Chapter 81: The Seventh Day

The next morning, the sky was somewhat gloomy. The sun was hidden within the clouds. The young maids, wearing newly made padded jackets, were chattering noisily under the eaves, just like a nest of birds twittering.

Jingyun approached from afar. Beside her were two graceful, pretty young girls. The one walking in front wore a large red overcoat embroidered with ruyi patterns in a dark, subtle thread. The white standing collar and fur trim covered half her small face; her lively eyes looked like they were always smiling.

The young maids were very curious. They all greeted them in unison, quietly sizing up the visitors. After a moment, some recognized her, but none presumed to speak out first.

Jingyun smiled, “This is the Young Mistress’s younger sister, the Second Young Miss of the Chu family. She’s been to our Yearning Hall before. Don’t you remember?”

The young maids all giggled along and then greeted her again.

This time visiting the Marquis Mansion, Chu Mingyu had only brought Song Jia. Entering the house, she saw Ruolan there alone.

“Ah! Second Young Miss, you’ve come!” Ruolan put down the things in her hands and happily went to greet her. Without waiting for her to ask, Ruolan volunteered, “The Young Mistress is in the Armillary Tower. Qingdai and Yining are also over there. Something about… anyway, matters concerning medicinal herbs. I don’t really understand.”

Chu Mingyu laughed heartily. Turning on her heel to head out, she jokingly half-consoled, “No matter. I don’t understand it either. It’s enough that your Young Mistress understands.”

Ruolan was taken aback for a moment, then also chuckled.

Jingyun again led the mistress and servant out. They walked along the path, passed through the moon gate, and reached the Armillary Tower—just a few dozen paces away.

The crabapple trees lining both sides of the stairs had shed their blossoms, but the branches and leaves were still emerald green, clearly well-maintained. Lifting her skirt, Chu Mingyu climbed the steps. Jingyun went inside first to announce her.

Chu Mingxi was indeed in the tower. Seeing her younger sister arrive so abruptly, she merely curved her lips into a smile. “What brings you here at this hour?”

“Is Sister not welcoming me?” Chu Mingyu tilted her head up, putting on a haughty, arrogant expression.

Before her sister could even answer, she first gasped in amazement, “Wow! So beautiful! What is this? Colored glaze? How come I’ve never seen such beautiful colored glaze before!”

Chu Mingxi followed her gaze up to the dome ceiling. The smile in her eyes became noticeably brighter, but she only said casually, “Just shells.”

“Shells? Shells from where? From our medicine workshop?” She was simply too curious. The ceiling’s transparency was excellent. Even though thick clouds were already gathering outside, only a few tall standing lamps were lit inside.

Chu Mingxi ignored her never-ending questions and changed the subject. “You’re here about the year-end accounts?”

“Oh. Yes.” Chu Mingyu finally remembered her official business. She stood obediently in front of her sister and said formally, “Uncle Kang said the accounts from all the branch shops have been audited and compiled with him. They’re all properly sealed up, just waiting for you, Head Proprietor, to inspect them.”

Chu Mingxi acknowledged with an “Mm.” She carefully put away a medicinal seedling, reminded Qingdai to come check on it frequently these next few days, and then washed her hands in a nearby bronze basin.

There weren’t many seedlings—only twenty short ones. In the Armillary Tower, a small area had been sectioned off for a long rectangular table, on which sat flower pots. The seedlings were planted in these twenty small pots.

“What is this? So delicate?” Chu Mingyu followed her out.

Chu Mingxi said, “Mountain Pearl Pinellia. It usually grows in Yunzhou. I want to try if it can be grown here in the capital. But this winter is too cold, so I have to keep the seedlings indoors for now. Once they’re slightly bigger, they can be transplanted outside.”

“Oh,” Chu Mingyu responded, only half understanding.

The maids filed out. Yining walked out last, stretching her arms to close the two carved doors. Chu Mingyu remembered her sister mentioning the shell dome and was about to ask more, but she saw her sister had already descended the steps and was heading straight back to Yearning Hall.

“What’s wrong with her?” she asked in a lowered voice.

Yining shook her head, indicating she dared not ask either.

Back at the main house, Chu Mingxi, as if suddenly remembering something, turned her head to gaze at the distant, mountain-range-like layers of clouds. Her brows slightly furrowed.

The room, heated by earth dragons, was much warmer than outside. Personal maids came forward to help the two sisters remove their overcoats and cloaks. Ruolan brought over the small hand warmers. Chu Mingxi took one, but only lowered her brows and remained silent.

“Sister,” Chu Mingyu held her hand warmer in one hand and covered her sister’s hand with the other. “What’s the matter?”

“Hm? What’s what?” Chu Mingxi raised her brows to look at her.

“You seem so… distracted today?” Chu Mingyu’s eyes darted around the room. Seeing the several maids there, she asked, “Where’s brother-in-law? Is he at the government office?”

Although she was asking her sister, her eyes looked towards the maids.

This wasn’t something that couldn’t be said. So Jingyun smiled and said, “The Heir has been away for several days now.”

“Oh…” Chu Mingyu put on a look of sudden understanding. She sidled closer to her sister and teased, “So you’re missing brother-in-law, aren’t you?”

On any other day, Chu Mingxi would have either scolded her for being mischievous or simply ignored her. But today, she just gently stroked the brocade pattern on the small hand warmer’s cover. With her brows slightly furrowed, she said faintly, “I don’t know. Perhaps I am.”

Hearing this, not only the Second Young Miss, but even the several maids in the room were quite astonished. They exchanged glances, unsure what was wrong with the Young Mistress.

“Sister…” Chu Mingyu now didn’t dare to joke anymore. She held her hand, not knowing what to say.

It was Chu Mingxi who squeezed her hand back briefly, then let go. Smiling, she said, “It’s nothing. I’m just afraid it will snow. It would be hard for him to rush back.” She paused, then added, “Your timing is perfect. The household has prepared some gifts for the Minor New Year festival. Take them back with you tomorrow. Saves me another trip.”

Chu Mingyu still felt her sister’s worry was more than just about snow, but she didn’t press further. Following her sister’s lead, she teased, “You’d better bring them back yourself. That way Mother won’t scold me again, saying I always take things home whenever I visit the Marquis Mansion, not caring how it looks.”

The sisters chatted and laughed, and time slipped by like sand in an hourglass.

That night, Chu Mingyu stayed in the guest room in the west wing.

Chu Mingxi stayed by herself in the main house. As the night deepened, it indeed grew colder. Just past the early evening hour, silence had fallen all around.

The gentle moonlight was hidden behind the clouds. Chu Mingxi leaned sideways against the large bolster, slowly turning a page of her book.

She had been looking at this page for a long time, yet nothing registered.

She might as well put the book on the low cabinet and prepare for bed.

But that scroll of a book happened to rest in a spot that had just become vacant. A spot where a small bundle had originally been kept.

Thinking of that scroll inside the little bundle, and all the events the scroll had led to afterward, Chu Mingxi’s face suddenly burned.

She hadn’t deliberately thought about those things, nor had she deliberately thought about Wei Qingchen. But she wondered if every newlywed woman inevitably experienced such a period—both sweet and wistful.

Though married for a year, she felt as if she had only just become a wife.

On the sixth day of Wei Qingchen’s absence, her wife sat alone beneath the west window. She spread out a sheet of floral-patterned stationery. Elegant yet bold characters gradually appeared on the paper:

…

At fourteen I became my lord’s wife;

Shy, I never revealed a smiling face.

Facing the wall, lowering my head in the shade,

A thousand calls couldn’t make me turn my gaze.

At fifteen my brows finally smoothed out,

Wishing to be with you, even as dust and ash.

Always holding the steadfast faith of the devoted lover,

Why would I ascend the Husband-Waiting Tower?

…

…

This day passed without incident.

According to convention, the Imperial Medicine Hall was to close its general ledger and calculate the dividends before Minor New Year’s Eve. The Chu family’s direct lineage wasn’t prosperous, but there were branch families. Many people were craning their necks in anticipation of this silver to see them through the New Year.

Chu Mingyu had never concerned herself with the medicine shop’s affairs. So after leaving the mansion, she took her own family carriage back to the Chu residence. Chu Mingxi, bringing Qingdai and Yining, went to the main Medicine Hall.

The account books from all the branch shops were sealed. Chu Kang brought the ledgers together to the warm pavilion. Since there were no outsiders today, they didn’t go to the private booth.

Chu Mingxi had been directing the Imperial Medicine Hall for several years now. Those under her no longer dared to deceive their superiors and delude their inferiors like they did in the beginning—such people had long since been cleared out. So the accounts were quite clear.

She casually flipped through a few books and said, “Let’s begin the audit.”

Chu Kang responded, and the accountants deftly started clicking their abacuses.

After several rounds of tea and then lunch, the main accounts were nearly finished. Chu Mingxi, thinking of home, in the early afternoon, checked through all the totals one more time. She inquired about two discrepancies she spotted and gave a few final instructions before ordering the carriage readied to return to the Marquis Mansion.

She arrived back home just at the time when meals were being served. She went to Jade Grain Courtyard to pay her respects to the Grand Princess. By coincidence, the Grand General also returned from court. She had to sit for a while longer and chat briefly with her father-in-law and mother-in-law.

The Marquis said the weather was too cold, suggesting they have a hot pot—everyone eating together would be lively. Not waiting for the two women’s response, he went out himself and called for people to prepare.

At mealtime, even the Old Titled Lady was invited out. Everyone sat together in a side hall of the Front Hall. The servants set up the hot pot, boiling the lamb until it was bubbling and fragrant.

Such an occasion meant many formalities were set aside. The daughters-in-law weren’t made to stand and serve protocol. The whole family gathered around the large round table, chattering and laughing.

Wei Baoru still couldn’t eat large chunks of meat. Her wet nurse fed her some finely minced lamb stew.

Wei Chengxian had no patience for these family gatherings. But in front of the elders, he didn’t show it, simply eating his meal in deeper silence.

Today is the seventh day. There should be news from that end by now.

Thinking this, he silently downed a cup of wine.

Wei Huaishu was in high spirits. These past few days, his frequent visits to the palace had informed him that the Emperor was already planning to act. Whether to move first against the Northern Chen or the Southern Plume was still under consideration—Northern Chen was strong while Southern Plume was weak, each path had its pros and cons.

Moreover, dispatching troops to the Eastern Radiance still needed a proper justification.

The Marquis of Jingyuan pondered this privately, but didn’t speak of these matters at home. Looking at his two sons sitting beside him, he smiled: “We’re just missing Chen’er. When that kid gets back, we must make him drink three cups first!”

Everyone around the table gave polite smiles at that.

Suddenly, urgent footsteps sounded from outside. The Marquis of Jingyuan, still holding his wine cup, looked up.

Chen Yun, the household attendant who had left with the Heir, strode hastily to the doorway and knelt on one knee.

Wei Chengxian heard his own heart pounding violently in his chest.

Chen Yun’s robes were stained with blood. Looking terrified and distraught, he knelt at the door, cupping his hands: “Marquis! The Heir was attacked by assassins in Granary River County!”

Chu Mingxi turned her head and immediately stared hard at him. Her pulse seemed to skip a beat. Beneath her wide sleeves, her fingers clenched tightly into her palms. Her face instantly paled.

“Bang!” The wine cup was slammed onto the table by the Marquis of Jingyuan. Like an enraged lion, he roared, “What happened?! Explain clearly!”

A flash of joy crossed Wei Chengxian’s face. He lowered his eyelashes, doing his best to suppress his expression, when he heard Chen Yun continue: “The Heir was in Granary River County investigating the Orderly Cloud Cult case and had achieved results…”

Wei Huaishu roared, “I asked where the Heir is now! And what happened with the assassins!”

“Ah, ah, ah!” Startled silly by him, Chen Yun skipped all the preceding events and hastily said, somewhat incoherently, “We ran into assassins on the way back. We were outnumbered, and it was clear we couldn’t hold out. Then the Fifth Prince—Prince Rong—took a blade strike for our Heir! Prince Rong was injured. Kang Ze accompanied the Heir to escort Prince Rong back to the palace.”

Wei Chengxian’s mouth hung slightly open as he stared blankly at him, as if unable to comprehend how such a thing could have happened.