Licounty was considerably smaller than Pangshan County, with only one narrow main road. However, it was lively. As night fell, street vendors called out their wares, and lanterns lit up the thoroughfare.
The couple walked past their lodging inn. Mingtan pretended not to notice, continuously changing the subject. Jiang Xu, aware of her intentions, played along and followed her lead.
As they approached the West Gate, Mingtan suddenly said, “Oh, husband, when we passed through Licounty a few days ago, I heard people mention Snow Mirror Lake just outside the West Gate. They say the water is exceptionally clear, with even the stones at the bottom visible. The moonlight reflecting on it is said to be exquisitely beautiful.”
“Then why isn’t it called Moon Mirror Lake?”
…?
Mingtan hadn’t expected this question from Jiang Xu. After a moment’s pause, she replied, “Perhaps it’s more beautiful when it snows?”
She tugged at Jiang Xu’s hand, swinging it gently. “Husband, can we go see it? The West Gate is just ahead.”
“The city gates close at dusk.”
“But don’t you have a pass?”
Jiang Xu glanced at her. “You seem to remember everything.”
“Of course,” Mingtan replied matter-of-factly.
Previously, when they had ridden to Shuzhen after the gates had closed, her husband had produced a pass, and the guards had let them through without question, seemingly without revealing their identities.
Jiang Xu looked at the West Gate in the distance.
Licounty, not being a strategically important location, had simple, low walls. At night, only two guards manned the gate tower. With his skills, he could easily leave the city without alerting the guards.
“Hold on tight,” Jiang Xu said softly.
Before Mingtan could react, Jiang Xu had swept her up and leaped onto the city wall, then effortlessly jumped down on the other side. Even as they landed outside the wall, his words “Hold on tight” seemed to still echo in her ears.
Still catching her breath from the excitement, Mingtan followed Jiang Xu, clutching her chest and exclaiming softly, “Husband, I can’t believe you can leap so high while carrying someone. I asked Yunyi about it, and she said if she were to carry someone, she could only climb trees or reach rooftops. This wall is much higher than a roof.”
“Why did you ask her? Were you planning to have her sneak you out?”
…?
Why was her husband so perceptive?
She had merely declined visitors for a few days, claiming to be unwell and needing bed rest. One night when he hadn’t returned to the manor, she had wanted some fresh air but couldn’t use the main gate without contradicting her claim of being bedridden. So she had casually asked Yunyi about it.
Feeling guilty but defiant, she retorted, “Of course not. I’m the Princess Consort. If I want to go out, I can do so openly. Husband, don’t judge others by your standards.”
Jiang Xu’s lips twitched into a slight smile as he nodded. “Mm, this Prince is petty, and the Princess Consort is noble.” He then glanced at her abdomen.
Mingtan pressed her hands against it, embarrassed and annoyed.
Fortunately, Snow Mirror Lake was not far outside the city gate, and they could see it in the distance after just a brief conversation.
Mingtan couldn’t help but sigh in relief. After wandering around with her husband for half the day, her legs were already sore and swollen. If the lake had been any further, she feared she might have collapsed before reaching it.
Snow Mirror Lake wasn’t large, but its waters were indeed mirror-like and crystal clear to the bottom. A small boat prepared by Yunyi was tethered at the shore, stocked with wine and food.
Mingtan no longer tried to hide her intentions and pulled Jiang Xu directly towards the boat. “Husband, come quickly.”
Once aboard, Mingtan was about to explain her arrangements when Jiang Xu, unfazed, skillfully untied the hemp rope, letting the boat drift with the current. He then lowered his gaze and poured himself a cup of wine.
…?
“Husband, did you know about this already?” Mingtan asked hesitantly.
Jiang Xu didn’t answer, only glancing at her.
Mingtan felt a bit disappointed and slightly angry. She had gone to such lengths to distract him and lead him to Snow Mirror Lake, but it turned out he had known all along. What kind of surprise was that?
Seeing her reaction, Jiang Xu pondered for a moment before explaining, “The guards saw Yunyi acting alone and reported it to me, but I didn’t know what the Princess Consort had prepared.”
Oh, that wasn’t very comforting.
But since they were already here, Mingtan composed herself after a moment of silence. She poured Jiang Xu another cup of wine and, as she had planned, steered the conversation to her childhood, telling him about her experiences as a young girl.
Jiang Xu listened quietly without interrupting.
“…I thought life would be easier after my half-sister left, but it became more difficult. Every day, I had to practice the zither, do embroidery, and attend private lessons at the Changguo Duke’s mansion,” Mingtan counted on her fingers. “Initially, my mother wanted me to attend a private school in the Zhou family. The Zhous are a scholarly family with many renowned intellectuals, and their girls’ private school is quite famous in the capital. Do you know why I didn’t go there in the end, husband?”
“Why?” Jiang Xu obligingly asked.
“At that time, South Magpie West Street wasn’t open, so going to the Zhou mansion required a big detour. We’d have to leave at dawn, which meant getting up no later than the third quarter of the hour of the Tiger (3:45 AM). That was too early. The Changguo Duke’s mansion was much closer, so getting up at the second quarter of the hour of the Tiger (3:30 AM) wasn’t considered late.”
“If you were leaving at dawn, why did you need to get up at the third quarter of the hour of the Tiger?”
“Washing up, doing my hair, dressing, having breakfast… Of course, I had to get up by the third quarter of the hour of the Tiger.”
Jiang Xu thought of her morning routines in the manor and suddenly understood.
Mingtan continued, resting her chin on her hand, “It’s a good thing I didn’t go. The Zhou family’s private school was terrifying. You had to study for three hours a day, and there was still a lot of homework to do after returning home. If you tried to learn anything else after that, there’d be no time to rest at all.”
Mingtan went on to talk about her experiences at private school, including being punished by her teacher for not taking her zither lessons seriously.
She was saying all this to comfort Jiang Xu. She had lost her mother at birth, and her father, who had more than one daughter, had been posted away for years. She had worked hard to become the model of a capital noblewoman, living quite a difficult life. She thought they might have something in common.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Xu thought for a moment and then said, “When you were attending private school, I was probably in the Northwestern army. The Northwest was often in drought, and even water was rationed in the army. I remember once when I was discovered while spying on the enemy camp. After escaping, I got lost. My companion and I went two days in the scorching sun without a drop of water, nearly dying of thirst on our way back to camp.”
“…”
Mingtan was left speechless.
Why had she thought her life was difficult? She had merely attended private school, done homework, learned etiquette, and embroidered. If she had truly refused to do these things, no one would have forced her. Compared to her husband’s experiences, she had truly lived a life of luxury.
Imagining her husband nearly dying of thirst on the way back to camp, Mingtan felt both heartache and uncertainty about how to respond.
Jiang Xu hadn’t realized why Mingtan had been sharing her childhood experiences, nor had he realized that he had effectively killed the conversation. He poured himself another drink and, unusually, poured one for Mingtan as well.
Mingtan hurriedly picked up the wine cup and took a sip, her other hand behind her back, secretly making a gesture. The conversation couldn’t continue like this; it was better to move on to the main event.
Yunyi, who had been waiting for a long time until her back was stiff, finally saw Mingtan’s signal. Hidden behind a tree, she stretched her neck and back.
Soon after, there was a strange sound rising into the air, and when it reached a certain height—
“Bang!”
“Bang bang bang!”
“Husband, look!” Mingtan put down her wine cup, one hand tugging at Jiang Xu’s sleeve, the other pointing at the night sky.
Jiang Xu looked up.
The night sky was clear and blue, with a bright moon and scattered autumn stars. In the distance, fireworks rose into the air, bursting into dazzling colors against the night sky and reflecting in ripples on the quiet lake surface.
These fireworks were special, unlike any he had seen before in the capital.
After the fireworks exploded in the sky, they seemed to be in motion rather than static. Like a flip book, one burst followed another in quick succession, slightly changing shape as they rose, forming the image of a man wielding a sword.
Although the firework shapes weren’t exactly lifelike, Jiang Xu could see that the sword techniques were all ones he had used in front of her before.
“Is that me?” he asked.
Seeing that he recognized it, Mingtan held back her pride and said, “Does it look like you? It took me two hours to draw it. I couldn’t remember some of the movements, but thankfully Yunyi told me how to draw them.”
Jiang Xu stood up, looking at the night sky with unprecedented seriousness.
Mingtan also stood up and moved to his side, chattering, “I heard that Licounty can make any kind of fireworks, so I had Yunyi bring my drawings here in advance to have them made. I was just trying it out, not expecting they could do it in time. If we had more time, they might have been able to make it even more realistic…
“Husband, when we return to the capital, why don’t you suggest it to His Majesty? The palace sets off fireworks every year, right? I heard they’re also made in Licounty, but the styles aren’t very innovative. I’ve seen them outside the palace several times, and they seem to be the same every year. This year, they could make some that move, like children paying New Year’s respects. It would be fresh and interesting.”
“No need.”
“Why not?” Mingtan was puzzled. Were there rules even for firework styles in the palace?
“This is a design you created for me. Why should others see it?”
He finished speaking softly and looked at Mingtan, his gaze deep.
Mingtan was stunned, not expecting him to say such a thing. She met his gaze for a moment, her ears growing hot.
His words might have sounded possessive, but she felt inexplicably happy and satisfied.
She lowered her eyes, avoiding Jiang Xu’s gaze, and inched closer, shyly taking his hand. “So, does my husband like the fireworks Atan made for you?”
“Mm, I like them.”
“I’m glad you like them. Atan did this because she was afraid that when you saw Miss Qingyu, you might think of the Crown Princess and feel sad. Atan hopes that you can be a little happier,” Mingtan explained, gathering her courage, her face flushed.
Jiang Xu kept his gaze on her. Over the years, there had been people who genuinely cared for him, but no one had ever said they hoped he could be happier. His life seemed to have had little connection with happiness.
After a long while, he grasped Mingtan’s hand in return. “Atan, you are thoughtful. I… am very happy.”
This was the first time he had called her by name. His palm was slightly damp, unusually breaking into a sweat.