Water Mirrored Moon - 水鏡月

Part IV - The Western Emerald: 63. Solution

The next morning Cui Xi woke up in her own bed and realized with a sinking feeling that Zhao Ling Xian must have carried her there.

Feeling strangely empty, she sighed when Su Qing called out to her from the outside of the chamber.

"I came back, Mistress!" she said cheerily. "I'm coming in."

The doors opened and Su Qing waltzed in with Su Rou a step behind carrying a basin in the crook of one elbow.

Opening a jar of ground peach pits mixed with a light cream, Cui Xi proceeded to give her skin a good scrub. After rinsing, she carefully applied make up and let Su Rou arrange her hair, but bit her lip when Su Rou went to pin the lower half that was still hanging long and loose over her shoulders.

Seeing the expression on her face, Su Rou paused.

"Mistress, please don't be wilful. You're respectably married now. As the prince's concubine you should wear your hair up properly," Su Rou chided patiently, as she held a strand up for her Mistress to see.

"Nope. That won't do," Cui Xi said softly.

"Mistress, are you still unreconciled to your position? But you seem different this morning..." commented Su Rou, gently teasingly her.

Different? Do I?

Cui Xi straightened her spine. Obviously, she hadn't been unreconciled last night when they had kissed, but this morning she wanted to bury her head under a pillow and forget it ever happened.

"Nothing has changed. Do you have any information about the Tang family?" Cui Xi asked, abruptly changing the subject. She met Su Qing's gaze reflected in the mirror.

Su Qing slid a glance at Su Rou who simply shrugged and left the lower tresses loose.

"There wasn't much. The Tangs have worked in the imperial treasury for a few generations. It's actually strange that the emperor would match Murong Shi with a family with access to that. After all, he's the son of the emperor's youngest sister...If the nobles weren't happy with the status quo, our Xiao Hei could be installed on the throne as a puppet. Moreover, the Marquis of Changping and the Murongs have strong backers in the north and here in the capital..."

Cui Xi rubbed the spot between her brows.

At least they aren't the Tangs of legend*...

"Murong Shi would never be anyone's puppet. Also based on Murong Duan's personality, he wouldn't allow it. However, I really don't know what the emperor is thinking. On the one hand, the Tangs are pretty weak. There is no military background...but handing Murong Shi the treasury feels like a set up...Argh...and marriage to Tang Wen Ran might tie him permanently to the capital."

"You don't think Murong Shi would take his wife back to the north?"