Chapter 100: A Fragrant Companion Adds Only Chaos

"The evening study is made fragrant by the company of a beauty."

This was the one luxury Du Shiyi could never enjoy during his studies at the Lu Family Cottage on Mount Song’s Hanging Practice Peak. While the place was filled with all manner of handsome young men, there wasn't a single woman to be found, save for A-Huang, the cook, whose teeth were so loose they practically rattled in her gums. Though the scholars there maintained a rigorous and disciplined lifestyle, whenever there was a break, many would flock to Dengfeng County. The disciples of the Lu Family Cottage were always the most welcomed guests at the local brothels. At this very moment, watching those soft, slender hands slowly grinding ink at his side, Du Shiyi found his gaze drifting away from his scrolls before he let out a sigh.

"Thirteenth Sister, it is already late. Why haven't you gone to bed?"

"My brother is leaving for Chang'an soon, so I am merely staying a little longer. What, is Brother displeased with my clumsiness? Can I not even grind the ink properly?"

Seeing Du Thirteenth Sister keep her head down as she worked—the ink already threatening to spill over the edges of the ceramic inkstone—Du Shiyi shook his head helplessly. "I told you I would take you back to Chang'an, but you insisted on refusing."

"I simply do not wish to return and gaze upon the crumbling ruins of our home." Du Thirteenth Sister suddenly set down the inkstone, turned her head away, and spoke with a choked voice, "Seeing the desolation reminds me of that fire, of all the suffering Brother endured during your grave illness, and of the servants scattered to the winds... If Father and Mother knew we could not even preserve our ancestral home, perhaps they would not rest easy in the netherworld. Ninth Uncle has refused to return to our hometown for all these years, surely he must also..."

Before she could finish, Du Shiyi replied sharply, "Fire and water are heartless; when such things happen, one must simply accept the misfortune. Why are you so sentimental? As for Ninth Uncle, he is, at the very least, a government official known as a Shao-fu abroad. If he were to return to Fanchuan, he would face rows of grand estates and powerful clans, with the elders of the family above him and the decline of our household below. What kind of salary could a mere county lieutenant expect? Yet he chose to keep his family with him at his post rather than letting them stay in Fanchuan. He hasn't come back to visit in years, which clearly shows his own choice. Why must you lay the blame upon yourself?"

Stunned by the sharpness of his words, Du Thirteenth Sister was left in a state of turmoil. Having lost their parents early, she and her brother had relied solely on each other. She had held a deep, lingering affection for her uncle, Du Fu, despite the fact that he rarely sent letters back more than once or twice a year. Now, however, her brother’s words had ruthlessly punctured that illusion. She bowed her head, twisting her fingers together, until a familiar scent reached her and a hand pressed gently upon her shoulder, prompting her to look up.

"I permitted you to stay in Luoyang when you agreed to stay with Fifth Lady Cui, because at that time, staying allowed you to learn things you wished to know, and the Cui estate was stable. But now, the Great Matron of the Cui family has passed away, and the Duke of Zhao is bedridden. They are in the midst of mourning; it would be improper for you to remain. Furthermore, I am returning to sit for the Jingzhao Prefecture examinations. If I do not have you by my side to encourage me, what if I lose my drive?"

"I will go! I will go with you, Brother!" Du Thirteenth Sister finally cast aside her hesitation, rushing to interrupt him. Seeing her brother looking at her with a faint smile, she knew it was a ploy to goad her, but having finally made up her mind, she gripped her fists tightly and asked, "But Brother, the old house has likely not been repaired. Where shall we stay when we reach Chang'an? Perhaps there are many quiet villas in Fanchuan; if all else fails, I could speak to Third Great-Uncle and borrow one for a while..."

"Why would we need to borrow a place elsewhere?"

Following this soft laugh from outside the door, the maid, Zhuying, who was also in the room, seemed to snap out of a trance and hurried to open it. Discovering it was Fifth Lady Cui standing there, she lowered her head in a hurried bow, ushering her and her two maids inside. Faced with Du Shiyi’s slightly furrowed brow and Du Thirteenth Sister’s embarrassed expression, Fifth Lady Cui seemed entirely unbothered by the fact that she had been eavesdropping. With a slight nod and a smile, she said, "Eleventh Brother just told me that Nineteenth Brother Du intends to depart soon. Father mentioned earlier that since the Cui family’s residence in Chang'an is standing empty, you two might as well reside there for the time being."

Upon hearing Fifth Lady Cui speak directly of the two siblings going to Chang'an, Du Thirteenth Sister realized she had been listening, and her expression grew even more unnatural. Du Shiyi recalled that Cui Ezhi had indeed mentioned this to him in person. Though he had politely declined at the time, seeing that Cui Ezhi had sent Fifth Lady Cui to speak of it again, he felt it would be rude to refuse such kindness any longer. He pondered for a moment before nodding. "The Duke of Zhao spoke to me of this before, and I am truly humbled. I wonder if Minister Cui..."

"My eldest uncle is also staying in the Eastern Capital for the mourning period, and he has already agreed to this. Besides, from the Jingzhao Prefecture examinations to next year's imperial examinations, it is only a year's time. I expect that before he and my father return to the capital, we shall already be hearing news of your success, Master Du!" Fifth Lady Cui gestured lightly, and a maid behind her presented a long brocade box. Before Du Shiyi or Du Thirteenth Sister could refuse, she explained, "Living in the capital is not easy, but you are a man of firm resolve. If I were to offer gold or silver as travel expenses, it would be to look down upon you. Please, wait until you reach Chang'an to open the contents of this box."

Before she could finish, a loud *thud* echoed from outside the door, as if someone had slammed their head against the doorframe. Before Zhuying could react, Du Shiyi darted forward and pulled the door open. A figure, unable to stop their momentum, stumbled headlong into his arms. Fortunately, his reactions were swift; with a lift and a guiding motion, he helped the person stand steady and immediately withdrew his hands. Seeing Ninth Lady Cui, dressed in hempen mourning clothes, glaring at him with resentment, he didn't even bother to close the door and simply strolled back to Du Thirteenth Sister's side.

First one, then the other—eavesdropping! These Cui sisters were truly troublesome. Since there was nothing he couldn't say in public, he decided he might as well leave the door wide open!

"Ninth Sister!" Seeing Ninth Lady Cui stumble in so awkwardly, Fifth Lady Cui was both annoyed and amused. She was about to reprimand her, but recalling that she herself had stood outside the door for a moment before entering, she gave a dry cough. "Since you are here, why are you acting so sneakily?"

"I was not acting sneakily!" Feeling her hair was disheveled, Ninth Lady Cui, in a fit of pique, let her hair fall loose, quickly twisted it into a bun in front of everyone, and stared at the brocade box. "Sister, just tell me what is inside the box you gave Nineteenth Brother Du, and I will leave immediately!"

"Zhenzhen, how much longer are you going to behave like this!"

Seeing the frost in Fifth Lady Cui’s eyes, Du Shiyi stopped Du Thirteenth Sister from stepping forward to mediate and placed a finger to his lips, signaling silence. Ninth Lady Cui’s behavior these past few days had always struck him as odd, and if he could get to the bottom of it now, all the better. Thus, he did not mind the sisters causing a scene in his room. Sure enough, under Fifth Lady Cui’s sharp questioning, Ninth Lady Cui’s face flushed red then pale, and she finally erupted.

"I am behaving like this?" Ninth Lady Cui stamped her foot, rushed to the maid holding the box, snatched it away, and tore the lid off. Seeing a scroll inside, she paused, grabbed it, and stripped away the silk ribbon. Before she could unfurl it, however, her wrist was tightly gripped by a hand. She looked up into the sharp gaze of her elder sister and gritted her teeth. "What? Is it that you gave Master Du something so precious that your own sister cannot even take a look?"

"Zhenzhen, what exactly are you trying to do?"

"I just want to know! Ever since you returned home, you have refused to discuss marriage, yet now you are always with Nineteenth Brother Du. Have you truly taken a fancy to him?"

Although Ninth Lady Cui had questioned her about this before, Du Shiyi couldn't help but narrow his eyes at this latest accusation. As for Du Thirteenth Sister, she was even more taken aback. During her stay at the Cui estate, Fifth Lady Cui had taught her many things, and to a girl who never had sisters, she felt like a true elder sibling. But the thought of her sister potentially becoming her sister-in-law left her with a complicated, sinking feeling. Yet, even more shocked than the two siblings was Fifth Lady Cui herself. She stared at Ninth Lady Cui with fury, then suddenly snatched the scroll from her hand and opened it in silence.

As the scroll unfurled, Ninth Lady Cui, Du Shiyi, and Du Thirteenth Sister all saw the dense, tiny calligraphy covering the paper. Du Shiyi, possessing keen eyesight, managed to identify a few lines—it was a Buddhist sutra. Only then did Fifth Lady Cui speak coldly: "This is the four-volume *Lankavatara Sutra* written by the hand of Master Shenxiu himself, a treasure our grandmother has kept for years. Letting Master Du take it to Chang'an was our grandmother’s wish, and it is merely a temporary loan. Do you understand now?"

Who was Shenxiu? He was the man Empress Wu herself welcomed into Luoyang, known as the Master of the Law for both capitals and the Imperial Preceptor of the Three Empires!

Ninth Lady Cui’s face shifted through several shades. She opened her mouth to speak, but her throat felt as if it were blocked; not a single word emerged. After a long, stiff silence, she suddenly turned and bolted out the door. Only then did Fifth Lady Cui heave a deep sigh. She turned to see Du Shiyi wearing a contemplative expression and said candidly, "Ever since I returned home, I told my grandmother and parents that I would spend my life as a member of the Cui clan. Ninth Sister was merely speaking nonsense and making groundless guesses. I hope Master Du will not take it to heart."

"Fifth Lady is too kind. However, this scripture is far too precious. Should something happen to it on the road, I fear I would be unworthy of Master Shenxiu’s great efforts. Please, take it back."

Knowing that while it might be worthless to an ordinary person, it was a priceless treasure to others, Du Shiyi politely declined. Seeing Fifth Lady Cui smile bitterly and accept it back after a moment’s hesitation before departing shortly thereafter, he ordered Zhuying to close the door. Turning back to see Du Thirteenth Sister still looking dazed, he laughed. "What is it? Still thinking about Ninth Lady’s words? Fifth Lady already said she was just guessing!"

"Brother..." Du Thirteenth Sister hesitated, then stammered, "Brother... there is no smoke without fire. If not for Fifth Lady, could it be that Ninth Lady... when I was staying at the Cui estate, the Great Matron would often invite me to keep her company, and in her words, she seemed to favor you greatly. If you were to pass the examinations, would it not be only natural for the Cui family to desire you as their son-in-law?"

Was this what he had been teasing Ninth Lady Cui about? Had the Cui family truly harbored such intentions?

Thinking of the special treatment from Cui Ezhi and the frequent displays of favor from Fifth Lady Cui, Du Shiyi was struck by a sudden realization and sighed at his own denseness. Even Du Thirteenth Sister could see it—he and Cui Jianxuan must have been truly oblivious... and he should add that little girl Ninth Lady Cui, who appeared clever but was remarkably thick-headed in such matters, to the list! *No,* he thought, *for the sake of my future, I must leave as soon as possible!*