Elio’s Notes: The title is the opening line of Li Yu’s own poem Writing While Ill (《病中书事》): 病身坚固道情深. The poem dwells on sickness, medicine, seclusion, and seeking spiritual composure, making the self-quotation especially pointed in this chapter.
By the time Zhao Kuangyin hurried to the Prince of Jin’s residence, night had already fallen. Layer upon layer of moonlight cast the residence’s pale mourning banners into an eerie white. Fortunately, Wang Fu had thought to dismiss the ritual masters conducting ceremonies in the rear courtyard, though the estate still looked especially desolate.
“The whole realm mourns the Empress’s grand funeral. His Highness too grieves for his imperial sister-in-law and has merely done what little he can by dressing the residence in mourning…” Once the imperial carriage entered the Prince of Jin’s residence, Zhao Kuangyin glanced around and immediately understood that Guangyi was still performing rites for Yunjie. He could not very well say anything about it just then, so he only hurried inside to see him.
Zhao Guangyi lay on the couch unable to rise. When he saw Zhao Kuangyin come in person, he seemed about to say something, but in the end only sighed.
The imperial physician took his pulse, looking worried. “May we see the Prince of Jin’s recent dietary records?”
Zhao Kuangyin came over to examine them as well. He had not realized that since winter began Guangyi had scarcely been able to eat or drink from day to day. Most of the time he managed only broth and vegetables; on better days he could take some light porridge made from grains. He still could not tolerate meat or rich food. “Your Majesty, His Highness is deficient within and sensitive to cold. His stomach was gravely injured before, and after dragging on for so many days, the spasms have finally become severe today…”
Zhao Kuangyin grew anxious too. He went to the couch and looked at Zhao Guangyi. His expression was still fairly composed, but sweat had clearly gathered at his temples from the cramping pain. Zhao Kuangyin rolled up the sleeve of his dragon robe, took a cool damp cloth, and carefully wiped the sweat away. “Does it still hurt unbearably?”
Zhao Guangyi could only nod. His hands were clenched tightly. He stubbornly held himself in check so no one would make a great fuss, even as he endured the pain and cold sweat kept breaking over him.
“Find a way to stop the Prince of Jin’s cramping pain at once. How can he simply endure it like this?” His Majesty’s tone allowed no argument. The three imperial physicians immediately gathered together to discuss treatment. Zhao Guangyi remained in pain, unable to move, yet pressing down on his abdomen seemed to help slightly. He shifted his hands and tried to prop himself up. Zhao Kuangyin hurried over to support him. “Lie down and conserve your strength. Do not move…”
Zhao Guangyi shook his head to show that lying facedown on the couch would feel better. Zhao Kuangyin bent over and slowly helped him turn. “With some pressure on it… it does not feel quite so unbearable…”
The imperial physicians hurriedly glanced over, bowed, and tried to explain that compressing the area impeded the flow of qi and blood and could only ease the pain temporarily. Zhao Kuangyin impatiently waved them silent. “Go think of a remedy!”
After some time, a prescription was finally presented. Zhao Kuangyin looked it over and saw yet another long list of things meant only to nourish and regulate the body. “Your Majesty, the stomach is the sea of water and grain, the root of acquired vitality, and the great source of the five viscera and six bowels. When the stomach is not harmonized, sleep is unsettled. His Highness’s present condition comes from an external injury disturbing yin and yang within the body. It must be slowly regulated before improvement can be seen. One must not rush. Decoctions also enter through the stomach, and moving too aggressively can instead make matters worse…”
“We are telling you to find a way to relieve the Prince of Jin’s severe pain right now. You cannot simply leave him to suffer while everyone stands here helpless!”
“Yes… At present, for spasms and severe stomach pain, moxa may be burned at the Liangqiu point to ease it…”
Wang Fu, listening from outside, immediately ordered someone to prepare mugwort. Zhao Kuangyin hesitated slightly. “Guangyi? Are you willing to try moxibustion?”
Zhao Guangyi had already endured the spasms for too long and could not continue like this. He had no choice but to agree.
The mugwort was quickly prepared. People said burning moxa could cure a hundred illnesses. It was not truly so miraculous, but among ordinary households it was a common method of treating sickness. Zhao Kuangyin had used it in earlier years too, only once he had accidentally burned Guangyi while handling it. Seeing the mugwort being lit again now made him faintly uneasy. “Bring it here. We will administer the moxa personally.”
Wang Fu glanced at Zhao Kuangyin and hurriedly lowered his head. “Your Majesty, this general fears the smoke from the burning moxa may offend Your Majesty’s purity. Perhaps the servants should…”
“We said bring it here! How would servants know the proper measure?”
Everyone hastily handed it over. The smell of mugwort immediately filled the room. An imperial physician respectfully stepped forward to confirm the point. “Liangqiu lies beside the kneecap… Your Highness, please straighten the leg and point the toes so the moxa can be applied.”
Elio’s Notes: 烧艾 is moxibustion, the warming or burning of mugwort near an acupuncture point. The source names Liangqiu (梁丘, ST34), a point on the Stomach meridian traditionally used for stomach pain and related complaints.
Golden silk was laid around the knee to protect the skin from burns. Zhao Kuangyin lightly waved away the smoke and looked at Zhao Guangyi. “Bear with it a little and you will feel much better.” His voice was unmistakably coaxing, stirring memories of childhood. Back then, at times like this, Zhao Guangyi would have been frightened enough to cry but too embarrassed to say so. Today he calmly watched the drifting smoke. At Big Brother’s words, his gaze shifted away slightly, yet at last he spoke. “Big Brother… it is all right.” He moved his hand to signal that Zhao Kuangyin could begin.
Yet the sword-browed man suddenly rolled his sleeve all the way above his own arm without a second thought, ignoring the startled officials beside him who did not know how to stop him. He brought the burning moxa close to an acupoint on his own arm and tested it repeatedly. His skin reddened under the heat and smoke, but he paid no attention. Only after confirming that the temperature would not hurt Guangyi did he finally relax. “It is all right, Guangyi. Big Brother tested it himself. It will not burn you…” Then he reached beneath Guangyi’s knee and slowly applied the moxa to ease the pain.
When Zhao Guangyi saw that he had personally tested the burning moxa on himself first for fear it might hurt him, his gaze tightened at once. In the end he turned his face toward the inside of the couch, unable to think what he should say.
Human hearts and worldly feelings. The pity was only that this affection had been given to the wrong person. He could not bear it, yet for one fleeting instant his heart truly stirred. Pulled in opposite directions, he found himself speechless.
The faint burning sensation gradually displaced and eased the spasms and stabbing pain in his stomach. It treated only the symptom, but at least it brought temporary calm. Blue smoke spread throughout the room, and the man’s brows finally relaxed. “Does it feel better?”
“…Better.” That was all he could answer.
Wang Fu slowly withdrew to one side. His Majesty truly did cherish this brotherly bond. Everyone present silently marveled. People said the Prince of Jin now stood at the very summit of power and favor. Seeing this today, they knew it was true. In future, he absolutely could not be offended.
Everyone bustled about, hurrying to prepare the medicine.
Seeing Guangyi improve, Zhao Kuangyin finally let out a long breath. “If not for the danger back then, you would never have ended up like this. It was Big Brother who failed to think things through…”
“Big Brother does not need to keep mentioning it. Guangyi has never blamed you for anything…”
“If you say that, then you are still holding it in your heart.” Zhao Kuangyin knew that Guangyi’s temperament had completely changed over the years and could not be turned back in a moment. “If you are still unwell tomorrow, delay taking up your post for a few days.”
“There is no need. This illness comes quickly. A little rest is enough for it to pass.”
“Fortunately, your diet is so light that you can still nurse yourself back…”
The man in the shadow of the couch suddenly smiled. “Big Brother knows that Guangyi has practiced as a lay religious devotee without shaving his hair for more than ten years. Plain food is what suits me best.”
Zhao Kuangyin’s hand paused. After a moment he continued, and seeing Guangyi was better, he extinguished the moxa and moved it away. “I suppose you may not even remember. When we were little, Big Brother once used moxa to drive out insects and burned your arm. You cried and fussed for days, and Father and Mother blamed me for it.”
This time it was Zhao Guangyi who froze. His hand instinctively tightened around his sleeve. “That was long ago.”
“It burned you near the elbow that time. I wonder if any scar remains even now…” Zhao Kuangyin naturally reached over and patted his shoulder. “Do you still remember it yourself? Is the mark still there?”
Zhao Guangyi was forced into a corner by the question. Zhao Kuangyin looked entirely sincere, and to refuse outright would seem too false. Unable to think of another way, he could only raise his arm and answer, “Perhaps there is still something… Big Brother has not mentioned it in so many years that Guangyi forgot as well. We can look now…” With that, he hardened his heart and made as though to pull up his sleeve.
At the sight, Zhao Kuangyin burst out laughing. “Still the same foolish child. Just rest properly. How could there still be a mark after so many years?” As he spoke, he reached over and pressed Zhao Guangyi’s fingers back down.
Zhao Guangyi released a long breath inside. He watched Zhao Kuangyin, entirely unconcerned, remove the cloth from his knee and then carefully examine his expression. “Remember to take your medicine on time. A stomach condition like this cannot be completely cured in a day. You must pay attention in every way.”
“Yes. Guangyi will remember.”
Zhao Kuangyin laughed again. “After all these years, you are no longer quite the child you were, but that helplessly obedient look is still exactly the same.”
Zhao Guangyi could only turn over again, using the pain as an excuse to hide his face. “Big Brother now sits supreme beneath Heaven and must consider every matter, large or small. The palace can hardly do without you for long. Guangyi is grateful that Big Brother came out of the palace to care for me today, but there is no longer any serious problem. Big Brother should return early.”
“There is no helping it. Be very careful. If you are still unwell, report it immediately. Do not delay again.”
“Yes.”
Zhao Kuangyin opened the window slightly to disperse the smoke in the room, then returned to the palace.
Wang Fu quietly stepped forward. “Your Highness…” He stopped, wanting to speak but hesitating.
“Do not worry. If he thinks one moment of kindness will truly move this Prince… he thinks too easily.” He tossed the words out, yet bitterness and aching tangled in his heart. Shaking his head, he struggled slightly upright. “Better to think about practical matters. This illness of mine will not heal in a day or two anyway. Back then I really was careless. I never thought I would injure myself like this.” He waved away the lingering moxa smoke. “Tonight, remember to send word to Wang Ji’en. Have him quietly spread a few rumors…”
Wang Fu leaned closer to listen, then smiled as well. “Your Highness may rest assured.”
On the fifth day of the first lunar month, peach fragrance filled Bianjing. Because the Empress’s funeral had forced all celebrations to stop on New Year’s Eve, households now prepared Tusu wine and simmered peach broth to ward off evil in the new year, finally softening the grief that had hung over the city for days. Though winter remained bitterly cold, the lanes among the common people were full of harmony and warmth. Children with hanging hair and white-haired elders alike dressed properly, and young and old exchanged greetings in order, every face carrying joy.
Elio’s Notes: Tusu wine and peach preparations belong to old New Year seasonal customs associated with warding off illness or harmful influences. The novel folds those customs into the fifth day of the first lunar month after the interrupted mourning-period celebrations.
Even Wang Ji’en, who ordinarily scolded palace attendants without pause, softened his voice for once on a day like this. He ordered the Tusu wine and peach broth prepared in advance to be sent to the various palace halls.
Inside the Sandalwood Pavilion, however, not the slightest dose of Li Congjia’s medicine could be missed. For several mornings in a row, the Prince of Jin’s residence had sent word that His Highness was fine and only needed medicine and rest, so His Majesty need not worry. Zhao Kuangyin finally relaxed a little.
Li Congjia’s eyes, on the other hand, remained more worrying. Today the imperial physicians again took his pulse repeatedly and questioned him, then untied the silk ribbon to examine his eyes. Zhao Kuangyin knew best. “The color of the Marquis of Disobedience’s pupils has improved greatly. This is what they should look like.”
They raised a lamp and moved it lightly before him. Li Congjia found it uncomfortable and covered his eyes again. “…Dizzy. The light and shadows are too strong.”
The imperial physician found it strange and hurriedly removed the flame. He then took a teacup from beside him and moved it before Li Congjia’s eyes. Seeing that his gaze truly did not follow the cup, he too was at a loss. “Your Majesty…”
“A pack of useless fools!”
Li Congjia himself showed no anxiety at all. He reached out, found the silk ribbon, and slowly tied it back over his eyes. “I still become unbearably dizzy the moment I see light… Your Majesty need not be like this. I never expected them to recover in the first place.”
“Now that the cause has been found, how can they fail to recover?” Zhao Kuangyin’s anger was plain. Helpless, the imperial physicians could only come forward again and take Li Congjia’s pulse repeatedly. “The Marquis of Disobedience’s condition is unlike that of ordinary people… Looking at it now, this subject and the others do not know why… According to the medicinal principles, he should already have recovered…”
“Then why has he still not recovered!” Zhao Kuangyin paced back and forth through the room, making everyone watching nervous without producing any solution. At just the right moment, Wang Ji’en’s voice sounded from the corridor. “Your Majesty, today is the fifth day of the first lunar month. According to the old custom, this servant has brought spring-welcoming wine for Your Majesty and the Marquis…”
Liuzhu’s expression changed abruptly. Forgetting propriety, she hurried outside to take the tray first. The words sounded terribly improper. His Majesty and the Marquis should never have been presented wine together in the first place. Even the Empress would have required a special imperial favor for such treatment. Saying it aloud now, who exactly was Wang Ji’en saying it for?
Zhao Kuangyin was startled too and turned first to look at Li Congjia. Li Congjia merely poured himself a cup of tea and held it in his hands, his expression impossible to read. When Liuzhu carried the things inside, she refused even to lift her eyes, offering them with a cold bow.
“Your Majesty.”
“Set them on the table for now.”
Wang Ji’en still did not leave. Since he was never allowed inside, he deliberately stretched his voice even louder. “Such an auspicious day. This servant greets Your Majesty and the Marquis… I only pray the Marquis’s eyes recover completely. I specially prepared purple-orange-hued peach broth, to relax the channels, quicken the blood, move the qi, and disperse stasis. It is especially good for qi constraint and coughing blood… Long live Your Majesty, ten thousand years, ten thousand years upon ten thousand years…”
The imperial physicians all lowered their heads and stood to one side. Zhao Kuangyin wanted to erupt, but knew that saying anything more would only embarrass Li Congjia further. He could only wave his hand. “All of you, withdraw!”
Once no one else remained, he said, “Congjia, take the medicine first.”
“I told you long ago. I know my own eyes best. They still do not feel any better, so there is no need to spend so much effort.”
Zhao Kuangyin could only bring the bowl to his lips again. “Whatever happens, this is not open to discussion.”
Li Congjia sighed and drank it anyway. Zhao Kuangyin’s stubbornness was more frightening still, and it sprang from genuine fear. “They will recover.”
This time the certainty in Zhao Kuangyin’s voice made Li Congjia unable to bear contradicting him. He could only smile bitterly. “I smell something faintly sweet. So it is already the fifth…”
Zhao Kuangyin glanced at the peach broth on the table. Since Li Congjia had rarely shown interest in anything lately, he went over and ladled some out. “Then taste it. The customs of the first lunar month are much the same everywhere…” He stopped before finishing, knowing he had brushed an old wound.
“Yes. Jiangnan should also be filled with celebration at this time, every household welcoming spring. I only do not know what it is like this year…”
Zhao Kuangyin reached over and held his fingertips. Warmed by the medicine, they were finally no longer so cold. “When Qixi comes, we will go back together and look… Do not worry. I will treat the people of Jiangnan well.”
Li Congjia drew his hand away. “You speak too seriously. The Marquis of Disobedience has received such favor that now he can even share this peach-broth rite with His Majesty. I could never go back long ago… Do not mention it again.”
Zhao Kuangyin knew Wang Ji’en’s insinuations had made him uncomfortable. “He is only a servant who spends all day calculating how to flatter the powerful. Why bother taking his words to heart?”
Perhaps Li Congjia too had been touched by the holiday atmosphere. Today he did not become angry with Zhao Kuangyin again. Instead, finding the peach broth offered to him pleasantly fragrant, he accepted it.
“Wang Ji’en is better than anyone at guessing what his master wants. This purple-orange-hued peach broth was probably not mentioned at random. The color truly is different. Perhaps it will help. Drink a little.”
“Mm.” Li Congjia actually opened his mouth and took a small sip. The corner of his lips lifted. “These past few days I have been soaked in medicinal smells until I can hardly bear it. I was just wanting something light to cut the bitterness…” So he drank peacefully. Seeing him relaxed, Zhao Kuangyin sat down beside him. Wrapped in silver fox fur, Li Congjia’s fingertips were pale, yet his face seemed almost touched with color by the light peach fragrance. A thought stirred in Zhao Kuangyin and he leaned closer. Li Congjia had just lifted another spoonful toward his mouth when Zhao Kuangyin got there first and drank directly from the spoon in his hand.
Li Congjia laughed aloud. “Does Your Majesty begrudge even this? Must you steal it from me?”
Zhao Kuangyin only stared at him. At last he reached out, took the bowl, and slowly fed him himself. “I remember back at our old home… when we were all still young and Guangyi had not yet been separated from us, every year we waited for Father and Mother to serve the peach broth. Mother said… if we drank it in the first lunar month, we would be protected for the whole year, free from hardship, and our days would always be sweet…”
Li Congjia’s heart ached too. The life Zhao Kuangyin had known since childhood was completely different from his own. Li Congjia’s memories were of sitting upon his imperial father’s knee while his father personally received ritual greetings on his behalf, ministers offering congratulations and all the officials presenting tribute. When had he ever known the feeling of an ordinary household like this? Hearing Zhao Kuangyin speak of it softened something inside him. His brows relaxed. “Everything is better now… and you found him again…”
Zhao Kuangyin continued in a warm voice. “The old people at home also used to say…” He paused, then laughed. “Call it a custom from where we came from. If you give this peach broth to the person you love…”
Li Congjia noticeably turned his face away.
“All right, all right. Just listen to it as a joke. It is rare for there to be any celebration again today.” Zhao Kuangyin lifted another spoonful for him. “If you give this broth to the one you cherish during the first lunar month, then even in the next life the scent of peach will lead you back to one another…”
“The next life… I never thought you believed in a next life.”
“It is not belief. I simply remembered it today…” Now that he had become emperor, looking back on the old days only made him sigh. No one ever spoke of such things anymore. It was rare to have someone to tell today.
The time it took to finish one bowl of soup was all they had. Liuzhu lightly knocked at the door again and said that officials outside had sent gifts. Li Congjia found that strange. Liuzhu’s words were evasive, and he could guess the officials were saying much the same things as Wang Ji’en. “The Marquis of Disobedience is no ordinary person now… How could proper gifts be omitted during a festival like this…”
“Do not worry. I will make sure none of them dares open his mouth again.”
“Your Majesty can stop them for a while, not for a lifetime. My country is already gone and I have come to this. What else is there for me to care about…” Li Congjia turned slightly away from him. After thinking for some time, he finally spoke. “This is not anger. It is something I must say today. Zhao Kuangyin, tomorrow I will return to the Hall of Honoring the Worthy.”
He truly did not sound angry. His tone was calm, almost as though he were mentioning something casual. Zhao Kuangyin found himself without any reason to stop him. “Do you truly want to go back?”
“Yes. I will still take the medicine on time every day. Did you not say we would go view the plum blossoms tomorrow? Afterward I will leave the palace.” For once he spoke first of something Zhao Kuangyin himself wanted. Zhao Kuangyin relaxed slightly. “If there is a proper reason, you will not hide from me, refuse to see me, or defy an imperial summons?”
“I will not.”
“Good.” Zhao Kuangyin agreed as well. “The weather is cold. Remember to protect yourself.” He too knew that for some reason the dust and clamor had been rising lately, and the private rumors were all cutting and ugly. Fortunately, the Sandalwood Pavilion was secluded and no outsiders could enter for the moment. Otherwise Li Congjia would surely exhaust himself and grow angry again. How could such a proud spirit endure this kind of humiliation? It was better to let him return first.
Late that night, heavy guards in the rear garden of the Prince of Jin’s residence escorted a woman into a side pavilion under confinement. Her long hair was still arranged in the southern style. When she reached the door, she smiled. “Is the Prince of Jin not afraid His Majesty will learn of this, become furious, and punish you?”
Beneath the shadows of the trees behind her, the man in a dark fur robe lowered his voice. “Madam truly has the same temperament as the Marquis of Disobedience. Now everything is brought back to His Majesty as your support. Does Madam know how the Marquis is faring in the palace? Does he still remember you?”
“If the Prince of Jin believes I am unimportant to the Marquis, why bother imprisoning me here?”
The man turned his back and waved for his people to lock her inside. “Madam need not seek a moment’s victory with your tongue. What would a woman’s mind understand of this Prince’s plans…? The moonlight is quite fine today. On such a festival, Madam may have no choice but to face the moon alone. I wonder whether the Marquis of Disobedience is at this very moment enjoying incomparable favor in the palace…”
“What nonsense are you speaking!” She had brushed the others aside and walked in by herself, but hearing this she turned back angrily. Zhao Guangyi’s smile only deepened. “It seems the Hall of Honoring the Worthy has been cut off from the world too long. Rumors are everywhere in the palace now. The Marquis of Disobedience truly is a demon descended into the world… bewitching the inner palace itself…”
“Zhao Guangyi!”
Wang Fu immediately shoved her inside and locked the door of the side pavilion. “The wife of a guilty subject dares address His Highness by name! Do you no longer want your life?”
Zhao Guangyi showed no anger at all. “Let her. Just do not let her leave this place.” With that, he left the guards there and headed toward the front. Wang Fu hurried after him. Still worried, he could not help saying, “Your Highness, even so… is the Lady of Zheng truly so important to the Marquis of Disobedience? If we hold her for nothing and gain no advantage, will all this effort not be wasted? And if His Majesty learns what happened at the Hall of Honoring the Worthy, everything may have to be moved forward for no reason…”
Zhao Guangyi looked back toward the cold, quiet side pavilion. “Do you remember outside the Jinling imperial palace?”
“I remember.”
“Back then, to save Madam, the Marquis of Disobedience was willing to trade even his surrender… She must be someone extraordinarily important to him. I imagine he still believes he failed her elder sister…”
The cold moon gave no sound.