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Chapitre 2

Everyone in the Pang household was surprised, but since it was the Empress Dowager who had summoned him, Pang Di didn't have time to think about it. He carefully dressed himself and then rode in a sedan chair to the palace.

Upon entering the Empress Dowager's palace, Pang Di saw several ladies from noble families already gathered there. She walked up to the Empress Dowager, bowed gracefully, and greeted her according to custom.

Empress Dowager Gao was very amiable. She personally bent down, took the woman's hand, and told her to rise. Then, she smiled and carefully examined her, praising, "I have long heard that Scholar Pang's daughter is exceptionally beautiful. Seeing her today, I can truly believe it."

Pang Di glanced at the Empress Dowager discreetly and immediately realized that she was completely different from what he had imagined. He had thought the Empress Dowager would be a dignified and elegant middle-aged woman, but she was much younger, beautiful and graceful, and dressed in very simple and elegant clothes, looking no more than thirty years old. This Empress Dowager had grown up with the late Emperor Yingzong, and married him as a concubine when he was still a prince in his teens. Although she had given birth to one daughter and four sons, she had been pampered and well-maintained, so she always looked exceptionally young.

However, Pang Di wasn't envious of her health regimen; he was simply thinking, "How come she lost her husband at such a young age?"

Empress Dowager Gao took several young ladies to the Imperial Garden to admire the newly blooming plum blossoms. After chatting with them about everyday matters, she began to deliberately test their knowledge. Pang Di was quick-witted and often gave the answer before the Empress Dowager had finished speaking. Later, it was almost entirely just the two of them talking, and the other women couldn't get a word in edgewise. The Empress Dowager's attitude towards her became increasingly amiable.

Halfway through admiring the flowers, the Empress Dowager suddenly said to a palace maid beside her, "The plum blossoms are blooming so profusely today, go and invite Prince Qi to come and admire them together."

"

The palace maid responded and left. She returned shortly afterward and reported, "His Highness Prince Qi said he still has to prepare a memorial to present to the Emperor today, so he probably won't be able to come."

The Empress Dowager shook her head and sighed, "How could this child be so foolish!" She then bestowed some clothes upon the women and ordered the eunuchs to escort them home.

After returning home, Pang Di told his father about what had happened in the palace. After pondering for a moment, Pang Gong said, "That's it! The Empress Dowager wants to choose a successor for Prince Qi."

Like Emperor Shenzong, Prince Qi was born to Empress Gao, the legitimate daughter of Emperor Yingzong. Empress Dowager Gao had four sons: the eldest was the current Emperor Zhao Xu; the third son, Yan, died young; the youngest son was Prince Yun of Le'an; and Prince Qi was her second son. Prince Qi's wife was also a well-educated and talented woman from a prestigious family, but she passed away this year. Prince Qi was deeply grieved and remained depressed. Therefore, Empress Dowager Gao wished to select a talented woman from a distinguished family to be his second wife.

Judging from the current situation, the Empress Dowager clearly favors Pang Di. However, Pang Di is no ordinary opportunist; he wasn't blinded by sudden glory. Instead, he carefully weighed the pros and cons, realizing that entering the inner palace was like entering a deep, dark sea. If his daughter didn't win Prince Qi's favor, her situation would be dire. Moreover, Prince Qi, like Emperor Shenzong, was the second son of Emperor Yingzong. In terms of blood relations, besides the emperor, he was the closest to imperial power, representing unparalleled honor, but also a deadly danger. The emperor was currently focused on reform, ignoring the opposition of his court officials. If, under pressure, any minister harbored rebellious thoughts, he might incite Prince Qi to plot a rebellion. Prince Qi was not only young and capable, but also the most outstanding among his brothers in both literary and martial arts, and his opposition to reform was resolute. If this were to happen, it would inevitably lead to a bloody massacre, as history provides countless examples. At that time, it wouldn't just be his daughter who would be in danger.

Therefore, Pang Gong made a decisive decision and agreed to the Wang family's marriage proposal before Empress Dowager Gao formally brought up the matter of selecting a concubine.

In the late spring of the following year, Pang Di, dressed in a wedding gown and carried in a bridal sedan chair, married into the Wang family and became the new wife of the talented Wang Pang.

On their wedding night, Pang Di sat quietly, gazing through her gauze veil at the dancing flames of the dragon and phoenix candles on the table. Her heart, like those two sparks, was restless and uneasy, its beat erratic with the light and shadow reflected on the wall.

And so she married the prime minister's son.

When she first heard that her father had accepted the betrothal gifts, she was surprised and slightly displeased. Although the man was refined and elegant, he was so arrogant. She herself had always been proud and haughty, yet she had twice failed to gain the upper hand in their encounters, which was truly infuriating. However, upon further reflection, she thought, "So be it. He is exceptionally talented; living with him would surely be interesting, better than marrying a complete stranger in a muddle." Just like that day, if he hadn't found the felt hat, it would have fallen into the hands of some common laborer—how terrible that would have been! It just so happened that he was the one who found it, showing that they were, after all, destined to be together…

With a "snap," the red candle flickered and a flame appeared. At the same time, someone pushed the door open and came in.

Her husband, her lover. Unfamiliar words, unfamiliar people.

She twisted the silk handkerchief tightly in her hands, feeling as if the door in her heart had suddenly closed, serving as the last barrier between her and her still somewhat unfamiliar lover.

The man gently lifted the veil from her head. She looked up in surprise, and their eyes met. She saw her beauty in the eyes of her smiling husband.

They drank the nuptial cup together. Then the matchmaker and maidservant left, leaving only the two of them in the room.

Wang Pang stood up, walked to the window, opened it, and said to her, "The moonlight is perfect tonight, let's not waste such a beautiful moment..."

Pang Di tensed up, feeling a renewed sense of unease, wondering to himself, "What is his intention?"

"How about I play a tune for you, my lady?" Wang Pang took out a jade flute that was entirely emerald green and began to play it without waiting for her reply.

"So that's all there is to it." Pang Di secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He was playing "Remembering the Flute on Phoenix Terrace," a melodious and graceful tune with a clear and lingering sound. Pang Di listened attentively to the music, gradually becoming engrossed, and almost forgot where he was.

After the piece was finished, Wang Pang turned to her and said, "I found this xiao (vertical bamboo flute) at Jiguzhai in Bianjing last year. It is said to have been used by Xiao Shi when he proposed to Nongyu, the daughter of Duke Mu of Qin. Although it is hard to tell if it is true or not, I particularly like the story of the two people playing the zither in harmony and showing their deep affection for each other. So I spent a lot of money to buy it. After trying it, I found that the sound was indeed clear and unique."

Pang Di took it and saw that the jade flute had a warm and lustrous color, and the patterns and inscriptions on it were exquisitely carved, making it truly an extraordinary piece.

Wang Pang suddenly smiled and continued, "Last year during the Qingming Festival, I played a drinking game with someone using this flute as a wager. I couldn't find any inspiration for a while. If it weren't for my wife appearing at the right time, I'm afraid I would have run out of ideas and had to admit defeat."

Hearing him bring up the Qingming Festival again, Pang Di frowned and said with a hint of annoyance, "Wasn't writing such boring words a loss?"

Wang Pang laughed loudly: "Fortunately, the person I bet with that day wasn't my wife, otherwise I would have lost all ten jade flutes. That person is so magnanimous, how could she be so petty about half a poem!"

Pang Di then pressed on, asking, "Who is that man in black?"

Seeing her intense curiosity, Wang Pang deliberately remained silent, teasingly saying, "Huh? What kind of wife is this, dragging her husband around to question him about another man on their wedding night!"

Upon hearing this, Pang Di's fair face flushed red, and she spat out, "Fine, I won't say it then! Who cares if they want to know! You were clearly the one who deliberately provoked people to ask."

After chatting and laughing for a while, Wang Pang said softly to Pang Di, "It's late, you should go to bed. I suddenly remembered something important to tell my father, I'll be right back."

After speaking, he got up and left. Pang Di sat alone for a long time, and when he did not return, he took off his clothes and lay down, but only took off his outermost red dress.

Although she was inexperienced in matters of the heart, she knew that marital relations extended beyond that. The day before her wedding, her mother privately mentioned some intimate matters to her, but she was very shy upon hearing them. Madam Pang didn't say much, only giving her a silk painting, saying it was something to be kept at the bottom of the trunk. When she later unfolded it, she discovered it was full of erotic embroidery, and was horrified. She immediately rolled it up and put it in her dowry chest, covering it with layers of clothing—truly keeping it at the bottom of the trunk.

Therefore, she was always worried that Wang Pang would do something to her. Although she knew that she was already married to him, she was still afraid at the thought of doing such a thing with him.

She lay on the bed wrapped tightly in the embroidered quilt, her only wish being that he would not come in again.

I don't know how much time passed, but I vaguely heard someone push the door open and walk to the bedside, reaching out to pull back the covers.

Pang Di was almost asleep when he felt someone trying to pull back the covers and immediately woke up, all sleepiness gone. He sat up abruptly and looked at the person in front of him warily.

Seeing her slightly disheveled hair, her wide-open eyes staring at him with fear in them, and her hands tightly clutching the quilt, wrapping her whole body up, Wang Pang couldn't help but chuckle and asked softly, "My wife isn't asleep yet?"

Pang Di was quite embarrassed and simply hummed in response.

Unexpectedly, Wang Pang's smile deepened, and he moved closer, looking directly into her eyes, and asked in an ambiguous tone, "Is my wife waiting for me?"

"

"Pah!" Pang Di, embarrassed and annoyed, disregarded her ladylike demeanor and retorted angrily, "Who's waiting for you!" Then she lay down and covered her head to sleep against the wall.