Chapter 4

They have moved away... they have left Bianjing.

Shi Lingyao instinctively refused to believe it.

Her father was a renowned Confucian scholar deeply trusted by the Emperor. Ever since her grandfather entered government service, the Shi family had taken root in Bianjing for three generations.

Furthermore, her elder sister was married to the heir of the Longxi Li clan, and her younger brother was studying at the Imperial Academy, destined for a career in the civil service. The Shi family’s future, their official prospects, their marital ties, and their friends were all in Bianjing.

How could they possibly have left?

Wait, her sister!

Ten years ago, her brother-in-law, Li Xu, was serving as the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. With his background in the Longxi Li clan, his career path had been smooth and promising.

Surely he and her sister would have remained in Bianjing?

Clinging to a sliver of hope, Shi Lingyao looked at Fang Futou.

"Brother Fang, my sister and brother-in-law might still be in Bianjing. Could I trouble you to make one more trip for me?"

Looking into the young woman's beautiful eyes, which were filled with expectation, Fang Futou glanced at the sky. Just as he was about to nod in agreement, a commotion erupted nearby.

New guests had entered the teahouse.

The waiter enthusiastically went to greet them. Several middle-aged men ordered a pot of tea and a few snacks, then waved the waiter away so they could discuss their business.

Their voices were not particularly quiet, nor did they make any effort to lower them, so the content of their conversation easily reached Shi Lingyao’s ears, leaving her stunned.

"I don't know if business will go smoothly this year. Sigh, when the gods above fight, it’s us little shrimp who suffer. It’s truly—"

Another man offered a few words of comfort, but the man who had spoken first only became more agitated.

"It was a perfectly fine arrangement, what are you afraid of! In the past, the name of the Longxi Li clan alone was enough to command respect far and wide! Even though we aren't members of the Li clan, relying on them for business meant we lived comfortably."

The teahouse was nearly empty; the only other people were a pair sitting nearby who didn't look like anyone of consequence, so the speaker had no reservations.

"Ever since the eldest son offended that Master Xie and was transferred to Zhangzhou, the influence of the Li clan has waned. Those petty sycophants who bow to power have changed their faces entirely, causing trouble for us at every turn! Brother, it’s not that I’m greedy, but year after year, the money I bring home is less and less. Qiuniang and the children say nothing, but I feel guilty!"

Someone silently patted his brother's shoulder and said with difficulty, "I heard the eldest son has achieved remarkable results in Zhangzhou. Perhaps by the end of the year, there will be good news of a transfer back to Bianjing..."

"As long as Xie Zongwei sits firmly in the position of Chief Councilor, I’m afraid that... sigh."

The man became increasingly restless as he spoke. Hearing him use Xie Zongwei’s full name, the others quickly patted him and hissed, "Quiet! You really have no filter."

The man felt a pang of regret and looked around, only to see a young, beautiful woman staring at him blankly.

Did she think they were too loud?

The man frowned, about to look away, when he heard the woman ask, "Excuse me, sir, I heard my family chatting about this before, saying that the eldest son of the Li family and Xie Zongwei have always been at odds. I found it strange. Aren't they brothers-in-law? How did things end up this way?"

Her tone was innocent, tinged with confusion, as if their words had simply piqued her curiosity.

The man breathed a sigh of relief. He was still irritated at the mention of Xie Zongwei, but there was no need to vent his frustration on a young, unknown woman. He said with disdain:

"Xie... ugh, that man is deep and calculating. The eldest son of the Li family is a man of integrity; why would he want to be in the same den of thieves as him? Once the sister-in-law is gone, the brotherhood is naturally over! The man became the Chief Councilor before he was even thirty; he’s flourishing now. How could anyone else hope to match him?"

Chief Councilor.

So, he had already become the Chief Councilor.

Shi Lingyao had long known that Xie Zongwei, having passed the imperial examinations with top honors, would have a brilliant and smooth career, provided there were no regime changes.

However, she had not expected that before learning of his entry into the inner cabinet and his rise to Chief Councilor, she would first hear from others that he had long been at odds with her brother-in-law—and that their conflict might even be the reason her brother-in-law was forced to leave Bianjing for Zhangzhou.

Her sister and her nephews would naturally have had to follow him to the distant Zhangzhou.

Shi Lingyao blinked blankly, forcing herself not to show any outward sign of distress as she sat back down before Fang Futou.

The group of men paid her no mind and returned to discussing their business.

"Lady Shi, you..."

Fang Futou hesitated, as the woman opposite him looked ghastly pale, which made his heart tighten.

Shi Lingyao shook her head slowly. "I'm fine."

Her mind was simply in turmoil.

The official world changes in an instant, and so do people’s hearts. Regardless of whether her brother-in-law's transfer was related to Xie Zongwei, or whether her parents’ return to their ancestral home in Jiangzhou had anything to do with him, Shi Lingyao clenched her hands, telling herself to take things one step at a time.

The first thing she needed to do now was to find a way to enter the city.

She couldn't see her parents for the time being, but she still had her twins.

To her, it had been the blink of an eye, but for them, she had been an absent mother for ten years.

No matter what, she had to see them.

But she didn't have an entry permit, and Sister-in-law Taohong and the others were helpless in this regard.

Shi Lingyao lowered her eyes, her mind racing for a viable solution.

The men at the next table were still chatting sporadically.

Someone sighed, "I just hope that the face powder we brought from Jizhou this time will sell for a good price in Bianjing. That will make this trip worth our while."

The others echoed his sentiment.

Shi Lingyao’s eyes suddenly lit up.

From their conversation, she could roughly guess that they were a merchant caravan operating under the banner of the Longxi Li clan. With imperial power paramount and the aristocratic clans in decline, many noble families would tacitly allow merchant firms to trade under their names to maintain appearances. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement, an unspoken consensus among the various noble clans in Bianjing.

"Sirs, if I may be so bold, I fear that batch of Jizhou powder will only end up stuck in your hands."

It was her first time doing something like this, and she was so nervous her palms were damp.

She had overheard that these men were just loose-lipped, not truly malicious, but telling them their business was doomed was practically asking for a beating.

The man who had spoken to her earlier glared at her, snorted, and said impatiently, "What would a young girl like you know? Go play somewhere else!"

With the caravan’s future uncertain and their livelihood hanging by a thread, Wang Ming was feeling frustrated and irritable. Hearing a young woman spout pessimism nearby only made his mood worse.

The others in the caravan saw no reason to argue with a young woman, so they just gulped down their tea to wash away the bitterness in their hearts.

Shi Lingyao was not offended by Wang Ming’s retort. Her bright, ink-like eyes now revealed a firmness that made others involuntarily quiet down. "I am not lying to you. But I have a way to make your caravan earn a fortune, not just in Bianjing, but across all twenty-three provinces of Great Yu."

This sounded too much like bragging. Wang Ming scoffed and gestured toward Fang Futou. "Is your master’s head not quite right?" He pointed to his own temple. "Take her home quickly. A fine young lady like her, where did she learn to brag like this?"

Fang Futou was an honest man, but even he felt a spark of anger at these words. Even if Lady Shi’s mind was a bit troubled, how could these grown men say such things to her face?

"You—"

Shi Lingyao turned and gave Fang Futou a reassuring smile, then lifted her chin slightly toward Wang Ming and his group. "You traveled thousands of miles to Jizhou to purchase a batch of powder, is it because there is a type of ore in Jizhou that, when added to the powder, makes the skin smooth and fragrant, even better than ordinary cosmetics?"

The expressions of Wang Ming and his men changed, and they quickly looked around.

Seeing that there was no one in the teahouse besides them and the idle waiter and proprietor, they relaxed slightly.

But when they looked at Shi Lingyao again, their eyes held a hint of wariness.

They hadn't expected this young woman to look so delicate but actually possess some real knowledge.

If Shi Lingyao knew what they were thinking, she would have scoffed—her two sons were likely taller than them by now.

"Young lady, please sit and talk."

The leader of the group, named Zhou Jun, smiled at Shi Lingyao. Seeing her sit down with poise and an aura of calm—not at all shy or coy like a typical sheltered girl—his assessment of her shifted subtly.

Shi Lingyao smiled slightly. "My surname is Shi."

"Lady Shi." Zhou Jun followed her lead and changed his address. "Since you know we chose the Jizhou powder because it has its merits, why do you assert that this powder will end up in our hands?"

"Forgive my presumption, but are you affiliated with the Longxi Li clan? Besides your trade routes, do you rarely visit Bianjing, and find it hard to speak with the Li family’s main branch?"

Her question seemed a bit nonsensical at first. Zhou Jun glanced at his impatient brother, signaling them to stay quiet, and nodded. "Yes, our families are all in Jiangling Prefecture. We came to Bianjing merely to sell our goods. As for anything else, I won’t hide it from you, Lady Shi—though the main family is powerful, the current situation is different. They are preoccupied with their own affairs, so how could we humble merchants have the gall to disturb them?"

Shi Lingyao nodded. "That is just it. That person probably figured out your situation, realizing you didn't know the history of how Jizhou powder once entered the imperial palace as tribute, and that is why they passed this long-accumulated stock of powder on to you."

This powder had once entered the palace as tribute?

Zhou Jun and his men looked at each other, their expressions turning grave. "Please, Lady Shi, enlighten us."

It wasn't exactly an explanation.

Shi Lingyao recalled the past, feeling a moment of detachment, but the eager gazes of Zhou Jun and his men, along with the curious look from Fang Futou, made her compose herself. She slowly recounted the disaster caused by a bottle of powder all those years ago.

It was the tenth year of Xianqing, and she had accompanied Xie Zongwei to a banquet in the palace.

At the time, the favored Imperial Concubine Sun suddenly broke out in a rash during the banquet. No one knew if someone had poisoned the food or drink, or if they had tampered with her rouge or clothing.

Because the Concubine was almost inseparable from the Emperor at the time, no one could tell if the poison was meant for her or the Emperor.

The banquet was suddenly filled with fear and tension.

Shi Lingyao remembered that she had just given birth to the twins not long before, and seeing the cold, murderous glint of the imperial guards' blades, her fingers had turned cold with terror.

Perhaps as her sleeves brushed against his, she accidentally touched Xie Zongwei’s hand.

Before she could even react, a warm, strong hand gently held hers.

It was Xie Zongwei.

Shi Lingyao was stunned.

He was a man who strictly adhered to rites and etiquette, preferring to stay eight feet away from her once they left the bedchamber. Yet, on that tumultuous, heart-stopping night, he had held her hand tightly.

He sent a constant stream of warmth to her fingertips.

Later, everyone learned that it was the powder the Concubine used that had caused the problem, leading to a false alarm.

By the time they returned home, the moon was high in the sky.

Shi Lingyao had always liked dabbling in cosmetics. Having heard that the Concubine had broken out in a rash after using the powder and was still unable to be seen in public, she was very curious, but she couldn't exactly confront the Concubine to ask.

Her curiosity gnawed at her for several days.

It happened to be one of the nights Xie Zongwei was sharing her room.

Sharing the room was really just them sleeping under the same quilt.

Hearing her tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep, Xie Zongwei frowned slightly. "Be quiet, it’s time to sleep."

Shi Lingyao responded listlessly.

But she couldn't help but turn over again.

Xie Zongwei rubbed his aching brows, his voice low. "Are you thirsty? Hungry? Or do you need to use the chamber pot?"

She was stunned.

Before Shi Lingyao married into the Xie family, she was a pampered young lady, though not at all arrogant or willful. After arriving at the Xie household, she had been full of confidence, thinking she could surely build a harmonious marriage with such a refined, albeit cold, husband.

When she was pregnant, her mother-in-law, fearing that the young couple might be too reckless and harm the baby, advised him to move to the study. Xie Zongwei had refused.

When she heard this news, Shi Lingyao had secretly felt happy for a long time.

Because she was carrying twins, as the months progressed, she suffered more and more discomfort. At night, the various pains would accumulate, and the sense of grievance and sadness would overwhelm her. Sometimes, she would be fine one moment, and in the next, tears would be falling.

At those times, this was how Xie Zongwei would ask her.

He would bring her tea, offer her hot meals, or help her to the washroom...

He was always silent, doing things for her that others would think Xie Zongwei would never do.

That was why he had given her so many misconceptions.

Shi Lingyao was momentarily dazed by his question, remembering the incident with the Concubine that she had been fretting over, and she cautiously told him about it, looking at him with hopeful eyes.

The dim moonlight shone into the bed curtains, and the man’s profile looked like a clear, cold mountain.

There was a long silence.

Shi Lingyao felt a bit disappointed. "Alright... I shouldn't bother you with such things."

Xie Zongwei didn't speak for a moment.

It wasn't that he was annoyed.

It was just that he hadn't expected that the matter keeping his wife awake for several nights was this.

After a while, so long that Shi Lingyao was about to doze off, Xie Zongwei spoke.

"That powder was a tribute from the Jizhou Governor, the only one of its kind. To show favor, the Emperor bestowed it only upon Concubine Sun."

Following that, Xie Zongwei explained that the powder added to make the skin smooth and delicate actually did more harm than good; if used too much, it would cause red rashes on the face.

Hearing his explanation, Shi Lingyao suddenly realized: "Husband, how do you know so much!"

Xie Zongwei pursed his lips, and just as he was about to say something, Shi Lingyao, having solved the mystery that had plagued her for days, was now free of distractions and quickly fell asleep.

Once she was asleep, the gaze that Xie Zongwei had suppressed for so long dared to rest fully upon her face.

After a long time, he leaned over and pressed a kiss as light as a feather onto her forehead.