Magnolia Fragrance: "Little Star, your archery skills aren't very good!"
However, Luo Zhaoxing did not rush to the palace along the way. Instead, she had Luo Yuan stop in a dense forest at the foot of Penglai Mountain, where she, Pu Niang, and Feng Hua picked a small bamboo basket full of wild fruit before returning to the carriage, satisfied. Then, Luo Yuan slowly drove towards the palace.
Zi Shu was secretly puzzled, but she didn't know much about this childhood playmate of the princess who had left the capital at a young age.
It wasn't until after 1 p.m. that Luo Zhaoxing, led by Zi Shu, approached Kunning Palace, a place they had frequented since their childhood.
She handed the bamboo basket of wild fruits to Zi Shu, and Qing Pai happened to come out to greet her.
Empress Tao, dressed in her finest attire and wearing a phoenix crown, sat gracefully and dignifiedly on the phoenix chair.
Whether ten years ago or ten years later, whether she was the Crown Princess or the Empress, this Empress always exuded an air of majesty.
Luo Zhaoxing stepped forward and bowed, saying, "This humble woman greets Your Majesty the Empress."
Empress Tao gave Qingpai a look, and Qingpai took a small stool and placed it behind her.
Empress Tao smiled very gently: "In this way, our relationship will become distant. Just think of it as returning to your own home, and I will still be your Aunt Tao."
The order cannot be disobeyed, but my grandfather once said that the imperial court is unfathomable.
The more you say, the more mistakes you make.
Luo Zhaoxing said, "The proper etiquette must not be disregarded." Then, without showing any emotion, she let Empress Tao watch over her.
Empress Tao sighed almost imperceptibly, but Luo Zhaoxing keenly sensed it.
"You caught a cold a few days ago, and ever since you were on your way here, I've been thinking of summoning you to the palace with your imperial uncle, but we haven't had the chance. Now, the opportunity has presented itself, but this has happened. It's a pity for that boy from the Qingping Marquis's family; he's only just started working in the Hanlin Academy."
Empress Tao paused for a moment after speaking, then shook her head and chuckled, "Why should I tell you all this?" She gestured for Qingpai to bring over some tea and snacks, "How has your mother been all these years? Is your grandmother still in good health? And your father. All these years, your imperial uncle has sent many letters to Jiangnan, but they have all disappeared without a trace."
Empress Tao said no more, but looked at Luo Zhaoxing with her gentle eyes.
She graciously accepted the tea that Qingpai offered, and after thinking for a moment, said, "It's all right. So the thick stack of letters on Father's desk were written by His Majesty."
Luo Songyue loved books and had been studying diligently since childhood, often burning the midnight oil. He would sometimes spend several hours at his desk. Letters sent by the emperor would gather on his desk, indicating that although Luo Songyue had not replied to them over the years, he had received them.
Empress Tao smiled.
"You were still young back then, and I don't know how much you still remember. But your royal uncle often thinks of your father, and so many years have passed since he left."
"What is it? Is it Uncle and Aunt Qin?" Luo Zhaoxing held the warm tea in both hands, his eyes full of bewilderment: "Father has stopped drinking so much these past few years, but he will occasionally pick up a wine jar and hide in his study for a small drink. He also often stares blankly into space. Mother doesn't say anything, and Grandmother doesn't say much either."
"Your Majesty, is Uncle Qin really plotting a rebellion?"
She caught a glimpse of Qingpai standing beside Empress Tao and was startled. Empress Tao smiled helplessly, beckoned to her, and said, "Little Xing, remember, you must not discuss this matter again in the future."
Qingpai said, "Little Xing is innocent and carefree, just like Madam Qiao."
Empress Tao smiled and then ordered Qingpai to fetch a black lacquered mother-of-pearl inlaid box. She had seen it before in the palace, but only in the Cining Palace. That New Year, she and her grandmother's grandniece had studied the lifelike patterns carved from seashells and conch shells, which were exquisitely crafted. She couldn't help but marvel at the wisdom of her ancestors.
Qingpai opened the box, revealing a gold-inlaid jade bracelet.
Before she could examine it closely, Empress Tao had already taken out the bracelet and slipped it onto her wrist.
Luo Zhaoxing suddenly recalled the casual conversation that Tao Qingyun had overheard in Kunning Palace yesterday.
She stood up and thanked him generously without refusing.
Empress Tao nodded in satisfaction and then inquired about the various matters in Jiangnan.
Empress Tao had just recovered from a cold, and after only a few words, a hint of fatigue was already showing on her face. Seeing this, Luo Zhaoxing stood up to take her leave: "Your Majesty has treated me very well since I was a child. On the day I returned to the capital, I happened to pass by the Qin family's old residence. Today, when Your Majesty mentioned this matter again, I apologize for my words."
Empress Tao smiled broadly as Jiang Yuanfu arrived with Zi Shu. She called out from afar, "Your Majesty, you are still recovering from your cold and need to rest well. When I came, I saw that the flowers and trees in the Imperial Garden were in full bloom. Xiao Xing and I will go for a walk in the Imperial Garden."
As she spoke, Jiang Yuanfu had already stepped into the hall and winked at her. Seeing the mother-of-pearl inlaid box, she puffed out her cheeks and said, "Mother, you are so biased. I have asked you for it many times, and it turns out you are saving it for Xiaoxing."
Jiang Yuanfu smiled, her eyes crinkling, and whispered to her, "Aren't you tired of talking to your elders? Let's go get some fresh air."
Empress Tao gave her a playful look and said, "You naughty monkey." Then she took Luo Zhaoxing's hand and said, "Now that you're back in the capital, come to the palace often. Afu has no playmates and no sisters to confide in." She then instructed Qingpai to pack a box full of pastries from the Imperial Kitchen and send it to the Luo family's carriage waiting outside the palace.
After the two left Kunning Palace, Jiang Yuanfu finally breathed a sigh of relief: "I heard that Fourth Brother was kept in the palace by Father Emperor today to play chess. The two of them were evenly matched in the game, which gave Father Emperor a big headache."
Luo Zhaoxing smiled but remained silent.
After late spring, the Imperial Garden is now lush with greenery and bursting with vibrant flowers. In the Floating Jade Pavilion in the northeast corner of the Imperial Garden, colorful beaded curtains adorn the pillars on all four sides, with several flowering trees serving as a backdrop. A gentle breeze carries the fragrance of flowers and the beautiful swaying of the beaded curtains. The air is filled with the sweet aroma of the flowers.
"It smells so good." Jiang Yuanfu sniffed.
Luo Zhaoxing suddenly remembered that one year her father took her to the palace. After she came out of Kunning Palace to pay her respects, she saw the current emperor painting at a large desk in the pavilion, while her father watched the painting with a smile, holding a teacup.
She hid behind the artificial hill, and her father pretended not to see her, while he ate her favorite chestnut cake from the table, tempting her. At the same time, he leisurely sipped his tea.
She giggled, and only then did the Emperor notice her. He looked up and beckoned to her affectionately.
She was about to walk forward when a shout came from behind her.
"Don't move! Back up! If you go any further, there'll be a sudden gust of wind that poops!"
She instinctively took a step back and then looked down at her feet.
Beside the embroidered shoes, made of fragrant grass, was a small blue snake, slowly crawling with its tongue flicking out.
She immediately screamed in fright.
The father laughed heartily: "My daughter is fearless, except for this little green snake without legs. How strange!"
Jiang Yuanfu approached, took her hand in hers, and felt that it was a little cool. She said softly, "What's wrong? We used to love playing in the Imperial Garden when we were little. Are you feeling unwell?"
"When I was a child, I looked forward to growing up; now that I'm grown up, I miss my childhood."
"Humans are so contradictory!"
"Come quickly. It turns out I still have my seventh sister backing me up. Now that you're back in the capital, I'm going to let them all know that I, the princess, am not alone anymore!"
Meanwhile, in a corner of the Imperial Garden, Pei Qing held a bow, Liang Xi stood under a flowering tree, and a palace maid stood motionless in the distance, carrying a teapot on her head and looking flustered.
"Luo Zhaoxing, you're three cups of tea late!" Pei Qing said with a displeased expression upon seeing the visitor.
Pei Qing approached Luo Zhaoxing and handed her the bow and arrow: "If you can shoot down this teapot and leave this palace maid unharmed, I will admit defeat."
Jiang Yuanfu stood in front of her, her delicate brows furrowed, and said, "Xiaoxing went and picked some fruit for me. What? Is that not allowed?"
When Zi Shu presented the bamboo basket of fruit, she was momentarily stunned. In a daze, it was as if she had returned to many years ago, when a girl had also picked many wild fruits with a unique flavor for her to eat.
Pei Qing scoffed, "Your Highness, what delicacies don't we have in this palace? Why would we eat wild fruits from the roadside?"
Jiang Yuanfu was about to speak again when Luo Zhaoxing glanced at Pei Qing, took the bow and arrow, drew the bow, and aimed at the trembling palace maid.
"Pei Qing! Xiao Xing can't shoot arrows!" Jiang Yuanfu said angrily.
Luo Zhaoxing instantly changed direction, and with a whoosh, the arrow flew past, heading straight for Pei Qing, who was beaming with pride. The sharp arrowhead embedded itself in the trunk of a tree behind her.
"Is this interesting?" Luo Zhaoxing asked.
Pei Qing was stunned. Liang Xi, standing under the flowering tree, was also taken aback, as the arrow narrowly missed their skirts.
Jiang Yuanfu was also taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter, laughing so hard she was doubled over: "Xiao Xing, where did you learn your archery skills?"
A person emerged from behind the artificial hill in the distance.
He was an attendant to the current emperor in the early years of the Kangxi reign. After the death of the former Grand Eunuch Sun Shaopu, this insignificant palace eunuch rose to become the chief eunuch Chen Guiyi.
I've heard that he has enjoyed the Emperor's favor over the past ten years.
"This servant greets Your Highness the Princess," Chen Guiyi said respectfully, bowing his head and bending his waist.
Jiang Yuanfu turned around and saw the person who came in. She quickly regained her composure as a princess and asked suspiciously, "Does Father have something to say?"
Chen Guiyi smiled and said, "His Majesty is currently meeting with court officials at the Imperial Study and has ordered me to come to Kunning Palace first to find the princess and go to the Imperial Study."
Jiang Yuanfu asked, "Summoning court officials? Has Fourth Brother left the palace?"
Chen Guiyi respectfully replied, "Yes."
Luo Zhaoxing glanced at him quickly out of the corner of her eye, then lost interest in probing further.
Just then, a flock of birds circled in the sky, and she instinctively stood on tiptoe and looked up.
Chen Guiyi was taken aback, staring intently at her.
Luo Zhaoxing felt his gaze, and so did Jiang Yuanfu.
Chen Guiyi's expression hardened, and he quickly said, "Your Highness, please."
Jiang Yuanfu seemed somewhat helpless: "Xiaoxing, I can't see you out of the palace." She called over Zishu: "I'll have someone escort you."
Luo Zhaoxing put aside her doubts about Chen Guiyi and smiled slightly at her: "It's alright, you may go."
After Jiang Yuanfu left, she did not let Zishu follow, but instead walked in the Imperial Garden, looking at the magnificent palaces that came into view.
A sense of desolation welled up inside me for no apparent reason.
Under the magnolia tree, Chu Yening stood beside an old swing set, raising an eyebrow as he looked at her.
Luo Zhaoxing was stunned for a moment, wondering how he had unknowingly ended up here again.
Chu Yening asked her, "Come to admire the flowers?"
He was dressed in black, his sideburns as black as lacquer, and he stood tall and slender under the magnolia tree. It was unclear whether to look at the person first or the flower first.
In his youth, he once attracted the admiring glances of many noble ladies.
She shook her head.
Chu Yening said, "Oh. So you, like me, got here without anyone noticing."
He turned and sat down on the futon, poured a cup of tea on the low table, and said without turning his head, "We are both wanderers in this world. Since you're here, let's have a cup of tea."
Luo Zhaoxing looked around; besides her, who else was there? Who else could she talk to?
She walked over.
The magnolia tree is still the same magnolia tree, but the ropes that hang the swing are broken and damaged.
It must have been a long time since anyone came here.
But where did this tea come from?
She looked up at the white magnolia tree, over ten meters tall, perched on the swing set. When they were young, the late emperor had built this swing set for them in a corner of the southern part of the Imperial Garden.
That magnolia tree was planted by the late emperor himself in his early years. Whenever the wind blew, the petals would fall in a flurry, and the girls would play and frolic around the swing set.
The brothers were all engaged in various activities, such as playing the zither, playing chess, appreciating flowers, and drinking tea. Back then, none of them were anything less than spirited and ambitious.
When she was young, she would often stand on that swaying swing set and look out at the distant palaces and pavilions, including the Kunning Palace where her grandmother Zhao once lived, with its glazed tiles and golden gleam.
Grandmother Zhao was an extremely gentle woman, kind, virtuous, and compassionate, and she treated them very well.
There was also a low table and a few cushions under the magnolia tree. They would often sit on the ground, listening to music or admiring the flowers. Or, in winter, they would gather around a small stove, secretly drink a warm cup of lychee wine, and chat about the interesting things that had happened inside and outside the palace recently.
In the Eastern Palace, there was a rather young eunuch named Abao, who was clever, obedient, and perceptive. He often kept watch for them. When he lightly stomped his foot, it meant someone had arrived, and they would immediately pour out the lychee wine and replace it with a bowl of strong almond tea.
Their childhood was pure and carefree. When they were happy, they would laugh together, play hide-and-seek, catch dragonflies and fireflies, and run around the Imperial Garden. The late Empress would also often prepare various dishes for them.
Chestnut cake, almond milk, roast goose, mutton crystal dumplings, fragrant rice...
Year after year, they grew older, and they gradually visited the palace gates of the imperial court less and less, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
Her grandfather said to her: "When you're young, you can still be ignorant and naive. It's alright at home when you grow up, but if you enter the imperial court, countless eyes will be watching your every word and action. The imperial family is unfathomable!"
After his grandfather passed away, the late emperor retired to the background and the crown prince took over the reins of government. He then lived in Penglai Xiaoding, a small town on the outskirts of the capital.
On a late spring afternoon, on a bench under the shade of a willow tree, the young crown prince asked him, "Grandfather, my father wishes that I may leave my hometown after autumn to travel to other places, to see every inch of our land, and to see the people of this world. When I return, will I be able to come and see you again?"
The late emperor smiled, gazing at them. After a long while, he looked up at the distant horizon, as if saying to someone, "The world is at peace, my friends are with me, but my wife is gone forever."
Later, when she lived in Jiangnan, her brother wrote to her saying, "Abao is dead."
He died on a snowy night that year.
Because the Crown Prince was under house arrest in the Eastern Palace, A Bao drugged the guards on duty, hoping to help the Crown Prince escape. However, the Emperor ordered him to be executed.
Abao, who was the same age as his older brother, lay on the bench and endured one beating after another, but he never saw the dawn of the next day.
The glaring crimson light shone chillingly in the snowy night, but the falling snow was too fast and soon covered it up.
Chu Yening pushed the teacup in front of her, then lazily crossed his arms and smiled at her: "Has your brother made any enemies? That's why you've suffered such a disaster so soon after returning to the capital."
"Little Star, your archery skills aren't very good!"
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