Lighting a Lantern at Your Brow - Chapter 7

The Marquis of Zhongyong’s residence was located in Junzi Lane, in the eastern part of Jinling.

Outside the gate stood two stone lions, and beside them—an ancient sago palm, more than a hundred and eighty years old.

In early April, the sago palm—silent for over a decade—suddenly bloomed. The people of the marquis’s household took it as a sign of good fortune, and had been taking turns guarding it day and night.

While on patrol, Yun Xi passed by her family’s gate. She tapped the sword hilt against the shoulder of Zhao Wu, who was dozing beside the sago palm. “Has my sister-in-law come home yet?” she asked.

Zhao Wu jolted awake and called out, “Eldest Miss!” Then, remembering today was the day Madam Fang had gone to the palace, he added, “Young Madam returned before noon.”

Yun Xi nodded and turned to Tian Si, who was patrolling with her. “Wait for me at the end of the street.” She sheathed her sword and strode quickly into the estate, her steps swift and steady.

In the years when Yun Luo was still alive, the household had struggled. Two adjacent wings of the estate were sold off, most of the servants dismissed. Only three courtyards remained, with a dozen or so people—mostly old retainers who had followed the former Marquis from the northern front. Their loyalty ran deep. The steward was called Uncle Bai.

Yun Xi passed through the front hall and circled toward the main residence. Through the lattice window, she caught sight of a graceful silhouette inside and called gently, “Sister-in-law!”

Fang Fulan, sitting in front of her vanity removing her earrings, turned and gave her a soft smile.
“You’re back already?”

“Today was payday.” Yun Xi took out her pouch and poured a pile of silver coins onto the table. “The other day Uncle Bai’s leg was acting up again, right? I’m on night duty tonight, so I brought the money home early. I figured we could hire a better doctor to look at him.”

She counted out the silver with care. “After setting aside what we need for Uncle Bai’s treatment, and this month’s household expenses—plus your medicine, sister-in-law—there’s still two taels left. Keep them safe. When next month’s salary comes, you can use them to buy some proper rouge and powder. Otherwise, when you enter the palace next month as the family representative, the noble ladies will only make fun of you.”

Fang Fulan had once been the most beautiful woman in Jinling—so stunning she could topple kingdoms. Years ago, her father was convicted of a crime. She should have followed him into exile, but Yun Luo loved her deeply. He used his military merits to petition the emperor for her pardon and took her into the marquis’s household as his wife.

But beauty was fragile. Fang Fulan had only enjoyed a few short years of happiness with Yun Luo before the household fell into ruin. Then Yun Luo died in battle, and with no one left to cherish her, she became a widow in the prime of her youth. Grief took root in her body and turned to illness.

Fang Fulan tapped a finger against the pile of silver on the table and noticed that, besides the portion for the Marquis of Zhongyong, there were three taels more.

She asked, “You gave me your share—what about you?”

Yun Xi pulled a string of copper coins from her sash and gave them a playful toss. “I still have some left over from last month’s allowance, thanks to you. The magistrate’s office provides meals every day, so I won’t starve. Ten wen a day—that’s more than enough.”

Fang Fulan took Yun Xi’s hand gently. “Come with me.”

She opened her vanity and took out a finely crafted jade bracelet, handing it to her. “Last month I embroidered a Hundred Flowers brocade and presented it at court today. Her Highness the Imperial Consort liked it very much and gave me this as a reward. Take it to a pawnshop—it’s worth at least twenty or thirty taels. Use it to buy yourself some clothes and jewelry.”

Yun Xi blinked. “Why would I need that?”

Fang Fulan looked at her.

Yun Xi had a slender build, but she didn’t look frail. Dressed in the bright vermillion uniform of the magistrate’s office, she radiated a striking vitality. Her thick black hair was tied in a ponytail, with the unruly strands at her temples woven into small braids and tucked back, revealing a smooth, clean forehead. She resembled Yun Luo—her nose was straight, her brows sharp, and her eyes bright and clear, as if even a flicker of lamplight could reflect the entire world within them.

“I spend all day inside the house, and you rarely tell me anything. If I hadn’t gone to the palace today and heard it from younger sister Shu, I wouldn’t have known that the second young master of the Pei family has already returned to the capital. Your engagement to him was decided when you were children. Now that he’s back, it should naturally be brought back onto the table.”

Yun Xi said nothing to that. Instead, she replied, “Tian Si is still waiting for me at the end of the street. I can’t stay home too long.”

With that, she didn’t even take the jade bracelet and turned to leave.

“Ah Ting,” Fang Fulan called softly.

She didn’t know what was in Yun Xi’s heart. Ever since Yun Xi had returned alone from the north three years ago, she hadn’t once brought up Pei Lan of her own accord. Whenever someone mentioned him, she would deflect with a few words and change the subject.

Fang Fulan smiled. “If you have time in the next few days, go to the Secretariat and ask about your brother’s succession. Do it for me, would you?”

“Sure!” Yun Xi answered without hesitation.

Fang Fulan stood by the window, watching Yun Xi walk off into the distance, and let out a soft sigh.

The maid waiting outside stepped forward and asked, “Young Madam, why didn’t you tell the Young Miss that the second young master of the Pei family is assuming his post at the Secretariat today? The Pei family has ties with our marquisate—if you want to petition for the late Young Master’s title, wouldn’t it be easier to send the Young Miss to speak with Second Master Pei directly?”

But Fang Fulan said, “It’s not really for my husband’s title. Truthfully, I’ve already let it go. That title… I don’t care for it anymore.”

When she went to the palace earlier today, she wouldn’t have even known that Pei Lan had returned and taken a post at the Secretariat’s Department of Personnel Review—if not for Luo Shu casually mentioning it.

The Personnel Review Office handled appointments for martial ranks from the sixth to third grades. Yun Luo had been granted the rank of Xuanwei General, a senior fourth rank. If they wanted to push for his title to be inherited, of course the place to start was with Pei Lan.

“Ah Ting is already nineteen. It’s time she started talking about marriage. Her engagement to Second Master Pei can’t hang in limbo forever. Now that he’s returned to the capital, the matter should move forward. Pei Lan’s been back for days, yet there’s been no word from the Pei household. We’re the bride’s family—we can’t be the ones to make the first move. And even if I wanted to go, Ah Ting would surely stop me.”

“She’s always had a mind of her own. So, it’s better to let her go meet Pei Lan herself. Maybe, when they see each other again, their childhood affection will resurface—and everything will fall into place.”

As she spoke, a hint of concern flickered in Fang Fulan’s eyes. “The Pei family is becoming more and more prominent. The head of their household is the Minister of Works, the eldest son was appointed Vice Minister of the Court of Diplomatic Rites last year, and now this Pei Lan—already a titled general at such a young age, and now working in the Secretariat. If he earns two more military achievements, it won’t be long before he’s promoted to full general. How many young women in Jinling dream of marrying him? When I was in the palace today, even younger sister Shu said that on the day Pei Lan returned to Jinling, Yao Susu from the Yao family went out to greet him.”

“Yao Susu? The legitimate daughter from the Yao family—the one who was with Miss Shu when we entered the palace today?” The maid was stunned. “Didn’t Miss Shu say that Miss Yao was incredibly beautiful, and that the young prince of the Prince Rong estate was smitten with her? She even said the young prince was planning to ask for a post at the Secretariat to be closer to her. I thought she was going to marry into the prince’s household—turns out she wasn’t?”

Fang Fulan didn’t confirm nor deny it.

“I understand now,” the maid said. “No wonder you were willing to have the Young Miss pawn off the bracelet gifted by Her Highness the Imperial Consort just to push her to buy clothes and jewelry. Our Young Miss is so beautiful—if she dresses up properly, I doubt there’s anyone in Jinling who could compare. I’m sure once Second Master Pei sees her, he’ll want to marry her right away.”

Yun Xi stayed overnight on duty at the magistrate’s office, and didn’t have a free moment until morning. As soon as she handed off her patrol assignments to Tian Si and reported to Zhang Huailu for leave, she headed straight for the Secretariat.

Just past mid-morning, a carriage with a lantern marked “Yao” was parked outside the office. Yun Xi glanced at it from afar but didn’t pay much attention.

She presented her badge and explained her purpose to the guards. One of them gave her a strange look and said, “Alright. Constable Yun, please come this way.”

He led her into a quiet courtyard beside the Department of Personnel Review and knocked on a door before announcing, “Lord Pei, Constable Yun from the magistrate’s office requests an audience.”

At the mention of “Lord Pei,” Yun Xi paused for a moment.

She looked up and saw that the door was shut. After a while, it slowly opened from within.

Pei Lan stood in a dark robe, his expression gentle. He turned to the guard and said, “You may leave.”

Then he turned back to Yun Xi with a soft smile. “I’ve been swamped with official duties these days. I had meant to visit the marquisate once things settled down—but I didn’t expect you to come first.”

Spring sunlight filtered through the courtyard, brushing lightly over his brows and shoulders, full of warmth.

Yun Xi stood in the middle of the courtyard. Upon hearing his words, she felt slightly awkward.

Most of the people she usually dealt with were constables and clerks from the magistrate’s office. Unless someone made a point to tell her, how could she possibly know where a general like Pei Lan was now posted? And even if she did know, given her relationship with Pei Lan, who would dare bring it up?

She truly hadn’t expected to meet Pei Lan today. Yet from his tone, it sounded as though she’d come to seek him out deliberately.

Yun Xi clasped her hands in formal greeting and said calmly, “Greetings, General. I haven’t come for personal matters today. I’m here to ask about the succession of my elder brother, the late Xuanwei General Yun Luo.”