Shoukang Palace.
The corridors were filled with precious Yao Huang peonies, blooming as brilliantly as the morning sun in layers of vibrant color. Palace maids hurried to and fro, their feet barely touching the ground. The Empress Dowager loved flowers, and the Emperor, being filial, ordered the palace attendants to replace the blooms in Shoukang Palace daily, never allowing a single withered petal to remain.
"Auntie~"
Lu Rongyue was accompanying the Empress Dowager as they admired the flowers. A veil covered her face, revealing only her willow-leaf brows and almond-shaped eyes. She furrowed her brows, acting part coy and part aggrieved. "Auntie, ever since Lu Qingyuan was betrothed, she has become increasingly arrogant. It is one thing for her to disregard me, but before she was even married off, she dared to give my mother looks of contempt."
The Empress Dowager was skeptical. "You are to be the future Princess Xian; how could that little hussy dare to show you contempt? And your mother is hardly a timid soul herself."
"I don’t know what kind of tricks she used, but she forced my father to provide a massive dowry. The amount taken from the storehouse was more than double what I received. My mother has always held my father in high regard, and even though she had her doubts, she dared not say anything," Lu Rongyue said, pretending to wipe tears with her hand. "What’s more, on the day of her wedding, I went with good intentions to offer my congratulations, and yet she clawed at my face."
"Absurd! I only helped broker such a favorable marriage for her out of consideration for the Prime Minister, and yet she is so ungrateful!"
The Empress Dowager cruelly snapped off a nearby peony. The bowl-sized flower head fell to the ground with a dull thud, resembling a severed human head.
"Your Majesty, Prince Xian, the Marquis of Zhenbei, and his wife have arrived," Eunuch Li announced.
*Oh no! Why is Brother Qi here too?!* Lu Rongyue panicked, covering her face with her hand. *Wasn’t he supposed to have left the Capital? How did he manage to enter the palace?*
The Empress Dowager, assuming she was afraid of Lu Qingyuan, patted her hand gently. "Do not worry. Come with me. If she dares to act insolently in my presence, I will surely make her suffer for it!"
Not long after, Xiao Qi strode in, followed closely by Huo Yanxing and Lu Qingyuan. After everyone had paid their respects to the Empress Dowager, and before she could speak, a loud cry echoed from outside the palace gates: "His Majesty has arrived—"
The Empress Dowager’s heart sank; it seemed it would not be easy to vent her anger today. She wondered why the Emperor had come to pay his respects at such an unusual hour.
"I heard reports from the Palace Guard that you were arguing at the palace gates. What was this all about?"
Huo Yanxing stepped forward and bowed. "Your Majesty, it was not my intention to be impulsive. The truth is that Prince Xian was hunting privately in the outskirts of the Capital, allowing his men to destroy crops and injure civilians. The victims filed a report at the military camp, and it was only out of urgency that I committed an offense against the Prince."
Xiao Qi retorted, "I merely took three or four attendants to hunt in the suburbs. What of it? Is the Marquis of Zhenbei so bored with his military drills that he must interfere in my affairs?"
The Emperor waved his hand dismissively. "I thought it was something serious. The autumn hunt is drawing near; I have a bit of an itch to hunt myself, let alone you. Tell me, what treasure did you catch this time?"
Seeing that his Imperial Brother was not holding a grudge, Xiao Qi glanced at Huo Yanxing with a smug expression and continued, "In reply to Your Majesty, this time I captured a white deer."
With that, he gestured, and his attendants pushed in a wooden cart. Xiao Qi lifted the red silk covering it. A white deer lay quietly on its side, its fur as white as frost.
The Empress Dowager was delighted. She stood up and walked over to inspect it closely. "It truly is a white deer. They say the Immortal of the South Pole rides a white deer. Having lived this long, I have finally seen a real one."
Seeing his mother’s joy, Xiao Qi’s words were sweet as honey. "Perhaps it is a birthday gift for you from the Immortal of the South Pole, wishing you a longevity as enduring as the pine and the crane!"
"You, you always know how to please," the Empress Dowager laughed, affectionately tapping Xiao Qi on the forehead with her index finger.
At this moment, the Emperor stepped forward to support the Empress Dowager’s hand, exclaiming, "This white deer is a divine omen! I recall a commoner emperor from a previous dynasty who captured a white deer and viewed it as a sign of heavenly mandate."
Whether the speaker meant anything by it was unclear, but the listeners certainly took it to heart. While the Empress Dowager wished to support her younger son, Xiao Qi’s wings were not yet fully formed; it was far too early to break with the Emperor. She patted the back of the Emperor’s hand soothingly. "The appearance of the white deer only proves that Your Majesty possesses great virtue and that the world is at peace."
Unexpectedly, Lu Qingyuan stepped forward and curtsied. "Your Majesty, I dare to speak: this white deer… is likely a fake."
The room went silent in shock. Xiao Qi’s expression darkened, though he kept a smile on his face. "Sister Qingyuan, you must not spout nonsense before the Emperor."
"Indeed, Sister! It was one thing to act out at home, but this is a birthday gift for the Empress Dowager—a token of Brother Qi’s filial piety. To call this white deer fake is to question the sincerity of Brother Qi’s devotion!" Lu Rongyue finished and stood by Xiao Qi’s side.
Lu Qingyuan responded with a smile. "I only said a single sentence; why is Younger Sister so anxious? Could it be that you saw with your own eyes last night how Prince Xian caught the white deer himself?"
"Enough!" The Empress Dowager slammed her teacup onto the table. "Lu Qingyuan, having grown up in the countryside far from the Capital, it is expected that you have never seen such a divine creature. I can overlook your ignorance. I heard that you were disrespectful to your elders and rebellious in your speech and conduct, showing no kindness toward your own kin. I did not believe it before, but seeing you today, you truly are a sharp-tongued one! Guards—"
Lu Rongyue tilted her head slightly, her lips curling into a triumphant smile beneath her veil. She could hardly wait to see Lu Qingyuan have her mouth slapped; she hoped she would be beaten until she was a bloody, unrecognizable mess. Let’s see how she would manage to survive in the Capital after that!
"Mother, wait."
Before the Empress Dowager could give the order, the Emperor spoke. He asked with interest, "I am curious: how does the Marchioness determine that this white deer is fake? If she cannot provide a logical explanation, it will not be too late for you to punish her then."
The Empress Dowager gave her silent consent.
Lu Qingyuan explained calmly, "Your Majesty, this deer may look like a white deer, but it is actually an old sika deer in disguise." She glanced slightly toward Xiao Qi and continued, "Older deer have lighter fur and are slower, making them easier to control."
"Nonsense!" Xiao Qi stepped forward, attempting to loom over Lu Qingyuan, but Huo Yanxing stepped in to block him. Huo Yanxing stood tall like a mountain pine, his gaze piercing as he stared coldly at Xiao Qi.
Xiao Qi had no choice but to stand his ground and argue, "I caught this white deer with my own hands. My attendants numbered at least eighty to a hundred yesterday; they can all bear witness for me."
Huo Yanxing suddenly asked, "Just moments ago, Prince Xian, you claimed you only brought three or four attendants. Why has that number now grown to over a hundred?"
Xiao Qi felt a jolt of alarm, but the words were already out.
Lu Qingyuan continued, "I have seen in the common markets that some hunters will disguise ordinary sika deer as white deer to sell to wealthy merchants or local officials to simulate divine omens. The forgers often use a mixture of lime and rice paste, applying it against the grain of the fur with a hog-bristle brush. While this method can keep the white color from fading for half a month, it dissolves upon contact with water."
Hearing this, the Emperor waved his hand. "Guards, bring a bucket of water."