Chapter Four

“Pfft—cough cough!” Hearing that, Zhang Huaiyu couldn’t hold back his laughter, spat a mouthful of wine, and was choked into coughing.

But before he could recover, his vision suddenly blurred. Then he felt a numbness at his neck, his throat tightened, and when he tried to open his mouth to speak, no sound came out.

The mute acupoint!

Although several present were martial artists, none could strike with such seamless, trace-free precision—except for the war god beside him who made the northern barbarians quake with fear: the Northern Pacifier, Jiang Xu. No one else was even a consideration.

Zhang Huaiyu’s eyes widened; he picked up his folding fan and pointed it at Jiang Xu, his face full of accusation.

Jiang Xu neither avoided nor yielded. He merely lifted his eyelids and looked at him quietly.

Those eyes seemed to hold a lake of ice—calm, motionless, pitch-black and indifferent. For some reason Zhang Huaiyu felt a chill run down his spine and, in the next moment, sheepishly lowered his fan.

Outside the window, the lanterns on both riverbanks were reflected on the water, the surface shimmering and glittering. The warm pavilion had sunk back into silence, only the folding fan pendant on the table catching the candlelight, its long tassels swaying gently—

“Minmin, did you just hear something?” Ming Tan asked hesitantly.

“Hear what?” Bai Minmin looked puzzled.

Ming Tan glanced around, fell silent for a moment, then shook his head and said, “It sounded like someone coughing… maybe I misheard.”

Actually, Listening-to-Rain Pavilion was already designed with some soundproofing; the adjacent Warm Chamber was full of martial practitioners, so any commotion outside would naturally be easily heard. But if it weren’t for Ming Tan opening the window to watch the view tonight, with his ordinary hearing he probably wouldn’t have caught even a hint.

Perhaps out of wariness, or perhaps because the important matters had already been settled, the two of them spent the rest of their conversation on boudoir topics—nothing of consequence.

At the hour of the evening watch, the official boat stopped in the middle of the Xian River, preparing to set off fireworks.

Bai Minmin had been waiting by the window early; Ming Tan also let go of the usual composed restraint he kept in public. He lifted his skirt, stepped onto the little window ledge, braced his hands on the sill, and couldn’t help craning his neck to peer outside.

The Lantern Festival nights in the capital were always lively and splendid; as the saying goes, strange arts and wondrous talents, singing, dancing, and a hundred entertainments intertwined.

Along both banks of the Xian River, lights burned through the night; townsfolk gathered to await the fireworks, and lanterns of blessing floated out from the docks. From afar it was a scene of prosperous splendor.

Amid the cheers of people on both shores, the official ships’ fireworks at last rose in clusters, and wealthy households on the banks set off their own flares in harmony. For a moment, the entire night sky seemed illuminated as if it were day.

Mingtan and Bai Minmin came from respectable families and had seen many fine things, yet as fifteen- or sixteen-year-old girls with innocent hearts, they both held their breath and stared, unwilling to blink for a moment.

“It’s so beautiful.” Mingtan cupped her face and looked up at the night sky, sighing softly.

Bai Minmin nodded and said happily, “My favorite was that rabbit-shaped one just now—so cute!”

“I like the golden fireworks that sprinkle down from time to time, their sounds are delicate and very pleasant, like… look, it’s coming again!”

The girl’s soft, excited voice not only made her companions peer out attentively, but also drew several people from the neighboring warm pavilion to unconsciously turn toward the window.

Jiang Xu didn’t move, still pouring wine and drinking alone, but his seat faced the window, and when he tilted his head the dreamlike golden rain in the night unfolded perfectly before his eyes. His pupils flickered; as the jade liquid trickled down his throat, he felt no burn.

The fireworks were beautiful, but fleeting. When the night sky fell silent again, Ming Tan stood by the window, staring blankly for a long while, a strange melancholy lingering.

Fortunately it wasn’t too late—Bai Minmin wanted to go to Nanyuhe Street for fun and urged her to join. The little bit of wistfulness she felt was soon driven away entirely by Bai Minmin’s vivid descriptions of flower-decorated floats parading and the glittering lantern displays.

Before this, Ming Tan had never wandered Nanyuhe Street on the Lantern Festival night. This long riverside thoroughfare was extraordinarily lively and rife with all sorts of people; every Lantern Festival there were incidents involving girls and children in that area, so noble families were reluctant to let their daughters step foot there.

The two of them carefully adjusted their veils, and when they stepped down from the carriage the blazing lights and clamorous, bustling prosperity before them made Mingtan stagger for a moment.

Bai Minmin, having snuck out here for several years in a row, was well adapted. She looked around, spotted something, and suddenly let out an “eh.”

“What’s the matter?” Mingtan asked.

“Nothing much, it’s just that I think I saw Young Master Shu Er,” Bai Minmin said, peering ahead with a curious expression.

Young Master Shu Er, Shu Jingran, was the son of the Right Prime Minister. Graceful and handsome, with remarkable literary talent, there were no small number of capital ladies who adored him.

Word had it that he would sit the metropolitan examination this spring. In the market they all said that with Shu Er’s talent and looks, he was the unassailable favorite to come third in this year’s exam.

Ming Tan had once briefly crossed paths with Shu Er from afar; he truly was a gentleman of refined bearing, like an orchid or a jade tree. If not for that messy marriage matter at the Duke Ling’s household, it wouldn’t be a bad match to arrange a betrothal with the Shu family. Come to think of it, her breaking off the engagement was only a matter of time; she ought to consider in advance how to find a good match again.

Ming Tan was lost in thought when Bai Minmin cried in surprise, “Am I seeing things, A-Tan? Look—isn’t that Marshal Lu? If Marshal Lu is here, the one with him must be Young Master Shu!”

Ming Tan followed Bai Minmin’s gaze. Ahead, the sword-bearing man was tall, a shallow-to-moderate scar running neatly from his left temple to the tail of his eyebrow—none other than Lu Ting, the deputy commander of the palace vanguard in the capital, notorious for his ruthless methods.

It was well known that Lu Ting, Shu Jingran, and Zhang Huaiyu were close friends. Before Ming Tan could get a full look at Shu Jingran beside Lu Ting, Bai Minmin, impatient, had already grabbed her hand and pulled her forward to find them.

“Eh… Miss!” The maid behind her finally reacted and hurried after her.

The two quickened their pace; yet the street was crowded, and in the blink of an eye, the people who had been standing there were already nowhere to be seen.

Having missed the chance to see the handsome man up close, Bai Minmin couldn’t help but feel a little regretful. But she was playful by nature, and was soon distracted by the colorful stalls set up along the river.

One moment she wanted to buy sweet cakes, the next roasted chestnuts; little trinkets dangled from her hand, and she insisted on lifting the veil to stuff the snacks into Ming Tan’s mouth.

Mingtan had always been meticulous and particular about what she ate and wore, so she would never swallow these kinds of street snacks. You stuffing, I dodging — the two of them laughing and teasing each other made for a very pleasant scene.

“How about it, isn’t this South Imperial River Street way more fun than places like the Colorful Canopy or Daxiangguo Temple?” After setting the river lanterns on the dock, Bai Minmin proudly sought praise from Mingtan.

Mingtan was about to reply when someone up ahead waved a folding fan and shouted, “Sister Tan!”

For a moment, Mingtan thought she was hearing things.

—But the man stepped forward swiftly, proving by his actions that she did not.

“Tán sister, this is… Mǐn sister?”

The newcomer was handsome, clad in a jade-white brocade cloak of fine material and intricate patterns, his pale-gold hair bound in a crown—every inch the noble young master.

Once Bai Minmin recognized who he was, she had the sudden urge to kick him. She snapped, “Who are you calling my sister!”

The engagement between the Duke of Ling’s residence and the Marquis of Jing’an’s household had been arranged, but there was little contact with the Duke of Chang’s household. Bai Minmin did not approve, so the address “Sister Min” was indeed overly familiar. The newcomer didn’t argue; he quickly bowed and cupped his hands to show his awkward apology.

Bai Minmin knew today was not the time to tear into open conflict, yet she still felt irritated and wanted to prick him with a remark. Ming Tan, however, tugged at her sleeve, forcing herself to remain calm and asked, “Young Lord, how did you recognize me?”

He gave a soft laugh, waving his folding fan and saying warmly, “Sister Tan, you are a radiant pearl; even a light veil cannot hide your luster.”

Ming Tan’s face betrayed nothing, but inwardly she wanted nothing more than to slap him and tell him to speak plainly.

Strangely enough, she used to think this fiancé of hers, Liang Zixuan, was a handsome, gentle, and courteous man. Compared to Shu Er he might lack a bit in bearing, but he was still a rare, excellent choice for a husband.

But now that she looked at him again, she could only think that a few years ago her eyes must have gone blind. Waving a fan in this freezing weather! Speaking so flippantly and impertinently! So greasy! So affected!

Perhaps sensing that Ming Tan’s mood was off, Liang Zixuan smiled and explained again, “Actually I noticed the water-reflecting hairpin in Sister Tan’s hair; you seem to really like this hairpin.”

Ming Tan didn’t respond.

Liang Zixuan paused briefly, then to cover his embarrassment he kept talking to himself, following the thread.

Only today, for some reason, no matter what he said Ming Tan remained unmoved, and that member of the Bai family kept shooting him sharp glances from time to time.

Could it be about that matter…

No, impossible. That matter had been kept completely under wraps; how could the Ming family and the Bai family have found out?

If they had, with Duke Chang so quick to defend his own and prone to flare up at the slightest provocation, how could he have kept quiet and not make trouble for the Ling Guo Mansion?

Thinking of this, Liang Zixuan felt a little steadier. But he also belatedly realized just how important his mother’s earlier instructions had been.

He liked his cousin for her delicate charm, but he had long regarded Ming Tan as a wife not yet brought into the house; moreover, the Ming family behind Ming Tan and the Bai family were tremendous assets for his future career. This marriage could by no means be discarded.

At that thought, the earlier casual dismissal of “How could it come to this” he had voiced when speaking with his mother finally fell away. He turned his hands behind his back without expression, the folding fan lightly tapping his wrist.

At the same time, as if nothing had happened, he smoothly switched topics and continued to converse with Ming Tan one-sidedly.

Ming Tan was waiting for Lǜ’e and the guards to arrive so she could use their coming as an excuse to return home and shake off Liang Zixuan’s entanglement. She waited for a long while, and just as she finally caught sight of Lǜ’e, a sudden commotion rose among the crowd in the distance.

“Thief!”

“The one up ahead! Don’t run!”

Mingtan followed the sound and looked over; before he could see clearly, two figures from the chaotic crowd barreled toward this dock. Before he could react, he felt a shove—

“Adan!”

“Miss!”

Accompanying Bai Minmin and the shout from nearby Lü E was an utterly unanticipated splash as someone fell into the water with a “plop”!

Liang Zixuan reacted swiftly, calling out “Sister Tan” and, panic-stricken, began to take off his outer coat to jump in and save her.

Lü E stepped forward, saw it was the future son-in-law, and, in her disorientation as if clutching a lifesaving straw, hurriedly nodded and urged, “Young master, please save my lady!”

Bai Minmin instinctively grabbed Liang Zixuan, shouting urgently, “Don’t go!”

No matter how playful or mischievous she was, she came from a wealthy family and understood better than anyone that if Liang Zixuan saved her, Ming Dan’s remaining life would be ruined!

“Do you want to watch her die?” Liang Zixuan demanded, then, ignoring the restraint, shook off Bai Minmin.

Plop! Another splash as someone fell into the water.

Bai Minmin instantly felt her hands and feet go cold. She knew Ming Tan best; if Ming Tan were to be rescued by Liang Zixuan in front of everyone, it would be better for her to drown in this Xian River than to endure that humiliation!

She stared fixedly at the river surface, forcing herself to calm down, and gave orders to the guards and maids who had rushed over:

“Block everyone who’s come to gawk; no one is allowed to get close!”

“You two go down and pull Liang Shizi away. And you two, can you swim? Go down too, bring A-Tan up for me!”

“This side probably won’t hold for long. Lü E, you must go back at once and bring more guards to help block them!”

“Yes!”

It wasn’t yet spring; the river water was piercingly cold, and with the fierce wind blowing across it, Liang Zixuan had only been in the water a short while before he realized that rescuing someone was not as easy as he’d imagined. In fact, he hadn’t even seen where Ming Tan was.

Not only had Liang Zixuan failed to spot her—after searching in the water for some time, the guards and maids Bai Minmin had sent also found no sign of her.

The water at this pier wasn’t very deep; by rights it shouldn’t be possible for someone to drown so silently in such a short time, yet indeed they hadn’t even caught sight of a scrap of Ming Tan’s clothing.

It took about half an hour. Onlookers were forcibly kept outside the pier; all they knew was that someone had fallen into the water, but why remained unclear.

Some idlers, seeing the crowd being held back, guessed it was the eldest miss and began itching to jump in—maybe this was their chance to win a marriage into a good household.

It was getting hard to hold them back. Bai Minmin felt both desperate and hopeless, cursing the foolish idea of coming to stroll down South Imperial River Street. If Ming Tan had gotten hurt, Bai Minmin would bear the blame with her life!

Just at this critical moment, outside the crowd the guards were holding back, a figure in a green dress waved a handkerchief at Bai Minmin: “Cousin, why are you still here? You really made it hard for your maid to find you! My lady personally made some rice dumplings today and is waiting for you to come over and try them!”

The woman in green deliberately raised her voice.

But her tone sounded gentle and clear, and rather familiar.

Bai Minmin turned around and was stunned for a moment.

It was…

Su Xin, the most trusted housemaid who managed things for Ming Tan?

How could she be here?

And what did she just say? She… her young miss?

Suxin stepped forward, methodically bowed to Bai Minmin, then repeated her lady’s invitation for her to come over to their residence to try some yuanzi.

Seeing that the Liangzi brought up had been frozen stiff and was being carried by the guards, Suxin asked, a little surprised, “Has Young Master Liang fallen into the water?”

Bai Minmin was too bewildered by the situation to know how to respond.

It wasn’t until she caught sight of Lü E hurrying back, still out of breath, frantically waving at her and mouthing “it’s fine” that something suddenly clicked in her mind, as if a blocked channel had been opened.

She hurried to add, “Y-yes. Young Master Liang fell into the water, and I… I just happened to be passing by and had my guards jump in to save him.”

“Oh, so it was a man after all.”

“Saving a grown man who fell in—what a loss of face!”

“They’re surrounding him so tightly—was that really necessary?”

“Break it up, break it up. I thought she was some official’s daughter!”

The onlookers, bored, waved their hands and quickly dispersed.

“???”

Liang Zixuan was shivering from the cold, unable to speak, his eyes full of disbelief.