Luo Tang never liked keeping a journal. When one occupies a high position, every word, action, and even a single stroke of the pen can become fatal evidence if it falls into the hands of political rivals.
Zhe Qing was entirely different. She had loved writing since childhood. Entering the Lin residence at age eight, her very first page was filled with tiny, fragmented thoughts:
“There is a tree in front of the door. It is taller than me, but shorter than Mother.”
She missed her mother, but knew she could not indulge in the longing, so she looked at the tree to anchor her thoughts of her closest kin.
When Luo Tang first read that opening line, she had felt a mild surprise; the further she read, the more fascinating she found it.
An eight-year-old Zhe Qing would yearn for her mother.
An eighteen-year-old Zhe Qing was still shorter than the tree. Gazing out at the tree before the entrance, she wrote: It takes a decade to grow a tree, and a century to cultivate people. In the end, mankind can never compare to a tree.
Luo Tang stopped her brush and opened the window, catching sight of Xiao Sese walking past in the distance, carrying a basket whose contents remained hidden from view.
Vigilant, Luo Tang tore up the sheet of paper she had just written on, crumpled the pieces into a ball, and tossed them straight into the wastebasket.
“The Second Young Miss has arrived. My young miss is right inside,” Wenlan’s voice rang out, carrying an overt note of warmth.
With a soft creak, the door pushed open.
“A-Tang,” Xiao Sese’s voice drifted in.
Luo Tang couldn’t help feeling a wave of depression. She genuinely had no desire to play games with a seventeen-year-old child.
For some inexplicable reason, her thoughts drifted to Zhe Qing at seventeen.
That would have been nine years ago.
The current year was the eighth of Mingcheng. Nine years ago, the late Emperor was still alive, and the Empress Dowager was still the reigning Empress, though the late Emperor rarely concerned himself with state affairs, leaving the Empress to govern from behind the scenes.
A seventeen-year-old Zhe Qing was already working alongside the Empress. Serving by the Empress’s side and meeting with senior ministers, she remained entirely unflappable in moments of crisis.
By contrast, the Xiao Sese before her spent her days in tears.
Luo Tang had no patience for tearful people, nor was she one to shed tears herself.
Stepping into the room, Xiao Sese asked, “A-Tang, what are you doing?”
Holding a book in her arms, she gazed gently at Luo Tang. “Look, I brought my pearl hairpins over as well.”
The pearl hairpins in Xiao Sese’s hands were crimson, radiating a brilliant, eye-catching hue and featuring superior craftsmanship. They were made of delicate velvet fabric, centered around a pearl that served as the flower’s stamen.
Casting a complex look at her, Luo Tang thought: Cousin, do you even possess a brain?
Xiao Sese was genuinely, exceptionally foolish.
Luo Tang hadn’t even seen the previous set of hairpins; she had simply been disdainful of the color white. Yet Xiao Sese had eagerly trotted over to show off her own hairpins, was she deliberately trying to prove that the white hairpins given to her earlier were the cheapest leftovers?
“Cousin, who told you to bring these over?” Luo Tang asked evenly. She had no use for petty back-alley intrigue; her goal was to take the imperial examinations and secure an official post. But to step outside independently, she needed a residence of her own.
According to the laws of the dynasty, a woman wishing to establish an independent household was required to hold an official rank. Even holding rank wasn’t enough; she also had to purchase property.
Every step of the way required a solid, pragmatic foundation.
Consequently, she held utter contempt for domestic back-courtyard squabbles. Yet for the time being, she couldn’t afford to break relations with Xiao Sese, seeing as she was still living under the Xiao family’s roof.
Looking astonished, Xiao Sese blinked at her. “What’s wrong? Shall I compensate you for them?”
Luo Tang pressed, “Why did you choose that particular set of white hairpins for me in the first place? Did everyone else pick theirs first, leaving only those for me?”
Lowering her head, Xiao Sese flushed scarlet and stammered in self-defense, “No, it wasn’t like that. I actually wanted to pick a nice set for you, but the others kept saying you didn’t like white.”
Luo Tang rolled her eyes inwardly. You’re the one whose mother loves white.
On second thought, why on earth was she wasting her energy trying to educate the Xiao family’s daughter? Adopting a bright, amiable smile, she accepted the red hairpins and chirped cheerfully, “Thank you, Cousin!”
“That’s settled then! Grandmother’s birthday is coming up soon. What have you prepared for her?” Xiao Sese’s tears vanished as quickly as they appeared. Her eyes shimmered with lingering moisture while the corners of her lips curved upward, lending her an undeserved aura of delicate fragility.
She possessed an oval face. When she wasn’t smiling, she looked quite dignified; when she smiled, a touch of naive charm broke through.
Studying her features, Luo Tang unbiddenly thought of Zhe Qing once more.
Zhe Qing’s beauty was matchless and entirely unique. Unlike ordinary women, she carried an aura of deep authority forged within the crucible of the imperial court. Perhaps owing to her cold, aloof temperament, her refined, exquisite appearance naturally stirred desire in others, even though she herself remained entirely devoid of worldly desires.
Zhe Qing was more like a celestial deity presiding over mortal longings.
She threw the world into total chaos while looking down upon all living creatures from on high. She appeared compassionate, yet her eyes were embedded with unyielding ice, completely severed from human passion and desire.
Snapping back to reality, Luo Tang glanced at Xiao Sese again and instantly lost all interest. It wasn’t that Xiao Sese lacked attractiveness, but their temperaments were worlds apart.
Mention of the birthday reminded her of the Map of Ten Thousand Longevities that the original owner had embroidered stitch by stitch, day and night, only to be denied the chance to present it in the end.
She answered casually, “It’s all prepared.”
Luo Tang lacked any enthusiasm for the topic. Turning her gaze toward the window, her expression grew inexplicably cold. Xiao Sese lingered for a moment longer. “A-Tang, when did you get acquainted with Prime Minister Zhe?”
“Why do you ask?” Luo Tang feigned confusion.
Xiao Sese murmured, “You used to be the one who despised Prime Minister Zhe the most.”
Luo Tang: “…” My cover is blown.
Forcing an awkward laugh, she offered an excuse: “I lost my way that day, and Prefect Zhe was the one who gave me directions. I consider her my benefactor.”
“So that’s how it was. Still, you should keep your distance from her; we are nothing like people of her sort,” Xiao Sese advised earnestly, speaking from a place of deep conviction.
Luo Tang rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time. You lack any real capability, your head is full of sawdust, yet you still dare to look down upon the Right Prime Minister.
If you’ve got such grand abilities, why don’t you go pass the imperial examinations and become an official yourself?
“I have things to attend to, Cousin. You should head back,” Luo Tang issued a direct expulsion order, reaching out to grasp Xiao Sese’s wrist and gently nudging her toward the door.
What a blockhead.
Never mind, I won’t lower myself to her level.
Before long, the day of the Dowager Elder’s birthday arrived. Lanwen and her mother bustled into the room bright and early, trying to rouse their young mistress with enthusiastic persuasion: “Today is the Dowager Elder’s birthday; you ought to be the very first to go offer your congratulations and longevity wishes.”
Luo Tang listened to the chatter with half an ear, rolled over, and went right back to sleep.
The Dowager Elder was neither her backing nor could she ever become her backing.
She didn’t pin any hopes on her.
Refusing to give up, Lanwen called upon several young maidservants. Three or four of them hauled Luo Tang out of bed, forced her into fresh ceremonial robes, and plastered a thick layer of powder and rouge across her face.
Sighing inwardly, Luo Tang dragged her feet into the Dowager Elder’s courtyard, only to discover she had arrived dead last. All the other young misses of the household were already gathered there, and Guo Mingying’s loud laughter could be heard echoing from inside.
Luo Tang suppressed a massive yawn. To be honest, engaging in superficial pleasantries with these people was exhausting beyond measure.
Will someone please come rescue me?
Lanwen shoved Luo Tang across the threshold, and the customary exchange of polite birthday greetings ensued.
The Grand Commandant’s estate treated the Dowager Elder’s birthday as a grand, bustling event, yet when all was said and done, only family members were present not a single outsider from high society had attended.
Luo Tang found this rather peculiar. Remembering Zhe Qing’s words, she recalled that her eldest uncle possessed zero real political clout at court, holding only a minor sinecure post that couldn’t possibly sustain the family’s exorbitant expenditures.
She had secretly hoped to catch a glimpse of Zhe Qing at the gathering, leaving her feeling a twinge of disappointment.
Two days later, an old matron stepped into her courtyard, announcing that someone had sent a pastry delivery for her from a local tavern.
It was a single plate of honeyed red bean pastries.
Taking the plate from the matron, Luo Tang shooed all the maidservants out of the room. She had zero interest in eating pastries.
The honeyed red bean pastries were roughly the size of a palm. Picking up the piece in the very center, she pinched it firmly between both hands and pulled it apart, revealing a slip of paper hidden inside.
The note read: Tomorrow. The tavern.
Luo Tang popped the pastry straight into her mouth. Zhe Qing actually wants to see me, this is getting interesting.
Still, she knew that for Zhe Qing to reach out, she must have found her useful.
Once she proved her value, she could start negotiating her own terms.
Operating within official circles meant that amidst a sea of stunning beauties, nothing absolutely nothing could ever rival a single precious commodity: talent.
And true talent acted as a razor-sharp blade.
Heaven and earth are ruthless, treating all things like straw dogs. Since even the universe operated on such merciless principles, how could anyone expect to receive unconditional kindness and favors from others for free?
Luo Tang finished off every last crumb of the pastries, filling her stomach so thoroughly that she decided to skip dinner entirely.
Afterward, she unlocked her private ledger a record documenting every single treasure stored within her personal storeroom, encompassing items brought from her family home alongside gifts bestowed by elders.
Scanning through the list once, a mischievous grin spread across her face. She called out to Wenlan for the keys, announcing, “I want to go check on my things.”
“Miss, why on earth are you suddenly…”
“Just hand them over,” Luo Tang interrupted, cutting off the nagging. “Stop chattering and give me the keys.”
Wenlan’s expression darkened unpleasantly, shooting Luo Tang a resentful glare. As a personal maid to a mistress, when had she ever been subjected to such disrespect?
Luo Tang lacked the emotional bandwidth to coddle delicate temperaments. Snatching the keys from her hand, she walked over and slid the padlock open herself.
The small storeroom contained a substantial collection of items. Opening the chests one by one, she confirmed that most valuables remained intact, proving the lower-level servants hadn’t dared to steal anything outright.
Spotting a ring tucked inside a velvet-lined box, Luo Tang’s eyes lit up. She fished it out and tried sliding it onto her finger.
Her fingers had grown plump; it wouldn’t fit. Maintaining her dignity, Luo Tang swiftly shoved the ring up her sleeve and pretended nothing at all had happened.
How embarrassing, it wouldn’t even fit on her finger.
Still, Zhe Qing should easily be able to wear it.
Returning to her bedchamber, Luo Tang opened her money pouch and slipped the jade ring right inside.
The following day, under the pretext of visiting Xiao Sese, she slipped out through a side door, tipped the gatekeeper matron with a gleaming gold nugget, and successfully made her exit.
The moment she stepped outside the estate, a pair of hands grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and unceremoniously heaved her into a waiting carriage.
Just as she opened her mouth to hurl a stream of curses, a bright flash of light greeted her eyes. Sitting before her was a figure draped in moon-white robes embroidered with a soaring crane a symbol of longevity. Raising her gaze further, she took in a slender, elegant waistline.
Blinking rapidly, she felt a hand gently cover her eyes. “Little divine diviner, you certainly have a weakness for beauty.”
Luo Tang: “…”
“You can call me a divine diviner, but you cannot accuse me of being lustful.”
Scrambling back up to her feet, she locked eyes with Zhe Qing. Zhe Qing wore a faint, amused smile, casting her shadow over the maiden as golden sunlight streamed through the carriage window.
Enveloped by Zhe Qing’s silhouette, the older woman leaned down, extended her slender, tapered fingers, and hooked them under Luo Tang’s chin. A cascade of smooth, raven-dark hair tumbled forward, brushing across Luo Tang’s field of vision.
Zhe Qing’s gaze was overwhelmingly deep, stripped of emotional warmth, carrying instead a sharp, probing edge. “Is this sort of thing to your liking?”
The intensely ambiguous display brought a rush of heat straight to Luo Tang’s thick skin, flushing her face red. She had never been flirted with in her life and felt entirely unequipped to handle this dynamic.
Reaching out, Luo Tang swatted Zhe Qing’s hand away. “Cut it out! You aren’t even drugged this time how did you become even bolder than before?”
Such a brazen display of playful seduction made Zhe Qing flush crimson in mortification, causing her to instantly retract her hand.