In the fifth month, the pavilions and halls of the Gathering Scenery Garden were completed. The Emperor and Empress invited the Empress Dowager to tour the garden and held an informal banquet in the style of the Bianjing flower-viewing and fishing banquet, inviting members of the imperial clan and relatives to attend.
The Empress Dowager descended from her carriage at the Hall of Gathering Fragrance. The Emperor and Empress had already arrived at the Hall of Emerald Splendor earlier and then invited the Empress Dowager to rest briefly at the Jasper Ford Pavilion before touring the garden on a palanquin to admire the flowers. During this time, the imperial clan and relatives greeted the Empress Dowager with formal salutes before dispersing throughout the garden in small groups, enjoying flower-viewing, fishing, composing poetry, and practicing archery, all in a harmonious and joyful atmosphere. After the Empress Dowager finished admiring the flowers, she proceeded to the Western Pavilion of Jasper Ford, where the host and guests took their seats and the banquet began.
An informal banquet, also known as a small banquet, differed from the grand banquet of nine cups. It consisted of only five cups of wine, and the atmosphere was far more relaxed than that of a grand banquet. Grand banquets were solemn and serious, where guests were not allowed to make noise or become drunk and lose decorum, lest they face impeachment. In contrast, informal banquets were not bound by cumbersome rituals. Hosts and guests could drink and converse more freely, exchanging toasts and laughing heartily without restraint, making it more conducive to lively conversation. For this informal banquet, Lin Hong and Zhenzhen had specially devised a unique menu for the Empress Dowager but also suggested that if members of the imperial clan and relatives had prepared delicacies, they could present them during the banquet for the Empress Dowager to sample.
Most of the dishes offered by the imperial clan and relatives were still rare delicacies from land and sea. Since the Empress Dowager preferred vegetarian food, Lin Hong’s menu for her focused on vegetarian dishes, incorporating seasonal flowers and fruits. For example, tender leaves of the rosewood plant were blanched and dressed with oil and salt, or petals of the wild rose were blanched in licorice water and cooked with rice porridge. These were accompanied by tender white lotus seed pods, finely mashed after cooking, mixed with rice flour and sugar, and steamed into lotus seed cakes. The Empress Dowager seemed quite satisfied after tasting them and said to the Emperor and Empress, “The world believes that deer antler and stalactite are the most nourishing and can prolong life, but I believe such wild ingredients are far more beneficial. They neither harm living creatures nor require much expense, perfectly aligning with the frugal and simple lifestyle advocated by the Emperor.”
Although the Emperor found these dishes elegant, he felt they might appear too frugal when served to the Empress Dowager. Hearing her words, he pondered whether she was subtly mocking him and grew somewhat uneasy.
During the third round of wine, Zhenzhen presented the Empress Dowager with a dish made from lotus flowers: red lotus petals, with their centers and stems removed, were blanched in hot water and cooked with tofu. After removing from heat, salt and a small amount of pepper and ginger were added.
The dish was a beautiful interplay of red and white. The Empress Dowager praised its appearance at first glance and asked for its name. Zhenzhen replied, “It is called ‘Snow and Rosy Clouds Soup.’”
The Empress Dowager nodded and said, “The petals resting on the tofu indeed resemble rosy clouds after a snowfall. The name is fitting.”
As soon as the Empress Dowager finished speaking, Fengxian gracefully stepped forward, bowed, and said, “The Second Great King was delighted to learn that members of the imperial clan could present delicacies to the Empress Dowager during this informal banquet as an act of filial piety. He had been searching diligently for ingredients for months, carefully selecting them, and only recently found something slightly satisfactory. He ordered me to prepare them with care, and I present them today, hoping the Empress Dowager will accept them with a smile.”
The Empress Dowager smiled and glanced at Zhao Ai before instructing Fengxian to present the dishes.
Fengxian signaled two young palace attendants behind her to bring two dishes to the Empress Dowager’s table. One was a cold salad made with five-colored flower petals and lettuce, while the other featured two blooming flowers, one yellow and one purple, coated in a thin layer of flour, fried until crispy, sprinkled with a little fine salt, and arranged with green leaves on a crystal plate. The flowers were placed on large white salt crystals, still arranged as if dancing in the spring breeze.
The Empress Dowager examined them carefully and asked in surprise, “Are these peonies?”Fengxian acknowledged, "The Hidden Stream Crimson, Jade Slab White, Palace-Illuminating Red, Deer Embryo Flower, and Reversed Halo Sandalwood Heart are used for the mixed raw vegetables, while the Yao Yellow and Wei Purple are for the crispy fried pastries."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Ai opened his eyes to look at Fengxian, slightly furrowing his brow.
The Empress Dowager asked, "The peonies in Lin'an have already finished blooming by the end of the third month. Where did these famous varieties come from?"
Fengxian smiled and replied, "Knowing that Your Majesty has always loved peonies, the Second Great King made arrangements early on. He sent people to the north to purchase them and hired the most skilled peony gardeners. They carefully protected the flowers with ice along the journey to prevent them from blooming prematurely, ensuring they arrived intact in Lin'an."
The Empress Dowager sighed, "It is indeed good, but transporting them in such a manner is too much trouble."
Fengxian said, "The Second Great King said that as long as it pleases Your Majesty, no matter how much trouble it takes, it is worth it."
The Empress Dowager turned to Zhao Ai and said with a smile, "I still thought Second Brother was an immature child, but now, to prepare these two dishes, he has put in so much effort."
Zhao Ai forced a smile and bowed slightly, saying, "As long as Your Majesty is pleased."
The Empress Dowager tasted the peony dishes and praised them profusely, but Zhao Ai seemed somewhat distracted. After the third round of wine, there was a longer break for the guests to freshen up and adorn themselves with flowers. Zhao Ai took the opportunity to have Fengxian follow him to the more distant Jasper Fragrance Pavilion and directly asked her, "Why did you take it upon yourself to say that I bought peonies from the north to prepare dishes for the Empress Dowager?"
Fengxian performed a deep bow to him and said, "Please forgive me, Great King. It is true that you only gave me a large sum of money to select the finest ingredients to prepare dishes for the Empress Dowager. Buying the peonies was my own idea. However, I thought that although the ingredients were not chosen by you, the sentiment behind them came from you. When the Empress Dowager asked, I naturally dared not claim credit and said the ingredients were chosen by me."
Zhao Ai asked, "Where were the peonies bought from?"
Fengxian replied, "Luoyang."
Zhao Ai said coldly, "Luoyang is far away, separated by mountains and rivers, with numerous checkpoints along the way. Who did you find to buy them? How much were those peonies worth? The money I gave you was far from enough, wasn't it?"
Fengxian said, "Three months ago, my father came to the capital to report on his duties and met with me. I entrusted him to find a way to purchase peonies from Luoyang. The peonies weren't too expensive either. Aside from the Yao Yellow, which cost five thousand coins per branch, and the Wei Purple, which cost one thousand coins per branch, the rest weren't too pricey. The extra money I asked my father to add wasn't much..."
"You are truly audacious!" Zhao Ai interrupted her angrily. "How is this any different from forcing me to accept a bribe? Don't you know that members of the imperial family are not allowed to privately associate with officials, especially military officers? Moreover, The Emperor and the Empress have personally advocated for frugality. Yet, you publicly claimed that I spared no expense or effort to transport these flowers from the north to Lin'an, exhausting the people and wasting resources. What would The Emperor think if he heard this?""Your Highness, please set your mind at ease. Neither the Empress Dowager nor The Emperor will blame you for this matter." Fengxian explained calmly, without alarm or fear. "The Emperor is not the Empress Dowager's own son, and I have also heard that the prince she originally wished to support was someone else, which is why the two palaces are now... The Empress Dowager will not speak frankly with The Emperor about her thoughts, so her words cannot be taken at face value; they must be carefully considered. This time, she suggested replacing the grand banquet with an Informal Banquet, using only seasonal fruits and vegetables. On the surface, it appears to be an understanding of The Emperor's advocacy for frugality, but if truly ordinary fruits and vegetables were used for the banquet, she would not be satisfied. Though she may not say it, she would surely resent The Emperor for being neglectful. Although the menu Lin Hong has set seems to meet the Empress Dowager's requirements, The Emperor cannot help but worry that it is too plain and simple. Therefore, if Your Highness presents two floral dishes that appear light but require great effort to obtain, it will naturally please the Empress Dowager, and The Emperor will feel that it compensates for the simplicity, and will definitely not blame Your Highness."
"Speculating on the past affairs of the two palaces and guessing the intentions of the Empress Dowager and The Emperor—is this something a palace attendant of the Bureau of Palace Provisions should do?" Zhao Ai examined Fengxian and asked slowly.
Fengxian immediately realized she had spoken out of turn and hurriedly knelt to beg for forgiveness.
Zhao Ai said, "You need not seek my forgiveness. A palace attendant as scheming as you is more than I can bear. After returning to the palace, pack your things and go back to the Bureau of Palace Provisions. I wish you the best in finding another suitable branch and securing a good future. The money your father spent on the peony flowers, I will return to you in full."
With that, he left Fengxian decisively. Fengxian chased after him a few steps, calling out "Your Highness" twice, but he did not look back. Recalling how she had compromised and endured hardships for him over the past two years, and all the things she had done for his sake, she had never expected him to be utterly ungrateful from start to finish. Overwhelmed by bitterness, tears suddenly streamed down her face, and she began to sob.
At that moment, a person emerged from behind the flowering trees at the back of the pavilion and slowly walked over to Fengxian, extending a silk handkerchief to her.
Fengxian looked up, startled, and immediately bowed in greeting. "Greetings, Lady Liu!"
She had no idea how much of her conversation with Zhao Ai had been overheard. Fengxian's heart pounded wildly, and she was so frightened she dared not shed another tear.
Seeing that Fengxian did not take the handkerchief, Liu Luowei smiled and gently wiped the tear stains from Fengxian's face herself. Then, taking Fengxian's hand, she comforted her in a soft, girlish voice, "Men should not be indulged. If he no longer wants you to serve him, cast him from your mind at once. Someone as clever as you—could you not survive without him?" She paused, then chuckled lightly. "If you do not think of me, are there no others? How foolish is that arrogant man!"
Fengxian stared at her in astonishment, pondering her final words repeatedly: "If you do not think of me, are there no others..."
When the Informal Banquet reached the Five Cups of Wine, the eunuchs removed the lattice windows around the Western Pavilion of Jasper Ford. Instantly, the western side became open and clear, and a cool breeze swept in, immediately dispelling the summer heat. Pei Shangshi stepped forward and invited the Empress Dowager to turn her gaze to the lake scenery outside the pavilion. The Empress Dowager looked into the distance and saw a eunuch poling a small boat, skimming the water toward the depths of the lotus flowers. Lin Hong stood at the bow of the boat, his wide sleeves fluttering in the wind as he played a clear, melodious lotus-picking tune on a bamboo flute. In the center of the boat sat Zhenzhen. When the boat reached where the lotus flowers had newly bloomed, she raised her oar to part the dense layers of leaves and flowers, finding one after another the lotus leaves that had been wrapped and tied while still standing upright in the water. She cut them off one by one, placed them in the boat, then signaled the eunuch to turn around. They continued poling through the lotus expanse, following the path back.At this moment, Lin Hong played through two sections of the melody, paused briefly, then switched to a new tune. The music was graceful and melodious, yet upon careful listening, one could detect a hint of melancholy. Zhenzhen, listening to the music, absentmindedly began singing the corresponding lyrics: "Wading across the river to pluck lotus flowers, fragrant grasses abound in the orchid marsh. Whom shall I give these plucked flowers to? The one I long for is on a distant road..."
When the boat returned to the front of the hall, Lin Hong and Zhenzhen disembarked and went to the Western Pavilion of Jasper Ford to unfold the lotus leaves. Only then did the Empress Dowager realize that some of the leaves, rolled into cylinders, contained fine wine, while others, folded into squares, held marinated fish paste.
"This wine and fish paste were wrapped in the lotus leaves yesterday when we boated over," Zhenzhen explained. "Today, with the warm breeze and scorching sun, the wine has mellowed and the fish is cooked—perfect for consumption now."
The Empress Dowager sampled a small portion and found the fragrance of lotus enveloping her senses, blending into the wine and the texture of the fish. It softened the wine's intensity, diluted the fish's fishiness, and highlighted the subtle sweetness of the fish that emerged after the initial saltiness.
"This final course not only brings forth the aroma of wine and the readiness of the fish but also allowed this old woman to witness an exquisite scene. Such ingenuity is truly breathtaking," the Empress Dowager said with a smile. "This must be the idea of the Court Gentleman for Ceremonial Service?"
Lin Hong stepped forward, bowed, and replied, "Yes."
The Empress Dowager continued, "Last time, I promised that when the Gathering Scenery Garden was completed, I would arrange a marriage for you. Have you now decided which young lady you wish to marry?"
Lin Hong lowered his gaze and remained silent for a moment.
The Empress, assuming he was too shy to speak directly, smiled and said to the Empress Dowager, "Your Majesty, after today's events, it shouldn't be difficult to guess which lady the Court Gentleman for Ceremonial Service favors, should it?"
"Oh..." The Empress Dowager immediately turned to look at Zhenzhen, studying her for a long while before smiling faintly. "Indeed. This young girl is fortunate. Marrying the Court Gentleman for Ceremonial Service is a blessing accumulated over three lifetimes."
The Empress Dowager was not particularly familiar with Zhenzhen, but as Zhenzhen was close to the Emperor, her daily activities were naturally reported to the Empress Dowager. She disliked Zhenzhen's straightforwardness, feeling that her actions often overstepped the bounds of a palace attendant, though she did not exactly despise her. Now, hearing the Empress indicate that Lin Hong wished to marry Zhenzhen, though not entirely satisfied, she did not oppose it.
Hearing the Empress Dowager's words, Zhenzhen understood that she had approved of her marriage to Lin Hong. Overjoyed, she blushed and lowered her head.
Lin Hong still kept his eyes downcast, his expression unreadable, revealing nothing of his feelings.
Liu Luowei had been coldly observing the two of them. Suddenly, she put on a warm smile and called out softly to Zhenzhen, "Chief Steward Wu, please come here. I have something to say to you."
Zhenzhen complied, walking over to her and bowing respectfully.
Liu Luowei then motioned for Zhenzhen to come closer. She took out the jade bracelet Lin Hong had given her earlier and said to Zhenzhen, "No wonder we felt like old friends at first sight—it turns out we are destined to become relatives. This bracelet was given to me by my family, and I've always been reluctant to wear it. Today, I'll pass it on to you as a meeting gift for my future sister-in-law."
She then took Zhenzhen's left hand and slid the bracelet onto her wrist.
The bracelet hesitated slightly at the widest part of Zhenzhen's palm, but with a little effort from Liu Luowei, it slipped onto her wrist, showing that the size was quite suitable.
For a moment, Liu Luowei seemed lost in thought, but she quickly smiled again. "How lovely. Your wrist is slender and fair, and this jade bracelet looks beautiful on you."Zhenzhen stared at the jade bracelet, lost in a daze without speaking. From the color and translucency of the jadeite, it was highly likely that this bracelet had been carved from the green stone Lin Hong had often held at the Woodcutter Inquiry Post all those years ago. Hearing Consort Liu mention it was a gift from her "maternal family" almost confirmed this suspicion. So... Lin Hong had spent years painstakingly polishing this bracelet, carried it close to his person all the way to Lin'an, and then given it to her?
Uncontrollably, she recalled Lin Hong holding that stone while gazing at the portrait of Luo Shen on the wall. A sharp pain pierced Zhenzhen’s heart, spreading from within until it forced a cold sweat from her.
Yet this pain was only the beginning. Soon after, she heard Lin Hong answer the Empress Dowager’s question.
"There are many plum trees in the Gathering Scenery Garden. I humbly request Your Majesty to grant me eighteen ancient plum trees," Lin Hong bowed to the Empress Dowager and clearly stated his request. "I wish to follow the example of Master Hejing from Emperor Renzong’s reign, taking the plum as my wife and the crane as my son, and never marry a woman of this world."
His words shocked everyone present. The Empress Dowager remained silent for a long while, while the Emperor frowned and warned Lin Hong, "Lord Xuanyi, do not jest before Her Majesty."
"I am not jesting," Lin Hong turned to the Emperor, kowtowed, and said, "Having long resided in the mountains and wilderness, I have grown accustomed to a solitary life—sleeping with my zither under the green shade, enjoying the rain from my thatched hut. Truly, I have no need for a woman’s companionship. With the plum as my wife and the crane as my son, this life is sufficient."
His tone carried an unshakable resolve. In that instant, Zhenzhen realized she could no longer hold onto him. Had all those moments of affection and intimacy stemmed solely from her own one-sided advances? And had the heartfelt confession about tree rings on that first snowy day merely been her own delusion?
Her cold sweat continued to seep out, leaving her body icy despite the sweltering summer heat. She could hear the faint whispers gradually rising in the hall. Without looking, she knew everyone was watching her now—especially those who envied her, those eager to see her humiliated, and those ready to kick her while she was down—all pointing fingers and mocking her, the woman publicly abandoned by Lin Hong. Meanwhile, Liu Luowei still held her left hand, staring intently at her, a meaningful smile silently curling at the corner of her lips.
"It seems I was mistaken. I am not fortunate enough to become Sister Wu’s sister-in-law," Liu Luowei said with a smile, then gently patted Zhenzhen’s left hand, which she still held. "But it’s alright. Since I’ve already given this bracelet, you may keep it. There’s no need to return it."
Zhenzhen coldly pulled her hand away, removed the bracelet, and placed it back on Liu Luowei’s table. Staring at her, she said, "I don’t want it."
Without any false courtesy or the humility her status typically demanded, she spoke these three words with stark directness. This caused Liu Luowei’s smile to fade, leaving her slightly embarrassed.
Zhenzhen retreated several steps into the center of the hall, her face pale, her steps unsteady. A buzzing filled her ears, and her body swayed as if about to collapse. For a moment, she didn’t know where to go, struggling only to keep herself from falling under the scorching gazes of the crowd.
Just then, the Crown Prince suddenly stood up, bowed deeply to his father, and said to the Emperor in a voice soft yet clear enough for everyone in the hall to hear, "I dare to ask Father, did you not yet announce to all that yesterday you had already assigned Stewardess Wu to oversee the Eastern Palace’s culinary affairs? Hence, Mother and Lady Liu have fallen into such a misunderstanding."
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