Thinking of that handkerchief, Mei Yao felt quite frustrated. If it were a plain handkerchief, it would be one thing, but it was embroidered with a branch of palace pink—a pattern that also appeared on some of her other personal belongings. Anyone who noticed it with intent could easily grow suspicious.
Moreover, it was a handkerchief stained with filth.
She still had to retrieve it.
Thinking of Yan Yu also made her heart sink. After several encounters with this man, although he wasn’t as cold-hearted as the rumors suggested, and occasionally showed extreme tenderness—like the lingering kiss he planted on her lips when she emerged from overwhelming pleasure, which gave her the illusion that he liked her—his subsequent actions could hardly be described as affectionate. Whether his occasional gentleness stemmed from genuine feeling or mere physical attraction was hard to say. After all, she was beautiful, and every time, it was she who initiated things with him.
His interest in her was the kind that could be withdrawn at any moment.
Now, he held the upper hand, having ignored her for several days in a row. Only she was left restless and anxious, wavering between hope and fear.
She also recalled how he had barged into her chamber at night—likely because she had backed him into a corner, making him feel provoked, or perhaps because he found her somewhat intriguing, unlike Li Ran, who was single-minded and only knew how to cling stubbornly.
To put it bluntly, he fell for “seduction.”
Seduction!
Mei Yao raised her eyes from beneath the crabapple blossoms, a slight smile curling at the corner of her lips. To tame General Yan, she would have to keep teasing him.
Shuangqi watched her mistress’s lotus-like face shift from bashfulness to anger, then to a meaningful smile, making it impossible to decipher her thoughts.
Strictly speaking, Shuangqi was a personal bodyguard, not someone who attended to daily needs, and she wasn’t fond of idle chatter. Though curious about what her mistress was thinking, she ultimately didn’t ask.
Before long, she heard her mistress instruct: “Shuangqi, help me prepare a brush, ink, rice paper, bamboo strips, and thin wood. I want to make a lantern.”
Shuangqi remembered the lanterns her mistress had made two years ago. One had been given to that clueless young man and still hung in that servant’s room, long since yellowed. Two others were in her and Feng Xiu’s rooms—hers was a dragonfly design.
It was especially ugly.
And so, on that warm, breezy afternoon, the servants in the estate saw their mistress making lanterns beneath the crabapple blossoms all afternoon. When the palace lanterns in the estate were lit, her lantern was finally finished. Observant servants noticed that six of the young lady’s ten slender, jade-like fingers had been bandaged by Shuangqi.
Heaven have mercy, to be so harsh on herself—who would dare hang this lantern!
Mainly because it was ugly.
Mei Yao held the newly made lantern, examining it from all angles, quite satisfied. She said to Shuangqi, “Help me deliver this to Prince Ping’s estate, for the second young master, Yan Yu.”
After a moment’s thought, she added, “No need to give my name.”
Shuangqi looked at the lantern; it closely resembled the one made for Xiao Yu two years ago. She thought to herself that practice indeed makes perfect—after two years, each one seemed worse than the last.
She had never met Yan Yu and didn’t understand her mistress’s intention in sending him a lantern, but she never hesitated to carry out orders. She took the lantern and left.
The four gatekeepers at Prince Ping’s estate scrutinized the young woman before them from head to toe. Dressed in elegant, practical attire, with delicate features and sharp eyes, she clearly had martial skills. Yet, she refused to answer any questions, only holding a lantern of questionable aesthetic value, saying she wanted to deliver it to their second young master.
She didn’t seem like a madwoman, though.
As the gatekeeper of Prince Ping’s residence, if one accepted and relayed everything indiscriminately, they likely wouldn’t last more than a few days. Moreover, throughout the entire household, the Second Young Master was known for his terrible temper. Ever since his return to the capital, everyone inside and outside the residence had been serving him with utmost caution. In such an ambiguous and unclear situation, who would dare to report it?
During the standoff, the sound of carriages and horses came from outside the residence gate. Yan Rong, the eldest son and Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, had returned.
Shuangqi sized up the newcomer. With an elegant and refined appearance, followed by several attendants, he was clearly a master of the household. Seeing no need to continue arguing with the gatekeepers, she rushed straight toward him and said, “Sir, please wait!”
The gatekeepers hadn’t expected her to be so bold or so quick. By the time they tried to stop her, it was already too late.
Yan Rong stopped and examined her for a moment, showing no sign of displeasure. Instead, he spoke in his usual interrogative tone, coldly asking, “What’s going on?”
Shuangqi clasped her hands in salute and was about to speak when the gatekeepers cut in, “Reporting to the Eldest Young Master, this girl came out of nowhere, insisting on delivering this… lantern to the Second Young Master without any explanation. We tried to stop her but couldn’t, and now she has disturbed you…”
Yan Rong asked Shuangqi, “What’s your name?”
Remembering her mistress’s instruction not to reveal her identity, Shuangqi bowed respectfully and handed over the lantern but remained silent.
“Look at how strange this person is…”
The gatekeepers grew anxious, fearing that the Eldest Young Master’s displeasure might bring trouble upon them.
Yan Rong examined the lantern closely. It wasn’t a festival or a special occasion, so he wondered what the purpose of sending this was. Moreover, the craftsmanship seemed rather crude.
“Did you send this on your own, or are you delivering it for someone else? Explain clearly, and I can relay it for you.”
Shuangqi lowered her head and remained silent.
“Is there anything else you’d like me to convey to the Second Young Master?”
Shuangqi stayed silent. Her mistress hadn’t given any additional instructions, so she wouldn’t utter a single extra word.
Seeing that nothing more would come, Yan Rong signaled to an attendant beside him to take the lantern.
Shuangqi clasped her hands again and said, “Thank you, Eldest Young Master, for delivering it. Farewell!”
Yan Rong watched her figure disappear with sharp eyes before turning and entering the residence.
The girl was clearly a servant acting on orders. Though the lantern was poorly made, the lines inscribed on it were quite intriguing: “A single spark of light is worth ten thousand gold, / Yet fears the cold wind when it first unfolds. / If the master diligently tends the flame, / How could it not burn with utmost devotion?”
Yan Rong suspected that his younger brother had likely provoked some young lady again.
In the Crane Song Garden, a winding path of bluestone meandered through swaying bamboo groves. Behind the bamboo lay an emerald-green pond, already filled with lush lotus leaves. A gentle breeze carried the fragrance of the garden. By the edge of the pond, an elegant figure dressed in plain white leisurely fed two graceful auspicious cranes. Beside him stood another tall and upright figure, standing respectfully in the lamplit night, as beautiful as a painting.
This was Tian Ze’s last day serving his commander, Yan Yu. Starting tomorrow, he would leave the Northwestern Army and take up a position in the Imperial Guard.
He had grown up with Yan Yu since childhood. At the age of seven, they went to the battlefield for the first time. Too young to even draw a full bow, they had already learned to kill the enemy by any means necessary—it was a matter of life and death. Over the past decade, they had faced countless life-and-death moments, each saving the other’s life time and again. Though one was superior and the other subordinate, they were truly brothers bound by life and death.
The Pei family had been loyal and valiant for generations, with most of the men having sacrificed their lives for the nation. Because of this, although the empress enjoyed honor, she lost her support and was framed by those with ulterior motives. After years of bloody battles in the northwest, Pei Tianze had earned sufficient military merits and experience. Taking up a position in the imperial palace marked the beginning of his efforts to restore the Pei family’s prestige and was also a step forward in repaying and serving his master and friend.
Although Tianze stood rigidly upright, his heart was surging with emotion. In contrast, Yan Yu appeared indifferent, seemingly no different from usual.
Yan Rong approached, holding a lantern, and said with a cheerful smile, “Congratulations, Lord Pei! Starting tomorrow, we will serve together in the same court. I hope you will look out for me!”
Tianze was momentarily flustered by the remark and bowed solemnly, just as he would to Yan Yu. “Greetings, Elder Master! Your words make this subordinate uneasy…”
“Don’t, don’t!” Yan Rong quickly stopped him. “We are of the same rank. There’s no need for such formalities!”
Yan Yu ignored their playful banter and simply stared at the lantern in his elder brother’s hand.
Sensing his younger brother’s reaction from the corner of his eye, Yan Rong raised the lantern and asked, “What do you think of this lantern, Second Brother?”
“Ugly!”
Yan Yu withdrew his gaze and resumed leisurely feeding the cranes.
Tianze also noticed the lantern and found it somewhat familiar, as if…
Yan Rong handed the lantern over, smiling meaningfully. “Take it. Someone specifically sent it for you!”
Yan Yu did not accept it.
“Don’t want it?”
Yan Rong’s smile faded as he murmured, “Seems like you really dislike it! Well, such an ugly thing is quite an eyesore. I might as well take it and throw it away!”
With that, he turned and slowly walked away.
Seeing that his master paid no attention and continued feeding the cranes while the elder master was about to stroll out of the courtyard, Tianze gritted his teeth and hurried after him. “Elder Master! How could we trouble you to personally dispose of such an item? Give it to me. I’ll throw it far away!”
Behind him, the crane-feeding man let out a soft, amused snort.
Tianze took the lantern and respectfully saw him off. “Take care, Elder Master.”
Yan Rong glanced at the man by the pond with a smile and said to Tianze, “You have a bright future.”
Tianze slowly walked back, holding the lantern, and examined the few red stains on the white paper under its light. He grumbled, “It was already ugly, and now it’s stained with blood. How dare they taint Master’s eyes with such filth? I’ll throw it into the manure pit!”
“Tianze!”
“Your subordinate is here!”
“With a higher rank, your courage has grown too. You even dare to tease your master now!”
“Master misunderstands me! Look at this lantern—it’s even worse than the one from two years ago. Back then, they at least painted petals to cover the bloodstains. This time, it’s just blatant bloody handprints. I think this is the real mockery of you, Master!”
“Tianze!”
“Your subordinate is here.”
“You can get lost!”
“Yes!”
“Leave the lantern.”
“…Oh.”
Tianze carefully placed the lantern on the stone platform, glanced at the man who had been teased, suppressed a laugh, and left. Yan Yu stared at the lantern for a while before finally walking over and picking it up.
Then he laughed in exasperation.
It was indeed crudely made and hideously painted. In comparison, the one from two years ago had at least been made with some care. This one could almost be considered an insult. Was he some kind of collector of worthless junk?
The three vivid red bloodstains on it were glaring and conspicuous, as if left by a thumb, index finger, and middle finger gripping the lantern. They appeared accidental yet deliberate.
There was also a short poem, written at the level of a nine-year-old!
She was doing this on purpose!
Provoking him while also trying to please him.
Yan Yu tossed the lantern back onto the stone platform, determined to ignore it, yet his mind involuntarily conjured the image of her meticulously crafting the lantern, her fingers injured…
Though he knew this was yet another one of her traps, he couldn’t remain unaffected—his emotions were easily stirred, much to his own frustration.
His mind was agitated, but his legs seemed to move of their own accord, already carrying him back.
In the end, he still picked up the lantern and brought it back to his bedroom, storing it in the cabinet alongside a delicate, pink tassel.
Mei Yao had finished washing up but hadn’t gone to sleep. Her hair was loosely tied up, with only the hairpins removed. Stripped of gold and jade adornments, her features now appeared exquisite yet soft, like a freshly bloomed white lotus. She wore a plain, pear-white silk robe, loosely tied at the waist with a sash. The robe was loose, its collar slightly open, revealing a glimpse of fair skin at her chest, where a pomegranate-red undergarment strap peeked out, strikingly alluring against the snowy backdrop.
Leaning her cheek against her hand by the latticed window, she watched as a slender, dark shadow suddenly fell into the courtyard under the swaying moonlight.
Instantly, her plump, rosy lips curved into an exceptionally captivating smile.
Yan Yu’s keen eyesight allowed him to clearly see this delicate flower, ripe for the picking, bathed in the moonlight.