Chapter 112: Riddles and Blank Pages

On the first day of September, Nangong Qingyi sat inside the grand tent, holding a military report with furrowed brows, staring at it for a long while. Yet her thoughts seemed far from the report itself.

Xiaoqi quietly leaned toward Xiaoqin and whispered, “Miss has seemed distracted these past two days. What’s troubling her?”

Xiaoqin shook her head, replying softly, “I’m not sure, but I’ve noticed that Miss has been quietly writing down the Mid-Autumn poem our master composed a few days ago.”

Xiaoqi asked, “You mean the ‘Water Melody’ poem?”

Xiaoqin nodded gently, “Yes. I think with our master’s talent, it must be causing some worries for Miss.”

Puzzled, Xiaoqi looked at Xiaoqin and said, “I think that’s what makes them well-matched.”

Sighing, Xiaoqin replied, “Precisely because they are well-matched.”

Still uncertain, Xiaoqi glanced at Xiaoqin again. Perhaps Xiaoqin’s words had sparked an idea, for she nodded slowly, her gaze turning complex as she looked toward Nangong Qingyi.

Just then, as the two maids frowned with concern over Nangong Qingyi, Xiaoshu burst into the tent, her face alight with excitement.

Xiaoqin and Xiaoqi frowned and quickly gestured for silence.

Still brimming with joy, Xiaoshu halted her steps upon seeing their gestures.

Nangong Qingyi, having heard Xiaoshu’s arrival, looked up at her cheerful expression and smiled, “Xiaoshu, what has you so happy?”

Xiaoshu hurried over, giggling softly, and placed a letter before Nangong Qingyi. “Miss, a letter from Master.”

At the mention of Master’s letter, Xiaoqin and Xiaoqi hurried over as well. Seeing Nangong Qingyi’s excitement, their eyes sparkled with delight as they exclaimed together, “Miss, open it quickly and see what Master has written!”

Nangong Qingyi shyly looked up at the three maids, who seemed even more excited than herself, and half-jokingly scolded, “You three little rascals!”

The three giggled and eagerly urged, “Miss, open it! Open it!”

Though aware of their teasing, Nangong Qingyi’s heart was also stirred. She had expected a reply from Yang Yaozong these past days but had yet to receive one, causing a faint disappointment. Now, with Xiaoshu’s arrival and the letter before her, her spirit lifted and she longed to open it at once. Yet, hearing the maids’ playful coaxing, she composed herself.

Feigning calm, Nangong Qingyi carefully broke the seal and unfolded several sheets of paper, noticing with some surprise the large character “One” inscribed on the first page.

She quietly murmured in her heart, then saw the subsequent pages each bore the characters “Two,” “Three,” “Four,” and “Five” respectively. She understood Yang Yaozong intended for her to read the letters in order.

With a heart full of curiosity and excitement, she unfolded the first page. It contained the usual caring words, but at the end, Yang Yaozong wrote: “I suddenly wished to paint a picture for my lady. After much thought, I know not what to depict. So, I shall present you with a few riddles; if you can solve them, you will know what I intend to paint. Please open the second sheet and write your answers after each riddle. Now, let the challenge begin!”

Nangong Qingyi never hid her family letters from the maids, so she placed the first sheet aside and began reading the second.

The three maids peered at the first letter, with Xiaoshu commenting, “Master’s letter feels like a chat with Miss rather than a formal letter.”

Xiaoqi smiled, “That’s what makes it intimate. Much better than those stiff, flowery letters.”

As Nangong Qingyi picked up her brush, furrowing her brow and lightly tapping the table with her left index finger in rhythm—a habit she displayed only when deep in thought—the three maids leaned closer to see the second sheet laid out before her.

“What riddle is this?” Xiaoqi frowned, reading aloud, “A meadow of green grass? Guess a flower’s name?”

Xiaoqin furrowed her brow and quietly said, “I can’t figure it out.”

Xiaoshu shook her head as well.

Suddenly, Nangong Qingyi stopped tapping, a faint smile playing at her lips. Confidently, she wrote “Plum blossom” after the first riddle.

The maids’ faces lit up with realization and admiration, nodding in approval as they silently thought, “Master’s riddles aren’t so easy to stump Miss!”

Next, they examined the second riddle: “On this meadow of green grass, a flock of sheep arrives.” The three puzzled maids pondered deeply.

But with the insight gained from the first riddle, Nangong Qingyi quickly penned “Strawberry” beside the second.

The maids clapped joyfully at her quick wit. Before they could read the third riddle, Nangong Qingyi finished reading and immediately wrote “Waxberry” after it.

Xiaoqin first frowned, then beamed, “Now a pack of wolves arrives—could it be ‘waxberry sheep are gone’? Miss is so clever! Master is truly amusing to come up with such playful riddles.”

Beneath the third riddle, Yang Yaozong wrote, “My lady, please look upon the painting I made from these three riddles. If you do not understand, please open the fourth sheet.”

Curious, Nangong Qingyi unfolded the third sheet, only to find a blank page. She frowned, puzzled.

Xiaoqi guessed, “Could Master have folded the paper wrong and left the painting at home?”

Nangong Qingyi shook her head. Since the character “Three” was clearly marked on the other side, it must be intentional. But what could the blank page mean? She stared intently, trying to make sense of it. Frustrated, she recalled Yang Yaozong’s note about the fourth sheet if she couldn’t understand.

Unfolding the fourth paper, she saw a large, smiling face drawn. Startled at first, she soon let out a soft laugh. Though she could not see Yang Yaozong, she glanced at the smiling face. Beneath it was written: “The sheep are gone, the wolves have nothing to eat, so they left. There’s not even grass on the ground anymore, so my husband naturally has nothing more to paint. Ha ha ha ha!”

The three maids burst into laughter at Yang Yaozong’s fourth letter.

Xiaoqi chuckled, “Master is truly amusing—he can make so much meaning from a blank page.”

Nangong Qingyi knew Xiaoqi referred to Yang Yaozong’s playful ‘imperial exam’ style riddle. She nodded silently, feeling a deep joy.

She then unfolded the final sheet, which read: “My lady toils day and night at the border, surely weary in mind and spirit. I hope this letter brings you some lightness and joy. Unable to relieve your burdens directly, I offer these humble tokens. Your husband, Yaozong.”

Finishing the letter, Nangong Qingyi felt warmth bloom within her. Tears quietly traced down her cheeks, falling onto the paper and blurring the characters of “Yaozong,” blossoming into a delicate, dark tear flower.

Though she could not recall Yang Yaozong’s exact features, her impression was of a handsome scholar, fair-skinned and slender. As she reminisced his vague image, a bittersweet sweetness filled her heart. Whispering softly, she murmured, “May we live long and share the beauty of the moon, even though separated by a thousand miles.”