Chapter Thirty-Eight: Reunion on a Snowy Night
Three days later, at dusk, leaden-gray clouds hung low over the Forbidden City. Fine snowflakes drifted down like willow catkins, landing on the glazed tiles and vermilion palace walls, quickly covering them with a thin layer of white frost, enveloping the entire imperial city in a serene and solemn atmosphere.
Shen Rulan arrived at the "Wangchunlou" teahouse outside Xihua Gate an hour early. She wore a dark brocade robe with subtle patterns, over which she wore a mink cloak of the same color. The snow-white fox fur peeking out from the collar and cuffs made her face appear even more aloof.
As soon as she stepped into the teahouse, the manager hurriedly came to greet her—Lin Xiao from the Jingzhong Villa had already made arrangements to reserve a private room by the window on the second floor for her.
"Young Master Shen, please come inside." The shopkeeper bowed and led her upstairs.
The private room was tastefully furnished, with a pear wood table placed by the window, which faced the entrance to Xihua Gate. Shen Rulan took off her cloak, handed it to her attendant, and walked to the window to sit down alone.
The waiter quickly brought over a pot of warm Biluochun tea. The aroma wafted through the air, but it couldn't dispel the anxiety in her heart. She picked up the teacup, her fingertips tracing the warm rim of the cup, her gaze fixed on the vermilion palace gate outside the window. She felt a mixture of anticipation for their impending reunion and trepidation at the possibility of complications.
As darkness fell, lanterns lit up one after another on the streets, their dim yellow glow spreading across the snow and blurring the distant scenery.
As the number of guards at Xihua Gate gradually increased, the city gate began to slowly close. Just as the palace gates were about to be locked, Shen Rulan's sense of loss grew stronger. Could it be that Mo Qing had encountered some misfortune?
Just as she was about to get up and instruct her servants to inquire about the situation, she suddenly caught a glimpse of a familiar figure out of the corner of her eye. A woman wearing a blue cloak and a matching veil was hurrying out of the palace gates.
The figure appeared somewhat frail in the snow, yet her steps were exceptionally firm. Even from a distance, Shen Rulan recognized her at a glance—it was Su Moqing.
Shen Rulan was overjoyed and immediately got up and hurried downstairs. She instructed the servants to wait outside the teahouse, while she went around the front door and walked quickly towards the alley behind the teahouse—a secluded and quiet place, the agreed meeting place.
The alley is lined with mottled brick walls, the tops of which are covered with a thin layer of snow. Snowflakes fall to the ground, making a soft rustling sound.
As Shen Rulan reached the alley entrance, she saw that figure in blue turn in. The light veil of the hat fluttered in the wind, vaguely revealing Su Moqing's delicate features.
The two stood still in the alley, snowflakes falling silently onto each other's shoulders and hair, standing quietly in the dim twilight. Time seemed to stand still at that moment, a thousand words stuck in their throats, yet they didn't know where to begin, feeling as if a lifetime had passed between them, separated by thousands of miles of rivers and mountains and towering palace walls.
"You've lost weight." After a long silence, Shen Rulan finally spoke first, her voice slightly hoarse. These past few days, she had been worried about her day and night in Yangzhou, always afraid that she was being mistreated in the palace. Now, seeing her in person, although she was still beautiful, she had lost a lot of weight compared to when she left Yangzhou, and a feeling of heartache instantly welled up in her heart.
Su Moqing slowly raised her head, lifted the veil of her hat, revealing a clean and simple face. She looked at Shen Rulan, her eyes shimmering with tears, a long-suppressed longing and concern, yet she held back her tears, only softly saying, "You too."
Shen Rulan's brows showed more weariness and travel fatigue than usual, suggesting that she had been traveling day and night from Yangzhou to the capital without a proper rest.
Suddenly, the sound of a night watchman striking his clapper came from the alley entrance, "Dong—Dong—", two steady sounds reminding them that the night was deep and the palace gates would soon be completely locked.
"How is the situation in the palace?" Shen Rulan broke the silence first, her tone becoming serious. What she was most worried about was Su Moqing's safety in the palace.
“The Imperial Concubine treats me very well,” Su Moqing nodded, then changed the subject, a complicated expression on her face, as if she wanted to say something but stopped herself, “but…it seems she knows everything.”
"What?" Shen Rulan's expression hardened. She stepped forward, her eyes filled with vigilance. "Did she give you any trouble? Did she mention my identity to you?"
"Quite the opposite." Su Moqing shook her head and said softly, "She has defended me many times before the Emperor and protected me in every way in the palace. Those who wanted to make things difficult for me were all turned away by her without making a sound. But it is precisely because of this that I feel even more uneasy." She looked at Shen Rulan, her tone filled with deep worry, "This favor is too heavy. I always feel that she is waiting for a suitable opportunity, or wants the Shen family to do something for her."
Shen Rulan remained silent for a moment, her brows furrowing slightly. She had long anticipated that the Imperial Concubine's thoughts were deep and unfathomable, and that her protection was not without reason. She slowly said, "I understand. The Shen family will remember this kindness and will repay it if needed in the future. You only need to act cautiously in the palace; there's no need to worry too much. I'll take care of everything."
The snow fell heavier and heavier, with goose-feather-like snowflakes fluttering down and quickly accumulating a thin layer on their shoulders.
Su Moqing suddenly remembered something and took out a small brocade pouch from her sleeve. Several elegant ink orchids were embroidered on the brocade, which she had embroidered herself.
“I embroidered this in my spare time in the palace.” She handed the brocade pouch to Shen Rulan in a soft voice. “Inside is soil taken from under the old plum tree in Changchun Palace, and a few ginkgo leaves picked up from the Imperial Garden last month.”
Shen Rulan took the brocade pouch, its warmth touching her skin. Her fingertips traced the fine stitches, as if she could feel the longing and concern the embroiderer had carried while making it. A warmth welled up in her heart, and she instantly understood the embroiderer's meaning—this was Mo Qing telling her that even in the deep palace, she still remembered their promise in Yangzhou, the ginkgo trees at Pingshan Hall, the plum blossoms in the Shen family courtyard, and their mutual affection.
"I'm doing well in Yangzhou." Shen Rulan took out an oil paper package from her bosom and carefully handed it to her. "Everything is stable at the Shen residence, and the salt administration and procurement are going smoothly. This is a new osmanthus cake made by Granny Rong, and it's your favorite flavor. She specially asked me to bring it to you."
As soon as the oil paper package was opened, a familiar sweet fragrance wafted out, carrying the gentle aroma of osmanthus from the Jiangnan region.
Su Moqing felt a lump in her throat, took the oil paper package, and clutched it tightly in her hand. This small osmanthus cake carried the warmth of the Shen family mansion, and also her longing for her hometown.
The two exchanged these insignificant yet profoundly meaningful objects, the touch of their fingertips brief yet warm, as if in doing so they could reconnect their lives separated by palace walls, drawing a sliver of comfort and strength.
"I should go back now." Su Moqing glanced at the sky, and the sound of the city gate closing could be heard from the direction of the gate. Her voice was full of reluctance. "The palace gates are about to be locked. If it gets any later, I won't be able to get in."
Shen Rulan felt a surge of anxiety and suddenly reached out to grasp her hand. Her fingertips were icy cold, indicating she had been standing in the snow for a long time. "Wait a little longer," she whispered, her voice pleading.
Shen Rulan released her hand, took out a small seal from her bosom, and placed it in Su Moqing's palm. It was a small seal made of chicken-blood stone, its color as bright red as blood, its texture warm and translucent. The seal was engraved with the four characters "Lan Sheng You Gu" in elegant script, which were carved by Shen Rulan herself.
“I carved this on my way to the capital while taking a break.” Shen Rulan’s voice was gentle, yet firm. “Put it on your painting as if I’m accompanying you while you paint. No matter what you encounter in the palace, don’t forget that I’m waiting for you to come back.”
Su Moqing gripped the seal, still warm from Shen Rulan's touch. The icy bloodstone was warmed by the heat of her palm, and tears finally streamed down her cheeks, dripping onto the snow and instantly freezing into tiny ice crystals. She nodded vigorously, all her unspoken words condensing into a single sentence: "I will."
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from the alley entrance, accompanied by the howling of wind and snow.
Both of them were startled and quickly loosened their grip on each other's hands, instinctively taking a half step back to create distance, and looking warily toward the alley entrance.
The newcomer was Tao'er, Su Moqing's personal maid. She was panting heavily, her cloak covered in snowflakes, and her face was full of anxiety: "Miss, please go back quickly! Just now... just now, Granny Jin's trusted eunuch came this way. He must have heard something and came to investigate!"
"Granny Jin!" Su Moqing's expression changed. Ever since Wen Shichang's downfall, Granny Jin had lost her backer, but she still harbored resentment towards her and was always looking for opportunities to make things difficult for her. If Granny Jin were to catch her having a secret rendezvous with a "man" from outside the palace, even with the protection of the Imperial Concubine, she would inevitably be in trouble.
"Take care." Su Moqing didn't dare to delay and hurriedly said to Shen Rulan, her tone full of reluctance and worry.
"Take care of yourself too." Shen Rulan looked at her deeply, her gaze filled with all her concern and promise. "Wait for me. I will find a way to get you out of the palace as soon as possible."
Before she finished speaking, Tao'er pulled Su Moqing and turned to run towards the palace gate.
Two figures walked in opposite directions through the snowy night. One strode towards the towering, deep palace prison, while the other turned and walked into the vast darkness outside the palace.
Snowflakes fell on their backs, quickly blurring their silhouettes.
When Su Moqing hurriedly returned to Changchun Palace with Tao'er, she indeed saw a eunuch in a gray robe standing outside the palace gate. It was none other than Eunuch Li, Jin Mama's confidant.
Seeing Su Moqing return, he gave a forced smile and stepped forward to block her path: "Miss Su, where have you been? It's so dark, it's been hard for this servant to find you. The Imperial Concubine was asking about you, and if I couldn't find you, I wouldn't be able to bear the consequences."
Su Moqing's heart tightened, but she remained calm on the surface. She took out a small white porcelain bottle from her sleeve, shook it, and a slight clinking sound came from inside the bottle: "I saw that the snow was falling just now, so I went to the Imperial Garden to fetch some clean snow water. I plan to use it to brew tea tomorrow for the Imperial Concubine to try. I'm so sorry to have troubled Eunuch Li."
This was an excuse she had prepared long ago. Women in the palace had always had the refined taste of collecting snow water to brew tea, and the Imperial Concubine was no exception. Using this reason was the most appropriate way to get out of it.
Eunuch Li looked at the porcelain vase with some skepticism, then sized up Su Moqing. Seeing that she was calm and showed no sign of panic, and that her cloak was indeed covered in snowflakes, he decided not to press further. He gave a forced smile and cupped his hands in greeting: "I see. I was just being paranoid. Miss Su, please go inside quickly. The snow is heavy outside; be careful not to get cold."
Su Moqing nodded slightly, said no more, and led Tao'er quickly into the palace gate.
Back in the side hall of Changchun Palace, Tao'er breathed a sigh of relief and said in a low voice, "Fortunately, Miss was prepared in advance, otherwise, if you had been entangled by Eunuch Li, who knows what trouble would have arisen. However, Granny Jin is probably already suspicious, and it will be difficult for Miss to go out in the future."
Su Moqing sat before her dressing table, removed her veil, and gazed at her reddened eyes in the bronze mirror. She slowly raised her hand, stroking the bloodstone seal hidden in her sleeve. The seal's warmth had long since dissipated, yet she could still sense the lingering presence of Shen Rulan.
Her expression was calm, and her tone was firm: "It's alright. Since the Imperial Concubine has chosen to protect me, Granny Jin will not dare to openly make things difficult for me. Just be more careful in your actions in the future."
At this moment, Shen Rulan stood by the window of her villa in the capital, gazing at the swirling snow outside. The brocade pouch containing palace soil and ginkgo leaves in her hand still retained the warmth of Su Moqing's fingertips. Her expression gradually turned cold, a glint of icy light flashing in her eyes.
"Lin Xiao," Shen Rulan called out in a deep voice.
"What are your orders, young master?" Lin Xiao responded by pushing open the door and entering, bowing as he stood to the side.
"Go and investigate who Granny Jin has been associating with outside the palace recently." Shen Rulan's voice was cold and carried an unquestionable authority. "Also, find out about her cronies in the palace, and whether she still has any contact with the remnants of the Cao family after Wen Shichang's downfall."
Lin Xiao's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly replied, "I understand, I'll go and arrange for someone to investigate right away."
"Hmm." Shen Rulan nodded, her gaze fixed on the Forbidden City, her tone icy. "Since she won't behave herself and keeps trying to cause trouble for Mo Qing, then don't blame me for being impolite. I want to see just how bold she is to dare to touch my people."
In the snowy night, two lights stood facing each other from afar.
Deep within the palace, Su Moqing spread out a sheet of plain paper, ground the ink, and picked up the brush bestowed upon her by the Imperial Concubine. She didn't paint; instead, she took out the bloodstone seal from her sleeve and gently stamped it on the corner of the paper. The four bright red characters, "Orchids Bloom in a Secluded Valley," stood out vividly against the white Xuan paper, like red plum blossoms blooming quietly in the snow, carrying with them resilience and pride, as well as a fervent anticipation of their reunion.
In a secluded courtyard outside the palace, Shen Rulan stood under the lamp, unfolding a map of the capital, her fingertips lightly tracing its surface, her gaze deep and thoughtful.
She was devising a plan to break the deadlock, not only to completely eliminate the threat posed by Granny Jin, but also to find a way to bring Su Moqing out of the deep palace and away from this treacherous and dangerous place.
The snowflakes continued to fall, silently covering the city's hustle and bustle and its undercurrents.
Inside and outside the palace walls, two hearts, bound together by mutual longing, stood firm amidst the heavy snow, each holding fast to their own hopes.
The warmth of the reunion, like that bright red seal, quietly conveys strength in the cold winter night.
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