Twenty-two, Qinghe

  After the fall of Empress Hua, the palace became much quieter. Without this powerful enemy in front of us, both I and Mei Zhuang let out a sigh of relief and focused on consolidating our positions. Empress Hua lost her power to oversee the six palaces, and her residence was no longer as bustling as it used to be. After being repeatedly denied an audience with Emperor Xuan, she didn't make any more noise, and except for the daily morning and evening rituals, she hardly left her quarters. She turned a deaf ear to all the whispers and snickers from the other consorts.

  By mid-May, the weather in Kyoto became increasingly hot. Due to the sweltering heat of summer, emperors throughout history would annually retreat to the Western Capital's Taiping Palace in June and return to Kyoto in early autumn. Xuan Ling was not afraid of the heat, but since it was an imperial tradition, many palace attendants and nobles could not tolerate the heat, so with a single order, the Imperial Household Department had already made arrangements. Xuan Ling also followed precedent and led the empresses, nobles, and officials in a grand procession out of the city to reside in Taiping Palace.

  Taihe Gong was originally built from the "Hao Shan Yuan" of the previous dynasty's Jing Zong. This place is surrounded by mountains and water, with excellent scenery. In our dynasty, when the country was at peace and prosperous, pavilions, halls, and kiosks were continuously built on the old landscape of Hao Shan Yuan, and after nearly a hundred years, it finally became the largest imperial garden.

  Besides the empress, only six or seven concubines who had been favored in the past were brought along to the palace. Cao Ronghua was among them. Although she was a confidant of Empress Hua, Cao Ronghua did not get involved when Empress Hua fell out of favor, probably because she was calm and quiet by nature. Moreover, compared to Li Yu, the former concubine who was arrogant and impatient, Cao Ronghua seemed more likable. Besides, Emperor Xuan had only a few children, except for those who died young, he had only one son and two daughters. And Cao Ronghua was the birth mother of Princess Wen Yi, the second daughter of the emperor. Although Princess Wen Yi was not yet a year old and had many wet nurses and palace maids serving her, she still needed the careful care of her own mother.

  Although the Empress Hua had lost her good impression of Xuan Ling, she was still the first among the three consorts. The Empress had arranged for her to come, but she deliberately avoided meeting with everyone by not getting out of the carriage until they arrived in Xi Jing. Consort Duan was even more unbearable due to her illness and couldn't stand any heat, so although she was tired from traveling, she still came along, but lived alone in a separate carriage and didn't meet with us. As for Ling Rong and Chun, who had never been favored, and Shi Mei Ren, who had lost favor long ago, they were all left behind in the palace and weren't allowed to follow the emperor's entourage. Ling Rong was cautious and timid, while Chun was still young and naive and didn't take it to heart, but Shi Mei Ren was angry about this for many days and even refused to come see us off when we left the palace.

  Having been in the palace for a long time, I'm used to socializing with people. As soon as I leave the red walls of the palace and lift up the curtain of my carriage, I can see the farmers working in the fields, the light smoke rising from the village, and smell the freshness of wildflowers and grasses. Suddenly, I feel relaxed physically and mentally, and my mood has improved a lot.

  Taihe Dian Palace was built according to the terrain of Songshan Mountain, with gardens in the mountains and mountains in the gardens, interspersed with lakes and dense forests. The scenery of the palace takes the best views from both north and south and combines them into one garden, with a charm that is greatly different from that of the Forbidden City.

  Living in the Taiping Palace, I always feel a bit more relaxed than in the palace, although it's still the back palace. However, this time during the Western tour to avoid the heat, the Empress Dowager found the commotion too troublesome and said that at her old age, she wanted to quietly worship Buddha and didn't mind the heat, so she stayed behind in the palace. Although I've been in the palace for over half a year, the Empress Dowager never leaves the Ning Palace except on major festivals, and even when paying respects, only the Emperor, Empress, and princes and princesses are allowed to see her; consorts can't see her unless summoned. So, I still haven't seen the Empress Dowager's face until now. However, I've heard my father and brothers mention how wise and capable she was in her youth, so I have a bit more respect and admiration for her in my heart. Now that I don't live with the Empress Dowager in the same palace, it feels like when I was young and left my strict father to go to my grandparents' house - it's much more relaxed and carefree.

  Xuan Ling chose the serene and peaceful Water Green South Fragrance Hall as his bedroom. The Empress naturally lived in the Light Wind Clear Moon Hall, which was comparable to it in terms of grandeur. Mei Zhuang liked the jade-like bamboo forest in the Yu Runtang courtyard, where the phoenix trees were dense and the dragon's hum was soft, so she chose to live there. I have always been afraid of heat, and Xuan Ling couldn't bear to let me live far away, so he wanted to arrange for me to live in a side hall of the Water Green South Fragrance Hall, where we could see each other day and night. However, this move was too eye-catching, and he feared it would stir up another storm, so he had to decline politely. As a result, Xuan Ling assigned the nearby Yi Fu Pavilion for me to live in, where the entrance was surrounded by large patches of lotus flowers standing tall and elegant, and the cool breeze blowing through the leaves came from the lake, making it a pleasant and comfortable place to stay.

  As soon as I entered the Yufu Hall, I saw that the main room and side halls were filled with dozens of pots of jasmine, gardenia, and magnolia flowers, their white petals lovely. In each room, a wind wheel was placed. Huang Quan made a deep bow, his face full of smiles: "The Emperor knew that you, young master, love fragrance, but to avoid the heat of summer and not burn incense, he specially ordered me to bring fresh fragrant flowers and install wind wheels to cool down and enjoy the scent." Indeed, as the wind wheel turned, a gentle breeze blew, filling the halls with refreshing fragrance.

  Huang Quan hurriedly flattered: "None of the other young masters' wives have this. The favor you're receiving now is the best in the palace!"

  Xuan Ling was indeed meticulous. He felt a slight sense of gratitude in his heart, turned his head to Huang Quan and said: "The emperor's kindness is profound. You go back and reply, say that I will personally go over to thank him later."

  Huang Gui said: "Yes. The emperor is waiting for you, I'm afraid he wants to go hunting. You can rest and pass by slowly later."

  I smiled and said: "This method is indeed clever, Your Majesty has really gone to great lengths."

  Huang Quan said, "It's not hot today, but when the three fu days arrive, we'll put ice blocks from the ice cellar in the palace, and that will be truly comfortable. The emperor ordered us early this morning to use ice as soon as the young master feels hot. How dare we not take it seriously?"

  I glanced at him twice, and Fang said with a smile: "Huang Gonggong worked hard. In fact, this errand can be done by anyone, and it's not necessary for Gonggong to come in person. Go to Cui Shunren's place to collect some silver, and consider it as me treating Gonggong to tea."

  Huang Guiquan hastily said: "Young master, how dare I take on this responsibility. We can serve the young master with all our hearts, it is a blessing that has been accumulated over several lifetimes, and we absolutely do not dare to accept the young master's reward again." As he spoke, he quickly bowed and retreated.

  "Look at him, he's learned to be clever after the fall of Empress Hua. Now he's being extremely cautious, afraid of not doing something properly."

  Li Zhu smiled lightly and said: "Even if the Empress Dowager doesn't fall, who else in this palace would dare to be impolite to our young mistress?"

  I glanced at her and said, "Just focus on talking, go pick some fresh lotus leaves to make soup, that's the priority."

  After resting for a while, she rearranged her hair and makeup, then slowly walked to the Xuanling Bedchamber with Biyu. Passing over the Practicing Bridge, Mirror Bridge, and Secluded Wind Bridge on the Flipping Moon Lake, through the winding and twisting, flower-piercing and tree-transfixing carved corridors, there was a long, long gallery, with ancient cypresses lining the path, dense flowers and trees shading out more than half of the sunlight, making it quite cool.

  All I heard was a "whoosh" sound as the sharp blade pierced the air, and when I looked up, I saw a long arrow shooting straight up into the clouds. The arrow's momentum was exceptionally fierce, and it quickly disappeared into the fluffy white clouds that resembled a cotton heap.

  Suddenly, a shadow flew swiftly from the horizon and plummeted downwards. Instinctively, I took several steps back. A heavy object crashed through the branches of the flower tree, sending dust flying everywhere, mixed with feathers and scattered petals swirling in the air, accompanied by a chilling bloody smell that pierced my nostrils. As I looked closer, I saw an arrow piercing the heads of two sea eagles, passing through their four eyes. The sea eagles had not yet died, but after flapping their hard-as-iron wings twice, they finally stopped moving.

  Deep down, I couldn't help but exclaim "Good!" The Sea East Azure is from Liaodong, although small in stature, it's exceptionally ferocious and fierce. Its beak is like a steel hook, its wings are like iron, far surpassing ordinary birds in terms of agility and beauty. It can shoot down two birds with one arrow and pierce four eyes, the precision and deadliness of its archery skills are truly breathtaking.

  "Good archery!"

  Not far away, applause and cheers shook the air. An imperial attendant hastily ran over to pick up the two pheasants, saw me busy, and saluted to ask for my well-being. I couldn't help but ask: "Is it His Majesty shooting in the garden?"

  The eunuch replied respectfully: "The King of Qinghe has arrived. His Majesty is hunting with the king."

  Upon hearing the three words "Qinghe Wang", I couldn't help but think of the day we first met in the spring at Shanglin Garden, where he called himself "Qinghe Wang". It stirred up the gentle feelings deep within my heart, and I felt joyful. Seeing the yellow flower pattern on the tail feathers of the arrow, I smiled and said: "Your Majesty indeed has excellent archery skills!"

  The eunuch smiled and said: "Your Highness's archery skills are excellent, the Emperor also praised them without end!"

  I was slightly stunned, having only heard that Qinghe Wang indulged in music, chess, poetry and painting, with a temperament as carefree as clouds and wild cranes. I didn't expect his archery skills to be so precise, it's truly beyond my expectations.

  It was just an accident and had nothing to do with me, so I casually asked him: "Is there anyone else?"

  "Cao Ronghua followed the imperial carriage."

  I nodded and said: "Quickly summon Hai Dongqing. Report to the Emperor that I will arrive immediately."

  He nodded and left. I saw him go for a while, tidied up his hair and clothes, and said to Biyu: "Let's go too."

  As I entered the garden, I saw from afar a group of attendants surrounding a slender figure in a lake-blue robe disappearing behind a lush green flower tree. The figure seemed as distant and carefree as a spring mountain with green pines, exuding an air of indescribable leisure. My curiosity got the better of me, and I couldn't help but take another look.

  An imperial eunuch came forward and said: "The Emperor is waiting for you in the Water Green South Fragrance Hall." After speaking, he led me over.

  The Shuiqing Nanyue Hall was built on the west bank of the Taiye Pool, with most of it in the water. The four sides have winding corridors and dense bamboo curtains hanging low. Inside the hall is extremely cool and quiet. As soon as I entered the hall, I heard a faint tea fragrance wafting from the refreshing lake air. It turned out that Xuan Ling and Cao Ronghua were sitting opposite each other tasting tea. When Xuan Ling saw me arrive, he smiled and said, "You're here."

  He bowed and smiled: "Your Majesty is in a good mood. Where did you find such fragrant good tea?"

  Xuan Ling chuckled: "It's not old Liu, it took a lot of effort to find this half catty of 'Snow Top Emerald' tea. It's really good tea. You come and have a taste too."

  "Snowy Peak Emerald" grows on the extremely cold and precipitous mountains in the far north, making it extremely difficult to pick. There are only a dozen or so plants in the world. As it is nourished by snow water all year round, its tea flavor is refreshing and cool, making it a rare treasure that even royal families can hardly taste.

  "Prince, you're really thoughtful." I glanced around and said, "I heard that the Emperor just had a great time hunting with Prince, but now he's nowhere to be seen." I deliberately teased Xuan Ling: "It must be that Prince heard that I'm as dull as salt, so he's hiding from me in fear of being startled."

  Xuan Ling was so amused by me that he laughed out loud, pointing at me and saying to Cao Ronghua: "Qin Mo, listen to her. If she compares herself to a beauty without blemish, then doesn't that make all the women in the harem, including myself, nothing but ugly women like Dong Shi?"

  Cao Ronghua's eyes flowed, and she smiled slightly, slowly peeling a grape in her hand. She said to me: "The king was just here, but because the new batch of porcelain from Yuezhou has arrived, the king is eager to appreciate it." After speaking, she handed over the peeled grape to Xuan Ling's mouth, "Mei Mei is beautiful and moving, but modestly declined. The emperor listened to her joke."

  Xuan Ling Zhang swallowed his words and smiled with a frown: "Not bad, not bad. Indeed, Confucius said 'It is only women and small men who are difficult to cultivate'."

  I raised my fan to cover my face, pretending to be annoyed and said: "This is something I can understand clearly, Your Majesty is comparing me to a petty person? I won't follow." After finishing speaking, I swept my sleeve and said: "Your Majesty doesn't like me in front of your eyes, I'll withdraw now."

  Xuan Ling stood up and pulled me over, saying: "You've said so much that you must be parched. Come, try some of this 'Snowy Peak Emerald' tea. Consider it my apology to you."

  I just turned around and smiled, "The emperor is really good at borrowing flowers to offer Buddha, taking the six kings' things as a favor."

  Xuan Ling Dao said: "It's just human feelings, it's good that you like it." Only then did the three of them sit down together to taste tea.

  Cao Ronghua listened to my playful conversation with Xuan Ling, only smiling quietly without speaking, her autumn waves overflowing, revealing a unique and elegant beauty. After a while, she smiled and said slowly: "As the saying goes, 'a thousand gold coins can buy one smile', the Emperor's treatment of Sister Yuanyi is also worth it."

  My face slightly flushed, I also smiled: "Call Ronghua sister to laugh."

  Cao Ronghua took a sip of tea: "The fragrance is refreshing, and the spirit is refreshed. The Sixth King really has a heart." She said, covering her face with a fan: "I heard that when the Emperor first met Sister Wen, he was afraid that she would be unfamiliar, so he used the name of the Sixth King to taste the Xiao and talk to his sister, and it became today's marriage. It's really a wonderful story for thousands of years."

  As Cao Ronghua mentioned the scene of her first meeting with Xuan Ling, a sweetness arose in her heart, and a blush spread across her cheeks like flowing clouds. Xuan Ling was sitting opposite me, and we exchanged a silent smile.

  Suddenly, I felt a faint sense of unease. Although many people in the palace had heard about my encounter with Xuan Ling that day, how did she know such a subtle secret as Xuan Ling's use of Qing He's name? In my memory, I didn't seem to have mentioned it to anyone either. Thinking this way, my heart couldn't help but sink suddenly.

  Just then, Cao Ronghua said: "In that case, the Sixth King is still the matchmaker for the Emperor and Sister Wan's marriage. We should thank him properly. Moreover, this great matchmaker is so handsome and elegant, I don't know how many daughters of official families in the court have fallen in love with him and are eager to get close to him every day. I suppose Sister must have heard of the Sixth King's great reputation while she was in the boudoir?"

  Xuan Ling's eyes flashed slightly at the words, but quickly returned to their usual gentle gaze. Although it was only for an instant, my heart skipped a beat and I felt uneasy, so I calmed myself down and said: "Sister has been living in seclusion for a long time before entering the palace, and after entering the palace, she fell ill and didn't go out, so she hasn't heard of the king's great name. It's really embarrassing to be so ignorant, Cao sister is laughing at me." After saying that, I lightly shook my fan and smiled brightly: "The emperor has a good literary style and is considerate of our sisters' thoughts, afraid that we will feel constrained. I wonder if he also made this move to get close to Sister Fangze on that day?"

  Although she was responding to Cao Ronghua, she was secretly paying attention to Xuan Ling's expression. Xuan Ling, on the other hand, looked as usual and didn't show any unusual behavior. I had done my best to clear myself and just hoped that Xuan Ling wouldn't take Cao Qianmo's provocation to heart. If he really suspected me, his heart would slightly chill. No, given how he usually treated me, he wouldn't suspect me like this.

  Cao Ronghua smiled quietly, like a silent dragonfly perched on the tip of a lotus leaf, making it impossible for anyone to imagine that beneath her calm and peaceful demeanor lay such sharp wit and cunning, stirring up waves of turmoil. She glanced at the sky, stood up and bid farewell: "At this hour, I'm afraid Wen Yi is probably getting hungry, I'll go back and take a look."

  Xuan Ling nodded and said: "Alright. Recently, Wen Yi has been crying and throwing tantrums all the time. Dr. Jiang often takes your pulse to ensure you're safe, so let him take a look at Wen Yi too and see what's causing her to cry and throw tantrums like this."

  "Yes. I'll let Imperial Physician Jiang examine her and then come back to report to Your Majesty." With that, she calmly smiled and retreated.

  Only I and Xuan Ling were left in the hall, while Fen Bi and the other palace maids stood waiting outside. The air was filled with a chilly gloom, and even the fragrance of tea seemed to have lost its lightness, feeling only heavy and suffocating. In the distance, the cicadas' shrill cries echoed one after another, stirring up waves of annoyance in my heart.

  Xuan Ling's mouth was curved with a faint smile, and he ordered someone to bring out a zither: "This zither was the beloved object of the former emperor's concubine, Shu Gui Fei. The former emperor went through many difficulties to obtain it for her. Before you came, I had wanted to hear someone play a tune, but unfortunately, the zither is as silent as its name suggests, and in terms of musical skills, it is quite unfamiliar."

  "I said: 'I'll send someone to invite Princess Hui over.'"

  "Although Hui Bin's mastery of melody and rhythm is superior to yours, the emotional depth in her music is not as good as yours. A fine zither without emotional resonance would be dull and flavorless; why don't you play a piece instead?"

  "I said: 'Then I will play a piece for Your Majesty.'"

  Xuan Ling gazed at me and said, "Good. The clear waves and gentle breeze, savoring tea and listening to the zither, sitting and admiring a beauty, are indeed life's pleasures. Let's play that half-verse of 'The Mountain is High' then."

  I gently stroked the strings with my fingers. Indeed, it was a fine instrument, its tone as clear and crisp as pearls dropping onto a jade plate. However, at this moment and in this place, my heart was preoccupied, and I couldn't devote myself fully to the music, which was truly a pity.

  The music ended, the Emperor applauded and said: "Indeed, it was played wonderfully." The Emperor's piercing gaze locked onto my eyes, after a moment, he raised a faint smile and said: "Huan Huan's feelings for me are completely clear to me. But I wonder when did you start having feelings for me?"

  His heart suddenly tightened, and he asked as expected. He finally asked after all. Not allowing me to think much, I stood up and walked in front of him, calmly knelt down and said: "Huan Huan likes the person standing in front of Huan Huan, regardless of title or name."

  The emperor didn't call me up, but slowly and calmly said: "What did you say?"

  "The Emperor, under the name of Qinghe King, had a picnic with me and Rong Huan to admire the flowers. Although Rong Huan admired the Emperor's talent, she thought he was just the king and was cautious not to overstep her bounds. After the Emperor revealed his true identity, he treated Rong Huan with extra care and favor. The Emperor did not treat Rong Huan like his other concubines, and Rong Huan's feelings for him went beyond mere loyalty, they were like those of a wife."

  I continued: "If you don't want to pursue when Huanhuan had feelings for the Emperor, Huanhuan's heart moved towards the Emperor was when the Emperor helped me out of the predicament of Yu Ge's clothes. Huanhuan has always been unwilling to have right and wrong with others, on that day Yu Shi was reckless, and Huanhuan was really at a loss. The Emperor's words saved not only from the predicament but also maintained Huanhuan's dignity as a person. Although this is just a trivial matter for you, in Huanhuan's heart, the Emperor is a gentleman who saves people from danger."

  Xuan Ling's eyes showed more emotion, and the smile on his lips gradually deepened. He gently stretched out his hand to support me, saying, "I was just casually asking."

  I insisted on not getting up, "Please let Her Majesty finish speaking." I kowtowed and said: "Huanhuan deserves to die, but I dare to say something that oversteps my bounds. In Huanhuan's heart, you are the emperor, but even more so, you are Huanhuan's husband, whom she loves and respects deeply." By the last few sentences, my voice was already choked with sobs, and I couldn't speak clearly.

  Xuan Ling's heart ached as he held me in his arms, and he said pitifully: "I have always understood your thoughts, that's why I love you more than all the imperial consorts. Today's events were indeed my fault for being overly suspicious. Xuan Xuan, don't blame me."

  I leaned against his chest and softly murmured two words: "Si Lang."

  He held me tighter, "Xuan Xuan, you just kept calling me 'Your Majesty' and pleading your case, I'm touched but also can't help feeling sad. In the past, when we were alone, you always called me 'Fourth Brother'. Xuan Xuan, it's my fault that made you sad." Tears moistened the golden dragon patterns on his dragon robe. On this sweltering summer day, I was tightly held in Xuanyin's arms, but my heart felt like a hand exposed to the autumn wind, slowly cooling down.

  It was already the next morning when I left the Shuiqing Nanxun Hall. Although it was a western excursion, the early court session could not be abandoned, and Xuan Ling still went to attend the court session as usual, instructing me to get up after waking up from sleep.

  Ling followed me back to the palace and saw that I was unhappy, so she carefully said: "Miss, don't be sad. The Emperor still loves you very much."

  The corners of her mouth rose in a faint, cold smile. "Does the Emperor truly love me? If he truly loved me, why would he believe Cao Qinmo's slander and doubt me like this?" Fen Bi was silent, and I said: "Do you know that yesterday I went through a narrow escape at the Ghost Gate Pass, and only managed to dispel the Emperor's suspicions with great difficulty, preserving my life."

  Miss, why must you say such things?

  I reached out to pull her up, and said gloomily: "If my previous words were slightly deviant or careless, it would be a dead end. Do you think the Emperor was just casually mentioning the past tenderness with me? Absolutely wrong. He was testing whether I had feelings for the Emperor who used to chat with me about playing the Xiao, or if I had feelings for the Son of Heaven. If I said it was the Emperor who used to chat with me about playing the Xiao, then I would be guilty of committing adultery as a heavenly concubine, an unforgivable crime."

  "But wasn't it His Majesty who spoke ambiguously first?"

  "What does it matter? He is the Emperor, he cannot be wrong. Precisely because I did not know he was the Emperor, so in my heart he was just another man, and for me to have been moved by him is a capital offense."

  "Then why can't you be moved by the emperor who has revealed his identity?"

  "He is the Emperor, I can respect him, fear him, but cannot love him. Because he is my lord and I am his subject, this is a boundary that can never be crossed. If I say I love him just to show my loyalty, then he will think it's because of his status rather than as a person, which would be humiliating for a man. Moreover, he will think I'm just trying to curry favor with him, flattering and fawning like the other concubines, without any genuine feelings. In that case, I'll face the crisis of losing his favor."

  As soon as I finished speaking, Han Bi's forehead was already covered in cold sweat.

  I let out a long sigh and said: "Do you know that between being pampered or not, life and death are actually only separated by a thin line!"

  Feng Qing said nothing, and after a long time, she persuaded: "The emperor is also a man, and it's inevitable that he will be jealous. Qinghe Wang is such a person. The emperor asked this question because of Miss."

  "Maybe." I absent-mindedly plucked a jasmine flower and rubbed it between my fingers, the fragrant juice sticking to my palm, but the petals were fragile and fell off.

  Ying Tai had been in the palace for many years, and had experienced a lot. She was also calm and composed. Taking advantage of the quiet evening when she removed her makeup, with no one else around, she slowly told her about what happened in the Nan Xiang Hall.

  After a moment of contemplation, he slightly inhaled and said: "Young Master suspects that someone has told Cao Ronghua about the private matters between Young Master and the Emperor."

  I nodded, "I just thought so, and there's no evidence."

  "Only those closest to the young master know about these things, and I'm also just hearing it from him today. The only one who got to see it back then was Liuzhu. But Liuzhu is the young master's dowry..."

  I furrowed my brow and thought to myself: "I know. She has been following me for so many years, I can trust her. Absolutely won't collude with the Cao family to betray me."

  "Yes." Xiǎo Yuè thought for a moment before responding, "I think, Liú Zhū is usually straightforward and might have unintentionally mentioned it to someone else, which was then passed on to Cáo Róng Huá's ears. After all, there are many people in the palace with loose tongues."

  After thinking about it repeatedly, there's only this explanation. He couldn't help but say: "Fortunately the Emperor believed me, otherwise the rumor would have been a deadly knife."

  "Indeed it is so. As long as His Majesty believes in Young Master, nothing else matters."