The Chief Physician Hu from the Imperial Medical Academy hurried through the snow with a young medicine apprentice. As soon as he entered the hall, the Emperor, lying on the low couch, heard their footsteps and opened his eyes.
After Chief Physician Hu made a deep bow, he walked to the low couch to take the Emperor’s pulse. The medicine apprentice, holding medicinal packets, walked without stopping toward the side hall to decoct the medicine.
After nearly half an hour, the young apprentice stood in the corridor outside the main hall, holding a bowl of steaming medicinal brew. The cold wind cooled the medicine slightly.
Chief Physician Hu took the pulse and carefully observed the Emperor’s complexion. Seeing his face as white as paper and his lips pale, he bowed deeply again and said, “Your Majesty, this headache seems more severe than usual. This humble official has specially added several sleep-inducing herbs. After Your Majesty takes this, a period of restful sleep should bring some relief.”
The medicine apprentice carefully brought over the medicine bowl.
Eunuch Gao tested it first before handing it to the Emperor.
After drinking the medicine, Xiaoyan waited for a while but felt no improvement.
He frowned irritably and waved his hand, “Everyone withdraw.” Then he lay down on the low couch fully clothed.
Chief Physician Hu led the medicine apprentice out of Reed Palace, holding their breath.
Eunuch Gao walked to Zhao Wan’s side and said softly, “Noble Lady Wan, please retire to another place with your maids and allow His Majesty to rest here.”
Zhao Wan curtseyed, “This concubine takes her leave.”
With that, she led a line of palace maids out.
The main hall of Reed Palace became spacious and quiet, with no human voices heard, only the sound of wind and snow.
Eunuch Gao closed the hall doors and then stood silently to one side.
Xiaoyan closed his eyes and, in a daze, was half-awake and half-asleep.
He had that strange dream again.
The strange dream he had at Wushan Detached Palace.
He dreamed of the hot spring pool behind the Detached Palace.
A palace lantern placed by the pool illuminated the faint mist.
He saw again the hazy figure in the pool.
Xiaoyan unconsciously held his breath and walked closer, approaching the pool’s edge. The person in the pool still had their back to him, seemingly unaware of his presence, just using their hand to play with the rippling water.
He heard himself call out: “Gu Yi…”
But he could see clearly that the figure was not Gu Yi.
She finally turned her head.
Xiaoyan saw her lower her body in alarm, saying, “Your Majesty, forgive me!”
Zhao Wan.
Xiaoyan suddenly opened his eyes.
Before him were still the carved beams of Reed Palace. He lay on the low couch, and his head no longer hurt.
He frowned as he sat up. Eunuch Gao, seeing him awake, hurried forward, “Your Majesty, are you feeling better?”
Xiaoyan, just awakening from the dream, wearily rubbed his forehead, “I’m fine.”
But in his heart, he was filled with confusion. Zhao Wan had never been to Wushan Detached Palace, so why had he dreamed of her? Was it simply because he had seen her today?
Feeling increasingly restless, Xiaoyan decided to get up, “Let’s go back to Tianlu Pavilion.”
When Zhao Wan heard the palace maid’s report, the Emperor had already left Reed Palace.
She came out from the side hall and only glimpsed his departing figure.
The Emperor’s headache seemed to be getting more severe.
She pinched her silk handkerchief, thought for a moment, and instructed Su Xue, “When you have free time these days, go to the Imperial Medical Academy and find recipes for calming soups…”
Su Xue smiled, “Yes, Noble Lady.”
*
Afternoon, the snow stopped.
Gu Yi finished her midday meal and looked out the window to see several young palace maids sweeping the snow in front of the door.
They were all newcomers who had come to serve at Pingcui Palace after she was promoted to Beauty.
Among them, the smallest one, named Duo Luo, wore a thick chestnut-colored padded jacket. Her little face was reddened by the wind, and she was only twelve years old.
“Duo Luo, come here,” Gu Yi called out.
Seeing her, Duo Luo’s eyes brightened. She immediately picked up her bamboo broom and ran to the window, “Beauty, what are your instructions?”
Gu Yi smiled gently, “I’m going horseback riding this afternoon. Tao Jia has already gone to the stables. I need to change into riding clothes. Come help me with the ties.”
Duo Luo nodded quickly, “This servant will wash her hands and come right away.”
Gu Yi smiled and turned back to her bedchamber.
The riding outfit was a set: a jacket on top and a skirt below, but with additional cloth pants, with ties at the trouser legs—quite complicated.
After Duo Luo arrived, it took both of them considerable effort to get her changed into the complete riding outfit.
Seeing her put on a pair of leather boots, Duo Luo couldn’t help saying, “Beauty dressed like this looks like a daughter of the grasslands…”
Gu Yi laughed, “You’re so young, have you been to the grasslands?”
Duo Luo nodded, “This servant’s father was originally from the Danta people. When this servant was small, we lived among the Danta. Later, we moved south to the capital. Father became a riding officer in the military and allowed this servant to enter the palace, saying he wanted me to work hard and eventually become a female official.”
Gu Yi smiled without speaking. She arranged her garments and headed to the royal garden’s riding grounds.
Tao Jia and a eunuch in charge of the horses were already waiting for her outside the stables.
Today was Gu Yi’s first time riding a horse. They had selected a very gentle white horse for her.
After Gu Yi was helped onto the saddle, the eunuch led the horse, taking her around the arena twice before handing the reins to her, “Beauty, why not try it yourself? This servant will be right beside you.”
Gu Yi excitedly took the reins and, following what she had just learned, gently patted the horse’s rump. The white horse then carried her, slowly walking in circles.
From then on, Gu Yi went to the royal garden every afternoon to practice horseback riding. Before she knew it, the days had slipped into the twelfth month, and she could already ride at a steady pace.
As the New Year approached, various matters in the palace became complicated. Everyone in the palace was busy, preparing for numerous New Year’s affairs.
Pingcui Palace, located in the Western Garden, though quiet and secluded, also had palace staff come to hang colorful palace lanterns.
From the middle of the month, Gu Yi could hear the sound of firecrackers coming from the direction of the front hall every day.
As soon as the hour of the dog arrived, unless it was rainy or snowy, fireworks would be set off in the sky one after another.
Gu Yi stood in the courtyard, looked up at the sky, and could still see spots of light.
She thought that if she were standing in the front hall watching, the scene would surely be even more magnificent.
It had been more than a month since she had seen Xiaoyan.
After the chance encounter outside Reed Palace last time, she hadn’t seen him again.
Tao Jia saw her standing in place for a little while and brought out a fur-lined cloak, “Beauty, put this on. The firecrackers will continue for a while…”
Gu Yi smiled and lowered her head to tie the strings on the cloak.
Beside her, Tao Jia suddenly said, “Beauty, look quickly, someone seems to be coming outside…”
Gu Yi raised her head and looked out through the wide-open gates of Pingcui Palace. Indeed, she saw several dim yellow palace lanterns swaying, gradually approaching.
When the footsteps drew near, she quickly walked toward the palace gate and curtseyed, “This concubine pays respects to Your Majesty.”
Xiaoyan saw her wearing a cloak, standing under the lantern light. “Rise.”
Gu Yi raised her head and looked at Xiaoyan. She saw that he wasn’t wearing his formal crown, his hair only loosely tied with a silk ribbon, dressed in a blue casual outfit.
The festival was approaching, and the officials were on holiday.
Xiaoyan saw Gu Yi smiling with her eyes, staring at him unblinkingly.
The depression that had been accumulating for days seemed to diminish by half.
He asked, “I hear you often go to the riding grounds lately?”
Gu Yi was not surprised and simply nodded, “This concubine has nothing to do, so I thought of riding to pass the time.”
Since you have nothing to do, why haven’t you come to see me…
Due to the New Year’s court assembly and tributes from foreign lands, Xiaoyan couldn’t get away. There were often palace ladies coming to Tianlu Pavilion to deliver soups, but Gu Yi, since being called to see him the day Gu Changtong came, had never gone there again.
In the distance, the continuous sounds of celebratory firecrackers from the front hall could be faintly distinguished, but the face of Xiaoyan before her suddenly turned cold.
Gu Yi smiled uncertainly and asked, “Did Your Majesty just view the lanterns? This concubine heard that a mountain of a thousand lanterns was erected in front of the front hall, extremely magnificent.”
Xiaoyan made an “Mm” sound, strode past her, and went directly into the room.
Xiao Gouzi seems to be in a bad mood again.
Gu Yi looked to Eunuch Gao for help.
Eunuch Gao, unusually, let out a sigh. He lowered his voice, “His Majesty has been suffering from frequent headaches recently and hasn’t been sleeping well. Beauty, be clever and comfort him more.”
So that’s it.
Gu Yi gratefully said, “Thank you for the advice, sir.” With that, she turned and quickly followed.
After Xiaoyan sat down, Gu Yi poured him a cup of tea and pushed it in front of him, “Your Majesty, have some tea.”
Xiaoyan saw her smiling cautiously. “Sit down.”
He turned his gaze away, and his eyes inadvertently swept over a book on the table, a collection of annotations on the waterways of the Great Mu Dynasty with illustrations.
“You’re reading this book?”
Gu Yi panicked for a moment. She had looked at the map today and forgotten to put it away. Smiling, she said, “This concubine was reading it for fun. The mountains and rivers of the Great Mu are beautiful, and this concubine yearns for them in her heart. Although I have no opportunity to travel them all, I thought it would be good to look at books, so I requested this volume from the Office of Records.”
Hearing this, Xiaoyan’s eyes moved slightly. He casually flipped through the book, seeing that it was detailed in both illustrations and text, depicting the mountains, lakes, and rivers of the Great Mu meticulously, with riverside cities all recorded.
“These annotations are quite interesting.”
Gu Yi saw his expression ease slightly and secretly breathed a sigh of relief, “Has Your Majesty had dinner? This concubine still has some lucky oranges in the hall. Would Your Majesty like to try some?”
Xiaoyan laughed, “No, prepare a bath. I’m tired.”
Gu Yi was stunned for a moment, and Eunuch Gao turned to send someone to fetch water and prepare a bath.
After Xiaoyan bathed, the palace people changed the water again to serve Gu Yi’s bath.
By the time Gu Yi finished her bath, it was nearly the hour of the pig.
There were no outsiders in the bedchamber. Through the gauze curtain, she saw Xiaoyan lying on the bed, eyes closed, breathing lightly, his chest rising and falling—he was already asleep.
He was truly tired.
Gu Yi carefully lay down on the bed, reached out to tuck in the corners of the blanket for both of them, closed her eyes, and, after a little while, also fell asleep.
*
On New Year’s Eve, the sound of firecrackers in the palace was incessant, with lanterns and festive decorations everywhere.
People exchanged New Year greetings, and even though Gu Yi didn’t enjoy visiting the various palaces, she had to pay respects according to rank.
Among the four consorts, only Luoying Palace had its gates tightly closed because Noble Consort De was still reflecting in isolation. Gu Yi wrote a couple of auspicious phrases in the “register” outside Luoying Palace’s gate, which constituted her New Year’s greeting to Noble Consort De.
By the time she emerged from visiting the other three consorts and several Noble Ladies, following the crowd, the sky had already darkened.
It was exactly the hour of the dog.
The New Year’s Eve banquet was set in the inner court.
Gu Yi changed into new clothes, wearing an indigo jacket and skirt with a scarlet padded jacket, and a pair of red jade plum blossom hairpins inserted diagonally in her hair.
Exquisite dishes were arranged on the table in front of her as Gu Yi sat formally.
In one more day, it would be the New Year.
After New Year’s Day, she would have survived one more day than the last time.
After several announcements in the court, palace servants filed in from outside the door, placing porcelain dishes from their trays in front of everyone.
Gu Yi looked at the small, white, tender dumplings in the porcelain dish and couldn’t help but sigh in her heart.
Ah, it had been so long since she had eaten dumplings.
Being the New Year, eating dumplings was auspicious.
Those who found special items in them could predict their fortune for the year.
Commoners often put copper coins inside, but in the palace, small green bamboo tablets with gold and silver treasures written on them were inserted into the dumplings.
Gu Yi closed her eyes and silently chanted a hundred times.
Let me get the treasure bamboo tablet.
The gold treasure bamboo tablet, please.
This faithful woman is willing to give up milk tea for half a year.
A blue-robed palace servant came to her table and, following custom, announced, “Wishing Beauty Gu great fortune in the New Year.” Then placed a porcelain dish on her table.
Gu Yi lowered her eyes to count six dumplings. She wondered what the winning probability was.