Jiangnan
Three months later, Jiangnan, Lin'an Prefecture.
It was late spring, the sky shrouded in mist and rain. The bluestone pavement was glossy from the rain, and the weeping willows along the riverbanks were sprouting tender green buds, like clouds of pale green smoke. Black-sailed boats glided leisurely through the narrow waterways, the boatwomen's soft Wu dialect, accompanied by the sound of oars, drifting through the moist air.
In stark contrast to the solemn and majestic capital of the north, everything here exudes a lazy and vibrant vitality.
In the south of the city, in Qinghefang, a small, newly opened shop stood quietly among a row of cosmetics and embroidery shops. On a black lacquered wooden plaque were two powerful and elegant characters: "Xianyue Pavilion."
The shop isn't large, but its furnishings are remarkably elegant. Without the usual bustle and clutter of a typical store, dozens of velvet flower pieces are neatly arranged in a multi-treasure cabinet against the wall. There are simulated plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum, elegant and pure; creative new designs, vibrant and unique; and even several exquisite pieces incorporating jade and glass fragments, radiating a gentle luster under the sunlight filtering through the carved wooden windows. Each piece is vivid and imbued with a unique rhythm, as if it weren't a dead object, but a living spirit.
The shop owner, a woman dressed in simple blue, possessed a beautiful face and a serene demeanor. Most days, she sat by the window in the inner room, facing the sunlight, intently processing the silk and various other materials in her hands. Occasionally, when a customer arrived, she would put down her work and introduce herself to the shop in a gentle voice, her attitude neither overly warm nor cold, possessing a calming composure that was reassuring.
She said her surname was Xu and her name was Xianyue.
The neighbors only knew that this Miss Xu came from the north, that she had excellent craftsmanship, and that she was aloof and reserved, not fond of socializing. Her shop wasn't particularly prosperous, but it didn't seem to lack customers: discerning scholars and elegant ladies, seeking the unique, would always come to her shop, seeking a piece of her handmade, one-of-a-kind velvet flower.
At that moment, Xu Xianyue was inside, making the final adjustments to a nearly completed lotus flower woven with gradient lake blue silk thread. The lotus flower was unfurled, its petals tipped with a hint of almost transparent white, like a water lily just blooming in the morning mist, pure and ethereal.
Her fingertips flew nimbly, her expression focused. Leaving the oppressive yet oppressive prison of Prince Jing's mansion, shedding the heavy shell of "Prince Jing's Consort," she seemed to relax. The lingering coldness between her brows remained, but with less wariness and aloofness, and more of the calmness and contentment of a craftsman.
Wan Cui walked in, holding a cup of freshly brewed Longjing tea, a relaxed smile on her face. "Young lady, another lady has just ordered a hairpin with an orchid pattern. She said she'll come to pick it up on the eighth day of next month."
Xu Xianyue didn't even raise his head, just said "hmm" softly.
Wan Cui placed the tea next to her and looked at her daughter's increasingly radiant face bathed in the waters of Jiangnan. She couldn't help but sigh, "Girl, we made the right decision to come to Jiangnan! Look at you, you look much better than when you were in the palace! There aren't so many rules here, and there aren't so many troubles..."
Xu Xianyue put down the lotus in her hand, picked up the teacup, and gently blew away the foam. The lingering heat blurred her cold eyebrows.
Yes, you’ve come to the right place.
Three months ago, after that confrontation with Xie Wuqi in the workshop, she knew leaving was inevitable. Xie Wuqi's pride wouldn't allow him to forcefully imprison someone so determined to leave, especially after she'd made it clear they weren't on the same path. He acquiesced to her departure, and even when she asked for a new identity and enough money to support herself, he had Jingzhe handle it smoothly and without any difficulty.
Perhaps, that exorcism, that game, had left something different in his heart. Not love, but perhaps more like... respect for an equal opponent, and repayment for a pure favor.
She brought Wan Cui with her, a new travel permit, and enough money to travel south, eventually choosing Lin'an, a city renowned for its silk and handicrafts, rich in culture. She used the money she brought to buy the shop, purchase a small courtyard by the water, and begin a life truly belonging to "Xu Xianyue."
Life was peaceful yet fulfilling. She spent her days with silk, researching new techniques, and trying to incorporate the graceful waters of Jiangnan into her work. Occasionally, she'd venture out, visiting the largest silk shop, listening to the Pingtan (Chinese folk tale) at the alley entrance, or admiring the withered lotus leaves and listening to the rain by the lake. No one knew her past, no one looked at her with either curiosity or sympathy. She was simply a skilled, somewhat aloof velvet flower craftsman.
This is what she wants, a day to "steal a little time off from busy life".
"Miss," Wan Cui hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "Two days ago... I seemed to have seen the Jingzhe guard."
Xu Xianyue's hand holding the teacup paused for a moment, then he regained his composure, took a sip of tea, and said calmly, "You're mistaken."
"Maybe..." Wan Cui scratched her head, "I just saw a back figure from a distance, it looked very similar, but it disappeared in a flash."
Xu Xianyue said nothing more. Whether Jingzhe had actually come or not, she didn't care. Xie Wuqi had sent someone to ensure her safe arrival and settlement; she'd expected it. This was probably the last thing he could do, the bottom line and... explanation. As long as he didn't disturb her life, she was content with peace and quiet.
She put down the teacup and picked up the lake blue lotus again. Her fingertips brushed across the tip of the transparent petals, feeling the quiet and distant rhythm flowing within.
Everything in the capital, the thrilling events in Prince Jing's Mansion, Xie Wuqi's deep and complex eyes... all became like dreams from the previous life, gradually blurring out, replaced by the misty rain of Jiangnan before his eyes and the silk thread in his hands.
She is fine.
Better than ever.
"Wan Cui," she suddenly said, "Let's go to the spice shop in the west of the city tomorrow. I heard they've just received a batch of benzoin from Siam. Maybe we can try blending it into the velvet flowers."
"Oh! Okay!" Wan Cui responded happily.
Outside the window, the drizzle is still falling, hitting the green tiles on the eaves like a lingering melody.
In Xianyue Pavilion, the years are peaceful.
Thousands of miles away in the capital, in the study of Jinglan Courtyard in Prince Jing's Mansion, the candles were lit all night long.
Xie Wuqi stood in front of the huge map, but his eyes did not fall on the marks marking the border fortresses or political enemies, but wandered to the carefully depicted water town in the south with dense rivers.
Jingzhe appeared silently behind him and whispered, "Your Highness, there's a letter from the south. Miss Xu... is doing well, and business at 'Xianyue Pavilion' is stable."
Xie Wuqi didn't look back, but tightened his hands slightly behind his back.
"I see." His voice was low and emotionless.
Jingzhe hesitated for a moment, then added, "Miss Xu seems to... like Lin'an very much."
Xie Wuqi slowly closed his eyes, and the workshop with dim candlelight seemed to appear in front of him again, and the woman holding the velvet flower, with cold and resolute eyes, said to him, "You can't keep me."
As expected, she, like the idle moon she longed for, broke free from all constraints and found the sky that belonged to her.
And he was still trapped under this square courtyard, facing endless intrigues and fighting.
He opened his eyes, and his eyes had regained their bottomless calmness and sharpness.
"Pass the order down," he said, turning around and returning his gaze to the border area on the map. "In three days, I will personally inspect the northern defense line."
"yes!"
Once you have chosen some roads, you have no choice but to continue walking on them.
But the bright moon that had briefly illuminated his dark night eventually fell on the water town in the south of the Yangtze River, which he could never reach again.
Perhaps, the best ending for them is for them to be well on their own.
At least, at this moment.
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