Chapter 34
The weather in the tenth year of Xuanhe was truly unpleasant. It had been raining since the beginning of spring, and even in the summer, the downpour continued unabated.
The lingering rain hung heavy behind the dark clouds, casting a gloomy pall over the sky. Although it was only maoshi (5-7 am), the atmosphere was as dark as night.
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TNote:
The ancient Chinese divided the day into 12 two-hour segments, each named after an animal of the zodiac.
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Only two people remained in the Xiyiguan (arts and crafts school): Zhao Heng and the Seventh Princess Li Shuyi.
Currently, the oldest student in the Xiyiguan was the young lady from the Marquis of Dongchang's family, who was already twelve years old. The rest were under ten years old and were still learning the basics. Even so, Zhao Heng had enrolled later than them, and the teacher would not teach from scratch. She could only make up for the missed lessons after school.
She went to the Xiyiguan at maoshi (5-7 am) and left at shenshi (3-5 pm). After dinner, she had to go to Chengming Hall to study. Her schedule was packed to the brim.
The other princesses in the palace had the same schedule as her, even the youngest, Li Nanxi. Every ten days, the Empress would summon the princesses to the Central Palace to test their progress. Although Zhao Heng had never attended, she had heard from Li Nanxi how strict the Empress was.
Upon their first meeting, she had felt that the princes and princesses, despite their noble status, did not have a single trace of arrogance.
The Empress, a great scholar of the An family, had raised the princes and princesses very well.
Lian Zhou came in to remind Zhao Heng that it was about to rain. Only then did she put away her books and turn to see that Li Shuyi was still sitting in her seat, playing with a Luban lock in her hands.
Zhao Heng glanced at her, hesitated for a moment, and finally got up and approached her to ask, "Seventh Princess, it's going to rain. Are you going back?"
Li Shuyi blinked and slowly shook her head. "Mother told me to wait for her."
Zhao Heng smiled faintly at her. "But it's about to rain, and Concubine An hasn't arrived yet. May I take you back to He Yuan Palace?"
Li Shuyi still shook her head, then lowered her eyes and fiddled with the Luban lock in her hands, whispering, "Mother doesn't let me go with others."
Unlike Li Nanxi's fiery vivacity, Li Shuyi's temperament was more quiet and introverted. Zhao Heng didn't press her further. After instructing her maid to watch her closely, she turned and left the Xiyiguan.
Zhao Heng carried her zither through the winding corridors towards the steps. The wind carrying the petals of locust flowers blew towards her, tickling her face with their soft touch.
Passing through the moon gate, Concubine An, accompanied by several maids, was approaching.
Zhao Heng knelt and bowed to her. "Niangniang, you've arrived. The Seventh Princess is waiting for you inside."
"I was delayed by some matters just now and arrived late," Concubine An said with a worried expression, hurrying along and feeling her face flush red.
Zhao Heng looked at Concubine An Pin and smiled, saying, "Niangniang, you should go quickly, Seventh Princess will be anxious waiting."
Concubine An nodded with a smile.
Zhao Heng passed by her shoulder and stepped down the steps, her skirt swaying gently in the evening breeze.
After taking a few steps, Concubine An suddenly called out, "Zhaoxun."
Zhao Heng turned back, the midsummer scenery was vibrant with the flamboyant pomegranate flowers in front of the corridor, and the peonies blooming brightly in the courtyard. Zhao Heng stood at the steps, exuding a gentle and dignified aura that seemed to overshadow the colorful flowers in the courtyard.
She raised her eyebrows slightly and asked, "Niangniang, is there anything else you need?"
ConcubinevAn said, "Last time Shuyi came back and said that the bamboo silk lantern you made for Xiao Ba was very beautiful, could you teach me? I would like to learn to make them for the children when I have free time."
Zhao Heng agreed, "Next time I am free, I will come to teach you, Niangniang."
Concubine An thanked her again.
Zhao Heng then turned and walked down the steps, where Lin Mama was waiting for her. Seeing her come out, she hurriedly asked, "Did you run into Concubine An?"
Zhao Heng nodded and said, "I had a few words with her, which delayed some time, causing you to wait for long, Lin Mama."
Lin Mama sighed, "This Concubine An, ever since the incident with the Sixth Prince going missing last time, she has been overly nervous. Now she personally escorts the Seventh Princess every day. It is truly a parent's heartache."
After the incident with the Sixth Prince going missing and causing chaos in the palace, it took three to four hours before he was found. Concubine An must have been frightened out of her wits.
Lin Mama said, "After such an event, it's good to be cautious. Last time was a misunderstanding, but if there is something real, there won't be time for regrets."
"That's true. Zhongyong Marquis has no achievements to speak of in the court, and there is no outstanding member of the An family's generation. Speaking truthfully, if something were to happen to Concubine An in the palace, there wouldn't even be someone to support her. She naturally seeks stability and caution."
"With no powerful natal family to rely on, sometimes it's hard to make a move in the palace." Lin Mama sighed.
As soon as she finished speaking, thinking that Zhao Heng was also a person with no powerful natal family to rely on, she felt she had spoken out of turn and hurriedly said, "I didn't mean it that way, I ---"
"It's okay." Zhao Heng stood to the side, looking at Lin Mama's flustered face with a gentle smile. "What Mama said is the truth, I won't mind. But the kind of natal family one has is predetermined by fate. Happiness is sought by oneself, and whether one lives well or not cannot simply be attributed to destiny."
She was not a person who dwelled on self-pity. Without a powerful natal family to rely on, she would just have to be strong and be her own support.
*
The School of Arts and Crafts was located in the northwest of the East Palace, bordering the Imperial Garden to the north, overlooking the Building of Jianzhang in the outer court to the south, and adjacent to the Mingguang Hall where the princes studied to the west.
The East Palace was not as strict as it used to be, with the separation of men and women to the extent that they could not even make eye contact. Sometimes, when the Mingguang Hall invited various prominent masters to give lectures to the princes, upon requesting the approval of the Empress, she would agree to set up a screen in the Mingguang Hall for the princesses and female attendants to sit on the side and listen.
Walking out of the School of Arts and Crafts, one would often encounter court officials entering the palace.
As the three of them passed by a garden, they suddenly saw Li Wenjian and Ye Chaoyang sitting in a scenic pavilion. Below the pavilion, there was a plant of crimson baohua flowers, with vine tendrils climbing up the pillars and covering most of the small pavilion. The branches hung down with vibrant flowers, creating a beautiful contrast with the distant glazed tiles of the palace roof.
Li Wenjian stood against the light, making it hard to see his facial features clearly. His large bright yellow robe fluttered gently in the evening breeze.
Zhao Heng hesitated for a moment but decided not to disturb them, bowing her head and continuing to walk forward.
"Zhao Heng." Li Wenjian's voice as cold as jade came from behind.
She had no choice but to stop and turn around, saying, "Your Highness?"
Li Wenjian glanced at Ye Chaoyang, then withdrew his gaze and said, "I have informed the Ministry of Finance about this matter, you can discuss the details with them."
After speaking, he stepped down the steps and walked towards Zhao Heng.
Passing by his shoulder, Zhao Heng looked at Ye Chaoyang in the pavilion, nodded as a form of greeting before continuing on her way.
Ye Chaoyang nodded in return.
"Did you think I was chasing ghosts?" Li Wenjian's voice sounded slightly grave.
Zhao Heng glanced at him sideways, noticing his somewhat uneasy expression. Quickly averting her gaze, she raised the zither in her arms a little higher, saying, "You were talking to County Princess Chaoyang, I didn't want to interrupt your discussion."
"The Ciyou Bureau has been neglected for too long, and she wants to take the lead in renovating it," Li Wenjian explained.
Was he explaining to himself? This thought sent a flurry of anxious thoughts through Zhao Heng's heart.
How could that be?
The Crown Prince had no need to explain anything.
Clutching the zither tightly, Zhao Heng thought for a moment, and then smiled faintly, "It's a good thing."
"It is a good thing," Li Wenjian nodded in agreement.
"Why did Your Highness arrange to meet her here?" Zhao Heng looked up at Li Wenjian - whether going to the East Palace or the Building of Jianzhang, he shouldn't have taken this path.
Li Wenjian touched his nose and said, "We passed by here on the way back from outside the palace and happened to meet Ye Chaoyang."
"Oh, I see," Zhao Heng responded.
The zither in her arms slid down a few inches.
This zither was crafted by a renowned master, and the material was solid. Lian Zhou was already filled with books and stationery, and Lin Mama was old. Zhao Heng could only carry the zither herself, and her arms soon began to ache.
Her fingers gripping the zither body were turning pale from the pressure, with the fingertips turning slightly red. Suddenly, a hand reached out from the side, taking the zither from her arms.
"I remember asking them to transfer two palace maids from the laundry room at that time." Li Wenjian tucked the zither into his arms, and as the zither rubbed against the resin, he wrinkled his brow.
"Your Highness, are you referring to Bing Tao?" Zhao Heng said calmly, "She can read, so I had her manage the storeroom rather than serving in closer proximity."
"If we need more people, let Yunfeng and the others go to Changqiu Hall as well," Li Wenjian said.
Zhao Heng frowned slightly. She was not used to having a large group of people following her around, as many things were more difficult to manage with a crowd.
She shook her head and said there was no need, "We have enough people. I am here to learn, not to flaunt power."
Li Wenjian did not insist, as some habits take years to develop and cannot be changed overnight.
Just now, he had watched her approach with the zither, her petite figure almost completely hidden behind it, making her face barely visible.
The path of seeking knowledge was arduous; he had endured rigorous studying in extreme heat and cold during his childhood at the Duke's residence.
She was not as fragile or easily discouraged; a little difficulty couldn't deter her.
Ye Zhaoyang stood in the pavilion, watching the scene on the palace road, clenching her skirts tightly, her eyes slightly red.
She had clearly seen His Highness personally taking the zither from her just now.
Earlier, she had greeted the Empress and then went to the East Palace to find His Highness under the pretext of renovating the Ciyou Bureau. When she learned he was not there, she thought she might be going on a wild goose chase. However, to her surprise, she saw him hurry back from outside the palace, and his steps slowed down as he reached the Academy's gate.
She didnât end up on a wild goose chase after all, as she approached him and invited him to discuss matters in the pavilion.
He did not refuse the invitation.
But soon after, she saw Zhao Heng coming out of the Academy with the zither, and then he hastily left without explanation.
So, was His Highness intentionally walking slowly to wait for her?
Looking at the two figures in the palace road from a distance, the flowers beside the road were in full bloom, vibrant and lush.
All the bustle seemed to be blooming just for them.
Ye Zhaoyang suddenly released her tight grip on her skirts. She couldn't be jealous; she couldn't envy because of a mere Zhaoxun.
*
The twilight sky was not as warm as the daylight, with a gentle night breeze blowing. Li Wenjian escorted Zhao Heng back to Changqiu Hall and was about to leave.
"Don't you want to stay for dinner, Your Highness?" Zhao Heng asked.
Li Wenjian replied, "I have to see my father, so I won't be dining in the East Palace. You don't have to go to Chengming Hall tonight either."
Zhao Heng nodded and walked into the hall.
A gust of night wind blew, ruffling the cloak around her shoulders softly, brushing past Li Wenjian's hand. He raised his hand to grasp the soft silk, and Zhao Heng's steps halted as she turned back in surprise, seeing the soft elegance in his hand.
"Your Highness?" She blinked and shifted her gaze from the cloak to his face.
Seeing a smile playing at the corner of his lips, he said, "If you wait for me, we can have supper together."
Zhao Heng was not accustomed to having supper, but after some thought, she nodded, "Okay."
Li Wenjian let go of her cloak, the soft touch still lingering in his palm.
The daytime had been sweltering, causing her to sweat a lot, so she instructed someone to prepare a bath as soon as she returned to Changqiu Hall.
The bathtub was filled with warm water, and she soaked her body in it, cleaning off the stickiness. After wiping the water off her body with a towel, she put on clothes and went out for dinner.
Her appetite was not great in the summer, and Lin Mama had prepared some plain congee and side dishes for her, which she ate reluctantly before leaving her chopsticks on the table to continue writing.
On a summer evening, with mosquitoes buzzing around, Zhao Heng was writing under the lamp, while Lin Mama sat beside her, fanning away bugs and ants. Lin Mama looked at her writing and remarked with a smile, "Mistress, your writing is very similar to His Highness's."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Heng stopped her pen, picked up the paper, and handed it to Lin Mama, asking, "Do you think so too?"
"Yes!" Lin Mama affirmed, "But His Highness's writing is more polished, while yours appears a bit loose."
Relieved, Zhao Heng let out a breath. His Highness had mentioned multiple times that her writing structure was loose and lacked vigor compared to his precise and impactful writing.
Zhao Heng had a long way to go to reach his level.
Just as Zhao Heng stopped writing, a palace maid came to report that someone from the Beast Garden was seeking an audience.
It was a eunuch from the Beast Garden, holding a birdcage with the scarlet macaw Ning Wan Zhi had brought into the palace over a month ago. He said, "Mistress, this bird has been trained."
He then played with the bird in the cage, and it paced impatiently inside, exclaiming, "Zhaoxun wishes you blessings," in a somewhat grumpy tone.
Zhao Heng laughed lightly.
The young eunuch added, "This fellow has a bad temper. When in a good mood, he will talk more, but when not, he won't speak for a while. Mistress, please be patient."
Of course, Zhao Heng wouldn't argue with a bird, so she nodded and rewarded him.
The macaw was in a good mood at the moment, strutting in the cage, repeatedly calling out "blessings and good fortune," which amused Lin Mama, causing her to bend over in laughter, almost tears in her eyes.
Feeling tired from the amusement, Zhao Heng hung the birdcage by the window to give it to Ning Wanzhi the next day. Thinking of Ning Wanzhi and Li Nanxi's joyful expressions, a smile tugged at her lips, hinting at a mischievous thought.
"When will Mistress sleep? The bed has been aired," Lin Mama asked.
At her words, Zhao Heng felt a hint of drowsiness. Remembering Li Wenjian's words before he left, she hesitated â should she wait for him to return for supper?
He didn't say he would definitely come back or when he would return. Glancing at the sky outside, thunder rumbled in the distance.
âIt was raining.
It was unlikely that His Highness would come back in the rain.
Yawning, she thought, "It doesn't matter where I have supper."
So, she leisurely climbed into bed, pulled the cool blanket over her belly, and drifted off to sleep.
*
In the thick darkness of the night, Li Wenjian stood by her bed, observing her sleeping posture by the light of lightning, his brows furrowing gradually.
She really didn't wait for him?
The soft sound of Zhao Heng's breathing reached his ears, but Li Wenjian couldn't find any joy in it. In fact, he felt a deep sense of inexplicable restlessness.
He usually endured well, staying up late to write without feeling tired or worn out. Yet today, for the first time, she fell asleep so early.
Li Wenjian's face turned grim, feeling suddenly annoyed. He walked to the bedside, opened the tightly closed mosquito net embroidered with silver thread and sea hibiscus flowers, and pressed heavily on the pressure point behind her neck. Zhao Heng, in her sleep, winced in pain but then relaxed, drifting further into a deep slumber.
Li Wenjian's gaze then fell on her face.
It has been over three months, yet she still cried in her dreams at night, tears staining her lips with a rosy hue. The fresh tears clung to her long and thick eyelashes, reminding Li Wenjian of the fluttering butterflies when she lowered her head to write.
Removing the agate pendant from her ear, he noticed her earlobe turning slightly red.
With a hint of personal grudge, he pinched her earlobe firmly, the unexpectedly soft and pleasant sensation easing the nameless anger in his heart.
Li Wenjian chuckled to himself, wondering why he was even upset with her.
He stood up, hearing mosquitoes buzzing inside the tent. Smacking one dead with a quick flick of his hand in the direction of the sound, he secured the mosquito net tightly to ensure nothing could fly in, then closed the door behind him and left.
The wind fluttered the gauze, as if drifting in the clouds and over the sea.
Inside the tent, the sleeper was in peaceful slumber.
Li Wenjian's footsteps startled the macaw from its sleep, and it groggily approached the food box, pecking inside for a moment before realizing there was no food and calling out towards Li Wenjian, "Zhaoxun wishes you blessings, Zhaoxun wishes you blessings."
Li Wenjian turned to the source of the noise and saw a small figure in the corridor, sniffing contemptuously, "Zhao Heng is a bad person."
Defiantly, the macaw insisted, "Zhaoxun wishes you blessings."
Seeing him walk further away, completely ignoring its message, the macaw angrily knocked its head against the cage a few times, trying to please and kept calling, "Zhao Heng is a bad person! Zhao Heng is a bad person!"
As Li Wenjian walked away, he didn't hear it.
The next day, Zhao Heng woke up to the sound of thunder. She glanced at the rain curtain outside, pulled the blanket joyfully over her head.
No need to go to the class in this heavy rain!
Lin Mama had been waking her up every morning, and she had forgotten the feeling of sleeping until daylight. However, after a while, Zhao Heng finally got up.
Used to waking up early, it was difficult to oversleep. She dressed, parted the curtain, and walked out. At her first glance, the macaw looked unenthusiastic, sitting lazily in its cage, its eyes sluggish, turning to give Zhao Heng a disdainful look.
"Oh no, overslept and forgot to feed you."
The Beast Garden had sent bird food yesterday, which she had left on the window ledge. Zhao Heng scooped two spoonfuls into the food box through the gap and softly said, "Are you hungry, my little darling? Please eat."
Only then did the macaw perk up, walking over to the food box and pecking at the food.
Through the bars of the birdcage, Zhao Heng gently stroked the macaw's back, asking, "Are you very hungry?"
After the macaw had finished eating and seemingly displeased with Zhao Heng's touch, it flapped its wings, jumped onto a perch, and rolled its eyes at her, "Zhao Heng is a bad person, Zhao Heng is a bad person!"
Surprised, Zhao Heng retorted, "No, you're the bad one."
"Zhao Heng is a bad person, Zhao Heng is a bad person!" It continued jumping on the perch, not stopping.
Irritated, Zhao Heng patted its back, cheeks slightly puffed as she scolded, "You heartless little troublemaker."
Observing the lively bird, a sudden doubt crept into Zhao Heng's mind â had someone taught it to speak like that?
If not, how did the macaw know her name and how to insult people?
The sound of footsteps and Imperial Concubine An's voice reached Zhao Heng's ears from outside. She quickly dismissed Xiao Guai, who had been acting arrogantly, and turned to greet her guest. Concubine An was accompanied by two maidservants, but Seventh Princess and Sixth Prince were not with her.
"I thought you might be in the palace today since it's raining," Concubine An explained, holding a bamboo strand in her hand. She had come to seek Zhao Heng's instruction on making bamboo strand lanterns. "I hope I didn't disturb you."
"You're not at all a disturbance," Zhao Heng replied warmly. "With the rain, I have nothing to do in the palace anyway. It's nice to have you here to keep me company."
Concubine An nodded in agreement. "When I first entered the palace, I didn't know many people, and the days were so hard to bear."
Zhao Heng turned her head to look at Concubine An. Compared to the Emperor's other concubines, she was very young, not even thirty years old. She was not as beautiful as Concubine Mei, nor as dignified and noble as the Empress, but there was a hint of resilience in her eyebrows that others did not possess.
Perhaps this was the unique temperament that years of poverty had bestowed upon her.
*
Meanwhile, within the grand halls of the Purple Palace, the Emperor sat at his imperial desk, diligently reviewing official documents.
These documents had undergone a thorough examination by the Secretariat, followed by the Crown Prince's careful scrutiny, before finally reaching his royal hands. Having been meticulously crafted with the combined wisdom of the Secretariat and the Crown Prince, the Emperor found himself no longer needing to pore over them in detail.
The Crown Prince's annotations were always well-considered, yet in recent years, the process had become somewhat perfunctory. Often, a mere glance sufficed for him to approve the promulgation of decrees.
Despite this, the Emperor insisted on receiving all documents bearing the Crown Prince's seal. It wasn't a matter of distrusting his young heir, but rather a deep appreciation for the burgeoning vitality of the dynasty, which seemed to emanate from the sheer volume of official business.
A sudden tickle in his throat prompted the Emperor to reach for the silk handkerchief on his desk, gently coughing into it.
The chamber fell silent, broken only by the clatter of the ink stick that had slipped from the Empress's grasp, splattering ink across her robes.
After coughing, he glanced at the handkerchief, unconsciously clenching it, kneading the crimson stain into his palm. He looked at the Empress again, seeing her standing dazedly under the lamp, her whole body trembling.
"A Yu," he called softly.
"Hmm, I'm here," she replied.
Lowering his voice, the Emperor asked, "Did it frighten you?"
"No, but my hands are shaking," the Empress said, avoiding his gaze and trying to steady her voice. "I'll go get you a cup of tea."
The Emperor forced a smile, his throat now feeling dry and sticky. "No tea, I'd like a glass of water."
The Empress turned and walked out of the hall. Seeing her pale face, Ah Yuan hurried up and supported her, asking, "What's wrong, Your Majesty?"
Pressing her chest, the Empress's body trembled uncontrollably. She grasped Ah Yuan's hand and said, "Send for Imperial Physicians Xu and Wang."
Ah Yuan had been serving the Empress for many years, and Imperial Physicians Xu and Wang were the personal physicians of the Emperor and Empress. Hearing the Empress's words, her expression became serious. "Yes, Your Majesty. I'll go right away."
"Lang'er," the Empress said, releasing Ah Yuan's wrist. "Tell Lang'er to come as well."
Ah Yuan had never seen the Empress so flustered, and her own heart filled with fear. She quickly reassured her, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. I'll go right away."
The Empress watched as Ah Yuan's figure disappeared, her breathing becoming increasingly rapid.
Previously, Court Physician Xu and Court Physician Wang had mentioned that the poison in the Emperor's body could not be completely expelled, only suppressed as much as possible. If it were to resurface again, it would be irreparable.
*
Boom!
A loud rumble echoed through the sky, followed by a startling thunderclap.
The rain outside intensified, pouring down from the palace's eaves and spouts, splashing onto the jade steps.
The wind rattled the half-closed windows, causing them to creak.
Startled by the noise, Zhao Heng accidentally left an imprint on the paper as she was writing.
Feeling unsettled, she set down her pen and paper and walked over to the window, pulling the two windows shut.
Even with the windows closed, the thunder seemed to linger overhead. Zhao Heng sighed and glanced at the hourglass on the table.
It was almost midnight, and Li Wenjian had not returned yet.
She stood by the door, peering through the thick rain curtain. The palace lanterns along the road were barely visible in the dark and rain.
The night became thicker in the misty rain.
As the thunder roared above, Zhao Heng hesitated at the door, considering whether to send Mu Gui to the Zichen Palace to fetch Li Wenjian. Just then, she heard footsteps approaching through the rain curtain.
In the dim light, Li Wenjian's figure became clearer as he walked towards her through the rain curtain, the rain sliding off the edges of his umbrella.
Reaching the steps, he noticed two lanterns hanging under the eaves, and then saw Zhao Heng standing by the door.
"Are you waiting for me?" he asked.
Zhao Heng tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
"The Prince did not mention not returning for dinner, so I was waiting for you."
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Author's note:
Li Wenjian: Zhao Heng, you naughty thing!
Zhao Heng: Your misdeeds are about to be exposed.