◎”Nanny Qian, can I wrap some quail eggs inside the dumplings?”◎

Since the Ni Tao case, fearing they would arouse the Emperor’s suspicion, Lan Shanjun and Yu Qingwu had never gone to see Duke Zhenguo and his son, so they had never heard them personally speak of matters from back then.

Lan Shanjun said in a low voice: “Next year in autumn and winter, the two of them will pass away.”

She had never liked this father and son before, feeling they evaded their sins like turtles withdrawing into their shells. But since learning they were forced to acknowledge responsibility for the military defeat and had thus been confined in the Taoist temple for twenty years, unable and not daring to emerge, her feelings became complicated and hard to express.

The more truth she knew, the more she discovered that no matter how laughable and absurd the words and actions of the person sitting in the bright hall were, they were all actually normal.

Those below followed principles of reason, guarded worldly laws and regulations, only seeking a way to live. While he casually selected soldiers and generals—whoever he pointed at was unlucky, all had to swallow their teeth with blood. If they couldn’t swallow it down, they could only seek death.

An unprecedented confusion surged in Lan Shanjun’s heart. She asked: “I’ve read in books that when the great Dao is abandoned, there is benevolence and righteousness. When wisdom appears, there is great hypocrisy. When the six kinships are not harmonious, there is filial piety and compassion. When the state is in chaos, there are loyal ministers.①”

“—Now we have benevolence and righteousness, great hypocrisy, filial piety and compassion, and loyal ministers. The Dao should no longer exist.”

“Then why does the dynasty still persist?”

Yu Qingwu was stunned but couldn’t give an answer. For a moment, the two looked at each other wordlessly, staring wide-eyed. Yu Qingwu touched his nose and suddenly said: “Shanjun, if my learning is insufficient, will you dislike me?”

Lan Shanjun’s full chest of pent-up anger dissipated somewhat, and she couldn’t help but laugh. Yu Qingwu then grasped her hand and said: “When trust is insufficient, there is distrust.②”

“Sooner or later, the truth will be revealed to the world.”

Lan Shanjun softly hummed in agreement, then said: “If we want to see Duke Zhenguo and his son, we might have to wait until the second day of the new year. But even if we wait, they may not necessarily speak.”

Yu Qingwu felt the three words “he knows” might also refer to Grand Eunuch Liu Guan.

Though he hadn’t dealt deeply with Liu Guan, he felt this person acted especially carefully—perhaps he knew about Minister Yu being in the storehouse back then.

Yu Qingwu: “Perhaps Eunuch Liu also has other thoughts and isn’t as utterly loyal as we assume.”

Lan Shanjun shook her head, believing testing Liu Guan was too risky: “If it refers to Liu Guan, then these three words—Ni Tao should have meant them for Minister Yu to see, not for us.”

Yu Qingwu shook his head: “Indeed difficult to explain.”

He thought carefully: “This matter should still be told to the Crown Prince.”

Lan Shanjun nodded, then said: “Today Huihui wrote me a letter saying Grandmother and Mother arranged a match for her and wanted me to help her deliberate.”

Yu Qingwu came back to himself: “Which family?”

Lan Shanjun: “The Zhe family from Nanzhou.”

She said: “In her previous life, she also married Seventh Young Master Zhe from Nanzhou.”

Yu Qingwu hesitated: “Fate decreed by heaven?”

Lan Shanjun: “I don’t know. But before, she always avoided the matter of marriage. This time she hasn’t avoided it.”

Yu Qingwu then smiled: “Perhaps in both lifetimes it was love at first sight. Sometimes matters of fate are like us two—truly the matchmaker god tied the thread and it cannot be severed.”

Lan Shanjun found it amusing and recalled the past: “Back then I wasn’t close with her. I only wrote once or twice a year. In her letters she never complained, always saying the south was very good.”

But it was also possible she reported good news but not bad, so when she learned Huihui wanted to marry far away to escape Luoyang, she also agreed she should change families.

Who knew that going round and round, she would encounter the Zhe family again.

Yu Qingwu then spoke of the Zhe family’s origins.

“The Zhe family was originally a prominent household in Yunzhou. Later a branch was transmitted to the south and became a distinguished family there. Though they only rose to prominence later, after hundreds of years of heritage, they’re not inferior to the Yunzhou main branch. It’s just that more of them do business while fewer serve as officials.”

Lan Shanjun: “Huihui is a child with her own mind. If she truly has feelings, help me inquire about Seventh Master Zhe.”

Yu Qingwu agreed. Lan Shanjun paused, then said: “This is her lifelong matter. I don’t dare take it lightly. I still want to make a trip to the Duke Zhenguo household to see what Grandmother and Mother are really thinking.”

Yu Qingwu began muttering: “So you see, in a household of people, either they’re all bad or they’re all good. When bad people are mixed with a good person, outsiders can’t completely sever ties with them, and the good people inside don’t live comfortably either.”

Late into the night, while muttering, he burned all the papers they’d just written with their deliberations, saying: “With Fourth Uncle, I still need to repeatedly warn him not to spread this, lest it ruin things.”

He sighed: “We’d only just relaxed for a few days, and now we’re given another difficult problem.”

—

In the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince also felt that Prince Qi’s heir should either be a good person like Princess Qi, or completely resemble Prince Qi.

He looked at Prince Qi’s heir standing in the morning sun blocking his path again, sighed inwardly, and walked over smiling: “Abai, you’re waiting for me here?”

Prince Qi’s heir: “Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

Hearing these five words, the Crown Prince couldn’t help sighing again: “I’m here.”

Prince Qi’s heir sneered coldly: “Yesterday Father told me you know the truth of the Ni Tao case.”

The Crown Prince was silent for a moment: “You know now?”

Prince Qi’s heir: “Yes.”

The Crown Prince was curious: “Then what are you doing here mocking me? Since you know and haven’t done anything proper to expose this matter, what standing do you have to come condemn me?”

He rather hoped Prince Qi’s heir would play the hero once.

But Prince Qi’s heir said: “You needn’t try to anger me. I’m only here to tell you that Father has formally given me the people under his control. From now on, it’s your battlefield and mine.”

He said heavily: “Wu Qingchuan and Duke Songguo were my people before. They used this matter and died—they deserved it. But it absolutely doesn’t mean Your Highness the Crown Prince stands on the side of righteousness.”

He said with disgust: “I originally thought you might be different from my father, but looking now, you’re the same.”

The Crown Prince was inexplicably scolded and found it both amusing and annoying: “Abai, we’ve been brothers for twenty years. Let me kindly remind you—Uncle Prince Qi is Uncle Prince Qi, and you are you. Even if Uncle Prince Qi has given them to you on the surface, when you want to use people privately, you’ll still need to ask first.”

Prince Qi’s heir turned and strode away: “I don’t need you to teach me—”

But the Crown Prince suddenly said: “Abai, are you afraid?”

Prince Qi’s heir’s steps halted.

The Crown Prince: “Are you afraid you can’t defeat me, or afraid you’ll become someone like Uncle Prince Qi and Wu Qingchuan?”

“Do you think if I become like Uncle Prince Qi, you’ll be able to kill me?”

But Prince Qi’s heir said nothing and strode forward.

The Crown Prince returned to the Eastern Palace with a gloomy face, just in time to see A’Li and A’Man fighting crickets.

He stopped and watched for quite a while, then said to the Crown Princess who was holding a stick ready to discipline the children: “Yuanniang, look—us people—Father, Prince Qi, Prince Wei, me, Abai… don’t we resemble these crickets?”

The Crown Princess had been about to strike someone, but his melancholy left her not knowing whether to swing the raised stick.

A’Li then grabbed A’Man and hastily ran off holding the cricket cage, running while saying: “Mother, I’ll never dare again.”

The Crown Princess dropped the stick and looked at the Crown Prince: “What’s wrong with you now?”

The Crown Prince said softly: “Tell me, our bodies are both unwell. Might we die even before him? If we die, will A’Li and A’Man have to become new crickets and continue fighting with Abai’s family’s Azhi?”

Just thinking about this made the Crown Princess’s back turn cold.

The Crown Prince then stood up, picked up the grass stem used for cricket fighting, and swept it through the air: “No matter what, it shouldn’t extend to the third generation, right?”

He said to the Crown Princess: “Seeing Abai like this, my heart also hurts terribly.”

He shook his head: “He… he still doesn’t approve of Uncle Prince Qi. But if he doesn’t approve, how can he properly use Uncle Prince Qi’s people?”

A person’s words and actions, their methods of doing things—these are already ingrained. How could they change just because they changed masters?

During this period, there would inevitably be friction.

He said: “I’m not willing to give him this opportunity.”

Thinking it over, he said again: “The eighth day of the twelfth month…”

The Crown Princess’s face turned white.

On the eighth day of the twelfth month, Prince Qi had used her trusted nanny to poison her, taking half her life.

She understood his meaning but still shook her head: “Can’t find an opportunity.”

Poison was easy to find, but the Emperor had too many people around him. He was extremely cautious about his life, checking everything without any gaps.

She said: “There needs to be an opportunity.”

—

In the Duke Zhenguo household, Madam Zhu was constantly nervous. One moment asking Huihui how her clothes looked, the next asking if the tea and snacks she prepared were good.

Finally she called the cook over and asked about each dish: “Add more chili peppers.”

The cook hadn’t made spicy dishes in decades. Though unsure in her heart, she could only steel herself and agree.

Huihui just watched from the side without speaking. Third Young Madam was coaxing a child to sleep and looked up busily: “Sixth Sister will arrive soon, right?”

Madam Zhu put her palms together: “Should be soon. Heavenly gods and Bodhisattvas, I hope when she comes she won’t blame me. My mind was also in chaos at the time. By the time I reacted, she’d already been released.”

Just one night—it was truly released too quickly. If she hadn’t been released the next day, she definitely would have made a trip to the prison.

Madam Zhu looked at Huihui: “Later, you must help me speak well of me.”

Huihui then said: “Fourth Uncle felt guilty and went to find Sixth Brother-in-law to mediate. If Mother feels guilty, you should also take the initiative to visit rather than waiting for Sixth Sister to come and having others speak well of you.”

Madam Zhu was choked up but ultimately didn’t scold, saying: “You’ve been spoiled by me!”

But when Lan Shanjun arrived, she stood silently to the side, laughing awkwardly as if very constrained, managing to make herself seem like a guest from afar.

Lan Shanjun then also smiled and called out “Mother,” pulling Huihui back to the room.

She asked: “What’s going on? Why suddenly fancy Seventh Master Zhe?”

Huihui heard her worry and smiled, hugging her arm: “Originally I met him before at White Horse Temple. There was some interaction, but I didn’t take it to heart at the time—just felt this person looked extremely good. Then the day before yesterday, Third Sister-in-law’s mother came to matchmake for her distant nephew, and it turned out to be him.”

Suddenly she had the thought that she could marry.

First, this person was good—she didn’t resist. Second, he was from Nanzhou.

Lan Shanjun didn’t understand: “What about being from Nanzhou?”

Huihui then said in a small voice: “Actually I very much yearn for Nanzhou.”

This was the first time Lan Shanjun heard her say this. She sat up properly and listened quietly.

Seeing she wasn’t rushing to blame her for what sounded like very childish talk, Lan Hui breathed a great sigh of relief: “I’ve thought carefully. I don’t like Luoyang and don’t want to stay here all my life. I still want to go somewhere farther. Nanzhou would be very good.”

She explained earnestly: “These past two years when helping Sister Yunniang look at books on Shuzhou water management, I happened to see Nanzhou’s local customs and have yearned for it ever since.”

Nanzhou had much tea. The young women there made their living by cultivating tea, very different from Luoyang.

“When they’re young, they can pick tea to support themselves. When they grow up, they also marry late. Their tea-brewing skills are passed to daughters but not sons, also very particular. I’ve read many Nanzhou books and discovered the vast world truly has all sorts of wonders.”

She said: “I heard that ordinary housewives there, because they have money in hand, are unwilling to cook. When they’re hungry, they lower a bamboo basket from the upper floor, and naturally someone will buy food for them.”

This was very different from Luoyang.

“Looking at county records, there are also many women who come out to trade there. They don’t need to marry up. Rather, men like to marry into their families—Sixth Sister, I don’t want to trade or do other things. I just want to go see…”

She couldn’t quite explain her thoughts clearly, only felt she should go see whether what the books said was true.

Lan Shanjun’s eyes warmed as she listened: “So you’re willing to marry to Nanzhou?”

Huihui nodded hesitantly: “I always felt Luoyang was like stagnant water, so I thought outside would also be stagnant water.”

But the world outside seemed very vast and very different.

Perhaps going out to look would mean not being as pained as now.

Lan Shanjun pondered, understanding her meaning. She first praised her: “Huihui, that you can think of these things at your age is very remarkable.”

Then said: “I myself haven’t lived clearly enough to know if you’re right or wrong. But I think if you really want to go to Nanzhou, you could go look first rather than settling the marriage.”

Huihui was surprised: “Look first?”

Lan Shanjun: “Why not? Before I… before I didn’t have this ability. Now if I ask the Empress and Crown Princess, your matter isn’t difficult to arrange.”

She said: “I remember Mother also has relatives in Nanzhou? You can say you’re visiting relatives.”

Huihui was very tempted. She’d been in so much pain staying in this household—if she could go out and walk around, that would be even better. But she feared Mother wouldn’t agree and also felt making such a big fuss for her to go out and walk around was truly inappropriate. She began hesitating again.

But Lan Shanjun took the opportunity to ask: “Mother and Grandmother both agree to you marrying to Nanzhou?”

Huihui nodded: “As soon as Madam Tang spoke, Grandmother agreed. Later after discussing with Mother, Mother also nodded.”

Lan Shanjun frowned: “Madam Tang is a reliable person, and the Zhe family sounds good too. But Mother has always wanted you in Luoyang. How could she be willing to let you go to Nanzhou?”

Huihui had been immersed in thoughts of going to Nanzhou and only now realized something was wrong.

She also furrowed her brows: “Then we’ll have to ask Mother.”

But Madam Zhu’s expression was awkward. At first she spoke of everything except the point and was unwilling to say. Finally, after Huihui pressed her for quite a while, she told the truth: “Your grandmother is right. In Luoyang now this person dies, that person dies—who knows when it will be our family’s turn? Though the Zhe family is in Nanzhou, I have an aunt who married there, so Huihui would have someone to look after her. Moreover, Nanzhou is far from Luoyang. If something happens to the family in the future, it won’t implicate her.”

Huihui looked incredulous and instinctively glanced at Lan Shanjun, then looked at Madam Zhu through tears: “So that’s why you agreed?”

Madam Zhu nodded and sat there even more awkwardly. She murmured: “Thinking about it, it makes sense. These past years, too many people have died. Those in the game can’t get out, but outsiders can, right? Being able to send one away is one. I’m truly afraid.”

Huihui said bluntly: “I think you’re just afraid Sixth Sister’s relationship with General Duan will cause trouble later and implicate me!”

Mother’s devoted love for her daughter—of course she could feel it. But this intention, before Sixth Sister, seemed somewhat laughable.

Lan Shanjun didn’t mind this. Instead, going back she told Yu Qingwu: “Grandmother must know there were irregularities in the Duke Zhenguo household’s defeat back then, so this time she’s instigating Mother to marry Huihui farther away.”

Yu Qingwu said with a gloomy face: “Marrying far away means she won’t suffer?”

Lan Shanjun smiled: “This dynasty’s laws say disaster doesn’t extend to married daughters. Nanzhou is also very far. If the husband is good, it’s actually a good way out.”

“It’s just unknown how much Grandmother actually knows… to think the Duke Zhenguo household will be implicated by me.”

Yu Qingwu sat to the side sulking. He always felt it wasn’t fair to Shanjun. After quite a while he said: “She probably doesn’t know much—at most knows the Shuzhou defeat had some irregularities. Otherwise all these years…”

But pausing, he said: “I remember the old matriarch of Duke Zhenguo also hasn’t left the house in twenty years?”

Lan Shanjun nodded.

She pondered: “Perhaps she knows quite a lot.”

Yu Qingwu: “Then shouldn’t she hate the Emperor? Why does she hate Shuzhou so much?”

Lan Shanjun speculated: “Her two sons ultimately died in Shuzhou. She doesn’t dare hate the Emperor, so she can only hate Shuzhou?”

Yu Qingwu snorted: “That’s too laughable.”

Then said: “No matter how much she knows, it should all have been heard from the old Duke Zhenguo. To know the complete truth, we still need to ask Duke Zhenguo.”

The Crown Prince had the same thought. But he said: “Right now, stillness is better than movement.”

He patted Yu Qingwu’s shoulder: “Wait.”

In the tenth month of this year, the court finally calmed down. The Imperial Academy students also finally stopped causing trouble—the Emperor truly was strange. He genuinely felt students were the court’s future and couldn’t be wantonly killed. He even gave compensation to the troublemaking students.

Now everyone said he’d been deceived by Wu Qingchuan.

Once when Lan Shanjun heard the four words “minister deceives sovereign,” she couldn’t quite process it.

Yu Qingwu had gotten quite close to Seventh Master Zhe and came back saying: “Though he can’t compare to me, he’s passable. But marriage matters can’t be rushed. If your seventh sister can make a trip to Nanzhou, going first would also work.”

Lan Shanjun then told Huihui about this. Huihui said: “I’ll wait until after the new year. Next spring when it warms, Seventh Master Zhe and his mother and sister will also return to Nanzhou.”

Lan Shanjun smiled: “Also good—companions on the road.”

She also went to the palace and asked the Crown Princess for guards for Huihui before feeling at ease.

In the eleventh month, Prince Qi’s heir was again bestowed a precious sword by the Emperor, seemingly telling others he’d already begun struggling with the Crown Prince.

Though Prince Qi still obediently stayed in Prince Qi’s residence, the Crown Prince heard that many vases in Prince Qi’s residence had been replaced.

Clearly this time he was much more volatile.

The Crown Prince calculated back and forth but hadn’t decided how to make the next move when Prince Wei angered the Emperor in the twelfth month.

One of Prince Wei’s concubines became pregnant. He happily entered the palace to tell the Emperor, thinking the Emperor would be pleased he’d added descendants to the imperial family. Unexpectedly, the Emperor flew into a rage, rebuking him: “Disrespecting your legitimate wife, wantonly indulging in debauchery, all day thinking of bedroom matters—you’ve already been secretly mocked by court officials, yet you still come before me to disgrace yourself. Truly detestable.”

It was said that when Prince Wei left, he was in a daze.

He’d originally come to claim credit—which elder wouldn’t be happy hearing the family had more descendants?

But the Crown Prince recalled what Yu Qingwu had told him before: some ignorant elderly believed superstitious rumors that younger generation’s descendants were stealing their lifespan.

On the eighth day of the twelfth month, the Emperor suddenly caught a cold and developed a low fever. On the eighteenth of the twelfth month, Prince Wei’s unborn child was lost.

For a moment, the Crown Prince felt his whole body trembling.

He discussed with Yu Qingwu: “This matter—we could let Prince Wei investigate it.”

Otherwise Prince Wei would think Princess Wei did it. During the new year celebration, he’d already beaten her so she couldn’t leave the house and made the Emperor lose his temper again.

On New Year’s Eve, Nanny Qian had everyone make dumplings together. She happily put copper coins, peanuts, chestnuts, and candy inside the dumplings.

The old woman was joyful and benevolent: “Young Master Yu, what kind of dumpling do you want to eat?”

Yu Qingwu hesitated before speaking: “Nanny Qian, can I wrap some quail eggs inside the dumplings?”

Nanny Qian: “…”

She restrained herself, forcing herself to show a big smile: “Young Master Yu, happy new year. I wish you promotion this year and entry to the cabinet next year.”

Yu Qingwu: “Really can’t wrap quail eggs?”

Nanny Qian respectfully: “I wish you promotion this year and entry to the cabinet next year.”

Yu Qingwu regretfully smacked his lips: “Fine! If I can’t eat them, I won’t. I don’t need to eat them now anyway.”

He said passionately: “Right, Shanjun?”

Lan Shanjun sat to the side laughing. The two kept vigil together until after midnight, then walked hand in hand back to their room.

On the second day of the new year, she brought Yu Qingwu along to the Duke Zhenguo household, then as in previous years went with them to the Taoist temple to pay respects to Duke Zhenguo and his son.

—

①From Laozi’s *Dao De Jing*, Chapter 18

②From *Dao De Jing*, Chapter 17