Autumn was already at the door.
This summer had passed cold and desolate. Communication still relied on urgent couriers racing hundreds of miles, and currently the nearest border to Daqiu reported no unusual activity. Therefore, the Crown Prince’s forty-ninth day memorial passed peacefully, and theæ¿€indignation caused by his sudden death appeared superficially calm, though any perceptive person knew that none of these matters had truly passed. The common people of the capital began actively preparing for the Mid-Autumn Festival, but the official families and wealthy households who were usually more enthusiastic seemed listless, all keeping close watch on movements within the palace.
Yuan Mansion had been surrounded for over two months. Yuan Cheng exercised daily in the garden, never mentioning when to act or when to leave—just one word: wait. Thus, the remaining twenty-some people accompanied him in waiting together.
Waiting for what?
Waiting for developments in Prince Li’s case, waiting for the Crown Prince incident to erupt, waiting for the Great Zhou court’s movements, waiting for the Emperor’s final decision.
People said, flee quickly if you can—danger lurks everywhere, hidden arrows wait in ambush, who knows which day you’ll wake from sleep only to await beheading at the Meridian Gate. But Yuan Cheng said it wasn’t time yet. The Emperor treated him generously, which was why he was allowed to return home. Fleeing would make the Emperor lose face. The Emperor losing face could potentially affect the bigger picture.
Though Mo Zi had great confidence in Yuan Cheng and would follow him laughing heartily even unto death, when Ming Nian said someone from the palace had arrived, her heart still rose. She was useless, yet her mouth remained stubborn.
“Someone comes, someone comes—our place is full of palace people inside and out anyway.” Qianniu Guard, Imperial Guards, open posts and hidden posts, circles within circles.
“It’s Eunuch Liu.” Ming Nian patted his chest, gasping.
“The Eunuch Liu from beside His Majesty?” Mo Zi froze.
Ming Nian nodded his head vigorously. “I looked at his expression—”
“How was it? Fierce face or smiling face?” Mo Zi’s eyes quietly widened.
“Hard to say.” Ming Nian’s head became a rattle drum again.
“Then why do you have that ‘it’s all over’ look? Can’t tell yet still so dramatic—looking for another beating?” Sometimes she felt Ming Nian was like an adorable younger brother, other times he was prematurely mature yet actually playfully detestable. Mo Zi loved arguing with this kid.
“This humble one feels something’s not quite right. Learning from Master, thinking deeply and far ahead.”
Mo Zi thought she couldn’t look down on people’s sixth sense, so she said to Yuan Cheng, “If they found new evidence, they wouldn’t need Liu Ning to deliver an edict—they’d just bring people to arrest directly. Or perhaps someone seeing you living too comfortably suggested His Majesty confine you back to the palace. If that’s truly the case, what should we do?”
Yuan Cheng just smiled. “It won’t happen. His Majesty has made many concessions lately—if he concedes again on my matter, being Emperor would be too stifling.”
“Then what could it be?” Mo Zi wondered.
“Mid-Autumn is approaching. Perhaps he’s thinking of the mooncakes you made before? An edict brought by Eunuch Liu is most likely good news. As you said, if they were arresting someone, it would definitely be someone else coming, and it wouldn’t be this quiet.” As Yuan Cheng spoke, he saw Liu Ning arrive. The entourage wasn’t large—just his most trusted attendant following behind.
Both sides exchanged greetings, then Liu Ning said to Mo Zi, “Miss Mo Zi, kneel to receive the edict.”
Really asking her for mooncakes? Mo Zi looked at Liu Ning’s expression—half-smiling. Looking at Yuan Cheng, also half-smiling. So she too knelt with a half-smile.
“By Heaven’s mandate, the Emperor decrees: Mid-Autumn approaches, tragic events have passed, grief remains in the heart. Borrowing the night of the full moon to celebrate family reunion. Song Shi Mo Zi is commanded to enter the palace to spend Mid-Autumn. By imperial decree—”
The imperial edict was quite short and quite clear in meaning—summoning her to attend. Mo Zi said she received the decree and accepted the brilliant yellow silk scroll.
“Eunuch Liu, you’ve worked hard. Please have some tea.” Yuan Cheng was polite.
“No need—His Majesty cannot spare me there.” Liu Ning declined, then reminded Mo Zi, “Though it’s a Mid-Autumn banquet, the Crown Prince only departed three months ago, so it’s just a small feast—no wine, no music, no dancing. His Majesty said it’s just family conversation, not discussing state affairs, and no need to wear official robes. Miss, just keep this in mind.”
“Thank you for the reminder, Eunuch Liu. Mo Zi understands.” Family conversation? With intent, even topics separated by tens of thousands of miles could circle back to the point. This was politics.
Liu Ning left. Mo Zi frowned. “I was planning to go up Ximu Terrace with Elder Li and the others for Mid-Autumn, eat crabs and roasted rabbit, big gulps of wine and big bites of meat. What does Wood’s death have to do with us? All the dishes and meat made so bland and light, not a trace of oil. I do physical labor—I need energy and calories, otherwise I can’t swing my axe. I’ve even prepared the silver to bribe the guards, waiting to buy my way to building a big fire.”
Yuan Cheng smiled in his eyes. “I heard the Wang family held a welcoming banquet for the three princes, roasting wild game, and wine wasn’t spared either.”
Mo Zi shouted unfair. “Doesn’t the Emperor care?”
“How would the Emperor know what they’re eating? They also only claim simple tea and plain food to outsiders.” Sitting on that high dragon throne, one was instead too far away—couldn’t see clearly or control everything. “If I weren’t under house arrest, with purchased food ingredients needing inspection, we wouldn’t have to eat so blandly either.”
“The Emperor doesn’t know what they’re eating, yet you know.” This person was very good at intelligence work. Indeed, to become Prime Minister at such a young age naturally required extraordinary means. “Then do you know why the Emperor is pulling me into the palace to eat vegetables?”
Hearing this, Yuan Cheng couldn’t help but laugh. “The Emperor, like you, doesn’t like eating vegetables. So boring—he always needs someone for amusement. He’s often greatly entertained by you. If not you, who else? Just go. I’ll provide the silver—no matter what, you’ll still get to eat roasted rabbit and cooked crabs. We’ll enjoy the feast vicariously through you.”
Mo Zi gave him a look, but because she hadn’t eaten much oily meat lately, couldn’t muster fierce momentum.
On the night of Mid-Autumn, Mo Zi once again entered the palace alone. Honestly, between jade towers and humble cottages, she preferred the latter—at least she’d be at ease, not having to look left and right even picking up a vegetable leaf. Moreover, these so-called banquets were mostly for show—those nobles hardly touched their chopsticks, each like immortals on a diet. So before entering the palace, she deliberately ate her fill.
The banquet was set in Zhegui Palace, the tallest building in the imperial palace. As she walked up, jade steps and pillars flanked both sides, carved beams and painted rafters ahead. Cool wind rose from the steps, elegant terraces trailed autumn lanterns, heavenly stars faintly traceless, the full moon brilliant for ten thousand miles. Beautiful scenery and atmosphere, yet cold.
“Is that Official Song above?” A voice called up.
Mo Zi turned and looked down—it was exactly Miss Wang the Tenth. She seemed specially dressed, naturally not the eye-catching gaudy type—a silver-threaded snow-white high-waisted skirt. Wind stirred the skirt’s seven layers of thin gauze, purple butterflies of varying shades fluttering gently from inside out, snowflakes drifting. A pair of butterfly-shaped white jade pieces tied at the waist sash occasionally bumped lightly together, pleasing to the ear. She hadn’t styled her hair elaborately—one peony hairpin, two or three small butterflies surrounding it. This was truly a great family’s daughter—everything just right, everything perfectly appropriate, yet equally stunning.
Mo Zi silently praised Miss Wang the Tenth, while Miss Wang the Tenth also secretly admired Mo Zi, finding her both elegant and lively, generous and beautiful.
Without Eunuch Liu’s reminder, Mo Zi wouldn’t dress too ostentatiously, but her figure was rather tall, and she was a beauty—wearing anything wouldn’t be ugly. Moreover, this was after all an imperial banquet—even if not vivid, it had to be neat. Her skirt was pale sun blue, tight-waisted with no sash and flowing sleeves, a sleeveless long outer robe with blooming orchids, the robe without patterns, the skirt hem embroidered with clusters of dandelion globes.
“Is Miss Ten still coming alone today?” Mo Zi stopped to wait for her.
“Uncle should have arrived. I left home slightly later. To meet Official Song and have a companion—how wonderful.” Miss Wang the Tenth didn’t hide her appreciation of Mo Zi.
Mo Zi smiled. “Exactly. I was worried—going in alone, everyone picking at my faults from head to toe. With Miss Ten together, I feel much more confident.”
Miss Wang the Tenth came up, also smiling. “Hearing Official Song speak is most interesting.”
“Many people have said the same.” This was Mo Zi’s signature style—a thousand years of progress.
“If I could sit with Official Song tonight, this Mid-Autumn banquet wouldn’t be in vain for me.” Miss Wang the Tenth’s eyes truly held hope.
But Mo Zi didn’t want to sit with Miss Wang the Tenth. The Wang family’s status was illustrious, while she herself was a target of public criticism—sitting together would definitely result in being pierced by ten thousand arrows. Therefore, her smile maintained only polite shallowness.
Not knowing if Miss Wang the Tenth perceived something, she didn’t say more to Mo Zi.
Entering the hall, doors and windows on all four sides were pulled open, hung with lanterns of various colors. Huge rotating lanterns hung from the beams above, below them red sandalwood round tables covered with twelve-colored brocade cloud silk cloth. His Majesty and the Empress hadn’t yet arrived, so the atmosphere was relatively casual—groups clustering to talk, men and women on separate sides.
This order, however, was broken by Mo Zi’s arrival.
First Yang Ling pulled her to his small circle, where she learned the second-place and third-place scholars had quite good relations with him. Then she was called over by Wei Jia, who still hadn’t given up on Yang Qiao—Xiao Wei was also there. Wei Jia, having learned Yang Qiao had already left the capital, felt even more dejected. But Xiao Wei talked with her quite a while about matters concerning the Eastern Palace. Though she already knew, she pretended to listen with great interest.
“What’s wrong?” Xiao Wei saw her constantly looking toward the women’s side.
“Don’t you feel that most of them are looking at me rather strangely?” Mo Zi asked.
“Because although you’re a woman, you’re talking with us.” Xiao Wei got straight to the point. “I thought you should be used to it by now. All along, you’ve dealt more with men.”
Mo Zi saw his expression didn’t seem sarcastic. “I want to deal with women too, but I can’t encounter them—can’t blame me.”
Wei Jia, hearing this, was displeased, annoyed she hadn’t taken the right stance on Yang Qiao’s matter. “Once you’re married, you’ll encounter them.”
“Why?” Mo Zi understood Wei Jia’s meaning.
“Could it be that after marriage you’ll still serve as an official and sail ships? Before my mother married, she ran wild all over the jianghu, but after marrying my father, she settled down to support her husband and teach her children.” Wei Jia found it strange—she wasn’t unintelligent, how could she not understand this?
“Why not?” Mo Zi asked back.
Wei Jia really argued with her. “Would it work? Both you and your husband managing external affairs—who manages the household, who looks after the husband, who teaches the children?”
“The household has stewards and managers. The husband is a grown person, naturally looks after himself. Children are taught by tutors.” After speaking, Mo Zi felt there were incomplete areas and automatically filled them in. “Men and women both managing internal and external affairs, everyone managing household matters together, husband and wife looking after each other, children raised and educated by parents together. Since they’ve become husband and wife, they’re a community—naturally they share responsibilities together.”
Shocking words!