Zhenzhen accompanied Feng Jing back to the Bureau of Palace Provisions via the Brocade Rouge Corridor. The Brocade Rouge Corridor was a long gallery spanning one hundred and eighty bays, with removable wooden lattice windows on both sides painted in rouge. Palace attendants could adjust the windows according to the changing seasons to regulate the temperature. The northern end of the Brocade Rouge Corridor led to the Rear Garden, flanked by the courtyards of imperial consorts and the Six Bureaus, with a plum grove in between. The southern end extended toward the grand halls of the outer court and the Eastern Palace.
Along the way, Zhenzhen repeatedly urged Feng Jing to consider accepting The Emperor’s assignment to participate in the design of the Gathering Scenery Garden. Feng Jing remained silent, her gaze fixed ahead as she walked slowly, refusing to agree. Unable to hold back, Zhenzhen said, “You studied mathematics, architectural drawing, and civil engineering for so many years—not for the Crown Prince. Now that you have the chance to apply your skills, why give up the opportunity to showcase your talent just because of momentary pride?”
Feng Jing finally turned to look at her. “How much do you know about my past with the Eastern Palace?”
Seeing the slight frown between her brows, Zhenzhen suddenly felt that mentioning the Crown Prince had been inappropriate and awkwardly replied, “Not much. I only heard that you two met previously in the Gathering Fragrance Garden or something like that…”
Feng Jing continued walking, her eyelashes lowered, lost in troubled thoughts. Zhenzhen dared not say more and simply accompanied her step by step along the Brocade Rouge Corridor.
Both preoccupied with their own thoughts, they inadvertently missed the exit leading to the Bureau of Palace Provisions and continued walking slowly toward the southern end. Suddenly, a senior eunuch strode toward them, blocking their path.
Looking up, they recognized the man as Wang Muze, one of the most powerful eunuchs in the palace. His current official titles were Deputy Chief of the Inner Palace Service, Supervisor of the Eastern Palace, and Administrator of the Left and Right Spring Offices.
The two stepped aside under the corridor and bowed slightly to let Wang Muze pass. Instead of moving on, he stopped and looked at Feng Jing, addressing her in a tone that was superficially polite but laced with sarcasm: “Director Feng, please stop. Ahead lies the Eastern Palace.”
He clearly knew about the hidden history between the Crown Prince and Feng Jing, and his words were deliberately cold. Though both women were present, he singled out Feng Jing, making even Zhenzhen feel the sting, let alone Feng Jing herself.
Feng Jing lowered her head without a word, her face pale and unresponsive. Feeling indignant on her behalf, Zhenzhen stepped forward and met Wang Muze’s gaze directly. “Supervisor Wang, the Brocade Rouge Corridor leads east to the Eastern Palace and west to the outer court. Since His Majesty is currently in the Chuigong Hall, why do you bring up the Eastern Palace without cause?”
Wang Muze studied Zhenzhen carefully, gave a slight smile, and cupped his hands toward her without another word before turning to continue toward the Rear Garden.
After he had walked away, Feng Jing sighed and said, “We haven’t been summoned by His Majesty. How could you use His Majesty to counter him?”
“He used the Eastern Palace to mock you. Only by mentioning His Majesty could I instantly deflate his arrogance.” Zhenzhen smiled at Feng Jing. “Don’t worry. I only said His Majesty is currently in the Chuigong Hall—I didn’t claim we were going to see him. Even if Wang Muze wants to pursue it, he can’t accuse me of lying.”
Feng Jing offered a faint smile and said softly, “Thank you for helping me out of trouble several times.”
“It’s nothing, just a small effort.” Zhenzhen laughed, taking Feng Jing’s hand as they turned back. She continued persuading her, “Think of the past as a dream—once it’s over, let it go. We must always look forward. If you do well on the task His Majesty has assigned you, who in the palace would dare look down on you in the future? That way, unpleasant incidents like today’s won’t happen again.”Seeing Feng Jing still silent, Zhenzhen continued, "You haven't let go of the past, have you? If you had, your joys and sorrows would have nothing to do with him, and you wouldn’t avoid everything related to the Crown Prince, even to the point of abandoning the skills you’ve cultivated for years."
"Letting go is easier said than done." Feng Jing stopped and stood on the western side of the corridor. Her gaze drifted aimlessly, settling on the thousands of plum trees outside the corridor, their leaves beginning to fall. She began to recount the past: "I know it’s widely rumored in the palace that the Crown Prince and I first met in the Gathering Fragrance Garden, and that he took a liking to me because of my poetry, leading to our close association... But that’s not true. When it comes to poetry, who in the palace could surpass the Crown Prince? My meager skills were only enough to amuse him briefly..."
"Was it mathematics that caught his attention, then?" Zhenzhen guessed.
Feng Jing nodded and continued her story: "My elder brother, Feng Jun, is an assistant in the Directorate of Palace Buildings. The Directorate oversees the construction of city walls, palaces, bridges, streets, boats, and carriages. Since childhood, I’ve loved mathematics, and seeing my brother immerse himself in studying architectural methods and techniques, I learned alongside him. I even followed him in learning boundary painting for buildings and gardens. Over the years, I’ve gained a modest understanding. Later, when my brother was tasked with supervising the renovation of the Gathering Fragrance Garden by the Palace Maintenance Office, I was inspired to design a winding water pavilion for the garden and drew up the plans. My brother showed them to the officials in the Palace Maintenance Office, who thought they were good, and they actually built a winding water pavilion based on my design. Last year, on the Shangsi Festival, my brother said he would take me into the garden to see the pavilion I designed, so I went with him. To avoid drawing attention, my brother found me palace attendant’s clothing and told me that if anyone asked, I should say I was an attendant stationed in the garden to manage its internal affairs..."
Hidden in the dappled light filtering through the Brocade Rouge Corridor’s window lattice, her eyes flickered with the shifting sunlight as she reminisced, a faint, bittersweet smile touching her lips.
That day, the weather was mild and sunny, with countless flowers blooming in the Gathering Fragrance Garden, their fragrances lingering in the air. However, as the renovations were not yet complete, no members of the imperial family or nobility had come to enjoy the spring scenery. Feng Jing wandered quietly for a long time when she suddenly heard a faint commotion in the garden. Many eunuchs and palace attendants hurried toward the main gate, including her brother. Moments later, they escorted a young man dressed in a blue robe and a soft-footed turban into the garden, introducing him to each scenic spot and respectfully asking him to bestow names and inscribe plaques.
From the way the people in the garden addressed him, she deduced that this was Crown Prince Zhao Xi. Feng Jing quietly approached, blending into the crowd unnoticed in her palace attendant’s attire, silently observing his every word and action.
He wielded his brush with ease, and beautiful phrases flowed from his brushstrokes: Leaning on Elegance, Catching Dew, Emerald Cliffs, Jade Buds, Gazing at the River, Pure Splendor... She remembered his exquisite calligraphy but could not recall which phrases corresponded to which scenes. Looking back on that day, she felt there were only two beautiful sights in the garden: one was his focused gaze, and the other was his smile.
After the plaques were inscribed, the supervising official of the Palace Maintenance Office invited Zhao Xi to take the seat of honor in the winding water pavilion and enjoy some wine. Zhao Xi said, "The joy of one is not as great as the joy of many. Since it’s the Shangsi Festival and we’re seated in the winding water pavilion, why don’t we all join in the drinking game and share the pleasure of the winding stream?"At his invitation, several officials with court ranks, palace attendants, and female officials gradually gathered and sat around three sides of the winding water stone channel in the pavilion. The stone channel was carved from a single slab of stone measuring fifteen feet square and twelve inches thick. The water channel carved into its center twisted and turned, resembling the character for "wind," and was named the "floating cup channel." Both ends of the floating cup channel were located on the western side of the stone slab. Water flowed in from one end, passed through the winding and twisting waterway, and then flowed out from the other end. A sluice gate was installed above the entrance end to control the water level. During the drinking game, the host would fill a lacquered cup with wine and set it adrift on the water. Wherever the cup stopped along the floating cup channel, the person seated on that side would drink and follow the rules of the game.
After everyone was seated, Zhao Xi noticed that one seat remained empty. He looked around and finally, his gaze swept past several people and settled on Feng Jing. With a gentle smile, he said to her warmly, "That palace attendant beneath the pear blossom tree, would you honor us by joining our drinking game?"
Upon hearing this, Feng Jing looked up and realized she had unknowingly wandered beneath a pear blossom tree.
As orioles sang in the tree, her heart fluttered like a startled deer. She lowered her head and curtsied to him, expressing her gratitude while secretly hoping the swaying flower shadows would hide the blush rising to her cheeks.
On this day, the Crown Prince had set the rule that when the cup stopped, the guest would first drink a cup, and then either compose a poem or a lyric, inviting another guest to respond in kind, or pose a riddle for others to guess, or tell a historical anecdote and ask someone to identify its source. If the guest answered correctly, the rule-setter would be penalized with three cups of wine; if the guest failed to answer, they would drink three cups themselves. Alternatively, the guest could showcase a skill to avoid the three-cup penalty.
As luck would have it, the lacquered cup on the water stopped three times in a row at the bend in the channel before Zhao Xi. Each time, he followed the rules by drinking a cup himself and then composing a poem or posing a question for others to answer. He effortlessly drew upon poetry and historical anecdotes, and most of those he called upon to respond were unable to answer, often ending up drinking three cups as a penalty. When the host released the floating cup again, it once again stopped before Zhao Xi, leaving everyone somewhat awkward and exchanging glances. The Director of the Palace Maintenance Office immediately stood up, bowed to Zhao Xi, and said, "Your Highness's presence has illuminated the entire garden. It must be that the flower spirits here, captivated by Your Highness's grace, could not restrain their admiration, thus repeatedly causing the floating cup to stop before your seat, as if to say that even a thousand cups of tribute would be insufficient."
The guests at the table all chimed in, showering the Crown Prince with flattery. Zhao Xi smiled but said nothing, and did not take the cup of wine.
Unable to bear it any longer, Feng Jing stood up, bowed to Zhao Xi, and spoke the truth: "Your Highness, if the floating cup repeatedly stops at a certain bend in the water channel, it may be because the width, depth, or curvature of that section does not conform to the standard specifications. This section of the channel should be one foot wide and nine inches deep, but by visual estimation, the curvature is excessive while the width is insufficient. Perhaps we could have the garden craftsmen measure it to verify whether there was any deviation during the carving process."
Zhao Xi then ordered the craftsmen to take measurements. Upon comparing the results with the blueprint, it was indeed found that there were significant deviations in both the curvature and width. He praised Feng Jing, saying, "You have remarkable insight. As a young lady of the inner chambers, how is it that you are so familiar with the dimensions of the floating cup channel?"
Feng Jing thought to herself, I drew this blueprint myself—of course I know. However, she replied modestly, "This humble servant has seen some construction standards in several gardens, so I have a rough understanding."
Zhao Xi then asked whether the channel could still be used today without immediate repairs. Feng Jing suggested adjusting the water level by operating the sluice gate and trying a smaller cup. The host ordered this to be done as instructed, and upon testing, the floating cup indeed passed through the bend.The drinking game continued. In the next round, the floating cup, as if guided by divine aid under Zhao Xi's gaze, drifted to a stop before Feng Jing. Feng Jing stood up, drank the cup of wine, and after a moment, curtsied to Zhao Xi and said, "I dare to ask Your Highness to answer a question."
Zhao Xi smiled, calmly raising his hand with his palm upward, inviting her to speak.
Feng Jing gestured to a plate of cherries before her and said, "If these cherries are counted in threes, two remain; if counted in fives, three remain; and if counted in sevens, two remain. How many cherries are there at minimum?"
Zhao Xi pondered briefly, then replied with a smile, "Twenty-three."
Feng Jing nodded approvingly but pressed further, "If the remainders for counting in threes and fives are as above, but when counted in sevens, four remain, what is the minimum number then?"
This time, Zhao Xi thought for a long while but could not reach a conclusion. He glanced around at the others, seeing them either deep in thought or whispering among themselves, with no one able to solve it immediately. Zhao Xi then smiled broadly and said to Feng Jing, "You win this round."
Instead of accepting the penalty wine poured by the host, he ordered someone to bring a zither. He played it himself, softly singing, "The autumn wind rises, white clouds fly; grass and trees wither, geese return south. Orchids are elegant, chrysanthemums fragrant; I long for my beloved, unable to forget."
At first, Feng Jing wondered why he would sing an autumn poem amidst the full bloom of spring, but she soon thought it didn't matter—she shouldn’t let such a trivial question distract her from the lingering melody.
His posture as he plucked the strings and sang softly was graceful, and his voice was pleasant, the trailing notes like winding streams, always flowing gently into the listener’s heart. The palace attendants around held their breath, listening intently, each as if intoxicated by fine wine, their hearts and minds entranced.
When the song ended and the gathering dispersed, he rose and made his way past several layers of attendants to stand before Feng Jing. In a soft, gentle tone, he asked for her opinion, "I will think about your question again when I return. Will you be here tomorrow? If I cannot solve it, may I come to seek your guidance?"
In truth, she wasn’t at all sure whether she could come here again tomorrow, and whether asking her elder brother might cause him trouble. But she could worry about such matters later. In the end, under his gentle gaze, she slightly lowered her head and gave him an affirmative answer, "Yes."
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