Fuchun Pavilion had only ever been one part of the late Princess of Lan’s dowry, and Lin Xiao had always deliberately kept it quiet, never making it widely known. As such, most people were only aware that Fuchun Pavilion was one of Chang’an’s foremost restaurants, while very few knew who the true owner behind it was.
Inside the establishment, every seat was occupied. The eyes fell on a sea of scholars and men of letters engaged in animated conversation. Not a single table remained — upstairs too, many nobles and officials were gathered in wine-fueled merriment, and the private rooms had nearly all been reserved. Had Lin Xiao not been the young master himself, A’Han and Qin Yao’s longed-for meal that day would surely have come to nothing.
They were led to the innermost private room upstairs. The room had been furnished with a number of ice basins well in advance, and stepping through the door was like entering a cool and shaded haven — so much more comfortable than the sweltering heat outside.
Lin Xiao and the others took their seats, and in no time at all, the plump manager personally led staff in laying out a full table overflowing with dishes. Most were vegetarian, which seemed to be Lin Xiao’s consideration for the fact that Qin Yao and A’Han were both Daoists — he had clearly arranged it with deliberate care.
A’Han was overjoyed, eating with great relish. Qin Yao, too, praised every dish warmly.
Recalling how Qin Yao was fond of wine, Lin Xiao had someone bring out a jug of Green Ant Wine and poured her a cup. Qin Yao sipped a few mouthfuls, squinting with pleasure as she declared it excellent.
A deep tenderness stirred in Lin Xiao’s heart. He had always known that both the giving and receiving of care carried their own kind of wisdom. Whether by nature or shaped by years of trials, Qin Yao seemed to possess that rare, intuitive grace — whenever he made any thoughtful arrangement for her, she was always able to respond with warmth and sincerity. She was never coy or evasive; she was like moonlight — clear, honest, and radiant.
A’Han was even more guileless and simple-hearted to the point of endearing foolishness, without a single scheming bone in his body. After long years of witnessing the endless scheming and maneuvering within and beyond the palace walls, Lin Xiao found himself at ease — genuinely, unexpectedly at ease — spending time with these two.
After they had been eating for a while, Qin Yao took a moment’s pause and glanced out the window. Down below, a carriage had just pulled up. A young man stepped out first, looked up at the restaurant’s sign board, then turned and helped the woman inside the carriage descend.
What was peculiar was that despite the weather, the woman was wrapped from head to toe with not a single inch exposed. The veil attached to her headpiece was made of especially thick material, making it utterly impossible to catch even a glimpse of her face.
Once the woman stepped down, the man closed the carriage door again and led the woman inside.
Qin Yao’s sharp eyes caught something as the man raised his hand — something different from most people. After a moment’s thought, she realized: this person’s left hand appeared to have only four fingers.
At this moment, the plump manager came back in and whispered something in Lin Xiao’s ear. Lin Xiao’s expression grew subtly serious. He said, “Tell them there is still a private room available and show them up. Once they begin speaking, listen carefully to what they say.”
Qin Yao found this puzzling. Given Lin Xiao’s character, he would not ordinarily stoop to eavesdropping — there must be a reason behind this. She had no idea who the newcomers were that they would warrant such caution from him.
But since Lin Xiao didn’t say, she naturally could not press him.
Lin Xiao visibly grew quieter, his expression distracted — as though waiting for the manager to bring word.
By now Qin Yao had eaten her fill. Seeing that Shixiong was still eating with great enthusiasm, she didn’t want to rush him. She was thinking that the several disciples of Abbot Yuan Jue would be arriving soon, and she needed to go meet them at the mouth of the lane and make some arrangements in advance.
A good incense stick’s worth of time passed before the plump manager finally returned. He glanced with some hesitation at Qin Yao and A’Han, uncertain how to begin.
Lin Xiao frowned slightly. “They are all trusted people — there’s no need to hold anything back. Speak plainly.”
The manager, upon hearing this, looked at Qin Yao in surprise and froze for a brief moment before quickly lowering his head again. He spoke, “Cui Shi has already left. That young gentleman is still in the room drinking. They seemed to be guarded earlier and didn’t say much during the meal — all together, only a few sentences were exchanged.”
Qin Yao’s ears pricked up. Cui Shi? The name sounded very familiar — who was it she knew with the surname Cui?
Lin Xiao set his wine cup back on the table without expression. “What did they say?”
The manager said, “They spoke in very hushed voices. Only these words could be made out: Cui Shi said one sentence — ‘That is absolutely out of the question.’ The young gentleman seemed very angered and said, ‘You’ve used me so many times — you think you can just discard me when it suits you?’ He also said, ‘We clearly had a betrothal between us back then. You came to Chang’an merely to pay your respects at Prince Lan’s manor, and then — as though seized by madness — you turned around and married into the household as the Prince’s second consort. With such faithlessness, where does that leave me?'”
Qin Yao had just lifted her wine cup to drink. Upon hearing this, she was so startled she forgot to take a sip. The cup sat at her lips for a long moment, untouched.
The manager continued: “Cui Shi then said, ‘The so-called betrothal back then was nothing more than idle words spoken by our parents — it was never binding. You have entered the General’s Commandery now, and your future prospects are bright. You will have no shortage of beautiful wives and consorts in time to come — why cling to things of the past?’ That young gentleman then replied, ‘Bright future prospects? Ha. I nearly died nine times before making it back alive from beyond the frontier. I thought the post of Senior Counselor at the Commandery would surely be mine — and then along comes the eldest son of the Duke of Wei’s household, Xia Lan, who does nothing at all yet steals the position that was rightfully mine simply because of his imperial connections. Is that any kind of justice? And as for you — the moment you caught sight of wealth and status, you cast all shame aside and rushed to become someone’s stepmother. Let me tell you, do you think this wealth and status will last? Perhaps one day the world will be turned upside down, and princes and lords will be brought low as grass. Who gets the last laugh remains to be seen. The day you regret this will come!'”
The manager had a remarkable gift for mimicry. As he recounted the two speakers, he gave each a distinct tone and expression, so vivid and true to life that listening to it felt as though one were there in the room.
Qin Yao had by now collected herself. She stole a glance at Lin Xiao, not daring to breathe, and quietly set her wine cup down on the table. It was clear that this stepmother of Lin Xiao’s was not only scheming and resourceful — she was not content to remain quietly within the household either, and had nearly made Lin Xiao’s father the subject of great humiliation. Whether Lin Xiao had known of this all along or was hearing it for the first time today, she couldn’t be certain — but judging by how he had behaved just now, he had most likely been aware for quite some time.
“After the young gentleman said all this, Cui Shi rose and left.” The manager glanced at Lin Xiao. “Young Lord, His Highness the Prince is clearly wary of Cui Shi. The inventory of the Wang Fei’s dowry was never shown to Cui Shi in those early years. She has not known all this time that Fuchun Pavilion is your property, Young Lord — otherwise, I doubt she would have dared come here to meet someone in private even if she had a hundred times the nerve.”
Lin Xiao’s mouth curved slightly. “Keep an eye on that man. See where he goes next and who he meets.”
Qin Yao suddenly remembered that Pei Min’s brother also served in the General’s Commandery. A strange thought took shape in her mind. She quickly turned to A’Han. “Shixiong, take out our compass.”
Then she said to Lin Xiao, “In a moment, I’d like to try something on that man.”