A gathering in the Cold Palace, where he confessed to Qin Lan.
On this first Double Ninth Festival in the world, the wild chrysanthemums in the Cold Palace bloomed even more profusely. Purple, yellow, and white flowers crowded at the foot of the palace wall, and when the wind blew, they fell in a rustling sound, like scattered gold dust. As Ya Huan and I squatted in the courtyard picking chrysanthemums, the Empress Dowager Xian walked over with her cane. Looking at the flowers in the courtyard, she smiled and said, "Tomorrow is the Double Ninth Festival. Why don't we hold a small banquet in the courtyard and invite Consort Su, Consort Rong, and Consort Li to enjoy the chrysanthemums and eat cakes together, and have a lively time?"
Ya Huan nearly dropped the chrysanthemum basket in her hands, her eyes shining like stars: "Really? Your Highness! Can we invite Consort Hui to come too? And Sister Qin Lan as well!" The Empress Dowager was taken aback for a moment, then understood and nodded with a smile: "Alright, it's perfect to have them join in the fun. Go tell Zhang Mama to pass on a message to Consort Hui, saying that this old woman would like to invite her to have a piece of Double Ninth cake."
I was both surprised and delighted. I quickly put down the chrysanthemum basket and followed Zhang Mama to deliver a message to Consort Hui. When we arrived at Consort Hui's palace gate, we saw Qin Lan carrying a food box. She was wearing a clean light blue ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), and her complexion was much better than when she was in the Xin Zhe Ku (a place for palace maids). When she saw us, her eyes immediately reddened: "Zhao Zhao! Zhang Mama!" Zhang Mama smiled and patted her hand: "Girl, tomorrow is the Double Ninth Festival. The Empress Dowager Xian invites your mistress and you to the Cold Palace to eat cakes. Tell your mistress."
Qin Lan nodded hurriedly and ran into the palace. Not long after, Consort Hui came out with Qin Lan. She was wearing a light purple padded jacket, and her face still had that aloof look, but her words were still sharp: "It's just a Double Ninth cake, nothing special. But since it's the Dowager Consort Xian who invited me, I'll go." Although her words were firm, there was a hint of expectation in her eyes.
The next morning, Ya Huan and I got up early to decorate the courtyard. The Dowager Consort Xian had a round table brought in, Consort Su brought her treasured chrysanthemum wine, and Consort Rong carried a wooden box containing chrysanthemum handkerchiefs she had embroidered herself; each handkerchief was decorated with a different variety of chrysanthemum, the stitches incredibly fine. Consort Li arrived last, dressed in a plain-colored ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), carrying a food box containing Chongyang cakes she had made, each cake imprinted with small chrysanthemum patterns.
"I'm sorry to have kept you all waiting," Consort Li said softly, her gaze unconsciously drifting towards the courtyard gate, as if she were waiting for someone. Just as Ya Huan was about to speak, footsteps sounded outside the courtyard. Consort Hui entered with Qin Lan, carrying a gilded lacquer box. "I heard you were going to admire the chrysanthemums, so I brought some candied fruit." She placed the box on the table, her gaze falling on Consort Li with a complex expression.
Consort Xian quickly smoothed things over, "Please sit down, please sit down. Qin Lan, you sit down too. Let's not talk about palace matters today, let's just enjoy the chrysanthemums and eat cakes." Consort Su poured everyone a cup of chrysanthemum wine, the liquid was clear and had a faint chrysanthemum fragrance. Consort Rong sat in the corner, clutching an embroidered handkerchief in her hand, talking softly to Ya Huan, occasionally glancing up at everyone with a faint smile on her face.
Qin Lan sat down next to me, quietly tugged at my hand, and whispered, "Zhao Zhao, I have something I want to tell you. How about we find a place to talk alone later?" My heart tightened, knowing that she had probably sensed something, and I nodded gently, "Okay, I'll go for a walk in the yard with you later."
The Chongyang cakes on the table were sweet and soft, and the candied fruits were sweet and sour. Everyone ate and chatted, and the atmosphere gradually became lively. Consort Su told everyone interesting stories about how her family used to celebrate the Chongyang Festival. Consort Xian occasionally chimed in with a few words, and Consort Rong also gradually relaxed, counting the varieties of chrysanthemums in the courtyard with Ya Huan. Only Consort Li and Consort Hui didn't say much, occasionally glancing at each other before quickly looking away, like two children having a tiff.
The afternoon sun gradually softened. Ya Huan pulled Consort Rong to look at the small peach tree, while Consort Su and Consort Xian chatted at the table. I took the opportunity to pull Qin Lan to a corner of the courtyard. As soon as we reached the old locust tree, Qin Lan stopped, her eyes reddening: "Zhao Zhao, you... you're not the real Tian Zhao, are you?" I was shocked. I hadn't expected her to have seen through it all along. After a moment of silence, I nodded gently: "Yes, I'm not Tian Zhao. I come from another world, and when I woke up, I became her."
Tears streamed down Qin Lan's face, her voice trembling. "I knew it... The real Sister Zhao wouldn't suddenly change how she calls me, nor would she suddenly know so much about herbs." My heart ached with a bitter taste. I was about to apologize when Qin Lan shook her head. "You don't need to apologize. You've been very good to me, and to the ladies in the Cold Palace. It's just... I need some time to accept it." She paused, looked into my eyes, and said earnestly, "Could you tell me your real name? I don't want to call you Tian Zhao anymore; that's my sister's name."
Looking into her reddened eyes, I was deeply moved and said softly, "My name is Lin Zhao, you can just call me A-Zhao." Qin Lan nodded, wiped away her tears, and gave a faint smile: "Okay, A-Zhao." The wind rustled through the locust tree leaves, as if blessing our honesty.
When we returned to the courtyard, we saw Consort Xian talking to Consort Li and Consort Hui, with Consort Su smiling beside them, and Consort Rong and Ya Huan handing them handkerchiefs. Seeing us return, Ya Huan waved with a smile, "Sister A Zhao! Sister Qin Lan! Come quickly, Her Majesty the Consort is saying she's going to give us chrysanthemum handkerchiefs!" Qin Lan and I exchanged a glance, both seeing smiles in each other's eyes, and quickly went over.
As the sun set, Consort Hui was about to take Qin Lan back. She walked to Consort Li's side, hesitated for a moment, then took a small box from her sleeve and handed it to her: "This is jujube paste pastry from the old shop in the west of the city. You... you like it." Consort Li took the box, her fingertips trembling slightly, and whispered, "Thank you." Consort Hui's face instantly turned red. She turned and left, still stubbornly saying, "Who needs your thanks! It's just too much to finish!" Watching her hurried figure, everyone laughed.
The Double Ninth Festival in the Cold Palace lacked the extravagance of the palace, but it possessed a rare warmth. Looking at the people around me, my heart was filled with peace. Perhaps, this was the best day, with friends, concerns, and knots that were once unresolved slowly melting away with warmth.
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