Volume 10 Manjushaka Flower
Zhenzhen leaned over and deftly untied the Crown Prince’s leather belt. With the might of a tiger, she stripped off his outer robe and tossed it to the floor. Then she stared at his white inner tunic. The thought that untying this layer would leave them truly bare to each other made her hesitate. The glance she cast toward his face was no longer as resolute and decisive as before, but tinged with uncertainty.
In this matter, she was clearly a novice putting on a brave front. The Crown Prince suppressed a laugh and pressed down on the hand she extended toward the sash of his inner tunic. He instructed her in a warm voice, “Whatever you do next, don’t use your hands.”
She drew her hand back. After a moment’s thought, she suddenly lowered her head toward his sash. Her forehead brushed inadvertently against his shoulder as her pearly teeth caught the tip of the sash. She then looked up, gradually pulling the knot loose. Her eyelashes, like a butterfly’s wings, fluttered upward, revealing a pair of clear eyes that looked at him questioningly, as if to ask, “Like this?”
His heartstrings, like that loosened knot, were quietly stirred. She was still staring with innocent eyes, unaware of the sinfulness of her inspired touch. He took a deep, secret breath, feigned composure, and smiled in affirmation. Delighted, she continued to undress him, keeping his lesson firmly in mind and never using her hands. She seemed to treat it as a game with clear rules, proceeding with such gusto that she even forgot her shyness. As he felt her breath brush over his skin again and again like goose down, he couldn't help but regret that his teaching had been too incisive and his words too concise, for she learned too quickly, putting his self-control to a severe test.
Ever so clever, she was quick to extrapolate, and began her next attempt following the same principle. Unable to bear it any longer, he flipped over, pinning her beneath him and bringing everything back under his control.
Secretly her sachet was untied, gently her silk sash was parted. Outside the window, a fine rain began to fall. He cupped her in his hands, and his kisses, like raindrops, poured down upon her.
On the crane-knee table, auspicious smoke drifted from the Boshan incense burner. Her starry eyes were half-closed, her thoughts scattering aimlessly with the wisps of smoke. She felt her body was like a mound of fluffy snow, which, caressed by the warm sun and gentle breeze that was his incarnation, gradually melted into a pool of spring water, spreading out softly and powerlessly in all directions.
At the final moment, he did not forget to politely ask in her ear, “May I?”
She closed her eyes. “Mm…” she murmured in reply. The moment he took this as his command and acted swiftly, a low cry escaped her, and she clutched his arms in alarm.
He paused for a moment, waiting for her to calm down before he began to ride the waves.
Because he had been sufficiently gentle and patient beforehand, the pain was not as severe as she had imagined. She tilted her head back, lightly biting her lower lip, feeling the ripples he stirred within her.
Her neck rested on a white Ding ware pillow with carved floral patterns. The Yuzan in her hair, which was about to come loose, was half-dangling. As a ripple passed through her, the Yuzan tapped lightly against the porcelain pillow, creating a single, ethereal chime. Outside, the wind and rain continued unabated. The rain falling on the jade steps sounded just like the chime of the jade pillow indoors, weaving a light and nimble rhythm that went from slow to urgent.
The drenched shadows of bamboo swayed, repeatedly brushing across the lattice window. Moist air seeped in, and the light and shadows in the room mingled with the misty heavens and earth. She gradually felt as if she were made of clouds and mist, her form dissolving as she floated amidst the flickering red candlelight. In a daze, a page from an old book drifted up from the depths of her memory—the Rhapsody of Gaotang, which she and her classmates had secretly passed around in their youth. Silently reciting its lines, only now did she grasp their true meaning: At dawn, to be the morning clouds; at dusk, to be the passing rain. Morning after morning, dusk after dusk, below the Sorceress’s Terrace.
When the wind ceased and the rain cleared outside the window, they too fell quiet. He let her lie in the crook of his arm. Once his breathing evened out, he turned his head to look at her. He saw that her lotus-like face was still flushed and her body was warm, covered in a thin layer of sweat. The Pearl Diadem on her brow showed signs of coming loose, and a layer of moisture clung to her eyelashes—he couldn't tell if it was tears or sweat. Finding the sight both pitiable and lovely, he couldn't help but lower his head and kiss her eyelashes. As he did, he smelled a pleasant scent of sweet orange. A brief search revealed that it was emanating from the Breath-Activated Adhesive of the Pearl Diadem.
The fragrance was as fresh as an orange, yet as sweet as honey. Warmed by her body heat, the scent grew stronger, like candy, tempting him to draw ever closer. He sniffed at her brow again and again, and finally couldn't resist kissing the Pearl Diadem. It fell off and stuck to his lips. With a purse of his lips, the diadem slipped into his mouth.
The Breath-Activated Adhesive was indeed sweet. He thought of the orange slices Zhenzhen had cut for him earlier. While letting the Pearl Diadem roll on the tip of his tongue, he gazed at Zhenzhen nestled in his arms, and a thousand threads of tenderness were drawn from his heart. When she looked up at him, he suggested softly, “Come back to my bedchamber with me?”
“No,” she refused him on the spot. “I still need to go over the menu for your birthday banquet. You’ve delayed me quite a bit tonight, I have to hurry back and finish it.”
He had to settle for second best. “Then I’ll go back with you. You can do your work, and I’ll keep you company?”
“You should go back to your bedchamber first. You definitely won’t behave yourself if you’re by my side,” she said, unmoved, pointing directly to the consequences. Fearing he would be displeased, she added placatingly, “If I finish drafting your menu for next month tomorrow night, I’ll allow you to come over.”
He asked with a smile, “Which is more important, me or your duties?”
“I am currently a Dian Shan,” she answered without hesitation. “Completing my duties is of course more important, especially when Qin Sishan is not here.”
Helpless, he had to give up his attempt to spend the rest of the night with her. Spitting out the Pearl Diadem and letting it fall beside the couch, he put on his inner tunic, pulled his cloak down from the rack, and covered Zhenzhen’s entire body with it. Then he raised his voice and ordered the two eunuchs who had been waiting outside the door to fetch warm water.
The two eunuchs had long since heard the commotion and knew what had happened inside. They answered loudly and immediately. Soon, each brought in a basin of water and prepared a face towel. They opened the door, entered, and presented the basins before the couch. They bowed to the Crown Prince with broad smiles, “Congratulations, Your Highness.”
The Crown Prince nodded with a smile. They then turned slightly toward Zhenzhen and bowed, “Congratulations, Lady Wu.”
The two had tacitly changed their form of address for Zhenzhen. Zhenzhen, for her part, did not shy away in embarrassment. She responded calmly, “Thank you. You will be rewarded tomorrow.”
Their faces lit up with joy. They thanked her repeatedly, then retreated to the door, not forgetting to close it after they left.
The Crown Prince praised Zhenzhen for her dignified manner. “I thought you would be shyly hiding behind me, wrapped in the cloak.”
Zhenzhen calmly draped her clothes on and rose. “If I were to act coy, it would only give them something to talk about. Who knows how they would animatedly describe my predicament to others tomorrow. It’s better to handle it with composure. In the future, I will reward them when they deserve it, and if they speak out of turn, I will punish them as they deserve.”
They then washed and dressed. Zhenzhen dressed herself first, then helped the Crown Prince fasten his leather belt and put on his Tang-style cap. As the Crown Prince turned, he noticed a few faint red bloodstains on the couch and couldn't help but give Zhenzhen a slight smile. Zhenzhen sensed the hidden meaning in his smile. She turned her head to look, and her face immediately burned. She quickly took a face towel and wiped the traces clean, then tossed the towel into the water. The Crown Prince laughingly pulled her into his arms, wrapped his arm around her waist, and gave her a light peck on the lips. Zhenzhen suddenly noticed that his lips were a little dark. When she took his hand, she found it was very cold. She immediately asked, “Your Highness, did you catch a chill?”
The Crown Prince shook his head. “It’s nothing. It’s probably just a bit cold, since it’s late.”
He took a few steps forward, but Zhenzhen saw that his steps were unsteady. She hurried to support him, asking him to sit down and rest first. With Zhenzhen’s help, he walked toward the couch, but before he could reach it, he felt the world spin and collapsed onto the small footstool in front of the couch.
He closed his eyes and frowned, his face ashen. He began to gasp for breath in pain. Greatly alarmed, Zhenzhen rubbed his back to soothe his breathing while calling for the eunuchs outside the door, telling them to summon the imperial physicians at once.
The two eunuchs rushed in at the sound of her voice. Seeing the Crown Prince’s condition, they too were terrified. One of them bolted to find the imperial physicians, while the other quickly came over to help Zhenzhen move the Crown Prince onto the couch.
Lying down, the Crown Prince tossed and turned, his body trembling in unbearable pain. A moment later, he propped himself up and leaned over the side of the couch, beginning to vomit. He vomited until there was nothing left. Not long after lying back down, his whole body was seized by convulsions, and he soon lapsed into a coma.
Tears streamed down Zhenzhen’s face as she held his hand, calling “Your Highness” again and again. After a moment, he managed to force his eyes open. Controlling his numb tongue as best he could, he said to Zhenzhen in a weak, slurred voice, “Go… find… Yang… Zicheng…”
Zhenzhen nodded frantically, but she had no mind to do as he asked, for she saw that his pupils were dilating.
A roar went through her mind, as if a solid fortress had suddenly collapsed. A faint sense of hopeless despair washed over her. She stopped crying and just stared blankly, clutching his hand tightly, as if trying to lock in every last wisp of his life force and prevent it from escaping. Yet she could still feel his body temperature dropping, moment by moment.
Her head began to ache, and the scene before her started to waver. Black spots of varying sizes appeared in her vision, like black foam rising to the surface from an abyss, appearing and bursting one by one.
People began to rush in—eunuchs, palace attendants, several imperial physicians… More and more people arrived, but to Zhenzhen, their arrival was just a silent, blurry picture. She could no longer tell who was who. Her whole body was trembling, her consciousness fading. In the end, she only felt someone pulling her away from the Crown Prince’s side, and then she plunged into boundless darkness.
Zhenzhen felt she was running in the dark of night. The Crown Prince, dressed in a white robe, walked ahead of her, his clothes fluttering. Though his pace was composed and unhurried, she couldn't catch up no matter how fast she ran. She wanted to call out to him, to ask him to wait, but her throat seemed to be locked by something. She opened her mouth but could not make a sound. She was utterly exhausted, too weak to even cry, and could only watch helplessly as he walked away, finally collapsing to the ground in exhaustion…
It seemed someone was helping her up, pouring a broth into her parched throat. She swallowed passively, mouthful by mouthful, and gradually regained consciousness.
She opened her eyes in a daze and found herself in an extremely unfamiliar environment—a small, cold, and damp room. The furniture was simple, but the room itself seemed to have been built recently.
“Big Sister is awake!”
She heard a cheerful cry. Turning her head, she saw that it was Xiangli’er who was helping her sit up. Dressed in a physician’s apprentice uniform, she was placing a medicine bowl on a small table.
Han Suwen, who was also in the room, came over at the sound. He carefully examined Zhenzhen’s complexion and said to Xiangli’er, “I told you she would be fine and wouldn’t be unconscious for long.”
Zhenzhen asked blankly, “Where is this?”
“On a small island in the middle of a lake in Gathering Scenery Garden,” said Xiangli’er. “Some of those old men in the Imperial Academy of Medicine are terrible. When they couldn’t find the cause of the Crown Prince’s illness, they pushed the blame onto you. The Emperor was about to send you to prison. Fortunately, Han Suwen had asked you to report those symptoms before. When Guo Siqi saw them, he asked Han Suwen if you might be pregnant. Han Suwen immediately said yes, that the symptoms were a perfect match. Guo Siqi then reported it to The Emperor, and only then did The Emperor have you sent here for confinement instead of prison for the time being.”
“His Highness… How is His Highness now?” Zhenzhen gradually remembered what had happened before she lost consciousness and immediately asked Xiangli’er.
Xiangli’er looked troubled and glanced at Han Suwen. Han Suwen stepped forward and said to Zhenzhen, “Today is the day of the Crown Prince’s Lesser Casket ceremony.”
The Lesser Casket ceremony was performed on the second day after a person’s death. It was for bathing and dressing the body.
Upon hearing this, Zhenzhen did not cry. She just stared blankly, and that feeling of being chilled to the bone and on the verge of collapse returned.
Xiangli’er quickly put her arms around her and comforted her gently, telling her to restrain her grief.
“Wu Zhenzhen, listen to me.” Han Suwen’s expression was uncharacteristically serious as he spoke to her earnestly. “The situation is very bad right now. The Crown Prince passed away suddenly, and the imperial physicians have examined the food records in detail but can’t find an obvious cause. Then someone suggested that it was because you gave the Crown Prince Sliced perch that day, which damaged his spleen and stomach, or perhaps the perch was not cleaned properly, leading to food poisoning. Others believe that the Crown Prince had just recovered from a major illness, yet you were intimate with him, so… no matter what, it looks like it’s your fault. Of course, I don’t think so. I’m very clear about the Crown Prince’s physical condition; these minor things wouldn’t have been fatal. I have collected all of the Crown Prince’s vomit and will study it carefully to find the true cause of death. Because we reported to The Emperor that you might be pregnant, he won’t punish you for now. But the Imperial Academy of Medicine will soon send other physicians to take your pulse, and we probably can’t hide it for long. However, I will argue my case, saying that since you attended to the Crown Prince yesterday, it’s possible you conceived then, and we should wait at least another month before a diagnosis. I’ll try my best to buy a month’s time, and then we’ll figure something out during that period…”
After speaking, Han Suwen sighed and added, “We could have asked the Second Great King for help, but because he encouraged the Crown Prince to eat the Sliced perch at the noon banquet, he has also been confined to his residence by The Emperor. There are rumors that he has always been on good terms with you, and that perhaps you plotted this with him. After all, by rank, he is next in line after the Crown Prince…”
Xiangli’er quickly shot him a glare to stop him from continuing. She said to Zhenzhen, “But we can still find Yin Ti, the Commandant of Proclaiming Righteousness… if more people put their heads together, we’ll find a way to save you.”
The two of them comforted Zhenzhen for a while longer, then Xiangli’er took her leave. “I gave some money to the palace attendant and eunuch guarding you, Big Sister, to let us talk with you for a while, but they said we can’t stay too long. We have to go back. Take care of yourself, Big Sister. You must try to look on the bright side and pull yourself together. For one, you can’t let the Crown Prince pass away so inexplicably—you must find out the truth someday. And for another… what if you really are carrying the Crown Prince’s child? So the most urgent thing now is to take care of your health and live on.”
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