He confessed that he was not Tian Zhao.
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the sweet aroma of forsythia cakes wafted from Consort Su's kitchen. Ya Huan was the first to rush to the kitchen doorway, tiptoeing and peering inside, her nose almost touching the steamer: "Consort Su, are the cakes ready? I can smell the fragrance!" Consort Su lifted the lid of the steamer, and white steam instantly filled the air. She smiled, picked up a piece, and handed it to her: "Just steamed, be careful, it's hot." Ya Huan took the cake, blew on it, and took a bite, her eyes crinkling with satisfaction: "Delicious! Even more fragrant than the osmanthus cake from last time!"
Consort Rong and Consort Li had already decorated the courtyard. Forsythia ornaments embroidered by Consort Rong hung under the eaves, and forsythia and winter plum tea brewed by Consort Su was laid out on the stone table. The Dowager Consort Xian sat in a rattan chair, holding an old book, occasionally glancing up at us busily working, a faint smile on her lips. "Let's call today's banquet the 'Spring Welcoming Banquet'," the Dowager Consort Xian said, closing her book with a smile. "It celebrates the melting snow and the arrival of spring, and it also celebrates that we can always be together." Everyone nodded in agreement, and the atmosphere in the courtyard was both lively and warm.
Midway through the banquet, Ya Huan handed out one of her newly embroidered forsythia-shaped insects to everyone, and Consort Rong also presented us with her own embroidered forsythia sachets. The petals on the sachets were lifelike and carried a faint fragrance of embroidery thread. Looking at the sachet in my hand, and then at the smiling faces around me, a sudden impulse welled up inside me—I wanted to tell them the truth, to tell them that I wasn't the real Tian Zhao, and to tell them how important their companionship had been to me all this time.
I took a deep breath, put down my teacup, and said softly, "Your Highnesses, Ya Huan, there's something I want to tell you all." The laughter in the courtyard gradually subsided, and everyone's gaze fell on me, filled with doubt. Consort Rong put down her purse and asked softly, "You... what's wrong? Has something happened?"
“I am not Tian Zhao,” I said, looking into their eyes, word by word. “The real Tian Zhao is gone in an accident. My name is Lin Zhao. I come from another place. By some twist of fate, I ended up in Tian Zhao’s body and came here.” After saying this, I felt both nervous and uneasy, afraid that they would be afraid of me and distance themselves from me.
Ya Huan was stunned for a moment, and the grass worm in her hand fell onto the table, but she didn't care. She just looked at me and said, "You...you're not Sister A Zhao? But you clearly made grass worms with me, picked winter plum blossoms with me, and even helped me teach a lesson to the eunuch who bullied me..." Her voice was choked with sobs, and her eyes were full of confusion.
Consort Rong's expression changed, and her fingertips unconsciously tightened around the embroidered handkerchief in her hand. However, she did not flinch as before, but said softly, "No matter who you are, you are still A-Zhao who would embroider handkerchiefs with me and bring me embroidery thread. In my heart, you are you, and it has nothing to do with whether you are Tian Zhao or not."
Consort Li put down her teacup, her eyes resolute: "I don't care where you come from. You and everyone else have been with me through the most difficult times, helping me regain hope for life. In my eyes, you are a part of our Cold Palace, and always will be."
Su Fei walked over, gently patted my shoulder, and said in a gentle tone, "Everyone has their own secrets. The fact that you're willing to tell us means you consider us one of your own. No matter who you are, we will treat you the same as before, and that won't change."
The Empress Dowager nodded, her eyes filled with relief: "I've lived to such an old age, what haven't I seen? What matters is not your status, but your heart. We see and remember your kindness to us. From now on, you will still be our A-Zhao, and that will never change."
Looking into their sincere eyes and listening to their warm words, my eyes welled up with tears. Ya Huan ran over and hugged my arm, saying, "Sister A Zhao, no matter who you are, you'll always be my Sister A Zhao! We'll still weave grass worms together and wait for the peach blossoms to bloom!" Consort Rong also came over, handed me a handkerchief, and whispered, "Don't be sad, we're all here for you."
I wiped away my tears and smiled, saying, "Thank you all, thank you for accepting me. Spending these days with you has been the luckiest thing that's ever happened to me." Su Fei smiled and said, "Silly child, don't thank me. Quickly try this forsythia cake, it'll get cold if you don't eat it soon." Ya Huan also picked up a piece of cake and handed it to me, saying, "Yes, yes, this cake is delicious, you must eat more!"
The atmosphere at the banquet returned to its usual liveliness, even more harmonious than before. Consort Rong taught me to embroider forsythia flowers. Although my stitches were crooked, she was very patient and helped me correct them little by little. Consort Li played the pipa. This time, the piece was newly composed, with a cheerful melody full of the breath of spring. Ya Huan pulled me to weave grass insects and even taught me to weave new patterns. Consort Su and Consort Xian sat to the side, watching us and occasionally exchanging a few words with smiles.
As the sun set, the Spring Festival banquet gradually came to an end. Ya Huan and I cleared away the teacups and snacks from the table, while Consort Rong and Consort Li went to tidy up the decorations in the corridor, and Consort Su helped Consort Xian return to her room to rest. A few more petals fell from the winter plum tree in the courtyard, landing on the bluestone slabs, as if drawing a perfect conclusion to this warm banquet.
At night, I lay in bed, clutching the spring-welcoming sachet given to me by Consort Rong. The soft beeping sound in my ears was still faint, but it no longer filled me with panic. I knew I was hiding the truth that "this was a dream," but I didn't want to shatter this beautiful memory, didn't want them to know that I was just a phantom in my memory.
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