Young Master Tian was Tian Ze — since he had passed the provincial examination this autumn, the household of the Marquis of Loyalty and Valor now respectfully addressed him as “Young Master.”

Hearing that Tian Ze had arrived, Yun Xi, somewhat surprised, went around to the front courtyard. Tian Ze, carrying a bundle of medicine packets, greeted her with a bow upon seeing her. “Colonel Yun.” Then he said, “My brother reckoned Uncle Bai’s medicine for his leg ailment should be running out, so he asked me to bring more.”

After returning to the capital, Yun Xi had gone to Zhang Huailu at the Jingzhao Prefecture to ask for Tian Si back. Not only had Zhang Huailu agreed, but he’d also sent Ke Yong along with Tian Si to continue serving under Yun Xi.

With the year’s end approaching, Tian Si still had numerous duties to hand over at the Jingzhao Prefecture and was rarely seen these days, so whenever something needed doing, he had Tian Ze help out.

Yun Xi said apologetically, “These past two months while I was away, you’ve come to help at the mansion often. Now that you’ve passed the exam, with the metropolitan examination coming in spring, you should spend more time at home reviewing.”

Tian Ze said, “Colonel Yun, there’s no need to stand on ceremony. My brother has always said the Marquis’s household has shown the two of us great kindness — delivering medicine for Uncle Bai is nothing at all.”

He smiled. “Besides, poring over the classics and histories over and over, it’s all just talk of human relationships and heavenly principles — reading too much of it gets tiresome. Getting out and about now and then might even bring me fresh insight.”

He wore a long scholar’s robe and a blue jacket, with the bearing of distant mountains and rivers in his brow, carrying himself with refined elegance. If not for how worn his clothes were, one would never have guessed he came from hardship.

As they spoke, Fang Furan came over as well, and upon seeing Tian Ze, greeted him. “Young Master Tian.”

Knowing that Yun Xi and Fang Furan were hurrying to the palace for the Grand Empress Dowager’s birthday celebration, Tian Ze said, “Then I won’t keep Colonel Yun and the Young Madam any longer. I’ll come by another day to pay my respects.”

As he spoke, he handed the medicine packet to Bai Ling nearby, and asked in passing, “Is Uncle Bai doing well?”

Bai Ling nodded. “He’s well.”

She glanced up at him, and the tips of her ears gradually flushed red. She stood there for a moment at a loss after taking the packet, then said in a voice barely above a whisper, “Thank you, Young Master Tian.”

The hour was growing late. After seeing Tian Ze off, Yun Xi told Zhao Wu to prepare the carriage, and set off toward the palace with Fang Furan.

On the way, Yun Xi remembered something and asked Fang Furan, “Sister, what do you think of Wang’an?”

Fang Furan said, “Hm? What do you mean?”

“Didn’t you say a while back that you wanted to find a match for Ah Ling? I think Ah Ling might have feelings for Wang’an — why not go ask him what he thinks?” Yun Xi said.

The more she thought about it, the more fitting it seemed. “Wang’an is Tian Si’s younger brother, and he’s been coming and going often these past years — practically family already. He has good character and good looks, and from what I can tell, he seems quite willing to look after Uncle Bai too. If Ah Ling could marry him, we wouldn’t need to worry about her future anymore.”

Fang Furan pondered for a moment, then said, “The worry is whether he’d be willing to marry Ah Ling.”

Seeing Yun Xi’s confusion, she explained, “Tian Ze is a man of great learning, well-versed in both ancient and modern knowledge, and already a provincial graduate. Once the spring examination passes — if he doesn’t succeed, that’s one thing, but if he places among the top candidates, his future prospects will be limitless. Marrying a… a girl from a poor family might hold him back.”

Though Fang Furan’s words were hard to hear, they weren’t without reason. Hearing this, Yun Xi felt a little downcast and admitted, “You’re right, sister. I hadn’t thought it through. I was only thinking that if the match between Ah Ling and Wang’an could work out, she could still come back to visit the mansion often after marrying.”

Fang Furan smiled gently. “You could still go ask Tian Ze how he feels about it. If he’s fond of Ah Ling too, and the feeling is mutual, then there’s nothing to worry about.”

The dimmed light in Yun Xi’s eyes brightened again, and she gave a light, cheerful “Mm.”

The Grand Empress Dowager’s palace banquet was set at Yanfu Palace, a relatively separate complex near the main palace grounds, said to have been built by an emperor of the previous dynasty who found the palace too cramped, meant specifically for banquets and leisurely outings. Taking the covered walkway through the main palace grounds made for a shorter route; going around from outside the palace would take much longer.

When Yun Xi arrived at Yanfu Palace, it was exactly the hour of shen-zheng. She and Fang Furan got down from the carriage and were led by a palace attendant to the Kunyu Garden, where today’s banquet was set. In the garden, many noble households and their family members had already arrived. Since this was in celebration of the Grand Empress Dowager’s birthday, the atmosphere emphasized warmth and harmony, with few formalities — not even the usual seating convention of men to the left and women to the right; instead, seating was arranged by household. For instance, beside the Marquis of Loyalty and Valor’s seat was the seat of Wei Jie, Commander of the Imperial Guard Bureau.

Yun Xi glanced toward the seats at the head of the gathering — the most exalted figures in the palace hadn’t yet arrived. She touched the pouch hanging at her waist, thinking that she would likely see Cheng Chang today; before leaving that morning, she had brought along the golden tea spoon Prince Cong’s household had given her.

Though the banquet was held outdoors, small braziers were kept burning beneath each seat, so it wasn’t cold at all. Just as Yun Xi and Fang Furan were about to sit down, several noblewomen nearby waved to Fang Furan, calling out with smiles, “Furan, come over here quickly!” — apparently wanting to pull her aside for a chat before the banquet began.

Fang Furan couldn’t very well refuse, and with a nod to Yun Xi, went ahead of her.

It was rare for Yun Xi to visit Yanfu Palace, so she thought she’d wander around a bit. She had only taken a few steps when someone behind her called out, “A’Ting.”

Yun Xi paused, startled. Very few people in all of Jinling called her “A’Ting.”

She turned around — it was, of all people, Pei Lan.

Since the incident with Yao Susu, Yun Xi hadn’t seen him in a long while. She’d heard he’d been suspected as a suspect in Yao Susu’s death, been reported by the Three Judicial Offices, suspended from his post for over half a month, and had only recently returned to duty at the Privy Council.

Yun Xi bowed. “General.”

Pei Lan looked at her for a moment, then asked quietly, “Have you been well lately?”

Yun Xi frowned slightly. Since they had broken off their engagement, they belonged to different worlds now — even a chance meeting should be handled with discretion. What was the point of asking after her well-being?

She didn’t answer, and instead asked, “Is there something you need, General?”

“It’s nothing much,” Pei Lan said. He hesitated slightly, then continued, “It’s just — Grandmother hasn’t been well lately, and she often thinks of you. Would you be able to come by the Pei Mansion—”

Before Pei Lan could finish, someone suddenly bumped into him from behind, sending him stumbling forward, nearly falling over.

Yun Xi was startled. Pei Lan had practiced martial arts for years and had excellent balance — who could possibly have knocked him so off-guard?

She looked up to see the person who’d bumped into him — a man with sweeping brows and long, narrow eyes that, though bright, looked somewhat muddled from drink. He clearly wasn’t one to bother with his appearance; his temples were shaved unevenly, and stubble dotted his chin. Strangest of all, though it was the dead of winter, he wore only a single thin robe with an open collar, as if entirely unbothered by the cold.

It was none other than Wei Jie, Commander of the Imperial Guard Bureau.

Wei Jie’s fondness for drink was well known — sober only while on duty, drunk the rest of the time. And sure enough, though the Grand Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet hadn’t even started yet, he was already thoroughly intoxicated.

Wei Jie swayed in place for a moment before realizing he’d bumped into someone. Holding up his wine jug, he leaned in to look, then laughed. “Oh, if it isn’t young master Pei the second! My apologies, young master Pei, for bumping into you.”

The moment he spoke, a wave of overpowering wine fumes rolled out.

Pei Lan’s brow furrowed, and he stepped aside. “There’s no need for such courtesy, Lord Wei.”

Wei Jie’s gaze fell on Pei Lan’s robe, and he froze as if facing a great enemy. “Oh dear, look what I’ve done — I’ve gotten young master Pei’s robe wet.” He reached out as if to pat it dry. “Now this is a disaster — who knows how many young ladies in Jinling will come after me in a fury!”

Pei Lan had first broken off his engagement with Yun Xi, then become entangled with Yao Susu, and later, midway through negotiating a match with Luo Shu, had somehow gotten caught up in a fatal case. Though he hadn’t quite lost his reputation entirely in Jinling, he was no longer as prominent as before. Coming from Wei Jie, these words sounded uncomfortably like mockery.

But since Wei Jie was a close guard of the Emperor himself, he couldn’t afford to offend him.

Pei Lan had no choice but to suppress his anger and reply, “Lord Wei jests.” He took his leave.

Watching Pei Lan walk away, Wei Jie shrugged, apparently finding the whole thing dull, and, holding his wine jug, wandered around for a while before finally finding his own seat and plopping down unsteadily to continue drinking.

Yun Xi let out a breath of relief.

She actually felt somewhat grateful to Wei Jie. From what Pei Lan had implied, he wanted her to visit the Pei household to see the old matriarch — but she had only broken off the engagement with him half a year ago; under what pretext could she possibly visit the Pei Mansion now? She couldn’t simply refuse outright either — the old matriarch had always treated her like a granddaughter, and now that she was ill, Yun Xi felt she should go see her. If Wei Jie hadn’t drunkenly bumped into Pei Lan just then, Yun Xi wouldn’t have known how to respond to the request at all.

Before long, the hour of you arrived, and the guests, who had been chatting in small clusters, gradually took their seats. Soon, a palace attendant announced in a loud voice, “The Grand Empress Dowager and His Majesty have arrived—”

Yun Xi looked up to see the Grand Empress Dowager entering Kunyu Garden, flanked by Emperor Zhaoyuan and Prince Cong.

Following behind them were Prince Ling and his consort, Prince Yun and his consort, the Third Young Master, and beside the Third Young Master, a young woman with a face like a silver moon, eyes like rippling water, dressed in a sky-blue cross-collared robe and skirt.

At the sight of the woman in blue, Yun Xi paused slightly. Judging by her attire, she wasn’t a member of the imperial family, yet Yun Xi had met most of the noble young ladies of Jinling — this face was unfamiliar.

As everyone paid their respects to the Grand Empress Dowager and Emperor Zhaoyuan, Yun Xi overheard someone at a nearby table murmur, “Look at that one — that’s Yu Ling, the second daughter of Vice Minister Yu of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.”

“Why would a daughter of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices’ vice minister be attending the Grand Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet?”

“I hear she’s a distant relative of the Grand Empress Dowager, raised by her side since childhood. Remember when the Third Young Master went missing a while back? The Grand Empress Dowager was terribly grieved, so His Majesty had this young lady Ling brought into the palace to keep her company. It seems she served her so well that it eased the Grand Empress Dowager’s troubled heart — His Majesty issued an edict not only allowing her to attend the birthday banquet, but also transferring her father to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices to fill the vice minister post.”

“So, if you trace it back, the Yu family’s vice minister position at the Court of Imperial Sacrifices actually came about because of the Third Young Master?”

“You mustn’t put it that way. His Majesty has his own deep considerations in appointing officials — it has nothing to do with anything else.”

The two continued murmuring for a while, but the moment the conversation turned to Emperor Zhaoyuan himself, they immediately grew cautious.

Emperor Zhaoyuan, being filial, yielded the seat of honor to the Grand Empress Dowager today, since it was her birthday banquet.

Once the Grand Empress Dowager was seated, seeing Yu Ling still standing gracefully nearby, she beckoned her over. Her gaze swept the surroundings for a moment, and noticing the empty seat beside Cheng Chang, she pointed toward it, seemingly casual, directing Yu Ling to sit there.

The banquet seats were arranged closely together, with everyone seated not too far apart. Yun Xi could hear the Grand Empress Dowager speaking and could clearly see everyone’s expressions.

Yu Ling’s robe and skirt were sky-blue, and with every step she took, it seemed to ripple like water.

She walked over to Cheng Chang’s side and bowed gracefully to him. Cheng Chang seemed to pause for a moment, but said nothing, simply nodding in return.

Yun Xi looked away and glanced down at her own robe — also blue, a faded frost-blue. That morning she had thought the color looked clean and spirited, but now, in the flickering lamplight of evening, she found herself thinking it perhaps wasn’t so becoming after all.