In the very expensive flower pots, there were no flowers or leaves—just branching twigs, two plants. In any case, Mo Zi couldn’t tell what they were. However, she could roughly guess that as the king among flowers, just their bare appearance couldn’t look particularly good.
A flower-viewing banquet, though just a form of entertaining guests for a meal, with flowers not actually being that important a part—but bearing this title, people who came would naturally harbor expectations of seeing something.
Hundred Flowers Garden today didn’t have a single blooming flower. This seemed to be Jin Yin’s deliberate arrangement, wanting to “clear the stage” for the king among flowers to win everyone’s admiration. He probably could never have anticipated that doing this would create a truly meaningful clearing of the stage.
Now, thoroughly, it could be called the No Flowers Garden.
The fault lay with Jin Yin—his words had been too absolute, creating too much anticipation.
In modern times, using greenhouses, one could force peonies to bloom early in winter, but in ancient times neither the temperature control technology nor the hardware met the standards. Wanting out-of-season blooms was nearly impossible.
After Mo Zi recovered from her stunned stupor, she found it amusing. Forcing flowers to bloom—if speaking from her personal experience, only one person could do it. But even that person had never successfully forced peonies to bloom in winter. Looking again at Jin Yin’s expression, clearly he also didn’t know how this could happen. Astonishment sparked in his eyes like striking flint. The gardener he’d been so proud to show off was most likely unreliable. Yet shrewd as he was, he’d actually been deceived.
The invited guests, perhaps well-bred, remained stunned for quite a while, hence the dead silence.
Jin Yin laughed heartily before the crowd could question him, breaking the silence. “A small joke—it seems everyone got quite a scare. The beauty of peonies is renowned throughout the world. Even during their blooming season, people are willing to pay thousands in gold for them. Though I, Jin, have seen many rare treasures, peonies blooming in winter is unheard of. Since this is rarely seen, there should naturally be some twists and turns—otherwise, if obtained too easily, one cannot cherish it. I suppose that flower grower has other arrangements. Let me summon her up and ask—then we’ll know.”
Most people nodded in agreement.
Mo Zi lowered her head and muttered to herself: “Is this his gardener or his master? Displaying two pots of bare flower branches, yet even he himself doesn’t know and still has to ask others.”
Yuan Cheng was sitting right beside her and heard every word. He laughed and said it was interesting. “If you hadn’t said anything, it would be fine, but now that you have, I’ve become curious about this gardener. Putting everything else aside, just her courage to dare challenge Young Master Jin is worth my toasting her.”
“Fearing the world won’t descend into chaos—that’s exactly your type of person.” Mo Zi sipped her fine wine and glanced around. “Why don’t I see Qian Liang and Bai Liang? Normally they never leave Jin Yin’s side.”
However, speak of Cao Cao and Cao Cao arrives.
At this moment, three people walked in from outside—in front and behind were the twin brothers. Their eyes cleverly rolled about, and seeing Mo Zi, one of them threw her a wink and made a face.
That should be Bai Liang. Through several encounters, Mo Zi had discerned that Qian Liang was slightly more steady than his younger brother. She smiled, but her gaze was drawn to the person in the middle.
Wearing an oversized gray-green cloth dress, with long sleeves and long skirt, a silk sash at the waist trailing to the ground—thus every two steps would cause her to step on the hem and stumble, creating dangerous situations. She wore a veiled hat, also gray-green, with thin gauze extending downward from the shoulders to cover her.
Yuan Cheng had guessed correctly—this gardener was indeed a woman.
“Young Master, the girl has arrived.” Bai Liang laughed cheerfully.
No one had seen Jin Yin tell anyone to summon her, yet Bai Liang and Qian Liang had brought the person in—evidently they hadn’t been absent.
“Ninety Liang, everyone is waiting. The joke has been played—now bring out your two most precious peonies.” Though Jin Yin was also smiling, his white teeth gleamed with a hint of coldness.
The woman stood before the two flower pots, facing Jin Yin, silent for a long while.
“Ninety Liang?” Jin Yin’s face turned frosty with coldness.
“I’m not called Ninety Liang.” The woman finally spoke. The gray gauze fluttered, her voice slightly hoarse, her tone indifferent. “Moreover, there are none.”
“None of what?” Jin Yin asked this not because he truly didn’t understand, but because he couldn’t believe her answer. He couldn’t help raising his voice.
The crowd immediately began whispering among themselves.
Mo Zi watched with great interest and took another sip of wine.
“It’s just these two pots—there are no others.” The woman showed no fear despite Jin Yin’s anger, speaking steadily. “I told you early on that forcing peonies to bloom requires building a warm room, constructing ground furnaces, installing glass tiles and glass walls. Making no investment yet demanding so much—isn’t that daydreaming?”
“Didn’t you claim to be the Hundred Flowers Fairy? That’s why I let you name your price.” Otherwise, what use was buying a gardener? His residence didn’t even have a decent flower garden—the flowers, grass, and trees grew naturally, saving money while still being viewable.
“Hundred Flowers Fairy wasn’t what I called myself—it’s what my eldest sister-in-law said. What kind of outrageous price is ninety taels of silver? If you count the peonies that came with me, when the flowering season arrives, I could earn a hundred gold. My sister-in-law didn’t understand, which is why she sold me to you so cheap. She didn’t understand, but I’m not stupid. If my mother weren’t gravely ill, how would you have gotten such a bargain?” A cold snort.
Mo Zi froze, set down her wine cup, sat up straight, and leaned her upper body forward. This woman had a sister-in-law and a mother—she shouldn’t be—but the resemblance was there, the cold tone was similar, and the snort even more so.
“Regardless, you did promise me that at today’s flower-viewing banquet I would see peony flowers. Now, in front of so many guests, how am I supposed to explain this?” Jin Yin was completely oblivious that this was in full public view, openly allowing the woman to “smear” him as stingy.
The woman remained motionless, her voice rising slightly, the hoarseness more pronounced. “Does it mean peonies without flowers cannot be appreciated? Without flowers there are still buds. Buds are where the flower’s soul resides—nurtured through autumn and winter to bloom in spring and summer. Since this is a flower-viewing banquet, those seated here must all be people who truly love flowers. Anyone with a flower-loving heart naturally has the intention to protect flowers and cherish them. As Buddhism says, emptiness is form, form is emptiness. With heart, one can see the king among flowers; without heart, even with flowers before your eyes you cannot see them. If that really won’t do, please have the young master walk a circle around the venue himself.”
“Why?” Qian Liang asked curiously.
“The young master loves gold, dressed in glittering splendor—isn’t he just like a Yao Yellow peony? Is there need to display other peonies? Just admire him.” The veiled hat lifted slightly, as if jerking her chin toward Jin Yin.
Comparing Jin Yin to a Yao Yellow peony? Mo Zi covered her mouth, laughing until her eyes narrowed—what a vivid metaphor.
Of course Mo Zi wasn’t the only one laughing. Counting them, there were many heads.
“This woman is truly a marvelous person.” Mo Zi said to Yuan Cheng. “Though she was bought by Jin Yin, she’s neither servile nor overbearing, cold yet spicy—quite formidable.”
Yuan Cheng turned his face to look at her. “She’s somewhat similar to you, but not as good at concealing it. If she’d followed another master, her personality would suffer greatly. But because she follows Young Master Jin, at least publicly he can save face.”
“Similar to me?” Mo Zi’s gaze condensed, staring at that gray-green figure, murmuring.
Jin Yin indeed showed Mo Zi what grace meant. After being mocked and ridiculed by his own gardener, his complexion actually became warmer than before. He even smiled with devastating beauty, waving his hand to dismiss her. His following words flowed from what she’d just said, actually winning approval from the entire venue.
“I’m truly embarrassed to have made everyone laugh. My gardener’s mouth is bigger than her skill at raising flowers. Very well, as she said—without flowers, we’ll appreciate the buds. Not to appreciate them would be to call us vulgar.” Two claps, and a group of beautiful dancing girls surged in, standing gracefully among the seats. When the stringed and wind music began: “If everyone doesn’t mind, what’s wrong with me acting as the Yao Yellow peony for once? A cup of thin wine—I’ll drink first as respect.”
A chorus of toasting sounds. Jin Yin’s spirit of self-entertainment inspired people to drink heartily.
Flower viewing transformed into dance and music appreciation, smoothly transitioning.
Before long, Yang Ling and several young people came over to toast Jin Yin. They also seemed to have known Yuan Cheng already, actually calling him “teacher,” and brought out the four treasures of the study to compose poetry and paint with flowers as the theme.
Taking advantage of no one noticing her, a non-scholar, Mo Zi walked out of Point of Command Pavilion. Zan Jin had been waiting outside the pavilion. Seeing her, he followed.
“Have you seen Qian Liang and Bai Liang?” she asked.
“Just went toward the pavilion on the west side,” Zan Jin answered. “Following behind a woman wearing a hat, hurrying along. I called to them but they ignored me.”
“Let’s go look.” Mo Zi wanted to explore the true face beneath the veil. “In case Qian Liang and Bai Liang cause trouble, help me pull them aside.”
When the two reached the west pavilion, they saw Bai Liang and Qian Liang flying about on the flower bed platform, playfully exchanging mock combat moves, while the female gardener had her back to them, crouching beneath a row of flower stands, doing something unknown.
As soon as she called to Qian Bai Liang, this pair of porcelain-carved jade figures flew over to her side, calling her “Sister” and “Third Young Master.”
“Can I say a few words to her?” Without much idle talk, Mo Zi asked directly.
“No.” Bai Liang rubbed his nose. “Young Master has ordered her to face the wall and reflect on her mistakes.”
“Whatever Third Young Master wants to say, once she finishes reflecting, I’ll help you convey it.” Afraid Mo Zi would be unhappy, Qian Liang added explanation. “Ninety Liang is someone Young Master newly bought. Usually she’s silent, but when it comes to flowers and plants, her temperament is as stubborn as an ox. Young Master says he needs to properly teach her to respect her master.”
“Jin Yin is drinking with people—he won’t come out for a while. You two spar with Zan Jin, and I’ll just say a few words.” With one look from Mo Zi, Zan Jin received the message, rolled up both sleeves and stretched his neck, drawing the twins away.
Hearing they could exchange moves with Zan Jin, the twins immediately “neglected their duties.” Actually, they felt Ninety Liang wasn’t wrong—in the dead of winter demanding spring flowers was Young Master forcing the issue, yet unwilling to spend money.
Mo Zi walked to the gray-green figure’s side and crouched down, discovering she wasn’t reflecting on her mistakes at all. Rather, she held a trowel in her hand, loosening soil and removing weeds. So focused that she didn’t even glance at Mo Zi.
So similar!
“Ninety Liang.” This name was depressing to call out.
“I’m not called Ninety Liang.” Digging, digging, digging.
“Then what are you called?” She’d mentioned a younger sister to Jin Yin. If this were Dou Lu, Jin Yin wouldn’t treat her as a gardener. But—
Really very similar.
“A Lu.” The veiled hat couldn’t be lifted—inconvenient for working, but not removing the weeds would be unfair to the flowers that would bloom next year.
The name differed by only one character, but Dou Lu’s voice was very pleasant—when she sang, she sounded like an oriole, not this rough, broken voice. Perhaps she was overthinking it. Mo Zi straightened up, involuntarily losing interest.
At the same moment, the woman lifted off the veiled hat with one hand. Her black hair cascaded like a waterfall, sliding over her shoulders, nearly getting caught by the trowel. She hurriedly stood, planning to tie up her hair before continuing with renewed effort.
Mo Zi stared blankly at her profile—an absolutely beautiful face, yet also such a familiar face.
Dou Lu—