By noon, the wind and snow in the capital had finally come to a stop.
In front of the Chengyi Count’s Residence, dozens of servants were already sweeping the broad open ground stretching more than a dozen zhang before the gates. Large patches of the smooth paving stones had been cleared, revealing their original color, and even the ice lodged between the cracks had been scraped away.
Xu Wuyou stood at the highest point of the steps with his hands clasped behind his back.
He wore a crimson cloak patterned with dark designs.
Behind Xu Wuyou stood the residence’s steward, Xu Fu, his disciple Xu Zijin, and even the kitchen stokers and rough-serving maids. More than a hundred people filled the steps in a dense, dark mass.
Within the extreme stillness lay an overwhelming sense of anticipation.
Suddenly, the sound of hoofbeats came from the corner of the long street.
Xu Wuyou heard it.
They were here!
Everyone saw the eldest young master suddenly charge down the stone steps at a brisk pace.
“Eldest Young Master! Slow down!” Xu Fu called anxiously from behind.
Xu Wuyou paid no attention.
Ahead, Xu Zhan wore the qilin uniform of a third-rank General of Illustrious Valor, one hand gripping the reins. Before his warhorse had fully come to a halt, he had already flipped down from its back.
Xu Wuyou rushed forward.
The two brothers exchanged no needless pleasantries or words of concern. They simply extended their arms and gripped each other’s shoulders in a fierce embrace.
Xu Zhan used his only remaining arm to hug him back with equal force.
That single embrace surpassed a thousand words.
Xu Wuyou pounded Xu Zhan’s back as hard as he could.
While the brothers clung to each other, the carriage behind them slowly came to a stop.
Qingque leaped down from the carriage shaft first, then lifted the curtain.
“Miss, we’re home,” she said softly.
With Qingque’s arm for support, Xu Qinghuan bent down and stepped out of the carriage.
At this moment, there was no trace left on her face of the cold edge she had displayed outside Zhengyang Gate when she refused to ride in the imperial sedan and delivered her impassioned speech.
The fierce aura that had forced the Ministry of Rites officials to kneel had completely vanished the moment she saw the two vermilion-lacquered gates of the Chengyi Count’s Residence.
At once, exhaustion and profound weariness swept over her. A bluish-gray shadow from several sleepless nights lingered beneath her eyes, and her back, once held ramrod straight, relaxed slightly.
Xu Wuyou released Xu Zhan and hurried toward Xu Qinghuan.
Seeing her haggard face, he was just about to speak when Xu Qinghuan flashed him a smile. She then gathered up her skirts and stepped over the residence’s lofty threshold.
The instant she crossed into her own home, she casually flung something outward with one hand.
Whoosh!
The first-rank imperial lady’s nine-pheasant-and-four-phoenix pearl crown, weighing more than a thousand jin and symbolizing the highest honor a minister’s wife could receive in the Great Qian Dynasty, traced an arc through the air and plunged straight toward the ground outside the gates.
The change happened too quickly. No one present had time to react.
At the critical moment, it was still the steward, Xu Fu, who saved the day.
He had been standing nearby, wiping away tears, when the corner of his eye caught sight of a gleaming object flying toward him.
He took a closer look and was so terrified that he nearly lost his soul.
That was an imperial-granted ceremonial crown!
If even one eastern pearl were smashed, it would be a capital offense!
“My heavens!” Xu Fu threw himself flat onto the ground.
With astonishingly narrow timing, he caught the pearl crown in both hands.
He rolled and scrambled to his feet, clutching the crown to his chest and shielding it with his clothing. He gasped for breath, drenched in cold sweat.
Xu Qinghuan stopped and turned around, looking him up and down.
She remembered that her father had mentioned in a letter that he had hired a new steward named Xu Fu.
“You’re Xu Fu?” Xu Qinghuan asked casually.
There was not the slightest trace of guilt in her voice over nearly causing a catastrophe. Instead, she sounded utterly unconcerned.
Clutching the crown that could determine whether he lived or died, Xu Fu nervously raised his head. He bent at the waist and nodded repeatedly.
“Y-yes, Eldest Miss. This old servant is Xu Fu. Eldest Miss, this imperial item cannot be dropped!”
“You caught it quite steadily. Keep it. It’s rather heavy.”
Xu Qinghuan waved her hand and turned to continue into the residence.
To her, those empty titles and worldly honors were no more than shackles used by the imperial court to bind people.
Once she entered her own home, they were merely a pile of worthless scrap metal.
She had shed every disguise she wore outside. All she wanted was to return to being the unfettered eldest daughter of the Xu family.
Xu Zhan strode into the courtyard, his tiger-like eyes sweeping over the servants and maids standing in neat rows on either side.
He studied them for a moment, then suddenly furrowed his thick brows. Turning around, he hurried after Xu Qinghuan.
“Little Sister.” Xu Zhan stopped, his face full of confusion. “The journey was chaotic, and I was focused on escorting you back to the capital.”
“But why haven’t I seen Li Sheng anywhere?”
Xu Qinghuan stopped when she heard the name.
She slapped her palm against her forehead, her face showing sudden realization.
“Oh! You mean Li Sheng!” Xu Qinghuan waved her hand dismissively. “He went to Jiangnan. He’s off to accomplish something major.”
Xu Zhan was even more confused, his brows knotting together.
“Jiangnan? What did he go there for?”
Xu Zhan pressed her with question after question.
He was a straightforward military man.
Xu Qinghuan turned to look at her second brother’s face, which was covered in bewilderment, and the corners of her lips curled into a sly smile.
“Second Brother, you don’t need to worry about that.”
Xu Qinghuan offered no further explanation. She merely patted Xu Zhan’s arm.
“Just keep your mind at ease. In time, you’ll naturally learn what a huge deal he pulled off in Jiangnan.”
Her words stopped there, and she refused to reveal another syllable.
Although Xu Zhan was full of questions, he knew that his little sister had always been a woman with a mind of her own. Thus, he said nothing more and merely grunted unhappily.
At that moment, Xu Zijin, who had been standing respectfully beside Xu Wuyou, stepped forward.
He wore a plain, elegant blue robe and carried himself with a straight, dignified posture.
When he reached Xu Qinghuan, Xu Zijin clasped his hands and bowed deeply.
“Your student Xu Zijin pays his respects to Eldest Miss.”
Xu Zijin raised his head, his gaze lingering on Xu Qinghuan. His eyes were filled with undisguised excitement.
“It is wonderful that you were able to return safely from Zhenbei Pass, Miss!”
Xu Qinghuan looked at his handsome, extraordinary face, which held a scholarly air.
She knew that during this time, the reason her eldest brother had been able to stabilize the situation in the capital—and the reason her father, Xu Youde, had successfully obtained the Son of Heaven’s Sword and been sent south to Jiangnan—was all thanks in part to Xu Zijin’s schemes and counsel.
Xu Qinghuan extended her hand in an open, hearty manner and gave Xu Zijin’s shoulder a broad slap.
“Not bad, Xu Zijin!” she praised loudly. “Eldest Brother told me that you’ve performed exceptionally well in the capital during this time. The Xu family’s efforts to cultivate you haven’t gone to waste.”
The slap made Xu Zijin sway slightly, but he hurriedly lowered his head and bowed again.
“Eldest Miss is too kind. I merely contributed what little I could. Everything was made possible by Lord Count and Eldest Young Master’s careful planning.”
“The feats you accomplished beyond the border are what truly demonstrate ability.”
At those words, the smile on Xu Qinghuan’s face faded somewhat. She stepped closer and lowered her voice, speaking at a volume only the few of them could hear.
“Spare me the formalities. I’ve heard that the autumn provincial examination is fast approaching. The Xu family is currently attracting too much attention, and you’ve been deeply involved in plotting and planning here in the capital.”
“From now on, you must be extremely careful and guard against the overt attacks and hidden schemes of those old factions at court. There has never been a shortage of dirty tricks in the examination halls.”
Xu Zijin’s expression turned solemn. He clasped his hands and answered gravely, “This student will remember Eldest Miss’s instruction.”
Xu Qinghuan watched him act as though he were facing a formidable enemy, and couldn’t help grumbling inwardly.
You’re the destined male lead of the original novel, blessed with heaven-defying luck.
Come to think of it, the fact that I managed to make it through that mountain of corpses beyond the pass in one piece might well have been thanks to the halo of your protagonist’s fortune.
With the protection of Heaven itself, how could I have been so easily killed beyond the pass?
Her eyes darted about before she said, “Xu Zijin, there’s no need to be so formal with the Xu family. We’ll be counting on you to look after us in the future!”
Xu Zijin stared at her in confusion.
He was just about to ask what she meant when Xu Qinghuan turned and walked inside without looking back.
After the formal greetings in the front courtyard, Xu Wuyou dismissed the servants who had gathered to watch, leaving only Qingque and Xu Fu outside to attend them.
The three siblings walked straight through the corridor into an inner room specially prepared to welcome them home.
The moment the door opened, a wave of heat washed over them.
The heated brick flooring beneath the room had been stoked until it was blazing, and even the ground radiated warmth beneath their feet.
There was no unnecessary incense burning in the room, only the faint scent of charcoal.
Once the cotton curtain fell and the double doors were shut, the room was completely sealed off from the bleak, snowy wind outside, as well as the prying eyes and schemes of the imperial capital.
The instant Xu Qinghuan entered the room, her entire body relaxed.
She didn’t bother maintaining the slightest bit of a refined young lady’s decorum.
Walking over to the cushioned couch, she raised one foot and rudely kicked off the long boot still caked with muddy water and flecks of snow.
The boot spun twice through the air before landing with a thud against the base of a screen in the corner.
Then she sprawled across the couch, limbs splayed in every direction, utterly without regard for her appearance.
“Ahh, now that’s better!” Xu Qinghuan sighed with immense satisfaction, drawing out the sound.
With her hands behind her head, she stared at the carved ceiling canopy and felt every bone in her body go soft.
Tsk! Why did this feel so much like returning to the Peach Blossom Haven?
Seeing his little sister like this, Xu Wuyou did not rebuke her. Instead, his eyes were filled with indulgent affection.
He walked to the small red-clay brazier in the middle of the room and sat down after gathering his robe.
Xu Zhan followed and took a seat beside Xu Wuyou.
A copper kettle atop the brazier bubbled merrily, warming a pot of fine yellow wine.
Xu Zhan reached out with his single arm and picked up the fire tongs, stirring the silver charcoal to make the flames burn more brightly.
Turning his head toward Xu Qinghuan, who was sprawled across the couch, he smiled and lightly nudged the wooden edge with his foot.
“All right, stop lying there,” Xu Zhan teased gruffly. “You’re back in your own home now. Tell us—what would you like to eat tonight? Big Brother ordered the kitchen to prepare everything long ago. Just name it, and whether it flies in the sky or swims in the water, we’ll get it for you!”
At the mention of food, Xu Qinghuan’s tightly shut eyes flew open.
She kicked out both legs and sprang upright on the couch.
Her eyes gleamed, and the exhaustion that had weighed on her for days seemed to vanish at once.
“What should I eat?” Xu Qinghuan swallowed and immediately rattled off a long list of dishes as though reciting from memory.
“Start with a plate of Zhenjiang-style cured pork to settle my stomach! Then bring crystal aspic, wine-marinated goose feet, and barbecued mutton! And I want roast goose fresh from the oven, sliced paper-thin and served with plum sauce!”
“I’ve had more than enough of those rations from the northern frontier. Tonight, I’m going to make up for all the grease I’ve missed these past few days!”
She named more than a dozen delicacies in one breath, speaking faster and faster as she went.
After Xu Wuyou finished listening, he lifted the cup of warm wine before him.
Xu Zhan also stopped tending the coals.
The two brothers exchanged a glance.
Then the room erupted in laughter.
Seeing this, Xu Qinghuan gave two sheepish little laughs as well.
For a moment, the laughter of the three siblings mingled together.
