As the second day of the ninth lunar month approached, the entire Fang residence in the capital of Great Liang was thrown into a flurry of activity.
The reason was that the retired Lord Fang, Fang Zongzheng, was preparing to accompany his second son, General of Jinling Fang Yuan, to the northern frontier to escort military provisions.
An assignment like transporting provisions should ordinarily have required nothing more than a deputy general familiar with military affairs.
A few days earlier, Lord Fang had visited Grand Tutor Yang Kun’s residence to admire the chrysanthemums.
As the two men sat facing each other, reminiscing about how quickly time had passed, Yang Kun brought up the glory of the days when they had defended the northern frontier together. He then casually remarked, “Nowadays, no one can match Your Lordship’s steadiness when it comes to escorting provisions to the northern frontier.”
Those words stirred Lord Fang’s heart and rekindled his old ambitions, inspiring him to make the journey himself.
That very evening, he reached an agreement with his eldest son, Fang Ze, who had succeeded him as Grand Marshal: he would personally escort the provisions to the northern frontier once more.
Watching the servants rushing about in every direction, Lord Fang’s youngest daughter, Fang Xiao, felt her own heart take flight with excitement.
“Mother, I want to go with Father and Second Brother to escort the provisions!” Fang Xiao clung to Lady Wang in the main residence, refusing to let go.
Lady Wang shot her a sideways glance. “Don’t be ridiculous! The lands beyond the frontier are bitterly cold. What would a young girl like you do out there?”
“But Second Brother Yang found me a new saker falcon! I want to go to the northern frontier and fly it there! It’s miserable being cooped up at home. It can barely spread its wings, let alone fly. Besides, I’ve spent all these years learning skills from my master in the mountains. What a waste to learn so much and never put any of it to use!”
Fang Xiao was the precious daughter Lord Fang and his wife had finally welcomed when they were approaching forty. She possessed skin as smooth as ice and features as exquisite as jade, with an ethereal beauty that set her apart from ordinary people. Unfortunately, the day of her birth had been considered inauspicious. A wandering immortal had declared that her fate carried the curse of bringing misfortune upon those close to her.
To avert disaster, she had been sent at a young age to Ziyun Cave on Mount Luofu, where she studied under an immortal.
She had only recently returned home for the Mid-Autumn Festival and had yet to go back to the mountain.
Having spent most of her childhood cultivating the Dao in the mountains, Fang Xiao knew nothing about needlework, embroidery, or the traditional rules and precepts expected of women. She had devoted herself entirely to cultivating the Dao and practicing martial arts under her master’s guidance, hoping that one day she might unravel the mysteries of the universe and attain eternal bliss.
Yet even a young maiden at the age of fourteen or fifteen could not always suppress her playful nature with gentleness and self-restraint.
Although Lady Wang objected verbally, she doted on her daughter in her heart. In the end, she relented.
“Then ask your father. I’m just afraid you’ll cause trouble for everyone!”
“Mother, please ask him for me!” Fang Xiao said with a smile, shaking her mother’s arm.
Her father had always been stern, and all the children in the family tended to keep their distance from him.
But if her mother was willing to speak on her behalf, there was a seventy or eighty percent chance of success.
With her mother’s tentative approval, Fang Xiao quietly returned to her room. As she planned her next steps, she instructed Rou Nu to pack her belongings.
“Miss, aren’t you being a little too impulsive?” Rou Nu rummaged through the trunks, unable to stop talking. “Your master insisted that you return to the mountain on the first day of the month. Second Young Master Yang even said he would see you off. And what do you do? You decide to run off to the northern frontier! You’ll anger your master and break Second Young Master’s heart.”
Fang Xiao had spent so much time living in the mountains that she owned very few belongings at the residence. Before long, Rou Nu had packed everything into a small bundle.
“My goodness, young lady! Is this really all you’re taking to the lands beyond the frontier?” Danyang, her senior maid, entered carrying a copper basin. She shook her head, both amused and exasperated. “All right, stop packing. Let Madam and the young madam help you with the rest. Go wash your hands. Everyone is waiting in the reception hall. The whole family is gathered today!”
Fang Xiao obediently washed her hands and headed toward the reception hall, secretly reasoning that her master had always doted on her. Surely, returning to the mountain a few days late would not matter. She only needed to send someone to inform him and make up the lessons she had missed afterward.
As for Second Brother Yang, life was long. Spending a few fewer days together would hardly make a difference.
At the thought of Yang Yan, the tips of Fang Xiao’s ears quietly turned red.
Yang Yan was the second son of Grand Tutor Yang.
The story of Fang Xiao and Yang Yan’s engagement was a long one.
Lord Fang and his wife had originally planned to keep their youngest daughter unmarried for the rest of her life. Given her unfortunate fate, they would rather let her remain in the family home, where she could enjoy wealth, comfort, and happiness, than risk sending her into a marriage.
Who could have predicted that when Lord Fang was appointed Duke of the Pillar of the State, with officials from every department coming to offer their congratulations, his old friend Yang Kun and his wife would take one look at Fang Xiao and decide that they wanted her as their daughter-in-law?
After much consideration, the Fang couple concluded that their daughter was too precious to them to be burdened with household management and domestic responsibilities. They therefore agreed to the marriage and betrothed her to the Yang family’s second son. The young couple could simply spend their lives enjoying wealth and leisure together, which seemed like an excellent arrangement.
Lord Fang even made a special trip to the mountain to discuss the matter with Fang Xiao’s master. The master also divined that the two indeed shared a destined marriage. However, he gave one important instruction: they must not marry until the children had passed their seventeenth birthdays and her natal star had fully brightened.
Fang Xiao descended from the mountain to visit her family three times a year during the major festivals, and she and Yang Yan had met at several family banquets.
When they were younger, there had been nothing unusual between them. But in recent years, as the young man and woman gradually matured, each had begun to harbor feelings they did not know how to express.
The last time Fang Xiao had returned home was during the New Year celebrations. Her master had permitted her to stay until the Lantern Festival.
During the New Year period, government offices were closed, and her father and brothers entertained guests every day. Banquets followed one after another, while the sounds of drums, gongs, and stringed instruments rang out from morning until night.
Her mother and sisters-in-law were so busy that they barely had time to catch their breath. Fang Xiao was the only person in the household with nothing to do.
The young girl wandered aimlessly through the garden, neither carrying a hand warmer nor wearing her fox-fur cloak. Having practiced martial arts and cultivated the Dao since childhood, she was not afraid of the cold.
Deep inside the plum garden, Fang Xiao stood with her face tilted upward. With her slender, delicate fingers, she gently tapped the snow resting on the branches, one touch after another.
Snowflakes landed on the tip of her slightly reddened nose, leaving a faint, refreshing chill. Unaware of it, the young girl closed her eyes and smiled softly.
“Little Sister Fang, aren’t you cold?”
The second young master of the Yang family emerged from behind a rockery. His peach-blossom eyes sparkled with a springlike warmth despite the bitter winter.
“Second Young Master Yang? Why aren’t you watching the opera and drinking wine? Is the opera at my house not to your liking?”
As Fang Xiao grew a few years older, she learned that she and Yang Yan were engaged. From then on, whenever they happened to meet, she deliberately maintained a proper distance from him, keeping him at arm’s length in subtle ways. The familiar childhood endearment “Second Brother” had gradually turned into the more formal “Young Master Yang.”
It was difficult to tell whether the young girl had developed feelings of her own or whether she resented him for interfering with her cultivation.
But now, faced with the handsome, spirited young man standing in the snow, dressed in luxurious clothes with sword-shaped eyebrows and bright, starry eyes, his black hair stirred by the breeze and the tips of his ears tinged red, Fang Xiao found herself thinking that perhaps it would not hurt to exchange a few words with him.
“Your second and third brothers kept forcing me to drink. They said…” Yang Yan coughed awkwardly. “I came out to hide from them for a while.”
What he had originally wanted to say was, Your brothers told me that if they didn’t make their future brother-in-law drink, whom else were they supposed to torment?
But he feared that saying so would be too forward, especially with the young woman standing before him, so he swallowed the words before they could leave his mouth.
He quietly gazed at the beautiful woman dressed in white beneath the white snow and white plum blossoms. There was a peaceful, ethereal beauty about her that distinguished her from every other woman in the world.
“I should return to my room now. I won’t keep you any longer.”
Fang Xiao inclined her head slightly. A few strands of black hair slipped over her shoulder, like thoughts scattered by the wind.
“Wait, Second Sister!”
The second young master of the Yang family was reluctant to let her leave, so he searched for something to say.
“Why haven’t I seen Xuantan?”
Xuantan was a tiger cub Fang Xiao had found on Mount Luofu when she was little. They had grown up together and were inseparable. Yang Yan had seen the tiger several times.
“During the New Year, so many people come and go at our residence that Father was afraid Xuantan might frighten the guests. He sent it to our other estate outside the city. Danyang is staying there to look after it.” Fang Xiao turned slightly and nodded.
“Oh. Since we have nothing else to do right now, why don’t you take me there to see it?”
Yang Yan was not particularly interested in the tiger. He simply wanted to spend more time with his future bride.
“Well…” Fang Xiao hesitated. “Then you can go. Danyang knows you.”
“Uh…”
Yang Yan cursed his own clumsiness inwardly.
“Then… then I’ll go.”
For some reason, when Fang Xiao saw Yang Yan’s awkward figure walking away, she suddenly burst into laughter.
Hearing her clear, crisp laughter, Yang Yan turned around.
“My third brother drank too much today. Let him take us there tomorrow instead.”
She deliberately emphasized the word us.
For some reason, seeing his retreating figure stirred an unfamiliar pang of tenderness in Fang Xiao’s heart. Perhaps having her third brother accompany them tomorrow and going together would not be such a bad idea after all.
Yang Yan nodded eagerly.
“Then I’ll return to my room.”
Fang Xiao lowered her head and quietly walked away.
Even she failed to notice the faint blush spreading across her cheeks, as smooth and pale as polished white jade.
Yang Yan returned to the banquet in the outer courtyard. Without saying a word, he grabbed Fang Zhou, the third young master of the Fang family, and pulled him beneath the covered corridor.
Fang Zhou served as a Groom of the Heir Apparent and frequently traveled to the Eastern Palace. Of the three Fang brothers, Yang Yan was most familiar with him.
Making sure no one was around, Yang Yan bowed, massaged his shoulders, and showered him with affectionate calls of “dear brother” and “good friend.” He begged Fang Zhou to pretend to have something to do the following day, giving him and Fang Xiao an opportunity to spend time alone.
The third young master of the Fang family was naturally carefree and unconventional. Seeing how earnestly Yang Yan pleaded, he thought it over. His younger sister was skilled in martial arts, Yang Yan was an upright young man, and the two were already engaged. Surely, there would be no problem.
He agreed, but repeatedly warned Yang Yan to be extremely careful and never let the elders of either family find out.
The following day, the three rode their horses to the outskirts of the city. At a glance from Yang Yan, Fang Zhou immediately understood the signal.
“Oh no! The Crown Prince’s seal of authorization is still with me! Little Sister, go ahead to the estate with Second Brother Yang. I’ll stop by the Eastern Palace and catch up with you!”
Before Fang Xiao could respond, Fang Zhou turned his horse around and galloped back toward the city.
“Hey—!”
Before she could finish speaking, Fang Xiao watched her third brother disappear from sight.
Yang Yan urged his horse a little closer to hers.
“Don’t be afraid, Little Sister. I’ll protect you.”
Fang Xiao snorted. She did not even bother to spare him a sidelong glance. Pressing her heels against her horse’s flanks, she shot forward like the wind.
Yang Yan did not mind. Smiling, he hurried after her.
“Dear Little Sister, wait for me!”
The two rode one behind the other until they reached a wooded area. Fang Xiao dismounted.
“Slow down and wait for my third brother. Otherwise, when we reach the estate, Danyang will see that we’re the only two there and start lecturing me again!”
Yang Yan could not help laughing.
“You’re the young lady of the household. Why are you afraid of your maid?”
“She’s a few years older than me and has taken care of me since childhood. Of course she can keep me in line.”
“Then why don’t we stroll around while we wait for your brother?”
“Fine. I’ll walk ahead, and you keep your distance.”
“What? Are you afraid I’ll bully you?”
“You!”
Fang Xiao was both angry and annoyed. In front of their elders, this man always behaved like a refined gentleman who followed every rule of propriety. Her father even held him up as an example when lecturing her third brother about his reckless behavior.
Yet here he was, behaving so shamelessly and making improper remarks!
She decided to ignore him altogether, lowered her head, and led her horse forward.
Yang Yan followed behind her, desperately trying to keep the conversation going.
“Little Sister, are your feet tired? Would you like to rest?”
“I’ve been running around in the mountains since childhood. What’s a little walk like this to me?”
“Is cultivating in the mountains very difficult?”
Fang Xiao fell silent again.
Yang Yan suddenly stopped walking, took a deep breath, and spoke with unusual seriousness.
“Second Young Lady Fang, don’t misunderstand me—or rather, you haven’t misunderstood me. I just… Oh, how should I put this? We have our whole lives ahead of us. Wouldn’t it be better for us to spend more time together now and get to know each other properly?”
“Who said I would spend my life with you?”
Fang Xiao immediately became flustered, her face turning bright red with embarrassment.
“You don’t want to? Then I’ll go back and tell my mother that… that I’ve fallen for another girl. At worst, I’ll get beaten up!”
“Which family’s daughter have you fallen for?”
At last, Second Young Lady Fang raised her head. Her cheeks remained just as red as before, and she tilted her head, blinking at him in confusion.
“Silly girl, it’s just an excuse. Do you understand?”
Yang Yan gave her a helpless yet affectionate smile.
“Oh… Cultivating in the mountains isn’t difficult. My master treats me very well, and I like living there. Besides, I have Rou Nu, Danyang, and Xuantan for company.”
Yang Yan finally breathed a sigh of relief. At long last, he had managed to get the young lady to open up and talk to him.
“But you still haven’t answered my question. Should I talk to our elders about this or not?”
Yang Yan was the sort of person who, once given an inch, would take a mile.
Fang Xiao was both embarrassed and irritated. She turned and walked away.
“Are you ever going to stop? Go ahead and tell them if you want!”
“What’s the matter? Is cultivating in the mountains better than having me as your ideal husband?”
Yang Yan hurried after her, walking ahead with his hands clasped behind his back.
It was not simply arrogance on his part. Apart from the fact that he was the second son and therefore could not inherit the title, Yang Yan was practically flawless.
His looks, temperament, education, and natural abilities—everything other people spent their entire lives striving to obtain had come to him effortlessly.
“The more you speak, the more outrageous you become! Stay away from me!”
“Wait. I have something for you.”
Yang Yan reached into his robes and pulled out a golden-yellow apricot.
“How can there be apricots at this time of year?”
“My father obtained them from the southern state of Chen. He planned to present them to the palace during the Lantern Festival as a seasonal gift for my eldest sister. There were only a dozen or so in total. I secretly took one when no one at home was paying attention.”
Yang Yan’s eldest sister was the Empress of Great Liang. Naturally, a seasonal gift intended for the Empress had to be something rare and precious.
“Lady Yang certainly thinks of everything. My mother had it easy. She only prepared some of my eldest sister’s favorite pastries from when she still lived at home.” Fang Xiao stared at the apricot but did not reach out to take it.
Yang Yan took advantage of the moment to extend his hand a little farther, speaking gently.
“Consort Yang is currently in His Majesty’s favor and carrying the imperial heir. What could she possibly lack? Even so, gifts from one’s family are always the most heartwarming. Go on, try the apricot. Is it sweet?”
Fang Xiao took the apricot, still warm from Yang Yan’s hand, and brought it to her lips for a small bite.
“It’s very sweet.”
Anyone would have been delighted to taste such fresh fruit in the middle of the first lunar month.
The two continued walking quietly. Fang Xiao silently nibbled on the apricot.
When she finished, she did not throw away the pit. Instead, she held it delicately between her fingertips.
Seeing this, Yang Yan quickly took a moon-white silk handkerchief from his robes and offered it to her.
“Wipe your hands.”
When Fang Xiao did not accept it, Yang Yan did not dare to impose. He merely waved the handkerchief gently beside her hand.
With her head lowered, Fang Xiao silently accepted it. She carefully wrapped the apricot pit in the handkerchief and tucked it into her sleeve. Then she took out her own handkerchief, wiped her hands, and returned it to him.
Seeing her actions, Yang Yan was overcome with joy.
“From now on, you aren’t allowed to call me Young Master Yang anymore. Call me Second Brother, just like you did when we were children. All right?”
Fang Xiao neither agreed nor refused.
The two continued walking in silence.
From that day onward, whenever Yang Yan came across something novel or interesting, he would think of Fang Xiao and save it for her, sending it to the Fang residence whenever she returned home.
The saker falcon had been specially sought out by Yang Yan as a birthday gift for Fang Xiao.
However, Fang Xiao had not returned home on her birthday. It was not until the Fang residence held a banquet on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month that she finally descended from the mountain. Yang Yan immediately seized the opportunity to deliver the saker falcon to her.
During that visit, Fang Xiao spoke a little more than usual. She told him about her life in the mountains, talking about how Rou Nu shirked her duties and how mischievous Xuantan could be. Whenever she mentioned them, a faint smile would appear on her face.
Looking at the woman before him, as serene and elegant as a secluded orchid beneath the moonlight, Yang Yan felt his heart stir.
For a fleeting moment, the Guanyin statue enshrined on a sacred altar seemed to have come alive. It could move. It could smile.
Taking advantage of the moonlight, he nervously gathered the courage to hook his little finger around hers.
“Second Sister, I… you… please don’t blame me for being presumptuous. I really…” Yang Yan lowered his head and stared at their interlocked little fingers, stumbling over his words.
For someone as distinguished and self-assured as him, such timidity was entirely unprecedented.
Fang Xiao turned her burning-red face away.
For someone as proud and aloof as her, such bashfulness was equally unprecedented.
“Do you like the falcon? I thought that when you returned to the mountains, you could have fun flying it.”
Fang Xiao did not answer, nor did she pull her hand away. She simply kept her face turned to the side.
“Won’t you say something to me? If you like it, just nod. I’ll find you an even better one in the future.”
Yang Yan leaned closer to coax her. When he saw that she was not angry and that the faintest hint of a smile lingered at the corners of her mouth, he grew bolder and gently took her hand in his.
Fang Xiao nodded slightly, then summoned her courage and raised her eyes to meet his.
His eyes were as clear and bright as the full moon behind him.
In them, she saw the sincerity and ardent passion unique to a young man in love.
So much so that, whenever she looked back on those memories in the years that followed, she would always sigh:
The moon was so beautiful that night!