Chang Yi had no choice but to say to Chen Er Niang, “Why don’t you continue with your story first? When Elder Brother is free, we can ask him about what kind of demon it might have been.”

Chen Er Niang shook her head. “That’s all I know. My wet nurse only told me this much.”

A Zhi asked curiously, “Was the inn where it happened far from Chang’an?”

Chen Er Niang thought for a moment. “Not too far. My wet nurse was from Tong Prefecture, and the inn was halfway between there and Chang’an.”

Chang Yi asked, “With such a murder case, surely someone at the inn reported it to the authorities. Did your wet nurse hear what the local prefecture said about it?”

“I heard the officials were searching everywhere for the culprit, but they didn’t seem to have any leads.”

“Culprit?” everyone asked puzzled. “The officials suspected it was done by a human murderer?”

Chen Er Niang’s face flushed red. “Perhaps… My wet nurse said the officials discovered that the couple had made enemies in their hometown. The husband brought his pregnant wife to Chang’an to escape danger. The officials suspected their enemies had followed and struck. They questioned many travelers during those days… My wet nurse only learned about it when officials stopped and questioned her.”

“So you’re saying the couple might not have been killed by a demon after all?”

Some of the bolder young ladies couldn’t help but discuss: “If it wasn’t a demon, why would a murderer steal the fetus when they knew it couldn’t survive after killing the mother? Wouldn’t that be pointless?”

“Besides, people in the neighboring rooms heard an infant crying that night. That cry couldn’t possibly have come from a fetus. If the killer came for revenge, they wouldn’t have brought their child. So whose cry was it?”

The more everyone thought about it, the more chills ran down their necks. “Let’s stop talking about this. Whether it was done by evil spirits or murderers… this is all too creepy.”

While Teng Yu Yi appeared to be listening to the story, her attention was completely focused on Lu Zhao An and Lin Chengyou on the deck. The two men were still talking and seemed to be getting along unusually well. Lin Chengyou wasn’t normally this friendly with Lu Zhao An – something must have been discovered.

Unfortunately, they were too far away to eavesdrop.

She glanced around. Where had Shao Tang gone? He was so eager to get revenge for his sister – wasn’t this the perfect opportunity?

In the cabin, they had started discussing who should tell the next story, but many of the young ladies were too frightened by the previous tale. They dared not tell, let alone listen to, any more strange and ghostly stories.

The ladies, fearing that Princess Chang Yi and Princess A Zhi might want to continue, quickly changed the subject: “Your Highnesses, my mother said that the Empress mentioned reopening the Cloud Concealment Academy at today’s banquet. Is this true?”

Chang Yi, who shared her father’s and brother’s gentle nature, nodded and said, “Father and Mother do have such plans. However, the academy won’t be at the old Cloud Concealment site, but rather at the Golden Immortal Daoist Nunnery. It won’t be called ‘Cloud Concealment’ anymore – the new name hasn’t been decided yet.”

Everyone could guess the reason. Strange incidents had occurred at Cloud Concealment Academy years ago, reportedly involving the Sage Emperor’s birth mother, Consort Hui. The academy had been closed for many years because it was a place of sorrow for the Sage Emperor. Even if the court had various reasons to reopen it, the Emperor would never agree to use the original location.

A young lady in red sitting beside Chang Yi spoke up: “Your Highness, I heard the academy used to have strict rules for admitting students. For instance, they only accepted daughters of officials ranked sixth grade or higher, and there were quota restrictions. Now that it’s moving to a new location, will these rules remain the same?”

The speaker was Wu Qi, the second daughter of Censor-in-Chief Wu Ru Yun. She was born with a pair of spirited phoenix eyes and had a bold personality. When she spoke or laughed, her tone was clear and rounded, like pearls and jade ornaments falling on a jade plate.

Teng Yu Yi had seen Wu Qi in the Great Ming Palace in her previous life. Back then, Wu Qi, like herself, had been on the Crown Prince Consort selection list. Wu Qi seemed to love crimson – she had worn a red dress when meeting the Empress at the Great Ming Palace, and today she wore a pomegranate red gauze dress embroidered with birds and golden threads.

Chang Yi said to Wu Qi, “I’m not entirely sure. Father and Mother have always disliked such rigid rules, but the new academy only has so much space. If we accepted everyone, the academy would be overcrowded. So I guess there will be a limit, perhaps around a hundred and eighty students.”

Everyone’s expressions varied. Imperial women’s academies had always been connected to royal marriage selection. Entering the academy meant possibly being arranged in marriage by the court. This might be fine for other noble families, but speaking of royal family members… The current Sage Emperor didn’t maintain a harem and had few brothers and nephews. Among those of marriageable age, there were only the Crown Prince, Second Prince, Lin Chengyou, and Prince Chun’an.

The girls’ faces gradually turned crimson.

Teng Yu Yi secretly frowned. Who would want an arranged marriage by the court? Her marriage could only be decided by herself. Father must have heard the news early – she needed to ask him about it after returning to Chang’an tomorrow.

Suddenly, the boat swayed gently. Chang Yi and A Zhi asked what had happened.

A palace servant came in smiling: “The Empress and Crown Prince have also come to Water Smoke Lake. The Crown Prince has ordered lanterns with riddles to be hung on shore, saying we’ll play riddle games tonight.”

Chang Yi and A Zhi immediately cheered: “Quickly dock the boat at Smoke Mist Platform! Also, set up a grilling rack inside – Elder Brother has been fishing for so long, there must be plenty of fish in his basket. Later we’ll have Crown Brother and Elder Brother grill fish for us.”

At these words, everyone in the cabin rose. Teng Yu Yi and Du Ting Lan left the cabin. Lin Chengyou and Lu Zhao An were no longer on deck. They saw Du Shao Tang facing them, his head held high as he searched through the crowd. When he suddenly spotted Teng Yu Yi and Du Ting Lan, his expression relaxed and he made his way against the crowd toward them.

“Sister, Cousin Yu.”

Teng Yu Yi’s heart stirred. It seemed Shao Tang had taken her words to heart. Earlier on the deck with people coming and going, he must have paid close attention to Lu Zhao An and Lin Chengyou’s conversation.

Sure enough, as soon as they reached shore, Du Shao Tang pulled Teng Yu Yi and Du Ting Lan aside and whispered: “I heard some of what Lin Chengyou said to Lu Zhao An. He asked Lu Zhao An how well he knew Hu Ji Zhen.”

Du Ting Lan had been about to wipe her brother’s sweat with a handkerchief but paused at these words. “Hu Ji Zhen?”

“You must have met him at Prince Cheng’s mansion. He’s my classmate at the Imperial Academy and also a member of Princess Jingde’s Four Seasons Poetry Society.”

Teng Yu Yi said in surprise: “So it’s him. Sister, remember when we encountered the corpse demon at Prince Cheng’s mansion? When we distributed the Qing Yun Temple talismans to everyone, Lu Zhao An and Young Master Hu were supposed to share one. But when the corpse demon came, Lu Zhao An stole the talisman and fled alone, causing Young Master Hu to be caught by the demon-controlled puppet. He nearly lost his life.”

She felt extremely regretful about this. Although she had managed to kick Lu Zhao An back into the flower hall during the chaos, he had only suffered minor injuries.

Moreover, she had thought that after leaving the mansion, Young Master Hu would surely complain to others about Lu Zhao An’s character. She had even asked Butler Cheng to keep an eye on the Hu family’s movements. But after several days, no one in Chang’an discussed the matter. She wondered if Hu Ji Zhen had been too frightened by the corpse demon, or if he was simply too honest to publicly expose Lu Zhao An’s true nature.

“I remember him,” Du Ting Lan asked Du Shao Tang, “What happened to Young Master Hu?”

Du Shao Tang said: “Ji Zhen hasn’t come to school for some days. They say he’s ill. I’m quite friendly with him and had arranged with some classmates to visit him at his home. His father is a Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of War, and they live in Yining Ward. His servants said Ji Zhen’s injuries had already healed, but a few days ago he went out for a spring outing with friends. After returning, he suddenly fell gravely ill. His parents are extremely worried and are trying to find ways to request an Imperial Physician from the Imperial Dispensary. When Lin Chengyou suddenly mentioned Hu Ji Zhen earlier, Lu Zhao An’s face changed.”

Teng Yu Yi and Du Ting Lan exchanged glances. Lin Chengyou wouldn’t mention an unrelated person without reason, and given Lu Zhao An’s composure, he wouldn’t easily show distress in front of others.

Teng Yu Yi quickly asked: “What did Lin Chengyou say?”

Du Shao Tang recalled the earlier scene: “Lin Chengyou said the Princess wanted to properly develop the Four Seasons Poetry Society and asked Lu Zhao An if he had any good suggestions. When discussing the society’s members, Lin Chengyou mentioned that Hu Ji Zhen had fallen ill with a strange disease. He asked Lu Zhao An if he knew about this. Lu Zhao An said he didn’t know, but his face immediately turned very unpleasant.”

Teng Yu Yi’s interest grew stronger. From this, it seemed Lin Chengyou suspected that Hu Ji Zhen’s strange illness was connected to Lu Zhao An.

But this was too incredible. That night, only she had seen Lu Zhao An abandon Hu Ji Zhen. Since Hu Ji Zhen himself didn’t speak of it, almost no one in Chang’an knew. Based on their apparent relationship, Young Master Hu’s sudden illness shouldn’t have raised suspicions about Lu Zhao An. She wondered what Lin Chengyou had discovered…

“What else did Lin Chengyou ask?”

Du Shao Tang thought for a moment and shook his head: “Nothing else. He just asked Lu Zhao An if he had adjusted to living in Chang’an. Lu Zhao An only acted strangely when hearing about Hu Ji Zhen. When discussing other matters, he was quite composed.”

Worry filled his eyes: “Speaking of Ji Zhen, he’s a very straightforward person, sometimes even too serious. But once you get to know him, you realize he has a pure and kind nature. Our classmates like him, otherwise, they wouldn’t have made a special trip to visit him when he was sick. It’s a pity we couldn’t see him last time. I wonder how he’s doing now.”

Du Ting Lan asked puzzled: “You didn’t see Young Master Hu last time?”

“His servants said Ji Zhen’s appearance was horrifying due to his illness. They worried it would frighten us and wouldn’t let us see him.”

“Horrifying appearance?” Teng Yu Yi was startled. She had thoroughly investigated Lu Zhao An’s background during this time. His ancestral home was in Yangzhou, where his ancestors had once served as local officials. Unfortunately, he lost his father at age seven, and his family’s fortunes have plummeted since then. In recent years, he had relied on his widowed mother, selling almost all their fixed assets to fund his studies.

For this imperial examination, Lu Zhao An was reportedly already deeply in debt. If he could achieve a high rank, mother and son would finally see better days. If he failed, the Lus’ future misery was unimaginable.

Yet in both her previous life and this one, Lu Zhao An had claimed the top spot. Moreover, to quickly enter official service, he had unhesitatingly abandoned his cousin to pursue Zheng Shuang Yin, daughter of Prime Minister Zheng.

She had suspected that Lu Zhao An had summoned the tree demon to deal with his cousin, but Butler Cheng’s men had watched Lu Zhao An for a long time and never saw him associate with any evil forces.

Now this Hu Ji Zhen, who knew Lu Zhao An’s true character, had mysteriously fallen ill with a strange disease…

“Sister,” Teng Yu Yi quietly asked Du Ting Lan, “When you associated with Lu Zhao An in Yangzhou, did you ever notice anything unusual about his behavior?”

Du Ting Lan recalled fearfully for a moment, then shook her head: “I only knew that he studied very hard. Besides studying day and night, he only socialized with scholars and literati in Yangzhou. I never saw anything improper about him.”

Teng Yu Yi fell into deep thought. Lu Zhao An had come to Chang’an last October. At that time, her cousin was deeply in love with him. Before Lu Zhao An’s success was certain, her cousin still had some value to him, but he had grown cold toward her shortly after arriving in Chang’an.

Could Lu Zhao An have predicted his success months ago? That seemed too incredible.

A palace servant came over: “Miss Teng, Miss Du, the Princess is looking for you.”

Teng Yu Yi’s eyes flickered. She was about to claim illness, touching her forehead, but the servant smiled and added: “Both Princesses said Miss Teng has a small sword that can ward off evil. The Empress is very interested and has sent someone to ask where Miss Teng is.”

The three were startled. Teng Yu Yi could no longer feign illness and had to follow the servant to Smoke Mist Platform to pay respects to the Empress.

After walking a few steps, Du Shao Tang turned his head to speak to Teng Yu Yi but suddenly startled: “Cousin Yu, what’s wrong with your face?”

Du Ting Lan turned at his voice and saw that Teng Yu Yi’s cream-like complexion was suddenly covered in small red spots. She became alarmed: “What’s happening?”

Teng Yu Yi scratched her face in confusion: “I felt somewhat unwell from the wind on the boat earlier. Just now it was unbearably itchy, though it’s much better now. What’s wrong with my face?”

“It looks like wind sickness, suddenly breaking out in small rashes. Stop scratching, you’ll leave marks.” Du Ting Lan worriedly held Teng Yu Yi’s hands. “What should we do? Sir, are there any Imperial Physicians at the estate?”

The palace servant urgently said: “The Empress has female doctors with her. Let’s go pay respects to the Empress first, and have the doctor take a good look at Miss Teng.”

While saying this, the servant inwardly felt sorry for Teng Yu Yi. The Empress intended to look at potential matches for her two brothers. With Miss Teng’s beauty, if she went in for an audience, the Empress might take a liking to her at first sight. Now that she unexpectedly looked like this, to avoid alarming the royal family members, they would have to cover her face with a handkerchief.

“Miss Teng, please cover your face with a handkerchief for now.”

As Teng Yu Yi took out her handkerchief, she gazed toward Smoke Mist Platform and happened to see the Crown Prince’s party entering. Recalling that scene from her previous life, she had no desire for any entanglement with the Crown Prince in this life. The medicine powder hidden in her mechanism could raise wind rashes with just a small amount. Though it would only last a few hours, that would be enough.

She naturally covered her face with the handkerchief, planning to excuse herself due to illness after meeting the Empress.

Just as they reached the shore, they saw several young palace servants leading a beautiful and spirited red horse from afar. The horse had snow-white hooves and a mane that shone like silk. Teng Yu Yi could tell at a glance it was an exceptionally rare fine steed, and couldn’t help looking a few more times.

Du Shao Tang was also amazed: “Why did they suddenly bring a horse over?”

The servant ahead smiled and said: “The Empress brought it from the palace this morning, saying it was to be given as a reward.”

***

The Smoke Mist Platform was lit as bright as day, and everyone had already taken their seats. The Empress sat at the head, with Chang Yi and A Zhi nestled beside her.

On the eastern side were two sets of tortoiseshell six-panel screens, with Prince Chun’an, the Crown Prince, and Lin Chengyou seated in order before them.

In front of Lin Chengyou was a red clay stove with a copper wire grilling rack on top. The bamboo basket beside the stove held several live fish gleaming with silver scales, apparently caught earlier.

Chang Yi and A Zhi watched the grill expectantly. The fish on the rack was already half-cooked, sizzling with oil. Sitting in front of the grill was somewhat smoky, but fortunately, the night wind dispersed the oily fragrance. Moreover, whatever fine charcoal was being used in the stove produced not even a trace of visible smoke in the water pavilion.

The Crown Prince, to help his sisters get their fish more quickly, was half-jokingly fanning the fire for Lin Chengyou.

The female official guided the young lords and ladies to pay respects to the Empress. The Empress inquired: “Where are Old General Peng’s two granddaughters? I heard they’re twins, but there were too many people during the day for me to look carefully.”

Peng Hua Yue and Peng Jin Xiu fearfully came forward and kowtowed: “Your servant greets Your Highness.”

The Empress was characteristically witty, examining them while saying: “The shorter one is the elder sister Hua Yue, and the taller one is the younger sister Jin Xiu. Did I guess right? It seems my eyesight isn’t bad.”

Suddenly remembering something else, she asked: “I heard the daughter of General Li, the Military Commissioner of Eastern Zhejiang, is exceptionally talented in poetry. Did she come today?”

Li Huai Gu lowered her eyes, stepped out from her seat, and went straight to the table to kowtow: “Your servant Li San Niang greets Your Highness.”

The Empress’s eyes brightened. This child was otherworldly beautiful and carried herself with grace. Standing in the lamplight, she was like a quietly blooming magnolia.

She recalled the rumors about this child’s ability to predict good and ill fortune, and couldn’t help but shake her head inwardly. Li Guang Yuan had repeatedly achieved remarkable merit and now had such an outstanding daughter. Those who feared the Li family’s rising influence had spread such rumors.

“Rise,” the Empress asked Li Huai Gu, “You’re called San Niang? Do you have a formal name?”

While this conversation was taking place, Lin Chengyou was patiently grilling the fish.

Waves of smoke drifted up, making his eyes hurt, but this suited his purposes. The medicine ointment he’d brought was almost used up, and unable to find a suitable replacement on short notice, he had casually applied some of the ointment Teng Yu Yi had given him. Who knew that not only was the ointment’s scent pungent, but it also lingered persistently? All afternoon, wherever he went, he drew concerned inquiries. He uniformly replied that it was a new ointment mixed by Imperial Physician Yu, but being asked so many times had become irritating.

Perhaps the smoke, if inhaled long enough, could mask the medicinal smell on him.

Li Huai Gu replied to the Empress: “In response to Your Highness, your servant’s formal name is ‘Huai Gu’, meaning ‘Huai Yang Forever Firm.’ As I have two elder sisters, my childhood name became San Niang.”

The Empress was about to ask more when a palace servant led people in: “Miss Teng, Miss Du, and Young Master Du have arrived.”

The Empress observed the three’s manner of walking, secretly praising the outstanding children of the Teng and Du families. When the three came close, she quickly said warmly: “You may dispense with ceremony. Oh my, what’s happened to this child’s face?”

Lin Chengyou couldn’t help but look up. Teng Yu Yi had a water-colored gauze handkerchief tied around her face, showing only her forehead and a pair of bright eyes. Her forehead was covered in red and swollen rashes, nothing like her usual beautiful appearance.

He looked at her suspiciously. She had been fine last night – how had she suddenly swollen up like this, and into a white dumpling covered in red spots at that?

The Crown Prince and Prince Chun’an, hearing she was Teng Shao’s daughter, had already turned their attention to Teng Yu Yi. Upon seeing her, they were also quite surprised – her appearance was truly somewhat frightening.

The palace servant quickly explained: “Miss Teng broke out in red rashes as soon as she left the boat, seeming to have caught wind sickness. Fearing to alarm Your Highness, we had to cover it with a handkerchief.”

The Empress worriedly said to the female official behind her: “Quickly examine Miss Teng. Though the weather has warmed, summer hasn’t arrived yet. Those with delicate constitutions might not withstand prolonged exposure to lake winds.”

Teng Yu Yi curtsied and said: “Thank you for Your Highness’s concern. Your servant gets these wind rashes once every year, it’s nothing serious.”

The female official came over to check Teng Yu Yi’s pulse and also said it wasn’t serious. She prescribed for the Empress to review and sent someone to the kitchen to brew the medicine.

The Empress called Teng Yu Yi and Du Ting Lan closer, only regretting that Teng Yu Yi’s beauty was suddenly marred and couldn’t be properly appreciated. However, Du Ting Lan was gentle like fine jade, truly delightful to behold.

She examined the sisters carefully, finally holding Teng Yu Yi’s hand and saying: “Your mother and I are close in age. Before she married, we often played together. Looking at your eyes, they’re extremely similar to your mother’s. How long have you been in Chang’an? Have you adjusted to living here?”

Her attitude was particularly warm and different from how she treated others.

Teng Yu Yi suddenly felt countless gazes from all directions.

Having interacted with Empress Liu several times in her previous life, she knew the Empress was approachable, so she replied with a smile: “I’ve been in Chang’an for almost a month now, and I’m quite comfortable with the food and lodging.”

The Empress nodded with satisfaction: “Don’t be careless. Though this illness only affects your appearance, you must be especially mindful of your diet. Take good care of yourself these days, and if you feel unwell, return to your room to rest.”

Teng Yu Yi was about to take her leave when Chang Yi enthusiastically said: “Miss Teng when we were discussing evil spirits earlier, A Zhi mentioned you have a small sword that can ward off evil. You even used it to drive back a corpse demon last time?”

Teng Yu Yi bowed slightly: “In response to Your Highness, this sword isn’t so miraculous. Last time, it was only able to drive away that demon because of the protection from Qing Yun Temple’s talismans.”

Chang Yi and A Zhi exchanged glances: “Even so, a sword made of jade is quite unusual. We’ve been curious for a long time. Miss Teng, could you show it to us?”

Lin Chengyou’s eyelid twitched. That sword had been soaked in his bath water just last night, and the bath beans were particularly unusual. If someone noticed the scent, neither he nor Teng Yu Yi would be able to explain it away.

He waved away the smoke in front of him, about to casually change the subject, but Teng Yu Yi calmly took out the small sword from her sleeve and handed it to the nearby palace servant, humbly saying: “It’s a crude thing, I fear it won’t meet Your Highnesses’ standards.”

The servant presented the sword, and Chang Yi and A Zhi carefully played with it for a while before passing it to their mother to look at: “Miss Teng, where did you get this sword?”

Teng Yu Yi said: “This is a keepsake from my mother. I happened to find it while organizing my belongings before coming to Chang’an. I carry it with me always because it reminds me of her.”

Chang Yi and A Zhi then asked Lin Chengyou: “Elder Brother, have you heard of such a jade sword before?”

Lin Chengyou smiled: “I haven’t. Since this is someone’s treasured possession, it would be terrible if it broke. Return it to her. If you want to play with Daoist artifacts, Elder Brother will find some for you.”

Chang Yi and A Zhi became excited: “Great! We want the kind that can recognize their masters too.”

Teng Yu Yi secretly glanced toward Lin Chengyou’s direction. She naturally knew why he was covering for her. His bath beans’ fragrance was already gone from the sword. Little Yai, having recovered its spiritual power, was no longer willing to stay quietly in the sword. It had come out this morning to beg her for a drink, and now the sword carried only the fragrance of Sang Luo wine.

The Empress had the palace servants show Teng Yu Yi and the Dus to their seats, then turned to find Li Huai Gu still standing quietly beside her. She had been so focused on talking with the Teng child that she’d forgotten about this one, so she smiled and said: “Go back to your seat.”

Li Huai Gu softly acknowledged and gracefully returned to her place.

Chang Yi and A Zhi asked Lin Chengyou: “Elder Brother, you heard Chen Er Niang’s story – what kind of demon steals fetuses?”

Lin Chengyou: “You can’t tell much just from a story. I haven’t personally seen the couple’s bodies, and since Tong Prefecture isn’t far from Chang’an if there were anything strange about this case, it would have reached the Court of Judicial Review by now. In my view, either the local prefecture has already caught the culprit, or there’s some inaccuracy in these rumors.”

A Zhi’s round eyes were full of questions. She tilted her head and thought for a moment: “Then earlier when it was Young Master Xu’s turn to tell strange stories, he said someone in the countryside encountered several demons within a year. Why did Elder Brother also say this kind of thing rarely happens?”

Lin Chengyou skewered a new fish on a bamboo stick and patiently answered his sister: “Demons arise from anomalies, each with different aims. Humans are born of Heaven and Earth’s yin and yang energies, naturally protected by the cosmos. There’s a saying: ‘Light emerges from darkness, fortune follows misfortune.’ No matter how unlucky a person is, it doesn’t make sense for them to repeatedly encounter evil spirits. Understand?”

When these words reached the lower seats, a young lord wearing a gold crown said with a red face: “Your Highness, Xu certainly hasn’t lied. The person I spoke of was an acquaintance from my hometown who had studied Daoist arts. One year he suddenly encountered several evil spirits and died tragically. Not only that, but after his death his tomb was struck by lightning. However, this all happened over ten years ago. You can still see half of his tombstone in front of his grave in my hometown.”

Lin Chengyou smiled and said: “Young Master Xu, you misunderstand. I’m not saying you’re lying, just that such things rarely happen, and when they do, there’s usually something wrong with the person themselves. Whether practicing evil arts or having an incompatible fate, doing things that defy heaven and reason inevitably brings calamity. Add a year of unusual celestial phenomena, and it’s no wonder they attracted so many evil spirits.”

With each word he spoke, another layer of sweat formed on Teng Yu Yi’s back.

The person Young Master Xu spoke of must have been like her, living on borrowed life force, but in the end not only failed to escape ill fortune but even had their tombstone struck by lightning.

Did it have to be so tragic… She could barely maintain her smile. Moreover, from Lin Chengyou’s tone, he held the art of borrowing life force in contempt.

She secretly touched the dumbbell on her wrist. If it rang just once more, Lin Chengyou would surely become suspicious of her background. This technique was not orthodox, and Lin Chengyou strictly followed orthodox ways. She wasn’t afraid of anything else, just of implicating the person who had lent her their life force.

She only regretted that day when Lin Chengyou had helped her try to remove it for so long without success. Who knew how much longer this bell would have to stay on her wrist?

Glancing up inadvertently, she saw the Empress intently staring at the Dark Sound Bell on her wrist. Teng Yu Yi’s heart tightened. This was a mystical treasure from Qing Yun Temple – could the Empress have recognized something about it? She instinctively wanted to lower her sleeve but knew that would only make her look guilty.

Lin Chengyou glanced at the Empress and suddenly said to A Zhi and Chang Yi: “Stop pestering Elder Brother about these things. Weren’t you going to help Mother name the academy?”

The Empress came back to herself. The string of small golden bells on Teng Yu Yi’s wrist seemed strangely familiar as if she had seen them in the “Infinite Treasured Mirror” at Qing Yun Temple or somewhere else, but it had been too long ago to remember clearly.

She must have remembered wrong. How could something from Qing Yun Temple end up on Miss Teng’s wrist? It wasn’t unusual for young ladies to use bells as accessories – it must just be similar.

With Lin Chengyou’s distraction, her interest shifted to naming: “The young ladies present can also help think of names. If anyone comes up with a clever and original good name, I have fine gifts to bestow.”

Everyone’s spirits lifted – what glory it would be to receive a gift from the Empress.

The female officials brought out the Empress’s prepared rewards. The first tray held a medicine bottle and a horsewhip inlaid with agate and jade. The second held a pair of white jade arm bracelets with sky-blue hints. The third was slightly lesser but still rare – a piece of translucent silk and several portions of finest indigo powder.

The Empress was in high spirits: “The child who thinks of the first-ranked name must have a refined mind and elegant speech. Besides this bottle of Jade Beauty Pills, I will also gift them a small red thousand-li horse. The second and third ranks will only be used for naming halls within the academy, but they each have their rewards. Children may suggest freely – being chosen is good, but not being chosen isn’t necessarily bad.”

The gathering buzzed with excitement – that medicine was actually Jade Beauty Pills! It was said to be a divine product for preserving youth, no wonder it outranked even the white jade bracelets.

But Teng Yu Yi was staring intently at the horsewhip. She had long wanted to find a fine steed. The little red horse by the shore was extraordinarily beautiful and now within reach. Even Butler Cheng might not be able to find a horse of such quality.

Prince Chun’an looked through the window toward the shore and asked the Crown Prince: “Qi, did you choose that little red horse?”

Lin Chengyou sighed: “It’s mine.”

The Crown Prince shook his head, holding back laughter: “Uncle doesn’t know – Mother started selecting rewards days ago to name the academy. After finally deciding on several ranks, she felt the Jade Beauty Pills weren’t fresh and interesting enough, so she wanted to add a thousand-li horse suitable for ladies to ride. But all the smaller fine horses in the palace have become Chang Yi and A Zhi’s mounts. There wasn’t time to buy another one, and coincidentally, Elder Brother had just acquired a small red thousand-li horse from outside the palace. Mother forced Elder Brother to give up his treasure horse.”

Everyone became even more eager to try – this horse had been personally selected by the Prince of Cheng’s heir and caught the Empress’s eye at first glance. Without a doubt, it must be one horse in ten thousand.

Palace maids distributed paper to everyone’s table.

Du Ting Lan had always kept a low profile and wasn’t very interested in competing for treasures. She sat quietly for a while, planning to write down any name to submit, but Teng Yu Yi tugged at her clothes under the table.

Du Ting Lan looked puzzled.

Teng Yu Yi wrote in her hand: Buddha.

Du Ting Lan: What does this mean?

Teng Yu Yi added: The Empress follows Buddhism.

Du Ting Lan suddenly understood – Yu was reminding her what kind of name would please the Empress.

She had always been quick-witted and immediately realized that Uncle commanded heavy troops, and with recent changes among court officials inside and outside the palace, the academy’s reopening, and the Crown Prince’s marriage selection apparently not far off, Yu must have concerns, which explained today’s sudden “wind rash.” Yet from this situation, Yu clearly wanted the first-rank prize…

Du Ting Lan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry – you don’t want to catch the Empress’s attention, so you want your sister to take the lead?

Teng Yu Yi nodded righteously.

Du Ting Lan was somewhat troubled. She also didn’t want to take this role, but before she could signal her sister, a thought occurred to her: Father was just a Professor at the Imperial Academy – she would never be considered as a candidate for Crown Princess. Even if she won first place, the Empress wouldn’t favor her because of it. Yu had thought of everything.

She helplessly pinched Teng Yu Yi’s arm. You!

Since her sister wanted it, as the elder sister she could only help scheme for it. Du Ting Lan thought carefully and solemnly wrote two characters under the paper: Xiang Xiang (Fragrant Elephant).

Teng Yu Yi’s eyes were full of mirth as she casually wrote on her paper: Xing Yuan (Journey Far).

The two-handed their papers to the female official together.

After everyone had submitted their papers, the female officials began reading the names one by one. The Empress listened carefully, then looked around with pleasure: “What do you all think?”

After some discussion, everyone agreed three names were best: Dong You (Eastern Journey), Zi Mu (Self Nurture), and Tan Li (Seeking Dragons).

The Empress asked: “Who thought of these names?”

A young lady bowed: “In response to Your Highness, ‘Zi Mu’ was your servant’s suggestion.”

Wu Qi also stood up: “The characters ‘Tan Li’ were chosen by your servant. Liezi says: ‘The thousand-gold pearl must be in the nine-fold depths under the black dragon’s chin.’ In your servant’s superficial view, learning is like the ‘thousand-gold pearl,’ and studying is like ‘seeking the dragon’s pearl.'”

The Empress clapped: “That’s quite original. ‘Zi Mu’ is simple yet profound, ‘Tan Li’ has soaring spirit – remarkably both free of feminine affectation.”

She asked again: “Who suggested ‘Dong You’?”

Zheng Shuang Yin stood: “‘Dong You’ was your servant’s suggestion, taken from the tale of ‘the cloud general encountering primordial chaos.'”

The Empress made an appreciative sound: “The cloud general’s pursuit of knowledge, from ‘not knowing what to seek or where to go’ to ‘having questions and receiving answers,’ perfectly matches the academy’s purpose. The characters ‘Dong You’ particularly suit the current prosperous era when all nations come to pay tribute. A fine name indeed.”

Everyone looked admiringly at Zheng Shuang Yin – it seemed the first-rank reward would go to her.

Lin Chengyou glanced at Teng Yu Yi. Earlier her eyes had been so bright, clearly wanting to obtain the Jade Beauty Pills, but whatever terrible name she had chosen hadn’t even made the top three.

Even if she didn’t want to stand out, why was Du Ting Lan also silent?

With her clever mind, didn’t she know Mother practiced Buddhism?

Looking at her rash-covered head, if she didn’t think of something soon, the medicine would go to someone else.

He took the knife from his waist to remove fish bones, stopped after removing two, and thought that for the sake of the medicine she had given him last night, he might as well reluctantly think of a way to help her. So he casually put the grilled fish on a plate, about to call A Zhi over to talk.

But just then, the Empress pointed at two other papers on the table and asked with a smile: “Which two young ladies suggested these characters ‘Xiang Xiang’?”

Du Ting Lan had already disappointedly squeezed Teng Yu Yi’s hand when she heard her name hadn’t been selected, but Teng Yu Yi remained confident throughout. In her previous life at Da Yin Temple, she had accompanied the Empress in religious fasting for several days. The Empress was so devout in her Buddhist practice, that she definitely wouldn’t overlook those two characters.

At the Empress’s words, the smile that had just reached Teng Yu Yi’s lips froze. Two? Besides her and her cousin, who else had thought of this name?

Du Ting Lan stood to answer, just as Li Huai Gu also rose. The two looked at each other in surprise, then smiled.

The Empress: “Why did you think of this name?”

Du Ting Lan said softly: “In response to Your Highness, the Upasaka Precept Sutra says: ‘Like the Ganges River, three beasts cross together – rabbit, horse, and fragrant elephant. The rabbit doesn’t reach the bottom, floating across the water; the horse sometimes reaches the bottom, sometimes doesn’t; the elephant reaches to the bottom.’ This shows the fragrant elephant can comprehend the Way, all in the words ‘reaching the bottom.’ Understanding the Way has depths, as does learning. Naming the academy ‘Xiang Xiang’ also warns that in scholarship one should ‘sink one’s heart to the bottom.'”

The Crown Prince had been paying attention to Teng Yu Yi. When he was training in Teng Shao’s army, he often saw General Teng take out some of his daughter’s practice calligraphy to look at. General Teng seemed to miss his daughter very much, gazing at the calligraphy for half an hour at a time.

The writing was spirited but not neat enough. Though the teacher had drawn boxes, the characters refused to stay properly within them, either flying off to one side or tilting like little tadpoles. Whether it was to annoy the teacher or to annoy her father, it was the work of a child who wouldn’t follow rules.

This reminded him of Elder Brother. When he and Elder Brother studied together at the Hall of Literary Cultivation as children, Elder Brother was just as mischievous.

Ever since seeing Teng Yu Yi’s writing, he had been extremely curious about her. If her writing was like that, how lively and clever must the person be? Today he finally got to see her, but unfortunately Miss Teng had suddenly developed wind rash, and he couldn’t even see her appearance clearly.

Hearing Du Ting Lan’s words, the Crown Prince finally turned his gaze to her. Though many loved reading Buddhist scriptures, most only knew how to copy and recite them. This Miss Du, though young, had thoroughly digested the Buddhist classics. Seeing her gentle as an orchid, she must be someone who constantly harbored kind thoughts.

Li Huai Gu smiled: “What Miss Du said is exactly what your servant was thinking.”

“How wonderful that you two had such clever thoughts. Not just in study, but in all learning under heaven it is so.” The Empress was excited. “‘Xiang Xiang Academy’… what do you all think?”

Everyone knew this name had struck the Empress’s heart, and quickly said: “This name is elegant and dignified, with profound meaning – it must be the crown of tonight.”

Chang Yi said: “Mother, what should we do now? Two talented ladies thought of the first-rank good name, but there’s only one Jade Beauty Pill and one little red horse.”

The female officials: “Your Highness carefully prepared these, and it’s not good to add other treasures at the last moment. Why not let Miss Du and Miss Li each choose what they want?”

Teng Yu Yi’s heart was scratching like a cat. What a pity such a good name was also thought of by Li Huai Gu. She certainly wanted that little red horse more, but her face was still covered in “rashes” – in others’ eyes, the Jade Beauty Pills would be more tempting to her. If she urged her sister to roundaboutly ask for the horse, she might accidentally reveal her true intentions.

For now, she could only wait to see how Li Huai Gu would choose.

Li Huai Gu spoke earnestly: “To receive a gift from the Empress is your servant’s lifetime fortune. Allow your servant to speak boldly – there is only one bottle of Jade Beauty Pills, and Miss Du and Miss Teng are sisters. Miss Teng’s face has broken out in wind rash – she needs this miraculous medicine more than your servant does.”

The Empress nodded. Miss Li was of delicate build – even if she received the thousand-li horse, she could only give it to her father or brothers. She had thought Li would want the Jade Beauty Pills more, but unexpectedly she voluntarily gave up the medicine.

“Miss Du, what do you think?”

Du Ting Lan, assuming her sister wanted the Jade Beauty Pills, found Li Huai Gu’s words exactly to her liking and said: “Everything is at Your Highness’s arrangement.”

Lin Chengyou found it very strange – he had thought Teng Yu Yi would be unable to hide her joy at receiving the Jade Beauty Pills, but her eyes were completely calm.

Strange – could it be that she didn’t want the Jade Beauty Pills, but had her eye on that little red horse instead?

That horse had just come from the Kingdom of Dayuan and could easily travel a thousand li in a day. Although he was used to fine horses, this was the first time he had seen such a petite thousand-li horse. Given how different Teng Yu Yi’s personality was from ordinary young ladies, it wasn’t surprising if she had taken a fancy to it at first sight.

The Empress turned to ask Lin Chengyou and the others: “What do you all think?”

Lin Chengyou smiled and spoke: “Aunt, the temple still has a bottle of Snow Lotus Pills, no less precious than the Jade Beauty Pills.”

The Empress showed a slight smile. This child was clever to his bones. For imperial gifts, splitting the rewards would seem petty, but with the Snow Lotus Pills it would be easy to arrange – they would just need to add another good horse.

Prince Chun’an leisurely set down his teacup: “Sister-in-law, South Zhao Kingdom presented a batch of fine horses to congratulate the Minister on his birthday, now kept in the stables. Your younger brother will go find Steward Gu later and ask him to select another one of smaller build.”

The Empress nodded inwardly. The Crown Prince of South Zhao was also excellent at selecting horses. This was perfect – Miss Du and Miss Li would each still receive a complete set of rewards.

“Then I’ll trouble you, Prince Min.”

Prince Chun’an lowered his eyes and bowed.

Everyone’s admiration grew even stronger.

The Empress said with a smile: “Did you all hear? The Jade Beauty Pills go to Miss Du, and the Snow Lotus Pills to Miss Li. As for the two horses, the little red horse by the shore goes to Miss Li, and the horse that South Zhao selects later will go to Miss Du.”

Li Huai Gu and Du Ting Lan came forward to express their gratitude.

The Empress distributed the second and third rank treasures to Zheng Shuang Yin and the others, then dismissed the gathering.

Passing by the shore, Teng Yu Yi watched wistfully as the palace servants led the horse away. All her scheming had been in vain – that adorable little red horse would still belong to someone else.

***

After breakfast the next day, Madam Du led Du Ting Lan and Teng Yu Yi out after packing their belongings. They met Li Huai Gu and her mother on the way, and the two families left Moon Bright Tower together.

At the estate’s entrance, carriages and horses crowded together as various household calf-drawn carriages departed one after another.

At the side gate to the east, several palace servants in yellow robes were waiting with two horses for their new owners. One horse had a mane red as fierce flames – it was the little red horse from last night. The other was like purple satin, no less magnificent than the red horse.

Teng Yu Yi observed the two fine horses through her veiled hat. It seemed the purple horse was the other thousand-li horse that Prince Chun’an and the South Zhao Crown Prince had selected last night.

Although the purple horse was outstanding in its own right, she still thought the red horse was more beautiful. Moreover, the red horse’s temperament seemed more spirited, standing proudly before people. It appeared Lin Chengyou had indeed cherished this horse – even its saddle was different from others, with a white jade saddle paired with an ink-colored brocade blanket, particularly dazzling in the sunlight.

Teng Yu Yi sighed dejectedly. Fine saddles were easy to find, but fine horses were not. Even if she had Butler Cheng personally selected and bought one, he might not have found one of comparable quality.

The palace servants led the two horses over and said happily: “Young ladies, please accept your rewards.”

The elders of the Li and Du families were about to kowtow in gratitude, but the palace servant quickly said: “The Empress gave instructions earlier – there’s no need to kneel in thanks. Her Highness also said if the young ladies are too timid to ride horses, they can certainly give them to their fathers and brothers. There’s no need for concern, as long as the gifts are put to good use.”

“This red horse is for Miss Li, this purple horse for Miss Du,” another palace servant said with a smile as she distributed the reins.

Li Huai Gu, seemingly to show respect for the Empress’s gift, reached to take the red horse’s reins herself. Unexpectedly, in an instant, the red horse broke free from its reins and clip-clopped over to Du Ting Lan and Teng Yu Yi.

Li Huai Gu froze in place.

The palace servants, startled, hurriedly tried to grab the horse’s reins, but the little red horse wandered around Du Ting Lan and Teng Yu Yi at its own pace. Though it seemed to move leisurely, they couldn’t catch it.

At first, Teng Yu Yi thought the little red horse was just being playful, but the more she watched, the more unusual it seemed. The horse appeared to be circling her and her sister, but its nose was constantly pointed at her, sniffing and sneezing, as if she were hiding some delicacy.

Just then, the Emperor and Empress’s carriage came out the main gate, with the Crown Prince and Lin Chengyou attending on horseback to either side.

The assembled nobles turned their heads to see the situation at the east gate, both amused and surprised: “This little red horse has quite a temperament.”

The palace servants, afraid of disturbing the imperial carriage, had no choice but to report: “This horse suddenly became stubborn… we can’t lead it anywhere. Should we servants call more people to bind it and take it to the Li residence?”

The Sage Emperor asked from within the carriage: “Is this Elder Brother’s Red Flame Piebald?”

The Empress said helplessly: “Indeed it is, just as mischievous as its original owner. We were going to bestow it on Li Guang Yuan’s daughter – this is putting the Li family in such an awkward position. Elder Brother, you raised it – what should we do?”

Lin Chengyou smiled from his horse: “That’s unfair – this horse was very obedient when in your nephew’s care. I’ll go ask it what’s wrong.”

He dismounted and quickly walked to the Li and Du families, who all bowed: “Your Highness.”

Lin Chengyou nodded and gave a whistle, and the little red horse ran happily to him.

Lin Chengyou stroked its mane: “You haven’t grown taller, but your temper gets bigger by the day. Come on, go where you’re supposed to go.”

Speaking thus, he grabbed the reins and personally led the horse toward Li Huai Gu.

Li Huai Gu’s skirts moved slightly as she stepped gently aside: “Your Highness.”

When Lin Chengyou reached Li Huai Gu and was about to hand the reins to her servant, in a moment of carelessness, the little red horse turned and ran back to Du Ting Lan and Teng Yu Yi.

Lin Chengyou made a show of whistling several times, but the horse still wouldn’t obey, either returning to nuzzle him affectionately or circling Du Ting Lan and Teng Yu Yi. It refused to go to the Li family’s side.

Everyone could hardly hold back their laughter: “This horse wants to choose its own master?”

The Crown Prince said to the Empress: “Mother, this horse hasn’t been with Elder Brother long, so he probably doesn’t understand its habits.”

Lin Chengyou helplessly returned to his horse: “Aunt, I can’t do anything with it either. Anyway, both horses are of equal quality – why don’t we give the Purple Light Dapple to the Li family and this Red Flame Piebald to the Du family?”

Prince Chun’an gave Lin Chengyou a meaningful look.

The Empress didn’t suspect anything: “Very well, all things have spirits. Since this stubborn little one has chosen its own master, let it be so.”

Thus the two horses exchanged positions – the Purple Light Dapple went to Li Huai Gu, and the Red Flame Piebald was bestowed upon Du Ting Lan.

***

Teng Yu Yi’s party returned to Chang’an in the afternoon.

After the three siblings changed clothes in their rooms, they excitedly went to the stable to see the little red horse.

The horse had been handed over to the stable manager as soon as it entered the estate. Surprisingly, the little red horse had been very obedient since arriving – it had eaten its fodder, drunk water, and was now lazily sunbathing in the stable.

Teng Yu Yi had the manager release the little horse and happily circled it: “I was worried it would be stubborn again.”

Strangely, wherever she walked, the horse’s nose followed.

Du Shao Tang made a surprised sound: “I thought it liked Sister, but looking now, it seems to like Cousin Yu.”

Du Ting Lan tried to lead the little red horse but couldn’t move it. She said in wonder: “It really does.”

“Don’t worry, I know what’s going on.” Teng Yu Yi deliberately took out a pouch of Stone Frozen Spring wine from her sleeve. Today besides her usual sachet, she had only brought this pouch of wine. Perhaps the horse had smelled the wine fragrance on her and that’s why it kept coming close to her.

She patted the little red horse’s neck: “Little horse, are you fond of wine too?”

Speaking thus, she brought the wine pouch close to the little red horse. The horse’s nose twitched, and it gave an earth-shaking sneeze, then quickly backed away, clip-clopping back to the stable.

Teng Yu Yi stood dumbfounded. Du Ting Lan and Du Shao Tang looked at each other in confusion.

“This doesn’t look like it loves wine – it hasn’t smelled wine before,” Du Shao Tang said.

Teng Yu Yi was puzzled. She had never met this horse before – there must be some reason it liked to stay close to her.

She wondered as she examined herself – besides the wine pouch, what else did she have that could interest a thousand-li horse?

She untied the sachet at her waist and looked at it. Since childhood, she had loved using rose incense (Note 1). The flower was rare, and few people besides her used it for fragrance. But even if the scent was unique, it shouldn’t make a horse treat her especially.

“Yu, I suggest you stop pondering. All things are governed by fate, including horses,” Du Ting Lan gently observed the little horse. “Now I know why you urged Sister last night – you had already set your heart on it. Now it’s yours – have you thought of a name for it?”

Du Shao Tang helped suggest: “Cousin Yu, its red mane is as bright as flames – why not call it Little Vermillion?”

Teng Yu Yi walked to the front of the stable and stood on tiptoe to stroke the little red horse’s head again. Seeing it neither dodge nor avoid her, she grew even more delighted.

She hugged the little red horse’s neck and happily pressed her cheek against it: “‘Little Vermillion’ is too ordinary. My little red horse is one of a kind – I need to give it a good name.”