Qin Yao had spent several days at home waiting for Lin Xiao to return, but instead of his arrival, what came was Yi Consort’s birthday celebration.

The entire court knew that Yi Consort held a singular place in His Majesty’s heart, having enjoyed his boundless favor for many years. The son and daughter she had borne him were also greatly beloved by the Emperor, and so, several days before the banquet, the wives and female relatives of countless princes and high officials had already begun pulling strings and finding every means possible to send birthday gifts to Yi Consort.

Wishing to see Lin Xiao as soon as possible, Qin Yao entered the palace early that morning under the pretense of paying her respects to Yi Consort on her birthday. Arriving at Yongshou Palace, she found that besides Kangping and Princess Derong, mother and daughter, many noble ladies and officials’ wives had also gathered, all seated below Yi Consort’s place of honor, some stiff and formal, others familiar and easy, offering their various words of congratulation.

The Emperor’s attendant, Eunuch Mi, was also present, smiling as he presented the Emperor’s gifts one by one for Yi Consort to view.

Qin Yao paid her respects to Yi Consort and presented a carved white jade Guanyin figurine as her birthday gift.

Yi Consort smiled and beckoned her to sit nearby, then studied her carefully. She saw that Qin Yao’s skin was as lustrous and fair as a snow pear, her bright eyes naturally carrying a hint of a smile, and her every movement radiating a captivating vitality. The more she looked, the more she liked what she saw, and she asked warmly: “I haven’t seen you these past few days — what have you been keeping busy with at home?”

Qin Yao smiled and replied: “My elder brother became engaged a short while ago. Fearing that Father and Mother might have too much to manage, I made several trips back to my family home.”

Yi Consort paused in surprise. “How forgetful of me — I knew that Minister Wang had betrothed Yingning to that great talent Qu Ziyu, but I nearly forgot that Lord Qu is your own elder brother.”

She laughed softly and let out a small sigh, deliberately lowering her voice so that her words would not drift to other ears. “I don’t say this without reason — Wang Yingning is a girl of fine appearance and even finer character. Were it not for those two betrothals that fell through when she was young, leaving her with that undeserved reputation for being unlucky in marriage, how could she have been kept waiting until now without a proper match? In my view, there are precious few noble daughters in all of Chang’an who can compare with Yingning. What kind of gentleman would she not be worthy of? It is to your brother’s credit that he is a true dragon among men — otherwise, I doubt Minister Wang would have been willing to entrust his daughter to him.”

Qin Yao noticed that Yi Consort’s words carried the occasional trace of regret. She recalled what Lin Xiao had once mentioned — that the Emperor and Yi Consort both favored Wang Yingning as a prospective Crown Princess — and it seemed that had not been an idle remark. She smiled demurely and said: “When I think about it, it truly is a happy coincidence. Yingning and I were classmates who always got along splendidly. Back then, seeing how exceptional she was in both talent and appearance, I often wondered who would be fortunate enough to take her as his wife someday — little did I imagine that one day she would become my sister-in-law.”

Yi Consort laughed along with her. “The bond between classmates is among the most precious of all. I’m sure that from now on, you two as sisters-in-law will get along beautifully. By the way, when is your brother’s wedding set for?”

“The fifth month of next year,” Qin Yao replied.

Throughout this exchange, Xia Fen sat upright to one side, smiling softly as she listened to Yi Consort and Qin Yao converse.

Princess Derong sat beside her daughter. Her gaze toward Qin Yao was cool and detached, and after listening to only a few exchanges, she turned to speak with the Marchioness of Weiyuan instead.

Qin Yao had been hoping all along that Lin Xiao would come to Yongshou Palace to find her, but it was not until the evening banquet opened at Taiye Pool that Lin Xiao finally handed off his duties to his subordinates and came to attend the feast.

By then, the Emperor and the Crown Prince were already seated, laughing and exchanging drinks.

Prince Wu and Xia Fen, husband and wife, knelt before Yi Consort in the hall and paid their respects. Kangping, not to be outdone, pulled Feng Boyu along with a cheerful smile and also offered birthday greetings to her mother, presenting a carefully prepared gift.

Qin Yao had been keeping her attention fixed on the main doors the whole time. Hearing the palace attendant announce a new arrival, she looked toward the entrance and saw Lin Xiao walk in. He had changed out of his Imperial Guard armor and now wore a deep red-ochre official’s robe, his hair bound with a jade-green crown and his waist cinched with a black sash. His bearing was imposing and impeccable from head to foot — save for one thing: at his waist, hanging alongside his qilin jade pendant, was a small pouch that looked decidedly plain and shabby by comparison.

Qin Yao naturally recognized that pouch as something she herself had sewn. Ever since she had given it to Lin Xiao, he had worn it like a treasured keepsake, never willing to take it off. On ordinary days when he dressed in his usual clothes it was unremarkable enough, but today, against his formal attire, the pouch looked rather out of place.

She gave a slightly embarrassed sigh. She had already poured every ounce of effort she had into making that pouch — twelve parts effort and more — yet looking at it now, it seemed she would need to devote herself further and make Lin Xiao a finer and more delicate one.

Lin Xiao paid his respects to Yi Consort and offered a few words of birthday congratulation. Yi Consort smiled and said: “You really are too much of a stickler for propriety. After a full day of hard work, I can’t imagine how tired you must be, and yet here you are, so formal and by-the-book. Come, sit down and rest. Your wife came long ago — let her pour you a cup of wine first to chase away the cold.”

Hearing this from where she sat nearby, Qin Yao rose at once with a smile and assented. Lin Xiao came and sat beside Qin Yao. Seeing that she wore only a padded half-cape over her skirt, and though the hall was warmed by braziers he still worried she might catch a chill, he reached beneath his sleeve and gently squeezed her hand, asking quietly: “Are you cold?”

Qin Yao had not seen Lin Xiao for several days and had been missing him terribly. Unable to help herself, she raised her eyes to look at him carefully, and said in a soft, smiling voice: “I’m not cold.”

Then she poured a cup of the wine she had already had warmed and handed it to him. “Have a cup first to warm yourself.”

Lin Xiao took it and drank, then glanced at Qin Yao and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear: “Things have been busy these past few days. I’ll come back to the residence tonight.” Qin Yao’s gaze shimmered with warmth, and she smiled, pressing her lips together: “Mm.”

Lin Xiao turned his head to look at her. Seeing the corners of her mouth lifted high in unmistakable delight, his heart warmed, and without thinking, he found himself smiling along with her.

Directly across sat Prince Wu and Xia Fen, husband and wife. Prince Wu took a sip of wine and was just turning to say something to his wife when he found Xia Fen staring at Qin Yao with an expressionless face. Looking closer, he could make out something stirring in her eyes — a dim, indefinable hostility.

He was quietly startled. He suddenly recalled that on several past occasions, whenever Qu Qin Yao happened to be mentioned, Xia Fen had always called her simply “A’Yao” — never once “Eleventh Sister-in-Law” — as though she were utterly unwilling to acknowledge Qu Qin Yao’s current standing. A puzzled feeling arose in him. Could it be that the two of them had had some falling-out back during their time at the academy? Otherwise, why would his wife take such obvious exception to Qu Qin Yao?

Xia Fen snapped back to herself and caught, out of the corner of her eye, that Prince Wu was watching her. Suddenly realizing she had lost her composure, she hastily pressed a handkerchief to her lips and gave a small cough, then looked up as if she had only just noticed Prince Wu’s gaze, saying gently: “Seventh Brother, this wine is still a little cold — it’s made my stomach uncomfortable.”

Prince Wu studied Xia Fen with a thoughtful expression, and after a long moment, he nodded and said: “Don’t drink too much. I’ll speak with Mother later and have you sent home to rest early.”

Xia Fen reached out and took his hand, offering him a soft, gentle smile, and shook her head. “It’s rare that Mother is so happy today — how could I leave before she’s enjoyed herself fully? I’ll be fine. Physician Liu prescribed some pills for me the other day. I’ll have Leng Xiang bring them for me to take in a little while.”

Prince Wu smiled and said, “You always know what’s right. I’ve put you through trouble.” Then he said no more.

Before long, a troupe of performers entered and offered their arts, playing a birthday congratulatory song on the pipa for Yi Consort. Under cover of the music and laughter, Qin Yao quietly asked Lin Xiao: “Shall we go to Dali Temple this evening?”

Lin Xiao squeezed her hand beneath the table and said in a low voice: “The body of the female official Lu has already been claimed by her kinsman. She is no longer at Dali Temple.”

As he finished speaking, he noticed a plate of chrysanthemum shortcake on the small table before them — Qin Yao’s longtime favorite — and personally picked up his chopsticks to lift a piece and bring it to her lips.

Qin Yao’s mind was still lingering on Lin Xiao’s words about the body being “claimed by a kinsman,” and for a moment she forgot to refuse. She ate from Lin Xiao’s hand without thinking.

Then from above, Yi Consort’s laughter rang out: “Your Majesty, do you still remember what I said to you? Though this child Weijin is not one for many words, his heart is gentle and devoted. Just look at how he treats A’Yao — he truly dotes on her to the very bone.”

The moment those words left her mouth, countless eyes swept toward the pair from every corner of the hall, their expressions varying widely. After a brief moment of silence, everyone followed Yi Consort’s lead and broke into cheerful laughter and remarks: “Young couples should be exactly this affectionate with each other.”

Qin Yao’s face flushed red. Lin Xiao, for his part, continued eating with perfect composure.

Only Feng Boyu kept his head bowed throughout, quietly drinking his wine, not once glancing in the direction of the two.

Kangping noticed him draining cup after cup without stopping and, fearing he would get drunk, pressed down on his wine cup and urged: “If you keep drinking, your head will ache again.”

Feng Boyu forced a smile and retrieved the cup from Kangping’s hand, saying quietly: “I know my own limits. It’s a rare occasion to be happy today — let me drink freely. Even if I get drunk, it doesn’t matter.”

On the other side, Xia Fen had been watching this with clear eyes. She let her gaze linger on Feng Boyu for a thoughtful moment before finally turning to smile and say to Kangping: “The Prince Consort always knows his own measure. Rather than trying to stop him, why not join him in toasting Mother a few more times?”

Kangping could do nothing but concede.

As the banquet grew ever more lively, Lin Xiao worried that Qin Yao might feel stifled by the noise and crowd, so he took his leave for a moment, helped her drape her cloak about her shoulders, and led her outside.

Qin Yao had a belly full of questions she had been waiting to ask Lin Xiao. Walking to the side of the terrace, she could see that the nearest palace attendants were all standing more than a zhang away. She leaned against the railing, tilted her head up, and asked Lin Xiao: “The case of female official Lu has dragged on for so long — how did it close without so much as a whisper?”

Lin Xiao reached up to tuck a wisp of loose hair behind her ear and said: “It was ruled a ‘self-hanging’ from the start, so Dali Temple couldn’t find anything more to pursue no matter how long it dug, and had no choice but to close the case. That said, from my point of view, even if her body were still at Dali Temple, we shouldn’t go to examine it — we’d risk startling the snake in the grass. It’s better to approach this from another angle.”

“Startling the snake in the grass?” Qin Yao’s expression became grave. “Why would you say that? Has someone been watching the Lu female official’s case all along?”

Lin Xiao exhaled and said with clear-eyed certainty: “The night we discovered that something was wrong with the academy, Lu female official didn’t hang herself the night before, nor the night after — she chose that very night. And after it happened, the academy was placed under lockdown. By the time we went back to investigate, every trace of the sinister energy inside the academy had been swept clean without a remnant. Think carefully about what that series of events actually means.”

Qin Yao furrowed her brow and thought for a moment, then said in astonishment: “Are you saying someone deliberately used the killing to shut the academy down for a period of time?”

Lin Xiao met Qin Yao’s gaze with a grave expression. “If Lu female official was truly murdered by someone, then the person behind it clearly did not want any suspicion falling on the academy. They were willing to kill in order to buy the time and opportunity to conceal the sinister energy within it once more. A’Yao, I’m afraid your earlier suspicions were correct on all counts. Not only is something wrong with the academy — whatever it is, for reasons we don’t yet understand, it is gradually slipping out of that person’s control.”

Slipping out of… control?

A chill crept down Qin Yao’s back. Looking at Lin Xiao’s expression, more serious than she had ever seen it, her heart began to pound wildly.