Twenty-sixth: Quiet day jade produces smoke

  Huafei regained her momentum, Meizhuang and Caoqin were in high spirits again, and Xuanling hadn't come to my Yifu Pavilion for several days. Although he had instructed me early on, I couldn't help but feel a little depressed in my heart.

  The days are getting longer. Afternoon heat is unbearable, the sun is scorching, reflecting on the white marble floor with a dizzying glare, not a single breeze. The entire Yifu Hall is deeply locked, bamboo curtains hanging low, quiet and cool, as if wanting to shut out all the summer air outside the door. In front of the bed, a large blue-glazed vase holds several large blocks of ice sculpture, slowly melting away, floating ice gently colliding, making a soft "ding" sound.

  Drowsily reclining on the cool bed, half asleep and half awake. Underneath me was a fine silk gauze mat, cool to the touch. I suddenly startled from my dream, and my pores were emitting a vigorous heat, after several turns, the thin silk clothes on my body were soaked with sweat, a few strands of wet hair stuck to my temples.

  Pai'er and Pin'er each held a fan in one hand, and the wind wheel blew vigorously. However, as the wind wheel rotated inside the room, it alternated between warm and cool breezes.

  Half closing his eyes, he felt drowsy again. The cicadas' shrill cries came closer and closer, making people feel sleepy but unable to fall asleep. Irritated, he patted the mat and said vaguely: "Tell someone to catch those cicadas. And go to the Imperial Household Department to fetch some new ice."

  He nodded and slipped out quietly.

  He fell asleep with his back against the wall and facing inside, after a while he felt that it was quieter outside, but the wind from the fan beside him had grown much stronger, bringing a coolness that seeped into his bones. In a daze, he murmured: "This wind is great, fan more strongly."

  "Alright."

  It was Xuan Ling's voice, and she suddenly woke up, sat up, and turned over. She didn't sleep well, and her hair was slightly disheveled from tossing and turning, her clothes were half-untied, and the few blue sapphire hairpins on her head had fallen off and scattered on the bed. It all looked like a seductive scene after a spring sleep. I didn't expect him to be by my side, and I was even more flustered, hastily pulling over my clothes to cover my chest, but my mouth pouted: "Your Majesty is deliberately making fun of me."

  Xuan Ling just smiled and said, "I heard you haven't been sleeping well these past two days. Did you get too hot at night? I'll fan the wind for you so you can sleep better."

  Such thoughtfulness moved me as well. Even with favored imperial concubine Hua and pregnant Mei Zhuang, he still cherished me.

  Thinking so, his heart felt slightly relieved.

  Just as I was about to get up and pay my respects, he held me down with one hand and said, "It's just the two of us, what's the point of going through those empty formalities."

  I looked around and said: "Where are Pei'er and Pin'er? Why do you want the emperor to fan?"

  "I see they're also getting sleepy, so I sent them off."

  He sat down beside me, picked up a colorful lotus-patterned porcelain bowl from the bedside table, and handed it to me with a smile: "Look at you, sweating like that. Have some of this ice dish to cool off." I've always been afraid of heat and loved cool things, but I'm not particularly fond of sour foods, so this sweet ice dish was something I looked forward to every day.

  He stirred the mixture with a silver spoon, and the crushed ice mixed with fruit made a crisp sound in the bowl, making it even more refreshing and fragrant. He picked up a piece and put it to my lips, "I'll feed you."

  She nodded slightly, feeling a bit embarrassed, and tasted it, only to find that her mouth felt sweet and refreshing. Then she let Xuan Ling try some, he only took one sip and said: "It's too sweet, better use something sour and sweet."

  I tilted my head and thought for a moment, then smiled: "Huan Huan made some snacks herself, would Fourth Brother like to try some?" As I spoke, I took off my shoes and got up to fetch a silver canister with a pattern of parrots on it.

  "What is this?" Xuan Ling picked up a candied hawthorn and asked.

  I said: "Huan Huan made it herself, I don't know if it suits Si Lang's taste."

  He put one in his mouth and savored it for half a day, praising: "It's both sour and sweet, very delicious. How did you make it? I'll have others learn from you too."

  I coquettishly said: "If Huanhuan doesn't obey, I'll teach others that Fourth Brother will never come to Huanhuan's place again."

  Xuan Ling raised his head and smiled, unable to resist pinching my chin: "Huan Huan, I didn't know you were so careful."

  I pushed his hand away, sat down and scooped up a spoonful of the ice bowl, slowly saying: "Actually, it's not difficult. Just put the fruit that the sea buckthorn tree bears in autumn into honey and marinate it, and it will be done. The only trouble is with the honey. Take the bee-collected pear flower honey on March 3rd every year and mix it with the snow water from the plum blossoms in winter. The honey needs to boil in the stamens of the golden and silver flowers that year, in order to clear the fire. Use a small fire to cook until the stamens in the honey are completely gone, then put it into a small jar filled with rose petals and pine needles and seal it up."

  "It's a good thing you have such a clever mind to come up with a recipe like this to make candied fruit."

  I pretended to sigh and sat down with my knees crossed: "Huan Huan is just bored with nothing to do, so she's passing the time by playing."

  Xuan Ling picked me up with a smile and said, "Isn't this because I haven't come to see you for the past few days?"

  "Fourth Master thinks that Huanhuan is the kind of person who loves to pick on others and doesn't understand reason, but he's underestimating her."

  The door, which had been tightly closed, creaked open with a soft "squeak", and the hem of a light green skirt flashed into view. Only then did Biyu awkwardly poke her head out from behind the door, holding a crystal plate with several freshly cut flowers in it - she must have just come from the flower house. Since burning incense was not advisable on summer days, new fragrant flowers were placed every morning, noon and dusk, which is why she had come at this time. Everyone else had been sent off to sleep by Xuanling, and Biyu seemed not to have expected him to be there - for a moment, she stood frozen, unsure whether to enter or retreat.

  As soon as I saw her, I thought of myself still in Xuan Ling's arms and couldn't help but feel embarrassed too. Huàn Bì saw us staring at her and suddenly knelt down on the ground with a thud, repeatedly calling out: "Your Majesty, forgive me, it was an unintentional mistake!" And with tears in her eyes, she looked up at me and said: "Miss, I didn't mean to."

  Xuan Lingyu was displeased: "How can you be so tactless?" Upon hearing the soft voice, he couldn't help but glance at her: "You're Huàn Bì?"

  She hastily nodded and lowered her head deeply, saying in a soft voice: "Yes. I am the maid who accompanied Miss into the palace."

  Xuan Ling suddenly understood and asked me: "Is this what you brought with you when you entered the palace as a consort?"

  Seeing her so nervous, I burst out laughing and said, "Put down the things and go." Huāng Bì responded with a "yes", put the flowers in the vase, and quietly closed the door on her way out.

  Xuan Ling looked at me with a smile, softly saying in my ear: "Huan Huan's smile is the most moving!" Then looking at the retreating figure of Huàn Bì: "Is it because this little girl has been following you for a long time, her eyes and eyebrows seem to have a few points similar to yours, more lovely than others."

  Suddenly, I had a doubt in my mind and thought of the origin and situation of Huan Bi. A huge suspicion arose at once. And she indeed looked quite like me. However, thinking again, although she was nominally my maid these years, I treated her even better than Flowing Vermilion, with almost no difference in food, clothing, and daily necessities. At home, Father also secretly took care of her, and she had been following me for many years, which made me slightly relieved.

  He shot me a sidelong glance, but instead of teasing me further, he gently took my hand and pressed it to his lips for a soft kiss. I felt my face burning hot, and with a playful smile, I lightly punched him on the shoulder.

  I suddenly remembered something and asked: "On a scorching hot noon, where did Fourth Brother come from?"

  He just looked elsewhere, "Just had lunch at Imperial Consort Hua's place."

  I let out an "oh" and quietly picked up a piece of watermelon to chew on, no longer speaking.

  Xuan Ling wrapped his arm around my shoulder and said, "Don't worry. I was also afraid she would make things difficult for you, so I quickly promoted your position - to let them know how much you mean to me in my heart, and not dare to underestimate you easily."

  I said in a low voice: "Huan Huan dare not think so, but after the affair of Yu Shi and Li Gui Bin, I couldn't help but feel some trepidation."

  He sighed and said, "How could I not understand? Originally, my intention was to promote you to the rank of Guifei and make you the mistress of the inner court. However, your time in service is still short, and at that time, it was not yet time for you to serve me in bed, so promoting you to pin would have violated the ancestral rules. I had no choice but to humble you for a few days, and only when you become pregnant can things be made right."

  I leaned against his chest and whispered: "Xuan Xuan doesn't mind the position, as long as Fourth Brother has Xuan Xuan in his heart."

  He gazed into my eyes and said, "How could I not have you in my heart? Huanhuan, I'm actually very reluctant to part with you." He spoke softly: "The six palaces are full of people who disturb me, but only with you can I be carefree and at ease."

  His heart sank slightly, the sound of his heartbeat sinking into my ears. I wrapped my arms around his neck and whispered softly: "Xuan Xuan knows." After a moment of silence, I asked: "Your Majesty went to see Mei sister, has her appetite improved?"

  "It's still the same, she loves sour things too much. I'm afraid she'll hurt her stomach, order the kitchen to control her acidic drinks."

  "I also wanted to go see Sister Mei, but she's pregnant and lazy, not wanting to see people. I thought it would be good if the emperor accompanied me, having a pregnancy is indeed hard work."

  Xuan Ling leaned in close to my face, his voice low and husky as he chuckled: "You're always worrying about others. When will you give me a plump and fair-skinned imperial son?"

  I pushed him and muttered: "The prince is good, isn't the emperor's daughter good too?"

  "As long as they are our children, We love them all... Hmm, why did you push Us?"

  I exerted a slight force, and the thin shirt on my shoulder had already slipped down halfway, revealing half of my snowy white shoulders. The golden jade armlet wrapped around my arm made my skin look even whiter, like jade. His lips were scorching hot, pressed tightly against my skin with intense heat.

  I felt embarrassed and anxious, and whispered: "There's someone outside."

  Xuan Ling murmured, his lips tracing the curve of her slender collarbone, "They've all been dismissed for their afternoon nap, who's there?"

  Before he had even finished speaking, the buttons on his shirt were already half undone. He felt his heart beating faster and faster as he said, "It's daytime now..."

  He chuckled softly but didn't say a word. I had no choice but to say: "The weather is so hot, it's going to get spoiled..."

  He lifted his head, and in the midst of his busyness, he tilted his head to scoop a piece of watermelon into my mouth. I mumbled and couldn't speak, my body already leaning sideways onto the couch, a scattered blue sapphire dragonfly hairpin was pressing against my arm, causing some numb pain. I reached out to brush it away, my ten fingers unconsciously grasping the bedding, making it even harder for me to say anything.

  In a daze, she slightly raised her eyes. The sunlight filtered through the bamboo blinds, casting deep and shallow shadows on the floor tiles. Apart from the soft breathing, the room was cool, quiet and still.

  It was almost dusk when he got up, and saw that his eyes were lightly closed, sleeping peacefully, with a faint smile at the corner of his mouth, as if he was having a good dream.

  She quietly got up, tidied her clothes, sat in front of the dresser holding an ivory comb, gently combing her long hair, occasionally smiling and looking back at him who was still sleeping. The person in the mirror had a delicate and charming appearance, with a subtle smile and a hint of shyness, her head slightly lowered and her eyes sparkling with joy.

  It's not yet time to light the lamps, but the remaining glow of dusk slants in through the curtains, casting a sparse and dimly lit shadowy scene throughout the room, like being in a bewildering dreamland.

  Suddenly, I heard him call out "Guan Guan", his tone as gentle and affectionate as it was in the past. My heart skipped a beat, and I turned around to look at him with suspicion. Searching through the depths of the palace, I realized that only I had ever been called by a name starting with the character "" - but he had never called me "Guan Guan" before.

  He's awake, with his arm propped under his neck, half-leaning and quietly gazing at me, his eyes filled with endless affection and adoration, staring at me in a daze as I dress in front of the mirror.

  "Has Your Majesty thought of some new person again? Calling someone else's name to me?" She involuntarily put the comb on the dresser, trying her best to suppress the inexplicable jealousy in her tone, and smiled: "I wonder which sister is called 'Guan Guan', why does Your Majesty keep thinking about it?"

  He just stared at me foolishly, saying: "Guan Guan, your 'Surprise Swan Dance' is so good, as swift as a startled swan and as gentle as a swimming dragon. Even if Mei Fei were reborn, she might not be able to compare with you."

  A heart was put down, and a smile was eaten: "It's been several days ago, just one dance, but Fourth Brother still remembers it so clearly."

  He got up and walked over slowly, scratching my nose and laughing: "With such a strong vinegar flavor, 'Sour' can't be your title?"

  She also thought she was being paranoid, and turned her head down to say: "Huan Huan has never heard Si Lang call like that before, so I thought he was calling someone else."

  On the dressing table, a pure white porcelain vase held several newly picked forget-me-nots, quietly fragrant. He supported my shoulder, casually plucked one of the most blooming flowers and inserted it into my hairpin, smiling: "Really childish words, only you and I are here, who do you think I am calling?"

  I let out a "heh" and leaned against his chest, saying: "Who told you to suddenly call me that, how would I know?"

  His voice was extremely gentle, "I saw you for the first time in Yunyidian, although you were smiling without showing your teeth according to etiquette, and you were so far away, but that smile was unforgettable. So I plan to give you the title of 'Wan', taking the meaning of a bright and beautiful smile, soft and gentle beauty."

  I smiled slightly: "Fourth brother is overpraising."

  His expression was slightly dazed, as if he was immersed in the past beauty and joy. "After entering the palace, you have been bedridden all along, until that day when I saw you under the apricot tree in Shanglin Garden, you held a flute and played slowly, with an elegant and refreshing demeanor like a startled swan reflecting on the water, I was truly speechless."

  I covered his mouth and smiled shyly: "Fourth brother says this again, Huanhuan will be ashamed."

  He gently brushed aside my hand and held it in his palm, his eyes shining like a clear spring under the golden autumn sunlight. "Later, I flipped through poetry books and felt that '倾国殊色' was too mundane to describe you. Only one sentence '烟分顶上三层绿,剑截眸中一寸光' could barely compare."

  I gently kissed his eyes and whispered softly: "Huan Huan doesn't want to serve you only with her body."

  Xuan Ling's expression was intoxicated: "What I value is your feelings."

  "Four Lang knows it's good."

  On the bronze mirror, a pattern of people, flowers and birds is inlaid with gold, depicting a pair of nightingales perched together, intertwined lotus flowers, and exquisite human figures. The scene shows Yingying Zhang Sheng from "The West Chamber" and Meng Guang Liang Hong raising their cups to toast each other. Even the mud-gold painting cannot conceal the distant emotions. In the mirror, the two people gaze at each other with deep affection, never tired of looking at each other.

  He picked up a tube of eyebrow pencil from the dressing table, "Xuan Xuan, your eyebrows have faded."

  I smiled and said: "Fourth Brother wants to imitate Zhang Jiao (3)? To paint eyebrows for Huanhuan?"

  Xuan Ling only smiled and didn't speak, his expression extremely focused, as if dealing with a matter of utmost importance. His hand movements were extremely skilled, carefully painting, and after looking in the mirror, he had painted Yuan Shan Dai (4), with two eyebrows slanting horizontally like smoke, subtly containing greenery.

  Actually, my eyebrow shape is fine and long, rarely painted distant mountain eyebrow, always depicted are willow leaf eyebrows. But he was so relatively painting eyebrows, couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction in his heart, indulging in boundless happiness and joy. Looking around, it seems not bad either.

  I lightly laughed and said, "Huan Huan rarely paints distant mountains with eyebrow pencil, didn't expect it to look good too." I picked a flower-shaped hairpin and stuck it between my eyebrows. The red agate beads were round and smooth like the red beans from the southern region. With a slight toss of my head, a rainbow-like arc flashed by. I mischievously smiled: "Doesn't it look good?"

  He gently kissed me, "You always look the best."

  She glanced at him sideways: "Fourth Brother's gesture of painting eyebrows is quite familiar?"

  "You're such a pretentious little thing." He didn't answer me, lifting my chin instead, his voice low enough that only I could hear it, "The double eyebrows are not yet painted, how can you already be in the arms of a gentleman? Is it or isn't it?"

  I couldn't help but burst out laughing and pushed him away, saying: "Fourth Brother, how can you be so glib?"

  He gently patted my back and said, "Are you hungry? Let's have someone bring in dinner."

  I smiled and said, "Alright then, after dinner let's go see Elder Sister Mei together, how about it?"

  He simply smiled indulgently: "Whatever you say, I'll go along with it."

  Note: (1) "Smoke divides the top three layers of green, sword cuts off the light in the middle of the eye": From Cui Jue's "You Song". Cui Jue, courtesy name Mengzhi, his poetry language is like a phoenix tail, exceptionally beautiful; The pen intent is smooth and free, like clouds and water flowing, without any forced or awkward flaws; The rhetorical technique is rich, with metaphors being the most used, used to the point of perfection. His poem's structure is cleverly thought out, with rich imagination, and flying literary elegance. For example, in his poem "You Song", he writes about a beauty's stunning appearance, "Smoke divides the top three layers of green, sword cuts off the light in the middle of the eye" / "Two faces like peach blossoms emerging from the mirror, one glance of spring water shining on people with coldness". The strangeness of his metaphors, the skillfulness of his antithesis, and the beauty of his language, truly make one sigh in admiration, and be utterly defeated. Mengzhi can indeed be called a heavenly craftsman who carves the moon and cuts out clouds.

  (2) Su Zi Mai: Su Zi Mai was the eyebrow painting material for women in the Sui and Tang dynasties, produced in Persia. It is a processed product that has been made into various shapes of ink blocks. When used, it only needs to be dipped in water and does not need to be ground because its appearance and manufacturing process are similar to those of ink sticks used for calligraphy and painting, so it is also called "stone ink" or "eyebrow painting ink". Yan Shigu recorded in the "Sui Yi Lu": Emperor Yang of Sui wanted to visit Jiangdu, so he had a large number of dragon boats and phoenix boats made. "Zan Xian was good at painting long eyebrows, and the emperor couldn't help but be attracted to her. He summoned Zan Xian back to the palace and planned to make her a concubine... The imperial officials gave five pecks of Su Zi Mai every day, which was called 'eyebrow green'. Su Zi Mai was produced in Persia, and each piece cost ten gold coins. Later, when taxes were insufficient, they mixed it with copper ink and gave it to the others, but only Zan Xian received Su Zi Mai without interruption."

  (3) Zhang Heng's painted eyebrows: The "Han Shu" says that Zhang Heng painted his wife's eyebrows, and was reported to the emperor, but as a result, "the emperor loved his ability and did not blame him". Zhang Heng's painted eyebrows became a classic, passed down for thousands of years. It is often used to describe the loving relationship between husband and wife. Zhang Heng said: "A great man, if he cannot rise up to the clouds and straighten his waist, then he should sit in front of a green window with beautiful women, and communicate with them through their eyebrows. At dawn, when applying makeup, being a dyer of eyebrow ink is not bad either."

  (4) Yuanshan Dai: A type of eyebrow shape created by Zhao Feiyan's sister Zhao Hede, with eyebrows resembling distant mountains and green hills. Due to its beauty, people competed to imitate it. Han Lingxuan's "Fei Yan Wai Zhuan" states: "His younger sister Hede entered the palace, had thin eyebrows, and was known as Yuanshan Dai." The idea also comes from Liu Xin's "Xijing Zaji", Volume 2: "Zhuo Wenjun was beautiful, with eyebrow color like looking at distant mountains."

  (5) Twin eyebrows not yet painted, how can I be in my lover's arms? From "Pre-Qin Han Wei Jin Northern and Southern Dynasties Poetry: Reading Qu Ge Song": "When the fragrant grass was first born, I knew it was a worry-free herb, twin eyebrows not yet painted, how can I be in my lover's arms."