Aoyama

In the Qi family's boudoir, Qi Zhaoning sat facing the mirror, while Qi Zhenzhu stood behind her, gently tying her hair up.

The mirror was a rare glass mirror, and the comb was a rhinoceros horn comb. The black jade-like comb plowed through Qi Zhaoning's hair, making her long hair as smooth as silk.

Qi Zhenzhu helped her put her hair up and asked, "Which hairpin will you wear today, Miss?"

Qi Zhaoning took out two hairpins from the dressing table drawer on her left: one a kingfisher feather hairpin and the other a white jade hairpin. Looking at herself in the mirror, she said, "The one on the left is a new work by Master Li, and the one on the right is a finely carved piece by Master Zhou. Which one do you think suits me better? I heard that Master Zhou also made a white jade hairpin inlaid with a pearl. It was his hard work over two months, specially prepared for the Mid-Autumn Festival. The pearl was as round as the moon. Unfortunately, someone took it first..."

Qi Zhenzhu, her face veiled in white gauze and her eyes lowered, said, "Whether it's kingfisher feather ornaments or white jade ornaments, Miss, you'll look beautiful in either one."

Qi Zhaoning insisted, "I want you to tell me which one looks better."

Qi Zhenzhu was silent for a moment: "The kingfisher feather hairpin suits you better, Miss."

Qi Zhaoning examined the two hairpins and finally chose the one with mutton-fat white jade: "Kingfisher feather inlay is too extravagant; he should prefer something more understated."

At this moment, Qi Zhaoyun led two maids in from outside the door, and Qi Zhaoning hurriedly asked, "Sister, has he arrived?"

Qi Zhaoyun shook his head slightly: "Not yet. Father sent me to urge you. The guests have already arrived at Mingse Tower. You need to hurry."

Qi Zhaoning frowned: "It's almost Shenshi (3-5 PM), why hasn't he arrived yet?"

Qi Zhaoyun sighed, "The Annamese envoy arrived in the capital today; perhaps he was delayed by something."

Qi Zhaoning raised an eyebrow: "He doesn't have to work now, so what's the problem... Sister, what's wrong with you?"

She looked at her older sister and found that she looked haggard, with sunken eyes and cheeks, and was extremely thin.

Qi Zhaoyun smiled gently: "I'm fine."

Qi Zhaoning pulled her arm and asked with concern, "Can't you still forget that man surnamed Huang? I heard he has returned to the south to do business, dealing with coarse salt every day. Why are you still thinking about that kind of man?"

Qi Zhaoyun remained silent.

Qi Zhaoning continued, "Sister, you will soon be the Princess Consort of Fu. The Prince of Fu is currently working diligently to govern Jinling and has the potential to become a dragon in the making. All the women in the capital secretly envy you."

Qi Zhaoyun placed her hand on Qi Zhaoning's hand and said slowly, "Zhaoning, a person's life is only a few decades long. What others think is not important. What matters is what you think. Don't let other people's opinions imprison you. Also, don't argue with the man from Wuxiang County today. You two will get married in January, so you should love each other dearly."

Qi Zhaoning pulled her hand back: "He was the one who published his affair with Zhang Xia in the morning paper first. Everyone was saying that he and Zhang Xia were a perfect match, which made me look bad. Even in front of Grand Secretary Chen, I am in the right."

Qi Zhaoyun said helplessly, "Yes, yes, he was wrong first, but why must we distinguish right from wrong between husband and wife? At that time, they were on the verge of death outside Chongli Pass. If it weren't for Miss Zhang Er storming the White Tiger Hall, how could he have come back alive?"

Qi Zhaoning's face darkened: "So what? It shouldn't have been published in the newspaper!"

As they were talking, a maid came in carrying a sandalwood box: "Miss, we have arrived at the Chen family. Chen Xu, the steward of the Chen family, has brought a box. He said it is a Mid-Autumn Festival gift prepared by the man of Wuxiang County to apologize to you."

Qi Zhaoning's eyes lit up, but she said reservedly, "Alright, put it on the table."

After the maid left the boudoir, she raised her chin and gestured to Qi Zhenzhu: "Open it and take a look."

Qi Zhenzhu opened the door facing her, and Qi Zhaoning suddenly stood up and exclaimed with delight, "Isn't this the Mid-Autumn Festival full moon that Master Zhou spent two months making? So he bought it!"

Qi Zhaoyun smoothed things over from the side: "I've also heard of this 'Mid-Autumn Full Moon' hairpin. It's said that Master Zhou spent a whole year selecting a pearl from the East. He told people that the Mid-Autumn Festival is both a time for family reunion and for lovers to be together without flaws. Since we're choosing a pearl from the East, we must choose the perfect one to truly live up to the meaning of the Mid-Autumn Festival. I also heard that before this hairpin was even finished, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Xu family wanted to place an order for it, but Master Zhou didn't agree, saying that this hairpin would be more suitable as a token of love."

Qi Zhaoning's face lit up with joy: "Alright, alright, since he's put in so much effort, I'll forgive him."

Qi Zhaoyun breathed a sigh of relief: "Here, let me help you put it on. The banquet is about to start, we need to hurry."

……

……

The Mingse Tower by the Guangchi Pond is brightly lit, resembling an exquisite painted boat moored on the lake.

Someone threw fish food down from the second floor, attracting all the golden and red koi in the large pond to gather in the light, shimmering with dazzling light.

Inside Mingse Tower.

At the head of the table sat Grand Secretary Qi and Grand Secretary Chen side by side, their desks only a step apart.

Qi Zhaoning walked briskly, pulling her sister into the Mingse Building, and sat down in an empty seat on the left.

As soon as she sat down, her gaze searched the main hall, but she couldn't find Chen Ji anywhere: "Huh, where's Chen Ji?"

The traces are not in Mingse Tower.

Qi Zhaoyun frowned and turned to look at his elder brother Qi Zhenwu at the next table: "Brother, didn't the Chen family arrive? Why haven't we seen the Man of Wuxiang County?"

Qi Zhenwu shook his head: "I didn't see him. When Grand Secretary Chen came just now, I didn't see him with him. Look, the table that was reserved for him is still empty."

Qi Zhaoning's expression slowly darkened: "Since he didn't come, the hairpin wasn't given by him; it was given by Grand Secretary Chen on his behalf."

Qi Zhaoyun quickly changed the subject and asked Qi Zhenwu, "There are two empty tables, whose is the other one?"

Qi Zhenwu said regretfully, "It was left for the Buddhist disciple Wuzhai. Originally, I intended to pair Wuzhai with Chenji to see if there could be a third debate, but unfortunately, the servant just returned to report that Wuzhai has been practicing silent meditation since the last debate, and he lives a secluded life and no longer wants to deal with worldly affairs."

Qi Zhaoyun looked at Qi Zhaoning with concern, but Qi Zhaoning remained silent with a somber face. Two incense sticks burned in the afternoon, but still no trace of the past appeared.

Chen Ji was absent.

During the gathering, everyone was discussing the arrival of the Annamese envoy in the capital today. Yuan Wang said loudly, "I had heard that Governor Yang was brave and resourceful, but I never thought that he would be able to capture the King of Siam with eight thousand elite troops and show the power of our country."

Yang Zhong looked at Qi Xianshu: "Uncle, I heard that the King of Annam is here to seek a marriage alliance with our dynasty. Is this true?"

Qi Xianshu nodded: "That is indeed the case. Although His Majesty has not agreed, there is no reason for the Prince of Annam to refuse such a great service."

Yang Zhong asked in confusion, "But His Majesty has no daughter, and our dynasty has no one to whom we can arrange a marriage alliance."

Qi Xianshu casually said, "Don't forget, Prince Jing's daughter, Zhu Baili, is still cultivating Taoism in Jingyang Palace. We can send her to marry him."

Qi Zhaoyun was listening to her father's conversation when she heard Qi Zhaoning whisper beside her, "I know why he didn't come."

Qi Zhaoyun turned to look at her younger sister, who took out a plain silver hairpin from her sleeve, her fingers turning white as she gripped it. Eight small characters were engraved on the hairpin:

Year after year, year after year.

On the day of the sacrificial ceremony at the Altar of the Silkworm God, Qi Zhaoning had already guessed that Li Changge's debate with the princess and leading her horse in the Four Dreams of Bianliang were real events, real feelings, and all real.

Chen Ji didn't come today, presumably because he's busy with matters concerning the princess. His apologies are fake, his claims of perfect love are fake—it's all a lie.

Qi Zhaoning said softly, "He is truly devoted. If there were someone who would do such a thing for me, my life would be worthwhile. No wonder Daoist Zhang Li wrote about him; his very presence makes everyone else pale in comparison..."

Qi Zhaoyun asked in confusion, "What?"

Qi Zhaoning's voice deepened: "But he's not mine."

At this time, someone at the table mentioned the competition between the Beijing Morning Post and the Evening Post, as well as the Morning Post's three grand aspirations.

This is the most exciting thing in the capital recently, and since we're drinking, we can't avoid it.

After someone brought it up, everyone at the table cautiously observed the expressions of Grand Secretary Qi and Grand Secretary Chen, since the root of the matter lay with Chen Ji and Qi Zhaoning.

Yuan Wang knew that the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet was intended to ease tensions between the Qi and Chen families, so he glanced at Cui Qinghe and said loudly, "The two newspapers' competition was originally meant to be a friendly exchange of ideas and a way to make friends through literature. I didn't expect that Miss Qi's provocation would instead bring out the magnanimity of the man from Wuxiang County. His selfless magnanimity and compassion for the world are truly a model for us all. Miss Qi and the man from Wuxiang County are a match made in heaven..."

Before he could finish speaking, Qi Zhaoning interrupted, "What do you mean by 'making friends through literature'? It's nothing but something cobbled together by brutes and idle scoundrels. Why is it so highly regarded? The men of Wuxiang County are good at sophistry. Since they can't produce any Mid-Autumn Festival poems, they resort to tricks and gimmicks to deceive people. If you ask me, Plum Blossom Ferry should be closed down to prevent those filthy people from confusing the public!"

Upon hearing this, Mingse Tower fell silent.

Qi Zhaoyun gripped Qi Zhaoning's wrist tightly, not wanting her to continue. Even Grand Secretary Qi and Grand Secretary Chen turned to look. No one expected that Qi Zhaoning had no intention of reconciliation at all.

However, at that moment, Chen Xu walked into Mingse Tower with a stack of newspapers in his hand and went straight to the head seat.

He approached Chen Gelao and whispered, "Sir, this is today's evening paper from Plum Blossom Ferry. There's nothing new, but there is a nice Mid-Autumn Festival poem written by that gangster Chen Chong."

Grand Secretary Qi turned to Grand Secretary Chen and said, "You seem to care quite a bit about these new gadgets."

Grand Secretary Chen took the evening paper and said slowly, "I always check the things my own children do to see if there are any oversights. So I instructed Chen Xu to buy it for me every day to check for any omissions. At first, I didn't think much of it and, like Grand Secretary Qi, I felt that this thing would shake the foundation of the court. But these past few days, I feel like something is missing if I don't look at it every day... Grand Secretary Qi, you should also take a look. Although we are old, we still need to know what is happening in the world every day."

Grand Secretary Chen skipped the pages in the evening paper that were flattering Emperor Ning and simply flipped to the third page. The third page still contained some new information today, such as how to use charcoal to filter sewage so that it could be drunk in an emergency during a long journey... nothing particularly remarkable.

The fourth edition explained that piston pumps could replace modern rowing wells, but Grand Secretary Chen spent a long time looking at the illustrations and explanations and still couldn't understand them.

He flipped to the fifth edition.

The original fifth edition was full of casual conversations about everyday life, such as which merchant went to which brothel, articles that scholars would despise but would secretly read.

Today, the fifth edition contains only one poem.

Upon seeing the poem, Grand Secretary Chen remained silent in his seat for a long time, seemingly pondering its subtle nuances.

The guests below looked at each other, wondering what had happened. Qi Xianshu pondered for a moment, then waved to the servant: "Bring me the evening newspaper from Plum Blossom Ferry."

After an incense stick had burned, the servant returned.

Qi Xianshu flipped to the fifth edition and whispered, "...Prelude to Water Melody?"

He continued reciting: "When will the moon be clear and bright? I raise my cup to ask the blue sky."

Upon hearing this, the room fell silent once more, and everyone realized that the Plum Blossom Ferry Evening News had chosen to no longer avoid the topic on the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, and had responded with a Mid-Autumn Festival poem.

Qi Xianshu continued reading with his head down: "I wonder what year it is tonight in the celestial palace. I want to ride the wind and return, but I fear the jade towers and crystal palaces are too cold at such heights. Dancing with my shadow, how can it compare to being in the human world?"

He stopped abruptly at this point.

After a brief pause, Qi Xianshu's voice unconsciously rose, becoming exceptionally clear in the quiet Mingse Tower: "...Turning through the vermilion pavilion, lowering the embroidered window, the moon shines on the sleepless. There should be no resentment, yet why is the moon always full when we are apart? People have sorrow and joy, separation and reunion, just as the moon has its phases of waxing and waning; such things have always been imperfect. I only wish that we may live long and share the beauty of the moon, even though we are thousands of miles apart."

A longer, almost stagnant silence fell over Mingse Tower; you could hear a pin drop.

Mr. Qi sighed softly and signed the poem: "Chen Chong's last words." (End of Chapter)