The Mid-Autumn Festival had finally arrived.
Hua Manman made a point of waking up early.
She changed into a smoky-purple gown that tied above her chest, paired with moon-white, pearl-embroidered slippers with soft soles. Her jet-black hair was swept up completely, revealing the snowy-white nape of her neck.
A golden hairpin was inserted at an angle into her elaborate updo, with fine golden tassels dangling from it.
The gold cast a delicate, fair glow upon her cheeks. Complemented by her bright eyes and pearly teeth, she looked even more radiant and captivating.
Li Ji leaned back languidly on a low couch, watching Hua Manman get ready.
He couldn’t help but make a tart comment.
"It’s not your wedding day. Do you really have to dress up so beautifully?"
Hua Manman glanced at him in the mirror and asked with a beaming smile.
"You think I look beautiful today too, Your Highness?"
Li Ji snapped his mouth shut and turned his head away, not wanting to speak another word.
His gaze drifted out the window to the courtyard below.
To celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, Gao Shan had specially ordered all the regular lanterns in the residence to be replaced with festive ones. Exquisite, colorful lanterns of all shapes and sizes now hung everywhere in the Prince Mansion, lending it a genuinely joyous, celebratory atmosphere.
And yet, Li Ji felt no joy at all.
It was a major festival, yet his princess consort was leaving to celebrate with someone else.
Leaving him all alone at home.
Once she was ready, Hua Manman stood up with Si Yun’s support.
Qing Huan came running in, then said slowly.
"The carriage... is... ready. We can... leave... whenever..."
After waiting an eternity for her to finish, Si Yun couldn’t help but interject.
"Shall we depart now, Your Highness?"
Hua Manman looked at Li Ji and asked again.
"Your Highness, are you sure you don’t want to come with me to the Duke Zhen Country Mansion to celebrate?"
Li Ji snorted. "I’m not going," he said disdainfully.
Hua Manman sighed in resignation. "All right, then. We’ll be on our way. Be good while you’re here alone. I’ll be back as soon as I can."
She turned and walked out, Si Yun hurrying after her.
Qing Huan: "...depart."
By then, Hua Manman and Si Yun were already some distance away, leaving only Qing Huan and Li Ji in the room.
Li Ji looked at her expressionlessly.
Qing Huan opened her mouth, wanting to say something.
But Li Ji cut her off.
"Don’t talk. My head starts to ache every time I hear you speak. Just go."
Qing Huan gave him a curtsy, then left without another word.
For someone who spoke so slowly, her movements were astonishingly fast.
Once everyone was gone, Li Ji suddenly felt the entire Prince Mansion was empty and desolate.
’He’d celebrated festivals alone before, and back then, he never thought there was anything wrong with it. It was just a festival; what did it matter how he spent it? Why bother with all the pointless formalities?!’
’But now, he found celebrating a festival alone utterly miserable.’
’There was no one around to even talk to. It was so cold and lonely.’
’It was awful.’
Hua Manman had barely left the Prince Zhao Mansion, and Prince Zhao was already starting to feel regret.
’If he’d known being alone for the festival would be this awful, he wouldn’t have been so stubborn yesterday.’
’It was just a matter of backing down a little.’
’He was thick-skinned, anyway. What was there to be embarrassed about!’
...
The carriage stopped at the entrance of the Duke Zhen Country Mansion.
Hua Manman pushed open the carriage door and stepped down using a footstool.
Someone was already waiting at the entrance to the Duke Zhen Country Mansion. Seeing Princess Consort Zhao arrive, he immediately had the main gates thrown wide open and respectfully ushered her inside.
Princess Rouwan had just finished breakfast.
When she suddenly heard that Princess Consort Zhao had arrived, Princess Rouwan immediately stood and strode outside, asking as she went.
"What’s that girl doing here?"
Nanny Zhang, who was supporting her, smiled. "Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, a day for family reunions. Her Highness must be here to celebrate with you."
Princess Rouwan huffed disdainfully.
"I’m perfectly fine celebrating on my own. I don’t need any company."
Despite her words, her pace was brisk.
Seeing this, the smile on Nanny Zhang’s face grew wider.
Before long, they reached the front courtyard, where they saw Hua Manman just walking in.
Hua Manman curtsied to Princess Rouwan.
"Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, Your Highness."
Princess Rouwan looked her up and down. She noticed the girl had put on a little weight and had a rosy, glowing complexion. It seemed Li Ji was taking good care of her.
"What are you doing here?"
Hua Manman replied with a wide grin, "I came to celebrate the festival with you, of course! I even brought some crabs and mooncakes.
The crabs were raised on our own estate, and the mooncakes were homemade by the Prince Mansion’s chefs.
I hope you like them."
Princess Rouwan sniffed. "Unlike you, I’m not a glutton who will eat anything."
With that, she turned and walked toward the reception hall.
She took two steps, then stopped and looked back at Hua Manman. Seeing that she was still standing there, she said irritably.
"What are you standing there gawking for? Keep up."
Hua Manman’s eyes immediately curved into crescents. "Coming!"
She gathered her skirts and trotted over.
Princess Rouwan frowned and scolded, "You’re running so fast even though you’re pregnant? Aren’t you afraid you’ll fall?"
Then she rounded on Si Yun and Qing Huan. "Don’t you know enough to help support her? One is more foolish than the next."
Hua Manman could only slow her pace.
Si Yun and Qing Huan scrambled to catch up, taking up positions on either side to support the princess consort.
As they walked, Princess Rouwan asked, "Do you have a steward helping you run your household?"
Before Hua Manman could answer, Princess Rouwan quickly added,
"You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. I wouldn’t want anyone to think I’m prying into the affairs of your Prince Mansion."
Hua Manman smiled. "We have Gao Shan to help manage the household."
Princess Rouwan had clearly heard of Gao Shan.
"He is indeed a capable man.
But no matter how capable he is, he still answers to you.
You are the mistress of the household. You must be able to stand on your own two feet.
Don’t just be a fool all day, thinking only of eating and drinking."
But Hua Manman replied, "What’s wrong with eating and drinking? Worrying too much will just make you old faster."
Princess Rouwan was about to die from exasperation.
"You’re hopeless!"
Hua Manman covered her mouth with her hand and chuckled. "His Highness says the same thing to me. Even your tones of voice are identical. You really are mother and son, through and through."
At the mention of Li Ji, the expression on Princess Rouwan’s face vanished.
Hua Manman, however, seemed not to notice the sudden chill in the other woman’s demeanor and continued on blithely.
"Actually, I wanted to come with His Highness. It’s a festival, after all, and it’s best when the whole family is together.
Unfortunately, His Highness is too stubborn. He couldn’t get over his pride, so he didn’t dare come.
So I had to come alone."
Princess Rouwan didn’t respond and simply walked on in silence.
Hua Manman stroked her belly, her voice full of regret.
"Our child will be born soon. I had hoped to give them a complete family, to let them experience the warmth of a real home, but now I’m afraid that’s not possible."
Princess Rouwan finally deigned to speak.
"And why is that?"
Hua Manman said, "Because how am I supposed to explain to our child why his father and grandmother are always fighting? What if he follows their example and starts fighting with me when he’s older?"