In the main chamber of Jiang Mansion.
"Is there a dancer or concubine in my rear courtyard named Fengchun?" Jiang Chonghai asked his wife, Yun Rong.
Yun Rong thought for a moment. "No, there isn't. Why do you ask?"
"Yesterday, Qin Shaozong suddenly asked me for this dancer during the banquet, but then never mentioned it again. It’s quite strange." Jiang Chonghai stroked the thin mustache on his upper lip and instructed his wife, "They took two maidservants, didn’t they? Find an opportunity to question them thoroughly. Make them report every detail about the situation in that lady’s chambers."
Yun Rong covered her lips with a light laugh. "Such a trivial matter hardly needs your reminder. I’ve already arranged it—Tao Xiang came by earlier. According to her, that Lady Dai Li is breathtakingly beautiful, with skin like snow and cheeks like peach blossoms, as if she stepped out of a painting. With such a peerless beauty by his side, even if Lord Qin is momentarily intrigued by wildflowers outside, he’ll likely forget them the moment he returns to her."
"Is his favored concubine truly that stunning?" Jiang Chonghai’s tone was unreadable.
Yun Rong paused. Though she knew her husband had always been fond of beauty—hence the mansion full of dancers—she couldn’t help but feel irked that his focus lingered there. Her voice cooled slightly. "Well, Tao Xiang was practically spellbound, so I suppose it must be true. After all, Lord Qin holds high rank and has campaigned across the land for years. His tastes must be far more refined than ours, confined to this small province. What kind of beauty hasn’t he seen? For him to be so protective, Lady Dai must be extraordinary."
"Protective? Why protective?" Jiang Chonghai snapped back to attention.
Yun Rong recounted how Dai Li had twisted her ankle and how Qin Shaozong had urgently summoned the mansion physician. She added, "...Though Tao Xiang mentioned she’s uneducated, spoiled, and rather difficult to serve."
Jiang Chonghai saw no issue with this. A great beauty was entitled to her temper. "Did Qin Shaozong bring only this one favored concubine on this trip?"
Yun Rong nodded, saying it was likely so.
Jiang Chonghai paced the room. "This afternoon, personally deliver a gift to visit Lady Dai. Accommodate any other requests she might have."
Yun Rong remained silent.
Noticing her reluctance, Jiang Chonghai scolded, "Just go. Is this the time to stand on ceremony? So what if she’s a concubine and not the principal wife? Qin Shaozong’s three thousand troops are still camped outside the province. If you befriend her, perhaps she can whisper in his ear and hasten his departure."
Yun Rong had no choice but to agree.
The afternoon was clear and bright, with a gentle breeze carrying the scent of flowers through the carved wooden lattice window. The gauzy curtains, embroidered with peony motifs, fluttered dreamily in the wind, creating an ethereal beauty.
Yet even more captivating than this scene was the woman reclining on the cushioned chair by the window. Sunlight bathed her, accentuating her crimson lips and snow-white skin, as if the essence of spring itself brimmed within her. She resembled a peony nourished by the sun, moon, and dew—even the slightest lift of her eyelids carried a mesmerizing, languid grace.
Yun Rong froze in place.
But the woman in the room merely glanced past her indifferently, as if Yun Rong were nothing more than an inconsequential ornament or a new servant unworthy of her attention.
Yun Rong snapped back to reality, her expression darkening.
As the wife of the provincial governor, she had long since outlived her mother-in-law’s reign and hadn’t endured another woman’s disdain in years. Every lady in the province treated her with deference and flattery.
Yet today, she was slighted by a mere concubine!
Drawing on her years of experience, Yun Rong forced a smile. "I heard you twisted your ankle, madam. Ah, it’s my fault—I should have added more lamps when arranging these quarters. I deeply apologize for the inconvenience."
Most people, upon hearing this and noting her attire, would deduce her status as the lady of the mansion. Combined with her humble apology, they would at least exchange pleasantries.
The woman on the chair did look at her again, but things didn’t proceed as Yun Rong expected.
"Are you the steward’s wife?" she asked.
Yun Rong nearly saw black. Her smile faltered once more. Was Lady Dai truly this empty-headed, or was this a deliberate power play?
Dai Li lazily straightened, seemingly convinced of her own assumption, and launched into a rapid-fire critique: "The arrangements here are indeed lacking. Not only are the decorations sparse, but what even are these? The vases aren’t gilded—they look downright cheap. Spring is when peach blossoms bloom, so why aren’t there any in the room? The peony embroidery on the curtains is passable, but the color is too plain, almost inauspicious. And this table—"
With every word, Yun Rong’s head throbbed. Then, to her disbelief, Dai Li added, "It really is your oversight for not placing enough lamps, which caused me to trip. You should report back and accept your punishment."
When Yun Rong stood motionless, stunned, Dai Li waved her off. "Did you memorize everything I said? Go handle it."
Yun Rong’s face turned ashen. Finally, her maidservant seized the chance to interject: "My lady’s husband is Governor Jiang." Not some lowly steward.
Dai Li feigned surprise.
Just as Yun Rong was about to exhale in relief, Dai Li clicked her tongue and chided, "Why didn’t you say so earlier?"
Yun Rong: "..."
She suddenly recalled Tao Xiang’s description of Lady Dai as spoiled. In her opinion, this woman wasn’t just spoiled—she was outrageously arrogant and shockingly devoid of social graces.
"Tao Xiang, serve tea to the governor’s wife." Still not rising from her chair, Dai Li gestured for Yun Rong to take a seat opposite her.
Yun Rong stood rooted for several breaths, swallowing her indignation before complying.
"You came to chat, yet you brought gifts?" Dai Li eyed the brocade box in the maidservant’s hands.
"My husband insisted I bring you presents after hearing of your mishap. Do see if you like them. If not, I’ll replace them," Yun Rong replied, adjusting her approach.
Dealing with someone this shallow required bluntness. Subtlety would be lost on her walnut-sized brain. Best to be direct.
Her instincts proved correct—Lady Dai’s expression finally softened slightly.
Dai Li opened the box, revealing an assortment of jewelry: a gold hairpin adorned with a ruby, a honey-colored crystal hairpin, twisted-gold peony hairpins, and a pair of decent-quality bangle bracelets.
Picking up one bangle with slender fingers, Dai Li tossed it back after a glance. "Too big. Not my size."
Yun Rong’s temple twitched.
Gift boxes like these were usually regifted as-is or replenished after selecting preferred pieces—never had she seen someone so brazenly nitpick.
Taking a deep breath, Yun Rong silently reminded herself not to argue with a foolish woman—someone with such a temperament would be far easier to manipulate than a composed one. She warmly reached out, "Let me see what size bracelet would suit you."
Dai Li didn’t pull away.
Seizing the opportunity, Yun Rong lavished praise on Dai Li’s beauty, and the latter smiled as if pleased, gradually opening up the conversation.
During their chat, Yun Rong learned that aside from her sprained ankle, Dai Li was also feeling unwell. Alarmed, Yun Rong pressed for details and immediately sent a maid to summon the mansion’s physician.
"It’s nothing, just my monthly courses. My body isn’t at its best," Dai Li waved it off.
Yun Rong froze.
She recalled her husband mentioning at noon that Lord Qin had asked him for a dancer named Fengchun during the banquet. So, was the reason Lord Qin wanted someone because Lady Dai couldn’t serve him?
Connecting this to last night, when Lord Qin had searched the entire mansion for someone, Yun Rong felt she’d stumbled upon a private matter. She comforted, "Lady Dai’s grace is unparalleled—how could ordinary beauties compare? Even if those dancers caught Lord Qin’s eye, it would only be a fleeting fancy. With the moon shining so brightly, how dare the stars compete?"
Yun Rong was certain her words would soothe, and indeed, the woman across from her smiled—just…
A little too brightly. It didn’t seem like she’d been comforted, but rather as if she was laughing at Yun Rong’s mistake.
Confused, Yun Rong hesitated.
"Who told you a dancer caught Lord Qin’s attention?" Dai Li picked up a small bamboo token from the table, twirling it playfully. "I dare you to check the rear courtyard. I guarantee you won’t find anyone named Fengchun, even if you turn the entire Jiang Mansion upside down."
Yun Rong was stunned.
What did she mean?
Lord Qin had explicitly asked for someone by name at the banquet—how could she be so certain there was no such person?
Leaning forward, Yun Rong asked, "Why do you say that?"
Dai Li grinned. "Because there is no Fengchun. Lord Qin made her up to mess with me—he was annoyed I’d been giving him attitude on the way here and wanted to teach me a lesson. But I’m not falling for it. After all, he’s hopelessly devoted to me and even swore a blood oath to the heavens. Last night, I grilled him, and sure enough, it was all nonsense. This ‘Fengchun’ was just a ruse to scare me. But don’t spread this around, or Qin Changgeng will be furious."
Yun Rong gaped.
Earlier, her husband had described Lord Qin as shrewd and cunning. Was his reputation exaggerated? Were his so-called brilliance and intimidation all just a facade to make others cower?
Otherwise, how could such a formidable man swear a blood oath for the sake of a vapid beauty like this? Blood oaths weren’t to be taken lightly—anger the heavens, and the consequences ranged from bad luck to being struck by lightning!
Or was this just how men were? Willing to say anything for a moment of pleasure in bed.
When no flattering response came, Dai Li frowned. "Why that look? Don’t you believe me?"
Yun Rong forced a stiff smile. "O-of course I do."
Dai Li lovingly stroked the bamboo token before flipping it to show off. "See? This is Lord Qin’s and my token of love."
Yun Rong took a closer look and recognized it—
A household register.
All citizens, except slaves and vagrants, possessed one.
It dawned on Yun Rong then—the reason Dai Li was so smug was likely because she’d once been a servant, without a registered identity. Lord Qin must have arranged this for her, hence the "token of love."
After offering some obligatory praise, Yun Rong casually remarked, "Such a precious thing should be kept safe."
"I carry it with me—it won’t get lost," Dai Li cheerfully tied the token to her waistband.
Yun Rong cautiously steered the conversation toward Qin Shaozong. Dai Li answered with smug smiles, holding nothing back.
An hour later, Yun Rong stepped out of the room in a daze, nearly tripping over the threshold on her way out.
"Tao Xiang, go pick fresh flowers from the garden and replace these wilted ones. Ding Xiang, fetch that vase Lady Dai mentioned from the storeroom," Dai Li ordered her maids.
Once they left, she exhaled deeply, rubbing her temples wearily.
Playing the fool was exhausting. Who knew even being a simple-minded beauty would be such hard work?
Her gaze fell on the bamboo token at her waist, and her eyes darkened.
If Zhouzhou wasn’t in Nankang County, she’d head south to check near her hometown. As for that salt-smuggler-infested Ying County? Someone else could deal with it—it had nothing to do with her.
The excuse of her monthly courses wouldn’t last much longer. Time was running out.
