Explain…
The explanation was that mother and son alike were sickening!
In her heart, Jiang He cursed Zhao Zheng in a string of Qi vulgarities.
But her face remained perfectly calm.
Jiang He glanced at Zhao Zheng. Thinking of last night’s binding and today’s teasing, she hated him so much her teeth itched.
The music of the bronze bells quickened bit by bit, from slow to fast. Amid the melodious notes came a high “dong,” like a diner in a tavern overturning the table at the slightest disagreement.
Do you think I’m easy to bully?
Jiang He stepped forward and bowed to the Queen Dowager, her voice gentle. “In reply to Mother, it was like this. Last night…”
At the words “last night,” her head suddenly lowered, a few traces of shy embarrassment appearing at the corners of her eyes and brows.
Seated above, the Queen Dowager saw Jiang He’s manner and, after a brief guess, immediately understood and smiled.
After all, she was a newly wedded woman. The moment she mentioned last night, she grew shy.
Zhao Zheng was also looking at her, but Zhao Zheng did not smile. His eyes narrowed slightly, his hands hanging low, and a faint sense of foreboding rose in his heart.
Was this woman raised in a theater? How could she even pretend to blush?
In the Queen Dowager’s eyes, the princess of Qi soon shed her shyness and returned to the dignified, gracious manner she had shown earlier.
With a respectful expression and a clear voice, Jiang He said, “Last night, His Majesty discussed filial piety with this consort. He spoke of the story of Wang Pou of Lu, ‘Weeping at the Tomb upon Hearing Thunder,’ and sighed over Wang Pou’s filial devotion. He also said that Lu had the stories of ‘Biting the Finger and Feeling Pain in the Heart’ and ‘The Reed Coat and Obedience to Mother,’ all of which displayed filial piety. Hearing His Majesty speak of these, this consort said that stories of filial piety exist not only in Lu. The Qi where this consort grew up also has one.”
What parents and elders cared about most was the filial heart of the younger generation. Hearing Jiang He say this, the Queen Dowager’s heart stirred, and she asked casually, “What story is it?”
Jiang He paused slightly, then continued, “When this consort’s ancestor, Taigong of Qi, was still alive, he once inspected the customs and livelihood of the people by the sea. It was early summer then. When Taigong grew tired, he ate peaches in a cool pavilion and noticed a young man watching him from afar, as though waiting for something. So Taigong sent someone to ask, and the young man said that he wished to beg for a peach pit.”
As Jiang He spoke, she picked up the peach pit from the low table and showed it to the Queen Dowager.
The utterly unremarkable peach pit had been gnawed clean. There was nothing special about it.
Everyone’s curiosity was aroused. Not only the Queen Dowager, even the eunuchs and palace maids could not help looking toward that peach pit.
Doubt rose in everyone’s mind. What did that young man want a peach pit for?
Before the bronze bells, the musicians lightly struck with small wooden mallets. After the stirring melody came lingering, intoxicating soft notes. It was like an infant acting spoiled in its mother’s arms, a young child learning to walk, a wandering son returning home and kneeling before his parents in the hall.
Then the music sank lower, soft and continuous, as though carrying sorrow.
Jiang He explained, “The young man’s mother suffered from a coughing illness of the lungs, and peach pits can break up blood, move stasis, stop coughs, and calm wheezing. In that region, there was a folk remedy: one could sew a peach pit into the body with cotton thread, and after seven sevens, forty-nine days, the peach pit soaked in fresh blood could treat the illness. The young man could not afford peaches. Seeing Taigong eating peaches in the cool pavilion, he waited outside.”
Jiang He’s voice was warm. As she told the story, her brows furrowed slightly and her expression was intent. When she reached the final sentence, she sighed softly, instantly drawing the people in the entire hall into sighing and being moved with her.
“So that is how it was.” The Queen Dowager took out a handkerchief and gently dabbed at the corners of her eyes, choking softly. “I never imagined Qi had such a filial son, willing to cut open his flesh and sew in a pit to save his mother. This is far more moving than those stories from Lu.”
Jiang He also raised her sleeve as if to wipe away tears and said with a slight sob, “Therefore, when His Majesty saw a peach on the low table today, he said that before long it would be autumn, the season when Mother’s cough returns. He too was willing to cut open his flesh and sew in a pit for Mother!”
After Jiang He finished this sentence, she imitated Zhao Zheng’s manner and stepped elegantly aside, allowing everyone in the hall to see Zhao Zheng clearly.
The ruler of Yong, the great filial son, Zhao Zheng.
Zhao Zheng, who was preparing to cut open his flesh and sew in a pit! Better now than later. Why not start cutting right away?
Zhao Zheng’s expression looked like a black dog splashed with black dog’s blood.
Black, red, and red within black.
Today, he had originally thought that even if Jiang He fabricated an entire play, at most she could only deceive the Queen Dowager to conceal her own true nature of risking her life the moment she saw food.
He had not expected Jiang He’s goal to be not only deceiving the Queen Dowager, but also teasing and taking revenge on him.
If he refused to admit it now, it would seem as though he had no filial heart. But if he admitted it, would that not be playing right into Jiang He’s hands?
Zhao Zheng was just about to speak when the Queen Dowager had already hurried down the steps. She walked too quickly, her brows tightly knitted, looking as if she might smile and cry at once, her expression both moved and angry. As she walked, she sternly rebuked him. “His Majesty bears the weight of the state and shoulders the responsibility of defending and expanding our lands. How can you go and imitate common households, becoming some filial son who cuts open his flesh and stuffs in a pit?!”
Just as she finished saying this, she reached Zhao Zheng’s side and raised her hand to grasp Zhao Zheng’s left arm. Jiang He saw clearly that Zhao Zheng’s brows indeed furrowed, his expression seeming pained.
“Mother, please see clearly,” Jiang He immediately said. “His Majesty refused to listen to this consort’s persuasion and has already cut open his left arm to insert the peach pit.”
Otherwise, why had there been such a large pool of blood on the bedsheet? So it turned out he had cut his arm.
Hearing this, the Queen Dowager immediately released Zhao Zheng’s arm and retreated a step as though scalded by hot water. But in the end, she had touched the wound that had only recently been bandaged. With a “pat,” a drop of blood fell from Zhao Zheng’s wrist and landed on the floor.
The Queen Dowager sucked in a breath and collapsed backward.
“Imperial physician! Quickly summon the imperial physician!”
For a while, the hall was thrown into utter chaos.
A long time later, Zhao Zheng was in the rear hall being attended by the imperial physician for his injury, while Jiang He supported the Queen Dowager, whose breathing had finally steadied, to the side hall to rest.
As the Queen Dowager walked, she said tearfully, “That child! At six years old, he was sent away by Us as a hostage. He went through all those feudal states, and by the time he returned, he was already eighteen. Everyone says his nature is cold and that he is distant from Us. We always thought he resented Us for not raising him with Our own hands. Only today do We know that Our Zheng’er is so filial. We have wronged him.”
Jiang He, walking slowly beside her, suddenly felt that something about this was not quite right.
This was not the original purpose of her story. She had wanted to force Zhao Zheng into hiding a pit in his flesh for forty-nine days.
She had even thought through how to use that pit after forty-nine days.
After grinding the peach pit, it would be given to the Queen Dowager to eat. As for the peach kernel, it could be coated in sweet frost, marinated, and then fried for her to eat.
Now look at this. Zhao Zheng did not have to sew in any pit, and he had even gained a reputation for filial piety.
She had made up that story for nothing.
The Queen Dowager had already dried her tears. The female official following behind her also praised, “His Majesty’s filial heart is pure, just like the ancient emperor Shun. It is only that there are tens of thousands of servants in the palace. It would be enough to choose one with a sturdy body to nourish such a thing for the Queen Dowager. How could His Majesty personally do it?”
The Queen Dowager fell silent for a moment, as though she were already considering whom to choose to cut open their flesh and sew in the pit.
Jiang He tightened her grip on the peach pit in her hand and said solemnly, “It must be a biological son.”
The Queen Dowager looked at Jiang He in some surprise. Seeing her resolute expression, and seeming somewhat regretful, she nodded. “Indeed, only by moving Heaven and Earth with filial piety can one bring the dead back to life.”
As soon as her words fell, a sorrowful voice cried from behind them, “Bringing the dead back to life is impossible now, wuwu…”
Although the voice was clearly a man’s as soon as one heard it, it was aggrieved and delicate, like honey melting beneath the sun, inexplicably making one’s heart sweeten. He was crying, yet the sound was not annoying. Even without seeing his face, Jiang He already wanted to coax him.
Turning around, she saw a young man running over from the corridor and already stepping into the main hall.
He was about seventeen or eighteen, his figure slender and upright. His blue robes fluttered, making him seem as noble and elegant as an orchid and jade tree. His skin was very fair, his brows and eyes lively. His eyes seemed to hold clear springs beneath a starry sky, bright yet faintly mysterious. His nose bridge was high and straight, and his lips were as red and vivid as a young girl’s, setting off his handsome, peerless beauty.
Looking at the jade crown on his head and the style of his clothing, Jiang He could guess who he was. Then, seeing the way he rushed in to hug the Queen Dowager’s arm and act spoiled, Jiang He was completely certain.
This was the second son of the Queen Dowager and the late king, Lord Chang’an, Zhao Jiao.
Jiang He took a step back and stood properly, turning slightly to the side to show that she could not face him directly.
The Queen Dowager had already patted Lord Chang’an’s arm and shaken him off. “What sort of behavior is this, crying and wailing? Hurry and greet your royal sister-in-law!”
Zhao Jiao’s crying stopped at once, and he turned to look at Jiang He.
“Royal sister-in-law?” he said, as though somewhat puzzled. “The royal sister-in-law married yesterday?”
“How are you speaking?” The Queen Dowager was so angry she struck him with her fist. The force was very heavy, and Zhao Jiao nearly fell over.
“Yes, yes.” Zhao Jiao lowered his head and saluted Jiang He. After completing the courtesy, he rose and once again caught hold of the Queen Dowager’s sleeve. “No wonder all the court officials say the women of Qi are the most beautiful. Now that Royal Brother has chosen away the most beautiful woman of Qi, whom is your son supposed to marry?”
Before his words had even fallen, he received several more punches, beating the Queen Dowager until she could barely catch her breath.
Jiang He hurriedly supported the Queen Dowager into the side hall and helped her kneel and sit down, while Zhao Jiao also knelt by the Queen Dowager’s feet, apologizing as he beat her legs.
The hall quieted slightly for a while.
After the Queen Dowager drank tea and then drank the freshly brewed calming decoction, she finally spoke.
“Why did you come in crying just now?”
It would have been better not to mention it. As soon as it was mentioned, Zhao Jiao began crying again.
“This morning, your son had only just risen when I heard that the leader of the Palace Guard had taken away the Chu songstress from my residence. They said that not long ago, the Qi escorting delegation was attacked at the guesthouse, and they suspected it had something to do with the songstress in my residence.”
Jiang He’s mind stirred, and she looked toward Zhao Jiao.
Sure enough, they had only just married, and Zhao Zheng had already begun thoroughly investigating Yong’s internal traitors.
He was even investigating his own younger brother. It could be seen that he had made up his mind.
Zhao Jiao wiped his tears and said, “That songstress of mine was only fifteen. How could she possibly be a spy? Your son doted on her most. Without her, even meals no longer tasted sweet. So your son ran to the Palace Guard offices to demand her back. After waiting for more than an hour, they—”
At this point, Zhao Jiao buried his head against the Queen Dowager’s legs and burst into loud sobs.
“They, they threw your son a human head! Wuwuwu…”
The crying echoed through the main hall, until a cold, solemn, low voice descended like muffled thunder from the air, suppressing Zhao Jiao’s sobs and, incidentally, frightening his soul away.
“Zhao Jiao.” Zhao Zheng, who had appeared at the hall entrance at some unknown time, stood there, his black robes seeming to freeze the sunlight. In a cold voice, he said, “Come out.”
Zhao Jiao, who had been crying, abruptly shuddered.
He did not raise his head, only carefully rolled his eyes upward to look. After confirming that the person standing at the door was indeed Zhao Zheng, he was instantly so frightened that he shrank backward.
Like a lamb awaiting slaughter encountering an imperial chef skilled at cooking mutton.
“Why haven’t you gone to apologize to your royal brother?”
The Queen Dowager flung away Zhao Jiao’s hands that were hugging her, looking as though she absolutely would not shield her own.
Zhao Jiao shrank back, then suddenly seemed to find a life-saving straw and grabbed Jiang He’s arm.
“Royal Sister-in-law, save me!”
He pressed close to Jiang He, in the posture of a younger brother of the family seeking his sister-in-law’s protection, nearly burrowing into Jiang He’s arms.