Moonlit Reunion

By all accounts, a girl should be betrothed by the age of fifteen or sixteen, or at the latest by eighteen or nineteen. Yet Wu Zhen was already twenty-six and still unmarried—a truly unique case in all of Chang'an.

From the time she turned sixteen, her father, Duke Yu, and her elder sister, Wu Huanghou, had exhausted themselves trying to arrange a marriage for her. Over the years, they had indeed negotiated several potential matches, but each one ended without resolution.

This might sound unbelievable—after all, given her noble birth and striking beauty, even if her reputation had a few blemishes, there should have been no shortage of suitors willing to marry her. Yet here she was, still unwed. The main reason? Wu Zhen was simply too much of a troublemaker.

Her first betrothal was to the son of Minister Fan—a match of equal social standing, and the young Master Fan was decent-looking enough. Had Wu Zhen behaved like an ordinary girl and quietly prepared for marriage, all might have gone smoothly. But she had always been wild. After the initial betrothal rites, she boldly sought out Master Fan one day and invited him on a hunting trip outside the city. Whatever happened during that hunt, it was said that Master Fan was so terrified he wet himself. He fell gravely ill upon returning and, even after recovering, trembled at the sight of Wu Zhen, barely able to speak. Naturally, the engagement was called off.

Later, another match was arranged—this time with the son of Vice Minister Huang. Master Huang was a tall, strapping young man, and both Duke Yu and Wu Huanghou were quite pleased. But one day, Wu Zhen visited her prospective groom and, on a whim, challenged him to a horseback archery contest—which she won decisively. That was the end of that. Master Huang, awed by her prowess, declared her "one of the lads" and, humbled, even asked to become her disciple. When she refused, he insisted on swearing brotherhood with her instead. The marriage never happened, but Wu Zhen gained a sworn brother. Master Huang had long since married and now had several children.

Then there was the son of the Left Imperial Advisor. This one turned out even worse—Wu Zhen and Master Lü actually got into a fight before the betrothal rites could even begin. The reason was complicated. Master Lü was much like Wu Zhen, spending most of his time in pleasure houses. He was infatuated with a courtesan named Huzhu, who, however, paid him no mind but often went out with Wu Zhen. Rumors spread that Huzhu had a preference for women and had taken a liking to Wu Zhen. Envious and resentful, Master Lü refused to accept the arranged marriage and stormed over to pick a fight with Wu Zhen—only to be beaten into a groaning, whimpering mess. To this day, their relationship remained tense.

The next betrothal was simply a stroke of bad luck. The unfortunate Master Chen passed through two of the six betrothal rites before suddenly falling gravely ill and dying.

The fifth, the sixth…

And so it went, until now. As Wu Zhen grew older and her reputation worsened, arranging a marriage became even more impossible. Thus, she spent her days freely roaming about, indulging in whatever pleased her—whether it was taking courtesans on spring outings and boating trips or leading young noble delinquents into mischief. She grew ever more adept at it. Even Duke Yu had long given up hope for his second daughter’s marriage. These days, he spent his time chanting sutras in Buddhist temples, tending to flowers, and drinking tea—content to live as a bald-headed recluse, blissfully ignorant of her antics.Upon receiving the letter from his eldest daughter, Duke Yu was so excited that he even dropped his wooden fish. Unlike his second daughter, the eldest was always reliable. If she spoke highly of someone, they must be truly exceptional. It seemed his second daughter might finally get married this time!

Wu Zhen asked a question, only to see her father suddenly zone out, tears welling up in his eyes as if lost in melancholy. Unable to resist, she nudged his arm again and asked curiously, "Father, who is this young man you and Elder Sister want to set me up with?"

Duke Yu snapped out of his reverie and replied, "He's the nephew of Consort Mei."

Wu Zhen thought for a moment, then rubbed her temples with a wry smile. "Consort Mei's nephew—Mei Si? That kid's only seventeen, far too young! Besides, he's been trailing after me since childhood. I know him well—even with ten extra doses of courage, he wouldn't dare marry me."

Mei Si's admiration for her was like that of a rookie soldier for a battlefield general—respectful but devoid of romantic feelings. If anyone suggested he marry her, he’d probably drop dead from fright on the spot.

Seeing her misunderstanding, Duke Yu sighed and clarified, "Not Mei Si—that boy’s too unreliable. Her Majesty the Empress is proposing Mei Jia Dalang for you."

Wu Zhen stroked her chin, racking her brain but drawing a blank on who this "Mei Jia Dalang" was. As the most well-connected socialite in Chang'an, she knew almost every noble scion—yet this name rang no bells. How odd.

"I can’t recall anyone by that name. Are you two making this up?" Wu Zhen tapped the small table in front of her.

Duke Yu smoothed his beard. "Mei Jia Dalang is Mei Si’s cousin. His father once served as Governor of Quzhou, and he lived there until a few years ago when his parents passed away. He stayed behind to observe mourning rites and only returned to Chang'an a year ago. Now he works as a Director in the Ministry of Justice. Her Majesty says he’s a man of few words—perfect to rein you in."

A Director in the Ministry of Justice, Mei Jia Dalang. Wu Zhen narrowed her eyes. That someone could stay under her radar for a whole year in Chang'an meant he was exceptionally low-key.

Noticing her expression, Duke Yu grew wary. "No matter what, you’re not allowed to mess this one up!"

"Father, you worry too much. Others might not know, but you should—those failed engagements weren’t entirely my fault." Wu Zhen wore an innocent look as she toyed with the riding whip at her waist, then asked eagerly, "How old is this Mei Dalang?"

Having rushed to the palace early for details, Duke Yu answered promptly, "His full name is Mei Zhuyu, aged twenty-two."

Wu Zhen leaned on the table, grinning. "Mei Zhuyu? Lovely name. But twenty-two’s too young—a full four years my junior. Even if you’re desperate to marry me off, you can’t trick some young man fresh from Quzhou. He’s probably never even heard of my reputation. What if he regrets it later?"

"Nonsense!" Duke Yu scowled, about to lecture her, when Wu Zhen suddenly stood and headed for the door.

"Father, I’m going to the palace to see Elder Sister—get the full scoop on this Mei Zhuyu."She moved swiftly, stepping over the couch and down the stairs in a few strides, already running toward the front courtyard before Duke Yu could stop her. Fuming, he clutched his chest and gasped for breath, only managing to point at the door and shout, "Behave yourself! Don’t you dare go scare Mei Dalang!" A father knows his daughter best—Duke Yu was well aware Wu Zhen was perfectly capable of such mischief.

A head popped back through the now-empty doorway as Wu Zhen waved her hand reassuringly. "Don’t worry, my temper’s improved these past two years. I won’t go frightening young gentlemen for no reason." It was a half-hearted attempt to soothe her poor old father.

Once out the door, Wu Zhen rode off alone as usual, mounting her prized steed, "Red Tassel," and galloping toward the Daming Palace.

Since the completion of the Daming Palace’s renovations, the emperor and empress had relocated there, leaving the original Taiji Palace occupied only by minor officials. The Daming Palace was conveniently close to the Daning Ward, where Duke Yu’s residence stood, so the ride was short. As the younger sister of Empress Wu, born of the same mother, Wu Zhen enjoyed immense favor not only from the empress but also from the emperor himself. This granted her the rare privilege of entering the Daming Palace at any time to visit her sister.

When Wu Zhen arrived, Empress Wu had just woken from her midday nap, sitting on the couch with a weary hand pressed to her forehead. Beside her, Consort Mei rose gracefully and moved behind the empress, gently massaging her temples to ease the headache.

Seated below, Wu Zhen observed the intimate interaction between her imperial sister and Consort Mei, clicking her tongue inwardly. Though she had seen it before, every time she witnessed the deep affection between these two, she couldn’t help but feel the emperor’s jade crown took on a greener hue.

The current emperor adored music, excelled at composing lyrics and melodies, and paid little attention to state affairs. Empress Wu had been handling governance for years, earning the emperor’s respect—yet everyone knew his true favorite was Consort Mei, whose talents lay in song and dance. True to her name, Consort Mei was as aloof as winter plum blossoms, her expression cool and detached toward nearly everyone, including the emperor. Only with Empress Wu did she soften, her eyes tender as they were now—

"Sister, are you feeling better?" Consort Mei’s breath was fragrant, her face full of concern.

Empress Wu propped her head up and smiled at her. "Much better. Don’t trouble yourself—sit down." With that, she took Consort Mei’s delicate hands and pulled her back to her side. Consort Mei obeyed, settling beside her but not idle, soon pouring water for the empress.

Wu Zhen: Anyone would think these two were the real sisters.

Empress Wu sipped from the cup held by Consort Mei, then glanced at Wu Zhen’s expression and asked with a knowing smile, "So you’ve heard?"

Wu Zhen: "Your Majesty, I hear you’ve chosen a husband for me—Mei Jia Dalang?"

Empress Wu: "Indeed. I’ve met him—a fine young man, more than a match for you."

Wu Zhen shot a glance at Consort Mei, her tone teasing. "I hear he’s Consort Mei’s nephew. Did she whisper a word in your ear, Your Majesty?"

Long accustomed to her irreverence, Empress Wu remained unruffled. "That’s right."Consort Mei pursed her lips in a smile. Though she was already in her thirties, this smile still carried the charming allure of a sixteen-year-old maiden. She said, "My eldest nephew is a man of integrity with no concubines or lovers. His parents passed away early, so you wouldn't need to serve in-laws. Moreover, he has a steady temperament and would never mistreat you. Truly, he's the most suitable match one could hope for. His Highness worries about your marriage prospects. If this union succeeds, I'll have helped ease one of His Highness's concerns."

After hearing this, Wu Zhen thought it indeed sounded quite favorable, but... She couldn't help asking Consort Mei curiously, "May I ask, dear sister Consort, what offense has this Mei eldest young master committed against you?"

Consort Mei replied, "Why would you say that?"

Wu Zhen spread her hands innocently, "If there's no enmity between you, how could you bear to push that poor young gentleman into this blazing pit of mine?"