Chapter 1

It is now the height of summer, and the green color in front of me feels downcast,
unlike the fresh green of early spring that signified that the good days were just
beginning and made everything feel bright and cheerful. It could be because I
know the seasons splendour has already reached its peak and what lies ahead is
only a steady deterioration.
This feeling of melancholy is the same as how I feel now. Its already the tenth
day since Ive been here in ancient times, but I still feel as if it is all just a dream. I
feel like I am only waiting to awake up in modern times and am not really in the
forty-third year of Kangxis reign1. Im still that twenty five year old, single, white
collar professional, Zhang Xiao and not this thirteen year old Manchurian girl,
Maertai Ruoxi. Ten days ago, after I got off work, I did not pay attention to the
traffic as I crossed the road. By the time I heard the crowds screams, it was too
late. I felt myself flying towards the sky, yet I could see the physical half of my
body still dangling from the truck. In the midst of terror and intense pain, I lost
consciousness, and when I awoke again, I was already on the bed of this bodys
previous owner.
According to the servant girls, I had fallen down the stairs to the loft and was
unconscious for a full day and night. As for this condition where I lost all my
memories upon awakening, the doctor said this was due to excessive shock and
with careful nurturing I would slowly recover.
After walking only a short while, sweat can already be seen on my forehead. Next
to me, jie-jies2
maidservant, Qiaohui, whom jie-jie had brought with her from home when she
married, urges me, Second Miss, lets go back. Even though it is past noon, the
heat from the ground at this time is the most harmful. Your body still hasnt fully
recovered yet.
I answer her acquiescently, Alright. Jie-jie should be done reciting her Buddhist
scriptures by now anyway.

My name is now Maertai Ruoxi and this older sister I acquired is Maertai Ruolan,
the second wife3 of a rather well-known figure in Qing history: Prince Lian4, also
known as the Eighth-prince5, Yunsi. Currently however, the Eighth-prince still
has not been bestowed the title of Prince and is only a Duoluobeile6.
Furthermore, he has not yet forced to change his name to avoid taboo
against Emperor Yongzhengs name, so he should still be called Yinsi7.
If one puts it nicely, jie-jies nature can be said to be gentle and virtuous, and if
put not so nicely, she is weak and unwillingly to strive for anything. In an entire
day, she spends at least half of it doing nothing but recite Buddhist scriptures. I
suspect she is not very favoured. At least, in the ten days that I have been here, I
have never heard of the Eighth-prince coming to see her. However, based
on these ten days, I can also tell she is very caring towards her younger sister.
From food and drink to clothing, nothing is too big or small for her to think
about, for fear that I would be uncomfortable. I sigh silently. If I am unable to go
back, then in this place and age, she is the only person I can depend on, but as I
think about Eighth-princes fate in the future, I feel that this support is not that
reliable. However, that is still many years in the future, and I cannot worry about
it for now.
Sure enough, when I return to the house, jie-jie is already there and is sitting by
the table eating some refreshments. As she sees me entering the house, she says
in a light scolding tone, You didnt even think about the heat beating down on
your head.
I walk forward and sit down beside her. With a smile, I answer, Im not that
delicate. Besides, after going out for a little stroll, my body actually feels less
heavy than it did a few days ago.
Examining me carefully, she says, Your complexion does look a little better. But
right now, the heat is the deadliest. Dont go outside again at this hour.
I answer her offhandedly, I understand.

Dongyun comes in carrying a washbowl and while half-kneeling, she waits upon
me as I wash my hands. I laugh secretly and think to myself, Understanding is
one thing but whether I actually follow it will be left up to next time. Qiaohui
brings a towel over and helps me dry my hands. She then picks some ambercoloured ointment for me to apply over them. Its smell is fragrant and sweet, but
I do not know what it is made out of. After cleaning my hands, as I am preparing
to decide which of the sweets to eat, a strange feeling comes over me. I look up,
seeing jie-jie has been watching me, my heart suddenly skips a beat. As I return
her gaze with a questioning look, she suddenly broke into a mild laughter, You
were always so lively and naughty that you never listened to fathers words. Now
that you took a fall, it actually changed you for the better. You are actually much
calmer and well-mannered now.
Feeling relief, I look down at the sweets again, asking smilingly, Does jie-jie
wishes me to continue to be a troublemaker?
Jie-jie picks up a piece of my favourite dessert, the hibiscus cake, and passes it to
me, Theres only half a year left until the preparative concubine selection event8.
It is for the better that you are becoming more mannerly and proper. How can
you afford to keep staying wild and mischievous?
Suddenly, I choke on the piece of the hibiscus cake in my mouth. I cough loudly
as jie-jie quickly passes some water to me. While Qiaohui busily pats my back,
Dongyun hurries to get a handkerchief. Seeing me recover only after gulping
down a couple mouthfuls of water, jie-jie laughs, Just as I was saying you were
becoming more proper, you do this. No need to wolf down your food. Theres no
one here to steal your cake away!
I wipe my lips thinking to myself, what am I going to do? Tell her that I am not
your younger sister Ruoxi? No, definitely not! A thousand thoughts run through
my mind, but I cant come up with a single good plan. I can only console myself;
there is still half a years time left, isnt there?
I pretend as if nothing has happened and asks her, Last time, I heard jie-jie say
that father is stationed in the Northwest, and I had only arrived here three

months ago. Was it because of the preparative concubine selection event that
father has sent me here?
Yes! Father said mother had passed away early, and you dont listen to a word
second-mother9 says. The stricter they are with you, the more unruly you get.
Thinking that you at least still listen to me somewhat, they decided to sent you
here early so I can teach you some proper etiquette.
_________________________________________
In these past few days, from the moment I finish breakfast, I would immediately
go out for a stroll. After dinner, I would go for a stroll again. This is the only plan
I had come up with to work out my body. Though it is a simple plan, it seems to
be working quite well. Unlike the first few days after gaining consciousness, when
I had felt feeble and weak, more and more do I feel that this body is like my own.
I have also managed to induce Qiaohui to show me the loft where the real Ruoxi
fell from. As I was standing there, several times I had the urge to jump, hoping in
a blinks time I would return to the present. Nevertheless, I did not, for I was
more afraid that not only will I not return to modern times, but gain a permanent
disability instead. Besides, deep in my heart, I had secretly understood that the
probability of the latter happening is much higher. The horrific scene I had seen
after losing consciousness from the car accident was not an illusion. As for how or
why my spirit came to into this ancient persons body, I have no idea. Since Im
already here, I can only make the most of it.
Qiaohui is accompanying me as we take a stroll in a large circle. By the end of our
stroll, both of us are slightly tired. Behind the rockery, there happens to be a
fairly flat rock. Qiaohui lays down a\handkerchief on it for me to sit on and I drag
her to sit beside me. The sun has just set, so the rock is still warm. A breeze
passes over my face, bringing a slight cooling sensation. It feels very pleasant. I
tilt my head slightly to view the sky above me. The sky is darkening and though it
still retains its crystal clarity, its blue colour is starting to turn black. The
clearness of the sky gives the impression that it is much closer to the ground than
it actually is; as if I only need to stretch out my hand to be able to touch it. This is
definitely a sky of an earlier time because in modern Beijing, the only time I had
seen a sky similar to this was when I had stood on top of Lingshan Mountain10.

Conjuring up memories of my parents, I feel a painful sadness in my heart. I am

not saddened by my own death, but it pains me to know that my parents have to
endure the agony of having to mourn the death of their child. It is fortunate that I
have a brother. He has always been the pillar in my parents life and
knowing he is still around with them, I am slightly comforted.
Just as I am wallowing in my own sorrow, I hear Qiaohui say, Second Miss, you
have definitely changed.
Due to often hearing the same words from jie-jie in these past few days, my
inclination to become uncomfortable after hearing them has given away to
indifference. I continue to gaze towards the sky asking, How have I changed?
Theres no way you could have stayed so calm and quiet before. In the past, you
have always liked to talk nonstop and would have never been able to stay still in
one place. Old Master had always said you were like an unbridled wild mare.
Before your fall, youd always urge Mistress to recite the Buddhist scriptures less,
and wear brighter coloured clothes. We were so pleased that there was finally
someone here to talk some sense into her, but now you dont even mention any of
it anymore.
I glance sideways towards Qiaohui, but she quickly avoids my gaze as her eyes
meet mine.
Thinking for a moment, I say to her, Jie-jie is in a good state right now.
With her head cast downwards, Qiaohui replies with a quivering voice, A good
state? Its already been five years. Others who had come after her all have
children now.
I dont know how to explain it to her. To tell her that Eighth-princes future fate is
a tragic one? That the more emotionally attached one becomes now, the more
pain one would have to suffer in the future? I draw in a breath replying,
Distancing herself from such things may actually be a good thing for her. Jie-jie
is currently mentally at peace and content, I dont see why thats a bad thing.

Qiaohui looks up at me, trying to discern if I am speaking from the heart. Finally,
she looks to one side and says, But those people in the household
I cut her off, Just look up towards the sky and take in its beauty. You will forget
all about those unhappy thoughts.
Thrown off by my words, she hesitantly looks up at the sky and then at me,
wanting to say something. Seeing that I am still staring up at the sky, unmoving,
she eventually swallows her words and joins me.
A sudden laughter broke the silence, and from the side of the rockery emerges
two figures. The shorter and chubbier one in front laughs to the other behind
him, This little girl is interesting. Only a thirteen, fourteen year old girl and
already she displays a maturity that does not match her age. She speaks as if she
has already experienced much in life and is worldly wise!
Seeing them, Qiaohui immediately stands and curtsies to them, Ninth-prince,
Tenth-prince jixiang11!
Since I have been here, I have not yet seen any outsiders. Therefore, I found
myself standing there dumbfounded. It is only after seeing Qiaohuis ceremonial
greeting that I finally managed to react, remembering that in this time period,
hierarchy still exists and propriety matters. Luckily, I have previously watched
many ancient historical dramas and hurriedly mimic Qiaohuis example. As
a result of his words, my heart pounds like a drum. I keep forgetting that my age
now is thirteen and not twenty-five.
Looking at me up and down with one hand on his chin, the smiling teenaged boy
in front did not answer our greeting. Observing quietly, I decide that this one
ought to be the Tenth-prince and the one on the side of his rear, the one with a
particularly straight physique, must be the Ninth-prince.
Flatly, Ninth-prince says to us, rise.

Both Qiaohui and I rose. On one hand I keep thinking to myself: of all of Kangxis
famous sons, the first ones I meet are surprisingly not the Virtuous Prince
Eighth, but instead, the legendary venomous snake Ninth and blockhead Tenth.
On the other hand, I keep going back to what I had said to Qiaohui, trying to
figure out if I had said anything inappropriate. Eventually, I conclude that it did
not seem like I had said anything that was disrespectful, so letting them overhear
my words should not be a concern.
Laughing, Tenth-prince asks, You are from the Maertai Family?
Yes! I reply.
Just as he was about to say more, Ninth-prince prompts, Lets go, Eighth brother
is still waiting!
Smacking his head, Tenth-prince hurryingly strides past us, exclaiming, Youre
right, I was so busy watching the fun that I had forgotten about why were here.
Lets go go go!
After they passed us by, I finally lift up my head to look at their backs. Recalling
the manner the Tenth-prince had just conducted himself, I sigh secretly. The
history books have not been lying, he is a bit of an oaf. Unable to contain myself, I
begin to giggle at the thought. Just as my grin spreads across my face, it is
unexpectedly greeted by Tenth-princes turning head. With my laugh
suddenly frozen in place, my anxiety rises. I dont know what kind of punishment
is given to someone who laughs at a prince. To my surprise, he makes a funny
face at me instead, prompting me to burst into a fit of laughter. Giving me a final
grin, he turns away and begins to chase after the Ninth-prince.
As we return to the house, Qiaohui does not say a word. I am uncertain if she is a
bit shaken by what has just transpired, or is unhappy with my behaviour. I
remain silent as well, still surreptitiously discerning what just happened. If my
pitiful historical knowledge is to be trusted, then the Tenth prince is sure to have
an honest and forthright personality. He will not hold anything back and tell the
Eighth-prince about what just happened. As to how the Eighth-prince will react, I
have absolutely no idea. If one is to take his title as the Virtuous Prince as an

actuality, then he most likely would not be a narrow-minded person. However,

just to be safe, I should still inform jie-jie about what has occurred. Just as I
finish making up my mind, I noticed we have almost arrived at the house.
Slowing my steps, I tell Qiaohui, Of course I will always wish the best for jie-jie.
Dont you worry! Not waiting for her reaction, I hurry into the house.
Jie-jie is lying sideways in bed, while a young servant girl is kneeling on the floor
massaging her legs. Signalling the servants to stay silent, I sit down on a chair
right across from jie-jie. Jie-jie can definitely be called a beauty: with her sharp
chin, and a face one cannot help but love to cherish. Her skin is also especially
lovely, so white and smooth. Under the light her skin looks even more luminous
and translucent, like an exquisite jade. If she exists in modern times, her suitors
would unquestionably be numerous enough to form a company12, if not an entire
army. Jie-jie opens her eyes. Seeing me watching her, she lets the servant girl
help her up. After leaning comfortably on the cushions, she smiles, You are
really much calmer now, to not even say a word when you return. Just what is so
mesmerizing about my face?
I smile back, saying If Jie-jie is not mesmerizing, then there must not be many
attractive people left in this world.
One of the maids brings some water to jie-jie. I watch her take a few sips, before
handing the cup back to the maid. Afterwards, she half closes her eyes again.
I casually tell her, Just earlier, I met the Ninth-prince and the Tenth-prince in
the gardens.
Jie-jie waits for me to continue, and noticing that I do not, she opens her eyes.
Taking a quick glance at me, she instructs the maids around the room, All of
you, go prepare a bath for the young miss.13
As all of the maidservants leave the room, I stand up to sit next to her and begin
to repeat all that has happened earlier. Jie-jie does not speak after hearing me
out. Instead, she only stares blankly at a glass screen, decorated with majestic
steeds running on a plain, which stands on one end of the room. After a long

while, she sighs, Mei-mei14, you really have grown! You are no longer like
a thirteen year old girl, but more like one who took a fall and suddenly matured
ten years. I thought to myself, it is truth. Ruoxi has taken a fall and matured.
At that moment, a maid comes in reporting, The hot water and bath is ready
now. Jie-jie gives me a nudge, You can now go to take a bath.
I keep looking at her, not budging from the spot.
She looks at me as well, her eyes somewhat sad and pitiful. She says to me, You
have grown. You know how to be considerate to your jie-jie now and I am very
happy about this. But while you are here with me, I want you to live your days
without too much worries. As long as you dont do anything that is too out of
bounds, no matter how much you want to laugh and be playful, its up to you.
She straightens the stray hairs by my ears then gently continues, in the
future.in the future when you are in the Palace, even if you want toyou
wont be able to anymore.
Faintly understanding the meaning behind her words, my mood dampens
instantly. I softly reply her with an ok, and then follow the maids for the bath.
_______________________________________
After that day, even though I kept thinking that I didnt say anything that over
bounds my station; I was still concerned. However, after seeing that three days
have passed and nothing has happened, my heart was gradually calmed.
Nevertheless, I keep warning myself that I must be more cautious in the future.
Jie-jie is not well favoured and I must not add more trouble for her.
After my afternoon nap, I go to give jie-jie the customary greeting. Noticing all
the maidservants around her looking gleeful, and jie-jie looking apathetic, I
cannot help but ask, What is going on?
Jie-jie does not respond, but only gives me a faint smile which disappears even
before it fully materializes. Qiaohui happily answers, Masters servant has just
come to deliver a message. He says Master is coming over for dinner tonight.

Not knowing what to say at that moment, I could only just silently sit there. After
perceiving my silence and probably assuming that I am nervous, she smiles at
me, It is nothing too important to worry about. She then turns to
Dongyun instructing her, Go and make sure the young miss is dressed up
properly. Although it is only a casual dinner tonight, this is the first time she is
meeting the Master. We cannot afford to have her looking improper for the
occasion.
I did not know anything about ancient hair styling, make up or clothing, so I let
the servant girls attend to me and do all the work. I only have to be an obedient
wooden puppet. Internally, however, my mind was not still for a single moment.
Reflecting that in all of the Qing dynasty dramas I have watched, this Eighth
Prince has always been Yongzhengs archrival. A person, whom Yongzheng views
as a formidable opponent and hates so much that he cannot even rest or eat in
peace, is most certainly no ordinary individual. Secretly, I am actually looking
forward to tonights meeting. It is as if I am finally going to meet a beloved idol
face to face, and at a private meeting no less.
After all the dressing up has ceased, I finally realise how much women in ancient
times had to suffer. From head to toe, there is nowhere on me that is not tightly
bound to the skin by clothing. I am pretty much wrapped up like a rice dumpling.
Regrettably, it also happens to be the middle of summer, making it extremely
uncomfortable. I keep fidgeting in my chair, but the Eighth-prince refuses to
show up, even when the appointed dinner time has already passed. The
enthusiasm I had in the beginning begins to wane, and I become increasingly
restless. I get up to snatch a fan from a maidservants hands, and begin to fan
myself furiously. Jie-jie furrows her brows, It isnt that hot is it?
As I am fanning myself, I assert, If he still doesnt come, I am going to back to
change my clothes. This is really tormenting! Barely finishing, I see the curtain
lift upwards and three figures enter in a single file. The man in front is twentytwo to twenty-three years old, with a thin and tall build. He is wearing moonwhite15 robes with an emerald coloured belt tied around his waist and a
jade ornament of the same colour hanging from it. His face is like carved jade and

his eyes as bright asthe stars. I compliment him secretly: This Eighth-prince is a
bit effeminate, but is undeniably a handsome man.
Seeing me, he looks to be partially stunned, exhibiting a faint astonishment in his
eyes. However, his expression instantly returns to normal. Holding a slight smile
at the corner of his mouth, he moves his gaze towards my sister. At this moment,
all the servants in the room are half bent, curtsying. It is only then when I realise
this that I manage to respond. Following their example, I also quickly bend down
to curtsy. Ai, it seems to me I have not yet gotten used to all this bowing and
curtsying business.
He smile, and lifts jie-jie up, and says, You may all rise! He then tells jie-jie,
We were delayed by some things. I still have matters to discuss with Ninth
brother and Tenth brother later, so we decided to come together. Because it was a
last minute decision, we did not have time to notify you.
Jie-jie smiles back, Not to worry, its not a matter of too much inconvenience.
After Eighth-prince, Ninth-prince and Tenth-prince all settles down, the maids
begin to attend to their face and hand washing. Jie-jie leaves to instruct the
eunuchs outside to send food over. I stay standing, thinking, Oh Jie-jie, how can
you forget about me? Ninth-prince remains expressionless as before and Tenthprince still retains his ruffian demeanour. Ever since he came in, he would every
now and then take a glance at me. Eighth-prince is still smiling out of the corner
of his mouth, though looking a bit tired, as he has his eyes half closed, resting.
When Jie-jie returns, she informs us, We may begin dinner now. Opening his
eyes, Eighth-prince nods. He looks at me and smiles, this must be Ruoxi right? I
heard you were unwell in these past several days. Are you feeling a little better
now?
I have pretty much fully recovered, I reply.
Eighth-prince then says smilingly, Your body has just recovered; you should stop
standing. Sit down.

I take a glance at jie-jie, seeing that she has no response, I sit down.
During dinner, Eighth-prince would from time to time laughingly say a few words
to jie-jie, while Ninth-prince would eat in silence. Perhaps it is because we were
sitting diagonally across from each other, the Tenth-prince would, while eating,
smile at me at the same time. He looks like he has quite the appetite. As it is, I
barely have any desire to eat due to the hot weather, but with his
constant staring, it made it harder for me to swallow anything. I wonder to
myself, if I was like a lovely appetizer to him.
Surreptitiously looking around, and noticing that no one was paying attention, I
immediately glower right back at him. Happily eating and watching at me at the
same time, he is caught off guard by my sudden glare. Flabbergasted, he even
forgot to take out his chopsticks from his mouth and they lay dangling there. I
stare at him for a few seconds, finding his dumb expression amusing; I giggle
lightly then look down to eat my rice. As I look down, I inadvertently discover jiejie, Eighth prince and Ninth-prince are all watching me. My heart skips a beat.
Not daring to look up, I quickly eat two mouthfuls of rice only to choke on them.
Stooping over while holding on to the edge of thetable, I cough with my head
lowered, as I wave to jie-jie to tell her Im alright. Tenth-prince is laughing loudly
but I didnt dare to look up at him. Rinsing my mouth as if nothing has happened,
I continue on with dinner, although I can feel my cheeks burning furiously.
Finally managing to sit through the dinner, Eighth-prince stayed for a bit before
leaving with Ninthprince and Tenth-prince. An old maidservant asks by the door,
Should we leave the door unlocked for Masters return?
Eighth-prince coolly replies, Theres no need.
When they left, I immediately jumped up happily, shouting at Qiaohui to quickly
assist me in changing my clothes. Jie-jie smiles while helping to fan me. Why are
you so afraid of the heat? We are all fine with it.

I laugh loudly and do not say a word. I think to myself, Of course you are all fine,
all of you are used to being all wrapped up like rice dumplings from a young age,
but Ive been used to spending the summer wearing slip dresses.
Since Eighth and the others have left, jie-jie and I have been quite cheerful, but
this cheery mood obviously did not extend to the maidservants. I pondered for a
moment before understanding why.
However, seeing that jie-jie didnt seem to care, I did not give it any further
thought.

Footnotes
1. 1704 AD.
2. elder sister
3 Orig.
ce fujin. Fujin is the Manchurian word for wife or madam. Ce means side. Ce
fujin is the wife who
dwells in the side room. In comparison to regular concubines, being a Ce fujin is
still a highly regarded position in the household as both di fujin (First
wife) and ce fujin are officialised by the Ministry of Rites, and their names
are added to the royal book. You also can have more than one ce fujin.
4 Original word used:
Qin Wang. The Prince (Qin Wang) here is not the same as being called a prince
by birthright, but rather, it could be translated as Prince of the first rank or
Prince of the blood. It is a peerage title granted to male
descendants in the royal family, and is the highest rank in the Qing peerage
system. The first 4 ranks are usually given solely to direct male descendants of
the Emperor, though exceptions are found. There are a total of 12 ranks for
the imperial line. Because its an official title, I will be using Prince here with an
upper case P.

5 Original word used:

AGe. In the Qing royal family, a young prince who has not yet been bestowed
any title is known as AGe. Most of the time, the princes are not referred to by
their actual first name (not even by the Emperor himself) but rather, their
number then the word AGe. So as the 8th son, Yinsi is known as the Eighth AGe.
I will continue to use the word prince (with a lower case p) here rather than AGe
for easier reading.
6
duoluobeile, often shortened to Beile, is a peerage title that can be bestowed
to those within the royal
family. It is the third rank in the Qing peerage system for the imperial line.
7 All of Kangxis sons had the word Yin in it. Yongzhengs brothers all had to
change this word to Yun in their names to avoid taboo when Yongzheng became
Emperor.
8 Orig. xuan xiu nu, literally means to choose (xuan) an elegant female
(xiu nu). Xiu Nu is basically a title given to preparative concubines to the
Emperor. An event to choose these future concubines is held every 3 years.
All Manchurians under the banner system have to send their unmarried
daughters to this event when they are of age. Girls who are not chosen are usually
arranged to marry men in the Imperial family, notable noblemen or sons of high
ranking officials.
9 Refers to their fathers second concubine.
10 Lingshan is the highest mountain in Beijing.
11 jixiang is a standard greeting one of lower status uses to greet people
with higher status in court. The word literally mean auspicious and can be
translated as, I wish good fortunes, prosperity and happiness to you.
12 Not company as in business company but company as in a unit of an army. A
company usually is comprised of 3-5 platoons of men.

13 Orig. word: Ge-Ge ().

A Manchurian word for young mistress, or lady. It is a title you would call an
unmarried noblewoman (or before they are bestowed an official title by the
Emperor) above a certain rank. It does not mean princess like it is often used in
Chinese dramas and novels. Before they are given titles, daughters of the
Emperors are referred to as gong zhu (), as the Manchurians have adopted
certain Ming customs after they established control over China. Therefore, as a
noblewoman, Ruoxi is considered a GeGe.
14 Younger sister
15 Orig.
yue bai se, literally moon white colour. The colour moon white is not what
people usually assume as a
very bright, and pure white color. The ancient Chinese actually viewed the moon
as being white with a blue tint. Thus yue bai se is really a colour that is a very
pale blue.
Characters Introduced So Far
(In Alphabetical Order)
Dong Yun: One of Ruolans maids.
Eighth-prince (Aisin-Gioro Yinsi): The eighth son of Emperor Kangxi. Also
known as the Eighth Beile. Ruolan is his Cefujin (Second Wife).
Kangxi: Current Emperor of China.
Ninth-prince (Aisin-Gioro Yintang): The ninth son of Emperor Kangxi.
Currently not given a peerage title. Seems to have a more taciturn personality.
Nicknamed the venomous snake by Ruoxi.
Qiao Hui: One of Ruolans maids. Qiao Hui used to serve Ruolan even before
Ruolans marriage. When Ruolan married, Qiaohui accompanied Ruolan to

Eighth-princes household. Seems to be concerned for her mistress especially

regarding Ruolan and Eighths relationship.
Ruolan, Maertai: Ruoxis older sister. The two are especially close as they are
born from the same mother. She is also the Cefujin (Second Wife) of the Eighthprince. Mild and gentle in nature, Ruolan likes to spend a better part of her days
reciting Buddhist scriptures.
Ruoxi, Maertai (Zhang Xiao): Protagonist of the story. Originally a modern
day, white collar professional named Zheng Xiao. Under certain unexplainable,
supernatural occurrence, Zhang Xiaos spirit travelled through time upon her
death and took over a young Manchurian girls body. Now stuck in ancient times,
Ruoxi must navigate through an entirely foreign environment armed only with
the little historical knowledge she remembers.
Tenth-prince (Aisin-Gioro Yine): The tenth son of Emperor Kangxi.
Currently not given a peerage title. Seems to have a more frivolous nature.
Nicknamed the blockhead by Ruoxi.

Chapter 2 (Parts 1-3)

I am sitting under a tree not far from the lake, reading Song Dynasty poems.
Yesterday, I had asked jie-jie for some Song poems to read because I used to love
reading them and had memorized many by heart. By comparing the poems, ones
have I have in front of me and the ones from my memory, I am able to learn
many traditional Chinese characters[1].
Since I have studied painstakingly by a cold window[2] for a good sixteen
years, I consider myself to be a fairly knowledgeable, modern
woman. Nevertheless, now that Im in ancient times, I have turned into a semiilliterate.
Just a few days ago, because the eunuch who has been responsible for the mail
was unavailable, I volunteered to read a letter for jie-jie. However, as I was
reading, I had actually understood only half of what was written. Even before I

finished reciting the letter, after my numerous something, somethings, jie-jie

started laughing while clutching her stomach on the couch[3].
When you told me you wanted to recite the letter, she laughs, I had thought to
myself, havent thought that in the few years we havent seen each other, you
would have made some progress in your studies. Well youve definitely made a
little progress. You now know how to use something as a replacement for a word
you cant read.
She was laughing so hard that it took a long time to finish what she was saying. I
could only stand stupidly on the spot, feeling embarrassed and a bit vexed. I told
myself immediately, No, this will not do. I must take off the hat of illiteracy. I am
determined to be a knowledgeable and well educated woman!
Reminiscing about everything up to this point, I couldnt help but smile at myself
deprecatingly. Thank goodness that I had fallen into this young mistress body
and dont have to worry about things such as food and clothing. Otherwise, for a
person like me, who cannot carry anything with my hands and lift anything with
my shoulders, I would probably starve to death.
Getting tried from all the reading, I begin to enjoy the scenery around me. Even
then, I started to feel bored. Seeing a few ants in the grass from the corner of my
eye, I suddenly remembered the times when I would dig at ant holes when I was a
child. I randomly picked up a small tree branch and began to block the ants way,
not letting them pass. If they managed to take two steps forward, I would poke
them back. If they took another two steps; they would be poked back again.
Just as I was enjoying myself and secretly having fun, I hear the sound of
breathing by my ears. I look towards my side and see the Tenth-prince crouched
next to me, also looking at the ants. I give him a good stare before noticing a pair
of boots next to him. Following the boots upwards, I was met with the Eighthprinces semi-smile. I quickly straightened myself to give my ceremonial greeting.
The Tenth-prince also stands and with a frivolous demeanour, he smiles at the
Eighth-prince and jokingly says, Look at this mischievous girl; I had thought she
was some proper young lady, but looks like I thought too highly of her.

I didnt dare to retort in front of the Eighth-prince and only thought quietly,
Being thought of highly by you might not necessary be something to be proud
of.
Eighth-prince smilingly asks me, Reading Song poems?
Glancing at the book on the ground I reply, Yes.
Tenth-prince cuts in, Shes looking at ants. She is only pretending to be reading
for show.
I glance sideways towards him, thinking, Only seventeen, eighteen years
old[4] but purposely acting all adult like in front of me. I counter him, Dont
you know the saying one flower one world, one leaf one Bodhi[5]? I am looking
at the ants but also not looking at the ants.
As I suspected, the blockhead Tenth-prince becomes somewhat stupefied by my
words. Not knowing how to respond, he could only look towards the Eighthprince.
Eighth-prince smiles and nods, Tenth, you need to be more studious! He then
asks me, You read a lot of Buddhist scriptures?
I quickly answer, No, I just often listen to jie-jie reciting them.
He smiles and then turns to stare at the lake. It was only after a while before he
states, she does recite them often.
I pondered at his words for a moment, but seeing that he still carried a smile, I
could not decipher what he had meant. I could only calmly answer, She recites
them hoping to have peace and calm in mind and disposition
He did not respond, but only continued to stare at the lakes surface, smiling.
Standing next to us, not knowing what to say and having probably lost interest
with our conversation, Tenth-prince goes over to pick up the book on the ground
asking, You can read all of the characters in here?

Seeing his provocative gaze, I really wanted to tell him, Yes, I recognize them
all. Unfortunately, the truth is that I do not. Therefore, I could only respond, I
know them all! They know me, but I dont know them. However, we are all in
midst of getting more familiar with each other.
He exploded into a fit of laughter after hearing my words. I did not know why,
but every time I see Tenth-princes hooligan manners, I get a bit short-tempered;
always saying the first thing that pops in my head, never thinking carefully before
I speak.
Eighth-prince asks laughingly, Then how do you go about to becoming more
familiar with them?
I casually reply, I guess.
Tenth-prince laughs, exclaiming, That works too? Then we all dont have to hire
tutors anymore, just have to guess everything ourselves.
Shaking his head, the Eighth-prince smiles, telling the Tenth-prince, Lets go!
and begins to walk away.
Tenth-prince throws the book back to me and chases after Eighth-prince. He only
takes a few steps before turning around to ask, We are going to the second
residence for some horseback riding. You coming?
Hearing his invitation, I was very intrigued. Ever since I got here, I have yet to go
beyond the residence gates. With the intention of flattering him, I run up saying,
Can I go like this? How about my sister? What should I tell her?
For what reasons can you not go? he says, Well just have to find you a mild
mannered old horse to ride. As long as you dont go too fast, you should be fine.
As for your sister, how is that any of my business?
Seeing he is acting all high and mighty again, I wanted to quip right back. But
then again, thinking that this is a rare opportunity to get out, I chose to live with
it.

He isnt walking particularly fast but I do have to jog slightly in order to keep up
with him. Pretending to have just suddenly come up with a good idea, hoping
hell take my bait, I say to him, Whatever Eighth-Beile says jie-jie will be sure to
listen.
He takes a look at me and tells me, Go and tell Eighth brother yourself then.
I could almost hear the sound of my teeth grinding. Why is this Tenth-prince a
master of following the pole and climb it[6]? Irritated, I say to him, You are
the one that is asking me to come. You have to take responsibility until the end.
Or else I am not coming!
He gives me a sideways glance with a whatever look on his face. Seeing this, I
turn to leave. He quickly grabs my hand, stopping me. Alright! Alright! Ill go tell
him. You happy now?
Only then did I smile at him, and drop his hand to follow briskly behind him.
The Eight-prince looks a bit surprised to see that I had followed the Tenth-prince.
The Tenth-prince did not wait for the Eighth-prince to speak and quickly injects,
Eighth brother. I saw her looking very bored being all cooped up in the
residence, so I asked her to come horse riding with us.
Eighth-prince gave a light smile saying, If she wants to come, then let her come.

When we get to the gate, the servants come forward to inform us, The carriage is
ready.
The Eighth-prince did not say anything, but leads the way to get on the carriage.
Tenth-prince also rushed forward and jumped on. A young servant got down on
his hands and knees to be my foot stool. In modern times, with this carriages
height, I would have been able to just use one hand to lift myself up. But now,
wearing the constraining rice dumpling clothes, I really needed some help to
get up onto the carriage. Staring at his back, seeing the servant is but a child, only
around twelve to thirteen years old, I couldnt bring myself to lift my foot to step
on his back.

Tenth-prince yells from inside the carriage, What are you dawdling for?
It just so happens that the Eighth-prince was sitting on the opposite side of the
carriage door and seems to see through my concern. Looking at me with a slightly
surprised gaze, he stretched out his hand towards me. Relieved, I allowed the
young servant to step aside, then holding on to Eighth-princes hand I climb onto
the carriage.
Tenth-prince cries, So bothersome! but at the same time he shifts his body over,
motioning me to sit beside him.
I lean on the window to look outside. There are shops lined neatly on both sides
of the road, while many people are walking on the bustling street. Although there
were a lot of people, wherever the carriage passed by, people would automatically
make way for the carriage, so our pace wasnt slowed. Noticing this, I let out a,
eh? sound, but then suddenly realising the reason, I then shake my head.
Tenth-prince also sticks out his head to take a good look around. When he
withdrew his head back in, he asks me puzzlingly, What did you see?
I stare blankly at him for a moment, before laughing. What I saw Im not telling
you. I then return to looking out the window.
He looks at me bitterly, and then tries to ignore me. But after a while he couldnt
hold back any longer. He asks again, What were you saying eh to?
Ignoring him, I turn my head away from him, looking straight ahead. He gives me
a couple of nudges and to that I finally reply, I can tell you, but you have to give
me some sort of compensation first.
He exclaims, Im only asking what you saw thats all. Just for that I have to give
you something?
You cant put it that way. The one who saw something interesting was me, so of
course you have to provide some sort of payment in order to hear about it. Do you
not pay money when you go listen to those storytellers?

Lifting up the curtain, I turn away again to stare outside once more. After a while,
I felt something being placed in my hands. I take a look; it was a bank note.
You can tell me now right? He asks.
I throw the note back at him. hpmh!.
Then what do you want?
I think to myself, Im only teasing you for fun. If you really ask me, I really dont
know what I want either. Then I suddenly remembered the novel The Heavenly
Sword and the Dragon Sabre[7].
Grinning, I say to him, I cant think of anything right away either. How about
this, you can just promise me a request in the future. Looking at his gaping
mouth, I continue, It wont be anything you cant accomplish. Plus, what is so
hard for a prince like you to agree to a small request from a little girl like me?
He looks to be disinclined to the idea, but eventually he smiles. Alright, I
promise you!
I clap my hands together and tell him merrily, You better remember your
promise. I have a witness here.
Up until now, after getting on the carriage, the Eighth-prince had sat quietly with
his eyes closed, resting. Hearing my words, he opens his eyes and looks at the
Tenth-prince then at me. He smiles and says, Ill remember his promise, you can
tell him now.
Ahem, ahem! Clearing my throat, I explain, I noticed that there are a lot of
people on the streets but our carriages journey so far has been quite smooth. I
could see that the pedestrians have already begun to make way for us long before
our carriage has approached them. I was confused by this because our carriage
does not have any markings that declare to people that this carriage belongs to
the Eighth Beile. Therefore I let out a eh? earlier.
Then why did you shake your head?

Well, I then thought to myself, people must recognize that such a carriage
cannot belong to just anyone. Due to living right under the feet of the Heavens
Son[8], these people must have experience in such things. Thus, even though
they might not know who is sitting in the carriage, they know it will never be a
bad idea to make way for it. As for why I shook my head, it is because I realise I
had made myself to be the fox.
Fox? The Tenth-prince looks at me confusingly, and then turns to the Eighthprince.
The Eighth-prince laughs explaining, The fox borrows the tigers ferocity[9].
In response, the Tenth-prince was about to laugh as well when he suddenly
stopped himself. Thats it? Just like that you managed to gain a promise from a
Prince of the Great Qing?
Noticing his vexed look, I couldnt help myself but to lower my head and giggle.
Looking up once more, I see that the Eighth-prince is also chuckling at the Tenthprince. This time, however, I noticed his laughter is different from all the ones in
the past. I stare at him thinking, What is different? Giving me a sidelong glance,
his eyes is met with my inquisitive gaze. I had forgotten about hierarchal nature
of this time period, so I did not think to avoid his gaze but kept studying him
intently. We both just sat there quietly staring at each other. In the end, unable to
stand his gaze any longer, I lowered my head. As I had suspected, he is no
pushover. He is indeed someone who grew up manipulating his environment. I
remember when I stared at the boys in my class; no one had dared to meet my
glare head on.
Once we reached the second residence, the Tenth-prince immediately begins to
help me with choosing a horse. That wont do. No. Too big..No! Too young.
Still unpredictable in personality His excessive complaints cause the stable
hand to be at a loss while sweating profusely.
The Eighth-prince casually orders, Go bring Exquisite out.
Feeling immediate relief, the stableman wipes his forehead and goes to bring the
horse out.

There is a small stable built right next to the main one. Only one horse is grazing
leisurely inside it. The horses body is completely blue[10], with only a smudge of
white in the middle of its forehead. It is a beautiful horse and though I dont
know how precious it is, just by seeing that it was allowed its own presidential
suite alone, I know it must be fairly prized.
The Tenth-prince grins. You are so lucky. Eighth brother is actually willing to let
you ride Exquisite today.
I was smiling too, but it was a forced one. I had thought it was going to be fun and
interesting when we left the house, but now that Im actually facing a real horse,
my mind is filled with images of the horses hooves kicking my stomach. I
cautiously walk towards Exquisite, stopping firmly about five steps in front of it.
The Tenth-prince anxiously yells, You riding her or not?
I am anxious too. I yell back, You go ride your own horse. Why do you care about
what Im doing? Refusing to leave, he is adamant to wait for me.
Having already gone around the field once and seeing that we are still loitering
about right next to the stables, Eighth-prince turns his horse around and rides
towards us. Observing that I am staring at the horse, he smiles. Horses are
meant for riding, not for staring.
I laugh dryly. I dont know how to ride a horse.
Eighth-prince stares at me, seemingly stunned. I am instantaneously shaken by
his expression. Did this bodys previous owner know how to ride horses? Just as I
was feeling distressed, trying to figure out a way to explain myself, his expression
returns to its normal state. However, his gaze seems to be focused somewhere far
away and he appears to be deeply immersed in a long drawn out thought.
Meanwhile, Tenth-prince is on his horse, holding his stomach and laughing
loudly. See how you were treating me with such a vaunting manner. Cant
believe you cant even ride a horse. Are you even Manchurian? How did your
father raise you?

With a swelling red rising upon my face I do not respond. Angrily walking to one
side, I think to myself bitterly, I was never Manchurian to begin with, so not
being able to ride is not a big deal!
The Eighth-prince finally withdraws his distant gaze and calmly says, It is alright
if you cant ride. If you just want to do it for fun, well just let someone hold on to
the reins and lead you around a few times. With a lash of his whip, he gallops
away at what seems to be the speed of lightning. In that moment, his slightly
delicate, scholarly looking physique exudes a vigorousness and lack of
restraint not matching his temperament.
The Tenth-prince dismounts and instructs the stableman to hold onto the horse.
He then patiently helps me to get on Exquisites back. Perceiving his
consideration and feeling fairly grateful for it, I start to thank him. Yet before I
could, he mounts his horse, looks at Exquisite and sighs, Pity. What a waste of a
fine horse[11]! A Fine horse paired with a fool!
I immediately swallow my thanks. Noticing that he is holding on to his reins, I
swiftly lash my whip at his horse. His horse abruptly charges forward. Caught off
guard, he lets out an uncontrollable yelp while wobbling in his saddle. I am not
worried about him though. He is part of the clan of people who won the world on
the back of horses. Such a mishap should not be a problem for him. Sure enough,
he is on one hand, getting his horse under control, and with the other, he still has
the capacity to throw curses back at me. Clutching my stomach, laughing, I give
him a good funny face. That will show you to flaunt in front of me, you little
squirt!
Hearing our screams, laugher and curses from afar, the Eighth-prince looks
towards us, though his horse never once slowed down. I couldnt see his
expression clearly and only saw how the wind was blowing his robes up and down
in the air.
After finishing with our horseback riding, I was in good spirits on our way back.
Although I didnt really do any real horseback riding, being able to spend some
time outside, I now feel very comfortable from the inside and out. Along the way,
Tenth-prince and I continued with our jokes and squabbles. The Eighth-prince
on the other hand, seems to be tired. He kept his eyes closed the entire time while

resting. Every now and then, the light from the setting sun should shine through
the shifting curtains onto his face, causing his face to light up, kind of like how
precious jade would radiate a sort of brilliance. One couldnt help to feel
exasperated when comparing him to other people. This Eighth-prince; if he wants
the prestigious background, hes got the prestigious background. If he wants the
good looks, hes got the good looks. Its simply as if hes got the best in life in
everything.
Back at home, I excitedly went to tell jie-jie about todays horseback riding. It was
only after verifying from jie-jie that the real Ruoxi really doesnt know how to ride
horses, did a great load disappear from my mind.
Since the Eighth-prince had sent a servant to inform jie-jie about me leaving the
residence, jie-jie didnt say much about the matter, but she also did not look very
happy. Since I thoroughly enjoyed myself, I felt that it was all worth it.
Nevertheless, I couldnt help feeling that jie-jies reaction is a bit strange. With
two princes accompanying me, there should not be such a great concern for my
well-being. She also did not seem to mind that I went out, but seems to have
changed her mood only after I mentioned the words, horseback riding. Could it
be that she feels its too crude for young girls to be riding horses? Or perhaps she
was scared that I would get hurt?

[1] Starting around 1956, the Maoist Government decided to begin the project of
simplifying Chinese characters in order to increase literacy. The process took
many years but resulted in the simplified Chinese characters used widely in the
Mainland today. Thus, Ruoxi is unable to read many of the characters being used
in the 1700s. However, Traditional Chinese Characters are still in use today in
both Hong Kong and Taiwan.
[2] Orig.. Originally from the phrase: .
After ten years' hard study noticed by none, fame spreads through the land in
one day only once honours are won. Its a Chinese saying to describe the life of a
poor scholar and the hardships they have to endure. The cold window is meant to
symbolize these hardships. It also most likely alludes to the second half of a

famous idiom, , which tells of a poor scholar named Sun Kang (4th AD)
who used to study in winter by the moonlight reflected from snow through his
window because he had no money for oil.
[3]Just some random tidbit: Original word used here is which can mean a
couch or a bed that is long and narrow. The couch Ruolan is sitting on is actually
her bed. This is because the Chinese would use a like a couch when not used
for sleeping.
[4] The ages of the princes when Ruoxi first arrives has always caused some
confusion among readers. If we are to take the year given to us in chapter 1
(Kangxis 43rd reign year = 1704 AD) as a fact, then the 10th prince, being born in
1683, should actually be 21 years old and not 17. The 8th prince was also
mentioned to be around 22-23 years old in the 1st chapter which supports that the
year is 1704 because he is born in 1681. Therefore I can only conclude that it was
either Tong Hua making an honest mistake or purposely making 10 th younger so
his innocent, bickering friendship with Ruoxi would seem more natural. For
those who are curious, the ages of the princes at this point should be (from
historical numbers): crown prince, 30/ 4th, 26/ 8th, 23/ 9th, 21/ 10th, 21/13th,
18/14th, 16.
[5] Orig. . Its a Buddhist saying and can be roughly
translated as, to see a world in a flower and find enlightenment/awakening in a
single leaf of a tree. There can be a lot of interpretations but they generally refer
to the Buddhist concept of the oneness of all creations. To make it easier to
understand I will refer you all to a couple of lines from William Blakes
poem, Auguries of Innocence, which has very similar concepts: To see a world
in a grain of sand; And a heaven in a wild flower; Hold infinity in the palm of
your hand; And eternity in an hour.
[6] Orig. , to follow the stick/pole and climb up, used to describe
someone who follows the situation, environment or others desires.Ruoxi here,
was trying to get 10th to help her ask 8th so she doesnt have to. She was trying to
bait 10th to volunteer. Unfortunately, 10th didnt take the bait or didnt understand
her true intention. He basically agrees with her statement (thereby following the
pole) and tells her to ask 8th herself.

[7]Orig.. A very popular wuxia novel written by Jin Yong. In the book,
the female protagonist asks the male protagonist to promise her three wishes.
[8] Refers to them being in Beijing. Thus right next to the Forbidden City.
[9] Orig. - A popular Chinese idiom. Can also be translated as, the fox
basking in the tigers reflected glory. The idiom originates from the Warring
States Period (475 221 BC), and is meant to describe a person who takes
advantage of anothers influence and power to bully or frighten others. The story
goes: To avoid getting eaten, a fox tells the tiger that he is the true ruler of all
animals and all of them fear him. Not believing the fox, the tiger follows the fox
around the forest to see the truth for himself. Seeing them coming, all the
animals ran away. Not realising the animals were running away from him and not
the fox, the tiger eventually believes the foxs lie.
[10] Word used here is , which is cyan or could refer to a whole spectrum of
colors between blue and green. I am assuming the blue here actually means
bluish-black, or perhaps a bluish-grey.
[11]Orginally - to make little use of a great talent or to misuse good
materials for minor purposes
Characters Introduced So Far
(In Alphabetical Order)
Dong Yun: One of Ruolans maids.
Eighth-prince (Aisin-Gioro Yinsi): The eighth son of Emperor Kangxi. Also
known as the Eighth Beile. Ruolan is his Cefujin (Second Wife). Is often seen
smiling out of the corners of his mouth as well as conducting himself with a calm
and gentle disposition.
Kangxi: Current Emperor of China.
Ninth-prince (Aisin-Gioro Yintang): The ninth son of Emperor Kangxi.
Currently not given a peerage title. Seems to have a more taciturn personality.
Nicknamed the venomous snake by Ruoxi.
Qiao Hui: One of Ruolans maids. Qiao Hui used to serve Ruolan even before
Ruolans marriage. When Ruolan married, Qiaohui accompanied Ruolan to
Eighth-princes household. Seems to be concerned for her mistress especially
regarding Ruolan and Eighths relationship.

Ruolan, Maertai: Ruoxis older sister. The two are especially close as they are
born from the same mother. She is also the Cefujin (Second Wife) of the Eighthprince. Mild and gentle in nature, Ruolan likes to spend a better part of her days
reciting Buddhist scriptures.
Ruoxi, Maertai (Zhang Xiao): Protagonist of the story. Originally a modern
day, white collar professional named Zheng Xiao. Under certain unexplainable,
supernatural occurrence, Zhang Xiaos spirit travelled through time upon her
death and took over a young Manchurian girls body. Now stuck in ancient times,
Ruoxi must navigate through an entirely foreign environment armed only with
the little historical knowledge she remembers.
Tenth-prince (Aisin-Gioro Yine): The tenth son of Emperor Kangxi.
Currently not given a peerage title. A bit of a simpleton. Likes to tease and bicker
with Ruoxi. Nicknamed the blockhead by Ruoxi.
Chapter 2 (Parts 4-6)
After that day, the Tenth-prince would often come to visit me.
In order to not stay an illiterate, I also began to practice calligraphy. Ai! Its better
if my calligraphy isnt mentioned at all as it is the cause of much pain in my heart.
I dont know how many times I have already been teased by the Tenth-prince in
these past few days. I started out being embarrassed, and blushing every time he
teased me, but now I can just calmly endure it.
However, to seek revenge for just an angry glare[1] is my attitude for dealing
with the Tenth-prince. Therefore, a few days after that, I asked him how to write
the words, ga la[2]. He couldnt answer my question so we mocked each other a
couple of times before giving up.
If one were to ask me if anything good had come out of the time we spent
together, it would probably be that my quarrelling friendship with Tenth-prince
has developed rapidly. To borrow Qiaohuis words, Nowadays, if Tenth-prince
does not get teased by the young mistress within a few days, he would feel very
uncomfortable.
I snickered. How could that squirt of a kid fight with me? Nevertheless, after our
numerous banters, he is no longer that blockhead I had labeled him to be. He
might be a bit artless, simple, not very refined, reckless, impulsive and sometimes
quite unreasonable, but I feel he is a lot like the friends I had in modern times. I
dont need to guess what his thoughts are; he would never hold back his feelings

and would directly show his own emotions on his face. Conversely, I can also
express my feelings directly to him without constraint.
Currently, Im half laying on the table, practicing another few words with the
brush. Feeling it hard to concentrate on the task any further, I put the brush
down. Through the bead curtain, I can faintly see jie-jie listening to a young
eunuch say something. Then with a wave of her hand, the eunuch leaves.
I walk towards her, telling one of the maids to bring me some tea. Jie-jie says to
me, Eighth Beile is coming tonight to have dinner with us.
I take a sip of my tea, and then ask her, Is the Tenth-prince coming too?
I dont know. Its hard to say. She suddenly remained quiet for a moment before
commanding all the maidservants to leave. She then sits down next to me.
Feeling her manner is not quite normal, but not being able to guess her
intentions, I sat quietly on the spot. Jie-jie looks at me and begins to speak but
then hesitates. Curious, I couldnt hold back any longer so I ask, Jie-jie, is there
anything between us that we cannot freely say to each other?
She nods, looking as if she finally made up her mind. Do you have feelings for
the Tenth-prince?
Ah! I was a bit startled. I hurriedly reply, What do you mean? We just really
enjoy playing with each other, thats all.
Seeing that the look on my face does not seem to be feigned, she looks relieved.
Its the best if you dont! She then continues seriously, Although we
Manchurians arent as uptight about such matters compared to the Hans, as a
girl, you should still have some sense of propriety.
I felt like I wanted to be a bit angry but at the same time I wanted to laugh. Angry,
because all I have done is talked and played with him a couple of times, doing
everything under the supervision of others. But they are making it seem like Ive
done something that cannot be exposed in broad daylight. I want to laugh
because at this moment, jie-jie is acting just like the high school teacher I had,
who specifically had a talk with me about the issue of falling in love at a young
age.
When the Eighth-prince arrived, I was playing jian-zi[3] with Qiaohui in the
courtyard. Id already kicked the jian-zi in the air about forty times, which is also
my current record. Really wanting to break my record, I purposely pretended not
to have seen him. Qiaohui and the other maidservants were about to give their
greetings when the Eighth-prince made a gesture of silence. Thus, everyone just
stood on the spot while staring awkwardly at me kicking the jian-zi.

45, 46, 47.

Not being able to stand this strange atmosphere any longer, I finally stopped and
acted as if I had just discovered the Eighth-princes presence. As I hurriedly give
my greetings, all the servants in the courtyard also quickly follow suit.
The Eighth-prince smiles at me, and then compliments, You are pretty good at
it!
I smile but remain silent thinking to myself, Totally being dishonest. Even the
maids here are so good at it that they can play it using every part of their entire
body. Meanwhile I can only play using my right leg. How can that count as being
good at it?
The maids help raise the curtains, and the Eighth-prince went ahead into the
house with me following behind. As I went in, I remembered to turn around and
tell Qiaohui, Remember this. Its 47 times!
As I finally come to a full stop, I realise I am standing right across from the
Eighth-Prince. Jie-jie, with her head bent, is currently helping him roll up his
sleeves. I take a look around the room, uncertain of what to do; I ended up
staring blankly at jie-jie and the Eighth-prince.
Finishing up rolling his sleeves, jie-jie looks up again. The first thing she notices
was me staring at them. Blushing she asks, What are you standing there like a
stiff pole for?
Realising that it was a bit strange for me to be just standing there and feeling my
cheeks growing hot, I turn my head and embarrassingly answer, Its because I
didnt know what to do. Thats why Im standing there.
The Eighth-prince chuckles, There are so many chairs here and you dont know
what to do?
I thought to myself, Hes basically granting me permission to sit. So I quickly
find a chair to sit down in. Jie-jie says, Here, clean yourself and prepare to eat
soon.
After rinsing my mouth after dinner, the maids took away the table and brought
some tea for us.
Last time, although he was also here for dinner as well, the Eighth-prince left very
quickly afterwards. Today he does not seem to be in a hurry to leave. Thus, I
assume he will be staying overnight here tonight.
As I was deeply involved in my nonsensical and random thoughts, I hear the
Eighth-prince say, In a few more days it will be Tenth brothers seventeenth
birthday. Since its not a milestone age, there probably wont be a huge banquet at

the Palace; only a small one just for proprietys sake. But we brothers want to use
this opportunity to privately get together and celebrate. Since Tenth brother does
not have his own residence yet, I was thinking of holding the celebration here.
Jie-jie thought for a moment before saying, I dont have any experience with
organizing such things. How about asking Difujin[4]s opinion on the matter?
The Eighth-princes takes a sip of tea and then replies, Shes currently not feeling
too well. Plus, it is Tenth brothers own idea to have the party here.
Taking a glance at me jie-jie says, Alright, I will organize it then.
The Eighth-prince slowly says, Since its a private affair, dont put too much
pressure on yourself. We are only just trying to find some place to get together
and have fun.
Is the Crown Prince coming as well?
We will definitely send an invitation. Whether he comes or not, I cannot say.
Jie-jie nods and didnt say anything afterwards.
While jie-jie hangs her head in silence, the Eighth-prince also just looks ahead,
not speaking as well. I lift up my tea cup to drink some tea but discover there is
no more tea left inside. Putting the cup down, a young maidservant comes up to
refill it. I wave my hands to gesture her to stop. Sensing the atmosphere getting
more and more awkward and strange, I get up and dryly say, If Eighth Beile has
no other important matters to discuss, Ruoxi will take her leave now.
Eighth-prince was just lifting his hand to give his approval when jie- jie hastily
injects, You are going to bed so early?
I smile in response. Not going to bed. Im just going back to practice my
calligraphy[5].
Instantly, jie-jie says, Youve just finished dinner and you want to go practice
calligraphy right away? You should be careful of getting a stomach ache.
Seeing any hope of me getting away is lost, I give a dry laugh before sitting down
again, motioning the maidservant to refill my tea. The Eighth-prince smiles at us
from the corner of his mouth.
Even I could tell what jie-jie was trying to do, theres no reason a perceptive man
like him did not understand. However, I could not figure out if he is displeased
about it or not, so I gave up trying to discern his thoughts.
Silence. More silence. Continuous silence!
I admit my self-cultivation is no match for the two of them. Not being able to
stand the awkward silence any longer, I stand up from the chair and suggests,
Lets play weiqi[6]

Jie-jie shakes her head. I dont know how.

I look towards the Eighth-prince who nods at me and then orders the maid next
to him, Go bring the weiqi out.
I quickly cry, Wait. I dont know how to play weiqui. Lets play
xiangqi[7]instead.
But the Eighth-prince shakes his head at me. I dont know how to play xiangqi.
Ah. I exclaim. Not sure what to do, I return to my chair once more. Again, the
room fell into silence. More silence. Continuous silence!
Chinese checkers, kriegspiel, poker, officers and soldiers catch a thief[8], Chinese
Paladin Online. I realised that none of my ideas are helpful with solving the
awkward situation at hand. Quickly pulling my thoughts back together again, I
finally declare, Lets play weiqui!
I thought you said you dont know how to play? the Eighth-prince asks.
I question back in surprise, Cant I learn? No one is born knowing everything.
Ruoxi! Jie-jie warns with a stern tone. I feel a bit frustrated. Why must one
always have to keep ones status and identity in mind when speaking around
here?
The Eighth-prince was pensive for a moment and then his semi-smile finally
breaks into a full smile. Alright!
I was a bit entranced by his smile. Remembering his smile on the carriage, I
suddenly understood something. I finally realise why I had felt that smile he had
given at the time was different from all his other smiles. Its his eyes. His eyes
were smiling last time. Usually, his smiles never reach his eyes.
The smile he is giving now, he is also smiling with his eyes. With that, my mood
all of a sudden improves. Looking at him I also smile back.
The Eighth-prince briefly explains the rules to me and then plays white stones to
let me go first[9]. He further explains the game while we play.
When I was young and vain, I had aspired to be one of those talented women who
excelled in all of qin qi shu hua[10]. Due to this, I have also studied many game
records of famous weiqi games[11]. However, after entering high school, because
of the busy workload and my general disinterest in the game, I decided to drop
the very brain-wracking game and instead turned to learn the easy to learn card
games.
Thinking for a bit, and remembering the saying, Gold corner, silver edge, grass
belly[12], I found a suitable corner on the board to set my stone. Jie-jie is sitting
next to me, leaning on her side while watching me play. I had the intention of

letting jie-jie learn as well but seeing that she doesnt seem to be very interested, I
could only abandon the idea and continue to contemplate my next move.
It didnt take long until the board was filled with a sea of white. I was a bit
despondent at my situation. Why is Eighth Beile not taking it easy on me?
He replies, How do you know Im not taking it easy on you?
With a long face I say, If this is called taking it easy on me, then if you were to be
serious about it.
Still want to continue then? He asks.
Yes! Since I am going to lose anyways, I might as well strive to lose more
gracefully, saving as many stones as I can. To do so, I would have to give up some
of my stones and sacrifice them to the white ones. Defending my two remaining
corners, I wracked my brains hard, trying to recall the remnants of the little
memories of the game I have left. Not knowing if my tactic I had thought up is
working or if it was due to him taking it easy on me, my two corners were
surviving.
Looking at the board the Eighth-prince asks, Youve learned to play before?
I tell him, Ive seen other people play before, so I only know a little bit. How is
my playing?
He regards me, joking, Not too great. But I must compliment you for knowing
the idea of the warrior breaking his wrist[13], and not get caught up in
unnecessary entanglements.
I smile but do not reply. Seeing that it is getting late, and assuming the Eighthprince will definitely be resting here tonight, I stand up and say, Ruoxi will retire
now.
The Eighth-prince gives me a nod. Seeing its not a good idea to stop me again,
jie-jie also stands to instruct the maids to prepare a bath for me. Giving them a
ceremonial curtsy, I leave the room.
I had slept a very comfortable sleep. By the time I opened my eyes, the skys was
already very bright. Thinking that Eighth Beile should have already gone to
court, I called upon a young maid to attend to my morning wash. After this was
done, I went to give jie-jie my greetings.
When I got to the house, I see jie-jie staring blankly out the window. I go to sit
down next to her. Thinking about the situation last night, I also began to feel a bit
melancholy.
There was a moment of silence before jie-jie, without turning around, asks,
What are you thinking about?

I brush up against her side and link her arm with mine. What is jie-jie thinking
about?
She does not say anything but only continue to stare outside. Finally she answers,
Not thinking of much.
For a time, both of us remained silent. Placing my chin on jie-jies shoulders, I
stare out the window as well.
We sat there for a long time before jie-jie finally cheers up and says smilingly,
Im going to the Buddhist hall now, you go out and play. You shouldnt be
cooped up in the house.
I nod, and specifically ask Qiaohui to accompany me. Qiaohui has served jie-jie
since she was young and had followed jie-jie to Eighths residence when jie-jie
married. She should know everything about jie-jies affairs. Today Ive decided to
match wits with the girl. No matter what, I must get to the bottom of whats been
going on with jie-jie.

[1] ya zi bi bao - to seek revenge for an angry stare. An idiom used to

describe a narrow mined and revengeful person. The idiom comes from a story
from The Warring States Period. There was a man named Fan Ju who came from
the Kingdom of Wei but was expelled from it. However, he eventually found
prestige in the Kingdom of Qin. After becoming rich and powerful, he took it
upon himself to repay those who were kind to him and take revenge on those who
were not. Even those who only had given a bowl of rice was repaid royally but
those who were unkind to him, even if they had only given him a angry stare in
the past, he took revenge on.
[2] Orig. A dialect word used in Northern China. It means nook, a corner, or
a narrow and remote area. Ruoxi purposely asks 10th this word because the two
characters that constitutes it are uncommonly used.
[3] Orig. or to . Also known as the Chinese hacky sack or the
shuttlecock. Its a traditional Asian game where a person tries to keep a weighted
shuttlecock in the air with his or her body except the hands.
[4] orig , difujin. Meaning first wife or main wife in Manchurian.
[5] Orig. . The word use here specifically means to practice ones calligraphy
by imitating a model of calligraphy of great and famous calligraphers. In China,
Calligraphy is usually an art form, much like painting. Therefore people usually

start practicing calligraphy by copying the styles of many famous calligraphers

before eventually developing their own styles.
[6] . An ancient Chinese board game that also found popularity in Korea and
Japan. It is more commonly known in the West by its Japanese name, go. It
utilizes a grid like board and players play with black or white stones. Rules are
relatively simple but it is a fairly deep and strategic game. The goal is to try to
secure more of the board than your opponent. To do so, players try to capture
opponent stones by surrounding them with their own.
[7] . Another two player Chinese board game. It goes under the same family
as the Western game Chess. Therefore it is often referred to as Chinese Chess.
The goal of the game is to capture your opponents general, much like in Western
Chess where you have to capture the King. Pieces are also somewhat comparable
to the Western counterpart though rules are not completely the same.
[8] (guan bing zhuo zei) - A game similar to the party game mafia.
People are secretly and randomly assigned roles such as the guan(officer),
bing(soldier) and zei (theif). The purpose is for the officer to try to figure out
who is the thief or thieves and catch them.
[9] In weiqi, black always goes first.
[10] . Literally zither(qin), chess(qi), book(shu) and painting(hua).
Zither refers to music. Chess usually refers to weiqi. Book obviously refers to
poetry and history etc. Painting means the ability to draw and paint. To say
someone excels in all four of these things mean to describe the person as a very
talented and learned individual. Its a very high compliment as each of these four
things can take a life time to master and learn.
[11] Weiqi games are often recorded and noted on paper with a grid diagram for
players to analyze and learn from. In Chinese these game records are called a
qipu, or in Japanese, kifu.
[12] . Its a saying most beginner weiqi players are taught. Its
used to help players remember the order of importance of the various sections of
a weiqui board. The corners of the board are extremely important and its often
the best to start placing your stones from a corner and work your way towards the
middle of the board. The corner makes it easier to attack as well as defending
your stones. To signify its importance, the word gold is used describe it. The
edge or the sides of the board is also important but not as important as the
corner, therefore it is described as silver. Lastly, the middle section of the board

(its belly) is the least important compared to the other two. Therefore it is
referred to as the grass belly.
[13] An analogy to tell people that one should act decisively and
without any hesitation under strenuous circumstances. The analogy comes from
the story of a warrior who, after being bitten by a poisonous snake on the wrist,
unhesitatingly cuts off his hand at the wrist in order to stop the poison from
spreading to the rest of his body. Ruoxi demonstrates this when she gives up
some of her stones in order to save the rest of her stones on the board.
haracters Introduced So Far
(In Alphabetical Order)
Dong Yun: One of Ruolans maids.
Eighth-prince (Aisin-Gioro Yinsi): The eighth son of Emperor Kangxi. Also known as the
Eighth Beile. Ruolan is his Cefujin (Second Wife). Is often seen smiling out of the corners of his
mouth as well as conducting himself with a calm and gentle disposition.
Kangxi: Current Emperor of China.
Ninth-prince (Aisin-Gioro Yintang): The ninth son of Emperor Kangxi. Currently not given
a peerage title. Seems to have a more taciturn personality. Nicknamed the venomous snake by
Ruoxi.
Qiao Hui: One of Ruolans maids. Qiao Hui used to serve Ruolan even before Ruolans
marriage. When Ruolan married, Qiaohui accompanied Ruolan to Eighth-princes household.
Seems to be concerned for her mistress especially regarding Ruolan and Eighths relationship.
Ruolan, Maertai: Ruoxis older sister. The two are especially close as they are born from the
same mother. She is also the Cefujin (Second Wife) of the Eighth-prince. Mild and gentle in
nature, Ruolan likes to spend a better part of her days reciting Buddhist scriptures.
Ruoxi, Maertai (Zhang Xiao): Protagonist of the story. Originally a modern day, white collar
professional named Zheng Xiao. Under certain unexplainable, supernatural occurrence, Zhang
Xiaos spirit travelled through time upon her death and took over a young Manchurian girls
body. Now stuck in ancient times, Ruoxi must navigate through an entirely foreign environment
armed only with the little historical knowledge she remembers.
Tenth-prince (Aisin-Gioro Yine): The tenth son of Emperor Kangxi. Currently not given a
peerage title. A bit of a simpleton. Likes to tease and bicker with Ruoxi. Nicknamed the
blockhead by Ruoxi.

Glossary of Terms
(In Alphabetical Order)
Beile: Shortened from Duoluo Beile. A peerage title that can be bestowed to those within the
royal family. It is the third rank in the Qing peerage system for the imperial line.
Cefujin: A title. Meaning second wife or side wife in Manchurian.
Difujin: A title. Meaning first wife or main wife in Manchurian.
Gege: A Manchurian word for young mistress, or lady. It is a title you would call an unmarried
noblewoman (or before they are bestowed an official title by the Emperor) above a certain rank.
Jie-jie: Older sister in Chinese.

Chapter 2 (Part 7)
I thought I would have needed to bribe or threaten her; perhaps even set up a feast at Hong
Gate[1] to coax the truth out. I didnt think I would only have to insinuate a few meaningful
words before Qiaohui came forward with everything. Although she insisted it was because she
saw that my personality was no longer rash and wild as before and telling me should not cause
problems; I can tell that her true purpose in telling me was so I could help persuade jie-jie from
staying as she is.
Before she married, Mistress was very close to a soldier under Old Masters command. This
person taught Mistress all of her riding skills. Although he was Han[2], his horseback riding
skill was exceptional and his skills were well known within the army. But afterwards, Mistress
married the Eighth Beile. At first, even though Mistress didnt smile very often, the marriage
was quite normal.She even got pregnant after three months. No one expected that shortly
afterwards, news would come from back north to tell of the soldiers death. Mistress fainted
when she heard the news. She held on for a few days but soon succumbed to sickness and lost
the child. Mistress finally recovered but her body remained frail. From then on, she would recite
Buddhist scriptures daily and began to treat everyone around her with indifference. Although
Difujin came into the household two years after Mistress, she is now with a child, and yet
Mistress is still..
I angrily ask Qiaohui, Didnt jie-jie try to reason with father?

Qiaohui smiled forcefully, answering, Of course she did. Mistress kneeled outside Old Masters
study for three days and three nights, but Old Master had told her to not even dream about it.
She had already been promised to the Eighth-prince and if she continued to go on about these
wishful nonsenses then the entire family wouldnt have to live anymore.[3]
Does the Eighth Beile know about any of this? I ask her.
Qiaohui says confidently, He doesnt! Old Master dealt with the situation very secretly. Only
Old Master, Mistress and I know of this.
I however, remembered the Eighth-princes expression when he first found out that I didnt
know how to ride a horse. Somehow, I am afraid that father and Qiaohui have been wrong about
the Eighth-princes ignorance of the situation.
That night went by quickly. In my dreams, I dreamt about the rolling plains, the western wind
and horses, wild and unrestrained. By the time I got up in the morning, jie-jie was already at the
prayer hall reciting her scriptures. As I looked at the small prayer hall and thought about the
vast and wide world in my dream, I fell into a bout of melancholy. Randomly picking up a Song
Dynasty poetry book, I head towards the gardens for a stroll.
A pavilion sits on top of a small, compact hill, with three sides facing a forest of green bamboo.
On the remaining side the pavilion is attached to a long walkway that meanders down the hill. I
follow the walkway and enter the pavilion. With my back towards the walkway, I sit facing the
bamboo. With one hand propping my head up, and the other one holding the poetry book, I flip
to a random page and begin reciting
Returning to Chang Gate, ten thousand things are different
Came together, why not return together?
The Chinese parasol tree after frost, half dead
White headed mandarin duck loses its pair, flies in solitude
Grass on the plains, dew begins to dry
Old house, new grave, I wonder in between..[4]
Before I could finish the poem, I found that I was already completely lost in thought since the
words of the poem reminded me of jie-jies situation.
Suddenly, the book in my hands was snatched from me. A happy voice cried out, What are you
looking at? Whats so engrossing that you didnt even notice someones here?

In shock, I jump out of my stone seat to see the Tenth-prince looking at me. Thinking he had
just succeeded in starling me, he looks very pleased with himself. But when he notices that I had
held some tears in my eyes, looking glum and somewhat alarmed, his cheerful grin became
awkwardly frozen in place. The Ninth-prince and another handsome teenager of about fourteen
to fifteen years of age were standing beside the Tenth Prince. Both of them also appeared to look
surprised as well.
I curtsy to them while re-adjusting my facial expression. By the time I had lifted my head up, my
face had returned to its normal state. The Tenth-prince is still standing there looking
dumbfounded. The Ninth-prince however, has already recollected his stunned expression and
says to me, This is the Fourteenth-prince.
The Fourteenth-prince! The only general among all of Kangxis many sons. A figure Ive wanted
to meet for a long time. It is unfortunate that I am meeting him for the first time under such an
awkward circumstance and am unable to be completely excited about it. I could only quietly give
him another ceremonial greeting.
Everyone remained silent for a while. Seeing that the Tenth-prince has slightly returned to his
usual self, I ask, Why is the Tenth-prince here?
We were on our way to see Eighth brother but we happened to see you sitting here from a
distance.We thought to come over here to see what you are doing. He stopped for a moment,
and takes a quick look at me before continuing, Did someone upset you?
I smile lightly, My sister is the Cefujin of this household. Who dares to upset me?
He takes the rolled up book in his hands and taps the stone table a few times. Just when he is
about to say something the Ninth-prince injects, Lets go. Eighth brother is probably waiting
anxiously for us.
The Tenth-prince takes a long glance at me before putting down the book on the table and
sullenly walks past me. The Ninth-prince turns and follows him down the long walkway. The
Fourteenth-prince however grins happily at me, walks to the table and takes a quick glance at
the book sitting on top. Rather abruptly he asks, How old are you?
Puzzled, I reply, Im thirteen.
He smiles and gives me a nod before also turning around to leave.

I wait for a while until they have gone a fair distance before picking up the book on the table and
heading back towards the house.
Although I feel saddened in my heart, I still have to take things one day at a time.
The last few days have been hectic and stressful for jie-jie. The Eighth Beile had told her not to
be too nervous about it, but there are after all at least a dozen princes coming, including the
Crown Prince. How can anyone not get anxious? Not being able to really help her out, I was
actually quite free. Feeling vexed, I didnt feel like going anywhere and instead wanted to spend
my days holing up in the house thinking about random nonsense. I would first sigh about jie-jie,
and then contemplate about my own situation. What kind of road awaits me when I go to the
Preparative Concubine Event? Even though I know the direction of history, my own life is
controlled in someone elses hands. I had no control over my own destiny at all.
Dongyun brings in a bowl of snow fungus soup, smiling. When you were sick youd try to get
out of the house all the time. No one could stop or dissuade you. And now that you are all better,
you stay in bed all day.
I pick up the soup to drink while getting up and sit by the table. Wasnt there a saying that says
to drown your sorrow in food?
Dongyun watches me drink the soup while continuing, Tomorrow night is the Tenth-princes
birthday. Did the young miss prepare a present?
I stop suddenly. How could I have forgotten to prepare one? I began to ponder hard, What
should I give him?
I thought on this for better part of the day but couldnt come up with any good ideas. Perceiving
that I was distressed over the matter, jie-jie chuckles at me. Ive already helped prepared a gift
for you.
How could that count? I thought to myself. The Tenth-prince is the first friend I have made
here. No matter how precious those gold and jewelries jie-jie has prepared are, it wouldnt have
really come from me.
However, distressed or not, its a good thing I have something to worry about. At least I am no
longer that vexed anymore. In fact, I am beginning to look forward to tomorrows banquet.
Thinking about all the famous historical figures that will be gathering in one place makes it
sound just like an all-star line up!

[1] (hong men yan) Literally means The Hong Gate Banquet/Feast. It is a very famous historical incident
that is now widely used as the idiom, The Feast at Hong Gate. The story originates from around 206 BC during the
fall of the Qin Dynasty. A simplified version of the story goes: Two rivals, Liu Bang (future creator of the Han
Dynasty) and Xiang Yu were both attacking the Qin army separately. Although Lius army was only approx. 1/3 of
Xiangs army, Liu was the first to enter the Qin capital. Xiang had felt that glory should have been his and Liu had
stolen it away from him. Also hearing a rumor that Liu is planning to declare himself King, Xiang intended to destroy
Liu with his mightier army. Knowing it was a battle he would most likely lose, Liu persuaded Xiangs uncle to help
persuade Xiang not to attack. Instead, Xiang decided he would host a banquet at Hong Gate in which Liu decided to
go to in order to pay his respects to Xiang. However, the banquet was hiding a murderous intent. Xiangs advisor, Fan
Zeng, who had perceived Liu as a future threat wanted Xiang to kill Liu during the feast. Therefore, the idiom now
refers to a situation where behind an outwardly cheerful and nice faade lies a hidden trap or a devious intent. It can
also describe a persons actions being a veiled attack on another.
[2] Han meaning Han Chinese. There were still racial and ethnic divides, even though the Manchus, who ruled over
China during this time, adopted heavily from Chinese culture after they took the throne. The Han Chinese was usually
seen as less able when it comes to horseback riding.
[3] Royal marriages were usually matched or approved by the Emperor himself. To defy them can mean death to the
family.
[4] First of all, let me apologize for my pitiful attempt in translating the poem. >.< Sadly I didnt even manage to
capture 1/100th of its original beauty. =X Poetry is really not my forte.
The lines are from the Song Dynasty poem, (Ban Si Tong) written by the poet He Zhu. The poem is a very
touching poem in which the poet tries to convey his sadness and nostalgia for his deceased wife. The first line talks
about his return to the city of Suzhou (Chang Gate is the name of western gate of the city) and how everything feels
different and wrong now that his wife is gone. He then laments about how during the last time they were here, they
came to the city together, but now they can no longer return as a pair again. The third line describes the appearance of
the autumn frost and how pitiful and sad a Chinese parasol tree looks like covered with it on its withered leaves and
bare branches. The poet is likening himself to a Chinese parasol tree in such a state; looking and feeling as if he is half
dead. In the fourth line, He Zhu is saying he is like a mandarin duck which has lost its mate and can only wonder in
solitude. (In Chinese culture, mandarin ducks are a symbol of marital affection and devotion. This is because the
Chinese believes that they form a couple for life. This is somewhat true; as this species of duck is one where the males
would reunite with the female they mated with; even after the eggs have hatched.) The white head is telling readers

that the poet is already past 50 and old, thereby further emphasizing his desolate situation. The fifth line is alluding to
his wifes recent death thus the dew that has only begun to dry. It also invokes an image of a grave, as wild grasses
with drying dew are what you would usually see on a grave mound. The last line talks about how he wanders between
their old residence and her new grave. He is unable to abandon one for the other and thus lingers between both.

Like Ruoxi, I think the poem is very fitting to describe Ruolans situation. Like the poet, she is also unable to let go of
her lover who has passed away.

Chapter 3 (Parts 1-2)

The next day, I got up very early and instructed Dongyun to dress me up beautifully. It wasnt
because I was trying to compete with the other girls for attention, but rather I thought it would
be fun.
Clothing, jewelries and other accessories; I looked at them all one by one and rejected them one
after another until the bed, the table and even the floor was covered with them. Dongyun and I
had toiled from early in the morning until the afternoon before my full body beautifying
project has finally been completed. Dongyun kept blinking at me, looking as if she is about to
go crazy. The make-up tools here, compared to my huge bag of make-up tools back home, are
quite simple in comparison. With Dongyuns skillful hands and my relentless and hard efforts to
explain to her the look I was going for, I finally manage to get the result I wanted with the tools
available. After some serious efforts the result is surprisingly good. The fact that this Maertai
Ruoxi is not bad looking to begin with helps too.
When Qiaohui saw me, she stared blankly for a while before sighing, Second Miss has really
transformed into a lady.
With a gentle and implicit grace, I bashfully bow my head and gave her a shy smile. Qiaohui
cries, My gosh! Young Mistress, is it really you?
I lift my head up again, and winked at her a few times, grinning. What do you think?
Qiaohui laughs, Now you are!
As the sun slowly sinks in the West, the eunuch that jie-jie sent to retrieve us arrives, right as I
finished preparing everything. With the eunuch leading the way, and two maidservants
accompanying me, I walk all along the way with a soft and beautiful gait.

It is already the beginning of autumn so although the mornings are still a bit on the hot side, the
evenings are mild and comfortable. Jie-jie had picked an open space right next to the lake to
hold the banquet and a stage has been set up right on top of the water. Several shrubs of sweetosmanthus bloomed by the lake. Every time when a gentle breeze blew from the direction of the
lake, a faintly discernible fragrance would float in the air.
When I arrive, I see jie-jie sitting on the upper gallery of a building next to the lake. She seems to
be looking over the show itinerary. Upon seeing me, she also looked amazed. She did not say a
word, but only looked at me up and down before finally giving a smilingly sigh. You are more
beautiful than the people in paintings!
I smile at her. Now is jie-jie actually complimenting me, or complimenting yourself? After all
we are about sixty percent alike in looks!
Jie-jie laughingly scolds, Now you are just being loquacious.
Have they arrived yet? I inquire.
A servant has already informed me that Beile, the Ninth-prince and company will be coming
together. They should be arriving soon. She had scarcely finished her words before we saw a
group of people walking towards us. Jie-jie quickly stands up, walking out of the warm
room[1] to wait for them. I also follow her out of the room, stopping to stand right behind her.
Jie-jie looks ahead and says to me, The two princes with them are the Eleventh-prince and the
Twelfth-prince.
As she tells me this, they finish arriving. Jie-jie steps forward to give her greetings and I follow
right after. After we straighten ourselves, I see the Eighth Beile, the Ninth-prince and the
Tenth-prince all looking a bit stunned. In contrast, the Eleventh-prince and the Twelfth-prince,
whom I have never met before, react normally besides giving me a few extra glances.
After walking inside, everyone picks a seat and sits down. Only I remain standing next to jie-jie.
The Eighth-prince smiles at me. Tonight we are only planning to have fun. There is no need for
so much propriety. You may sit. It was only after that did I sit down next to my sister.
The Eleventh-prince says, Last time when we drank, Thirteenth brother ran away. We must not
let him get away this time!
The Tenth-prince excitedly adds, Hes the one Im waiting for!

Laughing, the Eighth-prince says, Theres no way you can best that Death-challenging
Thirteenth in drinking.
Everyone started laughing. I think to myself, It looks like currently, due to the stability of the
Crown Princes position, there isnt much friction between the princes yet. Thus, their
relationships still seem to be quite amiable.
Jie-jie smiles while listening to the conversation. When she sees a young eunuch sticking his
head in the room from outside, she quickly gets up and says to the Eighth Beile, The women
have arrived. Ill go settle them in. The Eighth Beile nods at her.
Taking me, jie-jie leads me out of the room. I do not know what they are saying but I can hear
the Tenth-princes loud chatter and then an entire room full of laughter erupting behind me.
Listening to it, I sigh silently. If I had a choice, I would rather I didnt know anything about their
future and ignorantly laugh with them.
There are two buildings, one situated in the north and the other in the south. The southern one
is meant for the princes to take respite in and the northern one is for the women. Jie-jie still has
many guests to entertain as hostess, so she lets Qiaohui accompany me to the northern side to
relax until the show begins. As I enter the room, I notice two attractive fourteen to fifteen year
old girls conversing cheerfully. They both look up when they hear us coming in. Seeing me, the
girl wearing lake-green, palace-styled clothing looks at me in astonishment while checking me
up and down. She then purses her lips together and gives me an unfriendly glare.
Qiaohui walks up and gives her a ceremonial greeting but the girl ignores Qiaohui and continues
on with her conversation. The girl next to her, however, looks at Qiaohui apologetically and says,
Theres no need.
I think to myself, Where did this animosity come from? Walking up to the second floor, I
found a seat next to a window to sit in. I turn to ask Qiaohui, What just happened?
Looking wronged, she answers softly, She has a grudge against Second Miss, but the one taking
the enmity is me. Seeing my lost expression, and understanding it to be my amnesia sickness,
she explains, Her name is Guoluoluo Mingyu but everyone calls her Mingyu Gege. She is the
sister of Difujin.
Thinking for a moment, I finally somewhat comprehend. Since the old Ruoxi tended to act
rashly without any restraint, she most likely had thought her own sister was not well favoured

and sought trouble with the one who she thought was her sisters rivals sibling. Unfortunately,
her opponents mother is a Heshuo Princess[2] Emperor Shunzhis[3] brother, Prince An
Yueles[4]daughter and Kangxis first cousin. Mingyus father is the Mingshang Efu[5] and her
sister is the Eighth-princes Difujin. With such a background, how could Ruoxi ever hope to
seek any undue advantage?
Qiaohui continues beside my ear, When young miss fell from the stairs, only she was at the
scene of the accident. She had said young mistress slipped and fell. Secretly however, we all
agree that theres no way she didnt take any part in your accident.
I give out a helpless sigh, not really certain of what to say about this. If it wasnt for this girl,
perhaps I would have really died. But I am still undecided if dying is better or coming back to life
in a borrowed body is better. I suppose being able to come back to life one way or another is
always good thing.
I instruct Qiaohui to bring some refreshments for me. As I sit there eating, I am also observing
outside quietly from the window. It is then did I notice a bunch of eunuchs and servants
clustered around three figures, leading them towards the southern building.
Among the three is the handsome Fourteenth-prince. Walking next to him is a prince around the
same height, wearing sapphire-blue robes. He is also very striking but when compared to the
Fourteenth-prince, this prince carries himself in a slightly more uninhibited manner. I assume
that this is the Death-challenging Thirteenth they were joking about earlier. Walking in front
of the Thirteenth-prince and the Fourteenth-prince is a man wearing a long, dark-blue robe. His
face is slightly on the pale side and carries an impassive expression. Observing that he is actually
allowed to walk in front of not just the Fourteenth-prince, but also the Thirteenth-prince, I am
puzzled to guess the mans identity. Suddenly, it hit me. Who else but besides the famous
Fourth-prince? I immediately jump up in excitement. Using all my energy, I push my head out
the window in order to take a better look at the future Emperor Yongzheng.
The Eighth-prince emerges from the building to greet them. He first gives the Fourth-prince a
formal greeting before moving to the side to let the Fourth-prince through. The Fourteenthprince, who is trailing behind them all, suddenly stops and looks up towards me. Following his
gaze, the Thirteenth-prince also looks at my direction, only to see a girl with half of her body
sticking out of a window and her hands clasped around the frame.

I quickly pull my body back into the room, straighten myself and then smile stupidly at them. It
is quite an awkward situation after all, being caught peeping.
Both of them remained emotionless, but keeps watching me from afar. Standing by
the window, I bend my body so Id appear to be doing a curtsy to them. The
Fourteenth-princes lips curls into a smile. He says a few words to the Thirteenthprince, most likely informing him of who I am. Right after, the Thirteenth-prince also
gives me a smile, before turning around with the Fourteenth-prince, and proceed to
walk into the buildin

[1] - a room partitioned from a bigger one, made to keep the heat in the house. Usually a small heater or furnace
can be set up in the warm room as well.
[2] , He Shuo Gong Zhu. A title that can only be given to a daughter of an Emperor. The title He Shuo Gong
Zhu is specifically given to princesses that are birthed by concubines. The daughters of the Empress are given the title,
He Lun Gong Zhu (). To differentiate the different Heshuo Princesses that may exist, each one is also usually
given an individual name along with the title. Not all princesses are necessary given the title of He Shuo Gong Zhu or
He Lun Gong Zhu. Much like the peerage titles of Beile and Qinwang (Prince), it has to be given out personally by the
Emperor. To be given such a title, usually means the princess is well favoured by the Emperor.
[3] Emperor Kangxis father. Reigned from 1644 1661
[4] The Prince An is his title, Yuele is his name.
[5] , Mingshang Efu. Efu is a title given to the husbands of royal princesses. Because Mingyus mother is a
Heshuo Princess, her husband would be given the title of Heshuo Efu (). To differentiate the different
Heshuo Efus that may exist, each one is usually given an individual name that would be attached to their titles. In
this case, the name is Mingshang making Mingyus father the Heshuo Mingshang Efu ().

Characters Introduced So Far

(In Alphabetical Order)
Dong Yun: One of Ruolans maids.

Fourteenth-prince (Aisin-Gioro Yinzheng): The fourteenth son of Emperor Kangxi. He is

described as being quite handsome. Is currently around fourteen to fifteen years of age.
Fourth-prince (Asin-Gioro Yinzhen): The fourth son of Emperor Kangxi and the future
Emperor Yongzheng. Slightly pale and has an impassive demeanour.
Eighth-prince (Aisin-Gioro Yinsi): The eighth son of Emperor Kangxi. Also known as the
Eighth Beile. Ruolan is his Cefujin (Second Wife). Is often seen smiling out of the corners of his
mouth as well as conducting himself with a calm and gentle disposition.
Kangxi: The current Emperor of China.
Ninth-prince (Aisin-Gioro Yintang): The ninth son of Emperor Kangxi. Currently not given
a peerage title. Seems to have a more taciturn personality. Nicknamed the venomous snake by
Ruoxi.
Qiao Hui: One of Ruolans maids. Qiao Hui used to serve Ruolan even before Ruolans
marriage. When Ruolan married, Qiaohui accompanied Ruolan to Eighth-princes
household. Seems to be concerned for her mistress especially regarding Ruolan and Eighths
relationship.
Ruolan, Maertai: Ruoxis older sister. The two are especially close as they are born from the
same mother. She is also the Cefujin (Second Wife) of the Eighth-prince. Mild and gentle in
nature, Ruolan likes to spend a better part of her days reciting Buddhist scriptures. Has a
deceased lover who was a soldier in her fathers army. The man was of Han descent and had
taught Ruolan how to ride.
Ruoxi, Maertai (Zhang Xiao): Protagonist of the story. Originally a modern day, white collar
professional named Zhang Xiao. Under certain unexplainable, supernatural occurrence, Zhang
Xiaos spirit travelled through time upon her death and took over a young Manchurian girls
body. Now stuck in ancient times, Ruoxi must navigate through an entirely foreign environment
armed only with the little historical knowledge she remembers.
Tenth-prince (Aisin-Gioro Yine): The tenth son of Emperor Kangxi. Currently not given a
peerage title. A bit of a simpleton. Likes to tease and bicker with Ruoxi. Nicknamed the
blockhead by Ruoxi.

Thirteenth-prince (Aisin-Gioro Yinxiang): The thirteenth son of the Emperor

Kangxi. Nicknamed the Death Challenging Thirteenth by his brothers. Has a more carefree
and unrestrained demeanour.

Glossary of Terms
(In Alphabetical Order)
Beile: Shortened from Duoluo Beile. A peerage title that can be bestowed to those within the
royal family. It is the third rank in the Qing peerage system for the imperial line.
Cefujin: An aristocratic title. Meaning second wife or side wife in Manchurian.
Difujin: An aristocratic title. Meaning first wife or main wife in Manchurian.
Fujin: An aristocratic title. Fujin by itself just means wife in Manchurian. Can be further
specified to Di fujin and Cefujin.
Gege: A Manchurian word for young mistress, or lady. It is a title you would call an unmarried
noblewoman (or before they are bestowed an official title by the Emperor) above a certain rank
or status.
Jie-jie: Older sister in Chinese.
Chapter 3 (Part 3)
The sky is now completely dark. One by one the lanterns are being lit. Although they are not as
bright as light bulbs, under their flickering dimness there is instead a beauty that can be likened
to appreciating flowers in the mist.[1]Everyone is gathered on the first floor while, Qiaohui and
I are sitting on the second floor. I can hear delicate laughter coming from below. As I lean on the
window sill, I also casually watch the maids and the manservants run about busily below while
trying to make conversation with Qiaohui. Every now and then I would also throw some pieces
of cake to the mandarin ducks on the lake.
Qiaohui suddenly says in a low voice, Gege!
Hum? I reply, turning around to look at her. Qiaohui has her head bowed and is now standing
respectfully behind me. Confused by her formality, I turn to look out the window towards the

opposite side. From there I see the Fourth-prince and the Eighth-prince standing side by side by
a window on the opposite building. Under the flickering candlelight, their features are
highlighted by dancing shadows. Without thinking, I stand up from my seat thinking, Such
jade-like, beautiful young men are standing so peacefully today next to each other. Yet one day,
they will be on opposing sides, participating in a contest of life and death. Therefore, although I
am now facing a scene of beauty, a trace of sadness begins to surface from my heart.
All of a sudden, Qiaohui tugs on my sleeves from behind. It is then that realized I was staring too
fascinatedly towards them. Quickly squeezing out a smile, I lower my body into a ceremonial
greeting. The two men on the opposite end lift their hands at the same time in response. I slowly
straighten myself and stand right next to Qiaohui.
A manservant walks briskly towards the Eighth-prince and whispers something to him. The
Eighth-prince then says a few words to the Fourth-prince to which the Fourth-prince answers by
nodding his head. One following the other, the two men disappear into the house. After a little
while, a maidservant comes to inform us that the banquet was about to start. I ask her, I
thought the Crown Prince has yet to arrive.
Smiling, she replies, The Crown Prince has just sent a message to inform us that he has just
finished dealing with some business. He will come after he has gone to change his clothes, so he
asks everyone not to wait for him.
I give her a nod then follow her down the stairs.
The two girls who are sharing a table with me are around my age. When I arrive, they are both
engaged in pleasant conversation. Seeing me, they both give me a curtsey. After settling down, I
notice that the table right in the middle at the very front is empty. I guessed that it must have
been prepared for the Crown Prince. On the left side, in order, sits the Eighth-prince, the Ninthprince, the Tenth-prince and then lastly the Fourteenth-prince. On the right side sits the Fourthprince, the Eleventh-prince, the Twelfth-prince and then the Thirteenth-prince.
A eunuch then enters, carrying a wooden plate draped with a piece of red satin. A theatrical
programme lies on top[2]. The eunuch first stops by the Fourth-princes table. The Fourthprince does not bother to look at the programme but instead silently gives the eunuch some
instructions. It is then when the eunuch promptly takes the plate to the Tenth-princes table.

After hearing the eunuch say a few words, the Tenth-prince nods at him and proceeds to take a
cursory look at the programme before picking up a brush to place a tick mark on the sheet. He
then hands the programme back to the eunuch. The eunuch now returns to the Fourth-princes
table and there, the Fourth-prince also places a tick mark on the page. The eunuch also takes the
plate to the Eighth-prince to let him pick a play, but the Eighth-prince only waves his hand,
signaling the eunuch to leave.
Within a short time, a song begins on stage. At this point in time, Beijing opera did not exist.
Therefore it was Kunqu Opera[3] that was being performed on stage. It is a pity that in three
hundred years time Kunqu Opera would no longer be popular. As a result, the ones that I know
of are only the few famous ones such as The Western Mansion and The Peony Pavilion.
Well, and Magu Offering Felicitation which I had just learned from Dongyun last night.
However, looking at the act being shown on stage, I am able to deduce that the performance
being performed is Wu Song Slays the Tiger[4]. I think to myself, This must be the play the
Tenth-prince has requested seeing as the play is filled with raw excitement.
Just as Wu Song raises his fist to beat the tiger as he rides it, a eunuch loudly announces, The
Crown Prince has arrived!
In a matter of seconds, everyone on and below the stage are prostrating on the ground. I look
out from amongst the crowd and see an elegant man wearing a long, yellow damask robe
approaching slowly.
It was only when the Crown Prince has settled into his seat did everyone finally rose from their
positions. I also follow the crowd and return to my seat. A eunuch once again carries in the
theater programme and bows in front of the Crown Princes table. The Crown Prince says,
Today is Tenth brothers birthday. Let the birthday boy decide what to watch first!
Ive already picked a play. We are now just waiting for Second brother to pick one, the Tenthprince responds while standing from his seat. Hearing this, the Crown Prince picks up the
programme and peruse over it.
This time however, I really dont know what is being sung on stage. On the other hand, the two
girls beside me seem to be very enthralled by it.

Meanwhile, although the older princes are engaged in occasional chatter and laughter, they are not
consuming too much alcohol. The Tenth-prince and his younger brothers on the other hand, are downing
wine like water. They are all standing in front of the Thirteenth-princes table asking him to drink. The
Thirteenth-prince also does not decline any of their requests, and always empties his cup in one go.
Afterwards, he loudly calls out, We must salute tonights birthday boy with a couple more drinks! All of
them once again lift their cups towards the Tenth-prince. I keep thinking to myself that they are really
playing with fire here.
The show on stage once again changes to another opera piece, but I still do not understand what
they are singing about. Quite satiated, I notice the Tenth-prince is standing from his seat to
leave. Turning to see that jie-jie is busy watching the show while conversing with another fujin, I
immediately get up to follow him. Qiaohui wants to follow as well but I tell her, You can wait
here. Ill be back shortly.
Carrying a lantern, a young eunuch leads the way while the tenth prince stumbles behind Sure
enough, his tolerance for drinks cannot match the Thirteenth-princes, I muse silently. While
Thirteenth is still rather clear-headed hes already quite inebriated.
Seeing the building ahead, I realized he is going in to relive himself. Quickly turning around I
wait outside for a bit. After a while, he is accompanied out by the young eunuch. Seeing me
standing there, the Tenth-prince hastily takes a few steps towards me and asks, What are you
standing here for?
Im here to bring the birthday boy a gift, I answer.
Observing that I am empty handed he asks, Wheres the gift then?
I take a glance at the young eunuch standing next to him. Understanding, he commands the
eunuch, You go on ahead first. The young eunuch bows and leaves. I lead the way while the
Tenth-prince follows behind me.
He inquires again, Wheres the gift? I ignore his question and continue onwards towards a
waterside pavilion. He follows me in. Since the pavilion is a fair distance from the stage,
therefore, even though the stage is well lit, one can only indistinctively see the people standing
on top.

Stopping, I point towards a long wooden bench attached to the railing and says, Birthday boy,
please seat yourself in the seat of honour.
Even though he is puzzled and looks irritated, he walks over to the bench, leans on the railing
and sits down.
I position myself in front of him and give him a serious and formal greeting. There are no
lanterns in the waterside pavilion and everything is illuminated only by the light of the crescent
moon hanging in the sky. It so happens that the Tenth-prince is sitting in the shadows so I
couldnt really see his face clearly. All I hear is him asking, You gift cant be just a ceremonial
greeting can it?

[1] A Chinese idiom referring to the mysterious beauty of a flower shrouded in mist
[2] During this time period, travelling theatrical troupes are fairly common. They could be hired on a prolonged basis
or just for special events like the Tenth-princes birthday. Often the performance is not a preset one. These troupes
are usually well versed in several different plays and operas. Therefore, a list of plays or operas is given to the patron
who may choose which ones they would like to watch on the spot. More often than not, a play would not be performed
in its entirety. Often patrons only choses certain acts of popular plays and mix and match that way. For example, if
this this was a Shakespeare play troupe, a patron can just request to see the famous balcony scene from Romeo and
Juliet and then right after request for the court scene where Portia battle wits with Shylock in the Merchant of Venice.

[3] Developed in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Kunqu opera is a very influential form of Chinese opera that gave
birth to numerous of other opera types. The famous Beijing opera stems from Kunqu opera. Because of its influence,
Kunqu opera is often referred to as the teacher or mother of a hundred operas.

[4] Wu Song is a fictional character from the novel The Water Margin, one of the 4 great classical Chinese novels
of Chinese literature. Wu Song slays the Tiger is a specific episode where Wu Song heroically slays a man-eating
tiger with only the strength of his bare hands

Characters Introduced So Far

(In Alphabetical Order)
Dong Yun: One of Ruolans maids.

Fourteenth-prince (Aisin-Gioro Yinzheng): The fourteenth son of Emperor Kangxi. He is

described as being quite handsome. Is currently around fourteen to fifteen years of age.
Fourth-prince (Asin-Gioro Yinzhen): The fourth son of Emperor Kangxi and the future
Emperor Yongzheng. Slightly pale and has an impassive demeanour.
Eighth-prince (Aisin-Gioro Yinsi): The eighth son of Emperor Kangxi. Also known as the
Eighth Beile. Ruolan is his Cefujin (Second Wife). Is often seen smiling out of the corners of his
mouth as well as conducting himself with a calm and gentle disposition.
Kangxi: The current Emperor of China.
Ninth-prince (Aisin-Gioro Yintang): The ninth son of Emperor Kangxi. Currently not given
a peerage title. Seems to have a more taciturn personality. Nicknamed the venomous snake by
Ruoxi.
Qiao Hui: One of Ruolans maids. Qiao Hui used to serve Ruolan even before Ruolans
marriage. When Ruolan married, Qiaohui accompanied Ruolan to Eighth-princes household.
Seems to be concerned for her mistress especially regarding Ruolan and Eighths relationship.
Ruolan, Maertai: Ruoxis older sister. The two are especially close as they are born from the
same mother. She is also the Cefujin (Second Wife) of the Eighth-prince. Mild and gentle in
nature, Ruolan likes to spend a better part of her days reciting Buddhist scriptures. Has a
deceased lover who was a soldier in her fathers army. The man was of Han descent and had
taught Ruolan how to ride.
Ruoxi, Maertai (Zhang Xiao): Protagonist of the story. Originally a modern day, white collar
professional named Zhang Xiao. Under certain unexplainable, supernatural occurrence, Zhang
Xiaos spirit travelled through time upon her death and took over a young Manchurian girls
body. Now stuck in ancient times, Ruoxi must navigate through an entirely foreign environment
armed only with the little historical knowledge she remembers.
Tenth-prince (Aisin-Gioro Yine): The tenth son of Emperor Kangxi. Currently not given a
peerage title. A bit of a simpleton. Likes to tease and bicker with Ruoxi. Nicknamed the
blockhead by Ruoxi.
Thirteenth-prince (Aisin-Gioro Yinxiang): The thirteenth son of the Emperor
Kangxi. Nicknamed the Death Challenging Thirteenth by his brothers. Has a more carefree
and unrestrained demeanour.
Glossary of Terms
(In Alphabetical Order)
Beile: Shortened from Duoluo Beile. A peerage title that can be bestowed to those within the
royal family. It is the third rank in the Qing peerage system for the imperial line.
Cefujin: A title. Meaning second wife or side wife in Manchurian.

Difujin: A title. Meaning first wife or main wife in Manchurian.

Gege: A Manchurian word for young mistress, or lady. It is a title you would call an unmarried
noblewoman (or before they are bestowed an official title by the Emperor) above a certain rank.
Jie-jie: Older sister in Chinese.
Chapter 3 (Part 4)
I clear my throat and begin to sing softly:
..
Smoke dances from the birthday[1] incense, shadows rise from the birthday candles,
The jade cup with wine of longevity increases years of life,
The golden plate holds birthday pastries and peaches of longevity,
Blessings of fortune that flows endlessly like the currents of the East Sea, and of longevity
comparable to the Southern Mountain as it stands erect with time,
Indigo deer, LingChi, and Fortune Grass[2],
Together bless longevity to overflowing heights,
The painting hall is bustling with festivity on this joyous day,
Firm and sturdy is the foundation of longevity,
Which is continuous and surging with joy,
As the birthday banquet opens, smiles fill every face,
Who together celebrate this wondrous day[3]
Just as the last note fades, clapping sounds erupt from right outside the waterside pavilion.
I was wondering where Tenth Brother had gone! Now we know youve set up a private
performance here, says the Fourteenth-prince, continuing to clap his hands while entering the
pavilion. Behind him followed a smiling Thirteenth-prince. I greeted them promptly, but was a
little embarrassed so I didnt know what to say in reply.
Strangely, the Tenth-prince did not speak out to counter his brothers teasing. Instead he stands
up and replies, Was getting a bit inebriated, so I decided to sit down for a bit. Lets return to the
banquet now.
The Fourteenth-prince however, paces around me in a circle while studying me up and down.
When are you going to sing for me as well?

Getting a bit annoyed by his staring, I retort, If the Fourteenth-prince does not mind, Ruoxi will
be sure to sing a song when it is Fourteenth-princes birthday.
He laughs and asks the Thirteenth-prince, Thirteenth brother, do you want to request a
performance too?

The Thirteenth-prince only smiles but does not respond. It is obvious that the thirteenthprinces personality is more carefree and unreserved than both of them, but he does not joke
around with the Tenth-prince. Evidently the relationship between the Fourteenth-prince and the
Tenth-prince is much closer, and therefore they are less uptight about joking around with each
other.
The Fourteenth-prince seems like he wanted to continue with his teasing, but seeing how my
face was turning sour, the Tenth-prince quickly injects, Fourteenth brother!
Ah! Look, Tenth-brother is getting anxious, the Fourteenth-prince laughs, waving his hands.
Alright, alright, alright! Lets go!
One after the other, the three leaves the waterside pavilion. I sat down thinking to myself, What
do they take me for? Sitting there for a while, I finally decide that if I dont head back soon,
Qiaohui would start getting very worried. Getting up, I begin to walk back.
Even though I am seeing a show of peace and prosperity[4] playing in front of me, I only feel
desolation in my heart. I feel all that is happening is being played on a grand stage and I am the
audience. On it, a tragedy is being performed right in front of my eyes. If I dont get emotionally
attached, then it wouldnt matter after the show is done. Nevertheless I am now completely
mesmerized by the show, being able to feel and experience everything on stage. Even so, I am
powerless to change anything.
Slowly walking back while staring at the ground, I suddenly hear someone shout, Do you have
eyes? Ramming into people like this.
Surprised, I stopped suddenly in my tracks and looked up. It is Mingyu Gege of the Guoluoluo
family. She is standing pertly about ten steps in front of me with a young maidservant standing
right behind her. Not in the mood to deal with her, I only wanted to walk past her quickly. She,
however, takes two steps forward, blocking my way. Mockingly she says, What a barbarian,
having not a sense of propriety at all.
I take another step forward, attempting to go around her. However, she also shadows my step
and again blocks my way.
A bit irritated, I looked up to stare at her, curious to see what she wants. She haughtily continues
to say, I heard that you had damaged your brain in a fall.
I also smile and reply, For some people, they dont even need to take a fall and their brain is
already wrecked.
The smile disappears from her face. She angrily retorts, You are just a barbarian that had a
mother to give birth to you but not one to raise you.
I gaze at her intently and respond with a smile, Some people do have a mother to raise them,
but they are still inferior to the barbarians!

She begins to look a little upset and the more exasperated she got, the more I found it to be
amusing. She is still very much a little girl, getting all riled up over only a few meaningless
words. Thinking back to the past, to the way I had argued with my classmate who had sat beside
me, I had used all kinds of vile and derogatory curses without restrain. While doing so I had also
made sure I did it with a calm smile; the calmer and sweeter the smile, the better the effect.
Seeing that I am just calmly smiling at her, she abruptly blurts out, You are just like your sister.
Both of you are just cheap and worthless hoofs[5] who dont have an inkling of propriety!
I didnt mind what she called me. Words like cheap (jian) are only just amateur vocabularies in
my own swearing dictionary, but I could not allow her to say such things about jie-jie. Ever since
I first opened my eyes in this world, jie-jies attentiveness, thoughtfulness, empathy, affection
and care has all little by little seeped into my heart. She is the person I care about the most in
this time period! My only family!
I glare at her coldly. Where did you hear that from?
Seeing that I am obviously affected, she looks pleased with herself. It doesnt matter where I
heard it from. She is still a cheeeaap hooo she taunts, purposely elongating the words.
Whack! I hurl a slap towards her face, interrupting her words as they come out of her mouth.
Her young maidservant rushes forward to assist her by the arms, crying, Gege.
Meanwhile Mingyu looks at me in disbelief while holding her cheeks. I continue to glare at her
and coldly ask, Where did you hear it from?

[1] Original word used: (shou), which indicates birthdays, but also refer to longevity.
[2] These are all various coveted natural remedies that supposedly extend life and nourish ones vitality.

[3] The song derives from the Cantonese opera, Birthday Congrats from the Eight Immortals(), which
originates from a Southern-style opera in the Yuan Dynasty called The Records of a Shepherd: Birthday
Celebration (). The opera narrates the tale of SuWu (140 60 BC), who was an esteemed minister during
the Western Han dynasty and was abducted by the Huns while dispatched on a diplomatic trip. He refused to
surrender and had to shepherd sheep for 19 years around the Northern Sea area (now Lake Baikal in Russia), before
finally returning to the Han courts with dignity after much suffering. The song comes from the second act of the
opera, where SuWu celebrates the birthday of his mother before he leaves.
This translation mainly attempts to convey the meaning of the song, while the original has rhythm and rhyme. The
individual meanings of the lyrics matter little as the overall message is a birthday blessing and a wish for longevity for
the Tenth prince.

[4] Orig. . Literally means to celebrate peace by singing and dancing. However, it also has the connotation
that the celebration serves to present a false picture of peace and prosperity. It is there to pretend that everything is
going well.
[5] Orig. (jian ti zi) . /jian means cheap, worthless, or lowly. In this specific instance however, the
word jian is being used as a swear word. /tizi literally means hoofs but in the past, it can also be used as a
derogatory curse word towards women. Together, the words (jian ti zi) is pretty much the equivalent of b*tch
in English or along the same lines.

Characters Introduced So Far

(In Alphabetical Order)
Dong Yun: One of Ruolans maids.
Fourteenth-prince (Aisin-Gioro Yinzheng): The fourteenth son of Emperor Kangxi. He is
described as being quite handsome. Is currently around fourteen to fifteen years of age.
Fourth-prince (Asin-Gioro Yinzhen): The fourth son of Emperor Kangxi and the future
Emperor Yongzheng. Slightly pale and has an impassive demeanour.
Eighth-prince (Aisin-Gioro Yinsi): The eighth son of Emperor Kangxi. Also known as the
Eighth Beile. Ruolan is his Cefujin (Second Wife). Is often seen smiling out of the corners of his
mouth as well as conducting himself with a calm and gentle disposition.
Kangxi: The current Emperor of China.
Mingyu Gege (Guoluoluo Mingyu): Younger sister of the Eighth-princes Difujin,
Guoluoluo Minghui. Not on good terms with Ruoxi. Most likely the one who caused the original
Ruoxis accident after an argument.
Ninth-prince (Aisin-Gioro Yintang): The ninth son of Emperor Kangxi. Currently not given
a peerage title. Seems to have a more taciturn personality. Nicknamed the venomous snake by
Ruoxi.
Qiao Hui: One of Ruolans maids. Qiao Hui used to serve Ruolan even before Ruolans
marriage. When Ruolan married, Qiaohui accompanied Ruolan to Eighth-princes
household. Seems to be concerned for her mistress especially regarding Ruolan and Eighths
relationship.

Ruolan, Maertai: Ruoxis older sister. The two are especially close as they are born from the
same mother. She is also the Cefujin (Second Wife) of the Eighth-prince. Mild and gentle in
nature, Ruolan likes to spend a better part of her days reciting Buddhist scriptures. Has a
deceased lover who was a soldier in her fathers army. The man was of Han descent and had
taught Ruolan how to ride.
Ruoxi, Maertai (Zhang Xiao): Protagonist of the story. Originally a modern day, white collar
professional named Zhang Xiao. Under certain unexplainable, supernatural occurrence, Zhang
Xiaos spirit travelled through time upon her death and took over a young Manchurian girls
body. Now stuck in ancient times, Ruoxi must navigate through an entirely foreign environment
armed only with the little historical knowledge she remembers.
Tenth-prince (Aisin-Gioro Yine): The tenth son of Emperor Kangxi. Currently not given a
peerage title. A bit of a simpleton. Likes to tease and bicker with Ruoxi. Nicknamed the
blockhead by Ruoxi.
Thirteenth-prince (Aisin-Gioro Yinxiang): The thirteenth son of the Emperor
Kangxi. Nicknamed the Death Challenging Thirteenth by his brothers. Has a more carefree
and unrestrained demeanour.
Glossary of Terms
(In Alphabetical Order)
Beile: Shortened from Duoluo Beile. A peerage title that can be bestowed to those within the
royal family. It is the third rank in the Qing peerage system for the imperial line.
Cefujin: A title. Meaning second wife or side wife in Manchurian.
Difujin: A title. Meaning first wife or main wife in Manchurian.
Gege: A Manchurian word for young mistress, or lady. It is a title you would call an unmarried
noblewoman (or before they are bestowed an official title by the Emperor) above a certain rank.
Jie-jie: Older sister in Chinese.
Chapter 3 (Part 5)

She suddenly pushes her maid away, rushing over towards me to hit back.
Unfortunately, I have the psychological vigor of a twenty-five year old, but the physical body of a
thirteen year old. So, what came after can only be described as being too disastrous to look at.
Have you ever seen a catfight? Its basically clawing, pinching, scratching, pulling, and twisting
in addition to hair tearing.
Because we were wearing Manchu horse-hoof shoes[1], we ended up toppling over onto the
ground during the scuffle. While on the ground we even utilized the art of biting.
I only heard the young maid next to us crying, Gege! Gege! while trying to pry us apart.
However, faced with two girls tangled on the ground, she didnt know how to separate us.
Finally I heard her scream, Someone! Someone come help! Eunuchs, servants and maids who
heard the commotion began to rush over, shouting, Stop fighting, stop fighting. Its
unfortunate that their two precious mistresses on the ground are too engrossed in their fight to
listen. None of the servants dared to use too much force, fearful that if any one of us gets hurt, it
would be hard to account for us to the higher ups.
Since we were never that far from the Banquet grounds in the first place, as the commotion
grew, it finally alarmed the Crown Prince, the Princes, Fujins and Geges. The few younger
princes ran faster than the others and were the first to arrive. The older princes and the Crown
Prince followed closely behind them. The women came over last as they were seated further
away and were walking slower than the others.
The Thirteenth-prince and Fourteenth-prince were the first to run over with the Eighth-prince
and Ninth-prince close behind. The Tenth-prince looked a bit wobbly but he also ran over,
unable to stand straight. Being more reserved, both the Fourth-prince and the Crown Prince
walked over slower than the others.
The fourteenth-price has yet to arrive at the scene but his voice already carried over, yelling,
What are you guys doing? Stop this right now!
The Thirteenth-prince also cried, Stop fighting!

But who was really listening to him? Mingyu Gege and I continue! Seeing no other alternatives,
the Thirteenth-prince and the Fourteenth-prince hasten over, prepared to forcefully pull us
apart.
Suddenly, I hear splash!, while everyone exclaims in unison.
It just so happened that the place where we were fighting was right next to the lake. Seeing how
we were struggling on the ground in a tangle, we already had long lost our bearings of our
whereabouts by the time we made a few rolls before falling into the lake.
When I first fell in, I was a bit delighted. Thinking that I am someone who has participated in
the breaststroke 200 m swim in University, while Mingyu, being such a precious and delicate
Gege, most definitely doesnt know how to swim at all, I should have the upper hand here.
However, I immediately found out how wrong my assumptions were.
Stepping on the horse-hoof shoes, wearing the beautiful, and palace styled clothing and carrying
the heavy headdresses on my head, in addition to someone else clutching my clothing tightly
while thrashing about, there was no difference between me and someone who couldnt swim at
all. All I could do was hold my breath and wait for someone to rescue me. I thought that it
wouldnt take very long, not with so many people on shore, watching us. Theyd be sure to not
watch us drown.
But time seemed to pass very slowly and my chest already started tightening up. I got more and
more nervous as the time passed. Just when it seemed like I could not hold it any longer, I felt a
person close behind my back, with his arms wrapped around me from under my armpits. The
hands that were pulling on my clothes were pulled away and I slowly floated to the surface. As I
broke the water surface, I took a deep breath and began to pant heavily. The person who saved
me was quite surprised, most likely they did not think I actually knew how to hold my breath
underwater and had kept my consciousness.
After getting onto the shore, I realize the one hugging me is the Thirteenth-prince. Meanwhile,
the Fourteenth-prince is carrying Mingyu Gege to the shore. Her eyes are closed tightly and she
has completely lost consciousness, with her body not moving at all.
Although my situation is a lot better than hers, my body has been drained of energy and I softly
collapse on the ground and can only pant in the Thirteenth-princes arms. The Tenth-prince
rushes up, tugging on me and asks, You alright?

I weakly blinked at him. The dummy! He can see my eyes are still moving around, even if I was
unwell, how bad could it be?
On Mingyu Geges side I can see them desperately pressing down on her stomach but still there
was no reaction. The few Princes standing around all carried a serious face. I begin to get scared
thinking, Shes not going to die right?
Just as I was thinking all of this, I see Mingyu finally coughing out a couple mouthfuls of water
before slowly opening her eyes. My heart begins to relax at the sight of her revival.
It is then that Jie-jie finally arrives at the scene. Seeing me on the ground, she quickly throws
herself at my direction. She barely touches me with her hands but I notice they were shaking. I
comfort her, Im alright, Im alright!
It was only after making sure that I am truly alright that she finally stands up and rushes over to
Mingyu Geges side to inspect her. Qiaohui and Dongyun come over and take me from the
Thirteenth-princes arms, helping me to my feet and also bringing a cloak to cover me.
The Eighth-princes face was sullen; not a hint of a smile could be found. Mingyu Geges young
maid is standing next to the Eighth-prince with her face lowered, answering his questions. It is
obvious she is most likely snitching on me.

[1] Manchu Horse-hoof shoes A specific type of shoes worn by Manchurian aristocratic women. Its usually
beautifully embroidered and has a special, elevated, wooden, hoof-like heel that is situated at the center of the bottom
of the shoe. During the Qing Dynasty, in order to preserve their cultural identity and differentiate themselves from
the Han Chinese, Manchurian women were forbidden to bind their feet like the Han Chinese women. Nevertheless, it
is said that though they werent allowed to bind their feet, the aristocratic women would wear these horse-hoof shoes
to emulate and create the illusion of tiny feet, since it is usually only the hoof-like heel part that peaks out from under
their dresses. Also, due to the heightened heel and the need to balance oneself in a specific way when wearing these
shoes, the Manchurian women can also imitate the way Han Chinese women with tiny feet would walk, which was
considered desirable and pretty. However, there are others who argue that that the shoes are not to imitate the Han
womens tiny feet but a way to show off their cultural and ethnic differences instead.

Characters Introduced So Far

(In Alphabetical Order)

Dong Yun: One of Ruolans maids.
Fourteenth-prince (Aisin-Gioro Yinzheng): The fourteenth son of Emperor Kangxi. He is
described as being quite handsome. Is currently around fourteen to fifteen years of age.
Fourth-prince (Asin-Gioro Yinzhen): The fourth son of Emperor Kangxi and the future
Emperor Yongzheng. Slightly pale and has an impassive demeanour.
Eighth-prince (Aisin-Gioro Yinsi): The eighth son of Emperor Kangxi. Also known as the
Eighth Beile. Ruolan is his Cefujin (Second Wife). Is often seen smiling out of the corners of his
mouth as well as conducting himself with a calm and gentle disposition.
Kangxi: The current Emperor of China.
Mingyu Gege (Guoluoluo Mingyu): Younger sister of the Eighth-princes Difujin,
Guoluoluo Minghui. Not on good terms with Ruoxi. Most likely the one who caused the original
Ruoxis accident after an argument.
Ninth-prince (Aisin-Gioro Yintang): The ninth son of Emperor Kangxi. Currently not given
a peerage title. Seems to have a more taciturn personality. Nicknamed the venomous snake by
Ruoxi.
Qiao Hui: One of Ruolans maids. Qiao Hui used to serve Ruolan even before Ruolans
marriage. When Ruolan married, Qiaohui accompanied Ruolan to Eighth-princes
household. Seems to be concerned for her mistress especially regarding Ruolan and Eighths
relationship.
Ruolan, Maertai: Ruoxis older sister. The two are especially close as they are born from the
same mother. She is also the Cefujin (Second Wife) of the Eighth-prince. Mild and gentle in
nature, Ruolan likes to spend a better part of her days reciting Buddhist scriptures. Has a
deceased lover who was a soldier in her fathers army. The man was of Han descent and had
taught Ruolan how to ride.
Ruoxi, Maertai (Zhang Xiao): Protagonist of the story. Originally a modern day, white collar
professional named Zhang Xiao. Under certain unexplainable, supernatural occurrence, Zhang
Xiaos spirit travelled through time upon her death and took over a young Manchurian girls

body. Now stuck in ancient times, Ruoxi must navigate through an entirely foreign environment
armed only with the little historical knowledge she remembers.
Tenth-prince (Aisin-Gioro Yine): The tenth son of Emperor Kangxi. Currently not given a
peerage title. A bit of a simpleton. Likes to tease and bicker with Ruoxi. Nicknamed the
blockhead by Ruoxi.
Thirteenth-prince (Aisin-Gioro Yinxiang): The thirteenth son of the Emperor
Kangxi. Nicknamed the Death Challenging Thirteenth by his brothers. Has a more carefree
and unrestrained demeanour.
Glossary of Terms
(In Alphabetical Order)
Beile: Shortened from Duoluo Beile. A peerage title that can be bestowed to those within the
royal family. It is the third rank in the Qing peerage system for the imperial line.
Cefujin: A title. Meaning second wife or side wife in Manchurian.
Difujin: A title. Meaning first wife or main wife in Manchurian.
Gege: A Manchurian word for young mistress, or lady. It is a title you would call an unmarried
noblewoman (or before they are bestowed an official title by the Emperor) above a certain rank.
Jie-jie: Older sister in Chinese.
Chapter 3 (Part 6)

The Fourth-prince and the Crown Prince stand silently on one side. Although
they probably have seen a lot and have more experience than the other princes,
this is most likely the first time they have observed such a spectacle as well.
On the other side Mingyu Gege slowly comes around. She then vehemently
pushes away jiejie who is next to her, while beginning to wail on the ground.
Jiejie staggers and falls to the ground. Seeing this, I break away from Qiaohui
forcefully and charge towards her. Jiejie cries sharply, What are you trying to
do?

Hearing this I abruptly stop in my tracks.

Jiejie asks loudly, What has happened?
Standing there wrapped in my cloak I let out an hmph!
Remaining silent, I only give Ming Gege, who is sitting on the ground, a
contemptuous stare.
Jie-jie then softly says to Mingyu Gege while pulling out a handkerchief to wipe
Mingyus tears, Dont cry. You should be careful not to hurt yourself. If Ruoxi
has been bullying you, tell me and Ill reprimand her for you.
She knocks jiejies hands away, crying, You are all bullying me, all of you
I snap at her loudly, I dare you to try saying another word!
She glares at me spitefully and I also glare back with the utmost maliciousness.
Trying to compete with me to see who has a more imposing manner?!?
Eventually, she swallows her words and opens her mouth to cry again. I walk
forward two steps yelling, Dont you dare cry!
Sitting on the ground she looks up at me with her mouth hanging open, looking
dumbfounded. It is obvious that she has not seen anyone with such a forceful
temperament.
But it wasnt just her who was stunned on the spot. Jiejie, the Tenth-prince, the
Thirteenth-prince and the Fourteenth-prince all look to be in shock. The Fourthprince, the Eighth-prince and the Crown Prince are also watching at me quietly.
The entire banquet ground is so silent that you could probably hear a pin
dropping.
At last the Crown Prince laughs lightly, I cant believe Thirteenth brother has a
sister now.

Thats when finally everyone begins to recover from the shock and starts to come around.
Mingyu Gege begins to cry again. Jiejie gives me a glare before letting Qiaohui and Dongyun
to lead me back while she busily tries to take care of Mingyu Gege.

Dongyun is brewing some ginger soup for me to drink while Qiaohui helps me
with my hot bath. Both of them remain silent while doing so. When jijie returns,
she also ignores me. It looks like my performance tonight was really frightening.
At first I thought that after jiejie has finished being angry at me, everything will
return to normal. However, it has already been five days and no matter how
much I try to be humbling, or act all pitiful or even playing the fool and feign
madness, jiejie refuses to speak to me. All the maids in the household also do
their chores quietly and leave quietly. Everyone is treating me like an invisible
person.
Thinking that punishing myself by staying inside obviously cant exchange for
their forgiveness, therefore, I might as well stop forcing myself to stay in and go
outside.
As I wander around, I feel that all the eunuchs, manservants and maids I meet
are all looking at me strangely. They seem to be treating me more cautiously and
with a bit more respect. I didnt care very much of how they were acting and still
continues to wander around in the gardens. Eventually I see the silhouettes of the
Tenth-prince and the Fourteenth-prince in the distance and so I quickly chase
after them.
Where are you guys going to play?
They both turn around. Seeing that its me, they both stare blankly at me for a
moment. I also cock my head to one side, and return their stares with a boorish
manner. At last the Tenth-prince finally breaks out laughing.
What kind of mannerism is that?
I grin widely, The mannerism of breaking a broken bottle[1]!

The Tenth-prince brassily laughs and says, I used to think that you were quite
mean to me, but now I think you were actually treating me nicely.
The Fourteenth-prince also shakes his head and sighs, When I first met you I
thought you were a delicate and gentle beauty.
I ask, What about now?
Instead of answering, he purses his lips and asks, Do you know you are famous
now?
I think to myself, At the time, since all of the most distinguished young
aristocrats from Beijing were probably present; theres bound to be a few people
whod help advertise my deeds. I tighten the corners of my mouth and say, I can
easily guess.
He laughs, In these last few days, Death Challenging Thirteenth Sister has
been the talk of everyone in the Forbidden City.
Ah. I exclaim.
He continues, Even Imperial Father has been asking Thirteenth brother about
when he had gotten a new sister.
I cover my mouth in disbelief, and stare at the Fourteenth-prince with wide open
eyes. My gosh! Even Kangxi knows of me now! Seeing my reaction the
Fourteenth-prince laughs even harder.
Just as the three of us are joking around, laughing, a young eunuch hurriedly
runs up to us. Wiping the sweat on his forehead, he comes up to greet us. He then
bows and says to me, I finally found you! Ive already went around the gardens
several times looking for you. Lord Beile says he wants to see you. He is waiting
for you in the study.
Chapter 3 (part 7-8)

I think to myself, the verdict is finally going to be announced. My heart feels a

little uneasy, not nervous because of what he would do to me but worried about
how this will affect Jie-jie.
Noticing my expression of apprehension, Tenth prince reprimands, You know to
be scared now?
Fourteenth prince, however, restrains his grin and comforts, Dont worry. I will
beg for forgiveness on your behalf.
I look at him in surprise, and he smiles back at me. In a quiet voice, I say, Thank
you.
When we walk in, Eighth prince is sitting at the table, writing. He only nods
briefly at Tenth and Fourteenth prince, not even bothering to glance at me once,
as he continues to write with his head lowered. Tenth and Fourteenth prince
each take seat themselves. I, however, continues standing motionless in the
middle with my head down as I think, heres another person who is treating me
like I am invisible.
Quite some time passes. Tenth and Fourteenth prince have each finished an
entire bowl[1] of tea before Eighth prince puts down his brush, seals what he has
been writing, and instructs the eunuch by his side, Bring this document directly
to the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs[2]. The eunuch puts away the item
carefully and leaves.
After taking a sip of tea, Eighth prince asks Tenth and Fourteenth prince, What
is your opinion regarding this mornings discussion in which Chang Shou was
accused of offering amnesty to and recruiting the Guangdong pirate, ABaowei?
Tenth prince declares hotly, What opinion can you have? How can you be soft
on those pirates who terrorize the seas? Unless you kill one as a warning
example to the hundred, the rest will only become even more savage and
rampant.

Eighth prince does not pay any attention to him, looking only towards Fourteenth
prince. Mulling for a moment, Fourteenth prince replies, Even though Imperial
Father did not say anything, I believe he had already made up his mind
beforehand and likely agrees with the actions Assistant Minister [3] Chang took.
Those two hundred thirty-seven pirates are all courageously fierce fighters and
are extremely familiar with the surrounding waters. Each one is a true man.
Negotiating surrender and enlisting them as our own soldiers will increase our
naval strength, put apprehension into other pirates hearts, and also
demonstrates the awesome, yet dignified manner of our great Qing, so that all
may know that any capable person willing to serve the country will be given a
chance by Imperial Father.
When he finishes speaking, Eighth prince nods. It appears that Fourteenth
princes opinion on the matter is the same as his. Then I will put in a document
to the throne requesting leniency for Assistant Minister Chang.
Whatever they say afterward, I do not hear at all. In my mind, all I can think
is, politics, maneuvering for power! And then, I am just standing and standing
The sky is dark already. A eunuch comes in and asks if dinner should be readied.
Eighth prince chuckles, We were so engrossed in discussion that we did not
notice the hour! Its so late already that if you leave now, its going to be a hassle.
If you do not have any important matters to attend to, have dinner here.
Both Tenth and Fourteenth prince smile and agree. Having received his
instructions, the eunuch turns and leaves.
Eighth prince is looking at me, his fingers tapping the table and his face still
smiling.
The room is very quiet. Only the tapping sound on the table can be heard. I am
still standing there with head lowered and motionless. Thanks to my strict school
military training[4] in the past, I have been standing like this for more than four
hours[5].

Turning to look at Tenth and Fourteenth prince, Eighth prince tells them, You
two go first. I will be there shortly.
The two stood, and Fourteenth prince proceeds directly out of the house, but
Tenth prince stammers, We should all go together.
Smiling, Eighth prince turns his eyes towards him as he says, You go first.
Tenth prince casts a glance at me, but in the end, he leaves as well.
Eighth prince dismisses the eunuchs inside the room, then walks over in front of
me and stands very still.
All I can feel is an invisible pressure weighing down on me, and it seems as if I
cannot support myself on my own feet any longer. Lowering my head so I am
staring at his shoes, my heart furiously beats, thump thump, and my thoughts
swirl around in my head, yet I do not know what I actually am thinking.
After what seems like half a day, he says quietly, Lift up your head.
I really do not want to, but in the end, I do not have the courage to refuse and
obediently, I raise my head up slowly. Neck, chin, then mouth, nose, until at last,
I meet his eyes, deep like a lake, seeming as if they are very clear, yet the
bottommost depths cannot be seen. I want to turn my eyes away, but for some
reason, I do no move and can only continue to stare up at him.
His expression is calm as he gazes at me with a hint of probing look in his eyes, as
if he is trying to find something from my face.
I do not know how much time has passed, perhaps only one second, perhaps two
hours, and then a faint smile gradually appears at the corner of his lips, slowly
spreading to his face, until at last, even his eyes are filled with that smile. I,
however, truly do feel as if I will not be able to stand anymore, and
unconsciously, my hand covers my chest and I take a couple steps backwards. He

breaks out into loud laughter. I think to myself, his voice is so nice when he
laughs! It is like a small electrical current darting through your heart, making
your heart feel all tingly and weak.
Still laughing, he asks, "Where did all your vigor from the other night go?"
I didn't know what to say and just stand there foolishly.
He laughs again, and starts to leave. At the doorway, he turns with a smile, "Are
you planning on just standing there?"
I hurriedly follow after. He instructs Eunuch Wan to send me back to my sister's,
then turns and leaves.
My legs were a little stiff from standing for so long and I limp along as the eunuch
held the lantern leading the way ahead.
As I walk I ponder on what Eight prince's words meant. Is this the end of the
matter?
My thoughts are interrupted by the eunuch suddenly bowing and paying his
respects, "Good fortune to Tenth prince, good fortune to Fourteenth prince!"
Tenth prince notices my sorrowful face and anxiously asks, "What's wrong?"
Biting my tongue, I hesitate, and finally bow my head but say nothing.
Tenth prince grabs my hand and quickly says, "Let's go find Eight Brother!"
I pull my hand free, look at him narrowly once, and then look ahead with
unfocussed eyes; my face etches with infinite misery, slowly shaking my head.
"Hahaha!" Fourteenth prince buckles over, holding his belly with loud laughter
saying, "Gods!"
Tenth prince is confused by this sudden outburst, and glares at him with
annoyance. And with a breath, I too join in the laughing.

Tenth prince looks at me, then at Fourteenth prince, only then realizing that he
had been made fun of, tosses his sleeve in a huff and leaves, saying "To think I
actually wastes my time worrying about you!"
Fourteenth prince and I hurry to stop him.
I smiles and softly said "I wouldn't do it again, forgive me this once?"
Fourteenth prince also apologizes, and only then did Tenth prince calm down.
I turn my gaze on Fourteenth prince and ask, "Who was the one that said he
would beg for forgiveness on my behalf?"
Fourteenth prince, laughing, replies, "Eight brother is famous for being a
gentleman, in all his interactions he is unfailingly graceful and kind. I knew that
if you went in and was treats with politeness, as if nothing had happens, then I
would have to beg for forgiveness for you." He pauses, then continues, "But I saw
that you were made to stand a long time, so I thought 'Done!' and knew that no
intervention from us is necessary."
I was speechless and Tenth prince reprovingly says, "Why didn't you warn me
about this?"
Fourteenth prince laughingly responds, "Why, so I could 'watch the show' of
course!"
Tenth prince is all annoyed, "Why you...?! Fourteenth you!"
Fourteenth prince interrupts his tirade "Alright, now that we've seen her, and are
reassured, isn't it time to go eat? Otherwise we might really anger Eight brother
this time!"
I pipe in "I'm hungry too, you should go."
I take two steps, think about it, and then turn to ask them, "What is the reaction
from the Guoluoluo House?"

Tenth prince is about to say something but Fourteenth prince answers first, "No
matter what, this matter is now considers closed, you neednt worry about it
anymore. Hurry back and have some of the maids massaged your leg!"
Once back in the room, Jie-jie saw me enter, but was expressionless, only
instructing the maid next to her, "Have the kitchen staff heat the dishes and send
them over."
The maid responds and left. But she nearly immediately returns with a smile "I
met little fourth eunuch carrying a food basket just as I went out, and he said the
food is for little miss. So I'm back to see if I should still instruct the kitchen to
heat the food?"
Behind her a small eunuch carrying a food container stood. Jie-jie eyes the
eunuch and says, "Since there is food already prepared, don't worry about
reheating the cold dishes."
The maid receives the basket from the eunuch and excuses him, then serves me
my meal.
After standing for over four hours, I had long become ravenous and begin eating
heartily!
Jie-jie sat on the kang and stares at me thoughtfully. Once I was done eating she
evenly says, "Wash up and get some rest."
I sighs, it seems like her anger had not dissipates and yet I have no idea what to
do about it, and so I could only obediently return to my room to sleep.

Orig. zhong. Often seen in Chinese dramas, the zhong consists of a

saucer, a small bowl, and a lid. The lid allows tea to be infused directly in the
bowl and then drank straight from the bowl by using the lid to hold back the tea
leaves.
[2] Orig. Li Bu. In Qing feudal China, six government ministries (or bu )
reported directly to the emperor. The Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs or Li
[1]

Bu was the highest of the six, with control of appointments and dismissals,
examinations, promotions and demotions, organization, etc. of the entire
countrys mandarins.
[3] Orig. shilang. All of the six government ministries were organized in the
same fashion. In each of the ministries, there were two shilang, who were
second in command in the ministry.
[4] In present day China, military training is a subject, at times compulsory, in
some schools and universities.
[5] The original term in the novel was two shi chen. In ancient China, a 24
hour day was broken up into twelve shi chen, and therefore, one shi chen is
equivalent to two hours. When a specific number of hours is seen in this
translated text, it will likely be converted from shi chen.
Glossary of Terms
(In Alphabetical Order)
Beile: Shortened from Duoluo Beile. A peerage title that can be bestowed to those within the
royal family. It is the third rank in the Qing peerage system for the imperial line.
Cefujin: A title. Meaning second wife or side wife in Manchurian.
Difujin: A title. Meaning first wife or main wife in Manchurian.
Gege: A Manchurian word for young mistress, or lady. It is a title you would call an unmarried
noblewoman (or before they are bestowed an official title by the Emperor) above a certain rank.
Jie-jie: Older sister in Chinese.
Chapter 4 (Part1-2)

The days passed one after another, and I was beginning to feel that life was
getting extremely dull. Everywhere I turned there were only a few things that I
was allowed to do. Jie-jie was still giving me the cold shoulder and all the places I
could go within the Eighth Beiles Manor I had already gone to countless times. I
started to intensely miss the alcohol, the partying, the unsavory company and
general debauchery back in Shen Zhen[1]. Yet here, such pleasures were reserved
entirely for men.

I sat on a rock while facing the lake, bored out of my mind.

Ai!
Ai!
Ai!

Suddenly I heard the Fourteenth-princes voice from behind me: I win!

I turned around and saw the Ninth, Tenth and the Fourteenth prince all standing
behind me. I hastily got up to give my greetings. The Tenth prince loudly said,
Why do you keep sighing? Your few sighs have lost me twenty taels of silver!
The Ninth-prince chimed in, Not to mention twenty taels of my silver!
I cast a puzzled glance at the Fourteenth-prince, who is grinning from ear-to-ear.
He laughed, We laid a bet on exactly how many times you were going to sigh.
Ninth brother wagered less than twenty, Tenth brother said less than forty and I
bet you would sigh over forty times.
I thought about it for a bit and asked, Did I really sigh that many times?
All three of them chorused, Yes!
I gave a bit of a pout but said nothing.
The Tenth-prince asked, Why were you sighing?

Just as I wanted to answer him, the Fourteenth-prince interjected, Wait, dont

tell us, let us guess. The wager is still twenty taels of siler.
I laughed, Gambling addicts!
The Fourteenth-prince nudged the Ninth-prince. Ninth brother, you guess first.
The Ninth-prince waved his hands saying I cant guess. You two guess.

The Tenth-prince looked at me carefully and then said, Boredom.

The Fourteenth-prince laughed, Looks like today Im only going to win forty
taels. My guess is also boredom.
I made a face and shook my head. Its not boredom.
The two princes gave me a blank stare before looking curiously at me. The Tenthprince asked, Then what is it?
I very seriously answered, It is extreme, extreme, extreme boredom. Then all
four of us all laughed together.
The Fourteenth prince said, Well, stop being bored. Its nearly the Mid-Autumn
Festival[2] and the Palace will soon be holding a banquet.
I mentally checked the date. Why, it is nearly mid-autumn! I continued to ask,
Are you all here to see the Eighth Beile?
The Tenth prince answered, Yes, but that garrulous old Assistant Minister Yao is
in the study right now, and Id rather not meet him. Thats why were taking a
walk here in the garden.
I thought about it for a bit before saying, When you go in later, can I come in
with you to pay my greetings to the Eighth Beile as well?
The Fourteenth-prince raised his brow. There is no such thing as unmerited
favor. You're up to something.
I threw him an evil look without saying anything.

When we entered the study, the Eighth prince saw me walking in alongside the
other princes. However, he didnt show any particular interest, but only smiled
gently as he allowed me to sit.
I smiled, Standing is fine. Ill be very short. Just wanted to say a few words and
then Ill leave.
He leaned against the back of the chair, and absently played with his snuff bottle.
With a hint of a smile on his face he said, What you want, I cant help you with.

Only the person who tied the knot can undo the knot [3].
I stared at him for a moment, before finally bowing despondently. Then Ruoxi
will take her leave now.
He smiled, Go now!
I turned to leave the study. As I walked, I thought how I had hoped that the
Eighth-prince would be able to come to my rescue, but I was wrong, so all that
was left was to utilize my own best efforts!
When I returned to the house, Jie-jie was still in the prayer hall reciting her
scriptures. I paced inside the house, thinking of what to say to her. As I was
thinking, Jie-jie returned and saw me pacing. She ignores me and went to lie on
the couch.
I hurried over, and after a moment of silence, I quietly said, When mother
passed away, I had just been born. Ever since I was little, fathers called me a
troublemaker and step-mother has disliked my mischievousness. As for our other
step-siblings, although I do get along with some of them, they are after all not my
full siblings. Theres only Jie-jie. We are born from the womb of the same mother
and thus Jie-jie has always taken so many pains with me. If I have done anything
wrong, and Jie-jie beats me or scolds me, I would listen. But to have Jie-jie
ignoring me II
As I spoke, I thought back on my true parents, whom I will never see again;
because I was also genuinely hurt by Jie-jie giving me the cold shoulder these last
few days, tears started to surge out and I was sobbing so hard I couldnt finish my
sentence.
Jie-jie wept too as she listened to me. She leaned over and hugged me to her. We
stayed like that and cried for a long while before Qiaohui and Dongyun finally
persuaded us to stop.
Jie-jie used a silk handkerchief to dab away my tears while chastising gently, You are going to
have to change your fierce temper, otherwise, you may lose this little life of yours, and you wont
even know how it happened.She paused briefly before adding, Do you think that Mingyu
Gege of the Guoluoluo family is easy to pick on? This time, if Lord Beile had not taken the
responsibility of this onto himself, you would not have been let off easily by either Difujin or
those of the Efu[4] Manor. After hearing this and seeing how upset Jie-jie was, I could only
nod my head and promise her.

Ever since the day we hugged and cried, Jie-jies anger had completely dissipated,
and she was even more gentle and caring toward me. The Mid-Autumn Festival
was quickly approaching, but because Difujin was feeling unwell, the festival
celebrations in the manor were left to Jie-jie to organize.Every day, Jie-jie was so
busy that she did not have time to rest.
Now that the matter that had been troubling my heart was resolved, my mood
improved considerably, and I could be a rich idler again. The best thing was,
since that time I complained to the Tenth and Fourteenth-prince about being
bored, the two of them would often send over novel toys or gadgets to me, curing
quite a bit of my monotony. Plus, I was always speculating what they would be
sending over the next time, making all the servant girls excited along with
me. The sound of noisy laughter could constantly be heard.
It seemed like, in the blink of an eye, Mid-Autumn Festival was nearly upon
us. The manor was filled with an atmosphere of jubilation. Since I was going to
the Palace to attend the celebration banquet, everyday, Jie-jie would tell me the
rules again and again: where to go to the lavatory, where to sit, where to mingle,
where the feast would commence, where to go to for a rest. She made me
memorize and recite these, over and over again, for fear that my etiquette that
day would be improper.
On the afternoon of the fifteenth, the Eighth Beile and Jie-jie were dressed-up
and I was ready as well. Each of us was in our own sedan chair, and in a single
procession, we headed to the Forbidden City [5].
When I was in university, one of the options I chose to take was a course on the
history of scroll paintings. The Palace Museum[6] often had art exhibitions that I
used to frequent, but I was only familiar with a few places near the Painting and
Calligraphy Gallery. The Palace Museum was just too big. I had never strolled
through all of it. Today, I was about to appreciate this palace at its finest. To say I
was not excited would be a lie.
Passing through door after door, propriety after propriety, and row after row of
guards, my head was spinning, and my nerves were so extremely high-strung out
of fear that I would make one wrong move. So scared I was that I could not even

be bothered with looking around at my surroundings. Only now did I silently

appreciate that Jie-jie had trained me well.
Finally, I had the opportunity to sit down. My legs were feeling a little weak.After
recuperating for a bit, I took in everything around me: tens of thousands of
hanging lanterns glowed bright as the day; incense burners released the scent of
rare sandalwood incense; flower buds were arranged in vases; silvery light
reflected off swirling snow; and gems dazzled the eyes.
I sighed inwardly. What a sight worthy of the imperial household.Television
dramas of modern times simply could not portray even one ten-thousandth of
this.
All the consorts and imperial concubines, princes, fujin, and gege gradually
arrived, and each took their seat. After waiting again for a short while, a group of
eunuchs walked in with quick steps and stood in position. From far away, a voice
announced, His Imperial Majesty has arrived. Everyone rose and stood
still. Another moment passed before a middle-aged man of medium build,
wearing a yellow robe and a hat adorned with jade strolled into the gathering. His
features are simple and unassuming, and a faint smile can be seen on his lips.
With the rustling sound of clothing, everyone present dropped to his or her
knees. I exclaim in my mind, an incomparable emperor of the ages, Kangxi!
Even though everywhere across the floor, there were kneeling people, not a single
loud breath could be heard. When Kangxi was seated, the eunuch beside him
cried, Rise! The people rose to their feet.
Kangxis smiled as his eyes swept over the people below him and said, Please
sit. It is not often we get to celebrate festivities. Everyone, let yourselves be a little
more casual. The gathering answered with a simultaneous, zha![7] before
everyone took his or her seat.
That being said, though, from what I could see, all the appropriate etiquette and
proprieties were still being strictly adhered to. I could not help sighing, so this is
awesome power of the Son of Heaven, about whom it is said, under the wide
heaven, all is the kings land[8].

Only after three rounds of wine did the atmosphere at the banquet start to relax.
A few of the younger princes started to amuse and joke with one another, raising
their cups to toast each other, and amongst them, the Tenth princes voice rang
out the loudest. The Crown Prince, the Fourth prince, and the Eighth prince were
also chatting smilingly and drinking.
I was letting my eyes wander around when I suddenly met Mingyu Geges
stare. She was glowering at me hatefully. At once, I flashed a dazzling smile at
her, thinking, you are going to be so mad youll just die! Her glare became more
and more nasty, but all of a sudden, it was as if she realized something. The
corners of her lips curled up, and she, too, sent a charming smile in my
direction. Immediately, I felt a cold feeling flood my entire body, and with a
shiver, I sighed inwardly, indeed, the smiling tiger is the most fearful.
Food and drink, drinking and stopping, laughing and watching. Even though
nobody paid any attention to me, I was still enjoying myself. I had the fortune of
being at this grand gathering; how could I not let myself savor it to the fullest?
Just when I was enjoying myself with my head down, I noticed that all around, it
had grown quiet. I lifted my head and noticed that everyones eyes were on me. A
eunuch was heard summoning, Maertai Ruoxi, come forward and present
yourself to His Imperial Majesty.

[1] A Major city in the Guan Dong province of China.

[2] [2] Orig. . This festival falls on the 15th day of the eighth month of the Lunar calendar (or
agricultural calendar ), which is in September or early October of the Gregorian calendar. This is an
ancient festival, dating back more than 2000 years ago, but it became especially popular and a major
celebration since the Ming and Qing dynasties. It celebrates the end of the fall harvest season, when the
food is at its most abundant. On this night, the moon is at its roundest and brightest for the year, and
hence it is also known as the Moon Festival. Families celebrate by gathering and eating moon cake
together among other things.

[3]Orig. literally, to untie the bell, the person who tied the bell is needed. Its
a proverb that means it takes the person who created the situation to resolve the situation.
[4] Orig. . Referring to Mingshang Efu, Mingyu Ge-Ges father. Refer to the footnotes Chapter 3, part
2 for more information on Mingyu Ge-Ges mother and father.
[5] Orig. Zijin Cheng. Forbidden City is translated from this original Chinese name, although
literally translated, it should be Purple Forbidden City. This was the imperial palace for

both the
Ming and Qing dynasties. I have differentiated this name from Gugong (see
footnote [5])
[6] Orig. Gugong. Literally, this is translated as former palace. This is the name given in the
modern times to the former imperial residence, and in English, it is now called the Palace Museum. As a
modern person, Zhang Xiaos memories would be of her visits to Gugong.

[7] Orig. . In the Qing court, servants or someone of lower rank would say

zha to a person of higher rank when answering yes to promise or agree to

undertake an order.
Chapter 4 (part 3)
I was shocked and for a moment, did not know how to react. Then, with a jolt, I
hurriedly jumped to my feet, stepped out from the tables, walked forward, and
kneeled down. I kowtowed while saying in a clear voice, Your Imperial Majesty
jixiang.

Kangxi answered, Rise to speak.

As I stood up, I was searching my mind. What is this about? Kangxi asked with a
laugh, This is the Death Challenging Thirteenth Sister?
One of the imperial concubines sitting beside him smiled obsequiously, I never
expected that she is actually a cute and delicate young girl.

With the eyes of the crowd fixed intently on me, all I felt was tremendous
nervousness. Kangxi looked at me with a smile and asked, Are you very nervous
to see Zhen[1]?
I knew that if I still did not say anything, it would definitely not be very good, so I
had no choice but to respond with, Yes.
Kangxi seemed to find this quite amusing, and he added, Why?
I contemplated for a moment before I replied, This is the first time I can look
upon Heavens countenance. Its augustness is boundless, and hence, it makes me
nervous.
Kangxi gave a, hmm and then asked, You find me very august?
I cried silently, oh Heaven! Why wont this end? I carefully deliberated how I
should answer. One bad answer and it would be game over.
Seeing that I did not immediately give a response, Kangxi smilingly continued to
press, Are you afraid of Zhen?
I thought to myself, only a tyrant wants everyone to fear him. Since the ancient
times, what a wise ruler desires is for the people to genuinely respect and accept
him. I dared not hesitate any further and hurriedly replied, No. Your Imperial
Majesty is a sage- emperor of this age. Why would maidservant be frightened?
But this is the first time maidservant has come to the palace, and I find the Son of
Heaven[2] has an august aura. That is why I am slightly nervous.
Kangxi asked with a smile, A sage-emperor? Why do you think Zhen is a sageemperor?
I screamed with frustration mentally. Why? Because history has already made
that judgment. However, I did not dare directly recite all that, ascended the
throne at the age of Eighth, captured Oboi[3], suppressed the Revolt of the Three
Feudatories[4], seized Taiwan[5], defeated Galdan Khan[6] because these were

all achievements that Kangxi in his later years gave to himself as a form of selfevaluation. I dared not steal his lines from his own script. I racked my brain
desperately, and thoughts spun several times until what finally popped into mind
was the poem, Snow[7] that had been in my high school textbook. I thought it
was rather fitting. I could not worry about anything else. Saving my own life was
the most important thing. So, in a clear voice, I recited,
Qin Shihuang[8] and Han Wudi[9] were lacking in literary grace,
And Tang Taizong[10]and Song Taizu[11] had little poetry in their souls;That
proud son of Heaven, Genghis Khan5[12], Knew only shooting eagles, bow
outstretched. All are past and gone! For truly great men Look to this age alone.
[13]
After Emperor Kangxi finished listening to this, he gave a nod and chuckled,
After growing accustomed to hearing Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang[14], these words
today are rather novel.
I groaned inwardly. How could I forget about Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang? But, it
seems this had a rather good effect. My bootlicking did not do too badly after all.
Kangxi remarked, It seems it is not just fighting fiercely that you know how to
do! Then he instructed the eunuch at his side, Reward!
I hurriedly fell to my knees again, and then after receiving my reward, I stepped
away. Upon returning to my seat, I realized that my palms were all clammy. I
looked to see that the Crown Prince and Fourth prince were assessing me with
their eyes, so I quickly dropped my head back down.
Following this bit of excitement, Kangxi appeared to be in great spirits. The
imperial concubines and consorts accompanying him were also smiling and
chatting affably.
One after another, the princes went to toast Kangxi and say auspicious words.
After Ninth prince returned to his seat, Tenth prince stepped forward. Raising
his cup of wine, he said, Imperial Father[15], all the auspicious words have been

taken by my older brothers already. I dont have any fancy words to say, and only
wish Imperial Father good health. With that, he threw his head back and drank
his wine.
Kangxi shook his head. , Cannot remember lines and quotes of literary works so
can only use common sayings.
A beautiful consort beside Kangxi smiled, Even though it is a common saying, it
nonetheless is true.
Kangxi nodded. He looked at Tenth prince, mulled over something for a
moment, and then stated, Seventeen years old already.
The consort smiled and said. , When Ninth prince was this age, he had already
taken a fujin.
She had just spoken this before all the princes had tuned in and were listening
attentively. Tenth princes head was lowered, looking as if he was deep in
thought.
Kangxi replied, He has reached that age.
Still smiling obsequiously, the consort continued, The day before yesterday, Jing
Ge-Ge was mentioning to me that her younger daughter, Mingyu was at about the
right age, and she was asking me to help mull over who could be an appropriate
match. In my opinion, she and Tenth prince are quite well-suited.
When Tenth prince heard this, he abruptly lifted his head up and stared at
Kangxi, his entire face tense. Kangxi nodded. , Well-suited indeed.
Kangxi pondered for a short while before looking at Tenth prince. , Then let us
appoint Guoluoluo Mingyu as Ol Tenths Difujin!
Tenth princes face had grown flushed, and now, he cried hurriedly, Imperial
Father, your subject-son[16] is still young

Orig. . Prior to the Qin dynasty, this word could be used by anyone and
meant I or me. However, Qin Shihuang, the first emperor of unified China
and founder of the Qin dynasty (259 210 BC), passed an edict in which only the
Son of Heaven could address himself as Zhen. From that time onward until the
Qing dynasty, this was a form of self-address exclusive to the emperor.
[2] Orig. tianjia. Another way to refer to the emperor. Tian means heaven
and jia means family. Everyone under the heavens is the Son of Heavens family.
[3] Oboi (, pinyin: Aobai) was a distinguished official of the Qing dynasty with
outstanding military achievements, who served under three successive emperors.
He was one of the four appointed regents to assist the young Kangxi until he
reached the age of majority. Tension between Kangxi and Oboi rose due to Obois
significant power and influence in court. Kangxi seized power early. Oboi was
arrested in 1669 (8th year of Kangxi) and ended up dying in prison.
[4] Three generals, Wu Sangui, Shang Kexi, and Geng Jingzhong each ruled over a
relatively independent territory in southern China. These territories had been
bestowed to them by the Qing court after the Manchus conquered China. In
1673, approximately only three decades after the Manchus had established the
Qing dynasty, these three rebelled against the Qing government. In 1681
(20th year of Kangxi), Kangxi defeated the rebel army, and China was unified
again.
[5] Between 1661 to 1683, Taiwan was ruled by the Zheng family and opposed the
Manchu-ruled Qing government. After being defeated by the Qing navy in 1683
(22nd year of Kangxi), the ruler at the time, Zheng Keshuang surrendered. Taiwan
was officially annexed into the Qing empire shortly after.
[1]

[6] Orig. (pinyin: Gaerdan). Galdan Khan of the Dzungar-Oirate. His increasing
power and expansion of territory in Mongolia was a threat to Beijing. He was defeated by the
Qing army in 1696 (35th year of Kangxi).

Orig. . A poem written by Chairman Mao Zedong in 1936. Note that

the character, , meaning snow is the actual name of the poem. This is ci
poetry, which is a form of poetry that follows one of hundreds of set
patterns/tunes/rhythms. is the name of the pattern used for this
particular poem.
[7]

First emperor of unified China as the founder of the Qin () dynasty (259-210
BC).
[9] Seventh emperor of Han () dynasty (156-87 BC): remembered as one of the
greatest emperors in Chinese history, and known for the vast terrestrial
expansions under his reign, effectively establishing China as the most powerful
country at the time.
[10] Second emperor of Tang () dynasty (599-649 AD): officially recognized as
co-founder of Tang dynasty with Emperor Gaozu. He was known for being
extremely wise and able, and his reign was known as the Reign of Zhenguan (
), a period of economic and military posperity and commonly regarded as
one of the golden ages of China.
[11] Founder of Song () dynasty (960-976 AD)
[12] Founder of the Mongol Empire, or the Yuan () dynasty as known in China
(1162-1227)
[13] Excerpt from Snow (, 1936) by Mao Zedong. Translation by the
Maoist Documentation Project.
[14] Orig. . Yao, Shun, Yu, and Tang are all legendary, venerated kings or
rulers of the far-ancient times, upheld as examples for sovereigns to emulate, and
hence, using Yao Shun Yu Tang to describe a ruler is a form of praise.
Yao and his successor Shun are sage-kings of Chinese mythology, said to have
ruled in approximately in 22nd 23rd century BCE, and are both known for their
virtue, benevolence, and humanity. The people lived in unity and harmony under
Yao, and he was well-loved. Shun was recognized for being filial.
Yu was appointed by Shun to deal with flood control during the Great Flood of
Chinese mythology, and he spent 13 years of his life on this. Yu was honored for
his self-sacrifice and perseverance. Shun passed his throne on to Yu, who is said
to have founded the Xia dynasty. Yu is said to have been wise, practical, frugal,
and modeled what he preached.
Tang overthrew the tyrant king, Jie, the last ruler of Xia, and established the
Shang dynasty in 16th century BCE. He lowered taxes, encouraged production of
goods, and expanded the territory of Shangs rule and influence.
[15] Orig. Huang AMa. How princes and princesses would address their
father, the emperor, in the Qing dynasty. Huang means royal or imperial and
ama is the Manchurian word for father.
[8]

Orig. Erchen. er means son or child and chen means

subject or official. Children of the emperor would use this to refer to
himself/herself when speaking to the emperor. In addition, the emperor, his
siblings, as well as his children would also use this form of self-address in front of
the empress dowager. I will use subject-son and subject-daughter for the
translation.
[16]

Chapter 4 (Part 4)
Kangxi cut him off, Seventeen is still young?
The Tenth-prince said urgently, Fourth brother and Eighth brother both married a Ce Fujin
first. If thats the case, why dont Father grant me a Ce Fujin first?
Kang Xis face hardened, Nonsense! Is making Mingyu your Di Fujin insulting to you?
The Tenth-prince, not knowing how to reply, hurriedly got on his knees. I didnt mean it like
that! I justII just wanted
The Eighth-prince stood up, smiling, and calmly said, Imperial Father, I think that Tenth
brother is caught off guard so he doesnt know how to react. As soon as he calms down, Im sure
he would be more than ecstatic.
The Tenth-prince turned to stare at the Eighth-prince with wide opened eyes while his face turns
slightly purple. There was a bit of anxiety in his expression, along a bit of anger, a bit of pain, but
more than anything, a kind of helpless pleading.
The Eighth-prince looked back at him, still smiling, Tenth brother, quickly thank Imperial
Father for his kindness.
The Tenth-prince continued to stare at him. Though the Eighth-prince was still maintaining that
calm demeanor, his eyes were gravelly dark, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.
Finally, that bit of pleading, of anxiety, of anger, of pain, all melted away from the Tenthprinces face, leaving only a look of indifference. He slowly turned around, knelt down, and
kowtowed three times. The sound of his head hitting the ground rang clearly throughout the
hall.
He announced in a loud voice, This humble son thanks Imperial Father!
The Eighth-prince slowly sat down.

I felt as if those three kowtows were hitting against my very own heart. One hit, then another
one, and another one, all pressing against me, making it difficult to breathe. I already knew
beforehand that marriages during ancient times were decided solely by the parents, that it was
hard to make ones own decision. Yet only when seeing it played out right in front of me, did I
felt its cruelty.
I glared at Mingyu angrily. She also stared back at me, looking a bit dreadful, a bit self-satisfied,
a bit of unwillingness, and also a bit of hatred. Then slowly all of that dreadfulness, satisfaction,
unwillingness, and hatred disappeared into a charming smile. Under my angry gaze, she got up
and solemnly went out to give her thanks. Seeing her and the Tenth-prince kneeling side by side
just made me want to shout. Why?! Why?! Is he not a prince?! Does he not have the highest,
most honored status?! Yet, this status has eliminated his most precious possession freedom!
I thought of my sister, then of the present situation where the date of the concubine selection
was quickly approaching. Could this be the fate of everyone in the Forbidden City? The fear that
I have been repressing this entire time began to surge forward. Who would I be given to?
Looking at the concubines that are sitting next to Kangxi, who all could be taken as his
daughters, my whole body trembled. Uncontrollably I kept wondering if I would become one of
this old mans side wives or another young mans main wife.
I didnt know what happened afterward or how I got out of the palace. All I remembered was
that as soon as the carriage stopped in front of the manor, I rushed out and ran to the door,
ignoring the shouts behind me.
I just ran, ran as fast as I could, with all the strength in me. I felt the urgent need to find a place
to hide, or else I, too, would, somehow, be unknowingly married to someone.
All the maids and servants behind chased after me.
Ruoxi, Ruoxi! Jie-jie called as she ran.
The Eighth-prince quickly commanded the guards to seize me. One of them jumped in front,
blocking my path. I wanted to run around him but he grabbed my hand. I struggled to break
free, only wanting to find a place to hide.
From far away, I could hear the Eighth-princes voice, Knock her out!
I felt a blow to my neck, and was soon unconscious.

Ever since the Mid-Autumn Festival, Ive became more reserved, and more quiet. Qiaohui and
Dongyun tried as they might but still couldnt get me to talk as before. Every day, if I wasnt
practicing my calligraphy, I would be sitting somewhere, staring blankly into space.
For the first time, I began to carefully contemplate my life here in the past and what my destiny
would be. I kept asking myself, Could I do nothing else but wait until everything falls upon
me?
All the maids and servant in the mansions would give me weird looks. I knew that they all
thought I went crazy because of the Tenth-prince but I didnt care.

Chapter 4 (Part 5-6)

Jie-jie was as forlorn as before, staring at me silently with that sad expression of
hers. As I got thinner by each day, she did as well.
Sometimes, I would hear Qiaohui whisper, Mistress, why dont you try to
persuade the young miss?
Jie-jie would softly reply, Its no use persuading her. In time, she would understand and learn to
accept her fate. I thought to myself, no, no, that would never happen. I could never learn to
understand how my fate could be decided solely by a word from someone else. Since I was
young, I learned that hard work would yield results. Todays flowers will bear tomorrows
fruits, was my motto. I could not accept the fact that my destiny now laid in the hands of
someone else. I could not, and would not! I hated the Heavens! Why was I brought here? If I was
born here from the beginning, perhaps I could have accepted my destiny more easily. But I had
already lived in modern society for 25 years, and had been taught that my destiny should be
controlled by my own hands. Now, they suddenly tell me that everything has already been
decided, that all I could do is to accept it! Well, I cannot!

It was late autumn. The leaves on the trees had begun to fall. I started to stand
under those trees and watched the leaves flutter in the wind. Each one was like a
dancer, floating to the left, then right, then up, then down before suddenly
spinning like a young ballerina on a stage, possessing an illimitable charm. The
leaves, in the end, were still no match for gravity and slowly drifted down,
bringing with them that hopeless longing for the wind.

The Eighth and Fourteenth-prince stood next to me for a while, and joined me in
watching the dance of the leaves.
They each bring with them a kind of sadness, I said tenderly, They do not wish
to fall down but, in the end, could not fight against their fate.
The Fourteenth-prince replied softly, You are now heart so broken, at the sight
of flowers tears will shed. Pains of separation so searing, at the cry of birds the
heart will pound.[1] Wait a couple of days until your mood gets better and you
wont think like that anymore.
I did not speak, but merely continued to watch the leaves swirl in the wind.
Fourteenth waited for a minute then asked, Ruoxi, you really like Tenth brother,
right?
I raised my hand to catch some of the leaves floating by. Yes, I really like him.
He is lively, honest, and can cheer me up. Most importantly, he treats me really
well. I released the leaves back in the wind and watched it dance in the air, But I
do not like him the way other people think. I just see him as a very good friend of
mine.
Then why are you upset with his marriage? The Fourteenth-prince asked,
surprised. The people outside are all talking about how 13 th sister went insane
because of Tenth princes upcoming wedding.
I turned to look at him, Im upset not because of his marriage, but because of the
fact that his marriage was forced. He does not want it, I paused for a second then
continued, Im upset because of why our destinies are controlled by someone
else, of why we cant decide our own fate.
The Fourteenth-prince gasped, staring at me wide-eyed.
The Eighth-prince looked at me fixedly then spoke, his tone serious, Those
words are treason and heresy. You must never repeat them again!

The corner of my mouth lifted up in a scoff as I turned to leave. He caught up

with me within two steps, grabbed my chin hard, his eyes boring deep into mine
and asked harshly, Did you hear me?
I tried turning my head but found that his force was too great. There was no way I
could break free or look away.
He tightened his hold. Did you hear me?"
I would not answer. The pain kept on increasing until it felt like he was strangling
me.
Eighth brother! the Fourteenth-prince cried.
The Eighth-prince ignored him, Did you hear me? he asked again.
I looked bitterly into his cold eyes as I unwillingly yelled, Yes!
He stared at me and slowly released his hands before turning to leave.
Are you crazy? the Fourteenth-prince asked, incredulous, this someone else is
not just anyone, but the Heavenly Son of the Great Qing! Eighth brother is only
looking out for you. He quickly turned around to chase after Eighth prince.
I stayed where I was, looking up at the leaves dancing against the skys blue
canvas. It was there Qiaohui found me. She took one look at me, sighed heavily,
and then gently helped me up.
Young Miss, the wind is picking up. Let us go back.
I slowly followed her in. Jie-jie leapt up as soon as she saw me. She took hold of
my hands and helped me sit down.
Why are hands so cold? she asked, scared.
She told Qiaohui to quickly go and prepare some hot tea.

She kept rubbing my hands, slowly transferring her heat onto my body, warming
both my hands and heart. I saw her thin face and felt a stabbing pain. Frustration
swelled up within me and I couldnt help but to lean against her, crying.
Her arms went around me as she gently patted my back, murmuring softly, Its
good to cry it out, just cry it out.
I cried for half a day, until my throat closed up and my tears ran dry. Still, I
continued to hug Jie-jie, not wanting to get up. She, too, didnt say anything and
continued to caress my back. After a while, with my head still on her bosom, I
reluctantly asked, Is it because I hit her that Mingyu Gege had to marry the
Tenth prince?
Jie-jie helped me up and used a handkerchief to wipe my tears, Whether you hit
her or not, she would still have to marry the Tenth prince.
Jie-jie sighed, We are all merely the Emperors pawns. Did you think that he
made this decision just recently? In reality, the Imperial Consort perceived the
Emperors plan and had merely waited for the right time to act out that show with
him.
I didnt say anything after hearing that but just merely sighed. I had overestimated myself. I
thought Mingyu had thought I liked the Tenth prince, and stole him in order to take revenge on
me. But it was better this way. At least my guilt towards the Tenth-prince had decreased
somewhat. These people of the court! I suddenly shivered, feeling cold all over. I remembered
what I had said earlier and quickly hugged my sister, fear mounting in my heart. I could not keep
on saying those stuffs. Absolutely not! Or else, I could cause my sisters death.

As the leaves began to fall less and less, my mood had also gotten better; at least
on the surface anyways. At the very least, I could joke with the maids once in a
while. However, my appetite had still not increased. I could barely eat more than
a few mouthful of rice.
I had thought about running away from the manor. If I was just a normal girl,
then me running away would not draw too much attention. But I was a generals
daughter, the sister-in-law of the Eighth Beile, and a maid awaiting the
concubine selection. Not to mention that this entire world belonged to the Aisin-

Gioro Clan[2], where could I go? Then there was also my sister. If I really left, I
was afraid she would not be able to bear it.
One day, I was practicing my calligraphy when Qiaohui came in to announce that
the Fourteenth-prince had arrived. I put down my brush and went out to see
Fourteenth prince standing in the courtyard.
I went forward to do my greetings, asking, Why didnt you come in?
Lets take a walk around the garden, he replied.
I nodded. Qiaohui came and brought me an embroidered aqua-green brocade
cloak and advised me not to stand directly in the wind. I quickly complied and
followed the Fourteenth-prince out into the gardens.
Both of us were silent as we walked. After a while, I forced a laugh, Whats wrong
with you? Weve been walking all this time but you have yet to say anything.
Youre boring me to death.
The Fourteenth-prince laughed hollowly, Before I came, I had lots of things to
tell you. But now that I am here, I suddenly dont know what to say.
I stood still and looked at him, Im alright now.
He also stopped walking and sighed, Youre alright but Tenth brother is not.
I didnt say anything but only continued to look at him.
He sighed, After the Mid-Autumn banquet, he had stopped coming to Court.
Imperial Father had asked for him several times. Eighth brother has been saying
that hes not feeling well. If this continues, however, Imperial Father will send a
Royal Physician to take a look.
I looked down at my shoes, What would you like me to do?
Go visit him and then persuade him, the Fourteenth-prince answered.
I was silent for a minute then I nodded in agreement, When?

After Court tomorrow, Ill come to pick you up to take you to the palace.
Alright, I answered.

I sat with Fourteenth on a horse carriage. Both of us were silent the entire way.
Seeing as Jie-jie did not ask about anything when I left, the Eighth prince must
have already informed her of whats going on. We rode in the carriage until we
reached the outer palace gate. We got off the carriage and then transferred onto
sedan chairs. After half a day, we finally stopped and a maid came to help me
down.
The Fourteenth-prince walked me into a courtyard, then stopped and pointed to
the door facing us, I wont go in with you.
I nodded and walked a couple of steps before he added, I can only hold off the
eunuchs for so long. Be sure to hurry.
Alright, I said before walking in the door.
Chapter 4 (Part 7)
As soon as I went in, I found myself in a parlour. I could smell strong stenches of
alcohol permeate through the room but there was no one there. I took a few
glances at the archway on one side of the room before I walked through the
beaded curtains, causing the beads to bump into one another, creating a pleasant
sound.
The Tenth-prince was lying sideways on the bed. With his eyes closed, he
shouted, Ive said to leave me alone! Get out!
I immediately went forward and was about to speak when I realized that I didnt
know what to say. He suddenly opened his eyes, angry. When he saw me, that
anger turned into surprise, and then sadness. He slowly sat up.
I sat down on one of the chairs, picked up a wine jug on the table and shook it
before putting it down. There was still some wine inside.

I was silent for a minute, and then asked, Are you planning to keep on drinking
like this? Thinking that if you are drunk you wouldnt have to marry Mingyu
Gege?
He didnt speak for a while before he finally said, Im just a bit troubled.
Why? I asked.
With his head down casted, he proceeded to put on his boots. Cant you tell? he
said, sounding frustrated.
I did not feel as nervous as I did when I first entered the room and could calmly
reply, First of all, you do not like Mingyu Gege yet you have to marry her.
Second, you have some feelings for me, but cannot marry me.
He stood up and came to sit by the table as well. He picked up the wine jug and
poured himself a cup of wine before he stared blankly at it while holding it in his
hand. After a while, he asked softly, Would you be willing to be my Cefujin?
For a moment, I was caught off guard, not having prepared for such a
conversation. I had forgotten about that in the ancient times, having multiple
wives was of the norm.
He looked up at me longingly with renewed hope and earnestly said, Ill treat
you really well, Ill definitely
I quickly interrupted him, Im not willing.
He clenched his teeth, looked at me, and nodded his head. Suddenly he lifted his
wine cup and drank the wine in one shot.
I know! Even if I wanted you to be my Difujin, you might not have agreed. I had
a glimmer of hope before, but now, he laughed bitterly, its impossible.
I picked up the wine cup to look at it. If you already knew, then be sensible.
Dont make Beile worry or the Emperor angry.

He poured himself another cup of wine and drank it, Ive already succumbed to
Imperial Fathers orders. Am I not allowed to even express my feelings?
I took the wine jug and poured myself a cup, You have already accepted the big
thing. Then why do these little things that will only cause your family pain and
your enemy joy?
I took a swig and drinking perhaps too quickly, I choked on the wine. I used my
handkerchief to cover my mouth and coughed it out. I was wiping my lips when
he asked in a low voice, Ruoxi, have you ever liked me?
I looked up and saw in his eyes a mixture of longing, apprehension, and fear. I
lowered my head, wrenched my handkerchief and after a moment, I answered
quietly, I had liked you.
He let out a big breath, and then chucked lightly, Ruoxi, Im really happy. Do
you know? In these past few days, I wanted to ask you that question, but was
afraid of what your answer would be. He took another drink. Dont worry. Im
going to live well from now on. I will think about how you had sung a song for
me, had made me happy, and had been sad because of me, and I will be happy
again.
He paused for a while, and then slowly continued, Since I was young, everyone
thought that I was stupid. I dont study well or make much progress. But what
they didnt know was that Ive really tried my best. Its just that no matter how
much effort Ive put in, I still could never be comparable to Fourth brother,
Eighth brother, or Fourteenth brother. They only need to read something once
before they could memorize it by heart. I could read things three times and would
still not remember. Whatever Imperial Father says they could quickly understand
it; while I would rack my brains about it all day and still not get what he meant. I
also have a bad temper, which gets me in trouble countless of times. People
would laugh and make fun of me behind my back. Only Eighth brother would
care for me and protect me.
He paused again before asking forlornly, Ruoxi, do you think Im stupid?

I chuckled, Of course! If youre not stupid then how could I have bullied you all
the time? I deliberately paused, But the reason I like to play with you is because
you are stupid and because you show your feelings frankly. If youre happy, youre
happy. If youre not happy, then youre not happy. If you like something, then you
like it. If you hate something, then you hate it. Youre not like those hypocrites,
who would smile on the outside but hold hatred in their hearts. Thats why, in
front of you, I could laugh out loud if Im happy and be angry if Im not. Do you
know? When Im with you, Im happy, truly happy.
He stared at me the entire time I was talking but turned away as soon as I
finished and didnt speak for a while.
I am also very happy, he whispered throatily.
In that moment, the two of us did not know what else to say and could only sit
there quietly until I heard the Fourteenth-princes voice, We should head back!
I stood up, poured two cups of wine and gave him one. I raised my cup as a toast
to him, drank and then set the cup down on the table. He saw that I had finished
the wine and downed his too.
I smiled and dropped down in a curtsy. Ruoxi bids you farewell, I said and
lifted the beaded curtain to leave.
Chapter 5 (Part 1)
This winters first snowfall came silently and without warning. The sky was
perfectly normal the day before, but the next morning, a world that seemed to be
dusted in powder or carved from white jade is found.
Ever since graduating from college and moving to Shenzhen for work, it has been
more than three years since I have seen snow. Upon unexpectedly seeing this
sparkling, jade-like scene before me, an indescribable feeling of surprise and
exhilaration fills my heart, and in my excitement, I decide to go out for a walk.
Qiaohui, seeing that she could not convince me otherwise, lets me have my way
and hurries off to find a cloak and snow hat for me. I chose a bright red cloak

made of silk crape and lined with white rabbit fur. I also put on a matching snow
hat before walking outside hurriedly.
Behind me, Qiaohui cries out, Dont come back too late.
Snow is still drifting down, and although it is not falling very hard, everything
seems blurry. It is hard to see beyond ten steps.
There is no particular place I would like to go, so I allow myself to walk wherever
I desire. There is no one all around. I walk onward, a step treading lightly,
another step treading heavily, while thinking that, although this is a big world, I
am different from all of them. There is a feeling of loneliness, a feeling of I am
alone in this space between the heavens and the earth.
Just as I am walking along in my own world, I suddenly hear the sound of
footsteps. Someone catches up from behind and walks alongside me.
I turn my head to the side. It is the Eighth-prince. He is wearing a black, marten
fur cloak and a wide-brimmed, black, bamboo hat. I know I should perform the
ceremonial greetings, but for some reason, I want to ignore him.So, I look away
from him and keep walking as before, wherever I please.
He does not speak, nor does he leave. He merely continues to walk beside me in
the snow.
The snow is still falling. The whole world is in a quiet calm with only the sound of
our footsteps. I feel as if, in this vast world of whiteness, there is only him and
me. Even though neither of us speaks, that previous feeling of loneliness
gradually disappears, and my heart becomes extremely tranquil and extremely
calm. I could keep on walking and walking.
All of a sudden, I step on a stone that was hidden by the snow. My foot slips out
from beneath me, and I was about to fall. I was sighing silently over my bad luck
when a hand reaches out and supports me firmly. After steadying myself, I did
not utter a sound and begin walking again. He does not speak either and only
continues to hold onto my hand. I try several times to shake him off, but seeing
that I am unable to pull my hand away, I let him be.

With my hand clasped in his, he walks for another while. I had not paid any
attention to the surroundings, only following his lead, and hence had already lost
my sense of direction. In addition, everywhere is blanketed in snow, so I do not
even know where I am at the moment.
As we are walking, the Eighth-princes personal eunuch, Li Fu comes toward
us. By the time I noticed him, he is already very near. In a panic, I hurriedly try to
pull my hand back, but he grasps it even tighter. I listen to him order, Dismiss
everyone who is in the study.
Li Fu bows and answers, Yes, before turning around and hurrying away. I try a
few times again to pull my hand away, but still he clasps on firmly.Holding my
hand, he continues strolling ahead. We walk a little while longer until I realize we
have arrived at the study.
Only Li Fu is standing watch at the door to the courtyard, and upon seeing us
coming, he hurriedly bows. The Eighth-prince takes no notice of him and leads
me straight into the room.
Once we enter the room, he releases my hand, helps me take off my snow hat,
and then stretches out his hand to help me untie my cloak. Alarmed, I quickly
jump back a couple of steps and say, I can do it myself.
He smiles and pays no heed to me as he removes his own cloak and hat and hangs
them up.
A fire burns in the room, making it nice and warm. I unfasten my cloak, but after
hanging it up, I do not know what I should do so I have no choice but to remain
standing.
He pours a hot cup of tea and hands it to me. I automatically take it and let it
warm my hands.
He walks over to the desk, sits down, picks up some documents, and starts
reading. With the tea cupped in my hands, I stand there stupidly. After quite
some time passes, he raises his head and asks smilingly, Do you really like
standing?

I give a start and hastily find a chair situated the farthest away from him and sit
down. Smiling, he shakes his head slightly but pays no attention to me and
continues to read the documents with his head lowered. From time to time, he
picks up the brush and writes something.
And so, we sit there like that. Some time in between, Li Fu came in quietly,
changed out the tea twice, and added some more coals to the fire. His movements
are practiced and nimble, and he had not even made a single sound before he had
retreated out of the room.
At first, I do not dare let my gaze turn in his direction and only stare at the
ground right before me. Later, I discover that his concentration is on reading the
documents, and he does not so much as raise his head. Only then does my
courage gradually increase, and I start to secretly assess him.He is dressed in a
light teal[1] gown. His complexion is brilliant and smooth, his features defined,
and a faint smile touches the corner of his lips.As he reads through the
documents, his brow would occasionally crease slightly, but very quickly, it
unfurls again. When he holds the brush to write, his gestures are elegant and
immaculate. From my perspective, I cannot help but say his elegance is like the
dewy bamboo and cool breeze; his graceful bearing is like pearl and jade.
Chapter 5 (Parts 2-3)
A person with such unsurpassed grace and refinement. I simply cannot
comprehend how Yongzheng would, how he could, how he could even have the
heart to confer the name of Aqina [1] on him. Perhaps this is actually the
greatest expression of Yongzhengs hate, far stronger and more resolute than just
killing him!
Looking at him, my heart floods with thousands of emotions and a hundred sighs.
I do not know how long I have been sitting here, but I am starting to get hungry. I
look all around and see that on his desk there are two plates of refreshments.
After hesitating many times, I finally decided to get some. Standing up, I walk
over, arbitrarily choose one, and begin eating. He lifts his head, glances at me,
and his lips curl up into a smile.
I say to him, If I dont go back now, Jie-jie will definitely start to get worried.
The corner of his lips still carries a hint of a smile. He lowers his head in silence
for a moment, and then raises it again. As he rubs his temples, he calls, Li Fu.

Li Fu enters the room swiftly, bows, and waits for instruction.

Escort Second Miss back.
Li Fu hurriedly retrieves my cloak and hat for me and waits on me as I put them
on. When everything is readied, the two of us pull open the door and step out.
The snow is still falling down, and there is still no one around. Li Fu is leading the
way up ahead. I look around carefully. The route he chose consists solely of
secluded pathways that normally would not see many people and even much less
now, when even a bird cannot be seen. After many twists and turns, the path
intersects another. With a bow, he tells me, Follow this path and you will quickly
see Mistress Lans dwelling. Your servant still needs to go back and wait for
further instructions, so I shall not escort Miss any further.
Nodding, I reply, Go.
He gives the ceremonial bow[2] and withdraws.
Over these last few days, I would unconsciously stare at my left hand and fall into
a daze. I feel like I seem to understand what the Eighth-prince is thinking but at
the same time, I dont understand. While I was in high school, I had been in a
serious and impassioned relationship before, but at the time, we were just a
young boy and girl whose hearts were easy to understand. Now, though, I have
absolutely no idea what he is thinking.
Love? Not love? Playing around? Serious? Spur of the moment? Planned? I dont
know!
To these men of the palace who are frequently absorbed with plotting and
maneuvering, beautiful women are merely like scenery that you admire when you
are happy or someone to have fun and banter with when you are bored. Even the
straightforward and enthusiastic Tenth-prince felt he could have both Mingyu
GeGe and me. I really do not dare hold any hope or expectations for them.
When I started learning geometric proofs, I developed a habit. If I could not work
out a problem at that moment, I would put it aside. Sometimes, after a period of
time had passed, I would be able to solve it. So, this time, when I realize I cannot
figure it out, I decide to simply give up on this extremely difficult problem. Time
will tell me the answer.
The issue facing me now is that the Tenth-princes wedding day will be in three
days.
For more than a month, since that day I went into the palace to see him, we have
not seen each other, I only heard that Kangxi had given him his own manor.

I have been constantly deliberating, should I go to his wedding or not? But my

thoughts are: the more trouble I can avoid, the better. It would be best if I do not
go.
When Jie-jie hears me say I am not going, she answers indifferently, Then do
not go.
However, very shortly after, Qiaohui pulls me aside and advises, Besides New
Year and other holidays when Mistress must go to pay ceremonial respect to
Difujin, Mistress usually does not ever go to pay respect. The other side is
already not very pleased. If young Miss does not go to offer your congratulations
to their gege, Im afraid that side will blame Mistress and say that we do not
know proper etiquette.
So, I have no choice but to go to Jie-jie again and say that I want to go. Jie-jies
tone still is indifferent but she immediately adds, If you go, you absolutely must
not cause any trouble.
I smile and guarantee I will not.
It seems as if, in the blink of an eye, the Tenth-princes wedding day has arrived. I
pick out a pink, lined jacket with a gold thread-edging to make myself look more
festive and to conceal the dejection I felt in my heart.
The Eighth Beile had already gone ahead of us. A little while later, Jie-jie and I
sit in a sedan chair together and head over. The wedding reception is being held
in Tenth princes newly bestowed manor, and when we arrive, many resplendent
carriages are already parked orderly in the front.
Even though this manor is not even comparable to the Eighth Beile Manor, in the
eyes of this modern city dweller, it is already considered magnificent.
Lanterns and banners decorate everywhere along the way. Lights glimmer, and
the smoke of incense winds its way up into the air. Music accompanied by
drumbeat echoes out. Words cannot adequately describe the atmosphere of
wealth and social status or the tone of good fortune and happiness.
Laughter, singing, talking. The entire hall feels like a sea of cheerfulness.
Everyone is celebrating, but Jie-jie and I are very quiet as we sit off by ourselves.
In this setting, the two of us look as if we are in the wrong place at the wrong
time.
Although I have been keeping my eyes lowered, I know, from the moment I
entered this hall, everyone here has been watching me, pretending their gazes are
accidental when in reality they are absolutely intentional, in order to secretly

assess me. As I sit here, I feel extremely uncomfortable and wish that I could
stand up immediately and leave. However, I know that if I go now, the mocking
would be even worse, so no matter what, I need to wait at least until the bride has
arrived.
With an inward sigh, I tell myself, It is already like this so I might as well play
along. I try pulling the corners of my mouth up and discover that I can still
squeeze out a smile. I hurriedly put on a brilliant smile, raise my head, and look
around leisurely. Slowly, my eyes meet with all sorts of curious gazes. What is
funny is that I didnt do anything out of the ordinary, but the instant they
encounter my gaze, they quickly turn away.
I sneer in my heart and make my smile even more beautiful and charming.
Suddenly, my eyes lock with those of the Fourth-prince. Those cold, icy, dark eyes
seem as if there is no substance in them, but I feel the smile on my face slip
slightly. I feel as if the unhappiness and confusion in my heart are completely
bare and on display, and there is nowhere to hide from his penetrating stare.
I suck in a little breath and force myself to smile. I even wink at him before
beaming and meeting the next set of inquisitive eyes.
A servant rushes in and announces, The bride is nearly at the gates of the manor.
Get ready to receive the sedan chair.
Only now does everyone realize they have not seen the groom this whole time. My
eyes sweep around the hall once and discover that the Eighth Beile is also not
present. Jie-jie and I exchange a glance, both of us feeling a little anxious.
I quickly slip over to the Fourteenth-prince and ask in a lowered voice, What is
going on?
Bewilderment is also on the Fourteenth-princes face. Everything seemed
normal when I saw Tenth Brother yesterday.
I am starting to get nervous. For goodness sake! Tenth, you had better not stir
up any trouble at this crucial moment. The Fourteenth-prince sees that my face
has grown a little pale and hastily assures, Dont worry. Eighth Brother is here.
No real issue should arise.
I can only nod.
The noise in the hall is growing louder and louder, and my heart feels as if it is
getting squeezed tighter and tighter. Just then, from outside the door, a voice can
be heard crying, Tenth prince, Tenth prince!

I look over and see the Tenth-prince, dressed in wedding attire, standing in the
doorway beside the Eighth-prince before he is rushed out by the eunuchs, who
lead him to the manors front gates.
A smile is on the Eighth-princes face as he gracefully enters the room while
greeting people along the way. When he goes over to pay respect to the Crown
Prince, the Crown Prince asks, What was going on?
The Eighth- prince chuckles, Ol Tenth was complaining that his wedding robe
does not fit. He was embarrassed and did not want to come out.
When the crowd hears this, uproarious laughter breaks out in the hall.
Immediately, someone shouts, The Tenth-prince is afraid the bride will not like
it and refuse to go into the nuptial chamber with him. The laughter grows even
louder.
His hands clasped behind his back and a faint smile on his lips, the Eighth prince
stands behind the Crown Prince, all the while greeting the people in the hall with
a friendly gaze.
Seeing that his eyes are about to sweep over me, I quickly bow my head. This is
the first time I have seen him since that day we walked in the snow together. I am
not sure why, but I am a little afraid of seeing him. As my head is lowering, I
catch a glimpse of the Fourth-prince amid the laughter of the people. His
expression is still cool and he is looking outside the hall impassively.
After a while, the sound of beating drums and music echo up, and everyone flocks
to the entrance of the hall.
I allow myself to fall to the back of the crowd. I can barely see the Tenth prince,
who is holding a long, red ribbon, leading the bride, whose head is covered by the
wedding veil, into the hall. Then, with the crowds gleeful laughter accompanying
them, the two are sent into the nuptial chamber.
After watching to this point in the event, I heave a silent sigh. In a short while,
the Tenth-prince will have to come out again and go to each table to toast the
guests. I really do not know how he is going to be able to toast me. I gesture at
Jie-jie, pointing towards the door. She nods.
Looking around, seeing that no one is paying attention, I quietly slip out of the
reception hall.
During the twelfth month[3], Beijing is very cold. But I feel that this cold is
precisely what I need. Only it can ease that stifling feeling in my heart.

My hands are clasped together, one in the other, my shoulders is shrugged, and
my back is hunched over, shivering, as I search for a quiet place to go. I am
walking along when I hear a voice from in front of me say, If youre so scared of
the cold, why are you out here strolling in the wind?
I lift my head. It turns out it is the Thirteenth-prince. He is sitting with his legs
straddled on a railing and looking mockingly at me. Startled, I blurt out without
thinking, Why arent you drinking in the reception hall?

[1] Orig. . Folklore says that after Eighth prince lost the fight for the throne, Yongzheng
gave him the name Aqina, which sounds like the Manchurian word for dog. However,
experts now say that is a misconception. They believe that this may have been a name that
Eighth prince gave to himself after he failed to obtain the throne and means cold fish on a
cutting board, describing himself as a failed person who was now at the mercy of others,
waiting to be slaughtered.
[2] Orig. da qian. Originally a form of Manchurian social etiquette. In the Qing dynasty,
men used this when greeting or paying respect to someone of higher rank or authority.
When performing this ceremonial salutation, the left foot steps forward and bends at the
knee, the right leg bends slightly in the back, the right arm points straight downward, and
the upper body bends forward slightly at the waist. It is like a cross between a bow and fully
kneeling.
[3] This is not referring to December. The Lunar or agricultural calendar () was used
during ancient times. In general, the twelfth month would fall somewhere in January or
February of the Gregorian calendar.

Chapter 5 (Part 4-5)

He counters tauntingly Why are you here then?
I do not have a reply to this. I am silent when suddenly I realize that I have not
performed the ceremonial greeting. I hurriedly dip my knees and say,
Thirteenth-prince jixiang.
He laughs coolly. The ones waiting to hear blessings of prosperity and happiness
are in the reception hall. Since he has not said, rise, I can only stay unmoving

in my half-crouch position. After a little while, I finally hear him say, You may
rise.
I slowly stand up and wait quietly for him to leave.
A long time passes, and still he has not moved. At last, out of the blue, he says,
Today, you and I are two people with broken hearts. Why dont we keep each
other company?
I look at him with a puzzled expression.
He hops off the railing and strides toward me. Grabbing my hand, he begins to
leave this place.
His steps are long and brisk. Unable to yank my hand away from him, I have no
choice but to jog along next to him while demanding, Let go!
He pulls me out of the manor from the side entrance. The servant standing watch
at the door does not dare say anything after the prince throws a chilly glare at
him. I hear him whistle, and then clop clop, the sound of a horses hooves ring
out. A shiny, black horse trots over and stops in front of us.
I let out an ah, but before my startled cry is finished, I realize I am already
sitting on the horses back. He, too, jumps onto the horse, wraps one arm around
my waist, and uses the other hand to grab the reins. I hear a shout of jia[1], and
then the horse is already galloping away.
Never before have I ridden such a swift horse. I feel as if I have mounted a cloud
and am riding on the mist. I am being jolted crazily. Terrified, I can only shrink
back against his chest as if my life depends on it. The wind that is howling
towards us cuts painfully into my face like the points of knives. I twist my head
around and press my face into his shoulder.
After a period of galloping at breakneck speed, I feel as if my entire body has gone
numb from the cold. I wonder, what does he want? Does he want me to freeze to
death? Could it be he likes Mingyu Gege? Otherwise, why would there be two
people with broken hearts?

The horse gradually slows down and, at last, comes to a halt. He dismounts, and
then turns to lift me down from the horse.
Standing on the ground now, I feel even colder, like the chill has sunk to my
bones. I hug myself tightly and clench my teeth. My whole body is trembling.
He unties a wineskin from the saddle and pulls out the stopper. With one hand
supporting my head, he brings the wineskin next to my lips and instructs, Take a
drink. Still shivering, I swallow a mouthful and feel a pungent heat go straight
down into my stomach. He again orders, Have one more. I drink another gulp
from the wineskin in his hand.
Slowly, that heat spreads to all my internal organs. I finally gain my sensations
back, although I am still quivering uncontrollably.
Ignoring me now, he turns and heads into the woods. I want to cry out and tell
him to stop, but I realize I am so cold that no sound will come out.
The sky is pitch black. I am standing here alone with only a horse beside
me. Shudders continue to rack my body. I am terrified, and at the same time, I
swear to myself never to provoke Mingyu Gege again. I am no match for this
bully.
A short while passes, and then he returns, carrying a large stack of sticks.After
fiddling around for a little bit, a large fire is started.
Seeing that there is a fire, I immediately seat myself next to it. He hands me the
wineskin again, and I do not refuse. Taking hold of it, I down another mouthful
and then hand it back to him. The two of us sit here like this, warming ourselves
beside the fire while drinking wine, back and forth, one gulp each.
Jie-jie should definitely be worried about me by now, but as I sneak a peek at the
bullys face, illuminated by the light of the flickering fire, I do not have the
courage to say anything. I only hope that he keeps in mind that Mingyu Geges
marriage to the Tenth-prince was Kangxis idea and had nothing to do with me,
and that he will not play any more tricks. Otherwise, I am afraid I may not see
Yongzheng ascend to the throne before I die at the hands of this bully.

The two of us continue drinking, one swig from him, one mouthful from me, back
and forth, until slowly, the wineskin is empty. He gets up, takes another wineskin
from the horses back, and we carry on.
I drink and drink away. Memories rise to the top of my mind. I remember going
drinking with friends in Lan Kwai Fong[2] in Hong Kong, or stealing the
champagne at home when I was a child and getting drunk And later, sometimes
I would giggle and sometimes I simply stare at the fire, lost in thought. And after
that? After that, I do not even know what I did, but anyhow, when it is still dark,
he shakes me awake. I look groggily up at him and realize that I am sprawled
entirely across his lap.
He puts out the fire, and lifts me up onto the horse.
There is another bout of fierce galloping. Again, I pull myself back against him
with all my might, and again, I am so cold my whole body loses all its feeling. By
the time we arrive at Eighth Beiles Manor, the first glimmers of dawn are
already starting to show. He tosses me to the door, and says, Great drinker! Ill
find you next time to drink again. With that, he rides away on the horse.
My head is spinning and my body is shaking. At the same time, I am using my
head to bang against the door.
Why do I not use my hand? Because my arm is frozen and not very useful.
The door whips open, and I follow its momentum and tumble in headfirst. A
servant hurriedly rushes over to support me, and when he comes into contact
with me, he exclaims, Oh heavens! Why is your body like ice?
I was carried back to Jie-jies dwellings. Jie-jie, her face flooded with anxiety,
rushes over. Someone helps undress me, someone brings in hot water, and
someone bathes me. Only when my body is, at last, not as cold as ice do they pull
me out of the tub and put me on the bed.
Jie-jie asks many questions, but seeing my blank, silly expression, she gives up. I
take advantage of the effects of the alcohol and fall into a deep sleep.

When the maids rouse me, it is already dinnertime. Besides my head feeling a
little heavy, everything else feels fine. I cannot help secretly feeling glad that my
alcohol tolerance has always been very good, never crying or shouting when I am
drunk. I merely fall asleep with my head tilted at awkward angles.
I dress myself up neat and proper and enter the dining room, where I discover
that Eighth prince is here as well. Having just woken up with a hangover and, on
top of that, not eaten since yesterday afternoon, my brain is still a little slow. I
hastily perform the ceremonial greeting but then, cannot be bothered with
anything else and begin eating.
I eat and eat for a while before I start to get my senses back. How am I going to
explain my whereabouts last night? I am mulling this over in my mind when I
hear Jie-jie ask, Where did Thirteenth Brother take you yesterday?
I pause in surprise for a moment before blurting, How did you know?
Jie-jie replies, An entire person disappeared. How could I not know?
I think, thats right. All anyone needed to do was ask the servant standing
watch at the door and everything would be clear. However, the question of what
we did is not an easy one to handle. As I recall all the preposterous things from
last night, I cannot help feeling a little amused. When I was a young girl, every
time I read a wuxia novel, I would imagine myself and a handsome hero
with extraordinary martial art skills riding a single horse together, galloping out
on the green pastures. He would stare lovingly at me, and I would gaze tenderly
back at him. I did not expect that this beautiful dream would kind of come true
yesterday, albeit in an altered form. Indeed, it was two people riding together on
one horse. Everything else, though, was completely wrong. The more I realized
how absurd and funny it was, the more I could not hold back the mirth on my
face, yet I still needed to force myself to hold it in because the look on Jie-jies
face was not pretty.
Seeing my pained expression, Jie-jie snaps, Dont hold it back. Just laugh!When
youre done laughing, answer the questions properly!

I finally release all the laughter I had been holding in. Just when I was laughing
gleefully, I suddenly felt on my face two stares that did not have the least bit of
warmth. Alarmed, I quickly rein in my laughter, pull my face into a serious look
and glance towards the Eighth-prince. The corners of his lips are still turned up
in a smile, but there are traces of iciness in his eyes that cause me to shiver when
he looks at me. I no longer am able to laugh, and hastily drop my head and eat.
Now that I am not laughing, Jie-jie orders, Answer now! What sorts of things did
you do last night?
I reply simply, We went out drinking.
Puzzled, Jie-jie asks, Why did Thirteenth Brother take you drinking?
I contemplate for a moment but decide that I should not be broadcasting
someone elses private matters, and so I answer, Probably he saw that I was
feeling a little down and felt sorry for me.
Jie-jie shakes her head. An unmarried girl does not return home the entire
night. Do you think there is not enough gossip about you already?
Only now do I start to react. I think, oh no! Now the entire Forbidden City is
going to want to have a good look at me. I am only anxious for a little while, and
then my thoughts suddenly shift. They can look all they want.Who knows what
is waiting for me in the future? I am just going to be happy and live in the
moment. Who cares what they think of me?
I exhale in relief. The look on my face returns to normal, and I continue to eat my
dinner with my head down.
Jie-jie waits for a moment, but seeing that I am just keeping my head lowered
and scooping rice into my mouth, she says, Fortunately, this time, Lord Beile
found out about it early, and it also happened in Tenth Brothers house. My Lord
has already dealt with it appropriately. Besides a few trusted servants, no one else
knows about this. At the time, we had wanted to send people to search for you,
but if we sent too many, it would have attracted attention. If we only sent a few, it
would not have been much use anyway.We were thinking, since it was Thirteenth

Brother who took you away, he would have to bring you back, so we only sent a
trustworthy servant to keep watch at the door. She pauses briefly, and then
continues, But remember, only this once! There will be no next time!
I grumble silently, do you think I really wanted to be out there in the wind in the
middle of the winter? I was forced by that bully! As my thoughts reach this
point, though, I cannot help feeling I have crossed the line a little bit, and I
hastily admit, Alright. At the time, I was not very happy and wanted to vent, so
when he took me away, I did not truly resist.
When dinner is finished, the Eighth- prince and Jie-jie smile and chat briefly
before he leaves in a hurry.
I carefully observe Jie-jies expression. She was not the least bit unhappy, and in
fact, she actually looked relieved. I sigh inwardly and wonder, what was Jie-jies
beloved like? Such an exceptionally elegant, fine man that the Eighth-prince is,
yet even he cannot make Jie-jie to forget that person!
Chapter 6 (Parts 1-3)
It was winter, yet there was no wind, and the sun was lovely, inspiring a feeling of rosy cheer, as
if all of ones bones were melting in the warm sunlight! Not to mention with an exciting horse
show to look forward to, life was really looking up.
The Crown Prince had, a few days ago, sent around an invite to all the princes, their wives,
princesses and nobility of all rank, filled with a whole slew of words like tournament and
common sharing of a joyous occasion etc., which I read simply as, Im bored, come and play
with me!
The invitation specified that outstanding riders, of either gender, will be bestowed largess. I
suspected none of the nobles would take the largess seriously, it was more in fun. Naturally,
plenty of the nobles would take the event seriously, not because of the prize money, but for the
chance to impress the Crown Prince and the various princes. If you can impress the future
leaders of the court early, theyre more likely to think of you come the day they take power.
Jie-jie did not want to attend, but I begged and cajoled for a long time until she finally agreed.
Although not much of a rider myself, yet I conformed to what everyone else was wearing and
donned a riding gear, which I thought, looking in satisfaction at the mirror, added a
swashbuckling flavor to my appearance. Even Jie-jie complimented how I looked!

I stared at Jie-jie and at Ruoxi in the mirror and sighed silently to myself that the mother of these
two must have been a real beauty. How sad that she lived such an ill-fated life!
The children of Manchurian nobles, men and women, were nearly all riders. This especially held
true of the royal courts descendants, who are well-practiced from early childhood. Hence, at the
tournament, everyone who was anyone was out and about, in twos and threes, wheeling,
galloping, and walking their horses. And the seats within the area, enclosed on three sides with
tent-like material, were mostly empty.
When Jie-jie and I entered, Thirteenth and Fourteenth prince, who were chit-chatting before,
hurried over to pay their respects to Jie-jie. I thought Thirteenth prince looked like he was in high
spirits and stole a few glances of him.
But I was noticed immediately and he tilted his head and, with a smile-that-wasnt-a-smile,
raised an eyebrow at me. I hurriedly looked away, but saw that Fourteenth prince was watching
us and, though it wasnt anything, I still blushed.
There was a burst of cheers from outside the tented area, accompanied by a smattering of
applause. We all glanced over with bated breath and I saw a pure white horse that appeared to be
floating, nay weaving in a space that was neither heaven nor earth.
A lady in red sat on its back with perfect posture, a crimson cape flying in the wind behind her.
Sporadically, she used her horse whip to take out the tiny flags that were scattered on the ground,
and as she continued to hit a flag with every single stroke, the applause for her performance
swelled! I had never seen so fabulous a horse-back performance in my life and I was
mesmerized, clapping and cheering along with everyone else.
She finished her round, and trotted her horse slowly back out of sight, and yet the applause and
cheers didnt entirely die down. I was very excited and tugged at Jie-jies sleeve, exclaiming to
her, Now I know what magnificent and dashing really looks like! It was worth it coming
today to get to feast my eyes on such skill!
Jie-jie smiled and gently pulled away If youre so impressed, tomorrow well start you on
learning to ride as well. I reflected on the performance with boundless admiration and sighed
Everyone has their strengths, its no good trying to force the issue. Thirteenth and Fourteenth
princes who were standing next to us heard this and spluttered into laughter.
I was still immersed in the memory of that scene, when the lady in red riding gear and carrying a
horse whip walked over to us. Immediately I had to rein in my turmoil, shock and
embarrassment.
Her!
The heroine of my latest daydream turned out to be the Mingyu Ge-ge turned Tenth Fujin! I
inwardly sighed, Thirteenth prince certainly has reasons to love her. Which hero would not bow

to such magnificent grace?

She strolled over and casually looked over us. Thirteenth and Fourteenth prince bowed and paid
their respects to her. I felt a surge of sympathy for Thirteenth prince. How the words Tenth
Sister-in-law must claw at his throat!
She raised her chin and looked at me, saying Still so little manners.
Which led to me realize that with her new status, I too owed her an obeisance. Yet upon
reflection, since she didnt bow to Jie-jie to pay her respects, why would I pay her my respects?
I was just resolved to ignore her, when I remembered, with a pang, Thirteenth prince being there
to see this. I struggled internally for another moment more and finally decided that it was better
not to cause more trouble and grief, and reluctantly executed a perfunctory bow to her saying
Blessings to Fujin She snorted but paid me no attention, making her way to a seat. I waited for
her to seat herself and took a seat myself.
There was a moment of awkward silence.
At that moment, the Crown prince strolled in, followed by Fourth, Eighth, 9th and Tenth prince.
We all hastily stood up to pay our respects. The Crown prince laughingly bid us rise, and as he
sat addressed Tenth Fujin Father has long praised the princesses of the Guoluoluo family as
being the ones with the most Mongolian spirit of us all. Today I got to confirm that with my own
eyes!
Tenth Fujin smiled The Crown prince is too kind. That is Fathers way of praising my older
sister, I darent steal her glory!
This was the first meeting with Tenth prince since the wedding and I felt a pang of uneasiness.
Since walking in, he has kept his eyes fixed firmly on me, and I, heart pounding, did not dare to
even glance his way.
In the arena, a young man was performing, but even I, who dislike Mingyu, couldnt deny that he
wasnt a half as skilled as our Tenth Fujin, and didnt really pay him any attention. I was
desultory watching when I heard Tenth Fujin speak up
Maertai Ruoxi, why dont you get up and perform since youre all geared up?
I sighed. Here it comes!
But in consideration of Thirteenth prince being present, I didnt want to make things worse and
so swallowed my pride and didnt respond. Jie-jie shot me a look of approval.
But in a few seconds, Tenth Fujin started up again I heard General Maertais daughters all grew
up in the camps, so their horse-riding skills must be extraordinary. Why not grant us the treat of

seeing that today?

And I, entirely silently but viciously, thought- Shut up already! With your skills, even the
average male noble here cannot compare, clearly youre out to embarrass me in front of
everyone!
As I thought this to myself, I glanced at her, and then at Thirteenth prince and finally chose to
maintain my silence.
Jie-jie beamed her approval of my sudden tolerance.
Unfortunately the Crown prince laughing took up Maertai Ruoxi, why dont you get up and do a
round for us?
I hurriedly stood up but before I could open my mouth, I heard Tenth prince say She cant ride,
the last time she rode with us, we had a servant lead the horse she was sitting on. I silently
thought- Tenth! Do you really think youre saving me this way? More like killing me!
And as expected, Tenth Fujin gave a cold laugh at this and said I see the rumors of your
familys prowess are unfounded. Ive heard that not only can every single person in Maertais
camp ride and shoot, but that the majorities are superior equestrians! Too bad its all nonsense
and seems like though there arent many heroes, there might be a zero or two.
She had barely finished her sentence when Jie-jie stood up, and with a gentle smile addressed the
Crown prince
Your humble servant[1] is willing to stand up and take a turn around the arena. Only I havent
brought a riding horse with me today, and would like to borrow Tenth Fujins horse.
I winced, of all the topics to pick on me about, Tenth Fujin certainly picked a bad one. Jie-jies
one sensitive spot! I worried a little since I had no idea what Jie-jies riding skills were like, but
there wasnt anything I could do except stay silent and watch.
The Crown prince nodded, and Jie-jie disappeared outside the arena. Anxiously I walked to the
edge of the arena to get a better look.
In a moment, the same white horse from before sprinted back into the arena, carrying Jie-jie on
its back. Her speed of riding was about the same as Tenth Fujins in the last round, but Jie-jie
shifted her position while in saddle, moving from regular to side-saddle, sometimes leaning
forward and even supporting herself only with her hands on the pommel, sometimes flipping
herself around, sometimes standing Jie-jie was not so much a person riding a horse as she was
a free spirit dancing on the back of the horse!
Wave after yet-higher wave of cheering hit the crowd gathered outside the arena, and within,
uniform calls of Bravo! could be heard! A few of the more equestrians amongst the princes,
e.g., Tenth, Thirteenth and Fourteenth, were full of loud praises. Needless to say, I was going
wild with vigorous applause!

As the finale, Jie-jie stood on the horse and, from a large distance, starting galloping towards the
grand-stand in the arena.
Jie-jie was wearing a narrow sleeved, satin skirted coat. At her waist was tied a bow braid, her
hair was in a simple bun held together by twelve pale, pearl pins. As she stood on the horse-atfull-gallop, her skirt and ribbons danced in the wind behind her, and she who already was
graceful and beautiful, was, in that instance, the fey, earthly manifestation of the Ninth Fairy[2].
She got closer and closer to the grand stand and yet her speed did not decrease- I started to
worry, and even the guards started to get uneasy and moved closer to the stand.
Closer she came. And closer yet. The atmosphere became tense, and gradually the whole area fell
silent with everyone holding their breath.
And suddenly, with a loud neigh, we saw the horse standing, perfectly still, not 10 steps away
from the grand stand, with Jie-jie standing blithely on top.
We all held one more moment of silence, and then, both inside and outside the arena, a wave of
thunderous applause hit the skies!
Jie-jie leapt off the horse, tossed the reins to a guard standing nearby and strode onto the grand
stand.
Once on the grand stand, she bowed to the Crown Prince Your humble servant has been overly
bold, please allow me to accept your punishment.
Crown Prince laughed Such outstanding horse skills- fit for being rewarded, how could I punish
you?
I sneaked a glance at Tenth Fujin, and although her face was dismayed, there was a look of
admiration in her eyes.
The Crown Prince allowed Jie-jie to rise, and at the same time commented to Eighth prince
Eighth brother, this Eighth Fujin of yours horse-skills exceeds your own! Eighth prince
elegantly smiled It is indeed so.
I felt a pang in my heart, does he know the history behind my sisters skills?
After two such stunning performances the audience didnt have the heart for any of the other
shows. Since retreating to her seat, Jie-jie looked lost in thought, barely concealing her heavy
heart. Eighth princes head was bowed in a slight smile, and yet, to my eyes, the smile too was
full of bitterness. I also felt the moment pressing down on me, and quietly slipped away from the
stand.
I wandered aimlessly thinking that just from Jie-jies skills you could tell that her teacher could
only be better. Her love must have been a heroic, dashing person. By all rights they two should
have been as a pair of magnificent eagles, in flight in the vast North-western dessert. And now,
one slept forever underneath the earth, and the other locked always behind the doors of status

and royalty. As my heart hurt, I heard a half-mocking voice behind me say He already belongs
to someone else, being depressed doesnt change anything.
I turned and saw Thirteenth prince looking at me with a languid smile-that-wasnt-quite-a-smile,
leading a large black horse. I was miffed at the expression on his face, and though I knew how he
must have misunderstood my expression, yet I couldnt be bothered to correct him and instead
steady said Speak for yourself! Then turned away and left.
He seemed a little stunned, thought about it for a moment and then unexpectedly laughing
loudly, followed after me.
His peculiar laugh made me stop. Still laughing he stopped too next to me and pointing at me
said Ahh no wonder! I was thinking that you were uncommonly sweet-tempered in the stand!
So its because because you thought I was in love with her! And having finished, burst into
new peals of loud laughter!
At first I was annoyed by his mysterious laughter, and his words left me at a bit of a loss, and
yet, thinking upon it, the situation was quite ridiculous- I mistook him, and he mistook me?
Whats not to laugh about? And joined him in his giggling.
We stood there like a pair of fools laughing for a long while and when that subsided stood there
for awhile just smiling at each other. And in that smile, our small animosity fell away. I started
walking and he too, still leading his horse, matched my pace.
As I walked I thought- how did things turn so topsy-turvy? A smile tugged at my lips and I
couldnt resist saying Im not in love with Tenth prince either. He started and stopped in his
tracks. Looking at my serious expression, he again burst into laughter while I watched him with a
smile. After he collected his composure, he sighed Now were even!
We strolled up a sloping hillside. I picked a flat area to sit, and, hugging my knees, gazed down
at that, by now, far off arena. He sat next to me and following my eyes watched with me the
vague shapes of humans and horses there. The black horse stopped with us, and pawed the earth.
We were silent for a long while, and finally I couldnt resist asking So what were you unhappy
about that day?
He gazed in the distance and didnt answer me for another long while. I wait a few more
heartbeats and then softly said If its too difficult to talk about, then dont.
He brooded for another moment and then said It isnt much. That day was my mothers death
anniversary.
I uttered a little cry, and looked at him sideways. I was at a loss for words, and couldnt do
anything but turn and glance again at the distance without saying anything.
Another long moment of silence and then he forced a laugh And many years before that, on that
very same day, was the day mother married Father.

My heart contracted painfully at this. To think a womans life left with little more than that.
Perhaps today, other than her son, no one remembers her beauty or joy at her marriage, nor that
she died on the anniversary of that same day. And the one person who ought to remember all this,
because he owns the wealth of the four seas[3], simply cannot remember the day he lifted the
red, jade-like of the wedding veil.

Humble expression for I in front of those of higher status than yourself

[2] Ninth fairy is a fairy (female spirit from the heavens) who features in
mythological stories as one of immense grace and beauty
[3] Expression for the whole world
Chapter 6 (Parts 4-6)
[1]

I thought about Tenth princes marriage day, where Thirteenth prince had to face
a whole world of red while his heart was mourning in white[1]. It must have been
really hard to endure. My anger for his behavior before had completely
disappeared, leaving only an endless amount of sympathy.

The two of us sat there silently for a while before he turned to me, smiling, and
asked, If youre not in love with Tenth brother then why do I see you singing for
him? And why does everybody say you go crazy because of him?

I leaned my head to look at him and asked, When Qui Ran Ke first met Hong Fu
Nu, what was she doing?[2]

He was startled by my sudden question, and pondered for a while before

answering, She was combing her hair.

I smiled, Men and women can be like Qui Ran Ke and Hong Fu Nu, caring and
supporting one another without any other purpose. It is not romance, but merely
sincerity.

His expression seemed to change at my words as he stared at me. I calmly looked

back at him. After a few moments, he spoke, Good! Good for the phrase, not
romance, but merely sincerity!

I felt happy, seeing that he understood my meaning. After all, in ancient times,
friendship between the opposite sexes was still a relatively new idea. I was afraid
most people would not be able to accept it, but he seemed to have no trouble
doing so. The two of us couldnt help grinning at one another.

I saw that the people ahead were getting ready to leave, therefore stood up, and
said, We should go back,

He stood up with me, How about a drink? he suddenly asked.

I looked at him, surprised. He smiled warmly back at me. My heart was unable to
restrain the sudden affection, Why not? I replied generously.

He looked at the horse and asked, Would it be alright if the two of us to ride on
one horse?

I laughed, It wont be the first time.

He let out two barks of laughter before jumping on the horse and pulling me to sit
behind him. A loud, Go! and the two of us flew off.

He led the horse through a small quiet alley before stopping in front of an
exquisite courtyard. An elderly lady opened the gate and, upon seeing Thirteenth
prince, dropped down in a curtsy.

Thirteenth prince, the lady greeted, smiling, Why did you not send us a word
before coming? The young miss is currently attending a customer. Let me notify
her, tell her to quickly come here.

Theres no need, Thirteenth prince replied, Im only using your place tonight
to have a drink with my friend. Just go prepare a table with some foods and
wine.

The lady took a sneak peek at me. Seeing that I was too looking at her, she quickly
bowed her head and left.

Thirteenth prince seemed very familiar with the house as he confidently led me
into an elegantly designed room. There were couple of simple wooden furniture
in it, but the room itself was otherwise lacking decorations, save for a porcelain
vase near the window containing a few bamboo stalks.

I looked around for a bit before sitting down with Thirteenth prince. I smiled at
him.

Your lady confidant[3]? I asked.

He smiled back, I usually just come here to have a few drinks out of boredom.
We do not necessarily talk much.

I nodded. The girl that lived here must be a higher level courtesan, a woman that
would not attend to just any man.

Before long, the elderly lady came in with two servant girls carrying foods and
wine. They set the table and left. Thirteenth prince and I began eating.

A couple of drinks in, the two of us started to talk. From the rumors circulating
the Palace to interesting stories of the past, from poetry about mountains and
rivers to the philosophy of ancient kings. We unexpectedly discovered that we
were both great admirers of Xi Kang and Ruan Ji[4]. Our conversations became
more in-sync and we both lamented the fact that we had not met sooner. I,
myself, got very excited.

Ancient China has been trapped for thousands of years under the net of
Confucian belief, with its Five Bonds and Three Characters[5], successfully
repressing any individual thoughts. With monarchy as the central government,
there was no chance for individualism to properly develop. On the other hand, Xi
Kang, a man born in turbulent times, could be called a pleasant surprise, a streak
of light across the dark sky, though short but beautiful. His masterpiece,

Severing Relationship Letter to Shan Tao, an elaboration on human nature,

demonstrated the real principle of equality[6]. His Fei Shang Wuer Bao Shou
Khong stated that Confucian rituals were merely a belief of a group of people,
and therefore not necessary for everyone to follow. A persons happiness would
only be known to that person only. Therefore, a person should have to right to
pursuit his own personal happiness. It can be said that Xi Kangs philosophy
coincided much with the modern ideas of freedom and individualism.

Though I knew that Thirteenth prince was a rather unrestraint person, I would
never expected him to hold Xi Kangs beliefs with such high regard. He was, after
all, of royal blood and therefore, at the top of the social hierarchy. The
astonishing discovery that someone from this ancient time could understand my
innermost thoughts was like an ecstasy, disabling my ability to stop talking. He
too seemed very surprise, in this Confucian culture, to meet a woman like me,
voicing my discontent, when few men actually dared to do so. There was one
third of shock, one third of admiration, and one third of joy in him as we
continued on our discussion.

Actually, I said, bringing the cup of wine to my lips, there is one important
reason why I like Xi Kang.

He thought I had an interesting theory to tell and listened with rapt attention.

I lowered my eyes and smiled secretly, There are many handsome men
throughout the history of China, such as Song Yu and Pan An, with their feminine
beauty. But Xi Kang was different. The history books stated that he was seven feet
eight inches tall, with a special grace. But how do people evaluate him?

Thirteenth prince replied, Those who see him sighed, Desolate and solemn, with
such a pure character, or said, So respectful in manner, so great in strength.

I clapped his shoulder, Exactly! Xi Kang was healthy and masculine. He was a
stable pine tree under the golden sun that could not be pressed down by snow or
blow down by wind.

Thirteenth prince had probably never heard a woman spoke so blatantly about a
mans physique before. His eyes become wider with every word I said. After I
finished talking, he stared at me and did not speak for a while.

A true romantic scholar from the past, he finally said.

I confessed that, at the beginning, my intentions in becoming friends with

Thirteenth prince were selfish. Though, to other people, I was on Eighth princes
side as my sister was his Ce Fujin, in history, it was Fourth prince and Thirteenth
prince who came out victorious. I do not have the ability to change history but I
could create an escape route for myself. But, after having this heart to heart
discussion, I truly saw Thirteenth prince as my friend. Who else here would
believe that all men were born equal? Who else would feel that even the emperor
had no authority to force people to do what he wanted? Though it was only
because of his admiration of Xi Kang that Thirteenth prince questioned the
current cultural system, it was enough for me.

By the time we finished drinking and Thirteenth prince bought me back to the
mansion, the sky had turned dark. Though the horse was going at a normal speed
and I had on the cloak Thirteenth prince had given me, it was still very cold. After
he helped me dismount, I told him to leave first.

He thought for a while, I should go explain to Eighth brother.

I smiled, They wont give me a hard time. My sister will not let them.

He smiled back but ignored me and knocked on the door.

I saw that he was resolute and had no choice but to follow him. The door was
quickly opened. The two guards was shocked to see Thirteenth prince standing
next to me and hurriedly bowed.

Rise, Thirteenth prince said dismissively, Go notify Beile that I am here.

One of the guards went away immediately while the other quickly closed the door
and led Thirteenth prince to the living room. I inclined my head to Thirteenth
prince as a farewell then leave for my sisters room myself.

When I got back to the room, there was no sign of the other servants, only Qiao
Hui.

Jie-jie saw me came in, her face pale, You should have remembered what I've
said. Last time was the only exception, there would be no re-occurrence.

I stood there, suddenly speechless. Going out with a friend was something I did
often in the modern times. But we were in the past, where a small thing like this
would render a big reaction from those around me. I could not help but sighed.

I continued to stand there in silence for I had nothing to say to her. There was a
300 years gap between us. Helpless, Jie-jie sadly looked at me.

After a while, she wearily said, Go on,

Her tired appearance wrenched my heart but I just didnt think that I did
anything wrong. In this place, I have already lost a lot of things; I didnt wish to
lose my right to make friends too, even if it meant upsetting my sister.

I silently went back to my room.

I woke up late the next morning, but could not make myself get out of bed. I
stared at the roof, thinking back to last night. The memory of my conversations
with Thirteenth prince lifted my mood and I wished I could ask him out for a
drink right now.

I was immersed in my happy thoughts when a servant girl called out, Xiao Jie,
Beile has sent for you.

I sat up immediately, feeling a bit anxious. After getting ready, I quickly went
with the eunuch waiting outside.

When we arrived at the study room Li Fu was already there, opening the door and
inviting me to go in. He stayed outside. The slamming of the door set off my
barely calmed nerves.

Eighth prince was standing there in a long, pale blue robe. The porcelain urn next
to him was nearly his height, and contained more than a dozen scrolls. He had no
reaction upon my arrival and continued to stand elegantly looking out the
window. The sunlight streaming in danced across his face, making it hard for me
to see his expression.

I didnt know what Thirteenth prince told him yesterday. I also didnt know what
he thought about the whole incident, and therefore did not dare to say anything
but only stood dumbly by the door. After a long silence, he slowly turned towards
me.

With a small smile, he asked, Where did you and Thirteenth brother go
yesterday?

I thought for a minute, Did Thirteenth prince not tell you? I asked.

Im asking you right now, he replied.

I was utterly confused but thinking about it carefully, though our conversations
yesterday were out of the norm, it was hardly something that I needed to hide.

I met his eyes confidently and answered, Thirteenth prince took me out for a
drink.

My answer got no reaction from him. On his face was that same eternal smile, but
his eyes, his eyes gazed deeply into mine as if he wanted to see right through to
my soul. I looked back at him for a while but finally, feeling embarrassed,
pretended to sit down as to turn away from him and those eyes of his.

Just as I sat down, he whispered, Come here, I looked up at him. His gentle
smile was still there as he said softly once more, Come here.

I determined that he was being serious and gradually stood up. Head down, I
slowly walked towards him, step by step. I stopped three steps away from him
and looked down at the floor.

His long sigh was almost inaudible. Am I so scary? he asked softly as he took
two steps forward.

I found that every time he was near me, I would feel an invisible pressure that
would send my heart racing, my brain would become dizzy and incapable of
coherent thoughts. He gently grabbed my hand and pulled it up. I reflectively
drew back. He tightened his hold.

Dont move, he said.

He drew out from his sleeve a clear jade bracelet with a blood red line running
down the center. He slowly pushed the bracelet onto my wrist, released my hand,
went back to the table and sat down. With the distance between us, my mind
cleared up and I was able to think clearly again. I began to wonder what was
going on. Was I not called here to be lectured? As I was thinking, he spoke again,
Personal Ministry Yao Shilang is coming over. You should go back first.

I let out a Yes, and withdrew. Li Fu saw me walking out and came hurriedly to
bow. I, being too busy in my thoughts, ignored him and left.

When I came back, Jie-jie saw the vacant expression on my face and thought I
had been lectured by Eighth prince. She smiled gently and said, It is the
established custom. I did not answer. With my hands hidden in the sleeves, I
silently went back to my room.

That night, at dinner, Jie-jie saw the bracelet on my wrist.

Where did you get this? she asked, taken back.

I was caught off guard and did not know how to answer when she suddenly
nodded, Thirteenth prince is really generous. This is an extremely rare phoenix
blood jade bracelet.

Jie-jie had misunderstood but, since I couldnt explain anyway, lets just let
Thirteenth prince have this credit.

She unexpectedly did not scold me but merely sighed, Out of all the princes,
Thirteenth prince is one of the best. He has a sense of justice the others doesnt.

I lowered my head and smiled secretly, a feeling of satisfaction overcome my

heart. My sister was indeed not an average person. With his mother being of
common blood, other young ladies would only see Thirteenth princes lack of
matriarchal support as equaling to an unstable future.

After the meal, while we were drinking tea, Jie-jie suddenly said, There are some
things that are just not within of our control. Therefore it is better not to think
about them in the first place.

I froze with the cup of tea halfway to my lips. I did not know how to reply nor
could I make any heads or tails out of that statement. I thought for a long time, I
will take care of myself.

In Chinese culture, the color red symbolized happiness and is used on wedding
gowns as well as wedding decorations. The color white, on the other hand,
symbolized grieve and is often seen during funerals.
[1]

Qui Ran Ke and Hong Fu Nu are fictional characters set in the rise of the Tang
Dynasty. They, along Li Jing, were sworn brothers and sister.
[3] Orig. , which basically means a lady soul mate, someone who you can tell
anything to. Ruoxi is referring to the young miss that the elderly lady
mentioned before.
[4] Xi Kang was a Chinese author as well as Taoist philosopher that criticized
Confucianism. He and Ruan Ji were musicians and two of the Seven Sages of
Bamboo Groves.
[5] Five Bonds and Three Characters are two central Confucian ideas. Five Bonds
basically listed the main human relationships of the time: Ruler to Subject,
Father to Son, Husband to Wife, etc, with the former being superior to the latter.
Three Characters described the characters of humans.
[6] Severing Relationship Letter to Shan Tao was a letter Xi Kang wrote to Shan
Tao, breaking up any relations they had, due to the fact that Shan Tao had
recommended him to be his successor for a government post, an act that
demonstrated Shan Taos little understanding of Xi Kang.
Chapter 7 (Parts 1-2)
[2]

The Lunar New Year was approaching, filling everyone with anticipation. I,
however, was getting more desolated by each day. After the New Year passed,
there would be the Lantern Festival, and after that, the Concubine Selection
would start. No matter how many times I counted, the truth was that there was
barely a month left. I was not happy, therefore, about the impending holiday, and
wished that it would never come. But there were many things in life that doesnt
go the way people wanted. So, as unwilling as I was, I still had to welcome the
forty fourth year of Kangxis reign.
In celebration of the New Year, the Palace had planned a lavishing party. For the
past six months, I had already attended many kinds of Palace parties, big and
small, so there wasnt that sense of novelty as there was in the beginning. Not to
mention that I was troubled at heart, and therefore was feeling rather lazy. That
night, I allowed Dongyun to pack as she liked then followed Jie-jie and Eight
prince to the Palace.

As my mood wasnt very good, all the beautiful and exquisite decorations of our
surrounding were lost on me. Tell me to curtsy, and I curtsied; tell me to rise, and
I rised. Order me to sit, and I sat; just like a puppet to be control by everyone. At
least this way, I was sure not to make any mistakes.
This party was unlike the one at Mid Autumn. Almost all the court officials and
their wives were there, creating a livelier atmosphere. I thought that this was
good, that no one would notice me in this crowd and I would be allowed to
wallow in my own thoughts. However, what did the elders said? In life, eight to
nine times out of ten, things will not go as you wished. Tenth prince and his wife
was the prime example of this saying.
First, Tenth prince stared at me, not minding that his Fujin was sitting right next
to him, and looked at me from top to bottom. I had to endure two pairs of eyes,
one full of fire, the other of ice. The combination of the two made me felt as if I
was sitting on pins and needles, leaving a bad taste in my mouth. Finally, I
couldnt take it any longer, raised my head, and glared fiercely at Tenth prince.
He saw that I looked as if I wanted to eat someone and hastily looked away. Tenth
Fujin, seeing that he was no longer looking at me, shot me a disdain glance, and
also steered her gaze somewhere else.
The world was at last at peace. I sighed and settled back into my daze. After a
little while, I once again felt as if someone was looking at me. My heart burned in
anger. Old Tenth, would you stop! I looked up with what I imagined as my most
evil glare, only to be greeted with Thirteenth princes smiling face. His friendly
smile froze the moment he saw my face.
I quickly smiled back at him. My expression changed so quickly that it actually
hurt my face. I laughed, looking at him helplessly, not sure if he understood.
Regardless, he laughed along and held his cup toward me in a toast. I happily
picked up my cup and return his toast from a distance.
Just as I finished drinking and was preparing to go back to my thoughts, I saw
that the Eight prince had been looking at me, a faint smile on his face. I felt
flustered and did not know how to react. I quickly pour myself another cup of
wine and held it out in a toast to him. With a smile, he also picked up his cup and
drank with me.

I put the cup down, thinking that I could finally rest now. But then my gaze fell
upon Fourteenth prince who was staring at me thoughtfully. I didnt know what
he was thinking, or even bother to care, but merely made a face at him. He saw
my ugly expression and shook his head slightly, his mouth curving in a small
smile.
I also turned my head to smile, only to discover sitting right next to Fourteenth
prince was Fourth prince, who had seemingly witnessed all that had occurred.
Though his expression was calm, his eyes seemed to be gazing into me with some
sort of intense pondering. I thought to myself that this was definitely someone I
couldnt offend or else it would be hard to survive later. Therefore, I smiled
sweetly at him then quickly turned my head away, not daring to look up.
After the party was over and we returned to the mansion, I was extremely tired.
My heart felt disturbed. It wasnt wise for me to play around with government
officials, not to mention these people has dragon blood in them [1].
As soon as I followed Jie-jie back to the room, I immediately told the maid to help
me wash my face, thinking that I could finally go to sleep. Jie-jie saw that I looked
as if I havent seen my bed in three hundred years, laughed and said, Youre not
allowed to go to sleep so early tonight. You have to stay up and greet the New
Year with me.
I was stunned for a moment after hearing that. It had been many years since Ive
participated in New Years Eve celebration. However, as I was in the ancient
times, I had to do as the ancients did. Jie-jie ordered the maids to bring the
prepared fruit pastries out, pulled Qiaohui and Dongyun to sit and chat while
waiting for the New Year. Qiaohui saw my sleepy state and quickly went to find a
rope for me to play with.
Jie-jie and Dongyun continued to chat while watching and laughing at Qiaohui
and me playing jump rope. Suddenly the maid outside called out, Beile,
jixiang! Qiaohui and Dongyun quickly got on their feet. Jie-jie and I looked at
each other in surprise but also stood up.
We hadnt had the time to go out before Eight prince entered the rom. Everyone
hurriedly performed the ceremonial greetings. Eight prince smiled and allowed
for us to rise. With their heads down, Qiaohui and Dongyun left the room. Eight

prince saw Jie-jie and I standing there motionlessly, smiled and asked, Do you
not welcome me here to greet New Year together?
Jie-jie immediately laughed, I just didnt think that youll be coming, and
therefore was just a bit surprised. As she spoke, she went to help him sit down.
Eight prince smiled, Everybody, sit. Its rare for us to be able to welcome the
New Year together.
I quietly sat down and conveniently grabbed a few snacks.
Eight prince and Jie-jie laughed and said a few words. But after a while, Jie-jie
talked less and stayed quiet more, so the conversation eventually ceased. The
three of us sat in silent, my head began to feel heavy and my eyelids as if theyre
about to shut at any second. Jie-jie saw my sluggish condition, pulled me into her
arms, and said, Sleep for a while, when its time, Ill wake you up.
I leaned on Jie-jie to sleep, drowsily I heard Jie-jie and Eight prince talking, the
topic revolving around me. Although my eyes were closed, my mind was
becoming more and more awake.
Jie-jie whispered, I have a presumptuous request. Ruoxi grew up in the military
compound and cannot compare to the young ladies in the Capital. Im afraid that
after she enters the Palace, she will cause some kind of trouble. I want to ask
milord[2] to help, to have some knowledgeable servant in the Palace look after
her.
That is not a presumptuous request. Even if you do not ask, I would have still
done so.
Jie-jies hands stroked my head, I didnt have to look up to feel her hesitation and
sadness.
Eight prince could also see her heart, Theres something else you wish to say.
If Ruoxi can luckily escape the concubine selection and Imperial Father is
willing to grant her a marriage, I felt that she and Thirteenth brother get along
really well. As for Thirteenth princes side, he and Fourth brothers relationship is
good. If we can ask Crown Prince to talk to Fourth brother, and milord were to
put in a few words, the situation can easily be arranged.

The corner of my eye became wet. Jie-jie had always been lukewarm to Eight
prince, refused to even say an extra word to him. But, for my sake, she could even
beg him.
Eight prince was silent for a moment, then smiled and said, Its still too early to
discuss these matters. After a while, perhaps seeing that Jie-jie looked sad, he
added, But dont worry, I will not watch her suffer.
Thank you, milord.
There were no more words coming from the two; they merely continued to sit in
silent depression. Suddenly there were several loud firecracker bangs. I was
caught off-guard, and, startled, sat up from my sisters embrace. Jie-jie brushed
back my hair for me, Its New Year.
Eight prince also looked at me and laughed, Yes, it is.
I quickly stood up, Good. Since everything is done, I want to go to bed. I did not
wait for them to respond and ran to my room, jump on my bed, and was soon
deep asleep.
___________
When I woke up the next day, I realized that my first New Year in the ancient
times had gone by just like that. There was a bit of regret, but, thinking it over, if
every New Year here can passed like this one, it wouldnt be such a bad thing.
Dongyun stood behind me, brushing my hair. I asked, Did Eight Beile stayed
here last night?
Dongyuns hands stopped, then sighing, she replied, No, a bit after Gege went
back, Master also left.
I silently looked in the mirror, not saying another word.
___________
The festive atmosphere of New Year has yet to dissipate, but Lantern Festival was
already here. Although there were still many worries in my heart, I was definitely
interested in the Lantern Festival. On this day, every household must hang
decorative lanterns, and, at night, there are lion dances, dragon dances, as well as

lantern riddles[3] and fireworks. Normally, females rarely have a chance to go

outside, but on that day, theyre allowed to go with another female companion,
solving riddles and looking at lanterns. For that reason, this was the festival that
every girl here anticipated for the most. In addition, many ancient poems have
described the holiday, the beautiful meetings of men and women beneath the
romantic moon. I hoped that the festival this year would be no exception.

A term to describe royalty (i.e. children of the emperor)

[2] Referring to Eight prince.
[3] Solving riddles written on lanterns was a custom established since the Song
Dynasty and continued on until today. The riddle usually has the challenger
guessing a word, poem, or phrase, from the clues it gave.
Chapter 7 (Part 3-4)
It was not night yet but I have already told Dongyun to do my hair, put on my
new yellow jacket, and rushed Qiaohui to go change.
[1]

Qiaohui laughed, My dear Miss, you still have to wait for the night to be able to
view the lanterns and solve the riddles.
I ignored her and persisted. Qiaohui, finally submitting to my urgency, hurriedly
go change, then, taking along two jackets, left the manor with me.
I had just gone several steps away from the front door when I heard someone
called behind me, Thirteenth sister! I frowned, although this nickname of mine
was well known throughout the Forbidden City, no one had actually dared to use
it in front of me. Who could be this insolent? I turned around to see Thirteenth
prince, in a light blue robe, looking like an ordinary scholar, along with a delicate
male servant, walking slowly towards me.
I was extremely happy to see him, smiled and asked, How can there be such a
coincidence?
He laughed, If one has the intention, then of course there can be such
coincidence.

I realized that he came specially to wait for me and immediately asked, How do
you know that I would come out to play today?
He smiled, Such a festive day, would you just sit and rot in your room?
The two of us walked side by side while Qiaohui followed from behind with the
Thirteenths servant. We walked for a while, Thirteenth prince then said, I
invited Miss Lu to come and enjoy the festival with us.
I thought back, Shes the girl from the courtyard that we went to last time?
He nodded. I laughed and said, Very good! I was just thinking that it would be
boring with so few people. Not to mention that I havent got a chance to thank her
for letting me borrowed her cloak last time.
Thirteenth prince heard my answered, suddenly stopped, smiled, turned back to
his servant and said, Did I not say so?
I also stopped, confused, and turned around.
The young servant smiled, walked forward two steps, and, with both hand
clasped, bowed and said, Thirteenth Lord told me that you were not an ordinary
girl, but I didnt believe it. Today, after meeting, I see that what he said is
definitely right.
I also smiled and said, This must be Luwu jie-jie. I didnt know that you would
be coming today, or else I would have brought the cloak to give back to you. As I
was saying this, I remembered back to the decoration of the room and realized
that, though she was a courtesan, she was still a proud individual, afraid to be
look down upon, and therefore, did not make direct acquaintance with me.
The sky gradually darkened, the lanterns hanging on both sides of the street
seemed endless, as if it was a sea of stars. More and more people filled the streets,
with many extravagantly dressed women, drowned in noisy laughter. I tried to
take in each and every new sight. Even if its just a girl passing by, I couldnt help
but turned around to have a second look. The other three laughed. Luwu teased,
You looked as if you have never been out on the streets before.
I shook my head, sighing, Is that not the case? Every day I trapped in the manor,
as if I am in jail. She was stunned for a moment, then started to chuckle.

I have never solved riddles before and therefore just stick to gazing at the
lanterns. Thirteenth prince and Luwu also didnt seem too interested so the four
of us just walked along casually.
Thirteenth prince then led us to a small restaurant. The waiter, recognizing
Thirteenth prince, hurriedly went to find us a seat near the window, saying,
When the lion dance starts, you can watch clearly from here, where its not
crowded.
The four of us sat there, watching the people below and chatting with one
another. Suddenly a voice called out, Thirteenth brother is also here?
We turned around to see Fourteenth prince standing with a few young men
behind us. The young men hurried to perform the ceremonial greetings to
Thirteenth prince while Qiaohui and I stood to greet Fourteenth prince, creating
a lively scene. However, both Thirteenth and Fourteenth prince did not wait for
us to speak, but wave their hands, saying, We are dressed in civilian clothes,
dont have keep so many customs.
The atmosphere suddenly became extremely quiet. Luwu was next to me, staring
out the window while Qiaohui stood with her head down. I looked at Thirteenth
prince then at Fourteenth prince. Though both of them were smiling, the
meaning behind those smiles may be totally different. Thirteenth prince smiled
lazily, looking as if nothing had happened. On the other hand, though Fourteenth
princes smile was very refined, the corner of his mouth bought on a certain chill.
He saw me looking at him and glared at me coldly. I pouted and lowered my
head.
As we were standing there, a thin young man with Fourteenth prince called out,
Is this not Miss Luwu? Luwu at this time turned around to look at the speaker,
her face pale, said nothing, and dropped her head. Fourteenth prince just then
noticed that Luwu was a woman and stared at her intently. Luwu kept her head
down, her expression indifferent. I reached under the table to lightly take her
hand, she leaned her head to look at me, I smiled briefly at her before letting go.
At this time, a short and pudgy boy, his face mocking, said, To not be romantic is
definitely a waste of youth. Thirteenth Lord is surrounded by beautiful ladies left
and right. Youre truly fortunate.

He barely finished talking; Thirteenth princes eyes had already hardened,

havent got a chance to retort when Fourteenth prince let out a cough, and, his
face serious, coldly said, Chacha Lin, what nonsense are you saying?
Chacha Lin obviously does not understand how his attempt at flattery had
annoyed Fourteenth prince and could only stand there dumbly. The people next
to him had recognized me, wanted to warn him but was too late.
I secretly smiled. I was, after all, part of the royal family. It was alright for the
princes to tease me, but definitely not outsiders.
Thirteenth prince and Fourteenth prince were still standing, facing each other. I
looked up and asked, Are you here to view the lanterns or to gaze at people?
Finally, everyone sat down.
The lion dance wasnt bad, the dragon dance was also rather pretty, but of all the
people on the scene, the only ones watching were just me and Qiaohui. The
others seemed deep in thought, some secretly look at me, a few glanced at Luwu.
Finally, all that should be seen was seen, all that should be played was played; it
had become late and was time for us to return to the manor. Fourteenth prince
was the first to say, I will take Ruoxi back. I heard this and, taking advantage of
when Fourteenth wasnt looking, look at Thirteenth prince and shrugged.
Thirteenth prince smiled. After that, Thirteenth prince left with Luwu and
Fourteenth took me and Qiaohui, while the rest scattered off by themselves.
The night had become chilly; lucky Qiaohui had brought extra coats for me to
wear. I walked side by side with Fourteenth prince while Qiaohui followed
behind, all of us silent the entire way back to the manor.
A young male servant opened the door, then, seeing me with Fourteenth prince,
hurriedly bowed, and, smiling said, Miss is finally back. Master Lan had sent
people to ask several times.
Fourteenth prince let him rise, Is Eight brother in?
The servant quickly answered, Hes at DiFujins place. Does Fourteenth Lord
want your servant to go tell him youre here?

Fourteenth prince walked ahead, Tell Eight brother Im waiting for him in the
study.
I was going back to Jie-jies when Fourteenth prince called out, his face serious,
Come with me to the study.
I thought for a minute, why do I have to go to the study with him, but still
nodded. I told Qiaohui to go and let Jie-jie know, then followed Fourteenth
prince to the study.
We sat in the study for a bit when Li Fu opened the curtain and Eight prince,
smiling, walked in. Seeing that I was also sitting there, a hint of surprise flashed
across his face.
Fourteenth prince didnt bother with the greetings, stood up, and said hurriedly,
Eight brother, guess who I saw Ruoxi with today. Eight prince, still smiling,
glanced at Li Fu. Li Fu quickly left, closing the door behind him.
Eight prince sat down and, at the same time, asked, Who?
Fourteenth prince looked at me and said, Dont know when she and Thirteenth
brother became so close that she and Thirteenth brother were in the same place.
He grunted then continued, As if that wasnt enough, she was also with a lady
from the brothel.
The more I listened, the angrier Ive become. Who was he to me, that he could
control my actions? I retorted, So what if I was with Thirteenth prince? So what
if I was with a lady from the brothel?
Fourteenth prince looked at me angrily and asked, So what? Do you know how
many how many young ladies and Gege are in the Forbidden City, why must you
hang out with a prostitute?
Ive become even more angry, stood up to look at him, sneering, I only know that
Liu Rushi was a prostitute who jumped off a building to preserve her love [1], that
Liang Hongyu[2] was a prostitute who beat a drum to fight against the Jins[3],
that Li ShiShi was a prostitute who rather swallowed a hairpin to die than serve
the Jins[4], that Lin SiNiang was a prostitute who risked her life to save the
emperor, that Yuan Baoer was a prostitute who gladly die I suddenly

remembered that Yuan Baoer was from the Ming Dynasty who protested against
the Manchus, therefore abruptly stopped talking but continued to scowl at
Fourteenth prince.
Fourteenth prince obviously didnt expect that his two sentences would make me
explode like that. He was still angry, but doesnt know how to refute, could only
glare at me, clenched his teeth, and nodded to Eight prince, Eight brother, you
hear? Shes really studious but what kind of nonsense books is she reading?

Liu Rushi was a famous prostitute who married Qian Qianyi and committed
suicide upon his death
[2] Liang Hongyu was a prostitute during the Ming Dynasty, famous for her
drums-playing skills. She and Han Shizhong met and fell in love, but, because of
Hans low rank, could not marry until he was made general. Hongyu was said to
have a heart of steel and often followed her husband into battle. At Huangtian
Lake, Hans army of 8,000 was badly outnumbered against the Jins 100,000.
Hongyu then devised a plan for her husband and a small number of men to lure
the Jins warships away from their main force, where the rest of the Songs armies
would attack with flaming arrows. Hongyu climbed onto a mountain to have clear
view of the battle and used her drum to guide the soldiers. One drumbeat was to
signal the start of the attack, two meant to lure them deeper into ambush, and
three let the hiding soldiers know to release the arrows. Thanks to Hongyu, the
battle was won and the Jins suffered heavy losses.
[3] Referring to Korea
[4] Li ShiShi was a famous prostitute during the Northern Song Dynasty and was
known to serve even the emperor. When the Dynasty fell, the king of Jin wanted
to have her. Li ShiShi refused and tried to kill herself by stabbing her throat with
a hairpin. This failed and she thus proceeded to swallow that hairpin to die.
[1]

Chapter 7 (Parts5-6)
I stared at him, What kind of books Im reading, my father and sister can
ask but it definitely not your place to speak!

Seeing how the Fourteenth-prince and I was glowering at each other, the
Eighth-prince couldnt help but to chuckle, shaking his head, Stop glaring
Fourteenth brother, you should go back now. This matter with Ruoxi, I will
deal with it.
The Fourteenth-prince stared at me, and then looked back at the Eighthprince. He started to say something but stopped. He turned to stare at me
once more before flinging his sleeves back and left.
Facing the Fourteenth-prince, I did not feel any fear, but now that he has left
leaving me alone with the Eighth-prince, I began to feel tense. I stood with
my head lowered, playing with the ribbon on my cloak, unsure of what to do.
The Eighth-prince looked at me and smilingly said, The Crown Princes joke
is actually very accurate. I feel that not only is your vigor the same as
Thirteenth brother, but also your respect for the lower class as well as your
free and inhibited character is the same as well. He smiling he continued,
Dont just keep standing there.
I was about to sit down when he said, Come sit over here. I have some
things to discuss with you. I became even more nervous, but since I cannot
disobey, I slowly walked over and sat down next to him.
He watched me sit down and sighed before facing forward again in silence.
The two of us sat silently for a while when he suddenly said, Scared?
Startled and not knowing what he meant, I looked at him in confusion.
He turned to me, The concubine selection, are you scared?
After hearing that, the fear that already filled my body welled up. I quietly
nodded, then lowered my head, frowning worriedly.
After a while, he suddenly began to talk softly, as if to himself, The first time
I saw your sister was when she was fifteen.
I hurriedly swept my fears to the side and listened with rapt attention.

That year, your father had come to Beijing, and your sister had come along
with him. It was springtime and the weather was exceptionally nice. The blue
sky seemed like it had just been washed by water and the breeze was filled
with the fragrance of flowers, blowing right through peoples hearts. I went
with two servants to the outskirts for some horseback riding. From far, I could
see a young lady riding her horse on a hill, he stopped and smiled, Youve
seen Ruolan ride; you should also know how beautiful and exquisite she is.
I recalled my sisters elegance at the racecourse and unconsciously nodded.
He continued, Her riding that day was even better than at the racecourse.
Her laughter was like silver bells, ringing through the wind. It was filled with
so much happiness, that it makes anyone who has heard it filled with
happiness as well, instilling the desire to laugh along with her. He stopped
for a bit before resuming, I couldnt believe what I saw. There were many
beautiful ladies in the Forbidden City, but Ruolan was different.
I thought, Jie-jie at that time was a young girl in love, believing that she and
her lover would stay forever on cloud nine. Her happiness glowed from
within. Of course the girls in the Forbidden City who have never experience
true love before cannot compare.
He went on, After I came back, I hurriedly went and inquired about your
sister. I kept thinking about how I can get Imperial Father to grant her to me
when my mother told me that Imperial Father decided to make the Maertai
familys eldest daughter my CeFujin. At that time, I thought that my life had
never been so happy before. The very next day after Imperial Fathers
announcement, I went all over the capital in search of a gift. It took me more
than six months to be able to find a Phoenix Blood bracelet. I had intended to
give it to her on the day of our marriage.
I looked down at the bracelet on my wrist and couldnt help but raise it,
asking, Is this the one? That you wanted to give to Jie-jie?
He looked at the bracelet on my wrist, reached out to hold my hand, then
said, I waited night and day; finally, my wedding day had arrived. But when
I lifted the wedding veil, I felt as if nothing was as I had imagined. The person

that Ive been missing for two years and the person sitting in front of me
were like two complete different people. She never goes riding and rarely
smiles. I kept asking myself, how did things become like this? Could it be that
I have the wrong person? Later I sent someone to the Northwest to
investigate, and, after many obstacles, I finally found the reason. He smiled
wryly, not saying anything else.
I sighed heavily, how Fate played us humans! I was deep in thought for a
while when my heart suddenly raced. I let out a small breath, and nervously
asked, How did that person die?
He was quiet for a minute then replied, My sending someone to inquire
about your sister alerted your father. He wanted to send that person away
and therefore made him a frontline soldier[1]. After that He stopped, not
saying anything further.
I could only feel my heart still racing vigorously. You did not kill him, but he
did die because of you.
I pulled at my wrist, wanting to take off the bracelet and give it back to him.
He suddenly grabbed my hand, Dont take it off.
I looked down, staring at the bracelet, This is for my sister.
He tightened his hold on my hand and whispered, This is for the one I love.
He used his other hand to lift my chin up and, staring in my eyes, said,
Promise me, never to take this off.
I looked deep into his bottomless black eyes. There was gentleness in them
that I have never seen before. At the same time, they were filled with so
much sadness that it seemed as if it would overflow. I was unable to restrain
the confusion in my heart, mixed with a strange bitterness, therefore slowly
nodded. He saw that Ive agreed and couldnt help but beam.
He smilingly said, Dont be afraid. I will think of a way for Imperial Father to
bestow you to me.

I stared at him, stunned. He smiled at me. I quickly shook my head,

exclaiming, Dont!
He looked at me, his smile fading, his face turning pale, and suddenly asked,
Youre actually willing to be Imperial Fathers woman?
Ive became panic-stricken, hurriedly shook my head. Im not willing, Im not
willing to do anything. I only wanted to live well, to find someone who truly
loves me, who will take care of me, and not just viewed me as a plaything.
Theres no need to bestow me; I am a person, not a thing.
He stared at me for a while, suddenly closed his eyes, took a deep breath,
reopened them, and, sighed, I will not force you. As you will! Saying that,
he released me, called Li Fu to come in and instructed him to bring me back
to Jie-jies place.
I was at the door when he suddenly spoke out from behind, After entering
the palace, dont dress up like how you did at Ol Tens birthday.
I couldnt understand and turned around to look at him. He looked down and
slowly said, If you dont want Imperial Fathers attention, then the plainer
you look, the better. I finally understood. I didnt know whether to be happy
or sad, and merely turned around to follow Li Fu.
After returning to the room, Jie-jie saw that I looked pale and thought that the
Eighth-prince had lectured me. She came to caress my face, then, sighed,
and told Dongyun to help me prepare for bed.
I lay in bed but couldnt fall asleep. I thought about Jie-jie then thought about
myself. I kept wondering whether or not Jie-jie knew of the Eighth-princes
feelings for her. Then, I suddenly felt stupid. In fact, it was not difficult to see
proof of the Eighth-princes feelings for Jie-jie.
For example, the Eighth prince was surprised when he first saw me, but was
disappointed when he found out that I dont know how to ride. Jie-jie rarely
went to pay respect to DiFujin but she didnt directly made things difficult for
Jie-jie. Another example is, on the surface, it looked as if Jie-jie wasnt well-

favored; the servants even gossiped about it in secret. However, from the
food and clothing to everyday things, even the most snobbish eunuchs dont
dare to make any mistakes or treat Jie-jie unwell. The more I thought about
it, the more I realized how clearly things were laid out in front of me. It was
just that I never considered it.
But what about me? What was I? A substitute for Jie-jie? Why did I keep the
bracelet? Why didnt I give it back to him? Was it only because I was
softhearted for a moment?
I just couldnt sleep.

A frontline soldier heads a military formation and is often the first

one into battle, therefore the most easily targeted and killed.
[1]

Chapter 8 (Part 1)
It is into early summer, and the flowers have all passed their time of
blooming. Only various dark and light shades of green can be seen sprouting
amongst one another. Although the weather is starting to get hotter, the nights
still have a coolness that seeps into the bone. As I lean against the bridge railing,
gazing into the water at the crescent moon that is undulating with the ripples, I
murmur, Having only just welcomed Spring but is now sending Spring off.
Spring comes, then spring goes. I have been in the palace for three years already.
The concubine selection event had not been as I expected where Kangxi would
personally make the selections, but rather, the noble consort who had the highest
status at the time, Lady Tunggiya[1], and other consorts of respected status had
first created a shortlist of candidates, which they submitted to Kangxi. Kangxi
had made his selections from this list. It was in this stage where I was left off the
shortlist.

Afterwards, I had heard that when the various niangniang[2] were selecting their
female attendants, there were actually two niangniang who specifically requested
me First princes mother, Consort Hui of the Nara clan, and Fourth and
Fourteenth princes mother, Consort De of the Wuya clan. Caught in a dilemma,
the head eunuch reported this to Noble Consort Lady Tunggiya, who, after much
thought, assigned me to the Palace of Heavenly Purity[3] with the specific
responsibility of serving tea to the emperor.
Serving tea appears to be very simple work, but anything that involves the
emperor in any way, even if very simple, will become very complicated. Even
though I have known all along that tea drinking is an art in itself, I had never
thought there would be so many rules. I had to learn everything one by one from
the very top: distinguishing the different types of teas, discerning water quality,
controlling water temperature, testing for poisons, using proper hand technique
when pouring tea, using proper form when walking while carrying tea, as well as
learning Kangxis own particular preferences and habits. Every one of these must
be committed to memory. There is absolutely no room for error. It took me three
entire months before the master in charge of teaching finally gave his nod of
approval.
Since my placement in the Palace of Heavenly Purity was quite mysterious, all the
eunuchs and palace maids, high or low position, dared not cross me and were
amicable towards me. Furthermore, I have indeed been very cautious with
everything I do and say and have carried myself in a humble and amiable
manner, so the people around me accepted me very quickly. Now, I am already
the head of the twelve palace maids in charge of serving tea and taking care of
daily needs in the Palace of Heavenly Purity.
As I reflect on the last three years, I cannot help sighing at the moons reflection
in the water. I turn around and slowly head back to my dwelling. I still have to be
on duty tomorrow!
I am in the side room directing Yunxiang and Yutan on the tea selection when the
young eunuch, Wang Xi sprints in and hastily performs a ceremonial bow before
hurriedly announcing, His Imperial Majesty is done court now.

I laugh, So court is done! Why are you flustered like a monkey? Be careful your
shifu[4] doesnt see you and reprimand you.
Catching his breath, he pants, But this time, it is shifu who sent me over. He said
to warn jie-jie[5] to be careful as you wait on His Imperial Majesty. In the court
session today, someone brought forward allegations against the Crown Prince.
When I hear this, I quickly pull my laughter back in. Thank your shifu for
me. He hurriedly gives another customary bow and rushes off again.
Turning around, I instruct Yunxiang and Yutan, You heard that? Today, be
especially focused and careful while serving.
The two of them hurriedly answer yes.
I mull silently, since Crown Prince Yinrengs great uncle, Songgotu [6] was jailed
and had all his possessions confiscated by the state for plotting rebellion against
the throne, while on the surface the Crown Prince was not affected by this, his
position was no longer as secure as before. He is Kangxis favourite son, taught
personally by Kangxi since he was young. However, perhaps for the very reason
that he has been doted on since he was a child, in comparison to the other
princes, Crown Prince does not have any outstanding qualities. Add on to that
the fact that the other princes have been eyeing his position like a tiger its prey,
his position as heir apparent to the throne is in jeopardy.
Kangxi is caught in a struggle between his rational and emotional sides. On one
hand, he already sees that Yinreng is not the appropriate person to succeed the
throne. On the other hand, Yinreng was the only one of his children he had
personally raised, and coupled with his love for his first wife, Empress
Xiaochengren of the Heseri clan[7], Kangxi is now caught in the decision of
whether to take away his status as Crown Prince or not. As I reach this thought, I
cannot hold back a sigh. Kangxi is going to have to face this painful issue again
today.

I suddenly hear the voices giving the customary welcome for the imperial arrival
and know that Kangxi has returned. Hastily, I say to Yunxiang, Brew the
tea. The two of them quickly busy themselves in their work. As I go about
readying the tea ware, I think silently, Kangxis mood is not very good today and
probably does not want to see any bright colors, so I select a blue glazed tea set
embellished with chrysanthemum petals. According to modern psychology, blue
has the property of being calming and peaceful.
Carrying the tea tray, I walk slowly into the room. The chairs throughout the
room are occupied, but all around, it is quiet. Looking straight ahead, I walk to
the table, lightly set down the tea bowl, and then slowly back out with head
lowered.

Orig.. The text states the name as woman of the Tunggiya clan. (In
pinyin, the Tongjia clan.) In ancient China, women were often referred to in this
way, only by their surname or clan name.
[2] Orig. . In the Qing court, this is how one would address the empress or
imperial consorts. Often, it is preceded by the formal title of the person.
[3] Orig. . A palace within the Forbidden City. During the Ming and early
Qing dynasty (including during the reign of Kangxi), this was the residence of the
emperor. Emperor Yongzheng did not wish to inhabit this palace and hence, it
became the emperors audience hall henceforth. During Kangxis reign, those
assigned to work in the Palace of Heavenly Purity would be attending to the
emperor personally.
[4] Orig. . Teacher.
[5] Older sister. This is the same as what Ruoxi calls Ruolan. However, in the
context here, where there is no blood relation, it is a familiar address to someone
older or of higher position.
[6] Orig. (pinyin: Suoetu). A minister during Kangxis reign. Uncle to
Kangxis official wife, Empress Xiaochengren, mother of Yinreng.
[1]

Orig. . Kangxis first empress and official wife. She died at

the young age of 20 while giving birth to Yinreng. Kangxi loved her very much
and greatly missed her after she died.
[7]

Chapter 8 (Part 2)
When I retreated to the other side of the curtain, I finally released the breath I
had been holding, while at the same time inquired a eunuch next to me, Who is
inside?
The junior eunuch lowered his voice to reply, The Fourth, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth,
Thirteenth, and Fourteenth prince.
I thought, other gatherings have never been this complete before. It seems
Kangxi wants to ask for their opinions. I hurried back to tell Yunxiang and Yutan
to prepare tea. I have not even opened my mouth, however, when I heard Yutan
laugh, The tea is prepared already. Right after you left, Wang Xi came and told
us the princes had arrived, so I quickly made all the preparations first.
I nodded approvingly at her before walking over to inspect everything. As I
looked things over, Yutan quickly pipes up again, Weve remembered all the
rules! The Fourth-prince likes Taiping Houkui tea[1], the Eighth-prince likes SunInfused Snow Bud tea, the Ninth-prince likes Pre-Qingming Dragon Well [2], the
Tenth-prince does not have any particular preference, and the Thirteenth-prince
likes
I quickly waved her off while laughing, Enough, enough. As long as I know that
you remember.
Yunxiang smiled, No wonder people in the palace say that Miss is detailed and
attentive. The people who previously served the emperor directly only needed to
remember his Imperial Majestys preferences. Now, though, Miss requires that
we memorize all the princes preferences as well. I arranged the tea bowls, all the
while thought, I have my own reasons, just that I cannot say what they are.

Yunxiang held the tea tray and followed behind me. Right as we arrive outside the
curtain, I heard Kangxi ask, What are your opinions on the accounts submitted
in court today by the Ministry of Rites[3]?
I cannot help but halt in my tracks and mull silently, Crown Prince had
committed so many offenses, which one is it this time? Seeing I had suddenly
stopped, the eunuch beside me holding the curtain open looked at me in surprise.
I hastily stride in.
I headed slowly over to the Fourth-prince and gently set his tea down on the
table, then turned and headed over towards the Eighth-princes table. As I placed
the tea down with my head lowered, I heard the Fourth-prince reply, From what
subject-son has seen, Second Brother is usually magnanimous to his
subordinates. There are those shady people, though, who would embezzle money
and property behind Second Brothers back while acting in Second Brothers
name.
Kangxi nodded slightly while listening. I think to myself, it seems this is about
the Crown Prince taking without authorization for himself items of tribute to
Kangxi. History records had noted that even though this greatly angered Kangxi,
in the end, the Crown Prince was still not disciplined for it, and only the other
people involved were punished. If that is the case, it looks like Kangxis emotional
side will prevail this time.
As I am setting down the Ninth-princes tea and the Fourth-prince has just
finished what he was saying, the Tenth-prince pipes up, Even if a lackey has the
gall as great as the heavens, if no one is backing him, do you think he would dare
take imperial tributes that were meant for Imperial Father?
I sighed inwardly, This Tenth never seem to be able to restrain himself. I walked
up beside the Tenth-princes table and turn around to pick up, from the tea tray
that Yunxiang was holding, the tea that had been prepared for him. As I am about
to set it onto the table, I heard him add, Fourth Brothers words are rather
peculiar. But, Fourth Brother has always had a good relationship with Second
Brother, so, with this whole situation, maybe Fourth Brother is also Before he
could finish his thought, he let out a loud cry and leaped up from his seat.

It turns out, when I was holding the saucer; I had accidentally spilled all the hot
tea onto his shoulder. A junior eunuch, who had been attending off to the side,
was already there helping to wipe him off and to check to see whether he has been
scalded.
I kneeled on the floor crying, Maidservant deserves death! Maidservant deserves
death! At the same time, I say in my mind, it doesnt matter if you offend the
Crown Prince. He is going to be removed sooner or later anyway. But if you
cross the Fourth prince, your end will be terrible.While I know the outcome is
not reversible, I still cannot bear to have the entire progression play itself out
right before my eyes. I sigh secretly; if I can prevent even one little part, then
that will be one little part that does not have to happen.
Seeing it is me, the Tenth-prince couldnt let out his anger, and he is also afraid
that if the situation blows out of hand, I will suffer, so he can only say, It is of no
matter.
The head chief of the eunuchs who directly serve Kangxi, Li Dequan, came over
and rebuked, Clumsy! Hurry and leave now!
I quickly stood up and backed out. As I reach the curtain, I hear Kangxi say,
Zhen is tired today. All of you, be dismissed. I mused secretly, it seems a
decision has been made, and so with my mind at ease, I returned to the teahouse.
I have been back for not very long when Yunxiang came in carrying the tea tray,
and with an anxious expression, exclaimed, What was going on with you
today? You scared me to death.
I sat there with my head down, not uttering a word. In my mind I thought, first,
Kangxi is a virtuous and benevolent emperor, and so long as it is not a mistake
regarding a matter of principle, he has always been kind and lenient to
servants. Second, the person I scalded was the Tenth-prince, and no matter what,
he will always plead for mercy for me. Therefore, although I was very tense, I
reckoned that the worst that could happen was that I am taken out and made to
suffer a round of beating by plank. At least there wouldnt be any fear for my
life. Furthermore, at that moment, I was so anxious that I did not have time to

worry about the consequences. My only thought was to take care of the situation
at hand first.

[1] Also known as the Monkey King Tea. The Taiping Monkey King is a type of green tea and is
considered to be one of the top 10 teas of China.
[2] The Qingming here is referring to the Qingming Festival. Pre-Qingming Dragon well is Dragon well tea
that is harvested right before the time of the Qingming Festival. The quality of the tea leaves tend to be the
best right before the festival and decline as time passes, and since the window of time between the teas
maturity and the Qingming festival is short, it also means the quantity of Dragon well tea that gets
harvested before Qingming Festival is very limited; many end up harvested afterwards. Therefore, the tea
is prized but also very expensive.
[3] Orig. Li Bu. In Qing feudal China, six government ministries (or bu ) reported directly to the
emperor. The Ministry of Rites managed all state ceremonies and rituals, imperial examinations,
receiving foreign emissaries, etc.

Chapter 8 (Part 3)
While sitting in silence, Wang Xi enters. He approaches me, performs a
ceremonial bow and says, Jie-jie, shifu[1] is calling you to see him.
Yunxiang and Yutan, who are both listening in, stand up in panic when they
hear this. I ignore them and stand up to follow Wang Xi to exit the side hall.
Wang Xi leads the way for only a short while when I see Li Dequan standing
under a tree in front of us. After approaching closer, Wang Xi withdraws. I
perform a ceremonial greeting and stands there silently. After a long time, Li
Dequan clears his throat and says, I thought that youve always been a
careful person, so how come youre so careless today?
I answer, Please punish me, Anda[2]
He sighs and says Next months wages will be completely deducted.
I hurriedly kneel and say, Thank you, Li Anda.

He does not respond, only turning around to walk away, while whispering
vaguely, The palace cannot tolerate so many good intentions[3].
After he leaves, I remain standing there silently. A hint of sadness mixed with
fear gradually oozes out from my heart, creeping inch by inch throughout my
whole body, slowly consuming my strength. I can feel that I cannot stand
properly anymore and stagger for a few steps before ending up sitting on the
ground. I hold my head with my hands while burrowing between my legs. I
bite my lower lip hard as tears well up in my eyes, only to be finally forced
back by me.
While I am burying my head and sitting there in rumination, I suddenly hear
a voice overhead asking, Whatre you doing sitting there?
From the voice, I can tell it is the Tenth-prince. I didnt want to pay any
attention to him so I continue to hold my head in silence. He kneels down by
my side and says, Hey! I havent blamed you for scalding me, yet you here
are throwing a tantrum.
I continue to ignore him. He remains quiet for a moment, but suddenly feels
something is wrong. He hurriedly lifts my head, with surprise showing on his
face, he exclaims, Why did you bite your lips till theyre bleeding? How did
Li Dequan punish you?
I raise my head and suddenly spot that it was not only the Tenth-prince that
stands beside me; the Fourth-prince, the Eighth-prince, the Ninth-prince, the
Thirteenth-prince, and the Fourteenth-prince are all standing to one side.
Surprised, I hurriedly wipe my lips with one hand while jumping up to
perform a ceremonial greeting.
The Tenth-prince, seeing that I am only busily performing the ceremonial
greeting and not answering his question, says irritably, I am going to find Li
Dequan for an explanation. As he finishes speaking and starts to leave, I
quickly whisper, Come back.
He halts his steps and says, Then tell me yourself.

As I gaze at him, the feelings in my heart are mixed. On one hand Im

irritated at his rashness but on the other, I am touched by his panicked
concern. I stare at him for a little while before finally giving him a small glare,
Im fined a months wages.
The Tenth-prince slaps his thigh and cries, Just for a mere months wage. Is
that worth getting so angry over?
Pouting, I say, Why not? Those silver ingots may not mean much to you, but
Ive been looking forward to those silvers. Besides, I have never been
punished before. This loss of face is a bit difficult on my pride.
Laughingly he says, Well, dont be angry anymore. If theres something you
want, Ill buy it for you.
Hearing this, I smile but do not say another word. None of the princes speaks
either. As usual, the Fourth-prince and the Eighth-prince remain in their
respective trademark expressions: one eternally cold and impassive and the
other eternally gentle and dignified. Meanwhile, the Ninth-prince looks at me
darkly. When the Thirteenth-prince sees that I am looking at him, he smiles,
winks at me, and makes a puzzled expression. I return his smile but then I
see the Fourteenth-prince with knitted eyebrows looking sullenly at a random
direction.
Looking around and noticing nobody wants to speak; I
smile apologeticallyand say, If theres nothing else, your humble servant
will leave now.
The Fourth-prince lightly dismisses me, saying, You may go.
I curtsey and leave.
Last night I worked the night shift until dawn. Even though I slept in the
morning, I still feel tied. Plus I did not dare to sleep too much in the morning;
for fear that I will sleep even later tonight and feel worse the next day. I lay
sideways on the couch; casually grabbing a book titled Essays on Brewing

Spring Water[4] by Tian Yiheng of the Ming Dynasty, and starts to read it
intently under the lamp.
These days, the books on my shelves are basically all on the topic of tea. I
now fully regard this as a proper job. The food, living arrangements, wages,
and benefits are excellent. However, theres not enough freedom. The rules
are very severe; any mistakes will be dealt with corporal punishment and
even worse, the death penalty.
But these past three years have allowed me to figure out some of the rules
of the game, to find a sort of freedom while staying within the regulations.
My attitude is as such: since I am doing this, I may as well do my best.
Although I started the job without any experience or training, currently in the
palace, if theres anything that is tea related, Im afraid no one would dare to
disparage me.

[1]

Means Master, someone one is under the tutelage of.

Orig. . It is the term Mongolians used for sworn brothers. Due to

the intermarriages between Manchu and Mongolian royalty to preserve
relations, this Mongolian term was adopted into the Qing Dynasty. In
this case, Ruoxi calling Li Dequan Brother indicates her close
relationship with the senior eunuch.
[2]

Li Dequan knew Ruoxis good intention of saving the Tenth/Fourth

prince, but is warning her that in the cutthroat environment of the
Palace, she could easily lose her life if she interfered in the palace
politics.
[3]

Orig. . Tian Yiheng wrote a book endorsing the natural,

simpler method of tea preparation that became popular during the
Ming Dynasty. The tea was to be prepared as loose tea leaves rather
than the tea balls that was previously popular. The tea was ideally to
[4]

be dried in the sun rather than baking it in the fire to preserve the
natural flavor.
Chapter 8 (Part4 - 6)
I was just reading the part, People of today recommend tea balls. This is wrong and
borders on being uncouth. Even the higher quality types have still lost their true flavor.
Furthermore, the tea balls must be dropped [into water] using a spoon. If the spoon is
made of gold or silver, these materials are not natural, and copper will leave a
metallic taste. The Northern people of old, therefore, would add curdled milk, while the
Shu people added salt. These are all merely primitive ways to drink tea so should not
be criticized,[1] when Wang Xi calls quietly from outside the door, Jie-jie, are you
inside the house?
I sit up straight and ask in reply, The lights are lit; of course there is someone
here. What is the matter?
Wang Xi answers, My shifu requests Jie-jie to come.
Hearing this, I hurriedly put aside the book to look in the mirror. I fix my hair and
straighten my clothes before blowing out the lights. Pulling open the door, I step
outside.
When Wang Xi sees me coming out, he quickly bends over in a ceremonial bow. As he
turns around and begins walking, he explains, His Imperial Majesty is addicted to
working on that thing the Westerners taught him. My shifu probed several times
whether dinner should be brought in, but his Imperial Majesty only answered fine
without thinking but made no other movements. It is already so late. Shifu said to ask
Miss to think of a method to help.
There is a slight smile on the corner of my lips as I muse silently, indeed, capable people
do more work. I recall that night, more than half a year after I had first entered the
palace, when I was on duty in the warm room. Kangxi was reading and marking official
documents late into the night. It was not that Kangxi had not previously done this
before, but in this case, Kangxi had stayed up late to process official documents for three
or four nights in a row. Beside him, his eunuch, Li Dequans eyebrows were furrowed
tightly together. He was worried about his masters health, but did not dare to say

anything hastily. He could only accompany Kangxi off to the side with a pained
expression on his face.
At the time, everything was still new and fresh to me. I was thinking that it truly was not
easy to be this wise ruler of the ages, while at the same time, I was secretly looking over
Kangxi. He was, after all, a man past the age of fifty, plus, after several nights in a row of
being up late and then rising early in the morning to attend the imperial court, his face
was showing signs of exhaustion and haggardness. I did not know whether my mind was
possessed or some other reason, but my eyes suddenly started stinging with tears as I
recalled that I used to frequently watch my father, a teacher of a middle school
graduating class, working under the lamp, preparing lessons and marking homework
deep into the night. Sometimes, when my mother got anxious, she would simply turn off
the lamp and force my father to go to bed Kangxi very likely does not have a wife like
that.
While I was thinking this, I did not know what happened, but a sudden dizziness hit me
and I opened my mouth and said, Its late. Rest first. Otherwise, you will exhaust
yourself and that will interfere with things even more. The words had just slipped out
of my lips when, inside that quiet room, everyone stared at me with faces covered in
shock. All at once, an atmosphere of alarm and dread settled over the room.
I, too, immediately recovered and reacted Im in big trouble now!Hurriedly, I dropped
to my knees. Li Dequan face was pulled taut and he was about to punish me when we
heard Kangxi exhale a sigh and say smilingly, Before Zhens Tenth Gege left the palace,
she also would always pester Zhen to rest. He tilts his head to the side, lost in thought
for a moment before shaking his head lightly and instructing Li Dequan, Put away
these documents. We will rest for today.
When Li Dequan heard this, his face lit up with joy and he quickly answered in a loud
voice, Zha!
He then hurried over to help Kangxi get up.
As Kangxi walked past me, he looked down at where I was still kneeling on the ground
and said, You may rise.
I kowtowed and answered, Thank you, Imperial Majesty, before I straightened myself.

Kangxi looked me over before asking Li Dequan with a laugh, Is this not the Death
Challenging Thirteenths Sister of the Maertai family?
Li Dequan replied, Precisely.
Kangxi did not say any more and left the room directly after. Only then did I realize that
my entire back was soaked in sweat. So I was actually that scared of death! I had thought
to myself, I really should thank that Tenth Gege whom I had never actually met
before. It seemed Kangxi loved and cherished her very much. However, the moment I
thought to the fact that even though he loved her that much, he still married her off to
the far, barren North, I had felt a sliver of chill seep into my heart.
After that incident, Li Dequan seems to assume Im a mascot of good fortune. If there
happens to be similar situations, he would always get me to come up with ideas to help.
Luckily, even though every time Id always have to wreck my brains apart and take big
risks, in the end I was able to make some use out of my ideas.
As I arrive in front of the Hall, Wang Xi stood to one side and says quietly, Jie-jie, you
can go in by yourself.
I nod my head and gently step into the room.
Just as I step into the room, I can see Li Dequan, who is standing off to one side behind
Kangxi, giving me a nod. I nod back with a barely perceivable nod and lightly walk
towards Kangxi, pretending to be coming to change the water to his tea. Picking up the
tea cup, I quickly take a few glances at the geometry question that Kangxi is working on
and then slowly back out.
I return to the tea preparation room.
As I am brewing tea, I am thinking, the problem really is not that difficult. Kangxi
simply added the auxiliary line in the wrong place. But that is what happens when doing
geometric proofs: once your mind is stuck on a certain path, you always need some
effort to recover and get out of that mindset. Actually, if he would just set it aside and
not work on the problem right now, likely, when he looks at it again tomorrow, he will
end up lamenting over why he was so foolish the day before, because simply modifying
the position of the auxiliary line would have solved it.

It is fine for me to think this, but in any case, I cannot go up and tell him how to draw
the auxiliary line and solve the problem. After all, people like the French Jesuits,
Joachim Bouvet and Jean-Francois Gerbillon, or the Portuguese Jesuit, Tomas
Pereira[2] have never taught me mathematics.If Kangxi asks how did I know how to
solve it, how will I answer?
I walk back in carrying the tea and place it gently on the desk. I first compose myself
before quietly addressing, Imperial Majesty. Kangxi does not lift his head and only
answers with an unthinking, hmm. After pausing briefly, I carry on, I am afraid those
Westerners will not dare to explain geometry to your Imperial Majesty
anymore. Kangxi gives another hmm, but does not give any other response and
continues to look at the problem.
A short time passes before he suddenly whips his head up to look at me.Hurriedly, I
bend myself over in a bow and say softly, They taught these ideas to your Imperial
Majesty primarily because they believe they are beneficial, but because of them, your
Imperial Majesty has no time for even thoughts of food or drink. If you ruin your health,
they will end up having to bear the responsibility for that crime. I pause for a moment,
but seeing that Kangxi does not show any response, I add, Plus, didnt those
Westerners say that if you allow your mind to quiet down and rest, sometimes these
geometric proofs may actually be easier to solve? As I finish speaking, my heart grows
anxious, and I close my hands to cold sweat in my palms.
After a little while, Kangxi drops his writing brush, stands up, stretches out his back, and
chides, Li Dequan, this mischief is your doing.
Li Dequan quickly bends over and explains with an apologetic smile, Your servant truly
did it out of worry for your Imperial Majestys health.
With a chuckle, Kangxi orders, Fine. Ready the meal.
Li Dequan answers hurriedly, Zha! He strides swiftly out the door and gives
instructions to Wang Xi.
Kangxi lowers his head to look at me. You are getting more and more bold, letting Li
Dequan order you about.

I drop to my knees quickly. Maidservant was also worried about your Imperial
Majestys health, I say before kowtowing.
Rise, Kangxi instructs. I stand up, and he continues, You are very attentive. You only
served off to the side those few times and yet you are able to remember their words.
Hastily, I explain, It is only because, when I heard them at the time, those ideas were
new and interesting so I paid more attention.
Kangxi pays no more heed to me. Walking out of the room, he says, If people of the
Great Qing Empire all had the same enthusiasm for new ideas, there would be no
worries that the four corners would not come to pay respect. By the time he finishes
speaking, he is already out of the room.
I heave a sigh as I reflect, easier said than done. For several thousand years, China has
believed that it is a great land of vast resources and the center of the world. To change
such a way of thinking to one that accepts new ideas, is not something that would
happen simply because of an emperors desire. It is only after experiencing pain that
cuts to the very core, and the near destruction of the country, when the Chinese can
truly understand that we must actually learn from the outside world. It is not only
because Kangxi addresses himself as the lonely and few[3] that he feels alone, but it
is also because he understands too much and can see and think too far forward that he
is lonely. It has always been the wise that are lonely, not to mention that he is also the
emperor.
I am not supposed to be on duty today, but I suddenly remember that some new tea will
be
arriving this afternoon. Worried that Yunxiang and Yutan may not put them away
properly and damage their taste, I decide that I will go out to check on them.
While strolling along the tree-lined path, I see the Tenth and the Fourteenth-prince
approaching me directly. I hurriedly turn, stand off to the side, and give them the
ceremonial greeting. The Tenth-prince remarks gruffly, Theres no one else here
anyway. Why all the formalities? The Fourteenth-prince only gives a cool hmph and
does not say anything.

Straightening back up into a standing position, I smile at the Tenth-prince and inquire,
Are you returning to your manor?
He grins, Im leaving the palace, but Im not going back to the manor yet.Were going to
Eighth Brothers place.
I think for a moment before saying, It has been quite a while since I have seen the
Eighth-prince. Please send my greetings and auspicious wishes to him.
The Tenth-prince does not even have time to respond when we hear the Fourteenthprince, who has been standing to the side with a chilly expression, retort, If you truly
care about Eighth Brother, there is no need for those empty formalities of greetings and
well wishes. If your heart is thinking about someone else, why bother doing these things
just for people to see?
The Tenth-prince and I are both taken aback, not knowing what the cause of these
words was. We exchange a baffled glance with one another before staring at the
Fourteenth-prince with looks of complete incomprehension. However the Fourteenthprince is extremely impatient after he finishes speaking and snaps, Tenth Brother, are
you going or not? If you are not going yet, then I will leave first. When he is done, he
strides away without even waiting for a reply.
The Tenth-prince throws another bewildered look at me, but then hurries after the
Fourteenth-prince. With furrowed brows, I stare at their outlines that are already off to
the distance, wondering, when did I offend the Fourteenth-prince? Could it be because
of the Thirteenth-prince again? But over these last few years, he already knows long
ago that the Thirteenth-prince and I are very close. So why did he get so angry?
As I continue walking, I unconsciously touch the jade bracelet around my wrist. Do I
carry him in my heart or not? This is the question he asks me every year. How am I
going to answer him this year? Or maybe I should say, he has asked this for three
years already; will he ask again this year? Perhaps he has already grown weary of
asking.
Completely absorbed in my thoughts, I suddenly walk right into someone. I am thrown
off balance and nearly falls over, but fortunately, the other person stretches out a hand

and supports me until I am firm on my feet again. Seeing that it is the Thirteenthprince, I cannot help cursing, You rascal! You saw me but didnt say anything.
He snickers, Seeing that you were so lost in thought, I wanted to see if you would really
run into someone; and what better way give you a friendly reminder to be more
careful. He pauses, puts a fist under his chin, holds back a grin and says, Its no big
deal if you want to throw yourself into my arms, but if other people see such a great
beauty suddenly jump into my embrace, Im afraid theyll get the wrong idea.
I pull my lips into a little pout, and then jokingly glower at him, ignoring his words.
He asks me, What were you thinking?
With a smirk, I respond, Not telling you. I still have important things to do. Not going
to make any pointless talk with you.
He laughs, Go then. Just dont walk and think at the same time anymore.
I do not answer and begin walking away. As I brush past his side, I suddenly jab my
elbow into him. I hear him behind me let out an exaggerated ouch!
Chortling, I walk away with speedy steps, and from behind me, the sound of laughter
rings out.
I have not gone far, though, when all of a sudden I hear the sound of running catching
up to my rear. Quickly, I turn around to see the Thirteenth-prince coming towards me
with large strides. With a puzzled look, I ask him, What is it?
He rushes forward another couple of steps before coming to a standstill.I have been
meaning to ask you something, but there hasnt been an appropriate time in the last
while. I actually almost forgot about it.
I tell him, Ask now.
Chuckling, he complies, Why did you help Fourth Brother that time?

I stare blankly at him. My mind spins as I try to call something up, but I still do not
know what he is talking about and can only respond by inquiring, When did I ever help
the Fourth-prince? Besides, what could the Fourth-prince possibly need my help with?
He smiles and shakes his head. The incident with the tribute items. You spilled tea onto
Tenth Brother.
I inhale sharply, my mind feeling as if a clap of thunder has gone off inside it. I finally
understand now why the Fourteenth prince did not want to be around me. After a long
time, like an eggplant struck by frost[4], I answer dully, That was simply an
unintentional mistake. Just a coincidence.
He laughs, Regardless of whether it was intentional or not, I am here to thank you
anyway; otherwise, I dont know what else that mouth of Tenth Brother was going to
say. It is not even that we are afraid of him, but to have to explain it to Imperial Father
would have been troublesome.When he finishes saying this, he waits a moment. Seeing
that I do not show any response, he adds, Im going now. You go do your own thing as
well. I nod woodenly, turning and listlessly walk away.
I do not really know what I am thinking. I am only aware that my one hand is stroking
the bracelet while I am slowly walking. If even the Fourteenth-prince has gotten the
wrong idea, did he misunderstand as well? Perhaps he will understand that the one I
was really trying to help was the Tenth-prince, not the Fourth-prince.
By the time I snap out of my thoughts with a start, I find that I made a turn in the wrong
direction a long time ago and am very far away from the Palace of Heavenly Purity. I
heave an inward sigh. Feeling that I no longer have the energy to care about tea and
whatnots, I turn around and head back to my room.
The sun is gradually setting in the west. I sit on a rock, leaning against the willow tree
beside it. My eyes are half-closed as I watch two butterflies dancing lightly over the
cluster of flowers before me. The gladiolas, with the color of purple mixed with white,
have already passed their full magnificence and are starting to wilt, providing a not so
gratifying picture. However, because of these two butterflies that are fluttering together
up and down in the light of the setting sun, as if they are infinitely in love, it gives
observers the feeling that the sight before them is particularly beautiful.

A childish but clear voice rings out from behind me. What are you doing? Why arent
you moving at all?
I turn my head to the side to look. It turns out it is a six or seven year old little boy,
chubby and very cute. Judging from his attire, his status should not be low. I point in
front of me and say, Im watching butterflies.
He walks up beside me and glances at the butterflies. Whats so good about watching
butterflies? Catching butterflies is whats fun.

[1]

Excerpt from Tian Yihengs

Jesuits who lived in the capital and worked for the emperor in various
capacities. These three worked particularly closely with Kangxi, tutoring him in
subjects such as mathematics and astronomy.
[2]

Orig. (pinyin: cheng gu dao gua). In ancient times, kings and

emperors used this to describe themselves. Gu means lonely while gua
means few. Prior to Qin Shihuang, kings addressed themselves as gu or gua
ren (where ren means person). It is meant to describe the loneliness that
comes with the throne.
[3]

An eggplant struck by frost is lifeless and withered. This is a common saying

used to describe a person who is weary, unenergetic, lifeless, etc.
[4]

Chapter 8 (Part 7)
I give a smile but do not say anything. He continues to ask, Which
palace do you work at?
My attention still fixed on the butterflies, I counter unmindfully, And
where are you from?
He protests, I asked you first.

I ignore him and continue to watch the butterflies. They are flying, one
in front of the other, taking turns catching and overtaking one another
as they flutter off until they are far away. How nice it would be if I could
fly away like that.
He waits for a little while, but seeing that I am not paying attention to
him, he has no choice but to respond first, I am Aisin-Gioro
Hongshi[1]. Startled, I quickly turn back and look him over carefully,
thinking in my mind, this is Yongzhengs son whom he later demotes to
commoner status. After looking him over a few times, I lazily turn away
again.
Youre not going to pay respect to me? he asks.
I turn my head back to look at him again as I muse, not even that old
yet and you already make clear distinction between master and
servant. I give a laugh. I am not going to pay respect to you right now.
I will wait until later, when you have grown up, and then I will pay
respect to you.
He gawks at me and remarks, Other palace maids all pay respect to
me now. When I ask you questions, you also dont reply. You dont act
like a palace maid.
I smile, my eyes still on him, and ask him, Who brought you into the
palace? How come you are by yourself?
He does not answer me and only continues his questioning. Who are
you? Taken aback for a moment, I do not immediately reply. In his
ringing, clear voice, he repeats, Who are you?
I turn to look back at the lonely cluster of flowers in the glow of the
setting sun and whisper to myself, Who am I? Maertai Ruoxi? Zhang
Xiao? A palace maid in the Qing dynasty? A white-collar woman of
modern times? For a while, my thoughts are in a chaotic tangle.
Indeed! Who am I? Even I do not know who I am. With a lost smile, I
look at him again and state, I do not know who I am.

He seems slightly startled by my smile as he gapes at me.

I am struck with alarm as I see his reaction, and I quickly pull myself
together and put on a warm, friendly smile. Not wanting to scare a
child because of my momentary lapse, I move to comfort him. A
eunuch comes rushing over. Oh! Good master, your servant has been
looking for you. How did you run so far in just the blink of an eye?
My gaze turns in his direction, and I see the Fourth-prince is following
behind, approaching us with quick strides. I hurriedly rise and pay the
ceremonial respects.
Fourth princes eyes look at Hongshi as he asks coolly, What is going
on?
Hongshi seems very afraid of him and answers meekly, I talked to her
for a little while. He suddenly appears to remember something and
loudly complains, Father, she wont pay respect to me, and when I ask
her questions, she doesnt answer. And she says she doesnt know who
she is.
When I hear this, I wish I could pass out in a coma on the spot. You
little Hongshi! You just love tattling so much! No wonder people hate
you! I do not know how I should respond, so in the end, I can only
choose to not respond and stand there silently.
The Fourth-prince orders the eunuch beside him, Take Hongshi back
over to where Niangniang[2] is. The eunuch answers submissively and
quickly squats down and piggybacks Hongshi. Before Hongshi leaves,
he looks at me as if he wants to say something, but seeing the cold
expression on his fathers face, he does not dare make a sound and
obediently leaves with the eunuch.
I had thought the Fourth-prince would leave with Hongshi, but he
actually continues standing there motionless. Thinking that I probably
will not be able to withdraw from here anyway, I decide to just stay and

hear what he has to say. And so, I stand quietly with my head lowered,
watching the setting sun stretch and pull the willow trees shadow.
He was silent for a while before he says indifferently, Next time, if you
want to know more about my personal matters, you may simply ask
me directly.
My heart leaps, and I start to grumble silently about the Thirteenthprince. I inquired with him about the Fourth-princes private matters,
but he was not able to answer more than a few questions. Somehow,
though, he still managed to make the Fourth-prince aware of
everything. If I had known, I would not have asked him. Now what
should I do?
Seeing that I do not show even the slightest reaction, he straightens
the hem of his gown and seats himself on the rock I had been sitting on
not long ago. Squinting his eyes slightly as he looks at the flowerbed
ahead, he states in a flat tone, My favourite tea is Taiping Houkui tea,
favourite dessert is yukou pastry[3], favourite colour is the blue of the
sky after the rain, favourite style of chinaware is white porcelain
embellished with flowers and butterflies that have been color-washed
in paint. I like dogs, hate cats, hate eating spicy foods, dislike drinking
too much wine He pauses briefly and thinks before continuing,
Thirteenth Brother has likely already told you all this. You had too
many questions, though, and that is all I can recall at this moment. If
there is anything else you want to know, ask now.
Completely numb, I stand there dumbly in the spot. I really do not how
to react to this. What was the meaning of this attitude of his? Should I
fall onto my knees, declaring my crime and pleading for mercy? Or
should I take advantage of this opportunity to get all my questions
answered clearly?
My thinking is actually very simple. I only know that, in the entire
palace, there are only two people that I absolutely cannot offend: one
is Kangxi, the other is the Fourth-prince. The old shifus had told me
hundreds and thousands of times what Kangxis preferences and

aversions are, but there is no way to find out the Fourth-princes likes
and dislikes. I thought that since the Thirteenth-prince is close to him,
he should know, so I had asked him. However, the Thirteenth-prince
had replied to me in shock, Im a man. Why would I know stuff like
that? I had no choice but to shamelessly pout, I dont care! You are
going to find these out for me no matter what. And I had painstakingly
instructed over and over again that he could only secretly go about
finding these things out and must not let anyone know about it. The
result? The result is that the Thirteenth-prince managed to help me
create this situation now. Alas!
As my thoughts reach this point, I suddenly feel that since the situation
is already as it is, I might as well just throw caution to the wind and let
it be. Things cannot get any worse anyway. So, in a wooden voice, I
ask, What is the color you hate the most?
He is taken aback briefly, likely because he had not thought I would
actually ask. He tilts his head and looks me over for a moment, as if
trying to see whether I had eaten a bears heart or a leopards
gallbladder[4], but then he turns his head back and gazes ahead. His
voice flat as before, he answers, Black.
I nod and continue, What incense do you hate the most?
His answer comes rapidly, Cape jasmine.
Your favourite flower?
Magnolia[5].
Your favourite fruit?
Grapes.
What weather makes you the happiest?
Light sprinkling rain.

What weather do you dislike the most?

Scorching sun.
.
I do not know what I am thinking. Probably I had read too many profiles
or stats of modern idol actors and singers. The more I ask, the more
naturally the questions come until I actually start asking questions like,
the place he wants to visit the most, the happiest memory from his
childhood, the most embarrassing situation he has been in, and so on.
And he actually answers each question, one by one, as I ask them.
My brain feels as if it is stuffed, and I am not sure whether I have
memorized it all or not. Finally, with nothing left to ask, I smack my lips
together lightly and stop.
By now, the sky is dusky. The two of us remained there in silence for a
little while until I lower myself in ceremonial respect and say,
Maidservant has asked all that she wishes to know. If Lord Beile does
not have any other matters, maidservant shall take her leave.
He rises, gazing down at me standing there with bent knees, and
deliberates for a moment before saying in a calm voice, Go then. My
mind feels numb as I straighten myself back up, turn around, and go.

[1] Third son of Emperor Yongzheng. Born in the 43rd year of Kangxi (the year
Zhang Xiao arrives in the Qing dynasty). In the 3rd year of Yongzheng, he was
banished from the palace and became the adopted son of his uncle, the Eighthprince. In the 4th year of Yongzheng, Emperor Yongzheng removed his name from
the Imperial family records for improper conduct and undisciplined behavior as a
young person, therefore removing his status as a member of the Imperial family.
Hongshi died in the 5th year of Yongzheng. There is debate regarding whether his

death was ordered by Emperor Yongzheng or was a result of depression in

imprisonment.
[2] Orig, - A word of respect that is used when referring to an imperial concubine, or the
Empress. In this case, the Fourth-prince is referring to his own wife.
[3] Orig. . I have searched long and hard for what exactly is this pastry but unfortunately,
have not turned up any specifics. Nutmeg is known in Chinese as roukou or yuguo,
or, infrequently, yukou (the name of the pastry). Yukou could also be a combination of
(Chinese cinnamon) and (nutmeg). [Or, I could be completely off. ]
[4] Idiom that means one is extremely daring.
[5] Orig. (pinyin: shuize mulan). The flower name the Fourth-prince gives in the novel
is shuize magnolia where shuize means marshy land. However, there is no such flower as
shuize magnolia in reality. Tong Hua wrote this in her Weibo: Since 2005, there have been
people who have asked what flower is the shuize magnolia that the Fourth-prince likes, but I
never answered. In reality, there is no such flower in the world. It is a flower that I fabricated.
The use of the magnolia flower [in the story] was taken from the poem, Sorrow at Parting [in
pinyin, Li Sao; by Qu Yuan], but at the time, it still felt as if a certain mood was missing.
Therefore, I embellished it by calling it shuize magnolia, adding a cold, solitary feeling. It is
when one merely says orchid, it does not conjure up much in terms of love songs or deeper
meanings, but if one says a hidden orchid in a deep, peaceful valley, it immediately brings out
the gracefulness of the recluse flower.