The carriage rattles along the mountain road as the landscape slowly shifts from cultivated fields to wilder terrain.

By the time the Shen country manor comes into view, she has already begun to feel her father’s lack of regard.

This manor sits at the edge of a quiet valley, surrounded by tall bamboo groves and old pine trees that bend slightly with the wind. The walls are weathered but intact, the roof tiles darkened with age. It is a place that hasn't been maintained properly  just enough to remain livable...

Her lips curl up into a slight smile, as expected not much of a difference from my small courtyard. Weathered with age and the scent of abandonment clings to it.

As if it had been waiting…waiting for me.

No one from the Shen family has stayed there in recent years. Favoring the lavish manor constructed a few years ago and the climate in the South

Shen Ling steps down from the carriage without assistance. Her maid and the carriage driver unload the plants, the small bundles of clothes and a medium sized chest.

The  middle aged carriage driver bows briefly, already eager to leave. There is no ceremony, no lingering words of welcome. Only the soft creak of the carriage as it turns away again, wheels crunching against the gravel path until the sound fades completely.

Silence returns quickly. Not the heavy silence of her courtyard on the edge of a bustling estate, but a peaceful silence. Shen Ling stands  still for a moment, taking it in.

The air here is different. Cooler. Laced with the scent of pine and damp earth. The mountains rise in the distance like sleeping giants, their peaks partially veiled in mist.

This is exile, yes.but it does not feel like a cage.

Behind her, the manor gates remained half-open, as though uncertain whether to welcome  or reject her.

A servant finally approaches, an older woman with tired eyes and careful movements. Shen Ling can sense the woman's disdain as her eyes roam over her clothes and meager belongings. It has been years since anyone has stayed here from the Shen family. The woman has grown accustomed to being the one in charge.  Now they send an unwanted girl she must monitor

Without a word of greeting she sharply states“You are to stay in the east wing,” She continues,“Meals are brought twice a day. You are not to wander beyond the marked paths.” The master’s orders were clear, nothing should happen to the girl she will be  of use in the future.

Shen Ling nodded once. “Understood.”

No one asked how her trip was....No one asked if she had questions or any special needs and that suits her fine. 

Her room is plain but spotless. Wooden floors, a low bed, a small writing desk facing a window that overlooked the forest edge. Nothing ornate. Nothing meant to impress.It was… enough.

Shen Ling sets her bundles down and walks straight to the window.

Outside, the world stretched endlessly.And somewhere beyond those trees…the mountain path…the hermit.

Her aunt’s  words echoe faintly in her memory.At the foot of the mountain…

Liu Bing enters the room and frowns “Miss, this room is smaller and worse than your courtyard at the mansion.”

“I don’t think it is bad. It is clean and…” as Shen Ling opens the window and adds, “The view is beautiful.”

She breathes in the fresh air and continues,“Liu Bing, I have my own plans and if you can bear with me for a while I will give you  your indenture papers and some money so you can return to your family. I would let you go now but I have no money to send you off with and no one here I can trust.”

“Miss, I am not complaining or ungrateful like Fang Chu. I just feel you are so pitiful. You are the legitimate daughter but  you're treated with less respect than a lowly servant.That old woman's attitude...why didn't you say anything?!"

Shen Ling holds her hand, “I don't care what she thinks...why would this place be any different than the mansion? She laughs, "My identity remains the same, I am still Shen Ling the Marquis' unwanted daughter."

She sits down and the white  cat jumps onto her lap. She pets it while explaining,"This is a better situation, "I had no way to escape or fight back but now living here I have freedom. Shen Roulan can’t come by every time she needs to vent and make my life miserable. I can’t tell Liu Bing  my plans…she would not agree and be burdened with worry, “It might seem to you that this is a worse situation,but to me I am very happy.”

The fluffy white cat rubs against her hand  and she  strokes its fur. "I can walk around the manor freely and the one concession Father made was that I could go to the village once every two weeks. My allowance remains the same and I am not trapped in that small courtyard. I was never allowed to go out because they were afraid I might damage Shen Roulan’s reputation. Can’t you see this is much better?”

Liu Bing bites her lower lip, “When you put it that way, I guess.”

“Now be a good girl and go to the kitchen and get us some snacks. Little White is hungry too.” She hands her some copper coins. Give this to the cook to show my sincerity."

Shen Ling unpacks her clothes and hangs  them in a small wooden wardrobe then sets the plants on a table by the windowThis will do  until I  can  finda suitable place in the courtyard.

Liu Bing comes back with a tray of snacks and tea then smiles. “Miss, the cook is very good natured, nothing like the old woman who met you at the gate. She prepared these light snacks saying after a long journey it was best not to eat anything heavy. She also refused the copper coins saying "You are the mistress and it is what she should do.”

Shen Ling takes the cup of tea from Liu Bing and her eyes light up as she sips the refreshing tea, “This tea is delicious. Maybe I was wrong to assume the people here would be the same as at the mansion. But I need to be cautious.

“While I was waiting for the pastries she was very friendly. She even asked what you like to eat.”

Shen Ling almost spits out the tea, “Interesting.But, since we don’t know these people don’t be too friendly. I’m sure everything will be reported to Father. If she asks again, tell her I am not picky.”

“Yes Miss.”

At  night, the manor grew quiet early.

Shen Ling waits until the halls are still before she moves.

Not hastily...Not nervously...Carefully.

She changed into darker, simpler clothing, tied her hair back more securely, and packed only what she needed, small tools, a little dried food, a thin cloak. Nothing that would weigh her down.

When she opens the window, cold air slips immediately.

The forest beyond was dark, but not empty. It was alive in a way the mansion never was.

 She glances once around the room. "No one will come looking for me tonight."

Liu Bing was exhausted and she told her to go to sleep early. 

Shen Ling dressed in dark clothes she had prepared anxious to find the hermit. If she calculated correctly she could go there and be back by morning before anyone realized she slipped away.

Carrying the small lantern from her room she paused at the edge of the manor path, her foot already angled toward the mountain trail  then stopped. A quiet breath left her lips. Slowly, she turned back. . With a self-deprecating tone she mutters,  “Shen Ling, you are really stupid.”

 For all her resolve when faced with the looming forest ahead she realizes she is being foolish. I have  never been outside of the mansion, how can I navigate an unknown forest at night. I’m too anxious. I need to get to know the forest during the day so at night I won’t be clueless.

 I made a decision without thinking clearly. She exhales once, then returns toward the manor.

After a restless night, the morning light shone through the window. Shen Ling laid on the bed with her hands behind her head thinking about a course of action. I should familiarize myself with the manor first then the forest.

Liu Bing helped her dress and Shen Ling ate the breakfast a slightly plump young girl brought. The breakfast consisted of a hearty chicken porridge with a side of wild vegetables.

 The cat jumped onto her lap eager for a few bites of chicken. “Little White, it’s been a long time since we had chicken.” The satisfied  cat purred in agreement and greedily looked towards the half empty bowl.

 “Liu Bing, I am going to familiarize myself with the manor.See where the best spot is to place the pots in the courtyard.”

Shen Ling moves through the manor with a light step, observing rather than avoiding. The place, though plain, has its own rhythm, servants tending gardens, water being drawn from a stone well and the sound of chickens could be heard coming from the back.

 She passes an open corridor lined with wooden pillars and stepped into a side garden. Bamboo swayed gently in the wind. A narrow stone path wound through it, leading toward the manor’s outer boundary. And beyond,something else caught her eye. An estate stood adjacent to the Shen manor grounds. Not ostentatious, but unmistakably different. It was built with restrained elegance, dark timber, wide eaves, and tall gates that bore a sense of unmistakable authority . 

Even from a distance, there is something disciplined about it that gives a military vibe rather than it being the residence of an official. 

Shen Ling slows her pace. A maid carrying a basket of laundry passes nearby, and she lightly calls out. “Excuse me.”

The maid stops immediately, bowing slightly. “Miss?”

 Shen Ling tilts her head toward the neighboring estate. “Whose residence is that?”

 The maid follows her gaze and hesitates only briefly before answering. “Ah… that is  Old General Jiang’s estate.” 

Shen Ling blinks. “The general?” 

“Yes,” the maid continued. “ He is recuperating there at the moment, so the household is kept very subdued. Not many are allowed in or out.”