Entering the eighth month, the weather grew cooler with each passing day. Overnight, all the osmanthus in the academy bloomed at once, and the fragrance of sweet osmanthus drifted throughout the entire grounds.

On days after class when there was nothing to do, Wang Yingning would invite Qin Yao and the others to pick the osmanthus blossoms together in the garden. Sometimes they would add the petals to their tea; more often they made sachets to hang before their bed-curtains, and the rooms would immediately carry a faint, floating sweetness.

Wang Yingning had long been accustomed to these refined and graceful pastimes, and her room was the most comfortably appointed among all the fellow students in the academy. She herself was mild and generous by nature, and so fellow students frequently gathered in her room to chat and laugh and enjoy each other’s company.

That day, after the last class of the late morning had ended, Qin Yao and the others were talking in Wang Yingning’s room when an emissary came from Official Lady Lu with a message: the academy would be releasing students for the afternoon.

It turned out that the Madam of Duke Lu’s household needed to return home to oversee preparations for the Duke’s birthday celebration. The female virtue class scheduled for that afternoon was accordingly cancelled.

Seeing that the academy’s mistress had gone home, Princess Kang Ping was the first to make a clamor about returning to the palace. With no one from the Duke’s household to keep order, Official Lady Lu and the others were far from intimidating enough, and Kang Ping achieved her goal with virtually no effort at all.

With Kang Ping setting the precedent, Chen Yuqi and the others followed suit and went before Official Lady Lu to request leave, putting forth all manner of pretexts. Official Lady Lu was thoroughly exasperated, and simply sent someone to seek the Madam of Duke Lu’s household’s instruction. With her permission obtained, she granted all students a half-day holiday.

The various female officials then busied themselves sending word to each household to dispatch servants to collect their respective young ladies.

On hearing this news, Qin Yao thought of the half-headed ghost she had seen in the academy, and decided to go back to her room to retrieve the medicinal-pill gourd in which the ghost was now sealed, with the intention of bringing it to Qingyun Abbey to find her master.

But Liu Bingyu enthusiastically proposed that since the academy was granting only a half-day holiday and they would have to return for the night, why not seize the afternoon to go out together and stock up on cosmetics and rouge, and while they were at it buy some snacks to nibble on back at the academy? She had heard that Rongbao Pavilion had just introduced a new osmanthus cream cake, uncommonly fragrant and yielding, that had drawn crowds of people in recent days to sample it. And then there was Fuchun Restaurant — their autumn crabs were typically at their fattest and richest in this season, which must mean they were available by now; paired with osmanthus wine, just the thought of it made her mouth water. Why not have a group meal at Fuchun Restaurant and return to the academy before curfew?

Pei Min scoffed at her: “I thought you’d have some new and interesting place in mind, but here we’ve gone in one great big circle and still can’t get away from the subject of eating.”

When Qin Yao heard the name “Fuchun Restaurant,” her face first turned red — but seeing Liu Bingyu’s face lit up and animated as she talked about food, she couldn’t help smiling along with her. She thought of Liu Bingyu’s father, Chief Justice Liu Zan, with his stern and solemn manner, and couldn’t fathom how he could be connected to the cheerful, lively Liu Bingyu before her.

Wang Yingning smiled along but also gave her willing consent, saying that last time during the Flower Festival, Qin Yao had been absent and Pei Min had been unable to leave the estate, so the four of them had never managed a proper gathering. The weather had been pleasantly cool lately — why not take this opportunity to go out and enjoy themselves together?

This being the case, Qin Yao didn’t feel she could easily insist on returning to Qingyun Abbey. But she still went back to her room to fetch the medicinal-pill gourd with the ghost inside, thinking that she might run into her master or A’Han on the street and could hand the things over to them at that point.

The four of them tidied up and went out. The carriages from their various households were already waiting at the gate. Qin Yao and the others left word with the servants from each household, then shared Wang family’s carriage and headed toward the Eastern Market.

Women being naturally fond of beauty, their first stop was a cloud-container cosmetics shop newly opened by a foreign Hu woman. Word had it that the shop carried quite a number of flower essences made from rare and unusual Western blooms — when applied to the body they left an exotic fragrance, and when applied to the face they were said to have skin-nourishing properties. Pei Min and the others, youthful and naturally curious, couldn’t help but be intrigued.

Qin Yao got out of the carriage along with them. Just then she spotted someone alighting from a carriage on the street opposite. That person had a slender figure and was wrapped from head to toe in tight clothing — exactly the same get-up as Cui Shi had worn the last time at Fuchun Restaurant.

Qin Yao immediately recognized this person as Cui Shi. She quickly ducked behind the carriage to avoid being seen, thinking privately to herself: Zeng Nanqin had been taken into Lin Xiao’s custody the last time — she had no idea who Cui Shi was going to meet in secret this time.

She was still pondering this when Pei Min, turning around and seeing Qin Yao standing motionless, grabbed her arm and pulled her inside. “What are you standing there in a daze for? The others have already gone in.”

Qin Yao had no choice but to abandon any notion of investigating further.

From upstairs across the way someone had been watching, and said with a laugh: “It’s rare to see Miss Qu with a free afternoon today. Pity you have a trap to set for Cui Shi and can’t get away for the moment, otherwise this would be a fine chance to ease a certain longing.”

Lin Xiao watched Qin Yao disappear into the cosmetics shop, and smiled slightly. “She normally has few close friends among the young ladies of her social circle. It’s a rare thing for her to get along this well with these few classmates — the more she associates with them, the better.”

“You’re afraid that once the two of you are married, she’ll be lonely by herself at home while you’re away and busy with official duties, aren’t you?” Jiang Sanlang smiled knowingly. “Come to think of it, your household really is too quiet. Once Cui Shi is dealt with this time, your Prince’s estate will have just the three of you men. Still, you’ve been thinking about Miss Qu for so long — once she’s married to you, I don’t believe you’ll be able to sit idle. Before long Prince Lan’s estate will probably have a new arrival, and with a child around, are you still worried she’ll be lonely?”

Lin Xiao’s ears reddened faintly. He said coolly: “You’ve talked far too much today.”

Jiang Sanlang laughed and shook his head, turning the wine cup in his hand. “Still, going by the past examples of imperial marriage arrangements, when it comes to the imperial family’s sons — either no marriage decree is issued, or once one is, it’s no more than a single imperial edict. The Crown Prince and Prince Wu have taken secondary wives, but their principal consorts are still undecided. The three Xia siblings spent the past few years in Shu territory and haven’t been reported to have any match arranged either. Kang Ping will come of age soon, and the choosing of a prince consort surely can’t be pushed to next year. From the look of things, His Majesty the Emperor will most likely decree marriages for all of you at the same time. If you’re in a hurry to marry Miss Qu, you’d do better to work with the situation and find a way to manage things without leaving any obvious trace.”

Lin Xiao made a sound of agreement, as if he already had a plan forming in his mind, and raised his eyes to look at Jiang Sanlang. “Speaking of marriage decrees — don’t just talk about me. Tell me, what are your own plans?”

“Me?” Jiang Sanlang smiled with listless indifference. “I have no interest in scheming after any young lady in Chang’an. Whoever His Majesty decides to match me with, so be it.”

The complete posture of resignation.

Lin Xiao inwardly frowned, just as he was about to speak, Chang Rong slipped inside and said: “The Prince has been led here.”

Jiang Sanlang heard this, rose to his feet, and clapped Lin Xiao on the shoulder. “Right then. I’ll go play the villain. To think that His Majesty was furious enough over the Dayin Temple case to bring down so many officials in court — today it will finally come fully to light.”

Cui Shi stepped slowly into the innermost private room and saw Zeng Nanqin sitting by the window in a daze, his facial expression oddly rigid. A flash of unease passed through her, and the hand that had been closing the door momentarily stilled.

She studied him carefully for a good while, and upon confirming that it was indeed the Zeng Nanqin she knew, she turned back and closed the door with great care, then walked around to sit down across from him.

Slowly she removed the hat-veil from her head, then unfastened the cloak from her shoulders, revealing a meticulously decorated countenance as beautiful as a hibiscus blossom — she had clearly dressed with special care for today’s meeting.

Zeng Nanqin slowly turned his head and looked at Cui Shi, his expression unmoved, showing no inclination whatsoever to speak first.

The two of them regarded each other for a moment. Then Cui Shi suddenly broke into a radiant smile. “What have you been busy with all this time? I’ve tried to find you several times, and you’ve ignored me every one of them.”

Her voice was considerably more alluring than usual, deliberately kept very low, lending the exchange an inexplicable air of intimacy.

Zeng Nanqin lowered his gaze to look at the left hand on the table that was gripping the teacup. The little finger of that hand was nowhere to be found — only four fingers remained. He had long since grown accustomed to the sight, but at this particular moment his state of mind was clearly different, and he suddenly found it jarring to look at.

Cui Shi looked at him with a reproachful pout, and said in a tone of lingering reproach: “You received my letter, and you’ve seen the gold hairpin — are you still angry with me? To think that back then you lost a finger saving my life, and now you’ve turned finicky. You certainly ought to be able to recognize that gold hairpin as the one you gave me all those years ago—”

Zeng Nanqin suddenly cut her off, enunciating each word slowly and deliberately: “Last time you had me send people to abduct Countess Yi Shu. Who is it you’re planning to deal with this time?”

As he spoke, the muscles of his face remained unnaturally rigid, each word seeming to be forced out of his mouth, the effect profoundly strange.

Cui Shi looked at him with a puzzled glance. Seeing his expression as if suppressing rage, she assumed he was still angry, and said in a gentle voice: “This one is easier to deal with. There’s no need to go to as much trouble as last time — it’s merely a matter of hiring a few men with a strong hand to kill her and be done with it.”

Zeng Nanqin let out a sound of contempt through his nose. “Who is this person, and why must she be dealt with?”

Cui Shi paused, then said coolly: “This woman has ruined my plans several times over. The last time at the Dayin Temple I suspect she caught wind of something. If she isn’t removed, sooner or later she will ruin things for us.”

Zeng Nanqin seemed to half-believe it, still wearing his wooden expression. “How would she have known about the Dayin Temple affair? Or is it that you intend to use another’s hand to kill someone you have a grudge against, and you’ve made up a story to coax me?”

Cui Shi’s expression stiffened. She feigned indignation. “How would I dare deceive you? Don’t you remember? I once told you that when the Dayin Temple business was underway, a young woman appeared and created trouble. Her skills were quite formidable — she very nearly caught the men you sent there. The person I spoke of then was her. She absolutely cannot be left alive!”

Zeng Nanqin was silent for a moment, then with evident effort opened his mouth again: “And when it’s done? How do you intend to thank me?”

Cui Shi lowered her eyes. Her gaze seemed to melt into a pool of spring water; she dipped her head with an air of feigned bashfulness, and though she said nothing, her meaning was quite plain.

Zeng Nanqin’s mouth twitched. Then he said abruptly: “Aren’t you afraid the Prince will find out this time?”

It seemed Cui Shi’s patience had finally run out. There was a barely concealed impatience in her voice. “If you’re willing to do it then do it; if not, I’ll find someone else—”

Before she had finished speaking, there was a sudden swoosh of sound, and the partition doors behind her flew open.

Her face went white. She quickly rose and turned — and there was Prince Lan, materializing as if from nowhere, his eyes burning as if kindled from within, staring at her with towering fury.

Behind him were several palace servants who appeared to be among the Emperor’s most favored senior eunuchs. They all stood with their eyes cast down at the floor, yet the contemptuous expressions on their faces made it plain that they had heard every word of the exchange just now.

Besides them, there was also Jiang Sanlang, who for once was wearing the official robes of a third-rank military officer, looking at her with a smile that did not quite reach his eyes.