In the small upstairs room, Yun Zhu looked at him and said, “You want to treat your wife well, you want to treat Xiao Chan well, you want to treat Jin’er well, you want to treat me well — these are all very, very good intentions. We all love you too. But there are some things that shouldn’t have to be your responsibility… Liheng, if there’s anything good to be said about my time in the pleasure house, it’s that it at least taught me how to read your heart, how to please you. I’ve told you before — if there’s anything I can do for you, it would make me truly happy…”

Ning Yi laughed ruefully. “So you think the problem’s already grown serious enough that you need to leave, to give me some time to calm down?”

Yun Zhu laughed and shook her head. “I don’t know, honestly, but truly… I really do want to go back to Xuanzhou and see it again. Liheng, I don’t even know exactly what kind of life you want us all to live together — I want to think it over properly. Bamboo Records doesn’t need me anymore, and I’ve been wondering whether I should go out and keep teaching the zither, or maybe write out a proper songbook while I’m at home… But in any case, this woman, Nie Yunzhu, already belongs to you — heart and body, always. Liheng, I’ll always be leaning on you, impossible to shake off now — whose fault is it, after all, that you chased after me and brought me back that time…”

Her voice, soft and soothing, drifted gently through the room. Ning Yi let out a sigh.

“That’s right — after all, when I’m unhappy, I can always take it out on you for a bit of fun.” He shook his head, then pushed Yun Zhu down onto the bedding, loosening the sash at her waist. “Actually, I think… maybe what you’re really missing is a child.”

Her clothes parted, revealing the pure, unblemished body beneath. Yun Zhu yielded to his touch, gazing up at him with a tender smile. The air in the room grew thick with an intimate warmth…

Whatever he’d expected coming here, this wasn’t quite it. Ning Yi knew well enough that if he’d simply put his foot down and told Yun Zhu she wasn’t allowed to leave, she would naturally have stayed. But in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to say it, only instructing her, “I’ll arrange people to look after you. Let me know where you are at all times — don’t you dare disappear on me.”

As he was leaving, Jin’er, who had still been sulking with him, finally came over and looped her arm through his. Ning Yi laughed. “You already knew, didn’t you — that’s why you wanted to warn me, right?”

He remembered the soft embrace Jin’er had given him last time, telling him not to think so much. Jin’er nudged him. “I don’t know anything.” Then, after a moment, she added quietly, “I’m going with Sister Yun Zhu.” Ning Yi understood well enough.

And so, on the nineteenth day of the first month, Yun Zhu and Jin’er finally set out on their journey. By this time, the winter snow had begun gradually to melt. Ning Yi arranged for guards and servants to accompany them, and the Right Chancellor’s residence sent along its own people as an escort as well. Xuanzhou lay to the south, somewhat farther from Bianliang than Liangshan had been, but it was, after all, already deep within the prosperous lands of Jiangnan, and safety there was reasonably well assured.

Ning Yi knew the problem lay with himself, and thought it might not be a bad idea to clear his head for a while and think things through carefully. Besides, there was plenty on his plate to keep him occupied in the meantime.

During this period, Zhu Biao should already have set out from Solitary Dragon Ridge, likely accompanied by Hu Sanniang as well. In Bianliang, both Bamboo Records shops had already opened for business, doing reasonably well, with coal stoves now in use in many places — a novel and convenient addition.

Paired with Bamboo Records was a small storefront called “Xingfuxiang,” located right within the Bamboo Records shops themselves, currently selling only newly assembled small coal stoves, along with taking on business for building fixed hearths, with the honeycomb briquettes delivered directly to customers’ doors — already quite similar, in practice, to how such things worked in the modern world. Though this was a novel product, business hadn’t exactly exploded — it was proceeding steadily, step by step, and Ning Yi wasn’t in any particular hurry about it. Now that the Chancellor’s residence had gotten involved, and coal stoves had been sent to both the left and right chancellors’ residences, a fair number of officials had come to purchase them as well, with profits looking reasonably good — though building up proper advertising would still take some time.

Ning Yi was busy planning out all this. Since Yun Zhu’s departure, his mood had, admittedly, not been particularly good, and he understood well enough that his own domineering, possessive nature was partly to blame. But even a physician cannot heal himself — finding a way through, emotionally, would take time, and finding a real solution would take even longer. In the days that followed, Tan’er found herself preoccupied with matters at the cloth business — apparently several merchants had turned unfriendly toward the Su family’s cloth shop, with the stated reason being that it was improper for a woman to be running a business openly, though in fact, word had it, this sentiment had originated from a prominent merchant in the capital named Zuo Houwen.

This Zuo Houwen was said to be a Confucian merchant, and upon hearing that the Su cloth business was run by a woman openly conducting business, he’d apparently made some rather disapproving remark. A number of merchants under his influence, or connected to him, had then banded together to cut off the Su family’s silk supply, and now several of the cloth shop’s finer fabric lines were likely to run into trouble as a result.

Tan’er happened to mention this to Ning Yi in passing, and he made a few inquiries of his own.

“The Zuo family — Zuo Houwen’s family — isn’t a simple one at all. He’s actually a cousin of Zuo Duanyou. Zuo Duanyou was one of the key figures behind the founding of the Secret Investigation Bureau. After Wang Qisong’s death, over the Black Water Alliance, Zuo Duanyou had a falling-out with Qin Sizhi and the two severed ties from then on — though it was the sort of falling-out between gentlemen, without any bitter words exchanged. The Zuo family’s influence is considerable — you wouldn’t necessarily see it on the surface, but they have connections throughout the court, high and low… What do you plan to do about it?”

This conversation took place one evening, husband and wife chatting idly in their bedroom. Tan’er, needle and thread in hand, was contentedly embroidering a flower. “The Zuo family’s influence may be great, but they’re hardly the only ones doing business. Zuo Houwen made one offhand remark — how could a man of his standing keep his attention fixed on us for long? He’s probably already forgotten about it after saying it. I’ve already contacted two silk merchants from the south, and I’m planning to set up a workshop over in Muyuan County — everything’s cheaper over there, and the goods can be shipped into the capital, keeping the cost of raw silk down.”

“Muyuan County?”

“About a hundred li or so from here.”

“Ah…”

Ning Yi nodded. In business, connections certainly mattered, but one couldn’t rely on connections to solve every single problem — rivals and enemies would always exist, and solving problems was, in its own way, a kind of pleasure. Seeing him nod, Tan’er looked at him. “Since we’ve settled on the location, I’ll probably need to go over there myself sometime soon. I need to oversee the workshop’s construction, and there are some matters to negotiate as well.”

“Can’t Wending go instead?” Ning Yi frowned.

“Wending has… plenty of other things to handle already. Muyuan matters more right now…”

“Ah…” Ning Yi thought it over and nodded. “If it’s really necessary, once I’ve finished up what I’ve got on hand, I could go with you… Actually, if there’s really any trouble, I could have Shanyue pay a visit to the Zuo family. Zuo Duanyou may have had a falling-out with Qin Sizhi, but the old debt of gratitude from Wang Qisong’s days still stands — they’re not likely to make things difficult over a cloth merchant, and it would just take a word from him.”

“No need for that. It’s not as though I’ve never traveled before,” Tan’er said, smiling at him, her eyes bright.

Ning Yi nodded. “We’ll see how it goes…” His relationship with Tan’er remained a good one, after all.

What Tan’er had mentioned left a faint impression in his mind at the time. But in truth, as the saying goes, the whole year’s plans are laid in spring — once the Lantern Festival had passed, the Right Chancellor’s residence found itself extraordinarily busy as well. With the new year underway, the fighting in the north would continue; the great hero Guo Yaoshi had already arrived in the capital, receiving promotions and honors in short order. Meanwhile, up north, the Secret Investigation Bureau had received word that the Ever-Victorious Army was conscripting men at a frantic pace, preparing for the coming year’s campaigns.

Though such measures often led to hardship among the common people, the Secret Investigation Bureau understood there was little to be done about it. The Right Chancellor’s residence, for its part, needed to oversee the allocation of all manner of supplies, funds, and grain, and Ning Yi found himself drawn into these practical matters, growing increasingly busy with such work.

Compared to the clumsiness he showed in matters of the heart, he handled this sort of work with practiced ease, and before long had effectively taken over the role once held by men like Yao Zunian and Ji Kun, overseeing and coordinating overall planning and budgeting. Only in the practical details of allocation and logistics did Yao Zunian and the others still hold more experience than he did, and the two sides worked together remarkably well — so well, in fact, that in recent days people had again started saying that Ning Yi ought to stop bothering with running his little wine shops and hurry up and take office already. Qin Sizhi had even joked that he could simply have Ning Yi forced straight into a position at the Ministry of Revenue, and whoever objected could come argue it out with him personally.

On the afternoon of the twenty-eighth day of the first month, Ning Yi came home earlier than usual, thinking he might take Tan’er and Xiao Chan out for a stroll that evening. Arriving home, he made his way back to the courtyard where they lived and heard what sounded like the baby crying, with someone trying to soothe him — the crying gradually died down. But the courtyard itself was oddly empty; inside the room, it was Juan’er who was minding Ning Xi.

“Where has everyone gone? Where’s Xiao Chan? Is the baby hungry?”

“Young master’s just been fed,” Juan’er said, sitting on the edge of the bed holding the baby, looking up at him quietly. “Xiao Chan, she went with the young mistress to Muyuan County — didn’t you know, my lord?”

“Eh, Xiao Chan… I knew Tan’er was going to Muyuan, but why would Xiao Chan be going along too? Wait, you…” Ning Yi frowned, suddenly sensing something was off. “Where’s your mistress?”

Off to one side of the room, a bundle packed a couple of days earlier had now been taken away. Juan’er said, “The young mistress and the others should still be over by the side gate — I’m not sure if they’ve left yet or not…”

“What’s going on?” Ning Yi muttered to himself, turning and heading out the door. Spotting a figure crossing the courtyard, he called out abruptly, “Su Wending! Come here!”

It was indeed Su Wending walking over there. Among the Su family cousins, he was the one who assisted Tan’er directly, while the others worked alongside Ning Yi. Ning Yi called him over and asked, “What exactly is going on with Muyuan County? What have you been in charge of lately? Why isn’t Tan’er sending you there instead — why does she have to go herself?”

Su Wending’s expression grew conflicted, and he hesitated, stammering, before finally speaking in a low voice. “Second Brother-in-law, you really don’t know?”

“Know what?”

“Everyone says you’re a man of infinite schemes, but honestly, when it comes to matters between women, Second Brother-in-law, you should probably…”

“What are you talking about?”

Ning Yi’s tone sharpened slightly, and Su Wending no longer dared to hedge. “I heard — well, I heard about it too, secondhand — that this Miss Nie has left the capital. Second Sister found out about it a few days ago, and she spent an entire afternoon sitting in her room, just staring off into space. Of course, Second Brother-in-law, personally I think it’s nothing unusual for a real man to have several wives and concubines — as long as you don’t break Second Sister’s heart, that’s what matters… And honestly, for Second Sister, this should be a good thing either way, so I’m a bit puzzled myself…”

Ning Yi froze for a moment. “How did she find out?”

“That, I don’t know. But I heard that since coming to the capital, Second Sister and this Miss Nie have met in person before. Honestly, given how sharp Second Sister is, and how much she cares about you, it wouldn’t be strange at all for her to have found out about these things…”

Amid Su Wending’s rambling explanation, Ning Yi made his way across to the other courtyard. Approaching the area near the side gate, he saw a whole group of people gathered there, a carriage already prepared. Tan’er stood chatting cheerfully, bidding a temporary farewell to the family, with Xiao Chan standing beside her holding a bundle. Seeing Ning Yi arrive just then, she froze for a moment, then reached out and poked Tan’er’s arm. Tan’er turned to look his way, smiling reflexively, though something complicated flickered briefly across her eyes.

Everyone turned to greet Ning Yi. He waved a hand, and after a moment, walked closer. “I… there’s something I need to say to Tan’er. Everyone…”

At his gesture, the group took the hint and dispersed.

Tan’er stood there, hands clasped in front of her, smiling demurely. Ning Yi looked at her. “What exactly is going on here?”

“Nothing much — I’m just going to Muyuan County for a while.”

“Xiao Chan’s going with you too?”

“She…” Tan’er glanced at Xiao Chan. “She insisted on coming along…” Her tone remained even as she said the last word, but her voice caught unconsciously, in the way a person’s voice catches when they’re feeling wronged — though somehow, at this moment, it seemed different. Tan’er’s brow furrowed, and something in her expression seemed to refuse further conversation.

“Whatever’s going on, you have to tell me…”

Tan’er shook her head.

“What about leaving Xiao Xi behind, just like that…”

Tan’er shook her head again.

“If this is… if this is because of what happened with Nie Yunzhu…”

“I know she’s left the capital.”

This time, Tan’er finally raised her head and spoke, her voice flat and matter-of-fact. Ning Yi frowned. “Right, she’s already gone, but… she’s gone, so why are you still…”

“I didn’t want her to leave.”

Ning Yi wanted to say that he hadn’t wanted her to leave either, but the words wouldn’t come out in the end. He looked at the wife standing before him — a woman with the face of a girl but a heart grown far more mature than any girl’s, gazing back at him with a hardened, forced resolve. “I… I stayed here, and I didn’t want you to think I was the one who drove her away.”

“What are you even saying — you know that’s not what happened…”

“But she left, and I stayed. She’s heartbroken, and I’m happy — that’s exactly what you’ll think, isn’t it, that you feel you’ve wronged her…” Tan’er’s gaze turned cold and clear as she looked at him, then she clenched her teeth, her whole body trembling slightly, trying to suppress the sob rising in her throat even as her mind stayed clear. She drew several ragged breaths before finally speaking. “Husband, I… actually, I’ve never really asked you seriously — since we married, have you ever, at any point, recovered your memories of the past?”

Ning Yi thought about it, looked at her, and shook his head slightly. “No. Not at all.”

Tears began falling from Tan’er’s eyes. “You see — once you forgot everything from before, you became a different person. I never used to care about that. I truly… never cared about that old Ning Liheng from before. But ever since I met Miss Nie, there’s been one thing I keep thinking about. I used to think… I wasn’t good to you, running away from our marriage, living in separate rooms — and even then, I thought I’d already done enough for you, that someday I’d truly become your wife in every sense. But after I looked into what happened with Miss Nie, it suddenly struck me…”

“What suddenly struck me is… that whatever feelings existed between you and Miss Nie…” She began to weep.

“…came before whatever there is between you and me, didn’t they?”

In the courtyard, Tan’er’s weeping rang out, mournful and raw. For a moment, he had no idea how to respond, only listened as she continued.

“Did the two of you fall for each other very early on? Knowing your temperament, you never truly thought of the Su family as your own, did you — was there ever a time when you even considered leaving the Su family behind, going off with her instead…”

“Hey…” Ning Yi moved closer to her, but Tan’er stepped back.

“I don’t mind if you bring her into the household. I don’t mind that you love her and she loves you. I don’t mind that you took her out and about while she was sick. I wouldn’t even mind if you had Chancellor Qin’s family adopt her as a goddaughter. There’s only one thing I mind — do you even know what it is…”

Ning Yi caught hold of her arm, and for the first time, his wife pulled herself free.

“You’re my husband—”

She cried out, weeping.

Something inside Ning Yi’s chest suddenly clenched, as though seized in an iron grip.