Chapter Thirteen: A Visitor

Peach blossoms bloomed riotously on Mount Qingcheng, so profusely that when their splendor reached its peak, they began to wither in great swathes. Even the fallen petals, mingled with the earth, seemed tinged with a rosy hue. Together with the recent rumors of the flamboyant monk at Crane Forest Temple, the mountain had acquired a lingering air of intrigue and color.

Unlike the heat below, the mountain air was refreshingly cool. Jiang Li and Tong’er no longer toiled endlessly as they once had; before her departure, Lady Liu had left them ample food and silver, and Yu Xiang stayed behind to help as well. With the malicious nuns gone, the laughter in the nunnery grew brighter, and Tong’er’s joy became unrestrained.

On the second day of the sixth month, a sudden clamor arose outside the nunnery. Tong’er, sitting by the window listening to Yu Xiang recount the strange happenings in Yanjing over the years, paused in surprise at the noise. “What’s happening out there?” she wondered aloud.

Jiang Li, who was seated with Tong’er, her eyes glimmering, said softly, “They’ve arrived.”

“Who has?” Tong’er asked, puzzled.

Jiang Li smiled gently. “The people sent to fetch us.”

Yu Xiang, considering this, rose to her feet. “Allow me to go out and see, Second Miss. Please wait here a moment.”

“There’s no need.” Jiang Li stood with a smile. “I’ll come along as well.” Without waiting for a reply, she led the way outside. Tong’er, seeing this, hurried to follow. “I’ll come too!”

Since the disgrace of Master Liaowu and Abbess Jing’an, the nunnery had become almost deserted—Crane Forest Temple aside. It had never been a bustling place, and after its reputation fell, no respectable family cared to step foot here, eager instead to keep their distance from such a place, lest they too be tainted by scandal.

So, after weeks of quiet, the sudden arrival of strangers was all the more conspicuous.

Passing through the main hall’s doors, they saw a group of about twenty standing outside. Most wore the garb of guards or servants, with a few dressed as maids. At their head was a robust, imposing woman in a silk jacket, her hair adorned with a gold hairpin that caught the light, her triangular eyes and height lending her a fierce, superior air.

These people looked entirely out of place here. The woman at the front quickly set her gaze on Jiang Li as she approached, then stepped forward and said, “This servant greets the Second Young Lady.”

Jiang Li did not answer, but with a gentle smile, shifted to the side to accept the greeting. She was not truly the Jiang family’s Second Miss and did not know the woman’s name, but there was nothing to fear.

The woman, surprised by Jiang Li’s calm acceptance and silence, could not help but study her more closely.

Six years had passed, and few in the Jiang household still remembered the Second Miss. Even those who had once seen Jiang Li would scarcely recall her face now. As she studied the young woman before her—a girl who, when sent to the nunnery, had been but a child—the woman found her entirely unfamiliar. Now, dressed in simple clothes, with clear eyes and elegant bearing, she stood tall and serene, soothing to behold.

Truly worthy of being the legitimate daughter of Chief Minister Jiang: her pure, lofty presence was just like her father’s. The thought rose unbidden in the woman’s mind.

Tong’er blinked, her tone odd as she said, “Nanny Sun, what brings you here?”

So, her name is Sun, Jiang Li thought, as Nanny Sun replied with a smile, “Madam sent me to bring the Second Miss home. Madam has missed you dearly through all these years you’ve spent here, and spoke many times to Master about bringing you back. At last, Master agreed, so Madam sent me at once to fetch you.”

She spoke as though only Madam Ji Shuran wished to bring Jiang Li home, while Chief Minister Jiang Yuanbai had been the one to refuse. It sounded as if this daughter was truly beloved by her father. Jiang Li saw through the implication—whether it was truth or a subtle provocation.

She smiled politely at Nanny Sun and said, “I am grateful for Mother’s care. I have thought of her often here at the nunnery, and have long regretted being unable to serve her. Now that I am to return, I will never forget her kindness, and will find a way to repay her in this life.”

Her voice was soft and gentle, but as Nanny Sun listened, she felt a faint chill prickle her skin, as if a cool draft had swept over her in the height of summer.

Nanny Sun was momentarily speechless.

Yu Xiang broke the silence with a cheerful tone, “Since the Second Miss is to return, it’s truly a wonderful thing. May I ask, Nanny, when do you intend to set out?”

Only then did Nanny Sun notice Yu Xiang and asked, “And you are…?”

“My mistress is Lady Liu of the Chieftain’s manor in Chengde,” Yu Xiang replied with a smile. “My Lady cares deeply for the Second Miss. She wished to take her back to Yanjing with us, but the Second Miss refused, so she left me here to look after her instead.”

Lady Liu’s personal maid, left here to serve Jiang Li? When did Jiang Li become so close to Lady Liu? Doubt flickered across Nanny Sun’s mind, though she replied, “Naturally, Madam hopes the Second Miss will return as soon as possible. Once you’ve packed, we’ll set out at once.”

“In that case,” Jiang Li’s lips curved, “let’s leave now.”

Her words startled everyone, including the servants by the carriages. Nanny Sun masked her disdain, saying, “There’s no need to rush, Second Miss. Madam has decreed your return, so you needn’t hurry—”

“I’m not rushing,” Jiang Li interrupted, “there’s simply nothing to pack.”

Nanny Sun was taken aback.

“I have no belongings. Even the things I brought six years ago—surely you don’t think anything remains? You know as well as I do, I brought no jewels or silver, only a few clothes, and I outgrew those long ago. In this whole nunnery, all I have is Tong’er. Bringing her with me is enough. As for the wooden stools or bowls… unless the Chief Minister’s household has need of such things? If so, I’ll have Tong’er pack them up.”

Nanny Sun’s face flushed a deep red.

In front of Yu Xiang, Jiang Li’s words were tantamount to accusing the Chief Minister’s family of neglecting their legitimate daughter—leaving her with nothing of value after six years, not even enough to fill a suitcase. Even a servant had a few pieces of jewelry!

And Yu Xiang’s master, Liu Yuanfeng of Chengde, was at odds with Madam Ji’s family. If these matters came to light, who knew what would come of it?

Nanny Sun looked at Jiang Li, who gazed back sincerely, as though unaware of the barbed meaning behind her words.

In that instant, Nanny Sun realized this Second Miss, away from home for six years, was nothing like the impulsive, foolish girl described in letters. She was gentle and polite, yet impossible to take advantage of.

Forcing a smile, Nanny Sun said, “Very well, Second Miss. Let the guards have some tea and a rest, and we’ll depart shortly.”

Jiang Li smiled gratefully. “Thank you, Nanny.”

— — —

A Li: Let’s go, back to the capital for a showdown.

Nanny Sun: _(:зゝ∠)_