The residence quickly buzzed with activity as servants rushed about spreading the news: the Taoist priest Shangguan Chen, whom the general had long awaited, had arrived, accompanied by the Second Imperial Prince, Zhao Ai. Ling Tao personally led his subordinates and household servants to greet them outside the southern gate. The women of the household were not required to appear, yet they all wore expressions of pleasant surprise when discussing these two distinguished guests.
From the idle chatter among the women, Fengxian learned that this Taoist priest was skilled in medicine and physiognomy, and was even said to possess the ability to foresee the future. He had once cured the chronic illness of the late emperor’s mother, earning him the deep trust of the imperial family. The current Empress Dowager also held him in particularly high regard, often consulting him for divination and guidance on important matters. Ling Tao had met Shangguan Chen many years ago, and Shangguan Chen had accurately predicted his official career up to the present day. Therefore, Ling Tao trusted him greatly and had repeatedly invited him. Only recently had Shangguan Chen agreed to visit again, and unexpectedly, he had brought along such an esteemed guest as the Second Prince.
Fengxian bid farewell to the women and prepared to return to her mother’s quarters. On her way back, she hid beneath the corridor of the front courtyard and witnessed her father welcoming the two distinguished guests inside. Bathed in golden sunlight, Zhao Ai strode forward with his head held high, a faint smile on his lips, his sleeves billowing as he walked along the main path flanked by rows of bowing household members. Shangguan Chen followed closely, carefully maintaining a distance two steps behind him, while Ling Tao guided them from the side, his head slightly lowered, occasionally explaining something. The smile he presented to Zhao Ai carried an unmistakable air of flattery—a humble demeanor Fengxian had never seen before, entirely different from the perpetually overbearing father she remembered. Zhao Ai did not respond, continuing forward without glancing sideways, only occasionally nodding slightly to indicate he was listening.
That day, Aunt Xu also went to the main residence to collect her monthly allowance. When she returned to the small courtyard, she brought with her a teenage maidservant, saying she had been sent by Lady Zhu Wu to serve Fengxian. The girl immediately stepped forward upon seeing Fengxian, curtsied with a cheerful smile, and greeted her: "Greetings, Second Miss, may you have boundless blessings. My name is Yanqiao. I can do laundry, sewing, and embroidery, and I can also prepare simple dishes. From now on, whatever Second Miss needs me to do, just say the word, and I will do my utmost to fulfill it."
Fengxian examined Yanqiao briefly but said nothing, agreeing to let her stay in the courtyard and instructing her to arrange her own living quarters.
Yanqiao acknowledged the order and left first. Aunt Xu, however, looked uneasy and waited until Yanqiao was gone before whispering to Fengxian: "Miss, when I went to the main residence today, a maidservant close to the general secretly told me that the general has already prepared to substitute you for Third Miss and betroth you to Yin Qi, the eldest grandson of the Prince of Yanping. The Prince of Yanping is the younger brother of the current Empress Dowager and enjoys great favor from the imperial family, with his descendants frequently receiving hereditary appointments. The general also had to repeatedly seek matchmakers to secure this marriage alliance. However, after the agreement was settled, he learned that Yin Qi suffers from hysteria—when his episodes occur, he becomes violent toward those around him, and it is said he has beaten maidservants and concubines to death. Upon learning this, the general felt some regret, but the marriage had already been arranged, and he dared not change it. Thus, he kept it secret within the household, still privately planning to have Third Miss marry over. Third Miss must have caught wind of this, which is why she fled..."
All of Fengxian’s doubts were now resolved, and she could not help but sneer: "No wonder Lady Zhu Wu has been so eager to please me and Mother. Unwarranted kindness always has an ulterior motive. I’ve been wondering what she could possibly want from me—turns out she wants me to take her place in marriage.""Yes," Aunt Xu sighed, "I wondered why she was so kind-hearted in urging the general to bring you back. Now it all makes sense. Sending Yanqiao today is likely to keep an eye on you, afraid you might run off after hearing the news... The general has invited Master Shangguan this time to have your and Yin Qi's birth charts matched and to observe your physiognomy, to see if you are compatible."
Fengxian scoffed, "Whether we're compatible or not, I'll still have to marry him. Why bother with this extra step?"
Aunt Xu said, "It's probably to predict how things will go after you marry. Perhaps the general has noticed your temperament isn't as gentle as the lady's, and he's somewhat concerned."
Fengxian thought for a moment, then asked, "Then why did Master Shangguan bring the second prince along?"
Aunt Xu replied, "I heard the second prince was sent by the Empress Dowager specifically to invite the master into the palace for some consultation. Since the master had already agreed to meet the general, he asked the second prince to come along, planning to head to the capital together after their discussion... The general was delighted to see the second prince and intends to ask the master to act as a matchmaker, hoping the second prince will choose one of the fourth or fifth young ladies as his wife."
Fengxian pondered, then asked again after a moment, "So, Father will have Master Shangguan and the second prince meet me and my sisters?"
Aunt Xu nodded, "That should be the case."
Soon after, someone from the main residence came to ask Fengxian to prepare for a tea gathering in the main residence's garden the next morning, where Master Shangguan would read her face.
The newly arrived maid Yanqiao eagerly began preparing Fengxian's attire for the next day, fetching clothes and jewelry one by one to display before Fengxian, asking which she would choose.
Fengxian remained expressionless, selecting a set of plain-colored clothing. Yanqiao then asked what hair ornaments she would use. Fengxian pretended to consider, then said, "I've heard that the imperial family nowadays dislikes extravagant things. If we use gold or jade ornaments, I'm afraid the second prince might think us extravagant and vulgar. I noticed early-blooming peonies in the main residence's garden—large, vibrant flowers. If worn in the hair, they would be both elegant and natural, perfect. Go quickly to the main residence and pick some for me."
Yanqiao happily agreed and was about to leave when Fengxian called her back, "Noble families in the capital, both men and women, love scented garments. Tomorrow, my clothes must not be without fragrance, or it would seem crude and impolite. First, go to the lady's room and borrow a censer and a scenting cage for me."
Yanqiao obeyed, first fetching the censer and scenting cage, then heading to the main residence to pick peonies. Once her figure disappeared, Fengxian took out the incense box she had brought from Pujiang. Inside were various fragrant herbs, but she only selected a piece of borneol. She lit charcoal, placed it in the censer, arranged the ash into a mound, added a silver leaf on top, and placed a small amount of borneol on the leaf. She poured boiling water into the copper basin beneath the censer to create steam for moistening the clothes, covered it with the scenting cage, draped the clothes she would wear the next day over it, and began scenting them.
The next morning after breakfast, Ling Tao invited Shangguan Chen and Zhao Ai to enjoy flowers and tea in the garden. After some conversation, he summoned his daughters into the garden to pay their respects to Shangguan Chen and Zhao Ai. He then had someone bring out famous teas from Fujian tea gardens and, pointing to the fourth and fifth young ladies, said to Shangguan Chen, "Although my two daughters are not particularly clever, they have emulated the young ladies of the capital by studying calligraphy, painting, tea preparation, and flower arranging. They have long admired your virtue, Master. Upon hearing of your impending visit, they hoped to offer you a cup of tea as a gesture of respect."Shangguan Chen expressed his great honor and said with a smile, "Since the Second Great King is the Emperor's legitimate son, the first cup of tea should be offered to him, to show that the general's household remembers the grace of heaven and serves His Majesty with sincerity."
Ling Tao repeatedly agreed, "That makes sense, that makes sense." He then signaled Fourth Miss to step forward and prepare the tea.
Fourth Miss lowered her head and approached, gracefully seating herself before the tea table. She waited for the water in the kettle to boil, then lifted it and poured it into the teapot. After the boiling subsided, she placed the tea powder—previously ground by a maid using a silver tea grinder—into a black-glazed Jian bowl with hare's fur markings. Holding the teapot in one hand, she poured a small amount of water into the bowl, while using a bamboo tea whisk in her other hand to mix the water and tea powder into a paste. She then continued to pour hot water and swiftly whisked the mixture to create a frothy white foam on the surface.
She often practiced tea preparation, and her movements were usually very skilled. However, today she wore a large peony in her hair and had perfumed her clothes with a floral scent, making her surroundings overwhelmingly fragrant. As she prepared the tea, a bee flew over and circled around her head. Startled yet mindful of her task, her movements became hesitant and frequently paused, sweat beading on her forehead. By the time she finished preparing the tea, both the mixing and whisking were inadequate. The foam on the surface quickly dissipated, revealing the water marks. In tea preparation, long-lasting foam is highly valued, and Fourth Miss’s performance clearly fell short. Ling Tao watched with a sinking expression, feeling deeply embarrassed.
Fourth Miss set down the tea whisk and lowered her head, staring at the bowl of tea before her, unsure whether to offer it to Zhao Ai. She remained silent. Seeing that tears were about to fall from her eyes, Zhao Ai signaled a nearby maid to bring the tea bowl to him. He lifted it, took a sip, and smiled slightly, saying, "Not bad."
Ling Tao hurriedly waved Fourth Miss away and ordered Fifth Miss to step forward and prepare the tea.
Fifth Miss also wore a peony in her hair, but while Fourth Miss had chosen a purple one, she had selected a pink one, which was equally fragrant. Perhaps because she was younger and preferred sweeter scents, the perfume she used was a blend of orange blossom and Hainan agarwood, which smelled particularly sweet. Like her sister, she attracted a bee, but this one not only circled the flower in her hair but also landed on her hand as she lifted the teapot to pour water.
Fifth Miss let out a startled cry, her hand loosening its grip. The teapot fell and collided with the Jian bowl, causing both to roll off the table and crash to the ground. Hot water splattered everywhere, leaving the tea table in disarray. Fifth Miss suffered several burns on her body and hands from the hot water and jumped up with a scream.
Ling Tao’s face turned ashen, and he couldn’t help but scold Fifth Miss directly, "Get out!"
Fifth Miss covered her face and left in tears.
Ling Tao apologized to the two distinguished guests and ordered the tea table to be cleaned. Just as he was unsure whether to continue the tea gathering, he noticed Zhao Ai glancing toward Fengxian, who was standing in a corner. With a smile, Zhao Ai asked him, "Is that also your daughter? Is she skilled at tea preparation as well?"
Ling Tao replied awkwardly, "She is my second daughter, indeed legitimate, but she was separated from the family at a young age and raised in a rural household. I’m afraid she doesn’t know how to prepare tea."
Upon hearing this, Fengxian stepped forward slowly and responded softly, yet clearly enough, "I know how to prepare tea."
Ling Tao looked at her in surprise. Fengxian slightly raised her head, met her father’s gaze, and revealed a confident smile.
She wore no flowers in her hair, only a few pearls as decoration. With her father’s silent permission, she gracefully walked over and sat behind the tea table. As she moved, a gentle breeze passed by, and Zhao Ai caught the crisp scent of borneol emanating from her.
(To be continued)
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