Moonlight hung heavy as a middle-aged, hunched man leaned on his cane and walked along the damp bluestone road. He caught the scent of meat and stopped to look around, only to be teased by a familiar passerby.
“Manager Xie off to make a fortune again? Take little brother with you!”
The hunched man surnamed Xie pointed casually. “Going to the Salt Transport Envoy’s mansion to make my fortune. Want to come along?”
“No, no, the threshold’s too high. I’d feel ashamed of my inferiority.”
Both were managers of jade and jewelry shops, but Manager Xie’s was wealthy and renowned locally.
He had recently been commissioned by Yan Zhuyu to source top-quality eastern pearls.
Feeling a bit tired from the walk, Manager Xie followed the aroma into a street-side dim sum shop and ordered two steamers of shao mai. As he shook out his sleeves to reveal his wrists and prepared to dig in, he suddenly spotted a figure in dark clothes sitting at a four-immortal table diagonally across.
“Isn’t that Guard Han?”
Han Jian, in a sullen mood, turned his face and recognized the man. He gave a perfunctory cupped-fist salute. “Manager Xie.”
“Why’s Guard Han here alone?” The man sidled closer, as if intending to share the table, with a half-smile. “I thought you and Consort Liangdi were inseparable.”
Detecting the teasing, Han Jian’s face turned icy cold. Regardless of whether the man was joking, he had no business insinuating ambiguity between master and servant!
In the past, Han Jian, the violent martial artist, might have slammed the table and risen, but Yan Zhuyu’s undisguised disdain had pierced his pride, leaving him too dispirited to muster the energy.
“Mind your words, Manager Xie.”
“Yes, yes, no offense meant.” Manager Xie shrugged with a roguish grin that belied his middle age.
“Have you found the eastern pearls Her Ladyship wants?”
“Almost.”
“Watch out for rivals snatching them.”
To ensure the eastern pearls were flawless, Yan Zhuyu had offered a high price and entrusted several major managers in Yangzhou to source the best. Manager Xie was one of them.
The shao mai arrived. The man shook out his wide sleeves again, picked up his chopsticks, and tucked into one, savoring the aroma.
From Han Jian’s angle, he noticed the man’s extraordinary bone structure. With a martial artist’s keen senses, he intuited that the man shouldn’t have such a hunched posture.
Had he suffered a severe injury?
They had only met a few times, and Han Jian had no interest in prying into others’ pasts. He finished one steamer of shao mai, left some copper coins, and departed.
Manager Xie leaned back, facing the door. “Not settling the bill together?”
“No need.”
After the meal, Manager Xie headed to a waterside spot and prodded a boy who was prying open mussels with his cane.
“Where’s your dad?”
“Squatting in the outhouse.”
The boy knew his purpose and got straight to it, pulling three large, round pearls from his pouch.
They stunned at first glance.
“One price, as agreed.”
“Inspect first.” Manager Xie took the pearls and examined them closely, then grabbed the boy’s ear. “Kid, trying to fool an outsider? To an outsider, all three look top-grade, but to me, one is a fish eye passed off as a pearl.”
The boy rubbed his reddened ear, cursing the “old fox” inwardly. Not even experts might spot the inferior one among them. “What about the other two? Will you take them?”
“I’ll take all three.”
“Huh?”
The next day, at the crack of dawn, Jiang Yinyue left the residence with Wei Qin and headed to the post station.
Wei Qin still had duty to attend, so he escorted his wife to the post station entrance, gave her a few instructions, and left.
Jiang Yinyue steadied her breath outside the door, holding a new cloth doll she had sewn overnight. She entered the second-floor chamber with a beaming smile, her tone unconsciously gentle. “Qi Bao’s awake. Look what this is?”
The side-lying hound thrashed its tail desperately, whimpering as it tried to rise.
The veterinarian held it down, so it could only clutch the doll with its front paws and lick it nonstop.
Wei Xichen, who had stayed up all night by Qi Bao’s side, felt a daze come over him.
It was like a lifetime ago.
The feeling was all too familiar.
He had ordered those around not to make a sound lest they disturb Qi Bao, but Jiang Yinyue’s arrival injected a vibrant breath into the quiet chamber.
Just like in his youth gazing at the moon over the Eastern Palace—when she was there, the moonlight seemed even brighter.
In those days of diligent study under the Young Preceptor and Young Protector, she had been the only vivid color in his life.
Over a thousand days and nights had passed without him feeling it again.
The aroma of rice wafted from the kitchen: simple dried scallop and abalone porridge with a few side dishes.
Wei Xichen’s breakfasts were always light, paling beside Qi Bao’s feast. If not for the injury making stimulating foods inadvisable, the floor would have been piled with bowls and basins.
Having learned from yesterday’s “lesson,” Wei Xichen did not urge Jiang Yinyue to eat, even though the imperial kitchen had prepared two portions.
From the moment she entered, Jiang Yinyue’s eyes had been fixed solely on Qi Bao, sitting right before it with her heart and gaze full of the dog.
“No swelling at the wound—that’s a good sign, right?”
The veterinarian, burdened with heavy worries, nodded in relief. For a fourteen-year-old dog to recover like this was beyond his expectations, likely due to its daily diet and routine; its physique far surpassed peers.
It was clear the owner cared for it meticulously.
Jiang Yinyue smiled faintly in relief and grabbed Qi Bao’s wagging tail.
“Alright, let’s rest.”
Wei Xichen watched quietly.
The meal prepared by the imperial kitchen for Jiang Yinyue gradually cooled. He did not urge her to eat but had it replaced time and again—from breakfast to lunch to dinner.
When Wei Qin arrived, the scene repeated. Without the Crown Prince’s permission, he did not wait long at the door. As he led Jiang Yinyue away, the man in the room still stood silently by the window.
Painting his prison in the glow of sunset.
This repeated for several days…
Early summer brought fine weather: lush vegetation, swallows carrying mud back to nests, orioles chirping amid the rising heat.
A mild heat wafted on the breeze, brushing Wei Qin’s official robes.
In the midst of detailed talks with colleagues at the salt fields, Wei Qin suddenly heard laughter at the main gate.
“At Xu hour today, Consort Liangdi is hosting a banquet at the mansion. All you lords, come join the fun after your shifts!”
Yan Hongchang’s deputy had come personally, warmly inviting the salt field officials. Before this, none of these lower-ranking ones had received invitations from the Yan family.
“Heh, probably the RSVPs fell short of the invitations sent out, so they’re calling us last-minute to fill seats.”
“Who says otherwise? Those noble madams and misses—who wants to play foil to a consort who just flew up the branch? It’d be embarrassing to admit.”
“Not entirely. The wives of the Three Divisions Commanders arrived in Yangzhou together last night—enough to hold the scene.”
The group whispered among themselves, while Wei Qin remained silent.
As carriages delivered guests into Yan Mansion, Yan Zhuyu sent no one to greet them, but the three noble visitors from Jiangning had been personally welcomed by her ten li outside the city and escorted back.
When Wei Qin entered the mansion, he encountered Huai Jin County Princess Cui Shihan once more.
Unlike some noble ladies who politely declined the invitation, the girl not only accepted but arrived early.
At that moment, Yan Zhuyu, in a light green gossamer gown, accompanied the three Commanders’ wives in watching opera. Her dazzling pearl and jade jewelry outshone them, making the wives seem plain.
Yet the wives’ gentle words revealed experience and knowledge that were the true “brocade,” leaving Yan Zhuyu unable to interject at times.
When the opera ended, Yan Zhuyu had servants present three petite blackwood boxes as welcome gifts for the noble guests.
“Open them.”
As the servants opened the boxes, the round, lustrous eastern pearls gleaming with iridescent hues drew gasps of admiration from the guests.
Even more astonishing was Consort Liangdi’s generosity.
Yan Zhuyu smiled gracefully. “Only eastern pearls are worthy of the three madams. A small token—please accept. These three were sourced on my behalf. Not the finest in the world, but rare and precious, as no other pearls can compare.”
Some guests nodded in agreement, praising the eastern pearls’ rarity.
The three wives smiled, though their smiles held deeper meaning.
Yan Zhuyu signaled the servants to close the boxes and load them into the wives’ carriages. She kept her smile until seeing them off at the end.
Suddenly, a scoff sounded behind her.
She turned to see Cui Shihan leaning against the doorpost, arms crossed.
“What instruction does the County Princess have?”
“Correcting one thing for Your Ladyship: freshwater eastern pearls are precious, but they pale beside South Sea pearls. His Majesty once granted my brother one as a heirloom treasure.”
Cui Shihan passed the frozen-smiling Yan Zhuyu without expression.
Wei Qin, leaving the mansion afterward, did not glance at Yan Zhuyu’s brilliant expression. Flaunting required real skill; showing off before the Three Divisions Commanders’ wives was like displaying an axe before Lu Ban—only exposing one’s inadequacy.
Leaving Yan Mansion, Wei Qin headed straight to the post station.
The Crown Prince was out, with few guards left. Jiang Yinyue was playing with Qi Bao in the small courtyard.
After these days, Qi Bao’s wound showed no worsening. The veterinarian suggested she take it out daily for walks to prevent bedsores.
With the biting dog nowhere in sight, Qi Bao marked territory everywhere, amusing Jiang Yinyue.
“Look at you, so mighty.”
Qi Bao lolled its tongue as it roamed. Spotting Wei Qin approach, it went on high alert, staring unblinkingly at the man.
Wei Qin went to Jiang Yinyue’s side, slowly crouching to meet Qi Bao’s gaze. He blinked his dark eyes gently. After a moment, he extended his sleeve for Qi Bao to sniff.
Qi Bao tilted its head, sniffing curiously at the stranger, nose wrinkling.
Wei Qin knelt fully, slowly stroking its head.
Jiang Yinyue crouched too, petting Qi Bao’s back. “He’s Wei Qin, our family. Don’t be afraid of him, Qi Bao.”
Qi Bao sniffed and sniffed, then suddenly perked its rear and stretched forward in friendliness. At that moment, Jiang Yinyue breathed a sigh of relief and unconsciously leaned against Wei Qin’s side.
The man and woman, arms touching under the moonlight, stroked Qi Bao together.
“Came late today.”
Wei Qin recounted his “forced” visit to Yan Mansion and casually mentioned the three eastern pearls.
Jiang Yinyue smiled indifferently. “Eastern pearls are already rare. The three madams got generous gifts—they won’t quibble over Yan Zhuyu’s ignorance, nor will they interact with her often.”
“One might not even be an eastern pearl.”
Jiang Yinyue’s brows arched slightly. That would turn flattery into offense. Anyone getting a subpar pearl amid superiors would take it to heart.
Why top-grade for the others, inferior for her? Was the hostess biased?
Jiang Yinyue couldn’t help asking, “Do you appraise pearls?”
“A little.”
Jiang Yinyue bumped his shoulder with hers, eyes curving. “Lord Wei knows everything—truly worthy of the Bangyan title, so worldly and knowledgeable.”
The scene fell into the eyes of the man who had just returned.
Wei Xichen stood at the hall entrance, his moon-white robes fluttering. He raised a hand to silence Fu Zhongcai, who was about to call out, and watched the pair under the moonlight coolly.
In his other hand, he held Jiang Yinyue’s favorite lion chestnut cake.
Wei Qin, back to the hall, caught Qi Bao’s tail wagging furiously from the corner of his eye. He did not rise hastily, staying leaned against Jiang Yinyue.
Like two snow lotuses nestled on a sheer cliff, sensing each other’s importance amid peril.
Jiang Yinyue did not rise either. For some reason, she wanted Wei Xichen to see this scene—to force back his inexplicable concern and “kindness.”
His self-assumed concern and kindness made her uncomfortable.
Qi Bao, thoroughly relaxed under their strokes, grinned wider at the man opposite.
Everyone was gathered around it.
“Qi Bao.”
The cool male voice rang out under the clear moonlight. As Qi Bao leaned toward him in response, Wei Qin and Jiang Yinyue rose together.
Wei Xichen did not habitually stroke Qi Bao’s head. He looked at the two coolly, an indescribable taste in his heart. He was too stingy even for a “be careful on the road,” turning to ascend to the second floor.
The two rows of guards followed closely, footsteps echoing.
Qi Bao looked back at Jiang Yinyue, then at Wei Xichen, hesitating in place. Just as it moved toward Jiang Yinyue, Fu Zhongcai scooped it up with effort and carried it upstairs.
In the chamber’s wastebasket, a bag of lion chestnut cake appeared.