Under the leading light of the scattered stars, the moon of the Bon Festival rose.
The spring moon, hazed by mist, was adorned with a faint halo of a rainbow, exuding a soft and moist glow. A gusty wind occasionally swept through, carrying the fragrance of flowers and heralding the approaching end of spring.
Returning to the Spring Palace with Xue Mei Consort, Fei Ling immediately knelt respectfully in the consort’s chamber, bowing her head to the ground.
“I must apologize.”
“Stop it. There’s no need for you to apologize for anything.”
Xue Mei Consort, perplexed, reached out to grasp her arm and lift her, but Fei Ling remained firmly in place, determined not to let things simply rest as they were.
“The efficacy of the medicine was delayed. Before the antidote had fully taken effect, you were required to perform your dance, imposing great strain upon you, Consort.”
“Is that all?”
Xue Mei Consort laughed lightly through her nose.
Advancing toward the window, she turned back, pointed at her own chest, and raised her voice proudly.
“My dance was beautiful, wasn’t it?”
“…It was spectacular,” Fei Ling replied earnestly.
Xue Mei Consort curled her lips into a smile.
“Then that’s all that matters. I never even dreamed I’d be able to dance again.”
Stroking her white, bare legs peeking from her hem, Xue Mei Consort’s cheeks softened in happiness.
“You oversaw everything, didn’t you? It was marvelous. I’ve been exposed to the finest delicacies since childhood, but I never knew anything could taste so exquisite. Though it’s frustrating to admit, I’m impressed.”
Listing dishes such as roasted duck with white miso, crab with egg whites, shrimp marinated in Shaoxing wine, spicy lamb hotpot, and almond tofu, Xue Mei Consort counted each on her fingers, relishing their lingering flavors.
“By the way, isn’t the essence of dietary medicine to maintain health through daily meals and treat illnesses before they manifest? You should supervise the palace’s daily meals.”
“I am grateful for your words, but that would be quite difficult.”
“Then at least leave behind that recipe book from earlier.”
By “recipe book,” she referred to a written collection of cooking instructions. Fei Ling smiled wryly.
The Bai Ze clan never recorded their knowledge in books. Instead, they committed oral teachings to memory and retained them as mental archives. The reason being…
“I cannot. Because it is all… poison.”
A faint, mysterious smile crept across Fei Ling ’s lips as she revealed the secret.
Xue Mei Consort’s smile froze instantly.
Blinking repeatedly in disbelief, it took her a long while before she managed to utter, “What… do you mean by that?”
“As an example, the almond tofu served last contained two types of almonds. Sweet almonds are harmless, but bitter almonds contain cyanide and are highly toxic. Consuming the latter by mistake causes respiratory failure and death. Typically, only sweet almonds are used in desserts. However, I intentionally used the poisonous bitter almonds.”
“W-why would you use something so dangerous?”
“Because bitter almonds possess potent medicinal properties.”
Moreover, their richness and fragrance far surpass that of sweet almonds.
“The principle is ‘yi du gong du’—counter poison with poison. Surely you’ve heard the saying, Consort. But the Bai Ze clan extends this further:
‘All things under heaven are inherently poisonous. And thus, medicine is but refined poison.’
Just as strong medicine can act as poison, a delectable poison can become a miraculous remedy.”
The toxin afflicting Xue Mei Consort was of a wooden nature, though its root lay in shie, the impurity of death—a potent yin poison.
“However, overly strong medicine could harm the child.”
“…How do you know of that?”
Xue Mei Consort gasped, instinctively shielding her abdomen with her hands.
“Roughly two months since your conception… around the plum blossom season, I presume.”
“I swear this child belongs to His Majesty.”
Fei Ling had no doubts about that. A eunuch could not impregnate a woman. Still, she suspected that relations with the Emperor were perilous and often fatal for those involved.
“Why have you not announced your pregnancy?”
Judging by her behavior, she hadn’t even informed the Emperor. Xue Mei Consort intended to keep it hidden until after her condition stabilized.
“Though the harem is said to be under His Majesty’s protection, it’s rife with enemies. During the reign of the previous Emperor, beloved consorts were assassinated one after another. That’s why I’ve kept my pregnancy hidden, even from my most trusted attendants.”
To protect her unborn child.
Perhaps Xue Mei Consort had severed ties with a eunuch, who was no more than a fleeting dalliance, after securing the Emperor’s favor. The forlorn eunuch, abandoned by his beloved, lamented his fate and ended his life beneath the plum tree, envisioning her dancing beauty amidst the blossoms—a tragic, love-lorn end.
“Consort Xue Mei , does this seem familiar to you?”
Fei Ling retrieved a rusty hairpin from her robe. It bore a plum blossom motif.
The moment the Consort saw the pin glinting in the light, her eyes trembled violently, as though ripples shattered a still mirror.
“This… Did you meet Yán Chūn?”
“Yán Chūn—that was the name of the eunuch who took his life?”
“Took his life…? You mean to say Yán Chūn is dead?”
Xue Mei Consort’s face turned deathly pale.
“That’s impossible. How… How could Yán Chūn have ended his life?”
Judging by her shock and grief, she seemed to have been genuinely unaware. As she broke down, Fei Ling carefully explained the details.
“The eunuch named Yán Chūn took his own life two months ago, beneath the plum tree. He drove this hairpin into his throat. Forgive my impertinence, but did you have some connection to him?”
Eyes darting about, Xue Mei Consort murmured fragmented words.
“He… broke the promise. That’s what I’ve always believed.”
“A promise?”
Xue Mei Consort squeezed her eyes shut in anguish and confessed.
“To journey together in the afterlife… That was the vow we made.”
Had she truly intended to die with the eunuch? Such a thing was unthinkable, a treasonous act against His Majesty.
