Chapter 4

Following Old Liu’s instructions, I decorated the flower in my hands.

Late that night, Qingping returned from her shift carrying a split sachet.

“Isn’t that the one Fourth Miss Wei made?” I asked.

“It is.” Qingping looked miserable. “His Highness had a misunderstanding with Fourth Miss Wei yesterday. He came home and cut it in half with one stroke of his sword.”

…Was he rabid?

“He said it has to be repaired so perfectly that no one can see a trace of the damage. Otherwise, he’ll hold me responsible.”

Qingping genuinely knew embroidery, unlike a complete fraud like me. Unfortunately, Wei Qingzhi was the female lead. Naturally, her embroidery was unrivaled beneath heaven, and naturally, she was also the inheritor of some legendary, endangered technique.

“Fourth Miss Wei used Clear-Sky Embroidery from the previous dynasty. It was severed cleanly down the middle, so it will be exceedingly difficult to mend. And her use of color is highly original. Matching the thread will be difficult too.”

“When does His Highness want it?”

“He’s meeting Fourth Miss Wei tomorrow.”

The lamp had been burning for a while, and its light had dimmed.

…May every boss who assigns work at night and demands a report the next morning explode.

Qingping smiled bitterly. “I won’t be sleeping tonight. I’ll probably keep you awake too.”

“Enough useless talk. You study it; I’ll find thread and match the colors. Staying alive comes first.”

Qingping cried as she stitched. The watchman’s clapper announced the second night watch, and her hands trembled so badly she nearly dropped the needle.

“One year of experience at Prince Li’s residence is worth three anywhere else,” I told her. “After training like this, your professional skills will be unbeatable…”

Qingping interrupted me with complete seriousness. “Le Yao, I’ve saved six taels. If dawn comes and I still haven’t repaired this… I’ll leave the money to you.”

“Nonsense. You care about money more than your life. I don’t believe you could bear to part with those six taels.”

Qingping kept rambling about what I should do after she was gone. I looked down at the half-embroidered flower in my own hands.

“Qingping, do you think His Highness actually knows what that sachet looks like?”

“What do you mean? Are you saying he might be blind?”

“I’m saying he may only want a sachet that doesn’t look as though it was cut in half. Think about it. Can he really tell one woman’s rouge from another, distinguish every kind of silk and satin, or recognize every embroidery pattern?”

Qingping’s eyes widened. “But Fourth Miss Wei made this one. His Highness looks at it every day and treasures it so much…”

I waved a hand. “If he treasured it that much, would he have cut it in half? Why doesn’t he split his own military command seal whenever he gets angry? Use ordinary stitches and embroider something that looks similar on the outside. I don’t believe he’ll notice.”

“But if Fourth Miss Wei sees it…”

“Her eyes aren’t that sharp. Men and women are supposed to keep their distance, so she won’t be close enough to inspect it. Besides, she’s still angry with His Highness. Why would she lean in to check whether the sachet is genuine?”

The candle flame crackled.

“Do you think you can finish the real repair?” I asked.

Qingping’s bloodless lips trembled. “Using Clear-Sky Embroidery? In one night? Absolutely impossible.”

“Then death waits either way. We might as well gamble.”

“And stop talking about leaving your silver to me.” I hugged Qingping and discovered that I was trembling too. “We promised we’d leave together. Neither of us is allowed to save enough first.”