ANY OUTSIDER EAVESDROPPING on this conversation would have been astonished at the empress's words. A suitable husband for the princess might be chosen with the consent of the emperor and empress, perhaps with the agreement of the princess herself. Yet the empress was asking for Cui Buqu's willingness—and it seemed if he did not approve, she would set the betrothal aside.
Cui Buqu did not reply immediately. "Does the empress still remember?" he asked after a pause. "In early spring of the first year of the Kaihuang era, you pointed to the flowering trees at the Daxingshan Temple and told me something."
The empress was puzzled, but she considered the question in earnest. "Of course I remember. That tree had been withered for a decade, yet in the first year of the Kaihuang era, it sprang back to life and blossomed with an abundance of flowers. I pointed to the tree and said it perfectly matched the decline of Zhou and the rise of Sui, a sign our Great Sui had received the blessing of heaven and would prosper."
The empress was an intelligent person. As soon as the words were out, she realized why he'd asked. "You suspected I was a fake, so you asked me this to test me?"
Cui Buqu nodded. "Only I heard those words. So you are who you seem."
The empress laughed despite herself. "Then you don't wish to marry Ying-niang? I would never force you. It's only that I saw how reluctant Ying-niang was before, yet now she actively seeks you out. The girl feels something for you. And you—after all these years alone, braving the storms of life, you deserve someone who truly understands and cares for you. I've watched Ying-niang grow up. She has a gentle personality; she isn't spoiled and would never bully others."
Cui Buqu appeared deep in thought. "Has Duchess Yuwen visited the palace often since Your Majesty fell ill?"
"Not often, but not infrequently," the empress replied. "Around the same amount as before. She usually comes with her mother and rarely speaks." By now, she'd noticed Cui Buqu's odd stillness. "What is it? Do you suspect her of something?"
He shook his head. "I can't draw any conclusions yet."
"After you left the capital, I did some probing of my own," the empress admitted. "Aside from a few minor incidents in her childhood, she easily answered almost all the questions. Besides, if something was amiss, her mother would surely have sensed it. The emperor even sent a few spies to investigate; they merely confirmed that she's spent the last two years in the capital, shuttling between the princess's residence and her family estate. She rarely ventures out, let alone to other provinces. In comparison, the daughters of the noble clans in the capital with more vivacious personalities wander much more."
Empress Dugu's health truly had declined. Just those few sentences were enough to fatigue her. A senior maid hurried forward to help her lie down again.
"How long have you been ill?" asked Cui Buqu. "And how did you contract this sickness? What do the imperial physicians say?"
Such questions did not require the empress's direct response, so the maid, Maolan, explained on her behalf. "Not long ago, the eldest princess held a banquet at her residence for her birthday. Her Majesty personally attended. At the banquet, Duchess Yuwen played the qin herself, and Her Majesty was in high spirits. Unfortunately, upon her return, she caught a chill. The imperial physician warned that the cold weather this time of year would hinder her recovery, and impressed upon us the need for proper rest. Despite various medicines and tonics, Her Majesty's condition hasn't shown much improvement. That Her Majesty is plagued by worries about the previous dynasty hasn't helped."
"I am destined to be busy." The empress's tone was self-deprecating. "See how I can never relax—the moment I do, I fall ill. But speaking of Ying-niang playing the qin, that reminds me: She used to dislike such things. Calligraphy, chess, music, poetry—she would cry and fuss before every lesson. Later His Majesty and I became preoccupied with our own affairs and didn't see the girl for a few years. Yet now look at her! She's grown into a graceful and gentle young lady."
She'd been hoping to move Cui Buqu's stony heart with these intimate details about Duchess Yuwen, and it seemed she'd succeeded. He asked with interest, "Has her temperament changed so much from when she was younger?"
"There are of course some differences, but quite a lot happened when she was young. It's not surprising she'd be affected."
The empress spoke around the subject, but Cui Buqu understood. Under the previous dynasty, Yuwen Eying had been a true royal princess, lavishly pampered and exceeded by few in status. With the change of regime, she'd been demoted to the empty title of county duchess overnight, and the noble daughters of the capital who had once fawned over her began to distance themselves. Even when she'd acted spoiled or willful, the emperor and empress had forgiven her, and over time, she'd gradually become more gentle and made a conscious effort not to overstep her bounds.
Though the emperor and empress felt no particular love for Yuwen Eying, neither could they shake the guilt they felt toward her. Yet recently, her personality had become brighter and livelier. The empress attributed it to the first bloom of love and was well pleased with this development.
Cui Buqu ruminated for a moment. "I have no interest in climbing the ranks of the court by marrying Duchess Yuwen. But given these turbulent times, we must exercise caution. I would request that Your Majesty refrain from selecting a suitor for the duchess or revealing my thoughts to her. Allow everyone to think nothing's changed since I returned to the capital, and that Your Majesty still intends to arrange our marriage."
He was still fixated on Duchess Yuwen: Once again, the conversation had come back to his suspicions. The empress found this odd, but she understood Cui Buqu was meticulous in his thinking and precise in his speech. He never missed his mark. And currently, he suspected Yuwen Eying. She didn't know what about the girl had drawn his attention, but following his train of thought, she sifted through her memories once more. "There is something you might not know. All those years ago, Daniang gave birth to a pair of twins."
Daniang of course referred to Princess Leping, the eldest daughter of the family. Cui Buqu was quick to catch on. "Both children were girls?"
"Correct," said the empress. "But one of the babes was born sickly; she died shortly after birth. If not, Daniang would now have an adorable pair of daughters."
"The little duchess who died—did her name happen to contain the character huan, for joy?"
"No…the child died very early. There wasn't even time to enter her into the genealogy. She never received a name."
"And did you witness this child's death?"
The empress sighed. "At the time, Emperor Wu was deeply suspicious of His Majesty. Daniang was the crown prince's consort. To avoid drawing unwelcome attention to her, I rarely entered the palace. Later, after Yuwen Yun ascended the throne, his behavior grew erratic and cruel; at one point he attempted to have Daniang deposed. We all felt we were living under a sword about to fall, disaster lurking at every turn. I had few chances to meet with her, let alone see the children. Much of what I know about Eying comes directly from Daniang herself."
She paused. "You suspect the child lives? That seems unlikely. Concealing a child's existence would be difficult in an ordinary family, let alone a royal one. Besides, Yuwen Yun was the crown prince then. Any child of his would have been a celebrated blessing. What point would there be in hiding her?"
"What if the child was on the brink of death, and a flicker of life was detected just before her burial? What if those overseeing her interment chose to conceal her existence for their own interests? If they seized the chance to smuggle the babe out of the palace, wouldn't everyone assume she had died?"
The empress was taken aback.
Maolan had served the empress for years and was her confidant as well as maid. She couldn't resist interjecting: "Chief Cui, forgive my boldness. If the child truly survived, why wouldn't she return to her family to enjoy the wealth and status of a duchess, rather than hiding her identity and masquerading as her own sister?"
Cui Buqu's expression remained unchanged. "That's why this is all conjecture. I'll be frank: I've harbored suspicions about the princess's residence since the thousand-lantern banquet, but I lack evidence. The culprits are exceptionally patient; they have yet to show themselves, which makes it impossible to investigate. But with these recent upheavals in the capital, perhaps everything will soon be resolved."
The empress sighed again. This usually astute and decisive woman had never much indulged in a mother's sentimental sighs. "Daniang has a gentle exterior but a strong core. She keeps many things to herself. Though she refuses to speak of them, I know she nurses her own grievances."
First a consort of the crown prince, then an empress. To outsiders, her status was one of honor and glory. But Yang Lihua had endured untold suffering thanks to her husband's fear of her family. Though she was the empress by all rights of legality and propriety, Yuwen Yun had shown her no respect. He'd established four other empresses alongside her, an unprecedented farce.
Yang Lihua had never voiced her feelings, but one could imagine the crushing humiliation she must have felt. She had endured it all until her husband passed, when she finally rose to become the empress dowager with the backing of the Yang family. No longer did she suffer the demands and insults of others. Yet these happier times lasted a scant two years before her father usurped the throne.
Wasn't being a princess a good thing?
Certainly it was—but could it compare to being the empress dowager?
"Whatever you discover, as long as it falls short of treason, please spare her," the empress said with another sigh.
"There can be no exceptions under the law. It is your subordinate's duty to uphold that law, and princes and commoners alike must abide by it," Cui Buqu replied flatly. Even the empress's requests received no special consideration from him.
The empress smiled bitterly. She knew this facet of Cui Buqu's personality better than most; if she'd found it intolerable, she would never have employed him. But since she had, she had to put her faith in him, even in this.
After talking so long, she was finally showing signs of fatigue—her eyelids were drooping with weariness. Ever perceptive, Cui Buqu rose to take his leave, and the empress directed her maid to escort him out.
Maolan had interacted with Cui Buqu on numerous occasions and had long since grown used to his taciturn nature when it came to things not related to his work. She silently walked Cui Buqu all the way to the gates before he suddenly asked, "Maolan-jiejie, do you have any divine ointment left?"
Chief Cui, who never engaged in small talk, had for once in his life initiated a conversation. Maolan was momentarily stunned, then nodded. "I have a few jars. Why do you ask?"
"A gift," Cui Buqu replied.
Maolan was as eager as any to befriend an official who had the empress's absolute trust. "Please wait a moment," she said. "I'll fetch it for you now."
As she hurried away, Maolan's mind was racing. Why had Cui Buqu refused the empress's proposal for such a good marriage? Obviously, he already had someone in mind. Why else would a man like him be interested in cosmetics? His beloved must be more beautiful and exquisite than even the duchess. But Duchess Yuwen had so recently taken a liking to him. If she were to hear of this, it would surely depress her.
Cui Buqu left the palace carrying the divine ointment. Yet the first person he saw wasn't Feng Xiao. Nor was it the Prince of Qin, Yang Jun, who had come to pay respects to his mother. After hearing that Cui Buqu was already inside, he'd waited a long time but eventually left when he realized he wouldn't be able to see her anytime soon.
He instead ran straight into Qin Miaoyu, who was waiting beside the Zuoyue Bureau's carriage, smiling brightly.
Her good mood was hardly surprising. She was supposed to be a spy hidden in the dark, but after their adventures in Guangqian County, Feng Xiao had permitted her to return to the capital, where she could walk in the light again. Working for the Jiejian Bureau here was completely different from lurking in their secret outposts. The latter was hard and thankless work, while the former meant her superiors would see everything she did—which, if she performed her duties well, also meant a faster climb through the ranks.
Thus, though she'd only been assigned as a messenger, Qin Miaoyu carried out her role diligently.
"Chief Cui!" she said, her smile widening. "Is your lordship doing well? Our deputy chief asked me to invite you to our bureau for a chat."
Cui Buqu glanced at her. "Why didn't he come himself?"
"The deputy chief was just with His Majesty," Qin Miaoyu said, lowering her voice. "It seems His Majesty assigned him some task. He wants to ask for your help, but doesn't want to lower himself to do so."
"I know what he wishes to ask. Tell him to keep an eye on Zheng Yi."
Before Qin Miaoyu could process this, a cloth bundle containing several exquisite porcelain jars was stuffed into her hands.
"Eh?" She looked down, and her eyes lit up. "This is the divine ointment you mentioned? You're really giving it to me, my lord? Oh dear, this is too much. I thought it'd be only one jar, but you've given me so many. But I couldn't possibly decline! That would be disrespectful!"
"One jar is for you," said Cui Buqu. "The others are for Feng-er."
"Eh?"
"Don't tell him they're from me. Just say they're your gift."
Qin Miaoyu was baffled. A slight furrow formed between her brows as she said, "That… That may be a bit difficult for me to say."
"What's so difficult about it?" asked Cui Buqu, arching a brow. "Just tell him you've admired him for a long time and, in honor of the holiday, wish to express your feelings with a gift."
But I don't admire him at all! Qin Miaoyu thought.
"Give them back," said Cui Buqu. "I'll have someone else deliver them."
Qin Miaoyu clutched the jars of divine ointment to her chest. "No, no, I can do it, I promise! Don't worry about a thing!"
Cui Buqu was unconvinced. "Don't bring up my name," he reiterated.
Qin Miaoyu nodded, head bobbing like a chick pecking rice. "Understood."
But when Cui Buqu turned to board his carriage, she grabbed his sleeve. "Wait! One more thing—the deputy chief wishes to meet you at Luqi Pavilion in the East Market at sunset."
Feng Xiao's exact words had been: I'll give him a chance to admire my splendor.
But in Qin Miaoyu's mouth it became: "The deputy chief misses you dearly and hopes to spend the festival with you. As your lordship knows, he has no friends or relatives in the capital, so he gets quite lonely. Consider it doing a good deed."
Cui Buqu shot her a glance, a shadow of a smile crossing his face. He neither accepted nor declined, but simply pulled his sleeve away and got into the carriage.
It wasn't as if Qin Miaoyu could stop him from leaving. She watched helplessly as the carriage rolled away. The jars of ointment, heavy in her hands, left her with a feeling that was difficult to describe, both joyful and anxious. When she thought how Feng Xiao might react, she felt a small headache coming on.
No. It was an immense headache.