Meng Yunxiu applied for the position of Record Keeper, and after a series of evaluations, the results were announced in mid-June. As she had hoped, she was appointed to this position. Before moving out of the East Palace, she invited Zhenzhen to her room and said, “There’s something I’ve been thinking about over and over, and I feel I should tell you about it.”
She then led Zhenzhen to the writing desk, picked up a brush, and wrote down two names: Zhang Yunqiao, Meng Yunxiu.
As soon as Zhenzhen saw the three characters “Zhang Yunqiao,” she said, “Isn’t this Imperial Physician Zhang’s name?”
Meng Yunxiu nodded, then moved her brush to cross out the character “Meng” and wrote the character “Zhang” beside it.
Zhenzhen’s gaze moved between these two names, and she suddenly understood: “Sister, your original surname was Zhang. Are you and Imperial Physician Zhang siblings?”
Meng Yunxiu said, “Imperial Physician Zhang’s uncle is my father. I am his paternal cousin. My mother died early, and my father married a stepmother. I was only six years old then, and my stepmother couldn’t tolerate me and often mistreated me. My father saw that my elder cousin was an imperial physician who frequently visited noble households, so he asked him to find a good family to adopt me. My cousin had once treated the father of Consort Meng, who was a concubine of the Crown Princess’s father. When Consort Meng learned of this matter, she had my cousin bring me to the Qian residence, where she adopted me. From then on, I took the surname Meng and grew up in the Qian residence.”
Zhenzhen smiled and said, “I see. No wonder I felt you looked somewhat familiar – you resemble Imperial Physician Zhang’s portrait in spirit.”
Meng Yunxiu carefully observed her expression and asked, “You’ve never met Imperial Physician Zhang?”
Zhenzhen shook her head: “I’ve long admired Imperial Physician Zhang’s reputation, but he disappeared long ago, so I’ve never had the chance to meet him.”
Meng Yunxiu continued writing, adding three more characters beside Zhang Yunqiao’s name: “Liu Mengchu.” Then she asked Zhenzhen again, “Do you know her?”
Zhenzhen looked at this unfamiliar name and said in confusion, “I don’t know her.”
“She was a palace woman from the previous dynasty who served as Food Service in the Royal Kitchen,” Meng Yunxiu said.
“Ah, so she was Liu Sishan!” Zhenzhen exclaimed with delight. “I’ve heard many stories about her, but only today did I learn her name.”
Meng Yunxiu then asked, “Have you heard the story between her and Imperial Physician Zhang?”
Zhenzhen answered honestly, “I heard a little about it in the palace. It’s said that she and Imperial Physician Zhang were in love, then escaped from the palace, but were captured and ultimately executed at Grand Preceptor Qi’s residence.”
“Yes, she was my sister-in-law,” Meng Yunxiu said. “After I entered the Qian residence, whenever my cousin came to treat patients at the Qian residence, he would visit me, so we were quite close. The women of the Qian family often had opportunities to attend palace banquets, and sometimes they would bring me along. Liu Sishan knew I was Zhang Yunqiao’s sister and would specifically seek me out, giving me many pastries. When I was twelve, my adoptive mother took me to Lingyin Temple to burn incense. After we arrived, she suddenly had a maid quietly take me to the nearby Tianzhu Scripture Reading Hall, where I met my cousin and Liu Sishan who were waiting there. My cousin said they were about to leave Lin’an and might find it difficult to meet again in the future, so he asked my adoptive mother to let them bid me farewell. At that time, Liu Sishan was already pregnant. She joyfully told me about the names my cousin had chosen for the child, saying that if it was a boy, he would be called ‘Zhang Zheng’ – the ‘zheng’ meaning ‘iron backbone’ – and if it was a girl…” Here Meng Yunxiu paused, gazing intently at Zhenzhen before continuing, “she would be called ‘Zhenzhen.'”
Zhenzhen was stunned and asked after a moment, “The same ‘zhen’ as my name?”
“Yes.” Meng Yunxiu pointed to the character “meng” on the paper and explained in detail: “Meng is the ‘meng’ from ‘meng jia’ (calendar pods). Meng jia is an auspicious grass recorded in the ‘Bamboo Annals.’ Each month, one pod grows on the first day, and by the middle of the month, there are fifteen pods. After the sixteenth day, one pod falls each day until the end of the month when they’re all gone. If it’s a short month, one pod will wither but not fall. Thus, one cycle represents one month, so meng jia is also called calendar pods. Legend says this auspicious grass appeared during Emperor Yao’s time and would only grow under the rule of a virtuous monarch. Liu Sishan was born on New Year’s Day, and Grand Preceptor Qi named her ‘Mengchu.’ When he later presented her to the late Emperor, he probably used this name to flatter the late Emperor. And ‘zhen’ is the seed of the meng jia, which is why my cousin named Mengchu’s daughter ‘Zhenzhen.'”
When Zhenzhen was young, she had asked her mother about the meaning of the character ‘zhen,’ and her mother had only told her it was the seed of an auspicious grass, but had never explained it in such detail. Now, suddenly hearing that Imperial Physician Zhang and Liu Sishan’s daughter was called by this name, she felt her emotions in complete turmoil. She stared at the name Liu Mengchu for a long while before saying, “That I share the same name as Liu Sishan’s daughter is probably just a coincidence, isn’t it?”
Meng Yunxiu said, “I thought the same when I first heard you mention your name, but the more I looked, the more I felt you resembled Liu Sishan somewhat. Later, when I inquired about your birthday, it roughly matched the due date of my sister-in-law’s child. This name is extremely rare, and if all these points could coincide, it would truly be a once-in-a-millennium coincidence.”
“Impossible!” Zhenzhen firmly rejected her unspoken speculation. “I was raised personally by my mother, living with her for more than ten years. My mother passed away just over two years ago – she wasn’t Liu Sishan.”
Meng Yunxiu hesitated to speak, and after long deliberation, said gently, “My adoptive mother was a very kind woman who treated me as her own daughter, caring for me meticulously and letting me grow up carefree in the Qian residence. Although she wasn’t my birth mother, in my heart, she was my mother. Our love for each other wouldn’t diminish because we lacked a blood relationship.”
Seeing that Zhenzhen remained silent, Meng Yunxiu gently took her hand and had her sit down, then continued, “I’m not saying this to create discord between you and your mother. I’m only telling you what I know about matters related to your name. Of course, it’s possible you have no connection to Imperial Physician Zhang and Liu Sishan at all. But if you ever want to know more about them in the future, perhaps you could refer to what I’ve told you and ask other knowledgeable people.”
Zhenzhen nodded and said, “I understand. Thank you, Sister, for patiently telling me all this.”
Meng Yunxiu smiled and said, “I’m about to leave the East Palace, and it may not be very convenient to meet in the future, so I’ve told you everything I’ve remembered these past few days. If you have questions in the future and want to explore more details, you might seek help from the Crown Prince. Although your status isn’t yet determined, everyone knows he will be your future husband – he’s the person most worthy of your trust and dependence. Whatever happens, don’t hesitate to discuss it with him.”
Zhenzhen remembered that Meng Yunxiu had also once been a candidate for the Crown Prince’s concubine, yet now when mentioning her relationship with the Crown Prince, she showed no jealousy at all. This touched her somewhat, but she also worried that her own arrival had forced Meng Yunxiu to leave, so she asked, “Sister, did my coming to the East Palace make you feel uncomfortable, causing you to leave?”
“Of course not.” Meng Yunxiu immediately denied this, then explained, “Although I respect the Crown Prince, I have no romantic feelings for him whatsoever.”
After pondering for a moment, Meng Yunxiu spoke candidly to Zhenzhen: “In my youth, I once admired a married man, but marrying him would have hurt someone I respected most. I was unwilling to marry other men I didn’t like, so I let the days pass by. Later, when the Crown Princess married into the East Palace and wanted me to accompany her, my adoptive mother had already passed away, and I had no attachments. Seeing that the Crown Princess feared life after leaving her natal family, I agreed to accompany her in marriage, originally planning to serve only as a maid. Later, when the Crown Princess decided to take concubines for the Crown Prince and wanted to find someone reliable and agreeable, she recommended me to the Crown Prince. Actually, I had no such intentions. Later, all those incidents occurred… Fortunately, you guided me, and now I have a suitable place to go and new purpose. I’ll live my life well. Thank you, Zhenzhen. Take care of yourself after we part.”
After Meng Yunxiu left, Zhenzhen tried to ignore what she had told her, but those unforgettable words and the doubts they brought were like the fierce winds of this season – striking her head-on unexpectedly and completely beyond her control.
One day, while pouring freshly brewed clear tea for the Crown Prince, he casually told her that the project to bring spring water into the East Palace was progressing smoothly. The water source chosen was at the foothills closest to the East Palace, and it was expected to be ready for use as early as the beginning of next month. But Zhenzhen was lost in thoughts about Liu Sishan, absent-minded and unaware, and the tea unknowingly overflowed from the cup. Only when the Crown Prince lightly tapped the table did she notice, hurriedly wiping the table while apologizing.
The Crown Prince asked her gently, “You’ve been absent-minded these past few days. Do you have something on your mind?”
Seeing him gazing at her with gentle eyes, Zhenzhen suddenly remembered Meng Yunxiu saying he was her future husband, the person most worthy of trust and dependence. She couldn’t help but blush and lowered her head to think for a long while before finally asking him, “Your Highness, do you know Liu Sishan?”
“Liu Sishan? She was a palace woman from the late Emperor’s reign, wasn’t she?” the Crown Prince said. “I saw her when I was young.”
“Do I look like her?” Zhenzhen pressed.
The Crown Prince smiled and said, “She served the late Emperor when I was still a child. She left the palace many years ago, and my memory of her is very vague – I can’t remember what she looked like. Why, has someone said you resemble her?”
“Yes…” Zhenzhen said hesitantly, “and they said Liu Sishan’s daughter was also called Zhenzhen.”
She then recounted everything Meng Yunxiu had told her to the Crown Prince. Under his questioning, she told him everything about her background and Wu Qiuniang’s situation, including the family troubles and how Cheng Yuan had taken Wu Qiuniang away, then brought her to see Wu Qiuniang’s grave. Finally, in a somewhat weak voice, she said, “When I was at Prince Yanping’s residence, Yinqi’s wet nurse told me about Liu Sishan, saying she was executed by private punishment at Grand Preceptor Qi’s residence, and that Yinqi witnessed it personally. That was more than ten years ago. So she couldn’t be my mother, right?”
“Mm, Liu Sishan couldn’t be the mother who raised you,” the Crown Prince answered calmly, but soon asked a question that Zhenzhen found rather jarring: “But have you ever considered that the mother who raised you might, just possibly, not be your birth mother?”
“No!” Zhenzhen immediately denied this vehemently. “My mother was the best mother in the world. She took meticulous care of me as I grew up, working from dawn to dusk every day to give me a comfortable life, yet she wouldn’t let me do any household chores. When I was slightly ill as a child, she would hold me without sleeping day and night, and she once risked her life to save me from a fire… How could someone who wasn’t my birth mother love me so much?”
She became more agitated as she spoke, her eyes reddening. The Crown Prince came over to help her sit down, poured a cup of tea and handed it to her, comforting her with gentle words: “I’m not saying this is definitely the case, but since you asked me like that, you probably have some doubts in your heart too. The questions Meng Yunxiu raised – perhaps we can try to investigate them and see what the truth really is.”
Zhenzhen remained silent. The Crown Prince continued, “I know it’s hardest to face such matters calmly when they involve people you care about. I was the same way initially – when I heard Wang Muze’s words, I instinctively wanted to escape, refusing to think deeply or investigate, yet unconsciously chose to believe the worst conclusion. This is what they call ‘concern leading to confusion.’ So regarding Meng Yunxiu’s speculation about your background, you don’t need to choose to believe or disbelieve it now. I’ll help you investigate. We’ll only believe conclusions supported by evidence, all right?”
Zhenzhen thought for a moment and finally nodded.
“After Cheng Yuan took you to see your mother’s grave, have you visited again?” the Crown Prince asked.
Zhenzhen replied, “I rarely have opportunities to leave the palace, and when I occasionally do, people follow me, so it’s inconvenient to go there. On my mother’s birthday, death anniversary, and festivals like Qingming and Zhongyuan, I secretly face the direction of my mother’s grave from within the palace to pay my respects.”
The Crown Prince smiled and said, “Then tomorrow I’ll take you out of the palace, and we’ll pay respects to your mother together.”
The next day, the Crown Prince had Zhenzhen ride in the same carriage with him, and they left the palace with several plainclothes attendants. Following Zhenzhen’s directions, they came to the foot of Phoenix Mountain. After the carriage stopped, the Crown Prince and Zhenzhen got out. The Crown Prince had only two attendants carrying ritual items follow them, while the rest waited at the foot of the mountain.
Walking up the mountain path through the lush, fragrant forest, they soon saw Wu Qiuniang’s grave appearing on a cliff shaded by verdant pines and cypresses. The two attendants went forward to clean the tomb platform and present fresh flowers and fruits. Zhenzhen first knelt before the grave, tearfully saying, “Your unfilial daughter has been remiss, only coming to see you today.”
After prostrating and weeping for a moment, feeling the Crown Prince walk to her side, Zhenzhen remembered she should introduce him to her mother. She said softly to the tombstone, “Mother, this is His Highness the Crown Prince…”
The Crown Prince bowed deeply, knelt on one knee beside Zhenzhen, and said to Wu Qiuniang’s grave, “Aunt, I am Zhao Xi.” Then he personally lit incense and candles, and together with Zhenzhen burned paper money and paid respects, his manner reverent as if she were family.
Shortly after, a woodcutter about fifty years old carrying a load of dry firewood on his shoulder approached. He curiously observed the Crown Prince and Zhenzhen, then asked the Crown Prince, “Are you paying respects to your mother-in-law?”
The Crown Prince smiled faintly and asked the woodcutter, “How can you tell, old sir?”
The woodcutter laughed and said, “Isn’t it obvious? This young lady has been crying until her eyes are red – surely the person in this grave is her close relative. While paying respects, you don’t forget to support the lady. You two are so well-matched – if you’re not husband and wife, what are you?”
The Crown Prince smiled and said, “You truly have keen eyes, old sir.”
The woodcutter was delighted to hear this and simply set down his load, sat on a nearby large stone with his legs apart, took off his bamboo hat to fan himself, and chatted idly with the Crown Prince: “I’ve lived on this mountain for decades. Why haven’t I seen you and the lady come to sweep the grave before?”
The Crown Prince said, “We’ve been living elsewhere for many years and only recently moved back to Lin’an.”
The woodcutter said, “I see. Then the people who came to sweep the grave on Qingming and Zhongyuan in previous years – did you hire them?”
The Crown Prince said nonchalantly, “I did entrust people to come sweep the grave. Were they satisfactory?”
The woodcutter replied, “They were all young men without even whiskers yet, but they worked quite efficiently. Each time they cleared the weeds around the grave quite thoroughly, so even though this grave is eighteen or nineteen years old, it’s still kept quite clean.”
Eighteen or nineteen years? Zhenzhen’s eyes widened immediately: Cheng Yuan had said Wu Qiuniang died shortly after arriving in Lin’an, so this grave should have existed for less than three years. How could it be eighteen or nineteen years old?
The Crown Prince obviously had the same question. He deliberately examined the tombstone carefully and saw that it bore only the six characters “Grave of Lady Wu,” with no dates of birth or death. But the inscription and surrounding stone carving marks looked relatively new, not like something that had existed for many years. After thinking, he asked the woodcutter, “Some years ago I arranged for people to erect a tombstone – I wonder if they completed it on time. Do you know when this stone was erected, old sir? Have the bricks and stones behind it been replaced?”
The woodcutter said, “The grave has been there for over ten years. The tombstone was only erected two or three years ago, and the brick wall around the grave mound was also newly built. But the large stones on top haven’t been changed.”
Upon hearing this, both the Crown Prince and Zhenzhen stood up to examine the grave mound. Indeed, they saw that the blue stone slabs covering the top were covered with moss and very weathered, with thick grass and trees growing in the crevices, clearly showing some age. Moreover, the style of the grave mound was quite different from recent graves of the past few years.
The Crown Prince pondered for a moment, then had an attendant give the woodcutter some money. He also asked about the woodcutter’s residence, saying he might visit again in the future. The woodcutter was overjoyed and thanked them repeatedly before taking his leave.