Chapter 17: The Fifth Fulinjin

Chapter 17: The Fifth Fulinjin

It was three days later when An Qing finally managed to transplant her precious melon seedlings into the ground.

These seedlings were hard-won treasures. Losing even one would break her heart, so she insisted on doing the transplanting herself, not letting anyone else touch them.

The task wasn't difficult but required precision. She carefully moved each seedling from its pot, soil and all, into the ground and then watered them thoroughly.

After the successful transplant, in about seven to ten days, the melon seedlings would start to grow vines. At that point, she needed to lay straw and wheat stalks around each plant.

An Qing had already instructed Little Xizi to prepare these materials. Although straw and wheat stalks were uncommon in the Forbidden City, they weren't out of place. With some silver, the eunuchs who went out daily to buy firewood could easily bring some in.

After transplanting the melon seedlings, An Qing didn’t forget the tomato plants Yinqi had given her earlier. She had already told someone to till and air out the two small flower beds for several days, and today was the perfect time to transplant the tomatoes as well.

"Fulinjin, what are you building?" asked the young eunuch Li Fu, puzzled.

He had previously worked in the flower house at Fengchen Garden and continued to take care of the flowers in An Qing’s courtyard after coming here. He was also responsible for looking after the tomato plants Yinqi had brought.

An Qing tied the last piece of wood and dusted off her hands. "A trellis."

A trellis?

Li Fu looked confused. He had helped look after the tomatoes before but had never seen anyone build a trellis. He couldn’t imagine its purpose.

An Qing smiled and didn’t rush to explain. Instead, she transplanted four tomato seedlings around the trellis, forming a circle, and then pointed to it.

"This is for the tomato plants to climb. When the tomatoes cover the trellis, they will grow like a tree, becoming a tomato tree."

"A tomato tree?" Cui Liu exclaimed, coming over curiously. "Will it look nice?"

An Qing nodded. Of course.

When the tomato vines were laden with ripe fruit, the red tomatoes hanging from the trellis would be a sight to behold. More importantly, the trellis would improve ventilation and light exposure, reduce disease and pests, and increase both yield and quality.

After transplanting both the melon and tomato seedlings, An Qing felt a sense of relief. Standing in front of the main hall's veranda, she admired her newly transformed courtyard, feeling very satisfied.

Indeed, Perilla and the others were capable. In just half a month, they had completely renovated the courtyard according to her preferences.

Cui Liu had custom-made a large reclining chair placed under the grapevine trellis in the courtyard, perfect for cooling off after sunset. The corner of the courtyard had been cleared by Maidenhair, who planned to plant medicinal and ornamental flowers like peonies and chrysanthemums.

Chunxiao had also raised a few koi in the large bronze vase in front of the main gate, giving the courtyard a rustic charm.

Through their observations over the past few days, An Qing and Perilla noticed that Little Xizi was efficient, observant, and most importantly, trustworthy. He knew what to ask and what not to ask, and what to say and what not to say.

Having a reliable eunuch in charge of the courtyard was essential. An Qing hadn’t mentioned this before, wanting to see how things would unfold first.

Now that she was satisfied, she asked Cui Liu to gather everyone in the courtyard and announced the decision.

Little Xizi was surprised by the sudden promotion and quickly knelt down to thank her.

"Fulinjin trusts you," Cui Liu warned. "You must serve diligently."

Little Xizi replied eagerly, "This servant will serve Fulinjin wholeheartedly and never have a second thought!"

The other palace maids and eunuchs watched Little Xizi enviously. It had only been a short while since he caught Fulinjin’s attention and became the head eunuch, setting him apart from the rest.

But this event gave everyone hope for advancement, and they began to work even harder, believing they could achieve the same.

In contrast to the vibrant atmosphere in the main hall, the air in Liu Jiashi’s eastern wing was suffocatingly tense.

The servants there lived in constant fear, afraid of making any mistake that might anger Liu Jiashi, who was in a foul mood.

No matter how careful they were, their mistress could always find fault. Since her failed attempt to win favor, almost every servant had been scolded or beaten for various reasons.

Ruijuan watched as a young eunuch was sent to kneel in the courtyard and sighed inwardly. She could no longer help much, having been reassigned to serve the little prince after trying to persuade Liu Jiashi a few times.

She saw Old Zhao hurry into the room, wondering what new trouble was brewing.

Inside, Liu Jiashi lay listlessly on a soft couch, looking drained.

Old Zhao entered and whispered something in her ear. Liu Jiashi suddenly sat up straight. "Is this true?"

"Absolutely!" Old Zhao said excitedly, gesturing wildly. "The main hall is usually guarded like a fortress, but I managed to get the information after much effort."

Liu Jiashi sprang to her feet, pacing back and forth. "Ha! She pretends to be a proper lady, but secretly behaves like this!"

Old Zhao agreed. "Who would have thought that a noble Fulinjin would act like a peasant, doing menial farm work? If this gets out, people will laugh at her and make Yinqi lose face. No man would find such behavior appealing."

These words struck a chord with Liu Jiashi. Over the past few days, others assumed she was upset about the incident, but she was actually more anxious.

Before An Qing arrived, everyone thought Liu Jiashi was favored in the Fifth Prince’s household, but only she knew that Yinqi didn’t truly care for her. His visits were mostly to see the child, and even staying overnight was often just sleeping separately.

Sometimes she wondered if there were really men who didn’t desire intimacy. Liu Jiashi didn’t believe it; her father, despite his love for her stepmother, still had several favored concubines.

This meant she hadn’t yet captured Yinqi’s heart. So she brought Old Zhao into the palace to give her advice, hoping to use the same tactics her stepmother used to captivate her father.

But before she could succeed, An Qing arrived, causing Liu Jiashi great anxiety. Seeing Yinqi’s affectionate gaze toward An Qing that night made her feel threatened. An Qing held the title of Fulinjin and had a prestigious background. If she also won Yinqi’s heart, Liu Jiashi and Hongsheng would be left with nowhere to turn.

However, now it seemed fate was on her side. Liu Jiashi smiled, her happiest smile in days. An Qing had put on a good show, but now her true colors were showing.

Their marriage was still new, and she doubted their bond was deep. Exposing An Qing’s unsavory side, adding some drama, would likely erase any favor she had gained from the Emperor and Yinqi.

Then, Fulinjin would become a laughingstock throughout the Forbidden City!

*

At this moment, in the east warm pavilion of the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

Kangxi was meeting with ministers. Unaware of what difficulty he faced, his brows were deeply furrowed as he stared at a potted peony beside the table. This was a tribute recently sent from Luoyang, Henan. It was said to be rare, with only one such plant in all of Luoyang.

Standing below were the Minister of Rites, Zhang Ying, the Minister of Finance, Ma Qi, and the Fourth Prince Yinzhen and the Fifth Prince Yinqi.

All held their breaths, waiting silently for Kangxi to speak.

After a long while, Kangxi's gaze finally moved away from the potted peony and fell upon his sons Yinzhen and Yinqi. "Fourth Son, Fifth Son, are you sure you've searched every flower garden in the capital outskirts?"

The two quickly affirmed, and Yinzhen, bowing slightly, replied, "Your Majesty, this matter concerns the grand sacrifice. Your subject and Fifth Brother did not dare to neglect it. We personally inspected each one, and indeed found no peony similar to this one."

The Minister of Finance, Ma Qi, also hurriedly reported, "Officials from Luoyang also thoroughly searched the entire region and its surroundings but could not find another peony like this one."

A hint of disappointment flashed across Kangxi's face. What a pity.

The peony is the national flower, symbolizing auspiciousness and prosperity since ancient times.

This particular potted peony, the supreme-grade Mandarin Duck Butterfly Peony, was even more special. Unlike ordinary Mandarin Duck Butterfly Peonies, each petal had a golden edge, as if encrusted with gold, giving it a radiant appearance. This was a rare omen of good fortune.

Throughout history, which emperor did not favor such auspicious signs? Kangxi was no exception.

Recently, after two consecutive years of personally leading campaigns against Galdan, although great victories were achieved, the continuous warfare inevitably strained the people and resources. Last winter, Sichuan and Chongqing suffered snow disasters, causing unrest among the populace.

With the summer solstice sacrifices at the Altar of Earth approaching, an important annual ceremony, Kangxi decided to use this potted peony as an offering, hoping to show the people that the Great Qing was blessed by heaven and that he, as emperor, was divinely ordained.

However, unexpectedly, the peony suddenly fell ill, developing grayish-brown spots on its stems and some leaves. The palace gardeners were at a loss.

A sick peony could not serve as an offering. Disappointed, Kangxi could only reluctantly accept the situation.

He waved his hand and instructed Ma Qi and Zhang Ying, "Very well, proceed with the usual preparations for the sacrifices."

As for how to handle the peony, Kangxi pondered for a moment before turning to Liang Jiugong.

"Have it sent to the Empress Dowager's Ningshou Palace. My mother has always loved flowers. This peony is truly rare. While it still looks good, let her see it."