So This Was Acacia

"What came to mind?" Zhu Youjian followed Empress Zhou's gaze, his eyes settling on the wisps rising from the incense burner. The familiar, cloying scent filled his nostrils, and his heart gave a jolt. Surely not. Could this be because of the Acacia Incense?

Seeing Zhu Youjian's expression, Empress Zhou knew he had reached the same conclusion. She slipped on an outer robe, got off the bed, and went to the table to pour a cup of tea. Then she lifted the incense burner's lid and poured it inside.

Only after the incense had gone out did she pick up the box of Acacia Incense and return to sit beside the bed.

"I love the incense Your Majesty gave me. Even when you are away, having its scent for company makes me feel as though you are beside me," Empress Zhou said softly, her eyes and brows touched with bashfulness.

"So you lit it tonight as well?"

"Yes. After lighting it, I felt terribly hot. I had Qiu Mei remove several braziers from the hall, but it did not help." Empress Zhou pursed her lips. "I felt something was wrong, so I dared not let the imperial physicians come inside..."

Zhu Youjian took the box. As he opened it, Empress Zhou hurriedly covered her nose with a handkerchief and shifted farther back, afraid of embarrassing herself before the emperor again.

The red incense pellets lay neatly arranged in the box. Only two were missing: one used last night, and one tonight...

Judging by the empress's condition, this stuff was far too potent. Something alarming had probably been added to it, something that could harm the body. Zhu Youjian considered calling in an imperial physician to examine and identify it, but then realized that doing so would let the physician deduce what had happened in the hall.

The empress was easily embarrassed. If word of tonight's incident got out, she would surely start tormenting herself with anxious thoughts again and have no peace.

Zhu Youjian snapped the box shut with a clack. "This was my fault. I only thought the name sounded lovely-acacia, a joyous union. But it turns out its meaning was not the union I imagined. You have suffered because of it. I will make it up to you with something better another day."

Only once the box was closed did Empress Zhou feel safe enough to move closer. Leaning against Zhu Youjian's chest, she said gently, "Your Majesty's thoughtfulness alone is enough to content me."

They held each other and shared another tender moment before Qiu Mei's voice came from outside the hall. "Your Majesty, Your Highness, Imperial Physician Wu requests an audience!"

"They haven't left yet?" Zhu Youjian had completely forgotten about them. He hurriedly called outside, "The empress is well now. Tell them all to go back! Qiu Mei, come in!"

Hearing this, Empress Zhou quickly lifted her head. "Your Majesty, are you still leaving?"

Zhu Youjian nodded. "I still have matters to attend to. Rest now. I will come see you another day."

Empress Zhou knew the emperor was busy, but seeing how late it was, she could not help feeling reluctant to part with him. "Your Majesty must take care of your imperial health..."

Zhu Youjian murmured his assent. Seeing Qiu Mei standing behind the screen, he rose and walked over with the box. "Take good care of the empress."

Qiu Mei hurriedly curtsied and acknowledged his command. Only after watching the emperor leave the hall did she turn and stride into the inner chamber.

"Your Highness, how are you feeling? Are you truly well now?" Qiu Mei looked her up and down. Seeing the empress's disheveled hair and the tenderness lingering at the corners of her eyes, she looked languid in precisely the way a woman did after enjoying the union of fish and water. Qiu Mei began to stammer, suddenly unsure what else to say.

Empress Zhou cast Qiu Mei a sidelong glance and smiled. "Stop guessing. It was only a false alarm. His Majesty did not blame me." With that, she sighed softly and lay down. "But I keep feeling that His Majesty has somehow changed..."

Qiu Mei wrung out a cloth and brought it over. At these words, she asked, "His Majesty is still His Majesty. How has he changed? Oh, I know..."

"What do you know?" Empress Zhou took the cloth from Qiu Mei, wiped her cheeks herself, and asked with a smile.

"I know His Majesty loves and cherishes Your Highness even more!"

Having said this, Qiu Mei looked at the empress and giggled. She had served the empress since childhood, following her into the Prince of Xin's Residence and later into the palace, attending her all the way to the present. Though mistress and servant, they were sometimes more like sisters, and Qiu Mei was a little bolder than the others.

"That mouth of yours deserves a slap!" The empress burst out laughing and tossed the cloth at her with a playful scolding.

Qiu Mei caught the cloth. Seeing the empress's bashful indignation, she was delighted too. "A slap? A reward would be more like it!"

"I'll reward you with a honey cake to glue that little mouth shut."

Zhu Youjian left the Palace of Earthly Tranquility and handed the box to Wang Cheng'en. "Find out where this Acacia Incense came from as tribute, how much there was in total, how much has been used, and who took it."

Wang Cheng'en accepted the box from the emperor. After a moment's thought, he understood: the empress's trouble tonight must have been caused by this incense.

He accepted the command, planning to check the withdrawal records in the Imperial Treasury tomorrow, then asked, "If anyone has taken some, should I have it retrieved?"

The Imperial Treasury was the emperor's private storehouse. In principle, only the emperor himself could take things from it or bestow them as gifts. But Zhu Youjian did not know whether the body's previous owner had given any to others. If he had, it would be better not to leave this stuff out there.

"Retrieve all of it," Zhu Youjian instructed calmly.

Wang Cheng'en understood what was required and promptly acknowledged the order again.

The affair in the Forbidden City drew to a close. Although the physicians of the Imperial Medical Bureau remained puzzled by the empress's condition, even speculating whether it had been an act in the harem's struggle for favor, private matters within the palace were no different from those at court. Knowing too much was no good thing.

After sighing a few times, the imperial physicians put it out of their minds.

Beijing City, however, was anything but peaceful that day.

Sun Chengzong and his family entered the city at midnight. Yang Tinglin escorted them to the Sun Residence, then took his leave. Sun Chengzong's face had been livid throughout, and he had not spared Yang Tinglin so much as a glance.

An old servant had been left to watch over the Sun Residence in the capital. Seeing his master, who should have been in Gaoyang, suddenly appear before him, he was so dazed that he thought he must still be dreaming.

"Master, why have you returned to the capital?" Then he looked at the family behind him and grew even more astonished. "You've... you've all come back?"

Sun Chengzong stormed into the main hall and sat down. Slamming the table, he raged, "That whelp! Outrageous!"

The whelp naturally meant Yang Tinglin. Sun Chengzong had never imagined that he would have someone drug his food.

He still remembered waking in the carriage to the sight of its swaying curtain and Sun Qian's anxious face.

For a time, he had thought the Jurchen had broken into the city and captured his entire family. Only when he saw Yang Tinglin riding leisurely outside the carriage did he understand what had happened.

It was truly... outrageous!

"When I have an audience with His Majesty, I will certainly submit an impeachment against him!"

Sun Qian poured a cup of tea and handed it to Sun Chengzong. "What is done cannot be undone, Father. Please do not be angry. Once you see His Majesty, you can discuss it properly with him."

Sun Chengzong snorted, glanced at the sky outside, and said, "Bring me a blank memorial!"

Although Sun Chengzong had retired, he had been granted the honorary title of Grand Tutor upon his retirement. A mere title though it was, it still counted him among the court's officials, so he could naturally submit memorials to the emperor.

He certainly wanted to ask what His Majesty was thinking!