On the third day after the Crown Prince’s death came the greater shrouding ceremony, followed by the mourning dress day. According to ritual, the Crown Prince’s palace attendants wore the coarsest mourning robes, palace officials wore medium mourning robes, the Emperor wore a coarse cloth cap and ceremonial robe, the Empress wore a coarse cloth head covering, long robe, skirt and cape, silk undergarments, and white gauze shoes. The palace concubines also followed the Empress in wearing coarse cloth head coverings, robes and skirts, and white gauze shoes.
On this day, female officials from the Wardrobe Department delivered mourning clothes to Liu Jieyu. Granny Yu received them and personally brought them to Liu Luowei’s bedchamber, asking her to change into them. After Liu Luowei changed, she walked to her dressing table and looked at herself in the mirror from left to right. She picked up a flower ornament and made as if to place it on her brow, her posture graceful as a dance, a smile playing at her lips as she softly hummed a line from a flower collection poem: “Drunk, I bite down on fresh flower petals, pulling at my immortal lover with pure coquetry…”
Granny Yu quickly pressed down her hand, saying sternly: “My lady, be silent! You cannot let anyone see or hear this!”
Liu Luowei smiled faintly, tossed the flower ornament back onto the dressing table, and sat down.
Granny Yu walked behind her, looked at Liu Luowei in the mirror, and helped arrange her head covering, also smiling as she whispered: “My lady handled this matter well. Now no one suspects anything. Who would think to examine the pearl ornament? Everyone thinks it’s Wu Zhenzhen’s fault. The Crown Prince is dead, and His Majesty has wept continuously for three days. Wu Zhenzhen certainly won’t survive.”
Liu Luowei sneered: “I knew she didn’t truly love Hong Ning – she got involved with the Crown Prince so quickly… His Majesty is still too merciful, hoping she’ll bear the Crown Prince’s posthumous child, and now he’s still letting her live.”
“She won’t live much longer,” Granny Yu said indifferently. “Even if she truly carries the Crown Prince’s child, living on that remote island these months, some accident wouldn’t be surprising.”
Liu Luowei nodded: “Such a small matter won’t trouble you, Granny.”
Granny Yu smiled and continued: “Now it’s also a good opportunity to eliminate that old woman Food Service Director Pei. Don’t let her usual silence fool you – she’s quite scheming. Wu Zhenzhen was personally cultivated by her, causing my lady no end of trouble. Now she’s supporting Feng Jing, whom His Majesty also values greatly, still not allowing my lady to handle imperial meals. To regain control of the imperial kitchen, we can’t let Food Service Director Pei continue blocking the way.”
Liu Luowei thought for a moment and said: “Those censors and court officials we regularly contact – it’s time to use them.”
“I understand,” Granny Yu replied. “I’ve already given instructions for what my lady wants them to do.”
For several days in a row, Zhenzhen just lay in a daze, neither crying nor wanting to do anything, spending all day staring blankly or sleeping. The court physicians had to instruct the palace ladies watching her to force-feed her medicine and porridge.
She began running a fever, then refused even medicine and food, having no will to live. She didn’t immediately take her own life only because her depression had left her without even the energy to move.
Jujing Garden connected to West Lake, and the small island where she was located sat in the middle of West Lake. These past few days had brought continuous autumn rain, and the lake water had risen considerably. One night, with wind and rain raging again, the palace lady watching Zhenzhen suddenly discovered rainwater flooding into the room and opened the door to look. The moment the door opened, water rushed in like a tide. Several eunuchs outside waded through the water, running back and forth shouting: “The lake dam has opened its gates! The island is about to be flooded!”
Not far from the small island was a lake dam, mainly used for storing water for irrigation. This was absolutely not the normal time for opening gates to release flood water. Opening the gates during a rainstorm would flood this small island downstream. The palace ladies panicked upon hearing this, all busy fleeing for their lives, no one caring about Zhenzhen on the bed.
Zhenzhen heard the commotion and turned to look, seeing lake water continuously pouring in. She felt no fear, only closed her eyes and quietly waited to be submerged.
The lake water quickly rose over the bed, and Zhenzhen sank into the water. As a child, she had learned to swim with the boys, and instinctively paddled a few strokes. But now she was gravely ill, her breath weak, her strength insufficient, and moreover she had no will to survive, so she let herself sink.
Holding her breath and floating in the water for a moment, suddenly someone used both hands to part the water, swimming underwater and groping until they found her, then dragged her up and swam toward the outside.
Zhenzhen felt a hand with long, slender fingers first grasp her wrist, bringing her to the surface. Then two hands turned her body, letting her lie on her back. The person clamped her shoulders with both elbows and used the backstroke to drag her out of the flooded building.
The rain was gradually weakening, but the surroundings were dark and the shore couldn’t be seen. The person brought Zhenzhen to a tree crown emerging from the water, letting her rest against the branches while they looked around in all directions. Finally, they spotted a boat with lanterns heading toward the flooded island. When the boat approached, they swam toward it, dragging Zhenzhen along.
The boat was quite large, with more than ten people standing on it. Seeing the situation, they threw down a cedar wood life ring. The person put Zhenzhen through the ring and supported her while the people on the boat pulled her up.
After Zhenzhen was brought aboard, someone quickly came to check her condition and then helped her into the boat’s cabin. The people on the boat seemed unconcerned about the person who had saved Zhenzhen, not throwing down another life ring for him to board. Instead, they quickly sailed away from the area.
The person didn’t mind, silently watching the boat depart, then turned back to swim toward the tree crown.
Zhenzhen’s consciousness was hazy, but she could sense how that person had saved her. She opened her eyes several times trying to see him, but the light was too dim. Even by the boat’s lantern light, she could only make out an extremely unclear silhouette. Exhausted from this ordeal, she fell unconscious shortly after entering the cabin.
When she awoke, she felt warmth throughout her body. Her clothes had been changed, and she was lying on a bed with fragrant, soft bedding. Through the bed curtains, she could see a lamp burning like a bean in the room, with a woman’s figure sitting dimly beneath it.
Zhenzhen still had a splitting headache and felt feverish all over, gasping for breath. When she moved and made some noise, the woman heard and quickly approached, lifting the bed curtains and gently calling: “Zhenzhen.”
Hearing her voice, Zhenzhen was beyond amazed. She immediately struggled to sit up, reaching out with tears in both eyes, trembling as she called: “Mama…”
Qiuniang sat down at Zhenzhen’s bedside and took her into her arms.
Though fevered and confused, Zhenzhen groped with her hands, recognizing her mother’s features. The breath and warm embrace she felt were ones she’d known intimately for over ten years. Like a ray of light suddenly appearing in boundless darkness, Zhenzhen was overwhelmed with mixed emotions. Like a child, she burst into tears, clinging tightly to Qiuniang and crying: “Mama, Mama, where did you go? I looked for you for so long… His Highness the Crown Prince is gone, I’ll never see him again, Mama…”
Qiuniang also held her tightly, pressing her cheek against Zhenzhen’s forehead, comforting her through her tears: “I know, I know… It’s all right, Mama is here, Mama is with you…”
Zhenzhen was extremely sorrowful, and being ill made her thoughts chaotic. She cried in broken fragments: “I missed you so much, Mama. Have you suffered these years?… His Highness the Crown Prince was about to help me find you. He was such a good person. I always wanted to bring him to meet you – you would have liked him… But he’s gone, Mama, I can’t see him anymore… I didn’t harm him. I ate that bass sashimi too – it wasn’t poisoned. I didn’t let him eat much… I wasn’t immoderate. That night I didn’t even let him come back with me… I don’t know where I went wrong, Mama. I don’t understand why he just left like that… Mama, did I harm him? What exactly did I do wrong?”
“You did nothing wrong, Zhenzhen. You didn’t do anything wrong.” Qiuniang listened to her daughter’s tearful confession and tears fell from her own eyes, but she quickly wiped them away and tried to control her voice, calmly comforting Zhenzhen: “His Highness the Crown Prince was such a good person – he must have been a heavenly immortal who came to the mortal world to undergo trials. When his trials were complete, he returned to the celestial realm. But he’s surely still watching over you and protecting you from heaven. You must be well and live as you did when he was alive. If you only grieve and cry all day, he’ll be sad to see it.”
“But I miss him so much, Mama. How can I see him again?” Zhenzhen still wept like rain, crying and asking: “If I die, can I see him?”
“Zhenzhen, don’t think like that!” Qiuniang pressed both hands on Zhenzhen’s shoulders, making her face her, and said solemnly: “If you give up your own life, you’ll fall into the hell realm, and then you’ll never see him again.” She then drew her back into her arms, tears in her eyes: “And would you abandon Mama? Mama is still here waiting for you…”
Zhenzhen clung to Qiuniang and wept bitterly again, recounting some memories of her time with the Crown Prince in a confused manner, expressing her longing for him. Qiuniang held her like she used to comfort the young Zhenzhen when she was ill, gently patting her and occasionally coaxing her with soft words. When Zhenzhen gradually calmed down, she let go of her to fetch a bowl of porridge, feeding it to Zhenzhen spoonful by spoonful and persuading her daughter to eat.
After Zhenzhen finished the porridge, Qiuniang brought another bowl of medicine for her to drink, then used warm water to wash her face and wipe her body. Zhenzhen gradually felt less uncomfortable. After pouring out her heart, the great stone in her chest seemed to have lessened considerably. She felt drowsy and her eyelids involuntarily closed.
“Mama, where is this place?” Zhenzhen asked with her eyes closed, murmuring.
Qiuniang didn’t answer this question, but said to her softly: “Zhenzhen, remember what Mama tells you well: After today, you may not see Mama for a while, but don’t be sad – Mama will always be here waiting for you. Your urgent task is to preserve your life. The Crown Prince was His Majesty’s most beloved son. His Majesty must be extremely grieved now. Though you’ve done nothing wrong, he won’t think calmly at this time. His misunderstanding of you can’t be resolved for now, so you’d better leave Lin’an and not let His Majesty find you. You must understand how to retreat in order to advance. Only by staying alive first will you have a chance to investigate the cause of the Crown Prince’s departure, and only then will you someday be able to reunite with Mama.”
Zhenzhen listened in a daze, her breathing becoming rapid again: “Mama, are you leaving again?”
“Mama isn’t leaving. Mama is here waiting for you.” Qiuniang repeated emphatically, then solemnly instructed Zhenzhen: “Remember, leave Lin’an first. You must stay alive, or we’ll never have a day to meet again.”
Zhenzhen tried hard to grasp her mother’s hand, and Qiuniang also reached out to hold hers, offering gentle comfort. Zhenzhen wanted to open her eyes, but whether due to physical weakness or the medicine, she couldn’t open them no matter what, and soon fell into a deep sleep.
Not long after, someone came in and carried her downstairs, placing her in a small ox-drawn cart and driving her away from this place. When she was helped into the cart, Zhenzhen was briefly awakened and slightly conscious. She dimly heard the sound of a pipa drifting from the garden. Unlike ordinary pipa melodies, this piece had an exotic flavor. Within the graceful, flowing melody, sonorous notes occasionally flashed, adding a magnificent aura that made listeners feel their minds broaden and temporarily forget their worries.
As the ox cart moved forward, the pipa sound gradually weakened. Zhenzhen hazily lost consciousness again in the boundless dark night.
In the small building of Shi’an Garden, Qiuniang set down the pipa and stared fixedly at the direction where the ox cart had disappeared, her gaze unwavering for a long time.
Cheng Yuan appeared behind her, saying warmly: “Madam has labored through the night. Please rest early.”
Qiuniang didn’t turn to look at him, only saying coldly: “You promised to send Zhenzhen to a safe place. Don’t deceive me.”
Cheng Yuan replied calmly: “Madam knows that these past two years, I have always been honest with you. Whenever you asked about Wu Zhenzhen’s situation, I told you everything I knew in detail, down to the smallest matter. When have I ever concealed anything? Now, regarding the promise I made, I won’t go back on my word either.”
“Good.” Qiuniang faced the cool night wind blowing against her, closed her eyes, and said faintly: “This time, as long as you save Zhenzhen, I will also fulfill my promise and marry you.”