Chapter Two: One Bamboo

“Jingling, are you going to play dominoes or not?”

Having just witnessed the city’s top scholar parading through the streets, Jinghu now lounged lazily on an imperial couch in Princess Zhenning’s chamber. Yet her mind was still tangled in thoughts about what had happened earlier at Zhengyang Gate.

Until now, she had never experienced such strange feelings. After all, she was a well-traveled young county lady of over a dozen years, worldly and wise. But what had come over her today?

Recalling the smile of that man just now, she found herself blushing involuntarily. Ke Mingxu—that was his name, right? Perhaps she ought to find a way to learn more about him.

Jinghu’s train of thought was interrupted by Princess Zhenning’s teasing tone. Seeing that they had already arranged the dominoes, Jinghu shook her head, trying to banish those odd thoughts.

She stood up and strode fiercely toward the table. Having been confined at home for a month, she had come out today with the sole purpose of winning money!

The three young ladies laughed at Jinghu’s fierce determination.

Jinghu threw out a warning, “Laugh all you want, but if you lose to me later, no crying.”

The game went back and forth for several rounds. She reached out and touched a tile—a one-dot piece.

Its alternating red and green colors made her feel increasingly as if it were the very red flower she had dropped earlier.

Startled by her own thoughts, Jinghu’s face changed drastically as she quickly threw the tile away.

Princess Zhenning picked up the tile, adding it to her own pile, then pushed her hand forward proudly. “What’s gotten into our little Mahjong goddess of Yanjing today? You’re even daring to claim tiles from the Dowager. How come you’re feeding me your tiles so generously?”

Irritated, Jinghu shoved the tiles away. “Not playing anymore. Not playing. I’m feeling too troubled today.”

Li Yi smiled. “That wasn’t how you felt when we first arrived at the city tower just now. After watching the top scholar parade, everyone was happy, but you’ve turned gloomy?”

Jinghu wanted to protest, to find some excuse, but didn’t know what to say. Instead, she linked arms with Qingrou beside her.

“You all are no good. Only our Qingjie is a good child—she understands when I’m troubled and doesn’t tease me,” she said, reaching out to stroke Qingrou’s head.

Qingrou dodged playfully and teased back, “Jingling, are you troubled because of my cousin? Well, I suppose that’s only natural. After all, few young ladies in Yanjing don’t dream of him.”

Jinghu initially tried to deny it, but Qingrou’s words stirred a little worry. “Your cousin… is he… married?”

Qingrou exchanged a glance with Princess Zhenning, both wearing sly smiles. “Haven’t you ever seen my cousin? Your sister-in-law is his own sister, so your families are related.”

The sister-in-law Qingrou spoke of was Ke Mingbi, wife of Jinghu’s elder brother Jing Shen.

It wasn’t as if Jinghu had never heard Ke Mingxu’s name before; after all, he was the top scholar of the nation, the foremost genius of the Songshi Academy in Yanjing.

Year after year, at poetry gatherings filled with talents, he always took the top prize.

But if Jinghu had ever cared about anyone, it had never been him. Since age five, when her grandmother, the Dowager Princess Yongning, first set her on her lap to teach her dominoes, all her interests had revolved around this game.

By the time she reached eight or nine, even the elderly ladies who had played dominoes their whole lives were no match for her.

In the popular pastime of dominoes in Yanjing, she was truly a master of masters. These past few years, she had lived quite well, saving up a tidy allowance, though most of it was gambled away in the betting pavilion.

Yet now, thinking of the few sets of dominoes she treasured in her room, she suddenly found them dull and uninspiring.

Dominoes would never smile at her like those flowers had.

Ke Mingxu was the top scholar among all the nation’s students—so could she not also be considered a female champion in dominoes?

Noticing Jinghu’s wandering thoughts again, Li Yi gently patted her. “Jingling, what do you think of Master Ke’s appearance?”

She had never been fond of reading, and her knowledge was shallow. After thinking for a long moment, she said, “I think he’s… breathtakingly beautiful!”

The three young ladies burst into laughter. Qingrou tugged at her sleeve to steady her. “Breathtakingly beautiful? That phrase is meant for women.”

Li Yi added, “Jingling, you really ought to study more. How could you not even know that?”

Jinghu pinched Li Yi’s arm and retorted with confidence, “Who said I don’t study? You’re the one who needs to read more. ‘Breathtakingly beautiful’ originally describes peonies.”

“It’s extended to describe a woman’s beauty. Why can’t it be used for a man someday? I say, let’s start with me.”

“Just like you all can call this county lady ‘graceful and handsome’ from now on,” Jinghu stood and compared heights with the others.

Her father, Prince Yongning, was tall and stately, one of the finest among the royal clan. She resembled him, standing taller than most girls her age, holding her own among twelve- or thirteen-year-olds.

Having spoken her twisted logic, the young ladies exchanged glances, covering their smiles with their sleeves.

“Alright, alright, graceful and handsome County Lady Jingling,” Li Yi said as she pulled Jinghu back to sit. “Even if you don’t play dominoes, you should find something to do. What shall we do this afternoon?”

Jinghu’s gaze fell on the three red laurels floating in clear water in a nearby flower vase.

Though she didn’t love reading, she wasn’t completely ignorant of the phrase’s meaning. Yet when asked to describe what she saw, that was the only phrase she could think of.

When the top scholar bent down to retrieve her flower and smiled to thank her, she couldn’t tell if the flower made him look better or if he enhanced the flower’s beauty.

Slowly, before the red laurels, Jinghu’s mind pieced together the image of the top scholar. His skin was fair, glowing like white jade in today’s bright sunlight.

Jinghu’s elder brother, Crown Prince Jingxun, was also renowned as a handsome man among the royal family. Though they were half-siblings and their mothers bore deep enmity, he had treated her well—often buying her sweets and smiling at her when she was young.

But his smile was always somewhat frivolous, tinged with world-weariness. Whenever he smiled that way, she wanted to pinch him.

Ke Mingxu’s smile, however, was gentle, steady, and resolute—like a serene spring pool, unruffled but sparkling—always drawing her closer.

Beyond Zhengyang Gate lay the Golden Water Bridge, then the Vermilion Walls, and finally the Golden Throne Hall, where he was to bow in gratitude to Heaven’s grace.

Which meant he was still within the Imperial City now.

He was the dream of many young ladies in Yanjing, but not of her, Jinghu. Then what was this strange feeling stirring in her heart?