The noble girl is beautiful.

For the first time, the palace path didn’t seem so long to Shen Yourong. She and Ji Zhuo strolled leisurely along the steps, with the sunlight reflecting off the glazed tiles, casting a rainbow of colors.

“Tomorrow, the betrothal gifts will be sent,” Ji Zhuo said. “Is there anything you want? I can add it to your dowry.”

Shen Yourong thought for a moment before replying, “I don’t lack anything and can’t think of anything I want right now.”

He smiled, “Look at you, speaking like a carefree lady of leisure without a single worry in the world.”

She huffed, “You’re teasing me again.”

“I wouldn’t dare,” he replied. “You’re perfect just the way you are. If you can remain this carefree and happy after we get married, that would be my greatest achievement.”

She looked at him, meeting his gentle gaze. Seeing him like this, her anxieties about marriage gradually faded.

At the palace gate, Ji Zhuo stopped and gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind Shen Yourong’s ear. “In just a month, we’ll be married, and we shouldn’t see each other until then.”

Shen Yourong thought for a moment and asked, “Do you really still adhere to such customs?”

Ji Zhuo chuckled, “Though I might be a rebel, marriage is a significant matter. Following traditions like asking for the name, seeking blessings, setting the date, and sending betrothal gifts—these old customs all have their reasons and must be respected.”

Shen Yourong clicked her tongue, “You really are an old-fashioned man.”

He raised an eyebrow, “What, are you saying I’m too old?”

She quickly laughed, “No, not at all.”

Seeing her playful response, he pondered and then asked, “Do you know why couples are not supposed to see each other a month before the wedding?”

She genuinely didn’t know, “Why?”

He smiled, “It’s to prevent the couple from becoming too intimate before the wedding, which could lead to confusion about the timing of future heirs’ births or even, in some cases, to questions about bloodlines.”

It took Shen Yourong a moment to grasp his meaning, and when she did, her face turned red. “How could you speak of such things in front of me, a proper young lady?”

He sighed, “My dear lady, you only think about enjoying your time as a maiden. But have you ever considered my feelings? Our engagement was set at the beginning of the year, yet we have to wait until autumn to marry. This delay is truly a hardship for me.”

His humble demeanor, combined with his feigned grievance, left her speechless and feeling increasingly out of place.

“I won’t argue with you anymore; I’m going home,” she said, turning to board her carriage. As the coachman flicked the reins, the carriage gently rolled away.

Ji Zhuo stood at the palace gate, watching the carriage leave. Suddenly, the curtain of the carriage lifted, revealing Shen Yourong’s face, more radiant than a flower, smiling at him.

The next morning, as she awoke, Du Juan lifted the door curtains, and the windows on both sides were opened. A cross breeze dispersed the stuffy air in the room as Shen Yourong sat by the window, getting ready.

A young maid brought in a box of flowers, and Hua Mei picked through them, dismissing the hydrangeas as too plain and the pomegranates as too small. Finally, she chose two hibiscus flowers and pinned them in Shen Yourong’s hair.

“Today is a special day for you, Miss. You must look your best,” she said as she styled Shen Yourong’s hair. She then selected a snow-blue long dress with floral patterns and a crimson robe embroidered with hibiscus in gold, making her look both bright and dignified.

After getting ready, Shen Yourong first went to pay respects to the old lady and then accompanied her to the main hall to receive guests. They had only been seated for a short while when the sound of firecrackers erupted from the outer courtyard. A steward came to report that Prince Duan had arrived with the betrothal gifts.

The old lady led Shen Yourong outside, with Lady Yang and Lady Li following closely. They saw red-lacquered, gold-trimmed sandalwood boxes being carried in, draped in red silk and cloth, forming a long, fiery line. The courtyard and surrounding areas were filled with people.

Friends and relatives gathered around the old lady, Lady Yang, and Lady Li, offering congratulations. They praised Shen Yourong for her poise and virtue, saying this marriage was truly a match made in heaven.

Soon, the Empress and Noble Consort Shen sent dowry gifts from the palace, and many other noble ladies also sent their gifts. The entire hall was filled with a joyful atmosphere.

It wasn’t until the afternoon that they finally saw off the many guests. The old lady ordered the betrothal gifts to be carefully stored before retiring, exhausted.

Lady Yang left the old lady’s quarters and saw Shen Qingfeng overseeing the transfer of the boxes. She sent a maid to call him over.

The two of them sat down in a pavilion, and Shen Qingfeng asked, “Mother, what do you need me for?”

Seeing that no one was around, Lady Yang asked, “How much was Prince Duan’s betrothal gift in total?”

Shen Qingfeng replied, “Counting the gold, silver, estates, shops, jewelry, jade, and silk, it totals about eighty thousand taels of silver.”

“My goodness!” Lady Yang exclaimed. “With such a large betrothal gift, how much dowry must we provide?”

Shen Qingfeng replied, “Father’s opinion is that it shouldn’t be less than fifty thousand taels.”

Lady Yang clutched her chest, “Oh dear! Your sister’s marriage will drain our family’s savings!”

“It won’t be that bad,” he reassured her. “Elder Sister has our late mother’s dowry and Eldest Brother’s savings, so we won’t need to draw too much from the family funds.”

Lady Yang finally breathed a sigh of relief, but soon she began to worry again, “Earlier, your third sister’s dowry was already substantial. Your elder sister’s will only be larger. When it’s your second sister’s turn, won’t her dowry look pitiful in comparison?”

He replied, “There’s no way around that. Elder Sister and Third Sister are marrying into very prestigious families. They won’t have their maternal family to support them immediately after marriage. By comparison, Second Sister is marrying into a Duke’s family, where I can look after her. Besides, while her dowry may be less than her elder sisters’, it will still be comparable to those of other noble ladies in the capital.”

Only then did Lady Yang let the matter go. Shen Qingfeng helped her up and escorted her back, saying, “Mother, you must take care of your health, especially with Elder Sister’s wedding approaching. There’s much that still needs your attention.”

Meanwhile, Shen Yourong returned to her courtyard, where the maids and older female servants stood in neat rows. When they saw her enter, they all congratulated her.
She smiled and said, “It is a good day. Everyone in the courtyard will be rewarded with an extra month’s wages to share in the joy.”

The servants were both grateful and delighted, showering her with blessings.

Hua Mei said, “It’s stifling outside; Miss, you should come inside.”

Shen Yourong entered the room, her makeup still intact. Hua Mei brought a bowl of plum juice and offered it to her.

“Have some to cool off.”

Meanwhile, Du Juan presented a list and said, “This is the inventory of the betrothal gifts. The gifts are stored outside. Once you’ve reviewed the list, we can have them moved to the storeroom.”

As Shen Yourong sipped the sweet and sour plum tea, she browsed through the list. The main items included 200 catties of gold, 20,000 taels of silver, 12 estates and shops, 60 pieces of jade, 60 pieces of precious items, 160 antique paintings and calligraphy scrolls, 1,000 bolts of silk, 60 catties of tribute tea, 60 catties of imperial wine, and 120 catties each of high-grade incense such as sandalwood, agarwood, and calambac, along with 120 catties of medicinal materials like ginseng, caterpillar fungus, saffron, and donkey-hide gelatin. Additionally, there were live poultry, ice sugar, dried fruits, rice, flour, sugar, and oil.

After reviewing the list, she murmured, “He’s quite wealthy, isn’t he?”

“More than that,” Du Juan remarked. “Given Prince Duan’s current status, gold and silver seem rather common.”

As she spoke, Du Juan called for the young maids to come in, each carrying an item. She had them present the items to Shen Yourong one by one.

“This box of pearls contains pearls that are all large and luminous. The largest are as big as longan fruits, while the smallest are the size of soybeans. In my opinion, these pearls are even better than those on the Empress’s crown,” Du Juan said. “There are eight pecks of such pearls in the betrothal gifts, specially collected by Prince Duan to make jewelry for you.”

Shen Yourong picked up one of the pearls and held it up to the light, saying, “He must still remember the grudge about my pearl earrings.”

Du Juan, unaware of the story behind it, simply continued, “In addition to these, there are six bolts of cloud brocade and six bolts of Shu brocade, all precious materials perfect for making clothes.”

She considered that after marriage, Shen Yourong would need to attend many events, and having a few luxurious outfits would help her maintain her status.

“Just put them aside for now,” Shen Yourong said, setting down the list. She leaned on the table, gazing at the small flickering lamp, and sighed, “Marriage is truly exhausting.”

Du Juan ordered the young maids to put everything away and, hearing this, smiled, “This is just the betrothal process, and you already feel tired. What will you do when the wedding day arrives?”

Shen Yourong let out a long, wistful sigh. There was a noise at the door, and she looked up to see Shen Shuo. He had just finished his duties for the day and had come by to check on her, knowing that Prince Duan was delivering the betrothal gifts today.

He sat across from her and asked to see the list.

She handed it to him. After carefully reviewing it, he remarked, “This is more like it.”

“Don’t you think it’s a bit too much?” Shen Yourong asked.

He snorted, “He once promised me that he would make you Empress.”

She replied, “This is fine too. I don’t like the palace, and I don’t want to be Empress.”

His expression softened slightly, “You always speak well of him in front of me.”

She smiled and said, “By the way, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you.”

She asked Du Juan to bring out the account book from the dressing table drawer and handed it to Shen Shuo.

“This is Mother’s dowry. According to her wishes, we are each to receive half. The estates and shops were under my management, and after deducting our expenses, they have yielded an annual surplus of ten thousand taels. Over the years, we’ve accumulated about eighty to ninety thousand taels. We’ve been splitting this sum every year.”

He interrupted her, “You haven’t even married yet, and you’re already thinking about dividing the family assets?”

She looked at him and sighed softly, “It’s something we have to do eventually.”

Her words left him feeling a pang of sadness. She also felt a deep sense of sorrow. Growing up means having to accept the inevitability of farewells. Last autumn, she bid farewell to Shen Qingyan, and this autumn, it would be Shen Shuo’s turn to see her off.

After calming himself, Shen Shuo asked, “How much do you still have under your control?”

“Forty to fifty thousand taels, at least,” Shen Yourong replied. “I’m thinking of giving you all the shops and estates. The betrothal gifts from Prince Duan also include many estates and shops, and with so many, I don’t think I’ll have the energy to manage them all.”

She already had plenty of money, so she might as well take it easy.

After a moment of contemplation, he said, “If that’s the case, then you should take all of Mother’s jewelry, antiques, and furniture with you.”

She smiled, “Aren’t you keeping anything? What if, in the future, you marry and don’t have any decent jewelry to give your wife?”

He shook his head, “Seeing you married off well will already ease a great burden from my heart.”

He was only three years younger than Ji Zhuo, yet he had remained unmarried because he was concerned about her. He needed to see her marry well, find a good husband, and have someone to rely on for the rest of her life before he could focus on his own affairs.

That night, they divided their mother’s dowry. Despite it being a summer night, when Shen Shuo left with the account book in hand, he felt a deep sense of melancholy.