Xiao Nanhui froze for a moment before nodding and following the attendant.
It seemed she had chosen an inopportune time to visit; she had arrived just as the Emperor was bathing. To begin such a task in broad daylight—this Emperor certainly had his share of eccentricities.
Keeping Xiao Zhun’s constant reminders in mind, Xiao Nanhui kept her head low and walked briskly, barely glancing at the scenery along the way. When they finally reached their destination, she was informed that the Emperor had not yet finished his bath.
The Taihe Hot Spring Garden was the Emperor’s private bathing quarters, a place where external officials were rarely permitted. She was forced to wait in the outer courtyard, separated by three sets of gates. To avoid "offending the imperial countenance," she had to remain stooped with her head bowed.
The walls of the Hot Spring Garden were lower than those of the other palace courtyards, designed so that the pruned Sweet Osmanthus trees could peek over the walls in a charming, half-hidden display. Inside the garden was a thermal spring that flowed year-round. Cool water had to be diverted and mixed with it before it could be enjoyed, and the steam rising from the spring often drifted over the walls, making the entire Taihe Hot Spring Garden look like a bathhouse for the immortals.
Xiao Nanhui stood directly facing the main entrance of the garden. The gate was fashioned into a rare, perfect circle, painted with exquisite patterns of bright yellow and deep green that extended onto the jade-stone ground before the entrance. However, the oncoming mist blurred her vision; though she stared for a long time, she could not discern what the paintings depicted.
The steaming mist enveloped her, and in the sweltering heat of June, the air was already damp and heavy. Dressed in her thick official robes, it wasn't long before her inner garments were soaked with sweat. An interval of time—long enough for a stick of incense to burn—passed in the blink of an eye, yet there was still no movement from within the garden gates. She wondered what on earth the Emperor was doing in there.
Wasn't this supposed to be an audience? She wasn't even allowed to lift her head, and with all these walls and gates between them, what kind of "audience" could this possibly be...
Xiao Nanhui grumbled inwardly, shifting forward slightly while remaining bowed. "Attendant Shan, may I ask when His Majesty will finish his bath?"
Shan Jiangfei replied respectfully, "It should be soon." He paused, then added, "His Majesty does not like having people by his side when he bathes, and he dislikes being disturbed even more. Please be patient, General Xiao."
Left with no choice, she retreated back to her spot. Beneath her long hem, she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, leaning left for a while, then right.
Another interval passed, and still, there was no sound from within the garden.
Xiao Nanhui was beginning to grow drowsy from standing. No matter how meticulous the Emperor was, this was taking far too long. Why would a grown man waste so much time on a bath? Was he washing himself, or was he scrubbing himself bare?
But then again...
Images of the carriages filled with beauties she had seen entering the city hours ago flashed through her mind. Thinking of those walking pieces of "warm jade and fragrant incense," if they were all sent into the palace, it would be quite a handful for the Emperor, wouldn't it? Tsk, tsk. Was it one a day? Or several a day? By that logic, it was no wonder he had to soak for so long. He must be suffering from kidney deficiency!
Convinced of her own deduction, she found a certain unspeakable amusement in it, and the corners of her mouth involuntarily curled upward.
"What happy thought has General Xiao so smilingly indisposed?"
Xiao Nanhui looked up to meet Shan Jiangfei’s beaming face. For no reason at all, a shiver ran down her spine, and she quickly wiped the smile from her face. "Not at all, not at all. Attendant Shan, you must have misseen."
Shan Jiangfei said no more, returning to his silent, bowed stance at her side.
After an unknown amount of time, just as Xiao Nanhui was drifting off again, she suddenly heard the crisp sound of bells ringing from within the garden.
She opened her eyes dizzily and saw a line of maidservants, who had been waiting outside the walls, filing in one after another. The circular gate was opened, revealing an inner courtyard, which led to yet another circular gate. The sound of the bells drifted deep into the garden. The palace maids opened the circular gates one by one, with two attendants remaining at each gate while the rest proceeded further in.
In this manner, layer after layer, a total of six gates were opened. When only the final gate remained, the leading female official stopped, retreating respectfully to wait at the side.
Shan Jiangfei said respectfully to Xiao Nanhui, "General Xiao, please wait here a moment while I go to announce your arrival to His Majesty."
"Much obliged."
Shan Jiangfei walked through the layers of gates until he reached an elegant bamboo house within the garden.
"Your Majesty, Xiao Nanhui of the Marquis of Qinghuai’s household requests an audience. Shall she be seen, or not?"
After a long silence, a deep, raspy male voice drifted from within the house.
"Let her in."
Shan Jiangfei returned to Xiao Nanhui’s side and said with a smile, "His Majesty has asked you to enter."
Xiao Nanhui breathed a secret sigh of relief, tightening her grip on the velvet-lined brocade box she held. She wanted to finish this task and leave as quickly as possible. She truly did not fit in with the atmosphere of the palace; there were so many rules, and who knew how many eyes were watching from the shadows? A single misstep could lead to consequences she couldn't bear, and she didn't want to bring trouble to the Marquis’s household.
Moreover, she had long heard that this Emperor of Tiancheng was famously cold and temperamental. He disliked having people near him; even when discussing matters with high-ranking ministers, he often remained behind a curtain. She wondered how those beauties and concubines managed to live.
A man like that surely didn't actually want to see her today. He was likely just being thorough with the formalities for Xiao Zhun’s sake. Otherwise, why would he see someone here at the bath? It was clearly a setup that allowed him to "dismiss the guest" at any moment.
Measuring out a conservative distance, she stopped before the penultimate gate. She cleared her throat and announced herself in a clear voice.
"Xiao Nanhui of the Marquis of Qinghuai’s household, pays her respects to Your Majesty."
Having spoken, she performed a respectful kowtow, her forehead slowly touching the ground as she waited for the sovereign’s voice.
After a moment, the voice from the house rang out.
"Come closer."
Xiao Nanhui was somewhat surprised; she hadn't expected the Emperor to find her standing too far away.
After a pause, she stood up, carrying the brocade box as she stepped over the threshold, finally entering the innermost courtyard.
Once inside this courtyard, the bluestone slabs beneath her feet disappeared, replaced by fine, white pebbles. The stones were sharp and coarse, causing one to instinctively slow their pace while walking over them.
"Stop."
The sudden voice startled her. She halted immediately, a trace of trepidation on her face.
"Too close."
She was nearly at a loss whether to laugh or cry. After a moment's hesitation, she took a few steps back.
"Mm. Stand there and speak."
Where she stood was the only spot in the courtyard with greenery. Several blooming orchids clustered by the path, their rich fragrance wafting toward her and making her nose itch.
Xiao Nanhui forced down the urge to sneeze and recited the words she had prepared and rehearsed many times: "Your Majesty has bestowed extraordinary grace upon this subject, promoting me successively to the rank of General. It is only right that I thank Your Majesty in person. Touched by Your Majesty’s profound favor, this subject is filled with joy and gratitude. I shall strictly obey the imperial edicts and serve with utter sincerity to repay the sovereign’s grace."
These were the words Chen Si had instructed her to say, and she had memorized them word for word.
However, the Emperor did not speak.
What was happening? Had she memorized it wrong?
Xiao Nanhui felt uneasy. She stole a glance at Shan Jiangfei standing ahead of her, but he was staring at his own nose, not looking her way at all.
After a long silence, the Emperor’s voice finally sounded, though he seemed entirely uninterested in responding to her rehearsed speech.
"My dear subject may lift her head. Is it not tiring to speak like that?"
The address "My dear subject" felt strangely awkward, but Xiao Nanhui breathed a sigh of relief nonetheless. She lifted her aching neck and looked toward the bamboo house.
The final "gate" was a side door made of fine gauze set in a bamboo frame. To call it a door was less accurate than calling it a screen.
The gauze was embroidered with the same vine patterns as the outer gates. Through the layer of silk, she could faintly see a flickering silhouette inside—a man with long, unfastened hair, dressed in black. His features were blurred; she couldn't tell what he looked like.
"What is that in your hand?"
Only then did she remember, nearly forgetting her main purpose. She immediately handed the brocade box she had been holding to Shan Jiangfei.
"Having received such imperial grace, I feel unworthy. This is a small token of this subject's heart. I trouble Attendant Shan to pass it to His Majesty."
Shan Jiangfei took the item, entered the house through a side door, set it down, and then retreated.
A rustling sound came from behind the gauze door. The silhouette seemed to open the brocade box, look at the contents, and then close it again.
Inside the box were two blood-red deer antlers. If one looked closely, there were still marks left by a blade.
"Why does my dear subject send me such a thing?"
For some reason, Xiao Nanhui thought of what Hao Bai had said to her before his departure, and she followed his lead, repeating the explanation: "I have heard that these antlers can be used in medicine; consuming them can strengthen the body and prolong life. These two are quite complete, gifted by the Zou family—a clan of medicinal herb experts I encountered in Huozhou. They said these were taken from a young spotted buck during its first shedding, making them quite rare."
Ah, what a pity. If she hadn't been ambushed on the bridge that night, she would have had many mountain ginsangs as large as radishes and lingzhi mushrooms as big as umbrellas...
"I was under the impression," the Emperor said, "that deer velvet is a substance used to warm the kidneys and strengthen the yang."
These words were like a bolt of lightning that struck Xiao Nanhui where she stood. Her inner garments, already soaked from the steam, suddenly felt freezing. A chill crawled up her spine to the back of her head, making her tremble.
Dujuan, oh Dujuan, you have truly ruined me.
She should have known that Dujuan only picked gifts based on their price, but she had forgotten that the Emperor was so young. She could have sent anything, but she shouldn't have sent *this*. Even sending nothing would have been better than implying the man was suffering from premature... ugh.
"Your Majesty is mighty and powerful; naturally... naturally, you have no use for it."
*If he has no use for it, why the hell did you give it to him!*
Xiao Nanhui stared at the white pebbles on the ground, wishing she could dig a hole and vanish.
The Taihe Hot Spring Garden remained silent for a good while. Finally, the shadow behind the gauze door stood up, seemingly kicking the box containing the deer velvet aside.
"I have received my subject's sentiments. However, the reason I summoned you today was to discuss an important matter."
Xiao Nanhui only wanted to move past this chapter as quickly as possible. She nodded repeatedly. "Please speak, Your Majesty."
"The matter of Bijiang—has the Marquis of Qinghuai ever mentioned it to you?"
"Reclaiming Bijiang is my foster father's lifelong wish. I have heard him speak of it often since I was a child."
"I hear that you lived in the Suyan area for a time during your youth. Can you speak the local dialect?"
The Emperor was certainly well-informed. She was five or six years old when Xiao Zhun brought her back to Chizhou from Suyan. She had learned some Suyan dialect early on, and later, in her teens, she had followed Xiao Zhun to garrison the Lingxi area. She had become quite familiar with the locals there and could speak some of the Southern Qiang language as well. If one counted the Chizhou official tongue, she was practically fluent in three languages.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, this subject learned it from the common folk. It is not fit for refined company."
"It is precisely because it is not fit for refined company that it is perfect. I have an important task to entrust to you. Are you willing to assist me with all your strength?"
You are the Emperor; naturally... I cannot refuse.
Xiao Nanhui bowed deeply. "Xiao Nanhui is willing to grind her bones to powder to fulfill Your Majesty's wish."
The person behind the gauze door curled his lips into a smile. "Very good."
***
Glossary Table:
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
泰和汤苑 | Taihe Hot Spring Garden | The Emperor's private bathing area.
中常侍 | Palace Attendant | A high-ranking eunuch official title (Zhongchangshi).
单将飞 | Shan Jiangfei | The name of the Palace Attendant.
孤 | I / We | A first-person pronoun used by the Emperor (Gu).
肾虚 | Kidney deficiency | In TCM, often associated with loss of vitality or sexual potency.
温肾壮阳 | Warm the kidneys and strengthen the yang | Refers to medicinal properties that boost male virility.
碧疆 | Bijiang | A border region mentioned as a target for reclamation.
宿岩 | Suyan | A location where Xiao Nanhui lived as a child.
南羌 | Southern Qiang | An ethnic group or region with its own language.
陈偲 | Chen Si | Likely an advisor or subordinate of Xiao Zhun.
