A sleepless night.

Early the next morning, just as the rooster crowed, the Medical Officials’ Court was already bustling with activity.

Chang Jin rose before dawn, dressed, and went to the kitchen to brew a large pot of medicinal water. It contained herbs that strengthen the body and dispel evil influences, such as peach leaves and fangfeng roots. Only when the bitter fragrance wafted up did he call for the medical officials staying in the compound to fetch it with silver basins—bathing one’s hands in herbal water on the morning of ceremonial days was tradition.

When Lu Tong went to get the medicinal water, she also brought a basin for Lin Danqing.

Upon returning to the room and placing the copper basin of medicinal water on the table, a figure emerged from behind the screen.

Lin Danqing wore a light blue robe with her long hair tied high with a matching ribbon. A dark black belt cinched tightly at her waist, and as the hem of her robe fell, her black boots peeked out as she walked. The scholarly, refined medical official’s robe on her looked more like a flowing, artistic painting.

She stretched out her hands and twirled in front of Lu Tong, asking, “How do I look?”

The ceremony at Tianzhangtai would be grand and lively, with a full day of activities ahead. During the day, red boats would race at Changle Pool, His Majesty would watch water performances from the pavilion, and host banquets for his officials. After the ceremony, there would also be Nuo rituals at night. Apart from the inner court physicians, most medical officials—especially new ones—rarely had the chance to behold the Emperor’s countenance, and they were already growing excited.

Those at the water pavilion couldn’t hear what the two were saying because of the distance from the water hall’s long seats, but they could see their movements.

Just as they reached the door, they saw Chang Jin waiting outside with a group of medical officials. Upon seeing Lu Tong and her companion, Chang Jin urged, “We’ve been waiting for you two. Hurry and get in the carriage.”

The surge of self-esteem was like having cold water dumped over her head, leaving only three parts composure on her face despite her efforts. Meanwhile, Qi Yutai beside her, unaware of her dejection, chatted with others, seemingly in good spirits today.

After Chang Jin checked the list of everyone present, he led the group inside.

Crown Prince Yuan Zhen was not among them.

However…

There were also two feiyu boats, elaborately decorated with gold lacquer paintings, exquisitely detailed. On the boats were groups of performers in costume, waving gongs, drums, and other musical instruments.

More and more officials took their seats around the pool, and imperial guards began to move about on the red boats of Changle Pool. After some time, amid the bustling activity, a ceremonial official announced loudly that His Majesty had arrived—

Just as she was thinking this, someone gently nudged her arm.

The red boat with the flag gradually returned to the front of the water pavilion. A music official in red robes emerged from the pavilion holding a golden tray, respectfully approaching Pei Yunying. He smiled deferentially and said, “These are flowers for your cap. Please make your selection, Lord Pei.”

Lu Tong: “Very beautiful.”

These wildflowers looked extremely unremarkable at first glance, easy to overlook. And due to wind and rain, or perhaps intentional cutting by the ceremonial officials, some flower stems had been cut off, with scattered petals fallen on the ground like a layer of fine snow.

The water pavilion was by the shore, with a long shelter above and grassy ground below. Behind the music official, amid a sea of smoky green, some shrubs hadn’t been completely trimmed away. Small pure white flowers dotted the bushes, swaying desperately in the wind.

Suddenly the crowd gasped again. Everyone looked up to see that the two soldiers in red were no match for Pei Yunying. With one thrust of his spear, the two couldn’t dodge in time and fell into the water with consecutive splashes. The young man under the flagpole smiled at this sight, casually lifting his spear to knock down the golden arrow hanging at the top of the flagpole, along with a small golden bow, both falling into his arms.

The Empress, sitting beside the Emperor, flickered her gaze and replied with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes: “Yao’er, why be so impatient? In the battle between two armies, the outcome remains uncertain until the end. What’s the point of settling it so early? The one who laughs last is the true winner.”

The red petals of the flower seemed about to bloom yet couldn’t, a touch of sandalwood at the heart of the bud. The young lord returns drunk beneath the lanterns, while the beauty inserts it in her hair before the mirror… She had deliberately worn this long skirt embroidered with magnificent peonies because only such dignified and vibrant colors could do her justice.

In the Changle Pool, as the red boats competed fiercely below, two gradually surpassed the others and took the lead. The two boats remained neck and neck, getting closer and closer to the marker boat. Suddenly, the lead soldier on one boat stood up and leaped toward the golden arrow on the marker boat’s flagpole.

Seeing this, the lead soldier on the other boat refused to be outdone and also jumped onto the marker boat, grabbing the first man’s leg and yanking him down from the flagpole.

The Imperial Medicine Bureau and the Medical Officials’ Court had always maintained a delicate relationship. When they faced each other, their greetings were excessively polite. Afterward, they pretended nothing had happened, turned away to talk among themselves, no longer exchanging pleasantries.

“Wildflowers catch the eye, no need for peonies.”

Lu Tong knelt in obeisance along with the others. When she raised her eyes, she caught a distant glimpse of Emperor Liang Ming, surrounded by the upper part of the great hall.

At the long table in the water hall, Qi Huaying sat beside Qi Yutai. Her dress was adorned with large, magnificent peonies that made her the most eye-catching beauty at the banquet, attracting furtive glances from the male guests in the distance.

Shortly after, the two soldiers knocked into the water by Pei Yunying’s spear swam to the red boat. Dripping wet, they climbed aboard, both looking somewhat embarrassed. It was truly humiliating that the soldiers who had been entrusted with great hopes for winning the competition had been thrown into the water by the Commander in just a few moves.

“My Lord?”

Lu Tong turned around as Lin Danqing nodded toward the distant table: “Look.”

He hadn’t noticed her at all.

Emperor Liang Ming looked quite young.

“How about this one?” he asked the music official with a smile.

Lu Tong, who had been coldly observing him since he entered the water pavilion, shifted her gaze slightly.

“Excellent! Excellent!”

Pei Yunying had already removed his official hat and replaced it with an ink-embroidered headband. He moved extremely fast, crossing the red boats as if on solid ground. The onlookers only saw a blur before the young man appeared on the “competition” boat.

The Empress Dowager smiled: “This year is indeed more lively than previous years.”

Chang Jin was so excited his voice changed pitch, while Lin Danqing also pounded the table and cheered. All around Changle Pool, both onshore and off, there was a thunderous beating of gongs and drums.

What’s the point of just watching boats race? The exciting part is when they fight—fight!

The two soldiers on the boat were evenly matched in skill. Just as one was about to pull out the arrow, the other followed closely. The red boat rocked precariously, splashing water high into the air. Soldiers on both sides of the boat waved flags and shouted, while other boats moved forward to block them. Onshore, the crowd roared and cheered, yet the golden arrow on the red boat remained motionless.

The Empress stroked her fingernail guards and smiled as well, saying: “Mother Empress is right. I still remember the troop inspections on the third day of the third month years ago, when willow branches were inserted around the polo field, and soldiers rode horses to shoot at them. Commander Pei hit the ball with every arrow, unrivaled in prominence.”

Even with a veil covering her face, and despite having relative privacy in this section because of Qi Qing’s presence, with only Qi Yutai accompanying her, she still felt uncomfortable. She didn’t wish to mingle with this mixed crowd. Those admiring glances didn’t please her; they only increased her annoyance.

Lu Tong looked intently.

Pei Yunying stood impassively, not looking her way.

“Wonderful! Beautiful! How spectacular!”

Qi Huaying sat closer to the water pavilion and therefore also saw the peony on the golden tray in front of Pei Yunying.

Lu Tong sat at the water hall’s long table, expressionlessly listening to the deafening cheers beside her. Chang Jin even let out a high-pitched scream. She frowned and looked up, suddenly freezing.

Qi Huaying in the water hall seats also widened her eyes.

The woman looked up, but the person on the high pavilion had never once glanced in her direction.

Another round of applause and cheers erupted from around them.

Indeed, immersed.

Lin Danqing pushed something back to her: “Lu, you should eat something too. The ceremony will keep us busy all day, and with so many people at the banquet, sometimes we must maintain appearances and can’t eat to our hearts’ content. This is your first ceremony, so you don’t know, but I attended once with my father and was starving by the end. My stomach was practically touching my back.”

The soldier smiled and said: “My Lord, why not choose this peony? Noble and magnificent, extraordinarily beautiful—it’s the most exquisite flower on this tray!”

During Liang Dynasty birthday celebrations, happy feasts, and sacrificial banquets, it was customary to bestow imperial flowers to be worn on caps or chests. Today, these imperial flowers were granted to the water performance soldiers as a mark of honor.

“Be careful.”

The cheering crowd grew even more excited.

Lin Danqing sat up straight and sighed: “Love is harmful.”

Qi Huaying had arrived as well.

Pei Yunying looked for a long time, then suddenly stepped past the music official and bent down to pick up a small white flower that had fallen to the ground.

Lin Danqing watched with such excitement that she nearly rolled up her sleeves to join in herself, her screams almost deafening Lu Tong. Looking at Chang Jin, he too was excited, raising his wine cup and repeatedly shouting praise, no longer resembling his usual prim and proper self.

Next to them sat people from the Imperial Medicine Bureau.

The cheers around them suddenly grew more intense.

She had taken special care with her appearance today, choosing a dress both magnificent and elegantly dignified. When she took her seat, she had carefully calculated every inch so that when she sat down, the person up in the pavilion would see her most beautiful profile.

The boatmen in blue robes rowed vigorously, propelling the red-robed soldiers’ boats forward. Above the water, gongs and drums sounded, and the red boats surged forward like arrows simultaneously shooting toward their target. The red boats crisscrossed in the first half, like two armies in battle.

The atmosphere suddenly became lively.

In his forties, he wore a bright yellow robe embroidered with colorful clouds and golden dragons, topped with a golden crown. The hanging beads from the crown obscured the emperor’s expression, yet did not diminish his imperial aura. His complexion, however, appeared somewhat pale, giving him a somewhat gloomy appearance.

“In that case, Lord Pei, please join the competition and teach these soldiers what ‘competing for the marker’ truly means.”

With age, he had only grown more handsome, though his temperament had become more steady, making one somewhat nostalgic for how he used to be.

The intense competition of the red boats on Changle Pool was even more vivid when viewed from above.

In truth, Lu Tong had previously been suspended from duty, and even though Cui Min had gotten into trouble, her previous issues had been handled rather ambiguously. Now that she was diagnosing Qi Yutai, and Chang Jin temporarily headed the Medical Officials’ Court, Chang Jin thought it over and decided that since the ceremony was just for entertainment anyway, he had added Lu Tong’s name to the list after consulting with Ji Xun.

“Bang—”

He smiled and raised his eyes, his gaze fleetingly passing over the crowd in the water hall before settling once more on the hibiscus flower between his fingers.

In his brocade official attire and hat, his figure tall and handsome, he appeared humble and respectful, yet effortlessly outshone the princes by the Emperor’s side.

He cupped his hands in salute: “Yes.”

Pei Yunying stepped back and smiled: “I shouldn’t be competing for the marker today. Since His Majesty is in high spirits, it’s better to leave the flowers for the red boat soldiers.”

A neighboring medical official laughed: “Lin is just scaring Lu. As if the palace would let you go hungry!”

Emperor Liang Ming raised his hand to exempt everyone from formalities, then took his seat on the high platform. To his left and right were the Empress Dowager and the Empress, followed by the Third Prince, Second Prince, Fourth Prince, and several princesses.

The music official was caught off guard by his unexpected action of not selecting a flower from the golden tray, and could only remind him in confusion: “My Lord, that’s a hibiscus flower…”

The court was now divided into two factions, with the Crown Prince and Third Prince each having their supporters, and their relationship could hardly be called warm.

The golden ball fell with color and hit right on target.

Qi Huaying’s eyes revealed a trace of disappointment.

Pei Yunying looked up, but Emperor Liang Ming had already withdrawn his gaze, listlessly watching the water pool below.

Lu Tong paused slightly.

The young men of Chang’an serve in the Imperial Guards, galloping and shooting arrows, attending the wise Emperor.

When the open and covert struggles were brought to the surface, Emperor Liang Ming’s expression darkened. The Empress Dowager beside him spoke up to smooth things over: “Although the red boat competition is exciting, this year’s competing soldiers are indeed not up to previous standards.” She glanced at the young man standing beside Emperor Liang Ming and smiled, “In my opinion, if Commander Pei were to participate, he would have captured the golden ball and ended the competition within the time it takes to burn a stick of incense.”

On the table were porcelain pots containing chrysanthemum wine, chrysanthemum cakes, and Double Ninth Festival cakes—as the Double Ninth Festival had just passed. Each jar of chrysanthemum wine had a small vase of chrysanthemums beside it, brilliantly yellow and red, particularly vibrant.

The imperial family sat high on the small pavilion above the water hall, a place that offered a complete view of Changle Pool and was also the perfect spot to watch the water performances.

Third Prince Yuan Yao then said with a smile: “Two incense sticks have already burned, yet the two soldiers still haven’t determined a winner. This is becoming somewhat drawn out.”

Chatting like this, the journey didn’t seem far. The carriage swayed gently, and before long, they had arrived at their destination.

The two of them whispered together, unaware that from the high pavilion, the young man had quickly glanced in their direction before averting his gaze.

Unexpectedly, Pei Yunying picked up a flower.

In the water pavilion, the young man lowered his head to examine the flowers before him, pondered for a moment, and then reached toward the golden tray.

This was the first time Lu Tong had seen the sacred countenance of the legendary Son of Heaven.

On the small pavilion, Emperor Liang Ming stood with his hands behind his back, watching from above. Seemingly affected by the intense drumming, his pale face gained a hint of color.

The crowd immediately fell silent, and the officials bowed down in obeisance.

Lu Tong pulled back her thoughts and looked up toward the distance.

Seeing that she seemed genuinely hungry, Lu Tong gave her an egg as well.

The young man held the hibiscus flower between his fingers, giving it a slight twist. The snow-white flower, delicate as a fairy, bloomed gracefully in his hand.

The winner of the “competition” should be the first to select a flower.

At the command of a soldier on the shore, suddenly “multiple arrows shot forth” simultaneously. The water’s surface was filled with the sounds of gongs and drums, cheers, and performance songs without pause. Changle Pool was a riot of color; the music resonated like metal and stone, and the water churned as if with leaping fish, like dragons stirring waves.

Perhaps now it wasn’t because of love, but just a bit of unwillingness to accept. She was always the one looking down on others; how could someone look down on her first?

She had already spotted Pei Yunying.

Now the red boats surrounded him. The boats’ gongs and drums beat fiercely; onshore, people cheered and applauded. In the distance by the shore, a stretch of green was visible, pomegranate flowers vying for attention. The handsome young man held an arrow and bow, aiming at the golden ball hanging on the shore—

The music official was stunned and didn’t know what to do for a moment. After thinking, he said: “But my Lord has hit the golden ball and should choose a flower for his cap.”

The water competition at Changle Pool was an event established by the previous emperor. Every year, watching the hundred performances at Shenbao Hall included this tradition. The previous emperor had been bold and open-hearted, while Emperor Liang Ming was quite the opposite—calm and subdued. After the previous emperor’s passing, the yearly ceremonies lacked the joy of an emperor celebrating with his subjects on the water pavilion, which diminished the festivities. This year, with the ceremony and Nuo rituals combined, preparations were even more grand.

“Commander Pei! Commander Pei has also joined the competition!”

She became pleased: “Of course. You’re not bad yourself.”

The people in the pavilion all looked toward the young man behind Emperor Liang Ming when they heard this.

Everyone in the pavilion paused.

Behind Emperor, Liang Ming stood a young man.

With this reminder, everyone recalled Pei Yunying’s gallant image of years ago, riding across the polo field shooting arrows. He was even younger then, like a newly unsheathed precious sword, with an unmistakable, dazzling radiance.

On these red boats, each carried more than a dozen soldiers in red robes, with a large red flag inserted at the bow. Beside them were dozens of tiger-headed boats whose occupants wore short blue clothes and blue headbands, all rowing in unison.

The young man smiled, reaching up to remove the ink-black gold-embroidered headband from his forehead. In the sunlight, his brilliant demeanor brought to mind a line of poetry—

The crowd at the banquet fell silent for a moment, then erupted into massive cheers.

Pei Yunying wore a dark green brocade official robe with a subtle dark eagle pattern, and an official hat on his head. His figure was as sleek as the beautiful silver-mounted saber at his waist—spirited, sharp, and handsome, truly outstanding at first glance.

The group hurriedly boarded the carriages. Lu Tong sat with Lin Danqing and several other medical officials. Having risen a bit late in the morning, Lin Danqing peeled a few green-shelled eggs in the carriage to line their stomachs beforehand.

“That Miss Qi never used to attend ceremonial gatherings, yet today she’s here in full regalia. I noticed she’s stolen five, six, maybe seven glances up at that pavilion. Surely she can’t be looking at the Emperor! Now that would be interesting.”

The two immediately engaged in combat on the marker boat.

That hand with its distinct knuckles, long as jade, paused for a moment over the purple-red peony, then withdrew.

If Pei Yunying had taken that peony…

Lin Danqing, sitting beside her, explained: “The people on the feiyu boats are music officials who will perform water puppet shows and such later. The tiger-headed boats are pulling the red boats—the ‘competition for the marker’ will begin shortly.”

The martial arts field had long tables set up, laden with wine and delicacies, with designated places for each department. The Medical Officials’ Court’s position was rather remote. Chang Jin led everyone to the corner table to sit down. As soon as they were seated, greetings came from the neighboring table.

The spectators watched with rapt attention. Some of the refined officials roared until their faces turned red and their necks bulged. Qi Huaying, sitting amid the hall full of cheers, suddenly felt her heart flutter like the red tassel on that spear, rising and falling with its wielder, a dash of flying red.

“Excellent! Excellent!”

On the golden tray were various delicate flowers, arranged by rank and in all colors—silver-red silken flowers, multicolored branch flowers, silver-red silk flowers… Among them was a purple-red silk peony, its petals abundant and luxuriant, like the intoxicated face of beauty, national beauty, and heavenly fragrance.

Unfortunately, though all the male guests at the banquet were stunned by her elegance, when she raised her sleeve and cup, secretly glancing up at the pavilion behind her long sleeve, she still felt deeply disappointed.

“I just like hibiscus,” he said.

“Wildflowers catch the eye, no need for peonies” — from “Records from a Small Window”