A little silver beast-shaped censer filled their sleeves with delicate fragrance.
Before Xiao Baoyue sat a Gilt Incense Box, its many compartments crowded with incense pellets and cakes, loose incense like crumbled snow, and cloud-shaped lumps of incense paste. As for flower petals, spikenard, cardamom seeds, and fragrant herbs, they made a dazzling array too numerous to name.
Intent on her task, Baoyue pinched a parasol-tree-seed-sized incense pellet from a compartment with her left thumb and forefinger and gently added it to the censer. After waiting a moment, she asked, "Young Master, how is it now?"
Wang Yang still had his eyes closed, reclining at ease. "Still too strong," he said mildly.
Xiao Baoyue gritted her teeth, resisted the urge to knock Wang Yang down with the censer, and added a little powdered bletilla and some shade-dried holly seeds.
Repeated trials of incense warmed her slender hands; beneath knitted moth-wing brows, her dimpled cheeks grew cold.
"What about now?" Xiao Baoyue asked, staring at Wang Yang.
If he dares nitpick again, I'll...
"It's fine now." Wang Yang opened his eyes.
Xiao Baoyue did not even realize that she had breathed a sigh of relief.
"Please tell me about the calamity of the Partisan Prohibitions, Young Master." Xiao Baoyue rallied her spirits.
"First, tell me what you think of it." Wang Yang picked up two Chinese bayberries and ate them.
After a moment's thought, Xiao Baoyue said:
"When Wang Mang usurped power, scholars competed to present auspicious omens and prophecies in exchange for titles. Flatterers followed the prevailing wind and anticipated his wishes to secure high office and rich salaries. Therein lay the corruption of public morals.
"When Emperor Guangwu restored the dynasty, he reestablished integrity and righteousness as teachings for the realm. He cultivated Classical Studies, rites, and music, and