An Invitation

After the woman had gone far enough away, Zhao Huiluan said to Shen Zhiyun and Shen Zhiyao with exaggerated seriousness, "It seems a woman disguising herself as a man to take the imperial examinations could never happen. Those storybooks have led me astray!"

Shen Zhiyao, however, said, "If she didn't take the imperial examinations, it might be possible. But she would have to learn how men speak and behave from childhood and remain vigilant every day. Then she might be able to deceive heaven and cross the sea."

Zhao Huiluan raised her cup to toast Shen Zhiyao, but Wen Yan swiftly replaced it with a cup of fragrant tea.

The private room was spacious.

Wen Yan sat with Shen Zhiyao, drinking tea. Shen Zhiyao remained as aloof as ever, while Wen Yan alone chattered on.

Whatever Zhang Yanli had said, Shen Zhiyun was chasing him angrily around the room.

Zhao Huiluan drank her wine, happy to watch them. But when she reached to pour herself another cup, Rong An pressed a hand down on the wine pot.

"Don't drink too much."

Zhao Huiluan saw that the cup before him was still full. "Aren't you drinking, sir?"

As she spoke, she picked up Rong An's wine and started to bring it to her own lips.

"You..."

Before Rong An could finish, Zhao Huiluan feinted, then brought the cup to his lips with lightning speed.

She tilted her head, gesturing for Rong An to drink.

Rong An froze for a moment, then took the cup and drank.

"You can hold your liquor well, sir."

Zhao Huiluan quickly poured two more cups. "A toast to you, sir!"

Some distance from their private room, in a secluded chamber at the end of the corridor, the madam in charge stood below, drenched in sweat. She opened her mouth, trembling.

"Y-young lady, I can see the young master cares a great deal about her. I wouldn't dare! If-if the young master found out I was the one who did it, never mind me, I'm afraid even the Red Sleeve House would..."

She cautiously raised her eyes to look at the arrogant woman seated above her.

Chapter 30: An Invitation

Wen Nihe took a sip of tea and set the cup down heavily.

"Do you dare disobey Grandfather's orders?"

She raised her brows, her expression fierce, and the madam dropped to her knees in fright.

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare."

Wen Nihe snorted. "It's not as if we want her life. We're only sending her south. After that, they'll be at opposite ends of the earth. Hmph, she's just a girl from a fallen family. My brother will forget her sooner or later."

"See that you carry out Grandfather's instructions properly. Even if my brother discovers you were involved, Grandfather and I will keep you safe."

"But if you botch it..."

A cold smile played on Wen Nihe's lips, and she said no more. But the meaning behind her words frightened the madam into repeatedly promising that she would see it done.

"Zhang Yanli, you said this place was where men came to squander their fortunes. How come I can't see it?"

Zhang Yunchi looked speechlessly at Wen Yan.

Wen Yan, a regular here, pretended not to notice. His heart and eyes were full of Shen Zhiyao now, and his eager expression made him look like an obedient, well-behaved puppy.

Zhang Yunchi found it hard to explain.

The Red Sleeve House was lively at night to begin with. Besides—the moment he came in and saw how unusually "demure" the place was, he knew Wen Yan had spoken to the house beforehand.

Naturally. After all, they had brought three unmarried young ladies with them, one of whom was a princess. What would happen if she really saw something unseemly?

So he laughed it off. "Since I said it was where men came to squander their fortunes, naturally only men can see what's what."

Zhao Huiluan knew he was brushing her off, but couldn't be bothered to argue.

Only after she had taken her leave of the others and boarded the carriage back to the palace did she shake her head regretfully.

"Jingzhi once told me that new girls arrive at the Red Sleeve House every day. So every day, when the lanterns are lit at a quarter to six, the wealthy gentry, officials and wastrel sons of the Yan Capital come to bid for the new girls' first night."

"One flower lantern costs a hundred taels, and every day someone spends a fortune on a new girl, lighting up the Red Sleeve House as bright as day. Some poets and scholars even gave it the elegant name 'breaking the topic.'"

"Zhao Huiluan, you, you, you..."

Zhang Yunchi was so angry he stammered.

"You're an unmarried young lady. How can you just go around saying... saying 'breaking'... Hey! You! How can you have that wretched phrase on your lips all the time?"

"That fellow Xiao Qinglan-how does he dare tell you everything? Just you wait, I'll beat him up tomorrow!"

Zhao Huiluan looked at him as if to say, "What's the big deal?"

"You won't be able to beat up Xiao Jingzhi. He just went south to the Imperial Weaving Bureau a few days ago."

As she spoke, she lifted a corner of the curtain. The imperial palace was already close at hand.

"I'd like to go south and have a look too."

The next day, Zhao Huiluan came out of the Yongzhao Emperor's Tianji Hall and saw Zhang Yunchi waiting for her on the palace road, pacing in anxious circles.

"Your Highness."

Zhang Yunchi came up to her and glanced at Xichun, who tactfully stayed where she was.

He led Zhao Huiluan a little to one side and told her, "Shen Zhiyao has disappeared."

"When did it happen?"

"There was a temple fair in the city last night. Wen Yan said she vanished in the time it took him to turn around."

"Have you reported it to the authorities?"

"We went to Shuntian Prefecture and the Court of Judicial Review last night. We didn't dare search openly, for fear of damaging the good name of the Shen household and its daughters. Wen Yan and the Shen family are nearly frantic with worry now."

Zhao Huiluan was silent for a while, then said coldly, "This won't do. They'll be searching with their hands and feet tied! Go tell Shuntian Prefecture that I lost an extremely important object on my way back to the palace yesterday, and have the Court of Judicial Review help search for it."

"All right!" Zhang Yunchi turned to leave, then came back and asked her, "Aren't you coming too, Your Highness?"

Zhao Huiluan smoothed her skirts and said calmly, "There are many things I cannot do, such as enjoying the bustle at the Red Sleeve House or attending temple fairs in the Yan Capital. Besides, an investigation should naturally be left to Shuntian Prefecture and the Three Judicial Offices."

She felt around her neck, pulled off a pendant, and handed it to Zhang Yunchi.

"With all this commotion, Father will surely come and ask me about it. This belonged to my late mother. Once she's found, this must be returned to Zhao intact."

"Rest assured, Your Highness."

Zhang Yunchi tucked the pendant into his robes and hurried out of the palace.

Only after his figure had disappeared did Zhao Huiluan start toward the Jade Balance Palace, picking at her fingers. Xichun came up to follow her again.