Chapter Thirteen: Idle Thoughts

Jing Xun was in such high spirits today, likely because he had spent the day on the lake with his beloved. It seems he truly is quite fond of that Lady Wan.

The young County Princess was also in a good mood today. She took out her handkerchief and, after a moment of thought, embroidered a zongzi onto it. It was not fully peeled, with a vibrant green reed leaf tucked beneath the sticky rice dumpling. A slice had been cut into the top, revealing the honeyed hue of a jujube inside. It was the sweetest zongzi she had ever tasted in her life.

After finishing their evening meal, they stood for a while by the window of the Panyue Pavilion. The day had faded; the bustle that once filled the air swirled over the surface of the Ba River and gradually drifted away. As the lanterns were lit, the busyness of the boats on the river became more distinct—a constant stream of glowing lights moving into the distance or approaching from afar, never ceasing.

Ke Mingxu was watching the boats. The County Princess watched the view outside for a moment, but then her gaze drifted to him, fixed in a daze. The name "Ke Mingxu of the Ke family" carried great weight in Yanjing, and indeed, throughout the entire Yan-Liang realm. Yet, she had never seemed to notice him before, occupied only with the trivial pursuits of food and play. But once her attention was caught, it was as if she could never look away again; she couldn't even bear to shift her gaze.

She had always considered herself a child, and others treated her as one too. This way, when she made mistakes, no one took them to heart. Now, however, she regretted being so young. She hadn't even hosted a Spring Banquet, let alone considered the prospect of marriage. She didn't even know if he had a wife or was betrothed to someone else. It would be many years before she came of age, and she worried whether he might fall for someone else in the meantime. At this thought, her heart ached—a sensation she had never experienced before.

Ke Mingxu appeared to be watching the boats with great concentration, or perhaps his mind was elsewhere, for he never noticed that Jing Hu had been watching him all along. When he finally noticed and turned to look at her, he was first slightly perplexed, then a smile touched his lips. He reached out and brushed a stray grain of sticky rice from her chin.

"How did you get food on your chin without realizing it?"

The inexplicable tears that had been gathering in Jing Hu's eyes turned into bashfulness. She had always been somewhat unobservant, even as a child. The sticky rice must have clung to her when she was eating the zongzi earlier; she truly hadn't noticed.

Standing by the window, the summer night breeze blew past, and his fingers felt slightly cool against her skin. Though she hadn't felt the grain of rice, she could feel the warmth of his fingertips—a truly wondrous experience.

Jing Hu remained silent. Ke Mingxu seemed to realize his gesture had been improper and said, "It is getting late. The Crown Prince will likely not return, so we should head back."

Though she felt a pang of sadness, it was not directed at him. She wanted to be well-behaved today so that when she went out again, she would be able to see him once more. Thus, the young County Princess quickly adjusted her mood and happily let him escort her back to the manor.

Thinking of this, she embroidered a plump white grain of rice next to the zongzi. She wondered if, when she eventually returned the handkerchief to him, he would remember this moment. It was the first time he had touched her voluntarily. Although it was only for a fleeting moment—not nearly as long as when she had led him through the garden toward the Fangshi Pavilion—she cherished that moment in her heart.

After finishing the embroidery, it was time for bed. Usually, when she had nothing on her mind, she would gaze at the canopy of her bed for a while before drifting off to sleep. But now, she was a County Princess with a troubled heart. She pondered the question she had contemplated at Panyue Pavilion.

If Ke Mingxu had no wife, that would be for the best. Even if a marriage proposal were to arise later, she could find a way to wait until she was old enough to be betrothed. But if he already had a wife, what should she do? She couldn't force them to divorce just so she could become a second wife, could she? She feared her father and mother would never permit it. And what if... what if he had children?

At this thought, she sat bolt upright. Her maid, Doulu, heard the movement and hurriedly lit the silver lamp to check on her. The County Princess meant to say it was nothing, but she felt restless and asked, "Doulu, have you ever liked someone?"

Doulu found the question strange but answered smoothly, "I have."

Jing Hu became intrigued. "Who do you like? What kind of person are they?"

Doulu set the lamp on the table and walked over to the County Princess. "This servant likes the County Princess best. You know what kind of person you are, my lady."

Jing Hu was momentarily speechless. Of course her own maid would like her. Besides, she felt she treated them well. Although she often won their monthly wages playing bone tiles—making Baolan cry in frustration—she would later reward them with other gifts, so it wasn't as if she were taking advantage of them. But that wasn't the kind of liking she meant.

"What kind of liking?" Doulu blinked, thinking her mistress had been acting strange lately. She couldn't quite put her finger on it—ah, yes, she hadn't played bone tiles in half a month. "Is it like the way you like playing bone tiles? But that is exactly how I feel about you, my lady. I spend more time with you than you spend playing those games."

Jing Hu glanced at Doulu. She had always known this girl was a bit simple-minded, but she hadn't realized that even though Doulu was two years her senior, she was even less enlightened about these matters than she was.

Since she couldn't sleep, instead of letting her mind wander, she decided to find some amusement. Jing Hu rubbed her hands together. "Doulu, go and secretly call Ganqing and Baolan. Let's play bone tiles."

Doulu thought to herself that the County Princess was finally returning to normal. Usually, when she was grounded, she would wait for nightfall to summon them. However— "I fear Sister Ganqing may not want to come. If I may speak plainly, the stakes you set last time were too high; you won a whole year's salary from Sister Baolan."

"Even though you rewarded her with a bracelet later, a servant cannot easily trade a gift from their master for money, so she has been having a hard time lately."

Jing Hu felt a sudden wave of sorrow. Her servants were as short of money as she was; they were truly companions in misfortune. However, she picked up the purse her third brother, Jing Xun, had given her earlier. "Your mistress has money today! We shall gamble with my money!"

Calculating it all, winning money through bone tiles was too slow. It seemed this third brother's purse was the easiest to swindle. Perhaps she should think of a way to coax more money out of him?