Sweet-Talking

Today was the manor's grand occasion-the spring banquet.

Qiao Shuyi sat upright before her dressing mirror, letting Fuzhi and Qingyan attend to her on either side.

The figure in the mirror gradually grew more radiant, like a flower bud blossoming inch by inch.

Zongzheng Heng stood beside the screen, already dressed in the new clothes she had ordered made for him-

A snow-white, straight-collared robe, cinched at the waist with a broad, moon-white belt patterned with auspicious clouds. A piece of black jade hung from the belt, its smooth, lustrous surface a striking contrast to his all-white attire.

White.

He lowered his eyes to look at what he was wearing, a trace of coldness flashing in them.

He hated white.

Not just white-he hated clothes of every pale color.

During those years in the army, on the battlefields in the south, he had seen far too much blood.

Blood did not show on dark clothes. He could remain composed, leaving no trace.

Just like the things in his heart-those dark schemes and murderous desires that could not bear the light of day. Only black and ink-dark colors were worthy of them.

But this madwoman loved pale clothes best of all.

She said white was clean, moon-white was elegant, and that when her man wore them, he was a sight to behold.

Her man.

He tugged at the corner of his mouth and said nothing.

In the mirror, Qiao Shuyi's gaze passed between Fuzhi and Qingyan and settled on him behind her.

She looked at him for a moment, then her eyes suddenly curved into a smile:

"Zhigui, you look truly handsome in white."

"Upon the road, a man like jade; a young lord without equal in the world-that describes you perfectly. No one suits these clothes better than you."

The corner of Zongzheng Heng's mouth twitched slightly.

When this young lady was in a good mood, her tongue was very sweet indeed.

He suddenly recalled the gossip he had overheard while walking around Jinglan Garden these past few days.

When the servants spoke of Qiao Shuyi, surprisingly, they praised her more than they complained.

They said she was generous with rewards, had a good memory, and occasionally even showed concern for others-as long as you did not displease her.

If you did upset her, then that was your own fault.

As he thought about it, he suddenly found it a little curious.

Her way of managing her servants seemed almost inborn.

Was it a coincidence?

He raised his eyes and met the smiling pair in the mirror.

Those eyes were clear and bright, holding only delight, only appreciation, only satisfaction with how he looked in white.

As though there were room for nothing else in her heart.

He said, "It is Shushu who has good taste."

He called her "Shushu" naturally and easily. In only two or three days, he had already grown accustomed to calling her that.

Today, it was time as well.

It was time to get her to relent and let him leave Jinglan Garden.

"Shushu, may I accompany you to the spring banquet today?"

Qiao Shuyi glanced at him sidelong in the mirror:

"You want to go?"

"I have never seen such a grand occasion before, and these past few days in Jinglan Garden have indeed been somewhat... dull."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he sensed the gaze in the mirror change slightly.

"Having you stay in Jinglan Garden all the time, stay by my side all the time-has that been very dull for you?"

Zongzheng Heng's heart clenched abruptly.

After spending these past few days with her, he knew all too well-

If he answered this question wrongly, it would be the beginning of one of her mad fits.

At best, she would meet him with cold words; at worst, she would put him through another ordeal. And he could forget about setting a single foot outside Jinglan Garden for today's spring banquet.

He steadied himself, his tone docile:

"Not at all."

"It is just that Shushu will be leaving Jinglan Garden today, leaving me here all alone."

"I have already explored every corner of Jinglan Garden these past few days. If Shushu is not here either... then it really would be a little dull."

The eyes in the mirror studied him for a moment. The scrutiny gradually faded, replaced by a hint of a smile.

Zongzheng Heng truly was worthy of being an emperor; his acting was first-rate too.

"But," she said, tilting her head, "many noble young ladies will be attending the spring banquet today. If they saw how handsome you are, I would be jealous."

"Shushu, I can wear a mask."

"I will let Shushu alone see my face."

His words were so obedient and thoughtful that Qiao Shuyi's eyes curved in a smile.

But only he knew how much sincerity lay hidden in those words.

He had never wanted anyone to see his face in the first place.

It did not matter in Jinglan Garden-

In any case, when the day came for the manor to fall, everyone in the garden, from top to bottom, would have to die.

But the spring banquet was different.

Powerful and influential people from every province would be gathered there, with too many eyes and ears about.

He would never let anyone know that the Son of Heaven of Great Zhang had served as a madwoman's male pet at the Prince of Jin'an's Manor.

If such a humiliation got out, where would he, the emperor, put his face?

As for Qiao Nanyu-

Qiao Nanyu was a king of a different surname personally enfeoffed by the late emperor. He had guarded Jinzhou for more than ten years and had long since become a local emperor in his own domain.

Yet in those ten years, he had never entered the capital to attend court, much less seen the emperor's face.

When the late emperor died, he claimed illness and did not come.

When the new emperor ascended the throne, he merely sent a subordinate official to present a memorial of congratulations.

How could such a subject recognize him as the new emperor?

Once he put on a mask, he would be nothing more than "Zhigui."

Heh.

Zongzheng Heng truly did not let the slightest opportunity slip by.

Attending the spring banquet? Clearly, he only wanted to use the chance to visit the accounts office.

But so what?

She liked watching him like this-though his heart hid hundreds upon thousands of schemes, he still had to put on a docile face and rack his brains to coax her into a good mood.

Qiao Shuyi rose and walked over to a clothes rack nearby.

Two outfits hung there, one on either side, both newly made spring clothes for this year.

Qiao Shuyi looked back, her face full of smiles:

"Zhigui, help me choose-which one should I wear today?"

She tilted her head slightly, and the dangling hair ornament newly placed among her dark locks swayed with her, scattering tiny flecks of light.

"Let us see whether our hearts are in tune. If they are, I will take you with me today. How about it?"

Zongzheng Heng's gaze slowly passed over the two outfits.

The one on the left, covered in butterflies and a hundred flowers, was gorgeous and flamboyant, much like her temperament-arrogant and overbearing, wishing the whole world could see her splendor.

The one on the right, with its ancient patterns and paired butterflies, was plain, elegant and flowing. Its layered skirts rippled like water, graceful and charming in their own way.

He raised his hand and pointed to the right:

"This one."

Qiao Shuyi raised a brow, her interest deepening. "Oh? Why?"

"Spring mountains, softly adorned, hold thoughts of distant things; autumn waters are her spirit, jade her bones."

"Shushu has brows like distant mountains brushed with dark pigment, a pool of autumn water hidden in her eyes, skin like ice and bones of jade. How could gaudy flowers and brocade be worthy of her? The one on the left is too bright, and such brightness turns vulgar; it would only sully Shushu's pure grace."

"The one on the right is simple, elegant and flowing, its skirts like water. It perfectly suits Shushu's beauty, 'a lotus emerging from clear water, naturally free of ornament.' Once you put it on, it will be-"

He leaned slightly toward her, his voice growing softer:

"Cloudlike hair, a flowerlike face, a golden ornament swaying; beneath warm lotus curtains, a spring night spent together."

He spoke the last line very softly and slowly, his voice rising slightly at the end with an indescribable implication.

A spring night spent beneath warm lotus curtains?

Was he... trying to seduce her?

To get out of Jinglan Garden, Zongzheng Heng really was giving it his all.

First choosing clothes, then composing verses to praise her-that line about "spring mountains holding thoughts of distant things, autumn waters her spirit and jade her bones" had truly struck a chord in her heart.

Today she had drawn her brows like distant mountains and her eyes like autumn water.

He had actually noticed.

Not only had he noticed, he had even turned it into a verse, slipping his praise into her heart without leaving a trace.

She suddenly found it rather funny.

So there really were no men in this world who did not know how to sweet-talk someone.

It was simply a matter of whether he was willing to do it, and whether she was worth his lowering himself to do it.

She had thought someone like Zongzheng Heng, whose heart and eyes were filled with military strategy, schemes, and the arts of imperial power, could hardly understand romance and poetry.

But now it seemed that he not only understood them, he knew how to use them.

And his timing was excellent.

The smile in Qiao Shuyi's eyes spread little by little.

She stroked his face:

"Zhigui, that mouth of yours truly is getting better and better at sweet-talking."

"Very well, we will do as you say. This one it is."

"Our hearts are in tune, so today you shall accompany me."