The next day the academy was on holiday. Liu Bingyu and the others, like small birds long confined to a cage, sent invitation cards early in the morning calling Qin Yao out to enjoy themselves.
Qu Chen Shi knew Qin Yao had been cooped up at home for several days and could not bear to keep her penned in any longer, so she allowed her to go.
The close friends, not having met for a few days, set out from their respective households and headed straight for the agreed meeting point at Chunming Gate. After catching up in a flurry of cheerful chatter, Pei Min proposed going directly to the Eastern Market — first to eat the stuffed pastries at that food stall run by a foreign hostess, then to have new clothes cut.
At the sound of both good food and fine things to look at, Liu Bingyu was the first to second the idea. Wang Yingning, who never made a fuss over small decisions, gave a quiet smile of assent. Qin Yao simply wanted to be anywhere other than home — it made no difference where. With all four in agreement, they set off happily for the Eastern Market.
The autumn breeze stirred lazily. Even the morning sun carried a crisp, clean coolness. The weather was pleasantly refreshing, and the streets were full of young men and women coming and going.
Coming out of the food stall, they had not walked far before they reached Luoni Zhai — the clothing shop most favored by the capital’s nobility and gentry. Whatever fine silks and brocades the world had to offer, whatever superior and costly fabrics could be named, all could be found at Luoni Zhai. The styles were fresh and distinctive, and the tailoring was of the highest craft. Even the most exacting of women could find no fault with Luoni Zhai.
The four of them entered, and the shop owner immediately recognized Wang Yingning and Liu Bingyu, promptly dispatching a most capable assistant to wait on them.
Since the Qu family had accumulated some means over the years, Qu Chen Shi had brought Qin Yao to Luoni Zhai once or twice several years before. Although having clothes tailored there was absurdly expensive, Qu Chen Shi’s love for her daughter had made her grit her teeth and have two sets of clothing cut for Qin Yao.
But a place where such sums were spent without a second thought — for families like Wang Yingning’s, steeped in generations of wealth and influence, it was the stuff of everyday leisure; for the Qu family, it could only be an occasional indulgence.
On account of Wang Yingning and Liu Bingyu’s faces, the owner led all four into a private room at the back of the shop and brought out various bolts of fabric from Shu, Jiangnan, the Western Regions, and elsewhere for them to choose from.
With her coming-of-age ceremony the following day, Qin Yao did look things over attentively. But time was too short — even if she found something she liked, there would be no chance to have it tailored in time. After browsing for a while, she stopped looking for herself and turned to help Liu Bingyu and the others pick out patterns instead.
Not long after, the sound of soft laughter drifted in from outside. Then footsteps drew near, and someone began approaching the private room.
“My lady, the private room downstairs is already occupied. To avoid feeling cramped and stifled, your ladyship would do better to come to the private room upstairs. The shop has received a fine selection of new fabrics, and I daresay, with your matchless beauty, they would look simply splendid on you.” It was the shop owner’s voice.
A very young and melodious female voice replied: “Who is in there?” The tone was casual and unhurried.
“The daughters of Secretary Wang and the Chief Warden Liu.”
The young woman let out a light laugh with a touch of playful ease. “I thought it was someone else — I have met these two young ladies before. That is perfectly all right.”
Qin Yao, hearing that this person seemed to be someone of some consequence, looked questioningly at Wang Yingning and Liu Bingyu.
Wang Yingning’s expression remained composed. Liu Bingyu, however, pricked up her ears to listen carefully and said: “Is it her?”
Then the curtain was lifted, and a group of people entered.
The one in the lead was a beautiful young woman adorned with pearls and jade, no more than fifteen or sixteen years of age — not much older than Qin Yao and her friends. She was extraordinarily lovely, her features appearing as though the finest artist had drawn each line with painstaking care. Her face was fresh and full, like the finest peony in bloom on a spring day. The moment she entered, the entire private room seemed to brighten.
This woman was a true beauty; every detail of her, from head to toe, could withstand scrutiny. And yet there was nothing coquettish about her — one could only feel that she was beautiful to the utmost, lovely to the extreme, yet without any impulse to find fault or feel contempt.
Qin Yao and Pei Min did not recognize her. Wang Yingning, however, rose with a faint smile and greeted her: “Consort Kang.”
Liu Bingyu also managed a smile. “Has your ladyship also come to have clothes made?”
The woman addressed as Consort Kang smiled. “Just having a look — I didn’t expect to run into Miss Wang and Miss Liu.”
She then turned a friendly gaze toward Qin Yao and Pei Min, her manners quite considerate, with no air of superiority at all.
Wang Yingning, seeing that she clearly wished to make their acquaintance, performed the introductions.
At the sound of Qin Yao’s name, Consort Kang raised her delicate brows, and her manner immediately grew several shades warmer — she had evidently heard of the recent imperial betrothal edicts and knew that Qin Yao was to be the future consort of the Heir of Prince Lan.
Whether it was because she was so beautiful, or because beneath her air of innocent charm she was quite perceptive of people’s hearts, Qin Yao found she could not summon much dislike for her, even though it was plain that Consort Kang had a desire to befriend and draw close.
After a good deal of pleasantries, Consort Kang smiled and moved to sit down on the other side of the room.
The shop owner had already brought out the garments Consort Kang had ordered some days before for her review.
Qin Yao and the others, with the inquisitive hearts of young women, could not help but steal glances, curious to see what styles a beauty like Consort Kang favored.
But when the lacquered box was opened, what lay inside was not clothing at all — it was an array of breast bands and inner trousers in vivid, extravagant colors, each piece made in an alluringly provocative style, with bold and lively combinations of color, and made from so little fabric that the whole lot could probably cover no more than half a palm’s width — wearing them would be more shameless than wearing nothing at all.
Though Qin Yao could not see clearly from where she sat, a single glance was enough to widen her horizons considerably. So it turned out — breast bands could be fashioned with that sort of lacing, and colors could be paired in that sort of combination. In all honesty, they were incomparably finer than the ordinary inner garments worn by common women.
With the sole exception of Wang Yingning, who kept her gaze steadfastly forward, Qin Yao and the others could not stop sneaking glances.
Perhaps aware of Qin Yao and the others in the room, Consort Kang only made a quick inspection of each piece before instructing the shop owner to rewrap them, and she did not linger. She bid her farewells to Qin Yao and the others and left once more.
After Consort Kang’s vivid interlude, none of the four women had any more appetite for choosing clothes. They also took their leave and came out.
As they walked out, Liu Bingyu told Qin Yao and Pei Min: “The woman just now is Prince Wu’s most favored Consort Kang. Her father is the Marshal of Lizhou; after his daughter was taken as Prince Wu’s side consort, Magistrate Kang was promoted from Marshal to Prefect. So while Consort Kang’s background is no match for Xia Yan’s, she is still the daughter of a proper official family.”
Pei Min said with sudden understanding: “So it’s her! I had long heard that this woman’s beauty surpasses all others in Chang’an, and that Prince Wu dotes on her greatly. Now that I have seen her today, the reputation is well earned.”
The group murmured quietly among themselves as they walked all the way to the shop entrance. Qin Yao was just about to board her carriage when she heard a familiar voice call her name: “A’Yao.”
Qin Yao turned toward the voice. There, standing beside a fine horse at the shop entrance, was a young gentleman dressed in a scholar’s long robe — his features handsome, his bearing straight and upright. It was none other than Lin Xiao. From the looks of it, he had been waiting for Qin Yao for quite some time.
Liu Bingyu laughed. “All right then — it looks like someone is going to be absent from our party today.”
When Qin Yao saw Lin Xiao, a smile spread across her face that she could not conceal. No longer mindful of Liu Bingyu and the others’ teasing, she walked quickly to Lin Xiao’s side and looked up at him with bright eyes. “What brings you here?”
Lin Xiao lowered his head and studied Qin Yao for a moment, then opened his long, pale hand before her eyes with a smile. “I received this last night — how could I not come?”
There in his palm lay the two red beans Qin Yao had sent him.
Qin Yao smiled, abashed.
Lin Xiao smiled faintly, took Qin Yao’s hand, and said: “Come then. Since you’re already out, do me the honor of spending the day with me and soothing some of my longing.”