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The scholar called out. “You two have easily guessed two riddles. Don’t you want to guess another one?” Huo Cheng Jun’s eyes coldly flicked across the palace lantern Yun Ge liked, then strode away.

The scholar picked up the bamboo lot Meng Jue had written halfway on, his voice anxious. “This riddle had been around for the past three years but till this year, no one had managed to guess it. I think this gentleman looks very clever, don’t you want to give it a try?”

Liu Bing Yi called out to Huo Cheng Jun. “Miss Huo, since we are here, why don’t we play all we want, since this comes only once a year. If you don’t mind, would missy accept my help to help missy guess those riddles?” Huo Cheng Jun stood silently for a while, then nodded. “You’re right, just this once.” She cheered herself up, smiled at the scholar. “Your riddle here really has been around unsolved for three years?” The scholar puffed up with pride “Of course!”

Liu Bing Yi smiled “We don’t want this palace lantern of yours, have you got any others? If one of these lanterns catches this missy’s eye, then I’ll solve your riddle. If not, then we’ll go elsewhere.” The scholar looked at the palace lantern hanging above, not understanding what was wrong with that lantern. He thought for a while, then bent down and started rummaging through his box of lanterns.

At Liu Bing Yi’s words, Huo Cheng Jun couldn’t help but to stare at Liu Bing Yi. The Liu Bing Yi of today was no longer the idle wanderer of Chang An, no longer looking poor at all. His hair was tied up in a blue pearl headdress, clad in a deep blue robe and court official boots on his feet. He didn’t hang jade ornaments on his waist like other officials, but instead, from his waist hung a short dagger, emphasizing his charm and handsome figure.

The scholar carried out a box, opening it with a flourish and took out an octagon palace lantern with ta.s.sels. The design was exactly the same as the lantern Yun Ge was admiring but the handiwork was even better. The lantern’s boning was made from the rare white Ling Shan bamboo, the eight sides made of Bing Jiao silk, with eight drawings embroidered on each panel, depicting the legend of Chang-Er. The woman in the drawing was beautiful, her posture graceful. Her expression whether happy, troubled, angry or sad was as animated as any human, the quality on par to those imperial lanterns used in the palace, and even more exquisite.

Huo Cheng Jun was still a young lady, although her thoughts more complicated than other girls her age, but all humans naturally are attracted to beauty, so how could she not like such a beautiful palace lantern? Furthermore, this lantern was even better than the one Yun Ge liked. The more she carried the lantern, the better she liked it. She admired it for a while before reluctantly returning it to the scholar.

Seeing this, Liu Bing Yi smiled at the scholar saying “Pa.s.s me your riddle!” The scholar pa.s.sed the bamboo lot over and Liu Bing Yi saw that the words “Hidden scent, clear snow [9]” were written on the front, the back had ‘Guess one character’ written on it. He thought hard for a while, having a vague idea but couldn’t be sure of his answer. Huo Cheng Jun thought for a while but couldn’t crack the riddle. She refused to think any longer, only staring silently at Liu Bing Yi.

When the scholar saw that Liu Bing Yi didn’t answer immediately like the previous two riddles, he couldn’t help but be proud and disappointed at the same time. Liu Bing Yi flipped the lot back to the front again and saw the incomplete sentence Meng Jue had started “Hidden scent encompa.s.sing….”

The scholar asked with an air of puzzlement “I don’t know what that gentleman earlier meant; the answer is only one word, why was he writing a whole sentence?” This was enough confirmation for Liu Bing Yi that his answer was right, also understanding why Meng Jue would write that sentence. Meng Jue must have been upset that this scholar was making things difficult for Yun Ge and was intending to ‘return’ his prideful words to him, taking him down a notch.

Liu Bing Yi smiled and lifted the brush, wanting to continue Meng Jue’s sentence but suddenly feeling a little uncomfortable and dejected. So he thought for a while before starting anew besides Meng Jue’s line, writing “Hidden scent encompa.s.sing clear snow, deep and shallow”.

Once he was done, he looked upon his own words with a smile, pa.s.sing the bamboo lot back to the scholar, taking the lantern directly and presenting it to Huo Cheng Jun with both hands. He then bowed and said. “I hope missy will like this.” The crowd that had gathered to watch all laughed and clapped. They saw Huo Cheng Jun’s simple dressing and Liu Bing Yi’s elegant n.o.bleman getup and a.s.sumed that it was another coincidental meeting and interesting story, like any other Lantern Festival.

Huo Cheng Jun had received many valuable presents in her life, but this was the first time she received such a present. When she heard the crowd shouting “Accept, accept”, she felt that it was against her n.o.blewoman upbringing but a strange interest sprung up in her heart, so she shyly bowed to Liu Bing Yi “Many thanks, mister.” When she got up, she accepted the palace lantern with both hands. Liu Bing Yi smiled in acknowledgement, Huo Cheng Jun felt slightly embarra.s.sed, hurriedly squeezing her way out of the crowd holding the lantern with the crowd still teasing them. Liu Bing Yi hurriedly followed.

The scholar held the bamboo lot, muttering to himself, staring at his riddle. “Hidden scent, clear snow”, then glanced at Meng Jue’s incomplete answer “Hidden scent encompa.s.sing….encompa.s.sing clear snow.” Finally, he looked at Liu Bing Yi’s, smiling as he read “’Hidden scent encompa.s.sing clear snow, deep and shallow.’ Excellent, excellent! They guessed well, and matched the riddle well!” Meng Jue and Liu Bing Yi’s answers were using riddles to answer the riddle, all three answers were aimed at that one character, but each sentence better than the last.

The scholar didn’t mind Liu Bing Yi’s insult at him, praising “Mister is truly….” When he looked up, he could no longer find Liu Bing Yi or Huo Cheng Jun, only the never ending crowd on the street remained.

Someone wanted to throw coins to guess riddles, but the scholar waved them off. The guest was unhappy but in an instant, that weak scholar from before suddenly turned into an authoritative figure. Fear filled that guest’s heart, and he went away grumbling. The scholar started to pack the lanterns, preparing to leave.

To have met those four people tonight meant that this trip was not made in vain. This earth that made his father die still longing for it, and his mother to kill herself in depression was indeed full of talents!

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Yun Ge was dragged by Meng Jue out of the lantern festivities.

Mo Cha, Fu Yu tried to block him, but Qi Xi remembered another strange order by Supervisor Yu: If Meng Jue and Yun Ge were together, they were not to go near or disturb them. It seemed like Supervisor Yu could predict the future like a G.o.d too, how else would he have known that Yun Ge would run into Meng Jue? Qi Xi bade everyone to follow Yun Ge from afar, out of hearing distance but at a distance where they could still see her.

Meng Jue walked with Yun Ge for some distance, his anger and surprise when he first heard Huo Cheng Jun’s words slowly calming down, instead felt a sense of amus.e.m.e.nt and even more so, a sense of helplessness.

“Why are you out alone when you haven’t even recovered?”

“This is my problem, why should you care?”

“Have you been coughing of late?”

“Why should you care?”

Meng Jue couldn’t be bothered to talk anymore, one hand reaching out for Yun Ge’s wrist to take her pulse, the other hand dealing with Yun Ge’s struggle. After a while, he let go of her, sinking deep in thought. “Tell Physician Zhang to stop with the acupuncture. Recently, I have been helping you make a scented powder; whenever you cough in the middle of the night, interrupting your sleep, throw a bunch of it into the incense burner.”

Yun Ge scoffed, indicating that she didn’t want to accept his good intentions.

Meng Jue adjusted Yun Ge’s cloak for her. “Although today is a warm day, but you still can’t remain outside for too long. I’ll send you back.” But Yun Ge remained standing there, the anger on her face turning into one of awkwardness.

Meng Jue asked “Has something happened in the palace?” Yun Ge wanted to smile, but failed “Nothing happened in the palace, I…. I just wanted to ask a favour of you.” Meng Jue replied concisely “Speak”.

“His majesty would like to summon Da Gong Zi to Chang An. He was afraid Da Gong Zi wouldn’t come, so he hoped you could persuade him to.”

This is the reason why you’re standing in front of me? Meng Jue smiled, but his eyes were unusually bright. “Impossible. If his majesty wishes to summon, then he should summon away. Whether Prince He of Changyi agrees to come or not is his own decision, and has nothing to do with me.”

“His majesty definitely doesn’t mean harm.”

“It doesn’t concern me.”

Yun Ge sputtered angrily. “How then, will it concern you?”

Meng Jue wanted to say “No matter what, it still doesn’t concern me”, but he remained silent for a while before asking “Why did he rest on your pallet?”

“You…..” Yun Ge patted her chest, reminding herself not to get angry, “Meng Jue, you really are not a gentleman.”

“Did I ever tell you I was one?”

Since she was the one begging the favour, she had to answer him, so Yun Ge replied truthfully but crossly. “There was one night we both couldn’t sleep so we were talking and eating on my pallet. Then, we just somehow fell asleep.”

“It isn’t a surprise that he couldn’t sleep. The day he sleeps peacefully would mean something was wrong. But you are someone who once asleep, would sleep extremely soundly, why couldn’t you fall asleep?”

Yun Ge bowed her head, not replying. Meng Jue saw that Yun Ge wasn’t replying so he changed the question “When did this happen?”

It so happened that Yun Ge and Liu Fu Ling were counting how many days were left to the New Year, so she answered readily “Third day of the twelve lunar month”.

Meng Jue asked for the date to see what happened during that period of time that would cause Yun Ge to lose sleep over it. After thinking for a moment, he couldn’t think of anything significant that happened in or out of the palace. He was just about to ask Yun Ge when it suddenly occurred to him that day was the first time Liu Bing Yi met Liu Fu Ling; Xu Ping Jun had begged him to check on Liu Bing Yi’s safety in the palace.

As Meng Jue remembered that glimpse of skirts along the corridor of Wen s.h.i.+ Hall, the sharp edge in his eyes slowly softened. Yun Ge saw that his expression was still as cold as ever and said scornfully “Meng Jue, what right do you have to care about Huo Cheng Jun’s words?” “Who said I cared? May I remind you that you’re the one asking me a favour, so please mind your language.”

Yun Ge turned away with a flick of her sleeves. She walked for a bit before stopping abruptly, took a deep breath, then gently patted her cheeks, pasted on a smile, and turned back to Meng Jue. “Master Meng, what conditions do you have?” Meng Jue stared contemplatively at Yun Ge. “This matter is really important to him.”

Yun Ge smiled “Since you have already figured out its importance, you may now state your condition.”

“First answer a question: There are so many princes and grandsons that bear the name of Liu, why only summon Prince He of Changyi? Why should I trust him?”

Yun Ge’s fake smiled vanished and said gravely, “Meng Jue, I beg you to trust me, I promise on my life that Liu He will not come to any harm in Chang An, and might only gain from coming.” She felt like she might have had said too much, so she added “His majesty will definitely not harm him, but as for others who might, I’m sure he has the ability to protect himself from those people.”

Meng Jue mulled over it. Yun Ge’s eyes never wavered from him. After a while, Meng Jue said “Fine, I’ll trust you.” Meng Jue said he would ‘trust’ her, not ‘promise’ her, so Yun Ge asked “What do you want me to do? You’re a smart businessman; don’t go quoting a price you know I can’t afford.”

He thought for a while before saying “Within the year, you’re not allowed to be affectionate with him, you cannot embrace him, or kiss him, or sleep on the same pallet as him, you can’t do anything.” “Meng Jue, you….” Yun Ge’s face was flushed red.

Meng Jue smiled. “Since those Han Confucian values have been deeply ingrained in him, if he truly values you, as long as you are not his wedded wife, he will not touch you. But, I don’t have much faith in you.” “Meng Jue, what kind of person do you think I am?” Meng Jue’s eyes darkened, but the smile on his face never waved. “I once said, I don’t make promises easily but once I do I will never rescind them. The promise I made to you, I will definitely fulfill it.”

Yun Ge shot Meng Jue a puzzled look, was anyone else in the world as difficult to figure out as him?

Meng Jue smiled blandly, “You only have to answer me now, ‘yes’ or ‘no’.”

Yun Ge stood there in a daze. Using one year as his deadline, Meng Jue must have found out about the one year promise with Ling Ge Ge that she told Xu Jie Jie, but what Ling Ge Ge is about to do is definitely beyond his expectations. In the future, whether Liu Bing Yi or Liu He ascends the throne, based on Meng Jue’s relations.h.i.+p with them, he will be in a strong position, with the whole of Han displayed before him, where would he come up with the time to bother about me? Anyway, it is only one year.

Meng Jue looked at the dazed Yun Ge, and continued with a smile. “Also, I forbid you do tell anyone about our promise, especially his majesty.” Yun Ge rolled her eyes, also smiling as she said “Fine, I promise you. If I go back on my word, may I…may I not find happiness in this life.” Meng jue nodded “I’ll send you back.”

In the carriage, Yun Ge didn’t speak, so neither did Meng Jue, so only the squeaking of the carriage wheels filled the silence.

Just as they were about to reach the palace gates, Meng Jue said “I’ll send you up to this point! There should be people sent by Supervisor Yu to receive you now.” He got off the carriage once he was done. Yun Ge lifted up the curtain “This is very far from your residence; let me get Fu Yu to send you back in the carriage. I can just walk over.”

Meng Jue tenderly said “No need, I just want to walk alone. Yun Ge, take care of yourself. Don’t care too much about other people, especially the people in the palace. Don’t trust any of them.” Yun Ge smiled “Meng Jue, why do you still not understand? You and I, we’re different.”

The faint smile on Meng Jue’s lips seemed self-deprecating, “My problem isn’t that I don’t understand you, but that I know you even better than I think.”

Yun Ge was stunned.

Meng Jue turned and walked into the darkness.

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[1] Taiyi G.o.d: the G.o.d who was the master of the universe.

[2] 15th of the first lunar month was Lantern festival, 15th of the seventh lunar month was the Hungry Ghost Festival, 15th of the tenth lunar month calendar was the Water Lantern Festival.

[3] Yu Shan means an elegant bird cage

[4] Tian w.a.n.g means the Prince/King of Heaven

[5] About 4 kilometers or so.

[6] As the character for 皇(referring to Emperor/Imperial-) is the same as 黄 (surname), it could also be a h.o.m.onym, referring to Liu Fu Ling as Master Huang instead of his majesty so their listeners wouldn’t know less, but since TH didn’t change the Chinese character, I shall use his imperial highness, referring to those gentlemen connected to the imperial family.

[7] Chinese characters are amazing because they can be taken apart in riddles to form a new word. ‘Regard the people as valuable’ – the Emperor knows his people as 天下 (the land under heaven, literally means under heaven). The word under the top stroke ‘一’forms ‘大’. ‘the court officials as not’ – court officials meet in court ‘above people’ known as ‘堂上’(in court, lit meaning on top of court). On top of the character 堂 is the word ‘小’. See if you can spot it.

[8] 念念不忘 – an idiom that means to bear in mind constantly, to constantly think of

[9] Was curious when I read this and went to find the answer on Baidu. Readers have cracked the riddle, though Tong Hua never verified it but I think it is legit. Hidden scent 暗香 , so hidden away the 日 from ‘香’(scent) you get ‘禾’,Clear Snow 晴雪',the character‘雪’(snow), clear skies would mean no rain (‘雨’), so you have to take that part away from the character, getting 彐. Join them together and you get 秉 (power and authority)[DUN DUN! FORESHADOWING], that is why Meng Jue used ‘encompa.s.s’ to show them being joined together, hence oneupping the scholar’s ‘brilliant’ riddle, showing that Meng Jue was the better one. That was how he intended to take him down a notch. Liu Bing Yi added deep and shallow to show which character was on top and which was at the bottom. Such brilliance, huh.

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