On the fourth day of the fifth month in Jinghe Year Fifteen, it was just past noon.
It was his day off, and Qu Niang had gone to the Feng Residence.
So Wei Nisheng lay sprawled on a bamboo chair in the courtyard, escaping the heat.
With a pot of cool tea and half a volume of light reading, he intended to idle the day away.
But before he had taken two sips, Cui Fu came running over and called out:
"Young master, someone from the Ministry of Rites Ceremonial Bureau is here!"
They say they've come by imperial decree to discuss the wedding arrangements."
"The Ministry of Rites?" Wei Nisheng sat up with a frown.
There were two of them, both wearing blue robes, black gauze caps, and black boots, impeccably turned out.
The older man had a plump face and a long beard, and held a thick book.
The younger man wore a short beard and carried a wooden case.
"Lu Yi'an, Department Secretary of the Ministry of Rites Ceremonial Bureau."
"Yuan Jing, Department Secretary of the Ministry of Rites Ceremonial Bureau."
Both cupped their hands and said in unison, "Greetings, Vice Director Wei."
Wei Nisheng hastily returned their salute and ushered them into the courtyard, but a faint sense of regret began stirring inside him.
These two were far too punctilious.
One glance told him they were not the sort he could send away after a cup of tea.
Sure enough, upon entering the courtyard, Lu Yi'an did not hurry to sit down. Instead, he surveyed the surroundings with his hands behind his back.
His gaze traveled from the jujube tree in the courtyard to the stone table beneath the window, then to the two old gauze lanterns hanging under the eaves.
Throughout his inspection, his