Yet there were many matters to attend to in the court, and it was not until the day was nearly spent and dusk approaching that he was seen returning from outside.

Yun Pan waited for him as she always had, standing beneath the wooden covered walkway before the door. The light of the lanterns hanging from the eaves swayed gently, not quite reaching the moon-gate arch at the far end of the covered corridor. After what seemed a long while, she finally spotted his figure coming from that direction, and he smiled at her from a distance. That smile was deeply reassuring; the anxious worry that Yun Pan had been holding in her heart finally settled, and she reached out her hand toward him.

He came forward and took her hand, his voice carrying a gentle rebuke. “Did I not say not to wait for me? Why come outside again?”

Yun Pan made a casual excuse, “I had just eaten some fruit and was going for a walk to help with digestion, and just happened to walk up to the door.”

The two of them walked back inside arm in arm. Once they were in the room, she raised her hands to undo the cloak from his shoulders and handed it to Lu Tan. It was fortunate she had sent over a coat for him early that morning, or he would not have been presentable.

She pulled him to sit in the armchair and asked, “How are things outside? Has everything settled down?”

Li Chenjian gave a sound of affirmation. “It has all calmed down — only some scattered troops left to round up, which can be left to those below to handle.” As he spoke, he covered his mouth with a yawn. “Third Brother knew how to pick his timing for the uprising — at least it did not delay things, and court can still be held tomorrow as usual.”

Yun Pan took the tea offered by a maidservant and set it at his side, then paused thoughtfully and asked, “As for Elder Brother’s situation…”

He knew what she was about to ask, and raised his eyes with a light smile. “Do not worry. All is as it should be.”

Yun Pan breathed out in relief and told him, standing at his side, “Last night, when I left the side gate, I did not come straight home — I went directly to Duke Chengguo’s residence. A’Jie and I listened together as the reports came in one after another from outside.”

Hearing this, Li Chenjian’s eyes filled with admiration. He thought to himself: those without the good fortune could never comprehend the joy of being married to such a worthy companion!

She never needed him to lay plans on her behalf — she always knew exactly what she should do. Going to Duke Chengguo’s residence had served two purposes: first, to show that the two households were in the same boat; and second, to forge a bond with Lady Jing through shared hardship, which would leave a far deeper impression than ordinary social visits. Barring any unexpected development, Lady Jing would without question become the future empress, and cultivating a good relationship with the empress was of the utmost importance for a subject. This was reading the moment with clarity, it was foresight, and it was a step more vital than any blood oath sworn between men.

He drew her waist close to him and asked with some guilt, “Si Si, do you regret the decision I made?”

Yun Pan said she did not, and reached up to gently smooth his hair. “An emperor has an emperor’s glory; a minister has a minister’s ease. The way of Heaven is arduous. Things being as they are, I am content to wait for you to return from your duties each day, to share tea and meals with you — that is more than enough.”

He buried his face in her embrace. After all the battles fought with sword and steel, what he still yearned for most was the warmth of his wife’s arms.

But something suddenly occurred to him, and he remembered to ask, “Was a physician summoned to look you over?”

Yun Pan smiled and said, “Wang Tiling from the Imperial Medical Institute came today.”

“What did he say?” he pressed eagerly.

Yun Pan fidgeted a little and said with a shy flush, “What else could he say — there is a child, of course.”

Hearing this, he swept her up in his arms. “You see! I said you were with child, and so you are!”

In truth he had already known in his heart, but the confirmed diagnosis did not prevent him from being overjoyed all over again.

When a man is happy he inevitably becomes a little foolish — this rough and careless action made all the maidservants and nannies standing by hold their breath in collective alarm.

Yun Pan hurriedly beat at him, “Goodness — have you lost your mind? Put me down quickly, do not drop me!”

Of course he was careful, and after setting her down steadily, he cupped her face in his hands and planted a firm kiss on her cheek. “I am so happy!”

The maidservants looked away with embarrassment. After all, in all the time since the Duchess had entered the household, no one had ever seen His Grace behave so unlike himself. They exchanged glances with one another, smiling in shy, knowing delight.

Yun Pan’s face flushed red, and she gave him a light push. “Stop making a scene — everyone is watching.”

But Nanny Yao, perceptive as ever, waved her hand and ushered all those present out to the outer chamber.

With only husband and wife left in the inner room, they could at last speak at length about the affairs of the outer court — and about how he had expressed his intention to retire, and how Duke Chengguo had persuaded him to remain.

Yun Pan listened and gave a sigh. “People’s hearts are made of flesh after all. I understand that Elder Brother must have his wariness of you, but you are still of use to him, and we must conduct ourselves with even greater care from now on. In time he will find the magnanimity to keep us.”

Li Chenjian nodded. “In the critical moment, it was the Lulong Army that rescued him from his predicament — everyone in court knows it. To turn and eliminate loyal servants the moment he takes the throne would do his reputation no good. Moreover, when things were at their most desperate, he came to the side gate to rescue me first — I trust in the sincerity of his feelings.”

Yun Pan agreed. “As subjects, we must hold the ruler with the reverence one holds for Heaven and Earth. We must not grow arrogant on account of past service, must not provoke the ruler’s displeasure, and must never cross his forbidden lines. If we are mindful of this, I believe we can still pass the rest of our lives in peace.”

This was the reminder of a wise and devoted companion — a caution to him that prudence was the path to safety. He smiled and agreed, and after a while of tender closeness, the two of them changed their clothes and went to the Mao Garden to pay their respects to the Elder Madam and the Princess Consort.

The whole family reunited, and there was no end to tears of relief and gratitude. The Elder Madam stroked his face again and again, weeping as she said, “My dear grandson has suffered so much, so very much…”

Li Chenjian knelt before her. “It is your grandson’s fault for being unfilial and causing Grandmother and Mother such worry.”

The Princess Consort hurried forward to help him up, repeating over and over, “Your elders wish nothing more from you than that you remain safe and well… You are soon to be a father — you must be all the more careful from now on, and remember that the whole family depends on you.”

There was no need to say more. The family gathered joyfully to share a reunion meal, making up for the regret of not having been together on New Year’s Eve.

During the meal, the Princess Consort brought up a matter, saying, “A’Jie’s mother came to call today, to speak on behalf of Hui Cun and Xiang Xu. I have not yet given my reply — I wanted to hear what you all think.”

At her side, Hui Cun had already flushed bright red and was stammering, “A’Niang, why bring this up now of all times?”

The Princess Consort smiled and said, “It is a happy occasion — why should it not be spoken of now? Your brother is back; naturally we must ask his opinion. I think Xiang Xu is a fine young man — during the time you were all away from home, he sent New Year’s gifts to the residence and quietly helped manage affairs outside. He is someone who stood by us in difficult times. Compared to that young man from the Geng family, he is better by a thousandfold.”

At the mention of the Geng family, the Elder Madam remembered to ask, “Their involvement with Duke Chuguo — has the court issued an order to investigate?”

Li Chenjian said it had. “The Court of Judicial Review has already begun its inquiry, and the household has been detained in full — sentencing will follow once the proceedings are complete.”

Hui Cun, as always, attended to matters others overlooked. “It seems Xu Xiangning was fortunate after all. If she had stayed in the Geng household, she would not have enjoyed any of the good fortune — instead, she would have gone to prison along with the rest of them.”

And so it seemed everything was decided by fate in some unseen way. Whatever life you were meant to lead, Heaven had already arranged it for you.

The Princess Consort was unwilling to have her question sidetracked, and pressed on urgently, “Why has the conversation drifted back to the Geng family? I was still asking about Hui Cun and Xiang Xu’s marriage.”

Li Chenjian considered it carefully and said, “Xiang Xu is upright and honest — he is a dependable person. If A’Jie’s family truly has intentions of forming an alliance through marriage, I think we should accept. With Hui Cun at his side, she will be in good hands.”

The Princess Consort hesitated. “It is just that the relationship is a little complicated — they are already like brother and sister. How would they address each other afterward?”

Yun Pan smiled and said, “They can continue to address each other just as before — neither side loses anything.”

The Princess Consort looked Hui Cun over again. “In the end it is still Hui’er who must agree — what good is our saying yes on our own?”

Everyone turned to look at Hui Cun, fully expecting the young lady to be too bashful to answer and to want to deflect. But to everyone’s surprise, though she was a little shy, she was not at all coy. She spoke with candor, “I think Xiang Xu is very good. There is nothing to deliberate. A’Niang, do not ask me — just agree.”

Everyone broke into laughter. The Elder Madam said, “My Hui’er has always been forthright — she never drags things out, very much her father’s manner.”

Now that everyone had agreed, once the situation had settled down, the betrothal formalities could proceed.

On the way back after the meal, the two of them walked side by side. Li Chenjian remarked with a smile, “I never expected that in the end it would be Xiang Xu who would be matched with Hui Cun. What a strange and wonderful turn of fate.”

Yun Pan said, “Earlier, when we were all working to help you, I had a quiet feeling that those two were well suited to each other. Now that Jin A’Yi has come forward as matchmaker, it seems the matter has already been decided on her side as well. Our two families have deep ties — and now this marriage will add yet another layer. Close kin need not be parted, and we will all be together for every festival. What could be more perfect?” Speaking of Jin Shengyu, she suddenly remembered a piece of good news. “I forgot to tell you — Jin A’Yi is with child. Their child is only a few days ahead of ours in age; when they grow up together, the two of them will have each other for company.”

Li Chenjian looked astonished. “Father-in-law is truly vigorous for his age!” He himself had married before them, yet his child was actually younger than theirs — how could he not express that sentiment.

Yun Pan laughed. “Do stop saying such things! It is a wonderful thing that Father can have another legitimate son. With Jin A’Yi’s character, she will certainly raise the child well.”

Li Chenjian agreed. “Jin A’Yi has a strong and fierce nature — with a child to bind them together, those two can truly make a life as one. But this time, to see Father-in-law throw caution to the wind and rush to the west side gate to rescue us — it truly surprised me. Having worked alongside him at court for many years, I know he has always kept carefully to himself. I never expected him to show such boldness this time.”

“It must have been family bonds at work, in the end,” Yun Pan said. “Today Jin A’Yi and Father came together to the residence to visit me, and I noticed Jin A’Yi was considerably gentler toward Father — it must be because of this affair that she has come to see him in a new light.”

After all, a person’s dignity and standing were things one had to cultivate for oneself. Stand tall, and others would respect you; fail to do so, and others would look down on you — as was only right.

The two of them strolled slowly back to the inner bedchamber. After washing up, they settled into the soft, fragrant bedding, and he said with heartfelt contentment, “There is truly nothing like one’s own bed at home — lying down, one need think of nothing at all.”

Yun Pan turned to face him and put her arms around his neck, saying softly, “From now on, home every night, at my side every night — that is all I could ever ask for.”

Her words struck a chord deep in his heart. He leaned close and kissed her with lingering tenderness, and in the touching of lips all manner of feeling and trembling poured out.

Little by little, breathing grew unsteady; little by little, other desires stirred, and the thought of going further arose — but she stopped him. She said quietly, “Wang Tiling said the child is still small; the pregnancy is not yet stable. We cannot be reckless.”

He gave a soft sound of acknowledgment and immediately restrained himself. “I was thoughtless.”

Then he reached an arm out for her to rest her head upon, pulling her into the crook of his elbow. No matter how much turbulence the world outside held, as long as he could breathe in the fragrance that clung to her, nothing else mattered.

The following morning at court, the dragon throne was indeed empty. Duke Chengguo stood before the steps to preside over state affairs, declaring Li Yujian’s treachery; he announced that His Majesty had been deeply shaken and his condition was now grave. After reading out Li Yujian’s crimes, he commended the Lulong Army’s generals and restored Li Chenjian’s noble title and rank.

The civil and military officials were all sharp enough to read the situation. With things now as clear as they were, the identity of His Majesty’s successor needed no proclamation — it was already self-evident.

It was as ever a tableau of the many faces of the world: those who had previously aligned themselves with Duke Chengguo wore looks of delight; those who had unfortunately thrown their lot in with Li Yujian wore looks of miserable shame. Before long, the court would no doubt see sweeping changes.

After the morning audience dispersed and they came out from the Hall of Grand Celebration, walking along the long straight passage, he happened to look down and noticed a tiny green shoot pushing up through the crack between the paving bricks. Li Chenjian paused his steps for a moment and studied it carefully.

Duke Shuguo came up from behind and said, “The date for Mei Fen and Zhao Zhongyan’s wedding has been set — the second day of next month. Carry the word back to Si Si so she knows.”

Li Chenjian acknowledged it gladly, bowing his hands to offer congratulations. “Congratulations to Uncle. Si Si has been saying for the past few days that because of our troubles, Miss Mei’s wedding was delayed, and she has felt terribly sorry for Miss Mei. Now that the date is set, she will surely be very pleased — I will be sure to pass the message to her when I return.” He paused a moment and then asked, “The other day when Jin A’Yi came to speak of the match, I could not very well ask Xiang Xu directly, so I must ask Uncle instead — what is Xiang Xu’s own feeling on the matter?”

Duke Shuguo laughed heartily. “It is settled beyond doubt. The household is already preparing the betrothal gifts, and they will be sent to your esteemed residence shortly. You know what Xiang Xu is like — he has always been reticent. Whenever his mother raised the subject of betrothal, he would always put it off with one excuse or another. But this time was different; the moment it was mentioned, he said it was very good. Just look at that — can you believe it! And to think that you and his younger sister did not come together, yet now your sister and he have — ” he said, cradling his hands before himself with a look of satisfied delight, “fate is truly wondrous beyond words.”

Li Chenjian smiled in agreement. “They have had several dealings with each other, and I imagine they have grown familiar and found good feeling between them — the marriage follows as a natural course. I ask Uncle to please make haste with the betrothal ceremony; the Elder Madam and mother at home are both eagerly waiting.”

Duke Shuguo nodded at length. “Certainly, certainly — it is nearly ready. Just another day or two.”

They exchanged a few more pleasantries and then each took their leave by carriage. Li Chenjian made a special detour to a shop called Rulaozang to pick up their frozen mountain desserts and assorted large and small soft pastries. When he arrived home and had Yun Pan taste them, the preferences of young women proved to be quite similar — she too found the frozen mountain dessert overrated by its reputation, and thought the soft pastries the more delicious of the two.

Everything was falling into place, everything was progressing toward completion. The very next day, Duke Shuguo’s household arrived to present the formal betrothal gifts, as promised — ten trays of betrothal offerings adorned with five-colored silk, filled with bolts of fine fabric, jewelry, betrothal silver, wine, millet, and grains of various kinds, every single item treated with the utmost care.

Jin Shengyu was serving as chief matchmaker for the first time, yet she carried herself with perfect composure. She entered, exchanged courtesies with the hosts, tucked her hands together and announced in a clear voice, “We respectfully present our betrothal offering.” She then signaled the officiant to present the ceremonial geese into Li Chenjian’s hands.

Following the initial betrothal gift came the exchange of names and the confirmation of the auspicious day, which were normally all completed on the same day; the sending of the formal marriage letter was subsequently entrusted to a male member of the clan holding some rank or standing. But Duke Shuguo and Lady Ming were both impatient by nature. Duke Shuguo declared outright that there was no relative in the Xiang clan with a higher official rank than himself and Xiang Xu, and since they were all here already, they might as well present the marriage letter directly and have done with it.

And so there unfolded the amusing scene of a father personally delivering his own son’s marriage letter. Xiang Xu respectfully presented a nanmu lacquer box into the Princess Consort’s hands. The Princess Consort received it and, smiling, read the contents aloud to all assembled, “Xiang Jun Jie declares: my eldest son has reached the age of marriage but has not yet taken a wife. Having heard of your esteemed second daughter, virtuous, gentle, and modest, possessed of all four feminine virtues, I wish to form this high alliance. Accordingly, through the matchmaker Madam Jiang Jin, I respectfully present this proposal. Should it not be granted, I await your gracious reply with humble deference.”

The assembled guests offered their congratulations to Xiang Xu. Xiang Xu was a man of letters and had never been through such a ceremony before; he could only accept each greeting with a reddened face, returning one bow after another.

Not far off in the side parlor, Hui Cun stood on her toes watching. This was a marriage she had agreed to herself — how much more to her liking it was than one dictated entirely by her parents.

Yun Pan looked at her little sister-in-law, whose eyes were fixed intently on the proceedings in the main hall, and could not help but smile. “Uncle and A’Yi are both forthright people — exchanging the marriage letters today on the spot means our brother-in-law must write his acceptance letter on the spot as well.” She nudged Hui Cun with her elbow. “What is going through your mind right now?”

Hui Cun only then realized that all her agitation was written plainly on her face. Embarrassed, she reproached her, “A’Jie is teasing me!” But after the shyness passed, she made no attempt to conceal her feelings. She moved closer to Yun Pan and sat down, smiling as she said, “Truly, I am very happy. I have met Xiang Brother a few times, and I can already tell he is a man who stands by his responsibilities. Before, when the match with the Geng family was arranged, everyone said that military men were the more straightforward sort — and look how that turned out in the end. Ever since then, I made up my mind: the next man I chose would have to be a civil official, and I would surely avoid that kind of calamity. And now I have met Xiang Brother — refined and cultured, yet not soft or weak. He acts with both passion and principle. What more could I ask for? So when his family sent Jin A’Yi to propose the match, I was terribly worried that A’Niang and Elder Brother might have reservations, and my heart was in a complete flutter. Now that the marriage letters have been exchanged, it feels as though a great stone has finally lifted from my chest.”

Yun Pan was about to tease her, but stopped herself just in time — Hui Cun was such a transparent-hearted girl, saying out loud everything she thought, exactly as it was. To make fun of her would truly be unkind.

So she said in a sincere tone, “Xiang Brother is a man of noble character, and both families know each other well. Uncle and A’Yi are very strict in their upbringing — nothing like what happened with the Geng family could ever occur there. You will be in good hands at their household, and both your brother-in-law and I will be at ease. But Cousin Mei’s wedding is next month — she will most likely be married before you.”

Hui Cun, at this moment, finally showed the manner of a young girl. She twisted her handkerchief and said, “I mentioned it to A’Niang — I am not done being a young woman yet. Wait until the year’s end.”

Yun Pan raised her eyebrows. “Waiting a whole year — one fears Xiang Brother will not be able to wait that long.”

Hui Cun grew even more flustered, wringing the handkerchief in her hands so tightly it stretched taut, pressing the tip of her finger to a round red mark, plump and bright as a cherry.

That evening, the family sat together to eat, and as was customary, the conversation turned to the matter of Hui Cun’s wedding date. The Princess Consort paged through the almanac day by day until she came to an auspicious day and hurriedly held it out for the Elder Madam to see. “The twentieth day of the fifth month — supremely auspicious!”

The Elder Madam held the almanac at arm’s length and squinted to read it carefully. “Auspicious for breaking ground, for opening a business, for marriage, for setting up a new bed… It is a day free of all prohibitions — a fine day indeed. Only we do not know whether the Xiang household will have time to make their preparations.”

The Princess Consort said there would be no problem with the time. “It is not yet out of the first month — four months is more than enough to prepare…”

While this conversation was underway, they suddenly heard Bi Xie at the covered walkway entrance asking a maidservant to pass along a message, saying he had an urgent matter to report to the Master.

As the events of recent days had not fully faded from everyone’s hearts, the moment anyone heard the words “urgent matter,” every face changed color at once.

Li Chenjian could only step in to reassure them — it was nothing to worry about. “Let me go take a look.” He set down his chopsticks and walked out to ask what had happened.

Bi Xie clasped his hands and reported, “Duke Chengguo has sent word: His Majesty’s condition has taken a sharp turn for the worse. He can no longer speak. His Grace is requested to enter the palace to discuss the relevant matters.”