The note was written in Jiang Yan's small regular script, the ink revealing an urgency on the rice paper: "The inner treasury has just received kelp from Japan, which can be pickled with chili peppers and tastes wonderful. Also, if the emperor wants to keep you here, tell him that your husband is proofreading the 'Incense Book' and needs you to try the incense yourself." At the end was a crooked chili pepper, which looked very much like the graffiti he had drawn in the examination room that year.
Su Jinli folded the note and slipped it into her sleeve pocket. When she touched the golden bean inside, her palm suddenly felt warm. Princess Shou'an was already dragging her toward the door, the palace maids following behind, holding food boxes. The snowy light from Liulichang reflected on the girls' sleeves, like a flowing painting of ladies.
"Wait." Jiang Yan chased after her and draped a cloak with a sea-blue dragon pattern over her shoulders, the fox fur collar brushing against her ear. "The heating in the Cining Palace is very strong, don't overheat." His fingertips brushed against the brocade pouch at her waist, which contained freshly ground chili powder from this morning. "If the Empress Dowager asks about the origin of the chili, just say... your husband bought it from an old fisherman's wife when he was in Yangzhou."
Su Jinli nodded, looking at the ink spots on his dark official robes. She suddenly remembered the first time they'd met, him parading through the streets astride his horse. His red robe blazed like fire, his spirit high and mighty. He was nothing like now, battling wits with the emperor over a few ounces of chili peppers. Just as she was about to speak, Princess Shou'an had already pulled her into the imperial sedan chair. The carriage swayed through the snowy alleys. Jiang Yan's voice, muffled by the wind and snow, came from behind her: "Come back soon. I'm proofreading 'Chili and Pork Diced Recipe.' I'll leave the light on for you."
As the curtains fell, Su Jinli saw the bookstore's lanterns flickering in the snow, like the light in Jiang Yan's eyes. Princess Shou'an was sniffing the silver box Su Qingyao had given her, her face full of curiosity. "Sister Su, do you think Brother Jiang Yan might have hidden chili peppers? The last time I saw him in Wenyuan Pavilion, he had a clay pot in his arms!"
"Probably the ink for proofreading." Su Jinli smiled as she gathered her cloak. Her fingertips touched the silver rose box in the girl's sleeve pocket, and she suddenly remembered the words "testing the fragrance" in Jiang Yan's letter. Life in the deep palace required the spiciness of chili peppers, the sweetness of roses, and the gentleness of that person hidden in the scent of ink to create a harmonious harmony.
When the sedan stopped at the Shenwu Gate of the Forbidden City, light snow began to fall again. Princess Shou'an jumped to grab Su Jinli's hand, but suddenly pointed at the palace in the distance and exclaimed, "Sister Su, look!"
In the snowy light, Jiang Yan, draped in an old cotton robe, was hurrying towards Wenyuan Pavilion. He held a coarse earthenware jar in his arms, his hat pulled low, but that didn't prevent him from looking up. The moment their eyes met, he quickened his pace, the jar swaying gently in his arms. He wondered if it contained chili peppers, or something even warmer.
Su Jinli laughed, letting Princess Shou'an pull her forward. The golden beans in her sleeve pocket clashed with the paper, making a subtle sound, reminiscent of the spring rain in Jiangnan that year, falling on the bluestone slabs, each drop carrying the warmth of everyday life. Up ahead, the lights of the Cining Palace were already lit, reflecting the silent falling snow, as if waiting for them, using the savory taste of ants climbing a tree to temper the myriad emotions of the palace.
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