The Legend of Zhen Huan: Year after year, we share the spring breeze

An Lingrong slowly awoke as the morning light streamed through the carved window lattices. She instinctively felt her side; the quilt was still warm, but Shen Meizhuang was nowhere to be seen.

The rustling sound of clothes rubbing against each other could be heard outside the tent. Caiyue was quietly tidying up the dressing table.

"Awake?" Shen Meizhuang lifted the curtain. "It's a rare good day today, so I didn't call you."

An Lingrong rubbed her sleepy eyes and realized that the sun was already high outside the window. She stretched and felt indescribably relaxed all over.

After breakfast, the two went to Yongshou Palace.

In Yongshou Palace, Zhen Huan sat on a soft couch by the window, with the energetic Hongzhou resting on her lap. The little fellow was fiddling with a colorful tangram puzzle, occasionally letting out a crisp laugh.

Seeing them come in, Zhen Huan waved quickly: "I guessed you would come, but you came so late."

Shen Meizhuang leaned closer, carefully examining Hongzhou's rosy face, and stroked his forehead before smiling, "You seem to be in good spirits, and your eyes are sparkling."

Zhen Huan pulled Hong Zhou closer to her: "Thanks to Doctor Wei's prescription, the fever subsided after just one dose. I slept soundly last night, and I woke up feeling full of energy this morning."

An Lingrong pulled out a delicate sandalwood tube from her sleeve and waved it in front of Hongzhou. "Hongzhou, guess what new thing your aunt brought you?"

Hongzhou immediately dropped the jigsaw puzzle in his hand, his big black eyes lit up, and he stretched out his chubby little hands to grab it.

An Lingrong deliberately raised her hand and said mysteriously, "First, close your eyes—no, close one eye."

She demonstrated by closing her left eye, "and then look here with your other eye."

Hongzhou imitated her, tilting his little head, closing one eye tightly, and curiously putting the other eye close to the mouth of the tube.

Suddenly, he let out a cry of surprise: "Wow! So many flowers! And they move!"

This kaleidoscope was drawn by An Lingrong and made by craftsmen from the Imperial Household Department using fine glass lenses. It can create seventy-two different patterns when rotated.

Looking at Hongzhou's surprised expression at this moment, a gentle smile appeared in the corners of her eyes and eyebrows.

Hong Zhou grabbed An Lingrong's clothes, leaned over and kissed her on the cheek: "Auntie is the best!"

Then he couldn't wait to run away with the kaleidoscope: "I want to watch it with my sister."

The wet nurse hurried to follow.

Zhen Huan watched this scene with a smile on her face, and reached out to straighten An Lingrong's clothes that were messed up by Hong Zhao.

The three of them then sat down again.

Liu Zhu brought three cups of tea and placed them in front of them one by one. Zhen Huan looked into the hall and said, "Liu Zhu, take the servants downstairs. We have something to discuss."

"Yes." Liu Zhufu bowed and led everyone out of the hall. Before leaving, he did not forget to gently close the carved door.

An Lingrong then raised her eyes and asked, "Sister Zhen, what happened?"

Zhen Huan put down her teacup and lowered her voice, "The Emperor stayed in Yongshou Palace last night. From what I've seen, his health seems to be declining. Furthermore, the Emperor himself has noticed this."

Before she finished speaking, Shen Meizhuang and An Lingrong understood.

Shen Meizhuang held up a round fan to half cover her face, while An Lingrong simply curled her lips, and they both rolled their eyes at the same time.

"He's already fifty-three, and he still thinks he's a young man in his teens or twenties!" An Lingrong scoffed, tapping her teacup lightly with her fingertips. "He's been so busy with government affairs these past few years, and he refuses to give up power. It's only a matter of time before his body is worn out."

Her tone was as calm as if she were discussing the weather. "If you ask me, you're pretty strong to have lasted this long."

Zhen Huan was startled when she heard this, then burst out laughing: "What you said does make sense."

The three of them talked for a while, and then An Lingrong and Shen Meizhuang returned to the palace.

A few days later, Yongzheng summoned Lou Jinyuan, a Taoist priest of the Zhengyi School, to the palace for an audience. Half a month later, Lou Jinyuan was exceptionally promoted to the fourth-rank supervisor of Longhu Mountain and concurrently served as the abbot of the Qin'an Hall in the inner court.

From then on, the sandalwood in the Hall of Mental Cultivation was replaced with agarwood specially supplied by the Zhengyi Sect, and the curling green smoke lingered all day long.

Agarwood, also known as chicken bone incense, requires the vine to secrete oil to heal itself after being injured. It also needs to go through fungal infection and take more than fifty years to become incense. Only vines that are more than ten years old can produce this precious spice.

Legend has it that it can attract cranes to descend, and it is a sacred incense used in offering sacrifices to heaven and earth, with a transcendent status. Its fragrance is rich and varied, blending the fragrance of flowers, honey, musk and other charming notes. One vine has five fragrances, which is truly magical.

Meanwhile, the situation in the former imperial court was turbulent. The Censor of the Metropolitan Censorate was the first to submit a memorial, citing the importance of "national foundation" as a reason to request the establishment of a crown prince. Memorials poured into the Yangxin Palace like snowflakes, and even the usually reserved Prime Minister Zhang Tingyu submitted a memorial.

Yongzheng had to pay attention to this issue.

The lights in the Yangxin Palace were lit until three o'clock every night, and the eunuchs serving on duty often heard suppressed coughing and pacing coming from inside.

Three months later, Yongzheng, citing the "previous dynasty's decision to appoint a crown prince had caused fratricide among brothers and endangered the court," decided to secretly appoint a successor. He personally wrote two copies of the edict, one sealed in a brocade box and placed behind the "Zhengda Guangming" plaque in the Qianqing Palace, while the other was kept close to Yongzheng. A hundred years later, he would retrieve the edict and appoint a successor.

A few days later, Yongzheng conferred the title of Beile on all his five sons, including Hongzhou, who was over five years old.

Such equal rewards make it difficult to tell which prince the emperor on the throne favors.

Half a month later, Yongzheng issued another decree, appointing Shen Zishan as the second-rank commander of the Nine Gates, commanding the Eight Banners infantry and Green Camp cavalry infantry of the capital, responsible for guarding and access control inside and outside the nine gates of Beijing's inner city, and promoted the Shen family to the Bordered Yellow Banner.

The Bordered Yellow Banner was the leader of the three upper banners. It had no banner leader and was commanded by the emperor himself.

Then Yongzheng’s meaning is obvious!

When the news came, the main hall of Yonghe Palace was filled with the faint fragrance of flowers.

An Lingrong was leaning against the couch, holding a pair of small gilded scissors, carefully trimming a budding foxtail lily.

"Sister, are you satisfied?" She handed over the neatly trimmed branches.

Shen Meizhuang took the branch and inserted it into the blue and white porcelain vase, then pushed the vase towards her: "This is our joint achievement."

"Of course!"