“Supervisor Wan.”

Jinshu set down the bamboo basket hanging from her hand by the door and walked forward a few steps to stand before Wan Xiao.

“Why has Supervisor Wan come to my place today? Is there something you need from this servant?”

Wan Xiao smiled. “You’ve already left the palace. Why do you still call yourself a servant?”

Jinshu gave a simple-minded laugh, feeling somewhat inexplicably bashful.

She was so used to it that she couldn’t change her way of speaking for the moment.

Wan Xiao looked up at her, seeing that she wore a rough cloth dress, with only a simple cloth kerchief tied around her hair—the complete appearance of a common person.

Only the two slender and elegant silver bangle bracelets on her hands would occasionally make one or two crisp tinkling sounds with her movements, giving her a somewhat lively and cheerful appearance.

He looked down, then glanced at the bamboo basket Jinshu had tossed by the door earlier, lowering his eyes, lost in thought.

“Supervisor Wan still hasn’t said what business brings you to find me today.”

Wan Xiao said, “Some days ago, Her Majesty the Empress asked me to come see how you’re getting along. I had some free time today, so I came to look—nothing particularly pressing.”

After speaking, Wan Xiao paused for a moment before asking, “What were you about to do?”

“I wanted to go to the street to buy some tofu to cook for dinner tonight.”

“Do you have enough silver?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, probably feeling it was somewhat improper, Wan Xiao smiled and added, “Her Majesty the Empress worries that having just left the palace, your finances might be tight.”

“How could that be?”

Jinshu patted the bulging purse at her waist, replying with arched eyebrows, “When I left the palace, Her Majesty gave me quite a bit of silver. Sister Luanjian and Sisters Heng Zhi and Heng Wu also gave me a lot of silver. It’s always enough to live on.”

“Moreover, Supervisor Wan found employment for my husband at the Capital Camp. He’s now made a junior officer there, and his monthly salary is enough for the two of us to live on.”

“How does your husband treat you?”

“Very well, naturally.”

When Jinshu said this, her small face was full of shyness, and her eyes seemed to sparkle. Watching her, Wan Xiao’s lips curved in a faint smile as he murmured quietly that this was good.

“Have you two set a wedding date?”

“We have.”

Somewhat nervously wiping her hands on the back of her clothes, Jinshu’s tone was full of sweetness. “We’ve set it for the tenth day of the seventh month. Neither of us has family left, so on the wedding day, only a few neighbors and my Sister Luanjian will come. If Supervisor Wan has no other business that day, you could come for a cup of celebratory wine.”

Not knowing whether someone of Wan Xiao’s high status would come, Jinshu immediately regretted speaking after finishing her sentence.

He had only come on Her Majesty the Empress’s orders to see if she was doing well. Her presumptuous invitation might annoy him.

Her thoughts were shallow and displayed plainly on her face. Watching her, Wan Xiao smiled faintly and nodded in agreement.

For a moment, the two had nothing more to say. Just as he was about to leave, he saw a tall, large-framed man coming from the street corner. The man carried several thick pieces of wood in his hands, looking somewhat labored.

Seeing this, Wan Xiao was somewhat surprised, not having expected to see this man today.

“Brother Chengzu.”

Upon seeing that man, Jinshu broke into a face full of smiles and ran over.

“I’m strong—let me carry it.”

“No, this thing has dirt on it. Don’t soil your dress.”

Jinshu smiled sweetly. “If it gets dirty, I’ll just wash it.”

“The well water has been cold these past few days. I’ll carry it.”

The man’s tone was gentle as he carried the pieces of wood in large strides toward Jinshu’s residence. Seeing Wan Xiao at the door, he too was startled and woodenly called out “Supervisor Wan.”

This man still had a somewhat dull appearance and didn’t seem particularly clever, but precisely because of this, his gaze was clear without any calculating intent, showing a kind of honesty and sincerity.

“I’ve come on Her Majesty the Empress’s orders to check on Jinshu. What are these things?”

The man said, “A few days ago, the Capital Camp cut some timber for items needed by the military. These pieces that didn’t meet requirements were discarded outside the camp. Since I had a rest day today, I thought to pick some for Jinshu and split them into firewood for her winter use.”

“With the better pieces remaining, I’ll make a few wooden stools…”

The man answered respectfully, and his conversation was entirely about the daily concerns of ordinary people—firewood, rice, oil, salt, and such worldly matters.

Listening, Wan Xiao slowly nodded, revealing a smile.

This man wasn’t someone of great talent, but he was quite skilled at managing a household.

Watching Jinshu bend down to examine those pieces of wood, occasionally looking up at the two of them with a silly smile, Wan Xiao knew this girl’s future life would not be bad.

He opened his mouth but momentarily didn’t know what to say.

After a long while, he finally murmured that it was very good.

“I have other matters today, so I won’t disturb you two.”

“Supervisor Wan, please attend to your business. Don’t worry about this servant.”

Jinshu looked at Wan Xiao and said, “Please report back to Her Majesty that this servant is living very well. Please don’t let Her Majesty worry about this servant.”

“I understand.”

Wan Xiao nodded. After taking his leave of the two, he turned and departed.

After walking away, he heard behind him the soft voice of the woman and the low, steady voice of the man conversing.

“Brother Chengzu, let me do it.”

“I’ll do it. Don’t prick your hands.”

“Yesterday I asked Granny Sun to save some tofu for me. This morning I also bought some fresh fish and mutton at the market. How about I make you fresh fish and tofu stew and lamb meatballs for dinner tonight?”

“Good.”

“The leg of the wardrobe in your room is somewhat soft and rotten—probably the previous owner didn’t maintain it well. In a bit, I’ll help you find a good piece of wood to replace it with, lest it rot further one day and collapse crookedly.”

“Thank you, Brother Chengzu.”

“Brother Chengzu…”

Wan Xiao stopped in place but didn’t turn his head. The gate of the residence slowly closed, yet he still didn’t move for a long time.

It wasn’t until the shouts of vendors from the wine shops and markets at the street corners and alley ends became increasingly harsh that he finally smiled faintly and strode toward the palace.

After conquering Nanqing, there were no more difficulties in court, and the people’s lives could be considered peaceful and prosperous. Shen Qianyu knew how to employ people wisely and was an extremely rare emperor without a suspicious heart. Therefore, the entire court was unprecedentedly united, with officials all wholeheartedly devoted to country and people. Even if there were occasionally those with scheming thoughts, they were mostly deterred by Shen Qianyu’s unpredictable imperial authority and dared not act rashly.

With no troubles in court, Wan Xiao felt the days passed extremely quickly. Before long, it was time for Jinshu’s wedding.

On the evening of the ninth day of the seventh month, he took the congratulatory gift Song Wan was sending to Jinshu and left the palace. Early the next morning, he arrived at Jinshu’s residence.

Luanjian had also come early to Jinshu’s home to help. Since neither side of this marriage had elders participating, they hadn’t followed the old customs.

Neither Luanjian nor Wan Xiao revealed their identities, so the neighbors who came to offer congratulations all assumed the two were Jinshu’s distant relatives.

During the feast, everyone raised their cups in celebration together, all extremely happy.

That man wore a groom’s wedding attire, which made his entire person appear bright and handsome. Watching the smile he couldn’t conceal on his face, Wan Xiao also smiled along with him.

“This brother, you look somewhat familiar.”

A man at the feast looked at Wan Xiao, slightly furrowing his brow as if pondering something. Seeing this, Wan Xiao smiled and said, “Perhaps we’ve met somewhere. What is this brother’s occupation?”

“I’m Chengzu’s colleague. We both work at the Capital Camp.”

That man looked at Wan Xiao for a long while, then shook his head. “But I used to be a peddler in the capital. Perhaps I saw you before when I was walking the streets and alleys. No matter, no matter—brother, don’t take it to heart.”

“My husband was originally a peddler. Some years ago, when all the officials were at the palace gate… on that day, when he heard the Crown Prince was in danger, he dropped his carrying pole and ran to the Shu River.”

Sitting beside the man was a woman with delicate features. When she spoke, her tone was gentle, carrying a measure of admiration and respect for her husband.

“Who knew that before leaving, he tossed that carrying pole to my mother. Mother didn’t know what to do with it, so she kept it for him all along, and often went to his home to check if any petty thieves had visited.”

“Later, when my husband returned, he went to thank my mother many times.”

Hearing this, Luanjian looked at that woman and praised her mother’s righteousness, then continued to praise her husband’s righteous spirit, calling him a model of true manhood.

“What a man and husband should do—not worth mentioning.”

After speaking, that man carefully nudged his wife, his eyes showing a trace of bashfulness.

Seeing this, everyone burst into laughter. Jinshu walked out from the room wearing wedding attire, carrying two dishes in her hands.

“What are you laughing at? So happy?”

“Laughing that you look beautiful today.”

The speaker was a stout woman. Wan Xiao caught the strong scent of beans on her and guessed this person must be the Granny Sun who sells tofu that Jinshu had mentioned.

Common households’ weddings didn’t have as many elaborate details as those of wealthy families. Especially since the two had no parents or elders, when they performed the ceremony earlier, they had only bowed to the ancestral tablets of both families.

After the ceremony, everyone sat in the courtyard eating the feast. Wan Xiao, however, made an excuse to walk to the back hall of the residence.

Walking to the front of a dark room, Wan Xiao’s footsteps paused slightly. After a moment of silence, he raised his hand and pushed open the door.

Inside the room was an altar with over a dozen ancestral spirit tablets placed upon it. Wan Xiao’s gaze swept over those tablets, seeing everywhere inscriptions like “Spirit Tablet of Late Great-Great-Grandfather Zhang,” “Spirit Tablet of Late Father Li, Noble Gentleman,” “Zhang’s Mother Xu Shi,” “Li’s Mother Wang Shi,” “Elder Brother Li Fu Chenji,” “Elder Sister Li Hui Spirit Tablet,” and so forth.

He stood before the altar, staring blankly at those names that he thought had long faded from his memory but had in fact never dimmed even slightly, silently shedding tears.

On the altar were unlit incense sticks and fire. Wan Xiao walked forward and drew out three sticks of incense, lighting them one by one.

He knelt before the altar and performed the kowtow ceremony to the ancestors of both families, then slowly rose.

The incense in his hand emitted faint wisps of smoke. He walked to the front of the altar but dared not insert the incense into the incense bowl.

His body was incomplete—he was truly unworthy before ancestors and heaven and earth. Being able to light incense for the ancestors of both families today was already fulfilling his heart’s wish.

Carefully placing the incense horizontally beside the incense bowl, Wan Xiao then turned to leave.

When he walked out of the room, he happened to see the couple Jinshu and her husband entering from the outer courtyard to fetch wooden stools. Jinshu wanted to carry them herself but was stopped by her husband.

Seeing the two, Wan Xiao nodded slightly in acknowledgment and turned back to the main courtyard to return to his seat.

“Eh? Why would Supervisor Wan walk to that place?”

Watching Wan Xiao’s back, Jinshu’s eyes showed puzzlement. That man looked at the small room before him and pressed his lips together slightly, then walked inside.

“Brother Chengzu, what are you doing?”

Jinshu followed him in and walked into the room.

The two only saw three sticks of incense lying horizontally on the altar. The incense was still burning, with green smoke spiraling upward, moving inexplicably even without wind.

“This…”

“Did Supervisor Wan do this? Why would he…?”

That man walked forward. After a brief moment of silence, he picked up the still-burning incense and raised his hand to insert it into the incense bowl before him.

“Let’s go. We still need to attend to the guests.”

“Was that done by Supervisor Wan?”

Li Chengzu said, “Yes.”

“Why?”

Wan Xiao wasn’t the sort to act inappropriately. How could he suddenly do such a strange thing? Jinshu couldn’t make sense of it and couldn’t help looking up to ask Li Chengzu.

“Perhaps…”

He hesitated slightly, then after a moment said, “Perhaps he wanted to fulfill a bit of filial duty.”

These words sounded odd. Jinshu couldn’t quite understand their true meaning for the moment. But Li Chengzu usually didn’t say much—he was mostly taciturn—yet he treated her extremely well. Jinshu was accustomed to trusting his words, so although the meaning was unclear, she inexplicably felt there was some logic to it and no longer dwelt on the matter.

After the couple’s wedding, Wan Xiao and the others all departed. Only then did Jinshu open the congratulatory gifts everyone had sent one by one.

Song Wan had bestowed upon her a set of gold, silver, and jade hairpieces—valuable enough to be heirlooms. Heng Zhi and Heng Wu had given her an embroidered picture of a hundred sons and a thousand grandsons, extremely auspicious.

Sister Luanjian had given her a gold bracelet, likewise quite valuable.

Only the brocade box Wan Xiao had sent looked rather familiar to her.

Jinshu paused slightly, picked it up, and opened it.

Inside was only a small note reading “Congratulations on your happy marriage” with nothing else.

In the box were still the same pearls she had once entrusted Song Wan to return to Wan Xiao.

“So Supervisor Wan’s pearls were meant to congratulate me on my marriage.”

Li Chengzu said, “They should also be to protect your food and clothing.”

“Hmm?”

Jinshu raised her head, her eyes showing incomprehension. Li Chengzu smiled and spoke, “These things are valuable and easy to sell. If you ever lack silver to live on in the future, these things can save you in an emergency.”

Looking at Jinshu’s round pair of eyes, Li Chengzu stepped forward and gently stroked her hair.

“I see. I hadn’t thought that though Supervisor Wan appears cold, he’s actually a person of delicate thoughts. He truly treats me well.”

Li Chengzu nodded slightly, his eyes carrying a measure of emotion that only he himself could understand.

Inside the residence, the candles were extinguished. Wan Xiao stood atop Cuiwei Tower gazing in the direction of Jinshu’s location, smiling with relief.

After tonight, there was Wan Xiao in the world, there was Li Chengzu, and Jinshu had gained a husband.

After tonight, he could finally set down the burden in his heart and his guilt toward Jinshu’s family, facing heaven and earth with no regrets in his heart.

Standing on the high platform, Wan Xiao poured the wine in his hand onto the ground, tears streaming down his face.

After tonight, after several years, his Zhang and Li families of Baoding could continue their bloodlines again, carrying on the ancestral will of both families.

Picking up the wine pot again, Wan Xiao poured himself a cup and drained it in one gulp.

From this day forward, he finally…

Finally could face Jinshu with a clear conscience, face Zhang family and his household, and face his own parents.

Finishing all the wine in the pot, Wan Xiao smiled and set the wine pot aside, striding back to the palace in large steps.

Ji Rong had been waiting for him at the palace gate for a long time. Just as he was preparing to return to his own duty room, he saw Wan Xiao walking over from outside, completely relaxed.

“I thought you wouldn’t come back today.”

“You thought I wouldn’t come back, yet you’re still waiting here for what?”

“…”

Hearing this, Ji Rong shrugged his shoulders slightly, not knowing what he was worried about. Now seeing him, he actually seemed even more cheerful than himself.

“Knowing you were concerned about me, one day I’ll find good wine to give you.”

The two swayed along toward the inner palace. Just as they stepped through the Qianqing Gate, they saw several imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Bureau being dragged by the eunuchs from Shen Qianyu’s side, running toward Changle Palace.

Wan Xiao frowned. Ji Rong, however, reached out to grab one person and urgently asked, “What’s happened? Why are you running so urgently?”