On the seventh day of the seventh month, the night sky was clear and filled with stars.
Colorful lotus lanterns floated on Bianjing’s waterways, each containing the shy thoughts of young women.
They all wished to find a good match and have a marriage like Young Madam Lu’s – loving spouses and a peaceful household.
In recent months, this had been the secret envy of both unmarried and married young ladies in Bianjing.
Young Master Lu’s newly wedded wife lived quite a carefree life.
She had no mother-in-law requiring morning and evening propriety and service, and no complicated household affairs to manage. Young Master Lu was pure and upright, giving his wife nothing to worry about. Unlike other Bianjing ladies, she didn’t have to fret about in-law relationships, worry about children, or trouble herself with concubines – she only needed to mind her affairs.
Everyone in Bianjing had heard something about Young Master Lu’s wife.
Her husband was handsome and successful in his career, having once captivated many young ladies in Bianjing.
She was wealthy, wealthier than Young Master Lu, buying properties and supporting him.
She was a merchant, opening shop after shop, doing business even with the palace.
She was also beautiful, radiant, and graceful yet charming and likable, many ladies wished to be her close friend. Her way with people was quite remarkable.
She could do whatever she pleased, like keeping Man Tang Hui open. She hired three new assistants, specifically to handle the various requests from Bianjing’s young ladies.
Though she was a merchant, many envied her.
“I envy you,” Yin Shu Jun couldn’t help saying in the quiet pavilion.
Not just in Bianjing, but in all of Da An, could one find another lady living so freely?
“What’s there to envy? You and His Highness the Crown Prince are deeply in love, and now you’re a mother,” Ming Shu said casually, leaning on the balcony railing and watching people hurry by in the streets below.
Unless she was away from the capital, she always met with her two closest friends at the Double Seventh Festival.
Yin Shu Jun had given birth to the Crown Prince’s legitimate son just half a year ago and was still somewhat plump, her radiance transformed into gentle grace. She was no longer the impetuous Young Lady Yin of years past – marrying into the royal family meant entering an environment far more complex than the Yin household. Innocence would be worn away; she had to mature.
Marrying Zhao Jing Ran was her own choice. No matter how difficult, she had to walk this path, gradually she grew up.
Fortunately, though Zhao Jing Ran was stern and dignified in public, he doted on her tenderly in private. With palace affairs being complex, he taught her step by step how to negotiate with people, and how to read hearts… though the more she learned, the more her personality changed.
In others’ eyes, she had become a qualified Crown Princess, but only before her two close friends could she relax and find traces of her former self.
“It’s nothing compared to your freedom,” Shu Jun sighed.
Ming Shu just smiled: “Why is Wen An so late today?”
Of their gathering of three, only Shu Jun and she had arrived.
“Probably detained by her husband again. I must say, with Wen An’s temperament and Young General Ling, it’s simply…” Shu Jun couldn’t find words to describe this pair of loving enemies.
One was a county princess with deep schemes and skilled at pretense, the other a proud young general from a famous military family. They were like the story of spear and shield from Han Fei Zi – testing whether the sharpest spear could pierce the strongest shield, seeing who would win.
Neither won, but sparks certainly flew.
This marriage was imperial-decreed two and a half years ago, and they hadn’t known peace since their wedding day.
Wen An, the most eloquent, skilled at pretense and scheming, nearly burned down Young General Ling’s quarters in anger; while the most arrogant, domineering, and discourteous Young General Ling once stood in the rain outside the Prince’s mansion for a day and night, begging Wen An to return home.
Thus they carried on, sometimes sweet as honey, sometimes fighting like strangers.
Ming Shu felt her two friends were complete opposites – Wen An, who should have been most proper and controlled in managing the household, instead lived true to her nature in the Ling family. She didn’t know whether to praise or be angry at this young general.
“I’m dying of heat!”
Speak of the devil – Wen An burst in like a gust of wind, demanding iced drinks before even sitting down.
“Argued again? What was it this time?” Shu Jun asked teasingly.
“What else? Just about… whether to teach martial arts to children. I said some martial arts for self-defense is good, but that scoundrel said his protection is enough, that girls should be gentle and soft. I disagreed, and one thing led to another.”
“You’re with child?” Ming Shu and Shu Jun asked in unison.
But Wen An shook her head: “Not yet.”
“…” Ming Shu and Shu Jun fell silent simultaneously.
So they didn’t even have a child yet, just husband and wife chatting about family matters, and still they could argue.
Ming Shu was impressed.
Late at night, someone called from the pavilion: “Young Master Lu has arrived.”
The gathering of friends dispersed, and Ming Shu hurried down from the pavilion, seeing Lu Chang waiting in the hall with a lotus lantern to receive her.
“Shall we go release lanterns?” he asked, raising the lantern.
“Yes!” Ming Shu ran to his side, beaming with joy.
The couple left the secluded tavern, heading toward the nearby waterway.
Many lanterns already floated on the water, drifting downstream.
The riverbank was crowded with people – young ladies in groups, couples walking together… Lu Chang and Ming Shu arrived late and couldn’t find a spot, so they walked slowly along the river, looking for a suitable place to release their lantern.
After a few steps, Ming Shu suddenly stopped.
Ahead was a small stone bridge, five steps long and wide enough for two. Two people approached shoulder-to-shoulder from the opposite side.
On this clear night full of stars, with lotus lanterns covering the river like the Milky Way descended, old acquaintances waded through the river of light, also stopping at the opposite end of the bridge.
Lu Chang slightly bowed with cupped hands, and the person opposite returned the gesture.
Ming Shu didn’t greet Song Qing Zhao, only smiled and nodded slightly to the lady beside him, then took Lu Chang’s hand and continued walking along the river.
That short bridge remained uncrossed.
In three years, Song Qing Zhao had also married.
His wife, they say, was quite an extraordinary lady.
“Ying Xun is getting married soon, I should prepare a grand gift. What should I give?” Ming Shu asked while watching Lu Chang place their river lantern.
After three years, that wanderer Ying Xun was finally getting married, and his bride was none other than Ming Shu’s new assistant at Man Tang Hui, hired a year ago to handle cases.
The young lady was eighteen, the same age Ming Shu was when running Man Tang Hui. She was a vibrant girl who called Ming Shu “Master,” making Ying Xun her senior apprentice-brother. Though just playful titles, the young lady set her heart on her senior apprentice-brother, following him to learn skills, and within a year, her senior apprentice-brother became a husband.
Another happy marriage.
“Gold work,” Lu Chang answered without hesitation.
These two years, gold work had been Ming Shu’s favorite gift.
After releasing the lantern, Lu Chang and Ming Shu bought some snacks and headed home.
After marriage, they lived alone in the Top Scholar’s Mansion, while Madam Zeng lived with Wei Zhuo. Though they lived separately, both mansions maintained quarters for each other. Whenever they missed each other, whether Lu Chang’s couple or Madam Zeng’s couple, they could stay at each other’s residences.
Such freedom was unthinkable in other families.
In two days, Wei Zhuo would travel for work. Unwilling to leave Madam Zeng alone in the vast Wei mansion, they moved to the Top Scholar’s Mansion early. With them came Wei Zhuo’s two adopted children, Su Chen and Lin Zan. Though adopted by Wei Zhuo, they kept their surnames as their fathers had served the country meritoriously and had deep friendships with Wei Zhuo.
Madam Zeng now managed these two children’s daily needs.
Ming Shu often teased Madam Zeng, pretending to be jealous: “Mother has a little brother and sister now, she doesn’t want me and Lu Chang anymore.”
The young Lin Zan was very sensible for her age and would immediately say: “That’s not true, Mother loves Brother and Sister Ming Shu most.”
Then Su Chen would immediately correct: “Not Sister, Sister-in-law.”
These two children brought much joy to Wei Zhuo and Madam Zeng, and Ming Shu and Lu Chang loved them dearly from their hearts.
“Su Chen, Lin Zan… look what I brought you!”
Before entering the house, Ming Shu called out – she had brought snacks the children loved.
But before Ming Shu’s voice faded, Lin Zan ran out of the house. The nine-year-old girl wore a moon-white jacket and skirt, her hair in two buns, looking quite lovely, but her eyes were watery and her eye rims red.
“Little Zan, what’s wrong?” Ming Shu quickly caught hold of her.
Children who had lost both parents were usually the most sensible; Lin Zan never threw tantrums.
Lin Zan sniffled but still spoke politely: “Sister-in-law, I’m fine…”
Before Ming Shu could respond, Wei Zhuo’s voice rang out: “Su Chen, why are you bullying your sister?”
Wei Zhuo was much stricter with Su Chen than with Lin Zan, making this stern questioning quite frightening.
Su Chen had done something to upset Lin Zan, leading to tonight’s scene.
Su Chen didn’t answer, but Lin Zan tugged at Ming Shu’s hand, saying softly to them: “Sister-in-law, Brother, I’m fine… don’t let Father scold Brother.”
When she came to the Wei family, Lu Chang was still in Zhang Yang and Ming Shu in Jiangning, so she was closest to Su Chen, calling him “Brother.” Later when Lu Chang returned, she couldn’t change her habit, so she called Lu Chang “Brother” or “Elder Brother” to show the difference.
Lu Chang frowned slightly and led Ming Shu and Lin Zan inside, where they heard Wei Zhuo scolding Su Chen, who stood with head lowered and red ears.
The eleven-year-old boy was handsome and already somewhat mature, more steady than ordinary children his age. One could imagine he would grow into a distinguished man.
“Good child, you and your sister have always been close, why suddenly quarrel? Tell me, why won’t you let her call you Brother?” Madam Zeng stopped Wei Zhuo and asked Su Chen kindly.
The reason Lin Zan cried was that Su Chen absolutely refused to let her call him “Brother” anymore.
Su Chen bit his lip, thinking long before saying: “She can’t call me Brother… I heard my Sister-in-law calling my Brother ‘Brother’ too. Calling someone ‘Brother’ means you’ll be husband and wife…”
At these words, Ming Shu’s face turned red, and even Lu Chang was dumbfounded.
In the Top Scholar’s Mansion when they were alone, Ming Shu occasionally called him “Brother” playfully, never thinking Su Chen would overhear.
Madam Zeng’s expression darkened as she glared at them fiercely: “Lu Chang!”
Teaching children bad things – Mother was about to explode.
Lu Chang took the scolding alone, but Ming Shu’s face still burned. Wei Zhuo sat aside, this time not intending to stop Madam Zeng’s scolding.
Only Su Chen and Lin Zan stood nearby, eyes full of half-understanding as they looked at each other – does calling someone “Brother” mean you’ll be husband and wife?
——Extras End——