Zhao Lijia sat on the soft couch by the window, watching the fine rain slanting past outside.
Her face was still flushed from her recent bath, her round eyes staring blankly at some point in the distance. Han Guang and Tieyi stood behind her, gently drying her long hair with cloths.
A drop of rain landed on her face. Zhao Lijia's gaze focused, and she shivered.
Han Guang said, "Miss, let's close the window. The nights are still cold in early spring—we wouldn't want you catching a chill."
Zhao Lijia nodded listlessly, then turned to look at Han Guang and Tieyi. "Are you done yet? I'm so sleepy."
Han Guang closed the window, and Tieyi set down the cloth with a smile. "Almost done, almost done. Miss, your hair is so long and thick—if we don't dry it thoroughly, you'll end up with headaches before long."
Zhao Lijia picked up a lock of hair and examined it under the lamp, then pouted. "How annoying. If only people didn't have hair at all."
Han Guang and Tieyi laughed out loud, imagining how bizarre it would be if everyone were bald like monks.
Tieyi was about to head downstairs with the cloths to give to the laundry maid when she paused halfway and turned back. "Miss, that spring-green sash of yours is missing. Did it fall off somewhere?"
Han Guang answered, "It must have blown off somewhere during that strong gust of wind earlier. I'll have the maids look for it tomorrow."
Tieyi said, "Tell them to search carefully—that's Miss's favorite."
Zhao Lijia lay sprawled across the low table on the couch, her long black hair spread over her. She lowered her eyes, her lashes fluttering. She wasn't thinking about the sash—she was thinking about the person she'd seen that evening.
That must have been Third Cousin, right? She'd already met First Cousin and Second Cousin. The Shizi was said to still be serving as an official in Weinan County, so the one playing with the civet cat in the pavilion could only have been Third Cousin.
Was he perhaps not very welcoming of her?
It wasn't unreasonable for her to think so. When a person travels a thousand miles to an unfamiliar place, it's natural to let their imagination run wild—and besides, this Third Cousin didn't seem too eager to meet her.
Her aunt had said he was a very busy man, but he'd just had time to play with a civet cat. How busy could he really be?
At that thought, Zhao Lijia shook her head. Why was she thinking about all this? Maybe Third Cousin really was busy—couldn't he steal a moment of leisure? And why should he have to make time to see a cousin he didn't even know? She felt she was taking herself too seriously.
As Zhao Lijia sat in a daze, a battle raged within her mind. She quite enjoyed debating with herself, though to others this made her appear utterly carefree and remarkably serene.
But they were wrong. She had plenty of worries—it was just that she was good at resolving them all in her own head, so she could easily think things through.
Just like now—she'd already tossed all thoughts of Third Cousin out of her mind. She sat up, smoothed her skirts, and grinned. "Han Guang, tomorrow we'll begin our plan."
She wasn't idle at all. On the contrary, she was a very busy person with no time to spare for irrelevant people!
Han Guang was making the bed. "Miss, Uncle Qian is leaving tomorrow. You still need to see him off."
Zhao Lijia rolled into the blankets, revealing her round, bright eyes. "Seeing someone off and getting things done don't have to conflict."
Han Guang let down the bed curtains. "True enough—time is money, as they say."
Once Miss found herself a good husband, they wouldn't have such freedom anymore. Better to make the most of these last carefree days while they could.
"In that case, I'll pack everything up, miss…" Han Guang noticed it had gotten quiet, lifted the curtain to look, and after a moment of surprise, a smile spread across her face. They had just been talking, and her young miss had already fallen asleep.
She thought to herself that no one in the world could fall asleep faster than her young miss.
The next day, Zhao Lijia saw Uncle Qian off at the Ba Bridge. In early spring, the willows there swayed gently, and following the custom of Chang'an, she broke off a willow branch to bid him farewell.
Uncle Qian tucked the willow branch into his belt. Zhao Lijia felt a pang of sadness—no matter what, parting was always hard.
Uncle Qian said some playful words to cheer her up, and Zhao Lijia's mood lightened somewhat.
After walking a few steps, Uncle Qian turned back and said to Zhao Lijia, "Miss, the General only wishes for your happiness. So what matters most is that you like the person. And if there's no one you like, that's fine too."
Zhao Lijia's eyes grew moist. Uncle Qian was worried that she might choose a husband carelessly, just to please her father.
"Don't worry, Uncle Qian. If there's no one I like, I'll return to Liangzhou."
Uncle Qian nodded. "Miss, just write me a letter, and this old servant will come to fetch you."
Uncle Qian left, and Zhao Lijia felt low-spirited. Han Guang and Tieyi suggested they go browse the West Market.
Zhao Lijia's face brightened from its gloom. "Since we're already out, let's go take a look."
At the hour of Wei, Lin Zeyan emerged from the archives hall where case files were stored at the Court of Judicial Review. The moment he stepped out, he ran into Lu Qingyou, who wore a mischievous grin.
Lin Zeyan walked around him and continued forward. Lu Qingyou caught up. "Vice Minister Lin, the weather is fine today—don't let it go to waste."
Lin Zeyan stopped and looked up at the sky. "It's still bright daylight. Drinking doesn't seem right."
Lu Qingyou laughed. "Now that Cao Liulang's case is settled, what harm is there in relaxing a little? Just a small drink, a small drink."
Lin Zeyan couldn't refuse Lu Qingyou, and they made their way to Jinxiao Restaurant.
As soon as they entered, the usher greeted them with a smile. "Vice Minister Lin, Vice Minister Lu."
The Court of Judicial Review had two vice ministers—Lin Zeyan was the Left Vice Minister, and Lu Qingyou was the Right Vice Minister. Both had been in office for less than a year.
The usher turned to Lin Zeyan. "Vice Minister Lin, the private room on the third floor is still available, and there are also seats on the second floor. Where would you prefer?"
Without hesitation, Lin Zeyan said, "The third floor."
The usher led the two to the private room on the third floor. After he withdrew, a server in green robes stepped forward to arrange the drinking vessels.
Lu Qingyou rose and looked out the window—outside was a willow-lined path, quiet and serene. He then paced to the doorway and peered downstairs, where someone was playing the zither in the center of the restaurant.
He smiled and returned to his seat by the window. "Vice Minister Lin likes quiet, I see."
Lin Zeyan took the damp cloth handed to him by the server, carefully wiped his hands, then looked up and countered, "After a busy day, do you not find it grating to be tormented by that cacophony?"
Lu Qingyou disagreed. "That's because Vice Minister Lin doesn't know how to appreciate music. That tune is clearly slow and soothing, easing one's fatigue."
"Is that so?" Lin Zeyan raised an eyebrow. "Then you're welcome to find another seat."
Lu Qingyou let out a few "hey hey" sounds, thinking to himself that he had once again touched a nerve with this noble young master.
"Sanlang, with that temper of yours, I say just a few words and you're already trying to chase me off."
Lin Zeyan ignored him and spoke with the server instead.
Before long, several famous dishes were brought up, and Lu Qingyou's appetite was whetted at the sight. He smiled at Lin Zeyan. "Sanlang is spending so generously—then I won't stand on ceremony."
Lin Zeyan poured wine and placed it in front of Lu Qingyou, then raised the cup and examined it inside and out before pouring himself a cup. Lu Qingyou watched, clicking his tongue in admiration—this man was far too fastidious.
He tilted his head back and drank, his eyes lighting up. "Yingchuan Fushui, excellent wine!"
Lin Zeyan also took a sip and nodded. "It's alright."
Lu Qingyou drank while stealing glances at Lin Zeyan, seizing the opportunity to probe: "Cao Liulang—wasn't the sentence too harsh?"
Lin Zeyan picked up a piece of green bamboo shoot. "If anything, I think it was too light."
Seeing his attitude, Lu Qingyou seemed ready to give up. "Fine, whatever. You're the one who'll be resented in the end anyway."
He had risen through the imperial examinations from a humble background, unlike the man before him who had been personally appointed by His Majesty. When handling cases involving powerful nobles and high officials, he was always cautious to the extreme, terrified of offending people in the officialdom.
Lin Sanlang was different. Born into a ducal household, if the sky fell there was still an elder brother to hold it up, and he enjoyed the Emperor's favor—he acted without concern for consequences.
Once Lu Qingyou understood this, he stopped harboring any thoughts of persuasion. Rather than fretting over such things, he might as well focus on which pair of chopsticks to use for the spring-water knife fish before him.
Lin Zeyan noticed Lu Qingyou's eyes darting back and forth among three pairs of chopsticks, so he picked up the pair of slender all-silver chopsticks and handed them to him. "Let them resent me. If they have the ability, they can write a formal complaint to the throne—I'd like to see what charges they can pin on me."
Lu Qingyou gratefully accepted the chopsticks. "Ah, you can't say that either. Do you know what the most important thing about being an official is?"
Lin Zeyan's eyes asked the question. Lu Qingyou squinted as he savored the tender fish. "The one who laughs last in officialdom—I've summarized two qualities. First, you have to live long."
A look of disdain appeared in Lin Zeyan's eyes. Lu Qingyou laughed. "Don't underestimate that quality. As long as you're alive, you really can laugh last. Look at the Northern Dynasty's Ancestral Court—all the capable men of his generation died, and because he lived long, even after going blind he could return to the court and stir up storms."
"Second, you need to know when to tighten and when to loosen—learn to blend with the dust."
"Blend with the dust?" Lin Zeyan's tone was full of mockery. "Put bluntly, isn't that just engaging in corruption and perverting the law together?"
Lu Qingyou felt slightly guilty. "Forget blending with the dust then—at least knowing when to tighten and loosen is reasonable, right? I see you, Sanlang, only ever tighten and never loosen. I'm worried about you."
Lin Zeyan clearly disagreed, but before his rebuttal could leave his mouth, an attendant in blue robes entered from outside. "Lin Shaoqing, someone outside is looking for you."
Lin Zeyan set down his wine cup. "Looking for me?"
The attendant in blue robes continued, "It's Miss Cao Qiniang. She wishes to see you."
No sooner had he spoken than footsteps sounded from the corridor outside, and moments later Cao Qiniang had arrived at the doorway of the private room, a retinue of maidservants behind her.
She stopped at the threshold and bowed gracefully. "Xinying pays her respects to Lin Shaoqing."
Lu Qingyou shot Lin Zeyan a meaningful look. A trace of impatience colored Lin Zeyan's brow, but he still rose and returned the greeting. "Miss Cao, what brings you to seek me out?"
Cao Qiniang's voice carried a choked, pitiable tone as she came straight to the point: "I beg Shaoqing, for the sake of… for the sake of the past friendship between our two households, to show my elder brother some leniency! He was merely confused in a moment—he lost his judgment after drinking…"
Lu Qingyou put down his chopsticks, wearing the expression of someone enjoying a good show.
Lin Zeyan's face was unruffled. "Lady Cao, this is a restaurant. After hours, I am merely Lin Sanlang, not any Shaoqing. If you have business, please find a solicitor and go to the Court of Judicial Review—someone there will handle it for you."
Cao Qiniang raised her head urgently, her eyes brimming with tears. "The law is not beyond human feelings! My brother knows he was wrong. We are willing to compensate the victim double…"
Lin Zeyan had not intended to engage with her excessively, but upon hearing these words, a subtle change appeared on his cold, calm face.
He interrupted her, his eyes showing undisguised sternness and mockery: "Human feelings?"
"The 'human feelings' you speak of, Cao Niangzi, is that your brother, after drinking, beat people and took pleasure in whipping commoners, and broke both legs of a dancing girl who was just trying to make a living, leaving her permanently disabled for life, all because he disliked that she wouldn't serve him wine?"
"Does Miss Cao have no compassion?"