The beauty sat up straight with a pale face — she stopped pouring the wine, stopped casting sidelong glances, and sat with her hands folded and her eyes lowered, more proper than any respectable woman could ever be.

Li Wu turned to the maidservant standing behind him and said: “This one, this one, and that one over there — pack me several boxes of each. And that thing they were drinking at the military council earlier — that Huangshan Maofeng — give me some of that too. I’m taking it back for my wife and younger brother.”

The maidservant gave him a startled look, then acknowledged and departed. After some time, she returned with several food boxes and two cakes of pressed tea.

Li Wu picked everything up and cheerfully went to take his leave of Li Qia.

Li Qia, pleasantly flushed with wine, color high in his cheeks, and in high spirits, looked up to see Li Wu arriving laden with a large collection of parcels and making his farewells. He said with displeasure: “It’s already late. Prefect Li may as well spend the night here and set off with me in the morning.”

“No, thank you — my wife is certainly waiting for me. If I head back now, I can still make it in time to drink this Huangshan Maofeng with her first thing in the morning.”

Li Qia made no effort to conceal a slight frown. His gaze swept over the many parcels in Li Wu’s hands, and with an expression of barely concealed disdain, he turned away and resumed conversation with the others.

Li Wu paid him no mind. He offered a casual bow of his own accord and turned to walk out of the main courtyard — which Li Qia had renamed “Lizi Garden” — of what had once been the prefectural residence.

Under a high night sky, Li Kun and Li Que had the carriage ready and waiting at the front gate.

After Li Wu boarded, Li Que took the reins and set the carriage moving. Li Kun climbed into the carriage and wasted no time in opening the snacks Li Wu had brought.

After tearing through his share with the force of a whirlwind, Li Kun reached out to make a grab for the remaining food boxes. Li Wu gave the back of his hand a sharp smack.

“That’s for your sister-in-law and your little brother,” Li Wu said.

Li Kun drew his hand back with sour reluctance.

Departing Junzhou, Li Wu presented his pass bearing the name “Li Zhuzong” and cleared the Junzhou city defenses without incident.

“The name Big Brother chose is truly brilliant — easy to say, easy to remember,” Li Que said from the driver’s seat, turning his head back. “The young guard at the gate heard Big Brother’s name and waved us through without even checking the pass.”

“Your ancestor… your ancestor…” Li Kun muttered, clapping his hands.

“That spineless Li Qia — strutting around putting on airs in front of me, and all because he’s scared of Chunyu An making a move. The moment I brought up changing my name, he agreed on the spot.” Li Wu leaned back against the side of the carriage, long legs sprawled out wide like an open pair of scissors, and laughed with cold contempt. “He was drowsy and needed a pillow, and I walked right in with one.”

“Big Brother’s letter — so cleverly crafted, so skillfully turning the situation to advantage — truly left your younger brother in awe,” Li Que said admiringly. “Li Qia surely never imagined that Big Brother’s agreeing to change his name was not for Li Qia’s benefit at all — but because Big Brother thinks several steps ahead and had deeper reasons!”

“It’s for the Little Pig! For the Little Pig!” Li Kun jumped in, eager to be first. “Afraid someone will steal the Little Pig!”

“Listen to how you talk. When have I ever been afraid of anyone!” Li Wu gave Li Kun a swat on the head. Li Kun let out a yelp and looked at him with wounded, sulky eyes.

“You said it yourself… hitting Diao’er for no reason…”

“Did I say that?” Li Wu looked toward Li Que. “Did you hear me say that?”

Li Que shook his head without hesitation: “Never heard it. Second Brother had better not make such groundless accusations — Big Brother is as brave as they come, afraid of no one.”

Li Wu immediately picked up the newly acquired phrase and aimed it at Li Kun: “Groundless accusations again and I’ll hit you.”

Li Kun, unable to get a word in edgewise, glared bitterly at his treacherous brother and turned his massive frame away to sulk at the wall in silence.

“The famous go, the fat pig gets eaten — it’s wisdom passed down from the old ones. What if that Li spineless head passes my name to that top dog among dogs? What if that top dog has already heard of me? What if he gets a notion and sends someone to look into me…” Li Wu said. “One more name is one more way out.”

“Has Big Brother told Sister-in-law about the alias?” Li Que asked.

“Don’t tell her.” Li Wu shook his head. “She’ll just think she’s caused me trouble and spend the day sighing and stewing over it by herself.”

Knowing this little fool as he did — she would probably decide, to save him the inconvenience, to lock herself away and not step outside at all.

That being so — changing his own name was far less hassle.

“Big Brother is devoted and considerate — planning ahead, acting only when the moment is right. Your younger brother is deeply impressed!” Li Que said with heartfelt admiration. “In this day and age, someone as thorough as Big Brother is a rare thing indeed!”

“You flatter me — there are others like that, just not many,” Li Wu said modestly.

“Not only is Big Brother both brave and wise, he is also a man of genuine humility — which makes your younger brother all the more impressed!”

You pay a compliment, I graciously demur; you dare to say it, I dare to believe it — this back-and-forth of mutual admiration echoed merrily through the carriage.

Li Kun sulked in the corner, drawing invisible circles on the wall: no one was coming to comfort him… he missed the Little Pig.

……

“It’s raining —”

Startled cries rang out, and in an instant the courtyard was thrown into chaos.

The chrysanthemum-viewing banquet that had been half underway was hastily brought to an end. Shen Zhuxi moved to help the servants carry in the potted chrysanthemums from the courtyard. The household staff, encountering for the first time a mistress so easy to approach, were flustered — one insisting she should not help, the other insisting she would — and the courtyard descended into even greater confusion.

The majority prevailed over the minority, and Shen Zhuxi was banished to the covered walkway. From there she watched as the household staff carried the potted flowers back under the eaves one by one.

And so her solitary chrysanthemum-viewing gathering simply moved indoors and started again.

Beneath the deep eaves, beads of rain fell in curtains. A canopy of stars and a crescent moon towered above the roofline. Chrysanthemums of every color swayed softly in the gentle night rain. Shen Zhuxi leaned on the windowsill and gazed with quiet feeling at this first rain of autumn.

Her personal maidservant, Meiniang, steadied her arm and looked up at the eaves alongside her — only to find herself thoroughly puzzled.

“My Lady, what are you looking at?”

“This rain — I’ve been hoping for it so long, and at last it’s come,” Shen Zhuxi said.

“Oh — that’s what Madam is thinking about!” Meiniang said with sudden understanding. She looked again at the rain falling from the eaves, and found herself seeing it differently. “That’s wonderful — a famine like last year won’t happen again now!”

“Indeed — everyone can rest easy,” Shen Zhuxi said with a smile, “and you won’t have to be separated from me again.”

Meiniang broke into an excited, happy smile.

For Shen Zhuxi’s sake — so she could settle comfortably into life in Xiangzhou — Li Wu had arranged every detail of the household, including bringing Meiniang back from Xuzhou to serve as her personal maidservant.

When war and chaos descended on Xuzhou, Meiniang’s parents had sold her — not yet of age — to a rebel officer for a single ingot of silver, to be his concubine. After the officer fell in battle, Meiniang managed to escape. By the time Li Wu’s men came to bring her back, Meiniang’s parents had been on the verge of marrying her off to another widower past seventy, the bride price going toward matchmaking fees for an eligible younger brother.

Er’hu’s fan had come to rest against Meiniang’s father’s neck, the blade concealed within the folds pressing against the old man’s trembling throat. The silver meant to “engage” Meiniang’s services had been taken by Meiniang herself.

To prevent her parents from using their authority to compel her again, Meiniang had on the spot written out a deed of indenture and handed it to Er’hu.

After Er’hu brought Meiniang back, she was no longer the fish-seller’s daughter Meiniang — she was the personal maidservant of the Prefect’s wife, Meiniang.

The night deepened; the rain continued to fall in a soft, murmuring drizzle.

Li Wu, out on official business, had not yet returned.

Shen Zhuxi could not help but sigh.

Meiniang, who had been dozing on the couch, jolted wide awake. Seeing Shen Zhuxi still leaning on the windowsill, her gaze turned toward the gate, she said quickly: “My Lady should go ahead and sleep — the Master has gone to Junzhou, he may not be able to make it back tonight.”

What Meiniang said was not unreasonable. Shen Zhuxi reluctantly stepped away from the windowsill.

After washing and changing, she lay down on the wide and rather empty canopied bed and said to Meiniang, who had settled onto the daybed: “…What a pity — my pale green chrysanthemum is going to wilt. By the time he comes back tomorrow, he may not even get to see it.”

“What do you mean, not see it?”

A familiar voice made Shen Zhuxi spring upright, eyes snapping open.

Li Wu walked into the main bedroom, tall and straight in light armor. In both hands he carried food boxes, and two oil-paper-wrapped parcels hung from his arms. He set everything down on the round table one by one.

Meiniang, reading the situation, slipped quietly out of the room.

Shen Zhuxi got up and out of bed, intending to take the light armor from him as he removed it. Li Wu waved her off gently. “No need. It’s heavy.”

He draped the armor he had taken off over the dressing screen, dropped into the chair at the table, and drained the cup of tea on the table in one long drink, as though parched for a great while.

Drawing close, she caught a faint trace of wine on him.

“You’ve been drinking? Should I have the kitchen send something to settle your stomach?” Shen Zhuxi asked, concerned.

“Didn’t drink much,” Li Wu said, then asked in return: “Have you eaten?”

Shen Zhuxi had just been about to say that dinner was still sitting in her stomach — but some sudden, unclear inspiration struck her, and she said instead: “I have, but now I’m a bit hungry again.”

“Perfect timing — I brought you something to eat.” Li Wu said. “Let’s have a bit together before sleeping.”

Li Wu opened the food boxes one after another, revealing exquisite pastries arranged within.

“I’ll have someone warm them up,” Shen Zhuxi started to say — and before the words had fully left her mouth, Meiniang had already rushed in and carried the food boxes away.

“All hands and no thought — do you not know how to knock?” Li Wu straightened his face. “What if it was inconvenient in here?”

“I listened very carefully first, and it was completely convenient!” Meiniang retorted, unimpressed. “I’m going now — if there’s anything inconvenient you want to do, do it quickly!”

“…Nonsense — out with you!” Shen Zhuxi’s face went red, and she hastily pushed her out.

“And this thing — the Huangshan Maofeng — take it and brew a pot!” Li Wu quickly pushed the tea cakes toward her.

Meiniang, arms and hands full, tucked the tea cakes against her chest and dashed off like a whirlwind, looking for all the world as though a duck were nipping at her from behind.

“You’ve indulged her into this,” Li Wu said.

“She’s young. What’s there to hold against her?” Shen Zhuxi said.

“Then I’ll hold something against you.”

Li Wu leaned in, looping his long arm around her and pulling her against him.

“Shen Little Fool — did you miss me?”

Shen Zhuxi’s gaze wandered sideways, face flushing scarlet.

“I — I don’t know…”

“You don’t know?” Li Wu raised an eyebrow. “Then I’m getting a bad deal.”

“What bad deal are you getting?”

“I missed you terribly.”

Li Wu took her hand and pressed it to his face. Shen Zhuxi’s heart hammered wildly, her palm burning hot. She wanted badly to pull free of this state that had completely upended her composure — but Li Wu’s legs were wrapped around her like iron, not allowing her the slightest chance of escape.

Heavenly Mother above, she — she… no one had ever taught her how to handle a situation like this!

To distract herself — to calm her heartbeat a little — Shen Zhuxi cast about for a question to ask:

“What was discussed at the military council?”

“Nonsense. The whole damn thing was nothing but nonsense.” Li Wu’s brow knitted tight. “Everyone was fighting over who had more say in the allied forces — it almost came to blows right there. An army like this, and they expect to actually mount a successful counteroffensive — not a chance —”

Li Wu caught the anxious look on Shen Zhuxi’s face mid-sentence, and quickly added:

“A newly formed alliance always has friction — that’s normal. Once the court-appointed supreme commander arrives, everyone will fall into line, and things will settle down.”

“Who is the court-appointed supreme commander?” Shen Zhuxi asked curiously.

“Not known yet. Word is it’s someone close to the Emperor.” Li Wu shook his head. “Either way, it has nothing to do with me.”

The warmed pastries were brought out. Meiniang made herself as invisible as possible, making faces at Shen Zhuxi while sidling in, setting down the food and then bolting for the door like something was chasing her — as though, if she lingered a moment too long, a duck would come and peck her from behind.