Ripples spread across the surface of the ornamental pool. Li Shu lowered her eyes and saw a golden carp gliding through the water. Its body was entirely gold — with only a streak of red at its tail — carrying a kind of precious and distinguished beauty that one could simply not encounter outside the palace.

Shen Xiao had just been gazing at the golden carp in a trance.

Li Shu suddenly looked away from the pool and fixed her eyes on Shen Xiao with great seriousness. “You must not fish for these.”

The golden carp were tribute goods — extraordinarily, extraordinarily precious. Shen Xiao had better not get an itchy hand and start trying to fish for them. Li Shu had still not forgotten his repeated fishing incidents at her own residence.

Shen Xiao: …???

Did this need to be said? He was hardly a fishing maniac!

By now it had been nearly a month since the two of them had last met — back at Qianfu Temple in early October. Shen Xiao had mainly been occupied with investigating and auditing the corrupt officials along the Yellow River.

Shen Xiao unconsciously rubbed the center of his palm and lowered his eyes with a smile, looking at Li Shu before him.

Today she was in full formal dress — her jet-black hair gathered and pinned into a high bun, adorned with a full matching set of red agate hairpieces. Her brows had been drawn out with an ink brush, and red had been traced along her lips. Every feature was sharply defined.

Because she was on the slim side with a cool bearing, she did not fit the fashion of the era — the prized look of full, round, jade-like beauty was not hers. And so no one had ever quite associated her with the word ‘beautiful.’

But in full formal dress, with her strong brows and red lips, she was in truth remarkably striking — the kind of beauty that captivated the soul.

As she spoke, the deep red agate drops at her ears swayed gently, vivid and brilliant against her exceptionally fair complexion — carrying with them the power to steal one’s soul away entirely.

Shen Xiao felt that his gaze simply could not be pulled from her face. It took him a long moment to locate his own voice. “That volume of the ‘Geographic Records’ is excellent reading.”

Among the many rare books Li Shu had sent him, there had been the ‘Geographic Records’ — a work that recorded the topographic contours and waterways of every region in the country with painstaking thoroughness. It was an extraordinarily precious volume.

But of course the ‘Geographic Records’ was excellent — yet the small red flower she had drawn was, in truth, even better.

Li Shu smiled. She had guessed Shen Xiao would like that particular volume, which was why she had sent it.

Since Shen Xiao understood the management of the Yellow River, he was presumably interested in the lie of the land and the course of rivers — and she had a sizable collection of books, so she had taken care to select titles of this kind for him.

Shen Xiao’s inner thoughts: her birthday was nearly here — she had given him a full set of rare books. What should he give her in return that would be to her liking? Troubling.

Jincheng stood off to one side like a presence that had apparently become invisible — right there as a perfectly substantial living person, yet neither of the two pairs of eyes before her fell upon her. It was as if she simply did not exist.

Jincheng watched Li Shu and Shen Xiao. The distance between them was not especially close — within the bounds of courtesy. Yet even so, the two of them were not distant; in fact, they seemed even closer than that.

It was as if between the two of them there was some special atmosphere, enclosing them within it, with no room for anyone else to enter.

Jincheng suddenly felt she was the spare piece that did not belong. She bit her lip and drew closer to Li Shu, wearing a look of earnest concern. “Pingyang elder sister — Anle elder sister ran off in such a temper. What if she does something rash? Let me go look for her — I am worried the servants won’t be able to hold her back.”

Li Shu heard this and let out a quiet sigh.

That wretched temper of Anle’s — not a moment’s peace of mind, and without someone keeping an eye on her she would be making trouble again in an instant.

She said to Jincheng: “I’ll go find her. You don’t need to come.”

If Anle really flew into a rage, at least Li Shu had the means to press it back down. If Jincheng went, it would only add another person to be on the receiving end.

Li Shu did not delay. She headed swiftly in the direction Anle had just stormed off, her maids hurrying after her. In a moment, the pool-side had been emptied of everyone.

Shen Xiao watched Li Shu until her formal court robes disappeared behind the corridor, and only then, slowly, did he pull his gaze back. A hint of undisguised reluctance crept into his bearing.

They had only just exchanged a few words, and she was gone.

Shen Xiao was still caught in his private reluctance when he heard Princess Jincheng at his side asking in a soft and careful voice: “Lord Shen seems to be quite well acquainted with Princess Pingyang?”

Well, naturally. He had even unilaterally held her wrist.

Against Jincheng, Shen Xiao wore the look of polite, distant courtesy, and told a wholehearted untruth. “This official and Her Highness the Princess are not well acquainted — we have merely chanced to meet a few times.”

* * *

In the northwest corner of the Imperial Garden, there was a small two-story pleasure pavilion built for viewing the scenery. Li Qin walked along supporting Emperor Zhengyuan’s arm, updating him on the progress of the flood relief.

Li Qin had taken on the Yellow River assignment in early October. The very next day he had gone out to the riverbanks himself — enduring wind and rough travel, never resting from his oversight of the work below, never daring to close his eyes day or night. In that time he had at last managed to bring the Yellow River disaster under provisional control in time to return to Chang’an for Emperor Zhengyuan’s birthday. His long days of exhausting work showed in his face, but the experience had given him a settled composure in the way he carried himself.

Li Qin said: “Father — the Yellow River flooding has been brought largely under control. Over this past month, this son commanded the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of War to reinforce the embankments day and night, preventing the Yellow River from flooding wholesale. But even so, three sections of embankment could not hold and gave way — this son could only evacuate and relocate the riverside people, and fortunately there were no major casualties.”

This, in any case, was unavoidable. Only three levee breaches was already a sign of timely flood management — had it been left untended, the whole of Henan Circuit could well have been submerged.

Emperor Zhengyuan gave a nod and had just said “Well done” when a gust of late-October wind swept over him, and the Emperor coughed several times.

He was no longer young, and his constitution was not what it had been.

Li Qin, seeing this, immediately guided Emperor Zhengyuan into the pleasure pavilion to shelter from the wind. “The weather is growing colder and colder — Father must not push himself so hard. You must take care of your health.”

Emperor Zhengyuan let out a sigh. “State affairs and family affairs — which of them is there no need to worry about?”

How could he not push himself?

State affairs were still bearable — the court officials shared the burden, and now that the Seventh Prince was also showing his abilities, he could take some of the weight. But family affairs? With the Crown Prince shut away in house confinement, Emperor Zhengyuan’s heart was in its most troubled state. That was, after all, the son he had prized above all others.

They reached the second floor. Li Qin helped Emperor Zhengyuan to a seat and brought him a cup of hot tea. Emperor Zhengyuan drank several sips, and the urge to cough gradually subsided.

Li Qin stood at Emperor Zhengyuan’s side in a slightly deferential posture, positioned just right to shield the Emperor from the wind. “This son intends next to have the Ministry of Works conscript laborers and construct inner and outer embankments along the Yellow River — using the double-embankment system to control the water: the outer embankment to guard against flood surges, the inner embankment to keep the current swift and scour out the sediment. With this in place, even when the summer rains come next year, there should be nothing like this year’s disaster.”

Emperor Zhengyuan had only just recovered from his coughing — his voice still lacked its full strength. “This time I had feared the whole of Henan Circuit would be submerged. Fortunately you had this flood-management approach. It worked.”

Li Qin smiled modestly. “This is merely what this son is obliged to do.”

Emperor Zhengyuan asked: “The many Prefectural Governors removed along the Yellow River — have the newly appointed ones been diligent in their duties?”

Li Qin: “Father may rest easy. The newly appointed ones have all been diligent and capable. This son benefited greatly from their assistance during the flood management.”

Emperor Zhengyuan gave a nod. “Good thing Shen Xiao was sent to investigate those officials. It has proven effective, every single time. Lucky for Shen Xiao to have gone through the Yellow River officials one by one and rooted out the parasites among them.”

Emperor Zhengyuan had come to rely on Shen Xiao more and more of late.

Shen Xiao was not only sharp-minded — he was also decisive and efficient in action. His investigations of the Yellow River officials had gone through them one by one with no regard whatsoever for whose powerful family or influential in-laws they might be behind them. Every charge that needed gathering was gathered without a single omission.

He did not care in the slightest how many enemies his every action made. He had submitted one impeachment memorial after another. With each one that landed before the throne, another Yellow River Prefectural Governor was clapped in irons.

He was like a blade — cutting through the dense, tangled networks of the entire court with clean, precise efficiency. But in doing so, he was also making more and more enemies among the ranks of officials.

Emperor Zhengyuan relied on Shen Xiao more and more precisely because Shen Xiao was accumulating more and more enemies. He had become ever more isolated in his uprightness.

Emperor Zhengyuan liked officials of this isolated, upright character. Because such officials had no retreat, no fallback — they had no choice but to remain loyal to the Emperor alone, without any divided allegiances.

At court, Shen Xiao had practically become synonymous with Emperor Zhengyuan’s own authority. Where once the great clans had despised and looked down on him, now they feared and dreaded him.

Li Qin, hearing Emperor Zhengyuan raise Shen Xiao on his own initiative, naturally also offered praise, going along with it. “This son’s flood management ran smoothly — and for that he must thank Lord Shen for clearing away the corrupt officials along the river.”

Emperor Zhengyuan nodded. “Shen Xiao is a capable official.”

Speaking of someone, and there they were — Emperor Zhengyuan let his gaze roam absently downward, and it happened to fall upon Shen Xiao’s figure.

Not far below, by the ornamental pool, Shen Xiao stood — and beside him stood… Jincheng?

Seen from a distance, the two of them — one tall and slender and upright, one small and dainty — made a surprisingly harmonious pair.

Down by the pool, Li Shu having left, Shen Xiao had no further wish to linger with Princess Jincheng. Besides, he and Jincheng were strangers — there was nothing for them to talk about.

He gave his bow of departure. “This official still has matters to attend to and takes his leave.”

And walked away, leaving Jincheng standing in place, her gaze following him all the while.

Among Emperor Zhengyuan’s daughters there were more than twenty. Aside from a small number who were particularly favored, he could simply not keep track of the others. Looking now at Jincheng, he couldn’t even say offhand which number daughter she was — yet somehow, without his knowing it, she had grown into a young woman.

…Ready to be offered in a political marriage.

A thought stirred in Emperor Zhengyuan’s heart, and he suddenly asked: “Shen Xiao does not appear to have a wife or family?”

Among men of the great clans, political marriages made them all wed very young. Among the court officials, a man like Shen Xiao — twenty-five years old and not yet wed — was truly conspicuous.

Ever since Shen Xiao had become a favored imperial confidant, some of the officials who did not mix with the great clans had set their sights on him, hoping to form a marital alliance with him.

Li Qin caught with keen sensitivity the deeper implication in Emperor Zhengyuan’s words — Father wished to take Shen Xiao as a son-in-law?

Shen Xiao was an isolated court official with enormous ability, and the Emperor relied on him more and more — naturally he would want to bind him close to hand. And moreover, Shen Xiao was the model that Emperor Zhengyuan had personally held up as an example for those who had risen from humble origins. If the Emperor gave a princess in marriage to someone of common birth — what an inspiration that would be for all the humble-born men striving for advancement in the realm? Far greater than the buying of a thousand-li horse with gold.

Though Shen Xiao had no family background, he had his own abilities, and he was rising fast. Marrying a princess to him was not at all humbling herself.

Li Qin replied: “I have heard that Lord Shen has not yet taken a wife — probably buried himself in his studies as a young man and missed the right age for marriage.”

He paused, and then Li Qin slipped in what sounded like idle family small talk. “As for marriage — Princess Pingyang has been separated from her husband for nearly half a year now. There were quite a few people at today’s banquet hoping to arrange matches for the Princess. The Princess seemed to find it all annoying, scattered from the banquet almost as soon as it was over to find somewhere quiet.”

Emperor Zhengyuan laughed at that. “That is Pingyang’s nature — she doesn’t like having people hovering around her. The more people there are, the more she wants to disappear.”

Shen Xiao was a court official, so there was no particular feeling there — but Pingyang was his daughter, and a daughter’s marriage was what gave Emperor Zhengyuan the most of his headaches.

Li Shu was a particular favorite, and whoever married her would be gaining a substantial advantage. No wonder so many people had their eyes on Li Shu’s marriage. But precisely because of this, Emperor Zhengyuan could not allow another great clan scion to marry Li Shu — that would only add to the strength of the great clans.

Yet outside the great clan scions, the remaining court officials were too obscure and lowly — none of them worthy of Li Shu.

Li Shu was not getting any younger. Though a princess, however old she might be, was always a phoenix and would never want for prospects — still, a young woman’s best years were precious, and it was no good letting Li Shu waste them.

He sighed: how was there no official of high rank who was also entirely unconnected to those tangled networks of influence in court?

A name he had just spoken aloud suddenly leaped to the forefront of his mind.

Shen Xiao?

What if Shen Xiao married Pingyang?

There were three birds to strike with this one stone.

First — it resolved the difficulty of Pingyang’s marriage. Shen Xiao was an isolated court official with no family name and no backing. Pingyang was well-favored; even if she brought him connections and influence, he had no great clan infrastructure to develop them through.

Second — after becoming Prince Consort, Shen Xiao would stand in pure and direct relation to the Emperor as a subject, and their connection would be that of father-in-law and son-in-law. He would give himself all the more devotedly to his duties.

Third — even the Emperor himself was giving his most beloved Princess Pingyang in marriage to a man of common birth. This was no less than paying a thousand gold coins for a legendary horse’s bones — it was certain to attract far more men of humble origins into court service.

There were difficulties, of course. To be worthy of marrying Pingyang, Shen Xiao’s current rank was too low. But he had ability, and after a few years of accomplishing real work, rising to the third rank was no great obstacle.

The only uncertain element: whether Li Shu would be willing. Li Shu had a stubborn nature — and if, owing to her experience with Cui Jinzhi, she simply was not ready to marry again for a time, Emperor Zhengyuan had no wish to press Li Shu into bowing her head.

Besides, to form a marriage alliance with someone of humble birth, there was no shortage of other eligible princesses in the inner palace — he was not without Li Shu alone.

Might as well take a quiet moment and sound out Pingyang’s own wishes.

Emperor Zhengyuan turned it over in his heart, then followed Li Qin’s thread and said: “It is only natural that people want to find Pingyang a match — Pingyang really ought to settle into a marriage. She cannot stay alone forever.”

Li Qin agreed readily.

Good heavens — here he was, in the name of keeping this boat steady, playing prince and matchmaker all at once, and wearing himself down to nothing.

Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps on the stairs broke in, with a young eunuch trying to keep up and calling out ahead: “Princess Anle — please slow down — this servant will go announce you first.”

Before the young eunuch had finished his words, Anle had already run up the stairs.

Her eyes were faintly rimmed with red as she called out to Emperor Zhengyuan: “Father.”

“Your daughter begs you — today is your birthday, and the whole palace is celebrating, yet only the Eastern Palace is cold and quiet. Please pity him. Just for today, temporarily lift the Crown Prince elder brother’s house confinement!”