The brazier in Ruyi's room burned low.[1]
Spring was close, such warmth won't be needed anymore.
Outside, the night wind brushed across the rooftop tiles.
Hua moved about quietly, folding Ruyi's outer robe and bringing a comb to pass through her hair.
"Miss is quiet tonight," Hua said softly, kneeling to adjust the brazier. "I thought you would be smiling after dinner with Liu Jiangjun. But… your expression is hard to read."
She trailed off, glancing up.
Ruyi was seated by the low table, absentminded.
All she had done was ask an innocent question… But the look on his eyes when she asked told her that it meant more to him than she anticipated.
Knowing the little she had observed about him, she might have just ruined her chances of ever having a meal with him.
One step forward, a million steps back.
"Miss…Did something happen?"
Ruyi blinked as if pulled back from far away. "No. I don't really know. Nothing."
Hua hesitated. "Then why do you look so unsettled?"
"He might not join me again," Ruyi said quietly, her voice calm but thin around the edges. "For dinner, I mean."
Hua blinked, confused. "Why not? Did he say anything? Did something happen?"
"No." Ruyi shook her head faintly. "I just know."
She had made so much progress getting to the point of seating at the same table with him, sharing a meal.
And all it took was one misstep to bring it crumbling down.
She had no one to blame but herself.
The fragility of their relationship reinforced her presence in his household.
She is after all, just a guest. It wasn't her home.
Hua crunched beside her mistress.
"Miss, can't we stay here forever?" Hua's tone was wishful. "I really wish we could."
"I know." Ruyi's tone was even. "But I think… I may have forgotten myself. These past days… the quiet here has been too gentle. Too easy to grow fond of."
She looked down at her hands, slowly intertwined, twisting her fingers together.
"I let myself pretend… just for a little while… that this peace could last. That I could remain here… exist here, quietly, without needing to think about anything else."
"But miss, do you think we could ask the young master…"
Ruyi intercepted her. "All banquets must come to an end, Hua'er."
She had come here to be near her brother, gather her strength.
She had lived life relying on herself. She couldn't afford to rope her brother into her troubles.
Ruyi knew that she had used him time and time again without his knowledge and the guilt of that was still buried deep inside her.
She had also already used Jiangjun's goodwill far more than she wished to admit.
The debt she owed the both of them weighed heavy in her mind.
But how was she going to repay him for all he had done when they could barely maintain conversation over a meal?
Hua lowered her eyes, her voice softer now.
"There has been no word from Lord Cai. But…" She hesitated. "I heard Concubine Shen has been meeting with matchmakers."
Ruyi's eyes flickered up. "Matchmakers?"
"I don't know for whom. Perhaps for you. Or for Fifth Miss. Or both." Hua bit her lip. "But I'll find out more."
Ruyi let out a breath, neither sigh nor laughter. "Of course. It was only a matter of time."
She never did have a plan of "what next" when she plotted to leave the Cai Manor by stepping into the trap.
Ruyi just needed time away from that house, rekindle the ten year relationship with her brother and an opportunity to meet 'him', and maybe… just maybe…
The Cai manor still waited, so did the life she had only slipped away from.
She rose slowly, and Hua stepped forward to help her out of her outer layer and into her sleeping robe.
The air felt heavier now.
"There's something else," Hua added as she tightened the sash. "While you were at dinner, a message came."
Ruyi turned to look at her. "From home?"
"No. From the barracks. The young master sent word. He'll return tomorrow."
A quiet warmth bloomed in her chest. "Ge' is back?"
Hua nodded. "The young master said he would be stopping by."
Ruyi turned toward the window, where the wind had quieted and the moon cast a silver glow across the paper screens.
"…Good," she whispered, but her voice was so soft it could've been mistaken for breath.
She didn't say more, but the thought of seeing her brother warmed her.
An thought came into her head but she quickly discarded it. Ruyi couldn't bear to continue using her brother to solve her problems.
She'll take care of this herself.
********************
The Empress Dowager reclined on a low divan, eyes closed, in a moment of thoughtless silence.
She wore a robe of indigo, embroidered with peonies that shimmered beneath the lamplight.
Beside her, a maid knelt quietly, adjusting the incense burner at her feet.
Another maid stepped in with a whisper, barely audible.
The Empress Dowager did not open her eyes. She lifted one graceful finger and gestured.
The inner doors creaked open. The Marquis of Yong'an stumbled in, his face ashen, breath short. He dropped to his knees the moment he crossed the threshold.
"Your Majesty… the allegations, they are false. Completely false! I would never!"
The Empress Dowager did not move.
He pressed his head to the floor, his voice breaking. "I deserve death for letting this scandal touch Your Majesty… I beg you to spare yourself the stain. I swear I will handle it."
A long silence.
Then, without opening her eyes, the Queen Dowager spoke.
"Since the Marquis of Yong'an seeks death… we should grant him his request."
At her word, two guards stepped in from behind the screen, blades drawn. One pressed cold steel to the Marquis's throat.
He let out a broken gasp. "No no, please! I will fix this. I swear it. Whatever it takes, I'll make sure Your Majesty is untouched."
The Empress Dowager gave a breath of laughter, low and amused.
"Untouched?" she echoed softly. "You think this harms me?"
Her eyes opened then, dark and unreadable.
"I will spare your life once, for the sake of old favors. You will not get another chance, Marquis An."
Tears mixed with sweat as he slammed his forehead to the floor, over and over.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. Thank you. This subject will not forget Your grace…"
She waved a hand, dismissing the blade from his throat. The guards stepped back.
"I have sent word to Minister Liang," she said idly, turning a jade ring around her finger. "He will make it disappear. Quietly."
She paused, eyes drifting lazily to the smoke rising from the burner.
"You will prepare him a proper gift, of course."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The Marquis scrambled to his feet and bowed low as he retreated.
When the doors closed again, the Empress Dowager leaned back and exhaled through a slight smile.
"It seems," she murmured to no one in particular, "that my son is beginning to grow wings... and forget where he came from."
********************
In the quiet garden of her courtyard, Cai Ruyi sat wrapped in a soft light cloak, a cup of tea in her hand.
The weather has started to warm up as the days go by.
Even the wind had almost lost its sting.
She sat unmoved when she heard the distant crunch of boots on gravel.
But Hua, standing beside her, stiffened, her eyes brightening when she caught sight of the young master afar off.
Ruyi noticed. She didn't even turn her head.
"When did it start?"
Hua blinked, started. "I… I don't understand what you mean…miss"
"Hua'er…" Ruyi said quietly, the meaning clear.
Hua stepped forward in a fluster, bowing her head.
"Miss, you don't have to worry about this. I know my place."
At this point, Ruwen was a few steps away from them.
"I'll excuse myself now."
Ruyi barely had time to reply before Hua dipped in a hasty bow, keeping her eyes firmly lowered to the ground as she slipped away.
Ruwen's brows pulled together in confusion at the way the maid avoided him as she passed.
His gaze followed her retreating figure before turning to his sister with a questioning look.
Ruyi merely sighed and rose to her feet.
Her brother entered, his silhouette tall and steady as ever. He looked travel-worn, his dark winter robe looked old and needed some repairs.
She made a mental note to have new clothes prepared. It had been a few months since she had some made for him.
But, there was a new tension in his eyes that had appeared since she last saw him.
Ruyi could only wonder if her brother was finding it hard to adjust to the capital's life.
He offered a small smile as he stepped into the canopy.
"Ruyi."
"Ge'."
He took her chilled hands in his, warming them up.
They shared a small, familiar laugh before he settled into the seat across from her.
Days had passed since they saw each other.
He searched her face, his gaze moving from her eyes to her hands, as though checking for any form of injury. "How is the patient today?"
Ruyi narrowed her eyes. "Alive. And just alert enough to scold you."
He raised a brow after taking a sip of his tea. "For what?"
She gave him a long look. "The way you treated the child."
"Child…?" Ruwen sighed, suddenly realizing who she meant. "A'yi…"
"Ge', He was scared," she said, tone soft but firm. "You frightened him even more. What will your men say when they find out that their commander makes little children cry?"
"I didn't mean to…" Ruwen dragged a hand over his face. "You were bloodied and half-conscious. What did you expect me to do? Hand out sweets to the nearest stray?"
"He's not a stray," she shot back. "He's a child."
Their eyes locked, tension hanging just a second longer before Ruwen looked away, rubbing the back of his neck.
"I know," he muttered. "I know. I didn't think. I just..."
Ruyi tilted her head slightly, but her tone softened. "He thinks you hate him."
Ruwen sighed again. "Tell him I don't. I was just worried about you."
"I will." She refilled his cup. "But now, you owe the child a favor. As an apology."
He gave her a look of half-resignation, half-helplessness. "So now I take orders from my little sister?"
"You always did," Ruyi said sweetly. "You just didn't know. I'll take that as you giving your word."
A defeated sigh. "Fine. You have my word. I owe the child a favor."
There was a moment of silence before she spoke. "How is the situation with the bandits?"
The news of the bandits have spread like wildfire around the villages.
Praises for the army that have sacrificed their lives to curb the incidents has been the talk of the town.
Ruyi connected the absence of General Liu and the insurgency against the bandits.
That might be the reason he was hardly home those days.
Now that her brother had returned, it shouldn't be long before General Liu's shadow returned.
Ruwen exhaled slowly.
"Improving. We've had a few successful raids near Yunlin and Changde. Several strongholds dismantled. Some groups scattered into the hills."
"A bit close to the capital." She murmured, brow slightly furrowed. "However, that is good news, gege."
He gave a short, humorless laugh and looked out towards the garden. "His Majesty insists everything be resolved by spring. He doesn't want another season of unrest."
"Understandable," she replied. "Once the weather warms up, the roads will fill again with travelers, the people will feel unsafe. No ruler wishes to see fear spreading through his lands." she murmured.
Ruwen's gaze lingered on her a moment longer. "And you? Are you doing better?"
"Gege, I'm doing well. Truly," she said, attempting a lightness in her tone.
"No more bitter medicine. No more bruises. I even started a small herb. I have been keeping busy and helping however I can."
He lowered his eyes, guilt passing briefly through his face.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "For not being there."
Ruyi's expression softened. "It's not something I hold against you, gege. I've always been on my own."
He flinched. She noticed. It wasn't her intention to intensify his guilt in any way.
"You have duties. To the country. To our people. You protect lives. That matters more than my comfort."
The words coming out of her mouth were a bit surprising to him.
It dawned on him that Ruyi wasn't the little girl that always wanted to be around him. She understood the way of the world better now.
This realization was reassuring but worrisome.
It meant she was growing.
He studied her in silence for a moment, then nodded, though something in his eyes still pulled downward.
Ruyi noticed.
"There's something you want to say," she said, voice softer now. "Say it."
He hesitated, then said, "I know you can't stay here forever. And I think you know that too."
She folded her hands on her lap and gave a slow nod. "I do. I wish I could but I know I can't."
Ruyi could already tell the direction the conversation was going. She didn't want to have it, just yet.
She reached for the teapot and poured another cup for her brother.
Ruwen leaned forward, elbows on the table. "Father sent word. He asked me to speak with you. He's… worried."
Ruyi's gaze didn't waver. "About my marriage."
He didn't answer. He didn't need to.
She smiled faintly. "I expected it. It was only a matter of time."
Ruyi knew Concubine Shen won't be able to relax until she leaves the Cai Household.
"He wants you to return home," he admitted.
"I don't want to marry someone I don't know, gege," she said plainly. "And I don't want to be married just to fill some court tally or alliance. I don't want to be like… mother."
When the current Emperor was just a high ranking prince, there had already been a bond of engagement between him and the Imperial Consort, their aunt.
The Zhang family came from a long line of Military Officials that have dedicated their lives to the throne.
But they needed to remove the eye of the court from suspecting their family of gaining too much power.
One daughter was sent upwards, into the palace. The other, Ruyi's mother, was married downward, to a quiet scholar with no clan behind him.
And Ruyi had been born from that sacrifice.
"I know." He didn't argue. "You don't have to choose anyone if you don't want to."
Ruwen was against the idea of matchmaking but he also knew how little weight his personal feelings carried.
It was only Ruyi's choice at the end of the day that mattered to him.
Ruyi was silent for a while, then inclined her head. "I'll consider it."
That seemed to ease something in him. He gave a small, relieved nod.
"For now," she added with a smile, though her fingers curled slightly beneath her sleeves. "I'll return once spring comes. It's too cold to travel now."
Ruwen gave her a long look. "Not soon then."
She laughed softly but didn't deny it.
He said nothing more, as they both drank for a while in silence.
Ruyi broke the awkward tension by filling her brother in on all the little activities that she had occupied herself with since recovering from bed rest.
When it started getting dark, Ruwen excused himself to attend to other duties.
Hua returned to announce that dinner was ready, "Miss, dinner is prepared."
She paused when she realized Ruyi was alone. "Young master has already taken his leave?"
Ruyi sighed deeply, her eyes focused on the gardens around, the lamplight traced the slight tightness in her expression.
"He left a moment ago," she said gently and then, because Hua would notice the change in atmosphere anyway, she added the rest of the conversation in brief.
Hua's brows drew together, worry plain on her face. "Then… what shall we do, young miss?"
Ruyi rose to her feet.
"We have until spring," she said, tone steady. "That's enough time. First, we find out who the names on the list are. Then, we can come up with a plan."
Hua's eyes brightened. "Yes, miss."
The next morning, the market was bustling with early shoppers.
Smoke rose from roasting chestnuts, and hawkers called out their prices over each other.
Ruyi walked slowly, her hands clasped in front of her, while Hua carried a small basket filled with dried roots and herbs.
Xiao Xia grinned and trotted along beside them. "Ruyi jie-jie, what are you buying today?"
"Plants," Ruyi said.
He wrinkled his nose. "To eat?"
"No," she laughed. "To grow."
As they continued down the market lane, Ruyi's eyes caught a small roadside stand overflowing with different potted plants on display.
She paused in front, looking at the different types for sale.
Her gaze settled on a particular pot. A white peony.
The stand owner asked gesturing at a particular plant. "Young Lady, are you interested in some peony plants?"
"Peony?" Hua leaned closer, then turned to Ruyi. "Is that the name, young miss? It is really pretty."
Ruyi crouched gracefully, and brushed her fingers across a smooth green leaf surrounding the white petal.
"Wild peonies. It's not just pretty. The structure is nearly perfect. See how tightly it holds its form? Yet it's soft." Her tone was thoughtful.
"Young Miss seems to know plants well."
"How much?" she asked without looking up.
The vendor held up two fingers. "Two coins, my lady."
Hua exclaimed. "So cheap?"
"A lot of them grow wild along the riverbanks by the ridge. Only two hour from here," The vendor explained. "Especially in spring. Good soil, good light."
"Pay him." Ruyi stated, already rising. "And send five pots to Liu Manor."
The vendor's eyebrows shot up. "My lady is from the General's household?"
Xiaoxia answers enthusiastically, before Hua could answer. "Yes!"
"Heavens! No need for payment, I'll deliver them for free. The general has been a blessing to our whole village. How could I take your money?"
The man attempted to refuse twice more, but Ruyi held firm.
After the back and forth banter, the owner reluctantly accepted the money when Ruyi told him that at the very least it should count as transportation cost.
Xiao Xia, having understood none of the adult logic, tilted his head in confusion, but was quickly distracted by a bright display nearby. He darted toward it.
"Xiao Xia!" Hua barked.
"Xiao Xia," Ruyi echoed, gentler but no less commanding.
Hua huffed. "If he causes trouble, I'll just cook him in soup and serve him to you."
Xiao Xia let out a tiny, horrified squeak and immediately hid behind Ruyi, clutching her robes like a shield.
"I don't want to be soup! Ruyi jiejie, save me!"
Ruyi shook with laughter.
Behind them, Hua grumbled under her breath, but the amused curl at her lips betrayed her fondness.
Later that evening, Ruyi sat at her favorite spot by the window, one of the newly delivered peonies at the foot of her table.
Her fingers absentmindedly hovered over abacus and the ledgers before her.
"Hua," She said. "How much have you found out about Liu Jiangjun?"
Hua looked up from folding a cloth. "Not much, young miss. In the capital, there is not one news about him. Only what I have picked up since we arrived here."
Ruyi closed the ledger and pushed it to the side together with the abacus.
"No news on him returning to the capital?"
"No, young miss."
Hua hesitated.
"Talk."
"Miss, I heard that the General was banned from returning to the capital. It might just be a rumor, right?"
Ruyi sighed. She knew it was the plain truth.
"Hua, don't mention this to anyone."
"Yes Miss." Hua obeyed.
As long as the Queen Dowager was still on the throne, General Liu might never return to the capital.
His chances of having any form of imperial power was close to impossible.
Xiao Xia quickly became part of their daily routine. The servants had long ceased to find his presence strange.
Within a few short days, he had charmed his way into the lives of everyone, even to the stoic steward, Lao Ren.
Xiao Xia, naturally, was terrible at listening.
One of the maids, Lian'er, a woman in her thirties would always cover for him whenever he took buns from the kitchen, infuriating Hua.
"He is a growing child. He needs the food."
"Come back here, you tiny shrimp!"
Xiao Xia would run away laughing, knowing that Hua couldn't keep up with his energy.
Ming Xi, a thin physician with poor eyesight, had quickly realized that Xiao Xia's curiosity extended to their medicine cabinets as well.
After the third time they found him playing with the jars of licorice root and mugwort, Ruyi banned him from that corner of the manor.
But his favorite places remained the kitchen and Ruyi's courtyard.
He would sneak into the kitchens to harass Hua, earning loud scoldings and idle threats about being turned into soup.
"I'll season you with winter onions and boil you in the iron pot, see if I won't!" Hua would yell, half-chasing him with a wooden spoon.
"You can't! Ruyi-jiejie won't let you!" he'd shriek, running to hide behind Ruyi, arms clinging around her waist like a shield.
When she worked in the garden, he'd squat beside her, elbows in the dirt, asking questions about the herbs while managing to smear soil all over his cheeks and sleeves.
Ruyi never seemed to mind.
She would sigh, wipe his face clean, and teach him again how to water the roots and not the leaves.
At noon, she would teach the boy basic characters. No one ever taught the child to read or write.
The tip of Xiao Xia's brush dragged along crooked tail across the character he was trying to copy.
"A'Xia, That's not a how to write horse," Ruyi said with a laugh, gently plucking the sheet from under his sleeve before the ink smeared further. "It looks more like a falling chicken."
"It's falling!" he defended, squinting at his own writing. "See? That's the tail. And that dot there is the…um…wing."
She arched an eyebrow. "That dot is where you sneezed."
He grinned and rubbed his nose with his sleeve. "Oh."
Ruyi shook her head with fond exasperation and dipped her own brush into the inkstone again.
They were still mid-laugh when hurried footsteps sounded from the path. It was Hua, holding her skirts and walking briskly toward the veranda.
"Young Miss," she called as she reached the step, breath faintly visible in the cool air.
"There's word from the market. News from the Imperial Astronomy Office. I heard the girls in the kitchen talking about it when they came back from the market."
Ruyi straightened. "Go on."
"They say rain is coming. Heavy rain, within the next few days. The kind that signals a seasonal shift."
"Rain?" Ruyi echoed, glancing past the pillars toward the clear sky.
"Yes, miss. They say it's the first rainfall to mark the turn into the season of planting. It'll be good for the harvest, everyone's pleased."
Ruyi nodded, her gaze thoughtful now. "So soon?"
In her head, Ruyi was already working out places she would have to transplant some of her weather sensitive herbs to.
She needed to buy pot on her next visit to the market.
Hua dipped her head.
"Yes, miss. The merchants are preparing—some are already pulling stock off the stalls to protect their goods. The townspeople are excited. Rain means prosperity this year, they say."
Ruyi looked down at Xiao Xia, who had already forgotten about writing and was now drawing what looked like a duck with wings and a crown.
"Did you hear that?" she said lightly. "Rain is coming."
"Will it be loud?" Xiao Xia asked, wide-eyed. "Will it shake the roof?"
Ruyi smiled. "Only if you don't finish your writing. Heaven punishes lazy students."
Xiao Xia gasped and immediately picked up his brush, muttering under his breath about unfair skies and scary clouds.
This sign of rain would be a great blessing for villages like this that had almost gone into ruins because of the drought.
As spring drew closer, the air getting warmed each day, Ruyi felt the shift.
The joy and comfort she had found here seemed so fleeting, so precious.
Just when she thought she found a place to call home, reality shattered her dreams.
Those quick, quiet days, however, were marked with something else, absence.
Liu Jiangjun was hardly ever seen. Some night he returned long past midnight; on others, not at all.
The same went with Chuyang. Both master and servant were nowhere to be found.
Most of the capture of the bandits had already been concluded. Even Ruwen was back in the barracks.
Sometimes, when the manor had quieted and Xiao Xia was asleep, she would wrap a shawl around her shoulders and slipped out to the edge of the corridor.
Her feet would swiftly lead her to his private library, to the balcony over looking to barracks afar off.
At times, she would sometimes cross paths into Lao Ren in the late hours, who was often arranging scrolls by lantern light or consulting records near the outer courtyard.
"Is he in?" she would ask.
Lao Ren, who never pried, would bow slightly. "There has been no news from him."
And with that, she would nod and turn away.
She could only hope that wherever he was, he was well and away from har.
*********************
[1] Brazier is an olden-day heater. It is a big, portable heater that uses charcoal to keep one warm.