Xie Yuzhang was well aware that living in Yunjing, beneath the feet of the Son of Heaven, there was no way to avoid Li Gu if she wished to live in peace and safety.
She had in truth never intended to avoid him. Even before that day in the warm side room, she had already mentally prepared herself to give herself to him. She simply valued her life, and did not want to enter the palace and be drawn into the struggles of the rear palace. It was just that events rarely unfold as people intend, and things had turned out far better than she had expected.
Xie Yuzhang was deeply grateful to Li Gu.
She said: “A younger sister, recently brought over from my father’s household — she’s been somewhat unwell. I’ve been looking after her these past days.”
Li Zhenzhen showed concern at once.
Xie Yuzhang said: “On the day of Huang Yungong’s rebellion, she was only nine years old and watched with her own eyes as another younger sister of mine perished in the chaos. The shock left its mark. Now this child speaks almost not at all. She had only just arrived at my residence, and her sleep was restless, so I stayed with her — that is why I am a little tired these past days.”
Li Zhenzhen fell quiet. After a moment she said: “Little Nuan has improved a great deal.”
Li Gu and Li Weifeng both went silent.
Xie Yuzhang asked: “Is that the Hexi Commandery Princess?”
Li Zhenzhen sighed and said: “She was once such a chatty, laughing child. These past few years she has grown quieter and quieter. Only not as severe as your younger sister.”
Xie Yuzhang said: “The palace is a lonely place. Young children really ought to go out more and make friends.”
Li Zhenzhen said: “The flower gatherings and banquets I host — she has no interest in any of them, and she doesn’t like socializing with people.”
Xie Yuzhang thought for a moment and said: “In the old days of Yunjing, the family academies of the Mao clan and the Lin clan were the most renowned, and the young women of those two families were the most accomplished. Many households, whether for their sons or daughters, pulled every connection possible to find a way to attend as outside students. The Lin family academy is gone now, but I don’t know if the Mao family’s is still running. If it is, it might not be a bad idea to have the Commandery Princess attend as an outside student — studying alongside young women of the same age might help her make friends.”
Li Zhenzhen’s eyes lit up.
Li Gu asked: “Which Mao family?”
Xie Yuzhang said: “The Mao clan of Zuozhou.”
Li Gu asked Li Weifeng: “Is Mao Li, the Ministry of Rites Bureau Director, from the Zuozhou Mao clan?”
Li Weifeng: “He is… I think?”
Xie Yuzhang took it upon herself to offer: “This matter — let me ask my uncle. He has been in Yunjing all these years, and through all the upheavals. No one knows the affairs of Yunjing better than he.”
With Li Gu’s promise made, whatever Li Zhenzhen’s true feelings might be, Xie Yuzhang was no longer afraid.
To receive a ruler’s salary is to be loyal to the ruler’s affairs.
Knowing how much Li Gu valued his family, Xie Yuzhang wanted to do something — both to repay his kindness to her, and to accumulate further imperial favor for herself.
Sure enough, taking the Hexi Commandery Princess’s affairs into her own hands brought a change to Li Gu — his expression showed nothing as always, but Xie Yuzhang could simply sense it: his mood had lifted.
As the hour approached midday, Xie Yuzhang rose and asked to take her leave: “I have my younger sister at home on my mind, and feel uneasy being away.”
Li Zhenzhen was quite warm and caring: “Then go quickly. Ah — when this child gets better, tell me as well, so I can stop worrying.”
Xie Yuzhang thanked the Noble Imperial Consort. Li Weifeng also shifted in his seat: “Then I’ll also…”
Li Zhenzhen called out: “Don’t you move — you want to leave without even eating?”
Li Gu stood up: “I still have matters to attend to. Seventh Brother, stay and keep Eldest Sister company for the meal.”
Li Weifeng could only watch helplessly as Li Gu and Xie Yuzhang left together.
Li Zhenzhen asked him: “How did you come here today together with Yongning?”
Li Weifeng said: “We happened to meet along the way.”
Li Zhenzhen narrowed her eyes at him and said: “Old Seventh, do you think I’m a fool? Yongning is that person, isn’t she?”
Li Weifeng knew there was no hiding it and sighed: “Yes.”
If the seat hadn’t been so far away, Li Zhenzhen would have reached over and poked him on the head: “You already knew, and you still walked in and out with her?”
Li Weifeng only craned his neck and put on a stubborn, dull expression, saying in a muffled voice: “There’s nothing unseemly between us.”
Li Zhenzhen was nearly furious enough to die: “Who’s talking about that? She so rarely enters the palace — can’t you leave some space for Eleventh?”
But the agreement already made between Li Gu and Xie Yuzhang was something Li Weifeng would not tell Li Zhenzhen about.
Nor would he tell her that for a beautiful widow newly arrived in Yunjing trying to establish herself, having him keep watch over her outside the palace — Li Gu had tacitly approved of it. With the understanding between them two, such things didn’t even require Li Gu to specifically tell him.
Li Weifeng’s military contributions were commensurate with his title; his heart was commensurate with his imperial favor.
Xie Yuzhang followed Li Gu out. This time Li Gu did not walk quickly, and she could keep pace at a normal speed. Xie Yuzhang walked alongside him, half a step behind.
Li Gu asked: “Should your younger sister be seen by an imperial physician?”
“That was exactly my intention,” Xie Yuzhang said. “Only she is still frightened and uneasy in my residence, and I’m afraid that suddenly bringing a stranger before her won’t do. I was thinking to wait a few more days, until she has settled down, and then coax her into letting an imperial physician have a look.”
Officials of the fifth rank and above were entitled to request imperial physicians for consultation. Xie Yuzhang was a first-rank princess — these were matters she could arrange herself.
Li Gu nodded and said nothing more on the subject.
When they reached the fork in the walkway, Xie Yuzhang curtsied to take her leave. Li Gu said: “Little Nuan is my niece. Keep her affairs in mind.”
Xie Yuzhang smiled: “I was planning to go to my uncle’s house as soon as I leave the palace.”
When she smiled, her eyes curved.
That summer long ago, her riding skirt spread like a flower as she tilted her head up and smiled at him — radiant just like this, as though she herself were glowing.
How could it be that a person’s smile could be as brilliant as spring light in full bloom, yet when she wept, it could break one’s heart so completely?
But no matter what — she was still able to smile like this now.
Li Gu clasped his hands behind his back. Something inside him smiled, and felt glad, and was at peace: “Go on, then.”
Xie Yuzhang was true to her word and went straight to Yang Manor after leaving the palace. Yang Changyuan was of course still on duty at the Secretariat at this hour, but for matters like this, asking Yang Furen would be just as well.
Sure enough, Yang Furen knew perfectly clearly: “The Mao family is still here. Mao of Zuozhou is now Bureau Director in the Ministry of Rites; his brother is an Academician at the Hall of Assembled Worthies. Ah — nothing like the standing they once had, of course.”
Xie Yuzhang stayed to have the midday meal with her maternal aunt, then rested through the afternoon at Yang Manor. When she woke and tidied herself, seeing that it was nearing the hour of Shen, she set off for Mao Manor.
The Mao brothers had both returned from their duties when word reached them that Princess Yongning had come to call, and both were taken aback.
When the two arrived in the main hall, the three of them exchanged greetings. Xie Yuzhang addressed Bureau Director Mao as “Director Mao,” but addressed Academician Mao as “Teacher.”
Academician Mao was also moved: “Your Highness still remembers this subject.”
In the old palace days, Princess Anle, daughter of Consort Chen, had stubbornly insisted on studying alongside the imperial princes. Not wanting to appear too deliberate about it, she had dragged Xie Yuzhang along with her.
Academician Mao had also been one of the imperial princes’ tutors in those days, and Xie Yuzhang had attended some of his lessons. But unlike Anle, who had persisted, Xie Yuzhang had started skipping classes after a short while.
They sat in the positions of host and guest, and when he asked the purpose of her visit, Xie Yuzhang smiled and said: “When I entered the palace today to pay my respects to the Noble Imperial Consort, the matter of the Hexi Commandery Princess came up…” and she laid out the matter of the Commandery Princess wishing to attend as an outside student.
The Hexi Commandery Princess had taken the surname Li and was the surviving blood of Li Ming. Who did not know how deeply the current Emperor revered his adoptive father Li Ming — the first imperial decree upon ascending the throne had been to posthumously bestow upon Li Ming the title of King of Hexi, and then to build a mausoleum for him? For reference, a new Emperor would usually begin arranging his own mausoleum from the moment of his accession — yet Li Gu had built Li Ming’s first.
All because Princess Yongning Xie Yuzhang had mentioned the Mao clan’s family academy before the Emperor, a great windfall had come dropping from the sky.
The Mao brothers were both startled and overjoyed. How could they refuse?
When the matter was agreed upon, the two of them personally escorted Xie Yuzhang to the main gate and bowed deeply: “Many thanks, Your Highness.”
Xie Yuzhang said: “I am only a woman — I can’t be of much help. I merely ran an errand for His Majesty and the Noble Consort. It is the deep foundations of the Mao clan’s distinguished household that have made this happen — and that is what His Majesty and the Noble Consort are pleased about.”
She rode away on her tall horse.
Academician Mao said: “I could never have imagined it.”
He sighed: “And to think — that little princess who used to doze off in class. To have become like this.”
Bureau Director Mao clasped his hands in his sleeves and said with admiration: “Every manner and movement is graceful; she answers to no fixed mold. A pity she was born a woman.”
Academician Mao also sighed: “A pity indeed.”
If a son of the Xie clan had possessed this manner and bearing, staying cooped up in the Xiaoyao Marquisate would have meant there was no way to come to a good end.
Xie Yuzhang returned to the Princess’s residence to find Lin Fei teaching Jia You to braid decorative cords.
Xie Yuzhang was astonished: “Jia You can actually learn this?”
Lin Fei gave a helpless look: “Who do you think is like you? Some people actually have patience when they learn things.”
Back in those days, Xie Yuzhang’s enthusiasm for braiding decorative cords never lasted more than the time it takes a stick of incense to burn. The moment the many silken threads tangled into a knot in her hands, she lost all interest.
“Our Jia You is so patient,” Lin Fei praised. “A hundred times better than her elder sister was back then.”
Xie Yuzhang felt somewhat abashed.
Jia You, hearing the word “elder sister,” looked up at Xie Yuzhang for a moment, then lowered her eyes again.
Lin Fei asked her: “What are you so cheerful about today? And why did you come back so late?”
Xie Yuzhang said: “Ah, I went and ran errands for His Majesty — exhausted.”
When Lin Fei heard about the Hexi Commandery Princess’s situation, she sighed: “What must this Commandery Princess feel, facing His Majesty?”
The Hexi Commandery Princess should by rights have borne the surname Huo, of the Huo clan of Liangzhou — one of the most eminent families in Hexi. Now that entire clan was gone.
Unlike many great families who, during certain critical periods, chose to withdraw or lie low and wait for the chance to rise again, the Huo clan and the Wang clan had been slaughtered clean by Li Gu, wiped from the world entirely.
“Fortunately, she was young enough then that she likely doesn’t remember,” Xie Yuzhang said. “And since she has lived with her mother, her mother’s influence will be greatest. Our Madam Li in the palace is doing exceedingly well and calling the tune on everything — I don’t think she’ll let the Hexi Commandery Princess develop any longing for the Huo family.”
The truth of the mystery of the flickering candlelight and the shadow of a figure was known only to certain people in Hexi, for since it involved Li Zhenzhen’s husband and the Hexi Commandery Princess’s father, no one would speak the truth of it.
All the world knew only that in the Hexi rebellion, the Huo and Wang families had sided with Li Erlang, and were therefore exterminated by Li Gu. Li Gu had earned a reputation for cruelty over it, and was criticized for too heavy a hand at killing.
Lin Fei stayed at Xie Yuzhang’s residence for the evening meal, and afterward the two of them coaxed Jia You back to her room.
Lin Fei took Jia You’s hand and asked: “Can you sleep on your own tonight?”
Xie Yuzhang couldn’t bear it and was about to speak, but Lin Fei stopped her with a look.
Jia You was silent for a long while, then nodded.
Lin Fei was very pleased and praised her, then said: “The person keeping watch for the night will sleep on the footrest. If you get scared, just call out to her.”
Xie Yuzhang saw Lin Fei to the main gate.
Lin Fei said: “Zhuzhu, in the twelfth year of Shengping, when you had that dream, you too were waking in terror every night. But you walked out of it on your own. Jia You will certainly walk out of it too.”
Over these years, Xie Yuzhang had gradually left behind those dark and shadowed emotions, and she rarely showed sorrow anymore.
But in the night, her eyes were filled with grief: “I only hope she can find her way through more gently.”
Lin Fei said: “You have done your best. What happened to Fu Kang is not your fault.”
Xie Yuzhang nodded: “I know. It’s only…”
“Fu Kang — what a good child she was.”
After seeing Lin Fei off, Xie Yuzhang went again to Jia You’s room anyway.
“Here, this is for you.” Xie Yuzhang brought out several more night-luminous pearls, placed them in a semi-transparent gauze pouch, and tucked it into the small drawer in the side of Jia You’s pillow — the little drawer that had originally been there to hold scent pellets.
“If you’re frightened in the night, take it out, and there will be even more light.” Xie Yuzhang stroked Jia You’s head as she told her.
On the second day, Xie Yuzhang brought Madam Mao, wife of Bureau Director Mao, into the palace to see Li Zhenzhen.
Unexpectedly, both Noble Consort Cui and Virtuous Consort Deng were already in Li Zhenzhen’s palace chambers. Hearing that she had come, Li Zhenzhen smiled warmly: “Please welcome her in.”
The eyes of the two consorts both turned toward the doorway.
The woman who entered had skin like radiant snow and a figure light and graceful.
The clothes she wore were not in the current fashion — yet no one would think anything wrong or lacking about them. For whatever clothing was put on her body, it looked beautiful. She had no need to follow any fashion trend.
Noble Consort Cui and Virtuous Consort Deng both believed that very soon, the capital of Yunjing would be swept by a fashion for this close-fitting, spirited style of cut.