Jinghe Year Sixteen, the fifteenth day of the first month.
On the official road through Changsha, a carriage draped in blue curtains rolled along.
Outside its window, the Xiang River lay like a ribbon, Mount Yuelu like a folding screen.
It was the first month, yet the mountains of Chu were green, the river a cold jade-blue. Among the lingering snow beside the road, a few plum blossoms could still be seen, open but not yet fallen.
Inside the carriage, Xu Shi rested her chin in her palm, elbow propped up, quietly gazing at her husband's profile.
Xie Lin sat with his head bowed over a stack of papers: copies of the Court Gazette and letters exchanged, their corners curled, their edges frayed like old cotton wadding.
He read very slowly, his brows drawing together and easing apart, as though calculations were unfolding within his chest.
After watching him for a long while, Xu Shi said softly, "Xie Lang."
"Hmm?"
"There's a line in A New Account of Tales of the World..."
A smile warmed Xu Shi's voice. "A face like congealed cream, eyes like dots of lacquer-a man among immortals."
Without raising his head, Xie Lin said, "My lady, those words were praising Lord Pei."
"I'm praising you." Xu Shi smiled and reached over to tuck a stray lock of hair behind his ear.
"What are you reading? All along this journey, you've looked through those papers more often than you've looked at me.
"The way I see it, you've turned the Court Gazette into letters from home and taken your correspondence as a concubine."
Only then did Xie Lin lift his head and look at his wife.
The sharpness held taut in his eyes throughout the journey eased a little, revealing a glimmer of clear light.
"My lady,"