That same afternoon, a palace messenger arrived at Yongning Princess’s residence.

First, the imperial edict authorizing Xie Yuzhang to revise the inner palace regulations was delivered to her, after which the messenger coordinated with Yuan Yu regarding the land transfer arrangements. Once the matter was settled, Yuan Yu reported back to Xie Yuzhang.

Xie Yuzhang was pleased. “Just two days ago I was fretting over this matter, and now it’s already resolved.”

Good farmland within Yunjing was genuinely difficult to purchase. Acquiring land and building homes were considered signs of prosperity, and people would not ordinarily sell their houses or fields — doing so carried the stigma of a family in decline. Yunjing had only recently stabilized after enduring the ravages of war, and increasing numbers of people were streaming in from north of the great river, settling and taking root here. Land prices had been rising steadily; buyers far outnumbered sellers.

And the land Xie Yuzhang had set her eyes on happened to belong to the Emperor himself.

“It’s already the middle of the third month. Let’s get everything arranged quickly. If there aren’t enough hands, have the guard detail go and help,” Xie Yuzhang said. “Tell everyone it will be the same as before — the grain and the cotton flowers split seventy-thirty. Whatever cotton flowers are harvested, I’ll take them all.”

“Also tell those men: now that things have settled down, pick up the work on the fiber-separating process again and keep at it. We’re no longer on the grasslands, so there will be no more rewarding with cattle and sheep. Tell them that if they truly figure it out, the reward will be ten taels of gold.”

The next day, carrying the imperial edict, she entered the palace and went directly to Yuzao Palace. First she offered her congratulations to Honored Consort Cui on her pregnancy, then showed her the edict. Xie Yuzhang said, “His Majesty said he had originally intended to entrust this matter to you, but who would have thought you would be blessed with such happy news. As for Consort Shu, she is occupied with caring for the Second Prince, so His Majesty has plucked me up instead.”

Cui Ying said, “You are thoroughly familiar with the inner palace’s regulations and protocols — there could be no one more suitable. It is only that you’ll have to work hard.”

Xie Yuzhang, once again speaking in a manner most unlike ordinary speech, replied, “His Majesty’s grace toward me is immense. I only resent that I was not born a man — I cannot take the field in battle for His Majesty, nor can I govern the realm on his behalf. Now that a chance has finally been given to me, Yongning would sooner dash out her brains than fail to see this matter done.”

Cui Ying covered her mouth with her sleeve and laughed.

Neither woman made any mention of the Noble Consort who was purportedly “ill.”

Leaving Honored Consort Cui’s Yuzao Palace, Xie Yuzhang proceeded next to Consort Shu Deng’s Jinglan Palace, and informed Deng Wan of the task Li Gu had assigned her.

“I already know,” Deng Wan said. “His Majesty has already spoken to all of us. With the Noble Consort ill and Honored Consort Cui with child, His Majesty has charged me with overseeing the inner palace together with the three Consorts in the interim. Whatever you need on your end, just come and tell me.”

She couldn’t quite explain why, but Xie Yuzhang found herself somewhat fonder of Deng Wan than of Cui Ying. She said, “I’ll first make a round of all the bureaus. I just don’t know what state the Six Bureaus and Twenty-Four Offices are in at present.”

Deng Wan said, “The Noble Consort has always been the one managing things. I’m not entirely clear on it either. Only the palace has always been short-handed. His Majesty refuses to hold a selection of imperial candidates, saying it tears families apart; and he won’t take on eunuchs, saying it violates the harmony of Heaven. So we’ve just been making do like this.”

Xie Yuzhang sighed, “Huang Yungong killed too many people.”

Deng Wan also said, “I’ve heard he had a particular aversion to eunuchs. If not for the fact that there must be someone to attend to things, he’d have nearly wiped them out entirely.”

Xie Yuzhang praised Li Gu again: “His Majesty has the bearing of a benevolent ruler.”

Having made the circuit of just Yuzao Palace and Jinglan Palace, Yongning Princess Xie Yuzhang had already broken from her former pattern of associating only with Li Zhenzhen, and formally begun moving in the social circles of Consorts Cui and Deng.

She made a complete tour of the palace and found that the Six Bureaus and Twenty-Four Offices, which had once sustained the bustling life of the imperial court, now amounted to little more than empty shells.

Li Gu’s inner palace was, in truth, still arranged as nothing more than the household of a great family. Fortunately, there were in total only six women of acknowledged status in the palace, and their lives were far less extravagant and elaborate than those of former dynasties’ harems — the people currently on hand were just barely sufficient.

Since her return to Yunjing, she had been something of a favored figure in the palace. Now that the Emperor himself had personally assigned her to this task, and Consorts Cui and Deng had both expressed their support, naturally no one would try to throw obstacles in her path.

Not to mention that Xie Yuzhang was a person with well-lined pockets who understood thoroughly the principle that silver clears a path in palace life — she was met with success at every turn.

Li Weifeng encountered her in a covered corridor, several eunuchs trailing behind her, each carrying a stack of registers.

“Well now, Yongning,” he greeted her.

Xie Yuzhang said, “Seventh Elder Brother, have you come to see the Noble Consort?”

“Indeed. Eldest Sister has ‘taken ill’ — how could I not at least come and check on her?” Li Weifeng said with resigned helplessness, then added, “Have you been to see Eldest Sister?”

Xie Yuzhang said, “With the Noble Consort unwell, I didn’t dare disturb her.”

Li Weifeng raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms. “Then what are you doing in the palace?”

Xie Yuzhang replied with perfect composure, “I’m working hard for His Majesty.”

Li Weifeng had no choice but to go to Li Zhenzhen’s quarters alone. Li Zhenzhen was the picture of health — nowhere did she look the part of someone who had “fallen ill.”

Li Weifeng sighed. “Eldest Sister, what on earth did you do to make Eleventh Brother so furious?”

Li Zhenzhen’s face was taut. “Everything I did came from the kindness of my heart.”

Li Weifeng put his hands in his sleeves. “First tell me what you actually did, and then I’ll judge whether it qualifies as kindness.”

Li Zhenzhen gave a brief account: “Eleventh was drinking, so I arranged for Yongning to go to him.” But she made no mention of the arousal incense she had used.

What a piece of gossip! Li Weifeng was immediately all attention. He dragged a brocade stool forward and leaned closer. “Did it work out?”

Li Zhenzhen darkened. “If it had worked out, would I be spending a month ‘confined to my sickbed’?”

Li Weifeng slapped his knee in regret. “What a shame!”

Li Zhenzhen, however, asked, “Seventh Brother, does Eleventh really have feelings for Yongning?”

Li Weifeng said, “Do you even need to ask?”

Li Zhenzhen’s expression turned peculiar.

She had come across an elderly palace maid from the previous dynasty who had been in the palace for years, and this woman had offered up several secret palace recipes, among which was the formula for the “Harboring Spring” arousal blend. She had tested it on eunuchs and palace maids — it worked extraordinarily well.

Li Gu was not yet thirty, in the prime of his manhood, and he had been drinking besides. Apparently the fragrance of that drug mingled with alcohol became most potent of all. And Xie Yuzhang had indeed been sent to Feiyun Hall, where she would meet with Li Gu — so how in the world had it ended without the deed being done?

Li Zhenzhen had puzzled over this endlessly without arriving at an answer.

But now Cui Shi was with child again, and Li Zhenzhen had no mind to spare for Xie Yuzhang.

The First Prince born to Cui Shi was deeply beloved by Li Gu; Cui Shi’s star was already shining too brightly. Now with another child coming, who in the future would be able to overshadow her? Deng Shi was altogether useless — she had borne a daughter who died in infancy, and it had taken this long to produce a son. The First Prince was already nearly five years old. With such a gap in ages, and when Cui Shi’s second child arrived and competed again for imperial affection, with the First Prince already in her corner, Deng Shi stood no chance against Cui Shi whatsoever.

Li Weifeng returned to Zichen Hall and, in the end, said to Li Gu, “Eldest Sister meant it all kindly.”

Li Gu was in the middle of reviewing memorials. He set down his brush and asked, “She told you everything?”

Li Weifeng chuckled. “Tell me — how did it manage not to happen?”

Li Gu stiffened. “Get out of here!”

Li Weifeng did in fact move to the side of the rosewood writing desk, propped his elbow on the surface, and draped himself half across it. “So what exactly happened? It definitely wasn’t your problem — it had to be Yongning, right? What did she do? Did she threaten to make a scene or something?”

Li Gu said flatly, “Is today your first day knowing her? Don’t you know how well she can talk?”

Li Weifeng nearly laughed himself off his feet.

“Fair enough, fair enough,” he said, rubbing his belly. “I can already picture the whole scene. Oh, Eleventh!”

Li Gu wanted to throw his brush at him.

In the end, once Li Weifeng had laughed his fill, he still had to plead Li Zhenzhen’s case: “Get angry for a couple of days and let it go — she is your Eldest Sister, after all.”

Li Gu’s face grew cold. “Did she tell you,” he said, “that she drugged me?”

This, Li Zhenzhen had truly not mentioned. Li Weifeng broke out in a cold sweat on the spot. “Has she lost her mind?”

“She hasn’t lost her mind. She’s simply always assumed things could go on the way they used to,” Li Gu said. “She’s never truly grasped that we brothers are all different from what we once were.”

Li Weifeng let out a long sigh. He didn’t dare plead for Li Zhenzhen any further.

Li Gu said, “Seventh Brother, wait for me a moment. Once I’ve finished these two memorials, let’s have a drink.”

When he was done, the two brothers shared a small drink in the rear hall. The unpleasantness had been spoken of and set aside, and Li Gu still wanted to share his joy with Li Weifeng: “I’m going to be a father again.”

“Oh!” Li Weifeng said happily. “Congratulations!”

He clinked cups with Li Gu and said, “Best if it’s another prince. You have too few sons.”

Li Gu said, “Seventh Brother doesn’t have a son yet either.”

Li Weifeng said, “If I end up with only one daughter, will you let her inherit the marquisate?”

Li Gu said, “How could Seventh Brother end up with only one daughter? Go make others give you children.”

Li Weifeng waved his hand dismissively. “Doesn’t matter, having children isn’t all that interesting anyway.”

Li Gu studied him for a moment, then suddenly said, “Seventh Brother, bring that woman from Xie Family Village back into your household.”

Xie Family Village.

Xie Baozhu’s hoe came to a stop. She asked, “And then?”

Li Weifeng was crouched on a field berm. “I nearly choked to death on my wine!”

Xie Baozhu was patient. “I’m asking what you and the Emperor said after that.”

Li Weifeng said, “I told him: That absolutely won’t do. Her health is poor and her temper is fierce. If I were to drag her back by force and she got angry enough to harm herself, what then?” As he spoke, he kept stealing glances at Xie Baozhu, hoping for some sign of being moved.

Xie Baozhu only asked, “And then?”

Li Weifeng said, “Then Eleventh asked me: if even now, having come this far, we still can’t do as we please, then what was it all for — the lives we risked, the power we pursued?”

Xie Baozhu asked, “What did you answer?”

Li Weifeng said, “I told him that was too difficult a question for me to answer, and that in any case I wouldn’t force you. Then Eleventh gave me a thorough scolding — said I’d lost all the sharpness I used to have. I really feel wronged. I’d actually like to leave the capital. This year Eighth Brother and Tenth Brother went south for a garrison rotation, and it’ll probably be my turn next year.”

After finishing his rambling, he said, “What do you make of him? Why did he suddenly tell me to bring you home?”

Xie Baozhu asked, “What has the Emperor encountered lately?”

Li Weifeng averted his gaze. “Nothing’s happened recently…”

Xie Baozhu said, “If I don’t know what he’s been through, how can I know why he suddenly said such a thing? It’s truly vexing — I probably won’t sleep tonight, and tomorrow my heart will be racing again, and I’ll have a headache again…”

Li Weifeng had been afraid she would find out and get angry, but hearing this, he immediately told her: “It’s nothing, really — it was just your younger sister…”

Xie Baozhu fixed her eyes on him.

After listening to Li Weifeng recount the events of the spring banquet, Xie Baozhu asked, “This Noble Consort — what are her origins?”

Li Weifeng said, “She’s the only daughter of our late commander.”

Xie Baozhu said, “Of course I know that. I’m asking about her mother’s family.”

Li Weifeng said, “Her birth mother died early. The late commander’s wife raised her for a few years before she also passed away. By that time I think Fourth Brother had already been born, so the dowager lady of the rear courtyard took Fourth Brother to raise, and handed her off to be raised by one of the other concubines. Our late commander had many concubines — I can’t quite sort out which one it was.”

Xie Baozhu exhaled a sharp breath and said, “As I suspected. Nothing but the scheming tactics of a rear courtyard.”

Li Weifeng said, “Don’t look down on our Eldest Sister. Zhang Shi is a daughter of a prominent family, but she’s not much better.”

Xie Baozhu gave a faint, dismissive smile. “The Zhang family has had wealth and status for no more than four generations — they’re still living off the capital their first three generations built. Without ten generations of heritage, they dare call themselves a great family?”

Li Weifeng fell silent for a moment, then asked, with a touch of bitterness, “Xie Baozhu — is it because you don’t like me that you look down on my background?”

Xie Baozhu looked surprised. “What background do you come from?”

“…” Li Weifeng stared. “You don’t know?”

Xie Baozhu said, “You’ve never told me.”

Li Weifeng said, “You’ve never asked.”

Xie Baozhu said, “Since ancient times, heroes are not judged by their origins. The position you hold today is proof enough to the world of your worth. Why would I need to ask?”

Li Weifeng broke into a grin.

Xie Baozhu said, “Only, I just thought of something amusing.”

Li Weifeng said, “What is it?”

Xie Baozhu said, “I have two younger brothers, Da Lang and Er Lang. When they were small, they wanted to play in the artificial mountain cave at our home, but our family’s cave was built deep and dark inside, and it was frightening. Da Lang told Er Lang to go in first. Er Lang didn’t dare. In the end, both of them came back out. I asked Da Lang why he was such a coward, and Da Lang declared with perfect confidence that if Er Lang had gone in first, then he would have been brave enough to follow. But since Er Lang had no guts, it wasn’t his fault.”

Having told the story, Xie Baozhu knocked the mud off her hoe, hoisted it onto her shoulder, and said, “Head back soon, or the city gates will close.”

And she walked home at a leisurely pace.

Li Weifeng crouched on the field berm for a long while, then stood up, put his hands on his hips, and bellowed, “Eleventh, you spineless coward!”

That evening, Xie Baozhu was still restless.

Prince Shou asked, “What’s the matter?”

Xie Baozhu said, “Father, Zhuzhu keeps hovering close to the Emperor.”

Prince Shou said, “Hm.”

Xie Baozhu said, “Not like that — Zhuzhu doesn’t want to enter the palace. But she already has the title of princess, a residence, and a stipend — she lacks for nothing. So why? I truly cannot figure it out.”

Prince Shou said, “Not everyone is as indifferent to fame and fortune as you — it’s a simple enough matter.”

But Xie Baozhu said, “I feel that Zhuzhu is not someone who strives and schemes like that. She must have some reason, one that I simply don’t know.”

A moth flew into the lampshade, wings fluttering.

Xie Baozhu watched the moth, wondering: what in the world is the reason?