Empress Dowager Liu merely stroked her jet-black, flowing hair.
There were many princes and princesses in the imperial palace. Whether of the direct line or born of concubines, they all showed proper respect to their Imperial Grandmother—or at least to the identity of Empress Dowager. But when it came to true closeness, this one biological grandson outside the palace was the most intimate. Perhaps it was because the Grand Princess, having been married out, was irrelevant to the throne; perhaps it was because she well understood all the things this child, with her identity, could never do. She treated this granddaughter from her married-out daughter with extra lenience.
“You’ve had to endure some grievances today,” said Empress Dowager Liu, patting her head. “So you’ve taken a fancy to that girl from the Chu family?”
“Hm…” Wei Qingchen got up and sat down on an embroidered stool nearby, her face still slightly flushed.
“That girl, I’ve seen her before. A good girl. You have an eye for quality,” Empress Dowager Liu said, glancing sideways at her.
Wei Qingchen’s face grew even redder. She picked up a piece of the Dragon-Phoenix Cake, pretending nonchalance. “Oh my! These cakes are going to get cold. The Jade Spring Tower is so drafty. Grandmother, wouldn’t it be better to go sit inside?”
Empress Dowager Liu and Aunt Fang exchanged an amused smile and did not expose her. The palace maids came over to assist, and the grandmother and granddaughter moved over to the heated chamber.
After that, Wei Qingchen remained temporarily in the palace. During the days, she studied classics alongside the other imperial princes, practiced martial arts, archery, and horsemanship, and was every so often tested on her lessons by the Grand Tutor. At night, she made it a rule not to take a single step out of Longevity Palace.
Because she had experienced war firsthand, young princes often came to discuss military strategy with her after classes. Even the princesses would come on the pretext of keeping their Imperial Grandmother company, just to hear her talk of matters outside the palace walls. For a time, Longevity Palace bustled with much activity. After the Lantern Festival, Wei Huaishu sent people to fetch her twice, but whether or not she was truly hurt, she chose to take refuge in the palace. Empress Dowager Liu, doting on her, blocked the General Mansion’s people for her.
By the time spring flowers bloomed and the season became fragrant, even the Emperor couldn’t stand her “idleness” anymore. He appointed her Zhechong Commandant and tossed her into the Southern Office Garrison to gain practical experience.
The day before leaving the palace, Empress Dowager Liu specially ordered the imperial chefs to prepare a table full of dishes. When Wei Qingchen returned from the Upper Study Hall and saw a table laden entirely with her favorite foods, she cried out in delight and threw herself into her grandmother’s arms. Empress Dowager Liu caught her, laughed, pinched her plump earlobe, and urged her to frequently enter the palace in the future to visit this old woman.
“Where has Grandmother grown old? You are clearly more beautiful than so many of the consorts in the palace! Grandmother, don’t fool me!”
“It’s obviously you, little rascal, who is fooling me,” Empress Dowager Liu scolded with a laugh.
The informal family banquet was set up in the Bright Reading Hall. From a distance, directly opposite the moon gate, was the Jade Spring Tower—it was both scenic and delightful.
“Does the Heir know the origin of this Jade Spring Tower?” Aunt Fang, having been with the Empress Dowager for so long, deeply understood her mistress’s thoughts. As she served the Empress Dowager some dishes, she initiated a conversation.
Wei Qingchen bit a corner off a piece of Jade Shrimp Brochette, licked her lips, and replied: “That, I know! It was… the Late Emperor… oh, Grandfather, who specially built it for Grandmother. Back then, Longevity Palace wasn’t called Longevity Palace; it was… Flying Pavilion! Mother mentioned it. She also said it was rare for the palace to have such a wonderfully unique name.” As she spoke, she didn’t forget to pop the remaining half of the shrimp into her mouth in one more bite, her eyes curving into crescents: “Even so, the snacks here at Grandmother’s are still the best!”
Seeing her eat with such happiness, Empress Dowager Liu smiled and slightly raised her chin. Aunt Fang placed a chopstick-full of food onto the Heir’s plate and continued: “The Heir has an excellent memory. This place was renamed Longevity Palace some ten years ago. Back then, Heir was still in swaddling clothes. Speaking of which… this Jade Spring Tower has quite a story behind it.”
“Oh?” Wei Qingchen’s interest was piqued. She looked up: “I’m all ears.”
Aunt Fang first glanced towards the Empress Dowager. Only when the Empress Dowager nodded did she smile and say: “As the Heir knows, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager’s clan settled in Ying Prefecture, very far from the Imperial City. Back then, when the Late Emperor first ascended the throne and was about to marry the Empress Dowager, he somehow learned that Her Majesty’s family home had a pavilion exactly like the Jade Spring Tower. He secretly dispatched men to investigate. After they returned, he had this Flying Pavilion section walled off.”
“So there was such a beautiful love story in this world,” Wei Qingchen marvelled, her chopsticks raised, her eyes sparkling. “And then what happened?”
These events, partly because so much time had passed, and partly because Lady Liu’s status had grown ever more exalted after the Emperor took the throne, were never again mentioned within the Imperial Harem.
The spring day still held a chill. Palace maids came forward to clear away the dishes and replaced them with seasonal fruits and snacks. Through the moon gate, Empress Dowager Liu gazed at the Jade Spring Tower, a reminiscent expression surfacing on her face. Slowly and unhurriedly, she said: “Then… on my birthday, the Late Emperor commanded his men to decorate the entire Flying Pavilion to look exactly like that small town in Ying Prefecture. After court was dismissed, he personally brought me here to enjoy the sights. When we reached this Bright Reading Hall, he covered my eyes with his hands and said he wanted to give me a birthday present.”
“When the Late Emperor’s broad, warm palm left my eyes, I saw this very Jade Spring Tower. It was identical to the one in my memories. Even the interior layout and antique decorations had been made to mimic my family’s pavilion.” As Empress Dowager Liu spoke, the corners of her eyes faintly shimmered with tears.
“Grandmother, your affection for each other with Grandfather was truly so deep,” Wei Qingchen said, drawing closer and clasping the old woman’s increasingly frail hand.
Empress Dowager Liu patted the back of her hand, gathered her emotions, and spoke with a gentle smile: “Chen’er, your grandfather was the supreme Son of Heaven. Even he could go to such lengths to bring a woman joy. Your mother says you are quite fond of that young lass from the Chu family. But if things are merely at this stage… do you really mean to give up?”
“Grandmother…”
Following the Opening Ceremony, the festive atmosphere within the Chu household dropped considerably. Qi Xiaolong, unable to dissuade her eldest daughter, had refused the clan chief’s arrangement of a “matrilocal son-in-law,” and had once again refused the Jingyuan Marquis Mansion’s marriage proposal. This time, they had managed to offend the clan elders and the Jingyuan Marquis Mansion all at once. The Li family’s face was slapped yet again. The Capital City reveled in the excitement, and the teahouses were practically ready with scripts for the storytellers.
Watching her eldest daughter turn nineteen after the new year with still no marriage prospects, Qi Xiaolong’s heart was genuinely in turmoil. One moment, she would sigh, lamenting her husband’s sudden passing—otherwise, how would the Li family have dared to bully their way in? The next moment, she would fret over her eldest daughter’s rocky marriage affairs, worrying when her younger daughter’s own match could ever be brought to the table.
The two daughters themselves, however, seemed completely unconcerned. Whenever the nagging grew too much, Chu Mingxi would declare she needed to go to the Imperial Medicine Hall. Chu Mingyu would then devise all sorts of reasons to tag along. But the younger sister hated staying cooped up in the carriage, so she would frequently change into riding gear and slip away to find her elder sister. Back and forth it went, and though she failed to learn all the medicinal herbs on the shelves, her riding skills became much more proficient.
That year, summer arrived early. By early May, rumbling thunderstorms were frequent. The medicinal herbs the Imperial Medicine Hall needed to sun-dry failed to dry completely. Before they could be stored in the warehouse, twenty percent of the harvest was already lost. Managers from various branches rushed to send letters detailing their grievances. Chu Mingxi was extremely busy, practically run off her feet.
By late May, heavy rain fell continuously across the commanderies and prefectures of the realm. The Emperor ordered the Imperial Observatory to choose a day for the Heaven Worship Ceremony. Wei Qingchen, commanding the Imperial Blade Guards as imperial escort, wore embroidered floral garments, a green robe, and bore the ceremonial ivory tablet. At the Emperor’s side, she went in and out.
In early June, the farmland south of the river suffered from flooding, while the dikes north of the river were in dire straits. Documents from all over arrived via the eight-hundred-li express courier service like a storm of snowflakes. In short order, commodity prices soared, and the daily price of rice and grain skyrocketed. Within a mere half-month, even in North Ye City, near the Capital, incidents of mobs and bandits forming had occurred.
At that time, Chu Mingxi happened to have brought Chu Mingyu along to the Imperial Medicine Hall’s branch in North Ye City. The branch’s Shopkeeper Mo laid out every difficulty he could think of again and again. Chu Mingxi sat in the seat of honor, listening until he finished. She didn’t even frown. Only after his voice had fully faded did she say coolly: “The difficulties Shopkeeper Mo has mentioned, every branch is facing. The Imperial Medicine Hall spent a great deal to hire an old hand like you here—surely not just to complain to me?”
“I, well…”
“I understand this year’s situation. Here is what we’ll do: I will not take the first half of this year’s dividend payments. Leave them here at the branch for you to use as working capital. You needn’t go to private banks for loans, saving us a sum of interest. At the year’s end, we will settle the ledgers altogether.”
Hearing this, Shopkeeper Mo’s expression had just begun to relax when Chu Mingxi suddenly shifted her tone, carrying a severe edge as she coldly rebuked: “Correspondingly, the quality of the medicinal herbs absolutely must not decline. I don’t care what other pharmacies do. As long as I remain at the Imperial Medicine Hall, the herbs will only be sold at prices matching their grade! Anyone who dares to exploit the chaos and raise prices shall not be forgiven by the Imperial Medicine Hall. If not, you can offer your resignation right now!”
Even though Shopkeeper Mo had worked at the Imperial Medicine Hall for over ten years, hearing the Eldest Young Miss’s words shook him so much his legs nearly gave way. Pounding his chest in assurance, he retreated out of the room, his back drenched in cold sweat.
The Second Miss had been waiting outside for a short while already. Seeing him come out, she pulled a funny face and slipped into the room.
“Sister,” Chu Mingyu closed the door and came over. Qingdai brewed fresh tea for the two sisters. “Sister, have you heard? The court has dispatched troops, and the bandit uprising has been suppressed.”
“Hmm.”
“Why aren’t you surprised in the least! A while back, with bandits sprouting everywhere, you didn’t seem flustered either.”
“What is there to be surprised about? And what is there to be flustered about?”
Chu Mingyu thought for a moment, then sullenly sat to the side.
Amused, Chu Mingxi looked at her and said to Qingdai: “You explain it to her.”
Thus Qingdai walked over to the Second Young Miss and counted off on her fingers: “First, these so-called bandits aren’t real river-and-lake outlaws. They were starving people stirred up by instigators. Second, though North Ye City isn’t exactly at the Emperor’s feet, it’s still very close to the capital. The court’s troops can arrive within a single day. With these two points in mind, our Imperial Medicine Hall, being a legitimate business, has nothing to fear.”
Chu Mingyu was left speechless. Biting her lip, she huffed angrily: “It must be because you travel all around, Sister, that even your maids become so clever!”
“It’s clearly because you simply don’t use your head,” Chu Mingxi shot her a glance. Without waiting for a retort, she made the arrangement: “That matter is settled here. When this bout of rain passes, we will set out and return to the Capital.”
“What?” Chu Mingyu protested, “Let’s stay a bit longer. There are other shops we haven’t inspected yet.”
Chu Mingxi sighed dramatically: “The world is full of bandits these days. I am both flustered and alarmed. Better to return home early.”
“Sister!!”
A few days later, the heavy rain finally let up somewhat. The Imperial Medicine Hall group harnessed the horses and set off. With the heavy carriage and luggage, they planned for a three-day journey.
Lei Min, as usual, rode ahead on horseback to scout. The carriage moved forward in bursts of travel and rest. After nearly two days, they were very close to the capital.
That day, rain started falling again from early morning. Many carriages and horses came and went on the road, making the journey slower still. Around noon, a series of resounding clamors rose from behind the convoy. Chu Mingyu lifted the carriage curtain to look out. Lei Min, clad in a rain cape, urged his horse over and, leaning close to the carriage wall, lowered his head and said: “Eldest Young Miss, Second Young Miss, it’s soldiers from the Sixteen Guards. Judging by their uniforms, it looks like the Imperial Blade Guards of the palace.”
“Move off the main road, let them pass first,” Chu Mingxi instructed in a pleasant tone.
Lei Min accepted the order and went. Chu Mingyu clicked her tongue in wonder. After a while, she added: “Aren’t the Imperial Blade Guards supposed to protect the Son of Heaven? What are they doing out here in the capital’s outskirts?”
The carriage slowly withdrew to the side of the road. Chu Mingxi kneaded the space between her brows, a touch of fatigue in her voice as she said, “The Sixteen Guards remotely command the Zhechong Battalions across the land. In times of peace, they serve as personal guards at the imperial lodging. If there is military conflict, they are immediately ready to be deployed into battle.”
In the heavy rain, warhorses galloped, shaking the ground. The dull thunder of their hooves approached from afar and then swept close. Chu Mingxi leaned against the backrest and gazed out. Through the swaying carriage curtain, she glimpsed a young general urging her horse at a fast gallop, brushing past her without a pause.
