The Culinary Chronicles of the Court Physician: The Disgraced Princess Consumes Poison to Create Medicine
About a month had passed since the emperor’s passing.
Even the inner palace, which had been in mourning, was lively and radiant for this one night.
It was the Lantern Festival.
The Lantern Festival marks the end of the Spring Festival. It was expected to be canceled due to the emperor’s death, but since the act of lighting lanterns also holds a meaning of requiem, it was decided that the festival would be held a month later.
As if to momentarily dispel their grief, the festival was celebrated with great enthusiasm.
The Lantern Festival lasts from dusk until dawn. The Qilin dance makes its way through the Four Seasons Palace throughout the night, and stalls selling food and drinks line up in a row. But the most significant event of the festival lies elsewhere.
At the chime of the twilight bell—eight o’clock in the evening—the consorts and concubines gather on the bridge.
“Here, Lady Fei Ling, you should join in too.”
Fei Ling, who had been invited to the festival by Lady Xue Mei, received a lantern from Lan Xin that had yet to be lit.
It was a sky lantern, a special type of lantern made of crimson paper and bamboo sticks.
“They say you write your wishes on the paper.”
“Did you write anything, Lan Xin?”
“Let’s see… That my family back home stays healthy. That my mother’s illness stabilizes. That I may meet a wonderful man. That my wages increase. That my younger brother, who wants to be a civil servant, improves his grades…”
Lan Xin counted her wishes on her fingers one by one, listing them out fluently.
“Th-That many?”
“Of course! It’d be a waste not to write as many as I can! Oh, and one last thing—”
Fei Ling chuckled as she watched Lan Xin, who grinned innocently.
“I wish for Lady Fei Ling’s happiness.”
“…Lan Xin…”
Lan Xin lowered her brows slightly, her star-like beauty softened by the shadows.
“Lady Fei Ling, I don’t know what happiness means for you. But even if I don’t know, I can still wish for it. So please, let me.”
Lan Xin was Fei Ling’s guiding star, always bringing her back into the light whenever she strayed onto dark and thorny paths. That was why Fei Ling could continue walking her chosen road without hesitation.
“Thank you, Lan Xin.”
Fei Ling picked up the brush, pausing in thought. Yet, she found herself unable to think of a single wish.
She had nothing to pray for.
Instead, she lit the blank paper lantern.
Facing the moon, the consorts and concubines of the Crown Prince’s palace released their sky lanterns all at once.
Carrying their wishes, the lanterns floated gently upward, undisturbed by the wind, ascending endlessly. Like a sky adorned with burning stars, the lanterns filled the heavens. Looking down from the bridge, the reflection of the lanterns on the water’s surface resembled a celestial river.
The sky lanterns were the true charm of the Lantern Festival.
“Are you enjoying the festival?”
Lady Xue Mei called out. Behind her stood Xiao Ling, holding Xin Ru in her arms.
Lady Xue Mei had just performed a dance for the first time since last spring. Even after giving birth, her dance remained as beautiful as ever—no, even more so. The love she expressed through her movements was so profound that even the consorts who once envied her could not help but sigh in admiration.
“It’s a beautiful festival. I had only ever watched the lanterns from the secluded palace, so I never realized how lively it truly was.”
“Sometimes, you need to take a breather.”
Lady Xue Mei smiled, her red lips curving gracefully.
At some point, Lan Xin had disappeared. When Fei Ling spotted her again, she was happily munching on yuanxiao, the festival’s signature sweet dumplings, her cheeks puffed up with delight. She must have bought them from one of the stalls.
“Would you like one, Lady Fei Ling?”
“Is that alright?”
“If I eat too many, I’ll end up gaining weight.”
Fei Ling suddenly realized that lately, she had been feeding others more than eating properly herself.
Yuanxiao were a traditional dessert eaten on this festival night. The moment it touched her tongue, the dough melted, releasing a sweet filling. A floral fragrance spread across her mouth—there was osmanthus blended into the filling.
Fei Ling’s lips softened into a smile—a smile befitting her age.
“I’m glad. So you can still smile like that after all. You’ve been so tense lately, though it’s understandable.”
Lady Xue Mei gently ran her fingers through Fei Ling’s hair.
(I never would have imagined this back when the seasons first turned…)
Fei Ling thought to herself.
(I was always an outcast.)
As a daughter of the lowly Khundun people, she had been shunned, kept at a distance by everyone. Merely passing through the inner palace would earn her scornful whispers. Though she never let it wound her, there had always been a cold wind blowing within her heart.
But now, there were people who stood beside her and smiled at her.
She was happy.
Just then, at the edge of the illuminated scenery, a shadow flickered. A figure dressed in black, like a crow.
For a moment, her entire consciousness was ensnared.
Her green eyes widened.
“Ah… You’ve fallen in love, haven’t you?”
Lady Xue Mei’s voice, tinged with amusement, brushed against her ear.
As the moon waxed and waned, the sea of people shifted like the tides. Caught up in the movement, Fei Ling found herself separated from Lan Xin and the others.
“Lady Fei Ling!”
She heard Lan Xin’s voice and tried to move toward it.
But at that moment, someone grasped her sleeve from behind.
A faint scent of smoke drifted toward her, making her inhale sharply as she turned around.
There stood Zhen, clad in black as if merging with the darkness. His violet eyes wavered slightly, and his thin lips moved.
“Come with me.”
In the distance, Lan Xin’s voice continued to call her name.
Fei Ling bit her lip lightly—then, stepping away from the bridge, she followed Zhen.
