After Feng Xian was sent back to the Royal Kitchen by Zhao Ai, Food Service Director Pei hadn’t yet decided where to reassign her, so she just had her help the female officials of the Royal Kitchen with various trivial tasks each day. After two days, a eunuch from Lotus Pavilion suddenly came looking for Feng Xian, saying that Consort Liu Jieyu requested her presence, having something to tell her.

When Feng Xian arrived at Lotus Pavilion, she was shocked to see Aunt Xu, who served her mother, waiting inside. As soon as Aunt Xu saw her, she called out “Young Miss” and knelt down crying.

Liu Luowei explained to Feng Xian from the side: “This Aunt Xu has been guarding the Hening Gate every day recently. Whenever she sees palace attendants coming out, she approaches them to ask if they know you and requests them to pass along a message. Some of those attendants don’t know you, and others, though they know you, don’t know her background and fear trouble, so they don’t dare agree. Today when Granny Yu had business outside the palace, she was again stopped by Aunt Xu for questioning. It happened that I praised you to Granny Yu the other day, so she patiently listened to her account and felt that what she said was of great importance—it would be best to let her tell you directly. So she found a way to bring her back to the pavilion and had me invite you over.”

Feng Xian hurriedly asked Aunt Xu: “How did you get here? Has something happened at home?”

Aunt Xu said through tears: “Madam has passed away…”

Feng Xian’s mind thundered, and it took her a moment to recover. Her eyebrows shot up as she asked tearfully: “What happened? Did someone harm her?”

Aunt Xu said: “Before you left, you warned Lady Zhuwu to take good care of Madam. The first two years were still manageable—Lady Zhuwu was somewhat cautious and didn’t lose proper respect toward Madam, so Madam had adequate food and clothing. But this year, the General took another concubine, Lady Yanshi. She relies on being favored and acts arrogantly, showing great disrespect to all the General’s wives and concubines. Lady Zhuwu also suffered considerably at her hands and harbored resentment. Since Madam had been bedridden with illness, Lady Zhuwu felt Madam was costing the family a lot of money, so her resentment turned toward Madam, and she became increasingly impatient with her. Later she devised a plan to kill two birds with one stone—she had the servants spread rumors that the General had originally intended to marry Lady Yanshi as his principal wife, but because Madam was still alive, he had no choice, so Lady Yanshi could only be reduced from wife to concubine. Lady Yanshi actually believed this and openly sent people to provoke Madam daily, while secretly making voodoo dolls to curse her. Lady Zhuwu also deliberately called me away to question me when I was preparing medicine for Madam, giving Lady Yanshi’s people the opportunity to approach the medicine pot. Then they added something to the medicine—I don’t know what—and after Madam took it, her condition worsened rapidly. She passed away last month…”

As Aunt Xu spoke, she burst into tears again. Feng Xian didn’t cry out, but with slightly trembling lips asked: “How do you know all these things?”

Aunt Xu said: “After Madam died, Lady Zhuwu went to the General to accuse Lady Yanshi of poisoning her. Though the General hadn’t treated Madam well these years, they had been husband and wife for many years, and he still had some feelings left. He seemed somewhat saddened by Madam’s death, so he summoned Lady Yanshi and gave her a beating. Lady Yanshi cried and protested her innocence, saying it was Lady Zhuwu who had played tricks. So the two of them cursed and fought with each other. I listened from the side and understood most of what happened. Later I privately asked Lady Zhuwu whether she had deliberately called me away from the medicine pot, and she didn’t deny it. I questioned her about why she had forgotten your instructions, and she actually sneered: ‘The young miss has been in the palace for over two years without any word of promotion—she’s just a kitchen maid for the imperial family. She probably can’t protect herself, so how could she have time to manage household affairs?’… Since I had broken relations with Lady Zhuwu, I naturally couldn’t stay there anymore. I packed up all my savings from these years and quietly left, coming to Lin’an to find you. I was determined that Madam couldn’t die so unjustly with such grievances—I had to tell you the truth.”

Feng Xian released her embrace of Aunt Xu and stood rigid and silent in the pavilion. After a moment, two lines of tears slid down her coldly stubborn face, which she wiped away harshly.

Seeing this, Liu Luowei came over to take her hand and guide her to sit down, saying gently: “That country bumpkin Lady Zhuwu is short-sighted—don’t take her words to heart. With your beauty and talent, how could you worry about not having a chance to rise in the future?”

Feng Xian suddenly stood up and bowed to Liu Luowei: “My lady, today you helped Aunt Xu and allowed me to see her. I am moved to tears and hope to repay this kindness like a spring someday. If you don’t mind, I would like to come to Lotus Pavilion and serve you with all my ability.”

Liu Luowei helped Feng Xian up with both hands and said gently: “I appreciate your sentiment, but I myself am ultimately just a palace woman serving His Majesty. You have a blood feud to avenge, and I fear my abilities are limited—I may not be able to help you. However, I can point you toward a clear path…”

Feng Xian frowned and looked at her questioningly.

Liu Luowei smiled slightly, picked up her silk fan, and waved it slowly: “You might as well ask someone to assign you to Cifu Palace to serve the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager values health preservation, and you’re clever and reportedly very good at making medicinal cuisine—you’re sure to easily win the Empress Dowager’s favor. As long as the Empress Dowager likes you, it won’t be difficult for you to marry however noble a husband you want in the future. When the time comes to pay back those petty people in your family, won’t that be as easy as crushing a few ants?… If you have any difficulties in the future, feel free to come find me. Whatever I can do, I will certainly help you. As for Aunt Xu, she can stay and work at Lotus Pavilion—I’ll take good care of her. But to avoid gossip and trouble, you’d better not tell others that you know each other.”

Feng Xian felt Liu Luowei’s words made sense and began thinking about how to get to Cifu Palace, but soon an unexpected event temporarily disrupted this plan.

These two years, Zhao Huaiyu had been serving as an official in the provinces with quite a good reputation, which reached the Emperor’s ears. The Emperor intended to promote him, so he ordered him to return to the capital for examination for a court position. Zhao Huaiyu lived up to expectations and performed extremely well, entering the Hanlin Academy. The Emperor then promoted him to Collator and even specially arranged official quarters for him and his mother to live in.

Because of his imperial clan status, the Emperor had always treated him with special regard, so though his official rank wasn’t high, he often had opportunities for audiences with the Emperor. This day the Emperor again summoned him to Yanhe Hall, having him discuss in detail with the Crown Prince the national affairs mentioned in his previous policy essays. After Zhao Huaiyu finished his explanation, the Crown Prince expressed his complete conviction, and the Emperor was also greatly pleased, richly rewarding Zhao Huaiyu with some scholarly objects. During casual conversation afterward, he asked whether Zhao Huaiyu had married. Zhao Huaiyu blushed and said he had not yet taken a wife. The Emperor said in surprise: “Once unmarried scholars achieve success in the examinations, high officials and wealthy families inevitably come to propose marriage. You have long had official rank—why haven’t you married yet?”

Zhao Huaiyu bowed deeply to the Emperor: “Your Majesty, I won’t hide the truth from you. Before I took the imperial examinations, I was lodging in Pujiang, where I met a woman I admired for a long time. Unfortunately, that woman later was selected to enter the palace and became an attendant in the Royal Kitchen. I cannot forget her, so I have remained single until now.”

“A Royal Kitchen attendant from Pujiang… could it be Wu Zhenzhen?” the Emperor said in surprise, then thought to himself that Zhao Huaiyu was obviously bringing this up to request marriage to Zhenzhen, so he must first dash these hopes. Without waiting for Zhao Huaiyu’s answer, he smiled and said: “It’s just very unfortunate—Wu Zhenzhen was bestowed upon the Crown Prince by me just a few days ago.” Then he turned to the Crown Prince and deliberately asked: “I hear you’ve already gone to her? I should add a title and enfeoff her as a Commandery Lady, shouldn’t I?”

The Crown Prince was startled but still answered truthfully in a low voice: “I only went to see her—I haven’t spent the night yet.”

The Emperor was quite displeased and frowned in reproach: “You handle even such small matters in such a dragging fashion!”

The Crown Prince immediately bowed: “Your son is ashamed.”

Seeing this situation, Zhao Huaiyu immediately understood the circumstances and hurriedly bowed: “Your Majesty, the attendant I mentioned is not surnamed Wu, but Ling, with the personal name Feng Xian.”

“Ling Feng Xian?” the Crown Prince smiled slightly. “I know her. She was originally an attendant serving Second Brother’s meals, but recently, for some reason, she returned to the Royal Kitchen.”

Upon hearing that Zhao Huaiyu’s admiration was not for Zhenzhen, the Emperor immediately smiled, very willing to display a ruler’s magnanimity to this minister: “Returning to the Royal Kitchen shows that fate has made arrangements—heaven intends for Ling Feng Xian to make this good match. I hereby bestow Ling Feng Xian upon you, whether as wife or concubine, as you see fit.”

Zhao Huaiyu was overjoyed and immediately kowtowed in gratitude for the imperial grace.

The Emperor asked him again: “When do you wish to take Ling Feng Xian from the palace?”

Zhao Huaiyu’s face turned red to his ears, but after hesitating a moment, he still spoke frankly: “Naturally, the sooner the better…”

The Emperor laughed heartily: “Good, good, good! Happy events should be early rather than late. I’ll order the Royal Kitchen to release her right now and reward Ling Feng Xian with some wealth. You wait at Hening Gate—once she’s packed properly, she can go home with you later today.”

Zhao Huaiyu kowtowed in gratitude again: “Your Majesty, ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years!”

The Emperor had him rise, then glanced at the Crown Prince and said meaningfully in a low voice to his son: “Look at others…”

The Crown Prince smiled silently but bowed deeply to show he had learned the lesson.

This news quickly spread throughout the Royal Kitchen. The attendants all came to congratulate Feng Xian, saying that Zhao Huaiyu was a rare talented young man who had also entered the Hanlin Academy—his entry into the Imperial Academy and advancement to the Secretariat was just a matter of time. Feng Xian would surely enjoy every blessing in the future. But Feng Xian only responded with smiles. Though she knew this was indeed considered a good match for a palace attendant, she felt inexplicably empty inside and couldn’t call it a pleasant surprise.

Feng Xian received the wealth bestowed by His Majesty and returned to her room to pack her belongings for leaving the palace. Because she wasn’t particularly expectant, her movements were slow, and she delayed until the palace gates were about to close before coming out. She boarded an ox cart driven by a eunuch and followed behind the horse ridden by Zhao Huaiyu, accompanying him home.

Zhao Huaiyu’s residence was quite far from the palace city. The ox cart moved slowly, and along the way Zhao Huaiyu encountered many colleagues—some stopped him to congratulate him, others didn’t yet know what had happened and, seeing a palace cart following him, inevitably pulled him aside to inquire. This delayed them considerably, and by the time they reached the residence gate, it was already late. Zhao Huaiyu gently pushed the door, but it didn’t move at all, obviously locked tight from inside.

Zhao Huaiyu said apologetically to Feng Xian as she emerged from the ox cart: “My mother is accustomed to sleeping early. Today we returned home too late—Mother must have thought I wouldn’t return today, so she has already locked the door and gone to bed.”

Seeing that he took no further action, Feng Xian asked in puzzlement: “Can’t you knock on the door and ask the old lady to open it?”

Zhao Huaiyu said: “My mother is a light sleeper and is easily startled awake. Once awakened, she has great difficulty falling asleep again, so let’s not knock on the door for now. Let’s wait first—if we see lamplight coming from the courtyard, then we’ll ask Mother to open the door.”

Feng Xian had no choice but to agree and accompany him waiting outside the door.

The eunuch who drove the cart saw that the person had been delivered, so he unloaded Feng Xian’s luggage and took his leave. Feng Xian sat down with Zhao Huaiyu on the stone steps in front of the courtyard gate. She had wanted to chat with him, but seeing that Zhao Huaiyu spoke in extremely soft tones, she understood he was afraid of making noise that might wake his mother. So she lost interest in talking, and the two sat silently side by side, waiting endlessly.

This wait lasted several hours. It had rained during the day, and the evening was breezy and cool. Feng Xian was wearing summer clothes and felt quite cold near the third watch, so she buried her face in her knees and hugged her shoulders tightly. Seeing this, Zhao Huaiyu took off his outer summer robe to drape over Feng Xian, but she quickly declined and refused to accept it no matter what. Zhao Huaiyu awkwardly withdrew it and after a moment said: “Please bear with me a little longer—perhaps Mother will wake up soon.”

Feng Xian had not eaten dinner and was now cold, sleepy, and hungry. She frequently looked back through the door crack to peer into the courtyard, but never saw candlelight appear. So she tentatively suggested: “Perhaps we could go find an eatery, have something to eat, and then come back to wait?”

Zhao Huaiyu looked at Feng Xian’s luggage with difficulty. Feng Xian immediately realized that carrying these boxes and bundles would indeed be inconvenient, so she fell silent in discouragement. Zhao Huaiyu had thought of temporarily leaving to buy food and bring it back, but on second thought, he felt he couldn’t leave her alone here, so he said nothing.

Shortly after, the night watch sounded—it was already the third watch. Feng Xian only felt the stone steps were ice-cold. Sitting there, her whole body was freezing, her joints were cold and damp, her waist and back ached, and she was so hungry she felt dizzy and nearly fainted. She lay weakly against her knees, and thinking of her mother’s affairs, her heart felt even more desolate.

At this moment, she suddenly heard the sound of horse hooves on stone slabs coming from ahead, approaching from far to near, each sound more urgent than the last.

Feng Xian straightened up to look and saw someone riding toward them from one end of the lane, gradually approaching. This person wore a soft-footed cap, a round-collared narrow-sleeved long robe, and black leather boots with golden embroidered auspicious cloud patterns around the edges.

Feng Xian’s gaze moved to his face, and she recognized him. Surprised, she stood up and, momentarily forgetting to bow, called out directly: “Third Prince!”

Zhao Hao met her gaze for a moment, then handed her an oil paper package, saying indifferently: “Eat while it’s hot.”

Feng Xian accepted it and opened it to find two steaming hot large buns inside.