After some lighthearted chatter, everyone went their separate ways to settle in and attend to their tasks. Muyu gave me a brief report on the preparations for tomorrow’s festival. Hearing her concise summary, I knew everything was in order and nothing was lacking. I smiled and took her hand. "It is truly a blessing to have you, Sister. I could wash my hands of everything and still have nothing to fear."
Muyu pursed her lips slightly, looking both exasperated and amused as she chided me, "Miss!"
I winked at her. "With you as the lady of the house, I am entirely at ease. I must go check on A-Yun now. She went straight to work the moment we returned; I doubt she’s even remembered to take a sip of tea."
Muyu nodded. "I shall go as well, to see if the Young Master requires anything."
The Bureau had naturally received word of our return, and seven or eight people were already waiting in the hall to discuss urgent matters. We hurried to the front hall and saw Hou Yi and Chu Jiangheng inside, each accompanied by a servant or two. These personal attendants of the Envoys were all sharp-witted; upon seeing me, they bowed with polite smiles. I returned the gesture with a smile and bowed to Hou Yi in thanks. "I owe my life to Brother Hou’s rescue this time. I am truly grateful!"
Hou Yi watched me rise with a smile, his tone warm and humorous. "Sister, why such formal words? I only worry you’ll blame us for constantly working Old Ninth to the bone, never giving her a moment’s peace!"
I gave a soft huff of laughter. "Brother is right about that. Why not give us a few more days of holiday so she can recover from her injuries first?"
The others laughed along in amusement, though Chu Jiangheng remained cold and expressionless. Seeing me, Wei Qingming set down her brush and stood. "We shall discuss the remaining matters at the Study of Preparation this evening."
"Haha!" Hou Yi laughed heartily and said to Chu Jiangheng, "Let’s not be tactless. Let’s go!" As he spoke, he took the cloak handed to him by his servant, draped it over his shoulders, donned his snow hat, and strode out with great purpose. Chu Jiangheng walked a few steps toward the door before turning back to Wei Qingming. "Your method is too reckless. I will still oppose it during the evening meeting."
Wei Qingming merely gave a slight bow, a confident, faint smile on her face. Though I had no idea what they were discussing, I suspected Grandfather Feng would ultimately side with her and Hou Yi.
I walked to her side, and she reached out to pull me into her arms, stroking my face with a smile. "Rest for a bit. After lunch, we shall go stroll along the Imperial Street. These tedious affairs can never be finished anyway; it matters little if we cast them aside for an afternoon."
She did this because she knew I was interested; whenever she had a spare moment, she always spent it on me. In truth, I wasn't particularly curious about shopping; it was only because she was there that these mundane, trivial moments took on such vibrant colors.
I smiled. "Indeed, the other government offices closed for the holidays days ago!" Turning to Muyu, I asked, "Is the house lacking anything? Let’s all go for a stroll this afternoon!"
We had a lively meal. During the feast, Zhu Yixin insisted that we all taste the Tusu wine she had brewed herself. Lu Kaifeng argued that, according to tradition, it shouldn't be drunk until the New Year's Eve vigil and refused to let her break the seal. Immediately, the group split into two factions—those who wanted to drink and those who didn't—and they began to argue incessantly. Finally, it was Chief Nie, who never turned down a drink, who laughed and said, "Though I am a businessman, I don't care for such superstitions. One's life is earned by one's own hands, not granted by gods or Buddhas! What taboos are there to fear?" With a slap, he broke the clay seal and began pouring wine for everyone.
Deeply moved, I shook my head with a smile and picked up my bowl. Just as I was about to drink, Wei Qingming reached out and lightly pressed down on the rim of my bowl, a smile playing on her lips as she gave me a meaningful look.
Before I could understand why, Nie Xiaoyan was the first to cry out, "Ugh! What is this smell?"
"The color is wrong." Lu Lingfeng glanced at the slightly reddish liquid and set her bowl down.
Lu Kaifeng pressed a hand to his forehead. "I told you we shouldn't drink it today..."
"If we didn't drink it today, how would we know if there was a problem?" Zhu Yixin argued stubbornly.
Well then, the first task for the afternoon was to buy wine.
The group set out amidst bickering and laughter. Originally, it was meant to be just Wei Qingming and me, with Muyu and Lanrao, for a casual stroll to pick up a few missing trifles. However, whether it was because the brothers and sisters were worried about Wei Qingming's safety or simply wanted to join the fun, almost everyone came along, except for Lu Lingfeng and Xuesu.
Zhu Yixin forgot her questions as soon as she asked them, but I still remembered. Moreover, I heard many discussions along the way, all excitedly talking about the Shiying diplomatic mission. People spoke of "a hundred Shiying tribesmen coming to court," presenting countless golden carriages and beauties, with over three hundred gifts. "Even if the Shixi Pavilion hadn't suffered that disaster, it would hardly be enough to hold it all..."
I found it amusing and shook my head, saying to Wei Qingming, "They are exaggerating. Even the largest diplomatic mission during the Tianshun era only consisted of forty or fifty people." I tugged on her sleeve and asked in a low, frowning whisper, "Why was there no word of this beforehand? Does the Bureau handle this?"
She gave a slight nod and sent a Phantom Sound to me: *Half a month ago, my trip to the Southern Capital was for this very matter.*
"The Southern Capital?" I was even more confused. "What does that have to do with Anjing?"
After listening to her explanation, I had to take several deep breaths to steady myself. It turned out that her sudden business trip was because the Royal Grandson of Shiying, Yi Zhixu, had actually crossed through a loophole in the Great Protection Array with only a few attendants, sneaking into Great Jing territory disguised as a northern refugee. By the time the Bureau discovered his trail, he had reached Yuezhou. This was indeed no small matter. If he were charged as a spy, Jing would be justified in executing him, which would mean a declaration of war. If they left him alone, not only would he gather intelligence on our country, but he was the Royal Grandson and the only legitimate heir to the Shiying throne. If anything happened to him, the Shiying royal family would surely demand accountability. The Emperor was already looking for an excuse to start a war!
My thoughts raced. "So, the final result is Shiying sending an official mission to welcome the Royal Grandson back home?" His name would be listed as the leader of the mission; once the grand procession entered Banjing Hall, they would simply tuck him into the crowd.
"Precisely," Wei Qingming smiled. "It’s the same logic as paying a ransom to redeem someone kidnapped by mountain bandits."
I thought about it silently for a moment and asked, "Was this idea yours and Grandfather's? It truly is the most peaceful way."
"Before I left, Master Feng and I did indeed agree on this method of handling it," she said. "But as it was a matter of great importance, we had to report it to the Emperor for his decision. We assumed His Majesty would not agree and that we would have to proceed slowly. To our surprise, not only did he grant the petition immediately, but he also insisted the mission be made as grand as possible."
"Shiying acted so foolishly, frivolously, and audaciously, handing us such leverage, yet he overlooks it all..." My voice trailed off as I felt an even deeper fear of our "Wise and Benevolent Sovereign." The Emperor's mind was truly unfathomable; even Master Feng could not predict it.
Wei Qingming smiled faintly. "His Majesty has always acted thus. We have grown accustomed to it."
As we were talking, Zhu Yixin and Nie Xiaoyan ran over from ahead, each grabbing one of my arms. They laughed and shouted, "You two are stuck together all day long; even a knife couldn't cut you apart! Come browse the stalls with us!" With that, the two of them triumphantly made faces at Wei Qingming and dragged me away without a word.
I looked back at her; she smiled and winked at me. I could only shake my head and sigh, laughing as I let them lead me away. Muyu and the others naturally followed.
After strolling and chatting for a while, we were standing before a stall of Nuo masks, picking through them, when we saw a group of people approaching from the opposite direction. It was the Wen family, a large and bustling household. Wen Wan was at the lead, followed by He Rao and several other sisters-in-law. Wen Gan and Wen Qi were at the very back, each holding the hand of a young sister in her early teens. Wen Jiang was still recovering from her illness and naturally could not come out.
Subconsciously, I looked around for Wei Qingming. I saw her standing with my eldest and fourth brothers at a calligraphy and painting stall, looking at a scroll. She hadn't noticed the Wen family yet. I felt a slight sense of relief and stepped forward with a smile to greet them.
He Rao was warm toward me, her chatter consisting of nothing but domestic topics. Wen Gan, being the most observant, found an opportunity to quietly tug my sleeve and asked in a low, smiling voice, "I heard from Shuhong that you went to find Qiansuiyou?"
"Indeed, how could I resist seeing his true face?" I covered my mouth with a smile. "Unfortunately, we startled the bird; by the time we arrived, this mysterious figure had already moved." Wei Qingshan had always been cautious in his correspondence with various book societies. Not only did he have A-Li write for him every time, but the replies were left at a tavern in town and brought to the village chief's house twice a month, where A-Li would collect them. My fourth brother and the others had searched the town for two days before finally managing to trace the clues to the Xia family. Had it not been for the silver that paved the way and the letter from Yin Shuhong in hand, the village chief might not have agreed to let them meet him. This matter truly couldn't have been accomplished without my fifth sister, who was so skilled at dealing with people.
Wen Gan gave a knowing smile. She likely understood that traveling so far in haste just before the New Year couldn't be for such a simple reason, so she didn't ask further. Instead, she asked about my flute playing. "How is that piece coming along?"
I pressed my hand to my temple and said worriedly, "I can play the gist of it, but it’s still not fit for an audience..."
"No need to be nervous. The more relaxed you are, the better that piece is performed," she comforted me.
Wen Qi, who had been standing quietly beside us looking after the younger sisters, suddenly had a strange expression. I instinctively turned around and met Wei Qingming's gaze.
She had already walked up behind me. A warm hand rested on my shoulder, and her calm voice sounded in my ear, soft and smiling. "It is rare to have a clear day. Are the sisters and sisters-in-law out for a stroll as well?"
"Oh, this one is a rare sight," He Rao said with a beaming smile. "I was wondering how Qingming could bear to let Sister Zhenzhen come out alone."
Several of them crowded around to tease and joke, and Wei Qingming responded with refined politeness. I glanced at her from the corner of my eye. She had dressed casually today, wearing a brocade robe that was about seventy or eighty percent new, wrapped in an unremarkable green fox fur cloak. She looked like an ordinary young master from an official family. Only those who truly knew their craft could see that the hairpin in her hair and the accessories at her waist were all antique-grade jade, carved with the finest craftsmanship. Holding the scroll in her hand, she looked as though she had just arrived in a hurry after seeing an acquaintance, yet this only enhanced her elegant, scholarly, and unrestrained air.
"Wen Qi" continued her act, pretending to be uneasy yet forcing herself to remain calm, lowering her head as if browsing the trinkets on the stall.
Just as my expression was becoming increasingly cold, a young boy ran over from that direction, tugging at Wei Qingming's sleeve. "Young Master, you haven't paid for this painting yet!"
Wei Qingming feigned a realization and turned back to answer, "I forgot; it wasn't intentional." She shook the scroll in her hand. "As for whether it is a genuine work by Li Sixun, I still need to examine it further."
"Of course it's real! You can look at it as long as you like!" the boy said urgently. "But you have to come back and look!"
In the trade of calligraphy, paintings, and antiques, an item must never leave the sight of both the buyer and seller before the transaction is complete. Otherwise, if the genuine is swapped for a fake, who could say for sure? This was a rule everyone had to follow. The sisters and sisters-in-law burst into laughter and pushed her. "Hurry along then!"
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 屠苏酒 | Tusu Wine | A traditional medicinal wine drunk on New Year's Day to ward off evil. |
| 矢鹰 | Shiying (Arrow Eagle) | A neighboring state or tribe. |
| 伊支顼 | Yi Zhixu | The Royal Grandson/Prince of Shiying. |
| 班荆馆 | Banjing Hall | A guesthouse for foreign envoys. |
| 备斋 | Study of Preparation | Likely a specific office or study room. |
| 十袭阁 | Shixi Pavilion | A location in the capital, possibly a storehouse or gallery. |
| 幻音 | Phantom Sound | A technique for telepathic communication. |
| 傩面 | Nuo Masks | Traditional masks used in exorcism rituals and folk opera. |
| 千岁忧 | Qiansuiyou | "Sorrow of a Thousand Years," a pseudonym for Wei Qingshan. |
| 李思训 | Li Sixun | A famous Tang Dynasty painter known for "gold and green" landscapes. |
