HMAM CH 57 Library Encounter
After the morning court session, Jing Ye returned to the palace. Ye Mao instructed the palace maids to bring out tea, fruit, and pastries, saying, “These delicacies were prepared by Lu Gongzi for Your Majesty. He says they are new inventions; please have a taste to see if they are good.”
Jing Ye sat down and asked, “Where is he?”
Ye Mao pondered for a moment and replied, “Someone outside the palace sent an invitation, and Lu Gongzi has gone out of the palace to enjoy the peach blossoms.”
Jing Ye remarked, “Peach blossoms? They can’t possibly be as beautiful as lovely women, can they?”
Ye Mao chuckled awkwardly, “It seems Your Majesty is already aware.”
Jing Ye looked at him and scoffed, “This isn’t something to be secretive about; why are you tiptoeing around it? Since he enjoys the beauty of peach blossoms and women, let him be the selection official this time, and pick a few virtuous consorts for me.”
Ye Mao broke out in a cold sweat; it was clear that the emperor was upset about something. At today’s morning court discussions, reports of floods in the south were delivered, plans had emerged for defense in the northwest, and there were also reports from spies indicating that the Xijiang army had invaded the Wuhuan territory, with envoys from Wuhuan heading to the capital for help—most likely on their way day and night.
In truth, Jing Ye felt a sense of unfairness; he was burdened with all the paperwork in the imperial study while Lu Baizang spent his days idly and even bullied him at night.
Could the heavens be more unfair?
Meanwhile, as Lu Gongzi was joking and laughing with beautiful ladies in Ronghua Pavilion, he suddenly felt a chill down his back; his hand holding the folding fan slowed. Lin Min inquired, “Gongzi?”
Coming back to his senses, Lu Baizang closed his fan and smiled, “Young Lady Lin, with both beauty and talent, you will surely attract His Majesty's favor and gain great honor, making countless people envious.”
Lin Min smiled, though a hint of melancholy in her eyes went unnoticed by others.
“Villa Master Lu is truly favored by His Majesty; I hope you can say a few good words for my daughter in front of His Majesty,” Lady Feng said as she approached, fanning herself and slightly curtsying to Lu Baizang.
Lu Baizang returned the gesture and said, “Of course.”
Lady Feng nodded, “I need to take my daughter to greet the various officials; please excuse us.”
Lu Baizang waved his fan and said, “Madam may go on without worry.”
With a smile, Lady Feng turned and shared a look with Lin Min before leading her away.
Lu Baizang squinted as he watched the mother and daughter walk away, just then hearing a voice call from behind, “Hey!”
Turning around, he saw a girl dressed in a light yellow dress with a hint of makeup, her bright and lively eyes belonging to none other than Gu Mei, the youngest daughter of the Gu family.
Lu Baizang clicked his tongue, “Who are you calling ‘hey’? How could you be so crude? Born into a cultured family, acting like this—what man would find that appealing?”
Gu Mei huffed, “I mind my own business; why should I care what men think? What about you? Already a favorite of His Majesty, yet still flirting and gallivanting around, don’t you fear His Majesty's anger?”
Lu Baizang smirked, “His Majesty isn’t the type to get jealous easily.”
Gu Mei was so incensed she nearly spat blood. If she were in modern times, she would understand that such behavior that could make countless single individuals fume with resentment was a phenomenon known as “showing off affection.”
“You’re insufferable! I can’t bother to talk to you!” Gu Mei stomped back to Yang Yuying, who asked, “Why did you come back after just a couple of words?”
Gu Mei bit her lip and remained silent. Used to traveling with her brothers and speaking her mind, she still felt a bit coy in front of the man who made her heart flutter.
Unfortunately, he already had someone, and that person was the emperor on top of that; those little girlhood whims that had gone unnoticed before would never again be acknowledged.
After the flower banquet at Ronghua Pavilion, paintings depicting the ladies and the physical descriptions of the young women recommended by the gentry from various regions were presented to the palace, along with information on the personalities and genealogies of the candidates, to supply the emperor for selection.
Jing Ye grew tired of looking at the paintings and finally tossed them to Gu Hong and and the other two to consider and select.
Lu Baizang remarked, “Oh, this daughter of Magistrate Duan is skilled in embroidery, well-read… but what use is it to recite poetry? No thanks.”
“This is the second daughter of Lord Song, talented at cooking, particularly at making soups… but Your Majesty doesn’t like soup; no thanks.”
Leaning back on the soft couch, Jing Ye heard this and felt exasperated. Who said he didn’t like soup?
Gu Hong didn’t even look at the paintings, only picking based on the candidate's background and the name of the official who made the recommendation.
Jing Ye casually glanced over: “Ai, why pick this one?”
Gu Hong said, “This young lady surnamed Yu has a father who has achieved the highest scholarly accolades, and her mother is a legitimate descendant of the Prince of Pingyang from back in the day, making her of noble birth.”
Jing Ye replied, “But she… she doesn’t look very…”
Lin Xiaosheng held the list of names, quickly scanning each page, and crossed out more than half.
Jing Ye asked, “How are you choosing?”
Lin Xiaosheng answered, “Based on luck.”
Jing Ye: “…”
Once the candidates were finalized, the twenty-four selected noble ladies were escorted into the palace by the palace maids.
Among them were Lin Min, the eldest daughter of the Lin family, Gu Mei, the youngest daughter of the Gu family, and Yu Ying, the daughter of the Yang family.
Jing Ye didn’t have to worry about these matters, but while returning to his quarters from the imperial study in the evening, he caught sight of the flowers in the imperial garden, all tied with colorful silk ribbons, gently swaying in the evening breeze.
Jing Ye signaled for the imperial sedan to pause and asked Ye Mao, “What are these?”
Ye Mao bowed and informed him, “Today the various noble ladies are entering the palace, and according to palace customs, a small banquet was set up in the imperial garden. The flowers are tied with silk ribbons for good luck; the palace women often engage in such pastimes to entertain themselves.”
Jing Ye approached, carefully examining a branch. Seeing this, Ye Mao continued, “People also often write auspicious messages and tie them in for good fortune.”
Jing Ye unwrapped a piece of paper and read, “Tonight’s dew is white, the moon shines bright in my hometown.”
Feeling homesick? No matter how talented or beautiful you may be, you won't be chosen; soon you’ll be going home.
Jing Ye unwrapped a few more, seeing some expressing longing for family, some lamenting the solitude of the palace, and others wrote "Send me to the heavens," indicating grand ambitions to dominate the Six Palaces.
Intrigued, Jing Ye raised his head and searched among the branches, discovering a strip of silk hidden among the leaves that was not easily visible. He reached out to pull it down, causing two scrolls to fall to the ground.
Jing Ye picked them up and unrolled them. One scroll read: “Cherish your beauty.”
Another scroll was even more baffling, containing the words “the black radiance marks the beginning of its cycle” and “the mountain has trees, and the trees have branches.”
The latter line was somewhat clear; it seemed someone had developed feelings for someone else. But what about the first part?
When Jing Ye looked at the signature, he was surprised to find it was someone he actually recognized: Gu Mei.
He asked Ye Mao, “Have you seen this phrase before?”
Ye Mao lowered his head, smiling, “This servant is just a simple servant, how could this servant recognize such things? If Your Majesty wishes to understand it, you’d best summon a scholar to inquire or perhaps this servant could look for it in the palace library.”
Jing Ye seldom visited the library, but since it was close to the time for lanterns to be lit and one trip wouldn’t be a bad idea, he agreed, “Then let’s go look for it.”
When the imperial sedan reached the library, Jing Ye instructed the palace attendants to wait outside while he and Ye Mao went in.
Upon entering, they saw rows of bookshelves nearly two people high, and the palace attendant in charge of the library fetched a ladder. Ye Mao said, “Please wait here, Your Majesty, while this servant brings someone to look for it.”
Jing Ye nodded, watching Ye Mao and the others head further inside. He approached a small table and picked up a copy of "Records of the Grand Historian" and began to flip through it. He noticed annotations written in the margins next to each section; the characters were small but very well-formed, exuding the demeanor of a gentleman.
He came across a note next to a military account of the last dynasty's general, Sun Ruhua, that said: “The medical text states: treat not the disease already occurred, but rather those not yet come. Not treating the chaos, nor the accumulated problems; the long-term issues cannot be resolved with just one battle.”
“This subject pays respects to Your Majesty.”
Jing Ye snapped back to reality, realizing someone was kneeling by the door, holding a lantern beside them.
As the light illuminated, Jing Ye recognized the figure and exclaimed in surprise, “Feng Ling?”
The other remained silent for a moment, then said, “This subject is serving in the library today and accidentally took the books thinking they were mine, so this subject returned to put them back, disturbing Your Majesty. Please forgive this subject.”
Jing Ye glanced at the book in his hand and took a few steps closer, “Is this yours?”
Feng Ling looked up and replied, “Yes, it is this subject's book. Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Just as he was about to take it, Jing Ye stepped back, “Did you write all these annotations?”
Feng Ling looked at him and replied, “... Yes.”
Jing Ye glanced at the copy of "Records of the Grand Historian" again, then back at the young man kneeling before him, and sighed, “Perhaps placing you in the Hanlin Academy was a waste of your talents.”
This person never needed his protection; a gentleman like bamboo weathered the wind and rain and flourished in his own way.
Feng Ling said, “Your Majesty possesses everything in the world, and wherever you command this subject to go, this subject will gladly oblige.”
Jing Ye watched him silently. Ye Mao emerged with the poetry book he had found, glanced at the scene in surprise, and still presented the book, saying, “Your Majesty, this subject found it.”
Jing Ye didn’t look at Ye Mao; he genuinely wanted to understand what Feng Ling was thinking: “Why?”
“Because a monarch's command must not be defied, and my body and mind belong to Your Majesty.”