Chapter 9: Chapter 5

Jinling City has been renowned for generations for its flourishing imperial aura, and the center of the city is naturally the palace of the Emperor of Great Liang. Exiting from the Nansheng Gate, a slanted red-walled brick path connects to an exquisite mansion that is both independent and seamlessly integrated with the palace complex.

The scale of the mansion is not particularly large, but one would likely make a grave error to judge the status of its owner by its size. The main gate of the mansion remains closed year-round. Hanging above the lintel is a plaque with a pure black background and gold-pressed edges, upon which three square, upright characters are written in the official Liang script: "Liyang Mansion."

Grand Princess Liyang is the only living sister of the current Emperor and the wife of Marquis Ning, Xie Yu.

Those in the capital with a bit of age still clearly remember the grand spectacle that shook the entire city when the Grand Princess was married. The newlyweds, standing high atop the Yingfeng Tower looking down upon the commoners, were the very definition of a hero and a beauty. Twenty-four years have passed in the blink of an eye; the two remain as loving and respectful as ever, with three sons and one daughter, all of whom are well-bred and courteous children. In the eyes of the public, this is truly the most perfect model of a family.

According to imperial custom, after Princess Liyang married Xie Yu, Xie Yu should have moved into the Princess's mansion, and outsiders should have addressed him as "Consort" rather than "Marquis." However, due to the Princess's own wishes, and because the late Empress Dowager never approved of princesses remaining high and mighty in their husbands' homes—unable to enjoy true domestic happiness—Princess Liyang moved into the Marquis Ning mansion after her marriage, treating her parents-in-law with the etiquette of a daughter-in-law. The Grand Princess was virtuous and dignified by nature; she ordered the servants that as long as they were within the Marquis's mansion, they were to address her as "Madam," and she kept a strict hand over the palace attendants she had brought with her. Later, as Xie Yu’s military achievements grew and he became increasingly prominent in the court, and as the Princess intentionally maintained a low profile, the court and the public gradually became accustomed to viewing their relationship as "Marquis" and "Madam," rather than the "Princess" and "Consort" it should have been.

This Liyang Mansion was built by imperial decree when the Princess reached her fifteenth year, the age of her hair-pinning ceremony. Since her grand wedding, it had sat vacant. Feeling it a waste to leave it empty, the Princess had countless rare flowers and herbs planted within, ensuring fragrance throughout the four seasons. Consorts from the palace and noble families often requested to visit during the blooming seasons, making it a scenic spot for the capital's upper crust. Whenever the Princess was fasting, observing Buddhist rites, or when the Grand Empress Dowager wished to stay for a few days, she would move back to reside there for a time.

When Xiao Jingrui and Xie Bi returned, their mother happened to be staying at the Princess's mansion.

Early that morning, the two brothers followed their father's orders to go to Liyang Mansion to welcome the Grand Princess and escort her carriage back to the Marquis Ning mansion. As the old Marquis and the Dowager Marchioness had already passed away, there was no need to pay respects, so Grand Princess Liyang directed them straight to the inner courtyard where she resided.

Passing through the corridor and the side courtyard, a row of late-blooming osmanthus trees was planted along the wall. The flowering season had not yet ended, and a lingering fragrance remained. Princess Liyang slowed her pace slightly, as if savoring the scent in the breeze. Just then, a strain of zither music drifted over the wall. Though it was not entirely clear due to the distance, the melody was pure and ethereal, evoking a sense of cleansing the soul of worldly dust.

"Who is playing the zither? The artistic conception is extraordinary."

Xiao Jingrui listened intently for a moment before replying, "That is a friend of mine, surnamed Su, given name Zhe. He is staying in Jinling for a short time to recuperate at my invitation, and is currently lodged in the Snow Cottage."

"Does Mother wish to see this person?" Xie Bi asked hurriedly.

Princess Liyang smiled faintly. "Since he is a friend of Jingrui, you should treat him well. Why is there a need to see me?"

"But it cannot be heard clearly from here. How about I invite Brother Su to the inner courtyard to play for Mother from behind a screen?" Xie Bi suggested.

Grand Princess Liyang’s brows furrowed slightly, but her tone remained gentle. "Bi'er, this Mr. Su is a guest here, not a musician to be summoned for entertainment. How can you call him back and forth like that? If there is an opportunity in the future, I shall hear his music again; if there is no opportunity, one must not force it."

When Xiao Jingrui first heard his younger brother's suggestion, he felt the same as Princess Liyang and was somewhat displeased. But seeing that his mother had already refused, he said nothing more. Xie Bi’s intention was naturally not to be intentionally rude; it was simply a habit born of his upbringing. He had always felt that his mother’s status was noble, and if she liked someone’s music, she could simply call them to play a few tunes without giving it much thought. Having been rebuked, his face turned bright red.

Upon reaching the main room of the inner courtyard, Grand Princess Liyang sat down to rest on a long couch by the window. She was always sharp-witted and could see that both her sons seemed to have something on their minds, so she did not keep them long. After a few casual words, she let them leave.

Due to his background, Xiao Jingrui had long ago stated he had no intention of inheriting the title, firmly yielding the position of heir to Xie Bi. Moreover, as Xie Bi grew up, he was indeed more adept at political affairs and better at handling external relations than his elder brother. Thus, in the last year or two, Marquis Ning Xie Yu had handed over most of the affairs to him and often had him attend important occasions in his stead. Consequently, he was always busy with chores and disappeared as soon as he left the inner courtyard, while the more leisurely eldest son, Xiao Jingrui, immediately hurried to the Snow Cottage.

By this time, Mei Changsu was no longer playing the zither but was reading a book under a tree. Hearing the hurried footsteps, he looked up, smiled brightly toward the courtyard gate, and the dappled sunlight falling through the leaves danced upon his face, making his smile appear all the more vivid.

Xiao Jingrui also smiled, stepped forward, bowed, and asked, "Did Brother Su sleep well last night?"

"Are you worried I didn't sleep well?" Mei Changsu gestured for him to pull over a bamboo chair. "We people of the Jianghu are not prone to being picky about our beds. I just stayed up late thinking about the excitement Yujin mentioned, which is why I woke up late today. Feiliu said you came by this morning?"

"Yes." Xiao Jingrui looked around. "Where is Feiliu?"

"Oh, it's Feiliu's first time in Jinling, so I let him go out to play for a while," Mei Changsu said airily.

Xiao Jingrui couldn't help but break into a cold sweat. Feiliu’s mental state was like that of a child, but his martial arts were of a super-first-class level. That Mei Changsu would let him out to play so easily showed quite a bit of nerve.

"Don't worry, our Feiliu won't cause trouble," Mei Changsu said, raising an eyebrow as if he could read Xiao Jingrui's thoughts. "Even if he did cause trouble, with his skills, he would be gone in a flash, and no one would be able to find the Marquis Ning mansion to make trouble."

"I didn't mean I was afraid of trouble," Xiao Jingrui said with a wry smile. "Brother Su is wronging me again."

Mei Changsu didn't dwell on it, tapping the tabletop. "Since you're here, why not bring out a chessboard and let us have a few rounds?"

Xiao Jingrui quickly stood up, went to the side room himself to fetch a set of chess pieces and a board, and set them up on the stone table under the tree. Although Mei Changsu was a man of extraordinary talent, he was not truly perfect; at the very least, his chess skills could not be considered first-rate. Throughout the journey to the capital, Xiao Jingrui had already learned his bottom line; he didn't even need to use his full strength to make him rest his chin on his hand, frown, and ponder for a long time.

After three games, Mei Changsu was thoroughly defeated. Xiao Jingrui laughed and swept the pieces aside. "Brother Su’s chess intent is good, but you are naturally not good at counting. I can make a bold claim here: I suspect you will never be able to beat me in this lifetime."

"Don't be so smug. Once I teach Feiliu, you'll be the one crying. Although Feiliu isn't capable of the complex thoughts of an ordinary clever person, his focus is truly astonishing. Among all the people I know, not one can compare to him."

Xiao Jingrui ignored his attempt to regain some face and instead looked up toward the outside, asking, "Where exactly did Brother Su let Feiliu go to play? It's already noon; why hasn't he returned yet?"