Su Luoyun had reason to think as she did.

Just a few days prior, a fresh snowfall had blanketed the palace grounds. Su Luoyun and Han Yao, who had come into the palace for a visit, were in the warm pavilion of the imperial garden, eating pastries and watching the snowflakes drift lazily past the glass.

It was then that Han Xiao arrived as well. Ever since the young woman of the Zheng family had put him in his place and deflated his pride, Han Xiao had come to understand the true measure of his own poetic talents. Recalling how hollow the flattery showered on him at past banquets had really been, he had grown somewhat reluctant to venture out of the palace and face people, needing time to repair his wounded self-regard.

Now, even confronted with a fresh expanse of white snow, the once elegantly refined Han Xiao had not the slightest impulse to compose verse. He only grumbled that the palace servants had been slow to sweep the paths and had nearly caused him to slip and fall.

Han Yao looked at his dejected expression and teased him: “You are practically a married man — how is it that you have become so ordinary? Whenever it snowed before, you would always spend half a day reciting poems. Once you are wed and you and your new wife set up your own household, the two of you composing verses together — now that would truly be a match made in heaven!”

Han Xiao rolled his eyes so dramatically it seemed they might fall clean out of his head. “How would I dare show off my meager skill before the granddaughter of a great Confucian scholar? She would probably use her grandfather’s calligraphy brush to poke holes straight through my dignity.”

That remark sent Han Yao into a peal of laughter.

Han Xiao joined his sister-in-law and elder sister in appreciating the snow over tea, and when it came time to refill the cups, Huai Xia made a deliberate detour to pour for him.

In itself, this was nothing remarkable — except that Han Xiao looked down at his cup and said to Huai Xia: “You really are the most considerate one. Had I known, I never would have let you be transferred to my brother’s courtyard.”

Huai Xia’s face flushed red at those words. She stole a glance at the Crown Princess, then hastily stepped back and withdrew.

Su Luoyun maintained an unruffled expression outwardly, but she quietly glanced at Han Xiao’s teacup and noticed that a sweet preserved plum had been placed inside it.

Han Xiao drank tea but could not abide its astringent taste; he had always been fond of adding plums to sweeten it — a habit known only to the maidservants who attended him closely.

The fact that Huai Xia had done this was not without cause. Su Luoyun later asked Ji Qiu about it in passing and learned that Huai Xia had originally been a maidservant in Han Xiao’s courtyard before she accompanied Shizi to the capital.

When Shizi had set out for the capital at the time, Consort Wang, as the mistress of the household, had naturally needed to select close-attending maidservants for her eldest son. They could not be too young, either — after all, Han Linfeng was of that age, and it would not do for a man entering the capital to lack maidservants who could serve as chamber companions.

Moreover, Huai Xia was quite a beauty, and Consort Wang feared she might distract Han Xiao from his studies, so she transferred Huai Xia to Han Linfeng’s service instead.

At first, all the maidservants had been rather pleased about this. After all, Shizi was handsome, his bearing exceptional, and to become his concubine and half-mistress of the household seemed no bad fate.

What a pity that this particular Shizi, no matter how he caroused outside, returned home and cast not a single glance at any of the maidservants within his own household.

Huai Xia had once complained to Ji Qiu and the others: had she known things would turn out this way, she would rather have stayed with the Second Young Master.

After all, Han Xiao had been quite fond of Huai Xia before. Then Su Luoyun had entered the household, and the maidservants were reassigned to serve the Shizi’s wife.

Hearing all of this, Su Luoyun finally understood — so Huai Xia and the Second Prince had this prior history between them. No wonder she knew his habits well enough to add a plum to his tea.

In the days that followed, Su Luoyun noticed on several occasions that Huai Xia seemed to be paying particular attention to the Second Prince.

Even if Han Xiao had once been her former master, Su Luoyun had never seen Huai Xia making deliberate overtures toward him back in the Beizhen estate in Liangzhou.

When one thought about it carefully, the reasoning was simple enough. Back in Liangzhou, even if Han Xiao were to take a wife or concubines, he still had to conduct himself under Consort Wang’s roof. Huai Xia did not enjoy Consort Wang’s favor, and the Consort would not permit servants to lead her younger son astray — naturally, caution was required.

But now their father-in-law had come to the capital and become Emperor, and Han Xiao had suddenly become an Imperial Prince. After his wedding, he would set up his own household and be enfeoffed as a prince in his own right. To become the favored concubine of a prince — was that not far better than marrying an ordinary man outside the palace?

What was more, Han Xiao currently held unflattering opinions about his not-yet-married betrothed. And Miss Zheng, being a woman well-versed in the classics, was hardly the type to torment the servant women below her. If she could attach herself once more to the Second Prince, it would truly be better than leaving the household.

Having seen through Huai Xia’s small scheme, Su Luoyun decided that she should be the first one to be sent away.

Her young brother-in-law was not yet wed, but he was already betrothed.

If, at this delicate juncture, Huai Xia became Han Xiao’s chamber companion, then when Miss Zheng married into the household in the future and learned that Huai Xia had come from the Eastern Palace, she would inevitably harbor suspicions — even if nothing was said aloud — and assume that the elder sister-in-law had been the one to install a woman in her husband’s chambers.

Furthermore, Xiangcao and Ji Qiu had also reached the age where it was proper to think of marriage. Su Luoyun decided to address the matter all at once and make proper arrangements for all three of her senior maidservants.

But she had seen their reactions when she told them she intended to see them all settled in marriage.

Xiangcao’s face showed the sorrow of one who did not wish to part with the bond of mistress and servant. Ji Qiu’s expression held quiet joy. But Huai Xia’s face was filled with boundless disappointment.

Su Luoyun took careful note of Huai Xia’s reaction, and knew that her earlier suspicions had not been unfounded.

Afterward, when the other two maidservants had stepped out, she took the opportunity to pointedly address Huai Xia: “Although the Second Prince also resides here in the palace, in a few days’ time he will be marrying the Zheng family’s daughter. I have noticed these past few days that you seem to be finding excuses, one way or another, to go over to the Second Prince’s palace courtyard. Is it that you have friends or acquaintances among the maidservants there?”

Though she asked in a mild and even tone, Huai Xia understood perfectly that the Crown Princess she served had eyes that tolerated no grit — even when she had been blind, her mind had seen through everything; now that her sight was restored, there was even less hope of concealing anything from her.

And so Huai Xia decided that before the Crown Princess arranged a match for her, she should speak first herself. Perhaps the mistress would be moved to compassion and grant her what she wished.

With that thought, she dropped to her knees with a thud and cried: “Crown Princess! This servant has long admired the Second Prince’s learning and talents. If you are thinking of changing the servants around you, please bestow this servant upon the Second Prince. I used to belong to his courtyard — the Second Prince is kind and has always shown me affection. This servant is accustomed to life in the palace and does not wish to marry outside!”

Su Luoyun said calmly: “If you had said these words back in Liangzhou, and the Second Prince and the Empress Dowager both consented, I would have released you immediately. But now we are in the palace, and the Second Prince has a betrothed. What right do I, as a sister-in-law, have to install a woman in my young brother-in-law’s chambers on the eve of his wedding?”

Huai Xia bit her lip and said quietly: “…But if the Second Prince himself came to ask you, would I then be allowed to go to him?”

Su Luoyun recalled how, over the past few days, Huai Xia had often worn a dreamy, flushed expression and had been stealing smiles to herself. She understood then that something must have passed between Huai Xia and the Second Prince.

As before: had the two of them developed feelings for each other back in Liangzhou, it could have been excused as the helplessness of genuine emotion. But now they were in the palace, where propriety was far stricter, and Huai Xia had overstepped the bounds with this conduct — it was plainly the work of an opportunistic mind.

Since she had already made her meaning clear, and yet Huai Xia remained obstinate, still deluding herself into thinking she could use two years of mistress-and-servant affection to pave her own path forward, Su Luoyun felt there was no need to spare the girl’s dignity any further.

So she said, coolly: “Affairs within the Second Prince’s inner chambers are not my concern to manage. As for your situation, I will present the matter in person to His Majesty and the Empress, and let the two sovereigns decide.”

The moment those words reached her ears, Huai Xia’s face went white. She cried out in alarm: “Crown Princess, please, you must not! If you speak of it… then this servant will have no way to survive!”

Su Luoyun’s gaze turned faintly cold. “So you yourself know it is improper — and yet you expect me to speak up on your behalf? Huai Xia, you have been by my side all this time, and I never saw how great your ambitions truly were.”

When she had first wed Han Linfeng, Han Linfeng had reassigned these two maidservants to her service, and they had attended her faithfully ever since.

In the ordinary course of things, the ones who waited on her most closely were Xiangcao and Ji Qiu; Huai Xia tended to take on the lighter tasks at the margins. At the time, Su Luoyun had merely thought the girl preferred easier work — nothing more to it than that.

She was not a mistress who was picky or harsh with those below her. As long as there were no serious faults, everyone got along without trouble.

She had not imagined that after entering the palace, Huai Xia’s ambitions would grow this large. Did the palace truly serve as a mirror that revealed the ugliness in human hearts — endlessly magnifying the desires that dwelt within?

Just then, Ji Qiu and the others returned to the room carrying a fruit tray. At the sight of Huai Xia in tears and prostrate with grief, they were startled.

Su Luoyun knew inwardly that this maidservant could no longer be kept. Yet bearing in mind the bond of mistress and servant, she would still give her a sum of silver for her settlement — but as for arranging her marriage, Su Luoyun would not trouble herself further. Once the girl left the palace, she could find her own family and let them handle the arrangements themselves.

Ji Qiu and Xiangcao had been on the verge of pleading on Huai Xia’s behalf, but when they heard the full account of what had happened, they were frightened into silence.

This maidservant had truly harbored enormous ambitions! Had she actually succeeded, the Crown Princess would have borne the blame of permitting a servant to seduce an Imperial Prince.

How then would the Crown Princess and the future Second Prince’s consort ever face each other? And the carefully mended goodwill between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law with the Empress would have been half undone in an instant!

Besides, the Crown Princess had not sent anyone to drag Huai Xia away for punishment — that was already a mark of grace in consideration of their years together. They would not dare plead to keep someone who was such a dangerous troublemaker.

Xiangcao, too, felt that Huai Xia had been terribly unfair to their mistress, and said angrily: “No wonder Huai Xia has been spending so freely these past few days. I happened to catch a glimpse through the window of her secretly admiring a new pair of bracelets — they looked extremely costly. Could they really be gifts from the Second Prince?”

Su Luoyun’s mind stirred at this, and she asked what the jewelry looked like.

Xiangcao glanced toward the side room, where Huai Xia could be heard weeping and whimpering with Ji Qiu — the two of them having come from the Liangzhou Shizi estate together naturally shared a closer bond.

Taking advantage of the moment, Xiangcao slipped back to the room and retrieved from the hidden compartment of Huai Xia’s clothing trunk a pair of bracelets, which she brought to Su Luoyun for inspection.

Su Luoyun studied the gold bracelets, set with pearls and precious stones. The intricate floral patterns were of extraordinary craftsmanship, the kind rarely seen among common folk — likely an imperial tribute offering of sorts. No wonder Xiangcao had suspected they might be a gift from the Second Prince.

Su Luoyun gazed at the design of an eagle-winged lion’s head worked into the bracelets, and after a moment’s quiet contemplation, she said slowly: “Since these were given to her as a gift, bring them back to her. They are, after all, something to remember by…”

For a maidservant like Huai Xia, leaving the palace without having committed an offense requiring escorted removal involved certain formalities to be observed. Su Luoyun would not permit her to wander about any further — she was to stay put quietly and see to the handover of her duties.

* * *

On her way back from paying respects to her mother-in-law the Empress, however, Su Luoyun happened to cross paths with her young brother-in-law.

Han Xiao greeted his sister-in-law and then glanced behind her — only to find that her senior maidservant was just Xiangcao alone — and remarked: “Sister-in-law has changed her attendants. There is not a familiar face left.”

Su Luoyun looked evenly at her young brother-in-law and said: “The maidservants who were with me before have grown older, and their minds have grown restless as well. Keeping them in the palace any longer would only end in grievances all around. Second Brother, you will be married very soon, and afterward you will likely join your elder brother in learning how to manage court affairs. When you have time to spare, apply yourself diligently with the Imperial Tutor — stop wandering idly about the palace and frittering away your days.”

Han Xiao felt that his sister-in-law’s gaze had come to resemble his elder brother’s more and more — a smile on the face, yet eyes sharp as blades beneath it, eyes that one could not quite hold. It was as though she could see straight through every small secret in his heart.

Before they had exchanged more than a few words, Han Xiao grew flustered and began looking for a way to take his leave — but Su Luoyun suddenly called out to him and asked: “Something was recently stolen in my palace quarters. A maidservant was caught, and when questioned, a pair of costly bracelets were found on her person. She claims they were given to her by the Second Prince. Is there any truth to this?”

Han Xiao listened in genuine bewilderment and said: “I am not a woman — what would I have to do with bracelets? Sister-in-law, go home and question her properly. Find out exactly where she stole them from.”

Su Luoyun continued to watch his expression without letting her own change. Her young brother-in-law, proud and not skilled at deception — since he answered with such easy candor, it was clear he had made no private gifts to Huai Xia.

After parting from Han Xiao, Su Luoyun did not take her palanquin, but walked back to her palace on foot. She did not know what was turning over in her mind, but she walked faster and faster.

Xiangcao grew frightened watching her and quickly took hold of her arm: “My Crown Princess, you are carrying a child — how can you walk so quickly? Goodness, look at the perspiration on your brow. How did you manage to work up such a sweat in this cold weather?”

Su Luoyun reached out and clasped Xiangcao’s hand, and turned to say to her: “Xiangcao, I may have to wrong you. For the time being, you may not be able to leave the palace just yet…”

* * *

Meanwhile, far away atop Xianyin Mountain, the Wealth God — You Shanyue — had after some days received a reply from the Crown Prince.

Contrary to his expectations, this letter was nothing like the previous effusive praise and ready accommodation he had come to expect. This time, Han Linfeng refused his request to exempt tax levies and field rents without a single tactful word.

Moreover, the letter spoke to him in the manner of a superior dressing down a subordinate, bluntly stating that he must not pursue profit alone and should act for the benefit of the common people and the welfare of the realm.

You Shanyue had only read halfway through before he could no longer contain the rage building in his chest, and tore the letter to shreds with a single motion.

He had lived to this age and had seen too many schemes of this kind. This was nothing more than the old trick of discarding the donkey once the millstone had been ground — now that the mill was done.

After he had spent real gold and silver to support Han Linfeng’s father in becoming Emperor, Han Linfeng had decided his wings were strong enough and that he had no more use for him.

The Han family of Great Wei — every last one of them deserved to die!

Thinking back on the wretched suffering of his wife and children when he had been thrown into prison, You Shanyue felt the old, accumulated hatred surge to life within him once more.

All his painstaking scheming over so many years had been for one purpose alone: to repay the deep grudge from the day he had been arrested and imprisoned for transgressing the regulations of Emperor Weihui.

You made my wife die and my child fall ill — I will bring your dynasty to ruin and your family to destruction. And now, look at how things stand. Had he not turned the heavens of Great Wei upside down?

He had spent his entire life repaying each grievance in kind, and now that he was nearing the age of knowing heaven’s will, he would be even less inclined to swallow insults on the eve of his death.

This Han Linfeng, ever since leaving Liangzhou, had shown signs of ingratitude. Since that was how it was, he should not blame him for making things unpleasant for this country bumpkin…

You Shanyue was brooding in dark resentment, calculating his next moves, when several of the accountants who managed the books of his money lending houses came in to report the figures.

It was ordinarily a mere formality, but this time the ledgers looked very poor indeed, making You Shanyue’s already foul mood sink even further.

“What is the meaning of this? How did the accounts come up so short all of a sudden?”

The head accountant said with a long face: “Lately, money houses calling themselves ‘Xiangrong’ have been opening across the region. No one knows the background of this establishment’s proprietor — the business seems to have been set up not for profit, for the interest rates offered on deposits are far higher than those of other money houses, while the interest charged on loans is correspondingly very low. In no time at all, it has drawn a great many merchants to move their funds to the Xiangrong money houses.”

You Shanyue narrowed his eyes at this. Running a money house required substantial capital — it was not something any common person could simply set up.

“Is it known who the proprietor of this money house is?”

“It is said to be a Xia County merchant by the name of Gongsun Ju, who once worked iron mines in the northern regions. He originally came south to purchase land and fields — but as it happened, the timing coincided with the new policies, and purchasing land was no longer a convenient option. So he partnered with several escort agencies and went into the money lending trade instead. Having the escort agencies as a guarantee, this newcomer managed to establish himself quite firmly despite being a stranger in the region.”

Gongsun Ju? You Shanyue racked his memory — there was no such name among the notable merchants of Great Wei. Where had this person sprung from out of thin air?

But regardless of who this person was, anyone bold enough to go up against the Maosheng money houses without knowing the depth of the waters they were wading into was digging their own grave!

You Shanyue had no patience to think further on it. He waved over one of his strongmen and instructed him to make the arrangements: find Gongsun Ju, seize the first opportune moment to strike hard, and if not kill him outright, at least leave him half-crippled.

As for that Crown Prince who had discarded his usefulness like a worn-out tool — You Shanyue let out a cold laugh.

Did he think the throne of ten thousand miles was so easily held? Great Wei had no shortage of princes and lords, and besides those who had already marched on the capital, there were plenty more who refused to accept that this provincial branch of Liangzhou had any right to ascend. Not to mention that the moment this father and son had taken power, how many people’s iron rice bowls had they smashed?

From ancient times to the present, the dynasty had seen far too many short-lived emperors — those who had barely settled into the throne before being swiftly removed were beyond counting. It seemed he would need to lay fresh plans and see this pair of father and son properly on their way…

* * *

While schemes and conspiracies were quietly fermenting deep within Xianyin Mountain, the capital had come into a season of great joy.

The Second Prince was taking the Zheng family’s daughter as his bride. Though the Emperor had ordered the ceremonies to be held simply, the imperial dignity still demanded a fitting display. The wine banquet entertaining the civil and military officials could not be entirely dispensed with — and so a modest feast was arranged within the palace to celebrate the completion of the nuptial rites.

Though the tables were not laden with rare delicacies, the gathering drew a lively crowd.

Han Linfeng watched his younger brother’s wedding with the warmth of a man seeing his sibling come of age, but also with a quiet guilt. He leaned close to Su Luoyun beside him and said in a low voice: “Our own wedding was so simple at the time. I put you through hardship…”

Su Luoyun had not expected him to connect this with their own marriage, and could not help but smile. “At the time, you were in the capital as a hostage, and I believed it was only a marriage of political convenience anyway. I had not taken it to heart myself — how could I blame you?”

Han Linfeng knew the circumstances of that time perfectly well, yet hearing her say she had not taken it to heart still left him faintly unsettled. He deliberately put on a stern expression and said: “For someone like me to have been dismissed so lightly by you — how very high your standards were back then!”

Su Luoyun quickly placed a morsel of food in his mouth and said quietly: “The entire great hall is full of people, and here you are sulking at me. Do you want people saying tomorrow that the Crown Prince harbors thoughts of removing the mother and keeping only the child? Besides, what standards did I have back then — I was blind. No matter how handsome you looked, it was like a deaf man at the opera — all effort wasted for nothing.”

Han Linfeng thought now of how hard the days had been when Su Luoyun’s eyes were failing, and still felt the ache of it in his heart. Hearing her speak so lightly and make fun of herself about that period, he could not quite feel at ease either. “Your eye condition has only recently healed — you must be careful to protect and rest them. I heard from Xiangcao that you have been straining your eyes over account books again when I am not watching.”

Su Luoyun smiled gently. “Do not worry, I know what I am doing…”

* * *

Just then, the Emperor arrived at the front hall with the Empress and the imperial consorts, to make merry with the assembled officials.

Empress Zong, presiding today over her own son’s wedding, was naturally beaming with joy and had taken care to dress herself handsomely. Unfortunately, time showed no mercy — she was, after all, a woman past her middle years, and however elegantly she adorned herself, she could not quite match the soft allure of the young consorts arrayed behind the Emperor.

Among them, the Shu Consort who was the Emperor’s newest favorite drew the most admiring eyes. She had striking, clearly defined features, large and luminous eyes, and unmistakable Bo country ancestry — she was one of the beauties presented as tribute by You Shanyue. In pure terms of appearance, none of the noblewomen offered as tribute could compare to her. However, as the Son of Heaven of Great Wei, to show excessive favor to a woman of foreign blood naturally drew sharp criticism from the court ministers. Even the conferring of her title as a consort had faced fierce opposition from the censors — but in the end, the Emperor had imposed his will, and she had been elevated.

Those who knew something of the new Emperor’s history had counseled the censors not to press him too hard on this matter. Everyone understood: Han Linfeng’s birth mother had been a woman of Bo country blood, and the Emperor now was merely seeking a measure of consolation for the loss he had long carried, seeking to give himself some recompense through this consort.

When the Emperor settled in the great hall to drink and make merry with the assembled officials, the women withdrew to the side hall, where the wives and ladies of the nobility sat in cheerful conversation with Empress Zong.

A few of the younger ladies came over to exchange a few words with the Crown Princess. Now that her husband had been established as heir apparent, Su Luoyun had naturally become the center of social attention for all.

The things these women said were naturally heavy on flattery, telling Su Luoyun what she would most like to hear.

For instance, that the widowed Rui Prince Consort’s wife appeared to have been sent by the Lu Guo Gong to spend the season at the Xing Garden outside the capital.

The place was admittedly lovely in summer, but it turned bleak in autumn, and by the time winter arrived, no one from the capital went there for pleasure anymore, save those who lived nearby.

Su Luoyun understood that the Lu Guo Gong had exiled his daughter to that place in all but name — and it clearly had to do with her secret meeting with the Crown Prince. Seeing that his daughter had no meaningful connection with the Crown Prince, and that persistent clinging would only earn her contempt rather than anything beneficial, the Lu Guo Gong had steeled himself and driven his daughter out of the capital.

These women brought up such matters hoping to earn the Crown Princess’s goodwill.

But the Crown Princess did not take the bait at all. Not a flicker of expression crossed her face; she calmly deflected the subject and steered the conversation elsewhere.

This unexpected lack of response left those social-climbing women somewhat embarrassed for a moment.

When one thought about it, they were all accomplished flatterers. Whether it had been Empress Wang in the past, or the two daughters of the Fang family, or even the current Empress Zong — they had always been able to read the preference and offer the right kind of praise.

Yet this Crown Princess of low birth was truly impossible to read.

Talk to her of poetry and the arts — the Crown Princess was conversant in all of it, yet showed little particular fondness. Talk of jewelry and adornment — the Crown Princess also seemed indifferent. Try to discuss the misfortunes of those she was at odds with — and she flatly refused to engage.

All in all, this Crown Princess was as slippery as someone who had been soaked in fragrant oil — there was simply no way to get a firm grip on her.

This woman, shrewd from years of running a shop, — no one could tell what she was really thinking inside. Just like the Crown Prince, she would listen to people speak with that half-smile of hers, and when she occasionally opened her mouth, out came a single sound: “Mm…”

That single “Mm” left everyone turning it over in their minds, the more they thought about it the less certain they felt.

This husband and wife — if one disregarded their origins — were truly a perfect match. Both were entirely unfathomable.

For instance, these ladies had previously assumed that once the Crown Prince had firmly established his footing, he would surely take a more suitable wife. Yet he showed not the slightest inclination toward any such thing.

And not only the Crown Prince — even the Emperor seemed to be thoroughly pleased with this eldest daughter-in-law. After all, the gaze an elder gives a younger family member cannot be mistaken; whenever the Emperor looked at the Crown Princess, his eyes were always full of warm approval.

As for Empress Zong, she never quite managed to put on the full airs of a mother-in-law in front of her own eldest daughter-in-law. Though the propriety between the two women was impeccable, and Su Luoyun showed every outward sign of filial deference toward her mother-in-law, there were times during idle conversation when Empress Zong, uncertain what she ought to say next, would unconsciously glance toward her eldest daughter-in-law — and let her daughter-in-law step in to carry the exchange forward.