30 Still Waters Run Deep

Yan Qiu Heng led his sister into the tower and up the stairs to the second floor. There were a number of faces she recognized--young masters from this or that noble family that she'd met in passing before.

"Is that... Third Brother?" Yan Qiu Yue asked, squinting at a familiar-looking young man across the room.

"Probably. You know he can't pass up a chance to flaunt his knowledge of Inspector Yu."

Yan Chang Yuan seemed to feel his cousins' gaze because he turned his head right then, caught their eye, and smiled before waving. Yan Qiu Yue waved back, suppressing a smile.

"He's so carefree." she sighed.

"You think? I believe Third Brother has more worries than either of us."

"Really? Why do you think so?" Yan Qiu Yue took another look at her older cousin. She just couldn't see him as anything other than a bright but idle young man.

"Just a hunch. He spends a lot of time out, but we never hear any rumors about him."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"Perhaps, but I feel that Third Brother is up to something in secret. Otherwise, how could there be absolutely no rumors about him outside? Whatever he's doing in Yinchuan, it's all secret."

Yan Qiu Yue was most often inclined to agree with her twin brother, but like them, no matter what he did outside, he was always home in time for dinner. What clandestine things could her older cousin possibly be up to in the brightness of the afternoon? She looked back at Yan Qiu Heng with an eyebrow raised in disbelief.

Yan Qiu Heng just shook his head. "It's only a feeling. I could be wrong."

"Hmm..." Yan Chang Yuan did not yet have a position in court. "Surely Third Elder Brother will be doing the court examinations next year? Perhaps he's only studying."

As the second son of the Yan family's second branch, his options were rather limited. In a place where young noble sons were as plentiful as blades of grass, not every single one could grow up to be a court minister, famous scholar, or burgeoning businessman. It was possible, of course, for some of the less talented ones to sponge off of their families for the rest of their lives, but what of their wives and children? How would they be able to support a household of their own?

Thus, they had to struggle. These young noble sons had to do well enough on the examinations to earn themselves a good position. Being noble sons living in the capital, they were able to skip the provincial exams and start from the metropolitan exams, but sometimes that hurt more than it helped.

As a result, when Yan Qiu Yue really thought about it, she realized it shouldn't surprise her that Yan Chang Yuan would be at Tiankong Tower. This was a good place to study, open yourself up to new ideas, and forge connections with other young scholars. Besides, Yan Chang Yuan really did like Inspector of the Whistling Pines.

Since the event hadn't started yet, the Yan twins made their rounds greeting people they knew. Yan Qiu Yue was introduced and was struck in the difference in treatment from normal. In the past, when introduced, people would be very deferential to her. She was, after all, the only daughter of the Duke Ning household and a talented beauty.

Now, however, she was known by a different epithet: fiancee of Wei Tian Ao. No one was impolite to her, but she could feel a tense sort of confusion. No one knew exactly how to treat her.

Yan Qiu Heng tried to reassure her by saying that surely the others were just not used to conversing with young noblewomen, but she could tell otherwise. It was that slight pause before they said "congratulations on your upcoming nuptials" or "ah, you are to be married to Wei Tian Ao, are you not?" paired with a stiff smile and manner.

She couldn't hold it against them, of course. Yan Qiu Yue hardly knew what to think or how to behave, herself.

"Oh? So this is the Yan Fourth Miss that I have heard so much about." It was an unfamiliar voice, calm, yet sharp at the same time like still waters that promised a hidden predator swimming far below the surface.

Yan Qiu Yue turned her head. There was a noble young man in front of her, dressed finely in white robes with a silvery outer coat. She didn't recognize him, but Yan Qiu Heng bowed and gave the other man a cupped fist salute. "Greetings to Duke Gui-shizi."

Though she didn't recognize Yi Cheng Rui by sight, she knew him by his title. Yan Qiu Yue curtseyed. While both their fathers were dukes, Duke Gui had much more influence in court. This Yi Cheng Rui's brother was a prince consort, besides. This was not a person who could be slighted.

As she lowered into her curtsey, Yan Qiu Yue bowed her head towards the ground and said, "Replying to Duke Gui-shizi, I am indeed the fourth miss of the Yan family. This one is named Yan Qiu Yue."

"There's no need for such ceremony." Yi Cheng Rui said, nodding for one of his servants to help the twins rise out of their formal greetings. "Wei Tian Ao is a good friend of mine. I heard that his fiancee was here and could not help my curiosity getting the better of me. My sincerest apologies if I have caused any offense."

"Not at all, Duke Gui-shizi!" Yan Qiu Yue's eyes flashed. While Yi Cheng Rui and Yan Qiu Heng chatted for a few minutes, she sized up Duke Gui's heir and first son. He stood rather tall, his back completely straight. He seemed like a stoic, honest person. Truth be told, she was surprised that someone like him would claim to be a good friend of Wei Tian Ao's. After all, Wei Tian Ao had not long been in the capital. How could he have made a friend in such a relatively high place in such a short time?

Yan Qiu Yue wondered if it was true that Wei Tian Ao was just depressedly moping around at home or if that was merely a cover for what he was really up to. She thought of her earlier conversation with Yan Qiu Heng about their elder cousin. Noble sons and daughters had to scheme to earn prestige and favor. For imperial children, this was likely even more so the case.

"Is Prince Rui-shizi well?" she suddenly asked during a lull in the young men's conversation.

Yi Cheng Rui paused, digesting her question. Her tone was even. She might have been asking about the weather in such a tone. But as far as he knew, Wei Tian Ao and Yan Qiu Yue had never formally met. Not too long ago, she'd been engaged to Wei Tian Ao's half-brother. Could she really feel nothing as she was passed off in marriage to another man? Yi Cheng Rui and his friend were both suspicious people, slow to trust in others.

Finally, he replied, "There are no problems with his body. He merely worries for his family at present and so is not of a mood to go out to play."

There was a lot packed into this answer. It was a reply in that it answered her question, but it offered no real illumination into how Wei Tian Ao was doing. Which family was he worried about? If there were no problems with his body, were there problems with his mind...? These were, of course, questions that Yan Qiu Yue could not ask.

Just then, the hosts of the event arrived on the scene. "Let's all have a seat and begin our discussion!" Yan Qiu Yue sat next to her brother. Yan Chang Yuan walked over from the other side of the room. Though he wanted to chat more with his friends, there was propriety to think about. Who else could protect Yan Qiu Yue? Thinking of all this, he was about to sit down on the other side of her when someone else briskly walked up to the chair and sat down instead. This man was brazenly taking a seat next to the beauty!

"I say, you cannot--" When Yan Qiu Heng saw who it was, he stopped his words so quickly that he gave himself the hiccups. He coughed a few times in embarrassment, causing Yan Qiu Yue to pat him on the back.

She, too, finally turned to see who had sat down beside her and her face froze in shock once she beheld the other.