaves lit up one by one, casting a warm yellow light on the green bricks and gray tiles of the Cui residence.

As Madam Yu walked along the corridor, her steps unhurried, she was pondering something else: the dowry left by the eldest daughter's biological mother hadn't been touched for over a decade, and she didn't know how much was left.

She shook her head and quickened her pace.

In any case, this is Madam's business, and she just needs to do as she's told.