The Double Ninth Festival banquet within the palace this year was once again held in Qingrui Hall for chrysanthemum appreciation. The hall was lined with yellow chrysanthemums, such as Imperial Robe Yellow, New Yellow Silla, Yellow Buddha Head, Golden Cup Golden Terrace, and Gilded Chrysanthemum. The palace lanterns in the hall also followed the season, some painted with chrysanthemums, others adorned with floral patterns. Ten thousand chrysanthemum lanterns shimmered and glowed, dazzlingly brilliant.
Yet Emperor Zhao Wei’s gaze lingered softly on Consort Liu, who knelt before him with lowered eyes, preparing hand-washed crab.
On the silver tray stood an ice mountain piled from crushed ice, its peak supporting a crystal-clear glass plate as pure as ice itself. Within it lay finely chopped raw crab, the half-shells holding golden roe, the twin claws whiter than snow, the translucent flesh gleaming with an icy luster against the glass plate and ice shavings.
Consort Liu held a silver spoon, sprinkling wine, salt, plum brine, minced ginger, orange paste, and ground pepper over the raw crab before mixing it evenly with silver chopsticks.
A blue-green cicada chrysanthemum adorned the consort’s hair. As she moved, its shadow fell upon the ice mountain like a wisp of cloud drifting over a snowy peak. The emperor watched with a smile, finding the scene exquisitely beautiful, while the myriad yellow flowers in the hall seemed clamorous and vulgar in comparison.
Consort Liu set down the silver chopsticks, washed her hands in a silver basin presented by a palace attendant, and then requested the palace attendant from the Directorate of Palace Catering to present this hand-washed crab to the emperor.
Pei Shangshi, the Director of Palace Food responsible for tasting dishes before the emperor, stepped forward with a bow, intending to sample a small portion first. However, the emperor shook his head to stop her, saying, “Pei Shangshi is nearing sixty and should not consume such cold and cooling food. Let the consort taste this hand-washed crab first.”
Pei Shangshi was taken aback but immediately lowered her head in assent and silently retreated.
Following the command, Consort Liu received a silver plate of prepared crab from the palace attendant of the Directorate of Palace Catering. She picked up a piece with silver chopsticks and brought it to her mouth. After tasting it and waiting briefly, she smiled slightly, bowed, and reported, “The seasoning is just right.”
The palace attendant retrieved the plate and chopsticks, inspected them for any irregularities, and then respectfully invited the emperor to taste the raw crab. The emperor nodded. Consort Liu excused herself and reappeared in the hall moments later, now clad in dance attire, her hair styled high with dangling tassels, her sleeves light and flowing, holding a pipa like a celestial maiden from Dunhuang.
With a gentle pluck of her slender fingers, music arose—the “Liangzhou Melody.” The emperor’s expression shifted slightly as he set down his wine cup. Unaware, Consort Liu cradled the pipa, stretching her arms and bending her waist, dancing in harmony with the music. This melody differed greatly from the gentle tunes commonly heard in the palace, at times like a sudden downpour, at others like whispered secrets. Amidst the pipa’s notes, reminiscent of pearls falling onto a jade plate, there was also a hidden clangor of weapons. Consort Liu’s dance was graceful and light, with frequent spins. As the music grew more intense, her movements quickened, swirling like floating blossoms and shadows, making the chrysanthemum lanterns’ shifting light and shadow seem all the more like an illusion.
After one sequence of the dance, Consort Liu set down the pipa and danced her way to the emperor. Suddenly, she reached out and picked up the wine cup before him.
The emperor had regained his earlier composure and smiled, allowing her to act freely. Holding the wine cup, she continued to spin and dance, yet no matter how she raised her hands or swept her sleeves, not a single drop of wine spilled from the cup. Those in the hall exchanged glances in amazement, silently marveling.
As the music gradually slowed, Consort Liu danced back to the emperor, turning her back to him and leaning backward, arching her waist. She then placed the wine cup on her forehead, spread her arms, and continued to bend backward until she formed a breathtaking arc before coming to a stop. The wine cup rested steadily on her forehead, unmoving.
The emperor personally took the cup from the consort’s forehead and slowly drank the wine within. Consort Liu turned back with a smile and bowed in courtesy.
As if the wine’s warmth had stirred his heart, the emperor’s cheeks flushed slightly. He gazed at her with a smile, a tender affection quietly shifting in his eyes."I heard that Consort Liu performed the 'Liangzhou' dance yesterday?" Empress Dowager Yin sat upright in the Tranquil Joy Hall of Cifu Palace, her peripheral glance sweeping over Consort Li, who had come to pay her respects, as she asked her lightly.
Consort Li stole a furtive glance at the Empress Dowager. The blue smoke from the golden suanni's mouth drifted like silk across the Empress Dowager's brow. Her expression remained as usual—calm and unruffled, neither joyful nor sorrowful.
"Yes," Consort Li replied. "She usually rehearses only in her own pavilion, with the doors tightly shut. No one else knew about it. I only learned of it yesterday."
"She must have wanted to surprise the Emperor," the Empress Dowager remarked. After a moment, she asked again, "I also heard that when she prepared the hand-washing crab, the Emperor did not allow Pei Shangshi to taste it but ordered Consort Liu to sample it herself?"
Consort Li nodded in agreement, not daring to say more.
The Empress Dowager continued, "Besides the hand-washing crab, what else has she recently prepared for the Emperor to eat?"
"Some pastries," Consort Li said softly. "What the Emperor likes is always limited to a few varieties: printed crisps, hibiscus cakes, crab meat buns, honey-glazed fruits, round joy cakes..."
The Empress Dowager seemed somewhat weary, leaning back against the hidden armrest behind her and closing her eyes. After a moment, she opened them again, her gaze lazily drifting toward a vase of purple-and-white jade-ou chrysanthemums on the flower stand. A faint, cold smile appeared on her lips. "How impressive—skilled in both the 'Liangzhou' dance and making pastries."
This fleeting, cold smile sent a chill not only through Consort Li but also through the elderly eunuch standing in attendance and Cheng Yuan, the supervisor of Cifu Palace.
The Empress Dowager had always kept her emotions well-hidden, and a cold smile was nearly the most intense expression of her anger. Cheng Yuan felt uneasy inwardly, but he showed no sign of it on his face. He remained standing silently, his eyes fixed on the tips of his boots, waiting with Consort Li for the Empress Dowager to change the subject.
After Consort Li left, the Empress Dowager summoned Cheng Yuan and asked why the Emperor had recently been frequently allowing Consort Liu to prepare imperial meals while Pei Shangshi stood idly by. Cheng Yuan replied, "Perhaps the Emperor has grown weary of the palace cuisine after years of consumption, while Consort Liu, hailing from the common folk, employs cooking methods quite different from those of the palace, which the Emperor finds novel. Since the Emperor personally requested Consort Liu to prepare the dishes, Pei Shangshi naturally could not disobey."
The Empress Dowager said, "Although the Emperor's words are akin to an imperial decree, matters concerning meals are of great importance, as they relate to the Emperor's health and safety. How can they not follow the proper procedures? When you see the Emperor, be sure to convey my thoughts to him."
Cheng Yuan acknowledged the order. After a moment of contemplation, the Empress Dowager added, "Forget it. There’s no need to waste words on this. Do not mention Consort Liu’s affairs. Instead, discuss with Pei Shangshi and suggest that the young palace attendants in the Bureau of Palace Provisions are still inexperienced and insufficient for such responsibilities. Propose that the Emperor instruct the various prefectures to select skilled women from the common folk to enter the palace and strengthen the Bureau of Palace Provisions."
Cheng Yuan agreed. The Empress Dowager paused briefly before adding, "These women must be no older than twenty, and their appearance and character must be impeccable."
After leaving the Tranquil Joy Hall, Cheng Yuan prepared to head to the inner palace. Cifu Palace was originally built by the late Emperor, who had a deep appreciation for the beauty of lakes and mountains. Thus, he had a pond dug into a lake and rocks piled into peaks, imitating the scenic beauty of West Lake. He also planted a wide variety of seasonal flowers, making the Rear Garden tranquil, secluded, and ever-changing in its views.The path Cheng Yuan walked was lined with tall pines and slender bamboos, their deep emerald canopies blocking the sun, casting shadows as dense as clouds. As he moved through them, sunlight filtered through the green shade, scattering onto his robes like fragments of gold and jade. Beyond the pine forest, he rounded a rocky grotto, and the view suddenly opened up. At the source of the Little West Lake, a cold waterfall cascaded through the air, pouring into a pool of jade-green water spanning over ten acres, where ten thousand lotus plants were cultivated. As Cheng Yuan reached the lakeside, he saw a graceful woman standing on a large rock by the shore beneath the flying waterfall. She stood facing the wind, her sleeves fluttering, as if about to ascend into the heavens.
Cheng Yuan was momentarily stunned, feeling a rush of blood to his head, a warmth at the corners of his eyes, and his heart pounding uncontrollably.
He quickened his pace and, upon drawing closer for a better look, his racing heart gradually calmed.
Straightening his attire, he bowed deeply to the woman. "Greetings, Lady Liu."
To his surprise, Consort Liu curtsied in return. "May you be blessed, Master Cheng."
Cheng Yuan hurriedly returned the courtesy, saying, "My lady, you humble this old minister too much."
Consort Liu smiled gently. "Master Cheng is a loyal minister of two reigns. As a junior, it is only proper for me to show respect."
After several rounds of polite deference and gratitude, Cheng Yuan asked Consort Liu, "Has my lady come to Cifu Palace to pay respects to the Empress Dowager?"
"The Empress Dowager said she has been feeling weary from the autumn lately and is not fit to receive many visitors, so she has excused me from the customary greetings," Consort Liu replied with a hint of melancholy, then smiled at Cheng Yuan. "I came here specifically to wait for Master Cheng. There is something that puzzles me greatly, and I hope you can enlighten me."
Cheng Yuan invited her to speak freely. Consort Liu said, "Yesterday, at the Double Ninth banquet, I performed the 'Liangzhou' dance. The Emperor watched it at the time, but upon returning to his chambers, he advised me not to dance that piece again, saying... the Empress Dowager does not like it."
Cheng Yuan nodded. "Indeed, since the late Emperor's passing, this piece has vanished from the palace."
Consort Liu asked cautiously, "May I inquire about the reason?"
Cheng Yuan remained silent, deep in thought. Consort Liu removed a mutton-fat jade bracelet from her wrist and attempted to hand it to him. Cheng Yuan hastily took two steps back, bowing as he declined. "My lady, this is absolutely unacceptable. I am not a man who covets wealth or profit, and if the Empress Dowager were to learn of this gesture, I fear..."
Consort Liu understood and withdrew the bracelet, forcing a smile. "It was thoughtless of me. I nearly implicated you, Master Cheng."
Lowering his head, Cheng Yuan gazed at her delicate reflection in the water and sighed softly. Maintaining a humble and respectful demeanor, he spoke slowly. "In the late Emperor's palace, there was once a woman who understood music and excelled in song and dance. She was renowned as the beauty of the Immortal Music Academy and was called Chrysanthemum Head."
"Does the 'Liangzhou' dance have something to do with her?" Consort Liu asked.
Cheng Yuan nodded. "She performed many times at palace banquets. Her rendition of 'Liangzhou' was as graceful as a startled swan and as fluid as a swimming dragon. Her dance was so exquisite that no one could match it. Even after she left the palace, the late Emperor never forgot her."
In an instant, Consort Liu understood why the Empress Dowager despised the 'Liangzhou' dance. She curtsied to Cheng Yuan again. "Thank you for telling me, Master Cheng."
Cheng Yuan promptly returned the courtesy. "You are too kind, my lady."
After a moment of thought, Consort Liu asked further, "Why did this Chrysanthemum Head leave the palace back then? And where is she now?"
Cheng Yuan shook his head slightly, his expression inscrutable. "That, my lady, is better left unasked."
Consort Liu did not press further and thanked him once more. As she was about to take her leave, Cheng Yuan asked her to wait and added a warning. "Besides Chrysanthemum Head, there is another palace maid from the late Emperor's reign whose name must not be mentioned before the Empress Dowager."
"Oh, who is that?" Consort Liu lowered her head, seeking guidance.
Cheng Yuan slowly uttered three words: "Official Liu."
(To be continued)
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