Chapter 4

Sunlight shone brightly upon her dark, lustrous almond-shaped eyes. Xu Yunqi calmly welcomed Pei Muheng into the main hall. His somber gaze swept briefly across her radiant, glowing face before he stepped over the threshold to pay his respects to Madam Zhang.

In the hall, everyone took their seats according to rank, and by silent agreement, no one mentioned the awkward scene from moments before.

Along with Pei Muheng and Director Xu, the eldest son Xu He and second son Xu Jing had also entered.

Xu He was a concubine-born son from a previous relationship, two years older than Xu Yunqi. He had a pair of peach-blossom eyes and a lazy, lackadaisical air about him—not someone who seemed easy to discipline. Ever since Xu Yunqi appeared, his gaze had drifted toward her more than once, intentionally or not.

The second son, Xu Jing, was Xu Yunqi’s full brother by the same mother. His temperament followed Director Xu’s—gentle and mild.

Madam Zhang hosted Pei Muheng with proper formality: polite enough, but lacking warmth. In her heart, she simply could not regard Pei Muheng as a son-in-law.

“If Yun’er has been remiss in attending to you in any way, I beg the Third Young Master’s forgiveness…”

Pei Muheng’s brow lowered slightly, his expression unreadable. “You are too severe, Mother-in-law.”

After sitting for a short while, the party dispersed.

The men were seated in the front courtyard for the banquet, while Madam Zhang hosted the two daughters in the rear courtyard for their meal. Xu Ruo, feeling guilty for having embarrassed her elder sister, was much better behaved now. Xu Yunqi did not hold it against her; instead, she pinched her sister’s soft cheek and said:

“Young gentlemen like to look at pretty ladies, and there’s nothing wrong with a lady looking at a handsome gentleman. It hardly counts as seduction.”

Xu Ruo’s face flushed red with embarrassment, and she scurried away.

Once the girl had gone, Madam Zhang drew Xu Yunqi into her room and quietly pressed a pouch of silver into her hand:

“I saw the return gift inventory. It matches the dowry the Xu family gave you. You’ll have many expenses at the prince’s mansion—don’t let those maids and matrons look down on you.”

Xu Yunqi refused to take it, pressing the sachet back into her mother’s palm. “Mother, don’t worry about me. I have my own plans.”

Madam Zhang cast her a reproachful look.

Xu Yunqi was firm when she made up her mind, and Madam Zhang had no way to sway her. “If ever you’re short of silver, you must tell me.”

Xu Yunqi nodded.

Madam Zhang was still uneasy. She leaned close to her daughter’s ear and whispered, “Have you consummated the marriage?”

Xu Yunqi had anticipated this question and answered without changing expression:

“On a wedding night, how could one not consummate? Mother worries too much.”

Madam Zhang breathed a sigh of relief and patted her daughter’s hand. “Good. That said, don’t blame me for being meddlesome—you must get pregnant as soon as possible. Once you have a son or a daughter, you’ll have a firm foothold in the prince’s mansion, and your mother-in-law will have nothing to say.”

Xu Yunqi smiled and playfully covered her mother’s mouth. “That’s exactly what I’m planning.”

Madam Zhang was thoroughly reassured. Seeing that the hour was growing late, she reluctantly saw her daughter to the gate.

Mother and daughter reached the hanging flower gate, where Xu Yunqi told Madam Zhang to stop. Rounding the drum-shaped stone at the gate and passing through the corridor on the east side would lead to the front hall. Pei Muheng was likely eager to leave, so Xu Yunqi quickened her pace. But just as she reached the passageway, a dark shadow suddenly fell over her, blocking her and Yinxing’s path.

The eldest son, Xu He, pinched his chin, his narrow eyes fixed on Xu Yunqi with a mocking smile as he stepped closer, step by step.

“Dear sister, it’s all my fault for being too forward back then, for saying things that angered you and drove you to chase after Pei Muheng’s lofty branch. But you know as well as I do—the tall tree is no match for the short. This marriage of yours may look splendid on the surface, but beneath it, it’s a mess. Pei Muheng doesn’t know how to cherish a woman. If you ever feel wronged, just tell your big brother.”

His words were utterly frivolous.

Yinxing was disgusted. She darted in front of Xu Yunqi, planted her hands on her hips, and snapped:

“You wretched thing! My mistress is a married woman now, and you still dare to pester her!”

Yinxing’s outburst only piqued Xu He’s curiosity further. His peach-blossom eyes never left Xu Yunqi.

The very first time he had laid eyes on her, he had entertained improper thoughts. She was a sister with no blood relation—the forbidden fragrance was all the more intoxicating and thrilling.

Xu Yunqi’s expression remained indifferent, her tone still gentle: “Brother worries too much. The Third Young Master treats me very well. It’s getting late, and I must be going. Please step aside.”

Xu He, seeing his sister so soft and yielding, grew only more inclined to tease. He spread his arms wide to block the passageway, lounging insolently:

“What if I don’t move?”

“Then I’ll wait here with you, brother.” Xu Yunqi’s face even held a smile.

Xu He’s throat tightened.

If they waited too long, Pei Muheng would surely send someone to look for her—and then things would get ugly. Pei Muheng was not someone he could afford to offend.

He had always known this elder sister could hold her ground. Rather deflated, he held out for a moment, then conceded and stepped aside.

Xu Yunqi walked past him without so much as a glance. Once she had cleared the passageway, she rounded the corner of the corridor and pulled Yinxing aside.

“That powder I asked you to prepare—is it ready?”

Yinxing’s face still burned with anger. She fished a sachet from beneath her sleeve and whispered, “I knew we’d be coming home today, so I had it ready in case that scoundrel tried anything.”

Xu He’s impertinence was nothing new. Xu Yunqi had long planned to deal with him.

“Find a way to put it into Xu He’s wine. I’ll wait for you in the open pavilion east of the main hall.”

“Right away!” Yinxing slipped out.

Watching Xu Yunqi leave, Xu He sauntered slowly to the hanging flower hall for tea. He had no desire to see Pei Muheng’s scowling face and had excused himself early from the banquet. A maidservant promptly came to massage his legs and shoulders, while another fed him a cup of Biluochun tea. He closed his eyes, indulging himself.

Not even the time it takes to brew a cup of tea passed before a sharp cramp seized his abdomen. Beads of cold sweat broke out on his forehead. In an instant, a foul stench emanated from his trousers, and the maids scattered, covering their noses.

Burning with shame and fury, Xu He clutched his stomach and staggered toward the privy.

After three bouts, he was utterly drained, collapsed against the low wall outside the privy, barely breathing.

His personal attendant rushed over in a panic. Seeing his master in such a state, he trembled and hurried to help him up.

“Eldest Young Master, what happened to you?”

Just then, Yinxing’s crisp laughter came from the branches of a tree beyond the low wall:

“How do you like that, Eldest Young Master?”

Xu He slumped in his attendant’s arms, his eyelids drooping as he glared at her, with only breath going out and none coming in:

“You… what did you do to me?”

The attendant, seeing his master half-dead, burst into tears.

“Eldest Young Master, I warned you before—this mistress and her maid come from the countryside and know all sorts of low tricks. We can’t mess with them. But you wouldn’t listen, and now you’ve paid the price.”

Xu He had thought Xu Yunqi soft and easy to handle—he never expected she would be this formidable.

His stomach still twisted with pain, and it didn’t feel like croton powder. He had no idea what drug Xu Yunqi had slipped him, and fear began to creep into his heart.

“What is your mistress’s trade…?”

Yinxing jumped down from the tree, a blade of grass still dangling from her lips, and declared triumphantly:

“My mistress’s skills are beyond your imagination, Eldest Young Master. Look after yourself.”

With that, she sauntered off to find Xu Yunqi.

Say no harsh words, do no soft deeds.

Xu Yunqi had taught Xu He a lesson in one stroke, ensuring he would never dare harbor such thoughts again.

—

Having been delayed, by the time Xu Yunqi walked out of the Xu family’s front gate, Pei Muheng was already waiting in the carriage—clearly eager to leave. Xu Yunqi did not even have a chance to speak with him.

With the return visit ceremony complete, Pei Muheng would likely throw himself back into official business. Their time together as husband and wife would become even scarcer.

Recalling her own plans, Xu Yunqi hurriedly lifted her skirts and followed after Pei Muheng as they descended from the carriage:

“Third Master, am I free to do whatever I want in the courtyard?”

After a change in circumstances in her childhood home, Xu Yunqi had been sent to her maternal grandfather to be raised. He was a well-known physician in the region. She had grown up accompanying him into the mountains to gather herbs, studying under him for over a decade. It was only last year, when her grandfather fell from a cliff while searching for medicinal plants and his body was never recovered, that her mother had brought her back to the capital.

Xu Yunqi wanted to plant some medicinal herbs in the rear courtyard.

Pei Muheng stood inside the threshold and looked back at the delicate young woman.

Xu Yunqi’s features were exceptionally soft; even when she wasn’t smiling, she seemed to carry a hint of a smile.

On their wedding night, he had set down rules, and Xu Yunqi had agreed readily. It was only fair that he grant her request in return.

“You are the mistress of the third branch. You may do whatever you wish.”

With those words, Pei Muheng left.

Xu Yunqi was pleased. Returning to Qinghui Garden to tidy up briefly, she took Yinxing and began working in the rear courtyard.

She had noticed the night before that the rear courtyard had a greenhouse, warm as spring all year round.

Xu Yunqi had brought little with her to the capital—just some medicinal seeds. Among them were a few precious specimens her grandfather had traveled far and wide to find, seeds that required very specific conditions to grow.

She had tried planting them several times at the Xu residence without success. Now, with a ready-made greenhouse at the prince’s mansion and ideal temperatures, she could finally give it a proper try.

Mistress and maid were both used to hard work. They rolled up their sleeves and quickly cleared a plot of soil in the greenhouse, scattering some seeds.

Steward Chen’s wife, Old Madam Chen, was one of the supervisors of Qinghui Garden and a trusted servant of Pei Muheng’s. Today, when the monthly allowance came from the treasury, she collected it and went to find Xu Yunqi. But when she reached the rear garden, she saw that Xu Yunqi had dug up Pei Muheng’s greenhouse. Startled, she hurriedly informed Steward Chen, who was equally alarmed and rushed to the study to report.

“Master, please go take a look at the rear courtyard—I don’t know what the young mistress is up to.”

Pei Muheng assumed Xu Yunqi had caused some trouble. He threw on his outer robe and hurried to the rear courtyard.

The early winter evening wind was cold, moaning low through the treetops.

Inside the greenhouse, two thin figures bustled about with great energy. The once orderly flower racks had been crowded haphazardly into a corner, and the earth near the glass window on the east side had been dug into a patchwork of holes.

Pei Muheng had never seen such a sight. He froze on the spot.

“What are you doing?”

His voice was deep and stern.

The girl was clearly startled. She looked up at him blankly, damp strands of hair clinging to her temples. Her small face was as pale as jade, with a thin flush spreading across her cheeks from exertion—like a resilient white flower growing wild in the mountains.

Noticing his grim expression, Xu Yunqi quickly explained, “I’m sowing seeds.”

Pei Muheng’s temples throbbed.

The rear garden of Qinghui Garden had been meticulously designed by a master craftsman from Jiangnan. He had also spared no expense on this greenhouse to ensure it bloomed with color all year round. In winter, he could invite a few friends here to roast venison and drink plum wine; in summer, he could sit beneath the trellis, listening to the rain and resting in the breeze. It held a unique charm for him.

Pei Muheng had always treasured this place.

Now Xu Yunqi had turned it into something unrecognizable.

Seeing his face grow darker and darker, Xu Yunqi rested her slender hand on the hoe and said quietly:

“You promised.”

Pei Muheng’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He recalled his words that afternoon, and the sharp edge at the corner of his eyes slowly faded.

He had always valued his word—how could he be faithless?

The familiar courtyard now held an intruder. They came from different backgrounds, with different habits, and there would surely be friction in the days to come.

Ah, well. Was he the sort of man to mistreat his wife? Let her do as she pleased.

He suppressed his irritation and his voice returned to normal. “Carry on.” With that, he turned and left.

Xu Yunqi watched his tall, upright back and curved her lips.

Yinxing stood on tiptoe, peering in the direction Pei Muheng had gone:

“Mistress, the master didn’t seem happy…”

Xu Yunqi could see perfectly well that Pei Muheng was making allowances for her. “I know.”

Yinxing sniffed lightly. “Marriage sure is different. So many rules—this isn’t allowed, that isn’t allowed. Back in Jingzhou, you could plant whatever you wanted without having to watch anyone’s face.”

Xu Yunqi laughed, a glimmer dancing in her eyes. “You know we’re married now. Of course things are different.”

Yinxing thought her mistress was about to compromise. Her eyes widened. “So what do we do? Are we not going to plant them?”

Xu Yunqi’s brows curved as she smiled freely. “Of course we’ll plant them. Come spring, I’m going to fill this whole garden.”

Even if she humbled herself and endured silently, the prince’s mansion would not treat her any better. Why trap herself with their rules?

Between pleasing Pei Muheng and planting herbs, the latter was clearly more important.

They worked until dusk, then the mistress and maid entered through the rear corner gate. Yinxing called for a matron to heat water for Xu Yunqi’s bath. After she had changed, Yinxing helped her dry her damp hair by the brazier. Remembering the afternoon’s events, Yinxing remarked:

“Mistress, I’ve been thinking—the master isn’t so bad after all.”

Xu Yunqi combed her hair slowly with a buffalo-horn comb. “Oh? What makes you say that?”

“Even though he wasn’t happy, he still let us have our way.” Yinxing glanced at the figure in the bronze mirror—a girl with dark hair and snowy skin, a slender waist, wrapped in a soft, warm glow.

“When you’re this beautiful, how could the master not like you?”

Xu Yunqi knew Yinxing had misunderstood. “He promised me first—he couldn’t go back on his word.”

Yinxing felt deflated. She recalled that they still hadn’t consummated the marriage. She looked out the dark window; there was not a sound from outside. A wave of frustration rose in her.

“For any other man, with a mistress like you, he’d be afraid to drop you if he held you too tightly. But that one’s a blockhead—completely unmoved by beauty.”

Xu Yunqi wiped a bit of dust from her nail and said calmly, “That’s good too. It means he won’t be easily swayed by a pretty face.”

Yinxing cast a petulant glance. “Mistress, do you really trust him that much?”

Xu Yunqi didn’t trust him. She simply didn’t care.

—

At the Hour of the Boar, the study was brightly lit. Pei Muheng’s attendant, Huang Wei, was attending to his writing supplies.

Even though Pei Muheng had taken the imperial examinations, his status as an imperial grandson prevented him from holding a formal office. Nevertheless, the Emperor had made an exception and allowed him to attend court in the Hall of Heavenly Worship, and occasionally assigned him tasks—most recently, ordering him to audit the military garrison lands in preparation for next year’s grain requisition.

Pei Muheng had spent a month investigating the details and had written a memorial overnight, intending to present it to the Emperor the next day.

Huang Wei watched his master’s focused, motionless concentration with growing anxiety.

Others might not know, but he knew the truth.

Pei Muheng had not touched his new bride at all. How could this be allowed?

The Emperor had granted Pei Muheng three days’ leave—tomorrow it would end. Given Pei Muheng’s nature, he would spend most of his time at the palace’s literary study in attendance on the Emperor. If husband and wife didn’t share a bed, how could a child simply appear out of thin air?

Finally, when Pei Muheng set down his brush, Huang Wei handed him tea and cleared his throat, summoning his courage:

“Third Master, are you going to the rear courtyard tonight?”

Since the wedding night, when he had slept one night in the western annex, Pei Muheng had not returned to the rear courtyard.

Pei Muheng placed his brush in the brush washer and ignored him.

Huang Wei knew his master’s peculiarities and pressed on: “His Majesty bestowed this marriage upon you because he wishes to see you carry on the bloodline. Surely you can’t go your whole life without touching a woman?”

At this, Pei Muheng’s expression shifted slightly.

Seeing an opening, Huang Wei pressed his advantage: “What the young mistress said at the Xu residence today—you heard it, didn’t you?”

Pei Muheng slowly picked up his memorial, set it aside to dry, and finally looked coolly at him. “What are you trying to say?”

Huang Wei spoke earnestly: “Master, that girl is waiting for you eagerly—why are you keeping her at arm’s length?”

Pei Muheng raised an eyebrow and smiled slowly. “You think she’s waiting for me?”

“Wasn’t she? The young mistress admitted it in front of everyone today.”

Pei Muheng was a perceptive man. He could tell whether a woman’s words were true or false. He would not be so foolish as to assume Xu Yunqi was deeply in love with him.

As for why Xu Yunqi had said what she did, he had no interest in knowing.

Before the marriage, he had indeed harbored doubts about Xu Yunqi’s appearance on the Jade Bridge. But after their brief time together, he noticed she never tried to get close to him, and he concluded she was innocent.

If she was innocent, then she likely felt the same as him—not necessarily satisfied with this marriage.

“I need time.”

He needed time to accept physical intimacy with a woman. And he would not force Xu Yunqi.