The moonlight outside the pavilion cast its silvery shadow, cloaking Chengyuan in what seemed a splendid white mourning dress. The surroundings were so silent even the swaying of candlelight could be heard. It remained so until the morning bell struck the lifting of the curfew.
After having instructed Shen Zhen never to cry, Lu Yan had decided that he would not stand on ceremony with her. Thus, he stretched himself out on a sofa in the room, with little care to what she was doing. Shen Zhen had thought about finding Shen Hong but had decided against, not daring to disturb him from a rest she knew must not have been easy. Thus she sat herself on a round stool in a corner and did not dare close her eyes. However, not having had the opportunity to truly sleep for the past few days, she could not bear her fatigue much longer. Therefore, she slid onto the floor in a dull thump, kicking the round stool over in the process.
With such a loud noise, Lu Yan no choice but to open his eyes. He looked down at her ——
She was not opening her eyes though she had most definitely crashed to the floor. Her eyes closed, her lips slightly parted, she looked so innocent. Even Lu Yan, who was not renowned for his sentimentality, could not help but feel compassion for someone as lovely and pitiful.
He had no choice but to get up and walk over to her. Squatting down, his fingers reached for her shoulder which he shook as carefully as he could, whispering for her to wake up. It took a while for the man’s deep voice to penetrate the haze of Shen Zhen’s mind. But when it did, she instantly regained consciousness, opening her red eyes at once and sat up, shaking, whether in shock or in dread.
“Your … Your Lordship … What happened?”
When he saw how full of precaution and fear to displease she seemed, he could not help but sneer in derision, his former pity evaporating in thin air.
This was a woman one did not need to control or to discipline. She did both by herself.
Since his rest had been disturbed, his own face took a turn for the worse, looking downright dangerous. His resting time was obviously over. Thus, he stood up, leaving her behind without a word.
Once he left Lanyue Pavilion, he made a stop at the West Room. Before he had the time to push the door open, he heard a poor, little cough. Inside, a boy looked up at him. Shen Hong had his sister’s eyes. Big, clear, sad and red. He had also cried. Lu Yan did not like children. No matter who it was. No matter whether crying or laughing. In fact, he disliked anyone who could open a mouth to speak, barely excepting his own family.
Knowing as much, not letting Shen Hong speak a word, Yang Zong called servants in and had them bring the boy to Lanyue Pavilion.
Lu Yan looked out of the window, his face solemn and cold.
“Has Zhaoxing Lane been taken care of?, he slowly asked, closing his eyes for a split of an instant.
Yang Zong bowed his head in assent.
“Young Master can rest assured. Only the front yard has been burned. Our people easily put the fire out. We spread a rumor that the oil lamp went out of water, causing the incident. No one has questioned the story yet.”
“With such an upheaval, it is impossible Prince Teng and Count Suning will not make a move by tomorrow. Send people to keep watch over the situation and have them report every six hours.”
Hesitating an instant and shooting his master a tentative glance, Yang Zong had to ask:
“Young Master, what about the Shen family’s Little Master?”
Lu Yan’s eyes looked into the distance.
“We cannot afford to wait. He has to be sent out of Chang’an at dawn”, Lu Yan answered in his deep voice.
Seeming to remember a detail, his eyes darkened. When doing something, one had to be meticulous. The devil was in the details.
“The retainer and maid of the Shen family will also have to be sent out.”
***
Early next morning. Supreme Court.
Lu Yan was writing yet another submission, all the time also listening to a military commander under his orders.
“Your Lordship had indeed been right concerning the matter of a few days ago. The master of the Wang family in Liquan County had indeed committed a crime. I sent someone to search his property yesterday and two female bodies were found at the bottom of a well.”
“What was their identity?”
“According to Wu Zuo, one was a singer from Pingkang Lane, surnamed Luo, who had been bought out from her procuress. The other was Wang Zhao’s concubine whom he welcomed into the household a year ago. There were no traces of homicide”, recited the commander.
After hearing this, Lu Yan paused an instant, nodded and drummed the table with his forefinger. After a while he said:
“No. The smell of bodies in decomposition in his yard is too strong. There must be more than two bodies.”
What Lu Yan was thinking: of the two bodies, one was a concubine, the other a prostitute. Assuming Wang Zhao experienced a perverted pleasure in killing women after having played with them, there was no need to keep them around for such long periods of time, especially if a suicide was to be staged.
This had not been a discovery the commander had made. Rather someone had deliberately placed the corpses in such a way to give a false impression of the crime.
The commander had no idea what Lord Lu was thinking and knew better than to try and clarify his thoughts. The best thing to do in such a situation was to simply bow out.
“This subordinate shall be returning to the crime scene.”
Lu Yan, for his part, closed his eyes, rubbing at his painful temple. He had not rested last night. And to boot, he had spent the morning handling cases. That was his all the thanks he would get for being a conciliating man … Lu Yan had not finished pitying himself when Yang Zong marched in, a cage in his hand. And a bird inside of the cage.
“Master, the Chinese starling you asked has been bought. The Old Madam will most certainly like it.”
It was Old Madam Lu’s birthday. And that Chinese starling was the gift Lu Yan had prepared his grandmother. The parrot she had been raising had died a few days ago, causing her great chagrin. Showing once again that he was no stranger to proper feelings, he had not bought her yet another parrot. He was aware it would only have caused her more anguish, making her remember the little friend she had lost. Thus, he had opted for a Chinese starling, with a sweet singing voice. One could reproach Lu Yan many a thing, but being a bad grandson was not one of them.
As soon as duty permitted it, Lu Yan left the office and made his way to the Zheng Ducal Estate to honor his grandmother’s birthday. When finally arriving to the gates of the Main Hall, he was welcomed by the sight of the Third Madam walking arm-in-arm with a maiden before they disappeared into the building. He frowned, knowing that the event he had expected to be slightly irritating was in danger of becoming downright torture. Making a sign of the hand to Yang Zong, he whispered:
“I remember grandmother saying this was a family banquet and no outsiders were invited. Who was the young girl with Third Aunt?”
Yang Zong, sweating profusely, had no choice but to reply.
“That would be Third Madam’s niece. Since her father had been transferred to act as governor in Jingzhou, Third Madam had invited her to stay for a few days in the Estate. She has been invited to attend the Old Madam’s birthday banquet.
Lu Yan eyed him in askance.
“And how would you know as much?”, he asked, his voice dangerously calm.
This was what Lu Yan was most adept at: exposing a disobedient servant with a few well-placed words. Rubbing his nose, Yang Zong shot a sideways glance at his master, weighing his words with care.
“The Princess Royale forbade this subordinate from telling Young Master.”
How agreeable was it to know he could not even discipline his own servant for acts Lu Yan considered gross rebellion. It would have been an affront to his mother and a questioning of her power over him.
What had started as a bad day promised to become worse.
***
There were three households from the main line living in the Lu’s Zheng Ducal Estate. Since Old Madam Lu was still alive, the three households had not separated. Lu Junshang, the First Elder Master of the Lu family, had married the Emperor’s younger sister, Princess Royale Jing’an. Lu He, the Second Elder Master, had married the Chancellor’s daughter, Née Xiao. The Third Elder Master, Lu Can, who had worried Old Madam Lu the most, had married a businessman’s daughter, Née Wen, making her Old Madam Lu’s third daughter-in-law.
The Wen family was the largest fabric dealer in all of Jin, on top of being a very decent household. Therefore, when Old Madam Lu had seen Lu Can head-over-heel for the young Née Wen, she’d just let him have his way. He had been so determined to marry she had not seen the need to kick up a dust. It would have just sowed unnecessary discord for the future.
However, the other sisters of the Wen household had also done very well for themselves. The eldest had married another Grand Duke and the youngest, a third-grade official. And the next one who proposed to marry into the Lu family was Née Wen’s niece, the one whose father was an official —— Meng Suxi.
When Lu Yan walked through the door, he was welcomed by the three households of the Lu family, all gathered in the Main Hall. Once his arrival had been seen by all, the atmosphere in the room became livelier at once. Smiling, maybe genuinely for the first time, he stepped towards his grandmother, bowing respectfully.
“Shiyan has come to pay his respects to Grandmother. He wishes her the best of healths and all the happiness in the world.”
At these words, he handed her a small cage in which a pretty little Chinese starling flapped its wings. Opening its beak, it let out two melodious sounds escape him. Looking in astonishment at the little bird, the Old Madam took the cage immediately and cooed to the starling. As grandmother was joyfully teasing grandson, a startling lady dressed in gold and lotus-pink appeared from behind a curtain.
That flamboyant beauty was none other than Princess Royale Jing’an. The years had been kind to her. She might have had a son substantially older than twenty, but her face seemed not to have changed for the last ten years. Only the movements of her hand and the assurance with which she walked in announced a woman experience. Advancing towards the Old Madam, she carefully took a greeting pose and smiled most graciously, making her offering.
“These clothes have been embroidered by daughter-in-law. She hopes mother will not dislike them.”
Old Madam Lu examined her with affectionate mirth, not able to refrain from laughing.
“We all know your craftsmanship has always been the best!”
Old Madam Lu liked Jing’an well enough. Not because she was a noble Princess Royale, but because her temperament had greatly improved in the last ten years. When Princess Royale first married into the Lu family, she had kept all of her imperial aloofness. The relationship between mother and daughter-in-law had been most respectable. The mother-in-law had been lenient. The daughter-in-law had been filial. And that is where the sentiments between the two had stopped. Both sides had been unwilling to take the first step.
But she was the Emperor’s beloved little sister. Who would have ever dared to make her displeased?! At that time, Old Madam Lu had feared for her eldest. He might have made the Imperial Household unhappy had he not been careful. That was until she had uncovered the Princess Royale’s true personality.
At first, when Née Wen had started going to social gatherings, ladies of high standing had found it very good ton to make a few jokes about her merchant background. Not wishing to embarrass her husband’s family, she had swallowed humiliation after humiliation, never daring say a word. She had borne it all to the best of her abilities. Until her sister-in-law, the Princess Royale, had witnessed one of those displays of power. At once, she had risen from her seat, walked in a decisive stride towards Née Wen, grabbed onto her arm, thrown the cup in her hand to the ground, shattering it to pieces, and left the gathering, dragging her sister-in-law along.
The temperature had fallen below freezing point. These pretty, noble boudoir flowers had done what the Lu family had always been so careful to avoid. They had enraged the Emperor’s most beloved, most precious little sister.
On the way back, Princess Jing’an had not forgotten to reprimand Née Wen.
“You have been married to Youngest Brother-in-law for many a year now. He has never reproached you anything, never spoken unkindly to you, has always been most understanding. So why do you bear such insults?! If you start acting so meek, the world will walk all over you. And it shall be your own fault!”
Née Wen had not dared talk back. It was the Princess Royale she had been facing, after all. But, after a long while, she had whispered in the smallest of voices, half hoping she would not be heard:
“I am afraid of embarrassing the family …”
After listening to her, the Princess Royale couldn’t help but raise her two fine eyebrows and chuckle good-naturedly.
“My dear, good Third Sister-in-law, let a member of the Imperial Household give you some worthy advice. There is no better way to embarrass your enemies than to refuse being embarrassed yourself! You are a daughter-in-law of the Lu family. As such you can afford to give a few well-deserved set-downs.”
When that sentence had come to the Old Madam’s ears, she had laughed heartily for a long time. After having eaten an additional bowl of rice at dinner that day, she had recognized that her eldest had been right when speaking of his wife. Jing’an might not have been tender and considerate. But she was true, sincere and loyal to each and every member of the Lu family. And nothing was more precious than such a temperament. These memories were strangely dear to the Old Madam.
Once Princess Royale Jing’an had appeared, everyone took their seats and musicians started playing a refined piece of music. After the dishes had been passed along four times, everyone stopped moving their chopsticks to enjoy the sight of a group of dancers fluttering in to entertain the guest with an opera play. At the end of the song, the beautiful dancers withdrew to the site, leaving the main stage to a strangely dressed man, his long sleeves swiping the floor and his dark make-up shocking the audience. That was an unexpected addition to the entertainment of the day.
As everyone was discussing the novelty of the play, the Old Madam rather observed both Princess Royale Jing’an and Lu Yan. She could very well see the both of them had furrowed their eyebrows, the corners of their lips pulled down in a most comic fashion. The Old Madam could not help but smile. The Second Daughter-in-law, Née Xiao, seeing the situation, wanted to join the fun.
“What’s Mother laughing at?”, she asked excitedly.
Old Madam Lu quickly leaned in, whispering into Née Xiao’s ear, hoping that ridiculous expression on mother and son’s faces would not fade in the meantime. Naturally, as soon as Née Xiao heard, she turned her eyes that way. And what she saw made her howl in laughter.
That pair of mother and son has always been at odds, albeit loving and affectionate. One could see whom the boy had gotten his prickly personality from, that was for sure. Those two were a nightmare to interact with or serve, fastidious as they were.
Once her laughter had been smothered into inelegant snorts, Née Xiao’s eyes fell on the Meng household’s Suxi. Whispering to her mother-in-law, she said:
“Daughter-in-law feels that the Meng family’s little miss seems to be a good girl. Everything proper about her.”
The Old Madam shot a glance into the aforementioned girl’s direction. Indeed, the Meng girl had a very pleasing face. Big eyes, black and bright. A rounded nose tip. And when she smiled, she revealed a row of straight, white teeth. Such a face could only inspire tenderness and goodwill wherever she went. It was obvious enough Née Wen had invited her to make her known to the Grand Duke’s family, in hope that Meng Suxi would catch their fancy. It was actually a good thing Lu Yan was present so he could take a look for himself.
“Have the lass come to me. I wish to tell her a few words.”
Née Xiao agreed readily, walking towards the maiden, and tapping her shoulder to attract her attention. The Old Madam being elderly, she naturally liked young girls. Once she had Meng Suxi by her side, she held her hand, examined her, spoke to her most kindly before finally recalling Lu Yan to herself.
Since the drums had not stopped beating by his side, Lu Yan had not heard the Old Madam’s call. He had no choice but to bow his head and bring it close to the source of the words. Meng Suxi being so close to the Old Madam, blushed as soon as Lu Yan leaned in, hovering above her dominantly. The helpless look the young girl shot him naturally fell into knowing eyes, namely those of Old Madam Lu and Princess Royale Jing’an.
***
Once they had retired for the night, her Third Aunt called Meng Suxi to her room.
“Has Xixi taken a good look at the Young Master?”
“Au— Aunt”, she stuttered timidly.
Née Wen understood the meaning behind her niece’s actions.
“Who is Princess Royale Jing’an? Your mother must have told you as much. Aunt has known her for more than twenty years now but still cannot say that she knows her well. However, she can still give you a few pointers. If you truly wish to marry into the Lu family, you must trust Aunt. Assuming Princess Royale Jing’an were to speak to you, answer her honestly. There is nothing she despises more than acts and falsehoods.”
“Aunt, please rest assured. If the Princess Royale were to ask anything, Suxi will speak openly. She will not beat around the bush.”
“You are so much like your mother. I wish to see who would be able to trick such a clever little imp.”
Meng Suxi grabbed onto her aunt’s hand, acting spoiled and dear.
“You have set my worries to rest. Be sure to go to bed early. If there is anything you are missing, tell Aunt, and treat this as your own home.”
As soon as Née Wen had stepped foot outside of her room, the bright smile in Meng Suxi’s eyes faded. The modesty one expected from a boudoir miss had evaporated in thin air.
She sat in front of a vanity, examining herself in the bronze mirror. Slowly, the corners of her mouth lifted, revealing a self-deprecating smile. Her aunt led a good life in the Lu family. One could say she had been destined to marry into it. However, she was very naïve.
Meng Suxi could not believe there was someone in this world who still dared to speak words as ridiculous as being frank, outspoken, sincere. How could Meng Suxi ever afford to put any such advice into practice. She was not, had never been, in her aunt’s position.
Her mother had no son and thus no standing. Meng Suxi had to walk on eggshells in her own family. Even her father’s other daughter from a concubine walked all over her. If she could not please the Princess Royale and smoothly marry into the Lu family, she would have to return to Jingzhou and do her father’s bidding. And marry whoever he chose for her. Meng Suxi had little hope in that quarter, however.
