Chapter Seventeen

  Last night I was on duty until dawn, and although I had a nap in the morning, I still felt tired. I didn't dare sleep more during the day for fear of being tired at night and having a hard time tomorrow. Leaning against the bed, I casually picked up a book written by Tian Yiheng of the Ming Dynasty, "Brewing Spring Small Products", and read it carefully under the lamp.

  The books on the table are basically all about tea, and I now consider this a serious job, with food, accommodation, salary and benefits. The only drawback is that there is not enough freedom, and the rules are very strict, with physical punishment for any mistakes, even to the point of risking one's life. However, three years have also allowed me to figure out some unwritten rules. In the midst of these rules, I am searching for freedom. With a mindset of doing my best since I've started, although I'm a late starter, now in the palace, if it involves tea-related issues, I'm afraid no one dares to look down on me. Currently reading:

  "Nowadays people recommend tea with fruit, which is close to the common taste. Even if it's a good one, it can damage the true flavor and should be removed. Moreover, when using fruit, you must use a spoon, like gold or silver, which is not suitable for mountain dwellers, and copper also produces a fishy smell, both are unacceptable. If in the past, northerners mixed with butter and salt, and Sichuan people added white salt, these are all barbaric drinks, and it's not worth blaming."

  Wang Xi asked in a low voice outside the door, "Is sister inside?" I straightened up and asked, "Since the lamp is lit, of course she's inside. What's the matter?" Wang Xi replied, "My master wants you to go over there." After hearing this, I quickly put down my book, smoothed out my hair in front of the mirror, tidied up my clothes, blew out the lamp, and went outside with him.

  Wang Xi saw me coming out, hastily bowed and said: "Master Wan has become addicted to something that Westerners taught him, my master has tried several times to ask if he wants to pass on the recipe, but Master Wan just responded with a perfunctory 'yes' without any movement. It's already too late. My master says please ask Miss to think of a way."

  I smiled wryly, thinking that it's indeed "the capable ones bear more labor". I recall that when I first entered the palace half a year ago, one evening while on duty in the warm pavilion. Kangxi was reviewing memorials until deep into the night. It wasn't the first time this had happened, but for several days now, Kangxi had been pulling all-nighters to deal with official documents, and the eunuch Li Dequan by his side already had his eyebrows furrowed together in worry. He was anxious about His Majesty's health, yet didn't dare speak out of turn. All he could do was stand by, looking gloomy.

  I was also naive at the time, thinking that being an emperor for thousands of years wasn't easy to do. On the one hand, I secretly measured Kangxi. After all, he had already passed fifty, and after several days of continuous overnight stays, he had to get up early in the morning to attend court, his face showing a bit of fatigue and haggardness. I don't know if it was a ghost who confused my heart at the time, or what, but suddenly my eyes felt a little sour, thinking of how I often saw my father, who taught high school, still preparing lessons and grading assignments under the lamp in the middle of the night. Sometimes when my mother got anxious, she would directly turn off the desk lamp and force my father to go to bed. Kangxi probably didn't have such a wife.

  Thinking and thinking, I don't know what's going on, my head is dizzy, and I suddenly say: "It's late, let's rest first! Otherwise, we'll be exhausted and delay things." As soon as the words came out, in the silent room, everyone looked at me with shocked faces, and a frightened atmosphere floated around. I also immediately reacted, I've made a big mistake! Hurriedly kowtowed on the ground. Li Dequan's face was stern, just about to scold me, when he heard Kangxi sigh, smile slightly and say: "My tenth sister used to always tell me to rest before she left the palace!" He tilted his head, lost in thought for a moment, then gently shook his head, and said to Li Dequan: "Put these folding fans away, let's rest today!" Li Dequan listened, with joy on his face, hastily responded loudly: "Yes!" Hurriedly attended to Kangxi getting up.

  When Kangxi walked past me, he took a look at me kneeling on the ground and said, "Get up!" I kowtowed and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty!" and stood up. Kangxi sized me up and smiled at Li Dequan, saying, "Isn't this Ma Er Tai Jia's 'Desperate Thirteen Sister'?" Li Dequan hastily replied that it was indeed her. Kangxi didn't say anything else and left directly. It wasn't until then that I realized my back was already soaked through - I was so scared to death! I thought to myself, really thanks to that Tenth Princess who I had never met before, it seems Kangxi is very fond of her.

  After that incident, Li Dequan seemed to have taken me as a 'lucky general' and used me whenever similar things happened. Fortunately, although I had to rack my brains every time and take risks, I was always able to achieve some effect. Wang Xi stood aside and whispered, "Sister, you go in yourself!" I nodded and walked lightly into the house.

  As soon as I walked into the house, I saw Li Dequan standing beside Kangxi nodding slightly at me. I also nodded my head slightly and quietly approached Kangxi, pretending to change the tea water, picked up the teacup, quickly glanced at the geometry problem Kangxi was doing, and slowly retreated.

  He entered the tea house, brewing tea while thinking that the topic wasn't difficult at all from now on. The Kangxi Emperor had just misplaced an auxiliary line. Geometry proof questions were always like this - once you got stuck in a corner, it would take some time to react. In fact, if he didn't do it now and saw the question again tomorrow, he would surely lament how foolish he was yesterday for not thinking of changing the auxiliary line.

  It can be imagined that I couldn't go forward and tell him how to add auxiliary lines, nor how to prove this question. After all, I wasn't taught mathematics by Jesuits like Verbiest, Zhang Cheng, or Xu Dasheng from Portugal. If Kangxi asked me how I knew how to do it, what would I say?

  He gently placed the tea on the table, composed himself, and called out in a soft voice: "Your Majesty!" The Kangxi Emperor did not lift his head, merely uttering a casual "uh-huh". I paused for a moment before continuing: "I'm afraid those foreigners will no longer dare to explain geometry problems to Your Majesty." The Kangxi Emperor responded with another "uh-huh", still engrossed in the problem. A short while later, he suddenly looked up at me, and I hastily bowed my head, speaking in a gentle tone: "They teach these things to Your Majesty, thinking they are good for you, but if Your Majesty becomes so preoccupied that you neglect your meals and harm your body, won't they be held accountable for their actions?" After a pause, seeing the Kangxi Emperor had no reaction, I added: "Besides, didn't those foreigners say that sometimes taking a moment to calm one's mind can make it easier to solve these geometry problems?" Finishing my words, I felt anxious and secretly wiped away cold sweat. A short while later, the Kangxi Emperor put down his brush, stood up, stretched his waist, and said: "Li Dequan! You're at it again!" Li Dequan hastily smiled and bowed, saying: "This servant is truly concerned about Your Majesty's health." The Kangxi Emperor chuckled and said: "Alright! Prepare dinner!" Li Dequan quickly responded with a "yes sir!" and swiftly walked to the door to instruct Wang Xi.

  Kangxi looked down at me and said, "You're getting bolder and bolder, letting Li Dequan manipulate you." I quickly knelt down on the ground, "I'm also worried about Your Majesty's health." After finishing speaking, I hastily kowtowed. Kangxi said, "Get up!" I quickly stood up. He then said, "You're quite careful, having served by my side several times, you've remembered all these words." I hurriedly replied, "It was just that at the time it sounded fresh, so I paid attention." Kangxi didn't pay any more attention to me, and while walking out, he casually said, "If everyone in the Qing dynasty had this kind of freshness, why worry about not being visited by foreign envoys?" After finishing speaking, he had already walked out of the room. I also let out a sigh, thinking that it's not easy to change. For thousands of years, China has been vast and rich, with the idea of being the center of the world. To truly accept new things is absolutely not something that can be changed just because an emperor is interested. It must go through painful struggles, almost becoming a slave to a ruined nation, before truly realizing that we need to learn from the outside world. Kangxi was not only lonely because he was called "isolated and solitary", but also because he understood too much, his eyes saw too far ahead, making him lonely. Since ancient times, wise men have been lonely, let alone being an emperor!

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  It wasn't my turn today, but I suddenly thought that some new tea was coming this afternoon and I was afraid that Yu Xiang and Yu Tan wouldn't store it properly, which would affect the flavor. So I hurried out of the house to take a look. As I was walking along the path, I saw tenth brother and fourteenth brother approaching from the opposite direction. I quickly stepped aside and stood by the side of the road to pay my respects. Tenth brother said in a rough voice, "What's with all the courtesy when there's no one else around?" Fourteenth brother just gave a cold hum and didn't say anything.

  I stood up, smiled at the tenth brother and asked: "Are we going back to the mansion?" He smiled and said: "We're leaving the palace but not returning to the mansion. We're going to eighth brother's place." I thought for a moment and said: "It's been many days since I've seen eighth brother, help me greet him and wish him good fortune!" The tenth brother hadn't had time to respond when we heard fourteen, who was standing off to the side with a cold expression, say: "If you truly miss eighth brother, there's no need for these empty formalities. If your heart is thinking of someone else, why bother putting on this show?" Myself and the tenth brother were both taken aback, unsure where he was coming from. The two of us exchanged a puzzled glance, staring at fourteen in confusion. After finishing speaking, fourteen seemed impatient, urging: "Tenth brother, are you going or not? If you're not going, I'll go first." He didn't wait for a response and took off.

  The tenth brother looked at me with a puzzled expression and hastily chased after him. I turned around, frowned, and watched the two of them disappear into the distance, wondering when I had offended the fourteenth brother. Was it because of the thirteenth again? But over the past few years, he had long known that I was very close to the thirteenth, so why did he get angry again?

  As I walked, I subconsciously touched the jade bangle on my wrist. Did I really miss him? The question he asked every year, how would I answer this year? Or maybe he had already asked for three years and wouldn't ask again this year. Maybe he was tired of it.

  I was lost in thought, and suddenly bumped into someone, almost falling over. Luckily, the other person stretched out a hand to steady me. I looked up to see it was Shisan. I couldn't help but scold him, "You little rascal, you saw me coming and didn't even call out!" He smiled and said, "I saw how lost in thought you were, so I wanted to see if you'd really bump into someone. It's good that I can remind you." After a pause, he clenched his fist and rested it on his chin, trying not to laugh as he said, "It's nothing for me to catch you like this, but if someone else saw such a beautiful person suddenly jump into their arms, they might get the wrong idea!" I rolled my eyes and smiled at him, but didn't respond. He asked, "What were you thinking about?" I smiled and said, "I'm not telling! I have important things to do, no time for nonsense." He chuckled and said, "Go ahead then, just don't get lost in thought while walking again!" I didn't say a word, but took off quickly. As I passed by him, I couldn't resist using my elbow to nudge him roughly. All I heard was his exaggerated cry of "Ow!" behind me. I smiled and walked away quickly, with the sound of laughter following me.

  Not far away, I suddenly heard the sound of footsteps behind me. I quickly turned around to see Thirteen approaching with big strides. I looked at him in confusion and asked, "What's going on?" He walked closer, took two quick steps, and stopped to say, "I wanted to ask you something, but I haven't had a chance until now, and I almost forgot." I said, "Go ahead!" He smiled slightly and asked, "Why did you help Fourth Brother last time?" I was taken aback, thinking for a moment, still completely clueless about what he was talking about. I could only ask, "When did I ever help Fourth Master? Besides, what kind of situation would Fourth Master need my help with?" He smiled and shook his head, saying, "The tribute thing, you spilled tea on Tenth Brother." I took a deep breath, staring at him with my mouth slightly open. Suddenly, it dawned on me why Fourteenth didn't get along with me.

  After half a day, I listlessly replied, "That was just an unintentional mistake, it just happened to be the case." He smiled and said, "Whether it's intentional or not, anyway, thank you for being here. If not, who knows what Ten Brother would say? Not that I'm afraid of him, but explaining it to Emperor Ama would be a hassle." After finishing speaking, he waited for a while, seeing that I didn't have any reaction, and said, "I'll leave now, you go take care of your own matters too!" I numbly nodded my head and slowly turned around to walk away.

  Nor did he know what he was thinking about, only that one hand touched the bracelet and walked slowly. When he suddenly realized it, he found himself walking in the wrong direction, far away from the Qianqing Palace, sighed in his heart, feeling really not having the energy to care about tea leaves, so he turned around and went back to his room.