After Fengxian was returned to the Bureau of Palace Provisions by Zhao Ai, Pei Shangshi had not yet decided where to assign her next, only having her assist the female officials of the bureau with miscellaneous tasks each day. Two days later, an eunuch from Furong Pavilion suddenly came looking for Fengxian, saying that Consort Liu wished to see her and had something to tell her.
When Fengxian arrived at Furong Pavilion, she was startled to see Aunt Xu, who had served her mother, waiting for her inside. As soon as Aunt Xu saw her, she called out "Second Miss," knelt down, and wept.
Liu Luowei explained to Fengxian from the side: "This Aunt Xu has been waiting by Hening Gate every day recently. Whenever she sees a palace attendant come out, she goes up to ask if they know you, hoping they could pass on a message. Some of those attendants didn’t know you, and although others did, they didn’t know her background and were afraid of getting involved, so they didn’t dare agree. Today, Granny Yu happened to leave the palace on business and was stopped by her for questioning. Coincidentally, I had praised you to Granny Yu the day before, so Granny Yu patiently listened to her story. Feeling that the matter was of great importance, she thought it best to let her tell you directly, so she managed to bring her back to the pavilion and asked me to invite you over."
Fengxian hurriedly asked Aunt Xu, "How did you get here? Has something happened at home?"
Aunt Xu cried as she said, "The mistress has passed away..."
Fengxian’s mind went blank. It took her a while to regain her senses. Her eyebrows furrowed, and with tears in her eyes, she pressed further, "What happened? Was someone responsible?"
Aunt Xu replied, "Before you left, you warned Lady Zhu Wu to take good care of the mistress. For the first two years, it was fine. Lady Zhu Wu was cautious and treated the mistress with respect, so the mistress had enough food and clothing without worry. But this year, the general took in another concubine, Lady Yan Shi. Relying on his favor, she acted arrogantly and was disrespectful to all of the general’s wives and concubines. Lady Zhu Wu also suffered greatly at her hands and harbored resentment. Because the mistress had been bedridden with illness for a long time, Lady Zhu Wu felt that the mistress was costing the household a lot of money, and her resentment shifted to the mistress. She grew increasingly impatient with her. Later, she devised a plan to kill two birds with one stone. She had her subordinates spread rumors that the general had originally intended to marry Lady Yan Shi as his principal wife, but because the mistress was still alive, he had no choice but to demote Lady Yan Shi to a concubine. Lady Yan Shi actually believed this. Openly, she sent people to provoke the mistress daily; secretly, she used voodoo dolls to curse her. Lady Zhu Wu also deliberately called me over to question me while I was brewing medicine for the mistress, giving Lady Yan Shi’s people a chance to approach the medicine pot. Then, they added something to the medicine—I don’t know what—and after taking it, the mistress’s condition worsened. Last month, she passed away..."
As Aunt Xu spoke, she broke into another fit of sobbing. Fengxian, however, did not cry out loud. Her lips trembled slightly as she asked again, "How did you find out about all this?"Aunt Xu said, "After the lady passed away, Lady Zhu Wu went to the general and accused Lady Yan Shi of foul play. Although the general had not treated the lady well over the years, they were still husband and wife for many years, and some affection remained. He seemed somewhat grieved by her death, so he summoned Lady Yan Shi and had her whipped. Lady Yan Shi cried and protested her innocence, claiming it was Lady Zhu Wu who had schemed against her. The two then hurled insults and tore at each other. Listening from the side, I understood about eighty or ninety percent of the truth. Later, I privately asked Lady Zhu Wu if she had intentionally drawn me away from the medicine pot back then. She did not deny it. I questioned her why she had forgotten the young lady’s instructions, and she sneered coldly, saying, ‘In the two years since Second Young Lady entered the palace, there hasn’t been any news of her rising in rank. She’s just a palace maid tending to the fires, probably struggling to protect herself. Does she even have time to care about family matters?’... Since I had fallen out with Lady Zhu Wu, I naturally couldn’t stay any longer. I gathered all my savings over the years and quietly left, heading to Lin’an to find you. I was determined that the lady should not have died with such unresolved grievances. I had to tell you the truth."
Fengxian released her embrace of Aunt Xu and stood rigidly in the pavilion, silent. After a moment, two lines of tears traced down her cold, stubborn face, which she fiercely wiped away.
Seeing this, Liu Luowei came over, took her hand, and guided her to sit down, gently consoling her, "Lady Zhu Wu is a narrow-minded, vulgar country woman. Don’t take her words to heart. With your talent and beauty, why fear there won’t be opportunities for advancement in the future?"
Fengxian suddenly stood up and immediately bowed to Liu Luowei. "Madam, today you helped Aunt Xu and allowed me to see her. I am deeply grateful and hope one day to repay your kindness a hundredfold. If you do not mind, I am willing to come to Furong Pavilion and serve you with all my ability."
Liu Luowei helped Fengxian up with both hands and said kindly, "I appreciate your sincerity, but in the end, I am merely a palace maid serving the Emperor. You have a deep-seated vendetta to settle, and I fear my influence is limited, unable to help you much. However, I can point you in a promising direction..."
Fengxian frowned, looking at her with questioning eyes.
Liu Luowei smiled slightly, picked up her silk fan, and slowly fanned herself as she said, "You might consider asking to be assigned to serve the Empress Dowager at Cifu Palace. The Empress Dowager values health and wellness. You are clever and, I hear, skilled at making medicinal cuisine. It would surely be easy to win her favor. As long as the Empress Dowager likes you, marrying a noble husband in the future won’t be difficult. Then, taking revenge on those petty people in your family would be as easy as crushing a few ants... If you ever face difficulties, you can always come to me. I will help as much as I can. As for Aunt Xu, she can stay and work at Furong Pavilion. I will take good care of her. But to avoid gossip, it’s best not to tell others that you know each other."
Fengxian thought Liu Luowei’s advice made sense and began pondering how to get to Cifu Palace. However, a sudden event soon disrupted this plan temporarily.
Over the past two years, Zhao Huaiyu had served as an official outside the capital, earning a good reputation that reached the Emperor’s ears. The Emperor intended to promote him and ordered him to return to the capital for an examination for a court position. Zhao Huaiyu lived up to expectations, performed excellently, and entered the imperial library. The Emperor then appointed him as a proofreader and specifically arranged an official residence for him and his mother to live in.Due to his imperial clan status, the Emperor had always regarded him with special favor. Thus, although his official rank was not high, he often had opportunities to enter the palace and meet the Emperor. On this day, the Emperor summoned him to Yanhe Hall again, asking him to elaborate in detail on the state affairs mentioned in his previous policy essay with the Crown Prince. After Zhao Huaiyu finished his explanation, the Crown Prince expressed sincere admiration, and the Emperor was also greatly pleased, generously rewarding Zhao Huaiyu with some literary curios. During the subsequent casual conversation, the Emperor asked him if he was married. Zhao Huaiyu blushed and said he had not yet taken a wife. The Emperor wondered, "Once an unmarried scholar achieves success in the imperial examination, there are always ministers and powerful families seeking marriage proposals. You have long held an official title—why have you not yet married?"
Zhao Huaiyu bowed deeply to the Emperor and said, "Your Majesty, to be honest, before I took the imperial examination, I once resided in Pujiang, where I met a woman. I have admired her for a long time, but unfortunately, she later entered the palace through selection and became a palace attendant in the Bureau of Palace Provisions. I have been unable to forget her, which is why I have remained single to this day."
"A palace attendant from the Bureau of Palace Provisions from Pujiang... Could it be Wu Zhenzhen?" the Emperor said in surprise. Then he thought to himself that Zhao Huaiyu had clearly brought this up to request Zhenzhen's hand in marriage. He must first extinguish this idea. Without waiting for Zhao Huaiyu to answer, he smiled and said, "But unfortunately, Wu Zhenzhen was just granted by me to the Crown Prince a few days ago." Then he turned to the Crown Prince and deliberately asked, "I heard you have already visited her? I should issue an edict to confer upon her the title of Lady of the Commandery, shouldn't I?"
The Crown Prince was taken aback but still answered truthfully in a low voice, "I only went to see her; I have not yet stayed overnight."
The Emperor was quite displeased, frowning with frustration at his son's lack of initiative and complaining, "Such a small matter, and you're dragging your feet!"
The Crown Prince immediately bowed, "Your son is ashamed."
Seeing the situation, Zhao Huaiyu understood the circumstances and quickly bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, the palace attendant I mentioned is not surnamed Wu but surnamed Ling, with the given name Fengxian."
"Ling Fengxian?" the Crown Prince said with a smile, "I know her. She was originally a palace attendant serving the Second Prince's meals. Recently, for some reason, she returned to the Bureau of Palace Provisions."
Hearing that Zhao Huaiyu's affection was not for Zhenzhen, the Emperor immediately showed a smile, very willing to demonstrate his magnanimity to this official: "Returning to the Bureau of Palace Provisions shows that there is a destined arrangement in the unseen forces of fate. Heaven has willed this good match for Ling Fengxian. I shall grant Ling Fengxian to you. Whether as wife or concubine, it is entirely up to you."
Zhao Huaiyu was overjoyed and immediately kowtowed to express his gratitude for the imperial favor.
The Emperor asked him again, "When do you wish to take Ling Fengxian out of the palace?"
Zhao Huaiyu flushed crimson, but after hesitating for a moment, he still spoke frankly: "Naturally, the sooner the better..."
The Emperor laughed heartily, "Good, good. Good things should not be delayed. I will order the Director of Palace Food to release her immediately and also bestow some valuables upon Ling Fengxian. You may wait inside Hening Gate. Once she has packed her belongings, she will accompany you home later today."
Zhao Huaiyu kowtowed again to express his gratitude: "Long live Your Majesty, long live, long live!"
The Emperor ordered him to rise, then glanced at the Crown Prince and earnestly whispered to his son, "Look at others..."
The Crown Prince smiled without speaking but bowed deeply to show he had taken the lesson to heart.
This matter quickly spread throughout the Bureau of Palace Provisions. Palace attendants came one after another to congratulate Fengxian, saying that Zhao Huaiyu was a rare young talent who had already entered the imperial library and would soon join the Hanlin Academy and the Secretariat. Fengxian was bound to enjoy a life of ease and comfort in the future. Fengxian merely smiled in response. Although she knew that for a palace attendant, this was indeed a good match, her heart felt inexplicably empty, and she could not call it a joyful surprise.Fengxian received the rewards bestowed by The Emperor and returned to her room to pack her belongings, preparing to leave the palace. As she was not particularly eager, her movements were slow and sluggish, delaying until the palace gates were about to close before she finally emerged. She boarded an oxcart driven by a eunuch and followed behind Zhao Huaiyu, who was riding a horse, accompanying him back to his home.
Zhao Huaiyu’s residence was quite far from the palace, and the oxcart moved slowly. Along the way, Zhao Huaiyu encountered many colleagues. Some stopped him to offer congratulations, while others were unaware of what had happened. Seeing a palace carriage following behind him, they inevitably pulled him aside to inquire further. This caused considerable delay, and by the time they reached the entrance of his residence, it was already late in the evening. Zhao Huaiyu gently pushed the door, but it remained firmly shut, clearly locked from the inside.
With an apologetic expression, Zhao Huaiyu said to Fengxian, who had stepped out of the oxcart, "My mother is accustomed to sleeping early. Today, we returned too late, so she must have assumed I wouldn’t be coming back and has already closed the door for the night."
Seeing that he made no further move, Fengxian asked in confusion, "Couldn’t you knock and ask the elderly lady to open the door?"
Zhao Huaiyu replied, "My mother sleeps lightly and is easily awakened. Once she wakes, it’s difficult for her to fall back asleep, so let’s refrain from knocking for now. We’ll wait a little longer. If we see light from the courtyard, then we’ll ask her to open the door."
Fengxian had no choice but to agree and wait with him outside the gate.
The eunuch driver, seeing that his task was complete, unloaded Fengxian’s luggage, bid farewell, and departed. Fengxian sat with Zhao Huaiyu on the stone steps in front of the courtyard gate. She initially thought of striking up a conversation but noticed that Zhao Huaiyu spoke in a very soft voice, understanding that he was afraid of waking his mother with any loud noise. Thus, she lost the desire to speak, and the two sat side by side in silence, waiting aimlessly.
They waited for several hours. It had rained during the day, and the evening breeze was cool. Fengxian, dressed in summer clothes, began to feel quite cold as the night approached the third watch. She buried her head in her knees and hugged her shoulders tightly. Seeing this, Zhao Huaiyu removed his outer robe and offered to drape it over her. Fengxian hurriedly declined, unwilling to accept it no matter what. Zhao Huaiyu awkwardly took it back and said after a moment, "Please wait a little longer, miss. Perhaps my mother will wake up soon."
Fengxian had not eaten dinner and was now cold, tired, and hungry. From time to time, she glanced through the crack in the door to peer into the courtyard, but no candlelight ever appeared. Tentatively, she suggested, "Perhaps we could find a food stall, eat something, and then come back to wait?"
Zhao Huaiyu looked at Fengxian’s luggage with difficulty, and she immediately realized that carrying these boxes and bundles would indeed be inconvenient. Disheartened, she fell silent. Zhao Huaiyu considered leaving briefly to buy food himself but quickly dismissed the idea, thinking it inappropriate to leave her alone here.
Shortly after, the sound of the water clock marked the arrival of the third watch. Fengxian felt the coldness of the stone steps seep into her body, chilling her to the bone. Her joints ached from the damp cold, her back and waist were sore, and she was so hungry that she felt dizzy and faint, nearly on the verge of collapse. She slumped over her knees, breathless, and as thoughts of her mother surfaced, her heart filled with sorrow.
Just then, she suddenly heard the sound of hoofbeats on the bluestone pavement ahead, growing closer and more urgent.
Fengxian straightened up and looked toward the end of the alley, where a rider on horseback was approaching. The man wore a soft-footed turban and a round-collared, narrow-sleeved robe, with black leather boots adorned with golden-thread embroidered ruyi cloud patterns along the edges.
Fengxian’s gaze shifted to his face, and she recognized him. Surprised, she stood up, momentarily forgetting to bow, and called out directly, "Third Prince!"
Zhao Hao met her gaze briefly, then handed her an oil-paper package, saying calmly, "Eat it while it’s still warm."Fengxian took it and opened it, finding two steaming hot buns inside.
OpenNovel