Xie Yun was left speechless by Yining’s questions.
Yining had long wanted to say these things to Xie Yun. Now that she had, she let Xie Yun ponder them on her own. If Xie Yun had such lofty ambitions, why bother entangling herself with Yining?
When they returned from watching the play at the Cheng residence, the courtyard of Jiashu Hall was quiet, with servants inside and outside remaining silent. Yining saw Luo Shen Yuan reading in his room. She entered and sat across from him.
Luo Shen Yuan glanced at her. She smiled and said, “May I borrow some books? My study isn’t ready yet.” She pointed out which books she wanted, and for those too high to reach, she asked for his help.
The servants silently noted that when the Third Young Master was reading, he usually didn’t allow any disturbances. They were about to remind the Third Madam, but they saw Luo Shen Yuan fetching books for her while continuing his reading. Exchanging glances, they decided to say nothing.
As Yining flipped through the books he had retrieved, she regretted her choices. They were all abstruse texts on the I Ching and Eight Trigrams. She struggled to read them, barely managing to piece together fragments.
The water clock in the room dripped steadily. Before long, Yining had fallen asleep.
Luo Shen Yuan waved for the servants to leave. He walked to Yining’s side and sat down to continue reading.
Perhaps sensing his presence, she leaned against him. Her soft, elaborate hairstyle fell across his lap. She then wrapped her arms around his waist, nuzzling closer, causing him to stiffen. “Yining, if you’re tired, go back to sleep…”
She didn’t respond.
Luo Shen Yuan put down his book and finally placed his hand on her hair, gently combing through it with his fingers.
Her unconscious closeness softened his heart. He adjusted her sleeping position to make her more comfortable, then picked up his book to continue reading. She slept restlessly, moving about in his arms. Luo Shen Yuan held her still, saying, “Yining, sleep well.”
Yining seemed to hear him asking something and lifted her head drowsily. “What is it?”
Then she realized she was sleeping in Luo Shen Yuan’s arms.
She quickly retreated, wondering how she had ended up in his embrace. However, she bumped into a small table, wincing as she held her waist. Luo Shen Yuan frowned and immediately pulled her close to check.
There was indeed a bruise forming on her snow-white waist. She hissed in pain. Luo Shen Yuan called for a maid to bring ointment, which he applied himself. His hands used only gentle pressure, but Yining still pleaded for him to be more careful.
The skin under his palm was smooth, her slender waist entirely covered by one of his hands. Her voice was soft but quickened by the pain.
Luo Shen Yuan felt heat rising in his lower abdomen. After finishing with the ointment, he quickly stood up, saying, “I’ll have a maid escort you back.”
As Yining adjusted her clothes, she accidentally brushed her lips against his.
She immediately noticed his lips were warmer and fuller than she expected. She could see his clear, handsome features up close.
Suddenly, Luo Shen Yuan grasped her hand. Yining saw a fire burning in his usually calm, deep eyes. Her resolve weakened instantly.
She remembered how gently his hand had stroked her hair while she slept, how he had shielded her with his body, and even their awkwardness on their wedding night.
Luo Shen Yuan regained some composure, recalling their agreement to maintain a sibling-like relationship. He had also promised Wei Ling to wait until she came of age before consummating the marriage. She looked so delicate beneath him. “Go out and wait. I’ll be there shortly,” Luo Shen Yuan told her.
Yining left the room. When he returned to the inner chamber, the maid was about to bow, but Luo Shen Yuan waved her off. He quietly lay down beside Yining.
Yining had been pretending to sleep while waiting for him. Now, she gradually drifted into a real slumber.
When she awoke, the room was filled with soft morning light. Luo Shen Yuan was leaning against the bed, reading something. Half his body was covered by the brocade quilt, and she could hear the sound of pages turning.
“Awake?” he asked calmly.
Yining nodded and called for a maid to bring her clothes.
Luo Shen Yuan got up to wash. When he returned, he saw her sitting at the dressing table. Unlike older women who needed rouge and powder, she was young enough not to require them. She added a few drops of rose water to cleanse her face, then applied some snow-white fragrant cream. Today was her return home, so she needed to dress formally and elegantly.
Madam Fan personally redid Yining’s hair, styling it into a beautiful topknot and adorning it with a golden crabapple hairpin set with rubies. Pearl instructed a servant to prepare the carriage. Song Zhi hadn’t come as part of the dowry due to her age, so Old Madam Wei had chosen a capable young housekeeper to marry instead. Daimao, now second-in-command in Yining’s quarters, busied herself selecting two gold-threaded jackets for her to choose from.
Luo Shen Yuan ate some vegetarian three-delicacy dumplings that were brought to him, then said to the freshly groomed Yining, “Come and have breakfast.”
He had already peeled several pigeon eggs for her and placed some meat three-delicacy dumplings in her bowl.
When he looked up, he saw Yining dressed so brilliantly and smiled.
“Does it not look good?” Yining asked suspiciously.
“It looks very nice,” Luo Shen Yuan replied calmly with a nod.
Then why did he smile?
Yining picked up her bowl, staring at him for a while. “What’s so funny?”
He continued eating his dumplings leisurely, commenting, “You look like a child wearing adult clothes.”
Yining gritted her teeth upon hearing this, forcing a smile. She had spent so much time getting ready; that she couldn’t possibly start over!
He pointed to the pigeon eggs and dumplings on her plate. “Finish it all. You can leave only after you’ve eaten everything.” But noticing her gaze on him, he sighed and walked behind her.
“Come with me,” he said, leading Yining to sit in front of the mirror. He removed the ruby crabapple hairpin from her hair. His long fingers glided over her cosmetics box. From it, he selected a golden lotus-shaped hairpin with openwork carving and a pair of red coral beads the size of lotus seeds. These complemented her white earlobes. His fingers then lifted her face.
Yining froze, not daring to move. His fingertips were warm and rough. Though he stood far away, the moment felt intimate.
He looked at her for a long time, their eyes meeting. Yining didn’t dare look away. Finally, she heard him say, “Hmm… the makeup is quite good.”
When he stepped aside, Yining looked at herself in the mirror. Indeed, she looked much better now, elegant yet simple.
By the time they finally boarded the carriage, they were running late. The carriage for the return visit moved quickly. Yining saw him reading some official documents and didn’t know what to say, so they sat in silence. When the carriage jolted, she nearly lost her balance, but Luo Shen Yuan steadied her. She said, “Thank you, Third Brother.”
Luo Shen Yuan nodded and said, “You’re welcome.” The carriage fell silent again, so Yining tried to make conversation. “Yesterday, I played cards with the Cheng family ladies and lost over a hundred taels of silver…”
He finally looked up, closing his documents to look at her. “That’s quite a loss. Was it fun?”
“Losing money is never fun. Mother dragged me into it. She lost even more than I did, so much that she was hopping mad. She had Ruixiang go back to fetch another two hundred taels to keep playing.”
Both of them were quite wasteful. Most families couldn’t afford their losses, but fortunately, he could earn enough to cover it.
Luo Shen Yuan nodded, saying, “It’s not bad for you to play cards when you’re free. By the way, I had a set of white jade chess pieces made. You can continue learning chess with me in the future.”
Yining thought to herself, what did he mean by “not bad to play cards”? His tone clearly showed disdain for such common activities. He wanted her to continue being cultured in more refined arts.
The carriage creaked to a stop, and the maid outside announced cheerfully, “Third Young Master, Young Mistress, we’ve arrived at the Duke of Ying’s mansion.”
Yining smiled and said, “Third Brother, we should get off now.”
The Duke of Ying’s household had been preparing for their return visit since early morning. The kitchen in the outer courtyard had started preparing lunch dishes at the Chen hour (7-9 am). The mansion was bustling with activity, and relatives from the Wei family’s maternal side had also arrived.
When the servants announced that the young miss and her new husband had arrived, Wei Ling quickly changed into a new right-lapeled silk robe and went to the front hall.
From afar, he saw Yining standing beside Luo Shen Yuan, reaching only to her husband’s shoulder, wearing a bright red jacket. Her complexion was rosy, and she looked radiant. Yining came forward to kneel and kowtow to him, as it was customary for a newly married daughter returning home to pay respects to her parents, worship the ancestors, and greet relatives with her husband. Wei Ling, feeling sorry for his daughter, quickly helped her up. He had missed her these past few days and worried about whether she was adjusting to her new life. Seeing that she seemed to be doing well in the Luo family, he smiled somewhat forcedly and said, “It’s good that you’re back!”
Thinking about it, he realized that Yining had lived with the Luo family for over a decade, so of course she would be accustomed to their ways.
Wei Ling looked at Luo Shen Yuan, whom Yining had entered arm-in-arm with. Today, Luo Shen Yuan wasn’t wearing his official robes, just everyday clothes.
Wei Ling was still pondering. He knew about Luo Shen Yuan’s dealings with Zeng Heng. What was the purpose of their association?
Whatever Luo Shen Yuan had done with Zeng Heng, if discovered, would undoubtedly lead to suspicions of treachery and collusion with the enemy.
Why would he betray Zeng Heng to help him? Could it be because he was Yining’s father?
Wei Ling harbored doubts, but they were all politicians after all, though he wasn’t as orthodox a bureaucrat as Luo Shen Yuan. He told Yining to go pay her respects to Old Madam Wei first, then gestured for Luo Shen Yuan to sit beside him. Smiling, he said, “Yining is young and may be adept at managing household affairs, but she’s inexperienced in other matters. You’ll need to be patient with her. How has she been doing these past few days?”
“Father-in-law need not worry. She lives up to her name, being both pleasant and capable in the household,” Luo Shen Yuan smiled slowly. “She is young, and I cherish her greatly.”
“You were originally her third brother. It must be difficult for you to marry her,” Wei Ling continued. “By the way, about the incident at Pingyuan Fort that day, there are some things I still don’t understand. The Oirat were planning to ambush us at Pingyuan Fort, information even my scouts didn’t know… How did you come to know about it?”
Luo Shen Yuan silently smiled as he put down his teacup. Wei Ling had finally asked him. No matter how capable he was, it was indeed impossible for him to have spies everywhere. Most of the time, his intelligence network focused on court officials, especially in important departments and key positions. The border regions, long controlled by generals, were difficult to infiltrate. Zeng Heng was an exception; he did have some form of cooperation with Zeng Heng.
Years ago in Baoding, Zeng Heng was the son of Zeng Yingkun, a wastrel who spent his days hunting with falcons. After getting to know him, Luo Shen Yuan discovered that Zeng Heng was quite intelligent. They later gambled together in Baoding, which led to their acquaintance. Zeng Heng had no reputation in Baoding, but when he went to his father’s post, he thrived, and his influence grew. That’s when Luo Shen Yuan suggested they cooperate.
However, his dealings with Zeng Heng were neither insignificant nor truly major. Revealing them would still cause trouble, especially now that he was the newly appointed Vice Minister of Works, putting him in a delicate position.
“It’s not that I’m unwilling to tell you, but knowing would be disadvantageous to you,” Luo Shen Yuan said. “My spies aren’t that impressive. If they were, wouldn’t the world be in my hands? That’s impossible for anyone. The most important thing is that the military achievements belong to you.”
Hearing this, Wei Ling felt somewhat reassured. These words proved that Luo Shen Yuan wasn’t intentionally hiding anything from him.
He laughed heartily and said, “Alright! As long as you know your limits, that’s fine. Don’t overreach in anything.” Then he invited Luo Shen Yuan to accompany him to the front hall to meet with the Wei family’s illustrious maternal relatives.
In the rear courtyard’s flower hall, the women of the household were enjoying tea and casual conversation with Old Lady Wei. Yining suddenly realized that besides the Wei family’s maternal relatives, including several great-aunts and cousins-in-law, there were also matriarchs from noble families who regularly visited. She barely had time to greet each elder before turning to Fangsung and asking, “Why are there so many people here?”
Fangsung replied with a smile, “Young Miss, the Old Lady decided to host an impromptu tea party. Who knew so many would attend?”
In truth, it wasn’t hard to guess – they had all flocked here hoping to catch a glimpse of the newly crowned top scholar. However, learning that he had gone to the front hall, many were disappointed.
Old Lady Wei led her granddaughter to the west side room to talk privately. A maid brought in a plate of carefully prepared pomegranate seeds. As Yining savored a few of the sweet, dark red kernels, someone outside announced that Luo Shenyuan had come to pay his respects. The ladies in the room grew excited, their whispers barely contained.
Luo Shenyuan crossed the threshold and greeted Old Lady Wei. She quickly bade him rise, delighted to see her grandson-in-law looking so handsome and poised. Yining’s third brother was truly exceptional, which explained the flurry of whispers behind the screen.
Aware of the attention, Luo Shenyuan remained composed, accustomed to such scrutiny. With a slight smile, he said to Old Lady Wei after paying his respects, “Grandson-in-law has matters to attend to in the front hall and must take his leave.” He then bowed and departed.
The young ladies’ exclamations of admiration mixed with disappointment – how fortunate they had been to catch even a glimpse of the young official, only for him to leave so quickly.
Old Lady Wei pulled Yining closer and asked, “How has he treated you since your marriage?”
Yining couldn’t very well say they had agreed to maintain a sibling-like relationship, as her grandmother was unaware of this arrangement. As she pondered how to deflect the question, Zhao Mingzhu, who stood behind Old Lady Wei, spoke up: “Yining, you mustn’t be too passive. If he still treats you like a sister, you should act more like a wife…”
Old Lady Wei, finding this too direct, scolded Zhao Mingzhu: “What nonsense are you speaking? That’s no way for a young lady to talk!”
“My words may be blunt, but they’re not wrong!” Zhao Mingzhu, accustomed to such interactions with Old Lady Wei since childhood, skillfully took her arm and continued, “I’m worried that if Yining’s third brother maintains only brotherly affection for her, he might take concubines in the future, given his age. Did you see how those young ladies could barely contain themselves earlier? Even knowing he’s married, they showed no restraint.”
Yining grabbed another handful of pomegranate seeds, eating them as her grandmother and Zhao Mingzhu lowered their voices to discuss her private affairs, not allowing her to participate.
Seeking fresh air, she stepped outside, only to notice a small figure standing a few pillars away, watching her from afar.
It was young Master Ting.
Yining observed his lonely shadow on the ground, reminiscent of when she first arrived at the Wei household. He had kept his distance then, curious but distrustful of her. There was an innate desire to understand and be close to her, as she was his birth sister.
Now that she was married, Master Ting no longer had a sister living with him and was left in the care of servants. His small hands clutched the dangling ties of his clothes, seemingly hesitant to approach.
Yining suddenly understood Luo Yihui’s impulse to take little Yining with her when she married.
She walked towards Master Ting, who looked up at her. Yining softened her voice and stroked his head, asking, “What’s wrong, Master Ting?”
When he remained silent, Yining felt a pang of sympathy as she touched his prickly hair. She asked, “Master Ting, where are your maids and nannies?”
She led him back to Old Lady Wei, intending to suggest that he live with his grandmother from now on. He was older now and wouldn’t be a burden to the elderly lady. After all, servants couldn’t provide the closeness he needed.
Master Ting, realizing her intentions, quickly pulled his hand away. “I won’t go to Grandmother’s,” he said, somewhat awkwardly, no longer as close to her as before. “I… I won’t stay with Grandmother.”
As children grow, they often become more distant. Yining felt helpless; she couldn’t very well take Master Ting to the Luo family, as he was, after all, the young heir to the Duke of Ying’s household.
“Master Ting…” Yining held his small hand, her heart constricting. “Would you like to stay with your sister at the Luo house for a while?”
After a long pause, Master Ting asked in a small voice, “Sister… can’t you stay at home? I’ve saved lots of treats for you. Would you like some?” His question was tentative.
Yining crouched down, embracing his small frame, unable to hold back her tears. She cried for a moment, her head resting on his fragile shoulder, trembling slightly.
“Sister will go with you,” she said after composing herself, standing up and holding his hand.
Master Ting finally brightened, clutching her hand tightly. “I caught a huge cicada, but it died. I’ve hidden it in a box for you to see when you return.”
He skipped along happily as they walked.
Yining spent half the day with him, and it was evening by the time they returned to Old Lady Wei.
As Master Ting sipped soup under his wet nurse’s care, Yining discussed the matter with Old Lady Wei. After a long silence, the old lady sighed, “It’s because the household lacks a mistress. In a couple of years, your father plans to send him to Tianjin for training. The commander there is an old subordinate of your father’s, and his tutor Yang is also there. This might be for the best. I can’t manage him properly, and with your father away, I fear he might fall in with bad company if he stays here. Better to send him to Tianjin to grow up through hardship than remain a pampered young master in the capital.”
The Duke of Ying’s household had endured for generations because there were always talented individuals among the descendants. Sending Master Ting to a garrison was a good decision, although life would be harder. It was an excellent place to temper one’s character. After a few years there, he might even forget about his sister.
“Does Father have any plans to remarry?” Yining asked. “He’s been campaigning for years, his heart still tied to my mother. Now that things have settled, he should consider marriage. It would provide someone to look after Master Ting and manage household affairs.”
“I spoke to him about this just the other day,” Old Lady Wei said, leaning against a pillow embroidered with the four seasons of begonias and sipping soup from a doucai teacup. “I’ve identified a few candidates. The eldest daughter of the Marquis of Xianwei is gentle and virtuous and from a family of suitable status. The youngest sister of Duke Xu is also unmarried and of high rank – your father wouldn’t lose face by marrying her. There are even better choices among lower-ranking noble families, but when I asked him last time, he said nothing.”
Yining pondered this information. At dinnertime, she went to the front hall to find Wei Ling, but he and the others were still talking in the flower hall. She decided to wait for him in his courtyard. Many weeping willows grew outside the corridor, and the late afternoon sunlight filtering through the gaps felt comfortably warm.
Her small crested parrot hung in its cage under the eaves, flapping its wings affectionately upon seeing her.
Yining offered it water in a small dish and smoothed its feathers. The maid caring for the parrot smiled and said, “After you left, the Duke took it in and talks to it daily for company.”
Hearing the maid’s words, Yining became more determined to persuade her father to remarry.
Soon, Wei Ling arrived. His daughter had only been in his care for two years before marrying, and he missed her dearly. He watched her teasing the parrot under the eaves, offering millet seeds but playfully keeping them just out of reach. The parrot flapped its wings in frustration while she smiled mischievously. It was as if she had never left the household.
“Be careful, it might peck you,” Wei Ling said with a smile.
“It wouldn’t dare,” Yining replied, returning the millet to the dish. She approached him, saying, “I’ve brought you knee and elbow guards made of musk deer leather, and some autumn dew white tea as gifts. They’ve been sent to your quarters. The maid just told me you’ve started drinking in the evenings again since I left. Drinking at night is harmful to your health, please don’t overindulge.”
“Now you’re mothering me,” Wei Ling chuckled, gesturing for her to follow him inside.
Yining noticed his study remained unchanged. She sat across from him and, after a moment’s hesitation, said, “Father, Grandmother just mentioned to me about your remarriage.”
Wei Ling nodded but remained silent for a while, his gaze fixed on the sunlight beyond the partition.
Many years ago, an unexpected event had given him a child. He was barely in his twenties then, young and impetuous. He could still picture her impassive face; she rarely smiled and seemed not to like him much. He always felt she disliked him. She never told him anything, yet she bore their child and departed this world resolutely.
If only it had been earlier before she married. He would have taken her as his wife, cared for her well, and made her happy. He wouldn’t have treated her like Luo Chengzhang did.
Such a wonderful person, yet her life had been so brief and sorrowful.
What had she thought of in her final moments? Had she felt any attachment to him? Perhaps she had, otherwise, why would she have chosen to bear his child?
Wei Ling often pondered these questions, but fourteen years had passed since her death, and no amount of thinking could yield answers now. He shifted his gaze to Yining sitting before him. How remarkable that this child resembled both him and Minglang, their shared offspring. His voice grew hoarse as he spoke, “Meimei, I often think of your mother…”
“Your personality is different from your mother’s. She was more reserved,” Wei Ling said.
This was the first time Yining had heard him mention Minglang; he rarely did so.
“When I tried to engage her in conversation, she often ignored me. If I managed to make her laugh, she’d quickly compose herself. After all, to her, I was just a brute…” Wei Ling chuckled, tapping the table. His gaze intensified as he continued, “But she had the kindest heart. I knew she was soft-hearted, unable to bear harming or blaming others.”
Yining was taken aback. She moved to his side and placed her hand on his. “Father…”
Hearing him speak like this suddenly stirred something within her. She had never met Minglang but imagined she must have been an extraordinary person. Sometimes Yining felt that her good fortune in life was partly due to the virtues her mother had cultivated in her lifetime. People often remarked to her with admiration, “Your mother was truly a wonderful person.”
Wei Ling turned and smiled, patting her hand. “It’s alright. It’s been many years now.”
“About the remarriage, let me think it over,” Wei Ling said. “Your grandmother has a point; the household needs someone to manage it. Don’t worry, your father understands.”