While the Crown Prince was ill, Zhao Ai visited the Eastern Palace daily. At that time, the Crown Prince was in a constant state of drowsiness, and Zhenzhen was busy running about, leaving little opportunity for Zhao Ai to meet and speak with her. Now that the Crown Prince was gradually recovering, Zhao Ai felt joyful and also wished to see Zhenzhen more often. He proactively offered to accompany his elder brother in reading, practicing calligraphy, taking walks, and admiring flowers, visiting even more frequently. Although the Crown Prince had explicitly refused to transfer Zhenzhen to him, seeing that the Crown Prince had not yet announced taking Zhenzhen as a concubine, Zhao Ai could not help but hold onto hope. He also felt that his brother and Zhenzhen interacted with great propriety, and the two likely harbored no romantic feelings for each other. However, he did not know that the Crown Prince had always known restraint. No matter how intimate he was with Zhenzhen in private, he never displayed any improper behavior in front of others. On the rare occasions they exchanged words, they treated each other with the respect of guests. The Crown Prince did not even call Zhenzhen by her given name, addressing her instead as "Lady Wu." Sometimes their eyes would meet, and they would silently smile at each other, but only when no one else was paying attention.
In addition to the tutors permanently stationed at the Eastern Palace, the Emperor would occasionally send high-ranking court officials to lecture the Crown Prince. After his recovery, the first minister the Crown Prince invited to lecture at the Eastern Palace was Shen Han, the Assistant Chief Councilor. Upon hearing the news, Zhao Ai remarked that Shen Han had been the Emperor’s former teacher and that the opportunity to listen to his lectures was exceedingly rare. He requested to attend the lectures alongside the Crown Prince. The Third Prince, Zhao Hao, immediately echoed his second brother’s sentiment, expressing his own desire to attend the lectures at the Eastern Palace. Seeing his two sons so dedicated to learning, the Emperor felt quite gratified and quickly agreed, offering them much praise.
Zhao Hao’s feelings for Fengxian originated from the incident with the pear soup at the Gathering Scenery Garden. At the time, he felt as though the entire world was indifferent to him, and only Fengxian had noticed him and generously expressed her care. From then on, he began to regard her as a kindred spirit. After Fengxian refused to marry Zhao Huaiyu, Zhao Hao witnessed her actions in quelling the ensuing turmoil and could not help but admire her even more. He felt that this woman was not only radiantly beautiful but also intelligent and wise, possessing a strong personality. He himself was somewhat timid, while Fengxian had a forceful temperament, which he found increasingly dashing and heroic. Moreover, Fengxian remained unmoved by his advances and showed no interest in becoming a concubine, which only made him toss and turn, longing for her day and night.
Previously, he had often used visits to the Crown Prince as an excuse to come to the Eastern Palace, hoping very much to see Fengxian. However, Fengxian was not like Zhenzhen, who stayed by the Crown Prince’s side constantly, so he did not see her every time. On this day, upon learning of the opportunity to attend Shen Han’s lecture, he found a pretext to visit the Eastern Palace and ask his elder brother what preparations he should make. After conversing with the Crown Prince, he lingered near the kitchen of the Palace Food Attendants for a long time before finally seeing Fengxian emerge, seemingly on her way to the Bureau of Palace Provisions. He secretly followed her and waited until she reached the secluded inner palace corridor, outside the willow-lined pathway where no one was around, before calling out to her.
Seeing it was him, Fengxian showed little delight and merely performed the customary salute. Zhao Hao walked up to her and, dispensing with polite formalities, went straight to the point: "After we parted that day, I pondered your words over and over and found them quite reasonable. A woman like you, dignified and intelligent, is worthy of being a proper wife. How could you stoop to being a concubine? And as I am still without a wife, why not seek to marry a fine lady? Moreover, although you are a palace attendant, you were born into a military family, so your background is not particularly low. If you are willing, I will carefully plan and find a way to request the Emperor’s permission to marry you as my principal wife."Fengxian was somewhat surprised. That day when she declared she would "never be a concubine," it was partly due to her deep aversion to the status of a concubine, and partly because she had no affection for Zhao Hao and was unwilling to lower herself to that position. So she set a high demand, thinking that if his feelings for her were limited, he would be discouraged and retreat. Unexpectedly, Zhao Hao now genuinely intended to propose marriage. Amid her surprise, threads of joy also began to surface, but she quickly controlled the upward curve of her lips and said seriously, "Your Highness, my requirements go beyond that... In this life, I ask for nothing else but to marry a husband who is devoted to me wholeheartedly. He must love only me for the rest of his life. Can Your Highness do that?"
Zhao Hao replied readily, "I can."
Fengxian asked again, "My husband must always consider my feelings first. He will only do what I like and refrain from what I dislike. Can Your Highness do that?"
Zhao Hao still answered, "I can."
"If I have a dispute with Your Highness's family, will Your Highness defend me first?" Fengxian pressed.
Zhao Hao hesitated for a moment but still replied, "Yes."
Fengxian smiled slightly and added, "Your Highness must not shift your affections to others or get close to other women. If I find out you have touched someone's hand, I will chop off her hand; if you touch someone's foot, I will chop off her foot. Your children can only be born by me. If you let another woman bear your child, I will kill her. Is that acceptable?"
Her tone in these last few sentences was coquettish, and her gaze lingered affectionately on Zhao Hao, causing his heart to leap with joy: She is actually jealous for me, acting coy, and even wants to bear my children!
Those murderous threats were all interpreted by him as her playful, doting words to her beloved, and he quickly agreed, "Yes, yes, I will do as you say!"
Fengxian smiled contentedly, took out a silk handkerchief embroidered with balsam flowers, and pressed it into Zhao Hao's hand. Then she turned and quickened her pace toward the Bureau of Palace Provisions. Overjoyed, Zhao Hao tightly clutched the handkerchief, watching her retreating figure until she disappeared from sight. It took him a long while to snap out of his reverie, and he half-ran, half-skipped on his way home.
The painter Yang Zicheng had sent to Pujiang returned, bringing back a portrait of Wu Qiuniang. Yang Zicheng presented it to the Crown Prince, who unrolled it, looked at it, then rolled it back up and had a eunuch hold it, planning to take it along when he went to the Hall of Blessing and Tranquility to see his father later.
The Crown Prince asked Zhenzhen to accompany him to the Hall of Blessing and Tranquility. Unexpectedly, Feng Jing was also there, preparing tea for The Emperor in the hall. The Crown Prince remained calm and said to Feng Jing and Zhenzhen, "I have some matters to report to His Majesty. Please wait in the corridor for a while and come in later."
The two women agreed, and Feng Jing led Zhenzhen to the western corridor.
Since falling in love with the Crown Prince, Zhenzhen had felt somewhat awkward whenever she saw Feng Jing again. However, she realized that they would have to interact for a long time to come, so it would be better to openly discuss the matter with her first. After a moment of silent contemplation, Zhenzhen softly asked her, "Sister Feng, if I like the Crown Prince, would you mind?"
Feng Jing smiled faintly, "His Majesty has already spoken to me about your situation. To say I feel nothing at all would be unbelievable. There is some pain, but it’s more like a sense of reflection and loss, not too severe. After all, it has been over three years since we parted. I had already thought through these matters when I decided not to marry him. He will surely love someone else in the future, and others will come to love him. These are their own affairs and have nothing to do with me. If, just because I once loved him and chose not to marry him, I were to forbid others from loving him, what kind of person would I be?""Then why didn't you want to marry into the Eastern Palace when the misunderstanding between you two was resolved?" Zhenzhen asked again. "Was it because you didn't want to be a concubine, and felt that status was more important?"
"I was just afraid of the situation where wife and concubines coexist—afraid of getting hurt myself, and afraid I couldn't control my jealousy and would end up hurting others. I also felt that during that year we were apart, I had gradually grown accustomed to life without him and could live peacefully. If I let him back into my life and lost him again in the future, how painful that would be—I'm afraid I'd never be able to recover..." Feng Jing sighed, but then gave Zhenzhen an encouraging smile. "But you're different from me—much stronger and more capable, able to handle all kinds of complicated situations. That's also why The Emperor thinks highly of you. Take good care of the Crown Prince, and don't disappoint The Emperor's expectations."
In the Hall of Blessing and Tranquility, the Crown Prince unrolled a painting for his father to view, asking if he recognized the person depicted. The Emperor examined it for a moment and said, "Judging by the face and figure, she looks quite like Madam Ju, whom the late Emperor favored... How did you come by this painting?"
The Crown Prince evaded, "This was painted by an artist from the Hanlin Painting Academy who once saw Madam Ju. Recently, while visiting relatives outside the capital, he encountered a woman he suspected might be Madam Ju, so he painted this portrait. Having heard the legends about Madam Ju, I was very curious, so I asked him for the painting to verify with you, Father, to see if it resembles Madam Ju."
"Very much so," the Emperor confirmed. "If the person the artist encountered looks like this, there's a seventy to eighty percent chance it's Madam Ju... But let's just keep this portrait between us. Don't let it reach the Empress Dowager, lest she send people to pursue Madam Ju."
The Crown Prince then asked, "So is it true what they say in the palace—that the Empress Dowager wanted to capture Madam Ju to be buried with the late Emperor?"
The Emperor replied, "When the late Emperor passed away, the Empress Dowager asked me to expel his beauties from the palace, but she didn't ask me to pursue Madam Ju. However, this rumor has circulated in the palace for a long time; it probably didn't arise from nothing. She might have Cheng Yuan send people after her."
The Crown Prince asked further, "The time of Madam Ju's disappearance is close to that of Official Liu's. Could they have planned to flee together?"
"They were indeed friends," the Emperor began recalling the past. "Madam Ju first requested to leave the palace and lived in the garden the late Emperor had gifted her. Official Liu, however, eloped with Zhang Yunqiao. After leaving the palace, they stayed for a while in a mountain cottage I secretly arranged for them. Later, Zhang Yunqiao treated Qi Xun's illness but failed to cure him. The Qi family pursued him, and he hid around the capital before eventually fleeing to another region with Official Liu. The timing of Madam Ju's disappearance does indeed coincide with their departure from the capital. It's possible they planned to travel together, but there's no evidence to confirm it."
"Mountain cottage?" The Crown Prince suddenly remembered that Pu Luxin had mentioned at Lin Hong's residence that day that he had once gathered with The Emperor, a scholar, and a physician couple in a mountain cottage. He told his father this and asked, "Were the physician couple who gathered with you that day Zhang Yunqiao and Official Liu?"
The Emperor confirmed it was so. The Crown Prince then asked, "And who was that scholar?"
The Emperor said, "Lin Hong's father, Lin Yu, who at the time held the position of Remonstrance Official.""So it seems that Father was close to both of them, and they should have been friends with each other?" the Crown Prince asked with some surprise. "But why has there long been a rumor at court that Zhang Yunqiao once sought Qi Xun's protection, while Lin Yu often advised the late Emperor, impeaching Qi Xun for forming cliques for personal gain, colluding with the enemy, and betraying the state? Therefore, Qi Xun first framed Lin Yu for accepting bribes and deliberately attacking the chief minister, having him imprisoned, and then instructed Zhang Yunqiao to kill him in prison under the pretext of treating his illness?"
"It is true that Lin Yu impeached Qi Xun, true that he was framed and imprisoned, and true that he was killed by Zhang Yunqiao," the Emperor sighed. "But there were hidden circumstances behind Zhang Yunqiao's killing of him..."
He then spent a considerable amount of time recounting to the Crown Prince the details of how the three of them met and the various hidden circumstances surrounding Lin Yu's case. After hearing this, the Crown Prince was deeply moved and sighed along with his father. After a moment, he asked, "Does Lin Hong know about these matters?"
"He probably only knows that Zhang Yunqiao killed his father, but not the hidden circumstances," the Emperor said. "After all, this matter cannot be openly discussed, so only the three of us knew. Lin Yu didn't even tell his wife... Many years have passed, and Zhang Yunqiao has been missing all this time, so I never mentioned it to Lin Hong. But I have always felt guilty toward his family. That is why, although Lin Hong is bookish and impulsive in his actions, I gave him scholarly honors and official positions. When he wanted to resign, I did not hold it against him. And my favor toward Consort Liu is also a case of loving the crow for the sake of its nest. I know she has done some improper things behind my back, but for the sake of her uncle, I have turned a blind eye."
The Emperor kept the Crown Prince and Zhenzhen for a meal at Jiaming Hall, then shared tea and conversation, praising Zhenzhen for her great contribution in investigating the Crown Prince's poisoning case. He said he had already ordered the academicians to draft an edict, and in a few days, on the Crown Prince's birthday, Zhenzhen would be announced as a Commandery Lady. Hearing this, the Crown Prince smiled and looked at Zhenzhen, but this time Zhenzhen merely lowered her head, avoiding everyone's gaze, and did not voice any objection.
After leaving Jiaming Hall, the Crown Prince saw that the moonlight was clear and bright that night, so he dismissed the attending eunuchs and, carrying a palace lantern himself, invited Zhenzhen to accompany him to Moon Rock to admire the moon.
The Crown Prince led Zhenzhen slowly up the hill, speaking to her along the way: "The first time I came to Moon Rock was when my mother, Empress Anshu, brought me here. They say I was only two years old then, and my second brother hadn't even been born yet. After that, my mother would bring me here every year on my birthday to admire the moon. Later, when my second brother was a little older, I brought him here..."
"Why didn't Empress Anshu bring him?" Zhenzhen blurted out, but quickly realized the reason herself, realizing she had asked a question that touched a painful subject.
The Crown Prince indeed fell silent. After a long while, he said, "My mother passed away when I was five. At that time, my second brother was three. My mother had been bedridden with illness for a long time before that, so she never took him."
Zhenzhen hurriedly apologized, saying she had spoken carelessly. The Crown Prince gently replied, "It's all right," and continued to tell her about his mother. "Father and Empress Anshu were childhood sweethearts and deeply in love. But Qi Xun, in order to force Father to marry the daughter of one of his faction members, trained some girls skilled in food and drink and secretly sent them into Father's residence. They slowly poisoned my mother's meals, causing her to grow increasingly thin and frail, until her vitality was exhausted and she died... Later, Official Liu told Father about this. Father already despised Qi Xun because of state affairs, and after learning the truth, he hated him even more. After planning for many years, he finally avenged this great wrong..."At this point, he seemed to realize something and did not continue further, changing the topic instead: "Although I was also quite young when Empress Anshu passed away, I still remember a little of her voice and appearance—the nursery rhymes she sang for me, her fondness for Songjiang Perch Sashimi... What about you, Zhenzhen? I lost my mother in childhood, and you lost your father. Do you still remember what your father looked like?"
Zhenzhen shook her head sadly. "No, I don't... The impression he left me is only a very vague outline. I only remember a few scenes—his silhouette as he read or wrote, and the scent of medicine on him..."
"Children tend to remember sorrowful scenes more clearly. I still remember how my mother looked on her deathbed..." the Crown Prince asked gloomily. "Do you have any impression of the scene when your father passed away?"
Zhenzhen replied, "No, I don't remember at all."
"The funeral, white banners, and such—none of that either?" the Crown Prince asked.
"None," Zhenzhen affirmed. "I have no impression of any of that."
The Crown Prince thought for a moment and said, "Perhaps your mother protected you too well and couldn't bear to let you witness such scenes."
The two continued upward, and just as they were about to reach Moon Rock, they suddenly noticed flickering candlelight above, as if someone was already there, accompanied by faint sounds of a woman weeping.
The Crown Prince and Zhenzhen exchanged glances and, without a word, lightened their steps, slowly approaching Moon Rock.
The woman's voice grew clearer, weeping as she spoke: "Your daughter is unfilial, unable to publicly pay respects to you on your birthday each year, only able to come here to pray to the moon... May you watch over your daughter and grandson, and help your daughter fulfill your wish soon, to comfort your spirit in heaven."
Beside her, an older woman's voice chimed in: "Husband, our lady has been striving hard. She has already given birth to a prince. Your final wish will surely be fulfilled one day."
Both voices sounded familiar to the Crown Prince and Zhenzhen. Just then, a gust of wind blew a piece of joss paper the woman was burning in front of Moon Rock toward Zhenzhen. The Crown Prince quickly waved his sleeve to brush it away, making some noise in the process. The two in front of Moon Rock heard the sound and hurriedly looked down, allowing the Crown Prince and Zhenzhen to see their faces clearly. They discovered it was indeed Consort Liu and Granny Yu.
Upon seeing them, Consort Liu turned pale and stood frozen, speechless for a moment. Granny Yu quickly stepped forward, bowed to the Crown Prince, and said, "Your Highness, please forgive us. Our lady was worried that paying respects to her ancestors in her pavilion might displease The Emperor, so she moved here. We earnestly beg Your Highness to pardon us and not speak of this matter to others."
The Crown Prince nodded calmly and said, "I understand. Consort Liu's filial piety is commendable. Please continue; I will not tell anyone."
Consort Liu also regained her composure, bowed to the Crown Prince in gratitude, and he returned the gesture with a bow before taking Zhenzhen's hand and leading her back.
Once they were far away from them, Zhenzhen said to the Crown Prince, "Granny Yu seemed to refer to Consort Liu's father as 'husband.' Could she be Consort Liu's father's concubine?" She then asked, "Consort Liu is so favored, yet she cannot pay respects to her father on his birthday in her own pavilion?"
The Crown Prince seemed lost in thought and did not immediately discuss the matter with her, only quickening his pace as he led her away.
Upon returning to the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince asked Zhenzhen to return to her quarters to rest, then summoned Yang Zicheng and ordered him to investigate whether it was Consort Liu's father's birthday that day. The next day, Yang Zicheng returned to report: "Consort Liu's father, Liu Kun, was born on the thirteenth day of the fifth month, not yesterday."The Crown Prince was not surprised and immediately instructed, "Investigate further the birthdates of officials of the fifth rank or higher who have passed away in the past twenty-six years. See if any of them had their birth or death anniversary yesterday."
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