After the heavy rain, the weather was barely comfortable for a day or two. By the third day, the sun revealed its harsh nature once more, and by the end of the fifth month, even rainfall could no longer bring relief. Lu Ai bustled about and shifted its nest into the cool shade inside the room. Thus, the height of summer in the eighth year of Zhengyou arrived, contending with the lotus blossoms blooming across the back lake of the Prince’s Mansion.
The value of the Icehouse quickly became evident. As was customary, refreshing mung bean soup was included in the servants’ meals, along with an assortment of seasonal fruits. His Highness had people store a considerable amount every summer, allowing the servants and maids to use them for themselves. Everyone had a share and it’s free of charge.
Therefore, working in Prince Zhao’s mansion was truly considered a good thing: the tasks were light, the master was easy to talk to, and they occasionally received rewards and benefits.
Of course, “the master is easy to talk to” was predicated on His Highness moving back from the east room and no longer sleeping separately from the princess consort.
Lu Lingcong was truly frightened by Xie Jing’s fear of the heat, so he specially instructed the kitchen to prepare cold dishes in various styles for his lunch and dinner or to send over sour plum juice, iced lychees, and cherries drenched in sweetened cream cheese, all emitting a slight chill, when he was cooling off in the study or on the Qibi Terrace.
However, within two days, he realized that Xie Jing scarcely touched any of them. Only the bowl of sour plum juice drew him in slightly, yet even that he set aside after just two sips.
According to the young maid who reported back, “It looks like the Princess Consort didn’t dislike them. He seemed quite tempted to try those pastries and fresh fruits a few times, but in the end, he awarded them all to us and let us share.” Lu Lingcong couldn’t figure it out, and since it didn’t feel appropriate to ask directly, he went to the icehouse himself. He grounded up the tea leaves left over from spring, made a plate of Longjing tea-flavored crisp cakes shaped like little mountains, then brought them to the study and said bluntly without any preamble, “I made this. Want to try it?”
It was a joke; his skill had never failed with Xie Jing.
Sure enough, Xie Jing paused upon hearing this, then raised his hand to pick up the small silver spoon, scooped a small piece of the crisp cake drizzled with tea powder and put it in his mouth. It was indeed very cold upon entering his mouth, making his teeth feel slightly sour, but after a moment of adjustment, the clean sweetness of the milk and the slight astringency of the Longjing tea blossomed on his tongue. The texture was between crushed ice and soft cake; after holding it for a while, it completely melted, reaching the same temperature as his mouth and only then did Xie Jing slowly swallow it.
He lifted his eyes and nodded, “Good.”
The look of triumph instantly written on Lu Lingcong’s face made Xie Jing really want to take the whole bowl and eat it all, but before he could scoop the second spoonful, Yin Chou, who was behind him, cleared her throat softly.
Xie Jing had no choice but to put down the spoon grudgingly.
Lu Lingcong looked back and forth between the two of them, not understanding: “What’s the meaning of this? Wasn’t it ‘good’?”
Xie Jing innocently avoided his gaze before throwing the question to Yin Chou, who could only say, “The Princess Consort has a cold constitution… it’s best to avoid these raw and cold things.”
Lu Lingcong protested, “I know he has a cold constitution, so I only made this small bowl. It’s not even as big as a lion’s head meatball, just enough for a taste. This isn’t allowed either?”
Yin Chou fell silent, then shook her head and forced a smile: “…It’s best not to.”
Lu Lingcong gave her a strange look, then looked at Xie Jing, who was pretending to be deaf and mute. In the end, he didn’t say anything, took the bowl, and quickly finished it in two bites with the silver spoon Xie Jing had used. Just as he was about to leave, Xie Jing suddenly spoke, “I want to eat that noodle dish.”
He reached out and grabbed Lu Lingcong’s sleeve to prevent him from taking the next step, adding, “The one you made for my birthday, the chicken broth silver-thread noodles.”
Lu Lingcong turned back: “My ancestor, that soup base takes an hour and a half to simmer. In this weather, you might not mind ending up with a face full of sweat while eating it, but I’m afraid I’ll suffocate in the kitchen just trying to make it!”
Xie Jing: “You don’t even have to stand by the stove for the entire hour and a half. You said last time that after putting the soup on to simmer, you returned to the bedroom to wait for me to wake up, and you even swore to it.”
Lu Lingcong let out a string of four ‘you’s with an aggressive posture. He reached out as if to tickle the sensitive spot at his waist, but Xie Jing reacted with unusual intensity, almost frantically wrapping his arms around his waist, then jumping off the couch without even putting on his shoes and running straight into the outer room of the study.
Lu Lingcong was both amused and exasperated, resignedly heading to the kitchen. That evening at the dinner table, Xie Jing finally got his wish, cradling a bowl of steaming hot noodles. Lu Lingcong deliberately sat far away from him as though separated by ten thousand miles to avoid being enveloped by the rising steam. Xie Jing didn’t mind either and even contentedly drank all the soup.
Yin Chou quietly said to Lu Lingcong at the right time, “This is the best appetite the Princess Consort has had in quite a few days.”
Lu Lingcong paused upon hearing this, then subtly moved his seat next to Xie Jing, took the bowl and chopsticks, added a few more mouthfuls of noodles for him, and said, “Eat a little more.”
Because this incident occurred in the public flower hall, it quickly spread throughout the entire Prince’s Mansion within half a day as if it had grown legs. Well, now everyone knows about His Highness’s glorious deed, which was cited as a beautiful anecdote and talked about for several days. Even Li Qi, who visited the mansion soon after, had heard about it.
Li Qi came to the Prince’s Mansion to relay a message: “A batch of new recruits will be sent to the West Barracks at the end of next month to be trained by my brother-in-law. If you want to come and have some fun, I’ll have him quietly arrange the necessary documents for you.”
Lu Lingcong said, “Naturally, I want to. “As for the document… just write Xie Feng of Chen Commandery.””
Upon hearing this, Li Qi said teasingly, “The last few times you’ve also used the Princess Consort’s surname. Do you know what that’s called? It’s called marrying a wife and forgetting your mother.”
Xie Jing was out at the palace, and it was just the two of them talking in the study in the front yard, so there were no reservations. Lu Lingcong cursed at him and said, “I’m not done yet. Also, please trouble Brother-in-law to prepare one for my spouse as well, with the place of origin listed as Chen Commandery. As for the name, just write ‘Wu Zhi.’”
Li Qi was surprised, “You want to take the Princess Consort with you?”
Lu Lingcong asked, “Never mind if it’s inconvenient. I just see him commuting between the Prince’s Mansion and the palace every day with no other hobbies besides working at his desk. It’s dreadfully boring, and I just want to take him out for some fresh air.”
“It is convenient,” Li Qi suddenly smiled and pushed his luck. “I just didn’t expect you to change your tune so quickly. You didn’t even remember his birthday before, and now, scarcely two months later, you’re already rushing to join their family as a live-in son-in-law.”
Lu Lingcong: “Did I?”
Li Qi countered, “You didn’t? Listen to yourself, acting as if he’s some priceless treasure. Go ask around, I’m afraid only that person’s own parents and older brother could treat him to that extent.”
Lu Lingcong pondered for a moment, then seriously analyzed:
“I am good to him precisely because he is Princess Consort Zhao. Since he lives under the roof of the Prince’s Mansion, why shouldn’t I treat him well? He’s away from his parents, elder brother, and sister-in-law. If I’m not good to him, who else will be? Besides, I don’t always stay with Mother and Zhenzhen anyway. If I’m not good to him, then who else should I be good to?”
Li Qi scrutinized him strangely: “Why are you getting worked up? He is your princess consort. Who would dare to criticize whether you take him out for fresh air or cook and prepare things for him?”
Lu Lingcong glared at him: “Cooking and preparing food comes from a chef’s sense of accomplishment. Someone like you, who doesn’t even know which way the kitchen door opens, wouldn’t understand.”
On the first day of the sixth lunar month, Wang Xi, the second son of the Right Prime Minister Wang Chu, returned to the capital from Yangzhou. A banquet was held at the Wang Mansion to welcome him and also to announce the marriage between Wang Xi and the eldest daughter of the Cui family. Both Prince Zhao and Princess Consort were among the invited.
As they were preparing to leave at the end of the Sishi[mfn]9:00 AM to 11:00 AM.[/mfn], a eunuch suddenly arrived, saying the emperor urgently summoned Lu Lingcong to the palace, but the specific reason was vague. In this situation, Xie Jing had no choice but to go alone first.
“If you don’t want to go, then don’t go. Send a message saying you’re indisposed. I’ll go directly after I come out of the palace.” Lu Lingcong knew Xie Jing disliked socializing, let alone with the Wang family, with whom he had no relationship or familiarity with. If he went without Lu Lingcong by his side, he would probably be bored alone, drinking by himself.
Xie Jing, however, shook his head: “Didn’t you say the Empress would be going today?”
“The Wang family’s second son is getting engaged, and Empress Mother is his paternal aunt; effectively the one overseeing the marriage, so she naturally must return to their mansion at least once. This is also tacitly approved by Emperor Father.”
Xie Jing was naturally reluctant to join in the fun, yet he found himself moving back and forth with Lu Lingcong, especially since the other party was also taking him into account, “Then I absolutely cannot be absent. Otherwise, she’ll find yet another reason to hold against me. Besides being harsh to me in Linhai Hall, she’ll secretly set obstacles to make things difficult for you, which is truly annoying.”
Seeing that Xie Jing had made up his mind, Lu Lingcong no longer tried to stop him. He helped him into the carriage and instructed, “If anything happens, don’t worry about it. If you’re unhappy, just leave directly. We can afford to offend the Wang family.”
Xie Jing smiled and nodded in agreement.
The Wang family’s old residence was in the same Wuyi Lane as the Xie family’s, they’re considered half-neighbors, but they had moved out two generations ago and set up a new mansion. It was some distance from Prince Zhao’s mansion. When Xie Jing arrived, the courtyard was already bustling with many carriages and horses parked with the empress’s phoenix carriage was also resting in the main hall.
The servants led Xie Jing into the hall. He first exchanged greetings with Prime Minister Wang and his son and then went inside to pay his respects to the empress. Seeing only Xie Jing appear, the empress indeed frowned slightly and asked, “Why did Zifeng not come with you?”
Xie Jing replied, reasoning that since even the empress was unaware that the emperor had summoned Lu Lingcong to the palace, it must indeed be an urgent matter, though he had no sense of how serious it might be.
The main hall’s Inner and outer sections were divided by screens. Given his status, Xie Jing was seated among a group of noble ladies and young women. The division between men and women was secondary; what mattered most was that everyone else acknowledged him. Yet he recognized none of them, leaving him without even a single familiar face for small talk. Yin Chou stood behind him. She wasn’t originally a maid of the Prince’s Mansion and had no obligation to accompany her master to social events, but out of concern for him, she had come anyway.
The Empress seemed to notice Xie Jing’s discomfort and said, “You should go sit outside later. Sharing a table with a group of young ladies is always awkward.”
Xie Jing was only grateful to the empress for the span of an incense stick, yet when he was led among the male guests, he immediately realized that this was by no means simpler than dealing with the female guests.
He was given the seat of honor with the spot beside him reserved for Lu Lingcong. Aside from the host, Wang Xi, whom he had only just met, everyone else was a stranger. However, he did see a few people who are usually associated closely with Lu Lingcong seated below.
Xie Jing didn’t have a clear grasp of the factional struggles in the capital. From the large crowds at the tables, he couldn’t discern any intricate schemes, and could only make rough judgments based on the seating arrangements: Although Lu Lingcong and he were seated at the main table because of their imperial status, others connected to Prince Zhao’s Mansion received neither special attention nor warmth from the host, and could even be said to have been deliberately, or at least inadvertently, marginalized.
And in that moment, with Lu Lingcong being absent, Xie Jing’s “imperial status” turned into a mere joke. From the moment he entered the room, he could clearly feel the scrutinizing gazes from all directions.
No one offered him a customary greeting. After a brief silence in the hall, a young man was the first to rise, cup his hands, and call out, “Young Master Xie.”
Xie Jing remembered he was Li Qi, Lu Lingcong’s childhood friend and a frequent guest at Prince Zhao’s mansion.
Subsequently, a few others rose to greet him as well. Xie Jing returned their greetings one by one before sitting down; his mind already made up.
He was an anomaly, an outlier in any gathering. Women regarded him with caution, intrigued by what allure he, a man, could possess to so fully captivate Prince Zhao; while men looked down on him, seeing him as a fool for yielding to another, his own name and rank forever subordinated to the title of “Princess Consort Zhao.”
Li Qi and the others, mindful of their friendship with Lu Lingcong, addressed him as “Young Master Xie” to help him navigate the awkward situation, but not everyone bothered to afford him that respect. The former top scholar, who had once basked in unmatched glory, was now a careful daughter-in-law living under the imperial roof. Who didn’t secretly regard him as a clown?
Xie Jing noticed this and felt a sense of relief. As long as he remained unbothered, others would feel discomfort instead, so he simply acted nonchalant, feigning ignorance of everything.
The Wang family’s social circle overlapped with Prince Zhao’s Mansion, but they were generally different. The Wang clan of Langya and his Xie clan of Chen Commandery were both emigrant gentry families who had moved south to Jinling during the previous Jin Dynasty. However, unlike the Xie family, who had produced a successful candidate in the imperial examination in every generation, the Wang family had gradually declined after Emperor Gaozong abolished the Nine-Rank System and instituted the imperial examination. Their sons lost their special privileges and shortcuts, and there were few people in court. Their prominence had only recently been restored, following the rise of an Empress and a Prime Minister in the current dynasty. Those they associated were mostly old aristocratic families with similar fates and ancestral homes north of the river.
Meanwhile, those who frequently visited Prince Zhao’s mansion were the new nobility who had slowly accumulated power locally in Jiangnan; they either had wealth or power and possessed some degree of capability.
Thus, although most of the attendees at the banquet came from well-known families, few held any official positions. They were genuine idlers; worse, in fact, than the local elite surrounding Lu Lingcong.
Xie Jing couldn’t join the conversation of these people, and no one offered him a topic either, which suited him perfectly. He intended to focus on his meal; after all, the chef’s skills were quite good.
However, the conversation eventually turned to the main event of the day—the marriage between Wang Xi and the daughter of the Cui family, he couldn’t help but prick up his ears.
“I heard that Miss Cui is actually a year older than Wang Xi, and in her early years, she often frequented military camps. I wonder what kind of fierce woman she is.”
“She’s a bit fierce, but I saw her once at a palace banquet last year, she is truly beautiful.”
“Second Brother, you’re actually willing to marry someone else’s leftovers.”
Although playful conversation was common during banquets, Xie Jing hadn’t expected this group of people to openly and wantonly comment on the Cui clan woman, and Wang Xi actually didn’t stop them, merely shrugging noncommittally.
“You shouldn’t put it that way. The one Prince Zhao passed over is different.”
Xie Jing subtly slowed down his chewing.
“How is it different?”
“The one His Highness Prince Zhao chose is sitting right here; his character and appearance are clear for all to see. Even though Miss Cui wasn’t chosen, it’s not unreasonable either.”
Xie Jing dragged over the spittoon, covered his mouth with his sleeve, and spat out the half-chewed food he hadn’t swallowed, feeling a wave of nausea; partly physical, partly psychological.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Li Qi frown as if about to speak, but Xie Jing merely shook his head at him before picking up his tea to drink.
A moment later, he heard Wang Xi suddenly speak: “Speaking of being ‘chosen,’ I heard,” he turned to Xie Jing and smiled, “that the Princess Consort chose a girl at the Star-Plucking Tower a few days ago.”
Xie Jing paused, instinctively glancing at Yin Chou, who was standing by the door. Her expressions also changed. He could guarantee that no third person saw the token when he requested the person at the Star-Plucking Tower that day. The madam wouldn’t dare speak. However, Yin Chou had a certain reputation in the Tower, and she hadn’t gone unnoticed when occasionally seen entering and leaving the Prince’s Mansion with Xie Jing during this period. If someone had truly noticed that Princess Consort Zhao had an extra woman by his side and intentionally investigated, it wouldn’t be entirely without clues.
Before Xie Jing could speak, someone else interjected, lowering their voice: “That’s rather strange. Large households like the Prince’s Mansion must know how to amuse themselves. Behind closed doors, who knows whether she’s meant to be a concubine for His Highness or for the Princess Consort—”
He didn’t finish, and laughter had already broken out. Xie Jing’s expression remained unchanged; he simply lifted his head and cast a glance at the one who had spoken.
Wang Xi waited for the laughter to subside before slowly saying, “The Princess Consort is my aunt’s daughter-in-law. By right, I should address him as ‘sister-in-law’ so in truth, we are family. Princess Consort, why don’t you lend Yin Chou to pour a few cups of wine for me so I can also feast my eyes? How about that?”
Yin Chou grew anxious and was about to step into the hall, but Xie Jing stood up before her and said, “Yin Chou is neither a courtesan nor a servant. She is a physician I employed for the Prince’s Mansion. We have a contract, and she receives a commission. She does not serve outsiders.”
Immediately, he strode gracefully to Wang Xi’s seat, lifted the wine pot, poured three generous cups, curved his lips into a smile, and said, “I will pour for Young Master Wang.”
Wang Xi was momentarily stunned, scrutinized him for a moment, and drank them one by one. He then raised his hand to signal a servant to bring three identical wine vessels and said, “It is fitting to drink with the Princess Consort.”
Xie Jing lowered his gaze, the rich aroma of the wine wafting into his nostrils. His hand faltered for a moment, and Wang Xi noticed it immediately.
“When I was in Yangzhou, I heard that the Meishan Snow Liquor from Prince Zhao’s mansion is peerless. Today, I must thank His Highness for his generosity, especially ordering people to retrieve it from the icehouse as a gift to me. Princess Consort, are you unwilling to drink your own wine or unwilling to grant me this favor?”
Once Wang Xi finished speaking, Xie Jing no longer hesitated and firmly grasped the rim of the cup.
Yin Chou cried out in alarm, “Princess Consort, you must not!”
“It is my fault for not setting a rule that the physician of the Prince’s Mansion is exempt from pouring wine; this cup counts as self-punishment for me.”
“Since I have failed in the etiquette of a guest, it would be inappropriate to visit again and spoil the fun when Young Master Wang gets married in the future; please grant me forgiveness with this cup.”
“Young Master Wang has found a fine match and henceforth gains another subject for drunken banter and an object for lustful thought and indecent play; this cup is to congratulate you on your new joy.”
After Xie Jing finished speaking, he tilted his head back and downed the three cups of wine in one go. The familiar taste of the Meishan Snow Liquor rolled down his throat, simultaneously burning and icy cold. He paid it no heed but simply threw the cups heavily onto the table.
If his first two statements were just sarcasm, the last one was too blunt and unpleasant. Wang Xi’s smile faded for a moment. He glanced at the toppled empty cups and, after a while, said, “Careful now, the Princess Consort has pulled a long face. Don’t tell me you’re going to run home and whisper complaints about us to His Highness on the pillow?”
Before his voice faded, a voice boomed from outside the hall: “How troublesome it would be to go all the way home. Since everyone is so curious about what happens on the pillows of Prince Zhao’s Mansion, why don’t I just whisper complaints out for you all right here?”
Xie Jing turned his head to see Lu Lingcong striding in. He went straight up, grabbed Xie Jing’s wrist, and pulled him to his side. He then solemnly scanned all the people present and asked, “Not listening?”
There was dead silence.
Lu Lingcong met Wang Xi’s gaze, held it, and distinctly said word by word, “If you’re not listening, then I’ll have to trouble Young Master Wang to pass a message to Empress Mother, Erchen and the Princess Consort are heading home now to whisper complaints.”
After speaking, he half-dragged Xie Jing and walked out. After a few steps, he suddenly stopped and turned back. First, he stared fixedly at the person who had just suggested Yin Chou was a concubine. After a long moment, he glanced sideways, looking pointedly at the person who had previously said, “The one His Highness Prince Zhao chose is sitting right here.”
“Zhao Xiao, Cao Ji,” Lu Lingcong called out their names, then said lightly, “Go kneel facing each other beneath the Zhuque Bridge, slap each other fifty times each, and only then may you return.”
Xie Jing stumbled all the way as Lu Lingcong pulled him toward the outer courtyard with Yin Chou jogging closely behind them. No one dared to stop them along the way; clearly, everyone had heard the scene that played out in the hall just now, and it was the first time they had seen the usually good-natured Prince Zhao openly lose his temper in public.
Right up until they reached the Prince’s Mansion’s carriage outside the main gate, Lu Lingcong’s expression remained dark. He pushed Xie Jing into the carriage, turned to Yin Chou, and said, “Sit in the outer compartment on the way. I have a couple of things to say to the Princess Consort.”
Yin Chou finally caught up, panting heavily, but pushed aside her exhaustion and hurriedly exclaimed, “Whatever you need to say can wait! He drank all three large cups of cold wine!”
Lu Lingcong froze at the words, frowned, turned, and lifted the carriage curtain. He saw Xie Jing entirely curled up in the corner with his chin resting on his knees while biting the hem of his clothes between his teeth with his palms clenched over his lower abdomen as his lips were already pale and colorless.
