Chương 78: Chapter 76

The silk caresses my shoulders as Lianhua adjusts the folds of the outfit with millimetric precision, and I can't help thinking, for the umpteenth time, that these wretched imperial princess outfits are specifically designed so that whoever wears them cannot do a single useful thing while dressed in them.

The sleeves are so wide I could hide a cat in each one, the brocade belt embroidered with lotus and cloud motifs cinches my waist with a firmness suggesting its designer considered comfortable breathing an unnecessary luxury, and the layers of fabric pile on top of one another as though the goal were to make me weigh twice what I normally do.

"Is it really necessary to wear this monstrosity every time I have to attend an official event?" I say to Lianhua as I watch her finish adjusting a fold.

"Seriously, Lianhua, I feel like I'm being gift-wrapped." Lianhua, as always, doesn't so much as blink at my complaint and continues her work.

"It is the appropriate attire for an imperial princess attending a public event, Zhāohuán Wen", she replies in that serene tone indicating she has heard my complaints so many times they now form part of the soundtrack of dressing me for an official occasion.

"Well, the appropriate attire is a torture device with terrible taste", I mutter as I feel another layer of fabric settle over my shoulders. But before I can continue complaining, Xia's voice interrupts me from the other side of the room.

"Don't complain so much, Wen", she tells me in a tone mixing resignation with a hint of envy.

"At least you get to wear nice clothes. Lianhua and I have to make do with the official servants' garments." Hearing her, I turn my head to look at her and can't help but smile. Her current handmaiden's outfit, with blue thread embroidery on ivory fabric, suits her beautifully, and seeing her I find it impossible not to tell her what I'm thinking.

"Don't worry, Xia", I tell her with a smile that's probably more tender than I intend.

"You look very cute in that outfit." The effect of my words is immediate. Xia's cheeks puff slightly as she frowns with that sulky expression I find so familiar and that makes her look even more adorable.

"I don't want to look cute!" she fires back, crossing her arms over her chest.

"For something as big as an auction like this, what I'd want is to look beautiful, not cute." I open my mouth to reply, but it's Lianhua who gets there first, cutting short our little argument without even raising her voice.

"Ling Xia", she says in that tone she uses when she wants to restore order without appearing to.

"Be grateful that Master Mu agreed to let Zhāohuán Wen bring an extra handmaiden so you could attend." Xia's mouth snaps shut, and I see a mixture of gratitude and frustration cross her face, since she knows Lianhua is right. If Master Mu hadn't given her permission, Xia wouldn't have been able to go. But Lianhua, as though she had been saving her words for this moment, then turns to me with that look of hers telling me my turn to be scolded has arrived.

"And as for you, Zhāohuán Wen", she tells me as she gives a final adjustment to the brocade belt.

"You need to be more conscious of your rank. When you attend public events, whether official or not, you must always appear dressed in accordance with it. It is a matter of image and of respect toward the imperial family." A long sigh escapes my lips at her admonishment, because I know she's right.

"I know perfectly well, Lianhua", I tell her, looking at her with an expression I hope conveys the mixture of resignation and affection I feel.

"But if I can't complain here, when I'm with the two of you, who am I supposed to complain to?" Lianhua doesn't answer, but the faintest softening of her expression tells me that, though she would never admit it aloud, she understands what I mean. And right at that moment, as though the Heavens had decided this conversation has gone on long enough, the door to the room opens and my mother enters.

She comes accompanied by Lingxi, who walks a few steps behind her with her customary discretion, and upon entering, her eyes sweep the scene with that appraising look I've learned to recognize over the years. Her gaze settles first on me, then on Lianhua, who is still adjusting the last details of the outfit, and finally she nods to herself with satisfaction.

"Have you memorized the list of rules and protocols your Etiquette tutor provided for this outing?" she asks, her tone making it clear the question is not exactly optional.

"Don't worry, Mother", I reply, doing my best to project confidence and competence.

"I have everything under control and I'll behave as I'm supposed to." My mother nods again, but in her expression there's a nuance I know well, the one that appears when she wants to say something more but is measuring her words before doing so.

"I'm still not entirely comfortable with you going out on your own to what is essentially an official event", she says at last, her gaze growing a touch more serious.

"It's not the same as a simple stroll around the Palace grounds, but it had to be a first time at some point." Here she pauses and something that looks like relief briefly crosses her face.

"And at the very least, with Master Mu there, I can feel somewhat more at ease about your safety." Hearing her, I can't stop an amused huff from escaping.

"Somewhat at ease is almost an understatement, Mother", I say, amusement coloring my voice.

"I'm sure that if anyone tries anything, given how everyone talks about how powerful Master Mu is, she'll be capable of vaporizing anyone who dares attack us." My mother arches one eyebrow slightly at my choice of words but doesn't contradict me, which in a way confirms that my assessment of Master Mu's destructive capabilities isn't too far from reality.

And while my mother and I hold this conversation, Lianhua, who hasn't stopped working at any point, gives one last tug to a rebellious fold before straightening up and stepping back to contemplate her work.

"Zhāohuán Wen is ready to depart", she announces with the contained satisfaction of someone who has completed a difficult task and is pleased with the result. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. At Lianhua's words, my mother approaches me and observes me for a moment that stretches a few seconds longer than necessary.

Then, with a gesture as familiar as it is inevitable, she extends her hands and begins smoothing wrinkles on my outfit that may have been there or may have existed only in her imagination.

"You look very beautiful", she tells me with a softness that contrasts with her usual tone, though it vanishes as quickly as it appears when she continues.

"Be careful with the nobles who'll be attending the auction. There will be many, and some of them, upon seeing you, might get ideas about relieving the imperial family of its troublesome princess by trying to convince you to agree to a meeting with one of their offspring." Hearing her, a huff that is more amusement than anything else leaves my lips.

"I don't have time for some second-rate noble to try pairing me off with one of their brats, Mother", I say, feeling a self-assured smile form on my face.

"And if anyone tries, I have an all-powerful shield called the Emperor. I'll simply tell them that for any matter of that nature they must first obtain my father's approval, and I'm sure that will make every last one of them turn around without trying anything further." My mother looks at me and, to my surprise, nods with what seems like genuine approval.

"That's a good idea", she says, her tone acquiring that calculating shade that appears when something strikes her as strategically exploitable.

"If anyone has the poor taste to raise the subject, mention a couple of times during the auction that for any matter regarding a possible betrothal they must first obtain the Emperor's approval. That will ensure the future pool of candidates is a far more select group." And at her words, my mind screeches to a halt on the words future pool.

What my mother has just said implies that at some point there will be a selection, which in turn implies that at some point someone, probably she or my father, intends to betroth me to the offspring of some noble family. Although I know I should have expected it given how these things work around here, that is only going to happen over my dead body.

But I decide to say nothing, since that is a battle I'll have to fight in the future and today is not the day to start it, so I simply keep my expression as neutral as possible and file those words away for later. My mother, oblivious to the small storm she has just unleashed inside me, or perhaps perfectly aware of it but choosing to ignore it, finally seems satisfied after smoothing the probably nonexistent wrinkles on my outfit and steps back.

"Since it seems everything is ready, you'd best be off", she tells us in that tone that brooks no argument.

"I don't want you arriving late and making a poor impression." I nod at her words and look at Lianhua.

"Then it's time to go." Lianhua nods, lifts me to settle me into my chair, then grips it with her usual firmness while Xia falls in at our side. And so the three of us leave the room under the watchful eyes of my mother and Lingxi, leaving the Pavilion behind as we head for the courtyard where the palanquin and its Nei Wei escort await. When we reach the courtyard, the Nei Wei are already waiting for our arrival in their customary formation around the palanquin.

With the practice we've acquired from several outings, the transition is swift. Lianhua settles me into the palanquin while the Nei Wei see to my chair, and soon the procession sets off through the Palace. The palanquin's swaying comes to a stop shortly after, and when Lianhua opens the door, the main courtyard reveals itself with its familiar expanse of pale stone under the sun. And there, waiting for us, is a carriage I recognize.

It's the same one that took me to the Hall of Ten Thousand Talismans, or at least an identical one. Around it, some twenty Nei Wei stand in formation, and the sight produces in me a mixture of familiarity and resignation, since no matter how accustomed I become, the idea of needing twenty armed guards to go anywhere still strikes me as excessive.

But this is no time for complaints, so with the efficiency that comes from experience, the Nei Wei load my chair into the rear of the carriage after shifting its panels while Lianhua settles me inside. Once I'm in place, Xia sits beside me and Lianhua across from us, after which she gives a gentle tap on the carriage wall and the procession moves out. The creak of wheels on stone and the metallic jingle of the harnesses mark our departure as the Palace gates open to let us through.

Once outside, the main avenue greets us with its usual bustle, and I watch the crowd part as they notice the imperial family crest on our carriage and the Nei Wei surrounding it. The carriage follows the main street for a stretch, but soon turns onto a side street and begins making its way into an area of the capital I've never passed through before. Through the window I watch the buildings change as we advance.

The shops and businesses of the zone near the Palace give way to residences that grow progressively larger and more luxurious once we pass beyond the restricted zone, with facades of exquisitely carved dark wood, interior gardens glimpsed through half-open gates, and rooftops with eaves adorned with figures that gleam in the sunlight. Seeing the buildings, I assume we're entering the noble quarter, which is where, according to Master Mu, the auction is to be held.

During the journey the three of us remain in silence, each lost in her own thoughts, and it's Xia who finally breaks it.

"The imperial capital really is enormous", she remarks, her gaze still fixed on the window with that expression of contained awe that still appears on her face when something impresses her.

"With all the time we spent walking, in Xi'an we'd have nearly left the city, and here we've barely covered a fraction."

"The imperial capital is roughly six times larger than the city of Xi'An, Ling Xia", Lianhua replies with her usual calm, as though she were citing a figure she had stored and ready to deploy.

Xia responds only with a soft sound of wonder as she continues gazing at the streets through the window, and I can't help but share a portion of that wonder in silence, because despite everything I've read and studied about the capital, seeing it firsthand on each of the few outings I've made remains something entirely different. But it soon becomes evident that today's traffic is considerably denser than usual.

Through the window I begin to see numerous lavishly adorned carriages merging onto the street from different directions, all heading the same way as ours, each bearing its own escort and some with guards carrying standards emblazoned with family crests I recognize. The whole of it turns the streets into a slow river of lacquered wood, silk, and metal.

However, upon seeing the Imperial Army insignia of the Nei Wei and the royal family crest on our carriage, everyone gives way and defers to us, so that despite the density of the traffic, we never truly come to a stop. At last, the procession emerges into an enormous plaza that reminds me, in its scale, of the Imperial Palace's, though this one is packed with carriages of every shape and size, like a chaotic but luxurious car park.

And presiding over the plaza, rising with an grandeur that leaves no doubt about the power it represents, stands a large building whose ornamentation and decorations scream wealth in every detail of its facade. As we enter the plaza, Lianhua leans out the window and addresses the Nei Wei in a clear voice.

"Bring the carriage to the entrance of the Merchants' Guild", she tells them, and the carriage begins to thread its way through the tangle of vehicles toward the building.

"Lianhua, notify Master Mu that we've arrived", I say after she pulls back from the window. Lianhua nods and, without wasting a moment, produces from the folds of her clothing the talisman Master Mu gave us for this purpose and activates it with a precise gesture, holding it before her.

"Master Mu, we have arrived at the plaza and are approaching the building's entrance", she says through the talisman in a firm voice. The moment she finishes speaking, the talisman glows briefly before crumbling into ash that dissolves in the carriage's air, leaving barely a faint trace of dust on Lianhua's fingers.

Meanwhile the carriage hasn't stopped advancing toward the building, escorted by the Nei Wei, and through the window I see several groups of people who looked as though they were about to complain about our progress change their minds with notable swiftness upon spotting the Nei Wei and the imperial family emblem on our carriage. Some bow, others simply step aside and avert their gaze, but none dares to protest.

And so, without too many incidents, the carriage reaches the entrance of the Merchants' Guild building, where through the window I see a figure that has become familiar waiting at the door, her unmistakable outfit, her high bun secured with that jade-and-gold hairpin that is practically a personal trademark, and in her hand, the ever-present fan resting closed against her shoulder.

Master Mu is waiting for us, and when our carriage comes to a halt, I see a smile that is half welcome and half amusement anticipating what promises to be a very interesting day.