Yao Huang lifted the curtain and stepped into the inner chamber, presenting a visiting card to Si Huahuan, who was reclining on a daybed. “Your Highness, this has just been sent over from the Prince of Jin’s residence.”
Banquets hosted by Princess Changning were always highly sought-after events among the noble ladies of the capital.
However, Si Huahuan and Changning had never gotten along. Invitations from Changning had never been sent to her, and in any case, Si Huahuan could not be bothered to attend Changning’s gatherings just to go through the motions of social niceties.
Wei Zi asked, “Does Your Highness intend to go?”
Si Huahuan extended a slender, pale hand lazily, took the card, glanced over it briefly, and closed it with a snap.
It was an invitation to a flower-viewing banquet to be held three days later at the residence of the Prince of Jin.
“I shall go. Since my uncle has invited me, naturally I must attend.”
Changning might be unpleasant, but the Prince of Jin had always treated her with great kindness. He was a generous, gentle, and respectable elder. She certainly had to show him respect.
Last time, she had kicked Changning straight into the lotus pond. Changning must hate her to the core by now and would doubtless love to tear her apart if she could.
But this was a feast hosted in her father’s mansion. No matter how willful or unreasonable Changning might be, she wouldn’t dare cause a single scene or disturbance at her own father’s banquet.
The thought of it was rather amusing.
Three days later, the grand gates of the Prince of Jin’s residence were thrown wide open. Guests arrived in a constant stream, and carriages bearing the insignias of every noble household lined up for half a street.
After handing over her name card, Si Huahuan followed the guiding maid through gate after gate, until she entered the courtyard reserved for female guests.
A winding corridor enclosed the spacious grounds. People were already gathering within the courtyard and along the covered walkways, dressed in fine silks and adorned with pearls and jade.
As she walked, the noble ladies — whether standing about in groups chatting or admiring the flowers — caught sight of her. Like wheat bending before the wind, they all lowered their heads and curtsied. “We pay our respects to Her Royal Highness.”
Si Huahuan merely nodded slightly Her gaze passed over the sea of heads and fixed upon a figure dressed in pink standing before a waterside pavilion.
She walked forward gracefully. Changning turned around. The smile on her face hadn’t yet fully faded, yet her eyes were already blazing with anger, locking fiercely onto Si Huahuan. “You!”
The young woman in green standing beside Changning reacted instantly. She firmly grasped Changning’s arm to hold her back. Then she stepped forward and curtsied to Si Huahuan, her movements flawless and perfectly proper. “Greetings, Your Highness.”
Si Huahuan’s eyes swept over the young woman, who wore a pale green gown of sheer, mist-like silk. She had a small face no bigger than a palm, unburdened by heavy makeup. Her eyebrows were like distant mountains shaded in deep ink; her eyes were like ripples on an autumn lake, tilted slightly downward at the corners to give her a naturally innocent look.
This was Lin Miaoqing, the legitimate eldest daughter of Prime Minister Lin. She was Changning’s closest confidante and far more tactful and shrewd than Changning.
Changning wrenched her arm free from Lin Miaoqing’s grip with force. She strode forward and stood directly in front of Si Huahuan, speaking in a low, tight voice. “Si Huahuan! How dare you show your face here?”
Though her voice was soft, countless pairs of eyes all around had long since turned toward them, filled with curiosity and the anticipation of a good show. The crowd had fallen silent as if by agreement, their breathing softened, lest they miss a single word.
“What is there I wouldn’t dare do?” Si Huahuan replied leisurely, fanning herself gently with a round fan woven with golden threads. She smiled. “But as for you — if you dare provoke me again, things won’t end with just a kick.”
Changning gritted her teeth in fury. Her gaze traveled up and down Si Huahuan’s attire, full of disdain. “Look at what you’re wearing. Anyone who didn’t know better would think this was *your* wedding banquet today.”
Si Huahuan had always favored wearing red, and today was no exception. She wore a brocade short coat over her upper body. Her long skirt, cut high across the chest, was made from six lengths of the finest deep-red silk woven with intricate patterns.
Layers of fabric cascaded down to trail upon the ground. Designs of rich, round blossoms were woven through it with gold thread, catching the sunlight and scattering tiny, brilliant sparks of light.
Si Huahuan smiled indifferently, then looked Changning up and down openly with a critical eye. “Still better than you and that pink getup — you look just like a big fluttering moth.”
“You!”
Changning nearly lost control of her volume. Noticing people nearby watching them from the corners of their eyes, she took a deep breath and forced her anger down. “You came to my father’s residence — surely not just to look for trouble with me?”
Si Huahuan covered her mouth delicately with her hand. “You really do think far too highly of yourself, don’t you?”
Seeing Changning’s eyes wide with rage, stifling a temper she couldn’t unleash, Si Huahuan smiled lightly, pleased at the success of her little jab.
She walked past Changning without a moment’s hesitation, heading straight toward the corridor on the other side, completely indifferent to the twisted expression on Changning’s face behind her.
It was the most maddening thing of all — to throw a punch only to hit cotton, to have all that anger and nowhere to vent it.
Changning’s eyes burned with such rage it seemed she wished to burn two holes right through Si Huahuan’s back. Her fingernails dug deep into her own palms.
Lin Miaoqing moved closer and whispered, “Do not be angry, Your Highness. I have a plan…”
…
Si Huahuan spotted Ye Shuyi and walked over unhurriedly. Ye Shuyi looked somewhat surprised to see her. “I thought you wouldn’t come today.”
“I had nothing better to do, so I came along.”
The two chatted idly for a while, until the conversation slowly turned toward the courtyard where the male guests were gathered.
The women’s courtyard was separated from the men’s only by a moon-shaped gateway. From where they were seated, they had a clear view through the arch and could see most of what was happening over there.
There were several unfamiliar faces among the men. Si Huahuan pointed casually at one. “Who is that young master in the blue robe?”
Ye Shuyi looked in the direction she indicated. “Oh, him. That is Sang Lin, the eldest grandson of the Imperial Librarian, and a Secretary in the Ministry of Rites.”
“Speaking of the Sang family,” Ye Shuyi leaned closer and lowered her voice. “They are famous for their strict family rules. Sang Lin’s mother, the senior Madame Sang, comes from the powerful Gan family of Jinling. She dominates the household and tolerates no disagreement.”
“A couple of years ago, one of the Sang sons born to a concubine wasn’t yet married, but was discovered secretly keeping a courtesan as his mistress outside the household. Madame Sang ordered that both his legs be broken, all to uphold the family’s moral code.”
Si Huahuan felt her own legs weaken slightly just listening to this. “That is… very strict indeed.”
“Exactly. And besides, Sang Lin is practically a puppet in his mother’s hands. Even what clothes he wears each day and which hair crown he uses are all chosen for him by Madame Sang.” Ye Shuyi pouted, looking disgusted.
“Does his wife not object to this?” Si Huahuan asked.
“With his mother’s overwhelming need for control? Sang Lin is already twenty-five and still unmarried. Every respectable family in the capital with any standing at all steers well clear of such a match.”
Si Huahuan’s gaze drifted aimlessly over the other men. Somehow, as if pulled by an invisible force, it settled on a figure standing just beside Sang Lin.
He was tall and slender, dressed in a pale silk robe the color of moonlight, fastened with a simple jade crown. The lines of his profile were clean and sharp, giving him a refined and obedient appearance. He was nodding slightly as he listened to someone speaking.
He looked so familiar.
Those features… Her heart gave a sudden violent leap!
It was him! The man from her dream a few nights ago — the one Xie Yun had held underwater until he nearly drowned!
She grabbed Ye Shuyi’s arm urgently. “Shuyi — that man standing beside Minister Zhao of the Ministry of Justice, wearing the moonlight-colored robe… who is he?”
Ye Shuyi followed her gaze and replied casually, “Oh, him. That’s Lin Heng, the eldest son of Prime Minister Lin, born to a concubine. I hear he works in the Ministry of Justice. He was just promoted to Deputy Minister recently and is apparently highly regarded.”
“Why?” She turned and saw Si Huahuan staring fixedly at Lin Heng, her eyes wide. Ye Shuyi laughed teasingly. “Have you taken a fancy to him?”
Si Huahuan had no mind for her jokes. She pressed further. “Why have I never seen him before?”
“Hmm… maybe he’s only moderately handsome and never caught your eye before. Why are you suddenly interested in him today?”
“Tell me what sort of person he is. How does he conduct himself?”
Seeing that Si Huahuan looked serious and not at all playful, Ye Shuyi suppressed her teasing smile and answered earnestly. “Master Lin is known to work hard and diligently. As a person, he has a reputation for being exceptionally refined, scholarly, and humble. His standing is excellent. Although… Prime Minister Lin doesn’t seem to value him very much. People say he earned his current position in the Ministry entirely through his own ability.”
For a son born of a concubine to establish himself and win such public respect, especially while being ignored by the head of the family, showed great strength of character and remarkable capability.
From what Shuyi described, his behavior and conduct were perfectly proper. What could a man like him have possibly done to enrage Xie Yun so much that he would want to kill him?
Could it be… that it had something to do with her?
Lost in thought, she suddenly saw Lin Heng’s figure vanish from her line of sight, completely blocked from view by a much taller figure stepping right in front of him, hiding even the hem of his robe.
Si Huahuan snapped back to reality and found herself face-to-face with Xie Yun, his expression dark and gloomy.
He narrowed his eyes and stared straight at her, his gaze clearly revealing his displeasure.
Why was it him?
He had always been too lazy to attend banquets like this — especially the kind where noble families gathered just to maintain social connections. Why had he suddenly shown up today?
Now, every time she saw him, she remembered that night’s dream. For now, she tried to comfort herself: In this life, Xie Yun was still just that spirited, ambitious young man she knew. There was no need to overthink it.
The banquet was halfway through. Si Huahuan had drunk enough wine to make her head feel hot and fuzzy, so she found an excuse to slip outside and cool off.
She had barely walked a short way along the winding corridor, rounding a cluster of fully blooming peony bushes, when she spotted a figure in moonlight-colored silk standing nearby, head tilted slightly upward, gazing at the sky.
Her footsteps were light, yet the man noticed her presence instantly. He turned his head toward the sound, his eyes resting upon her without the slightest trace of surprise. He clasped his hands respectfully and bowed deeply and properly. “I pay my respects to Your Royal Highness.”
His voice was soft, clear, and gentle, like a warm spring breeze brushing lightly past.
Si Huahuan nodded slightly. “You recognize me?”
Lin Heng’s tone was respectful but not servile, his gaze open and sincere. “Years ago, during a palace banquet, I had the honor of beholding Your Highness’s celestial grace.”
Si Huahuan studied the man before her carefully. He could not be called strikingly handsome, yet he possessed a quiet elegance, truly bearing the manner of a refined gentleman. It gave people an inexplicable sense of warmth and ease.
Polite, gentle, and speaking with perfect composure — Si Huahuan found herself taking a distinct liking to him.
She wondered if she would dream again soon, and if so, whether she would learn exactly what had driven Xie Yun to treat him that way.
Adopting the mindset that the enemy of her enemy was her friend, she spoke to Lin Heng with clear friendliness. “Is Deputy Minister Lin also out here getting some fresh air to clear his head from the wine?”
Lin Heng’s lips remained curved in a faint, constant, yet perfectly appropriate smile. He nodded in answer.
A soft breeze blew steadily over, carrying with it a heavy, rich fragrance of flowers, sweeping directly into their faces.
Si Huahuan looked at the vast bed of peonies before her. Flowers of every color were in full bloom, layer upon layer of petals crowded closely together, so dense they almost hid the green leaves beneath.
She brushed her fingertips lightly against the blossom nearest to her. Its petals were intricate and ball-shaped, blending shades of pink and white, trembling delicately in the wind.
“Does Your Highness wish to pick one?”
Si Huahuan withdrew her hand. “This one’s color is too pale. I do not like it.”
“Among all flowering plants, the peony ranks first, and the herbaceous peony ranks second. That is why people call the peony the King of Flowers, and the herbaceous peony the Minister of Flowers. In my humble opinion, compared to the herbaceous variety, the tree peony suits Your Highness’s national beauty and grace far better.”
Lin Heng reached out and plucked a vivid red peony growing right in front of them — its color matching the shade of the robe she wore today almost exactly. He turned sideways toward her and presented the flower respectfully with both hands. “There happen to be no tree peonies around us at this moment. If Your Highness would not deem it beneath you, this bloom is barely worthy of being offered to you.”
Si Huahuan accepted the flower, her appreciation for Lin Heng growing even greater.
He certainly knew how to speak pleasingly. No wonder he had risen to the position of Deputy Minister of Justice in just a few short years.
Lin Heng’s gaze shifted downward, passing over the hem of her skirt, and paused slightly.
Si Huahuan followed his line of sight and frowned involuntarily. The pointed tip of her embroidered shoe had been stained with a patch of dark mud, picked up goodness knows where.
Lin Heng took a clean white handkerchief from his sleeve. It was folded perfectly square, every edge and corner neat and precise — just like the man himself, spotless and orderly.
“If Your Highness would be so kind as to accept it, please use this to clean it slightly.”
Si Huahuan looked at the plain white cloth in his hand, then lifted her eyes to look at him. He stood there with calm composure, his gaze clear and pure.
This man truly was a noble gentleman, warm and flawless as jade. He could well stand comparison even with her own elder brother.
“Thank you, Lin…”
“Your Highness certainly has refined tastes.” A familiar voice drifted over slowly.
The good mood Si Huahuan had just built up vanished instantly. She turned her gaze lazily toward the newcomer.
Xie Yun approached at a steady, unhurried pace. His eyes casually brushed over the peony in her hand, lingering only for a split second before shifting quickly to rest upon Lin Heng.
He spoke as if noticing him for the very first time, sounding faintly surprised. “Deputy Minister Lin is here as well.”