Both of them were of one mind about it, clear as a mirror: the affair of Yunyin Academy was far too strange. With Qing Xuzi’s level of Daoist attainment, he could not have failed to detect the anomaly — and yet he had breathed not a single word to Qin Yao, plainly concealing it on purpose. If she went to him directly and asked, he would most certainly clamp shut and say nothing.

Therefore, if they wanted to understand what had truly taken place that night, they would still have to pursue the matter through Female Official Lu’s remains.

Unfortunately, the next day Lin Xiao had to return to the palace for duty, and Qin Yao alone had no way to arrange an examination of the remains at the Court of Judicial Review. There was nothing to be done but wait until Lin Xiao came out of the palace to decide on next steps.

She had barely seen Lin Xiao out the door that morning when Liu Bingyu sent a card around to say that摘星楼 — the Star-Plucking Pavilion — had received a new shipment of jewellery, and invited Qin Yao to go and look, adding that it had been a long time since they had eaten at Fuchun House, and they should go there for a meal after browsing the jewels.

The moment Qin Yao saw the name Fuchun House, she thought of her senior martial brother — he was so fond of the vegetarian dishes there. She should have brought him for a meal long before now. But ever since they had returned from Shouhuai Mountain, her master had frequently taken her senior brother out on errands, making it difficult even to see him, let alone share a meal together.

She had just taken up her brush to write a reply accepting Liu Bingyu’s invitation when a thought suddenly struck her: what if she sent someone to Qingyun Temple to find her senior brother? If her master was in the temple, she would only send along some food and provisions, but if her master was not in the temple, she could bring her senior brother out and treat him to a proper meal at Fuchun House.

At the thought, her heart ached a little. The establishment had already been transferred into her name by Lin Xiao, so her senior brother could eat or drink whatever he wished from now on, without having to wait as long as he used to before he could go there.

With this in mind, she sent Wei Bo to Qingyun Temple, while she herself took A’Ping and A’You to the Star-Plucking Pavilion.

When they arrived at the Star-Plucking Pavilion, Liu Bingyu, Pei Min, and Wang Yingning were just stepping down from their carriage. Catching sight of Qin Yao, Liu Bingyu blinked at Pei Min with exaggerated meaning. “Good — the wealthiest among our little group has arrived. Let’s just hope she shows some restraint and doesn’t clear out the entire Pavilion, leaving us nothing but scraps to pick through.”

Qin Yao considered even acknowledging this remark beneath her. She stepped forward happily and linked arms with Wang Yingning, as warm and affectionate as she could possibly be. If only Wang Yingning and her brother’s wedding date had already been fixed — she would have been tempted to change her form of address to “sister-in-law” on the spot.

Wang Yingning was naturally gracious, but even she could not hold out against Qin Yao’s blazing, intense gaze. A slight flush came to her cheeks, and with a gently reproachful expression she said, “Come now, don’t just stand outside — let’s go in.”

The group was just about to enter the Pavilion when a figure on horseback rounded from behind a carriage and reined his horse to a stop, smiling as he looked at Pei Min.

Qin Yao looked carefully and saw that it was Xu Shenming. He still wore the uniform of the Imperial Guard, looking as though he had come here directly from the palace the moment his shift ended.

Qin Yao could not help recalling what Liu Bingyu had said a few days ago. Casually spoken as it was, it had proven entirely accurate — was it not the case that the very moment Lin Xiao entered the palace, Xu Shenming had come out?

Pei Min’s face flushed red. She pulled Qin Yao and the others toward the entrance. “Pay no attention to him — let’s go in.”

But Xu Shenming appeared to have only just noticed Qin Yao. He immediately dismounted and approached with a bow. “Young Mistress.”

His manner was one of deep respect. Ever since Lin Xiao and Qin Yao had stepped in to rescue him from Chun Qiao’s clutches, he had behaved this way nearly every time he saw Qin Yao.

Qin Yao smiled and returned the courtesy.

Xu Shenming glanced at Pei Min again and said quietly, “I’ll wait outside.”

Pei Min fixed her eyes on something in the other direction and gave a stiff, reluctant acknowledgement, then pulled Liu Bingyu inside. Xu Shenming smiled with pleasure, lingered to watch Pei Min disappear through the entrance, and then turned and remounted his horse.

Inside the shop, new jewellery had indeed arrived as Liu Bingyu had described — all fashioned from rare materials, the designs ingenious and charming, filling an entire case spread before the women for their inspection.

Qin Yao cared little for jewellery as a rule. After looking for a while, nothing caught her eye the way the “Seeking Plum in Snow” hairpin had once done. In the end she chose only a pair of red jadeite drop earrings and then lost interest entirely, drawing Wang Yingning aside for a quiet conversation instead.

Liu Bingyu, however, was approaching her coming-of-age ceremony and was in high spirits. She picked and chose but could not find anything to her satisfaction, and kept urging the shop assistant to bring out more pieces from the back.

The shop assistant smiled and said, “Miss Liu surely knows — every time our shop receives new stock, the ladies and madams come to browse at the earliest opportunity. To be honest with you, you’ve come a little late today, and a number of pieces have already been spoken for. If nothing here satisfies you, perhaps come earlier next time we receive new stock.”

The Star-Plucking Pavilion was one of Chang’an’s foremost jewellery shops, and its assistants spoke with rather more confidence than staff at other establishments.

Liu Bingyu pouted, dissatisfied. She had come as soon as she heard the news — how could she have been late? Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a small black sandalwood flowing-cloud case on the curio shelves behind the assistant. Her eyes lit up. “What jewellery is in that one?”

The shop assistant turned to follow Liu Bingyu’s gaze. “This one?” He pressed his lips together and shook his head. “This piece was already claimed long ago. There is only the one. You may look, but I’m afraid it cannot be sold.”

He opened it — inside were a pair of blood jade bracelets, translucent throughout, suffused with a faint crimson. One glance told you they were no ordinary piece.

“In my twenty years at the Star-Plucking Pavilion, this is the first time I have ever seen blood jade of this quality,” the shop assistant said, cradling the bracelets carefully and holding them out for Liu Bingyu’s admiration, full of praise. “A distinguished gentleman of our Chang’an purchased them to please his wife.”

Liu Bingyu, being discerning, naturally recognized the extraordinary value of the bracelets, and knowing her mother would never purchase anything so costly for her, she set aside any wishful thinking at once. After admiring them briefly, she lost interest and made to gather Pei Min and the others and browse in other shops.

The group had barely risen from their seats when a party entered through the door — all dressed in embroidered silk and fine brocade, surrounded by a retinue of servants.

“Xia Fang?” Liu Bingyu and Pei Min’s expressions fell simultaneously. Ever since the incident at the Duke of Lu’s residence when Xia Fang had attempted to harm Qin Yao, the two of them harboured a deep aversion to the woman and could not even be bothered to maintain a superficial civility.

The newcomers were indeed Prince Wu and Xia Fang. As they entered, Prince Wu was laughing and talking to Xia Fang with complete disregard for their surroundings, his expression one of tender affection — the picture of a newly-wed couple deeply in love.

Catching sight of Qin Yao, both stopped. Before Qin Yao could say anything, Xia Fang greeted her with an air of familiarity. “A’Yao, what a surprise to find you here browsing for jewellery too.”

Then, as though it were an afterthought, she glanced behind Qin Yao. “Hmm, the Eleventh Prince didn’t come out with you?”

Prince Wu smiled and said, “The Eleventh and his wife share a deep bond of affection — whenever he has any time, he is certain to go home and keep her company. That he’s not here today means he must be on palace duty.”

Hearing this, Xia Fang’s smile stiffened for just an instant before she recovered her composure.

Qin Yao took in every detail with a cold inward smile. She returned the courtesy and was just about to leave the shop when Xia Fang smiled and said to her, “A’Yao, we so rarely see each other — won’t you stay a while and browse the jewellery before you go?”

Just then the shop assistant appeared, carrying a brocade case with a smile, and presented it to Prince Wu and Xia Fang. “Your Highness’s order has long been ready.”

He opened it to reveal a pair of turquoise earrings fashioned in the shape of water lilies — pretty enough, certainly, but far less fine than those blood jade bracelets.

Prince Wu smiled and asked Xia Fang, “Do you like them?”

Xia Fang’s expression shifted — the jewellery in the case was plainly not what she had expected. She held herself still for a moment before managing to press out a somewhat forced smile. “I like them.”

Once outside, Liu Bingyu said quietly, “When the shop assistant brought those blood jade bracelets out to show me earlier, I noticed a slip of paper pressed beneath the case with Prince Wu’s residence written on it. I knew then that those were likely Prince Wu’s order. When I saw the two of them come in later, I expected Prince Wu to have the assistant bring out the blood jade bracelets to give to Xia Fang — but what he gave Xia Fang turned out to be only a pair of turquoise earrings. Who those blood jade bracelets were originally intended for, I couldn’t say.”

Qin Yao heard this and recalled the look of tender protectiveness Prince Wu had directed at Side Consort Kang on their wedding day. She felt certain that the bracelets were most likely intended for Side Consort Kang.

Pei Min gave a cold laugh. “Did you notice the expression on Xia Fang’s face? The moment she saw the turquoise pieces in the case, her face completely crumpled — as if she’d seen a ghost. Do you think she already knew her husband had ordered blood jade bracelets at the Star-Plucking Pavilion? She came here with high hopes of receiving them, only to be presented with turquoise earrings instead.”

Wang Yingning, perceptive as always, smiled and said, “If that’s truly the case, it suggests Xia Fang has been making no small effort to keep tabs on Prince Wu’s every move. Over time, Prince Wu is certain to notice — and it is in no one’s nature to enjoy being watched, least of all a man of his exalted position. Once he finds out, he will inevitably develop a rift with Xia Fang.”

Liu Bingyu said with gleeful schadenfreude, “Isn’t this what they call being undone by one’s own cleverness? Prince Wu is no soft, easily-squeezed target. If he finds out Xia Fang has been running these little schemes behind his back, I dread to think what his reaction will be.”

“What else?” Pei Min scoffed. “They’re barely newly-weds and he’s already doing everything he can to win another woman’s favour. That alone tells you what little weight Xia Fang carries in his heart. I give it no time at all before the facade of this loving couple cracks apart.”

Liu Bingyu nudged Pei Min’s arm and teased her, “Stop commenting on other people’s affairs — your future husband is waiting for you over there.”

The group looked, and sure enough Xu Shenming was standing at ease by his horse, hands clasped behind his back. Seeing Pei Min come out, he stepped forward to greet her.

Pei Min’s face turned red and she fell silent.

The rest of them simply left the matter at that, abandoned her to Xu Shenming, got into the carriage, and departed.

When they arrived at Fuchun House, the proprietor had already received word and came bustling out to welcome them, bowing repeatedly as he smilingly led Qin Yao up to the second floor.

Liu Bingyu and Wang Yingning, seeing that the proprietor treated Qin Yao with particular deference unlike his manner toward others, were inwardly curious.

They had just been shown into a private room and were settling into their seats when Wei Bo brought A’Han in. Catching sight of Qin Yao, A’Han gave an open, artless smile. “A’Yao.”

Liu Bingyu had just been drinking tea and nearly choked. She set her teacup down hurriedly, pressed a handkerchief to her face, and suppressed the coughing fit with great effort.

Wang Yingning, puzzled, patted her on the back. “Drink more slowly.”

Qin Yao went forward and settled her senior martial brother in a seat, then asked, “Were you alone in the temple? How is it that you didn’t go out with Master?”

A’Han scratched the back of his head. “Master went out on some errand and said it was inconvenient to take me along, so he left me in the temple to look after things.”

Liu Bingyu, having recovered from her coughing, quietly set down her handkerchief and fixed her gaze on A’Han’s every move, not even daring to breathe too loudly.

She thought to herself: though there was something rather guileless about him, his features were quite inexplicably striking — and there was a quality in his every movement, a kind of vigorous, free-spirited air, unlike any young man of the noble families she had ever encountered.

Qin Yao, noting Liu Bingyu’s strange fidgeting, had no time to ponder the reason. She made introductions between the two parties, exchanged courtesies, and then had the proprietor bring up the dishes.

Liu Bingyu, wanting to strike up a friendship with A’Han, lingered and stalled after the meal, reluctant to leave. She noticed that A’Han shared her own enthusiasm for good food and seemed equally devoted to what was on the table. On a sudden impulse, she recalled a small packet of plum blossom sweets she had tucked into her sleeve. She brought it out and, blushing, quietly passed it to A’Han.

A’Han had an excellent memory. He had seen Liu Bingyu a few times before and knew she was his junior martial sister’s classmate. Without any ceremony, he accepted the sweets with a smile. “Thank you.”

Liu Bingyu quietly pressed her lips together in a suppressed smile. Without calling any attention to it, she shifted herself a little closer to him and asked, “Are you called A’Han? My name is A’Yu.”

A’Han nodded. “I am A’Han. A’Yu younger sister, you and my junior martial sister are classmates, yes?”

Liu Bingyu felt that those words “A’Yu younger sister” were quite the most pleasing she had ever heard. She raised her eyes to look at him and said, “You’ve rescued me twice already — you should have known I was A’Yao’s classmate some time ago.”

She continued, “I’ve heard that your temple makes a delicacy called Three-Flavour Fruits that is absolutely delicious, and that eating them around the time of the Dragon Boat Festival protects one’s eyesight and wards off insects — is that true?”

And so the two of them began chatting away, entirely oblivious to everyone else at the table, until Qin Yao and Wang Yingning looked at each other blankly, their food completely forgotten.

And not only those two — when Qing Xuzi barged into the private room despite the proprietor’s attempts to block him, he happened to catch sight of Liu Bingyu taking a crumpled little packet of Three-Flavour Fruits from A’Han’s hands, her face shyly alight. His expression darkened at once. “A’Han!” he said sternly.