Eighty-five, Li Banshuang

Li Yihe stood at the gate, watching Li Zuo’s figure appear on the street. Beaming, she hurried over at once. “Brother.”

“Yihe, why are you not in your room?” Li Zuo asked, seeing that his sister was in an exceptionally cheerful mood today.

“Brother, I heard the Emperor is choosing consorts?” Yihe naturally slipped her arm through his.

“You know news quickly, do you? Yes.” Li Zuo affectionately stroked her hair.

“Oh, Brother, I’m grown now. Don’t keep patting my head like I’m a little dog, all right?” Yihe cooed, leaning against him.

“Speak.” Li Zuo knew what was on her mind, but he did not think well of entering the palace.

“Brother, I want to go into the palace.” Yihe looked at him seriously.

The siblings had already gone into the study. It was the very study once used by Pan Yueyang, though the furnishings had changed greatly.

“At first I did not intend to let you enter the palace, but if you are determined, then go.” Li Zuo looked at his sister with concern.

“Thank you, Brother.” With a maiden’s dream cradled in her heart, Yihe’s face shone; yet she could still faintly sense Li Zuo’s dissatisfaction. “Brother, I know what you are worried about. The imperial harem is a place of intrigue and scheming; with so many women, trouble is inevitable. But please rest assured, I will fight my way to a future for the Li family.”

“Hmph. You know what I am worried about. The Li family does not need such things. Still, Yihe, do you know why I agreed to let you enter the palace this time?” Li Zuo thought it best to explain everything clearly.

“Why?” Yihe suddenly felt that Li Zuo had something he wished to tell her.

“The Emperor wants one woman to enter the palace. He met her when he was taking Moon City. Her background is rather special, so the Emperor hopes I can help her.” Li Zuo tried to keep his explanation simple.

“Brother Cang Hai already has someone he likes?” How had she not known? Yihe looked at Li Zuo, somewhat disappointed.

“I think so. The Emperor feels it would be best to first have her recognized as my sworn sister, and then have you and her enter the palace together. Her name will also be changed.”

Yihe’s lips twitched. She lowered her head and thought for a long while. At last she said, “Brother, then let us enter the palace together.”

“You agree?” Li Zuo had not expected his sister to feel so deeply for Guan Canghai. This was plainly using Yihe’s identity to send his own woman into the palace.

“Yes.”

Yihe said no more. Turning around, she left the study alone.

She would surely win Brother Canghai for herself. What mattered if he brought a woman into the palace too? Pride stirred in her heart. Since that woman must enter the palace under a special identity, then her true identity must be a secret. Otherwise, why not enter as a palace maid? Why insist on being Li Zuo’s sworn sister? And most important of all, why must she change both name and surname? How suspicious that was. This woman was definitely no ordinary person. She would make sure to meet her properly.

Yaner had not expected Mu Bai and Zizhan to leave the imperial city so smoothly. Perhaps she had worried too much; Guan Canghai had never entertained any thoughts about Zizhan at all. Still, it was best to prepare for the worst. Looking at the empty bed, with no Zizhan lying there obediently, snoring in sleep, no Zizhan bursting into tears because he was hungry or wet, she seemed to feel that her life had lost so much.

Li Zuo came early in the morning to the inn to bring Yaner back to the residence. When Yaner slowly descended the stairs, Li Zuo saw on her face a sorrow that was hard to erase.

“Just you?” he asked.

Yaner said nothing, only nodded. As Li Zuo had guessed, there was indeed something on her mind.

“Li Chuxia... come.”

Yesterday, on a whim, Li Zuo had thought of the season and given her the name Chuxia, for it was early summer, and he had met Yaner at just that time.

“Li Banshuang.” Yaner looked at Li Zuo. Of course she was unwilling to hide even her true surname merely to keep herself alive.

“So be it. As you wish.” Li Zuo did not care about a name.

The road was so familiar that even without Li Zuo beside her, she could have found the Grand Commandant’s residence. Yaner raised her head to look at the plaque above the gate, then went in without hesitation.

Along the way, Li Zuo remained silent. He merely watched Yaner’s expression.

“Brother, is this your sworn sister?” Li Yihe had long been waiting in the study. At the first sound of footsteps, she straightened in her seat, eager to see the woman whom Guan Canghai had never forgotten.

Sure enough, when Yaner appeared before Li Yihe, she could not help but start. What a beauty she was, truly, but there was not the least trace of joy on her face; instead, it was marked by far too much anxiety.

“This is my younger sister, Li Yihe,” Li Zuo introduced first.

Li Yihe? The name suddenly reminded Yaner of Feng He. Did women with the character for lotus in their names all move her so deeply? Yaner smiled at Li Yihe. The girl seemed only fifteen or sixteen, her whole being radiant with the light of youth.

As for herself, she was now almost twenty, and no longer possessed the innocent heart of a maiden.

“Elder Sister.” Li Yihe’s sweet voice drew Yaner back.

“Yihe, what a beautiful name.”

“Yihe still does not know Elder Sister’s name.” Li Yihe kept smiling sweetly.

“Li Banshuang.” Yaner gave her name.

“Banshuang?” Li Yihe frowned slightly.

“Yes.” Yaner looked at the study, so familiar yet so altered; the furnishings had all been replaced, and their positions changed. Once, this had been the place where Pan Yueyang spent the most time in the residence...

“All right, have a maid escort you to your room. In three days, you and Yihe will enter the palace. Let Yihe tell you the details.” Li Zuo left the study.

All the way, Yaner walked side by side with Li Yihe. Yihe was no longer as talkative as when they first met. She merely explained the palace etiquette in simple terms, though her sweet voice and smile never left her face. Yaner did not listen closely, only nodding from time to time.

In the blink of an eye, it was the morning of the third day. Before dawn had fully broken, Yaner was awakened by a maid. During these three days, she had not slept peacefully either. Several maids came and went, carrying many clothes and ornaments into the room.

Looking at the scene, Yaner suddenly recalled the day of her first marriage. It had been at this very hour that Xiaoyu had awakened her; half-asleep, she had sat here watching the maids bustle in and out on her behalf. If she could return to the past, she would wish that nothing had happened that day, and that she had simply married Mo Nanzhu and lived an ordinary, peaceful life forever.

The maid carefully put makeup on Yaner’s face, then arranged her hair into a tall coiffure. The young maid was deft indeed.

“What is your name?” Yaner asked.

“Replying to Miss, this servant is called Liu’er,” the maid answered, continuing her work with practiced hands.

“How long have you been here?” Though Yaner had lived in the general’s residence for more than a year, she had always been somewhat reclusive by nature and had never known many of the people here.

“This servant has only been in the residence for a short while.”

“Oh...” Yaner was a little disappointed. She had thought perhaps some of the old servants might still remain.

“What is the matter, Miss?” Thinking she had done something wrong, Liu’er was frightened at Yaner’s suddenly dimmed expression.

“Nothing. I was just thinking of some old matters. By the way, are all the maids here new?” Yaner smiled and picked up a pair of earrings from the dressing table.

“Do you like these earrings, Miss? Then this servant will help you put them on.” Liu’er took them and carefully replaced the pair on Yaner. “There are still some of the old servants left in the residence, though some have also gone. This servant is new and does not know very well.”

“Oh? Then do you know a maid called Xiaoyuan?” Yaner asked as if absentmindedly.

“Xiaoyuan? May I ask, Miss, what is your relationship with her...” Liu’er smiled lightly, glancing at Yaner’s reflection in the bronze mirror. “Miss is truly as lovely as a celestial maiden.”

“Her parents said their daughter worked in the former general’s residence, and today I happened to remember her.”

“Oh, then the Xiaoyuan you speak of may not be the same person as the one in our residence.” Liu’er looked at Yaner with regret.

Seeing that Liu’er’s expression was not quite right, Yaner seemed to sense that this Xiaoyuan must have some unspeakable matter attached to her, and asked again, “How so?”

“Our master also took pity on this girl, so he kept her in the back courtyard to wash clothes and do odd jobs. I heard she was once a servant in the former dynasty’s residence. She somehow offended one of her masters and was... in a terrible state.” Liu’er could not help showing a look of sympathy. “We are all about the same age. When we occasionally see one another, I think that the old acquaintance the Miss knows would certainly not have such a thin fate.”

“Can you bring her here?” Yaner, hearing Liu’er speak thus, became even more certain that this Xiaoyuan was the second maid who had once served her. Thinking of Feng He, who had died wrongfully because of her, she wondered whether Xiaoyuan had also failed to escape misfortune.

“That would not be proper, Miss. Today is an especially auspicious day. It would be inconvenient for you to see her.” Liu’er hurriedly knelt down, afraid that Xiaoyuan might bring bad luck to her mistress’s fine day. Though Li Banshuang was only the master’s sworn sister, she had been entered into the palace registers. Who could say that in the future she might not become someone above ten thousand others?

“I say, just bring her to see me. If I only take a look, I can rest easy, and if she truly is a daughter of old acquaintances, I will have an explanation for them in the future.” Yaner’s face darkened as she spoke, assuming the dignity of a mistress.

“Yes.” Liu’er was adept at reading expressions and said no more.

Xiaoyuan was brought into the room by Liu’er. Seeing the back of the woman seated before the dressing table, Xiaoyuan felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity, but she still did not dare raise her head. She kept her disfigured face lowered, afraid of frightening anyone.

“Come, Xiaoyuan, do not be afraid. This is the young lady of our residence. Hurry and bow to her,” Liu’er said, tugging at Xiaoyuan’s sleeve. The poor girl was always one of the objects of their mistresses’ concern.

“This servant Xiaoyuan pays respects to the young lady.” Xiaoyuan knelt trembling on the floor, not daring even to breathe.

Yaner’s body stiffened. It was Xiaoyuan! That lovely, kind girl.

“Liu’er, first take everyone out. I want to ask her something.” Yaner forced the tremor from her voice.

When Xiaoyuan heard the lady’s voice, it was like a bolt from a clear sky. She forgot the ugly scar on her face and suddenly rose to stare at the woman’s back.