Volume 1, Chapter 52: Long Time No See, Crown Princess Consort

"Crown Prince's Consort, aren't we heading to Cuiping Lane?" Lüliu asked, sitting inside the carriage and lifting the curtain to take a look outside. The route seemed wrong.

Xie Shu also lifted the carriage curtain slightly, her gaze sweeping toward the rear. "Look, that person has been following us the entire way."

Behind the carriage, a stealthy figure flashed past and hid in a nearby alley.

"Who?"

Lüliu hurriedly tried to poke her head out to look, but Xie Shu yanked her back by the arm.

"If you look out like that, won't you be discovered by him?" Xie Shu hooked her arm around Lüliu's. "We'll just take a few detours and shake him off."

The carriage wound its way along, twisting and turning, and ended up circling back and forth outside the main gates of the Pei residence three times.

"Master, the Xie family's carriage has circled the estate gates several times. Should we go and see?" Upon receiving the report from the gatekeeper, Pei Jiuan entered the inner room and spoke to Pei Xuanqing.

Inside the room, the air was filled with the rich fragrance of ink. Behind a screen of cyan gauze, a figure leaned over a desk, practicing calligraphy with a calm and composed mind.

"Has the Marquis of Chengen been up to anything these past few days?" Pei Xuanqing lifted his brush, glancing left and right at his own handwriting. The brushstrokes lacked a bit of spontaneous ease and carried a hint of deliberate effort.

His grandfather often said that his actions were overly impetuous and rash, lacking a sense of detached serenity. If he were to serve as an official, his sharp edge would likely be too fierce to last long.

This remark was something Pei Xuanqing had kept firmly in mind since childhood.

He had never intended to become an official, but this generation of the Pei family needed someone to hold up the family's reputation. Moreover, ever since his grandfather passed away, the Pei family's situation had become somewhat difficult.

"I heard that a thief broke in last night. The Marquis of Chengen's estate conducted a massive and thorough search for quite a long time, but came up empty-handed." Having previously sent people to keep an eye on the Marquis's estate, Pei Jiuan naturally received the news early.

A thief?

He wondered what that little thief had managed to steal.

The corners of Pei Xuanqing's mouth curled into a smile. Thinking of those bright, spirited eyes, a surge of amusement rose within him. "Let's go. Since she couldn't get in, I'll go out and meet her."

People in the capital all thought the Marquis of Chengen was incapable of achieving anything grand, but Pei Xuanqing had encountered him a few times at palace banquets. Judging by his physiognomy—triangular eyes and drooping earlobes—he should be a man with deep ambitions hidden in his heart, yet unable to find peace.

"Yes," Pei Jiuan acknowledged.

***

Outside the Pei residence, Lüliu sat in the carriage, her head practically spinning from all the circles.

"Crown Prince's Consort, we've been driving in circles here several times already," Lüliu couldn't help but remind her.

Through the gap in the curtain, Xie Shu quietly lifted a corner. Seeing that the servant at the gatehouse had turned and entered the gates, she finally let the curtain down with peace of mind and instructed the coachman, "No more circling. Go to Brocade Hall."

"Wasn't it Cuiping Lane?" Lüliu asked.

"Since we're attending the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet, we naturally need to make a set of new clothes. We can't possibly go looking disheveled," Xie Shu flicked Lüliu's forehead and continued, "We'll also have a couple of loose-fitting new outfits made for Aunt Lin; her belly is growing larger by the day."

"Oh," Lüliu rubbed her forehead, muttering inwardly: My forehead is practically going to swell up.

Brocade Hall and Cuiping Lane were on the same street, not far from each other.

It didn't seem strange for Xie Shu to come here; it was simply on the way.

"Oh my, if it isn't the Crown Prince's Consort~" As soon as Madam Mo, the shopkeeper, saw Xie Shu step through the doors, she hurried over to greet her. This was one of their most valued patrons!

On ordinary days, Xie Shu frequently came to Brocade Hall to have garments made, and she was exceptionally generous with her spending, never haggling over prices.

"Shopkeeper Mo, what fine fabrics do you have recently?" Xie Shu strolled around the shop for a moment; the fabric styles were all quite similar.

Hearing this, Madam Mo hurriedly pulled Xie Shu closer, leaning in to whisper in her ear, "Naturally, ordinary things wouldn't catch your eye, but I specifically saved the black-gold satin that arrived a few days ago just for you. If it weren't you coming, I wouldn't have been willing to bring it out!"

Being a person in business, Madam Mo's words struck right at Xie Shu's heart.

Just as Xie Shu was about to lift her foot to head upstairs, Madam Mo's eyes lit up as she caught sight of something beside her. Letting go of Xie Shu's arm, she instinctively walked toward the entrance and gushed, "Is this young master visiting us for the first time? Are you looking to make new winter garments? Our Brocade Hall is the finest draper's shop in the entire capital!"

Xie Shu turned her head and saw that Madam Mo's eyes were practically glowing as she looked at the newcomer. Her face was positively radiant with admiration, as if she longed to press her entire body against him.

Pei Xuanqing used a folding fan to block the space before him. He retreated a step without leaving a trace, cleverly putting some distance between himself and Madam Mo. He merely swept a light glance over Xie Shu before shifting his gaze, offering Madam Mo a bright, clear smile as he asked, "I wonder if you have any ready-made garments?"

"Yes, yes, yes, we naturally do!" Madam Mo had never laid eyes on such a handsome and elegant young gentleman. Her eyes were fixed in a wide stare, and she completely forgot about Xie Shu standing right behind her.

"Ahem, ahem, ahem!" Xie Shu deliberately let out a low cough, which finally pulled Madam Mo's thoughts back to reality.

Hearing the sound from behind her, Madam Mo flushed crimson. She turned to Xie Shu and stammered, "Oh my, Crown Prince's Consort, blame me, blame me for being dazzled."

"It's simply that this young gentleman is altogether too striking," Madam Mo hurried back to Xie Shu's side, lowering her voice in apology, "I beg the Crown Prince's Consort not to take offense."

In Xie Shu's eyes, Pei Xuanqing's face still fell somewhat short compared to Zhou Xunli. Especially that head of white hair, which looked old-fashioned and stern—she certainly didn't care for it.

"Very well, I'll forgive you this once," Xie Shu whispered back. She then gestured toward Pei Xuanqing with her chin and said, "Let's go, let's look at the ready-made garments first."

Seeing how agreeable Xie Shu was, Madam Mo blossomed with joy inside.

"Since both of you are looking at ready-made clothes, let's head upstairs together," Madam Mo led the way. Xie Shu and Pei Xuanqing followed one after the other as they went upstairs, though the men's garments were on the second floor while the women's were on the third.

Along the way, neither of them spoke another word.

As soon as both of them had gone upstairs, the stealthy figure that had been following from below suddenly reappeared on the street.

The man searched the street back and forth for a long time before finally spotting Xie Shu's carriage parked outside Brocade Hall. He casually selected a wonton stall, sat down, ordered a bowl of wontons, and began to eat while keeping his eyes firmly fixed on the main entrance of Brocade Hall.

Up inside the ready-made garment pavilion on the third floor:

Xie Shu picked and chose for a while, selecting a few sleeveless vests with standout patterns and two plain-faced long robes. "Let's try these on first."

Madam Mo accepted them and personally led Xie Shu into the fitting chamber. "Aunt Chun, you wait outside and make sure to note down the alterations for the Crown Prince's Consort later. Don't write them down incorrectly."

Aunt Chun was Brocade Hall's seamstress, and her skill in altering garments was peerless.

Xie Shu stepped into the inner chamber, and Lüliu followed to wait on her and help her change.

"This vest is quite nice, but the long robe is a bit too plain; it doesn't set off one's complexion enough." Lüliu was holding up the two garments to compare them. Just as she set the items down and turned around to untie the fasteners at the back of Xie Shu's collar, she suddenly received a blow to the back of her head.

"Lüliu?" Xie Shu turned around at the sound, only to be pulled straight into an embrace.

"Crown Prince's Consort, trust has been well kept since we last met."

Pei Xuanqing had quietly appeared inside the inner chamber. His white hair fell across Xie Shu's shoulders, shimmering with a delicate, translucent quality like the first flurry of winter snow.