As expected, Liu Luo Wei saw two sharp beams of light shoot from Cheng Yuan’s eyes as he turned toward her. She couldn’t help but deepen her smile and began methodically recounting how she discovered his secret: “Last time I wanted to send you a cook, and you declined. I secretly admired this, thinking you were different from others – pure and self-disciplined, caring for neither food nor beauty, so I changed to giving you jade magnolia flowers. The eunuch who delivered the flowers to Shi’an Garden came back saying that all the servants in your garden were deaf and mute. I couldn’t contain my curiosity, and coincidentally, a cook fell ill and damaged her voice, so I sent her to apply at Shi’an Garden. You didn’t forget to have someone test her hearing, but fortunately this cook had good self-control and actually passed the test, entering your garden.”
Cheng Yuan sneered: “The people you cultivate are naturally very reliable. What does this bit of self-control matter? Whenever you need it, they can fall ill and ruin their voices at any time.”
Liu Luo Wei didn’t deny this and continued: “Soon after, she learned that you bought Shi’an Garden originally to keep a beautiful woman – you locked a fairy-like beauty in the upstairs room of the garden. This beauty had no appetite for food or tea daily. By chance, the meals my cook made were still pleasing to the beauty’s eye, so she had more opportunities to deliver food to the small building. On a few occasions, she heard conversations between you and that woman… You called her Lady Ju.”
Cheng Yuan’s expression remained unchanged as he said: “She’s a dancer I bought. Because I admired Lady Ju’s style from years past, I called her by Lady Ju’s name.”
Liu Luo Wei chuckled: “This Lady Ju repeatedly asked you about the condition of a girl named Zhenzhen. Your answers were obviously about Food Supervisor Wu, which makes it even more interesting… I investigated Wu Zhenzhen’s background and learned she’s from Pujiang, with a mother named Wu Qiuniang. Then I had people investigate your whereabouts in recent years and questioned eunuchs who traveled with you. I learned that you had been to Pujiang and brought back a woman named Wu Qiuniang. However, just after this Wu Qiuniang arrived in Lin’an, you announced to the world that she had died of illness. I discreetly inquired of His Majesty about Lady Ju’s whereabouts. He said Lady Ju had requested to leave the palace years ago and lived in a garden the Late Emperor had granted her, but she disappeared shortly after and has been missing ever since. I also inquired with people from the Music Academy. They said that before Lady Ju left the palace, she was close to Liu Sishan and Imperial Physician Zhang Yunqiao, and after Lady Ju left the palace, these two also disappeared. So I had people go to the Hanlin Medical Academy to check Zhang Yunqiao’s medical visit records from that time, and found that Lady Ju frequently received his treatment before leaving the palace…”
Liu Luo Wei stared at Cheng Yuan’s increasingly grim expression, slowed her speech, and revealed her deduced conclusion: “If I’m not mistaken, Lady Ju must have secretly developed feelings for Imperial Physician Zhang and eloped with him after leaving the palace… Perhaps Liu Sishan was involved too? It wouldn’t be surprising for them to emulate Ehuang and Nüying serving one husband together… And Wu Zhenzhen is the daughter of Lady Ju and Imperial Physician Zhang.”
Cheng Yuan’s expression didn’t change, but he clenched his fists hidden beneath his long sleeves.
Liu Luo Wei continued smiling, walked to his side, and said in a low voice: “Tell me, if the Empress Dowager learned of this, how many reasons would she have, how many charges would she list, how many punishments would she use against Lady Ju? Just the charge of betraying the Late Emperor and eloping to bear a child would be enough to crush her bones and scatter her ashes, wouldn’t it?”
“She never betrayed the Late Emperor!” Cheng Yuan finally couldn’t help but glare at her angrily. “She never bore any children. Wu Zhenzhen is the daughter of Zhang Yunqiao and Liu Sishan.”
Liu Luo Wei was somewhat taken aback, then laughed again, saying softly: “That’s right. You and I should be frank with each other, speaking without reservation. How wonderful this is. As long as you and I support each other and survive together in the palace, I will naturally protect Lady Ju as I protect myself.”
Cheng Yuan knew he had fallen into her trap. He closed his eyes to regulate his breathing, then looked at Liu Luo Wei again after a moment, sighing: “What do you really want, my lady?”
Liu Luo Wei didn’t answer immediately. After a moment of silence, she gently placed her hand on her abdomen, gazed toward the small courtyard outside the door, and smiled faintly: “I’m with child again. The imperial physician says from the pulse, it’s very likely a prince.”
With that cry of “Luo Wei,” the increasingly intimate atmosphere between Zhenzhen and Lin Hong over these past months was instantly shattered. Neither of them said much more that day. Zhenzhen expressed the Emperor and Empress’s concern for Lin Hong, and Lin Hong politely thanked her. After watching Lin Hong drink the medicinal liquid, Zhenzhen urged him to rest more and hurriedly left. Lin Hong didn’t try to detain her, but his gaze following her departure was quite melancholy.
Although the Emperor had told Lin Hong to rest for a few days and suspend all work, Lin Hong still appeared at Daqing Hall the next day, continuing to lead the eunuchs in perfecting the display arrangements. Near evening, seeing that the eunuchs had nearly completed their tasks, Lin Hong dismissed them to rest while he remained in the eastern corridor studying the pine tree, occasionally adjusting branches and leaves.
Shortly after, Zhenzhen entered carrying a bowl of chicken broth with plum blossom noodles, saying His Majesty had asked her to bring it and instructed Lin Hong to pay attention to eating. Lin Hong thanked her, washed his hands, took the noodle soup and tasted it, immediately understanding this was the method he had taught Zhenzhen. He smiled knowingly: “This is much better than what you made at Wen Qiao Inn.”
Zhenzhen smiled: “It’s still not as good as what Teacher makes.”
Lin Hong suddenly remembered that snowy night years ago when he had rescued Zhenzhen to his room and then made this plum blossom noodle soup for her to eat when she awoke. She must have always remembered it, practicing countless times over these two years to achieve this level where the form, color, and taste were infinitely close to his own bowl.
His heart trembled slightly, and his gaze toward her became more tender.
Zhenzhen asked him to continue eating while she sat down to wait quietly. The corridor fell silent except for the occasional soft sound of the spoon touching the bowl.
To cover the awkwardness, Zhenzhen looked around and later picked up a thin cross-section of a pine branch, examining it carefully.
This was what Lin Hong had sawed off when adjusting the branch length. Seeing Zhenzhen’s finger tracing over the tree rings, Lin Hong said: “These circular marks, one light and one dark, represent one year of the tree’s growth. Count them and see how many years this tree lived.”
Zhenzhen counted carefully from inside to outside, then looked up with a smile: “Eighteen. It’s the same age as me.”
Lin Hong smiled without speaking.
Zhenzhen became interested and continued searching around: “Let me look for one the same age as Teacher.”
She found several pieces and counted them, but none matched Lin Hong’s age. Seeing Zhenzhen’s disappointment, Lin Hong picked through the wood pieces beside him and handed her one. Zhenzhen counted and her eyes lit up with joy: “Twenty-three, it really is Teacher’s age.”
Zhenzhen examined the wood piece and found it wasn’t as perfect as hers, with many breaks and insect damage marks inside. She sighed: “This tree seems to have suffered many disasters, leaving so many marks on its rings.”
Lin Hong said: “Tree rings record a tree’s lifelong experiences. Droughts, floods, lightning, and insect damage all leave traces.”
Zhenzhen noticed the largest insect damage mark appeared outside the fifth ring – a considerable hollow. She said: “This tree must have suffered greatly when it was five or six years old.”
Lin Hong was startled and put down his spoon.
Zhenzhen noticed his strange expression and called out with concern: “Teacher Lin…”
Lin Hong lowered his eyelashes and told her: “That was when… my father died.”
“Ah… I’m sorry…” Zhenzhen immediately felt somewhat regretful for her thoughtless words that had triggered unpleasant memories for Teacher Lin.
Lin Hong smiled slightly at her to show he didn’t mind, then after a moment said: “This is a past I can’t bear to recall. Every time I remember childhood events, I always force myself to skip over this period, so this year also has a hollow like insect damage in my memory.”
After thinking, Zhenzhen picked up scissors from under the tree, cut a small piece from the wood that matched her age, and placed it over the insect damage mark on Lin Hong’s piece. Then she said to Lin Hong: “This year, Zhenzhen was also born. So from now on, let my tree rings fill this hollow… When you think of this year in the future, you can tell yourself: there’s a girl named Zhenzhen in this world.”
Lin Hong maintained his smile, gazing at her ring that filled his hollow.
Zhenzhen cut another piece and placed it over the next scar on Lin Hong’s rings: “This year, Zhenzhen and Mother lived happily in Pujiang and met Uncle Pu, who was a good man as kind as Teacher Lin.”
She continued cutting and placing, trying to make the curves of her cut rings match Lin Hong’s: “This year, Zhenzhen started school. She thought the boys in her class were all annoying, always fighting, climbing walls, pulling her braids, and stealing bird eggs from trees. She never imagined that ten years later, she would meet a man like Teacher Lin.”
“This year, Zhenzhen begged Mother to teach her cooking, but Mother refused, so she ran out and found several male classmates to go to the river and roast fish together. The fish were burned black, but she still ate them happily… Zhenzhen, just wait a little longer. In a few more years, Teacher Lin will teach you to make very delicious food.”
“This year, Mother betrothed Zhenzhen to Yang Shenglin, but fortunately Yang Shenglin liked women’s cuju, and Zhenzhen caught him in the act, so the engagement was broken… Zhenzhen decided that when she returns to Pujiang, she must treat Yang Shenglin to a good meal to thank him for not marrying her…”
Lin Hong couldn’t help but smile, but seeing Zhenzhen’s serious expression, his heart felt inexplicably sour.
“I’m being serious,” Zhenzhen turned to look at him. “If I had married Yang Shenglin, I wouldn’t have met Teacher Lin. Then I probably would never have understood the way of food and drink, and wouldn’t have truly understood… what love is.”
At this point, her eyes became bright with tears, and her voice began to choke uncontrollably: “Teacher Lin, I like you. No matter who you’re thinking of in your heart, I still like you.”
Having spoken these words locked deep in her heart, she felt relieved. The tears that had been gathering in her eyes also fell, and she shyly kept her eyes lowered, not daring to look at him, until she heard his voice again.
“Don’t call me Teacher Lin anymore,” Lin Hong gently suggested to her. “If you don’t mind, you might call me Hongning… that’s what my family called me.”
“Hong… Hongning?” Zhenzhen said uncertainly in a soft voice.
“Yes, Zhenzhen.” Lin Hong smiled and took her hand, drawing her into his embrace, holding her gently, and whispered in her ear: “From now on, let us use half our lifetimes to fill each other’s tree rings.”
They leaned against each other, sitting quietly in the eastern corridor. For a moment, neither thought to avoid others’ eyes and ears, nor did they notice that the first snow of winter had quietly arrived, with scattered snowflakes drifting through the open latticed windows.
Outside the corridor, Zhao Ai silently closed the windows for them, then slowly sat down on the cold stone steps outside the window, sadly looking up at the vast sky, letting a few snowflakes fall into his eyes to relieve the burning sensation brought by his tears.
He had gone to Jiaming Hall to see his father but discovered Zhenzhen walking toward Daqing Hall carrying a soup bowl. Guessing she was going to see Lin Hong, he followed and hid outside the eastern corridor to witness this scene.
Hearing their final words, his initial anger and resentment gradually dissipated, leaving only a helpless sadness in his heart. He waved his hand to signal approaching eunuchs to retreat and silently guarded the window he had just closed.
After an unknown amount of time, Zhenzhen emerged from inside and was startled to suddenly see Zhao Ai sitting silently on the stone steps: “Second Prince!”
Zhao Ai stood up, hesitated for a moment, then called her: “Food Supervisor Wu.”
Zhenzhen immediately noticed the change in his form of address and realized he might have heard her conversation with Lin Hong. Her face instantly flushed red, but seeing Lin Hong walking toward them at the sound, she still raised her head to face Zhao Ai directly, expressing her feelings: “I really, really like Teacher Lin very much.”
Zhao Ai did his best to smile at her and said gently: “I know.”
Zhenzhen stepped back several paces and ran toward the Royal Kitchen before Lin Hong could emerge from the door.