Chapter 54: Plum Blossoms

Once people had left, the room grew quiet once more. Shen Quanyi instructed Qiuyue and Mrs. Liu to head back and rest early.

Outside, the darkness deepened. With no major lamps lit, the room remained shrouded in shadow, save for the faint glow of candlelight flickering from the small table in the inner chamber.

The floor was covered with a red embroidered velvet carpet, so soft that even the heaviest footsteps fell in utter silence.

The clear, jade-like moonlight poured down, casting a chilly, ethereal glow upon everything. Shen Quanyi, who had originally been leaning against the edge of the kang bed, grew drowsy and drifted off to sleep without realizing when.

Waking up the next day, her body felt thoroughly stiff and uncomfortable, especially her neck, which was achy and rigid. She could not help but turn her head from side to side, reaching up to massage it with her hands.

"You've got a stiff neck, Mistress. You shouldn't twist it so casually; doing it too forcefully will only make it worse."

Seeing Shen Quanyi's movements, Mrs. Liu spoke up to stop her. She turned, fetched some soothing medicinal ointment, and gently applied it to Shen Quanyi's slender, fair neck.

Qiuyue was carefully trying to avoid the area while helping Shen Quanyi wash her face, her cautious movements bringing a soft chuckle from Shen Quanyi. Just as she was about to speak, she heard a sound of footsteps approaching from behind and caught sight of a familiar figure in the bronze mirror.

The gentle massage felt soft and springy against the skin, causing Hushan's heart to skip a beat. Seeing the two pretty moth-eyebrows of Shen Quanyi furrow slightly in the mirror, he softly said, "Lanterns have been hung outside and auspicious couplets posted. In two days, it will be the New Year. Does Mistress wish to dress more brightly?"

At these words, Shen Quanyi narrowed her eyes in comfort. Hushan always had a wonderful touch, able to ease her tension every time. In the distance, she could hear the lively sounds stirring outside the door once again.

Hushan added, "Word is that the Crown Princess and the Crown Prince have bestowed rewards upon all the courtyards."

"Very well. You girls go and see for yourselves. Divide up whatever food and fabrics can be distributed among yourselves."

With that, Shen Quanyi gently moved her neck and felt it was already much better. At that moment, Mrs. Liu had finished styling her hair and thoughtfully produced two sets of gowns. Shen Quanyi waved her hand, declining the crimson-skirted outfit.

"That's enough. We shouldn't be too flashy for the New Year."

Qiuyue let out a wistful sigh, shaking her head. "Do wear it, Mistress, just to let this servant feast her eyes."

Smiling, Shen Quanyi tapped Qiuyue lightly on the forehead and let out a soft hum.

---

At that moment, breakfast was served. Shen Quanyi's stomach was somewhat delicate, and as she had been nursing it over the past few days, she dared not eat anything too hard or heavily greased. Fortunately, the dishes presented were all easily digestible.

There was a small plate of plum-blossom tofu, ginger-juice cabbage, milk-and-water-chestnut pastry, and a specially prepared pot of red-date and black-chicken soup.

This was entirely thanks to Qiuyue having slipped a bit of silver to the kitchens.

After picking at a few bites, Shen Quanyi could eat no more. Qiuyue wanted to urge her to have a little more, but seeing her repeatedly wave her hand, she thought better of it. She waited while Shen Quanyi rinsed her mouth with light tea and wiped her hands with a handkerchief.

Just then, the curtain to the inner chamber was lifted open, and Yang Siqiu walked in. Turning at the sound, Shen Quanyi saw her dressed in a peach-red padded jacket embroidered with silver threads, her hair adorned with rare hairpins and rings. Her cheeks were flushed red, perhaps from the cold outside.

She smiled as she came forward. "You lazy girl, growing more indolent by the day. You wake up later and later. If left to your own devices, I believe you could sleep straight through until noon."

Uncharacteristically embarrassed, Shen Quanyi raised a hand to touch the jade and kingfisher-feather tassel hanging by her temple, and sighed plaintively, "Winter makes one so drowsy. Rising as early as you do, Sister, would cost me half my life. Pray, have mercy and spare me."

Seeing this expression, Yang Siqiu could not help but laugh softly. The atmosphere between them was relaxed and cheerful. Stopping her laughter, she took Shen Quanyi's hand and smiled. "You've been cooped up for far too long. You used to scold me for always staying cooped up inside, saying it wasn't healthy. Today is so lively outside; let's go for a stroll in the back garden."

This time, Shen Quanyi did not refuse. She nodded in agreement, eagerly searching for her cloak before heading out, wrapping herself in a white-silver-based brocade-lined cloak with a green pattern.

Shen Quanyi took only Mrs. Liu and Hushan with her this time, leaving Qiuyue behind to guard the courtyard.

The plum blossoms in the garden were currently in full bloom. The serving maids and eunuchs were all busy pruning branches and trimming leaves, tying red silk ribbons around the tree trunks until everything was a wash of red.

The blossoms spat rouge, and their fragrance rivaled that of orchids and sedge.

A flickering, sparkling light danced in Yang Siqiu's eyes. Far more spirited than Shen Quanyi, she pulled her along, running down the covered corridor and turning into the plum grove. She reached out a slender, fair hand to grasp a plum branch, as if to snap it, but then let go.

"Forget it, forget it. Whenever a worldly person like me sees something beautiful, they always want to possess it. Look at how well it blooms here, yet if I were to cut it and trap it in a narrow flowerpot, how could that be anything other than a shackle for it?"

With a sigh of pity, Yang Siqiu released the branch, but perhaps using too much force, the bough sprang back, showering down a flurry of snow and petals.

Hasting forward, Shen Quanyi used her handkerchief to brush the snow and petals from Yang Siqiu's shoulders, smiling as she quoted, "The fallen plum blossoms beneath the steps are as disordered as snow; brush them away, and they cover you once more."

---

Yang Siqiu pressed a hand to her forehead with an amused, helpless smile. "Look at me, what a sorry state I'm in."

"It's a rare treat to run into my two younger sisters today."

A crisp woman's voice rang out from behind. Turning around, Shen Quanyi hurriedly pulled Yang Siqiu along to curtsy in greeting. Su Jin was holding Li Changjiu by the hand. Mother and son were bundled up in layers, dressed so thickly that their steps were short and small.

Fortunately, they had spoken up first.

Yang Siqiu let out a sigh of relief. She had been terribly startled just a moment ago, terrified that the newcomers might be the Crown Princess or the Consort—especially the Consort, an encounter with whom might have cost her half her life.

Li Changjiu's round eyes were fixed firmly on Shen Quanyi. Although she had learned her lesson from last time and restrained herself somewhat, knowing full well that this concubine who looked so much like her mother in the painting was not her real mother, she still couldn't help staring.

Just looking couldn't hurt, right?

Li Changjiu looked up into Su Jin's face, and seeing no sign of displeasure, she finally relaxed.

Once the group emerged from the grove, they reached a pavilion. The stone stools were cushioned with several layers of thick plush pads, insulating them completely from the cold stone.

Shen Quanyi raised her gaze slightly and blinked at the little fellow who kept stealing glances at her. Li Changjiu started slightly, then looked back with a hint of delight.

"Why is his hand still wrapped in gauze?"

Looking at the bandaged hand of Li Changjiu, Yang Siqiu asked in a low voice. Shen Quanyi was too late to stop her, wondering inwardly if Yang Siqiu truly knew nothing of what had transpired between the two young misses in the inner courtyard.

At the question, memories of that day flashed vividly before her eyes. Su Jin's expression darkened. She reached out to touch Li Changjiu's slightly chilled cheek, and promptly told someone to replace his hand warmer.