The brocade, three feet tall and two and a half feet wide, appeared before everyone’s eyes. The moon peeked from behind clouds, illuminating a river that rippled with silver light. Chrysanthemums with yellow centers and pink-purple petals swayed in the night wind, their branches dancing, petals scattered and falling. Blue, silver, yellow, purple, and green—five main colors made the brocade dazzling and brilliant.
Most striking was the chrysanthemum, rendered in a free-flowing style, ethereal as an immortal.
Zhao Binsong slowly recited: “Drinking done at the farewell pavilion, westward bound, returning as if at the third watch. The long canal flows with moonlight, soundless. Tonight’s clear dreams are sweet, thoughts of you until dawn. Night deepens, wind stills, ripples smooth. Gazing at my reflection in self-pity, beside a fallen hairpin lying crosswise.”
The frame’s connection was cleverly designed, requiring no one to carry it around for display. He gave it a gentle push. The brocade mounted in the rotating frame began to turn slowly like a lantern show.
The autumn afternoon sun was gentle, softly falling on the brocade.
As the brocade turned, the scene suddenly came alive. The moon broke through clouds, and the river gurgled. Everyone seemed to see a chrysanthemum slowly blooming before their eyes. Petals danced in the wind like a beauty’s skirts floating, stepping out of the painting.
“The Chrysanthemum Immortal has manifested!”
Someone suddenly shouted these words. Countless voices echoed in unison: “The Chrysanthemum Immortal has manifested!”
The sound rolled forward like waves, and the entire Zouma Corner Tower erupted.
Tang people were obsessed with peonies. Legend said that the famous peony varieties Yao Yellow and Wei Purple were incarnations of two immortals with the same names who descended to earth. Now, the Zhao family’s Immortal by the River Chrysanthemum Brocade reminded everyone of the peony immortal legend. Gazing at the chrysanthemum blooming on the competition platform, they were dazzled and enchanted, their hearts swaying.
The heads of the brocade-making households almost simultaneously stood from their chairs, staring dumbfounded at the Zhao family’s brocade.
Zhao Binsong’s eyes stung, nearly bringing him to tears on the spot. In his twenty-plus years as family head, he had never felt the Brocade King title so close.
Upstairs in the Zhao family chamber, Old Master Zhao wept openly, his whole body trembling. The thunderous applause struck his heart. His lips quivered, his eyes gleaming, as he tightly gripped Zhao Xiuyuan’s hand.
Madam Yang Shi crushed the handkerchief in her hand into a ball, gritting her teeth: “How cunning of the Zhao family!”
The sample submitted to the Brocade Guild and the Military Governor’s party for deciding the finals had only been a foot-long piece. The Zhao family used the sample that Zhao Xiuyuan had once shown Ying’ying Ji for color matching. Such a sample was entirely different from this brocade before them that transformed with changing light, becoming almost alive.
Otherwise, the Zhao family’s brocade would never have achieved such a sensational effect.
Yang Jingyuan stood by the window, looking at the brocade titled “Immortal by the River,” his hand unconsciously pressing against his chest. The handkerchief in his inner pocket felt like a branding iron, making him uneasy.
This chrysanthemum was the Purple Swallow New Makeup from the Eight Trigrams Pavilion at Qingyang Temple. When he had spied on Ying’ying Ji from the second floor, he had only been curious about how the chrysanthemum on her handkerchief seemed to suddenly disappear. It wasn’t until he retrieved and dried the handkerchief from the water that he discovered the chrysanthemum was still there, cleverly using the colors of the threads and changes in light to appear alive. What ingenious color matching.
He had thought Ying’ying Ji was merely skilled at embroidery. Seeing the Zhao family’s competition piece, Yang Jingyuan finally understood what Ying’ying Ji had done for the Zhao family.
He couldn’t help looking down. From the Yang family chamber’s angle, the Ji siblings shouldn’t have been visible. But now, as the hall erupted in cheers and people excitedly surged forward to get a closer look at the competition platform, the departing Ji siblings stood out starkly, appearing particularly lonely. At that moment, Yang Jingyuan felt the handkerchief in his chest weighing heavily on his heart. He pressed his lips together tightly, coldly watching Zhao Binsong on stage making excited bows. How could the Zhao family treat her this way?
Ying’ying Ji didn’t look back. Tears welled in her eyes as she listened to the erupting cheers behind her, her heart both aching and proud. The Zhao family might have looked down on her, but she respected herself.
This was her final gift to Zhao Xiuyuan. After loving him for so many years, she gave him the most perfect memorial.
Yaoting Ji was also shocked. He only knew his sister had worked hard helping the Zhao family with color matching and ideas for the competition. He never imagined his sister’s mastery of color had reached such an astonishing level. He gripped Ying’ying Ji’s hand and said softly: “Ying’ying, brother is so proud of you!”
Ying’ying Ji lifted her face, breaking into a smile: “Brother, that brocade has nothing to do with me anymore. I’ve seen it, that’s enough.”
Yaoting Ji was stunned, then understood his sister’s thoughts. Indeed, this was the Zhao family’s brocade. How could the century-old Zhao family possibly rely on a small dyer’s daughter to win the Brocade King title? His sister’s words showed she had thoroughly understood this. He nodded firmly: “Let’s go home. Mother is waiting.”
Whether the Zhao family ultimately won the Brocade King title no longer had anything to do with the Ji family.
Madam Niu was also overjoyed. She held Fifth Miss’s hand and murmured: “Fifth Miss, even without your father’s help, the Zhao family can win the Brocade King title. My daughter won’t be wronged.”
Fifth Miss Niu patted her mother’s hand and smiled: “Mother worries too much. Zhao Xiuyuan is talented in both appearance and ability. Whether he wins the Brocade King title or not, he is worthy of your daughter.”
Sang Fourteen couldn’t help saying: “The Yang family’s brocade hasn’t been displayed yet. Though the Zhao family’s brocade is sensational, the Yang family wins the Brocade King title every year—they can’t be far behind.”
“Are you taking outsiders’ side? Zhao Second Young Master is my future brother-in-law, and your brother-in-law too!” Seventh Miss Niu pinched him unhappily.
The pain made Sang Fourteen’s face turn white instantly. His mouth opened wanting to cry out, any thought of speaking more for the Yang family squeezed out of him.
In the second-floor main hall, the Military Governor laughed heartily: “What an excellent Immortal by the River! What an excellent manifestation of the Chrysanthemum Immortal! Excellent brocade!”
With these words, the guild leader, Prefecture Governor, and local notables understood that in the Military Governor’s mind, unless the Yang family had something better, the Zhao family would certainly win this year’s Brocade King title. No one disputed this, all agreeing: “Your Excellency’s praise is well-deserved. The Zhao family winning the Brocade King title would be well-earned.”
But Deputy Governor Niu, thinking of his family’s marriage alliance with the Zhao family—though not public, many families already knew—became modest as he saw the Zhao family’s certain victory: “Every year, the previous Brocade King’s family presents last. This humble official believes we should wait to see the Yang family’s brocade before deciding.”
The Military Governor had originally come at Deputy Governor Niu’s request for support. Seeing the Zhao family’s truly impressive work, he wouldn’t play the villain and risk being suspected of unfairness, so he said generously: “That’s as it should be.”
On the competition platform, the Yang family’s eldest son Yang Jingshan maintained a frozen smile. Though his surface showed little sign, his heart was churning. Cold sweat broke out on his back. Could it be that this year the Yang family really couldn’t keep the Brocade King title?
The announcer waited for the excitement to die down, then quickly struck his gong hard. The gong somewhat suppressed the crowd’s cheering, and he called out loudly: “The final presentation is from last year’s Brocade King, the Yang family of Yizhou City!”