Red Candle Dream
When Zhiwei entered the inner room, apart from the faint fruity fragrance in the air, she was greeted by a stagnant pool of water.
Seated in the very center is the current emperor.
Zhiwei had seen the emperor from afar on the day of the polo match. At that time, she only thought the emperor was tall and strong. Now that she was closer, she realized that the bruises under the emperor's eyes were very heavy and his lips had lost their color.
I heard that he was severely injured during the suppression of the rebellion, and was shot through the chest with an arrow. He survived, but his health is not as good as before.
I wonder how many more winters they can survive. Zhiwei sighed in regret.
Her gaze shifted to Zhu Mingyu, who was holding Zhu Sheng.
Zhu Mingyu clearly saw her as soon as she entered the room, his eyes fixed on her. He probably wanted to talk to her, but then remembered their previous conflict, so he looked away and shut his mouth.
Zhiwei was too lazy to pay attention to her. Shen Danxi beckoned her over, asked a servant to bring her a chair, and told her to sit down.
Zhiwei dared not move, but only sat down after the emperor waved his hand.
"The food delivered by the Imperial Kitchen recently has tasted noticeably better, and I've heard that you've made significant contributions to that." The Emperor began the conversation.
"I dare not accept such praise. I am more grateful for Your Majesty's support." Zhiwei's words were not entirely flattery. She had implemented many reforms upon taking office and achieved remarkable results. Without the emperor's support, she probably would not have been able to succeed so smoothly.
The emperor said no more, turned his head and continued to ask Zhu Liji about the administration. Zhiwei picked up his chopsticks and symbolically ate some food, but was then pounced on by Zhu Shenghu.
"Sister Zhiwei!" Zhu Sheng hugged her waist with his small hands. "It's been so long since I've seen you. Sheng'er missed you so much—"
Zhiwei pinched Xue Tuanzi's cheek and pulled out a piece of sugar cake: "Do you miss me or the delicious food?"
"Yes, we have both."
The little guy opened his mouth and snatched the sugar cake from Zhiwei's hand.
Zhiwei was teasing Zhu Sheng when a gaze suddenly flew from the opposite side.
Zhu Mingyu kept his eyes on her, stirring the soup in her bowl with a loud clattering sound.
Zhiwei pretended not to see and bent down to feed Zhu Sheng cake, but her fingertip accidentally brushed against the corner of the child's mouth.
"It got on me." She pulled out a handkerchief to wipe it, but her wrist was suddenly touched.
Zhu Mingyu approached without anyone noticing, holding a clean handkerchief in his hand, unsure whether to offer it or accept it, his ears turning bright red.
"I...I'll do it."
"I wouldn't dare trouble you, General!" Zhiwei didn't take it, but wiped it herself.
Zhu Mingyu's hand froze in mid-air. He reluctantly withdrew it, took a sip of soup, and almost choked.
Shen Danxi laughed as she watched, and gave Cheng Yuzhi a wink.
Cheng Yuzhi stood up, waved her hand, and a servant brought over a small tea table.
“We recently received some fine tea, which would be a waste to leave at my place. Yu Zhi is very skillful, and her tea-making skills are superb,” Chen Danxi said.
"Your Majesty is too kind to your daughter-in-law." Cheng Yuzhi washed her hands, and the servants beside her knelt down. One of them placed the tea cake on a plain silk cloth, held it with silver tongs and brought it close to the stove to roast it lightly, while the other put the roasted tea cake into the celadon grinding trough and turned it gently with a black stone grinding wheel.
Tea dust, like golden wisps, falls out and is then steeped again.
Cheng Yuzhi remained calm and took out a silver needle.
Dip the needle tip into the clear spring water and gently dab it onto the creamy tea froth.
In a short while, a painting of plum blossoms appeared on the surface of the tea.
The flower buds are piled up like milky foam, and the petals seem to tremble slightly when you breathe on them.
Zhiwei looked on with curiosity, her eyes widening.
In the past, in the mountains and fields, people didn't know anything about tea preparation or appreciation. Tea was just something to quench thirst, and using a nice cup to serve it was considered a pleasure.
Unlike now, the cups and saucers are made of jade, and even the aroma is delicate and lingering. In particular, this small room is filled with a subtle fruity fragrance, giving it the feel of walking in a teahouse in the early morning.
"It truly is top-quality Longjing tea," Shen Danxi commented, "making one feel as if they are in Jiangnan."
Zhiwei nodded vigorously: "The fruity fragrance spreading in the air is the finishing touch, like strolling in a camellia forest."
Zhiwei had only mentioned it casually, but upon hearing it, Shen Danxi was taken aback. She put down her cup and looked at Cheng Yuzhi.
“Miss Yan has a really keen nose,” Cheng Yuzhi exclaimed. “The Empress Dowager used camellia when making incense, but the scent of camellia is faint. Although it is the main note, many people still mistake it for something else.”
Shen Danxi nodded, a dark glint in her eyes, and asked, "Can you still smell anything?"
Zhiwei told her the truth, and the more she talked, the more her smile broadened.
"What a beautiful nose, what a beautiful nose!"
"I've been making incense for so long. I think I'm quite sensitive to scents, but that's ultimately due to experience, not a gift from nature."
Although Shen Danxi was born into a military family, she still retained the interests of a little girl. During her years stationed on the border, she would spend her free time in her room, becoming proficient in all kinds of spices from Jiangnan to the Western Regions, and able to reproduce all kinds of fragrances.
Aside from her family, country, and children, incense making became her greatest hobby. Therefore, she couldn't help but be delighted to see Zhiwei's talent.
Shen Danxi quickly grabbed Zhiwei's hand: "Child, do you like this fragrance?"
Zhiwei nodded.
"Then, how about you come to my palace tomorrow and I'll teach you how to make incense?" Shen Danxi asked.
Zhiwei's emotions were affected by Shen Danxi's urgency: "Then... this humble official will respectfully comply!"
The incense in the small room grew stronger, carrying with it the joy of tea maidens strolling freely through the woods.
While the conversation on one side was going very well, the dialogue on the other side was quite solemn.
In response to the emperor's questions, Zhu Liji answered fluently and logically, offering precise analysis of the malpractices, clearly demonstrating his considerable effort. The emperor listened attentively, stroking his beard with undisguised approval in his eyes.
"Plan ahead and know when to advance and retreat."
"The Crown Prince's considerations are thorough and in line with my wishes." The Emperor nodded in satisfaction, his gaze naturally shifting to another person at the table whose eyes were darting around. "Yu'er, your elder brother's suggestion just now was excellent. In your opinion, if local officials fail to implement policies effectively and are outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant, how should we supervise and monitor them?"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Mingyu initially stammered "Ah ah" in surprise, but then snapped back to reality at Zhu Liji's cough. He put down his chopsticks, looked up, and pondered for a moment.
"Your subject believes that the local authorities are outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant because they are used to doing superficial work and making their memorials look impressive on paper."
"If we want to supervise in a practical way, we still need to send some reliable people from the central government to conduct investigations both openly and covertly, incognito."
Zhu Mingyu said seriously, "These people must be unfamiliar faces, bold and meticulous. Their status cannot be too noble, so as not to make people dare to breathe, nor can they be too lowly, so that the truth cannot be obtained."
He thought of the clever scouts in his Shenjing Battalion: "The best ones are men who have been trained in the army, understand human relationships, and are good at fighting. They should go to those river and canal construction sites and post stations to investigate, chat with the people, and eat with them. They can always hear the truth! If they catch anyone who tries to lie, they should be apprehended on the spot!"
His voice was loud and clear, and his thoughts were direct, but his answers regarding the specific screening process and oversight mechanisms for "reliable candidates" and "open and covert investigations" were rather rough and vague.
Fortunately, Zhu Mingyu was able to get Zhu Liji to step in when he was stammering, which was enough to make his explanation somewhat plausible.
The emperor listened attentively, a hint of paternal affection flashing in his eyes. Seeing the two brothers singing in harmony, he smiled gently.
"You two brothers, one a scholar and the other a warrior, will surely bring great prosperity to our Great Zhao by assisting each other."
"We must hold hands with each other." The emperor stood up, feeling a little dizzy, and supported himself with his hands.
"However, Yu'er, you still need to read more books. It would be even better if you could be as eloquent as your elder brother," the emperor added after a few coughs.
Shen Danxi, who was standing nearby, helped him up.
"Your Majesty, Yu'er is already doing very well." Shen Danxi pushed a bowl of nourishing soup in front of Zhu Mingyu. "He's just a simpleton. Do you expect him to excel in everything, to be proficient in both literary and military arts?"
"Let him have some more nourishment," Shen Danxi said with a smile, her eyes overflowing with affection.
Under the warm yellow palace lanterns, tender feelings flow gently.
Cheng Yuzhi had already put away the tea set and sat quietly to the side.
Her gaze swept lightly and quickly over Zhu Liji, who was sitting opposite her.
He was looking out the window at the lotus shadows swaying in the evening breeze. From Cheng Yuzhi's perspective, Zhu Liji's profile reflected the water and lamplight, like a ray of cold light separated by the window.
Cheng Yuzhi paused almost imperceptibly as she held the teapot to refill Shen Danxi's teacup.
——
By the time the family dinner ended, it was late at night.
With the palace gates locked, the Crown Prince and his family decided to stay in the palace for the night.
Cheng Yuzhi walked along the palace path, slightly behind Zhu Liji by two steps. Zhu Sheng had fallen asleep early on and was being carried on Jiang Mama's back.
Children grow quickly, and carrying a child who is almost seven years old was quite strenuous for Granny Jiang.
Cheng Yuzhi couldn't bear to see her nearly fifty-year-old personal nanny so exhausted, so she offered to take over Zhu Sheng's care. Nanny Jiang turned her head away, raising her chin towards Zhu Liji.
Cheng Yuzhi was stunned.
Memories surged up.
It seems that a similar thing happened many years ago when she had just married Zhu Liji.
Cheng Yuzhi came from a humble background, and every step she took to rise in her career was accompanied by humility.
She remembered it was afternoon when her father opened her door and told her he had some very good news.
She was betrothed to the heir of the Marquis of Jiping.
The specific reasons for this were something a young woman confined to her chambers could not possibly know.
"You must serve your husband well; the family's mission rests on your shoulders."
Before Cheng Yuzhi could react, a red robe was donned and firecrackers went off. She entered the sedan chair wearing a veil she had embroidered herself with mandarin ducks, becoming a wife and a mother.
On their wedding night, Cheng Yuzhi sat on the couch, straining her ears to listen to the sounds outside.
Through the veil and the few gaps hidden by the red wedding dress, she saw someone enter the room, close the door, and without saying a word, drink the wine that was supposed to be used for the wedding toast.
What were her feelings at that time? One was the worry that the ritual of exchanging cups had not been completed, but the deeper one was curiosity.
What does wine taste like?
Cheng Yuzhi didn't know.
She was the most well-behaved woman in her boudoir, having memorized "Admonitions for Women" and "Inner Teachings," mastered excellent embroidery skills, and was most adept at managing accounts.
She always carried a small white jade plate with her, a keepsake left by her mother.
From only being able to cover a few parallel beads, to gradually being able to cover half a row, and finally being able to cover the entire abacus.
The chubby fingertips were replaced by slender ones; from an innocent child, she grew into a graceful young woman.
Cheng Yuzhi's long eyelashes drooped slightly, and her two hands were intertwined.
As the man's footsteps drew closer, she lowered her head even further.
The red candles and warm curtains revealed the moment her veil was lifted.
The candlelight flickers, white tinged with red, as mandarin ducks play in the water, creating a warm and inviting scene.
The tide surged into her body, stirring up the bewilderment in Cheng Yuzhi's eyes.
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