Undercurrents

Once Frost's Descent had passed, charcoal braziers were lit throughout the harem. By longstanding custom, each palace's winter allotment of silver-thread charcoal decreased according to rank-eight baskets for a noble consort, six for a consort, four for an imperial concubine, two for a noble lady, and one for a first-class attendant or anyone below her. The Imperial Household Department grew especially busy at this time every year, its supervising eunuchs rushing between palaces with baskets of charcoal, their feet scarcely touching the ground.

This year, the Jade Essence Pavilion, where Concubine Li, Lady Jiang, lived, received two fewer baskets than in previous years.

The Jade Essence Pavilion was the most secluded side pavilion in the Six Western Palaces, right beside the Palace of Longevity and Peace, where two consorts of the late emperor lived. They ate vegetarian meals and chanted Buddhist prayers year-round, paying no attention to worldly affairs. Concubine Li had entered the palace in the first year of Jianxi. Her father was a county magistrate in Jiangnan; her family background counted for little in the harem, and as for imperial favor, she scarcely saw His Majesty twice a year. But she had a daughter-the third princess, Xiao Rui, who was seven this year. She was the third child by age in the palace, one year older than the fourth princess, Xiao Lan.

Xiao Rui took after her mother, so quiet that she almost seemed not to exist. She could not paint fine birds and flowers like Xiao Lan, nor was she sturdy and endearing like Xiao Yue, much less personally kept at His Majesty's side and taught like Xiao Huaijin. Her days consisted of doing needlework with her mother in the side pavilion, learning a few characters, and occasionally taking a walk in the Imperial Garden. When someone mentioned the "third princess" in the harem, most people had to stop and think before remembering who she was.

Concubine Li looked at the baskets of charcoal delivered by the Imperial Household Department and said nothing. Her maid felt indignant on her behalf and muttered, "There were four baskets last year, and only two this year. The Jade Essence Pavilion gets no sun as it is. It's colder here than anywhere else in winter." Concubine Li waved a hand.

"Two baskets will be enough. Find my old padded jacket."

The maid wanted to say more, but Concubine Li had already turned into the warm chamber and moved the charcoal baskets closer to her daughter's couch. Xiao Rui sat on the couch with several half-finished sheets of large-character calligraphy spread before her. Her handwriting was not particularly good, but she put strength into every stroke, as though she wanted to make every character perfectly straight and proper.

"Rui'er, if you're cold at night, come sleep beside Mother."

"If Mother isn't cold, neither am I." Xiao Rui's voice was very soft, but her tone was steady.

Concubine Li sat beside the heated platform and watched her daughter write for a while. Footsteps passed outside the window-a maid from the Palace of Nurtured Elegance carrying something toward the noble consort's main hall. Xiao Rui glanced out the window, then lowered her head and resumed writing. She had grown to seven in the palace without ever visiting another palace or attending the Dragon Boat Festival or Qixi banquets. Her birthday fell in the third month each year, and gifts arrived according to custom, but only according to custom. Once, she had asked why she had not been invited to the Dragon Boat Festival banquet. Concubine Li had not answered. Xiao Rui never asked a second time.

But that autumn, things changed.

The change began with Consort Xian. Consort Xian had one particular trait-she could not sit still. She grew bored staying in her own palace and liked visiting others. Previously, she had only gone to Consort Jing's for tea. Later, after growing closer to the Eastern Palace, she often took Xiao Yue there to visit as well. One day in early tenth month, she passed the Jade Essence Pavilion and happened to see Xiao Rui squatting in the courtyard, drawing on the ground with a twig. She stopped to watch for a moment and discovered that this silent little girl was drawing a dragon. Although it was not very well drawn, its claw had five digits, each one carefully outlined.

"Third Princess, did you draw this? It's very good." Consort Xian bent down and pointed at the drawing with a smile.

Xiao Rui startled, rose, and gave a proper bow, her voice as faint as a mosquito's hum. "Greetings, Your Highness Consort Xian."

Consort Xian swept a hand through the air. "No need for such ceremony." She looked down at the dragon again. "Who taught you?"

"No one. I was just drawing on my own."

Consort Xian straightened and looked at the quiet little girl, suddenly remembering how many people lived in the Jade Essence Pavilion-one imperial concubine, one princess, two maids, and one old matron. Five people, two baskets of charcoal. She said nothing more, merely patting Xiao Rui on the shoulder.

"Come to my palace for cakes sometime. I have red bean cakes-enough for you to eat your fill."

Xiao Rui froze for a moment. Before she could offer her thanks, Consort Xian had already swept away like a gust of wind.

A few days later, while drinking tea at Consort Jing's, Consort Xian mentioned the matter in passing. After listening, Consort Jing fell silent for a while and set down her teacup.

"The Jade Essence Pavilion really is rather desolate. Concubine Li hardly goes out all year."

"It may not be that she doesn't want to." Consort Xian shelled a peanut and tossed the shell into the brazier, where a small tongue of flame sprang up with a hiss. "No one invites her."

Those words were blunt. Consort Jing did not respond, but neither did she contradict her. A few days later, Consort Xian did indeed invite Xiao Rui to her palace and had Xiao Yue call her "Third Sister." Xiao Yue's "Third Sister" rang out loud and clear, and afterward he pulled Xiao Rui over to see his wooden sword.

"Third Sister, look! Crown Prince Brother made it for me! My name is carved on the hilt-'Yue'!"

With him tugging at her sleeve, Xiao Rui looked a little at a loss, but a tiny light appeared in her eyes-faint, like a long-unlit lamp wick that someone had finally stirred.

In the middle of the tenth month, Xiao Huaijin met Xiao Rui at Consort Xian's.

He went to Consort Xian's palace that afternoon to find Xiao Yue. The moment he entered, he saw an unfamiliar little girl sitting on the heated platform. She wore a pale mauve padded jacket washed somewhat white and held a bowl of osmanthus sweet soup properly in both hands, sipping it in small mouthfuls. Xiao Yue sat beside her, shoveling his own osmanthus sweet soup into his mouth with a spoon and smearing it all over his face.

Back when his imperial father had disliked him, Xiao Huaijin had not been close to his siblings in the palace. Apart from Xiao Yu, who often appeared at their father's side because his birth mother was the noble consort, there were princes and princesses among the rest whom he had never even met. So he did not recognize Xiao Rui.

"Crown Prince Brother!" The moment Xiao Yue saw him, he bounced down from the platform. "This is Third Sister!"

Xiao Rui hurriedly put down her bowl, climbed down, and bowed. Her movements were several times faster than Xiao Yue's; clearly, she had been taught very strict manners.

"Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Her voice was so quiet that the wind outside nearly swallowed it. Xiao Huaijin returned her bow, then tilted his head to look at her.

"Which Third Sister are you?"

"Just Third Sister!" Xiao Yue rushed to answer for him. "Mother said Third Sister lives in the Jade Essence Pavilion. Third Sister can draw dragons."

Xiao Huaijin thought for a moment. He had almost no impression of the Jade Essence Pavilion, but he remembered Zhou Rucheng explaining the general arrangement of the harem-several lower-ranking consorts and concubines lived in the Six Western Palaces, and Concubine Li was the most inconspicuous among them. He said, "Oh."

"You're Lady Li's daughter. You should come to the Eastern Palace to play with me."

Xiao Rui looked up at him, then glanced at Consort Xian. Smiling beside them, Consort Xian gave her a nudge. "If His Highness invites you, go. He doesn't eat people."

Xiao Rui turned back and nodded to Xiao Huaijin. It was a very, very small nod, as though she were making a momentous decision.

Xiao Huaijin suddenly said, "Sister Lan is even better at painting. Do you know Sister Lan?"

"I've seen her. We've never spoken."

"Then I'll bring her next time." Xiao Huaijin thought this was no good-they were all siblings, so how could they be so distant? He made his decision on the spot. "Sister Lan paints, and you draw dragons. You can paint together. I'll practice calligraphy, and Second Brother will practice calligraphy. Fifth Brother-Fifth Brother can't write yet. He'll be in charge of eating cakes."

Consort Xian burst out laughing beside them. Xiao Rui smiled too. The curve of her lips was slight, but it was indeed a smile.

Two days later, he really did bring Xiao Lan. When Xiao Lan heard they were going to meet the third princess, she earnestly prepared a greeting gift-a charcoal pencil and several trimmed sheets of drawing paper. She told Consort Jing that she had never spoken to Third Sister before. Consort Jing fell silent for a moment and stroked her head.

"Go on. Once you're there, don't make her feel like a stranger."

When Xiao Lan arrived at Consort Xian's palace, Xiao Rui was already sitting on the heated platform. The two little girls looked at each other for a while, neither quite knowing how to begin. Xiao Lan took out her drawing paper first.

"I paint birds and flowers. What do you draw?"

Xiao Rui thought for a long time before saying softly, "I can draw dragons."

"Dragons are the hardest!" Xiao Lan's eyes lit up. "Could you teach me? I already know how to draw deer antlers, but I haven't tried dragon horns."

The corners of Xiao Rui's lips curved.

On the twentieth day of the tenth month, Consort Jing held a small tea gathering in her palace.

It was called a tea gathering, but really she had simply invited a few consorts and concubines to sit together. Those who came were Consort Xian, Concubine Li, and Consort De.

Consort De's surname was Zheng. She was the daughter of Zheng Yuanshan, vice minister of war, and had entered the palace earliest-two years before even Shen Mingzhu. She had once borne the third prince, but he had died shortly after birth. Since then, Consort De had lived in seclusion and seldom ventured out, much like Concubine Li. Consort Xian had invited her several times before she agreed to come. She entered in a dark blue outer jacket, her hair immaculately arranged and her face largely expressionless, though traces of her youthful briskness could still be seen in her features.

Consort Jing's tea table held osmanthus cakes, lotus seed soup, and several dishes of candied fruit. The tea was this year's newly delivered tribute Longjing. The four women sat together in the warm chamber. Consort Xian talked the most, praising one thing as delicious and another as lovely to drink. Concubine Li said little at first, but after Consort Xian made her laugh several times, she spoke more than usual. Consort De said little throughout, merely lifting her head slightly when Consort Xian mentioned the Eastern Palace.

"His Highness the Crown Prince has grown quite a bit lately, and he's changed to a new bow." Consort Xian picked up an osmanthus cake and spoke as she ate. "He saw the third princess last week, too, and praised her dragons. His exact words were, 'Third Sister's dragon is even bigger than the deer antlers Sister Lan draws.'"

Concubine Li lowered her head, her lips curved, but her eyes reddened slightly. In all her years in the palace, this was the first time anyone had spoken of her daughter in such a tone-not pity, not politeness, but a sincere belief that Xiao Rui's drawings were good.

Consort De raised her cup and took a sip, finally uttering her longest sentence of the day. "Sister Xian is very close to His Highness the Crown Prince."

Her tone was flat, betraying no emotion. Consort Xian, however, was quite open.

"So what if I am? His Highness has good character. I can't go wrong having Yue'er spend more time with him." She paused and looked at Consort De. "Sister De, you ought to come out more too. It's been so many years since what happened to the third prince. Don't always shut yourself away in your palace. Look at Sister Li-isn't it nice to come out for a change?"

Consort De's fingers tightened around her teacup. She did not answer.

After the gathering ended, Consort De walked back alone. As she passed the Eastern Palace, she happened to encounter Xiao Huaijin returning from the imperial study. Xiao Huaijin did not recognize her-Consort De lived in seclusion and had scarcely appeared at any occasion. But seeing a lady in a dark blue outer jacket walking along the passage, he gave a proper bow.

"Greetings, Your Highness."

Consort De stopped and looked at him. It had been many years since she had seen Xiao Huaijin from so close. The child's features resembled Empress Xiaoyi's, when he smiled and when he did not. While Empress Xiaoyi had been alive, she had been one of the few people in this harem to show her kindness.

She stood where she was, watching his retreating figure. The autumn wind swept up fallen leaves along the passage, sending them swirling at her feet.

"He really has grown up," she murmured. She tightened her grip on her cuff and returned to her palace.

A few days later, Concubine Li brought Xiao Rui to visit the Eastern Palace.

It was Xiao Rui's first time entering the Eastern Palace. She hesitated at the entrance for quite a while before gathering her courage and going in. Xiao Huaijin was in the courtyard demonstrating how to draw a bow for Xiao Yue. Xiao Yue now had a small bow, altered from Xiao Huaijin's old one, with the softest possible bowstring fitted to it. Seeing Xiao Rui enter, Xiao Huaijin lowered the bow and wiped his hands.

"Third Sister! You're late today-Sister Lan has already painted three flowers."

Xiao Rui said softly, "I brought something for Your Highness."

She took a neatly folded sheet of paper from her sleeve and opened it-it was a dragon. It was far more detailed than the one she had drawn on the ground before. Each scale had been drawn with firm strokes, and the horns, whiskers, and claws were all clearly depicted.

Xiao Huaijin took it and studied it for a long time before lifting his head, his face full of wonder.

"Third Sister, this dragon of yours-it's even prettier than the ones embroidered on Father's dragon robes."

Xiao Rui lowered her head, the tips of her ears turning red.

Xiao Lan leaned over to look. "It really is beautiful. I can only paint birds and flowers. Dragon scales are too difficult." She turned to Xiao Huaijin. "Crown Prince Brother, from now on, you can't just say, 'Sister Lan paints best.'"

Xiao Huaijin considered this seriously. "Then from now on, I'll say-Sister Lan paints birds and flowers best, and Third Sister draws dragons best."

Their praise left Xiao Rui at a loss for words. She stood dazed for a long time before saying, "Thank you, Your Highness."

Xiao Huaijin thought it was nothing-the drawing was beautiful, after all. He folded the dragon and put it into his sleeve, then asked Xiao Rui whether she wanted to try archery. Xiao Rui looked at the bow and said she did not know how. Xiao Huaijin said it did not matter; Sister Lan did not know how either, nor did Second Brother. None of them knew-only he did. Xiao Lan laughed beside him.

"Your very first arrow missed the target completely. And now listen to you saying, 'Only I know how.'"

Xiao Huaijin's face reddened slightly. "But didn't I hit the target lots of times afterward?"

Watching them trade jibes, Xiao Rui suddenly smiled. This smile was a little broader than the one at Consort Xian's palace, revealing her cute little canine teeth.

That evening, Xiao Huaijin drew a dragon on the back of a calligraphy practice sheet. He copied Xiao Rui's dragon. The proportions were not quite right, the head too large and the body too short, but he was very pleased.

The Palace of Nurtured Elegance.

Shen Mingzhu sat before her dressing table, listening to a maid report recent developments in the harem. Consort Jing had held a tea gathering and invited Consort De, Consort Xian, and Concubine Li. Consort Xian frequently took the fifth prince to the Eastern Palace. Concubine Li had also brought the third princess there. Although Consort De had not visited the Eastern Palace, even someone who lived in such seclusion had actually come out. These were all small matters, but not one was developing in the direction she had expected.

She picked up her comb and slowly drew it through the ends of her hair.

"Consort Jing held quite a fine tea gathering. How is it that I heard nothing about it?"

The maid lowered her head. "Perhaps she feared disturbing Your Highness. Her Highness Consort Jing has always kept a low profile."

Shen Mingzhu gave a soft laugh. A low profile-Consort Jing had always kept a low profile, Consort Xian had always been carefree and thoughtless, Concubine Li had always been as invisible as air, and Consort De's heart had always been dead ashes. Yet lately, these very people had begun going out one after another, visiting each other, and sending their children to the Eastern Palace.

"Where is Yu'er?"

"His Second Highness visited the Eastern Palace this afternoon. He has already returned and is feeding the rabbit in the rear courtyard."

Shen Mingzhu asked nothing more. She rose and walked to the rear window. Xiao Yu was crouched beneath the covered walkway, feeding vegetable leaves to the gray rabbit and humming a little tune-several notes off-key. Leaning against the window frame, she watched her son, the emotions churning in her heart growing ever more complicated.

What she did not know was that, at that moment in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Xiao Lin was unfolding the secret report Kong Wu had just delivered. It read: Yesterday, Shen Boyong met secretly with Cui Shen, left vice minister of war. Their private discussion lasted approximately half a double hour. On the same day, the Hengtai Firm transferred a shipment of silver out of Hejian Prefecture. The amount was undetermined and its destination unknown. In addition, the Palace of Nurtured Elegance had recently sent two letters outside the palace, both addressed to the chancellor's residence.

Xiao Lin set the secret report alight, the candle flame casting flickering light and shadow across his face. In this palace, some were weaving nets and others were unraveling them, while he stood at the center of the net, waiting for the moment to draw it closed.