After moving to the riverside retreat, the mosquitoes were fewer, the breeze was cooler, and Shen Zhuxi slept much better.

Pity that nothing in life is ever entirely perfect. Now that she was living in the bamboo hut, getting into town had become inconvenient. She had originally made deliveries to Heliu Hall every five or six days; now it had become once every fifteen or sixteen days. Whenever one of the Li brothers needed to go into town on business, she would ask them to take her along and make the journey together.

The temperature had fully shifted from early summer into the thick of midsummer. Shen Zhuxi didn’t feel it much at the bamboo hut, but today, heading into town to deliver her goods, she felt the full force of the summer heat in town.

“Sister-in-law, once you’ve finished your errand, come back to the town gate and I’ll wait for you here. If I’m late getting back, please feel free to find the nearest tea stall to wait for me.” Li Que had a gleam of sweat across his forehead, and he wiped it away with his sleeve, taking care to give her clear instructions.

“Understood — go ahead and take care of your own business.” Shen Zhuxi said quickly.

Li Que flashed her a broad grin and stood where he was, waiting until she walked away.

After the two of them parted ways, Shen Zhuxi carried a stack of freshly painted stationery cards to Heliu Hall. The shopkeeper was slumped listlessly in a rattan chair, right hand waving a rush-leaf fan in long, vigorous sweeps.

“Shopkeeper, I’ve brought three sets of stationery cards. How did the previous ones sell?” Shen Zhuxi stepped across the threshold and came to stand at the counter.

The shopkeeper lifted heavy, languid eyelids and gave her a glance, then did not move — only the rush-leaf fan in his hand went on waving with energy.

“Sold out entirely. The magistrate’s son picked up two more sets for a friend of his in West City County.” The shopkeeper said. “He wants to place a custom order with you — one set with peonies, one with famous mountain scenes. Name your price; what do you think?”

Shen Zhuxi thought it over briefly, then said, “I’m not nearly as experienced as you, Shopkeeper — what price do you think I should ask?”

Flattered into a slight upturn of the mouth, the shopkeeper paused the fan in his hand and said, “Since it’s a custom order, the price will naturally be different. Thirty taels a set should be about right.”

“Then I’ll leave the details in your capable hands.” Shen Zhuxi said with a smile. “I’ll have the two custom sets ready and delivered before the end of the month.”

The shopkeeper gave a nod and said nothing further.

Seeing how the heat had robbed him of any desire to talk, Shen Zhuxi left the stationery cards and took her leave.

She stepped out of Heliu Hall and walked slowly along the riverside. At the far end of where the jade-green river ran swift and full, the Golden Belt Pavilion stood against a brilliant blue sky — its gilded surfaces gleaming. The distinguished personage who had lived there was gone now, and the pavilion’s countless windows had all been shut.

Shen Zhuxi looked at all those tightly closed latticed windows and felt, without quite knowing why, a pang of quiet loneliness — the feeling of a place grown cold after its guests have departed.

These days in Yutou County, she felt as though she had been cut off from the rest of the world entirely. It was a good place to be, but she also wanted to know what was happening in the turning vortex of this troubled age.

What was the Crown Prince doing? Had plans been made to restore the kingdom? What were the next steps?

Did they still have any hope of returning to that imperial city behind its red walls and green-tiled roofs?

Here in Yutou Town, she lived like a girl from a mountain village — carefree and cheerful. But she could not forget, must not forget, that she was still a princess of Great Yan.

“Hey there, passing beauty — care to buy some pig trotters or fine wine?”

Jiu Niang’s voice brought her back to herself. She realized she had drifted, without noticing, right past the entrance to Jiu Niang’s tavern.

Jiu Niang was wearing a vibrant pomegranate-red skirt, her chest half-exposed, her waist cinched tight. The confident sensuality she put on open display was enough to make Shen Zhuxi’s own cheeks warm, even as a woman looking at another woman. Jiu Niang leaned against the counter cracking melon seeds, watching Shen Zhuxi with an expression that was somewhere between a smile and something else entirely.

Shen Zhuxi gave a slightly embarrassed smile. “I’m not here to buy wine or dishes today.”

Jiu Niang said with a playful pout, “Then come in and keep me company for a little while. In this heat, nobody comes out during the day, and I can’t find a single soul to share a few words with.”

Shen Zhuxi figured there was no great hurry, and stepped inside the tavern. Jiu Niang greeted her warmly with a dish of soy-braised edamame and proceeded to talk without pause.

From one household to the next, from Lord Zhao’s scandalous goings-on to the discovery of Miss Ma rolling around with a man out in the fields — it ran the full range: all-encompassing, shocking, and enough to fill anyone with astonishment.

“How do you know all of this?” Shen Zhuxi said in amazement.

“Don’t forget what business I’m in.” Jiu Niang said with a cunning smile. “There’s no wall without a crack in it — and no man too drunk to keep his mouth shut.”

After leaving Jiu Niang’s, Shen Zhuxi’s stomach was fuller not only with a dish of edamame but with a great many secrets that had opened up her eyes to the wider world.

The world was vast and contained everything imaginable. It turned out there were things even more unexpected than the secret relationships between eunuchs and palace maids…

Having visited Jiu Niang, Shen Zhuxi felt she should not show favoritism, and decided to stop in and call on Sui Rui as well.

When she arrived at Sui’s Chicken Shop, the one minding the store was a young shop hand in a plain cloth jacket and short trousers. He looked her up and down twice and said, “Our young mistress isn’t in.”

“When will she be back?” Shen Zhuxi asked.

“I couldn’t say.” The shop hand shook his head and pulled up his sleeve to wipe the sweat streaming down his face. “The young mistress went out about an hour ago, I’d say. She might be back soon.”

The chicken shop was stifling — with the fire going in the stove, it was practically a second sun set on the ground.

Shen Zhuxi stood in the doorway and waited a while, but couldn’t hold out for long. She took her leave politely and asked the shop hand to pass along her regards to Sui Rui. The shop hand responded with an absent-minded acknowledgement.

She walked out of Sui’s Chicken Shop and headed toward the town gate where they had agreed to meet.

The main street was busy with people coming and going, but anyone out in this weather was there on business — everyone moved at a brisk pace, and not a single person strolled along without purpose. Shen Zhuxi had years of ingrained habits that made it impossible for her to walk with quick, forceful strides. She also felt the heat, yet her unhurried, measured pace made her appear to be the most at ease person on the entire street.

And it was precisely because of that pace that, as Shen Zhuxi was passing by a narrow alley, she caught sight of a familiar figure at the far end of it.

The very person she had been looking for — Sui Rui — stood alone in the alley with her back to the street’s foot traffic, now tilting her head up toward the sky, now raising a hand to wipe her face.

Puzzled, Shen Zhuxi could not help but walk into the alley.

“Miss Sui…”

Sui Rui startled and looked over at her by reflex — and it was only then that Shen Zhuxi saw the tears shining on her face.

Sui Rui hurriedly turned away to wipe them off, and her whole body turned away with the movement. Shen Zhuxi felt her own panic rising — though she didn’t know what had made Sui Rui cry, whatever could reduce someone as bold and free-spirited as Sui Rui to tears was certainly no small matter.

Without stopping to think, she stepped quickly to Sui Rui’s side.

“Miss Sui, are you all right?”

Sui Rui stood with her back to Shen Zhuxi, saying nothing, wiping at her tears.

Shen Zhuxi quickly pulled a embroidered handkerchief from her own person and held it out. Sui Rui hesitated a moment, then took it.

“Miss Sui…” Shen Zhuxi paused, choosing her words carefully. “Didn’t you tell me just a few days ago — if I ever ran into trouble, I could come find you? I didn’t stand on ceremony, so how is it that you’re standing on ceremony with me now?”

Sui Rui held the handkerchief and quietly dabbed at her swollen, reddened eyes.

Shen Zhuxi did not press her to explain. She stood beside her in that narrow little alley and gently patted her on the back.

“It’s all right. Don’t cry…”

Sui Rui bit down on her lip, then suddenly said, “Do I… really smell that strongly of roasted chicken?”

Shen Zhuxi was caught off guard. “Who said that? I never noticed any such smell on you!”

“…You don’t have to comfort me.” Sui Rui said, her voice muffled.

“I’m truly not comforting you.” Shen Zhuxi went on to clarify, “The time I saw you at Sister Zhou’s house, you smelled like the clean fragrance of herbal soap.”

“That’s because I had changed my clothes before going.” Sui Rui said, her voice catching in her throat.

“If changing your clothes gets rid of the smell, doesn’t that prove the smell comes from the clothes and not from you yourself?” Shen Zhuxi said with certainty. “Spending all day working around roasted chicken — even the Moon Goddess herself would pick up the scent of roasted chicken. Isn’t it as simple as changing your clothes?”

There were a few more things in Shen Zhuxi’s heart that she did not say aloud.

She spent all day around ducks, sparrows, and eagles, and felt that she herself was turning into some kind of wild bird — the things that came out of her mouth these days were quite rough and unladylike. In the past — she would never have spoken in such a coarse way.

Such is the principle of like following like — it happens naturally, without effort.

Sui Rui spent her days with roasted chickens; it was only natural that she’d carry a faint trace of roasted chicken on her. Why would that be cause for tears?

Shen Zhuxi hesitated. “Was it something someone said?”

“Wen Youzhi said I didn’t just smell like roasted chicken myself — even the writing paper I’d used reeked of roasted chicken…” The tears Sui Rui had just finished wiping away came rushing back across her cheeks.

“That’s absolute nonsense!” Shen Zhuxi burst out, the words escaping before she could stop them.

Sui Rui looked up at her in surprise.

Shen Zhuxi felt the awkwardness of having just blurted out something so blunt, and gave a light cough before continuing in a gentler tone: “Even if your clothes carry a faint trace of roasted chicken, once you change into fresh ones you’re perfectly clean and fresh — and writing paper certainly hasn’t been anywhere near chicken grease, so how could it possibly smell of roasted chicken? What he said makes no sense whatsoever. Miss Sui should not take it to heart.”

He looks like a man of some education — and yet he could behave so boorishly!

Shen Zhuxi paused, then asked just to be sure: “Did he say it directly to you?”

“I overheard him — he was mocking me to two friends of his by the roadside, and he also brought up the fact that I had written to him.” Sui Rui wiped her tears and said, still catching her breath, “You came from the palace — do you know any recipes for scented body treatments that the consorts used?”

Shen Zhuxi did know some such recipes. Court ladies had all the time in the world and nothing to do — apart from palace intrigues, they occupied themselves with beauty and body-scenting matters. She had happened to hear of several formulas used by favored consorts.

“That’s easy to sort out. Wipe your eyes dry, and I’ll go back to the shop with you and write it down for you.” Shen Zhuxi said.

With her reassurance, Sui Rui gradually stopped crying. Once Sui Rui had calmed, Shen Zhuxi walked her back to Sui’s Chicken Shop. The shop hand took one look at his young mistress’s swollen red eyes and made himself scarce by slipping off to the back kitchen.

“Here — write it down.” Sui Rui pulled a slip of paper about the size of a palm from beneath the counter and handed it to Shen Zhuxi.

Shen Zhuxi took the paper and brush and wrote down the body-scenting formulas she remembered from Consort Jin and Noble Consort Feng.

“I’m not sure whether all the ingredients in these formulas can be found in town. If you can’t put together the recipe, let me know and I’ll think of another way.” Shen Zhuxi said.

“Don’t worry about that — I know a group of traveling merchants, and I’ll definitely be able to get everything on the list!” Sui Rui looked at the formula with delighted surprise, then raised her eyes to Shen Zhuxi with genuine gratitude. “I’m noting this favor. If you need anything in the future, I’ll do whatever I can to help!”

“It’s the least I could do—” Shen Zhuxi ventured cautiously, “Would Miss Sui be willing, for my sake, to let go of the wrong Li Wu did you in the past?”

Sui Rui blinked, and looked at Shen Zhuxi again — as though only in that moment remembering that the woman before her was the wife of the person she detested most.

She thought it over and said, “Since you’ve put it that way… what happened before — let’s consider it settled.”

Shen Zhuxi lit up, her smile spreading across her face. “Miss Sui, thank you so much for your generosity!”

“…What kind of luck does Li Wu have, to marry a woman like you?” Sui Rui muttered.

“Li Wu is actually quite good…” Shen Zhuxi thought of all the mischief Li Wu had gotten up to before, along with the way he was currently making money — something she couldn’t exactly speak of aloud — and added quietly, “He treats me quite well.”

“Oh, that’s just love being blind. You think Li Wu is wonderful in every way.” Sui Rui shook her head.

Sui Rui was in a hurry to go to Suxin Hall to gather the medicinal ingredients on the body-scenting formula. After bidding her goodbye, Shen Zhuxi set off in the opposite direction.

She had barely taken two steps when a graceful, willowy figure stepped into her path.

“Madam Li, I have long heard your name.” the woman said softly.

Shen Zhuxi looked at the beautiful stranger before her in surprise and puzzlement.

A delicate oval face, brows that seemed perpetually furrowed yet not quite so, a pair of luminous eyes rippling with sorrow — the upper lids drooping slightly to cover a small portion of the irises, like half-opened phoenix eyes, classical and distinctive.

“…And you are?” Shen Zhuxi said in confusion.

“My name is Li Qingman. I am from this town. I have long heard that Madam Li is refined and elegant, possessed of both virtue and beauty. Seeing you today, I find that it is true.” Li Qingman said with a smile.

The name Li Qingman was well-known to Shen Zhuxi too — she had heard it like a clap of thunder in her ears.

Was this not the very woman Jiu Niang could not stand? She had heard that Li Qingman had once harbored feelings for Li Wu, though Li Wu had never responded to them.

Everything Li Qingman had just said would have applied just as fittingly to Li Qingman herself. Shen Zhuxi had long heard she was a beauty, but seeing her in person for the first time, she truly understood — Li Qingman was a great beauty of exceptional caliber!

Even placed among the parade of beauties in the imperial harem, Li Qingman’s looks would have been entirely their own — utterly distinctive.

Li Wu had actually turned down a woman like this? Shen Zhuxi stared in stunned disbelief: what was going through his mind?!

“I was just passing through a moment ago and caught sight of Miss Sui crying in the alley. I was about to go in and ask what was the matter, when Madam Li stepped in before me.” Li Qingman said with a smile. “To be honest, I was worried that Miss Sui had run into some trouble, so I did not leave immediately — and ended up overhearing your conversation.”

Shen Zhuxi was unsure what she was getting at, and cautiously held back from responding.

Li Qingman was undisturbed by this. She continued on in her even, composed way: “I saw how indignant Madam Li was, and as a woman myself, I feel exactly the same. Tomorrow at this time, I will find a way to give young Master Wen a small lesson — it will be on behalf of all of us women.”

“You intend to teach Wen Youzhi a lesson?” Shen Zhuxi said in astonishment.

“Someone with poor conduct and character will naturally be taught a lesson by others. All we need to do is sit back and enjoy the show.” Li Qingman said with a smile. “If the performance pleases Madam Li, there is one thing I would like to ask of you.”

“What is it?”

“The body-scenting formula Madam Li just gave to Miss Sui — might I have a copy?”

Without waiting for Shen Zhuxi to answer, Li Qingman spoke again to preempt her.

“Madam Li need not answer me now. Wait until after the show has run its course, then decide.”

She smiled and dipped into a graceful curtsy, the back of her neck pale as snow, like a branch of pear blossoms after rain.

Li Qingman took her leave with unhurried elegance. Shen Zhuxi watched her retreating figure with complicated feelings:

Such a beautiful woman, and Li Wu didn’t want her — could it be that he was holding out to marry a celestial immortal?