“Sir, that woman is smiling at you,” Kang’er, the young servant, called out curiously to Lü Fang. “Do you know her?”
Lü Fang stared ahead, somewhat dazed, at the woman with the radiant smile. Inexplicably, a thin layer of sweat formed on his palms. He certainly recognized her and had been planning to find a way to visit her garden. However, he hadn’t expected such an enthusiastic greeting. After a brief moment of surprise, he quickly responded with a brilliant smile of his own.
Kang’er spoke again, “Oh, she’s stopped. She must have mistaken you for someone else. Look how embarrassed she seems.”
Regardless of whether she had mistaken him or not, this was an excellent opportunity to strike up a conversation, especially since she had smiled at him first. Lü Fang approached her, bowed politely, and said, “Isn’t this Miss He? I hope you’re well.”
Mudan hastily returned the greeting, “Tenth Master Lü, I hope you’re well too.”
Hearing her accurately state his birth order, Lü Fang was pleased. “Since arriving in the capital, I’ve often heard your name mentioned. That day by Qujiang Pool, I was delighted to meet you. Unfortunately, our encounter was brief, and we couldn’t talk at length. I’ve been thinking that if I could visit you, I could seek your advice. However, I feared it might be too presumptuous. As luck would have it, we’ve met today.”
“I wouldn’t dare to offer advice. We can merely learn from each other,” Mudan replied, glancing sideways at Lü Fang’s sapphire blue round-collared robe. She couldn’t help but think how similar it was to another she had seen—the same color and style. She wondered if Jiang Changyang’s clothes were custom-made by a tailor or sewn in the palace’s sewing room.
Noticing Mudan’s subtle examination of his clothing, Lü Fang became more certain she had mistaken him for someone else. However, he pretended not to notice and said, “To be honest, I heard you’ve grafted several peonies, and I’m very interested in seeing them in your garden.”
Mudan raised her eyebrows slightly and replied coolly, “You seem to be well-informed.”
Lü Fang smiled, unabashed. “I heard it from Master Cao.”
Mudan responded bluntly, “Then you must also know that he’s even more eager to see them, right? You saw how he reacted when he met me that day. He’s made it nearly impossible for me to buy flowers in the capital, almost preventing me from establishing my garden. So, I’d rather not let him know about my affairs. Since you’re in the same business, you should understand my feelings and the difficulties I face. I’m sorry, but I can’t accommodate your request.”
Lü Fang remained calm. “Miss He, please don’t worry. I…” He smiled. “Rest assured, I’m not participating in the Mudan flower show this time.”
Realizing it was indeed related to the Mudan show, Mudan smiled faintly. “Surely you’re not just here to observe? You’re a master in this field. Wouldn’t it be a shame not to participate?”
Lü Fang paused briefly, his handsome face showing a hint of pride. “My father is the one participating. I’m merely observing and evaluating.”
Mudan laughed. “Then I definitely can’t let you see them! You can evaluate them when the time comes. I have urgent matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave now.” She bowed slightly, gently tapped her horse’s flank, and rode past Lü Fang, leaving behind a faint scent of winter plum blossoms.
It was the first time Lü Fang had experienced such a cold reception. He returned her bow with a wry smile. “Travel safely.”
Kang’er, equally indignant on his master’s behalf, grumbled, “Sir, that woman is too arrogant. She won’t even let you see her flowers. She doesn’t know how many people in Luoyang and here in the capital have been vying for your advice these past few days. You offered to look at her flowers, and she treats them like precious treasures to be hidden away. She truly doesn’t know her place. When the Mudan show comes, sir, you should evaluate her flowers without mercy and put her in her place! Let’s see how arrogant she’ll be then.”
Lü Fang replied calmly, “Am I that kind of person? If I were, who would have chosen me as an evaluator for this show? Good is good, bad is bad. Let’s not speak of other matters. Even the flowers sent from our own family won’t receive special treatment!”
While he spoke these words, he thought to himself that this woman not only seemed arrogant but also very confident. Unlike those who desperately sought his advice, she was pursuing excellence. It was rare to find such a young woman who understood how to cultivate extraordinary flowers. The more she refused to let him see them, the more he wanted to. He couldn’t wait and needed to find a way to sneak into her garden.
Shu’er angrily said, “Mother, he even knows what flowers we’ve planted! How did Cao Wanrong find out? There must be a traitor in our garden! We need to investigate thoroughly and root them out…”
Mudan replied calmly, “And then what? Drive them out and hire someone new? There are no walls in this world that are completely impenetrable. Someone will always find out. Perhaps it was accidentally revealed, or maybe someone deliberately inquired. But what does it matter? What can he do even if he knows? He still won’t see them! Besides, do you think I’m the only one with extraordinary peonies? You’ll see, most participants in the Mudan show will have them!”
At most, it would be a matter of quality. She dared not claim hers were the best, but she was confident they would be among the top—assuming the judging was fair, of course.
Suddenly, Jiang Changyang’s voice came from behind, “Do you know that he’s one of the main judges for this Mudan show?”
“Oh!” Mudan turned back in surprise and delight. She saw Jiang Changyang wearing a bamboo-green round-collared robe with narrow sleeves, a soft-brimmed green gauze hat, and his usual black saber hanging at his waist. Though he smiled warmly, a layer of stubble had grown on his cheeks, chin, and around his lips, indicating he hadn’t shaved for several days. She felt she had so much to say to him but didn’t know where to begin. She simply smiled at him, unable to utter a word.
Seeing this, Shu’er, Gui, and the others automatically slowed down, falling back to chat with Wu and leaving the two of them to talk privately at the front.
Noticing Mudan’s surprised and delighted expression, Jiang Changyang felt a warmth spreading in his heart. He urged his horse forward to ride alongside her and said softly, “What’s wrong? Didn’t expect to see me? You gasped but then went silent. Are you speechless with joy?”
“You’re the one who’s speechless,” Mudan retorted, glancing at him. “I knew you were coming, that’s why I mistook someone else for you! It’s all your fault. Luckily, it was someone I somewhat know, or I would have been embarrassed.” She couldn’t help but smile, gently poking his arm with her riding crop. “How did you come here? I don’t believe you just happened to run into me.”
Jiang Changyang grinned mischievously. “Didn’t you say you already knew I was coming? So of course I should be here.” His tone suddenly became serious. “You mistook someone else for me and dare to blame me? Not only do you not admit your mistake, but you also try to shift the blame. That’s unacceptable! I would never mistake you for someone else! I can recognize you from twenty zhang away.”
“Twenty zhang away? What nonsense! I don’t believe you!” Mudan wasn’t intimidated by his feigned stern expression. She exclaimed, “Who told you to have clothes made exactly like someone else’s? And with Gui giving me that look, it would have been strange if I hadn’t mistaken him for you.”
Jiang Changyang stroked his chin, then suddenly leaned closer and said in a low voice, “Actually, you missed me. You saw a familiar-looking outfit and thought it was me, that’s why you mistook him for me, right?”
He leaned in quite close, and Mudan felt his warm breath on her face, causing her heart to race. She leaned back slightly and gently moved away. “Bah! Who missed you?”
Jiang Changyang watched her jade-like earlobes gradually turn red and chuckled. Before Mudan could become too embarrassed, he stopped and said softly, “Whether you believe it or not, I really can recognize you at a glance from far away, no matter how many people are around. Danjang, I missed you.”
Mudan pressed her lips together tightly, unable to control the smile spreading across her face. “You must have been very busy these past few days, right?”
“It’s been manageable. I’ve taken on a new assignment that might require me to travel for some time,” Jiang Changyang paused, then continued, “In a few days, I might not be in the capital. You need to be careful on your own.”
“Is it dangerous?” Mudan asked.
Jiang Changyang replied casually, “Nothing too serious. I’m not afraid.” In truth, few of the tasks he undertook were without danger. They were all matters that the emperor found troublesome but necessary, often ones that couldn’t be made public. Success brought merit, but failure meant taking the blame. However, risk and reward were proportional, and if he wanted to achieve his goals, he had to seize opportunities and strive for them.
Realizing that there was indeed danger involved and that imperial missions were not easy to carry out, Mudan felt a pang of worry. “How long will you be gone?”
Jiang Changyang looked at her with a smile. “You say you didn’t miss me, but you can’t bear the thought of me leaving for a while. What will you do in the future?”
“Now you’re getting ahead of yourself!” Mudan lightly whipped him.
Jiang Changyang pretended to block the whip and said, “Let’s be serious. What I told you earlier about Lü Fang being one of the main judges for the Mudan show wasn’t a joke.”
Mudan replied, “I know. I’ve already had someone inquire about it. The Lü family is the most famous Mudan cultivator in Luoyang. He has surpassed his elders, and his reputation now exceeds that of the head of the Lü family. At sixteen, he cultivated a thousand-petaled yellow flower called the Lü Yellow, which is now planted in the Empress’s palace. Isn’t that right?” Zhang Wulang had gathered quite detailed information.
Jiang Changyang raised an eyebrow. “If you knew, why did you deliberately provoke him?”
Mudan pouted. “His father is participating, and so is Cao Wanrong. Countless people are flattering him. Even if I tried to flatter him, I couldn’t do it like those others who accompanied him to sing, dance, and consort with courtesans in Pingkang Ward. Our relationship could never be that close anyway, certainly not closer than with his father. If he’s self-aware, he shouldn’t have asked to see my flowers in advance. Besides, as you said, he’s just one of the main judges. There are others too. Rather than trying to win his favor, I’d rather focus on perfecting my flowers. When the time comes, if they’re truly stunning, even if he wants to suppress me, he’ll need to find appropriate reasons and explanations to convince others. Otherwise, his reputation will be ruined. So, I’m simply not letting him see them.”
As soon as she started talking about peonies, her whole demeanor became proud and confident. Jiang Changyang smiled slightly. “Of course, he won’t be the only judge. There will be fairness. Do as you wish. I just worry that you might get upset if people criticize your flowers later.”
Mudan said, “It’s impossible to please everyone. There will always be someone who finds fault. I can handle it. Let’s not talk about this anymore. I just came from the Chu State Marquis’s villa and saw Lady Bai. Her condition is very poor, and I’m quite worried. Let me ask you, what’s going on between her and Pan Rong? Can you tell me about it?”