Zuo Xiangning left the Chu King's mansion, and the sky had already darkened.
The carriage rocked unsteadily along the road, lulling her into drowsiness.
The coachman suddenly shouted "whoa" outside, followed by Gu Zhiqing's voice, "Xiangning."
Zuo Xiangning opened her eyes, lifted the carriage curtain, and saw Gu Zhiqing dressed in a plain Hangzhou silk crane robe of Buddha's Head Green, looking up and smiling at her: "I heard from the King of Chu that you'd gone to his mansion today, so I figured you must take this road on your way home."
Zuo Xiangning's gaze swept over his red cheeks, chapped from the cold.
"Do you need something from me?" Zuo Xiangning asked.
"I have here two pieces of ginseng and some fine dong quai," Gu Zhiqing said, handing her the box.
"The King of Chu and the Princess Consort have given me plenty; you should keep them for yourself, Official Gu," Zuo Xiangning declined without taking them.
