Liu Luowei quietly entered the garden behind her bedchamber, winding through a cave in a rockery. She pressed several times on a concave Taihu stone in various directions, then gave it a push. The stone began to rotate, revealing a narrow, elongated tunnel behind it. Liu Luowei lit the candle she carried, entered the tunnel, closed the entrance, and proceeded forward, holding the candle aloft.
This tunnel led to the foothills on the other side of Phoenix Mountain, with its exit outside the palace walls, concealed by rocks and vines, making it exceptionally hidden. Liu Luowei explored her way to near the exit, already catching glimpses of the outside light. Yet, her heart was tied to the safety of her children and Madam Yu, and for a moment, she didn’t know where to go. She stopped and sat down, waiting in silence.
After waiting quietly for a long time without any sign of Madam Yu coming to find her, Liu Luowei grew increasingly uneasy. She peeked outside and noticed the sun setting, dusk thickening. Panic set in, and a sense of foreboding grew heavier. She pushed aside the vines and stepped out of the tunnel, intending to descend the mountain to hide.
Just as she patted the dust off her skirt and looked up, she saw a man standing by the cliff ahead, his back to her, gazing down at the misty valley. His sleeves fluttered in the evening breeze. Startled, Liu Luowei immediately turned to retreat into the tunnel. In her haste, she stumbled on a rock, swayed twice, and brushed against the vines, producing a rustling sound. The man turned at the noise, and their eyes met. He seemed unsurprised, calling out softly, "Sister."
Liu Luowei’s face lit up with joy. "Hong Ning!"
Lin Hong offered a faint smile, though it seemed forced.
Gradually sensing something amiss, Liu Luowei walked up to him and asked, "Why are you here?"
"I was waiting for you," Lin Hong replied. "Today, the Crown Prince took a consort, and I was among the guests. I heard a bit about what happened in the Eastern Palace. When I learned you had sent medicine there, I guessed you might appear here."
Liu Luowei tensed with alarm. "Why would you say that?"
Lin Hong’s gaze shifted to the hidden passage behind her. "This tunnel was dug on your orders when I renovated the garden for you. You said Furong Pavilion had many plants and was prone to fires, so having this tunnel would provide an extra escape route. The reason was flimsy, but I built it for you anyway. I never thought you’d actually use it... Sister, you truly have ignited a fire."
Liu Luowei asked anxiously, "What do you know?"
Lin Hong said, "Before Crown Prince Zhuang Wen was poisoned by mushrooms, Madam Yu once came to me asking for the blueprints of the Eastern Palace’s mountain spring water pipes. After the Crown Prince was poisoned, I had my doubts, but I told myself it might just be a coincidence and I shouldn’t overthink it. However, after the Crown Prince’s passing, while I was building your garden, I once discovered a few poisonous mushrooms growing in a spot after a rain. Digging up that area, I found several snake bones... Do you remember when we were children, we read a book that described a method of covering poisonous snakes with plant ash to cultivate toxic mushrooms. Why is this in your garden? Were you really researching this method? Are these snake bones remnants you failed to clean up after cultivating the mushrooms?"
"What snake bones? I don’t know..." Liu Luowei flatly denied, yet she turned her head away, avoiding Lin Hong’s gaze.
Lin Hong clearly had his own conclusions. He continued to look directly at her, his expression somber as he asked, "Why did you impersonate my cousin? Was it because this identity would make The Emperor let his guard down? Lady Qi?"Seeing him so resolute, Liu Luowei understood that he must have already learned the truth, and further concealment was useless. She remained silent, not uttering a word.
Lin Hong smiled bitterly. "All these years, it must have been hard, right? Hiding in the home of your enemy, all while concealing your hatred to care for his child."
"No, Hong Ning!" Liu Luowei raised her tear-filled eyes to look at him. "I've always treated you like my own younger brother... no, perhaps even closer than a brother... It's true that Mother only wanted to use your family's connections to help me enter the palace smoothly, but in my heart, you are my family. I never transferred the hatred between our fathers onto you."
Seeing that Lin Hong gave no response, she said sorrowfully, "The years I spent with you were the happiest of my life. Even though I often faced Mother's beatings and scoldings, as long as I saw you defending and comforting me, my heart was filled with joy, knowing that at least one person in this world truly cared for me... I didn't want to enter the palace, but Mother wept bitterly and pleaded with me, recounting over and over the tragic deaths of my grandfather and father and their final wishes. As their descendant, I truly had no way to escape the fate of avenging them... After learning I was selected, I cried every night. I wanted to stay in Wuyi Mountain, to be with you forever, but who made me carry the blood of the Qi family? Using my own life to repay my parents' upbringing—isn't that the natural duty of a child?"
Noticing a faint glimmer in Lin Hong's eyes, she wiped away her falling tears and continued, "On the day I left for Lin'an, when I saw you running after me, my heart felt as if it were being cut by a knife. Though I cruelly shook you off, I cried so hard on the boat afterward that I nearly lost my breath, feeling utterly hopeless. If Mother hadn't desperately stopped me, I would have jumped into the river to end my life..."
"Enough," Lin Hong interrupted her, turning his back to her and gazing toward the distant, hazy mountain range. "You should go. A Che is waiting for you halfway up the mountain. He will give you some valuables and arrange for you to leave the city. After today, we likely won't have another chance to meet. Take care."
"Come with me, please?" Liu Luowei suddenly seemed to glimpse a sliver of hope. She hurried to stand before Lin Hong, her eyes shining brightly as she gazed at him. "Let's leave together, leave Lin'an, return to Wuyi Mountain, or find some other place where no one can find us. Like before, we can stay together forever..."
Lin Hong silently lowered his gaze to meet hers, his eyes clear and cold, devoid of joy or sorrow.
"Please? Hong Ning, come with me..." Liu Luowei pleaded softly, tugging at Lin Hong's hand and shaking it gently, just as she used to when acting coquettishly with The Emperor. When she saw no reaction from him, she wrapped both arms around his waist, leaning against his chest, and murmured with lowered eyelids, "Now, you are the only person I can truly rely on..."
Lin Hong did not embrace her in return. Instead, she quickly sensed the stiffness in his body. As her gaze fell to his hanging hands, she suddenly noticed that above his wrists, a layer of goosebumps had appeared.
Liu Luowei looked at him in disbelief, then abruptly pulled up Lin Hong's sleeve, only to discover that his entire arm was covered in pronounced goosebumps.She was well aware of Lin Hong's fastidiousness—if an outsider touched him, he would feel disgusted, and his body would break out in goosebumps. But that was only toward outsiders. She and Lin Hong had grown up together, always intimate and close. When they were in Wuyi Mountain, they often walked hand in hand, and embraces were not uncommon. He had never reacted this way before.
Yet the goosebumps on his arm at this moment were unmistakable, stark and shocking.
"Hong Ning, do... do you despise me?" Liu Luowei looked up at Lin Hong in confusion, her heart filled with hope that he would deny it.
But he did not respond. Instead, he calmly withdrew his hand, freeing it from her grasp.
The light in her eyes dimmed instantly. She retreated several steps in a daze, fell silent for a moment, and then retrieved a jade bracelet from the silk pouch hanging at her waist.
"Do you remember this bracelet?" she asked Lin Hong with a smile.
Lin Hong looked at the bracelet she held up and nodded.
Of course he remembered. This was the bracelet he had spent countless days and nights meticulously crafting to compensate her. Later, she publicly announced in the Gathering Scenery Garden that she would give it to Zhenzhen, unknowingly delivering a heart-wrenching blow to Zhenzhen.
"You said this was the jade you painstakingly selected, carved, and polished over a long time, all to repay me..." Liu Luowei curled her lips in a mocking manner, her tone suddenly turning icy cold. "But you’ve long forgotten the size of my hand, haven’t you?"
Lin Hong stiffened and carefully observed her hand.
Liu Luowei sneered, "I can’t even wear this bracelet. But that Wu Zhenzhen—it fits her perfectly, neither too big nor too small... You must have held her hand many times, memorizing its size so well that you crafted the bracelet for me to match her measurements!"
Lin Hong was inwardly startled, completely unaware that the bracelet’s size was as Liu Luowei described. Recalling the days he spent pondering over the jade, it was precisely when Zhenzhen was in Wuyi Mountain. Zhenzhen had been learning culinary skills from him, and he had inevitably, intentionally or unintentionally, observed her hands countless times. He was indeed very familiar with the size of her palms and the thickness of her wrists. Perhaps, without realizing it, he had unconsciously crafted the bracelet to fit her measurements.
"Why don’t you explain or deny it? Don’t you know I was hoping you’d give me an explanation? Even if it was just to placate me..." Tears streamed down Liu Luowei’s face uncontrollably. "I knew this bracelet wasn’t made for me, but since you gave it to me, I carried it with me every day. Only now do I realize that this bracelet is merely evidence of your self-deception, and my feelings for you were nothing but a joke!"
"Take it and leave," Lin Hong finally spoke. "If you don’t want it, exchange it for some money. You’ll need resources to live on in the future..."
Liu Luowei thrust the bracelet directly in front of him, gritting her teeth as she said, "I don’t want it."
Lin Hong did not take it. Enraged, Liu Luowei flung the bracelet at him. Lin Hong neither caught it nor avoided it. The bracelet struck his body, fell to the ground, and collided with a rock. With a crisp sound, it shattered into pieces.
Liu Luowei let out a sigh of relief, gave Lin Hong a provocative smile, and then strode proudly toward the secret passage she had emerged from earlier.
"Luo Wei," Lin Hong called out to her from behind. "Don’t go back. Returning now is unpredictable—fortune or misfortune is unknown.""Whether it be fortune or misfortune, I am willing to bear it. Even if I must die, I will die by my children's side." Liu Luowei resolutely walked back the way she came. "They are my true family."
Upon returning to Furong Pavilion, Liu Luowei was quickly surrounded by palace eunuchs and confined to her bedchamber under house arrest. The subsequent disposition of her case awaited The Emperor's decree. Yet, for her, this was not the worst of it. When the tragic news of her son's death from poisoning arrived, the intense agony Liu Luowei felt nearly drove her mad.
"Why? I sent the antidote for Fourth Brother. Why did you not save him?" She angrily seized everyone she saw, demanding answers, but no one replied.
She raged, tore at things, smashed objects, and ran weeping with a heart-rending grief within the limited space. No one dared approach to console her. It was not until the hour of Hai (9-11 PM) that Liu Luowei, utterly exhausted from crying, leaned dazedly against the wall, half-asleep and half-awake. Suddenly, the tightly shut door opened. An elderly woman with silver hair appeared at the doorway, carrying a stewing pot. Behind her was Zhang Zhibei, who had escorted her.
"Taosheng," the old woman called out softly, her eyes misty with tears as she looked at her with a smile.
When Zhenzhen returned to the palace, she encountered Grandma Song still weeping by the roadside outside Hening Gate. She then brought Grandma Song into the palace, reported the events at Shi'an Garden to the Emperor, and recounted Grandma Song's story of searching for her granddaughter. The Emperor was deeply grieved by the death of the Fourth Prince. Although he abhorred Madam Yu's actions, he could not help but feel some pity for Liu Luowei. Upon hearing that the granddaughter Grandma Song had been searching for all these years was actually Liu Luowei, he sighed with even greater sorrow and agreed to let Grandma Song visit Liu Luowei at Furong Pavilion. Grandma Song requested to make a bowl of fish soup for her granddaughter. The Emperor granted permission and had Zhenzhen take her to the Bureau of Palace Provisions kitchen to prepare the fish soup before bringing it to Furong Pavilion.
Liu Luowei was in a daze and did not react.
Grandma Song ladled the fish soup into a bowl, tested its temperature, and then fed it spoonful by spoonful to Liu Luowei.
Liu Luowei, in a stupor and nearly insensible, began to stir as the spoonfuls of soup entered her mouth. Her dull eyes suddenly moved. Puzzled, she focused on tasting the soup, then looked up at Grandma Song, frowning warily. "Who are you?"
"I am your grandmother, Taosheng," Grandma Song said softly with a gentle smile.
"Grandmother... Nonsense! Get out!" Liu Luowei first seemed somewhat confused, then shouted angrily at Grandma Song.
"Does this fish soup taste familiar?" Grandma Song continued to gaze at her affectionately, speaking slowly. "When you were little, I often made fish soup for you. For others, the fish was sliced or shredded, but for you, it was always prepared with extra care—the fish was minced into a paste, meticulously picked through to ensure not a single bone remained... the bamboo shoots were sliced as fine as dragon's whiskers, the broth simmered until fragrant, not too salty, not too sour... Well, it tastes just like the bowl you're drinking now. Do you remember?"Yes, this was the taste that lingered in Liu Luowei's distant childhood memories. Though many years had passed, when the soup entered her mouth, that familiar sensation slowly rose from the depths of her memory, like a key gradually unlocking a long-sealed door. Fragmented scenes drifted from far to near, gradually floating into her heart: a kind old woman blowing on a spoonful of fish soup before bringing it to her lips... the old woman smiling as she watched her drink the soup, occasionally using her sleeve to wipe the remnants from the corner of her mouth... she giggled while drinking the soup, accidentally choked, and the old woman hurriedly set down the bowl, reaching out to pat her back and soothe her...
"Who are you?" Liu Luowei asked again, her tone much softer, sounding like a sincere inquiry.
"I am Song Wuniang, and you are my granddaughter, Taosheng." Grandma Song gently guided her to recall the past. "You loved peach blossoms very much. Whenever someone gave you one, you would smile happily. Later, your mother personally sewed you a small quilt embroidered with many peach blossoms. You insisted on covering yourself with that quilt every day to sleep, especially loving its scent. Each time you slept, you would hold a corner of the peach blossom quilt in your left hand, bring it to your nose to smell, then suck your right index and middle fingers to fall asleep..."
As she spoke, Grandma Song took Liu Luowei's right hand and examined it, saying, "Look, these two fingers on your right hand are slightly thinner than those on your left. You must have broken the habit of sucking your fingers quite late, right?"
Tears welled in Liu Luowei's eyes as she murmured, "At five years old. I didn't stop until I was five."
Grandma Song smiled and asked, "What about the peach blossom quilt? The day Chunrong took you away, that little quilt disappeared too. It must still be with you, right?"
Liu Luowei still answered instinctively, "It stayed with me for over ten years, until it was worn beyond repair."
Grandma Song wiped the corners of her eyes with her sleeve. "If your mother were still here, she could have made you another peach blossom quilt, but..."
Liu Luowei stared blankly at Grandma Song for a long time, then turned to look at Zhang Zhibei behind her and asked, "What exactly is going on?"
Zhang Zhibei stepped forward and recounted the old story Madam Yu had mentioned on her deathbed. Combining it with Zhenzhen's earlier explanation, he told Liu Luowei the truth about her origins.
Liu Luowei remained silent in a daze for a long time before suddenly clutching her head and letting out a piercing scream.
Grandma Song, tears streaming down her face, embraced her, patting her gently like comforting a baby. "It's all right now, it's all in the past. Grandma and Taosheng are reunited..."
Liu Luowei nestled against her and began to sob. Grandma Song, still crying, tried her best to offer an encouraging smile. "Don't be afraid, Taosheng. From now on, Grandma will visit you every day. Tell me what you want to eat, and I'll make it for you. Stir-fried noodles, crisp seal pastry, five-spice cake, and boiled sand dumplings—you loved them all. Do you remember?"
Liu Luowei didn't answer, crying heart-wrenchingly in her embrace.
Grandmother and granddaughter held each other and wept. After an hour, they finally separated at Zhang Zhibei's urging. When Zhang Zhibei prepared to take Grandma Song away, Liu Luowei stood up to follow her. Zhang Zhibei asked her to stay, but Liu Luowei pleaded tearfully, "Chief Zhang, I want to see my grandmother off."
Seeing her pitiful state, Zhang Zhibei agreed to let her escort her grandmother to the Terrace outside the sleeping quarters.
As Grandma Song was about to descend the steps to leave, Liu Luowei took a few steps forward and called out to her, smiling as she said, "Grandma, I also have a daughter named Ruying..."Zhang Zhibei replied, "The princess is resting in the Empress's chambers tonight, so please rest assured, my lady."
Liu Luowei nodded and continued to Grandma Song, "Grandma, please visit Ruying more often in the future. She also loves those pastries."
Grandma Song agreed repeatedly, adding that the evening wind was sharp and urging Liu Luowei to return to her room early to avoid catching a chill.
Liu Luowei agreed but did not turn back. Instead, she watched Grandma Song until her figure completely disappeared from sight. Only then did she lift her head sorrowfully, blinking toward the cold, sickle-shaped moon hanging in the sky. Suddenly, she turned and rushed to the edge of the Terrace, climbed over the railing, and leaped down.
In the cold moonlight, clad in white, she resembled a gray moth, spreading its wings as it spiraled down and fell beside the hot spring pool where she once bathed and groomed herself. The blood that splattered out was a deep hue in the night, swirling like black ink in the warm spring water, forming dark silk-like patterns.
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