The carriage traveled through the streets of Shenjing. Lu Tong sat facing Pei Yunying. Considering their journey’s discreet nature today, Pei Yunying had chosen the most ordinary carriage available. As such, the interior wasn’t spacious, and with both of them seated, the distance between them was quite close. Lu Tong needed only to lift her eyes to see the person opposite her.

On this rest day, he wasn’t wearing his usual crimson official robes, but instead a pear-white narrow-sleeved round-necked brocade robe, his waist cinched with a jade belt, making him appear neat and clean-cut. His high-bound hair tips fell to his shoulders, and though his expression was cool, he still exuded an elegant charm.

Lin Danqing said that the Imperial Guard’s selection process considered not only martial abilities but also appearance and bearing. Lu Tong thought that perhaps Pei Yunying’s rapid rise to the position of Imperial Guard Commander wasn’t solely due to his connection to Zhaoning Duke Pei Di. Maybe it was because of his face.

As she thought this somewhat wickedly, Pei Yunying noticed her gaze, raised his eyes to meet hers, and lifted his eyebrows questioningly.

He asked, “What is Doctor Lu looking at?”

Lu Tong averted her gaze: “I was just wondering how much longer until we reach the tea garden.”

The journey to Mount Tuoluo required leaving the city, and it was quite far. The round trip would likely take until evening.

He smiled: “It’s still early. The mountain road is bumpy; Doctor Lu can take a nap in the carriage. I’ll wake you when we arrive.”

His words showed consideration for her.

Lu Tong thought this made sense. Though she wouldn’t sleep, the journey was long, and resting her eyes in the carriage would be good. So she closed her eyes.

However, just as she closed them, the carriage passed through a narrow alley with uneven dirt roads. A child suddenly ran out in front, forcing Qing Feng to quickly rein in the horse to avoid a collision. The movement was so violent that the carriage compartment lurched to one side, and Lu Tong’s body swayed, unexpectedly falling forward.

“Whoa!” came a long cry.

Lu Tong’s head bumped against a soft garment.

That clothing was warm and fragrant, but the chest beneath was firm like it was covered with a thin layer of armor, causing a slight ache.

A very faint orchid and musk fragrance wafted toward her.

She raised her eyes and met Pei Yunying’s pitch-black ones.

The young man’s hand was supporting her arm, seemingly a reflexive response when she fell forward. He appeared somewhat surprised and was looking down at her with furrowed brows, asking, “Are you alright?”

His eyes were beautifully shaped, but because they were so bright and black, they sometimes made it difficult to discern his true emotions. However, at this moment, there was no mockery, no distance, no coldness. His concerned gaze was like the rippling spring water under the Falling Moon Bridge, warm and gentle, dazzlingly close.

Qing Feng’s voice came from outside: “Master, someone just passed by.”

Lu Tong suddenly came to her senses and sat up straight, hearing Pei Yunying say, “It’s fine, let’s go.”

The carriage continued moving.

The atmosphere inside had become somewhat peculiar.

To dispel this strange emotion, Lu Tong took the initiative: “Lord Pei.”

“Yes?”

“May I see your fragrance pouch?”

At these words, Pei Yunying was taken aback, seemingly not expecting this sudden request.

However, he quickly smiled and readily untied the pouch from his waist, handing it over.

Lu Tong reached out to take it.

It was a white jade openwork lotus pattern sachet, intricately carved. As soon as she brought it close, a faint fragrant medicinal scent wafted from within.

Lu Tong’s heart stirred.

Since that time at Wan’en Temple, Lu Tong had noticed the fragrance about him.

People of the time loved to wear fragrance pouches, men included. Unlike Du Changqing’s penetrating heavy scent, Pei Yunying’s fragrance was very light, barely perceptible, with a clear, fresh quality.

She had made medicines in the mountains with Yun Niang, who also made fragrances. Ordinary fragrances could be identified by their components just by smelling them. However, Pei Yunying’s was different. At first smell, it seemed to be orchid and musk, but upon careful consideration, it wasn’t quite the same. Just now when she fell and Pei Yunying reached out to steady her, Lu Tong had caught that barely perceptible scent again.

There seemed to be other spices or medicinal ingredients in it, calming and stabilizing, even superior to Qi Yutai’s Lingxi fragrance.

Such a fragrance pouch must have been specially blended for Pei Yunying. Since she couldn’t identify each fragrant ingredient, she might as well ask him directly.

With this in mind, Lu Tong asked, “Lord Pei, this fragrance pouch is different from market incense, it seems specially blended. Could you share the formula with me?”

She had long suffered from insomnia. It was better when she was at Renxin Medical Hall, but since coming to the Hanlin Medical Academy, she often couldn’t sleep until deep into the night.

She had concocted many medicines for calming nerves and inducing sleep, but having used too many medicines during her time on Luomei Peak, ordinary remedies no longer affected her body. However, whenever she smelled the fragrance of Pei Yunying, she felt instantly peaceful. If she could obtain such a fragrance, it might help with sleeping at night.

Though some fragrance formulas were precious, Pei Yunying was usually very generous with material things, so he shouldn’t be too difficult about it.

This was Lu Tong’s thinking, but when Pei Yunying heard her request, he paused and didn’t immediately agree, instead asking, “What do you want it for?”

Lu Tong casually made up a reason: “I find Lord Pei’s fragrance so elegantly fresh and cool that I’d like to make one for myself to wear based on this formula.”

“Make one for yourself to wear?” he slowly repeated.

Lu Tong nodded.

Pei Yunying’s expression became strange.

It was true that people in Shenjing, both men and women, loved to wear fragrance pouches, and the Fragrance Bureau constantly introduced new scents. However, there was a difference between the fragrances anyone could buy at the Fragrance Bureau and privately blended ones. Noble men and women were unwilling to use common scents available to everyone at the Fragrance Bureau, often having perfumers blend unique fragrances for them to show their noble status.

Since these were unique, there was no precedent for two people using the same fragrance. Only married couples or lovers would use the same fragrance formula to show their intimacy.

His “Night Light Cold” had been specially blended for him… And Lu Tong’s words just now suggested the same intent. Knowing this was a fragrance unavailable at the Fragrance Bureau, his unique scent, she still said she wanted to make an identical one to wear.

Did she not understand what this meant?

Lu Tong naturally didn’t know.

Having grown up on Luomei Peak, she understood little of city customs and had no particular sense of propriety between men and women, to begin with. Moreover, her former home in Changwu County was a small place where she rarely saw people wearing fragrance pouches, so she knew nothing of this “lover’s fragrance” tradition. She only wondered internally why Pei Yunying seemed so reluctant about a mere fragrance formula.

After a moment of silence, Lu Tong looked at him inquiringly: “Is it inconvenient for Lord Pei?”

She felt he hadn’t been this hesitant even when she asked him to betray the Grand Tutor’s mansion last night.

“It is rather inconvenient,” Pei Yunying turned away his eyes and said flatly, “I don’t know the exact formula. We’ll discuss it another time.”

Such an evasive answer… it seemed he was unwilling.

Lu Tong was disappointed, but perhaps the formula was truly valuable. There was no point in forcing the issue if he was unwilling.

She stopped pursuing the matter.

…

After the fragrance formula incident, the earlier awkwardness in the carriage had largely dissipated. The carriage continued swiftly, soon passing through the city gate and heading toward Mount Tuoluo.

Mount Tuoluo was located in the outer city of Shenjing. The mountain was narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, the entire peak like an upside-down giant spinning top. Now in spring, the whole mountain was lush, and looking through the carriage window, everything was vibrantly green.

After some time, the bumping gradually subsided, and through the fluttering carriage curtain came waves of rich, fresh fragrance. Outside came the sound of Qing Feng pulling the reins to stop.

“Master, Miss Lu, we’ve arrived at the tea garden.”

They had arrived at the tea garden.

Pei Yunying lifted the carriage curtain, stepped down first, and then extended his hand to help Lu Tong down.

Lu Tong stood steady and looked around.

This was a tea garden, or rather, a tea mountain.

Large patches of tea trees grew among the high mountains, the forest dense. The golden sun shone directly from overhead, making the countless peaks gleam like jade, like endless waves of emerald.

This was the largest tea garden in Mangming Village on Mount Tuoluo—the Cuiwei Tea Garden.

It was now the season, and many tea farmers were picking tea in the groves. Seeing the carriage pass by, some stopped their work to look over.

Lu Tong took out a light gauze face covering from her sleeve and put it on. Looking up, she met Pei Yunying’s strange gaze.

He asked, “Why wear a face covering?”

“To avoid damaging Lord Pei’s reputation,” Lu Tong answered with a straight face.

She was just worried that if Qi family spies were here, and if things went wrong in the future, being recognized at a glance would bring endless trouble. Better to be cautious.

After a pause, Lu Tong spoke again: “Should Lord Pei also wear a veiled hat?”

Though he and Qi Qing were fellow officials, and this person usually acted unrestrained, today’s situation was ultimately because she had dragged Pei Yunying here.

“No need,” Pei Yunying’s gaze swept over the white gauze on her face, his lips quirking, “I don’t have a fiancée.”

Lu Tong: “…”

Qing Feng walked up to a tea farmer carrying a pole of tea leaves. The farmer was an elderly man who, seeing them, put down his load and began talking with Qing Feng.

They spoke intensely, and Lu Tong vaguely saw Qing Feng show the farmer his waist token and hand him a thick silver ingot.

She looked at Pei Yunying.

Seeming to understand Lu Tong’s confusion, Pei Yunying smiled and said, “All the tea gardens on Mount Tuoluo are cultivated by farmers from Mangming Village. The owner of Cuiwei Tea Garden is a wealthy merchant, and outsiders can’t easily enter.”

Lu Tong nodded.

Though outsiders couldn’t enter easily, Pei Yunying could. Money and power truly were the best passes in this world.

“You’re not cursing me in your mind, are you?” Pei Yunying’s suspicious voice sounded beside her ear.

He raised his eyebrows at her, his tone somewhat strange: “I don’t usually do this sort of thing.”

Lu Tong smiled: “Lord Pei is willing to make an exception for me. I’m grateful—how could I curse you? You’re overthinking.”

He snorted: “Your praise lacks sincerity.”

Lu Tong inclined her head: “My lord is too suspicious.”

Pei Yunying: “…”

After this verbal sparring, Qing Feng finished talking with the farmer and returned to them, saying to Pei Yunying: “My lord, we can go in now.”

Pei Yunying nodded.

Qing Feng didn’t follow them, instead driving the carriage to where the horses were tethered. Lu Tong and Pei Yunying walked side by side.

Though Mount Tuoluo had tea gardens, the paths were easy to find. Clear trails ran between the woods and fields, marked with footprints and wheel tracks, extending from the tea garden forests straight inward, presumably toward the inhabited village.

Though these forest paths weren’t as rugged as the mountain road earlier, they still had protruding rocks and potholes, making them less than ideal for walking. Pei Yunying walked behind Lu Tong, ready to assist if she slipped, but looking up, he saw the woman holding her skirts, walking quickly along the mountain path, showing no need for assistance at all.

She usually appeared delicate and weak, seeming to tire after just a few steps, the very picture of a pale, sickly beauty. Yet here she encountered no obstacles whatsoever, moving like someone who had spent years walking in the mountains, like an agile deer gliding through the forest.

He suddenly had a strange feeling that the person before him had been familiar with such environments for many years.

Not feeling him keeping pace, Lu Tong turned back, her eyes showing confusion above her face covering.

He just smiled and caught up.

After walking for about half an incense stick’s time, the tea gardens gradually thinned out, and the woods became less dense than before. Passing through the last tea garden, houses began to appear.

The forest path became a wide dirt road, with red clay houses on both sides. Several villagers dressed as tea farmers sat by the roadside, using winnowing baskets to sort fresh tea leaves. Seeing the two of them, their gazes lingered.

This was Mangming Village, where almost all the tea farmers who worked on Mount Tuoluo lived.

It was midday, and few villagers were at home, most having gone to work in the tea gardens.

Pei Yunying approached a house near the outside, where a middle-aged woman wearing a headscarf sat under the eaves sorting tea. He went forward and asked with a smile: “Aunty, could you tell me how to get to Old Yang’s house?” As he spoke, he discreetly passed her a silver tael.

The woman looked up, saw his handsome appearance and friendly manner, and took the silver, smiling at him as she enthusiastically pointed toward the end of the street: “Old Yang? Just follow this street to the end, turn right, and keep going. You’ll see the burned house—that’s it.” At this point, she suddenly looked suspicious, staring at Pei Yunying: “Their family’s all gone now, what do you want there?”

“I once bought tea leaves from Old Yang’s garden. After returning to the capital, I heard about what happened to his family and came specially to pay my respects,” Pei Yunying answered naturally.

The woman replied: “Oh, I see.” Her expression turned rueful, “Ah, such a tragedy.” She advised them: “That house area is abandoned now, it’s eerie. Young sir, young miss, don’t stay too long… People aren’t usually allowed to go there.”

Pei Yunying acknowledged with a smile, then gestured for Lu Tong to continue walking with him.

Lu Tong had been puzzled when she heard the woman mention “burned,” and though she moved her lips, she ultimately said nothing.

They would arrive soon enough.

Just as the woman had said, they followed the street to its end, turned right onto a small path, and after walking for about an incense stick’s time, they came upon an overgrown field. The field had been abandoned for a long time, surrounded by waist-high weeds that nearly swallowed the houses behind, and beyond that thicket of weeds, a blackened, burned house stood starkly before them.

Such a burned house suddenly appearing amid the green mountains was like a wound in a crowd of people. The house’s blackened walls were peeling off in large patches, like torn scabs dripping dried black blood.

It was shocking to behold.

Lu Tong’s gaze fixed on it: “This is…”

“This is the Yang family’s house,” came Pei Yunying’s voice from beside her.

Lu Tong frowned: “The Yang family?”

Pei Yunying took two steps forward.

The chaotic weeds behind him, his pale white robes against all the green—though it was the lush springtime, there was still a desolate feeling.

He said: “Did you know, Qi Qing loves birds.”

Lu Tong fell silent.

Of course, she knew.

The nobles of the Liang Dynasty loved to keep cranes, especially among the civil officials. Because white cranes danced gracefully and had an otherworldly bearing that matched well with the civil officials’ pursuit of refined ideals, noble courtyards would always keep several for appreciation.

The Grand Tutor’s mansion had kept them too.

And not just cranes—he had kept peacocks, mandarin ducks, parrots…

But Qi Qing’s favorite was the hwamei bird.

The saying goes “Literary officials keep larks, martial officials keep hwamei.”

Though Qi Qing was a civil official, he especially loved hwamei birds. The mansion had kept several hwamei, each one expensive, with specialized staff hired to maintain the birdhouses and care for these hwamei.

He also enjoyed “bird fighting,” often carrying bird cages to arrange matches. Officials who wanted to curry favor with the Grand Tutor’s mansion would cater to his interests, spending heavily to buy well-matched hwamei to present to the mansion, hoping to build good relations.

When Lin Danqing told Lu Tong about these things, Lu Tong was very puzzled.

The Grand Tutor’s mansion had kept birds for years, and Qi Yutai had grown up surrounded by these songbirds. Why had she developed such an aversion to hwamei overnight, to the point where not a single bird could be found in the entire Grand Tutor’s mansion for years afterward?

It was very strange.

“The Yang family were tea farmers, and all four members worked at the Cuiwei Tea Garden,” Pei Yunying’s voice interrupted Lu Tong’s thoughts.

“The house’s owner, Old Yang, passed away five years ago, just after turning sixty. He had one hobby in life—he liked to walk his bird in the tea gardens at dawn.”

He walked to a burned-dead tree in front of the house.

The tree had been burned beyond recognition by the fire, leaving only black branches struggling upward chaotically. From a distance, it looked like a burned human figure writhing in pain, adding a ghostly air to the desolation.

Pei Yunying gazed at those stark dead branches, his voice flat: “Old Yang once kept a hwamei.”

A sudden mountain wind blew past, and Lu Tong’s eyes widened.

She suddenly realized something and looked at Pei Yunying.

He lowered his eyes: “It was a very fine hwamei.”

People of the time were very particular when selecting songbirds. Old Yang’s hwamei was famously excellent, not only elegant in appearance and sweet in voice but also lively and combative, full of spirit.

More importantly, this hwamei had been his daughter’s favorite bird.

Old Yang’s eldest daughter had died of illness several years ago. While she was alive, she had personally cared for the hwamei. After she passed, Old Yang kept the bird even more meticulously, as if this preserved some warmth of his daughter’s presence.

Somehow, the bird’s reputation spread farther and farther. Bird enthusiasts from teahouses heard of it and especially came to Mangming Village, offering high prices to buy the bird, but Old Yang refused them all.

The Yang family didn’t want to sell this hwamei.

Pei Yunying said: “Five years ago, for Qi Qing’s sixtieth birthday, Qi Yutai wanted to find the best hwamei in Shenjing as a gift. Hearing of a hwamei in Mangming Village, she brought plenty of silver and people with her.”

Lu Tong asked: “Old Yang didn’t agree?”

Pei Yunying didn’t answer.

After a long silence, he finally spoke.

“The night Qi Yutai left, the Yang house caught fire. All four family members, including Yang’s mentally challenged son, perished in the flames.”