Chapter 12
Zhao Heng struggled to maintain her composure while at the Duke An's residence, her mind constantly on edge. As soon as she returned to the laundry room, she laid down and fell asleep in no time.
She was really exhausted, ever since she saw the Crown Prince at Jing'an Pavilion, she had been living in constant fear, unable to rest or eat properly.
Finally, she could get a good night's sleep.
She woke up the next day almost at noon, Zhao Heng didn't have to work that day, so she stayed in her room making shoes for Bai Yu.
She didn't know when Bai Yu was leaving for the south, but she estimated it wouldn't be long. Bai Yu usually visited her every ten days, calculating the days, he would probably come in the next few days. While she didn't have to go to work yet, she wanted to finish the shoes for him as soon as possible.
Her fingers moved quickly with the needle and thread, and soon, a cluster of green cypress emerged on the dark blue fabric.
She loved the beauty of cypress trees, strong and resilient, not needing fertile soil or spring mountains, enduring cold and snow, everlasting.
May he be like this tree, evergreen for eternity.
"Is Sister Ahong making shoes?" Bing Tao and Lian Zhou came into the room cheerfully. Lian Zhou saw her sewing and held up the half-embroidered shoe, saying, "Oh, the size is too big."
Bing Tao nudged Lian Zhou's shoulder and teased, "Look at the size, it's for Bai Yu, right?"
Zhao Heng smiled gently, "He's going on a long journey in a few days, so I'm making him a pair of shoes."
Bing Tao giggled.
Lian Zhou looked at her hand still wrapped in gauze, unable to bear it, "Let me help you, your hand is injured."
Zhao Heng smiled and declined, "You've worked all day and must be tired, I have nothing to do these days, you can rest."
Lian Zhou was about to say something else but when she met Zhao Heng's gaze, she decided to keep quiet.
It was strange, Zhao Heng was gentle and kind, never had a temper, and treated her well. Lian Zhou depended on her, and there was a certain amount of admiration for her, perhaps it was the firmness in her eyes that seemed to hold an infinite strength.
Many times, she regarded her words as a guideline.
Zhao Heng stayed up for two nights in a row, and Lian Zhou brought her meals from the kitchen. She hardly got up from her chair.
On the third afternoon, after finishing the last stitch, she put down the needle and thread, and moved her almost numb fingers. When she stood up, her neck joints made a cracking sound, and it even hurt to turn her head.
She wrapped the shoes in a piece of cloth and put them in a box before lying down on the bed.
After working day and night for several days, she was exhausted and thought she would fall asleep as soon as she lay down. But when she closed her eyes on the bed, the drowsiness disappeared without a trace.
Her mind was filled with inexplicable scenes.
Sometimes she saw her grandmother gathering herbs in the mountains, other times she imagined Bai Yu's joyful expression wearing the shoes...
Perhaps staying in one position for too long made her body ache all over.
After tossing and turning for a while, she got up and changed her clothes, planning to go for a walk.
In the Chengming Hall, Li Wenjian finished handling official documents and rubbed his stiff neck, his gaze falling on a paper at the corner of the desk.
It was Zhao Heng's household register, retrieved that afternoon by Qin Zhao from the Yeting Bureau.
The thin paper had turned yellow, with Zhao Heng's identity and household registration written on it.
Li Wenjian picked up the register, noticing the creases in the corners, and pondered, imagining her standing in the line of palace maids recruitment, filled with nervousness and anxiety about the future. He could picture the slight trembling of Zhao Heng's eyelashes.
After many years of being pressed flat, the creases had smoothed out somewhat, but the faint traces of folds remained, like the scars that had already healed on her.
Fei Yu walked in, the spring sunlight streaming into the hall, casting a dazzling light on the magnificent palace.
A beam of light shone through the crack in the door frame, falling onto the yellowed register, emitting a faint glow and stirring up some dust.
Fei Yu brought in tea, placing a cup in front of him.
Li Wenjian picked it up and took a sip, feeling strangely unsettled that his favorite spring tea didn't taste as good as usual.
"It's spring," Li Wenjian spoke.
Fei Yu looked outside where the sun was setting, nodding, "I just passed by the west gate and met Zhan from Fangchun Garden, he said the orchid you asked him to care for might bloom in a few days."
Li Wenjian stood up, "Let's go for a walk."
Fei Yu glanced outside, realizing it would be dark soon, wondering why they were going out at this hour.
Li Wenjian went to the Fangchun Garden, the East Palace's flower house, where various exotic plants and rare flowers were cultivated. Earlier, he had brought a orchid from the south and entrusted them to care for it.
He had heard that the flower bloomed like snow, with a delicate fragrance, something he would appreciate.
Wei Zhan, being a military commander, did not understand romance and did not care for the ephemeral beauty of nature, except for orchids.
After Wei Zhan's death, he had collected orchids from all over the country, nurturing them carefully and sending branches to friends when they bloomed.
As the evening approached, the Fangchun Garden became even more tranquil, with the palace attendants who had been flying kites or playing cuju already gone, leaving behind the clear chirping of birds and a peaceful atmosphere.
Li Wenjian suddenly stopped in his tracks.
There was a figure sitting under a cluster of winter jasmine flowers.
Fei Yu looked past Li Wenjian's body and saw a woman sitting sideways at a stone table, with slender shoulders, a slim waist, and a delicate neck. Her legs were crossed and placed beside her, appearing exceptionally long. Supporting her chin with one hand, only her profile was visible, revealing superior facial features and a jawline that was almost straight, clean and cold.
Without any makeup, she was clean and beautiful.
Her eyes were gently closed, already asleep.
In the afternoon, Zhao Heng walked to the Fangchun Garden and heard playful noises inside. She saw a group of new palace attendants playing in the courtyard.
Seeing them, she inexplicably thought of the old days in the village and became lost in reverie. She was too tired, trying to stay awake to watch them play, but somehow fell asleep.
A sudden spring breeze stirred the winter jasmine branches behind her, causing the flowers to tremble lightly and a few petals falling on her shoulders.
"What is this?!" Fei Yu was about to reprimand.
Li Wenjian raised his hand to stop him, indicating silence. Fei Yu immediately fell silent, his lips moving as he whispered, "Your Highness, should I wake her up?"
"Bring me her household register."
Fei Yu looked at him and Li Wenjian said, "It's on the desk."
"Oh." Fei Yu left in three quick steps.
Shedding the previously bulky cotton coat, she changed into a light spring outfit. The wind swayed her skirt like a graceful butterfly, her stray hair gently fluttering in the breeze, accompanied by the wind that seemed to come from nowhere.
Li Wenjian didn't wake her up, standing in front of her, quietly watching her sleeping face.
The tranquil evening breeze blew, and he seemed to smell the simple scent of soap from her.
The wind caused many petals to flutter and fall, swirling around her and landing on her head.
Li Wenjian hesitated whether to wake her up. Although the chill was not as severe as before, it was still early spring, and the wind carried a hint of coldness.
After a moment of hesitation, a petal floated onto her eyelashes, pressing down her thick and long lashes slightly, then gliding across her cheek and landing on her collar.
The petal brushing her cheek brought a slight tickling sensation.
Zhao Heng furrowed her brow slightly, slowly waking up from her dream. As she opened her eyes, the last rays of the setting sun had dissipated, and palace lamps were being lit everywhere.
For a moment, she felt disoriented.
Not far away under a tree, she noticed a figure. Gazing at Li Wenjian, all her confusion vanished, and she instantly regained her clarity.
"Your Highness," she got up and walked toward him, but having been sitting for too long, her body felt numb, and she stumbled, falling straight towards Li Wenjian.
She blinked rapidly, her heart skipping a beat, fearing she would fall to the ground.
But she didn't.
Li Wenjian took a step forward, blocking her path, and caught her just in time, she collided into his broad chest unexpectedly. Her nose hit his cheek, a sharp pain bringing tears to her eyes.