Regardless, he turned and headed to the side gate, which meant she was to follow. Yan Ling took hold of the bamboo stick with the hanging lantern attached and fell into step behind him. From there, she had a chance to observe him without risking his attention. Fei Long wore a tan-coloured robe with black-embroidered trim along the edges and sleeves. He presented a stately sight as he walked through the gate; understated, yet refined.
As they followed the alleyway into the main street out front, Yan Ling was surprised to see how many others were out that evening. A sparse, but steady, stream of people passed by on either side. In her home town, the customers in the teahouse would have thinned by this hour. Here in the imperial capital, it seemed the citizens were just emerging for the night.
Yan Ling ducked away nervously from the first passers-by, but soon realised no one gave her more than a passing glance, if even that. She was a servant, unseen and insignificant. The tension eased from her shoulders and she let out a breath.
She was no one again. She didn’t have to worry about impressing or pleasing anyone. Her attention swung down the opposite side of the street. The courtyard mansions of the neighbourhood stood side by side, with narrow alleyways in between. Some of the gates had wooden plaques fixed over them, but she was unable to make out the characters as they strolled by. Dao had told her that many civil servants and city officials lived within this ward. Not excessively wealthy, but certainly prosperous families.
Fei Long glanced over his shoulder as her forgotten lantern bumped against him. She smiled in apology and righted the bamboo pole. He didn’t seem too disapproving as he resumed his step.
The entire ward was encircled by a low wall that rose just overhead. It wasn’t impossible to scale, except it appeared to be patrolled by armed guardsmen. At the ward entrance, Fei Long paused to show the gatekeeper a marker before they were nodded through.
They didn’t spend much time along the main city street before passing through the adjacent ward. They were going to the entertainment district in an area called the North Hamlet. Inside those gates, the crowd thickened, everyone moving a step or two faster. She crowded close to Fei Long so as not to lose him while she stared at the surroundings.
A collection of tea rooms and pavilions gathered along the main avenue. Red-and-yellow lanterns hung at the front of every building and the sky brightened above with the soft glow of the floating orbs. She doubted her lantern was needed at all any more, but she held on to it dutifully. There were shops still open as well and an endless maze of food carts with steaming baskets and delicious smells.
She wanted to see it all, peek inside each open door and stop at each stall. But Fei Long wove a confident path through the crowd and she had no choice but to follow, absorbing the quarter in tantalising sips. A stringed instrument played inside one doorway. The slow melody spoke of romance and longing, only to fade once they reached the corner. Yan Ling stared up to the second balcony of a teahouse, which put the humble one she’d grown up in to shame. Gold curtains and floral lanterns with well-dressed patrons engaged in lively conversation. Could one taste the luxuriousness in the brew they poured? It must have been as refined as a hundred-year wine.
Beyond the street, another entranceway greeted them. She could see the grass-covered area graced by willow trees just inside the arch. This time she did pause to try to read the plaque overhead. It would give her something to hold on to. She’d write the name onto a slip of paper once she got home.
‘Gardens,’ she recited softly, making out one character amongst the three. She struggled with the others, trying to capture the shapes in her mind.
Fei Long came to her side. He read out each character to her, pointing to it in turn. ‘Pear Blossom Gardens.’
She repeated it, much like she did in their lessons. Then she smiled, swept up in a rush of happiness and gratitude. People brushed past them to enter the park, but Fei Long remained beside her for a moment longer while she floated like the moon, filled with warmth and light.
Finally, he directed them inside with a short nod. Dots of lights and coloured flags