Jiang Yubai thought Lin Zhixia would continue walking along the central axis with him, but she led him to the left instead. She explained, "Look over there... that's the Hall of Martial Valor. Since April 21st last year, it has become the Palace Museum's Painting and Calligraphy Gallery."
Jiang Yubai had his own role to play—he was a tourist completely unfamiliar with the Forbidden City who happened to luck out today by finding a conscientious guide like Lin Zhixia. Strictly adhering to this persona, he asked numerous questions: when the Hall of Martial Valor was built, its purpose, where the paintings and calligraphy came from, whether he could take photos, and so on.
After Jiang Yubai finished speaking, Lin Zhixia turned to look at him. Her eyes brimmed with laughter as she said cheerfully, "Emperor Zhu Di of the Ming Dynasty began constructing the Forbidden City in 1415 AD. The Hall of Martial Valor, like other palaces, was completed around 1420 AD. At that time, the emperor primarily received ministers there, though later audiences moved to the Hall of Literary Brilliance. As for the paintings and calligraphy, most were tributes from officials. You can take photos, of course, but no flash."
Jiang Yubai pulled out a digital camera. After hanging the strap around his neck and mentally preparing for a few seconds, he asked her, "Can I take a photo of you?"
Lin Zhixia agreed without hesitation, "Of course."
Jiang Yubai didn't respond, simply watching her.
She blinked and averted her gaze, saying, "I... let's take a photo together."
Jiang Yubai tightened his grip on the camera. "Can we take a few more?"
Lin Zhixia whispered, "Okay." She tugged on Jiang Yubai's backpack strap, pulling him through the entrance of the Hall of Martial Valor.
Other visitors were admiring the calligraphy and paintings nearby, so Lin Zhixia lowered her voice further. "Look at this painting—it's called 'Scroll of Zen Insights and Artistic Delight.' It's by Kun Can from the Shunzhi era of the Qing Dynasty. He was around fifty when he painted this."
Jiang Yubai pretended to ponder. "Why does the title include the words 'Zen Insights'?"
"Because..." Lin Zhixia couldn't answer.
The artist Kun Can had inscribed on the painting, "Emerging from the mountains, Confucian principles, Zen insights, and artistic delight are all comprehended herein," but Lin Zhixia couldn't grasp it fully. It certainly wasn't due to a lack of innate understanding—she just wasn't well-versed in appreciating paintings and calligraphy.
Jiang Yubai had stumped Lin Zhixia, and she felt a bit embarrassed. Pressing her index fingers together several times, she suddenly turned the question back on him: "Do you see the Zen insights?"
Jiang Yubai nodded.
Lin Zhixia urged him immediately, "Tell me quickly—I want to hear."
But Jiang Yubai said, "Zen insights is a Buddhist term."
"Right," Lin Zhixia agreed. "It implies many truths."
Jiang Yubai appeared profound. "These truths cannot be spoken directly."
Lin Zhixia tilted her head. "You sound so mature."
In Jiang Yubai's view, "mature and steady" were complimentary traits. He wanted to continue projecting this mature image in front of Lin Zhixia. So, he racked his brains to compose a lengthy mental draft on painting and calligraphy appreciation. But then he remembered that today he was playing the role of Lin Zhixia's tourist, completely ignorant about artworks and antiques, and he ought to remain faithful to his character.After such contemplation, Jiang Yubai changed his approach and said, "Why don't you show me some other calligraphy and paintings?"
Lin Zhixia led him directly in front of the "Ink Drunkenness Miscellaneous Painting Album."
The painting depicted lotus roots, lotus seedpods, a pond, and the artist's inscription. After admiring it for a moment, Jiang Yubai asked, "Do you like eating lotus roots?"
Lin Zhixia giggled. She easily saw through his inner thoughts: "Even while looking at the painting, were you still thinking of me?"
Jiang Yubai remained silent. He slipped his hands into his pants pockets, tilted his head slightly, and gazed at a calligraphy piece hanging on the wall. He tried to immerse himself in the cultural ocean of the Ming and Qing dynasties, free from all distractions, but he failed. He kept thinking of Lin Zhixia's name, whether intentionally or not.
Lin Zhixia held onto Jiang Yubai's backpack strap, never letting go. She deliberately shook her wrist, and Jiang Yubai could feel her tugging. He couldn't help but say, "You seem very happy."
Lin Zhixia admitted openly, "Yes, I am very happy."
Jiang Yubai asked her, "What are you so happy about?"
Lin Zhixia took a step closer to him, leaving only ten centimeters between them.
She had originally thought that Jiang Yubai would nervously step back or raise a hand to block her, repeatedly emphasizing things like "boundaries, watch the boundaries," but he didn't. He just stood there quietly and murmured to himself, "If you're happy, I feel happy too."
Lin Zhixia felt that she understood many philosophies. But she suddenly realized she couldn't even figure out her own state of mind... It was as if a flower had bloomed in her heart, and she couldn't help but slow her breathing.
After saying those words, Jiang Yubai turned his face to look at Lin Zhixia.
Lin Zhixia exclaimed, "I understand what 'painting charm' means now. Being moved by the scenery is the charm of painting."
Jiang Yubai replied without hesitation, "In middle school classical Chinese classes, we always came across phrases like 'being moved by the scenery, the scenery shifting with emotion.'"
Lin Zhixia calmly responded, "That's right."
After spending over ten minutes in the Wuying Hall, they left the place and continued walking outward.
Jiang Yubai walked ahead of Lin Zhixia, while she dragged his backpack strap, feeling a unique sense of fun. However, she hadn't expected that Jiang Yubai's sense of direction was rather poor—he led Lin Zhixia back to their starting point: the Meridian Gate of the Forbidden City.
Seeing the familiar gate, Jiang Yubai looked slightly embarrassed: "Sorry, I misremembered the direction."
Lin Zhixia asked him curiously, "Do you get lost in your own home?"
Jiang Yubai said, "I got lost when I was little."
Lin Zhixia laughed heartily. She said, "It's fine. We can visit the Meridian Gate exhibition hall."
Pointing at a signboard, she imitated the staff's tone: "Today's Meridian Gate exhibition theme is Cartier's Jewelry and Art, featuring a total of 346 exquisite Cartier treasures [1]. Are you interested in learning more?"
But Jiang Yubai said, "What a coincidence, Cartier..."
Lin Zhixia asked, puzzled, "What's wrong?"
Jiang Yubai opened his backpack, took out a box, and handed it to Lin Zhixia. He said, "It's the birthday gift I prepared for your fourteenth birthday."
It was a Cartier women's mechanical watch with a 33mm dial, sapphire crystal, rose gold case, and a dark leather strap—simple and elegant in appearance.Jiang Yubai noticed that Lin Zhixia had never worn a wristwatch. Although she now owned a mobile phone, it was still a Nokia with a nine-key keypad, which wasn't as convenient as having a watch on her wrist.
Lin Zhixia clutched the gift box tightly, standing silently for over ten seconds. Jiang Yubai asked her softly, "Don't you like it?"
Lin Zhixia shook her head. She murmured to herself, "It's too expensive."
Jiang Yubai had already thrown away the receipt. But he remembered the price of the watch. He told her honestly, "This year's gift isn't as expensive as that spaceship model."
Lin Zhixia was astonished: "Was the spaceship model that valuable? Even more expensive than the robot we built?"
Jiang Yubai nodded: "The spaceship was custom-made with an expedited fee."
Standing before her, both of them were enveloped in the shadow of the city gate tower. The autumn sky stretched exceptionally high and far, resembling another ink wash landscape painting. Lin Zhixia gazed into the distance, composed herself for a moment, and declined: "No, I can't accept this."
Earlier in September, Lin Zhixia had given Jiang Yubai a handmade music box. Every year, Jiang Yubai received handicrafts made by Lin Zhixia herself. He believed his return gifts weren't more precious than what Lin Zhixia gave him.
Jiang Yubai said: "The gifts you give me are handmade, globally limited edition, with only one piece in existence. My math teacher saw the competition notes you gave me. He said if that notebook could be published, it would definitely sell well. I was just about to ask your opinion - would you be willing to publish a competition guidebook?"
Lin Zhixia hesitated: "But that was written specifically for you alone..."
"Exactly," Jiang Yubai responded, "Just the royalties from that book alone would be comparable to this watch."
"Really?" Lin Zhixia asked skeptically.
Jiang Yubai looked into her eyes: "Really. When have I ever lied to you?"
The weather was clear today, with crisp sunlight. Standing beneath the majestic city gate tower, Lin Zhixia's thoughts were slower than usual. She recognized the color of Jiang Yubai's pupils and secretly thought to herself that both sunlight and starlight were reflected in his eyes.
Lin Zhixia held the box in her left palm, so Jiang Yubai simply took the watch out himself.
He lowered his head, focused intently, and personally fastened the watch onto her wrist. His fingertips inevitably brushed against her wrist. In that moment, her heart trembled almost imperceptibly. She finally understood why Jiang Yubai always talked about "boundaries."
Lin Zhixia intended to laugh heartily and slap Jiang Yubai's shoulder like a buddy - but she couldn't do it. In fact, her voice came out soft and gentle: "Th... thank you."
Jiang Yubai said cheerfully: "You don't need to be polite with me."
The noise of tour groups rose nearby, and more visitors filled the exhibition hall. Lin Zhixia led Jiang Yubai straight toward the Hall of Literary Brilliance. From time to time, she looked down at her watch. The dial glittered brightly, while countless thoughts surged through her mind.
Lin Zhixia remembered that during her last visit to Jiang Yubai's home, she had intended to deeply analyze her own thoughts. Later, because school kept her busy, she had put the "self-reflection" work on hold.She took a deep breath. To distract herself, she abruptly spoke up: "On July 15th last year, the Forbidden City opened the Hall of Literary Brilliance to the public as a ceramics exhibition hall."
Jiang Yubai said, "You even remember the exact opening date."
"Right," Lin Zhixia declared confidently, "That's just how my memory works!"
Jiang Yubai praised her: "Very clever."
The ceramic antiques displayed in the Hall of Literary Brilliance were all exquisite pieces, several of which could be described as "divine craftsmanship."
Lin Zhixia closely examined an artifact named "Blue and White Underglaze Red Brush Pot with Ode to the Sage Ruler Gaining Worthy Ministers." The calligraphy on its surface was incredibly beautiful, with every stroke revealing distinctive character. She said, "This is from the Kangxi era."
Jiang Yubai commented, "Exquisite craftsmanship."
Lin Zhixia then pulled Jiang Yubai along to see the enamel color porcelain.
Some enamel color vases featured vibrant color schemes, with blooming flowers clustered together in brilliant purples and reds.
For example, one piece called "Enamel Color Cup with Peony Pattern Against Red Ground" bore patterns of peonies, chrysanthemums, and orchids, with the artisan's brushstrokes remaining delicate and vivid.
Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai wandered through the Hall of Literary Brilliance, pausing here and there, then circled through the Pavilion of Literary Profundity before heading toward the central axis through a side gate.
Near the central axis, crowds of tourists swarmed, with tour groups from various countries everywhere. Lin Zhixia spotted Japanese and Australian groups, distractedly listening to Japanese and Australian English for a while as if practicing listening comprehension.
Passing through the Hall of Central Harmony and the Hall of Preserving Harmony, Lin Zhixia caught sight of a Danbi stone. It was said to be the largest Danbi stone in the Forbidden City, known as the "Cloud and Dragon Stone Carving."
Lin Zhixia mused to herself, "This stone was transported from Yunnan by over ten thousand laborers and more than six thousand soldiers."
Jiang Yubai understood her meaning. He handed his camera to Lin Zhixia, who first photographed the Danbi stone, then turned to take a picture of Jiang Yubai. Caught off guard, he only heard Lin Zhixia's laughter. She asked, "Is this the first time I've photographed you alone in the camera?"
Jiang Yubai wasn't entirely sure: "Seems like it."
"Don't delete it," Lin Zhixia instructed him, "Send me the photo when we get home."
Jiang Yubai nodded.
Lin Zhixia beamed with joy: "I'll save the photo on my laptop."
"You remember what I look like," Jiang Yubai asked her, "Why do you need to save the photo?"
Lin Zhixia described vaguely: "It's a different feeling. What's in your head, and what your eyes see... Do you understand?"
Jiang Yubai pretended to understand. Just as he couldn't imagine Lin Zhixia's memory patterns, he suspected that Lin Zhixia didn't fully grasp ordinary people's thought structures either. And as an ordinary person himself, he should be more considerate of Lin Zhixia.
Jiang Yubai believed that intelligent people like Lin Zhixia were relatively rare, while ordinary people like himself were everywhere.
Maintaining his tourist persona for the day, he asked again: "Tour guide Lin, where should we go next?"
"To the inner court!" Lin Zhixia said happily, "Come with me to see where the emperor's wives lived."
Mentioning "the emperor's wives" seemed to particularly excite Lin Zhixia.
They first went to the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, then detoured to the Eastern Six Palaces. Among them, the Palace of Celestial Favor housed bronze artifacts, while the Palace of Accumulated Purity displayed jade pieces. With her mind fixed on the living quarters of the emperor's wives, Lin Zhixia unwittingly began discussing Qing dynasty imperial consorts with Jiang Yubai.Lin Zhixia probed him, "Do you envy ancient emperors? They had many wives and possessed all the beauties in the world."
Jiang Yubai said indifferently, "No."
In the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the footsteps of visitors rose and fell intermittently. Lin Zhixia took a light step forward, carefully treading on the floor, and added, "I thought most boys would envy emperors."
"Emperors had to produce a bunch of children..." At this point, Jiang Yubai stopped himself. He had originally wanted to say that emperors bore heavy responsibilities, constantly monitored by civil and military officials, summoning concubines like controlled machines—but he couldn't discuss such topics in front of Lin Zhixia.
His father had once told him about "things every boy should know," and since then, Jiang Yubai's perspective had become more nuanced. He was no longer as naive as in his childhood, yet he remained mindful of maintaining his image.
He expressed himself tactfully yet honestly: "I can't understand emperors. If it were me, one empress would be enough."
Lin Zhixia patted his shoulder like a buddy: "Good emperor."
Jiang Yubai laughed: "The Qing dynasty was different from modern times."
Partially distracted by bronze artifacts on display, he asked absently: "Would you want to be an empress?"
The moment the words left his mouth, he froze on the spot.
Jiang Yubai had just hypothetically cast himself as an emperor who wanted only one empress, and now he'd asked Lin Zhixia such a question—it truly created significant ambiguity. Staring at a massive bronze censer, he even felt like crouching inside it to cool his head.
Fortunately, Lin Zhixia didn't notice his blunder. She said earnestly, "I'd never want to be an empress. I want to be an empress regnant."
"Excellent," Jiang Yubai praised, "As expected of you, Captain Lin Zhixia."
Lin Zhixia analyzed for him: "In ancient times, once you became an empress, everything you did had to prioritize the emperor's wishes—there was no freedom at all. Even ordinary conversations with the emperor required extreme caution. So unfair. Modern royalty... I've heard Japan's imperial family has particularly strict rules. Crown Princess Masako developed depression—it took her nine years after marrying into the imperial family to get a chance to visit her parents."
Jiang Yubai responded while reading bronze artifact descriptions: "You're right."
Lin Zhixia suddenly fell silent for a few seconds. Noticing his slightly reddened earlobes, she demanded, "Why are you blushing again? What did I say wrong?"
Jiang Yubai lied: "This palace is rather warm."
"Really?" Lin Zhixia exposed him, "Would the temperature in a heritage preservation hall keep rising?"
Jiang Yubai didn't respond.
Lin Zhixia mentally replayed their conversation and immediately identified the crucial point. She twisted his backpack strap into a doughnut shape, then stated bluntly: "You playing the emperor, me playing the empress—reviewing history together. Is that what you meant?"
Jiang Yubai denied repeatedly: "No, not at all, you're overthinking it. Let's go to the next hall."
"No, not at all..." Lin Zhixia repeated his words, then reminded him, "In middle school Chinese class, teacher taught us that double negatives equal affirmation."
Jiang Yubai found himself tongue-tied.
He surrendered.
He was certain that in some situations, he could never win against Lin Zhixia.What shocked him the most was Lin Zhixia's calm and composed statement: "Pick an emperor, and I'll play your empress. Just don't choose Guangxu—his wives all met tragic fates."
During Jiang Yubai's year at the international high school, the teacher had organized a script performance. The teacher selected a segment from Shakespeare's Richard II , and Jiang Yubai was assigned the role of "Richard II," a relaxed part with only three lines. A Burmese-Chinese girl from the neighboring class played his queen.
Back then, Jiang Yubai's heart was as still as water. Now, he felt the situation was entirely different.
He righteously stopped her: "That's not appropriate."
Lin Zhixia tilted her head.
Jiang Yubai said, "That kind of relationship isn't like a tour guide and a tourist; it can't be played around with casually."
Lin Zhixia clasped her hands behind her back.
"I'm not picking on you," Jiang Yubai laid out a stepping stone for her, "I know you trust me and are willing to play games with me, just like when we were kids."
"I understand," Lin Zhixia responded, "You mean that now that we've grown up, we need to be mindful of boundaries."
"Right." Jiang Yubai sighed softly. As he and Lin Zhixia walked out of the Qianqing Palace, he added, "You really are very clever."
Some areas of the Eastern Six Palaces were closed to the public. Having already seen the open sections, Lin Zhixia was filled with curiosity about the restricted zones. She headed toward a secluded corridor and discovered a courtyard with tightly shut doors and windows—the gate was made of pure wood, faded and covered in a thin layer of pale white dust from its age.
A gap about ten centimeters wide between the doors revealed the scene inside the courtyard.
Lin Zhixia bent down and leaned close to the crack.
Jiang Yubai asked her, "What do you see?"
"This place hasn't been visited in years," Lin Zhixia described, "There are two large trees inside, the ground is covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves, and behind the trees is a house with black windows. I don't know what's inside."
A chilly wind blew through the area, and Jiang Yubai suggested, "Then let's not look."
"Mm-hmm!" Lin Zhixia obediently agreed.
She whispered to him, "Could this be a cold palace?"
Jiang Yubai had never paid much attention to the history of the imperial harem.
In his impression, a cold palace would have a sign hanging on it with the words "Cold Palace" written on it.
But Lin Zhixia told him, "Wherever an emperor grows tired of a concubine, that place becomes a cold palace."
Jiang Yubai commented, "The harem system is quite complex."
Lin Zhixia said, "The emperor might not remember every one of his wives, and the ones he forgets would live in the cold palace forever."
Jiang Yubai stepped on a fallen leaf and moved to Lin Zhixia's side: "It reminds me of our script, Changes ."
Lin Zhixia smiled gently. She and Jiang Yubai wandered around for a while before detouring to the rear garden. There, Lin Zhixia asked a passing scenic area staff member to take a few photos of her and Jiang Yubai together.
It was 2:50 in the afternoon, just ten minutes before three o'clock. Neither Lin Zhixia nor Jiang Yubai had eaten lunch, but they were both preoccupied with other thoughts and had momentarily forgotten about the meal.
When Lin Zhixia finally realized it, hunger swept over her like a flood, overwhelming all other thoughts. She proposed, "Shall we go out to eat?"
"Sure, I'll call the driver." Jiang Yubai took out his phone.
Author's note: References for this chapter:"September 6, 2009 – November 22, 2009: Cartier Treasures Art Exhibition at the Palace Museum"
"Red Ground with Reserved Panels Enamel Color Peony Pattern Cup - Palace Museum"
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