The Double Ninth festival celebration in the imperial palace this year was still held with a chrysanthemum-viewing banquet in Qingrui Hall. The hall was arranged with yellow chrysanthemums of various types – Imperial Robe Yellow, Yellow Silla, Yellow Buddha Head, Golden Cup Golden Platform, Gold-threaded Chrysanthemum, and others. The palace lanterns in the hall also reflected the season, either painted with chrysanthemums or decorated with flower ornaments. Ten thousand chrysanthemum lanterns cast flowing radiance, brilliant and dazzling.

Yet Emperor Zhao Wei’s gaze gently lingered on Consort Liu, who was kneeling before him with lowered eyes, preparing hand-washing crab.

On the silver plate was an ice mountain piled with crushed ice, its peak supporting a glass plate as pure as ice itself, containing prepared raw crab – half shells holding yellow roe, twin claws whiter than snow. The crystalline meat had a semi-transparent quality that appeared especially ice-clear and bright against the glass plate and ice chips.

Consort Liu held a silver spoon, successively sprinkling wine, salt, plum brine, minced ginger, orange zest, and pepper powder on the raw crab, then mixing evenly with silver chopsticks.

In Consort Liu’s hair bun was pinned an azure cicada chrysanthemum. As she moved, the flower’s shadow fell on the ice mountain like light clouds passing over snow peaks. The Emperor watched with a smile, feeling this scene extremely beautiful, while the myriad yellow flowers in the hall seemed clamorous and vulgar by comparison.

Consort Liu set down the silver chopsticks, rinsed her hands in the silver basin offered by an attendant, then requested the Food Service palace woman to present this hand-washing crab to the Emperor.

Pei Shangshi, responsible for pre-tasting imperial meals, bowed and stepped forward, about to take a small portion to taste first, but the Emperor shook his head to stop her: “Pei Shangshi is nearly sixty years old and shouldn’t eat such cold food. This hand-washing crab – please have Consort Liu taste it first.”

Pei Shangshi was startled, then lowered her head in acknowledgment and silently withdrew.

Consort Liu accepted the command, took the silver dish with prepared crab pieces from the Food Service palace woman, picked up crab with silver chopsticks and brought it to her mouth. After tasting and waiting a moment, she smiled lightly and bowed to report: “The saltiness is appropriate.”

The Food Service palace woman took back the dish and chopsticks, examined them for any abnormalities, then respectfully invited the Emperor to taste the raw crab. The Emperor nodded. Consort Liu withdrew, and when she reappeared in the hall moments later, she had changed into dance costume with high-piled hair, hanging pearls, light flowing sleeves, and held a pipa like a Dunhuang fairy.

Her slender fingers plucked, and music arose – it was “Liangzhou Melody.” The Emperor’s expression changed slightly as he set down his wine cup. Consort Liu was completely unaware, embracing the pipa as she extended her arms and curved her waist, dancing to the music. This melody was vastly different from the gentle music commonly heard in the palace – sometimes like urgent rain, sometimes like whispers. In the sound of the pipa like pearls falling on jade plates was hidden the clanging of weapons and armor. Consort Liu’s dance was graceful, spinning frequently. Where the music became passionate, she danced faster and faster, like flying flowers and floating shadows, making this space of chrysanthemum lanterns and shifting lights seem like a fantasy realm.

After one movement, Consort Liu set down the pipa and danced toward the Emperor, suddenly reaching out to pick up the wine cup before him.

The Emperor had recovered his previous demeanor and smiled as he let her do as she pleased. She held the wine cup while continuing to dance, and no matter how she raised her hands or swept her sleeves, not a drop of wine spilled from the cup. People in the hall looked at each other in amazement, all silently marveling.

The music gradually slowed. Consort Liu danced back before the Emperor, turned her back to him and arched backward, then placed the wine cup on her forehead, spread her arms, and continued bending her waist backward in an astonishing arc before becoming still. The wine cup remained steady on her forehead, motionless.

The Emperor personally took the cup from Consort Liu’s forehead and slowly drank all the wine within. Consort Liu smiled as she turned around and curtsied.

As if wine had risen to his head, the Emperor’s cheeks were slightly flushed. He watched her with a smile, gentle affection flowing in his eyes.

“I heard that yesterday Consort Liu danced the ‘Liangzhou’ dance?” Empress Dowager Yin sat upright in the Jingle Hall of Cixiu Palace, her peripheral vision sweeping toward Noble Consort Li who had come to pay respects, asking her lightly.

Noble Consort Li secretly glanced at the Empress Dowager. Green smoke from the golden lion incense burner drifted like silk past the Empress Dowager’s brow. The Empress Dowager maintained her usual expression – eyes without ripples, neither sad nor happy.

“Yes,” Noble Consort Li answered. “She usually only rehearses in her own chambers, keeping the doors tightly closed so others don’t know. I only learned of it yesterday.”

“She wanted to surprise His Majesty,” the Empress Dowager said. After a moment she asked again: “I also heard that for the hand-washing crab she made, His Majesty wouldn’t let Pei Shangshi taste-test it, but commanded Consort Liu to taste it herself?”

Noble Consort Li nodded in acknowledgment, not daring to say more.

The Empress Dowager continued asking: “Besides hand-washing crab, what else has she made for His Majesty recently?”

“Some pastries,” Noble Consort Li said softly. “What His Majesty likes are always just those few types – Seal Pastries, Lotus Cakes, Crab Meat Buns, Honeyed Fruit, Round Delights…”

The Empress Dowager seemed somewhat weary, leaning sideways against the hidden armrest behind her and closing her eyes. After a moment, she opened them again, her gaze lazily falling on a vase of purple and white jade-cup chrysanthemums on the flower stand, revealing a trace of cold smile: “How wonderful – she can both dance ‘Liangzhou’ and make pastries.”

This fleeting cold smile made not only Noble Consort Li but also the old eunuch Cheng Yuan, who supervised Cixiu Palace, feel a chill.

The Empress Dowager never showed joy or anger on her face – this cold smile was almost her most intense way of expressing anger. Cheng Yuan felt uneasy but showed nothing on his face, continuing to stand silently, eyes downcast staring at his boot tips, waiting with Noble Consort Li for the Empress Dowager to change topics.

After Noble Consort Li left, the Empress Dowager summoned Cheng Yuan, asking why His Majesty now frequently had Consort Liu prepare imperial meals while Pei Shangshi merely stood by and watched. Cheng Yuan said: “Perhaps after eating palace meals for many years, His Majesty no longer finds them novel, while Consort Liu comes from common folk, so her cooking methods differ considerably from those in the palace, making His Majesty feel they’re fresh. When His Majesty speaks requesting Consort Liu to cook, naturally Pei Shangshi cannot disobey.”

The Empress Dowager said: “Although when His Majesty speaks it becomes an edict, imperial meal matters are no small thing – they concern the Emperor’s dragon body and safety. How can proper procedures not be followed? When you see His Majesty, you must convey this old body’s meaning to him.”

Cheng Yuan acknowledged the command. The Empress Dowager pondered briefly, then said: “Forget it, why waste so many words? Don’t mention Consort Liu’s matter. Instead, discuss with Pei Shangshi – say the young palace women in the Royal Kitchen have shallow skills, insufficient to bear important responsibilities. Suggest His Majesty authorize various prefectures to select women with exquisite culinary skills from among the common folk to enter the palace and strengthen the Royal Kitchen.”

Cheng Yuan agreed. The Empress Dowager paused, then added: “These women cannot be over twenty years old, and their appearance and character must not be lacking.”

After leaving Jingle Hall, Cheng Yuan prepared to go to the inner palace. Cixiu Palace was originally a palace garden built by order of the late Emperor. The late Emperor loved the beauty of lakes and mountains, so he had pools dug to form lakes and stones piled to make peaks in the garden, imitating West Lake scenery. He also planted flowers for all four seasons. The rear garden was quiet, deep, and winding, with the wonderful effect of changing scenery with each step.

The path Cheng Yuan took was planted with tall pines and cultivated bamboo, dense green blocking the sun, mist-like shade under which people walking felt sunlight filtering through green shadows onto their clothes like scattered gold and broken jade. After the pine forest, rounding rocky caves and chambers, the view suddenly opened to reveal Little West Lake where cold waterfalls flew through space at the water source, pouring down into over ten acres of green water planted with tens of thousands of lotus stems. As Cheng Yuan reached the lakeside, he saw a graceful woman standing on a large rock by the lake below the flying waterfall, facing the wind with flowing sleeves, seemingly about to rise from the ground in flight.

Cheng Yuan was startled, feeling blood rushing upward, warmth at his eye corners, and his heart beginning to beat wildly beyond control.

He quickened his pace, and only when he drew near for a closer look did his leaping heart gradually calm.

Straightening his clothes and cap, he bowed deeply to the woman: “Lady Liu, I hope you are well.”

Consort Liu actually lowered herself in a curtsy to him: “Master Cheng, ten thousand blessings.”

Cheng Yuan hastily returned the courtesy, saying: “My lady, you honor this old minister too much.”

Consort Liu smiled: “Master Cheng is a good minister of two reigns. I am originally a junior and should properly show respect.”

Cheng Yuan repeatedly declined and gave thanks, then asked Consort Liu: “My lady, have you come to Cixiu Palace this time to pay respects to the Empress Dowager?”

“The Empress Dowager says she often feels autumn fatigue lately and it’s inappropriate to see many outsiders, so she has exempted me from the ritual of paying respects,” Consort Liu said sadly, then smiled at Cheng Yuan. “I specifically waited here for Master Cheng. There’s one matter that quite confuses me – I hope you will enlighten me.”

Cheng Yuan asked Consort Liu to speak directly. Consort Liu said: “Yesterday during the Double Ninth celebration, I performed the ‘Liangzhou’ dance. His Majesty watched at the time, but when he returned to his sleeping quarters, he instructed me not to dance this piece again, saying… the Empress Dowager doesn’t like it.”

Cheng Yuan nodded: “Yes, after the late Emperor’s death, this melody disappeared from the palace.”

Consort Liu asked carefully: “May I ask the reason?”

Cheng Yuan pondered silently. Consort Liu removed a mutton-fat jade bracelet from her wrist, about to give it to him. Cheng Yuan hastily stepped back two paces, bowing in refusal: “My lady, absolutely not. This minister is not one who values wealth and seeks profit, and if the Empress Dowager learned of my lady’s action, I fear…”

Consort Liu understood, withdrew the jade bracelet, and smiled reluctantly: “I was thoughtless and nearly implicated you, Master.”

Cheng Yuan lowered his head to gaze at her gentle reflection in the water, sighed lightly, and maintaining his deferential expression, slowly said: “In the late Emperor’s palace, there was once a woman who knew music and was skilled in song and dance, the most beautiful in Xianshao Academy, called Jubu Head.”

“The ‘Liangzhou’ dance is related to her?” Consort Liu asked.

Cheng Yuan nodded: “She performed at palace banquets many times. Her ‘Liangzhou’ dance was graceful as a startled swan, elegant as a swimming dragon. The beauty of her dancing was unmatched, so that even after she was no longer in the palace, the late Emperor still couldn’t forget her.”

Consort Liu instantly understood why the Empress Dowager detested the ‘Liangzhou’ dance, and curtsied to Cheng Yuan again: “Thank you for telling me, Master.”

Cheng Yuan still returned the courtesy: “My lady is too polite.”

Consort Liu thought for a moment, then asked: “This Jubu Head – why did she leave the palace originally? Where is she now?”

Cheng Yuan shook his head slightly, keeping things deliberately vague: “This, my lady should not ask about.”

Consort Liu stopped pursuing the matter and thanked him again. As she was about to take leave, Cheng Yuan asked her to stay, instructing: “Besides Jubu Head, there’s another palace person from the late Emperor’s court who must not be mentioned before the Empress Dowager.”

“Oh, who is that?” Consort Liu lowered her head seeking instruction.

Cheng Yuan slowly spoke three words: “Liu Sishan.”