The Summer Palace is built atop a pond.
While there is a bridge, most movement is done using small chokibune boats. In the pond, red, blue, and yellow water lilies bloom in clusters, and koi fish over a hundred years old glide gracefully. Among the buildings that float on the pond, the largest is the Summer Consort’s Palace. The courtyard of the Seasonal Consort’s Palace is an island, where livestock such as horses, chickens, and sheep are kept. These animals were all brought from her homeland by Consort Feng.
Consort Feng belonged to an indigenous tribe rooted in the southern mountain ranges of the continent.
Two tribes inhabited these ranges: the Kun tribe, who raised horses, and the Hao tribe, who trained hawks. Consort Feng was a daughter of the Kun tribe. From birth, she grew up alongside horses, learning to ride by the age of five. To the Kun, horses were family and lifelong companions. Other livestock were equally cherished; when Kun brides married, it was customary to bring at least nine head of livestock as part of the dowry.
One of the dogs that accompanied Consort Feng when she married was a massive creature rarely seen in this region, almost as large as a wolf.
“Since morning, it hasn’t eaten anything. It’s not just heat exhaustion—something seems off.”
“Hmm, this appears to be poisoning.”
Although she had no prior experience treating dogs, the incessant drooling, bloodshot eyes, and other symptoms left little doubt.
“So, someone tried to poison it?”
Consort Feng’s sharp gaze turned cold.
“No, I don’t believe that’s the case.”
“But poison doesn’t just appear out of nowhere unless someone administers it…”
Fei Ling gave the dog an emetic made from ipecacuanha root. The dog writhed before vomiting up a mass of pale pink flowers. Without hesitation, Fei Ling tasted it to confirm the poison, leaving Consort Feng astonished.
“…Oleander,” Fei Ling said.
“That plant is poisonous?”
While not found in the courtyard, oleander was one of the ornamental plants used to decorate the Summer Palace. The dog must have accidentally eaten some during a stroll.
“It’s a potent toxin, not just for livestock but for humans as well,” Fei Ling explained.
“You’re tasting poison and still standing—are you alright?”
“I’ve built up a tolerance to toxins. Judging by the dog’s weight, it didn’t consume a lethal dose. However, feed it some nutritious horse meat and let it rest for a while.”
“You have my gratitude.”
Consort Feng sat down on the grass, sighing in relief.
“You’re not afraid of this dog, are you? That’s refreshing. The maidservants here are so unaccustomed to animals they can’t even handle chickens, let alone dogs.”
Looking over, Fei Ling saw the maidservants screaming as they were chased by chickens.
These weren’t ordinary chickens, though; they were Dong Tao chickens brought by Consort Feng. Twice the size of domestic chickens, they were as tall as human children, with dragon-like scaly legs that explained the maidservants’ terror. However, Fei Ling had something else on her mind.
“Dong Tao chickens are so deli—adorable, aren’t they?”
“You understand me!” Consort Feng’s eyes sparkled.
(With how plump these chickens are, simmering them in a ginger broth would make for an incredible meal…)
As a nomadic tribe, the Kun sometimes slaughtered their horses during harsh winters. Thinking of chickens as food wouldn’t offend them… or would it? Fei Ling decided to keep her thoughts to herself.
The maidservants, exhausted from caring for the livestock, seemed reluctant. One exception was a short woman with red hair braided into three strands, expertly combing a horse.
“She’s from the Hao tribe. I brought her from my homeland.”
Fei Ling’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Unexpected, isn’t it?”
“My apologies. I had heard the Kun and Hao tribes were engaged in a long-standing conflict.”
Though they shared the same mountain range, or perhaps because of it, an unbridgeable divide had existed between the two tribes.
The Kun revered the god of the earth, while the Hao worshipped the god of the sky. Thus, the Kun cherished horses, while the Hao placed their trust in hawks. Their appearances were also distinct: the Kun, like Consort Feng, had heavy black hair, while the Hao had dry, red hair.
For years, the mountain range was divided into north and south by constant conflict.
“Not anymore… The war is over,” Consort Feng said quietly.
“His Majesty put an end to it.”
“That’s why I came here.”
It happened this past spring.
The current emperor, seeking to expand his territory, sent his army into the mountain range. The Hao tribe was subdued, and an alliance was forged with the Kun tribe. By unifying control over the mountains, it became possible to mine resources such as minerals, enriching the empire’s finances—or so the eunuchs said. Yet, there seemed to be no talk of lowering taxes despite this supposed wealth.
As a token of the alliance, Consort Feng was sent to the imperial harem.
“I’ve long believed in the ideal of uniting the Kun and Hao tribes. The ethnic strife that has endured for centuries is not something that can easily be erased… but I couldn’t help feeling sorry for her, having lost her home.”
Consort Feng’s lack of prejudice extended not only to the Hao tribe but also to her interactions with Fei Ling. Few consorts spoke to her so casually, which made Fei Ling open up as well.
“Once, during my travels, I visited the mountain range. The sight of the salt lakes lined up like stairs was as if a mizuchi dragon lay sprawled there. I was deeply moved by how majestic nature could be.”
“I see, so you think of it as a dragon too. The Hao tribe believes those lakes are the tears of a heavenly dragon. Meanwhile, the Kun tribe sees them as proof that a hidden dragon slumbers deep beneath the earth. People’s interpretations aren’t so different after all.”
Gazing up at the cloudless blue sky, Consort Feng seemed lost in nostalgia for her distant homeland.
“Traveling, huh. Sounds nice. Did you gain your knowledge of medicinal food during your journeys?”
“More or less.”
Not all of her travels were pleasant. She had once drifted alongside ice floes in a frigid sea and wandered endlessly through a desert searching for medicinal flowers. But she never found it unbearable because her mother was always by her side.
Looking back, she realized she had never been truly alone.
(…But now, I’m alone.)
A breeze seemed to blow through her chest, bringing with it an emptiness. She had long discarded feelings of loneliness—they were poisonous. It was something that had to be left behind.
Brushing aside her melancholy, Fei Ling smiled brightly.
“If you ever feel unwell, please don’t hesitate to call on me.”
“That’s reassuring. Oh, by the way, ever since summer began, I’ve been feeling a bit feverish. Do you have any good remedies? The harem is much hotter compared to the mountains.”
Upon touching Consort Feng to measure her temperature, Fei Ling found that she indeed had a slight fever. It might have been caused by fire-qi.
“I’ll prepare some medicine and bring it to you soon.”
On her way back across the winding Nine-Curves Bridge, Fei Ling overheard maidservants whispering. The words “Consort Feng” caught her attention, so she leaned in to listen.
“Consort Feng is such a kind mistress. She doesn’t boss us around or make unreasonable demands… If only she hadn’t brought all those animals, it’d be perfect.”
“And, well… she smells a bit, doesn’t she?”
The maidservants had noticed it too. Fei Ling stifled a small, wry smile.
(For someone of her rank, she’s so unpretentious and genuinely kind… but, yes, she smells.)
The odor likely came from the livestock she was constantly around, but she also seemed to carry a garlicky, leek-like scent. The imperial consorts rarely consumed garlic or leeks, which made this difference more noticeable. Perhaps it was due to her cultural background and diet. Eating such foods regularly might explain her fire-qi imbalance.
Both garlic and leeks were medicinal vegetables, but their potency could build up if consumed in excess, turning them toxic.
A sudden breeze stirred, and the many wind chimes hung along the eaves began to chime loudly, almost to the point of being disruptive.
(…Hanging up more wind chimes doesn’t actually make it cooler, does it?)
This summer was especially harsh, and many consorts in the harem were reportedly falling ill from the heat.
(If it were up to me, I’d drink something refreshing, like a concoction of lemon, salted plums, and honey. I’m sure there’s some lemon left over from the medicinal ingredients I ordered… I’ll make some when I get back.)
Clouds began to gather one by one, likely carried in by the breeze. A sudden shower seemed imminent. Hoping to make it home before the rain, Fei Ling boarded the waiting boat.
