It's early morning with the sun having not yet rose. The grass still covered with dew, glimmering in the darkness. A foot stepped out flattening the grass slightly dampening the somewhat coarse shoe.
Bai Chun, standing outside looked up at the dark sky and closing his eyes took a deep breath, breathing in the warm air that felt heavy.
Nearby stood Li Bai in a cross-collar tan hanfu with a brown jacket over the top along with an orangish brown apron wrapped around her waist giving her a simple appearance. She looked up at the dark sky, squinting her eyes with a frown before turning to look at Bai Chun.
"Zhangfu, it looks like it will rain today." She said softly, gently lowering her lashes, giving her a soft look due to her cute face.
Bai Chun turned and looked at her with a smile. Approaching her, he lifted his hand and gently petted her head, careful not to mess up her hair.
"Are you worrying?" He asked with a smile, looking down at her. Blushing, she stepped forward gripping his robes lightly.
"This slave always worries when Zhangfu leaves." She said softly shyness all over her face. Smiling Bai Chun, using a finger, gently lifted her lowered head and leaned down pressing his lips against hers.
Leaning back slightly, making sure their lips brushed he muttered.
"You worry too much. Huang Hao is sending a carriage to pick me up." Li Bai looked up at him with wet eyes, the corners slightly red from how tightly she held them closed.
Cupping her cheeks with both hands, Bai Chun kissed her again, this time deeply. Some time later, they separated with Li Bai gasping and slightly trembling. Bai Chun stood straight and looked down at her with a hot gaze.
As they stood staring at each other, the door to the house opened quietly. Tao Fang stepped out wearing a tan cross collar with a jacket, the top orange and bottom tan. Over her shoulders hung a long scarf she had brought with her dowry.
Her eyes locked onto the two who stood closely, looking at each other. Clenching her hands, a glint of flashed across her face before forcing herself to calm down.
"Zhangfu," She said, dipping down into a quick bow.
Bai Chun dropped his hand from Li Bai's cheeks and stepped back, turning to look at her with a slight frown. Tao Fang approached them slowly and, after glancing at Li Bai looked at Bai Chun directly.
"Are you leaving soon?" She asked. Bai Chun hummed and nodded his head. Seeing his indifferent response, a hint of disappointment flickered inside her before she smiled at him.
"Well, are you walking today as well?" She asked, her voice getting soft.
"Huang Hao is sending a carriage to pick him up." Bai Chun said after glancing at her, slightly annoyed. Hearing this, she glanced down at his clothes with a frown on her face.
"If so, then is this what you are wearing? This slave knows that we are poor, but we could have gotten all our money to get some better clothes for you to wear." She said, looking slightly worried about the reactions to his clothes at the banquet. Hearing this and noticing her expression, Bai Chun glanced at Li Bai.
Seeing his glance, Li Bai stepped forward and bowed to the two of them.
"Zhangfu, Sister Qizi, this slave will take her leave inside for now." Bai Chun and Tao Fang nodded their heads in response and waited for her to go inside and close the door. Then, with a sigh Bai Chun finally looked at Tao Fang directly.
"Look, you know I am close with Huang Hao as a friend right?" He asked, deciding to tell her what's been happening lately. She nodded without a word, just listening happy he is finally allowing her to be a wife and clue her in on what's been happening outside the house involving the family.
"Huang Hao is the one who has been helping us. He helped get the job I have lined up. He helped bribe someone since they were bribed to fail me, no matter what." Tao Fang took this all in with wide eyes, since he was hiding all this as it was happening.
"Huang Hao, though just a merchant still has many connections to nobles and rich family's. This is the only way I can meet someone that high in rank from us." He explained, then, taking a deep breath finally told her something he knew she would freak out about.
"Because of all of this, he arranged for his eighth sister to marry me as a secondary qizi. This is to connect our families and rise in rank together. The clothes, well, his sister is having them made and will add embroidery to show the future connection of our family's." He quickly explained the rest, then watched as her face went blank for a while before horror filled her eyes.
"So, Zhangfu you are bringing in another qizi?" She asked, sounding slightly panicked, to which he nodded his head.
"Can't you just bring her in as a concubine?" She asked since if this girl is brought in as a qizi she will lose a lot of power due to her having such a strong family who is close with Bai Chun. Bai Chun shook his head.
"She helped with a plan to get the guy targeting me not to finish the exam, and since she isn't married I have to show appreciation this way." He explained simply, not wanting to go into detail. Tao Fang looked at him with teary eyes, feeling abandoned.
"Don't worry, we haven't started planning the wedding since we are waiting until I buy more land and expand the house more to accommodate you all having private residences before she is brought in." He said with a sigh, trying to calm her emotions down somewhat.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Tao Fang felt her determination to get pregnant grow stronger because she could feel her little power in the home slipping every day.
"Bai Chun! This the the servant of the Huang family! We have come to get you on the orders of the eldest master!" A call came from the gate of the house. After glancing at the gate Bai Chun looked at Tao Fang once more.
"That is all I wished to tell you. I will be leaving now." Turning, she walked out the gate with Tao Fang watching him worry all over her face.
Bai Chun quickly reached the carriage and climbed in, not long after he heard the sound of the carriage driver and the neighing of the horses before the carriage started rocking as it moved along the dirt road leaving the village. Not much time passed before he heard a chatter following the carriage. Curious, he lifted the curtain covering the window and looked out.
Following the carriage is a group of people from his village all looking at the luxurious carriage with some envy.
"Look it's Bai Chun inside there!" Someone who caught sight of him pointed out, and the chatter got louder. With a frown Bai Chun dropped the carriage window thinking he needs to buy land farther down the river to avoid such big crowds when something happens.
Bai Chun, now inside the Huang residence, stepped out and was quickly approached by a waiting servant. After giving him a light bow she spoke.
"I will be leading you to the eldest masters residence please follow me." With a nod, Bai Chun followed along.
As they got near Huang Hao's personal residence, Bai Chun could hear the sound of chatter and people rushing around. He watched at the guards opened the gate and the first thing in view was servants running around with their arms full.
What looked to be the head servant pointed around, ordering everyone around.
"Hurry! We don't have much time before the young master and his company must leave! No! Go tell them at the stables to make sure they get the good carriage and that it's clean!"
Bai Chun watched as the man stressed about everything as he passed. The servant, noticing him, gave him a light bow in greeting before getting back to work.
"No!"
The door shut behind them, muffling what he said next as they walked deep inside the house, stopping in front of a big door. The servant girl bowed to the door, keeping her head lowered as she spoke.
"Young master you have company." After a pause Huang Hao's voice came out letting him in. The door was opened and Bai Chun walked in as the servant girl disappeared. As he walked in, Bai Chun looked around the room. Taking in the room decorated with black walls on the left side of the room is a brown glazed round table with two seats. On the right is an open door with hanging beads blocking off the inner room where Huang Hao sleeps at night. In the middle of the room is a bronze mirror with Huang Hao standing in front of it, with a maid helping him fix his clothes.
The maid smiled happily as she pinned his robes. His clothes different shades of light blue because of his new rank after passing the exam. The maid turned and looked Bai Chun up and down with disdain before turning back to Huang Hao.
"I am waiting on my eighth sister to send your clothes, so just take a seat at that table over there." Huang Hao said. Bai Chun nodded his head and walked over sitting at the table.
Looking up he watched Huang Hao taking in how his eyes seemed to linger on the maids body as she leaned down pinning his clothes. Bai Chun's eyes deepened as Huang Hao unconsciously licked his lips before his understanding filled his eyes and he eyes the young maid.
He then quickly changes his face to his normal, relaxed blank expression.
"So who's this maid? I've never seen her before." Bai Chun asked while cocking his head to the side with a slight smile. Huang Hao's eyes quickly darted away from the maid, pretending he wasn't staring at her.
"What's her Name? What's her age since she looks so young?" Bai Chun asked, looking the maid up and down as she stood and wrapped a tie around his hips.
Huang Hao glanced at him a hint of warning in his eyes, before he looked back at the mirror.
"Her name is Little Mu and she is eighteen." Huang Hao said. Bai Chun nodded and considered teasing him more. Suddenly, there is a call outside the door.
"The eighth daughter's maid has come with clothes for the young master's friend."
Bai Chun ignored the call and kept his eyes on Huang Hao who sigh with relief at the interruption.
"Let her in." He called.
The door opened and a slightly older maid who looked similar the the one helping Huang Hao stepped in bowing with her hands lifted his clothes in her hands also light blue like Huang Hao's.
Before she could say anything, Huang Hao waved his hand.
"Someone help Bai Chun get dress and hurry I need him ready before sundown."
Hearing what he said Bai Chun stood up as a servant stepped froward and led him away. As he left Bai Chun glanced back his eyes glinting at the two in front of the mirror before he entered a separate room.