After consuming the Filial Pheasant, Lady Zhu Wu showed no adverse effects. Ling Tao also invited a local renowned physician to examine the remaining broth of the Filial Pheasant, and the conclusion was that it was non-toxic and safe for postpartum women to consume. Ling Tao thus believed that Lady Xue Jiu's hemorrhage was unrelated to the Filial Pheasant. Lady Zhu Wu suggested a thorough investigation into the details of Lady Xue Jiu's daily activities. Soon after, a servant woman reported that she had seen Amei supporting Lady Xue Jiu out of her bedroom for a stroll in the small courtyard at noon that day. Lady Zhu Wu exclaimed in shock, "Lady Jiu is still in her confinement period and must not leave her room under any circumstances. The weather is so cold now, yet a servant dared to encourage her to go out and expose herself to the wind—no wonder this happened!"
Ling Tao immediately interrogated Amei, who tearfully admitted that Lady Jiu, having been confined to her room for many days, felt restless and repeatedly begged her, so she helped Lady Jiu out to the courtyard. She defended herself, saying, "But before we went out, I made sure Lady Jiu wore a thick cloak, wrapped up tightly from head to toe. It was at noon when the sun was at its peak, and there was no wind. We were outside for less than half an incense stick's time before returning to the room. Lady Jiu showed no discomfort at all—it was truly after eating the Filial Pheasant that she began to hemorrhage."
Lady Zhu Wu sneered, "The renowned physician invited by the general has already concluded that the Filial Pheasant is non-toxic. You wretched servant, it was clearly you who instigated Lady Jiu to go outside, causing her to fall ill from the cold. To cover up your crime, you shifted the blame onto Second Miss. Your heart is truly wicked." She then advised Ling Tao, "This maid is cunning and deceitful. Keeping her by Lady Jiu's side will only mislead her and easily stir up trouble, disrupting the peace of the household. It seems she cannot stay any longer."
Ling Tao agreed wholeheartedly. He ordered Amei to be severely whipped and, disregarding Lady Xue Jiu's pleas, quickly sold off this long-serving personal maid.
After Amei was sold, Lady Xue Jiu spent her days in tears. Whenever she saw Ling Tao, she would weep with resentment. Ling Tao grew increasingly agitated and gradually stopped visiting her.
Lady Zhu Wu, in much better spirits, began to show even more goodwill toward Madam Yuan and her daughter. She frequently brought gifts, chatted with Madam Yuan, and would take Fengxian's hand to exchange pleasantries whenever she saw her. From her appearance and temperament to her culinary skills and needlework, she praised Fengxian as if she were unparalleled in heaven and on earth.
However, after the previous incident, Fengxian became more cautious. She no longer allowed her mother to consume any food brought by outsiders and personally went out to purchase all ingredients and medicinal herbs for Madam Yuan. Fortunately, they did not reside in the main Ling family mansion, and there were few overseers, making her daily outings relatively convenient.
One day, Fengxian went to a medical clinic to buy some medicinal herbs for her mother. As soon as she stepped out, she heard someone calling "Miss Ling" from not far to her side. Turning her head, she saw Zhao Huaiyu standing under a willow tree—someone she had not seen for many days.
Fengxian was taken aback for a moment, then approached and greeted him with a bow, asking why he was here. Zhao Huaiyu replied, "I am on my way to the capital for the imperial examination. Passing through Jingnan, I thought of you and made some inquiries. Learning that you are temporarily residing here, I strolled over, never expecting to have the fortune of meeting you again."
Pujiang was not far from Lin'an, but Jingnan lay to the west of both Pujiang and Lin'an, nearly two thousand li away. How could one pass through Jingnan on the way from Pujiang to Lin'an? Fengxian asked in astonishment, "Young Master, traveling from Pujiang here and then to Lin'an—a journey of thousands of li—would surely take one or two months. Wouldn't that delay your studies and the examination?"
Zhao Huaiyu shook his head slightly. "Success in the examination depends on ten years of diligent study, not on this month or two."
"So..." Fengxian hesitated, "Young Master, is this trip specifically to visit Jingnan?"Zhao Huaiyu gave an "mm" of acknowledgment, hesitating for a long while before finally saying, "I also came to see you, miss... Although you have returned to your birth parents' home, having not seen them for many years, I don't know how they will treat you. After much thought, I simply couldn't rest easy, so..."
At this point, Zhao Huaiyu flushed crimson to the tips of his ears, lowering his gaze and not daring to look at Fengxian.
Fengxian also felt quite awkward. Glancing around, she softly asked Zhao Huaiyu to follow her to a more private place to talk. Understanding her meaning, Zhao Huaiyu kept a distance of over two zhang behind her as they arrived at a secluded small teahouse, where they sat facing each other to continue their conversation.
Zhao Huaiyu was very concerned about Fengxian's current situation. Fengxian briefly described her family circumstances and also mentioned the matter of the Filial Pheasant. Zhao Huaiyu immediately inquired in detail about the other foods Lady Xue Jiu had consumed that day. Fengxian then told him what Amei had said about the sesame, walnut, donkey-hide gelatin, and mushrooms. Zhao Huaiyu nodded, "That explains it..."
He then told Fengxian that the Filial Pheasant was not unique to Sichuan; there were also some in Fujian Circuit. Two years ago, he had gone to Mount Wuyi to visit his good friend Mr. Wenqiao. A local hunter had brought a Filial Pheasant to the Woodcutter Inquiry Post to sell, also speaking of its miraculous qualities, asking if they wanted to taste this rare delicacy, but they had both declined in unison.
"We both refused at the same time, then looked at each other and smiled, feeling even more that we were kindred spirits," Zhao Huaiyu recalled the scene, still wearing a faint smile.
Fengxian nodded and said, "You are both benevolent gentlemen and would certainly not be willing to satisfy your appetites with such a precious bird."
Zhao Huaiyu said, "We both believed that the Filial Pheasant, born to feed its parents in return, is like a filial son. How could we bear to harm it? Although Mr. Wenqiao clearly refused to cook and eat the Filial Pheasant, he later still paid the hunter to buy it and released it deep in the mountains. That night, as we roasted taro and talked by the fire, he mentioned the Filial Pheasant and spoke of a dietary taboo known among the people of Fujian: the Filial Pheasant must not be eaten together with walnuts, wood ear fungus, or other mushrooms, as doing so will cause bloody stools."
Upon hearing this, Fengxian fell into thought. Learning this point, many things she hadn't understood before immediately became clear. Without lingering on her reflections, she looked up at Zhao Huaiyu again and requested, "Could you help me buy some medical books, Young Master Zhao?"
Zhao Huaiyu asked what kind of medical books she wanted. Fengxian said, "I don't know the specific titles. Young Master Zhao is knowledgeable and learned; I hope you can help me choose. Books that record the properties of various foods and medicinal herbs, explaining which dietary combinations are beneficial and which are harmful will do."
Zhao Huaiyu agreed and arranged to meet her there again in two days.
Two days later, Zhao Huaiyu came as promised, bringing over ten medical books: "I searched the entire city and found these books that are still worth reading. Please look at them for now, miss. I will continue to keep an eye out in the future; if I find more good ones, I will give them to you next time."
Fengxian thanked him and asked how much he had spent, taking out her saved silver to pay Zhao Huaiyu. Zhao Huaiyu hurriedly declined: "The books are a gift to you, miss. That you are willing to read them is already a great honor to me. If you have savings, please use them to fulfill your filial duties toward your mother. There's no need to give them to me."
Fengxian insisted on pushing the silver toward him: "If you are willing to accept it, young master, it would be an act of kindness and virtue, helping my mother and me by purchasing books on our behalf. If you do not accept it, if outsiders were to find out, they would say we engaged in improper private dealings. I imagine you would not wish to see our reputations damaged."Zhao Huaiyu, seeing she had spoken so earnestly, finally accepted the money for the books. Observing how deeply Fengxian understood propriety and righteousness, his admiration for her grew even stronger, and he could not help but reveal his affection. He asked Fengxian whether Ling Tao had already betrothed her to someone. Fengxian’s face flushed, and she shook her head.
Zhao Huaiyu immediately felt relieved and said solemnly, “The spring imperial examination is approaching, and I will spare no effort. If I succeed on the golden list, and if you are willing, I will prepare all the proper formalities and send a matchmaker to propose to you.”
Fengxian lowered her head slightly and, after a long pause, said softly, “A matter of lifelong importance must naturally be decided by my parents.”
Zhao Huaiyu took this as her consent and was overjoyed. Fengxian felt her face burning and dared not stay any longer, so she immediately took her leave. Zhao Huaiyu escorted her to a spot about a hundred paces from her home and only stopped when Fengxian repeatedly insisted, bowing deeply to bid her farewell. Fengxian also curtsied in return and said, “I wish you success in the imperial examination, Young Master Zhao.”
At her mother’s request, Fengxian began visiting the main residence daily to pay respects to her father. By the time spring arrived with blooming flowers, Ling Tao’s mood seemed to improve along with the weather, and he became quite kind to Fengxian, often inviting her to stay in the residence to chat and play with her other sisters.
The eldest daughter of the Ling residence was born of a concubine and had already married. The third, fourth, and fifth daughters were all born to Lady Zhu Wu. Third Miss remained missing without any news. Fourth Miss was sixteen, and Fifth Miss was fifteen. At Lady Zhu Wu’s request, they spent the most time with Fengxian. The sixth, seventh, and eighth daughters were born to different concubines, still young and not particularly close to Fengxian.
One morning, after paying respects to her father, Fengxian accepted Lady Zhu Wu’s invitation to join her sisters in admiring flowers in the rear garden of the main residence. Peach blossoms, plum blossoms, crabapple flowers, and even a few clusters of peonies vying for spring’s attention were in full bloom, filling the garden with vibrant colors and the exuberance of spring. Several of her sisters playfully suggested picking flowers for a flower competition, and they gathered various blooms from the garden. Finally, Fourth Miss pointed to an apricot blossom branch extending over the wall into the garden and said, “We’re only missing apricot blossoms. Our garden doesn’t have any. Who will go and cut a few branches from the top of the wall?”
At that moment, only women were present in the garden. They looked at the rather high branch, and their eyes gradually settled on Fengxian. Finally, Fifth Miss smiled and said, “Second Sister, you are the tallest among us. Could you help us cut some apricot blossoms?”
Fengxian did not refuse. She walked to the apricot blossom branch, silently gauged its height, turned back, and said, “I can’t reach it either. Bring me the gardener’s flower ladder.”
Fourth Miss instructed her maid to fetch the flower ladder. Two maids brought the ladder and placed it against the wall, then handed Fengxian the flower shears before quickly retreating, as if afraid Fengxian would ask them to climb up and pick the flowers.
Only then did Fengxian realize how improper it was for the women of the main residence to climb the wall to pick flowers—something even the maids disdained. She glanced back at her sisters and saw that some were snickering while others watched coldly, clearly ready to enjoy the spectacle.
Though displeased, Fengxian had the shears in hand and, for the moment, did not dwell on it. She climbed the flower ladder and began cutting the apricot blossom branches. After cutting them, she handed them to the maids who came forward to receive them. Her sisters cheered excitedly, clamoring, “I want some too! Second Sister, cut a few more for me!”Fengxian quickly finished trimming the flowering branches along the wall, but the girls were still unsatisfied and urged her to continue. She then turned her attention to the apricot blossoms outside the wall, where a profusion of red and white flowers bloomed along the path, numbering about a hundred trees. However, the branches laden with blossoms and buds were all quite distant from the wall, clearly out of reach. Fengxian wore a troubled expression, still contemplating whether to give up and descend the flower ladder, when suddenly she heard the sound of hoofbeats outside the wall. Following the sound, she looked out and, through the sea of apricot blossoms that resembled a veil of rosy clouds and drifting mist, saw a young man in white riding a glossy chestnut horse, leisurely guiding it forward.
He wore a soft black gauze Tang-style headscarf, his white robes as pure as snow, with crimson hems tinged with a hint of purple, much like the calyxes of the apricot blossoms. Moving through this fragrant sea of blossoms, he resembled an immortal.
Upon reaching the wall, he looked up toward the sun behind Fengxian, reining in his horse. His gaze, half-lidded, swept over the flower shears in her hand before he offered her a leisurely smile, extending his right hand to signal for her to pass him the shears.
As if enchanted, Fengxian silently stared at him, unable to speak, and simply followed his gesture, handing him the shears.
Gripping the shears, he guided his horse with the reins, strolling casually to a nearby flowering tree. Occasionally raising his hand, he effortlessly and leisurely trimmed many apricot branches in no time. Then, returning to the wall where Fengxian stood, he handed her the branches, returned the shears, and gestured toward his tall, stately horse, laughing, "How does my Cloud-Stepping Ladder compare to your flower ladder?"
Fengxian did not answer, blushing as she accepted the branches and softly said, "Thank you, young master."
The young man nodded slightly, smiling without a word, and guided his horse backward. Sunlight brushed his handsome, untroubled face, making him seem to radiate a luminous glow, shining brightly against the gloom of Fengxian’s mood that day. Dazedly, Fengxian thought, even the legendary Dong Jun could be no more than this.
Fengxian stood on the flower ladder for a long time, watching him gradually fade into the distance. She longed to know who he was but dared not ask. Just then, a white-haired, ethereal-looking Taoist priest riding a donkey approached from the south, drawing near the young man. Spreading his arms to point southward, he laughed heartily and said, "Second Great King, this way, please. Jingnan Prefecture awaits at the southern main gate. Please follow me."
(To be continued)
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