Tang Jianxi was getting old and his eyes weren’t very good.

“Qiao’er, bring the candle over.”

Tao Qiao’er brought over the candle. Tang Jianxi leaned close and unfolded the handkerchief.

“It’s not writing, it’s embroidered with a needle.”

“What’s embroidered?”

“It seems… it’s embroidered with a date.”

Xie Zhifei’s voice trembled slightly, “Is it July fourteenth?”

“Yes.”

Tao Qiao’er exclaimed: “Ah, isn’t this Mingyue’s birth date?”

Xie Zhifei: “What else is embroidered?”

Master Tang brought the handkerchief even closer, muttering: “There’s another line of characters, but the embroidery is rather poor. Qiao’er, go get paper and brush.”

Getting paper and brush meant copying down the characters stroke by stroke.

Tang Jianxi copied quickly, and in just a moment, a line of graceful characters appeared clearly on the paper.

“Young Master Xie, this is a line from a ci poem, eight characters in total.”

“What is it?”

“Famous capital of Huai’s left bank, finest place at Bamboo West.”

What does it mean?

Xie Zhifei looked at Tang Jianxi with a blank expression.

Tang Jianxi furrowed his brow, thought for quite a while, then suddenly slapped his thigh, “I know this poem.”

“Master, speak quickly!” Tao Qiao’er was even more impatient than Xie Zhifei.

“The ci poem’s name is ‘Yangzhou Man: Famous Capital of Huai’s Left Bank.'”

Xie Zhifei’s mind went blank for an instant, “Yangzhou Man?”

“It tells of how the poet passed through Yangzhou one day and, seeing the city in decline, felt extremely sorrowful.

Yangzhou has been a famous city of Huainan East Circuit since ancient times, hence called Huai’s Left Bank. There’s also a very famous pavilion there called Bamboo West Pavilion.

He stopped briefly at the pavilion, thinking of Yangzhou city’s former romantic prosperity, felt deeply moved, and upon returning home wrote this ci poem.”

Tang Jianxi took the opportunity to add a few comments.

“‘Famous capital of Huai’s left bank, finest place at Bamboo West.’ Huai’s Left paired with Bamboo West, Famous Capital paired with Finest Place—the pairing isn’t particularly ingenious, but it’s neat and proper.”

Tao Qiao’er didn’t want to hear about poetry or ci at all. She only wanted to know one thing.

“Young Master Xie, why would such a phrase be hidden in Mingyue’s swaddling cloth?”

Xie Zhifei bit his back teeth and said nothing.

His hands resting on his knees clenched into fists, making terrible cracking sounds. Everything before his eyes seemed to be shaking—the table was shaking, the walls were shaking, the human figures were also shaking.

The shaking grew more and more intense, like an earthquake.

Then, he heard a thunderous boom in his ears.

The mountain collapsed, the earth split.

Xie Zhifei clearly felt his heart also collapse in that instant.

After a long while.

His lips trembled: “I don’t know what it means either.”

He knew, but couldn’t tell them.

He raised his eyes and looked at Tang Jianxi.

Tang Jianxi was frightened by his bloodshot eyes, “Young Master Xie, you…”

“I’m fine.”

Xie Zhifei stood up, “Is there water? I want to wash my face first.”

“Yes, yes, yes.”

Tao Qiao’er went into the inner room and brought out a basin of cold water, placing it on a small table to the side. “Let me add some hot…”

“No need, cold water is fine.”

Mountain water was bone-chillingly cold.

Xie Zhifei buried his entire face in it. His body shuddered violently, and he immediately came back to his senses.

He stood stiffly for a moment, then finally, under the Tang couple’s anxious gazes, slowly began to speak.

“Jingchen’s coffin has been closed. Her heart demon was Lu Shi. That section of gong sounds was the large gong from Lu Shi’s successful examination procession and the small gong from the Tang family opera stage, the sounds they made.”

Tang Jianxi slapped his forehead: “Ah, I remember now, it was the same day.”

“Yan Ruxian is dead, Li Xing’s daughter Imperial Concubine Li is dead, Li Xing and his two sons can’t escape death either. His Majesty issued a self-reproaching edict. All of this…”

Xie Zhifei’s voice was as light as a breeze.

“All of this was done by Lu Shi. For these twenty-six years, he climbed to such heights, living as a lone seed, just wanting to seek justice for your teacher, for the Tang family.”

Xie Zhifei stuffed the handkerchief into his robe and took a deep breath, “The reason he did this was on the former Crown Prince’s orders.”

“Wh-what? What did you say…”

Xie Zhifei’s words made Tang Jianxi’s world turn upside down, even his breathing became unsteady.

“Madam.”

Xie Zhifei shifted his gaze to fall on Tao Qiao’er.

“If you want Tang Mingyue to live peacefully and safely her entire life, burn this swaddling cloth to ashes, throw it in a river, bury it in the earth—do whatever you want, just don’t keep it! And also…”

His voice suddenly became stern, his expression deep and cold.

“Every word I just said, including this handkerchief, you must swallow into your bellies and take into your coffins. Don’t tell even Tang Mingyue. Treat this trip as if I never came.”

Tao Qiao’er was completely shocked by Xie Zhifei’s words, too frightened to move.

“Next, I want to take a hot bath, eat a hot meal, then sleep well. Tomorrow morning I’ll leave.”

He took out a letter from his robe.

“This is from Tang Mingyue to you. After the Mid-Autumn Festival, she’ll set out to return to Muli Mountain.”

Xie Zhifei put down the letter and turned to leave.

Just as his hand was about to open the door, he turned around again.

“In the future, don’t let Tang Mingyue go to the capital. Just keep her here on Muli Mountain, living peacefully and quietly. I’ll come visit her.”

The man’s departing figure, like the silent mountains all around, merged with the night.

Tao Qiao’er was just about to ask “Why would you come visit her?” when her gaze shifted and she saw the man’s face was already covered in tears.

“Master?”

She cried out in alarm.

…

The night wind in the mountains was strong.

Zhu Qing waited on the path. Seeing Xie Zhifei approaching, he quickly went to meet him: “My lord?”

Xie Zhifei nodded without speaking.

The master and servant were quiet all the way. Zhu Qing glanced at Third Master’s expression several times, wanting to speak but hesitating.

Reaching the guest courtyard, Xie Zhifei stopped, “First bathe, then eat, then have someone send a pot of wine.”

Zhu Qing drew a breath: “My lord, are we staying on the mountain for a few days, or…”

“Set out tomorrow morning at first light, rush back to the capital for the Mid-Autumn Festival.”

Having said this, Xie Zhifei didn’t say another word. He only ate a couple bites of food, finished the pot of wine, and collapsed into bed.

Zhu Qing blew out the lamp, closed the door, and silently stood guard outside.

Wine aids sleep. As soon as Xie Zhifei’s head touched the pillow, he lost consciousness.

In the latter half of the night.

Various chaotic dreams came one after another.

One moment he and Huaiyou were hiding beneath a window, while inside his parents argued in low voices. After Father slammed the door and left, Mother let out a suppressed sob.

One moment Huaiyou threw herself tearfully into his arms, choking as she asked him: “Brother, why doesn’t Mother like me? What did I do wrong?”

One moment Father sternly scolded him: “Don’t you know your sister’s body is weak? Taking her climbing around everywhere—if she falls and gets hurt, just watch how I deal with you!”

The final dream was on a summer afternoon.

He and Huaiyou were exhausted and sleeping on a couch, with Mother fanning them beside them.

For some reason, the fan stopped. Feeling hot, he drowsily opened his eyes to see Mother’s cold eyes staring fixedly at…

He was startled by the malice in those eyes and sat up without warning.

The dream suddenly broke.