Chapter 26: Changing Her Name (1)

Zhao Yao had been feeling rather down lately.

First, it was because she hadn’t spoken to her second brother in a long time. On New Year’s Eve, he had left for quite a while, and by the time he returned, she had already fallen asleep, so she didn’t get to stay up with him as she had hoped. For three consecutive days—first, second, and third of the lunar month—her second brother rarely stayed at home. Even when he did return, he remained shut away in his study, giving her no chance to see him.

Secondly, her father Zhao Run had returned to Jiankang. This should have been a happy occasion since her father had been serving outside the capital for many years and finally returned to take up a post in Jiankang thanks to her uncle’s support. However, this also meant that she and her mother would have to move out of the Qi family estate. The move itself wasn’t complicated; they had come to the Qi household lightly packed, so everything was settled by the eighth day of the new year.

On the eighth day, Zhao Run personally came to the Qi residence to fetch his wife and daughter, while also paying respects to his superior and brother-in-law, Qi Zhang. Zhao Yao and her mother waited in their room. Zhao Yao knew that once her father emerged from her uncle’s study, they would move back to the Zhao residence. She couldn’t help but feel gloomy.

Just then, a maid came to inform them that the fourth young master, Qi Le, had arrived to bid farewell to Zhao Yao. Remembering her mother’s earlier instructions to distance herself from him, Zhao Yao intended to make an excuse to send him away. Before she could speak, however, her mother said, “Fourth Young Master is here? Quickly invite him in.”

The maid went to fetch him, leaving Zhao Yao surprised. She asked her mother, “Mother, didn’t you say before…”

Before Zhao Yao could finish, Qi Le entered with the maid, so she didn’t get to continue her question.

Qi Le greeted his aunt, who smiled warmly and invited him to sit, saying, “Jingkang has arrived? Just now Yao-er was mentioning how much she misses all her brothers.”

Zhao Yao was momentarily taken aback, confused why her mother was making things up. As her mother gave her a subtle signal, she reluctantly played along, feigning sadness and reluctance.

Qi Le felt deeply sorry for his younger sister and was equally reluctant to part with her. Still, he tried to comfort her, saying, “It’s not such a big deal. We’ll all be in Jiankang now, and the Zhao residence isn’t far. I can visit you often.”

Zhao Qishi chimed in with a smile, “Jingkang has always been a loyal and affectionate child. No wonder Yao-er gets along best with you.”

Qi Le was delighted to hear this, blushing slightly as he scratched the back of his head. Then Zhao Qishi continued with a laugh, “But we’ve grown up since our last separation. A few days ago, Yao-er told me how much she missed playing with her four brothers back then. It’s a pity that Jingyuan and Jingchen are now busy with government affairs and don’t have as much free time as before.”

Hearing this, Zhao Yao finally understood her mother’s intentions. She quickly added, “Indeed, during my short stay here, I barely saw Big Brother and Second Brother. Once I’m back at the Zhao residence, it’ll be even harder to see them.”

Seeing Zhao Yao’s sad expression, Qi Le felt uneasy. He desperately wanted to comfort her and thought for a moment before saying, “Big Brother and Second Brother are indeed very busy. Big Brother’s situation is a bit better, but Second Brother has taken on duties at the Secretariat, which must be extremely exhausting. Moreover, Second Brother prefers staying at his secondary residence, where he’s been spending more and more time recently—even I can’t see him often.”

“Exactly,” Zhao Qishi agreed. “Jingyuan and Jingchen work too hard. Regardless, during festivals, the court should allow people to rest.”

She sighed and then laughed, saying, “Speaking of which, we haven’t even seen Jingchen’s secondary residence yet. What’s it like that he likes it so much?”

Zhao Qishi’s words were roundabout but cleverly reminded Qi Le. He caught key phrases like “festivals” and important locations like “secondary residence.” His eyes lit up, and he suggested, “I have an idea! In a few days, it will be the Lantern Festival. In the evening, I’ll invite all my brothers to go lantern viewing together! If Uncle and Aunt are free, they can bring Yao-er to Fenghe Garden during the day. With everyone there, won’t it be delightful?”

This suggestion pleased both Zhao Qishi and Zhao Yao. Though Zhao Qishi smiled broadly, she said, “That sounds wonderful, but I’m worried about inconveniencing Jingchen…”

Qi Le decisively replied, “Second Brother isn’t petty like that. Aunt worries too much.”

Zhao Qishi nodded with a smile and said, “That’s perfect. Yao-er, shouldn’t you thank your fourth brother?”

Zhao Yao was overjoyed at the prospect of spending an entire day with her second brother during the Lantern Festival. Suddenly, even the usually annoying Qi Le seemed more tolerable. She promptly expressed her gratitude sweetly, saying, “Thank you, Fourth Brother.”

Seeing his sister’s radiant smile, Qi Le felt his heart race inexplicably. His face grew warm as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his head, muttering, “No need to thank me.” Zhao Qishi glanced at Qi Le with a smile and slowly sipped her tea.

After the third day of the lunar new year, Qi Ying rarely stayed overnight at the main house. This was mainly due to the heavy workload at the Secretariat; sometimes he stayed at the office late into the night, and other times he returned to Fenghe Garden.

Although Qi Ying frequently returned to Fenghe Garden, he typically left early and came back late, so he rarely encountered Shen Xiling. By now, Shen Xiling’s illness had mostly healed, and having Yixiang continue to care for her seemed inappropriate. Thus, Shen Xiling took the initiative to tell Yixiang that she no longer needed her assistance and began living independently within Fenghe Garden.

However, this placed Shen Xiling in an awkward position within Fenghe Garden. Although Qi Ying had allowed her to stay, he hadn’t given her any specific tasks. Shen Xiling hoped to live as an ordinary servant in this secondary residence—to repay Qi Ying’s kindness and find something meaningful to do. But since Qi Ying hadn’t informed the servants about her arrangement, none dared assign her chores, leaving Shen Xiling somewhat at a loss.

As for how to settle Shen Xiling, even Qi Ying himself hadn’t figured it out yet.

Though he had taken her in, the matter was incredibly complicated. First, Shen Xiling was Shen Qian’s daughter, and the current political situation was volatile. The Shen family case hadn’t been fully resolved, and Shen Xiling had been unexpectedly spotted by the fourth prince, Xiao Ziteng. If anything went wrong and her identity as the Shen family’s orphan was exposed, it would be a grave danger for both Shen Xiling and Qi Ying. Second, Qi Ying’s decision to shelter Shen Xiling had to remain hidden—not only from outsiders but also from the Qi family, especially his father, Qi Zhang. Qi Zhang valued the family above all else, and if he learned that Qi Ying had taken in the Shen family’s orphan during such turbulent times, he would certainly disapprove. If Shen Xiling were expelled, Qi Ying would be powerless to stop it. Third, Shen Xiling was a person, not some cat or dog. Having taken her in, Qi Ying bore responsibility for her. Yet, he had only recently come of age and had never raised children. Moreover, the Qi family only had male heirs in his generation, so he had no idea how to raise a young girl.

All these complications intertwined, leaving Qi Ying unsure how to arrange Shen Xiling’s future. He couldn’t hide her forever, and his father alone would surely notice something eventually. After several days of deliberation, Qi Ying decided to create a false identity for Shen Xiling.

Following the disastrous defeat at Shicheng last year, the emperor personally ordered Qi Ying to join the Secretariat as a deputy. Upon hearing this news in the north, the Wei kingdom immediately dispatched assassins to target Qi Ying. At the time, a junior official named Fang Yukai, newly transferred from Bazhou to Jiankang to serve in the Secretariat, happened to shield Qi Ying from a fatal blow. The sword pierced Fang’s chest, killing him instantly.

In truth, Bai Song could have easily deflected the attack even without Fang Yukai’s intervention. However, since Fang had sacrificed himself, Qi Ying acknowledged his debt of gratitude and publicly credited Fang with saving his life.

Given this narrative, Qi Ying intended to care for Fang’s family. However, upon investigation, it turned out that Fang came from a humble background. His elderly mother, wife, and daughter lived far away in Bazhou. Unable to endure the journey due to her advanced age, Fang’s mother suffered a stroke and passed away upon learning of her son’s death. Overwhelmed with grief, Fang’s wife poisoned herself and their daughter, Fang Jun. While the wife died immediately, the daughter survived but remained in a vegetative state, unresponsive to this day.

Qi Ying had already sent people to Bazhou to care for Fang Jun. Now, he made some arrangements, transferring this girl’s identity to Shen Xiling. This way, Shen Xiling could have a legitimate identity to move around Jiankang. If his father learned that Qi Ying was caring for her, given Fang Yukai’s sacrifice, it would be justifiable enough to pass scrutiny.

With this settled, Qi Ying felt somewhat relieved. He wrote a note in the official office and sent it to Shen Xiling at Fenghe Garden, informing her to wait for him tonight as he had something to discuss.

After leaving the note, Qi Ying convened with the twelve divisions of the Secretariat. Shortly afterward, a messenger from the palace arrived, summoning Qi Ying to meet the emperor. Frowning, Qi Ying arranged his affairs and followed the messenger into the palace.

Shen Xiling received Qi Ying’s note at around the hour of Wei.

Today was the fourteenth day of the first lunar month, and Shen Xiling hadn’t seen him since the third day. Though he had stayed at Fenghe Garden several times recently, she hadn’t managed to see him.

Her feelings toward Qi Ying were complex. She was both somewhat afraid and somewhat eager to see him. Occasionally, her thoughts became tangled, confusing even herself. Holding the note Qi Ying had sent, she imagined the ink still wet, visualizing him writing it. This evoked a strange sensation within her.

Shen Xiling recalled her father teaching her calligraphy as a child. Back then, she had practiced copying Qi Ying’s handwriting. At the time, “Qi Jingchen” was merely a name mentioned by her father, referring to a stranger. Never could she have imagined that this same person would one day provide her with shelter.

Shen Xiling scrutinized the note repeatedly. Though it contained only a few words, she spent half an hour studying it. Eventually, unable to resist, she took out pen and ink to practice copying it. Her imitation reached six or seven tenths similarity—not as fluid as Qi Ying’s original, but the foundation was solid. Her early training had left a deep imprint, and even though she hadn’t strictly followed Qi Ying’s style later, traces of his influence lingered in her brushstrokes.

Looking at her own handwriting, Shen Xiling wasn’t entirely satisfied. By the end of the Shen hour, she stopped practicing, tidied herself up, dressed neatly, and went to wait in front of the Forgetfulness Room ahead of time. Qi Ying hadn’t specified when he’d return in the note, so she decided to wait early to avoid delaying him.

From the Shen hour to the You hour, from the You hour to the Xu hour, and from the Xu hour to the Hai hour, Shen Xiling waited as the sky over Fenghe Garden transitioned from sunset hues to a starlit expanse. Yet Qi Ying still hadn’t returned.

Author’s Note: The first day of raising a bride—running late.