TJAIP Chapter 23

In the imperial harem, what could be more illusory than the emperor’s affection? Since entering the palace, she had not been favored, and the emperor had only occasionally taken an interest in her. Faced with his handsome visage, she had once felt moved. This emperor was the first and only man of her life, and he was so extraordinarily handsome.

However, as time passed and she saw him drifting between the courts of different women, and the coldness in his gaze whenever he looked at her, she gradually gave up on such thoughts. She had learned to quietly accept her position in the harem. While her life wasn’t particularly good, it wasn’t as difficult as the lives of those who had been cast aside into the cold palace. Besides, the Jiang family was a prestigious one from Jiangnan, and the other concubines in the palace hadn’t actively made things difficult for her.

Today, seeing how Zhaochongyi acted in front of the emperor, with her eyes full of hidden affection, the sight caused a moment of realization. She had always thought that after Zhaochongyi was neglected, she had become cleverer, rising from being Zhuang Wanyi to Zhaochongyi. But now she saw that it wasn’t intelligence; it was simply that she had developed feelings she shouldn’t have.

She wanted to mock this woman for her foolishness, but a bitter feeling rose in her heart. Looking at this young woman in the prime of her life, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy. Yet, considering her current status in the palace, she knew she had no right to pity anyone. Turning her gaze away, she chose not to look at the delicate hand wrapped in the emperor’s. Today, it was warmed by his hand; yesterday, it had held someone else’s, and tomorrow, who would he embrace?

Feng Jin didn’t have a deep impression of Jiang Xianpin. He only remembered her as a dull woman. The Jiang family was a scholarly family from Jiangnan, but unfortunately, Jiang Xianpin had not inherited the talents of her family. Instead, she had become stiff and uninteresting, but such a woman was worry-free in the harem, at least she was clean.

“Since I’ve encountered both of you, why not walk with me for a while?” Feng Jin said as he released Zhuang Luoyan’s hand, casting his gaze around the garden. “It’s getting hot, and soon we’ll be unable to enjoy the view.”

Zhuang Luoyan and Jiang Xianpin naturally complied, walking alongside him. Compared to Jiang Xianpin’s stiffness, Zhuang Luoyan’s eyes were full of life, like a painting full of color, so even someone as reserved as Feng Jin occasionally exchanged a few words with her.

“Everyone in the palace loves the vibrant flowers, but I find these few pines and cypresses to be full of spirit,” Feng Jin said, pointing to a few trees not far away. “What do you two think?”

“Upright and unyielding, they stand strong against the wind and rain,” Jiang Xianpin respectfully replied. “Pines and cypresses stay green year-round, and nothing could be better. As for the emperor, like these pines and cypresses, you stand even taller and stronger, unaffected by any storm.”

Feng Jin nodded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, then turned his gaze to Zhuang Luoyan, noticing her thoughtful expression. “Do you not agree with Xianpin’s words?”

“Jiang Xianpin’s words are certainly reasonable, but I didn’t think that much into it,” Zhuang Luoyan said with a shy smile, pointing to the shaded area under the trees. “In summer, it must be very cool there. To me, the emperor is like a towering tree, a pillar that holds up the heavens.” She then pointed to a modest flower growing near the roots. “I am that little flower, growing at the base of the tree, perhaps never fully understanding the tree’s strength, but living off it.”

For any man, what could be more satisfying than knowing that a woman relies entirely on him? Feng Jin, upon hearing these words, saw Zhuang Luoyan’s face flush with embarrassment, as if she were unsure how to salvage her somewhat shallow words. He smiled faintly and said, “The emperor must be like a pine or cypress, but the pine and cypress are not entirely like the emperor.”

“Forgive me, Your Majesty,” Jiang Xianpin said, her face turning pale as she knelt immediately.

Seeing Jiang Xianpin’s reaction, Zhuang Luoyan was about to kneel as well but was stopped by Feng Jin’s hand. “There’s no need for that, Xianpin. You’ve done nothing wrong.” Although Feng Jin wasn’t upset by Jiang Xianpin’s words, he wasn’t interested in her rigid and dull demeanor either. He offered a few words of comfort before falling silent.

Hearing herself addressed as “Jiang Xianpin,” she bit her lip and rose, retreating to the side. The sunlight on her face made her cheeks feel unbearably hot.

Feng Jin shifted his tone and said to Zhuang Luoyan, “Since you compared yourself to a flower, why not go and see what flower grows under that tree?”

This was a blatant flirtation. Zhuang Luoyan blushed with a shy smile, though inwardly, she held a deep contempt for the man’s baseness. She replied, “Your Majesty, you’re taking my words out of context. I simply made a comparison, not that I likened myself to a flower.”

A flower cannot bloom forever, and a person’s beauty does not last for a lifetime. Even if a beauty is like a flower, she too will eventually wither. Zhuang Luoyan was clear-headed enough not to think of herself as a flower, let alone a pitiful one.

More importantly, if the flower beneath the tree turned out to be wilted and dry, her troubles would only increase.

At this point, Zhuang Luoyan wanted to slap herself for her loose tongue, reminding herself not to forget that even the most seemingly proper men have their unsavory sides.

As they neared the unremarkable flower, Zhuang Luoyan breathed a sigh of relief. Although this flower couldn’t compare to the more exquisite ones the Empress had admired days ago, its pure white petals, edged with pale gold and surrounded by lush green leaves, still appeared somewhat elegant and charming.

“Your Majesty, this is the golden-edged snowbell,” Gao Dezhong explained softly. “Some families use it as a potted plant, for it’s very sensitive to strong winds and harsh sunlight. The physicians call it ‘white horse bone,’ though I don’t understand medicine, I’ve heard that this flower helps soothe the liver, promote blood circulation, and relieve heat, so it’s probably beneficial.”

“Hmm,” Feng Jin nodded thoughtfully. “Even so, transplant this flower to my palace. Although it’s small, it looks elegant and pleasing.”

“Yes,” Gao Dezhong replied quickly. “I will have the palace gardeners handle it today.”

“See that it is well taken care of,” Feng Jin instructed, before turning his attention to the blazing sun overhead. “It’s getting late. You two should return now.”

“Your servant takes her leave,” Zhuang Luoyan curtsied, casting a glance at the unremarkable flower before slowly stepping back a few paces and turning to leave.

After walking a bit further, Jiang Xianpin, who had been walking beside Zhuang Luoyan, spoke: “The June snow may thrive in the shade and shun the harsh sun, but under the pine and cypress, it’s hard for it to survive. If it were in a more open place, it might bloom better.”

Zhuang Luoyan looked at Jiang Xianpin in surprise. Although these words were not very flattering, upon further reflection, they didn’t seem to carry malice; rather, they seemed more like a gentle reminder. But whether this was just an act or sincere concern, Zhuang Luoyan couldn’t tell. She simply replied, “Perhaps the June snow prefers to grow beneath the trees. We are not June snow, how would we know if it is comfortable or not?”

“You are right,” Jiang Xianpin replied, her tone carrying some hidden meaning. She looked carefully at Zhuang Luoyan, a young and beautiful woman whose eyes were still lively, unlike her own, which had long since lost their vibrancy due to the hardships of the palace. “If one could live freely and happily, that would be the best,” she said quietly. As a woman who had never earned favor in the harem, she didn’t feel jealousy or resentment toward Zhao Chongyi. Rather, she felt pity for the young and vibrant woman who had wasted her heart.

They arrived at Taoyu Pavilion, and Zhuang Luoyan invited Jiang Xianpin for tea. After Jiang Xianpin politely declined, Zhuang Luoyan didn’t press, sitting down in a soft chair and claiming she was feeling dizzy, instructing Fubao to fetch the imperial physician.

When the physician’s office heard that the favored Zhao Chongyi needed to be checked, they didn’t dare delay, sending the capable Dr. Tong to her side.

Dr. Tong, who was in his forties, took Zhao Chongyi’s pulse through a handkerchief and immediately confirmed that there was nothing wrong, but of course, he couldn’t say that outright. He explained that the heat might be affecting her and suggested she rest.

“Now that Dr. Tong has said so, I feel reassured,” Zhuang Luoyan casually asked, “I heard today that Concubine Wang is ill. Is her condition serious?”

Dr. Tong didn’t know much about Concubine Wang’s illness, but seeing that Zhuang Luoyan had asked, he could only reply, “I have not attended to Concubine Wang, so I cannot say. Please forgive me, Your Highness.”

“Dr. Tong, you need not be so formal,” Zhuang Luoyan smiled. “I understand the workload at the imperial physician’s office. But as sisters, I can’t help but worry. Could I trouble you to go check on her again? I hope it won’t be too much of an inconvenience for you.”

“The health of the masters is my responsibility, Your Highness. I would never think of it as a bother,” Dr. Tong quickly understood that Zhao Chongyi wanted him to ensure Concubine Wang received proper care.

After Dr. Tong left for Jingyu Pavilion, where Concubine Wang resided, Zhuang Luoyan sighed as she turned to Fubao, who had brought in an ice bowl. “The people in the palace are all like that—trampling on others while trying to elevate themselves.”

“Who isn’t like that?” Zhuang Luoyan smiled. “Seeing people trample on others is normal in this world. Helping Concubine Wang today is just a small gesture of gratitude for Jiang Xianpin’s good intentions earlier.”

A woman from a scholarly family like Jiang Xianpin was admirable, but she wasn’t suited for life in the palace. Fortunately, today, Jiang Xianpin had reminded her, not someone else.

But, as always, everything has cause and effect—if it had been someone else, they might not have received such a gentle reminder from Jiang Xianpin.

In Jingyu Pavilion, Jiang Xianpin was sitting beside Concubine Wang’s bed, talking with her, when a palace maid hurried in, a smile on her face.

“Your Highness, Dr. Tong from the imperial physician’s office is here to see you.”

“You mean the highly skilled Dr. Tong?” Jiang Xianpin looked at the maid in surprise. It wasn’t the usual time for medical visits, and even the physicians usually didn’t come to Jingyu Pavilion.

“I heard that after Dr. Tong checked Zhao Chongyi at Taoyu Pavilion, he came directly here,” the maid answered honestly.

“What did that one at Taoyu Pavilion do for me?” Concubine Wang coughed lightly, confused, and sat up against the headboard, panting a little. “Sister, do you know what happened?”

“Don’t worry about it. The most important thing is that your illness is treated properly,” Jiang Xianpin reassured her, then motioned for the maid to invite Dr. Tong in. “You can relax now.”

Concubine Wang sighed and closed her eyes to rest. She and Jiang Xianpin were both women who had never been favored in the harem. Today, no matter Zhao Chongyi’s intentions, if it hadn’t been for Jiang Xianpin’s help, she couldn’t even bear to imagine how her health would have deteriorated.

When Dr. Tong arrived, Jiang Xianpin noticed his polite demeanor and careful pulse-taking, and she was even more certain that Zhao Chongyi must have spoken to him beforehand. She remembered the look of love Zhao Chongyi had in her eyes when she gazed at the Emperor, along with the words she had spoken, and sighed softly. It was unclear whether she was sighing for herself, Concubine Wang, or Zhao Chongyi.

Outside the Qianzheng Palace, the sun blazed down. Gao Dezhong, the chief eunuch, was hurriedly walking with a eunuch carrying a potted plant. Once they entered the palace, he sighed in relief, adjusted his robe, and quietly entered the main hall. “Your Majesty, the golden-edged June snow bonsai is ready. I’m not sure where to place it.”

While reviewing memorials, Emperor Fengjin looked up at the bonsai carefully held in the flower gardener’s arms. He surveyed the surroundings and pointed to a nearby tree. “Place it beside that pine.”

“Understood,” Gao Dezhong nodded and gestured for the gardener to place it carefully.

After the bonsai was set down, Gao Dezhong, along with the gardener, quietly withdrew. As they reached the door, Gao Dezhong glanced at the golden-edged June snow bonsai and the pine, lowering his head as he exited.