Chapter Text
Turning before the mirror, it was clear to Maomao that Xuefei had outdone herself once again. With a blend of the girl's talent for handling accessories - and as Maomao had come to learn, fabrics also - and people on Yue's seamstress team preparing the garment arrangements, even someone such as Maomao could look worthy of attending royal events. Truly, she looked as though she actually may have belonged there.
As had been suggested two weeks prior by Lady Lihua and Lady Gyokuyou, they had all ensured Maomao's colours did not overlap with anyone else who would be present. This garden party, she was adorned with light, forest-like greens - a much cooler set of shades that would perhaps complement Lihua's blues - and imported turquoise minerals cut into dainty but eye catching ear and neck adornments to bring a bolder cut of colour into the outfit. Silver metalwork and threaded embroidery held the rest of the design together, with patterns of delicate flowers that Maomao found were not in the least anatomically accurate to the unique petal shapes of the flora they were intending to replicate. And the shoot system overall was rather oversimplified and made very little sense. But she digressed.
It was a wonderful outfit, and luckily for her scalp, there was only one hairpin in her hair. Unluckily for her mood, it was delivered by Lahan, meaning it could only be from a small handful of people, and majority of them she did not wish to flaunt their gifts on her person. But even Yue tried to convince her it would be best to just wear it and then stash it in a box somewhere to never be retrieved again once the day came to a close, so she sucked it up in the end.
"Maomao, the carriage is here to collect you."
Sanfan's footsteps were awfully silent at times, making Maomao jump slightly when the woman spoke out of nowhere, but she pretended to have seen nothing as she continued.
"Everyone else will be making their way over by foot, and will meet you when the formal speech is over. I've heard that, should everything go well this time, there is meant to be time after the formalities are over where people are expected to exchange pleasantries with those around them. I suspect you shall have the high consorts approaching you in that time."
The threat of socialising on top of everything else the event exposed her to dulled her already heavy mood further, but Maomao held her head high as she left the room alongside her head lady, making her way through the pavilion.
"Well, I at least know Lady Gyokuyou. Perhaps I will try to stick close to her in that time," she muttered, somewhat to herself. The first garden party had been very different from the one she was set to attend in little under an hour; namely because she was not the centre of attention. But she never truly got to see how a garden party progressed after the speeches and formal meals were finished, so Maomao was going in rather blind despite it all. "Standing and sitting around for hours with a polite smile can't be too terrible, surely."
"You will do fine. The harder part, your first introduction, is long since over - this one should be much kinder to you."
She hoped it would be.
Each of her serving women were lined up by the entrance as she approached, and royal guards held the set of doors open - a formality that her pavilion wasn't used to seeing. It was strange, seeing each of the women she was slowly starting to convince to warm up to her standing so straight, bowing to her as she passed, but a few here and there whispered compliments to her outfit.
One voice stood out among them - Xiaolan's. Instead of offering flattery, her whispers contained something else.
"Good luck, you've got this, my lady!"
Her footsteps almost faltered - they would have if it were not for Sanfan's arm gently nudging her to keep moving. Etiquette was already needed, as from the very moment she left her bed that morning people had been in and out to ensure everything was alright and to fix and adjust any minor issues or flaws. She couldn't afford to falter now, when there were so many hours left. Relaxation could come later, perhaps a few moments of peace in the carriage.
Or, perhaps not.
Gaoshun bowed deeply in her presence before turning to open the carriage door for her and offer polite assistance in helping her up to the thing in such a long dress. But upon entering it, she realised she was not alone. Sitting with his back straight and eyes on her the moment she was within view sat Yue, an unreadable look in his eyes. Unfortunately for her, his eyes were all she had to read, the rest of him covered with a mask once more.
She was quick to notice that their outfits were complementary to one another - his a darker variation of her own colours and accents.
Snapping herself to focus once more, she bowed deeply despite her momentary confusion. The memo had entirely missed her that the prince would be attending directly alongside her for, apparently, the entire event, but she took her seat across from him as far away as she could possibly sit with what she hoped was anything but stiff movements. Not out of any dislike or wanting to get away from the man, but despite their daily correspondence, she also did not know this man in person. It was strangely awkward face to face.
"Good morning, Your Highness," she offered, and little more as she smoothed out her skirt. He dipped his head in return, a polite bow that she didn't really think was required of him with his standing. Men didn't typically bow to their wives, and she was sure that the current crown prince need only bow to the emperor himself. She averted her gaze from him after that, her greeting acknowledged, but not before she could have sworn his eyes curved into some sort of smile. Though, she was likely mistaken.
Instead, her focus was drawn to how her back ached as she quietly mourned the opportunity she could have been granted to slouch and give her spine a break in the carriage.
No words passed between them after that, the rest of the carriage ride remaining in a silence that wasn't quite uncomfortable, but neither was it very easy to relax into. Maomao kept her eyes trained on the passing view from a small slit in the curtains covering each window, watching as stone brick walls led down other streets every so often, or delicate greenery bloomed in areas surely closer to other officials' homes. She didn't know her way around the outer courts, besides the path to the rear palace and the roads leading north to the forest, so she hadn't the faintest clue where it was they were passing.
Her eyes remained so trained on the surroundings mostly so they didn't accidentally meet Yue's gaze, who seemed more than comfortable staring at her rather than even trying to busy himself with something else. His attention made her abnormally self-conscious.
When the carriage did eventually come to its final halt before the gates of the event gardens, she almost struggled to suppress a relieved sigh. Not only from the awkwardness, but the chill in the air made her desperately wish to move her legs, and swinging her short legs like a child in front of the Moon Prince was too embarrassing to even consider.
As was appropriate, she waited her turn to exit, allowing the prince to step out first and ready himself before she would take her leave, and supposedly trail somewhat behind him until they took their seats with the royal family. Except, when she did push the curtain aside to exit, she found a hand waiting for her. A hand delicate and pale as fine porcelain.
It was Yue, waiting for her and offering assistance, though she wasn't quite sure why.
Still, she took the offered hand with what she hoped looked like a polite smile, finding it to be much more calloused than it looked when against her own skin. Calluses? On the hands of a prince? He had once mentioned training at a military camp, but that sounded to be in his younger childhood - such things should have faded by then. Perhaps he had hobbies that she was unaware of, though Maomao wasn't sure that a sickly prince should be doing work strenuous or of a quantity high enough to cause skin to callus, even if they were from something as trivial as holding a brush or what not.
After her feet landed on the ground safely, with help from the prince, she brushed out her dress and ensured everything was even, mostly to keep her eyes and hands occupied for a moment to right her mind. It's fine. I mean, seriously, a man helping his wife out of a carriage should be the bare minimum, not enough to leave me this shaken.
But the moment her gaze did lift again, Yue stood by carefully watching her, and then offered an arm to hold as though it were natural. She took it with her hand lightly - it would be impolite of her to leave him hanging on such a thing - before he began to walk towards the gate. Of course, it could be merely for appearance sake that he was acting so doting towards his wife, so she let him lead under that assumption. He nodded to one of the guards in charge of entry and exit from the event, who passed word onto someone else - a part of a procedure she wasn't quite aware of - but she noticed a shift in the prince's demeanour after the gesture had been made. For one, he seemed more tense, and then soon after, his foot started tapping on the ground. It may have appeared as impatience, but from the way he held her hand in his arm just a little tighter reflexively, Maomao could almost believe that it was nerves catching up to him.
The thought that a man who was supposed to be used to such events, having fulfilled his role in them his whole life, could still be nervous before such things cleared her mind just a little, and Maomao felt strangely relaxed at the notion. Moments later, as she quietly let out a sigh that had been trapped in her chest for some time, the foot stopped tapping and his arm relaxed also. For a brief few seconds, that broken tension remained, warmth flooding where the winter's chilling air seemed to halt momentarily.
Then, just as quickly, tension snapped back into place like elastic as they were announced before the higher courts, and the gates opened before them.
Maomao expected that the prince would let go of her arm and allow them both to walk down to the staged area separately, as she was told would be proper by Sanfan, who had only really guessed as such from word of etiquette held by previous royal married pairs. When he didn't, but instead eased her into walking alongside him with his arm holding her hand as though worried to let go, she fell into step with him surprisingly easily despite their height difference. He'd slowed his pace down for her, she realised belatedly.
That was when it hit her; the nervous fidgeting habits, they were awfully similar to Jinshi's. She wondered briefly which of them initially formed the habit, and who it rubbed off onto, but the thoughts were quickly swept away once she noticed each of the eyes that trained onto the pair of them. The people of the court bowed as they passed, but that formal act did nothing to stop them from glaring into their backs after they had walked past.
Well, one man did not bow. Instead, he waved frantically with a beaming smile, only to be entirely ignored outside of the huff Maomao let out under her breath that she could have sworn triggered a faint, humoured hum from beside her. Maomao was just glad the strategist knew to keep his mouth shut if his actions were to be so abhorrently disrespectful towards the prince.
Then, it was their turn to bow before the Emperor and his mother - Yue's mother also, though Maomao hadn't ever met her personally - where she thought once more that surely they would separate then, but Yue simply lowered himself into a bow beside her, not letting go even still. It was only after they were told to rise, with an unreadable expression on the Emperor's face, and they made for their seats that they finally separated.
The seats were large. Far too large and lavish for someone of Maomao's frame to fill, so she probably looked out of place sitting on such a throne-like chair, but the prince beside her relaxed into it somewhat stiffly. At least he was able to relax his arms onto the armrests without it looking disproportionately wrong - Maomao instead just folded her hands into her lap politely, and tried to shuffle subtly until she touched the backrest. She'd be lucky if it didn't appear as though the chair was trying to swallow her.
The speech from the Emperor was, well, as exciting as she had anticipated it would be - very dry and far too formal for a celebration of life. Had Lingli been born male, Maomao wouldn't have been surprised to see more excitement, but a princess was only good in the eyes of the court as a political pawn. Lingli's fate was likely to be worse than her own, decided from the moment she was born. The five-month-old baby could never know what was in store for her, and she wouldn't realise the reality of her situation for many more years to come, yet felt among the audience was a certain kind of gloom. They knew what would come of her life, as much of a privilege as it was to be born from the crown.
Lingli was presented before the court, such a tiny child wailing as she was taken from her mother and placed into the arms of her father, who admittedly doted on her like nothing else. It didn't change the fact that his face was not one she could recognise, and not one she would come to learn for a while. His alleged frequent visits were not enough for her developing pattern recognition, so she only quietened when she was returned to Gyokuyou, who passed Maomao with a fox-like smile as she calmed her daughter.
Then, came the meal, the part she had never managed to make it through without a scene ensuing. Each poison taster, including Minlu for herself, took their places as they inspected and consumed the sample for testing. Since the last garden party, she had heard there were stricter rules applied; each taster must wait five full minutes before the dishes could be passed along, to rule out any slightly slower-acting poisons. Maomao thought it was a stupid rule - five minutes was hardly enough time for even fast-acting poisons to reveal themselves, let alone any deadly slower-acting toxins - but she had no place to correct those in charge of such rules.
The food was passed as clear, and bowls were swift to arrive placed before each of the royal family and the high consorts. And as Maomao looked down to inspect the dish for herself, lo and behold, it was once more inedible. This time though, it was not to the fault of anyone else.
She tried to not huff like a petulant child as she sank back into her chair, a little annoyed that all this time spent in the cold, she wouldn't even get a warm meal to heat her chilled core, but a sigh certainly left her mouth before she could retract it. Unfortunately for her, it attracted the attention of the man beside her regardless of how quiet the sigh was or how slight her movements remained.
A pale hand came to tap lightly on her lower arm, drawing her attention up to a very worried looking face - or, eyes - with brows pinched into concern. Then, Yue pointed to her bowl with a questioning look.
"It isn't poisoned, Your Highness. In fact, it looks perfectly delicious to eat, don't worry," she assured, gathering he was fretting over such a thing, but the concern didn't fade from his few features that she could make out. "I apologise, but I cannot eat this. I am deathly allergic to buckwheat, which is the main ingredient in these noodles. If you would like my portion, though-"
Well, she felt silly for suggesting that, as it was clear he would not be eating with his mask in the way, but before she could get out any apology, he had already turned to wave over Gaoshun. Something was whispered between the two of them, nothing she could remotely overhear with the sounds of the crowd speculating what could have caused for a guard's presence at their seats, but as much as it embarrassed her that she had become the centre of attention once more, this was one particular instance where she unfortunately could not just suck it up and vomit it in a bush soon after. Moments later, both bowls were cleared from before them, and Yue's attention was back onto her. He leaned over, and as he had done only once before, whispered in her ear:
"I'm so sorry, Maomao. This… this should have been prevented."
It was muffled, and took her a moment to process, but the sincerity of his tone could not be missed despite it all. Maomao turned to look at him, to say it was not his fault and that it had never been asked about or registered, so she didn't exactly expect people to know, but the words were lost on her when she saw a devastating sadness in the prince's eyes. It went beyond polite concern, and seemed almost dramatic considering they weren't exactly… well, maybe they were close, she didn't think they were so close that such a thing would produce such a pained expression as a response, though.
"It's- It was just a mistake, nothing serious," she stumbled out, quickly drawing her eyes from the prince's, unable to bear the weight of his expression any longer. "I will eat once I return."
The prince shook his head, then reached for her arm once more, not to alert her but merely to hold as he whispered, "More food is coming. No more buckwheat."
"Oh," she replied slightly dumbly, not immediately able to form other words than the surprised sound. Then, as the prince's hand left her arm to trail down to her hand, giving it a slight reassuring squeeze, she pushed through to continue, "Thank you…"
The sentence was incomplete, hesitant on one final word. Would the prince appreciate being called Yue to his face? Even in the quiet privacy the two of them were somewhat given while conversing, far enough from others to not be overheard, it felt… secret. Like something that should only exist on pages of paper between them, not to leave her mouth. She wasn't positive her lips were worthy of speaking with such familiarity to him.
"Your Highness, will you really have nothing to eat?" she asked instead, trying to keep her attention from the hand still holding hers or the obsidian eyes of the prince watching her. "There must be a private area somewhere here you would be safe to enjoy your meal within."
But he merely shook his head, whether confirming there was not or dismissing the concern she wasn't sure. Instead of relaying anything further, he let go of her hand to pull something from his sleeve, which Maomao tried to not stare blatantly at but she had been caught off-guard so many times within the past few mere moments that she couldn't help but trace the movements with her eyes. Something silver emerged, hidden mostly by the rest of his sleeve.
Seconds later, there was a hand gently tilting her head by her jaw, to face out towards the crowd of high officials. Then, something was tucked into her hair, slightly scratching against her scalp, though she was in no state to complain - especially not when it was Yue's hand at fault for it. Silently, after his hands retreated once more, she reached to touch the new piece. A hairpin, intricately decorated with incredible craftsmanship by the sensation of grooves and twists under her fingertips. It had been given to her deliberately in that moment, before the eyes of the court, and Maomao couldn't pretend to understand the meaning of that - it was a message entirely lost on her. At the very least, it sat atop the one gifted to her from the La clan. That was good.
What she could see were her girls - her attendants, rather - sitting below the stage, out of view but within her reach should she need them, smiling brightly and whispering between one another. She could only imagine the stories they would come up with once they were back within the privacy of Yue's estate.
"Your Highness, a pleasure it is to see you once again. And Lady Maomao, your idea worked wonderfully! Come see how comfortable my Xiaoling is," Gyokuyou greeted as the pair of both Maomao and the Moon Prince stepped down from the stage for the unofficial part in the schedule of the event that made time for socialising. Maomao had been content to sit back and watch quietly, as she assumed Yue had done in the past if the whispers and surprise of the audience was anything to gather by, but when he held out his arm for her to hold again, she acquiesced before the prince began strolling with her towards people Maomao knew. "She was certainly unhappy leaving the warmth to appear on stage, wasn't she?"
"Well, we can all rest assured knowing she has some incredibly healthy lungs," Maomao quipped lightly in response, before walking over to the bassinet with the little princess inside. Touching her forehead with the back of her free hand, Lingli's temperature seemed good to her - not too hot nor too cold. "Her Highness is indeed resting very peacefully, her temperature seems well to me."
Yue's arm let go of her hand then, Maomao hardly noticing the shift as her attention remained on the little girl, but it was only mere moments before the cold that greeted her hand was once again staved away. Instead, both hands was grasped reverently in Gyokuyou's own, a wide smile on the other woman's face.
"I was dreading the preparations for Lingli's compromised comfort before your advice, I don't think you quite understand how much of a help you've been to me, even over tragically few instances of meeting," she confessed, seeming to deeply regret their limited time together. "I don't understand your intentions, but you have been nothing except willing to help, even when you had no reason to. Your selfless virtue does not go unnoticed, Your Highness."
"R- really, it is an honour to have been able to assist," her hands became lightly clammy as the woman before her only smiled wider.
"And humble to a fault," Gyokuyou insisted further, a sudden doting tone in her voice. "My dear, do not let people abuse your kindness. Be careful in this palace, won't you?"
Well, Maomao hadn't expected to have somehow earned quite the level of affection from the high consort that she was now exposed to, and couldn't have seen it coming, either. Growing up in the pleasure district and amidst slums of the capital, kindness was something that could be too easily exploited - such a thing happened with her pops frequently, being trusted provider of medicine with too generous a heart for that world.
This, though, she would hardly count as something worth exploiting. It was hardly kindness to merely point out faults and flaws, or offer solutions. There was no humbleness or modesty in practicing integrity; no one should be misled, and deception should be uncovered. If there were inaccuracies she could counter or prevent, then that is what she'd do.
Those were thoughts that she couldn't share with Gyokuyou, though. Or anyone else, for that matter. So instead she merely replied, "Of course, my lady. Thank you for allowing my frankness; I know it isn't what people of the palace are used to."
"I think it best if you continue to be yourself, as long as you avoid trouble. It is indeed rare, but brings refreshing conversation. I can see I'm not the only one who enjoys it - some pretty powerful allies you have, despite everything." Then, she glanced up before meeting Maomao's eyes once more with a twinkle that was eerily similar to those of her sisters' whenever they found entertainment, or perhaps her girls - no, her ladies in waiting - when they found new stories to spin. The message was clear as day, 'You have the Moon Prince trailing after you with a smile evident in his eyes, does that not say enough?'
Gyokuyou continued before Maomao could shoot her anything in response, "I shouldn't take up more of your precious time, but do visit soon! Your husband also, should he have the time."
Briefly, Maomao wondered why she had not addressed the prince herself for a small while - surely that could be seen as impolite. But upon glancing over her shoulder, she could see that he had moved a few paces over to the side, and was having his… mask ruffled, by none other that Lady Ah Duo.
"Thank you, Lady Gyokuyou. Have a lovely day," Maomao excused herself with a polite bow, before curiously trailing over to the pair that caught her attention.
She'd known of Yue and Ah Duo's familiarity, having heard quite a few short tales of the pair of them throughout his childhood, but that alone did not cover for her surprise at seeing just how casual the older woman was within a formal setting. With the current crown prince, no less!
It was a nice sight to see though, even amidst Yue's frown as he repositioned his mask to sit neatly once more, and the embarrassed flush that she saw a glimpse of after he noticed her slowly walking towards them.
It didn't take long for her to be noticed by the other, either.
"And Lady Maomao, it is a pleasure to finally meet you," Ah Duo bowed, turning her attention entirely away from the prince in a way that could have been perceived as rather rude, though she suspected that in this case the prince would not mind it.
"Lady Ah Duo, the pleasure is all mine."
"Oh please, the formalities aren't needed with me. It is truly a shame for this to be our first real introduction to one another, after hearing so many wonderful stories about you. This man here has been keeping you rather to himself, though I suppose it must have been a busy year for you," she laughed, as though sharing some sort of joke with herself, before her tone softened slightly to something Maomao could recognise as something more personal than the other lady was letting on visually, "It's a difficult transition, from common girl to consort - wife, even, in your case."
It occurred to her then that she hadn't thought much on Ah Duo's origins, besides knowing that she had been the Emperor's milk sibling and lost her womb and only child as a result of their relations. A milk sibling would imply she was from a lesser family, but the extent of that… she had no idea. There was not really anyone she could politely ask about it, either. Perhaps they'd come to a similar fate, if the tone in her voice meant anything.
"It certainly wasn't expected, or anything I could have prepared for," Maomao replied lightly, hoping the small smile she offered would be enough to cover for her thoughts. "But I've been treated very kindly."
"I'm glad to hear, I didn't have a hand in helping raise Yue here for him to turn out a brute to the women around him." Maomao was becoming more and more perplexed as to quite the dynamic her and the prince held, but she supposed this implied it was Ah Duo who gave him the nickname to begin with. That alone showed they were closer than anything. "Say, Yue, might I have some time to speak with this lovely lady here? Go find us some drinks or something. Oh, Lady Maomao, you do like wine, don't you?"
She nodded, rather ecstatic at the mention of wine but the turbulence that came with such a casual tone towards her after so long of nothing but formalities slowed her mind from much else. And, did she really just shoo the prince off like an attendant?
Yue stood still for a moment, looking positively unsure of whether it would be wise to leave and sacrifice Maomao to the whirlwind that was Ah Duo now that she had someone of intrigue to speak with. His hesitation was only broken with him putting a light hand onto Maomao's shoulder, then a small, almost comforting squeeze of reassurance.
"Unless you'd like to stay and overhear our girl talks," Ah Duo teased, and Maomao was certain each of them knew it to be a blatant bluff, but Yue did eventually concede with a light sigh, and whispered something into the other woman's ear. She let out a rather hearty laugh before she reached to take Maomao's hand lightly in hers, "Alright alright, my lips are sealed. Go find some of the good stuff, I know Yoh keeps extra hidden somewhere around that stage. We'll be just over by the walkway."
He left with no further complaints, Maomao astonished that Ah Duo actually had just driven away the Moon Prince to fetch them wine and had called (who she assumed to be) the Emperor by a nickname, before the hand holding hers lightly guided her elsewhere, "Now that he's gone, we can find somewhere a bit quieter."
Oh, she liked this woman.
Deciding that she couldn't leave all the talking to Ah Duo, Maomao asked, "Were you the one to give him that nickname? Yue, I mean."
"I sure was. I don't see him as often now, he has his own life and… adult issues, to deal with, but I suppose when my own son was taken from me, I had an extra hand free and maternal instincts still intact." She let out a small laugh, but it sounded slightly hollow. "Yue was a good kid, the sweetest really. It was either I helped raise him, or it would solely be left on my mother and Gaoshun."
"Your mother?"
"Suiren, you must have met her by now."
Suiren is Lady Ah Duo's mother?! They were so unlike one another, Maomao would have never guessed!
Ah Duo let out a chuckle as she saw the bewildered expression on Maomao's face, "Yes, yes, such a commander of the household having an unruly daughter like me - I gave her so much hell growing up, believe me. On the subject of parents, who would have thought that fox could have such a cute little thing for a daughter?"
She shuddered, "I don't like associations with him. He had no part in raising me."
"So I've heard. It came as a surprise to us all when we found out you so much as existed - I was at first a little worried for Yue, if you were to be anything like the strategist, but it appears I hadn't needed to fret in the first place."
Maomao wasn't sure quite what was meant by that, but decided it was probably positive rather than negative if it was her turning out differently than everyone's assumptions of any offspring that man could have had.
Ah Duo let go of her hand then, and Maomao glanced around to see them standing beneath an evergreen elm, a quiet bench to sit on and the talk of the main crowd of guests to the garden party having muted to a murmur in the background. Beside her, the other woman stretched her arms out just a little and let out a yawn as she relaxed onto the seat.
"I can't say I enjoy mingling in crowds," Ah Duo admitted, a smile on her face. "It's nice to get fresh air during these events, without feeling as though someone else is breathing down your neck."
"I must say I agree. The same with attention, I do not like the stares I receive sitting with the royal family."
Ah Duo hummed, "It's daunting. But if it's any reassurance, I think you've done wonderfully every time I've seen you, Lady Maomao."
"Just Maomao is fine. I'm sure Gaoshun would roll his eyes at me for still insisting people drop the formalities after all this time, but they don't suit me at all. I'm still just Maomao."
"Then, I'm just Ah Duo to you."
They sat in quiet for a short while after that, not an awkward silence or without anything to say, merely both quietly agreeing that there didn't need to be a constant back and forth while they took a momentary break from the insistence at socialisation. It was a miraculously sunny day, and though it did nothing to warm what the winter air swiftly chilled again, the sunlight was rather nice to feel on her skin through the lightly leaved branches of the elm tree above her.
"I hope to see you again before the new year. I think Yue is scared for what I might say to you if he isn't around to supervise," Ah Duo chuckled, perhaps referring to embarrassing memories or secrets between the two of them that she hadn't been made privy to. "Or, perhaps Master Jinshi could accompany you, in his stead."
Jinshi… Jinshi! That was who Ah Duo reminded her of! They had terribly similar features, and though Maomao could not yet compare them side by side due to the other man being run ragged somewhere with tasks out of sight for the event to occur smoothly, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch if Maomao were to assume that the two could be related. Mother and son, even, if only for the fact she knew Ah Duo had only given birth to one child that had sadly been taken from her.
But that was such odd phrasing, was it not? Taken, though often a softer word to use for one being grieved, didn't sound quite the same as it would leaving Ah Duo's mouth as it would have from, say, Gyokuyou. Ah Duo's speech had really been rather blunt, it didn't seem as though it would be a detail she skipped over any differently than the rest, and yet she did.
But, that would make Jinshi the son of Ah Duo and the Emperor. It would explain his mysteriously upper class mannerisms learned from a childhood that he was yet to mention even a word of, but why would Ah Duo not have had contact with her son if her and Yue had spent a lot of time together? Unless Yue and Jinshi became associated later than she expected, or maybe the lady was banned in some sort of way?
But why? Why would that be the case at all? It didn't make sense to her, she didn't have enough information, but before she could get it into her head to collect further proof, she realised just what she was speculating upon.
Jinshi? The true heir to the throne? As similar as him and Ah Duo look, that doesn't mean anything. Maybe they're cousins with strangely similar features, or its purely coincidental. Yes! Coincidence - better than them both being involved in some huge conspiracy.
"Maomao? Are you alright?"
"Hm?"
Ah Duo was looking at her now with something between concern and amusement.
"Oh, apologies, I got… lost in my thoughts somewhere," Maomao murmured back, somewhat embarrassed, though Ah Duo only laughed and gave her a soft nudge. "What were you saying again?"
"You should come visit at some point, I'll have drinks ready, and I'll share only some of Yue's embarrassing moments so we don't both face his sulking."
"Your mother has already shared a few with me. He let her get away with it, so you'll probably be fine too," she mused, relaxing back into the bench a little more now that the thoughts from before had left her somewhat. "It would be lovely to spend more time with you, outside of these kinds of events that limit what we can do."
"Indeed," Ah Duo agreed, but it felt as though the sentence was left unfinished, cut short as she held her tongue from saying more. Then, "Ah, our wine boy is back. And it looks as though he brought the really good stuff, oho!"
Sure enough, the Moon Prince could be seen carrying a bottle under his arm and two cups, stopping to stand before the pair. As he handed each item to Ah Duo, Maomao was quick to jump to her feet - she'd already watched Ah Duo boss him around, she wasn't about to leave the infamously sickly prince of the nation standing any longer. But as she attempted to straighten out her skirt, she was swiftly guided to sit back down by a large pair of hands on her shoulders. Before she could try to protest or insist, a cup was in her hand, and Yue waved off her concern.
"Try some Maomao, let me know what you think," Ah Duo spoke, almost as though speaking for Yue and giving her something to do rather than try and convince him to take her seat once more. Faced with wine worth more than the brothel she was raised in though, it wasn't hard to get her attention to stray.
She took a small sip of the red liquid, and while the taste was certainly not worth the ludicrous amounts it certainly sold for… "T-this… This is…"
The flavour exploded onto her tongue, a crispness that couldn't compare to the cheap complementary stuff she had been offered here and there back in the pleasure district. It was definitely a sweeter taste than she would have leaned towards, preferring drier stuff as a general rule, but with rich, silky flavours that evolved on her tongue as it was, the drink was nothing to scoff at.
Her sentence never did finish as she instead giggled into her cup and between sips, entirely missing the two people beside her exchanging glances that could form a silent conversation. Instead, she only caught the moment when Ah Duo tilted her head back and downed the cup in one go, letting out an appreciative hum before she stood to her feet.
"Well, I should really be off now. Can't take up all of the pretty lady's time," Ah Duo grinned as she set the cup down onto the bench, turning her attention to Maomao, "It was wonderful to finally speak with you. Should you ever need it, for absolutely anything, my pavilion will always welcome you. The same for you, Yue, but you already know that."
"Thank you, L- Ah Duo," Maomao replied, unable to stand with the woman so close to her, as though urging her to relax for longer.
Then, the taller woman turned her attention to Yue, "And for you, I'd like to see you at least around the New Year in a few moons, if not any earlier. The both of you, preferably."
The prince nodded, but not without a slightly pained squint making its way into his eyes. Ah Duo of course knew him without his mask or any of the other protections he kept in place to hide his sickness. Maomao could only imagine it was because of her own presence that it would leave people uncomfortable, whether that be through these one-sided conversations he had to sit silently through or the lack of freedom he had around her, as he kept with most others.
That thought made her feel strange. Not quite guilt, but Maomao couldn't think of what else it could be. It was her presence that would hinder anything further, yet there wasn't much she could do to change or fix that.
"Anyway," Ah Duo continued, "Only a couple more hours of this - rest up while you can."
With that, the lady turned and walked back over into the crowds of people, eventually drifting out of sight. Moments later, Yue sat down where Ah Duo had been sitting previously, his eyes fixed on where she had blended with the crowd.
He seemed… melancholic, deep in his own thoughts, none of them seeming too pleasant. Ah Duo, someone she knew he trusted, had disappeared and hardly spared time for him - that had to hurt for someone so used to everything being provided for him. And if she wasn't mistaken, there were slight implications in all she had learned of him that spoke of his own experiences with neglect, especially with familial love.
He… probably saw her as something of a mother, if her thoughts were at all accurate.
Without thinking too much of it, Maomao returned the same gesture that he had given her earlier, when he seemed bothered by the fact her allergies had not been accounted for. She reached over and held his hand, snapping him from his rumination as he glanced to her with surprise.
Then, he entwined their fingers, before settling back to rest for a while longer.
-
The garden party had gone better than Jinshi could have ever foreseen - no poisoning, at worst a terrible mishap with allergies that was thankfully avoided because of Maomao's keen awareness, and he had managed to hold her hand! Multiple times! Besides when Ah Duo had dragged her away from him for a talk, Maomao and himself had been hand in hand or walking alongside each other since the moment they'd stepped from the carriage, and to his luck, she even willingly held out a hand to take his arm for the entire walk back to his estate!
Such a giddy feeling inside of him was so unusual, something he had never experienced with any other and was desperate to keep from ever stopping. Maomao spoke less to the prince than she would to Jinshi, which he could understand due to his lack of many responses, but he liked to think that over the course of the day they had become closer. She spoke with him more freely, noting observations mostly, and seemed to gravitate back to him rather naturally, which made his heart do flips that he wasn't sure were quite healthy to be experiencing.
He never wanted it to end.
But of course, as they arrived before her pavilion, so close and yet so far from his own, her hand did have to leave his as Maomao said her goodbyes. The prince waved in a way he hoped looked polite and not lovesick as his eyes trailed after her, one thought running through his mind as he did so.
How does one tell their wife that they love her?
Love. It was certainly love, he could see it clearly now. Whatever he could chalk up to infatuation had long since passed - months ago, if he was honest with himself - but it took him until that moment as she walked away to put the name to the deep-rooted feeling.
He loved the way her attention became entirely taken with the few things she found truly interesting and enjoyable, or how her face twisted into disgust as she whispered in his ear, pointing out an official who had spilled soup down his robes. How easily she drew laughter from him, both as Yue and as Jinshi, that he struggled to keep muffled. Her intelligence, her beauty, her lack of surrender to rules that kept her from doing what she loved, and every other fundamental aspect of her being. Even how she looked at him - Jinshi - when he said something she found irritating or tried to smile at her charmingly.
With Maomao filling his thoughts, his days became lighter. Even the rest of the walk back to his pavilion felt less lonely when accompanied by Gaoshun and the thoughts of the time spent with her throughout the garden party. He was furious with whoever lacked the competence to have her allergies listed - ones that could result in critical danger if she had been any more naive to the issue herself - but the fury shifted into determined resolve with the reminder of her presence following that incident.
Before he knew it, he had discarded his mask and sat before his desk, only snapped from his reverie and brought back to the present by a sharp set of knocks on his door.
Three knocks, it must be Basen.
"Come in," he called, straightening out his sleeves and hoping his face was not uncomfortably pink as his milk brother entered the room.
"My lord, this note arrived for you a few hours ago," Basen announced, bowing before placing it on his desk. "I believe it is from the La clan."
The La Clan? Lakan was in attendance at the garden party, presumably hoping to catch a glimpse or even a conversation with his daughter, though he'd found no luck with the latter. It was unlikely to be from him - perhaps Lahan, then?
"Thank you, Basen. I'll be out in a short while, I have a few letters to write," he replied, dismissing the young man just as quickly as he had entered. "Oh, and could you ask Suiren to have some snacks prepared for Lady Maomao? I will have them sent over in a bit, there is no rush."
"Of course, sir."
The door shut behind Basen with a little bit of a slam, accidental Jinshi was sure, though distantly he could hear Gaoshun's disappointed grumbling commencing. He tuned it out as his attention returned to the letter, quickly taking a knife to cut through the sealing wax.
Only, there was no seal. That explained why Basen was unsure of the origins, but it was unusual for a letter to be delivered to him in such a state.
Not much was written on the slip of paper, though what was there spoke volumes:
'I have a lead. I cannot speak about it here - send a summons soon. From Lahan.'
At least that was signed with a signature he could recognise, and uniquely scrawling handwriting that was hard to forget and equally difficult to forge.
But in the free space at the bottom of the pale sheet, in a different coloured ink and neater, unforgettable handwriting, there was a second message. One that turned his stomach.
'If you summon him, expect further damages. You cannot hide from my sight, Moon Prince.'
It was the same font adopted by the previous threat - the one that triggered his reaching out to Lahan to begin with. He'd already been found through that, and if it were true that whoever it was could have the power to manipulate the importation of food to an entire wing of the palace, then Lahan could not be kept in the dark that they were onto him also.
In that moment, Jinshi realised, it had never been about the military unit. It had never been about breaking down the La's defences, even. It was merely the beginning - a power play, to display this person's reach and influence, to back him into a corner. Whatever route Jinshi decided to take from here, there would be damages to be expected regardless.
And how does one choose the best consequences of choices when the only example provided had been nothing more than a flaunt of corruption? There would be more to come, it would be naive to believe otherwise, but until they did occur there was little anyone could do besides stay vigilant.
To sit and watch like a trapped animal, or to reach out for help further.
How does one choose between catastrophes?