Life in the barracks began early.
Before the sun was fully up, soldiers were already lining up in rows for morning drills, bare arms flexing beneath layered leather vests.
A group of soldiers loitered near the training grounds, sharpening blades and gossiping freely.
"He's back," someone muttered. "He came in last night."
"Did you hear?" one of them whispered, eyes wide. "Liu Jiangjun's back."
"Really?" said another. "I thought he stayed back in the northern front."
"You know he never stays in one place long," the third snickered.
"He has been around for a while," came a flat voice as a man of higher authority passed, unimpressed. "You know how he is like, he never makes his presence known."
Hai Feng stepped through the outer gate, his dark green robe fluttering faintly with his stride.
A few younger soldiers straightened instinctively. One scrambled to correct his posture while practicing with his sword.
Others dipped their heads respectfully as he passed, but he barely acknowledged any of them.
Inside Commander Cai Ruwen's tent, armor rested on wooden stands, and a single oil lamp flickered from its hook.
"Liu Jiangjun," a junior officer announced from outside.
The flap rustled. Liu Hai Feng entered without ceremony.
Before Ruwen could speak, Hai Feng brushed off his cloak, and threw himself flat on Ruwen's bed.
His nose caught a familiar scent, and his brows twitched.
One he was trying to avoid.
Haifeng put his hand under the pillow and pulled out a sachet, taking a sniff.
"A'yi gave that to me." Ruwen snatched the sachet from Haifeng and tucked it inside his robe. "And you do know that's my bed, right?"
"I know." Hai Feng's voice was muffled by his arm as he draped it across his eyes.
"You have a whole manor with silk bedding and hot water. Why in the ancestors' names are you here taking up space in my tent?"
Hai Feng turned toward the wall. "Not used to it. Too many people. Too many rooms."
Ruwen blinked. "You do realize there are more people here, right? This is literally a camp. There's a soldier three paces away from you at all time."
"Different kinds of people."
"What…people who don't curtsy before talking?" Ruwen squinted. "Is it my sister? Did she do something"
Did A'yi do something to him? Ruwen couldn't help but wonder.
"No."
Ruwen tipped his head to the side. "Then…?"
Hai Feng didn't answer. He shifted slightly, the silence familiar. Ruwen gave him a long look, then huffed.
Arguing with a chicken would yield more results than wasting it on the person who turned his room to his private chambers.
"Alright," he said. "You can have the bed. All of it. But if you snore, I'm kicking you out."
Hai Feng let out a rare, quiet huff of amusement. "You sleep like a rock. Nothing wakes you."
"War wakes me," Ruwen said dryly. "Your dramatic entrance doesn't count."
"What about Chuyang?"
Hai Feng's bodyguard was known to always be around his master, hidden or visible. However, it wasn't unheard of for him to be apart from Haifeng. This being one of those times.
Hai Feng answered dismissively. "I don't know."
The bodyguard had been sent to watch over the manor in the absence of its master.
The flap rustled again.
"Commander Cai!" A younger soldier burst in. "The new recruits are waiting…ah! Apologies, Liu Jiangjun!"
Hai Feng waved a hand without looking.
Ruwen stood, grabbing his outer robe. "You stay here and rest, since you've conquered my bed and half my tent. I'll see to the drills."
He didn't bother asking Hai Feng to address the soldiers.
Unless the world was collapsing, Haifeng refused to command. He barely tolerated it during the war, and relinquished authority the moment peace returned.
"Don't forget Lin's shoulder. He got it bruised yesterday," Hai Feng added lazily.
The soldier in question has dislocated it while shovelling, strange but true.
Ruwen froze mid-step. "You're the physician."
"I did my part. You are his commander. Check on him."
Ruwen paused by the tent flap and glanced back at him. He couldn't let the General have the last word.
"Liu Haifeng!"
Hai Feng's answer was a grunt. He laid still, eyes half-lidded beneath his arm.
He wasn't resting. His mind was elsewhere.
Time passed and the camp settled into the lull between drills and evening patrols.
"You know," Ruwen said as he walked in, wiping his hands with a rag, "for someone who used to vanish the moment the sun sets, you're starting to treat my tent like your second home."
"You are back?" Hai Feng cracked one eye open, waking from his sleep. "What hour is it?"
"The hour of Xu. You made yourself very comfortable on my bed." Ruwen smirked and poured himself a cup of water. "Which village are you working in now?"
Hai Feng's gaze returned to the canvas ceiling. "The same one from the last raid. East of the river bend."
Ruwen paused. "That far?"
Hai Feng nodded once. "They were hit hard. Fields burned. Storehouses emptied. I followed the men when they slept for the last remnants of bandits. Stayed after."
Ruwen sat across from him, rubbing his jaw thoughtfully. "They were."
Hai Feng gave a nonchalant grunt.
It wasn't unusual.
In the weeks after every campaign, while the soldiers returned to the camp, Hai Feng often disappeared.
He tended to collapsed homes, set broken bones, and brewed fever remedies for the sick.
Often, he would send for herbs from his manor.
Other times, he would dig a proper grave for someone the soldiers had no time to bury.
If the villages were close to the manor, he returned home at night time. If not, he didn't .
He never spoke of it. But word traveled quietly and quickly.
Now, Ruwen studied him again.
"I met with His Majesty last week," he said casually.
That earned a slight tilt of Hai Feng's head.
"Had a private audience. He gave me a task to do." Ruwen continued. "Also, he asked about you."
A pause.
"And what did you say this time?"
"That you hadn't died yet."
Hai Feng snorted faintly. "Of course."
Ruwen's smirk faded. "He asked what you were still doing in the north."
"And?"
"I told him that you were still doing your duty. Which is the truth."
Hai Feng closed his eyes again, silent.
Ruwen's voice dropped. "He asked if I thought you'd return to the capital. If you wanted to."
There was no answer, only the distant clang of hammers and the low sound of sparring outside.
Ruwen swirled his cup. "You're not just a general, Hai Feng. You're the last piece of that old alliance. He's trying to see where we stand."
Hai Feng opened his eyes fully this time. His voice was quiet, but firm. "The court hasn't changed."
"No," Ruwen agreed. "But the people suffering in those villages don't care about the court. They just want someone to stand for them."
Hai Feng turned his head slightly. "That is why I'm there."
Ruwen looked at him long. "And yet you're here tonight."
Hai Feng didn't answer immediately.
Then, simply: "Let the past remain in the past."
The tent fell quiet. That was all the answer that Cai Ruwen needed.
Hai Feng was not interested in factions or politics.
He had lived the past ten years of his life like a commoner, rising slowly and painfully in ranks to his present position.
The day he was sent out of the capital without a return date, was the day Prince Qi died and Liu Hai Feng was born.
Outside, the gong sounded to mark the evening shift.
But neither of them moved.
The silence between them wasn't strained.
"By the way," he added, "if you're going to keep sleeping here, at least stop taking all the bed space."
Hai Feng rolled over lazily, eyes already closed again.
Ruwen leaned into his seat, his posture relaxing slightly. He rubbed at a scab on his knuckle, thoughtful.
"I went to see my sister the other day," he said quietly, breaking the silence.
Hai Feng didn't open his eyes.
"She has really gotten comfortable in your house. I haven't seen her so happy in a long time."
Ruwen went on.
"Ruyi told me all about the herb garden she has been working on. Thank you for lending her your home."
A beat of silence passed between them.
"But my father wants her to return," Ruwen added, watching him now. "To prepare for marriage."
Hai Feng's gaze remained fixed on the ceiling. His expression didn't change, but something in his jaw drew taut.
"I didn't say much," Ruwen admitted. "Honestly, I don't know what to think. She's… better. I can see in her eyes that she doesn't want to return back. But she has to."
He glanced at Hai Feng, who said nothing.
"I want her to be safe. But I can't keep her locked up either. Maybe marriage is the only way she'll find her footing again. Some safety."
Hai Feng's voice was low. "What family?"
"It's not decided yet." Ruwen hesitated. "But Father, he's getting older, and so is she. And with the palace turning again, he's under pressure."
He starts pacing in frustration. "I can't even shield her properly. And the Queen Dowager's eyes might be on our family."
Ruwen sighed, stopping. "Maybe Ruyi getting married would at least protect her."
Hai Feng stood, quietly gathering his cloak and blades.
"She should choose her own path," he said, voice cool but firm.
"You are right. No matter the choice she makes, I will support her." Ruwen looked at him, brows drawn. "Also, she leaves on the first day of spring."
*********************************************
Ruyi stood near the threshold, her long traveling cloak already wrapped around her.
A veil covering her face hung loosely from her ear, the mist of rain settling on her lashes.
Her fingers fidgeted with the tassel of her cloak, but her expression remained composed.
"Lady Cai..." Lian'er murmured, her voice catching. "We prepared some warm snacks for the road. Just a small token from all of us..."
"Thank you," Ruyi accepted the basket and passing it to Hua. "These past weeks… you've all cared for me far more than I deserve. I won't forget it."
A sniffle interrupted her, and she turned.
Xiao Xia stood by the corridor post, small hands clenched at his sides. His cheeks were puffed slightly, and he blinked hard at the ground, pretending not to cry.
Ruyi's heart ached.
She approached him, crouching down to his level, her skirts pooling on the damp tiles. With a faint smile, she reached forward and pinched his cheek lightly.
"You're a strong boy, aren't you?" she said gently.
"I am," he mumbled. "But… will you come back?"
"I will," she said, voice warm despite the lump in her throat. "If you listen to everyone here and behave well, I promise I'll visit."
He looked up at her then, wide-eyed.
She wished selfishly that she could bring him with her. But she was already one person with two empty hands.
Dragging a child into her storm would only drown him.
The Liu manor was the safest place for him.
Ruyi reached into her sleeve and pulled out a small black lacquer hairpin. She gently pushed it into Xiao Xia's hair, smoothing a loose strand behind his ear.
Her chest tightened with the memory of her own mother putting the jade pin in Ruyi's hair while she laid on her deathbed.
The pale smile on her mother's lips forever etched into her memory.
"Take care of it," Ruyi whispered to the little boy.
He nodded vigorously, wiping his face with his sleeve.
By the time they reached the carriage, the sky had grown even darker, and the rain came lightly poured.
The driver stood ready, and the horses shifted anxiously in the drizzle.
Ruyi sat inside, veil lowered, watching the manor slowly disappear behind the mist.
The black pin still gleamed faintly in Xiao Xia's hair as he ran after the carriage for a few steps before being pulled back gently by one of the older servants.
Out of all the people who stood to wish her farewell, the one person she wanted to see the most was nowhere among them.
Liu Haifeng.
Maybe it was better this way. It was probably heaven's will for them to be apart. Parting is easier when the heart has no anchor.
But she knew that in her heart, he has long carved a place no one could take.
If only he had not walked in on her that rainy day at the steps of the palace library.
If only she had held in her tears when he passed by.
If only she had rejected his help to carry her to help.
If only… if only…
Then, she would not be sitting here with this quiet ache.
She would not have waited ten years for his return.
She forced her gaze forward, hands clasped tightly on her lap, as the road ahead unfolded before her.
Not even a li down the road, her carriage suddenly rocked to a stop.
Through the carved window panel, she caught sight of him dismounting his horse.
He walked to her carriage, an oil-paper umbrella shielding him.
He pulled up beside her window.
"Ge'," she said, surprised. "You didn't have to come. It's cold, and the rain…"
Ru Wen only waved a hand. "Nonsense. I'm seeing you off, whether you like it or not."
"You're busy," she murmured, brushing water from her veil. "I wouldn't want to disturb you."
"I've always been busy. That never stopped me before," he said, with a soft gaze. "You've grown too used to not troubling others."
She looked away, lips curving into a faint smile.
"Why don't you come in? The rain doesn't look like it will let up anytime soon."
He shook his head, brushing off her offer.
"I'll ride beside you," he added, softening. "And Ruyi… whatever decision you make from here on, I'll support it. If something happens, send me a letter at once."
Her eyes stung at that, but she nodded slowly, swallowing against the lump in her throat.
As he turned away, she stopped him."Ge'."
"I have something for you." She turned slightly. "Hua!"
"Yes, miss?"
"Put aside the things I prepared for Wen'gege."
Ruwen frowned. "What did you prepare for me?"
She turned back to her brother. "Just a few new robes and coats for the new season. I was going to send the other carriage to you, but since you are here now."
"Ruyi…"
"Ge', you are a commander now. You need to look your best, especially here in the capital. I don't know how often I will see you or when you will return home, so let me do my duty as your sister. Take them. It won't do for you to look like a mountain soldier all the time."
He stared at her, expression unreadable, then finally exhaled. "You always prepare too much."
"And you never prepare enough. It is nearly spring and you are still wearing the winter clothes I prepared months ago. This isn't the northern border."
"Fine. I'll listen to you.
He almost smiled, but turned to leave, stepping back toward his horse.
"Wait!" she called.
He stopped.
Hesitant, Ruyi reached into her sleeve, drawing out a small, sealed letter.
"Please give this to Liu Jiangjun." Her voice barely audible above the sound of the rain.
Ruwen took it, glancing briefly at the letter in his hands.
He looked up but didn't ask, tucking it into his robe.
As he turned away, she couldn't bear to shut the window.
"Wen'ge!"
Ruwen turned in the rain and waved at his sister.
The carriage began to roll again.
Outside, the rain kept falling.
************************************
Earlier that morning, the sky had already begun to grumble, low thunder rolling across the camp like a warning.
Inside the commander's tent, Ruwen stomped around half-dressed, yanking his traveling cloak out from beneath a pile of scrolls.
"Aiya, this year's spring arrived with the rain."
Haifeng stepped inside at that moment without a word.
"You left here in the middle of the night?" Ruwen arched a brow. "Where did you sleep last night? Your manor?"
Ruwen clearly remembered going to bed with Haifeng stretched out beside him.
Sometime in the middle of the night, he was woken up by Haifeng slipping out, just to return back now.
"I didn't. I was checking on the wounded in the infirmary," Hai Feng replied simply. "Didn't get back till late."
Ruwen didn't push, though his stare lingered.
"You have that look" He muttered, securing his belt around his waist.
Haifeng arched his brow.
Ruwen answered his question. "The one you get when something is on your mind."
Hai Feng, leaned on the edge of the map table, didn't glance up. "I always look like this."
"Exactly."
Ruwen crossed his arms. "Aren't you supposed to be protecting me as my general? Watching my back?"
"You're watching me enough for the both of us."
"You're lucky I am."
At that, Hai Feng raised his head, and Ruwen saw that flicker, there and gone in a blink.
"You trust too easily," Hai Feng said.
"And you trust no one," Ruwen shot back, softer. "Sometimes I wonder if you even trust me."
Hai Feng gave no response. That, Ruwen realized, was worse.
Changing the topic, he exhaled. "You coming? My sister leaves today."
Hai Feng dropped his gaze back to the floor. "No need."
"Okay, You should get some rest then."
Hai Feng gave no answer.
When the tent flap fell closed behind Ruwen, the quiet returned heavily, almost too still.
The sky broke open after a few minutes.
Hai Feng stood at the entrance of the tent, arms crossed loosely over his chest, watching the rain drop in thin, silver lines.
The collar of his robe laid unfastened and untouched by the wind.
She is gone now.
He closed his eyes briefly.
Only to be met with the unshakable image of her; kneeling in the manor courtyard with her sleeves tucked up, hair pinned by that single white jade ornament, her hands gently patting down the soil over the herbs she had transplanted.
He should've said goodbye, at the very least.
His mind drifted back, not to the infirmary as he had told Ruwen, but to the true place he had gone the previous night.
He had stood in the shadows of the corridor, half-hidden behind a carved wooden screen.
The warm glow of lanterns spilling from the library's open doors.
Inside, she was there.
Ruyi stood alone by the open balcony, a light shawl over her shoulders.
Her hands rested lightly on the carved railing as she gazed up at the sky
She didn't speak, nor move for a long time. She just stood there, quietly watching the sky as if searching for something in the stars.
He was not blind to the changes that she had brought into his once grey-colored compound.
The Third Lady Cai was calm and steady but living and colorful.
Most nights when he returned, he would be greeted by new flowers and herbs placed carefully along the corridors.
The hall filled with laughter and giggles from Ruyi's maid and Xiao Xia.
Her handwriting labeled the herb pots that were stored in his library.
He would be lying if he said she wasn't one of the reasons he stopped frequenting his manor.
He didn't dare to step forward.
Had he intentionally avoided her since that night? Yes.
Did she deserve such behavior from him? Not at all.
But being around her made him scared and worried.
"Better to retreat early than lose ground", so he thought.
So he did what he thought was best.
He watched silently.
After a while, she turned and walked away without looking back, her footsteps soft against the polished floor.
Only then did he step out of his hiding place.
Her scent lingered in the room, he had to stop himself from taking a sniff.
He had stepped out onto the balcony and saw it, a small clay pot on the bench.
In it was a young sprout with light green leaves; thin, elongated and feathery.
Nestled beside it sat a folded flower made of pale paper, the creases careful and clean.
Her hands truly had a way of breathing life and beauty to everything it touched.
He crouched down, reaching out a hand to gently touch the almost rigid stem.
"Yinchenhao," he murmured aloud. Capillary Wormwood.
An rare herb.
To cultivate it, the soil needed to be perfectly neutral, almost impossible in his manor, where the earth ran too acidic.
Even with proper care, even with warmth and water, most attempts failed.
Yet somehow, she had gave it life.
She must have tried again and again.
Behind him, footsteps approached quietly. He knew he hadn't been alone.
"Liu Jiangjun." Chuyang bowed as he stepped into the library.
Hai Feng did not turn. His gaze fixed on the little paper flower a moment longer before rising to his feet.
"Find someone," he said slowly, "Have them keep an eye on the Third Lady Cai once she returns home."
He heard the faint shift of Chuyang's boots. "The Third Miss?"
"Ruwen is concerned."
"Mm." Chuyang smiled faintly, the corner of his mouth twitching as he lowered his eyes. "Naturally. The Commander is a good brother."
Hai Feng finally turned to glance at him, his eyes cutting to him.
Chuyang dropped into a crisp bow. "I'll make arrangements, Jiangjun."
He turned to leave.
But before he did, Haifeng saw the faintest hint of a smirk tug at Chuyang's lips.
Hai Feng stood alone again in the library.
And even now, he stood frozen, as though any step forward might crumble the resolve he'd fought so hard to keep.
He should forget this. Forget her.
They might never meet again. Soon, she will be married and her time here would be a memory.
Maybe this was heaven's will, he told himself.
********************************
As soon as the carriage halted by the entrance, a servant hurried forward with an umbrella, bowing low.
"Third Miss, the Master requests your presence in his courtyard."
No warm welcome, no pause for rest.
Ruyi only nodded.
Her robes slightly damp from the rain, she walked the familiar path through the corridors, past the stone lanterns and carefully trimmed hedges.
During her absence, she had been informed of how her entire family had been fairing.
Ruxin had resumed her rendezvous after her release from house-arrest, which didn't seem to last long as usual.
Ruyi was suddenly reminded of the letters she had kept hidden.
She had long been aware of her sister's habit of dressing in male clothing and visiting drinking houses.
Men seduced, discarded, forgotten within days. Men who would be trouble if they lingered too long.
Concubine Shen's movements however, have been a bit worrisome.
Ruyi could assume that Concubine Shen had been researching the sons of these women and which would be a great fit for her Ruxin.
But that wouldn't have gotten her concerned except, the bond that Concubine Shen was trying to form with the wife of the Minister of War, Madam Liang.
It was an unknown fact that Minister Liang was a supporter of the Queen Dowager.
He hid his relations quite well but Ruyi had her ways.
There had also been quite a commotion among the ministers and imperial cabinet but Ruyi tried not to pay too much attention to it.
She had more to worry about than how the Emperor intended on running the country.
And the Imperial Consort had warned her about prying too deep into issues like that.
Yet all these domestic storms paled beside the one waiting in the study.
When she entered, Minister Cai stood by the incense table, hands clasped behind his back, watching the smoke rise into the air.
Ruyi curtsied. "Father."
The silence that followed was expected.
Finally, without turning, he said, "Ruwen tells me you insist on making the decision yourself."
She could hear the disapproval in every syllable. He was clearly not too happy about the bond between the siblings.
Ruyi straightened, face composed, but inwardly, she had long stopped expecting warmth.
She had always blamed her father for the things Concubine Shen had done, but more for his silence, for the quiet way he folded his hands behind his back and let injustice pass under the name of harmony.
"I would not dare say 'choose', Father." Ruyi chose her words very carefully. "I wish brother's assurance that all goes smoothly. I know everyone wants what is best for me."
Ruyi used her brother as a guard. Her father's authority held very little in the presence of Ruwen.
He finally turned to face her, his expression clearly irritated.
Ruyi lowered her eyes, hands folded neatly before her.
"In this world, Ruyi," he said, "we cannot always act as we wish. There are rules. And consequences. Sometimes, bending keeps things from breaking. Do you understand?"
Ruyi's smile was small.
Was he speaking to her or about himself?
To the young scholar who once married her mother not for love, but for a foothold in court?
While her mother was lowered to…
"I understand, Father. Then I hope I have learned enough not to bend when it matters," she said quietly. "And not to repeat mistakes."
They looked at each other, father and daughter.
"Your reputation," he began, "has already suffered from your previous behavior. Your mother…"
How dare he call that woman that? Ruyi had to hold herself back from spitting at the sound of that word. Mother…
"…has gone through great lengths to find suitable suitors for you. Don't disappoint us."
But she only curtsied.
"If there is nothing else, Father… Your daughter will take her leave."
He didn't stop her.
Back in her room, the wooden floor creaked familiarly as she sank into the chair by the window. Outside, the rain still poured.
Moments later, a maid in pale blue robes arrived, her expression plain but her chin lifted. She held out a red folded accordion book.
"Third Miss," she said with a practiced bow. "Madam Shen regrets she could not greet you herself. She has been... preoccupied with important household matters. Still, she has asked that this be delivered to you."
She stretched the book towards Ruyi.
Ruyi didn't lift a finger.
Her head leaned back against the embroidered cushion, lids half-lowered as her fingers massaged her temple in a slow, weary circle.
Hua, standing just beside her, knelt down quickly and adjusted the fur robe around her mistress's shoulders.
"Miss," she murmured, flashing the maid a cold sideways glance. "Should I add more ginger to the tea? You're warm again."
Ruyi gave a faint, fragile smile, then coughed delicately into her sleeve. "Perhaps just a little more, Hua. The journey was long… and I fear I haven't fully recovered."
"Third Miss." The maid stiffened in irritation. "Madam said I should remind you that it is time you show obedience."
Obedience.
The word tasted bitter, though she let it pass her lips only as a faint smile.
Hua mumbled under her breath in annoyance. "Miss just arrived and she is already treated poorly."
She looked at the maid at last, voice low and gracious.
"Please thank Madam Shen on my behalf. I deeply regret being unable to greet her properly."
She paused and let another soft cough escape, eyes lowering. "Do send my apologies. My condition is especially poor today."
Hua stepped forward then. Her face calm, smile polite, eyes cold.
She took the book with two fingers, as if it were a dead mouse.
"We are grateful for Madam's… thoughtfulness," Hua said smoothly. "But the Third Miss is still recovering and will review these once her health improves. Slowly."
"Do," Ruyi murmured, her voice soft as she leaned back against her cushion, tugging the fur robe over her chest. "And send her my warmest regards."
Warmest, indeed.
Hua pressed her lips together to hide her smirk.
The maid swallowed her anger, bowed, and left.
Ruyi waited until the maid's footsteps faded. She pried one eye open to check if the coast was clear.
"Is she gone?"
Hua snorted. "Long gone, Miss."
She set the book aside with a quiet tsk on the table like something filthy and crossed her arms.
Ruyi pushed the thick fur away from her body. "The brazier, Hua. Take it away before I suffocate."
"Warmest regards," Hua muttered under her breath, dragging it aside. "Why didn't you say you were sending her fire ants and not flowers?"
Ruyi let a soft laugh escape. "Concubine Shen never wastes time. Spring has barely arrived, yet she hopes to tie me down before the mid-spring bells even rings."
"She has the audacity to say she's preoccupied after pushing you out like luggage, and now she sends men's names as if she's selling goods at the marketplace!"
Ruyi didn't reply. Her fingers stilled, resting gently on her forehead, eyes still closed.
She extended her hand without looking up.
Hua, still fuming, placed the marriage list into it. "You shouldn't have to go through this, Young Miss," she muttered.
Ruyi offered no reply.
She unfolded the book and her fingers moved delicately across the ink.
"Xu Wei," she murmured first, eyes cool. "Eldest son of Duke Xu."
"Miss, Isn't he the one whose bride died right before the wedding?"
"Mm."
Ruyi's voice was even. "They said grief took her. The Xu household is a dangerous place. Duke Xu once fought beside grandfather, but his position is weak. His children circle him like vultures. They've been fighting over his inheritance since last winter."
Hua shivered. "That house sounds cursed."
Her gaze slid down the scroll.
"Gao Yichen…"
Her fingers stilled on the parchment.
Hua caught it immediately. "You know him, Miss?"
"The name doesn't ring a bell." Ruyi said shaking her head.
Out of all the noble families she was familiar with, the last name Gao wasn't one of them.
Concubine Shen would never pick a man at random.
Her gaze returned back to the book.
"Liang Tian."
Ruyi tilted her head in thought.
"Commander of the Imperial Army, Son of the Minister of Justice," she murmured. "Liang Jin has always been a loyal dog of the Queen Dowager. His son, however, I have never crossed path with him."
"That is why Madam Shen has been visiting the Liang Household. It was for you, miss."
Her voice lowered.
"Miss… the rumors about the Ministry of Justice prison has been overflowing this winter. Prisoners come out missing nails, limbs, their minds…"
Hua shuddered.
Ruyi looked down at the list again.
Something felt off.
Concubine Shen was someone who would never want Ruyi to overshadow or have the best over her own daughter.
"I don't know," she said softly. "Maybe."
She folded the list, eyes narrowed in thought.
"Give me the list I asked you to look into," she said.
Hua's eyes lit with understanding. She reached into her sleeve and handed Ruyi a folded paper.
Ruyi unfolded it and flipped through it quickly until...
There.
Gao Yichen again.
Who was this strange person?
And beside him, Liang Tian, written in heavy strokes.
Her finger tapped the ink, slow and precise. A faint smile touched her lips.
Concubine Shen, Concubine Shen, you have really impressed me.
"They're on both lists," Hua said slowly. "Yours and Fifth Miss's. Could it be a mistake?"
Ruyi laughed humorlessly. "It isn't."
Her voice turned low.
No… this was bigger than the concubine's reach.
Queen Dowager.
This just made everything much more complicated.
"All this trouble, just to tie you to one of those..." Hua muttered under her breath but bit off the rest.
She set a paper, brush and ink stone before her mistress.
Hua bent down beside Ruyi gesturing to the brush. "Miss, do you need me to.."
Ruyi didn't respond.
Her brush had already begun to move in her left hand as she wrote the letter.
She let the ink dry, then folded the letter, sealing it. She knew when the Consort saw the letter, she would understand.
Reaching for another sheet, she wrote a different letter, this time holding the brush with her right hand.
She was, however, worried about how Ruwen would take it.
He hadn't been in the capital in years. But he needed to heart it from her.
She finished the second letter and slipped it into a silk pouch.
She turned towards the open window as the wind hurled and rain dropped.
"It should be that time of the year already, Hua?"
Hua turned to what her mistress was looking at, understanding the meaning behind the words. "Yes, Young Miss. I'll inform the servants."
Ruyi slipped the letter into a silk pouch.
Hua lowered her voice. "And if the concubine sends a physician to confirm it?"
"Handle them as usual, but I doubt she would want to start anything for now."
She pulled her outer robe tighter and turned back to her table. "Send the second letter to my brother at the barracks."
She didn't need to explain. Hua understood.
"Miss, why not just refuse the list?" Hua asked.
Ruyi's eyes were half-closed, voice soft. "Because if I refuse… she'll just give me another."
And another. And another. Until I am forced into a cage of her choosing.
She then gestured to maid to come closer and whispered in her ears.
Hua's eyes opened when she heard the words that her mistress said to her. She almost hesitated before leaving the room.
While Ruyi's gaze drifted toward the window, where the rain spilled without an aim of stopping.
***************************
The Imperial Consort sat by her reading table, her attendant quietly brushing her long hair. Her fingers lingered over the silk envelope.
She opened it.
Her expression softened as her eyes traced Ruyi's elegant handwriting.
"To Her Ladyship, Jade of the Inner Palace, I have returned back home.
The new season has put a strain on my body, uncovering my old sickness. Forgive this child for not coming to pay my respects. From my window, I watched two hawks circle my courtyard.
One bears a tall standing. This child is ignorant of noble clans, but I fear this one may be too unrestrained for someone as ordinary as I am.[1]
The other, a sword, sharp with a breastplate. His beam holds up the heavens.[2]
They perch now on the branches of my household, but this child is too weak to send them away.
I fear before the rain ends, they might find their way into my room.
What do you think I should do to avoid them coming in through my window and sinking their claws on me?"
She gripped the letter tightly, her thoughts racing.
So. They've come for her already.
The Consort re-read the letter.
The character "Gao" stuck out to her. The only household that carried that was the Duke of Gao, who is married to the Princess Ning.
Gao…Yichen?
It seems Ruyi didn't know who he was. How would she? The minor prince lived outside the capital walls.
The Queen Dowager is showing her hand this heavily.
"...beam hold up the heavens..". The Consort's lips tightened.
A soldier then. Not just any.
Liang Tian.
Son of Liang Jin, Minister of Justice, brash, spoiled, crude behind his father's shadowed legacy. His alignment with the Dowager Empress was unclear, based on her knowledge.
However, the Queen had recommended him for the position of Commander of the Imperial Army. News of the cruelty of both father and son was well-known in the capital.
Anyone who found themselves in the cage of the imperial prison never lived to see the outside light.
A dog of the Dowager, whether he wears her leash openly or not.
The Consort sighed through her nose.
This child…
She was asking for help.
This was a trap set from two sides.
If Ruyi resisted, it would be rebellion. If she complied, the Queen Dowager would gain a foothold in the Cai family.
The real target wasn't Ruyi, it was her.
A rock and a hard place, indeed.
Her maid leaned in. "Would you be writing a reply, Your Ladyship?"
"No," she said. "Have the Royal Physician prepare some cold-releasing soup and medicine for the Young Lady Cai."
The Consort passed the letter over the flame of the candle igniting it.
"Also, pass my message to her that she shouldn't walk about in the rain until the storm passes. Her health is what matters most."
She then rose, walking slowly toward the edge of the pavilion. Her eyes swept over the rain-draped courtyard.
"You've returned to the storm too early, A'yi," she murmured.
*****************************
The Queen Dowager's quarters were quiet, the silks muted in imperial hues. She sipped tea with measured grace as one of her old handmaidens whispered in her ear.
"...The Third Young Lady Cai has returned from the barracks. She came down with a sickness as she arrived. The Consort sent her medicine."
The Queen Dowager's teacup paused at her lips.
"She's returned earlier than expected," she said mildly. "I thought the spring rain would delay her."
The maid nodded. "Shall we keep watch?"
"No need." Her voice was light, but her eyes narrowed. "Let her settle in. She'd have recovered in time for the Mid-Spring celebration."
She set the cup down and looked toward the veiled windows.
"Have the Ministry of Rites prepare. I want to host a competition of virtue and talent hosted in the palace. All eligible young ladies are to attend, especially daughters of members of the court."
The maid bowed deeply.
"Yichen" The Queen called out to the man who had been sitting quietly through the entire conversation. "I believe it is time for you to meet your bride."
"I understand, Your Majesty."
**************************************
The rain hadn't stopped since dawn.
Pale mist hung above the training fields, softening the sharp clang of drills in the distance.
He ducked beneath the overhang of his tent, shaking off droplets from his cloak as a soldier approached, arm raised in salute.
"Letter from the capital, Commander."
Ruwen took it with a slight nod, eyes already catching the familiar, graceful hand on the seal.
A'yi.
He moved inside, breaking the wax.
"Brother, I received the list yesterday. I'm sending you the full names that were selected for me by Concubine Shen.
I have not been feeling well lately, the cold weather must have caught up to me again. But please do not concern yourself. I'm getting better.
I'll manage until you return.
Ruyi."
Neatly attached beneath was a small folded slip in Hua's neat, precise script, two names in total.
Ruwen's eyes paused on them.
Gao Yichen. Liang Tian.
The flap rustled as Hai Feng entered unannounced. Ruwen looked up the moment he sensed General Liu's presence.
"You didn't sleep," Hai Feng said plainly.
"No time for it," Ruwen replied, tossing the letter down. "Ruyi wrote. It seems she has received the suitor's list. Father seems to be in a hurry to get this marriage settled."
Hai Feng's gaze dropped to the page, and his brow creased the moment he saw the names.
"Gao Yichen," he murmured. The name sounded awfully familiar.
Hai Feng's face stilled.
Ruwen's brow lifted. "You know him?"
Haifeng nodded. "Princess Liuning's only son. But this one…"
The princess was a minor imperial. A close cousin of the Queen Dowager.
She didn't live in the palace after returning from the North and getting married.
But she would visit with Prince Gao from time to time back in those days.
He tapped the last name.
"Liang Tian."
The name sounded awfully familiar. Only a few people carried that last name and they were related to the Liang Family.
This family came from a long line of generals with the head being the Minister of Justice.
Leaning closer, he lowered his voice. "You remember the task His Majesty gave me, Marquis of Yong'an's embezzlement?"
Hai Feng nodded slowly.
Ruwen's tone grew grim.
"I sent men to Qinghu to look into last winter's grain. Official reports claimed it was distributed smoothly. Lies. Half the households never saw even a single grain. Most didn't even know they were to receive anything."
He exhaled sharply, "Guess which bureau oversaw the distribution?
"The Ministry of Works."
Ruwen shook his head.
"It should have been, but, due to the workload of the Ministry of Works, they pushed it onto the Ministry of War to assistance. And now, no records in the storehouses."
"You think the grain has been sold or traded." Hai Feng said quietly, reading Ruwen's mind.
Ruwen gave a stiff nod.
"Exactly. But there is no proof. I can't request internal ledgers without alerting the Ministry. And I can't move within the capital without making them suspicious."
Ruwen added. "This matter may be more than just embezzlement. It seems the Emperor wants to uproot the Queen's cabinet."
If the grains were not given to the people and they are not in the storehouses, what happened to them?
If they were sold, where is the money received? If they were exchanged, what were they exchanged for?
Hai Feng leaned on a desk, thinking quietly.
"Using force would be a terrible idea."
Ruwen's expression darkened.
"Taking what belongs to the people and hoarding it for themselves while the people starve during the cold seasons."
For a while, silence stretched between them, save for the occasional crackle of the lamp.
"Concerning this matter, I can't involve my family, especially A'yi. But, I don't want to hide this from her."
Ruwen continued. "She also wrote in her letter that she's also sick. She should've stayed longer. At least here, she was healthier."
Hai Feng's jaw tightened as he folded the letter.
"Hai feng," Ruwen looked up at his friend. "Could you help me look more into them?"
Haifeng gave a short nod. "Mm."
With the list in hand, he left Ruwen's tent, heading straight to his manor.
He had been away from the manor for several days, longer than planned.
The constant rainfall had caused havoc across nearby villages.
There were broken fences, falls, leaky roofs. The soldiers had dispatched themselves to help the villagers.
In his private library, he set the damp names down onto the table.
He crossed to the balcony sill and watered the herb plant gently.
"Chuyang," he called, voice low.
The floor creaked as Chuyang stepped in, rain still clinging to shoulders of his cloak. He bowed.
"Liu Jiangjun."
Hai Feng turned to face him. "Have you heard anything from the capital about the Third Miss?"
Chuyang's brows rose slightly. "Just what I received this morning."
"Well?"
Chuyang replied calmly, "The third young Miss is said to be sick. An old condition, something she has had since childhood that comes back when the weather gets moist and rainy. She has not left her courtyard in days and has refused all visitors."
Hai Feng's eyes narrowed. "Not even family?"
"None," Chuyang confirmed. "Only her personal maid enters and leavs, bringing her food or medicine. No one else. The Imperial Consort sent her medicine from the imperial pharmacy."
Hai Feng's gaze drifted to the starry night.
"Was she ever treated for this condition before?" he asked, almost absently.
"Yes," Chuyang nodded. "The physician always sent medicine to the house around this time of the year. It seems consistent."
Hai Feng gave a quiet hum, fingers tightening slightly behind his back.
Physician Li didn't mention anything about it. Maybe the third miss kept it from anyone not to worry them.
All he could do was make guesses.
He didn't know what bothered him more: the thought of the sudden sickness or the names on the list.
"Liu Jiangjun… There are rumors about the third Miss…"
Chuyang hesitated before speaking.
"Speak." Hai Feng commanded.
"People say she brings misfortune. That her mother died because of her birth, and the late prince's stillbirth was her doing."
The faintest crease appeared between Haifeng's brows.
Chuyang tilted his head. "Exactly what I thought. The Third Lady Cai is not like that. Someone must be delibrateky spreading these lies"
At last he spoke, low and steady: "Find out who."
Chuyang straightened, relief and resolve in his voice. "Yes, Jiangjun."
He might have been away from the capital but he has had his eyes and ears on things for good measure.
As much as he vowed never to get involved in anything, he couldn't stop his need to be aware.
Hai Feng turned back to his desk, but his mind stayed on the balcony, on the small plant she'd left behind, and on her silence.
He said at last as he handed over the list to Chuyang.
"And also, I need information on everyone on this list."
Chuyang paused, the look on the general's face dissuaded him from asking any further question.
He collected the list and bowed.
************************
The servants carried the wooden boxes carefully, as they crossed the courtyard toward the Third Miss's chambers.
"More herbs from the imperial physician," one servant murmured to another as they passed. "Poor Third Miss…confined to bed for days."
"Mm. This cold always takes her badly."
"Such a frail thing… her fate is unfortunate."
Behind the closed doors of her chamber, however, Ruyi sat cross-legged on her bed, sleeves pushed back, ledgers spread around her.
Hua knelt beside the newest box, carefully lifting out what appeared to be wrapped bundles of medicinal herbs.
The first layer revealed dried ginseng and chrysanthemum.
Then, books emerged instead, carefully concealed: account records, correspondence, reports from her various business ventures scattered across three provinces.
"The pharmacy in Suzhou is reporting higher profits this quarter," Hua said, scanning one of the documents. "But the perilla imports from Fujian are down. What should we do miss?"
Ruyi reached for her brush and made a note in the margin of the main ledger.
"Increase the orders by twenty percent. The quality drop is temporary. Rain is coming, it'll improve before the end of spring."
Hua nodded, already writing down the order.
"Also, do you remember the old man who sold us those peonies that time?" Ruyi said without lifting her head.
"I remember him, miss."
"We'll need more of those peonies. Have those arranged with Madam Yue. Spring is coming. The place a breath of fresh colors."
Hua nodded. "Yes, miss."
This "annual illness" was her most and least favorite time of year.
Asides from the stress of calculation, she did enjoy this few moments of peace and quietness.
A soft knock broke the peaceful rhythm of the room.
Hua paused mid-note. "Who is it?"
A maid outside answered, "Another box has arrived for the Third Miss."
Hua frowned. "Another one? I thought that was all for today."
The door slid open and Hua went into the outer room, collected the box and came back to the inner room.
"Miss, when will this end? This is more than we received yesterday. I told them to only send three boxes per day."
"Open it," Ruyi said.
Hua lifted the lid and tilted her head in confusion. "Oh?"
Ruyi lifted her head.
Inside were smaller boxes, each label. Hua gently opened one, then the another.
"…Only Herbs." She murmured. "But Her Ladyship already sent hers yesterday and it was delivered by the palace physician. Did they make a mistake?"
Ruyi finally rose from her desk and came to her side.
She leaned forward, fingers brushing each sachet. Then she picked one up, opened it, felt the powder between her fingertips and smelt it lightly.
Hua blinked. "Miss?"
Ruyi's gaze slid over the handwritten labels. She recognized it and her smile deepened.
It seems Jiangjun truly has nothing better to do. He even wrote the labels himself.
Hua leaned in, baffled by the change in her expression. "Miss…? Who could have…"
"No matter." Ruyi replaced the herbs and closed the lid. "Put them away. Prepare one for me tonight after I finish the accounts."
Hua's eyes widened. "Miss… we don't even know who sent this?"
"It will be fine."
Hua pressed her lips together but obeyed. "…Yes, Miss."
Across the courtyard, Ruxin watched the servants carrying the medicine boxes with barely concealed irritation.
"Third Miss is sick again," Her maid, said with the fake concern. "I heard she hasn't left her bed in days. They say she can barely keep food down."
Ruxin's mouth curved into something that wasn't quite a smile.
"What a pity." Then her voice turned sharp and cold. "Why won't that short-lived ghost just die already and spare us all the trouble."
The words slipped out before she could catch them, harsh enough to make, Xiao Liu, her maid, glance around nervously.
But they were alone, and her maid knew better than to react.
"Maybe," Xiao Liu whispered, "she heard about the rumors going around the capital. That could make anyone spit blood."
Ruxin asked. "What rumors?"
"About her fate, Miss." Xiao Liu leaned in. "People say she's cursed with misfortune. A fortune teller was talking about it in the markets, saying her birth chart will bring ruin to the household she marries into."
The smile that spread across Ruxin's face was pure satisfaction. "Really? How… unfortunate for her."
She had heard whispers here and there. But to hear it confirmed was better than she could have hoped.
"I suppose," she said, still gazing out at the courtyard, "Even someone as refined as our jie-jie can be affected by the words of others."
"Keep an ear out for more of these rumors," she instructed her maid.
[1] “…tall standing…” The Chinese character for tall is “高“ (Gāo). However the Chinese character for Gao Yichen is “郜逸尘”。 This particular surname is associated with old lineage. While Yichen can be translated to unrestrained, carefree or above worldly concerns.
[2] 粱天 “Liáng Tiān” can be individually literally translated to “beam” and “heaven”. So here, she uses the actual Chinese characters to pass across the name without being obvious. Also, Liang Tian is the Commander of the Imperial Army and his job is literally to hold the beam of Heaven (The Emperor).