They exited the palace. The two still shared the same carriage, with Pei You’an continuing to focus on the book in his hands.
Jia Fu couldn’t control herself; her mind kept replaying the scene of Pei You’an and the Daoist priestess talking on the palace road earlier.
It seemed that he had encountered the departing priestess while on his way to pick her up.
Based on the timing, the two of them should have been conversing for a while before she arrived.
Jia Fu was certain that when he looked at that Daoist priestess, his gaze was gentle.
Although he had always been polite to her, Jia Fu couldn’t recall a time when he had looked at her with such tenderness.
When facing her, he was either expressionless, lecturing her, or offering a smile that clearly showed tolerance.
Jia Fu couldn’t help but glance at Pei You’an beside her again.
His eyelashes were slightly lowered, his gaze fixed on the pages of his book, completely absorbed.
Jia Fu’s heart gradually soured, feeling somewhat distressed.
The two of them had known each other before. She had calculated this several times in her mind.
When Chi Hanzhen was made a government slave, Pei You’an had already left the capital. But Chi Hanlin had served in the Hanlin Academy for years, was a master of painting and calligraphy of the time, and had been the Director of the Imperial Academy for many years. Since Pei You’an was known for his talents and became a jinshi at a young age, he must have had interactions with Chi Hanlin.
Given these interactions, it wasn’t surprising that he knew Chi Hanzhen.
A young jinshi and a talented lady from a prestigious family—the more Jia Fu thought about it, the more she felt they were a perfect match.
A thought suddenly occurred to her.
Could it be that Pei You’an remained unmarried in his previous life because he admired this Daoist priestess, and because she was moved by her circumstances and unwilling to return to secular life, he left the capital in dejection and went to the frontier, ultimately leading to his premature death from coughing blood?
Jia Fu couldn’t help but turn her head to look at Pei You’an again, staring at his elegant profile.
Pei You’an continued reading his book and suddenly asked, “What is it?” His gaze remained fixed on his book.
Startled, Jia Fu opened her small mouth, hesitated for a moment, and finally shook her head, softly saying “Nothing,” then dejectedly turned her face away.
Pei You’an glanced at her, then turned a page in his book.
The two didn’t exchange a single word for the rest of the journey. Upon returning to the Pei residence, Pei You’an took Jia Fu to pay respects at the ancestral shrine and then met various elders of the clan. By evening, they dined with Lady Pei, and when they finally had some free time, as soon as they returned to their chamber, Pei You’an changed into casual clothes and left without telling Jia Fu where he was going.
The old lady, understanding that she had had a tiring day, had specifically said during dinner that Pei You’an and she should rest early and that she needn’t attend to her anymore.
She was indeed somewhat tired. The wedding night yesterday had been difficult, and she hadn’t slept well. Today had been busy, and now she finally had a chance to catch her breath…
Yet he had gone out again.
Jia Fu felt quite disappointed.
Pei You’an had just been ordered to marry, with three days of leave, and they had visited the palace this morning. With nightfall approaching, Jia Fu felt it unlikely that he would leave for official business.
Either he was meeting friends, or…
She had an intuition that it might be related to the Daoist priestess they had encountered this morning.
Jia Fu bathed, changed into light clothing, and waited for him in the room.
The sky had completely darkened, but he still hadn’t returned.
Jia Fu got into bed, tossed and turned for a while, then got up again, dressed, and went to his study.
Earlier, when they were in Wuding Prefecture, Jia Fu had discovered his habit of keeping several copies of certain books in different places for convenient reading.
She lit a candle and searched his study, quickly finding the copy of “Lun Heng.”
Jia Fu took the book, returned to her room, sat against the headboard, and began reading by candlelight.
After flipping through a few pages, she started to doze off.
It was a dry book. The beginning discussed grand principles, the middle discussed grand principles, and the end also discussed grand principles.
In short, it was a book about the grand principles concerning heaven, earth, and humanity.
Jia Fu forced herself to calm down and read slowly, word by word.
If he enjoyed reading it, then it must be good, so she would read it too.
As the night deepened, Jia Fu grew increasingly drowsy. Holding the book, she fell asleep.
In the middle of the hai hour, Pei You’an returned from outside and pushed open the half-closed door, encountering this scene.
Jia Fu was leaning against the headboard, fast asleep, one arm hanging softly, a book sliding from her delicate white hand.
Pei You’an approached quietly, reached the bedside, and glanced at the book.
It was the one he had been reading during the day.
She was tilting her head, leaning against the silk pillow, her cloud-like hair disheveled, her red lips slightly pouting, her long lashes trembling lightly. Who knew what she was dreaming of, but even in her sleep, she looked somewhat aggrieved.
Pei You’an stood by the bed, silently watching her for a moment, then bent down to take the book. As soon as he touched it, her eyelashes moved, and she opened her eyes, recognizing the figure by the bed.
“Elder Cousin! You’re back!” she exclaimed with surprise and joy, immediately pushing aside the blanket and beginning to get up.
Pei You’an took the book and placed it on the bedside table, saying, “Go back to sleep. You don’t need to attend to me.”
After his words, even if Jia Fu wanted to serve him, she didn’t dare to follow him in. She knelt on the bed, watching as he entered the bathing room.
When he came out, Jia Fu summoned her courage and casually asked, “Husband, where did you go tonight?”
“Baihe Temple.”
He responded as if in passing.
Jia Fu’s heart skipped a beat.
Her intuition had been correct!
She no longer dared to ask him what he had been doing at Baihe Temple. She could already imagine him and that Daoist priestess discussing poetry and painting, appreciating each other’s talents.
She responded with a simple “Oh” and fell silent. Pei You’an also seemed preoccupied, appearing thoughtful as he said, “You sleep first. I’ll go to the study and return later.” With that, he left.
He didn’t come back until after the zi hour. Jia Fu was still awake but pretended to be asleep. He quietly got into bed, lying down with half a body’s distance between him and Jia Fu.
On their second wedding night, he didn’t touch Jia Fu, and the next afternoon, he went out again.
The wives of Duke Zhu and Marquis Anyuan visited the Pei residence in the afternoon. The old lady naturally called her newly married granddaughter-in-law to attend to the guests.
Jia Fu’s mind was in turmoil. Her intuition told her that Pei You’an had gone to Baihe Temple again. But in front of the old lady, she dared not reveal any emotion.
When she smiled, her eyes naturally curved, and even when she wasn’t smiling, the corners of her red lips turned slightly upward. She was both beautiful and sweet. The old lady said that having someone who loved to smile like her in the household would bring good fortune. So as the ladies gathered around the old lady chatting, Jia Fu sat in the last position, maintaining an obedient smile until her cheeks began to ache. Suddenly, her heart skipped a beat.
The conversation had turned to Chi Hanzhen, the granddaughter of the Chi family, who had recently attracted much attention.
The wife of Duke Zhu said, “I heard that the other day, the Empress pitied her and summoned her to the palace, asking about her return to secular life. But she refused. She is truly a woman of character.”
The wife of Marquis Anyuan sighed, “Isn’t she? With such integrity at that time, not to mention women, how many men could have done the same? Not only is she beautiful, but she was also a talented lady before. Unfortunate in her fate, she encountered the rebel prince’s uprising.”
Old Lady Pei nodded, “During the imperial examination when You’an became a jinshi, her grandfather, Scholar Chi, was the chief examiner. There is a teacher-student relationship. It’s a pity for that child. I also knew the old Daoist master of Baihe Temple before. In a few days when I have time, I’ll go visit.”
The ladies praised the old lady for her kindness, and Jia Fu gradually became lost in thought, until finally seeing the guests off.
Pei You’an and Jia Fu, being newlyweds, didn’t yet have a small kitchen set up in their courtyard, so they temporarily ate with the old lady. When it grew dark and Pei You’an still hadn’t returned, Jia Fu attended to the old lady during dinner. Since there were no outsiders present, they weren’t bound by formalities, and the old lady let her eat together, asking about Pei You’an.
Jia Fu smiled and said, “He went to visit friends.”
Old Lady Pei said, “I figured as much. But being newly married, he’s returning quite late. When I see him, I’ll speak to him about it.”
Jia Fu played the role of a virtuous wife, serving soup to the old lady, smiling sweetly, “It’s alright. He’s a grown man, it’s appropriate for him to socialize outside.”
Old Lady Pei nodded, “Good child, you truly understand. But being newlyweds, he shouldn’t leave you alone so often. I still need to say something. Tomorrow you’ll return to your maternal home. When he comes back, retire early, to rest well.”
Jia Fu agreed. After dinner, she was sent back by Old Lady Pei. Pei You’an finally returned in the middle of the xu hour.
He seemed very busy, changing clothes upon his return, then going to his study again.
Jia Fu suppressed her tumultuous emotions and personally went to the small kitchen by the old lady’s quarters to make a pigeon egg and magnolia milk custard. In the snow-white custard, several halved pigeon eggs floated with a few magnolia petals—golden yellow and milky white, fragrant with milk, both beautiful and delicious. It had another name, called “Gold Resting in Snow.”
The skill in this dessert lay in the milk custard. While waiting for it to simmer, Jia Fu returned to her room, quickly bathed, and changed into a Moon Splendor Skirt. The skirt used ten panels of fabric in different delicate colors—pink, green, pale yellow, and rainbow hues—each subtly shaded like an ink wash painting, gathered at the waist with pleats. When walking, the hem swayed with her steps, like moonlight reflecting on a pond, shimmering with light, breathtakingly beautiful, hence the name Moon Splendor Skirt.
Jia Fu had Tanxiang arrange her hair in a seductive flower crown style, apply light makeup, and look at herself in the mirror. Her beauty was captivating. Only then did she personally carry the food to the study.
Pei You’an had his back to her, standing in front of the bookshelf, engrossed in a thick book. Hearing Jia Fu’s voice, he didn’t turn around, merely saying, “Just leave it there. Thank you for your trouble.”
Jia Fu put it down but wasn’t satisfied, standing to the side, she added, “Husband, remember to eat it while it’s hot. It won’t taste good when it’s cold.”
Pei You’an finally turned around, his gaze falling on her, lingering for a moment, then quickly withdrawing. He turned back, uttering, “I know. I’ll eat it shortly. You go rest, don’t wait for me, I still have matters to attend to.” After speaking, he didn’t turn back again.
Jia Fu had no choice but to silently leave the study, return to the bedroom, take off her clothes, and angrily climb into bed without waiting for him.
Again, he returned deep in the night. Like last night, Jia Fu pretended to be asleep, and he didn’t touch her.
With her emotions in turmoil, Jia Fu naturally didn’t sleep well. The next morning when she woke up, there were faint dark circles under her eyes. Fearing it wouldn’t look good for her return visit home, she applied several layers of powder, got ready, and followed Pei You’an into the carriage to return to her family.
With her daughter having just gotten married, Madam Meng was naturally still in the capital, eagerly awaiting the arrival of Pei You’an and Jia Fu since early morning. Pei You’an wore a smile and displayed extremely respectful behavior. Madam Meng, seeing her daughter and her ideal son-in-law, was thoroughly satisfied and entertained them warmly. After lunch, they should have left, but Madam Meng was somewhat reluctant to part. Pei You’an smiled and said, “Mother-in-law, let Afu stay a bit longer. I happen to have some business to attend to. You two can talk, and I’ll come back later to take her home.”
In a few more days, Madam Meng would have to return to Quanzhou, and every moment with her daughter was precious. Hearing this, she was delighted and very grateful for her son-in-law’s thoughtfulness. She saw him at the main gate, then returned with Jia Fu to the room, where they had endless topics to discuss.
Jia Fu was somewhat distracted, responding to her mother’s conversation half-heartedly. When the shen hour arrived, Madam Meng got up, saying she would have the kitchen prepare some snacks for Jia Fu. Jia Fu had no appetite, but also rose and said, “Mother, before leaving this morning, Grandmother thought I would return after noon. She wanted me to attend to her. My husband also doesn’t know when he’ll return, so perhaps I should go back first. When your husband returns, you can just tell him.”
Madam Meng thought it made sense and said, “Attending to the old lady is important. It’s good for you to return first. I’ll have Zhang Da escort you.”
Jia Fu agreed with a smile. Madam Meng saw her daughter into the carriage, instructing Zhang Da to escort her back to the Duke’s mansion. At the usual entrance, Jia Fu was helped down from the carriage by Governess Liu, entered the gate, then immediately stopped, waited for Zhang Da to leave, went back out, sat in the carriage, and ordered the driver to go to Baihe Temple.
Governess Liu and Tanxiang were puzzled, but seeing Jia Fu’s tone brooked no refusal, they could only comply. The carriage traveled to Baihe Temple in the southern part of the city. The temple gates were wide open, with female Daoist disciples carrying incense bags continuously entering and exiting.
Jia Fu had rushed here in a fit of anger, but now that she had arrived, she didn’t know what to do. Going in to look for someone would be undignified, something she certainly couldn’t do. If she sent Governess Liu in to investigate, she would inevitably have to explain the situation.
This was something Jia Fu didn’t want others to know about.
Unable to go in, yet unwilling to leave, she sat in the carriage, dazed for a moment, then had the driver park by the roadside, waiting like a hunter for his prey, to see Pei You’an when he came out.
Governess Liu and Tanxiang were confused, unable to get any answers to their questions, and could only sit in the carriage, staring wide-eyed at Jia Fu.
As the sun gradually moved westward, the number of people entering and exiting the temple decreased. Jia Fu peered out from the corner of the window, her eyes almost tired from staring, but still hadn’t seen Pei You’an come out. She thought about how for the past two nights, he had returned only after dark, so he was probably still inside. But she couldn’t wait until nightfall, and Governess Liu kept urging her, making her feel anxious.
“My young lady! You’ve been staring at that temple gate for half a day! You’re going to stare flowers into existence! What are you looking at? It’s almost dark, if we don’t leave soon, there will be questions when we return!”
Governess Liu was very anxious.
Jia Fu was on the verge of tears, responding listlessly, “Let’s go back.”
Governess Liu uttered a prayer and quickly rose, about to urge the driver to return, when at that moment, they heard the driver’s voice from outside the carriage: “Master?!”
Jia Fu’s heart jumped, and before she could sit up straight, she heard the sound of the carriage door being pushed open. Turning her head, she saw Pei You’an appear at the entrance of the carriage, his eyes fixed on her.
Jia Fu froze. Governess Liu and Tanxiang looked at each other, then regained their composure and hurriedly rose to greet him.
“You all get down.”
This was naturally directed at Governess Liu and Tanxiang, the tone calm yet carrying an implicit command.
The two dared not disobey, acknowledged with a sound, and hurriedly climbed down.
Pei You’an got in, closed the carriage door, and the carriage moved forward.