Chapter 5: The Regret of Growing Old Together

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On a stroll down Wutong Street, Zhaojiao not only overheard rumors about Lord Su but also caught some scattered gossip. It was said that after the Princess Royal righteously sent away her consort, her only daughter and Lady Zhaojiao tragically perished in a fire caused by a flooded mourning hall. Understandably, the public could never know that the Princess Royal had killed both her husband and daughter—after all, even a tiger does not eat its own cubs! There were also whispers that the Princess Royal fell gravely ill from overwhelming grief. After her recovery, she moved back to the princess’s mansion, adopted a foster daughter named Nianzhao, who was granted the title of Lady of the Commandery by the emperor. Rumor had it that this girl bore a striking resemblance to Lady Zhaojiao and was innocent and straightforward in nature, much beloved by the Princess Royal, who personally taught her music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, keeping her by her side every day without letting her out of sight… Personally instructing her, never apart day after day… Zhaojiao truly wished to witness this for herself.

“Do you intend to keep walking like this forever?”

Only then did Zhaojiao realize and look back. She found that she and Lord Su had walked such a long way that the palace gates were almost out of sight.

Zhaojiao, stay calm; this won’t do!

Raising her head again, her smile was as warm as the spring breeze.

“What a pity…”

“Do tell.”

Lord Su raised an eyebrow slightly.

A concubine daughter of the Xu family? This was getting more interesting.

“It’s a pity that after walking such a long way, I couldn’t grow old together with Your Lordship.” Zhaojiao looked up at the umbrella she had just handed to Lord Su.

She hadn’t expected those to be her words.

Following her gaze, Lord Su looked up and then relaxed his grip on the umbrella. A smile played on his lips, his starlit eyes like the moon, as the umbrella drifted down gently.

“If only you had said so earlier—my arm would have grown tired holding it up.”

“Do you still want to hear the story you wanted to hear yesterday?” She wasn’t skilled at storytelling and might not tell it well.

Following Zhaojiao’s gaze, they saw a rather secluded teahouse.

“Brewing tea in winter, watching the snow, and listening to stories—there is a unique charm here. This place is quite nice.”

Lord Su spoke as he turned and strode ahead.

Watching his departing figure, Zhaojiao sighed softly, “I’ve never seen anyone look so handsome even in court robes.”

“Is that so? How handsome?”

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The man walking ahead suddenly turned his head.

Zhaojiao gave an embarrassed smile and silently thought, Is he a hawk-eared man? He heard that even though I spoke so quietly.

She composed herself and followed. “Wait in the carriage; no need to come inside.”

“Yes!”

This time, Yun Xiang said no more.

“This teahouse is nice, but it seems business isn’t very good.”

In a private room on the second floor, the window faced the city’s only lake. In the cold winter, mist rose from the surface, and snowflakes scattered beautifully.

Following Lord Su’s gaze, Zhaojiao looked out the window. “The tea here costs several times more than usual teahouses. For business to survive like this is already rare. Lord, you were the one who suggested coming in. When the bill comes, I can’t afford it.”

Though somewhat spoiling the mood, it was better to clarify about money.

She came from a family teahouse and yet had to pay herself—not fitting.

Yin Ling rolled her eyes beside her.

Could their lord really let a woman pay the bill? Who would he look down on?

Lord Su smiled and sipped the tea. “If such an expensive place still stays open, it must have its reasons. I heard you’re getting married in a couple of days?”

He didn’t hide that he had indeed looked into her background.

“Perhaps,” Zhaojiao said ambiguously. As a shrewd businesswoman, she could guess the Lu family had already caught wind of the news.

Lord Su lowered his head, playing with the teacup, his posture casual yet tinged with laziness.

“You’re bold to try to use me.”

“Not at all!” She lowered her head and furrowed her brows.

Lord Su’s smile never faded. Looking up at Zhaojiao, his gaze grew deeper.

“Do you think that by clinging to a few clever tricks and holding some leverage over me, you can act recklessly in front of me for your own ends?”

No sooner had he spoken, than Yin Ling’s sword was pressed against Zhaojiao’s shoulder.

Zhaojiao held her teacup steady without a flicker of fear.

“If Your Lordship intended to kill me, why wait until now? What leverage could you possibly have that falls into this little woman’s hands? What a joke.”

With a glance, Lord Su signaled, and Yin Ling withdrew the sword.

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A woman who could keep her eyes steady even with a sword at her throat—how many like her were there in the entire capital?

“Tell me, when did you first meet Lady Hezhao?”

Lord Su set down the teacup, adjusted his posture, stretched his legs back, resting his right hand on his knee and supporting his head with his left, radiating an air of relaxed ease.

Zhaojiao adjusted herself as well, leaning back in the chair with her head propped up.

“I met her when we were young. Sounds unbelievable, doesn’t it? She is the beloved Lady of the Commandery, cherished like a treasure by her father. As for me, just a lowly concubine daughter. Even my own father barely remembers how I look... On the Lantern Festival when I was five, I left the mansion for the first time and by chance met the Lady. She was cradled by the Loyal and Brave Marquis, and when I stared at the sugar painting in her hand, drooling... Later, she would sneak into my backyard through the dog hole to play with me, always bringing different kinds of snacks, things I had never seen before... I still remember the taste of those lotus flower pastries.”

Truth and falsehood blurred together; even she could be fooled by her own words.

“Sounds indeed incredible. Tell me, what is she like in your eyes…”

Lord Su looked genuinely interested.

“She looks strong, but she would secretly hide and cry when her mother refused to hold her. She never cared to be a crown princess, nor did she want to stay in the capital. She disliked all those so-called rules. She loved horseback riding and hunting, hated being taught to act like a proper lady, disliked the delicate steps and the heavy headdresses. Yet, for her mother’s smile, she obediently learned them all… She was especially afraid of the dark… She once had her heart moved by someone, but it was all in vain…”

Zhaojiao rambled on, speaking as the memories came, those fragmented recollections all about herself—how could there be any flaw?

She paused for a long while; the room remained silent.

“Was the one who moved her heart the Fourth Prince, Prince Li?”

Among the princes, the only one titled Prince Li, and the most likely candidate for the crown prince.

Breaking the silence, Lord Su’s gaze shifted repeatedly as he examined Zhaojiao, unable to find any obvious inconsistency. He decided to believe her to some extent.

Meeting his nod, Zhaojiao said, “Yes!”

After all she had said, he only asked about this. It seemed the world enjoyed gossip about romance and intrigue—just as well.

“Then what about this ‘in vain’ part?”

Lord Su looked like a keen gossip.

Zhaojiao lowered her gaze, playing with her sleeve’s edge. “The day the Loyal and Brave Marquis’s mansion had trouble was her coming-of-age ceremony. I was there too, though the Xu family was not invited. She secretly had her maid bring me into her room, saying she wanted to celebrate her birthday with me alone... When the trouble broke out at the Marquis’s mansion, I was inside and heard her arguing with Prince Li in the courtyard. At that time, Prince Li was not yet titled, and it was noisy outside. I only vaguely heard her crying and begging Prince Li to testify for the Marquis, saying he knew what was going on… Suddenly, many palace guards came into the yard… Even in danger, she didn’t forget to have me quietly sent out of the mansion amidst the chaos…”

Half-truths and half-lies—whether Lord Su believed them was another matter.

The play she was about to perform hadn’t yet decided what role Lord Su would play. For now, it was only to resolve her marriage.

If there were other gains, they would be purely incidental.