Noble Consort Lu Jing brought forty-eight beautiful women for a stroll around the grounds. They settled in the garden as palace servants brought out fine wine and delicious food. In Daming’s imperial harem, clothing and food followed seasonal patterns each month. For instance, in the first month, they wore python robes with gourd-patterned insignia and ate flat dumplings (jiaozi). When Beginning of Spring arrived, they would bite into spring vegetables.

Come the fifth month, they wore python robes with Five Poisons and Mugwort Tiger insignia, ate rice dumplings, and drank realgar wine.

Now in the ninth month, they wore python robes with chrysanthemum insignia, drank chrysanthemum wine, ate Double Ninth cakes, along with Frost-Greeting Spicy Rabbit, fermented eggplant, pickled cucumbers, and other small dishes.

With a mentality of “eat one meal while you can,” Shang Qinglan had no intention of performing for Noble Consort Lu Jing. Her attention was entirely focused on the imperial delicacies before her, eating with complete abandon.

The banquet began.

First came the drum-and-flower passing game. A bouquet of chrysanthemums passed among the beautiful women’s hands. When the drumbeats stopped, whoever held the flowers had to perform their talents – whether composing poetry, painting, or singing and dancing for entertainment.

The banquet reached its peak as the beautiful women displayed their various skills like the Eight Immortals crossing the sea. Only Shang Qinglan hugged a Frost-Greeting Spicy Rabbit head, gnawing at it madly. Even the rabbit meat in the palace tasted better than anywhere outside.

The rabbit meat was spicy, so Shang Qinglan used chrysanthemum wine to cool the heat – three bites of rabbit meat paired with one sip of wine. The more she ate, the more she wanted; the more she drank, the more she consumed. The chrysanthemums landed in her lap just as she held a half-eaten rabbit head in her hands, and the drumbeats stopped.

Unhurried, Shang Qinglan set down the rabbit head, wiped her fingers clean, lifted her wine cup and said, “I don’t have any special talents. I don’t know if drinking capacity counts as a virtue, so I’ll punish myself with three cups.”

Shang Qinglan raised her golden wine cup and drank three cups in succession – gulp, gulp, gulp – then showed the empty bottom.

Wet Nurse Song nearby couldn’t bear to watch. This mindless beautiful woman would definitely be eliminated. So far, only Li Jiubao had performed steadily, having painted an ink chrysanthemum.

Li Jiubao’s painting foundation came from learning to trace flower patterns when embroidering in the past. Her neighbor Chen Jingji had given her a painting manual, which she treasured like a precious jewel, often taking it out to copy and trace, then embroidering the designs onto handkerchiefs to sell at embroidery shops for household income.

She never expected this livelihood skill would come in handy during the imperial selection.

Li Jiubao held her ink chrysanthemum painting and presented it to Noble Consort Lu Jing, who sat in the place of honor.

Noble Consort Lu Jing first looked at the person – what a delicate beauty! Her figure was willowy yet curvaceous, slender where she should be slender, full where she should be full. Her forehead was rounded – clearly good for childbearing. Though according to Noble Consort Lu Jing’s aesthetic preferences, she felt the face was not quite broad enough – it was an exquisitely small almond-shaped face – her eyebrows were like jade-green mountains and her eyes like the waters of Taiyi Pool, sparkling with ripples that made one unable to look away.

Noble Consort Lu Jing’s appearance reminded her of the burned Empress Fang. Empress Fang had been from Jiangning in Yingtian Prefecture in Jiangnan, a typical Jiangnan beauty. Li Jiubao was clearly a local from the capital, yet had northern features with southern grace, but her physique wasn’t as delicate as typical Jiangnan beauties – her stance was as straight as a pine tree.

Li Jiubao could climb onto roofs and remove tiles, so naturally her body was healthier than ordinary boudoir ladies.

Li Jiubao had the appearance of a Jiangnan beauty with the physique of a northern beauty – simply perfect.

Noble Consort Lu Jing immediately became interested. “Come here and let this palace examine you closely.”

Noble Consort Lu Jing’s main purpose was to select concubines for her own son Prince Jing, not to select beautiful women for the Emperor. Her gaze upon Li Jiubao was not that of looking at future palace sisters, but at a daughter-in-law.

Li Jiubao held her ink chrysanthemum painting and placed it on the table before Noble Consort Lu Jing.

Noble Consort Lu Jing grabbed her hand in one swift motion. To judge a beauty, look at her hands. Li Jiubao’s hands appeared fine from the back, but when felt carefully in the palm, they were somewhat rough, with faint calluses on her fingertips.

It seemed this delicate beauty often did household chores – she was truly from the most humble of humble families.

This was actually good – it would be easier to control her in the future. Even if she bore a son, she would obediently listen.

Noble Consort Lu Jing was very satisfied with Li Jiubao and asked, “What is your name?”

Li Jiubao replied, “In response to Your Highness Noble Consort Jing, this commoner is Li Jiubao.”

Noble Consort Lu Jing nodded approvingly, “Jiubao – what an auspicious name.” Looking down at the ink chrysanthemum painting, Noble Consort Jing had seen countless paintings and felt Li Jiubao’s work had a craftsmanlike quality with no distinctive features. However, for a humble family woman who needed to do household chores, being able to paint like this was already quite good.

It seemed she was not only beautiful but also an extremely clever woman. Such a woman was worthy of bearing grandsons for her.

Noble Consort Lu Jing was now completely satisfied with Li Jiubao, wishing she could send her to Prince Jing’s mansion tonight for her son’s enjoyment and to bear imperial grandchildren soon.

Noble Consort Lu Jing rewarded her with a golden hair ornament and personally inserted it into her hair bun.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Wang Daxia pulled Wei Caiwei to the Penglai Pavilion in the Chrysanthemum Garden, located on a hillside where they could overlook the entire Chrysanthemum Garden – very secluded.

While climbing the mountain, Wang Daxia used the steepness as an excuse to frequently pull her hand to help her up. Wei Caiwei saw through this but didn’t call him out, allowing him to hold her hand. The Wang Daxia of this life overlapped with Eunuch Wang from her previous life – Eunuch Wang had also held her hand like this while climbing mountains.

Wei Caiwei felt momentarily dazed. Wang Daxia, who kept his manhood, and Eunuch Wang, who had castrated himself, were definitely not the same person, yet both fell in love with her. She had also been moved by Wang Daxia’s clear, passionate eyes and had written the marriage contract.

Could the regrets of her previous life truly be remedied in this lifetime?

Wang Daxia sought credit, “Beautiful here, isn’t it? I scouted this location on the island yesterday. This place is close to the Chrysanthemum Garden – if the beautiful women need anything, you can return anytime, and we can also quietly enjoy the scenery… and talk with me.”

Wei Caiwei felt sweet inside but said, “The imperial selection will end soon, and I can go home to talk as much as we want in the courtyard. Why rush for this moment to speak secretly and furtively here?”

Wang Daxia was very excited, “I just love being secretive! Yesterday Lu Ying almost saw through my thoughts. I promised you that before our three-year agreement, I won’t announce it publicly. This is just our secret.”

Honestly, this feeling of accelerated heartbeat, always ready to be called at the chrysanthemum banquet, made Wei Caiwei feel thrilled too. She almost forgot that her soul’s age was old enough to be Wang Daxia’s mother. Love truly was the elixir of eternal youth.

Wei Caiwei deliberately teased him, “You called me here – what did you want to tell me?”

Wang Daxia sat beside her, gradually and stealthily scooting his bottom inch by inch toward her like drifting, finally sitting shoulder to shoulder, nervously touching the back of his head, “Just… chatting about life ideals and such.”

Wei Caiwei asked, “What are your ideals?”

Wang Daxia blurted out, “Rise in rank and get rich, then marry you after our three-year agreement. What about you?”

Wei Caiwei said, “My ideal is also to rise in rank and get rich, serve the court well, and become a female official – even a nominal position would be fine, no real power needed. With an official position and money, those people outside won’t dare openly bully me.”

Wang Daxia nudged her sleeve with his elbow, “Aren’t you missing something? There’s also marrying me after three years.”

Wei Caiwei said, “That doesn’t conflict. Rise in rank and get rich to save dowry money – I can’t marry you as a penniless little widow who can only survive by depending on you. I want to stand shoulder to shoulder with you and marry with dignity. True equality of status. I don’t want to be a dodder flower and become your burden.”

Why did it have to be three years? Three years was a test for Wang Daxia and also for Wei Caiwei herself.

The humiliation she suffered at Taotie Restaurant, Wei Caiwei always remembered, vowing never to let such things happen again.

Wang Daxia squeezed closer to Wei Caiwei to offer comfort.

The two sat tightly together, silently watching the scenery. Suddenly, footsteps and the sound of breaking branches came from the Penglai Pavilion stairs.

Wang Daxia immediately stood up, pulled Wei Caiwei, pointed to a small path on the left, and whispered, “You go down first.”

Being seen with a female physician and Imperial Guard meeting privately would be improper after all – they had to separate.

Wei Caiwei took the small path toward the Chrysanthemum Garden, while Wang Daxia went upward, pretending to patrol.

The newcomer was a man in plain clothes whose identity couldn’t be discerned. He walked into Penglai Pavilion, sat down, took out a Western telescope, and looked through it in the direction of where the chrysanthemum banquet was being held.

Wang Daxia stopped. This person wore plain clothes – he couldn’t tell if he was an imperial guard.

Moreover, this person was acting suspiciously, hiding behind the railing with a telescope, peeking secretively, which aroused Wang Daxia’s suspicion. After all, he had just fought with the White Lotus Sect and been deceived by Lady Jin Ying – this person was very suspicious.

Could he be a plainclothes guard secretly protecting the chrysanthemum banquet?

After all, Qionghua Island was surrounded by Taiyi Pool’s waters, with layers of palace walls outside – not just anyone could enter.

To avoid mistakenly attacking friendly forces, Wang Daxia walked into Penglai Pavilion and called out loudly, “Who goes there?”

Actually, the man spying on the chrysanthemum banquet was Prince Jing. He wanted to select several appealing women from the forty-eight beautiful ladies. But as an adult feudal prince, he could only visit his mother Noble Consort Lu Jing at Chenggan Palace – he couldn’t enter other palaces, including Chuxiu Palace where the beautiful women lived, so he had always had the desire but lacked the courage.

He learned from Noble Consort Lu Jing that today’s chrysanthemum banquet would be held on Qionghua Island, where all the beautiful women from Chuxiu Palace would attend to display their beauty and talents. He thought this was a golden opportunity.

Prince Yu was despised by Emperor Jiajing and forbidden from entering the palace, but Prince Jing could freely enter and exit the court. He used the excuse of paying respects to his mother to come to Qionghua Island.

Since he was secretly spying on the beautiful women, he couldn’t let anyone know. After landing on the island, he dismissed all his attendants and climbed the mountain alone to Penglai Pavilion. Having grown up in the palace, he naturally knew this place could overlook the entire Chrysanthemum Garden – the best vantage point for spying.

Prince Jing lay against the railing with his telescope, just in time to see Li Jiubao presenting her painting to Noble Consort Lu Jing. Having grown accustomed to women with broad faces, large breasts, and wide hips in Prince Jing’s mansion, he was instantly smitten upon seeing Li Jiubao’s Jiangnan beauty temperament, wishing he could immediately ask his mother to bring this Jiangnan beauty to Prince Jing’s mansion for tender loving care.

Prince Jing was only twenty-three, at the peak of his masculine vigor. The beauty before his eyes combined with fantasies in his mind caused little Prince Jing below his navel to rise.

Just as Prince Jing reached the crucial moment of his lustful thoughts, someone suddenly spoke behind him. Not only was he startled into trembling all over, his hand shook and the telescope crashed to the ground, shattering the lens into pieces.

Wang Daxia first needed to know the other’s identity. Glancing, he saw this person had no waist token or other identity-proving items at his waist, and looking downward, he noticed this person’s lower body showed a “strange peak rising” with “sky-reaching momentum.”

Wang Daxia was also a man – even if he hadn’t eaten pork, he’d seen pigs run. He naturally knew what this situation meant, thinking that men in the palace were either eunuchs or guards. This guard actually dared to spy on beautiful women and had lewd intentions – truly risking his life for lust.

Prince Jing turned around and saw someone in flying fish robes, knowing he was from the Imperial Guard. This person even boldly stared at his dragon root, immediately becoming furious with shame and lunged to strike Wang Daxia.

Prince Jing frequently entered the palace, so Imperial Guards who regularly patrolled the palace naturally recognized him. If Prince Jing wanted to fight, they certainly wouldn’t resist but would allow the beating.

However, Wang Daxia had only been in the palace for half a month and only guarded the West Garden – he had never seen Prince Jing and naturally didn’t know he was a prince. With Wang Daxia’s personality, if someone tried to hit him, he would definitely strike back!

This person was spying on beautiful women and wanted to kill him to silence him! Wang Daxia was shocked and quickly dodged, then according to techniques he had just learned from the “Sword Manual,” grabbed Prince Jing’s belt, bent his waist with the momentum, and executed a beautiful wrestling throw, slamming Prince Jing hard to the ground.

Prince Jing’s body suddenly became airborne, his head hitting the ground first, and he was instantly knocked unconscious.

Author’s Note: Finally, a fight breaks out! Hahahaha