In the deep night of late spring, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse. Clusters of flower buds, on the verge of blooming, swayed like waves in the breeze across the royal prince’s mansion’s rear garden.
Zi Chu emerged from Xie Yunxi’s chamber, carrying an empty plate. A faint sweet aroma of pastries still lingered on the few crispy remnants floating on the dish.
Inside, Xie Yunxi wiped her lips with a handkerchief, rinsed her mouth with the warm, clear tea before her, and then, after her fingertips were dried by the servants, she stood up and ordered, “All of you, leave. Without my permission, no one is to enter.”
“Yes!” The newly arrived little maidservant, not daring to raise her head, responded and then retreated tremblingly.
As the chamber door closed once more, Xie Yunxi unfastened her sash. As her outer robe slowly fell away, clad in her inner garment, she walked to a vase on the shelf, reached out, and slowly twisted it.
With just two crisp sounds, Xie Yunxi had vanished from the room in the blink of an eye.
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The third lunar month was the liveliest month for the nobility of the entire Nan Yue Kingdom.
The so-called Hundred Flower Banquet, Spring Festival Feast, and Flying Flower Contest were all crammed into this period.
Zhong Li stood in the imperial garden of the inner palace, looking at the dazzling scenery before her with a hint of disinterest.
Ever since the case of the Marquis Anping’s residence was solved, the Emperor, as promised, had promoted her. She went from a Dali Temple Justice to a fifth-rank Temple Assistant. Logically, this was good news, as she was the first in the entire Nan Yue Kingdom to achieve this. Initially, she had thought so too.
But when she learned that officials of fifth rank and above had to attend the Spring Palace Banquet every year, she couldn’t be happy at all.
Especially the social niceties in official circles and dealing with the various imperial consorts. She didn’t have Lu Wu Xie’s skills and couldn’t manage any of it.
“Li’er, you’re really here.”
Just as Zhong Li was planning to sneak away somewhere for some rest, a familiar voice from behind made her steps halt.
“Yao’er?”
Hua Yao blinked her eyes and looked at Zhong Li, saying, “I was just looking for you in the front garden. Those officials said that because you are a female official, the Empress specially arranged for you to come to the rear garden on the women’s side. I didn’t believe it at first, but I didn’t expect you to really be here.”
Zhong Li nodded, appraising Hua Yao.
Although this girl wasn’t as stunningly beautiful as a celestial being, her doll-like face made her particularly adorable. Now, wearing a delicate short blouse further enhanced her spirited charm.
“This outfit suits you well,” she said sincerely.
“Of course! My father specifically chose it for me, aiming to outshine everyone!” Hua Yao said, not forgetting to give Zhong Li a flirtatious glance.
Zhong Li smiled and flicked Hua Yao’s nose.
“Speaking of which, Li’er,” Hua Yao smiled coquettishly, leaning her shoulder against Zhong Li’s, feigning a petulant look, “why are you wearing a *lan shan*?”
Zhong Li looked down at her attire and replied, “Officials wear *lan shan* to banquets. How could a female official wear anything else?”
Hearing this, Hua Yao shook her head, “Alas, that’s a pity. Otherwise, with your beauty, Li’er, the two beauties of the harem, Consort Rong and Consort Nangong, would be no match for you!”
“You talk too much!” Zhong Li chided Hua Yao with a glance, letting her lead her toward the gathering place for the female guests.
“Li’er, let me tell you, this Spring Banquet should be the most complete gathering in the harem in twenty years,” Hua Yao said as they walked.
“What do you mean?” Zhong Li disliked the strife of the inner palace, so she didn’t know much about the Emperor’s harem. She didn’t even recognize some of the less favored consorts, let alone know their names.
“The case of the Beichuan Gang has been solved, and the Jinzhou navy, which was preparing to rebel, has been pacified. The Emperor has personally ordered everyone in the harem to attend. Even the good-for-nothing sixth prince, Lu Yuan Feng, and Consort Rong, who only exists in others’ words, are here.”
As Hua Yao spoke, she pulled Zhong Li closer and subtly pointed to a foreign woman standing amidst the flowers not far away, surrounded by a throng of palace maids and consorts, yet wearing a distracted expression.
“She’s not wearing Nan Yue clothing. Is that Consort Rong?” she murmured, recalling her memory from last night’s hasty study of the imperial ladies’ characteristics.
“Yes, how is it? Is she beautiful?” Hua Yao asked.
“Beautiful,” Zhong Li praised genuinely. If she remembered correctly, Consort Rong was from the Shu Rong Kingdom, with a warm, fair complexion, deep-set features, and an exceptionally alluring figure. According to human development studies, in today’s context, she would be comparable to people from Thailand.
“More than beautiful!” Hua Yao added, “Li’er, let me tell you, when I was little and entered the palace with my mother, I saw Consort Rong. She looked like this back then. Now look at the other consorts, many show signs of aging, but she… hasn’t!”
Hua Yao said this, wrinkling her nose and waving her hands exaggeratedly.
“Oh? Is that so?” Zhong Li raised an eyebrow and asked, “I heard Consort Rong has no children?”
“Yes!” Hua Yao replied.
“That explains it,” Zhong Li said, withdrawing her gaze and preparing to walk to her seat.
“What do you mean?” Hua Yao asked.
Zhong Li turned around, looked at her, and replied, “Research shows that with each childbirth, a woman’s mitochondria shorten. The more children a woman has, the shorter they become, and the faster she ages.”
“Ah? What are you talking about?” Hua Yao looked at Zhong Li, utterly bewildered.
Zhong Li smiled. She knew Hua Yao wouldn’t understand, so she could only explain, “Not having children makes you look younger than having had them! Understand?”
“Oh!” Hua Yao scratched her head, still looking confused.
Zhong Li said no more. She found her seat and pulled Hua Yao down to sit.
At the same time, the Spring Banquet was about to commence. Shen Nong sat in the main seat and whispered a few words to the head palace maid, Pei Xu, beside her. Pei Xu lightly tapped the small bronze gong she was holding. Everyone heard it and took their assigned seats.
Empress Shen Nong looked at the over a hundred female guests before her and, following the rules of the Spring Banquet, spoke a few innocuous pleasantries. With a wave of her hand, everyone began to dine.
Zhong Li disliked toasting and chatting with others, so she sat in a corner, enjoying her wine and meal alone.
This year’s Hundred Flower Banquet was quite distinctive. The dishes were all named after flowers, and the wine was the Hundred Flower Brew she often drank in Yongcheng.
Just as the ladies were enjoying pleasant conversation, Empress Shen Nong suddenly spoke, interrupting their talk, “To all the consorts and esteemed family members, today at my banquet, there is a special woman.”
As soon as she spoke, all eyes turned to Zhong Li.
Zhong Li’s hand, holding the wine cup, paused.
“The first woman in Nan Yue Kingdom to hold the fifth rank, Zhong Temple Assistant of the Dali Temple.” Shen Nong also turned her gaze to Zhong Li.
Zhong Li could only put down her cup, stand up, and cup her hands in greeting to everyone present.
“I’ve heard that Temple Assistant Zhong has solved many tricky and important cases within half a year of taking office. Is that true?” asked a woman in a crimson dress.
Zhong Li followed the sound and looked. The woman was around fifty, with thick eyebrows and red lips. Although her movements and demeanor were gentle, Zhong Li could clearly see the aggressiveness in her eyes.
Sitting not far to Shen Nong’s right and being the first to speak, in Zhong Li’s opinion, could only be Fu Chong’s wife, Madam Chen.
“Madam Fu is too kind; it was all just coincidence,” Zhong Li replied casually.
“Then why don’t Temple Assistant Zhong tell us one or two cases, so we who are confined to the imperial city can hear whether it was coincidence or true skill?” As soon as Zhong Li finished speaking, another voice rang out.
Zhong Li looked up and saw Xie Yunxi sitting next to Madam Chen, staring intently at her.