Su Jinhuan thought for a moment, then called Xiyin to her side and whispered a few instructions.
Since Li Wanqing had previously tarnished her reputation in the capital, she decided this time to "let bygones be bygones" and help finalize the illicit affair between Lu Qingge and Wang Shuyue. It was, in a sense, a way to help Li Wanqing solve her troubles. Xiyin listened, smiled in agreement, and slipped out later that evening.
As for Su Jinhuan, she took Zhihua and Wenqin to the Censorate. The Censor-in-chief, Han Jiming, was Su Jincheng’s superior, and his wife, Lady Han, shared a close friendship with Jiang Shuying.
Upon seeing Su Jinhuan, Han Jiming was quite courteous: "Princess Changning!"
Su Jinhuan bowed in greeting. "Uncle Han, you really flatter me. If my father hears of this, he’ll surely lecture me again."
Han Jiming laughed and replied, "All right, all right, Huan'er!"
"Are you here to see your brother?"
"Yes, he hasn't returned to the estate in days, so I came to check on him. And, of course, I wanted to pay you a visit as well, Uncle Han!"
Su Jinhuan’s voice was soft, laced with the playful charm of a younger member of the family speaking to an elder. It naturally bridged the distance between them. Han Jiming laughed heartily and ordered tea to be served. "That boy, Jincheng, is truly diligent! They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree; he has the same look your father had when he was young."
"Brother Jingchi placed first in all three imperial examinations, and now he has personally requested a post in Yizhou to hone his skills. When he returns, he will surely be a true dragon among men!"
Mutual flattery was, of course, inevitable. Han Jingchi was Han Jiming’s eldest son, a man of exceptional intellect who had earned the Emperor Yongan's personal praise in the Taihe Hall for his performance in the examinations. Later, he had requested to go to Yizhou for experience, a request the Emperor had gladly granted. Truth be told, she and Han Jingchi could be considered childhood sweethearts.
Han Jiming’s smile widened. "That boy mentioned you in his letter just the other day!"
"Really? Then next time you write back, Uncle Han, please send him my regards!" Su Jinhuan flashed a radiant smile. "My brother has been working so hard these past few days he hasn't even had time to come home. He doesn't even know that the flowering crabapple tree he gave me was nibbled on by some bird. It was the one that bloomed most beautifully and was the first to sprout... oh, it’s such a shame!"
Su Jinhuan sighed, sounding like a young girl airing a trivial complaint. Han Jiming’s eyes flickered. "Some other time, I will have your aunt pick out an even better one and send it to you."
Su Jinhuan accepted. "Then I won't stand on ceremony, Uncle Han. Thank you!"
This response only made Han Jiming hold her in even higher regard. She was humble yet poised, possessing the true grace of a noblewoman. Su Jinhuan glanced at the sky; dusk was settling in.
"Oh, it's getting late. I should take my leave now." She signaled for Wenqin to bring out the pastries they had brought along. "I picked these up from the Xiaoyao Teahouse on the way; please, Uncle Han, have them as a late-night snack."
Han Jiming accepted with a smile. It was only after Su Jinhuan had departed that he sat down, lost in thought.
Back at the Chancellor's Estate, Xiyin returned with Lianshu.
"Miss, we have already found out."
"I gave five hundred wen to the beggar outside the Xiaoyao Teahouse, and he told me: Lu Qingge and Wang Shuyue meet at the Xiaoyao Teahouse every two days, around the early afternoon! I gave him another tael of silver, and he agreed to keep a watch on them for us."
Su Jinhuan nodded. "Well done."
Pleased by the praise, Xiyin and Lianshu beamed. The five of them sat and chatted for a while longer until Su Jinhuan began to feel drowsy. She went to bed and had a dreamless night.
The next day, as expected, Su Jincheng returned from the Censorate. This had all been within Su Jinhuan’s calculations. Han Jiming was no fool. When she had visited the Censorate yesterday, she hadn't actually seen Su Jincheng; she had merely chatted with the Censor-in-chief briefly before leaving. Han Jiming would understand the subtext. He would not assume it was her idea, but rather that Su Huaize was intentionally sending a reminder. Thus, he would temporarily set aside the Yizhou matter. Since the issue was not formally raised by the Censorate, the Chancellor's Estate would remain untainted.
After greeting his parents, Su Jincheng went to Fuhuan Courtyard.
"You came to see me at the Censorate yesterday?"
"Yes. I wanted to bring you your favorite Dragon-Travel pastries, but I happened to run into Uncle Han. I ended up giving them to him, so I felt too embarrassed to look for you after that!"
Su Jincheng tapped her forehead. "You silly girl, since when are you so formal with your brother?"
Su Jinhuan ignored him, her eyes dancing with mischief. "How about this: tomorrow, I’ll treat you and your colleagues from the Censorate to tea at the Xiaoyao Teahouse. How does that sound?"
"No. My colleagues are all men; you can't be there with them," Su Jincheng refused.
"I just wanted them to take care of you. How about this: you ask them to bring their female relatives along? Would that work?"
Su Jincheng felt a warmth in his heart, thinking of her good intentions, and could not bring himself to refuse. "Alright! I'll go tell them now."
"Great!"
The following day, at the Xiaoyao Teahouse.
Exhausted from days of heavy work, the Censorate staff were happy to accept the hospitality of the Chancellor's Estate. Since Su Jincheng was the host, everyone who held any status at the Censorate attended, and many brought their female relatives as suggested. Two private rooms were filled to capacity—one for the men and one for the ladies.
As the women were of similar age, they quickly became acquainted. Han Jiming’s youngest daughter, Han Yuxi, had also come at Su Jinhuan’s invitation. Because their mothers were close, the two of them had a solid bond. There was also Yang Qiuting, the fourth daughter of the Minister of War, whose second brother worked at the Censorate.
With the Chancellor's Estate as the host, everyone showered Su Jinhuan with compliments.
"I had heard that Princess Changning was of extraordinary beauty, but seeing you today, the rumors don't do you justice!"
"I heard that at the Empress's Spring Flower Banquet, your sword dance drew praise from all three ladies of the inner court!"
"Indeed, the man who eventually marries Princess Changning will truly be a lucky one." Han Yuxi teased her from the side.
"We are all of similar age, like sisters, so please just call me Jinhuan!" Her approachability made her even more popular.
"I had my maid go to the Imperial Pastry Shop to buy some peach blossom cakes; they should be arriving soon!" Su Jinhuan teased.
"Oh, the ones exclusively made by the Imperial Pastry Shop? Those are delicious! We are in for a treat today!" everyone agreed.
The feast at the Xiaoyao Teahouse was expensive, and every dish was exquisite. For those of more modest backgrounds, such luxury was a rare treat, which only added to their goodwill toward Su Jinhuan.
Just as everyone was enjoying the meal, a sharp "slap" rang out from outside the room. Then, a maid’s haughty voice shouted: "What kind of thing are you to dare block my mistress's path?"
Su Jinhuan recognized the voice—it was the maid who served Lu Qingge.
Then came Lianshu’s voice, thick with tears: "It was clearly your mistress who tripped me and caused my mistress’s peach blossom cakes to fall on the ground."
Han Yuxi froze. "Jinhuan, why does that voice sound like your maid, Lianshu?"
Su Jinhuan set down her chopsticks. "You're right. It is Lianshu."
She stood up, and Han Yuxi quickly followed. "Jinhuan, I’m coming too!"
On the second floor of the Xiaoyao Teahouse, Lu Qingge and Wang Shuyue stood together, looking down at Lianshu. The patrons were used to such scenes and paid them no mind. Lu Qingge inexplicably enjoyed the feeling—the feeling of being able to look down on others and order them around. She had originally looked down on Wang Shuyue, but upon getting to know him, she realized that not only was he gentle and considerate, but he was also incredibly generous. Moreover, because the Wang family was an in-law of the Ji Family, most people gave Wang Shuyue a measure of respect out of deference to the Empress. She loved this feeling of superiority.
Coming to the teahouse today, she hadn't expected a maid in simple clothes to be allowed on the second floor. Feeling indignant, she had directed her maid to trip the girl. That wasn't enough, though; when the "wretched servant" dared to talk back, Lu Qingge was incensed. For the past few days, she had been by Wang Shuyue’s side, and everyone had treated her with such deference—how dare a lowly maid offend her?
Wang Shuyue watched but did not intervene. A little arrogance in a beauty only added to her flavor.
Seeing that Lianshu still dared to talk back, the maid, eager to impress Lu Qingge, raised her hand to strike again. "Your mistress? And what kind of thing is your mistress, anyway?"
But just as the blow was about to land on Lianshu’s face, a hand suddenly shot out and caught her wrist.