At noon, Liu Che arrived at Yuanguang Hall to accompany A'jiao for lunch before returning alone to the Greenhouse Hall to review memorials.
After eating, A'jiao strolled around for a while to aid her digestion before returning to her couch to lie down. Not long after, she suddenly heard a commotion outside. Upon sending someone to inquire, she learned it had started to snow.
During her two years in the Underworld, she hadn't seen a single snowflake. A'jiao ran out with great interest, but the palace servants, terrified she might slip and fall, swarmed around her and ushered her back into the hall.
As the cold wind whistled into the room, A'jiao ordered the charcoal brazier to be lit. Giving up on her nap, she gathered the young palace maids to play a game of Leaf Cards. Although these young maids didn't have as much freedom as the female scribes, they still earned an annual salary of one hundred and ninety-two *shi* of grain—more than the yearly pay of a minor official outside the palace. No wonder her grandmother used to say that poor families in the capital would break their necks trying to send their daughters into the palace to serve.
This set of Leaf Cards was crafted from golden bamboo, shimmering with a faint green hue. The faces were painted with gold lacquer and finished with a layer of oil to dry, making them both lightweight and beautiful to hold.
After several rounds, A'jiao felt her purse and realized her money was gone. She couldn't help but laugh. "You little girls certainly have incredible luck. Wait until I get another string of coins to make my comeback."
The young maids exchanged glances, and one quickly smiled. "It is only because of the Noble Lady’s kindness; you are simply finding a way to give us rewards!" With that, they kowtowed.
A'jiao chuckled. "What is your name, little one? You have a quick mind and an even quicker tongue."
The maid smiled. "This servant is called Puhua—'Pu' as in cattail leaf, and 'Hua' as in flower. I originally served His Majesty alongside Sister Yuli, and we were transferred together to serve the Noble Lady."
A'jiao nodded and waved her hand. "Very well, Puhua. Go and fetch me another string of coins."
"Yes!" the girl answered crisply.
Before another round could finish, a report came from outside: Yuli had returned. Yuli gave a detailed account—whom she had met at the Marquis of Changping’s manor, what was said, where she had eaten, and how she had returned. A'jiao nodded, satisfied, and pulled her into the card game.
It wasn't until the first mark of the hour of the Monkey that Mianfu and Nanke finally returned, bringing quite a few items with them. Using the excuse of being tired from the game, A'jiao led them into the inner bedchamber.
A look of bashfulness appeared on Mianfu’s face. She lowered her head and knelt, smiling. "Noble Lady, these are a few things my family asked me to bring to you! This servant is a bondservant born into the Chen household. If not for following the Noble Lady, I would never have gained an official rank, let alone be able to leave the slave registry. I hope the Noble Lady does not find these things beneath her."
Mianfu was the daughter of the Chen family’s manager, Lin Zongzhi. Her original name was Xiaoya, but when she was assigned as a maid to Chen Wan, the girl found the name "Xiaoya" unrefined—and since "Ya" sounded like the word for "duck"—she changed it to "Mianfu," an elegant term for a white duck.
Nanke had been rescued by Chen Wan from human traffickers and was originally called "Que'er." Because Mianfu’s name had been changed, Chen Wan changed hers as well to "Nanke," an alias for a peacock.
Mianfu held a bundle brought from home with both hands, lifting it high. A'jiao took it with a smile and opened it, only to find a winter coat with a stack of paper resting on top!
Paper!!! Wasn't this something that only existed in the Underworld?
"This... this? What is this?" A'jiao was utterly stunned.
Mianfu smiled. "This is something my elder brother created. It doesn't even have a name yet. He sent it specifically for the Noble Lady to examine."
"Your brother is...?" Could he also have come from the Underworld?
Mianfu kowtowed. "My brother is named Lin Gao. He used to serve the Eldest Master of the main branch, and for the past few years, he has been traveling around handling the family’s business."
A'jiao had no memory of him, so she simply nodded and asked, "Then how did your brother make this?" She felt it carefully and noticed that the paper Lin Gao produced was not as smooth or bright as that used in the Underworld; it was also slightly yellowish.
Mianfu shook her head. "Brother didn't give the specifics. He said..." The girl suddenly looked up, her face flushing. "Brother said... said that if the Noble Lady likes it, he wishes to meet her so he can explain how this thing is made!" After speaking, she buried her head deep.
In truth, her brother had also said he wanted her to ask for the Lin family to be removed from the slave registry, but she was too embarrassed to say it.
"Bring me brush and ink." A'jiao sat up straight.
Nanke quickly brought over the brush rack and inkstone, adding water to grind the ink. A'jiao dipped her brush and began to write on the paper. The ink bled slightly; it wasn't as good as the paper from the Underworld, and the characters tended to blur into clumps.
If this could be improved to match the quality of the Underworld's paper... A'jiao felt that the Lin family wouldn't just be able to leave the slave registry; being granted a marquisate wouldn't be out of the question. When she was in the Underworld, she had discovered that writing on paper was far more convenient and lighter than using bamboo slips. If this paper could be used for writing, the transcription and transport of documents in the future would be infinitely easier. A scroll of bamboo slips could likely be transcribed onto just two sheets of paper!
"Where does your brother live?" A'jiao hadn't expected to see this in the mortal realm. For a moment, her heart could not settle! Come to think of it, why hadn't she ever thought of inventing this in the mortal world herself?
A'jiao flipped through the stack of paper repeatedly. Despite the cold weather, she broke into a sweat from excitement.
Wiping her brow with a handkerchief, A'jiao picked up the winter coat. Seeing nothing special about it, she remarked, "Is this a coat for you? It seems a bit small!"
Seeing her mistress's expression earlier, Mianfu knew that what her brother had made was definitely useful. Her eyes welled with tears of relief. Hearing A'jiao’s comment, she was momentarily flustered.
Nanke quickly helped her up, teasing, "Sister Mianfu, come back to us! The Noble Lady is calling you!"
Mianfu took a few breaths to steady herself. She looked around, grabbed a pair of scissors from a nearby cabinet, and walked over decisively. With a swift motion, she snipped a hole in the bottom of the coat.
"Oh! Mianfu, what are you doing?" Nanke felt that even if the jacket was small, it was a waste to cut it.
"Look... look!" Mianfu stammered.
A'jiao peeled back the fabric at the cut and found clumps of white material inside. It was soft, yet it didn't look like silk. "What is this?" A'jiao was puzzled.
Mianfu thought for a moment and replied, "Brother says this is called cotton."
A'jiao shrugged off half of her fur robe and wrapped the winter coat around her arm, sticking it out the window. Her shoulder grew numb with cold, but her arm remained warm.
A'jiao pulled her hand back and looked at Mianfu, suddenly asking, "Did the Chen family ask you to bring these things back, or did your brother specifically tell you to bring them?"
Mianfu’s face turned pale. She knelt again, head bowed. "It was... Brother..."
A'jiao gave a soft "Mhm" and stopped speaking. She didn't know where this cotton came from, but if it could be obtained cheaply...
Seeing her mistress's expressionless face, Mianfu wept. "Noble Lady, Brother... Brother only wanted to make things better for our family. I beg the Noble Lady to forgive him! He... he sent me to present these treasures... it wasn't... it wasn't..."
"Enough!" A'jiao interrupted her. "I will find a way to meet your brother when the opportunity arises."
Paper and cotton—based on her first impression, if these two things could be produced in large quantities, they would be an absolute goldmine. As for wanting to leave the slave registry, in other words, he wanted to work for himself. Otherwise, even if the business became successful, the master family could confiscate everything on a whim, leaving him with nowhere to cry.
Furthermore, if this Lin Gao only wanted to claim credit, he wouldn't have quietly had Mianfu bring the items to her. He would have given them to the Chen brothers to present to the Emperor, making it a contribution from the Chen family.
A'jiao thought further and suddenly sensed something was off. She curled her lips into a smile. "Mianfu, I suspect... your brother didn't instruct you this way, did he?"
Mianfu kept her head down. A'jiao lifted the girl's chin. The girl’s face was deathly pale, her lips trembling, unable to speak.
A'jiao smiled. "Did your brother tell you not to let anyone else see, and to quietly place these things somewhere the Emperor would find them...?" The girl’s face grew even whiter, resembling the white paper used in the Underworld.
Nanke was also stunned, murmuring, "Then wouldn't that be..." Betraying the masters?
Mianfu could hardly breathe. A'jiao stopped smiling and said, "Silly girl, then why did you tell me secretly? Nanke, help her up."
Mianfu had lost all strength in her body, leaning half her weight on Nanke. Only then did she dare wipe her tears, sobbing, "My parents grew up in the manor too. I... I wouldn't dare betray my masters! Wuwu... I beg the Noble Lady for punishment."
A'jiao sighed. "You are a good child. I don't blame you. As for your brother, I will find a chance to see him. Regarding your family’s manumission, we will discuss it after I’ve met him, alright?"
Mianfu nodded repeatedly. "Thank you, Noble Lady! Thank you, Miss! Thank you!"
A'jiao nodded and instructed, "Now, put all these things away. Be careful not to let His Majesty see them."
This Lin Gao likely wanted to present the treasures directly to the Son of Heaven, hoping to use the Emperor's word to gain freedom and perhaps even leap into a higher social status.
What a pity for a silly girl like Mianfu!
A'jiao watched as they rolled the items up and stuffed them into the bottom layer of the furthest wardrobe. Only then did she call Nanke over. "Did you handle the matter I entrusted to you?"
Nanke glanced at Mianfu and said, "The item was delivered. I handed it personally to Madam Yan. Madam Yan cried on the spot and said she would find a way to see the Noble Lady."
A'jiao nodded. She hadn't explicitly written that she was Chen A'jiao in the letter, but she had dropped hints, and with the jade pendant as a token... she just didn't know how her mother would manage to enter the palace.
That evening, Liu Che returned to Yuanguang Hall to dine with A'jiao. A'jiao looked at the pile of sour pickles he had picked out for her bowl and sighed.
Liu Che pulled her into his arms, coaxing her gently. "Good A'jiao, eat a few more bites. You've just become pregnant; you can't go without eating."
A'jiao was nearly moved to tears—of frustration. "I don't want to eat anything sour anymore. I've been eating pickles for days. I want something sweet!"
Liu Che was a bit bewildered. As the saying went, "sour for a boy, spicy for a girl." What did wanting sweets mean?
But fearing that A'jiao would get angry and hurt her health, he had to indulge her. He ordered sweet porridge to be served, and then... he mixed the pickled vegetables into it.
A'jiao: "..." She really wanted to smash the bowl over his head.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 元光殿 | Yuanguang Hall | The name of the hall where A'jiao resides (appears as Yuanguang in this chapter). |
| 叶子戏 | Leaf Cards / Leaf Game | An ancient Chinese card game. |
| 石 | Shi | A unit of dry measure for grain, used here as a measure of annual salary. |
| 斗食小吏 | Minor official | Low-ranking officials whose salary was measured in "dou" (a smaller unit than shi). |
| 蒲花 | Puhua | A palace maid's name (Cattail Flower). |
| 林皋 | Lin Gao | Mianfu's brother, a servant of the Chen family. |
| 脱奴籍 | Manumission / Removing from slave registry | The process of a bondservant gaining legal freedom. |
| 棉花 | Cotton | Introduced here as a "new" discovery/invention. |
| 颜家夫人 | Madam Yan | Likely referring to A'jiao's mother (Grand Princess Guantao) or a contact related to her. |
| 酸儿辣女 | Sour for a boy, spicy for a girl | A traditional Chinese superstition regarding pregnancy cravings and the baby's gender. |
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