Chapter Six
Mu Fanqing
Ireach out, selecting a golden pin from off my vanity. The end is twisted into the shape of a phoenix in flight. The swooping feathers are inlaid with tiny rubies. It’s beautiful, but like me not truly free. It is forever frozen in flight, bound to the golden pin base.
With my magic, I could fly, but I have no freedom.
A voice chimes in behind me, “You know, if you keep frowning like that, your face could get stuck in that position.”
I lift my eyes to look into the bronze mirror to see that my sister Ehuang has entered the room and is now standing behind me.
Ehuang is dressed simply with her hair swept up in twin braids, hanging over each shoulder.
It’s likely that she just came from her herb garden where she has been growing rare plants for her alchemical pursuits.
I often wonder what my father thinks of both his children pursuing different avenues of magic, if he is proud of us or if he thinks we do it to enhance our positions since we were born into such a low rank of officialdom.
Although, it seems that no matter our talents Ehuang and I cannot escape serving the realm as investigators.
She has just recently joined the Ministry of Justice as a low rank investigator and I am to be an investigator in my own rights, only I will be operating under the Xiao name, and I will not be solving petty cases.
No, I will be a Spirit Catcher and everything that entails. It seems far less a glamourous title than Imperial Scribe, but I was not given a choice in the matter. It isn’t as if my opinion matters anyway. Least of all when it comes to insignificant things such as my whole future.
She leans over slightly to study the pin in my hand. “Oh, that is beautiful and the rubies will match your wedding gown.”
I slap the pin against the table. “You are far too enthused about my life being ruined.”
“Nonsense, I despair along with you,” she says clucking her tongue. “I just think…” She trails off as she lifts the pin and slides it into my hair. “That if you have to be a bride then you might as well be a beautiful one.”
I purse my lips, but don’t argue. She has a point.
At least I feel more in control when I am dressed up with my hair and makeup done.
Just because my life is in ruins doesn’t mean that I have to look like it is.
I simply have to fool the world till I end up fooling myself as well and then there won’t be anyone left who doesn’t believe in me.
“Did you really meet Xiao Shu?” Ehuang breathes as she moves around my seat and kneels in front of me. Her features are far softer than mine, giving her an air of innocence although I know that looks can be deceiving. My sister has a devious streak she tries to hide behind her sweet features.
Now her eyes are round, and her lips are partly parted as she stares at me.
I give a brief nod as I open up my jar of rogue and begin applying.
“Is he really…” she trails off and bites her lip.
I start nodding, assuming that she means to ask about his poor reputation and from what I have seen, Xiao Shu is indeed the scoundrel everyone paints him as. How dare he demand payment for saving my life when he is the reason it was in danger in the first place.
“As handsome as everyone claims he is?” she finishes, a smug smile crossing her features telling me that she did that on purpose.
I reach out flicking her forehead. “Oh, you!”
“What?” she asks as she tilts her head and bats her eyelashes, feigning innocence. “If you have to be married, is it not too much to ask that he be handsome?”
Unbidden, Shu’s face flickers across my mind.
His features are quite sharp and memorable.
With his straight, long nose and chiseled jaw ending in a pointed chin he leaves an impression.
As far as conventional handsomeness goes, he does truly hold up to the standards.
I could even go as far to say that I’ve met plenty of men during my time at the academy, and none of them quite command the room the way that Shu does.
But I’d never mention that out loud, least of all to my sister who is just looking for something to gossip about.
His reputation is quite bad, but he seemed reasonable enough the other night…at least he was after demanding payment for saving my life after crippling my power. He was willing to sign the marriage contract, anyway. Even pricked his own thumb so that I didn’t have to bloody mine.
The memory of his strong grip around my wrist as he placed my thumb against the paper springs unbidden to my mind.
“Are you blushing?”
I look up startled out of the memory.
Ehuang slaps her hand against the dressing room table. “I can’t believe this, you are blushing. I was only teasing but now I see he must be as handsome as everyone says in order to draw such a reaction from my unfeeling sister.”
I reach up, placing the back of my hand against my cheeks, willing them to cool off. “I wasn’t blushing I was… flushed with indignation. Xiao Shu is a frustrating person.”
She rolls her eyes. “You think everyone is frustrating. That hardly sets him apart. What does set him apart is the fact that is the only bad thing you can say about him.”
“I can say worse,” I grumble as I reach down fiddling with my dress. “But it is my wedding today. I’m trying not to bring bad luck on myself.”
She waggles her eyebrows, clearly not buying my excuses. “So, you want good luck in this marriage? How interesting.”
I let out a disgusted snort as I shove her away. “You’re incorrigible.”
Ehuang rights herself easily, I obviously didn’t shove her hard enough.
“Life seems to be pulling us into different directions,” she says, the smile slipping from her face.
“You are to be married, and father said I’m going to be assigned to my first case at the Ministry of Justice.
I don’t know when we will be able to see each other again. ”
“It isn’t as if we were able to see each other often while I was away cultivating. We will just have to keep in contact the way that we always have, through letters.”
She lunges across the table, grasping my hand. “I lost you to cultivation all those years and now you’re getting married. I need your solemn word that you won’t keep abandoning your poor sister.”
“The Xiao Manor is in Beizhou, and while we are not there, I’ve been commanded to aid in the spirit hunting.” I fold my hands. “I’m afraid that my best is all I can give you.”
Ehuang’s shoulders slump as she studies me. “Well, I suppose it is a good thing that you spent all those years cultivating your inner core, so I don’t have to worry about you too much going up against those spirits.”
Is it? I dedicated my life to the pursuit of magic with the goal of serving the emperor himself as one of his scribes.
I did not do all that just to spend my life traveling the countryside with my husband fighting spirits.
Anyone can fight a spirit, but not anyone can serve his imperial majesty.
If anything, I feel overqualified for the task.
I fought so hard to be the best there was only to be selected for a lesser position.
I ball my hand into a fist bunching the fabric.
My sister reaches out and grasps my hand, gently massaging the back of it. “Your fate could truly be worse. I hope that you find untold happiness in this marriage, more than you ever dreamed of for yourself.”
I slide my hand out of her hold. “I will settle for being passably content. But you have to promise to be safe working for the Ministry of Justice. Listen to father when he tells you something. You can’t just rely on your plants when dealing with criminals.”
She shakes her head enthusiastically. “Don’t worry, I don’t know all the specifics about this case, but I do know that all we will be doing is investigating smuggling. I don’t think we have anything to worry about with a mere smuggler.”
I reach out, flicking her forehead. “You mustn’t underestimate how far greed will drive a person. This is why I worry about you out there in the wide world, you’re too na?ve. You think the best of too many people.”
She twists her mouth. “Then you will be happy, like father, to know that since I’m only a junior member, I will be taking this case alongside other ministers of justice.
I don’t know who they are but apparently, they’ve been working on this case for some time.
I am not even sure if there will be anything for me to do. ”
“Oh, that is a relief,” I say as I sag a bit into the dressing table.
Ehuang straightens and her expression is immediately replaced by a glower. “I’m not completely helpless, you know.”
I reach out, cupping her face. “And I hope that life never makes you feel hopeless, but I cannot promise you that the road ahead will be smooth. Which is why I am glad that you will not be alone for your first ever case. I hope that your partners can help to protect you from the injustices of the world.”
She blows out a breath as she reaches up to hold my hand.
“You and I are quite different. I know that you work hard because you don’t think you can accomplish anything without striving against the wind.
You think the world is cruel and everything you want must be claimed from it…
and maybe that is true. But the world also holds beauty.
Have faith, Qing Qing. I believe in you and your ability to make the best of this situation.
With your determination you won’t stop until you claim what you want. ”
I press my lips together, forcing a smile as I nod. “You’re right. Of course you are, I will find a way to turn this around for the better.”
My mind flits back to the marriage contract. Haven’t I already begun doing that? At least Shu isn’t a monster and he is reasonable. If anything, we could even be reasonable allies in this life once we are man and wife.
She straightens suddenly. “Oh, by the way, I want you to take A’Ting with you when you leave. Beizhou is so far away, and I would feel better knowing that you aren’t completely alone. I will not be needing a maid anyway if I have to travel a lot. Let alone two!”
I twist my neck to see Ehuang’s maid Qu Ting standing next to her sister Qu Yu. Qu Ting lowers her head as my eyes land on her. “It would be my honor to journey with you, my lady.”
Ehuang tightens her hold of my hand. “You didn’t take a maid with you to university and of course, I understand that.
There wouldn’t have been room for her in the dormitory, and you were busy with studies, but this is different.
You are going to be wife and the lady of a manor now.
Besides, it will be nice to have someone from home by your side. ”
“But it’s such a long journey…” I say trailing off. It doesn’t seem fair that the both of us be snatched away from home.
“I am not afraid,” Qu Ting hurriedly says, interrupting me. “My lady, I wish to go. I want to serve you well. It breaks my heart to think of you being so far from home alone. Please allow me to come with you so that I can ensure that you are safe and comfortable no matter where you go.”
I glance from her to my sister and then back. I nibble on my lip before I finally nod. “Very well. If you insist upon coming.”
A’Ting smiles widely before she lowers her head. “Thank you, my lady, I will make certain that everything is packed so that you do not have to worry about any of that.”
I nod, turning back to the bronze mirror. I once again bunch my skirts between my fingers. No, now I just have to worry about my upcoming wedding.