Luzhu had finally been keeping busy these past few days. Perhaps realizing it wasn't good to constantly trouble her master with trivial matters, she began embroidering her dowry. Being a girl of seventeen or eighteen, she still held considerable anticipation for marriage. However, Jin Er was also unusually occupied—though not with wedding preparations. He was scarcely seen around the estate, leaving Luzhu no choice but to ask Jin San. Yet Jin San only gave vague answers, saying he didn't know what Jin Er was up to, likely some task assigned by their master. So Luzhu would return, but after more than a dozen such instances, the time she saw Jin Er grew increasingly scarce.
One day, Luzhu again learned from Jin San that Jin Er wasn't in the estate and left disappointed. Only after she had gone did Jin San leap onto a tree to sit with Jin Si and remark, "What's going on with Jin Er lately? Why is he never around? The master doesn't seem to have given him any tasks either. I've never seen him this busy before—he's even neglecting that girl Luzhu."
In the past, though Jin Er was often occupied, he always stayed within the estate. His favorite pastime had been teasing Luzhu into a temper. Now that the two had finally settled their relationship, how could Jin Er, the groom-to-be, still be nowhere to be found?
Jin Si shook his head. "I don't know either. But a few days ago, I did spot him at the Huitong Bank, cashing silver notes. No idea what he's up to."
"Cashing silver notes?" Jin San found it odd. "He's never short on silver—why would he need to cash notes?" The Brocade-clad Guards always carried enough loose silver for daily expenses, so Jin Er withdrawing notes separately was unusual. After some thought, Jin San suddenly slapped his thigh. "I get it! Ah, that lad's finally come to his senses. He must have remembered he's about to get married and needs to buy his bride some gifts. Though the dowry is provided by the estate, Jin Er has saved up quite a bit over the years—he could easily afford it himself."
Jin Si nodded. "That makes sense. Jin Er's seen the world and knows how to please women. He'd surely put extra thought into gifts for his own bride. No wonder he's been away so much—probably searching for the perfect present for Luzhu."
"But neglecting her like this isn't right," Jin San mused. "Women need to be pampered. If he won't even say what he's busy with, I'd be upset if I were Luzhu."
Just as Jin Si was about to respond, Jin Yi, who had been silently holding his sword all along, suddenly spoke. "He's not buying gifts."
"Huh?" Jin San turned to him in surprise. "If not gifts, then what? Jin Yi, do you know something?"
Jin Yi merely shook his head and walked away. Used to his reticence, Jin San and Jin Si shrugged it off. As Jin Yi reached a secluded corner, Ye Feng approached. Ye Feng's expression was rather peculiar as he glanced at Jin Yi and asked, "You know about Jin Er looking for a physician too?"
Jin Yi gave a quiet affirmation, hesitating before adding, "I followed him. You...?""I've seen it too," Ye Feng interrupted him. The two seemed to be in a difficult position, as if facing an extremely thorny issue. Both fell silent for a moment before Ye Feng continued, "Let's not tell anyone about this for now. I'll wait until Jin Er returns to the estate to ask him. It would be bad if this caused discord between us."
Jin Yi nodded in agreement.
In a residence in the eastern part of the capital, a short, plump woman stood at the doorway, nervously wiping her hands on her apron. Before long, an elderly man with completely white hair emerged from inside, carrying a medicine chest on his back. He walked straight to the woman and cupped his hands in a respectful salute. From another direction came a young man, quite handsome in appearance, dressed in a clean dark green robe that made him look like a young master from a wealthy family. The old man saluted him as well and said, "Young master, I've prescribed medicine for the lady's condition. However, her constitution is inherently weak, and the long journey has taken its toll. It would be best for her not to move around too much to avoid worsening her condition. She should stay here for a few months. I've prepared some restorative prescriptions—have someone fetch the herbs and brew them for her. Don't let her overexert herself; she needs plenty of rest to recover fully."
The young man looked slightly embarrassed. "She's not..." He paused, then added, "Never mind. Thank you, doctor. I fear her condition might relapse, so I may have to trouble you again in the future." With that, he took a silver ingot from his sleeve and placed it in the old man's palm. "This is for your consultation today."
The young man was quite generous, so the old man had no further objections. He saluted once more before leaving. After the doctor was gone, the plump woman said, "Second Young Master, according to the doctor, Miss Liao should stay in the capital for a while longer to avoid..."
"Zhou Mama," Jin Er chuckled. "Do you think I would send Miss Liao away? Don't worry. You can stay here for now. I'll write to Mother and explain the situation. In the meantime, I'll have to trouble you to take good care of Miss Liao."
"How could you say such a thing, Second Young Master?" Zhou Mama replied anxiously. "This old servant will naturally take good care of Miss Liao."
Just then, a woman's cough came from inside the room, followed by a weak voice calling out, "Second Young Master, please wait. Liao Meng has something to say to you."
Zhou Mama quickly said, "This old servant will see the doctor out. Second Young Master, please go inside." With that, she left the room. Jin Er hesitated. Though he had frequented brothels and pleasure houses in the past, those were merely fleeting dalliances, never to be taken seriously, and no one would hold him accountable for the reputations of those women. But a proper young lady from a respectable family was different—being alone with her in a room would be improper. Still, considering that Liao Meng was ill and had been sent all the way to the capital by his mother's orders, he relented. Lifting the hem of his robe, he stepped into the inner chamber.
The room was tidy and clean, with a faint scent of medicine lingering in the air. A pot of orchids sat on the windowsill, suggesting the occupant had refined tastes and maintained an elegant lifestyle even while bedridden. The woman leaned against the bed, her face still pale, which only accentuated her delicate beauty. She nodded respectfully at Jin Er and said, "Second Young Master."
Jin Er replied, "No need for formalities. You're still weak—you shouldn't move around too much.""Young Master Jin has the heart of a Bodhisattva," the woman smiled faintly. "Liao Meng knows this unworthy body is no match for Young Master. The words exchanged between our families back then should be treated as mere jest. Once my health improves, I shall return to Jiangnan and will not trouble you further. However, during this period of imposition, my conscience is deeply unsettled. After much deliberation, I felt compelled to express my gratitude to you."
"There's no need for your thanks. If anything, it is I who..." Jin Er hesitated, then seemed to steel himself with great resolve. "Our Shen family has wronged you in this matter. I..."
"Young Master speaks wrongly again," Liao Meng replied with a radiant smile. "What does this have to do with you? When our families first discussed this, we were both mere children. Now... now that my parents are no longer with us, those words are even more like playful banter, not to be taken seriously. It's just that Zhou Mama cares for me and insisted I come speak with you. Please don't blame her. Since Young Master has already found someone dear to your heart, why should I play the role of the one who parts loving couples? So please, don't speak of any wrongdoing."
Her words were remarkably reasonable. Any ordinary woman would have made at least some emotional display, if not caused a scene, but certainly wouldn't have been as accommodating as the woman before him. A glimmer of admiration flashed in Jin Er's eyes, mingled with gratitude and apology. "I've measured your noble heart with my petty mind. However, Miss Liao's illness hasn't yet recovered. At least allow me the opportunity to arrange a physician for you."
Liao Meng smiled again, and the two moved on to other topics. Jin Er, having accompanied Xiao Shao extensively in his travels, was quite skilled at pleasing women. Yet Liao Meng's behavior continued to surprise him—far from the narrow-mindedness typical of women, she was insightful and gentle as water. Their conversation flowed so pleasantly that they failed to notice the late hour. Zhou Mama even insisted they stay for dinner, and it wasn't until after the meal that Jin Er finally returned to the estate.
Just as he arrived, Luzhu, who had been doing embroidery work, happened to be heading to the kitchen for a snack and spotted Jin Er. She called out to him. Jin Er stopped, and Luzhu approached, pulling two pieces of Mudan cake from her basket and handing them to him. "The kitchen made these fresh today. The young mistress rewarded us, and I saved two especially for you. Here, eat them."
Luzhu smiled guilelessly. The Mudan cakes exuded a distinctive fragrance, but Jin Er had just eaten his fill—Zhou Mama's culinary skills were excellent, and she had prepared Jiangnan dishes he hadn't tasted in a long time, so he had naturally indulged. There was no way he could stomach the cakes now. Still, he accepted them with a smile. "Alright, I'll eat them later when I return."
"They're just two pieces of cake. Why wait until you're back?" Luzhu pouted. "Don't tell me you Brocade-clad Guards rarely get to eat Mudan cakes. Eat them here now—if they cool, they might upset your stomach."
Luzhu meant well. Though she spoke casually, she had deliberately saved these cakes for Jin Er and wanted to see him enjoy them. Jin Er frowned and pleaded, "My dear lady, I've just eaten outside. I really can't manage anything more right now. Let me have them later."Since Jin Er had said so, Luzhu couldn't force him to eat. She looked somewhat dejected, but the expression vanished quickly as she asked, "Where did you go today? Jin Yi and the others were all at the manor, yet you went out alone and even had dinner with someone. Don't tell me it was at a brothel?"
She meant it as a joke, but Jin Er's expression changed slightly before he laughed it off. "Nonsense! I'm about to get married—how could I go to a brothel? No matter how beautiful the ladies there are, I still have to stick with my ugly wife."
Luzhu immediately bristled at his words. "Who are you calling ugly?"
After some more playful banter, Jin Er finally returned to his room. When Luzhu went back to hers, her smile gradually faded. Lianqiao, noticing this, teased her, "I could hear you and Jin Er laughing from far away. What, can't bear to be apart now?"
Luzhu remained silent. Assuming she was just shy, Lianqiao didn’t press further, failing to notice Luzhu sitting alone in front of the bronze mirror, staring blankly at her palm and murmuring, "Why does it smell like orchids...?"
...
As the days grew busier, Luzhu’s smiles seemed to dwindle. When Jiang Ruan asked Lianqiao about it, the latter frowned and said, "I don’t know what’s wrong. She’s been looking troubled lately, though nothing seems amiss. It’s probably still about Jin Er."
Tianzhu added, "Jin Er hasn’t been spending much time with her recently. She must be upset about that."
Though her maids unanimously believed Luzhu’s moodiness stemmed from seeing less of Jin Er, Jiang Ruan didn’t agree. If it were pre-wedding jitters, she herself hadn’t experienced such emotions before her own marriage. And given Luzhu’s carefree and straightforward nature, it was unlikely she’d be so preoccupied over something like this.
Having learned from Baizhi’s past experiences, Jiang Ruan paid closer attention to her maids’ moods. However, Luzhu had joined her later and had always conducted herself properly. When questioned, she seemed genuinely affected by Jin Er. Matters between young lovers weren’t something Jiang Ruan could interfere with, so she let it be.
If there was anything unusual, it was that the Governor of Binhai, Lord Yao, had inexplicably revived his ambition to forge ties with the Brocade Hero King Manor. After being warned once by Xiao Shao, the governor had dropped the idea. But recently, he had begun making frequent overtures. Knowing better than to send an invitation card directly to the manor, he instead sent them to Guan Lianghan and Mo Cong. While Xiao Shao could outright refuse Lord Yao’s invitations, Guan Lianghan and Mo Cong couldn’t—both were his colleagues in court, and Guan Lianghan even shared some common ground with the governor, being fellow warriors hardened in battle.
The Yao family’s restlessness didn’t concern Jiang Ruan. Once she had dealt with Luzhu’s matter, she turned her attention to the officials aligned with Xuan Pei’s faction. Xuan Li would inevitably target Xuan Pei sooner or later, and whether Xuan Pei liked it or not, he was already embroiled in the struggle for the throne. Drawing from her past life’s memories, Jiang Ruan could only help him vet his allies to ensure his temporary safety.Xiao Shao was even busier than her. According to Jin Si, people from the Southern Borderlands had already appeared in multiple locations across the capital. The intentions of these Southern Borderlanders who had infiltrated the capital under new identities remained unknown, but the greatest fear was that they might sneak into the palace and collude with the imperial court. In truth, the collusion between the Southern Borderlanders and someone in the court was already an indisputable fact. Jiang Ruan knew exactly who that person was, but without evidence now, it was unwise to alert the enemy. They could only take things one step at a time. With the enemy hidden and themselves exposed, there were many inconveniences.
...
When night had deepened, Jin Er finally returned to the residence under the glow of lantern light. Luzhu sat in the room, and when Jin Er entered and saw her, he noticed she hadn’t lit the lamps. "Why no lights?" he asked, then began searching for tinder to light them.
"Jin Er," Luzhu interrupted before he could find the tinder, "do you not want to marry me anymore?"
"What nonsense are you thinking?" Jin Er sounded incredulous, momentarily forgetting about the lamps. "Why are you throwing a tantrum again?"
"These days, you leave early and return late—I barely see you. Even when you do come back, you barely speak to me. It’s less than when I first arrived at the residence. You’re always impatient, you—"
"Good heavens, I’ve told you—our master assigns tasks during the day. I can’t be with you every moment. I’m exhausted by evening and don’t want to deal with your unreasonable nagging." Jin Er frowned. Whether from genuine fatigue or not, his brow was deeply furrowed, and his tone had lost its usual gentleness.
"My unreasonable nagging? My unreasonable nagging?" Luzhu’s voice rose sharply before she caught herself, taking a deep breath. "I don’t want to argue about this. I’m not a fool. You’re lying—the young master hasn’t given you any tasks. I asked Jin San." Though her expression was hidden in the dark, Jin Er felt an inexplicable tension, as if Luzhu’s eyes were boring into him, making him uneasy.
"No, listen to me—" Jin Er tried to explain, but Luzhu cut him off. "Jin Er, are you seeing someone else?"
Jin Er froze, then snapped angrily, "What kind of nonsense are you spouting?"
"You know better than anyone whether it’s nonsense." Luzhu’s voice rose again. "How could you do this to me?"
"I told you I’m not. Don’t twist things." Jin Er, who had always been gentle with women, now spoke harshly to Luzhu for the first time, his impatience making him seem like a different person.
Luzhu refused to back down. "I’m twisting things? Jin Er, don’t treat everyone like fools. Do you think toying with me is fun? Though I’m just a lowly maid, I won’t tolerate such humiliation. If you regret it, you can speak to the prince and call off the engagement. I, Luzhu, won’t say a word against it—I’m not the kind to cling shamelessly!"
Jin Er shot to his feet, his voice trembling with suppressed fury. "Call it off? You say it so lightly—what do you take me for?""Get out!" Luzhu cursed, reaching out to shove him. But with no electric light in the room, her push nearly sent herself tumbling. Immediately after, Jin Er let out a grunt, turned, and stormed out, slamming the door shut behind him.
The room fell silent for a long while. After what seemed like ages, the door creaked open, and Lianqiao's voice rang out, "Why isn't the lamp lit? It's pitch black in here..." She fumbled for a tinder and lit the oil lamp, only then noticing someone sitting in the room. Startled, she said, "You're here? Why didn’t you light the— Oh!" Lianqiao gasped as she saw the usually cheerful Luzhu sitting motionless, tears streaming down her face, her eyes already red from crying.
Outside the window, a shadowy figure stood silently for a long time, as if hesitating, before finally walking away.
In another courtyard, Zhou Mama looked at the woman before her, whose complexion had improved significantly compared to before, and asked in surprise, "Miss, do you really think this plan will work? That Second Young Master has never been one to be easily swayed."
"Don’t worry," Liao Meng replied with a smile. "Men are all the same—they can’t stand noisy women. But women are far more sensitive. Back and forth like this, and sooner or later, resentment will grow between them."
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