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That night, an elder of the Tan clan passed away. Tan Ting did not return to the main courtyard, and for the next two days, he remained occupied with the funeral arrangements.
During a brief respite, Xiang Yi made another trip to the remote, small courtyard. She spoke plainly about Tan Ting’s attitude, expecting Official Yang Muhong to be deeply disappointed, but the elderly former official only gave a bitter smile.
"Master Tan’s concerns are not misplaced," Yang Muhong said, understandingly. "Given such an inconvenient timing, anyone would have doubts."
Gu Yansheng also did not expect the Tan clan Master to believe them immediately. He looked at Xiang Yi and said, "Yizhen, you need not feel conflicted. Being able to hide here with the Tan clan maintaining a neutral stance is already a blessing." He then brought out the map Xiang Yi had meticulously detailed. "Your map is excellent. The Eastern Palace will send a boat to meet us; I have chosen several possible meeting points. Help me see if they are appropriate."
Xiang Yi focused on the map. The dock Tan Ting had taken her to previously was the largest in Qinglong, but Chen Fuyou would certainly have men stationed there. She studied the riverbanks Gu Yansheng had selected and agreed they were remote and secure.
"It would be best to board at this location," Gu Yansheng noted, pointing to one spot. "The others are backups. Best if they are not needed." Despite his calm, they both knew the danger. Since they were nearing the rendezvous with the Eastern Palace, the Chen family would surely exert every effort to stop them.
Xiang Yi warned her brother to be careful and asked if a specific date had been set with the Eastern Palace. Gu Yansheng’s gaze lingered on her for just a moment before he looked away. "In three to five days," he replied.
Before she left, Yang Muhong urged her not to let his affairs cause a rift between her and the Master of the Tan family. Xiang Yi said nothing. Between her and Tan Ting, there was more than just a rift, there was a seemingly insurmountable chasm.
At the Tan household, the jasmine branches in the main courtyard were tossed about by the wind. Tan Ting paced from the outer study to the inner study, and finally to the main room, sitting at the desk Xiang Yi usually used for her seal carving. The desk was tidy, her tools put away in boxes, leaving only a vase holding a single branch of white plum blossoms that filled the air with a faint fragrance.
Tan Ting felt a heavy sense of suffocation. He had been too busy to speak with her for two days, and it felt as though they had become strangers again. He still found Yang Muhong’s letter difficult to believe.
Just then, he heard a maid’s voice outside: "The Madam has returned."
He stood up immediately. As she entered, they nearly collided. Tan Ting reached out to steady her, but Xiang Yi instinctively stepped back to maintain distance.
"I did not know Master was in the room," she said, bowing. "This consort has offended you."
Tan Ting’s hand froze in mid-air. He eventually withdrew it. After a few polite, stiff exchanges, the room fell silent. He finally asked if Yang Muhong had said anything else.
Xiang Yi replied that the official only said it was reasonable for the Master not to believe him. Tan Ting wanted to sneer, but seeing his wife’s downcast eyes, he suppressed the urge. "Yizhen, do not trust him too easily," he warned.
Xiang Yi did not respond. She had seen the genuine guilt in the old official’s eyes, but she understood Tan Ting’s perspective. The silence between them grew so thick that even the wind couldn't penetrate it. Finally, Tan Ting left.
That night, Xiang Yi spent her time finishing the seal for Tan Ting. She used the white jade he had given her, carefully carving his courtesy name, "Yuanzhi." She felt a sense of urgency, a premonition that her time in the Tan household was coming to an end. Whether it was in a year or a few days, she felt they were destined to go their separate ways.
The next day, Xiao Guan reported troubling news to Tan Ting: Chen Fuyou had called in over a hundred men to Qinglong. It was clear he was preparing for a final move against Gu Yansheng and Yang Muhong.
Tan Ting remained neutral, ordering his clan not to interfere. However, as he sat in his study, he recalled the commoners who had come to thank him for his fairness. He realized that if Gu Yansheng failed to speak for them, their voices might never be heard. He also began to question Chen Fuyou’s insistence on the grudge between the Tan clan and Yang Muhong.
Finally, Tan Ting made a decision. He called Xiao Guan and gave a low-voiced order: "Follow the Chen clan. If they attempt to kill to silence witnesses tonight... do not hesitate. Step in and help."
Later that evening, Tan Ting went to the Autumn Radiance Courtyard, only to be told by Nurse Wu that the Madam was unwell and had gone to sleep early.
Sensing something was wrong, he hurried back to the main room. It was dark. He approached the bed and opened the curtains, but it was empty.
"Yizhen?" he called out. There was no answer.
On her desk lay a letter, weighed down by the newly finished white jade seal. He ignored the seal and tore open the letter. His eyes stung as he read the hurried lines:
Master, please forgive me. The matter is urgent, and I cannot remain a bystander. I have left the Tan house to deliver a warning.
Having been married to you for three years and received the protection of the Tan clan, I have nothing to repay you with. I have imitated your handwriting to draft a letter of divorce. If trouble arises, use this letter as proof; I will not let the Tan clan be implicated.
If I do not return, I only hope that in the future, the Master will marry a fine lady, that your lives may flourish together in perfect harmony.
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