"Where is Sanlang?" Second Madam looked at Qingshu, who stood before her with a bowed head and hunched back, and felt an ominous premonition in her heart.
Qingshu also felt deeply wronged. Why was it that every time the young master angered the madam, he was the one who bore the brunt of it?
"Madam, the young master was supposed to return to the residence after his shift today, but midway he encountered the Shizi of Marquis Jingyuan and went with him to the Marquis Jingyuan's residence."
Second Madam's hand, which had been propping up her head, dropped. "Sanlang isn't even close to the Shizi of Marquis Jingyuan. Why would he go with him to the Marquis's residence?"
Qingshu naturally could not say, and could only feign ignorance. "This humble one does not know either."
Second Madam looked at her daughter-in-law, who was embroidering a handkerchief beside her. "Lingyuan, have you heard anything from Dalang about Sanlang and the Shizi of Marquis Jingyuan?"
Xu Lingyuan took the scissors handed over by a maidservant, snipped the thread ends, and shook her head. "No, but it should have nothing to do with the case."
At this, Second Madam felt much relieved. "As long as it has nothing to do with the case, that's fine."
She dismissed Qingshu. "That Sanlang is really something. I told him yesterday that he was to come see Lizhi today, and now he's unavailable again."
Xu Lingyuan had the maidservant Wantang take away the sewing box in her arms, then said, "Mother, are you aware of the Cao family matter?"
Second Madam picked up the gold-and-silver inlaid lacquer box from the table and fingered the colorful silk threads and floral ornaments inside. "Don't even bring that up. Just mentioning it makes me angry."
Xu Lingyuan's long lashes blinked gently a few times, her gaze falling on Second Madam. Second Madam seemed to sense it and looked up. "What happened with the Cao family? Don't tell me it's related to Sanlang again."
Xu Lingyuan said, "Mother, Cao Liulang has committed an offense and is being tried under Sanlang's jurisdiction."
Second Madam straightened up. "Cao Liulang committed an offense? How come I didn't know?"
Xu Lingyuan replied, "I only learned of it yesterday from my husband."
Second Madam was bewildered for a moment, then let out a sigh of defeat. "Now Sanlang and Cao Qiniang are even more impossible."
Though she had declared she would not meddle in her son's affairs, she still harbored a sliver of hope in her heart. Now she was truly and completely resigned. "What offense did Cao Liulang commit?"
Xu Lingyuan said, "It seems he got drunk in Pingkang District and broke a dancing girl's leg."
A flicker of disgust crossed Second Madam's face. "It appears the Cao family's household discipline is lax and their sons are poorly raised. Fortunately, Sanlang and Cao Qiniang did not end up together."
Emei secretly snickered at how quickly Second Madam had reversed her stance, but Second Madam caught her and shot her a glare. "That Sanlang and Dalang are really something. Why didn't they tell me earlier?"
Xu Lingyuan took red and cyan silk threads from the gold-and-silver inlaid lacquer box, weaving the threads in her hands while looking up to speak with Second Madam. "This matter happened not long ago. My husband feared it would worry you, Mother, and thought to wait until the case was judged before mentioning it."
Second Madam also began weaving the Twin-Linked Threads. "Whether the case is judged or not doesn't conflict with telling me. What is there that can't be said?"
Her hands moved faster. "Forget it. From now on, I won't concern myself with Sanlang's affairs. Right now I need to focus on Lizhi's important matters."
Emei and Xu Lingyuan exchanged a smile.
Speak of the devil and he shall appear. No sooner had Second Madam finished speaking than Zhao Lijia arrived.
Zhao Lijia's face was steeped in smiles. She first paid her respects to Second Madam and Xu Lingyuan. Seeing her visitor, the dark clouds on Second Madam's face dispersed and she beamed with joy. "Lizhi is here! Come quickly, sit by your aunt's side."
Zhao Lijia came to Second Madam's side. "Aunt, I've brought you all some gifts from Liangzhou."
Second Madam said with a smile, "Why bring gifts at all? Since you've brought them, let's have a look." This made Emei about to laugh again, and Second Madam scolded Emei, "You girl, what's this? Are you planning to tear the roof down?"
Emei said she wouldn't dare. Second Madam turned her face toward Zhao Lijia and spoke: "These girls have no manners, making Lizhi laugh at us."
Zhao Lijia smiled and had the things brought in. She had prepared a camel-wool neck warmer for every madam and young lady in the ducal household, but she gave special favor to the second branch and prepared additional gifts, since she would rely on the second branch's help more in the future.
For Second Madam and Xu Lingyuan, she had prepared luminous cups carved from Qilian Mountain jade and fine Dunhuang wine called Rouge Drunk. For Huabao, she had prepared a small cosmetics box containing colorful glass beads for stringing and playing, a small round-headed jade comb, and a light, nimble round fan.
Only, Huabao was still studying in the front courtyard schoolroom and could not immediately see her gift.
By the time Lin Zeyan reached outside the room, it was filled with laughter and cheerful voices. The maidservants at the door had stolen several glances at him. He turned and said, "No need to announce me. I'll come back later."
He left the West Main Courtyard and walked toward the back, arriving at Yunyu Hall. When Lin Suiyu heard the footsteps, he set down the book in his hand.
"Come to boss me around again?"
Hearing this, Lin Zeyan's mouth curved upward. His eyes swept around the study, and he took a plum-blossom stool and sat beside Lin Suiyu, then drew a book from his breast and handed it over.
When Lin Suiyu saw the cover, a flicker of surprise passed through his pupils. "The Water Administration Decree—where did you get this?"
Seeing that his second brother liked it, Lin Zeyan's smile widened. "Why so surprised? It's not as if I stole it or robbed anyone."
Guanlan and Tingyu lit incense cakes in the green-glazed lotus-petal porcelain censer on the incense table in the study. Before long, white smoke rose in curling wisps from the openwork lid, unfurling lazily.
Outside, a fine rain had begun to fall, washing the green bamboo by the wall to a glossy green. Raindrops struck the banana leaves in the corner, their sound sparse and measured.
Lin Zeyan rose and took a sable knee cover from the small couch nearby. Just then he caught sight of the precious wooden staff placed in the scroll jar. He paused for a moment, but soon recovered himself.
He laid the knee cover over Lin Suiyu's knees, looking somewhat pleased with himself. "Well? It's an authentic copy, isn't it?"
Lin Suiyu's eyes held a smile as he touched the book's cover. "Authentic it may be, but where did you get it?"
Lin Zeyan untied the horsewhip at his waist. "A while back I raced horses and made a bet with the Marquis Jingyuan's Shizi and won it."
Lin Suiyu laughed. "This Shizi really is generous."
Lin Zeyan put the horsewhip away, a trace of disdain appearing on his face. "Generous? He's not. He wanted to bet on the race and then went back on his word."
Lin Suiyu was somewhat curious. "If that's so, how did you get the book?"
Lin Zeyan straightened up. "I'll tell you, Second Brother, but don't scold me."
"Go on."
Lin Zeyan said, "This morning I went to find him to get the book. He wouldn't hand it over. It just so happened I ran into Marquis Jingyuan, so I mentioned it, and the Marquis immediately invited me to his home to get the book."
"…" Lin Suiyu looked at his younger brother for a while, then sighed. "You really are something. You've offended quite a few people at court already. Rein in that unyielding temperament of yours."
Although Lin Zeyan respected and loved his two elder brothers, he had his own set of standards for doing things that others could not easily shake. At this moment, hearing his second brother's words, he neither agreed nor disagreed.
"So long as the book is useful to you."
Lin Suiyu picked up the book and waved it. "Thank you, Third Brother."
Just then, Guanlan and Tingyu entered carrying two trays. Lin Suiyu's eyes dimmed, and when Lin Zeyan caught sight of the red corner of a garment, his heart also grew heavy.
"Second Brother, no one can force you to do anything you don't want to. If it were possible, those people could be thrown into prison at any moment."
Lin Suiyu was somewhat tired. "Since she went to such great lengths to marry in, then let her marry in. She chose this path herself—surely she's already thought through what the cost would be."
Lin Suiyu thought again of that day—the only time he had gone out to clear his mind after his misfortune—when a woman with disheveled hair and disordered clothes threw herself at him, and he fell to the ground in a sorry heap… Thinking of this, he smiled bitterly. Perhaps the heavens felt he hadn't suffered enough.
Lin Zeyan disliked what his second brother said. Those people had been bewitched into framing him, and now the price they paid was simply marrying him?
He wanted to say more, but he didn't want to give his second brother the feeling that he couldn't even make his own decisions anymore, so he wisely shut his mouth.
Lin Suiyu's page boy Guanlan watched from the side, feeling distressed. "Then don't go through with the trial. There's no need for you to personally go fetch the bride either, Young Master. She should have known this would be the consequence when she pulled that stunt in the first place."
Tingyu chimed in, "Her family used such despicable means to force you into compliance—why should you still give her dignity, Young Master?"
Lin Suiyu shook his head. "Just because she is unkind does not mean I must be unrighteous. If today, because another lacks virtue, I were to cast aside propriety, how would I be any different from her?"
After leaving Yunyu Hall, Lin Zeyan pinched the tail of his brow. Qingshu stepped forward. "Young Master, are you all right?"
Lin Zeyan: "A headache."
These past days the Young Master had been sleeping poorly, and now a headache on top of it—this was truly worrisome. Qingshu suggested, "Shall I go to Doctor Cen's place to get some Spirit-Calming Incense?"
Lin Zeyan: "No need. Go have Qingshi take Amber to the bamboo garden. It hasn't played there in a long time."
When Amber came darting out of Qingshi's hands, Lin Zeyan spread his arms and broke into a smile. Amber nimbly leaped onto his shoulder, and the golden bell at its neck jingled.
Zhao Lijia and Cold-Light Iron Armor had come out from the West Main Courtyard and were quietly discussing Second Cousin's marriage on the road. She hadn't expected that Second Cousin was actually about to be married—the first five rites had all been completed, leaving only the personal fetching of the bride.
Second Madam didn't seem to want to discuss this in detail. Zhao Lijia sensed there might be something behind it, so she didn't press further. She was simply startled by the news, because a marriage was a major affair, yet Second Cousin's seemed to be a taboo subject.
Just then she heard an extremely faint, crisp sound—like a bell rolling over gold and jade—and followed the source of the sound upward.
There, in a pavilion high up, a tall, slender figure unhurriedly stepped into the sunlight. In his hand was a peacock feather plume, swaying gently in the wind.
Several paces away, a small beast resembling a civet cat crouched beneath the shadows of wisteria blossoms, staring at the tassel that kept swaying in his hand.
With a very light flick of his wrist, the tassel suddenly sprang into the air. At the same moment, the shadow shot out like an arrow loosed from a bowstring, twisting nimbly midair, its front paws striking precisely at the target. But he turned his wrist, and the tassel drifted away airily.
A dissatisfied, low rumble rose from the civet cat's throat, and the man instead laughed softly, using his free hand to scratch behind its ears.
Just then the wind picked up. Zhao Lijia narrowed her eyes, because she was facing the sunlight, and her eyes could hardly bear it.
Han Guang stepped forward: "Miss, let's go. It's about to rain."
Zhao Lijia rubbed her eyes. The man and the cat were both melting into the afterglow of the setting sun, leaving only a blurry outline visible. "Mm, let's go."
In the pavilion, Qingshu looked at the sky. The sun had retreated behind the mountains, and dark clouds were closing in step by step. "Young master, it's about to rain."
Lin Zeyan picked up Amber. "Let's go. I'll bring you out to play next time."
But Amber's playful spirit had not yet faded. She jumped down and bounded off in the other direction, hopping down the steps.
By the time Lin Zeyan caught up, Amber was circling around with a spring-green silk sash dangling from her mouth.
Lin Zeyan frowned. "Amber, drop whatever's in your mouth."
He turned to look around. There were a few maidservants picking flowers nearby.
"Whose is this?"
The maidservants exchanged uneasy glances, all looking somewhat frightened.
One of them stepped forward and said, "Third Young Master, I just saw the young miss from the maternal side pass by. It might have fallen from her."
"Young miss from the maternal side?" Lin Zeyan followed the path with his gaze and saw a figure in pink in the distance.
She looked very familiar to him.