Chapter 48: The Auspicious Omen Passes Through

Embroider Maiden unfolded the newly made garments—a set of stone-blue robes. She had adjusted the lines at the waist, and though the color was somewhat deeper, they had not lost their gentle beauty.

Qinglu County was not as refined as the prosperous cities. In winter, both men and women mostly wore long robes and trousers. In spring and autumn, women would usually pair them with a ru skirt, but it was not a hard rule. Poor families, for instance, had daughters born late who could only wear hand-me-downs from their brothers. Households like Embroider Maiden’s had no sons and could not afford to pamper young ladies; all the girls had to work, and long robes with trousers were far more practical than skirts. And then there were those like Wu Wei, who simply found skirts too much of a hassle.

Back on Blue Star, Wu Wei had often gone out in skirts. But in this era, where one had to create everything by hand—from food to clothing to shelter—she saw wearing a skirt as nothing but self-inflicted torment. So when Embroider Maiden asked what style of ru skirt she wanted, Wu Wei firmly requested a set of long robes and trousers instead.

Their trip to the market that day had been fruitless, but with the family’s only pot leaking and in dire need of repair, Embroider Maiden and Wu Wei took the back path to Zhang Family Village the next day. They spent fifty coppers to hire a craftsman to patch it, bought some salt, and at Embroider Maiden’s insistence, purchased a bolt of stone-blue coarse cloth. Once home, they heeded the bailiff’s warning, locked the doors tight, and stayed inside unless absolutely necessary.

At that moment, Wu Wei sat holding the Miscellaneous Records, nibbling on the sweet potato slices she and Embroider Maiden had dried together. Embroider Maiden perched at the far end of the kang, sewing clothes for her.

“Weiwei, come try this on—see if it fits?” Embroider Maiden held out the nearly finished garment and said.

Wu Wei was deep into her book. She glanced reluctantly at two more lines before setting it aside and popping the last bit of sweet potato slice into her mouth.

“Sure thing.”

Wu Wei scooted nimbly to the edge of the kang and shrugged off her cotton jacket.

Gone was the T-shirt she’d worn underneath; in its place was a red silk dudou handmade by Embroider Maiden, embroidered with delicate lotus blossoms. Her snow-white skin gleamed against the vivid red, the contrast creating a beauty that complemented each other perfectly.

Suddenly, Wu Wei’s hair tie came loose. The dark locks piled atop her head tumbled down in a cascade, draping over her smooth, rounded shoulders and covering much of her exposed back.

Embroider Maiden’s eyes captured the entire scene perfectly. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a vivid silhouette, etched clearly in her mind—bright and unforgettable.

Embroider Maiden’s breath caught.

For no reason at all, she felt a surge of tension, like a child unnerved after being caught peeking. She hastily looked away.

Embroider Maiden did not understand it. They were both women who had shared meals and shelter for days now—why react like this?

She could not make sense of it. Instinctively, she started to rise and slip away, her backside already lifting from the edge of the kang. But then she realized how strange she was acting and sat back down.

Wu Wei gave a soft gasp. With quick hands, she snatched up the hair tie and held it out to Embroider Maiden. “Embroider Maiden, hold this for me~.”

“Oh… right. You should probably put on…” Embroider Maiden’s words trailed off as Wu Wei gathered her loose hair atop her head into a quick bun and extended her hand. “The hair tie.”

“I’ll tie it for you. Sit down.”

“Mm.”

Wu Wei sat still. Embroider Maiden knelt behind her, sternly commanding herself to keep her gaze locked on the crown of Wu Wei’s head, not daring to let it wander even an inch. “Weiwei, what if you tried a proper woman’s hairstyle?”

“No need.”

“Why not?”

“Too fiddly. Not convenient for work. Remember chopping wood last time? Your hair came loose midway, and I had to fix it into a messy bun for you. Anyway, I don’t know how to do your style. What if it falls out when we’re rushing somewhere? A messy bun is easy—just pile it up.”

“Fair enough.”

Embroider Maiden passed her the clothes. Wu Wei slipped them on, and they fit perfectly.

“Does it look good?” Wu Wei spun in place and asked.

“Very good. You can wear them once it warms up in a few days. Take them off—I’ll embroider a pattern on them.”

“Okay.”

“Hey, Embroider Maiden!” Wu Wei called out suddenly, as if struck by a thought.

“Hm?”

“Do you know how to swim? Once it’s warmer in a few days, let’s go swimming… or, you know, splash around in the water. What do you say?”

Embroider Maiden shook her head vigorously like a rattle drum, rejecting the idea without hesitation. “I can’t swim. Besides, that’s something men do. How awful if someone saw women playing in the water?”

“This area’s practically the sticks. That lake where we catch fish is even more out of the way. Last autumn, I went in almost every day and never saw a soul. Come with me when it warms up, okay?”

“…Do you like playing in the water that much, Weiwei?”

“Yeah!” Truth be told, Wu Wei had no love for wild swimming, but she had compelling reasons to go. The thought of bringing Embroider Maiden along had sparked from a sudden impulse in her mind.

Embroider Maiden could not swim, but Wu Wei’s expectant gaze made refusal impossible. Besides, she secretly thought that even if the lake was remote, women frolicking in water was not entirely safe. She ought to stay by Wu Wei’s side to watch out—even if just keeping lookout while Wu Wei played.

“Alright. When it warms up, I’ll go with you.”

“Yes!” Wu Wei said happily.

…

Meanwhile…

In Taizhou Prefecture’s Yan Prince’s Residence.

Ever since Pingjia County Princess Gao Ningxue had been “invited” back to the residence, its former tranquility had vanished without a trace.

At first, Gao Ningxue played the part of the obedient girl, staying quietly in her chambers for several days. But her second escape attempt was foiled by the hidden guards Prince Yan had stationed. Only then did she realize her grandfather had seen through her act. After rounds of pleading fell on deaf ears, the residence’s peaceful days came to an end.

Her resolve to return to the capital was unshakeable. Sneaking out would not work, so she tried forcing her way. In response, the lurking hidden guards emerged and “invited” her back to her chambers once more.

These guards had undergone special training. No matter how Gao Ningxue cursed or struck at them, they did not so much as blink. Even when she drew her sword in threat, they remained impassive, as if to say she could strike or kill as she pleased.

Enraged, Gao Ningxue flung aside her sword and vented on the room’s furnishings. Antiques, paintings, rare treasures—she smashed them to pieces. Yet by the next day, Old Yan Prince would send servants with a fresh batch. Whatever she destroyed, he replaced.

The grandfather and granddaughter’s stubbornness had clashed head-on.

After exhausting every trick without even leaving her courtyard, one day…

Gao Ningxue went on a hunger strike.

On the third day of her fast, Old Yan Prince arrived personally with a food box. The bedridden Pingjia County Princess, her face ashen as withered grass, had only four words for her closest kin: “I want to go back to the capital.”

In that instant, Prince Yan seemed to age a decade. He sat in the grand chair, silent for an interminable time, then shuffled away.

In the end, this tug-of-war between grandfather and granddaughter ended in Old Yan Prince’s defeat.

Prince Yan relented. After the Lantern Festival passed, court troops would arrive in Taizhou Prefecture to collect the auspicious omen for the capital. Pingjia County Princess could travel with them then. With imperial soldiers escorting her all the way, he could rest a little easier.

…

The auspicious omen had appeared the previous year amid what began as a landslide disaster. On the sheer cliff face, seven pearls were suddenly revealed, embedded in the stone. Each was the size of a goose egg—perfectly round, lustrous with radiant light. Most miraculous of all, their arrangement matched seven stars in the sky almost exactly.

The site was Incense Furnace Mountain, so named because legend held that long ago, some mighty figure had refined a golden core there. The Yan Prince’s Residence’s chief eunuch opined that the auspicious pearls emerging from this place symbolized “igniting the furnace to form the pill.” He suggested Prince Yan build an alchemy chamber there, install a pill furnace, and refine longevity pills for His Majesty the Emperor.

The full story matched what Second Lady Liu had learned.

Accompanying the seven pearls—the symbols of the auspicious omen—to the capital was a furnace of seven-colored pills, totaling seven in all, each a different hue.

His Majesty had passed the heavenly mandate age. For several years now, he had been obsessed with the dao of pills, gathering alchemists to build an alchemy room in the inner palace. Each year yielded dozens of superior pills, which the Emperor not only consumed himself but bestowed upon his princes, consorts, and high ministers.

Now this pill-refining fad was spreading from the capital to every corner of the realm. Local prefectures, eager to show loyalty, rushed to erect alchemy chambers in their own “auspicious sites.”

It was only a matter of time before the trend reached Qinglu County.

Yan Prince’s Residence troops escorted the auspicious pearls and seven pills to the border. By ancestral custom, vassal princes’ soldiers could not step beyond their fief. Thus, the treasures were handed to Pingjia County Princess, who carried them personally toward the imperial troops waiting just an arrow’s shot away.

Gao Ningxue’s heart raced with irrepressible excitement: Finally, she could return to the capital! Finally, she could see her master again, stay by her side, and solve cases together!

“Greetings to the County Princess!” The soldiers’ unified salute rang out like thunder.

Gao Ningxue ducked her head slightly, but she still couldn’t help laughing. “No need for formalities.”

“Thank you, County Princess!”

The guards carried the auspicious omen and the pills into one of the carriages. They made a “please” gesture toward Gao Ningxue. “Please, County Princess, board the carriage.”

Gao Ningxue hurried onto another carriage. She lifted the window curtain and gave the order. “Set off! Back to the capital!”

“Yes!”

…

Inside the small hut at Embroider Maiden’s home, Wu Wei was teaching her to recognize characters. Embroider Maiden was making rapid progress. She had already begun learning words for colors, and her handwriting was growing ever more refined. Wu Wei was wondering if it was time for a little reward when a drawn-out peal of gongs echoed from outside.

Wu Wei immediately fell silent. The two women exchanged a glance, neither saying a word.

A few breaths later, another gong sounded.

Then, every few breaths, the gongs would ring out—from far away at first, drawing nearer and nearer, then receding into the distance until the sound faded entirely. Only then did Wu Wei let out a long breath. She sighed. “It’s finally gone. The market should be opening again in a few days. We’re almost out of vegetables at home. Next market day, I’ll buy some more.”

“Good. I’ll go with you.”