Feng Jing emerged from the Hall of Blessing and Tranquility to find Zhao Ai standing by the door, holding a scroll of the Court Gazette. Seeing her exit, he immediately bowed in greeting, likely having come to see The Emperor but refrained from entering earlier as she was inside.
Feng Jing returned the courtesy and prepared to leave. After taking a few steps, she heard him say, "Please wait." She halted and watched as Zhao Ai approached, unrolling the Court Gazette to show her.
"Following Elder Brother's suggestion, The Emperor ordered the Bureau of Astronomy to open a Mathematics Examination to commoners, selecting a group of talented individuals from among the people. The list of successful candidates is published in the Court Gazette," Zhao Ai explained, displaying the list. He continued, "Previously, officials in the Bureau of Astronomy were mainly appointed through recommendations. From now on, more selections will be made through examinations like this. These talents will primarily study astronomy and calendar systems. According to Elder Brother's vision, the Directorate of Palace Buildings, the Directorate of Education, and the Imperial Academy will also introduce similar examinations in the future to select more mathematical talents from the populace to oversee construction projects and participate in teaching."
"That is excellent," Feng Jing replied with a smile. "The Crown Prince is wise, and The Emperor is discerning. In the long run, the dynasty will produce generations of mathematical talents, benefiting the state and achieving lasting merit."
"Elder Brother said it was your presence that inspired this idea." After a pause, Zhao Ai suddenly asked, "Will you not reconsider?"
The question caught Feng Jing off guard. Realizing he must have overheard her earlier conversation in the hall, she shook her head.
"Actually, we studied mathematics in the Palace School since childhood," Zhao Ai seemed to change the subject, telling her with a smile. "We learned mathematical classics such as Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art, The Zhou Gnomon, The Sea Island Mathematical Manual, Master Sun's Mathematical Manual, Five Departments Mathematical Manual, Zhang Qiujian's Mathematical Manual, and Xiahou Yang's Mathematical Manual. Back then, we treated it as a game, learning through play, and never considered it particularly important. I wasn't very diligent in my studies and could only rank second in every examination."
Feng Jing asked lightly, "Then who ranked first?"
Zhao Ai replied, "Elder Brother."
Faced with her ensuing silence, he bowed with clasped hands, bidding farewell with proper etiquette before entering the Hall of Blessing and Tranquility. It took her a while to collect herself and continue walking. Memories from the Gathering Fragrance Garden unfolded like pages of a book—the number thirty-seven, the long vermilion corridor, the reeds growing by the southern shore... So he had concealed his own strengths to create an excuse to spend time with her.
The corners of her lips twitched as if to smile, but the sudden surge of heartache made her abandon the futile attempt. In an instant, tears streamed down her face.
By the time she saw the Crown Prince again, winter had arrived.
That evening, Feng Jing was walking along the Brocade Rouge Corridor back to the Bureau of Palace Provisions. Most of the long wooden lattice windows on either side of the corridor had been installed to shield against wind and snow, though every few bays, one window was left unsealed for ventilation and viewing. Feng Jing carried a stack of Taiping Holy Grace Formulary borrowed from Fengxian, walking under the shelter of the long windows, bathed in the flickering light cast by two rows of palace lanterns. After a moment, her steps slowed as she noticed a familiar figure ahead, robes fluttering, drawing gradually nearer.
Steadying herself, she continued walking without glancing aside until they met face-to-face.
"Your Highness, blessings upon you," she greeted with proper courtesy.
Zhao Xi bowed in return, glanced at the books in her hands, and asked gently, "Do you need assistance?"
"Thank you, Your Highness, but there aren't many books. I can manage on my own," she replied, lowering her gaze.
"I thought you might say, 'We've reached the end, no need,'" he said with a smile.
They were clearly in the middle of the corridor, so his words puzzled her. Yet this familiar phrase soon guided her back to a page of memory she had nearly forgotten.So it was him she had bumped into that day, it was him...
She couldn't help but smile in astonishment, though with a touch of bitterness.
Both wore faint smiles as they stood facing each other, yet for a long while, neither could find words to break the silence.
Finally, she spoke first: "Your Highness, may I ask one more question?"
He nodded: "Please go ahead."
She said: "There is a palace city, six li long and three li wide. Person A departs from the east gate on horseback, traveling eighty li per hour. Person B departs from the west gate on horseback, traveling one hundred li per hour. If Person B sets out half an hour after Person A, with the horses' speeds as described, how long will it take for Person B to catch up with Person A?"
Zhao Xi was not disturbed by the string of numbers and answered directly: "They are heading in opposite directions; they will never meet."
Feng Jing smiled softly: "Yes, neither will turn back. There is no pursuit between them, only each moving forward on their own path."
Zhao Xi looked at her and remained silent for a moment. Just then, a breeze blew through the partially open window beside them, carrying with it a few delicate snowflakes that settled on their brows and temples. The Junior Eunuch who had been following at a distance behind Zhao Xi immediately rushed over upon seeing this, closed the long window, and shut out the swirling snowflakes and the evening's wind and moonlight beyond the crimson corridor.
Feng Jing bowed to Zhao Xi once more, and he returned the gesture with a deep bow. They bid each other "take care," then Zhao Xi stepped aside to let her pass, allowing her to move in a different direction, crossing paths with him before diverging.
——————
"Seven shuttles, the mandarin ducks woven yet hesitant. Fearful of being carelessly cut apart, flying off to separate places, a parting sorrow—how can they ever reunite?"
Xiangli'er cheerfully strummed the pipa, singing the tune thoughtlessly. Hearing this, her Aunt Jiang Ningyan beside her set down her embroidery frame and said to Zhenzhen with a laugh: "This silly child hasn't even mastered the pipa or the song properly, yet she insists on showing off in front of you. Now her shortcomings are exposed, aren't they? Singing 'Seven Shuttles' so carefree and lighthearted—she's the only one in the entire Immortal Music Academy who could do such a thing."
Zhenzhen also smiled and said: "It's fine. Singing cheerfully means she's in a good mood. There aren't many happy people in the palace. Most of the girls I see daily are either frowning or looking sullen. Someone like her who loves to laugh is truly rare. However she sings, I'm happy to listen."
"Exactly! Sister Wu, you truly understand me," Xiangli'er put down the pipa and skipped over to take Zhenzhen's hand. "The pipa and singing aren't my main skills. Since you've come to visit me so rarely, let me perform my best dance for you... Come with me, help me choose which dance dress looks best."
She led Zhenzhen to the inner room, opened the wardrobe, and showed her the exquisite, dazzling array of colorful dance dresses inside.
This was Madam Ju's former residence. Compared to the splendor of Furong Pavilion, it felt much more serene and secluded. Although the remnants of branches and leaves still scattered in the courtyard suggested that once, this place had been lush with flowers, fruits, and fragrant grasses, the house and its interior were elegantly simple in tone—ebony window frames with white gauze, mostly blue curtains, giving it a very cool and tranquil atmosphere. The only exception was this wardrobe; opening it felt as if all the colors of the room had been locked inside.
"So you have so many beautiful clothes," Zhenzhen remarked, stroking the gauzy fabrics that felt like mist and clouds."Actually, all of these belonged to Madam Ju," Xiangli'er said with a smile. "After the courtyard was opened, we found many of her personal items still inside, including these dance costumes. The Director of the Immortal Music Academy has already taken away many of them, but these few were left for me."
Growing more animated, she led Zhenzhen to the dressing table, pulled open a drawer, and showed it to her. "There’s also a whole cabinet of cosmetics here, most of which were barely used. Although they’re no longer usable now, the rouge and powder boxes are so exquisite that I couldn’t bear to throw them away."
The cosmetic boxes were made of gold, silver, lacquer, or wood, adorned with intricate carvings, engravings, or inlaid with pearls and mother-of-pearl, dazzling the eye with their beauty.
Zhenzhen picked up a powder box and opened it to examine it. Inside, she found three compartments: one for the powder puff, one for the cosmetic powder, and the bottom layer, which held no cosmetics but instead a folded piece of paper.
Zhenzhen took out the paper and unfolded it. Several lines of wildly scrawled characters immediately caught her eye, leaving her dazzled and unable to recognize more than a few.
Madam Ju sounded like a peerless beauty, so why was her handwriting so unrestrained? As Zhenzhen pondered this and was about to set the paper aside, Xiangli'er suddenly remarked from beside her, "Isn’t this the notepaper used by the Imperial Academy of Medicine for writing prescriptions?"
Zhenzhen paused, looked again, and indeed recognized it as the prescription paper used by imperial physicians. She then realized that the handwriting looked familiar—somewhat like the calligraphy Imperial Physician Zhang had shown to everyone the last time.
"Sister, what illness did Madam Ju have?" Xiangli'er asked curiously, clearly unable to read the characters either.
"Well, it’s a bit complicated..." Zhenzhen thought for a moment and asked her, "Could I take this prescription paper with me to ask a physician and tell you next time?"
Xiangli'er readily agreed. "Just let me know what you find out, sister. You can take the paper and the powder box—no need to return them."
Zhenzhen hurried to the Imperial Academy of Medicine, found Han Suwen, and handed him the paper, asking him to decipher it.
Han Suwen took one look and chuckled. "Such wild cursive script—this is clearly a physician’s handwriting!"
He quickly deciphered the characters: "Empty gifts of silk robes, no gift of grace; once perfumed, once soul-wrenched. Though the dancing sleeves never danced, they often brushed away tears in the spring breeze."
After hearing this, Zhenzhen said in surprise, "So it’s not a prescription... It sounds like a love poem."
"Hey, what love poem!" Han Suwen dismissed the idea. "Although we physicians aren’t wealthy or noble, we can still afford a few nice sheets of stationery to write to the girls we like, right? Using prescription paper to write to a girl—doesn’t that imply she’s sick?"
Zhenzhen couldn’t help but smile. "Then tell me what this poem means."
Han Suwen lowered his head and carefully read it again before saying, "I think it’s written for a girl who dances. From the meaning of the poem, this girl received dance robes gifted by the Emperor or some nobleman. She treasures them and often perfumes the robes, but whenever she thinks of how the giver never bestowed the favor she desired, she feels deeply sad. Though she wears the dance robes, she doesn’t dance but frequently wipes away tears with her sleeves."
"Then why was this poem written on prescription paper?" Zhenzhen pressed further.Han Suwen thought for a moment and said, "Most likely, this girl was so grief-stricken that she couldn’t eat or sleep. Her family saw this and thought she was seriously ill, so they called a physician to examine her. The physician understood the situation at once and prescribed this remedy, handing it to the girl with the meaning: 'You’re suffering from lovesickness, and it needs to be treated!'"
Zhenzhen couldn’t help but praise him repeatedly: "Impressive! That sounds very reasonable. I never expected someone so young to be so sharp-minded and well-versed in poetry and literature."
Han Suwen lifted his head proudly. "Of course! When I passed the entrance exam for the Imperial Academy of Medicine, I ranked first!" Then, with a bright smile, he turned to Zhenzhen and said, "I’ve also been practicing wild cursive script. Come, let me show you. In a moment, tell me if I’ve reached the point where you can’t recognize it anymore."
OpenNovel