“So you’re saying this visit is a secret private trip, and outsiders don’t know about it?”

Chu Li nodded: “Exactly.”

“You all heard that,” Qing Xia turned her head, speaking gravely to Le Song, Song Yang and the others: “Immediately deploy the Black Guards to strictly guard the Governor’s mansion. We can’t allow people to come and go freely as happened today. Say that thieves broke into the mansion last night and call the outer three battalions of the Five Cities Military Commission to guard outside. Send out all the inside maids and servants, keeping only our own people. Strictly investigate servants who frequently leave the mansion, and have someone watch the kitchen so nothing goes wrong. Also, go to the west city gate immediately and destroy the entry records—don’t leave a single trace.”

Chu Li smiled: “Qing Xia, isn’t this excessive? I traveled secretly all the way, and Xu Quan is coordinating things at the camp. Nothing will happen.”

Qing Xia shook her head: “Caution ensures safety for ten thousand years. Now with Chu forces abroad, Hai City has a three-to-one ratio of Qi and Chu soldiers. You can restrain them when you’re away, but once news of your presence here gets out, how can we guarantee no one will harbor treacherous thoughts? Don’t forget, Qi’an hasn’t been captured yet. That man has deep schemes and must be guarded against.”

Chu Li nodded with a light laugh: “As you wish. Le Song, prepare things—I’m tired and need to sleep first.”

“Yes, this subordinate will prepare immediately.”

Seeing Le Song hurry away, Qing Xia quickly followed, calling: “Wait, I’ll go with you.” She caught up and walked alongside him, talking as they went: “Arrange the room in the eastern wing. It’s close to the study and rarely has foot traffic. Have Jin Yu attend to him and don’t let others approach. Have the kitchen prepare a table of light dishes—don’t make a show of it. Wipe that joy off your face; people who don’t know would think you’re getting married, unable to contain yourself like this…”

Chu Li stood under August’s blazing sunlight in his brocade long robe, appearing even more handsome and otherworldly. Watching Qing Xia’s chattering figure walking away with Le Song, he suddenly felt the fatigue from days of travel vanish completely. It seemed that only now had the bone-chilling northwest winds finally dissipated from his body, and he truly felt the warm spring light of the southeastern coast.

“The southeastern feng shui is indeed good!” Chu Li suddenly said inexplicably to Song Yang beside him.

Song Yang was someone Qing Xia had personally promoted—steady and careful in thought—but even he was startled by Chu Li’s words and quickly replied gravely: “Indeed, with August osmanthus blossoms and lotus ponds for ten li, the scenery is most beautiful and pleasant.”

Chu Li glanced at him, suddenly burst into hearty laughter, and walked into the study.

At noon, the Temasek envoy suddenly had urgent business and sent someone in great haste to find Qing Xia. Before Qing Xia could greet Chu Li, she hurriedly left. At the foreign guest house, it turned out to be just minor trade document matters. This Chinese envoy from Temasek was quite cunning, well-versed in Chinese ways of conducting affairs. Their nation was built on commerce and deeply understood the enormous impact of China lifting the sea trade ban on them, so they treated Qing Xia with great courtesy, constantly seeking ways to get closer to her. After the meal, it was already dark. Mindful that Chu Li was still at the mansion with many matters large and small to arrange, Qing Xia declined the Temasek envoy’s invitation to visit brothels together and rushed back to the mansion at full speed.

She went straight to the eastern wing, but passing the study, she suddenly saw it brightly lit. Qing Xia was startled, reached out to push open the door, and saw Chu Li in a white light shirt, alone with his head buried over her usual desk. Hearing the sound, he looked up and smiled faintly at her: “You’re back.”

For an instant, Qing Xia even had a slight illusion. She was slightly stunned, and only after a long while frowned and said: “Why are there no guards outside? As Southern Chu’s emperor, in this den of tigers and wolves, how can you be so careless?”

Chu Li said dismissively: “Governor Xia went out to drink with others, the mansion has only servants and maids, yet you want many people guarding a study—wouldn’t that obviously tell others there’s something wrong here?”

Qing Xia’s words caught in her throat. After thinking, she said unconvincingly: “Then you should at least set up some hidden sentries. How can you be so casual? I’m going to settle accounts with that Le Song boy.”

She turned to leave, but heard Chu Li say: “Forget it, we’ll talk tomorrow. Earlier, Dongfang Li’s granddaughter came again, guarding the gate waiting for your return. Le Song finally convinced her to go back but hasn’t returned yet.”

Mentioning Dongfang Yu’er, Qing Xia immediately felt overwhelmed. Having drunk quite a bit earlier, with alcohol rising and her mind in turmoil, her face immediately reddened. She pulled over a chair to sit on, brows tightly furrowed, clenching her fists, saying very seriously: “I need to find a way to get Dongfang Li’s family members out of Hai City. His granddaughter is really unbearable. I’d rather go to battle than face a woman who constantly flirts with me.”

Chu Li was drinking tea and nearly spat it out upon hearing this. His eyes swept over Qing Xia’s official robes, seeing her irritably tugging at her collar to catch her breath. He couldn’t help but put down the documents, lean back in his chair, and say teasingly: “You do indeed look handsome and elegant in those clothes—no wonder Hai City’s countless young ladies fall for you. Should I show mercy and arrange a good marriage for you?”

Qing Xia glanced at him sideways with annoyance, stood up and walked to his side, pushing hard on his shoulder: “Get up, don’t occupy my place. I still have real business to do and no time to bicker with you.”

Chu Li remained unmoved: “Never mind, I slept all afternoon. Leave these matters to me—you go sleep first.”

Qing Xia raised an eyebrow slightly: “You can do this?”

Chu Li became angry, his brows furrowing tightly as he looked at Qing Xia’s handsome face: “You look down on me?”

Qing Xia shook her head and smiled: “I wouldn’t dare. The capable work harder, so you continue—I won’t disturb you.” She withdrew from the room.

Soon, rustling footsteps sounded, and Qing Xia’s voice could be heard giving gentle instructions: “Everyone stay alert and keep your eyes wide open.”

A faint smile curved Chu Li’s lips as he lowered his head to handle the documents on the desk, his face showing rare gentleness.

Qing Xia was always a light sleeper. In the middle of the night, a cat’s cry immediately woke her. Opening her eyes, she heard light rain pattering outside, raindrops drifting and striking the several banana plants outside, with fresh fragrance lingering in the air.

Southeastern weather was always like this—rainy nights that brought some coolness. Sleeping with windows open could easily cause illness. Jin Yu had fallen seriously ill recently and still hadn’t fully recovered. With few people in the Governor’s mansion’s inner courtyard and attendants inconvenient to move about late at night, the windows were left wide open with no one to care.

Qing Xia put on a moon-white light shirt and indoor embroidered shoes, walked to the window, and took a deep breath. All sleepiness vanished. Suddenly remembering that Chu Li’s eastern wing was even more secluded, where even night-duty servants dared not pass, she closed the window, opened the door, and went out.

Opening a green-surfaced oil-paper umbrella decorated with exquisite meticulous paintings of ladies, Qing Xia wore a white shirt. Though cut in men’s style, with her long hair now flowing loose, her neck slender, shoulders narrow and feet delicate, she looked exactly like an elegant woman wearing men’s robes, adding a unique charm. She came to the eastern wing without seeing a single person on the way. The night guards had all withdrawn from the courtyard, leaving the door completely unguarded. Qing Xia had long known he would do this and wasn’t angry. She slowly pushed open the door and entered silently.

When Chu Li slept, there must be lamplight nearby, or he couldn’t fall asleep. This was a habit from childhood that, though he no longer feared darkness, he had always retained.

A palace lamp burned in the northwest corner, its light quite dim but sufficient to see the room’s general furnishings. Combined with the cold moonlight outside the window, the room appeared quite bright. Chu Li lay on his side on the bed, covered only by a thin brocade quilt. His black hair scattered behind him, wearing white robes with the exposed collar showing faintly embroidered gold-edged hidden dragons. After days of travel, though he had rested at noon, he now slept so deeply he hadn’t even heard her enter.

Silk shoes made no sound on the floor. Qing Xia’s robes didn’t stir as she silently approached, seeing the window indeed open with several books on a desk by the bed, already dampened by outside rain. Qing Xia extended a pair of snow-white hands to quietly close the window. Moonlight shone through the window onto the desk, and Qing Xia’s eyes swept over it, noticing several white papers protruding slightly from a rain-dampened book scroll. Her brows furrowed lightly as she pulled out the papers. With just a glance, she discovered they were letters she had sent him half a month ago.

The paper was obviously no longer pristine white, and sniffing carefully, there was even a faint scent of perspiration lingering around her nose—clearly handled many times. Qing Xia felt a warm stirring in her heart, and the hand holding the scroll began to tremble slightly. Outside the window, fine rain pattered against the window frame with crisp, pleasant sounds, while steady breathing came from the bed—both simultaneously plucking at the taut heartstring within her, making her dare not think of that graceful figure steeped in eucommia flower fragrance and fritillary bulb warmth, dare not think of that clear, handsome face with gentle lips and movements filled with scattered moonlight’s soft gleam. So this was what so-called persistence amounted to. Qing Xia suddenly breathed out softly, put down the scroll, and turned away from the man’s bedside.

From the warm alcove she took a piece of lily incense, placing it in the dark compartment of the red gold carved tripod. In moments, that warm, humid, subtle fragrance began drifting out continuously, quietly spreading throughout the room. The slender figure of the woman in white robes stood alone in the incense-wreathed central hall, her heart seemingly struck gently by a soft spring breeze, her emotions tangled like silk, eyes immediately stinging. She bit her lower lip lightly, hand resting on the great tripod, completely without strength.