Chapter Ninety-One: The Seven-Aperture Exquisite Heart

Banxia was the sort of person who, once she set her mind on doing something, was determined to do it well. Over the next few days she studied etiquette with great seriousness. Learning the courtesies of bowing and greeting left her so stiff she felt she would end up with a ruined back; by night she was sprawled helplessly on the bed while Gansu rubbed medicinal oil into her aching muscles. Banxia bared her teeth in pain.

“This is so hard on you. Maybe you should stop learning?” Gansu could not bear to see her so exhausted.

“That won’t do. If I give up now, wouldn’t all the suffering before have been for nothing? I’ve practically got it down already. In two more days I’ll definitely be ready. Ouch! Gentler... that hurts!”

The cry sent a warm surge through Gansu’s chest, though his hands lightened at once as he asked casually, “What do you think of that Madam Lin?”

Banxia thought for a moment. “I can’t quite say. At first I thought she was a kindly old woman, even wise. But the longer I’ve known her these past few days, the more something feels off. That smile of hers seems pasted onto her face, as if she’s smiling whether she’s pleased or not. And you know what? The first time our little Luguang saw her, she burst into tears. Since when has our child ever cried at the sight of a stranger, especially in such a repelled way... I can’t really explain it. For the last two days I’ve only been saying the children are too young, so I haven’t dared let them come out. I’m just thinking of learning everything quickly and sending Madam Lin back home.”

Gansu admired that womanly instinct of hers. “If the children don’t like her, then keep them from her as much as possible. And you too—she’s only a passerby anyway, not worth spending much thought on. As long as things look proper on the surface, that’s enough.”

“Mmm, mmm.” Banxia hummed in agreement and drifted off to sleep. Gansu rose silently and slipped outside. After a quick look around, he strolled into the study. He examined the desk, sprinkled a little white powder over it, and at once the marks on the tabletop became clear. As expected, someone had already gone through the things on it.

What was she looking for? It seemed the fox had begun to show its tail.

A few days later came the Festival of the Flower God. Gansu had a day off and accompanied Banxia out. Just as they were about to leave, Madam Lin suddenly came up behind them. “Madam, may this old servant go with you to the Flower God Festival?”

Banxia blinked, still not quite understanding. “Huh?”

“This old servant has spent many years in the palace, yet I have never seen the common people’s Flower God Festival. I would love to take a look. Could you bring one more person along? I promise I won’t trouble you at all. I only want to see it.”

Banxia was just about to find an excuse to refuse when Gansu spoke first. “If Madam wants to go, then come along. It is only that you must bear a little grievance and go as a companion servant.”

“I bear no grievance, none at all. To be able to see it is already my great good fortune.”

“Then trouble Madam to sit with Xiangyu and the others in the rear carriage.”

Since Gansu had agreed, Banxia no longer objected and climbed into the carriage. Only then did she ask, “Why did you suddenly let her come along?”

“Madam Lin has taught you for half a month already. It would be good for you to ease up a little before going back to the palace. There may also be unexpected developments at the banquet; it will help to have her nearby.”

“It still feels strange. Are you hiding something from me?” Banxia fixed him with a sharp, searching look.

“Does saying I very much want to kiss you count?” Gansu replied, evading the question as he leaned in close.

Banxia immediately forgot what she had been asking and covered her lips with her hand. “No, you’ll mess up my makeup.”

Gansu took the opportunity to kiss her small, tender hand instead, even flicking his tongue against it with a hint of mischief. Banxia jerked away as though burned. “You big rogue... stop fooling around.”

“All right, all right.” Gansu hurriedly put on the look of a perfect gentleman.

“Hmph!”

The Marquis’s Flower God Festival was held in the manor’s side residence. Along the way, flowers bloomed in riotous color, bright and lush. Banxia had arranged to enter with Liguyu Zhu, so arriving early, she waited at the gate. Gansu saw her in and then returned to deal with other matters.

She did not wait long before Liguyu Zhu arrived, with Lin Tianyu trailing some distance behind.

“He brought you here?” Banxia teased.

“Mm. He came to see my brother, and happened to meet me leaving, so he brought me out.”

“Then let’s go in together.”

The two women entered side by side, unaware that Gansu and Lin Tianyu, who had supposedly gone back, had turned into a side alley and entered an inn together.

They moved through the inn with ease. Gansu showed the proprietor a jade pendant, and the man led them into a private room.

“Master Duan’s letter arrived last night. But the Marquis’s residence is heavily guarded, so none of our people could get in.”

“It’s all right. My wife brought someone in.”

“And I placed a hand among Liguyu Zhu’s maids as well.”

Both had made preparations, so if anything happened they would not be caught unawares.

“This is the letter. Take a look.”

Gansu took the letter and his brow tightened. Lin Tianyu read it too. The letter was not long, yet he stared at it for a long time. At last he slammed a fist onto the table, cracking the solid wood.

“We all grew up under her eyes. My sister and I always treated her like family... how could she be so ruthless...” The letter said that Madam Lin had originally come from the Northern Frontier, and that she had a younger sister now serving in the Wen residence.

“How can we ever guess the thoughts of a villain? The key is what she wants to do now, and what on earth is going on with that poison even the imperial physicians cannot detect no matter how many pulses they take?”

The proprietor’s eyes flickered. “I have my own thoughts on that.”

The messenger said, “In our Northern Frontier there is a rare flower called the Seven-Cavity Exquisite. If it blooms for forty-nine days and then bears fruit, it becomes a life-restoring medicine, though only one plant out of hundreds of thousands will ever do so. But if it fruits after blooming for just one day, then its fruit is a deadly poison. At first there are no unusual symptoms after taking it; only after half a year does the victim die of strangling chest pain, which resembles a heart ailment. That is why it is called the Seven-Cavity Exquisite.”

“Such a flower exists? Why could the imperial physicians find no trace of it in all the old books?”

“The Northern Frontier is bitterly cold and has little contact with the outside world. Besides, this flower was entirely uprooted more than ten years ago, not a single plant left. I only heard my mother mention it when I was small, so I still have some recollection.”

“Is there an antidote to this flower’s poison?”

“No.”

“What?” Lin Tianyu was stunned. “All things in the world are born with their counterbalance. If there is poison, there must be an antidote.”

“There used to be one—the very rare plant among those countless seeds. But now that the flower is extinct, there naturally can be no antidote.”

“The poison made from this flower exists, so the antidote should exist too, shouldn’t it?” Lin Tianyu sounded uncertain.

“Even in the years when the flower was most abundant, one plant might only be found once in a century or more. Let alone now.”

Could there truly be no other way?

“The most urgent matter now is to confirm whether this is indeed that poison.” Gansu set aside the other questions.

“Yes. If we are overthinking it, then perhaps it is some other poison that can still be cured.”

“After the pollen of the Seven-Cavity Exquisite is burned with the fragrance of Crimson Heart Begonia, it turns blue after the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea. You may take this to test it.”

Gansu and Lin Tianyu rushed straight to the palace. Meanwhile, Banxia and Liguyu Zhu were led into the garden. The weather was fine, and a stage had been set up in the center where actors were singing an old opera in shrill, wavering voices. Because Liguyu Zhu held a high rank, she was placed in front, while Banxia, by virtue of Gansu’s position, sat directly behind her. With a great crowd of ladies and young misses behind her, Banxia experienced for the first time the feeling of being elevated by her husband’s status.

The women listened to the music, ate snacks, and chatted.

“That Marquis’s wife looks quite young,” Banxia remarked. “She is well preserved.”

Liguyu Zhu answered, “She is the marquis’s second wife, married in only after the imperial consort entered the palace. She is only in her thirties now, so of course she is young.” Why had I forgotten that point when I was explaining all this a few days ago?

“What are you and Liguyu Zhu talking about? I was busy just now and didn’t have a chance to greet you. I heard you came with the Grand Tutor’s wife, so why not introduce her to me?”

Somehow, the marquis’s lady had turned around to join them.

“Greetings, Madam. I saw that you were occupied and did not dare disturb you. This is Madam Su, the wife of Grand Tutor Gansu.”

“Our marquis always says that Lord Gansu is a man of exceptional bearing, young and accomplished, learned beyond measure. I had been wondering what sort of woman could catch his eye. Now that I see Madam Su, I understand at last. How could such a lovely lady fail to be adored?”

“You flatter me, Madam.”

“Since you have come, enjoy yourself properly. Quickly bring out the rose honey for our two honored guests to taste.”

“Yes.” Behind her, two maids glided over with two cups of honey tea.

They were walking quite normally, but just as one was about to hand a cup to Banxia, her foot twisted. The cup flew from her hand, and Banxia, dodging aside, caused the honey tea to spill all over Madam Lin behind her.

“How can you have learned any rules at all? Drag her away at once.”

Then, turning back, she apologized to Banxia with a look of embarrassment. “How rude of us. Is this madam all right? Madam Fang, I see your build is much the same as hers—take her away and have her change into one of your clothes.”

“Yes, this younger sister, come with me.”

“Madam, then I’ll be going.”

“Go on.”

Banxia felt that everything here carried a strange, unsettling air, yet she could not say exactly what was wrong. Her expression gave nothing away.

“There are some new people over there; I’ll go take a look. Madam Su, do not be angry—please continue watching the play.”

“By all means, attend to your business.”

Madam Lin followed Madam Fang toward the back courtyard. After glancing left and right, the two entered a room.

“Sister, are we leaving now?” Madam Lin asked.

“Leave? Where would we go?”

“Anywhere would do. The marquis promised that once I finished the task in the palace, he would send us away. Now the emperor has already been poisoned. You do not know how I tremble day and night, fearing that if we are discovered...”

“So long as you were careful, no one will have found out. If we leave now, we will only draw more attention. We must think of the marquis’s great cause.”

“Sister, are you still harboring illusions about him? Stop dreaming—he can never have feelings for you. We might as well flee while no one is paying attention. I have saved enough silver for us to live well through the rest of our lives.”

“If I leave, what will happen to Yun’er? She is still in the marquis’s wife’s hands. Sister, please take pity on me and help me. You handled everything so discreetly that no one has discovered that poison for so long. Do not frighten yourself. Live as we did before and carry on as we did before.”

“If you want to stay, then stay yourself. I can’t endure this anymore. Back then, it was because you said we needed money for medicine to save Atai that I stole from the palace. If that had not led the empress to discover us, how would I have panicked and given her the wrong medicine? Now Atai is dead, and you are using what happened back then to force me to poison the emperor. No matter what, I have already fallen this far. I want to live for myself once. If you still value our sisterly bond and are willing to help me, I’ll be grateful. If not, I can find my own way out...”

“I’m afraid you can’t leave now.”