Every word made sense, and every sentence was spoken with genuine feeling. Han Ruifeng’s concern was obvious, yet after hearing him out, Feng Xuanyi merely sighed again and said nothing.
“Let’s eat.”
He took Han Ruifeng by the hand and led him to the table, where they sat opposite each other. Han Ruifeng might have said that “the food from my own small kitchen cannot compare with the Imperial Kitchen,” but what dish on this table could an ordinary household possibly afford? Even the soup was Thousand-Year Turtle-and-Crane Soup, extravagantly nourishing and said to promote longevity.
Elio’s Notes: Turtles and cranes are traditional Chinese symbols of longevity. Pairing them in the name of an extravagant tonic dish reinforces its association with long life and nourishment.
Looking at the table full of delicacies, Feng Xuanyi could not summon the slightest appetite. Something flickered through his eyes, but in the end he stopped himself from speaking.
“Send this bowl of soup to Moon-Embracing Palace.”
“Yes. This minister will warm it again later and personally have it sent over.” Han Ruifeng showed no discomfort whatsoever and responded with thoughtful attentiveness.
The two ate in silence. Feng Xuanyi had little appetite, holding his chopsticks for a long time without ever bringing them down, while Han Ruifeng behaved as though he noticed nothing unusual. He simply continued eating, occasionally placing a few bites of food into Feng Xuanyi’s bowl.
“Why must Your Majesty stay angry with Imperial Noble Lord? Given Imperial Noble Lord’s present condition, even if he really were at fault, Your Majesty ought to yield to him a little more. This minister has heard that people who are pregnant are prone to emotional swings. Sometimes, even when they have no reason at all, they can still argue as though they have three parts of reason on their side.” Han Ruifeng joked, looking every bit the peacemaker trying his utmost to mediate between them. “Besides, the pregnancy is already quite far along. Six months—”
As though something had suddenly occurred to him, his words stopped abruptly, immediately attracting Feng Xuanyi’s otherwise distracted attention. “What is it?”
Han Ruifeng hesitated. He unconsciously bit his lip, looking extremely troubled.
“If you have something to say, say it.” Feng Xuanyi frowned impatiently. He had neither the mood to guess at someone else’s thoughts nor the patience to watch another person deliberately keep him in suspense.
“This minister was merely wondering…” Han Ruifeng seemed to think for a long time. Unable to make sense of it no matter how he tried, he finally forced himself to continue. “According to Imperial Physician Liu’s report just now, Imperial Noble Lord is already six months pregnant, which means this should be a time of particular caution. But as far as this minister knows, Your Majesty only ascended the throne and formally invested the Six Palaces at the beginning of this year. It is only midsummer now. If one counts the dates—”
Han Ruifeng spoke slowly and carefully, one word at a time, but his words made Feng Xuanyi feel as though he had fallen into an ice cellar in the middle of the hottest days of summer. His thin lips pressed into a hard line, and the fingers gripping his chopsticks turned blue-white. Han Ruifeng, however, seemed completely unaware of the change his words had caused. He continued thinking aloud, his voice growing quieter and his speech slower, as though desperately searching for some explanation that could overturn every unfavorable possibility and produce a reasonable conclusion that would leave everyone satisfied.
“Ah!” Suddenly, the clouds vanished from Han Ruifeng’s face and he broke into a brilliant smile, bright as clear skies after rain. “This minister understands now.” He sounded exceedingly pleased with himself. After pausing, he gave Feng Xuanyi an expression that seemed to accuse him of having been terribly unfair and complained, “Your Majesty has always favored Imperial Noble Lord. Whether back in Prince Rong’s residence or here in the imperial palace, that is an undeniable fact and hardly even a secret. Why hide it from this minister? I knew it! Back when this minister was transferred from the library to serve at Your Majesty’s side, Your Majesty would disappear from the residence from time to time. I used to wonder why Your Majesty was so often absent. It turns out Imperial Noble Lord’s charms were simply too great. One day apart feels like three autumns—much less when he had gone away on something as serious as a military campaign. How could Your Majesty possibly not miss him?”
Elio’s Notes: “One day apart feels like three autumns” (一日不見，如隔三秋) is a classical expression meaning that even a brief separation feels unbearably long because of intense longing.
“Imperial Noble Lord endured humiliation and remained beside Prince Yi for Your Majesty’s sake, bearing all manner of hardship in order to lend Your Majesty his strength. That devotion and affection are things none of the other consorts in the harem could ever compare with. True feelings reveal themselves in adversity. Everyone knows how Your Majesty feels about Imperial Noble Lord. It is only unfortunate that certain people who overestimate themselves still dream of monopolizing imperial favor.” Han Ruifeng’s explanation sounded perfectly reasonable, as though he sincerely envied the profound devotion between the two men. Even that envy was measured with exquisite precision: it began as envy, remained nothing more than envy, and ended there, without so much as a trace of improper desire. Yet the few words he deliberately emphasized made the phrase “endured humiliation” grate painfully against Feng Xuanyi’s ears.
“What a fine ‘everyone knows’…” Feng Xuanyi seemed lost in thought before suddenly giving a cold snort. A smile hovered ambiguously at his lips as his eyes instantly turned icy. “Endured humiliation… It seems We truly have wronged him greatly. Even now he continues to labor so much for Our sake. Before he has even had time to enjoy his blessings, he must risk his life. Our heart cannot be at ease. We truly feel guilty—” Abruptly, he called toward the doors, “Mo Yan!”
“This servant is here.” Mo Yan entered swiftly at the summons, slightly bent at the waist, head lowered respectfully as he awaited instructions.
“Jieyu Han is feeling unwell. Summon Imperial Physician Liu to take Jieyu Han’s pulse,” Feng Xuanyi ordered, his face cold.
Even though Han Ruifeng sat nearby with a healthy glow in his cheeks and a bewildered expression, his chopsticks frozen halfway to his bowl, a servant could have ten thousand questions in his heart and still pretend to know nothing. Mo Yan simply kept to his place and withdrew after accepting the order. “Yes.”
Imperial Physician Liu was already past sixty. His legs had long since ceased being as nimble as a young man’s, yet in a single day the emperor had summoned him three separate times, each more urgent than the last, as though flames were burning at his eyebrows. Even with an imperial sedan chair granted for his use, being rushed back and forth so relentlessly nearly shook his old bones apart.
“Master, the night wind is cold. You shouldn’t stand here in the draft.”
Outside the main hall of Yonghe Palace, Guishi Liu leaned languidly against one side of the doorframe, his posture graceful. His head tilted slightly upward while his eyes remained lowered. Whether he was admiring the summer moonlight or coldly watching the elderly physician hurry past toward the western side hall was impossible to tell. In a cool voice, Liu Yin said, “Such a good show. We’ve waited this long for it. If we don’t watch now, when will we?”
“A show?” The young attendant brought a garment from inside and draped it over Liu Yin’s shoulders, looking baffled. When he recognized the hurried figure of the physician, he spat disdainfully. “Who knows what trouble he’s stirring up now? All he knows is how to act pitiful in front of His Majesty and pretend to be kind, always thinking up ways to make trouble just so he can attract His Majesty’s attention. His Majesty finally came to Yonghe Palace tonight, yet he went straight to their side hall. As if that weren’t enough, he’s creating trouble in the middle of the night and has even summoned an imperial physician. This servant would also like to see what else he can possibly come up with.”
“Even this palace would not dare say such things carelessly. Are you tired of living?” Liu Yin laughed coldly. “But this time, I’m afraid you really have misunderstood his ‘good intentions.’ They are rushing about desperately yet do not dare make a spectacle of it. Something is strange. That is precisely why this show cannot be missed.”
“Master, forget about whatever show they’re putting on. Let’s go back inside. What the eye doesn’t see, the heart doesn’t grieve over.” As he spoke, the attendant helped Liu Yin turn back toward the palace.
Imperial Physician Liu had still been personally decocting medicine on the other side when another imperial summons dragged him back here. The moment he entered, he respectfully greeted the emperor and performed the proper rites, privately thinking that if he were forced to run back and forth like this a few more times, his old body truly would not survive it. Only belatedly did he realize that the real drama had yet to begin. Feng Xuanyi’s next words struck him like muffled thunder and left him frozen in place.
“If preserving the child is so difficult, then save the adult instead. Prepare a dose of medicine. It must be clean and decisive, and there must not be the slightest mishap with the adult.”
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