The next morning, Lu Yan led Bai Daonian into the Eastern Palace, taking him directly to the Crown Prince’s apartments. Lion-faced bronze furnaces welcomed them by diffusing a grey smoke all around their feet, while an Earth Dragon burned with violence, making the temperature in the royal residence soar to summer levels.
(Translator’s Note: The ‘Earth Dragon’ was an ancient heating method. An intricate underground network of fire tunnels popping up on the surface in the form of holes spitting flames very much like a dragon would be used to ensure a homogenous distribution of heat throughout the Imperial City.)
A noble figure seated on an old, discolored settee motioned for them to come closer. Dressed in a dragon-patterned satin robe inlaid with gold threads, it was the silhouette of a most beautiful man, with regular features and luxuriant, dark hair. What a shame the cuffs of his wide sleeves were frayed and the gold of his robe had lost its shine.
It was none other than the Crown Prince. Whoever had known the former Empress Consort would, at a glance, recognize her son. He was in all points like her. The Emperor’s paternity had unfortunately left a few marks on him, disturbing the overall harmony of his features. His lips were a bit too thin and his eyes had a fox-like look to them, their corners pulled towards the temples. Nonetheless, no beauty nor majesty could conceal the marks illness had left on him. His sad eyes and drooping eyebrows gave him a lost, haggard appearance that was difficult to bear in such a benevolent face. And yet, imperial blood flowed thick. And maybe thicker in the veins of the Crown Prince compared to all of his brothers. There was a majesty to him that forced a trembling Bai Daonian to his knees at the first royal glance.
How could Bao Daonian ever have imagined Lord Lu’s elder brother to be a member of the Imperial Household?!
“How much time does This Prince have left?”, this royal personage asked once his pulse had been taken by the foreign doctor.
“Your Highness, the Crown Prince …”, Lu Yan growled, going as far as warning his own Imperial Cousin.
The Crown Prince covered his mouth with a veil, coughing violently, but smiling nonetheless at this stern, rigid cousin of his.
“Shiyan, This Prince just wants the truth.”
For the first time in his life, could he be told the truth? How naïve of an Imperial Prince. His smile became a little bit sadder, a little bit lonelier.
His eyes strayed to Bai Daonian once again, full of benevolence and understanding.
“Doctor Bai must not fear to speak truthfully to This Prince.”
When Bai Daonian had taken the Crown Prince’s pulse, he had been left astounded and horrified. It had been the pulse of a man whose body was no better than an empty husk. On the outside, the Crown Prince could have been mistaken for a healthy, albeit naturally fragile, young man. But in truth, he was being eaten alive from the inside out.
“May this lowly slave have a look at His Highness, the Crown Prince’s medical prescription?”, Bai Daonian carefully inquired.
The Crown Prince glanced at the old, loyal eunuch left behind by his Imperial Mother.
“Go bring the prescriptions from one year back to now.”
An instant later, the eunuch walked back, a heavy, leather-bound collection of writings in his hand. Bai Daonian carefully read through the prescriptions, studying them intently.
At first glance, everything seemed to be in order. Crow-dipper, arum, honeylocust, yellow Himalayan fritillary, bamboo shavings. All used to relieve phlegm and cough and treat asthma. However, as the Crown Prince’s condition had worsened, the amount of medicine prescribed had increased to unimaginable amounts. In one year, the doses had been doubled. And then, there was mercurous chloride, barrenwort, purple holly, chameleon plant, caterpillar fungus …
The most precious herbs and fungi were used to treat the one in the Eastern Palace. And they were given in a manner to ensure they would interact most negatively with one another, canceling each other’s beneficial effects. Masterful. Bai Daonian’s forehead was covered in sweat, his eyebrows furrowed. How could a mere foreign doctor tell a Son of the Heavens, a star in the sky, about the horrible condition of his body?
“Is there something wrong with the prescription?”, Lu Yan urged impatiently.
“There is nothing wrong, so to say. However, a few of the drugs suppress each other’s effects. They should not be taken together …”
Bai Daonian was walking on coals. He thought for an instant, his heart falling to his stomach. Mustering all his courage, he rapidly stuttered through his following words.
“If His Highness, the Crown Prince, were to continue taking this medication, time would run out …”
Time would run out …
Who would dare speak such words in the Eastern Palace?!
Lu Yan himself blanched at the sound of them, let alone the eunuch by the Crown Prince’s side.
“As Doctor Bai seems to have a grasp of the problem, does he have a solution to offer?”, Lu Yan quickly interceded before someone had the bad idea of cutting Doctor Bai’s lifeline short.
Honesty was truly a fault in their good doctor. Once he started bestowing all his truths, he could not stop.
“His Imperial Highness’s disease is not an infection. This humble slave dare not be confident in his measly knowledge, however he can only do his best.”
“No matter the outcome, this prince will never blame Doctor Bai”, the Crown Prince whispered,
Bai Daonian’s nervousness eased the slightest bit.
“This humble slave would wish to tell His Highness something, if he may.”
The Crown Prince, true to his nature, kindly nodded, staring at this poor soul his good cousin had dragged through mounts and rivers in the meekest of manner.
“Speak without fear.”
“This humble slave has been practicing medicine for many years now. He has seen his fair share of difficult and complicated diseases. At first glance, some people may seem strong and yet die from heart palpitations the next moment. Others may be chronically ill and live to see a hundred years. Two years ago, this humble slave has seen a case of tuberculosis cured …”
Hearing as much, the Crown Prince smiled heartily for the first time since their arrival, invigorated by hope and expectation.
“It is the first time This Prince has heard of such a miracle.”
“This humble slave does not dare speak falsehoods”, Bai Daonian immediately interjected.
“Yes, yes. This Prince knows …”, the Crown Prince whispered, his eyes dreamy and looking
Once Bai Daonian had retired, the Crown Prince had retained Lu Yan for lunch.
They had never been close, Princess Royal Jing’an being so partial to her own Imperial Brother and therefore following him in his likes and dislikes. She had kept Lu Yan from any contacts with his Imperial Cousins. Which in itself was unfortunate, taking as the Crown Prince was a most lonely young man whose spirits would have benefited from company of his own age while Lu Yan might have had his natural sense for tyranny curbed had he been forced to give precedence to a friend for once in his life.
The two eventually let the chopsticks between their fingers slide, the Crown Prince too ashamed at his pittance to make greater ado of it and Lu Yan too delicate to comment upon the absolutely shocking food a prince of their Empire was fed.
“Shiyan,” the Crown Prince tentatively started.
“Shiyan, This Prince humbly asks for your help. It has to do with the whereabouts of two persons …”
Lu Yan had no reason to be suspicious of this meek prince and could afford to be generous with his abilities and time, therefore he urged him to speak on.
“Your Highness, do tell your servant more.”
“I wish to find the Third Miss of the Shen Household, as well as its little master.”
Lu Yan left the Eastern Palace with a massive headache, worry griping his heart.
Indeed, the Marquis Yunyang had speedily been convicted for malfeasance in the West Canal case. At the time of the conviction, the Crown Prince had decided to spend day and night under scorching sun and pouring rain on his knees, at the bottom of the hundreds of stairs leading to the Imperial Hall. It had been an act of pleading for his loyal Marquis Yunyang, his first support, his most vocal defendant … the closest to a father the Crown Prince had ever had. However, not once had he bowed his head. No, he had stared at the top of the flight of stairs with an unwavering gaze. And instead of supplication, there had been contempt, mockery, disgust in those beautiful, dark eyes, so like the Emperor’s. The fact the Emperor knew he had condemned an innocent man was one thing, however the way the Crown Prince had shown his own knowledge of the fact was another. It was this utter lack of filial piety, this absolute disdain towards him as a father and a sovereign that had made the Emperor put the Crown Prince under close arrest for three months in a fit of rage.
However, out of all of his Imperial Sons, the Crown Prince had still proven to be the least problematic of the lot. Therefore, the Emperor was more than willing to support his son’s claim to the position of Crown Prince. And of course, at the first sign of support, the Crown Prince had turned around and was more than eager to alleviate his beloved Marquis Yunyang’s suffering, starting by finding his lost daughter and son and bringing them under his wing.
The Emperor was wrong to believe this son of his the least dangerous among his brood. The Crown Prince might not have been motivated by greed and supreme power, but in the name of loyalty to those who had proven good to him, he could be led much farther than any of his Imperial Brothers. And to help him in any endeavour, he had the Empress Consort’s intelligence which already put him at advantage compared to the rest of the Imperial Household. Had he had the least bit of deviousness about himself, he would already have been seated on the Imperial Throne.
Lu Yan might have admired such an ardent, honest soul in his cousin, so unlike his own, and might even have agreed with Marquis Yunyang that the Crown Prince would make an Emperor among a thousand, however when it came to Shen Zhen, he was least willing to offer a helping hand. After all, he had been the one to hide her.
Rubbing at his temples irritably, Lu Yan dragged his exhausted body to the Supreme Court. As soon as he saw this good colleague back from his journey, Sun Xu, a cup of tea in hand, smiled with a mixture of real joy and this bit of mock obsequiousness proper to him.
“Well, well! Lord Lu has finally come back to us. It had been such a long while we have not seem him. Has that case in Jingzhou been carried out with success?”
No one in Beijing had been informed Lu Yan had actually been dispatched to Yangzhou, as it had ben a secret mission. Rather, he had said he was being asked in Jingzhou to help with a case.
Lu Yan nodded without blinking an eye, perjuring his soul with the greatest ease.
“It has gone well, thank you for asking.”
Their clerk, more than eager to join the conversation, interjected :
“During Lord Lu’s absence, a most extraordinary thing has happened! His Lordship has missed it all!”
Lu Yan’s lips curled sardonically as he gently shook his head in soft mockery.
This clerk of theirs, truly. It was a shame he had joined the Supreme Court. It was no place for him. He had such a rich range of facial expressions and enjoyed talking so much that he would have made a most successful raconteur in one of Chang’an’s popular teahouses. What a career he would have had! He would have gone down in history books, surely.
Sun Xu, continuing to leisurely sip his tea, smiled knowingly, like a cat who had just lapped up some rich cream.
“This matter is actually related to our good Lord Lu!”
Thinking through all of his most recent cases, Lu Yan shrugged his shoulders in disinterest, leading with a dissuasive “Indeed?”
Sun Xu, however, ignored the unfavourable tone of Lu Yan’s voice and continued heartily.
“Does Lord Lu remember last October? The Wang Zhao case! Abduction and sale of young women not yet out of their boudoir!”
Lu Yan was left in amazement. Not so much at the case as much at the fact it had yet to be solved.
“Have you not solved the case yet?!”, he blurted out, putting a damp on Sun Xu’s enthusiasm.
Lu Yan had let the capital in winter and it was already March. What had Sun Xu been doing all that time?! Shooting Sun Xu’s tea set a meaningful glance, Lu Yan could only imagine.
Handing a file to Lu Yan as if to prove he had not been sitting around for all this time, Sun Xu continued.
“After we got a search warrant to go through Wang Zhao’s residence, we found a secret passage built right under their compound. As soon as we descended into it, we were welcomed by the rotting corpses of all the missing girls! Even the hardy Zhou Yazuo vomited all over the place. But we came a step too late. By the time we arrived, Wang Zhao had already escaped.”
Seeing as their enthusiastic clerk was more than eager to continue, Sun Xu waved a goodhearted hand at him.
“You can continue.”
The little official, opening his mouth wide in bliss, his eyes shining like stars in the night, clasped his hands together and recounted in a loud voice.
“So, Wang Zhao ran away, and his Xianbei brother-in-law also disappeared in thin air. However, no one has yet escaped the far-reaching hand of our Supreme Court! And therefore, one night, under the guidance of Lord Zheng’s supreme intellect, that, let this humble one tell all you lords, appears to be clairvoyance more often than not, I waited in the dark for ongoing days and caught Wang Zhao and all of his accomplices!”
Judge Zheng who had just been passing by heard his intellect described in such glorious terms and could not but cough embarrassedly. Sun Xu, for his part, bowing his head to hide his distorted features, swore under his breath. That wretched clerk must have had eyes at the back of his head! How else to explain Judge Zheng passing by when being so perfectly praised?!
And, in fact, they had not been able to catch Wang Zhao and his jolly gang of rapists and kidnappers because of Lord Zheng’s supreme intellect but rather because of the portrait Lord Lu’s charming protégée had left them! However, Judge Zheng was a righteous man who did not accept undeserved praise. He generously admitted he had little part to play in the whole process.
“This case has solely been solved thanks to the talents of Lord Lu’s female painter.”
Being reminded of the female painter, the clerk joined in the praise with even greater excitement.
“Why, yes! Had Lord Lu only been there, even he would have been left amazed. That Wang Zhao’s Xianbei brother-in-law was the spit of that portrait!”
Oh, Lu Yan was indeed amazed! He hoped … was exaggerating, as was his habit. Yet, he could only imagine that a painting by Shen Zhen was pure perfection. Her art was spiritual in essence. His eyes had never laid upon better paintings, and he was not a man for exaggeration. Many a great master could not compare. He himself was nothing but a toddler learning to hold a brush in front of her.
After a silent pause, Sun Xu could not help whisper into Lu Yan’s ear.
“This female painter of Lord Lu’s, which household does she belong to?”
Lu Yan frowned imperceptibly, trying to contain the anger in his voice.
“Why does Lord Sun wish to know?”
“I have a certain case on my hands that would require a few portraits to be drawn. If Lord Lu would only be so good as to—”
Lu Yan interrupted him mercilessly, a very false smile settling at the corner of his lips.
“I am more than sorry, Lord Sun. I am in no possibility to reveal her identity. The reason Lord Sun can guess himself.”
Sun Xu nodded in understanding. Not able to restrain his regret, he had to express it in a mournful undertone.
“What a shame it is that women are confined to either their boudoirs as young girls or their courtyards as married women, their talents and knowledge left to wither behind the high walls of their fathers’ or husbands’ abodes. A shame, what a great shame.”
His words stabbed Lu Yan’s heart more viciously than Shen Zhen’s tears ever could.
Getting onto his carriage in the evening, his eyes darkened in helpless rage. What was it today?! Why had the whole world decided to uncover Shen Zhen’s whereabouts?!
Yang Zong, approaching his window and lifting the curtain, cautiously asked:
“Does the Young Master plan on returning to the Ducal Estate?”
“No.”
As the sun was setting, Lu Yan pushed the door to Lanyue, stepping in only to realize Shen Zhen was not in her courtyard.
“Where is she?”, he snapped at the only servant in the place.
Moyue bent her knees rapidly.
“The Miss is in the Eastern Room”, she stuttered, flustered and stunned.
Lu Yan did not even shoot her a last glance, turning on his heels and walking out in a confident stride.
There were two Eastern Rooms in Chengyuan, separated by a painted screen made of drooping fragrant dalbergia wood, all in carvings of birds and beasts and inlaid with jade. Full bookshelves stacked with all of Lu Yan’s miscellaneous notes, paintings and calligraphy he liked to collect in his free time lined the walls. A mahogany hall settee, elegant and austere, had been installed in both rooms to facilitate both work and rest, on nights when Lu Yan, the main user of both Eastern Rooms, would only wish to close his eyes for a few instants before continuing with the task at hand.
Walking into the one of the two rooms that was diffusely lighted, Lu Yan was welcomed by the sight of a delicate nine-koi painting hanging from the eastern wall.
(Translator’s Note: Nine koi fish, a symbol that can be found on carvings, paintings and other ancient artefacts, represent unity, prosperity and longevity. There will be eight gold or red fish and one black fish for protection.)
And under the painting, a beauty seated on the settee was fiddling with some scrolls. The light of a multitude of candles reflected on her pale face. The scrolls lying tenderly on her knees and the fragrance of ink that pervaded the room reminded Lu Yan that Shen Zhen would have made such a fascinating little scholar. This bit of bookishness did no harm to her natural charm. Many a woman would have appeared pretentious and full of affectations. Shen Zhen only appeared pensive and melancholy in a most poetic fashion.
Lu Yan walked forward, unable to taste the appeal of the scene without growling like an ill-tempered bear.
“What are you tossing about?”
This low voice, with its natural sternness and the cold self-satisfaction that transpired through every word, had long stopped frightening Shen Zhen. Rather, she leisurely looked towards Lu Yan, only to see he was wearing a black cloak over his dark purple official uniform. His dark clothes made him look untouchable and insensitive. However, if one were to carefully observe him, one would discover a soft, tender gaze escape the corner of his eye and realize just how this man’s attractiveness transcended his outer envelope. Shen Zhen had to admit it. As an imperial official, he was oh so much more striking than as that frivolous young master of the Wei family.
He walked straight to her, leaned over and picked a painting at random.
“Have you painted this?”
He knew the paintings in his possession by heart. This was not one of them. As well, the ink had yet to dry. But the fact that for an instant, he had doubted himself was the greatest of compliments towards Shen Zhen’s talent. What a shame that she had been born a woman. She would have made the Marquis Yunyang a magnificent heir. But destiny had wanted it otherwise, making her be born a woman, unable to leave her boudoir under the threat of violence, unvalued and at the mercy of the world. Lu Yan frowned and turned his head away, unable to look at her eyes any longer.
How could Shen Zhen know what he was thinking? She simply confirmed that, indeed, these were her paintings.
Raising his eyebrows, Lu Yan could not help his curiosity.
“Why did you suddenly get the idea of painting landscapes?”
Shen Zhen’s cheeks blushed prettily and she reached out to tug at Lu Yan’s sleeve worriedly.
“Has Your Lordship forgotten his promise?”, she softly whispered, her teeth worrying her lip back and forth.
Frowning, Lu Yan truly could not remember any promise he might have made.
“Which one?”
Sure enough, his charming little mistress’s face blanched in anxiety, all her helplessness and fragility reflected in her eyes.
“Has Your Lordship not agreed to accompany me to visit the Daxingshan Temple on March seventh?”
Lu Yan grabbed onto her tiny hand, squeezing it in reassurance.
“I remember.”
Shen Zhen slid her legs from beneath her, her naked feet landing on the cold ground as she placed her hands on his shoulders, standing on tiptoe to breathe into Lu Yan’s ear, as if she had a great secret to reveal to him:
“I wish to sell these paintings so Grand Monk Shen Yuan chant prayers for Mother.”
She had no need to expand further, Lu Yan understood it all. She has been poking around the Eastern Room for the past two days with the goal of saving up incense money. Terribly damaging Lu Yan’s pride as a man in the process.
