Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was already Mid-Autumn.
The splendid sights of the fifteenth of August in the capital were no less dazzling than those of the Lantern Festival.
Every household had prepared their lanterns well in advance, ready to compete in beauty and brilliance on the day.
Chen Dan-niang dashed through a courtyard full of lanterns, with her nanny and maid hurrying after her.
“Mother, Mother!” she called.
In the main hall, Madam Chen was inspecting newly made clothes with the maids. When she saw her daughter run in, one of the maids quickly moved the garments aside.
Chen Dan-niang knelt and sat down in front of Madam Chen.
“Back from school? Are you hungry?” Madam Chen reached out and gently touched her daughter’s shoulder, smiling as she spoke.
“Mother, Mother, isn’t Lady Cheng coming to our house for the festival?” Chen Dan-niang asked eagerly.
“It’s the fifteenth—how could she come to our house? She has a family of her own,” Madam Chen replied with a smile.
“Really?” Chen Dan-niang asked, half-believing, half-doubting. “Is it not because Lady Cheng has fallen out with our family and won’t visit anymore?”
Madam Chen’s smile vanished. Her gaze shifted toward the nanny and maid kneeling at the entrance.
“Mother, it wasn’t them who said it,” Chen Dan-niang quickly explained, tugging at her mother’s sleeve. “Sister doesn’t go to visit Lady Cheng anymore, and Lady Cheng doesn’t come to our house to play either. I want to go see her, but Sister and Grandfather won’t let me. I even heard them mention Third Sister. Is Lady Cheng going to be like Third Sister—never coming back again?”
At the mention of Third Sister, Madam Chen’s heart sank.
“No, don’t jump to conclusions,” she said, forcing a smile. “It’s just that Lady Cheng has been busy lately, and it wouldn’t be polite to bother her.”
As she spoke, she gently patted her daughter’s head.
“I will keep an eye on things. When the time is right, I’ll take you to see her.”
She then pointed to the clothes set aside.
“Look, we’ve even prepared clothes for Lady Cheng. They’ll be sent over shortly.”
Only then did Chen Dan-niang feel reassured.
Madam Chen then steered the conversation in another direction. After some cheerful chatting between mother and daughter, Chen Dan-niang was led away.
The smile faded from Madam Chen’s face, and she let out a sigh.
“Go ask where the Zhou family’s tent will be set up on the Heavenly Street for the fifteenth,” she said.
“Madam, the Zhou family’s tent isn’t qualified to be on the Heavenly Street,” a maid reminded her with a gentle smile.
The Heavenly Street referred to the Imperial Avenue. On the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Emperor would appear at Xuande Gate to celebrate with the people, and only families of officials ranked as court ministers or above were eligible to set up there and catch a glimpse of the Emperor.
Madam Chen realized this too, and couldn’t help but shake her head with a smile.
“Well, it’s not like one more makes a difference. I’ll go ask the Master and see if we can squeeze in a spot just outside,” she said. As she spoke, the idea seemed increasingly promising, and sure enough, she got up and went off right away.
Meanwhile, at the Qin residence, Madam Qin was also questioning Qin Shi’san-lang about the Zhou family.
“I don’t know where they would be,” Qin Shi’san-lang replied. “Why are you looking for them, Mother?”
“To propose a marriage, of course,” Madam Qin said, looking at him with some confusion. “Weren’t you the one who asked me to go and make a proposal to their family? What now? Have you changed your mind?”
Qin Shi’san-lang chuckled.
“If you think they’re a good match, then go ahead,” he said.
Madam Qin looked at him with a smile that carried a hint of amusement.
“Why don’t you go talk to her first, see if the family I’ve chosen is suitable?” she suggested.
“No need,” Qin Shi’san-lang shook his head with a smile. “As long as the Cheng family thinks it’s a good match, that’s enough. She doesn’t interfere in these things.”
“You seem to know all the details—have the two of you already discussed it?” Madam Qin asked, now with a bit of curiosity. “Where were you that night when you came home late?”
“There’s nothing to discuss. These things go by the parents’ wishes and the matchmaker’s words,” Qin Shi’san-lang replied with a smile. “Didn’t I say? I was seeing off Zhou Liu-lang.”
She had asked the servants, and that was indeed the case—but then again, just because she asked the servants didn’t mean it was necessarily true.
This son of hers—if he wanted her to know something, he’d let her know. If he didn’t, then even what the servants said couldn’t be trusted.
Still, he hadn’t had any real chance to meet with that young lady lately. His studies were keeping him very busy.
Madam Qin nodded, deciding to let the matter drop for now.
“Very well,” she said, then turned to a maid. “Go inform the Master that for the lantern-viewing this time, the Zhou family should be placed next to us.”
The servant responded affirmatively.
“That way, it’ll be easier to talk,” Madam Qin said, fanning herself with a smile at Qin Shi’san-lang.
Qin Shisan-lang smiled as well.
“As long as you’re happy with it, Mother, then I’m happy too,” he said.
Both the Qin and Chen families acted swiftly. Just one day later, the location for the Zhou family’s lantern-viewing tent had been finalized. There were plenty of people eager to ride on others’ coattails, so word quickly reached the Zhou family.
When Master Zhou heard where their tent had been placed, he was so startled he completely forgot about sending someone to inspect the newly constructed lantern display.
“On the Imperial Avenue?” Madam Zhou was equally shocked. “How is that even possible?”
“There’s no mistake,” Master Zhou said, pacing back and forth in the main hall, unable to hide his excitement. “It was arranged by the Chen family and the Qin family.”
Just the Chen family alone would have been enough to make one thrilled—but to think the Qin family was involved too! Madam Zhou sat up straighter.
“What are they up to?” she asked.
“What else could they be up to?” Master Zhou clicked his tongue. “They’re repaying the great kindness Jiao Jiao showed them. I thought they had forgotten all about it—turns out they haven’t. Now that’s more like it.”
Speaking of Jiao Jiao, Madam Zhou suddenly thought of something.
“She’s really not coming home on the fifteenth?” she asked. “What if people think we’ve had a falling-out on purpose?”
“What falling-out? Where’s the falling-out?” Master Zhou said. “The Wang family already came by and said they’re taking her to see the lanterns.”
“They’re even inviting her to the lantern festival? What are they thinking…” Madam Zhou muttered. “Reckless and bold…”
Master Zhou didn’t like the sound of that.
“What do you mean, reckless and bold? What’s wrong with that?” he snapped, eyes glaring.
As far as he was concerned, reckless or not, as long as it wasn’t his son accompanying that girl, it was fine.
Madam Zhou quickly forced a smile and changed the subject.
“I just meant that Wang family’s young master seems rather attentive. No wonder Jiao Jiao took a liking to him herself,” she said with a chuckle.
Now that was more to his liking. Master Zhou nodded, finally a bit appeased, though he still felt a little unsettled.
“It would be good if she could still stay in the capital even after they got married,” he sighed. That’s the thing with daughters—once they’re married, they become someone else’s family.
Thinking of Tai Ping Residence, thinking of Immortal’s Residence, thinking of Tai Ping Tofu, and those hands that could stir the clouds and summon the rain, that miraculous healing skill that could bring someone back from the brink of death…
All of it… would belong to someone else’s family.
Master Zhou couldn’t help placing a hand over his chest.
It really did hurt.
The autumn sun blazed overhead as messengers ran back and forth, kicking up clouds of dust.
“We’re setting up camp again?” Xu Bangchui shouted, eyes wide. “We’ve only been on the road a few days!”
“The masters want to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival in Suicheng Prefecture,” a nearby soldier explained.
Xu Bangchui couldn’t help but spit in irritation.
“Out on campaign, who has time to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival?” he grumbled.
“What’s the rush?” the soldier said with a laugh. “Isn’t it nice to get some rest?”
“What’s so nice about resting? I am waiting to earn some military merit!” Xu Bangchui said impatiently.
His words drew a round of laughter from the others. Complaints were complaints, but they still began noisily setting up camp.
The officers were invited into the city’s courier station by the local officials, while the rank-and-file, following standard protocol, had to camp outside the city.
“Where’s Fourth Brother?”
The group of brothers had just settled down when they noticed someone was missing.
“What else could he be doing? Looking at horses again,” Fan Jianglin said.
Xu Bangchui and the others looked puzzled and turned toward the horse pens not far away. Sure enough, they saw Xu Sigen squatting there.
“Fourth Brother is practically worshipping those horses by now,” Xu Bangchui said, scratching his head. “Could it be that the ones Sister gave us really are priceless steeds?”
Xu Maoxiu stood nearby, watching as Xu Sigen carefully inspected the horses.
“Well?” he asked.
“Still can’t say yet,” Xu Sigen replied, his eyes never leaving the horses—or more precisely, their hooves.
Among the many horses, seven of them didn’t stand out much in appearance, their coats nothing special. But if you looked closely at their hooves, they were different from the rest.
“The roads have been smooth, and the journey short so far. It’s hard to tell the difference just yet,” Xu Sigen said as he stood up. Unlike his usual calm demeanor, he now looked visibly excited—his eyes sparkled, and his voice even trembled a little. “But Third Brother!”
He grabbed Xu Maoxiu’s arm, clearly unable to contain himself.
“Third Brother, once we reach the Northwest, we’ll see it—clear as day!” he said, rambling in his excitement, gripping Xu Maoxiu’s arm tighter without realizing it. “We’ll see the difference! It’s real! It’s a huge difference! Third Brother, this is a grand gift—this is the gift Sister gave us!”
Xu Maoxiu laughed.
“Yes, I know—whatever Sister gave us, it’s no ordinary gift,” he said, patting Xu Sigen on the arm.
“A great gift… a great gift… this gift is simply… simply…” Xu Sigen stammered, his voice still trembling. He had been like this ever since dawn that day, when he’d gotten a good look at the horses Cheng Jiao-niang had sent.
“You don’t understand… you just don’t understand… it hurt so much, the pain in my heart—so many horses, so many good horses. Horses that didn’t deserve to die, and yet had to be abandoned…”
“If… if this really works… if it really does…”
He was muttering to himself, overcome with emotion, and squatted back down, as if he wanted to cradle the hooves of the horse in front of him in his arms. No matter how long he looked, it wasn’t enough.
Xu Maoxiu smiled helplessly. Just then, he sensed someone’s gaze and turned to look.
It was a group of officers preparing to enter the city. One young man among them was looking in his direction.
When their eyes met, Zhou Liu-lang quickly looked away.
It’s just a few horses—what’s there to show off about? Acting like they’re ancestral relics or something…
Absolutely pathetic!
The setting sun withdrew its last rays, and the earth was cloaked in night.
Zhou Liu-lang looked up at the rising full moon in the sky.
“The Mid-Autumn Festival in the capital is always lively. I wonder how it is here?”
The officers nearby chuckled softly among themselves.
Yes, the fifteenth in the capital was bustling. Surely that girl would go to see the festivities, right?
But maybe not—she was always peculiar and never fond of noisy crowds.
On such a big festival day, what would she be doing?
She certainly wouldn’t visit her own home. Would she be spending the evening alone?
“Liu-lang, it’s time to go,” someone called out beside him.
Zhou Liu-lang snapped back to reality and quickly responded, urging his horse forward. Under the gradually brightening moonlight, the group trotted into the city.
At this moment, under the same moonlight, the capital had transformed into a fairyland on earth.
The streets were filled with colorful lanterns of all kinds, and towering lantern mountains, several meters high, had been erected by wealthy nobles and merchants. Standing atop Xuande Gate, one could take in the entire capital—a vast sea of lights like a star-studded sky, breathtakingly beautiful.
“Brother! Brother!”
The Second Prince called out anxiously, looking up at Duke Jin’an pacing on the city tower, peering down below.
“Your Highness, please be careful,” the eunuchs cautioned gently, shielding him.
Besides the emperor, consorts from the harem had also come up to the city tower. A few imperial relatives and high-ranking ministers were present as well, along with attendants and eunuchs, making the space somewhat crowded.
Duke Jin’an stopped and turned around, reaching out his hand.
The Second Prince grabbed it and stood beside him.
“Brother, isn’t it beautiful?” he said, looking at the dazzling lights on the Imperial Avenue nearby and the splendid glow of the capital in the distance, a hint of pride in his voice. “A few years ago, when I invited you, you wouldn’t come—you insisted on staying cooped up in your room sleeping. Now you must regret it, right?”
Duke Jin’an smiled but didn’t respond to his words. Instead, he continued gazing toward the city gate below.
He seemed to be looking at the lanterns, yet somehow not really. The Second Prince finally sensed something was off.
“Brother, what are you looking for?” he asked.
Though not many families were allowed to set up tents along the Imperial Avenue, there were still about thirty or forty. The closer ones could be seen clearly, but the ones farther away were lost in the dazzling glow of lights.
The Zhou family’s tent must be at the very far end.
“Can we go down to see the lanterns?” Duke Jin’an asked as he turned back.
There was no need to report this to the Empress Dowager; several eunuchs immediately shook their heads.
“Your Highness, you must not cause trouble!” they said in unison.
Duke Jin’an knew it was impossible and smiled at their response.
“Come, let’s go look from this side,” he said with a smile, taking the Second Prince’s hand and heading in another direction.
Though they stood high up, their view was limited. Some people had already moved closer, yet still couldn’t see clearly.
“Lady Cheng didn’t come?” Madam Chen asked in surprise.
“Yes, yes,” Madam Zhou replied with a polite smile, but inwardly she snorted, already knowing why these people had arranged for their family to sit here.
But whatever—it was deserved, anyway.
“So what about her…” Madam Chen opened her mouth to ask again, when suddenly there was a commotion outside the tent, followed by the sound of women’s laughter.
“Oh my, this family’s lantern is really beautiful. Let’s go take a look,” a woman said as she hurried inside.
Madam Chen stopped speaking and smiled slightly at the women who quickly entered.
“Oh, you are here too?” Madam Qin spotted Madam Chen immediately and smiled, fanning herself.
Madam Chen smiled but said nothing, her eyes drifting to Qin Shi’san-lang behind her.
The tent was originally small, and with several more people suddenly entering, it quickly felt crowded. Outside, as Madam Chen and Madam Qin arrived, women from other families began to cautiously approach as well.
For a moment, the Zhou family’s female members had no choice but to step outside.
Madam Zhou showed no displeasure at the inconvenience; on the contrary, she beamed with delight.
“Where is Lady Cheng?” Madam Qin asked directly.
Before Madam Zhou could answer, Madam Chen smiled and spoke first.
“Not here.”
“Where did she go? Out to see the lanterns? I didn’t see her,” Madam Qin said, nudging Qin Shi’san-lang. “Go call her over for me.”
“She didn’t come.”
Again, Madam Zhou didn’t need to answer; Qin Shi’san-lang smiled and spoke instead.
Both Madam Qin and Madam Chen looked at him.
“She didn’t come? Is she at home?” they asked together.
“She had an appointment today,” Qin Shi’san-lang said with a smile.
“With whom?”
The two ladies asked again.
“With her fiancé,” Qin Shi’san-lang replied.
Fiancé!
Madam Chen and Madam Qin exchanged shocked expressions.
“Shi’san!”
Madam Qin snapped back to herself, raising an eyebrow and speaking sharply.
Qin Shi’san-lang looked at his mother and laughed heartily, a smug little smile playing on his lips.
Meanwhile, Madam Zhou, who had opened her mouth several times but said nothing, simply remained silent and reached for the teapot on the table.
She decided it was best to serve tea to these ladies; after all, when it came to her niece’s affairs, outsiders seemed to know more than she did herself.
