Zhou Jingmi

Qin Shuning had been married to Zhou Xuheng for a year, but her belly had shown no signs of life.

It was only natural that the empress was anxious.

Now that the subject had come up today, she pondered briefly before instructing the elderly palace matron behind her, "The Imperial Medical Bureau received a batch of fine medicinal herbs for nourishing the body a few days ago. Have someone send some to the Eastern Palace."

"Yes."

Qin Shuning said, "Thank you, Mother Empress."

As it happened, these herbs were from the batch Su Luoqian's elder brother, Su Luoyun, had acquired in the southwest some time ago.

He had found several reliable, meticulous people and asked them to send the herbs back to Yujing as quickly as possible. Only after Su Liangzhuo had inspected them and found nothing amiss were they sent into the palace.

Su Luoyun, meanwhile, had changed course from the southwest and gone to Jiangnan, continuing to inspect the Su Family's businesses and shops along the way.

"The crown prince devotes himself diligently to state affairs. As crown princess, you should ease his worries, and producing an heir is also a matter of the utmost importance."

The empress glanced sideways at Qin Shuning.

The young woman was in the bloom of youth, at the finest age of her life.

Qin Shuning came from a family of military commanders and had been steeped in their ways since childhood. Her features held a heroic spirit uncommon in other women, which made her beauty all the more striking.

The empress's thoughts paused for a moment. It was unclear what came to mind, but she advised gently, "I know you have a cheerful disposition, but now that you have married into the imperial family, you should put the greater picture first. You cannot let your temperament dictate what takes priority."

Qin Shuning's throat tightened. Her slender hands clenched in her sleeves as she lowered her head and replied, "I understand."

While the empress spoke with the crown princess about imperial heirs, Su Luoqian lowered her lashes and did not dare make a sound.

By her reckoning, she and Lu Jingsi had been married for four or five months. In an ordinary prominent household, it would also be time to press them for children.

She was lost in these thoughts when, unexpectedly, the empress suddenly called her.

Su Luoqian lowered her head and answered, "I am here."

"You and A-Si should also hurry along."

Su Luoqian's heart tightened. Sure enough, what had to come had finally come.

"You went to the Eldest Princess's residence today. Anyun certainly would not have spoken to the two of you about such things. She has long lived a quiet life with few affairs to occupy her and seldom concerns herself with such matters."

She paused, then added, "But Anyun and I have known each other for many years, and since A-Si calls me Aunt, do not blame me for speaking out of turn."

Su Luoqian hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty has my interests at heart. I am grateful."

The empress smiled kindly.

She was fond of Su Luoqian and Qin Shuning from the bottom of her heart. Both possessed the finest qualities a woman could have.

But the world demanded much of women: they were to "assist their husbands and raise their children," and carrying on the family line was a matter of the utmost importance.

The empress had borne only one son, the crown prince, and had wished for a daughter without success.

Thus, the more she saw of Su Luoqian and Qin Shuning, the more fond of them she became.

The three left the pavilion and followed a pebble-paved path.

Exotic blossoms dotted the spaces between the pavilions and towers of the imperial garden. Alongside flowers of every color stood green bamboo and artificial hills and rocks.

After turning past one of the artificial hills, the three heard the soft notes of a zither nearby.

The playing, however, was somewhat unpracticed, as though the player had only recently begun to learn.

The empress's eyes flickered, and an elderly palace matron beside her stepped forward to explain, "This spot is near Consort Shu's residence, Yijing Palace. I imagine the person playing the zither is from there."

Consort Shu...

The empress paused, then turned toward a pavilion to the side.

Consort Shu was somewhat spoiled and willful. She had been favored when she first entered the palace and had soon become pregnant, but the child she bore was a princess.

Consort Shu had hoped for a son who would elevate her status as his mother, but things had not gone as she wished.

Later, the emperor devoted himself to state affairs and rarely stayed overnight in the rear palace.

She had been forced to set aside her hopes of having a son.

Only her temper and disposition had made her increasingly difficult to get along with.

She was well-behaved before the empress, however, and so had never caused any major trouble.

With Su Luoqian and Qin Shuning beside her today, the empress did not want Consort Shu to spoil their mood, so she abandoned their original direction.

They passed the artificial hill and went around a man-made lake, coming to a pavilion.

The pavilion was exquisitely built, with its walkways painted a vivid vermilion.

The three climbed the steps.

This was one of the higher spots in the imperial garden, and the distant view was a pleasing one.

From here, however, the scene in that corner of the imperial garden became all the clearer.

Su Luoqian knew very little about Consort Shu, having only seen her from a distance at the first palace banquet she attended after her marriage.

At the time, she had thought the consort rather showy in her golden hairpins and magnificent robes.

Now she saw Consort Shu standing in a pavilion. The little princess Zhou Jingmi, who should have been wearing a palace dress, was dressed instead in a dark blue boy's training outfit, her eyes lowered as she obediently endured a scolding.

Beside the two of them was a boy who looked to be twelve or thirteen.

Though he was still young, his features and build already gave a hint that he would one day be a handsome, dashing man.

The boy knelt on one knee, saying something they could not make out.

But Consort Shu paid him little heed. Grabbing Zhou Jingmi by the arm, she turned and left the pavilion.

The little girl looked back every two or three steps, plainly reluctant to leave the boy.

Her round little face fell, and her lips pouted with grievance, yet she did not dare disobey her mother.

The three women in the pavilion saw the scene clearly.

The empress frowned slightly. "Is that the young master from General Pei's residence?"

The elderly matron nodded and replied, "Your Majesty, that is indeed Young Master Pei Mu."

"At the beginning of the year, Grand General Pei returned to the capital from the frontier to report on his duties, and Young Master Pei came with him. General Pei has now set off on the return journey, while the young master has remained in Yujing City to study under Elder Yan Bai."

At this, the empress recalled something.

Earlier, Consort Shu had recommended Pei Mu on the grounds that she wanted to find a young tutor for Zhou Jingmi.

Pei Mu was only about thirteen this year and was not bound by the rule forbidding adult men from outside the imperial family to enter or leave the rear palace, so the empress had agreed.

Judging by what she had seen today, perhaps Pei Mu had failed in his role as a young tutor and angered Consort Shu?

"Find a clever maid and have her see what happened."

"Yes."

The elderly matron took her orders and withdrew.

Su Luoqian followed the empress to a stone table and sat down. Palace maids immediately served pastries and hot tea.

From this height, they could see into the distance, but at the far end of their view stood the forbidding palace walls.

They encircled the palace completely, dividing the inside from the outside.

Su Luoqian gazed at them, momentarily lost in thought, when her sleeve was suddenly tugged with care. Qin Shuning whispered, "Mother Empress is asking you a question."

She came back to herself and hurriedly rose to bow. "Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

Fortunately, the empress was lenient. She smiled and waved a hand. "Sit down. You seldom come to the palace, so naturally you are not quite accustomed to it."

"I hear from the crown princess that you know how to brew wine?"

Su Luoqian sat down again and replied, "I only know a little about brewing green plum wine."

The empress set down her teacup. "The green plum wine I tasted at the crown princess's residence must have been made by you. It was mellow and fragrant, with a sweet aftertaste and the fruity scent of green plums. It was truly an excellent wine."

"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty."

"This skill of yours is an accomplishment in its own right. The Su Family truly raised you well."

When Lu Jingsi had taken the initiative to request an imperial marriage decree, the empress had inevitably been surprised.

Now that she had met Su Luoqian, she saw that although she came from a merchant family, she treated others with proper courtesy and knew when to advance and when to retreat.

The three chatted for a while longer about brewing green plum wine and grape wine. Then the elderly matron climbed the steps, bowed, and said,

"Your Majesty, I have found out what happened."