Chapter 20: A Visitor at the DoorA devotee once drew a fortune stick, then boarded a black…The weather had begun to turn cool. A begonia leaned against the corner of the wall, its leaves adorned with a few drops of morning dew, as if coated in a layer of frost. Su Zheyun leaned in and pinched it with her fingernail, leaving a crescent-shaped purple mark on the pink petal.She had deliberately chosen today as her day off and was waiting at home.Thump, thump, thump—The rumbling of carriage wheels came to a stop at the door, and the knocking arrived right on schedule.Su Zheyun opened the door with a smile and welcomed Qin Sanniang and the child into the residence.The two were somewhat ill at ease. Qin Sanniang still wore a white flower pinned at her temple. Her slightly plump face showed red, swollen eyes, and her hands, roughened by years of labor, were calloused—yet her clothes were washed and starched immaculately clean.Holding a flaky pastry, Su Zheyun coaxed the girl hiding behind her to come forward. The child took a timid bite, her palm-sized face framed by a pair of large, glistening round eyes."Little miss, what's your name?" Su Zheyun raised a gentle smile and spoke to her slowly."The family calls her Xiao Tao. Her father resented that she was a girl and never gave her a proper name. I can't read a single character, but you, young master, are so learned—would you give her a name?""Me?" Su Zheyun rose, patted Xiao Tao's head, and pondered for a moment. "Then let's call her Qin Zhen. 'The peach tree is young and fresh, its leaves are lush and bright.' Since her father wouldn't name her, then she isn't his daughter. Let her take your surname—she is only your daughter."Qin Sanniang's eyes reddened. She crouched down to meet the girl at eye level. "Alright. Come now, Qin Zhen, let's thank Young Master Su.""Thank you, Young Master Su…" Qin Zhen was timid, her voice trailing off softer and softer.Su Zheyun didn't mind. She patted her forehead and led them to the side room."You and the child can stay here. It's a bit cramped—please don't mind."Qin Sanniang shook her head and dropped to her knees with a thud, about to kowtow again. Su Zheyun quickly helped her up, feeling somewhat helpless inside."It's fine. No need to kneel from now on. Just do your work well. I'm usually busy and can stay at the prince's residence—you and the child just look after the house."With that, she took out a money pouch and handed it to her. "This is for household expenses. You can buy fruits, vegetables, and cosmetics whenever you need. Just let me know when it runs out."Qin Sanniang nodded and wiped the tears from her face with her sleeve. "Thank you, young master," she said, her voice choked with emotion. "If not for you, this mother and daughter wouldn't know how we'd survive…"Su Zheyun waved her hand, and another round of knocking came from outside the door."Bingwen," Su Zheyun said, breaking into a smile at the sight of her visitor. "Do come in. Before, I was always the one crashing your meals—now it's your turn to crash mine."Qin Sanniang had already changed into different clothes and gone to the kitchen. The blade met the cutting board, and steam rose from the chimney.Several pots of crape myrtle sat in the courtyard. Shen Bingwen plucked a blossom and tucked it into Qin Zhen's twin buns.Evening had not yet arrived, but the sun had already sunk most of its body below the horizon, its surrounding halo glowing red.A long table was set up in the courtyard. Su Zheyun took out bowls and chopsticks from the cupboard and saw the two—one big, one small—playing happily, their laughter echoing through the air."What are you two playing at, having so much fun?" Su Zheyun wiped her hands and strolled leisurely toward them.The butterfly perched on the flower had wings so thin they were nearly translucent, and the bamboo-woven cage was exquisitely crafted. Qin Zhen held it up high, letting her see the butterfly inside."Very beautiful." Su Zheyun smiled at her warmly, then took out the silver hairpin she'd bought yesterday and tucked it beside the crape myrtle blossom. "This makes it even prettier. Later, give this to your mother, alright?"Qin Zhen nodded, her small hand clutching another silver hairpin, faint fine fuzz visible on her fair, clean face."Young Master Su, Young Master Shen, the food is ready—come eat!" Qin Sanniang's voice came from not far away. Shen Bingwen scooped up Qin Zhen and carried her toward the long table."Sanniang, sit down and eat with us. We don't stand on ceremony here." Su Zheyun sat in the middle and gestured for her to take a seat."Mother, this is from Young Master Su for you." Qin Zhen blinked her big eyes and handed her an openwork silver hairpin.Sanniang's face lit up with surprise. Qin Zhen stood on her tiptoes to pin it in her hair, and the dim lamplight couldn't hide the happiness on her face."I specially asked the lady at the market to save me this sea bass this morning. Everyone, eat up—don't let it go cold and waste Sanniang's cooking."A few roosting birds swept across the sky above the courtyard, and the small dishes on the porcelain plates gave off a fragrant steam. Warm grains of rice melted in her mouth as Su Zheyun lowered her head and dug in, savoring every dish with relish. She had never been a picky eater—sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, salty—she loved them all."Slow down, no one's going to steal it from you." Shen Bingwen ladled soup into her bowl. The milky white broth held a few pieces of fresh bamboo shoots, its fragrance wafting up.Sanniang picked up a piece of braised pork for Qin Zhen, who was just barely tall enough to reach the table.The scene was harmonious and peaceful. Bamboo chopsticks tapped against the rims of porcelain bowls, letting out soft "ding" sounds.Outside the house, a carriage slowly came to a halt. The horse's hooves scraped lightly against the bluestone pavement twice before the wheels settled into stillness.The carriage body dipped slightly. A pair of black boots of cloud-patterned satin stepped onto the cracked gray bricks, the boot shafts hugging the calves snugly, their lines straight and clean.Three knocks sounded at the door—the intervals neither too long nor too short, the sound carrying perfectly into the room.Su Zheyun stopped Third Aunt and went to open the door herself. Her ink-black Suzhou silk robe was embroidered with gold-thread fret patterns, and a linked jade pendant hung from her mutton-fat jade belt. Without even raising her head, she immediately guessed who the visitor was."Your Highness, why have you come? Shouldn't you be having dinner at this hour?"Jiang Weixu took in the scene in the courtyard but did not answer, stepping inside.The three of them rose at once. Qin Zhen, timid as she was, grabbed hold of Third Aunt's skirts and hid behind her.Su Zheyun gave an awkward smile, moved the bowls on the table aside to make room, and invited him to sit in the center."I just left the palace. I thought since you've moved out, I haven't visited yet, so I came by on the way."He explained as he spoke, his expression calm as ever, but the pressure of one in power still made Third Aunt shrink back nervously."Has Your Highness eaten then? Would you like to have dinner here?" She smiled lightly and directed the frozen Third Aunt."Third Aunt, go to the kitchen and get a set of chopsticks and a bowl. Serve His Highness some rice.""Right away!" Third Aunt responded immediately and vanished in a flash."Sit." Jiang Weixu said flatly, his eyes sweeping over Qin Zhen in Shen Bingwen's arms, his expression unmoved.Before long, Third Aunt returned with the utensils. Jiang Weixu didn't stand on ceremony, eating slowly and deliberately, as if he truly had just dropped by for a meal."This house looks rather cramped. When your sister comes, I'm afraid there won't be room for her. I have a quiet, elegant villa—secluded and tasteful, and close to the manor. Would you like to move there?"The tea brewed from fine pine-needle leaves had been brought from the manor. Jiang Weixu had only taken a few bites when Third Aunt finished boiling water and steeped tea for him.Night enveloped the square little courtyard, and the small flowers at the eaves swayed in the breeze. He set down his teacup, waiting for Su Zheyun's answer."I thank Your Highness for the kind offer. I think this place is fine. There's a small side room in the west that hasn't been tidied up yet—when Wen Yu comes, she can stay there. A bigger house would require me to hire help to clean it, which would be inconvenient."Jiang Weixu caught the refusal in her words and looked up at her. Su Zheyun's face was wreathed in smiles, her expression as usual."Minister Shen, what brings you here as well? What a coincidence."There was a distinctly sardonic edge to his words. Shen Bingwen acted as if he hadn't heard, replying in a calm voice: "Master Su invited me. He's too courteous—after eating at my home a few times, he felt embarrassed and insisted I come taste his cook's cooking.""He's always been thin-skinned," Jiang Weixu said, his gaze shifting to Su Zheyun's face. "With outsiders, he's always that proper."The smile at the corner of Shen Bingwen's mouth deepened. "Not as prescient as Your Highness—it's as if you've planted spies in the courtyard, knowing everything."Why do I smell gunpowder in the air? Su Zheyun quickly lowered her head, staring intently at the pattern on her hem.Ah, whatever. This hem is very hem-like indeed.The candle flames flickered again and again. Mugwort had been lit inside the room, driving away the night's small mosquitoes.The crape myrtle by the wall was still striving upward, and a wild bee that had flown in from somewhere perched at the flower's heart, beating the butterflies to the nectar.Jiang Weixu paced a circle around her room, then casually pulled a volume from the shelf. The book was wrapped in an oil-paper cover; when he opened it, the pages were filled with drawings of flowers, plants, and herbs."You said you studied with a wandering healer—it's actually true? I thought it was another of your wild fabrications." He smiled, his opinion of her shifting."Your Highness, when have I ever fabricated anything!" With her colleague Shen Bingwen present, Su Zheyun didn't want him ruining her reputation. "I just enjoy reading idle books in my spare time and picked up a bit of surface knowledge."Besides the plant illustrations, the pages were densely covered with annotations. Su Zheyun had written notes in the margins in red ink, her handwriting delicate and neat.The room fell quiet, broken only by the soft rustle of turning pages, occasionally interspersed with Shen Bingwen's laughter as he played with the child. The child's voice was pure and innocent, and the butterfly in the bamboo cage gently fluttered its wings, the faint whisper of wingtips cutting through the air barely audible.Jiang Weixu returned the book to the shelf and walked over to sit at the desk. Official documents awaiting processing were spread across it, and beside them sat an inkstone with this year's tribute-grade Huizhou ink. Continuing to the right, a red lover's knot lay atop the papers.His smile instantly faded. Last night had been Qixi Festival—who had given it was obvious."Zheyun, in three days I'm going to Yizhou to inspect the salt administration. You'll come with me." He spoke flatly, his gaze passing over the others in the room as his fingers slowly turned his thumb ring."I don't know how to inspect salt!" Su Zheyun blurted out. She had only just settled down for a few days and really didn't want to run around everywhere."This is an order. Pack your things over the next few days—if you need anything, come to the manor and ask."He rose slowly, and Lu Xun stepped forward from the side, holding up a dark cloak, draping it over his shoulders as he fell into step.He strode toward the door, then suddenly paused as he crossed the threshold."By the way—" He turned abruptly, but his throat caught.The long wind swept up withered yellow leaves, and pebbles rolled into the cracks between the blue bricks, leaving no trace.At the door, Shen Bingwen stood in pristine white robes, holding the child, standing shoulder to shoulder with Su Zheyun. In that instant, something in his eyes seemed to sting.When he first met her, he had thought Su Zheyun looked like a woman, but had assumed it was the moon-white brocade robe that softened her sharpness. Yet today, dressed in ink-black, she still appeared even more feminine beside Shen Bingwen.The crow flapped its wings, and a few feathers drifted down.Su Zheyun looked at him with clear, bright eyes, waiting for what he would say next."……"The bright moon hung high over the vast sky, the elm-wood door quietly behind them. An old lantern hung overhead, swaying with the night breeze, the flame on the candle rising and falling, dripping wax congealing on the lantern's walls.Jiang Weixu and Su Zheyun stared at each other for a long while, then he turned and mounted the carriage, leaving behind a trail of fragrant dust.The incense at Xiangguo Temple never ceased, every statue of Buddha and deity gilded in gold.Once, a pilgrim drew a fortune stick, then rode off through the night, wading across the water.A few drops of autumn rain soaked into the crimson-gold brocade robe, and the sound of burning branches crackled in his ears, growing louder and louder.

Plotting with My Wife