Not far away, a branch shifted slightly and a faint rustling sound came from the darkness. A voice, kept low, said: “Miss, the heir of Prince Lan would not take the bait. What is our next step?”
A second voice replied, languid and soft — the kind of voice that by its very nature invited pity: “There is no hurry. We wait. Sooner or later, the right moment will come.”
The first voice gave an acknowledging sound, then said again: “Miss, the night wind has risen. Let us not stand here any longer — shall we go back?”
As if in answer to these words, a cool breeze swept across the ground. The willow branches began to rustle and sway, and the sound of retreating footsteps faded away beneath their murmuring.
The following morning, Kang Ping had finished dressing and sat at the table with her lips pursed, staring blankly out the window.
Snow Slave and Red Slave both knew the princess’s temperament well and did not dare to approach her at random.
“How dull —” Kang Ping fidgeted listlessly with the silver filigree incense ball in her hand. “A’Yuan left first thing in the morning. Sixth Elder Brother and Seventh Elder Brother are nowhere to be seen. Eleventh Elder Brother is always busy, busy, busy — I come back to the palace and he doesn’t even spend time with me. How dull! Not the least bit interesting! Even duller than sitting in the academy reading books!”
She flung the incense ball down on the table with an irritated clatter.
Snow Slave and the others flinched and shrank back, not daring to make a sound.
After her tirade, Kang Ping thought of what her father the emperor had said to her last night, and her pout grew even more pronounced. “Father is the most disagreeable person in the world!”
Yet she said nothing as to why her father was disagreeable.
Seeing that Kang Ping’s mood was threatening to escalate further, Snow Slave summoned her courage and cautiously offered, “Your Highness, although the emperor said last night that he would consult Master Feng’s wishes before issuing the decree, and that if Master Feng is unwilling, he will not grant him the princess’s hand in marriage — how does Your Highness know for certain that Master Feng would be unwilling? After all, Your Highness is as beautiful as an immortal, and so beloved by the emperor — surely there are countless men throughout the realm who admire Your Highness, and Master Feng cannot be an exception.”
Kang Ping’s mood did not improve one bit at these words. “Then why is it that the last two times we met on the street, I spoke so much to him, and he would not even spare me a proper glance? Mother always says: if a man likes a woman, he cannot hide it no matter what. Can any of you see even the slightest sign that Feng Boyu has any regard for me?”
She may have had a temper that flared easily, but she was not the least bit foolish.
Snow Slave and Red Slave simultaneously pictured Feng Boyu’s cold-as-frost expression — and, well… indeed, it was impossible to see any particular warmth toward the princess. In fact, there was arguably a hint of distinct displeasure. But how could they say this openly in front of the princess? They could only force a smile and offer, “Everyone has a different temperament. For a scholar like Master Feng, even if he cared in his heart, he most likely would not express it openly and directly.”
Red Slave chimed in with a suggestion: “Your Highness, you have recently grown close to Master Feng’s younger sister. Did she not swear she would make Master Feng come to love Your Highness? Since today is free, why not go to the Feng household to find her? The offices are on holiday these past two days, so Master Feng may well be at home.”
Kang Ping shook her head. After a silence, she suddenly said, “What A’Yuan said last night… actually does make some sense.” A faint flush rose involuntarily to her cheeks. “She said that most people have a degree of contrary nature — the more actively you show your affection, the more the other person may come to take you for granted. It might be better to find a way to make the other person come to you of his own accord. But I thought about it all night and cannot come up with any method that would make Feng Boyu come looking for me on his own initiative.”
The more she spoke, the more hopeless she sounded, until by the end she was left with nothing but a long, heavy sigh — she no longer even had the energy to be angry.
Snow Slave had never seen this kind of despondency in her mistress before. Thinking of how much effort the princess had poured into cultivating goodwill with the Feng siblings over these past weeks, only to receive not even half a scrap in return, she herself felt a pang of sympathetic sadness.
She racked her brains for a while, then suddenly her eyes lit up. “Your servant has thought of an idea.”
Kang Ping languidly lifted an eyelid to look at her. “What idea?”
Snow Slave leaned in and said, “Your Highness, you have been taking Feng Chuyue everywhere with you these past weeks — you have even visited the Duke of Wei’s household a few times. Have you truly not noticed? Your servant has observed that Feng Chuyue appears to have taken a liking to Second Young Master Xia.”
“Xia Di?” Kang Ping had always been indifferent to matters outside her own circle of attention, and naturally would not have noticed such details. Upon hearing this, she could not help laughing. “Ha! She really dares to dream! Never mind that Seventh Aunt and the Duke would never agree — even Xia Di himself would not say yes. That man carries his eyes on the top of his head and his tongue is as sharp as a blade — he looks down on everyone. Would he look twice at Feng Chuyue? Wasn’t it just last time that the daughter of some Ministry of Rites official gifted him a poem, and he mocked her so mercilessly in return that she went home in mortification and nearly died of shame? With a personality like that, if Feng Chuyue throws herself at him, she’ll be lucky to escape without a thorough lashing of his words.”
“That is precisely the point your servant is trying to make,” Snow Slave said, pressing her tone. “Think about it, Your Highness — you are a princess, and the emperor dotes on you. If you wish to select Feng Boyu as your prince consort, there is no need to worry about the disparity in rank. All that is needed is his own consent and the emperor’s. But Feng Chuyue wanting to marry Second Young Master Xia — that would be as difficult as ascending to heaven. Without Your Highness’s assistance, she could not hope to achieve it in this lifetime. If Your Highness were to seize this opportunity and lend Feng Chuyue a hand, Master Feng has only this one younger sister — once the situation forces his hand, for the sake of his sister not suffering any grievance, he would most likely be compelled to relent and bow to Your Highness.”
Kang Ping wavered. “This… is not really ideal, is it?”
Red Slave had understood Snow Slave’s meaning and, seeing Kang Ping hesitate, could not help interjecting: “Your Highness, let your servant remind you — your coming-of-age ceremony is not far off at all. From the emperor’s words last night, if Master Feng himself is unwilling, there is no way the imperial decree will be issued — does Your Highness wish to be assigned to someone else instead?”
“No!” Kang Ping said without a moment’s hesitation. She had admired Feng Boyu for far longer than a day or two, and she could not begin to imagine marrying anyone else.
“Well, then.” Snow Slave and Red Slave spoke in unison.
Kang Ping thought about it in an agitated, confused tangle for a while, then waved her hand in an absent, dismissive gesture. “Both of you stop talking. Let me think it over properly.”
Xia Yuan ate with exceptional elegance — unhurried, and without a sound.
She had suffered chest pain throughout the night before, and had only taken her medicine in the morning. For now she could manage only light porridge and broth.
After the meal, she spent some time talking with her parents, then rose to take her leave when she saw her second elder brother get up and head back to his room. The siblings walked along together without a word until they reached the garden, then stopped simultaneously in perfect, wordless accord and raised their eyes to look out into the distance.
The season just then was at its finest. The vivid greens and bright reds that had filled the garden were now interleaved with deep, heavy gold — a sight of layered, dazzling abundance.
This garden had been built at the founding of the dynasty and had stood for a hundred years. Through many storms it had endured, remaining lush and splendid throughout. After the family’s return to Chang’an the year before, it had been renovated once more, and the garden was now more magnificent than ever — every tree and plant distinctive and carefully tended, with a depth of character that no ordinary wealthy household could begin to rival.
The Duke of Wei’s estate was a name-and-title noble house in every true sense of the word.
Reaching the lotus pond, Xia Yuan sat on the veranda railing. The lotus blossoms were long gone; what remained was a pond full of withered, browning lotus leaves.
After taking in the deepening autumn for a while, Xia Yuan said quietly: “Second Elder Brother, with the marriage decree imminent, do you have nothing you want to say? Are you simply going to let go, just like that?”
She turned to look at Xia Di with a still, composed expression, and smiled. “That does not seem like you at all.”
Xia Di rested his arm on the railing and gazed out at the pond, his expression cold and indifferent. He gave a scornful laugh. “You’re the one who can’t accept it.”
Xia Yuan had her heart laid bare without the slightest mercy. The mask on her face almost cracked at the seam. She steadied herself with great effort, and then said, in words that did not match her feelings: “This younger sister was never set on marrying Eleventh Brother. Mother spoke clearly to me this morning as well — there is nothing wrong with marrying Seventh Elder Brother.”
Xia Di was already in a foul mood, and seeing his younger sister still putting on her performances in front of him, a malicious smile curved his face. “So this time, you don’t mind his several side consorts?”
Xia Yuan said coldly: “Second Elder Brother, do we really have to speak to each other in this prickly, roundabout way?”
Xia Di knew that what he had just said had gone too far. He let out a breath and fell silent.
“The decree has not yet been issued — there is still some time, and all things remain subject to change.” Xia Yuan bit her lip, looking at Xia Di. “If you truly have feelings for Miss Qu, why have you made no move at all?”
Xia Di laughed derisively. “Eleventh Brother planted people around her long ago — he guards against me like a thief. I have thought of no shortage of approaches, yet I cannot find any opportunity to get close to her.”
Hearing this, Xia Yuan felt as though her heart had been seized and twisted hard. For a long moment, a sour, bitter feeling in her chest was almost too much to bear.
Finally, when the stifling ache had eased somewhat, she spoke again with another cold smile: “Every method is something a person must devise. Once the emperor’s decree comes down, everything will be set in stone. Second Elder Brother, do you still remember what you once said to our eldest brother? You said: ‘I have never seen a woman as interesting as Miss Qu — after seeing her, when I look at the other young women of Chang’an, even the most beautiful of them seem to have lost something.’ Those words are still ringing in my ears, and I remember them clearly. Yet now, with Miss Qu on the verge of marrying someone else, Second Elder Brother says nothing and does nothing. Have you truly made your peace with letting go?”
She knew her second elder brother well. Whenever he set his sights on something, he rarely gave it up easily — let alone this, when he had clearly given his genuine heart to Qu Qin Yao. These past weeks, she had not once seen any trace of a smile on his face.
Xia Di had rarely seen his younger sister reveal so much of her true self. His feelings grew complicated. He knew perfectly well what she was after, and he was extremely reluctant to become a blade in her hand — yet the moment he thought of Qin Yao marrying someone else, his chest tightened until he could hardly breathe.
“What do you intend?” He looked at Xia Yuan with the air of someone entering a negotiation. He wanted Qu Qin Yao — but Lin Xiao was not an easy opponent to contend with. If they were going to act, they had to be sure of success.
Seeing that her second elder brother had at last been moved by her words, Xia Yuan’s expression finally brightened once more. She lowered her head and said with a soft smile: “This matter sounds difficult, but in practice it is not so hard at all. Let me explain it to you in detail.”