Chapter Three: The Silk Handkerchief

Jing Hu stood alone outside the Zhengyang Gate, waiting for Ke Mingxu to emerge from the imperial palace.

Suddenly, she said she wanted to leave. Zhen Ning thought perhaps they had offended her, so she pulled Jing Hu to stay in her hall for quite some time.

The longer Jing Hu lingered in Zhen Ning’s hall, the more anxious she became. Yet fearing ridicule, she dared not say aloud that she intended to wait by Zhengyang Gate to intercept Ke Mingxu.

Though still young, the young county lady was very conscious of her dignity.

Jing Hu paced beneath Zhengyang Gate for a long while, uncertain whether he had yet to appear or had already gone. If he had already left, how would she find him later?

Though she knew he was Ke’s young master, she couldn’t simply go to his residence. But soon, a more pressing question arose in her mind.

What was she looking for him for?

The moment this thought crossed her mind, she wanted to run away. She felt she had lost her senses today. Touching the pouch on her body, she found the two hundred silver taels she had borrowed from Zhen Ning. Perhaps it was best not to wait any longer and instead visit the gambling pavilion first.

Just as Jing Hu took a few steps forward, a sound came from behind her. The city gate opened wide, and the top scholar rode out from the palace on a white horse, his robe still adorned with the national treasure peony she had given him.

It was already dusk. A spring breeze blew, carrying willow catkins from the banks of Jinshui Lake. Jing Hu hated these catkins—they always made her skin itch, which was why she disliked spring.

At this moment, the setting sun cast long shadows beneath the towering city tower. The top scholar stood in the shadow, while Jing Hu was bathed in sunlight.

Dust was insignificant, yet the catkins were visible, fluttering in the gentle light. Jing Hu looked back at Ke Mingxu, who was clearly in the shadows but seemed somehow separate from them.

Her gaze could not waver. Despite the catkins swirling around her, she forgot to flee.

Then, right before him, she sneezed. Embarrassed, she immediately turned away to search for a handkerchief.

But she was always impatient and never did as most refined ladies of Yanjing did—wearing bracelets and tying the handkerchief to them. She simply stuffed her handkerchief into her pouch.

Though she had brought a handkerchief today, when she put her silver notes away earlier, she found the handkerchief cumbersome and left it behind.

So shameful! Should she run before he noticed her?

Fortunately, she hesitated. A fresh scent of pine and cypress wafted toward her as a pale, slender hand extended, “Use this one.”

Jing Hu raised her head, still covering her face. Ke Mingxu was tall; she barely reached his shoulder. But in a few years, she thought, she might grow up to his chin.

The top scholar’s voice was gentle, just like his demeanor. Suddenly, she regretted not having studied more poetry so she could express her feelings with fitting, beautiful words.

Seeing Jing Hu lost in thought, Ke Mingxu smiled and pushed the handkerchief forward. “Take it, young county lady.”

Jing Hu grew even more confused. Perhaps she should rename herself Jing Confused. She had not known him before, and he was not from the Five Cities Military Command; she mostly stayed within the inner court. How would he recognize her?

Seeing she still did not take it, Ke Mingxu did not insist. Smiling again, he turned to lead his horse away.

“Wait,” Jing Hu called out, hand still over her face, and hurried after him.

Ke Mingxu stopped and looked back, waiting patiently for her to speak. “Young county lady, is there something else?”

Jing Hu pointed to the peony on his robe. “This belongs to me.”

Ke Mingxu glanced down at the flower, then gently plucked it off. “Did it fall from the city tower by accident? It would be a pity if the horse trampled it. Now it can be returned intact.”

He offered the crimson top scholar’s peony to her, but she still did not reach out.

Waving her hand, Jing Hu said, “No. Take my flower in exchange for your handkerchief.”

Ke Mingxu seemed good-natured. He said nothing but retrieved the handkerchief and handed it to her.

This time, Jing Hu quickly took it, stepped back a few paces, and wiped her face clean. Then she returned to his side.

“Thank you, Brother Ke. I will wash this handkerchief and return it to you.” She had already decided that if she met him again, this would be how she addressed him.

After all, their families had been longtime acquaintances. Calling him Lord Ke or Young Master Ke felt awkward.

Ke Mingxu apparently did not mind. “It’s just a handkerchief—a small matter. Young county lady need not worry.”

With nothing more to say, he prepared to leave, leading his horse. But Jing Hu showed no intention of parting.

“Brother Ke, where are you headed? Back to the residence of Grand Tutor Ke?”

Ke Mingxu shook his head. “No, I’m going to the mansion of the Grand Princess of Chong’an to see my teacher.”

“Who is your teacher, Brother Ke?” Jing Hu chatted eagerly, gradually forgetting her original question.

“The Grand Princess of Chong’an is my great-great-aunt. She married a great Confucian scholar surnamed Zhou. The Lady of the Dingguo Duke’s Mansion is her daughter. Qingjie of the Dingguo Duke’s Mansion is my cousin; her mother is my aunt. You are her cousin, right?”

Ke Mingxu spoke evenly, “My teacher is Master Zhou Kui, the principal of Songshi Academy. He is the second son of the Grand Princess of Chong’an. Lady Zhou of the Dingguo Duke’s Mansion is her eldest daughter and my teacher’s elder sister.”

“Qingjie’s mother is my grandfather’s youngest sister. Are you close to Qingjie?”

Listening to Ke Mingxu, Jing Hu pondered what to say next. If only, when she waited by the city tower earlier, she had thought about what to say instead of wanting to run.

She hadn’t prepared, yet Ke Mingxu himself posed a question that was easy to answer, one she could expand upon.

“Yes, Qingjie and I are good friends. She is very learned, so when I study at home, I consult her about any problems.”

In truth, she never took her studies seriously. With her father’s support and her mother’s helplessness, becoming close to Qingrou was initially because Qingrou helped her complete her school assignments.

“I often visit the Dingguo Duke’s Mansion. Qingjie now lives in the Chun Suo Pavilion in Xihe Garden. I think Xihe Garden is the most beautiful place in all of Yanjing—better than the imperial gardens. Brother Ke, have you been there?”

Ke Mingxu’s tone remained calm and steady. “My teacher is Master Zhou Kui, the principal of Songshi Academy. He is the second son of the Grand Princess of Chong’an. Lady Zhou of the Dingguo Duke’s Mansion is her eldest daughter and my teacher’s elder sister.”

“Xihe Garden.” Whether it was her imagination or not, when he spoke those three words, his gaze seemed to darken slightly, as if recalling some painful memory. But soon the expression vanished.

“The evening grows late. The Yongning Prince’s Mansion is just ahead. Young county lady, you should go home. I must go see my teacher.”

Jing Hu was so engrossed in conversation that she failed to notice he had already changed direction. Indeed, they were now before the Yongning Prince’s Mansion.

Having reached the doorstep, she could no longer linger to speak with him. Reluctantly, she ascended the steps, glancing back every few steps. “Brother Ke, walk carefully.”

His thoughts seemed elsewhere. He smiled at her finally, then led his horse away.

Only when his figure disappeared beyond the evening clouds did Jing Hu slowly make her way back to her residence, Fangshixuan.