The Heart Given to Brighten the Moon - Chapter 11

After dinner, Shen Danxin helped clear the table, intending to see the task through to the end. But Song Mingyue refused to let her wash the dishes; she took the basin herself to fetch water from the courtyard jar. Shen Danxin’s temper flared as she tried to snatch it back, but Song Mingyue gave her a sharp, piercing glare.

“Are these hands of yours meant for such menial labor?” Song Mingyue demanded. “If you ruin them, how will you ever give me the ‘better days’ you promised?”

Shen Danxin flinched and withdrew her hands, muttering under her breath, “But I do nothing but menial labor at the Qingmo Academy.”

Song Mingyue’s anger boiled over. She slammed the basin onto the ground and pointed a finger at Shen Danxin’s nose. “You have the nerve to complain to me?! Do you have any idea the risk Mingjue took to recommend you? And you? First, you collide with Zhao Hui in the Imperial Garden, and today you dare to talk back to Zhao Huan! How many lives do you think you have, Shen Danxin? Are you not satisfied until you’ve dragged both my brother and me down with you?”

“I didn’t ” Shen Danxin suddenly remembered their Three-Point Covenant and bit her tongue.

“You what?” Song Mingyue was relentless. “I know the gates of the Qingmo Academy are hard to climb. That day you spoke such grand, confident words, and I didn’t dampen your spirits. Now that you’ve tasted a bit of hardship and some snide remarks, you’re acting like a victim of a great injustice?” Song Mingyue looked down at her reflection in the water basin and gave a self-deprecating laugh. “But have my brother and I not lived every single day this way?”

Shen Danxin shuffled a few steps closer and slowly crouched down. She reached out and gently stroked Song Mingyue’s head, as if soothing a cat, and said softly, “I wasn’t complaining. Besides, this little bit of hardship is nothing to me. Old Man Cai has probably tormented me enough; tomorrow I’ll go find him for a heart-to-heart. I don’t believe that old man has a heart of stone.”

Song Mingyue didn’t pull away. She stared at Shen Danxin with wide eyes. “Then you must stop your foolish habit of being so quick with your tongue.”

“Of course, of course.” Facing a rare, obedient Song Mingyue, Shen Danxin had no reason to refuse. But promises were one thing; the freedom-loving and unrestrained Shen Danxin had been doing the opposite of what she said since she was a child.

The next morning, Shen Danxin went to the Qingmo Academy early, not even waiting to walk with Song Mingjue. Taking advantage of the small crowd, she searched around and finally found Cai Xun in the right wing of the courtyard, busy arranging scrolls.

Hearing her, Cai Xun looked toward the door. He wasn’t surprised to see Shen Danxin and said calmly, “Come in.”

This elegant room in the right wing was reserved for the Three Masters; even the Emperor would be received here if he visited. Consequently, the decor was quite opulent. The small garden and pavilion outside were now personally maintained by Shen Danxin, making them look far more refined than before a change the Three Masters were quite pleased with.

Cai Xun seemed to have expected her visit. He continued organizing scrolls without speaking to her. Just as Shen Danxin finished an internal struggle and was about to speak, Cai Xun beat her to it. “Princess Huan looked displeased when she arrived yesterday evening. Did she encounter you on the road?”

Shen Danxin was taken aback. Before she could make an excuse, Cai Xun smiled. “I thought as much.”

Whether in the palace or the Academy, Master Cai was known for being a man of few words and even fewer smiles. If Zhao Zongqian didn’t personally call him a “Master,” the palace gossip about him would have likely spiraled out of control.

But Shen Danxin didn’t see it that way. Though the old man had a “stink face” and a “stink temper,” in her eyes, he was still a kindly old man. To others, it was a different sight entirely; many attendants whispered that Shen Danxin truly was his favored disciple, for she was the only one who could make Master Cai smile.

“The Eighth Princess has been clever and sharp since childhood, excelling in everything from the zither and chess to calligraphy and painting. As she grew, she became a striking beauty. Yet, His Majesty favors only the Fourth Princess and neglects his eighth daughter. Years ago, when His Majesty began promoting the Ink-Masters, the Eighth Princess came to the Academy to seek a path. At that time, I was fortunate enough to be favored by the Empress, and the Princess insisted on becoming my disciple.” The goat-bearded old man’s gaze grew misty.

“But Master, you are a master of portraits. Wouldn’t it have been better for her to study under Master Meng or Master Yan?” Shen Danxin was confused.

Cai Xun gave a “hehe” laugh and plucked a few strands of his sparse beard. “That is where you are dull. Landscapes and scenery are just that scenery. No matter how grand or vast, they can never strike the heart as powerfully as a portrait that blurs the line between reality and illusion.”

Shen Danxin let out an “oh” of realization, guessing the ending. “So, you didn’t accept her in the end.”

Cai Xun nodded with a helpless smile, looking somewhat apologetic. “Thus, when she saw you yesterday, she likely harbored some resentment. You cannot be blamed for this.”

Shen Danxin was still puzzled. “Your disciple is indeed dull, but if her talent is extraordinary, why did you refuse her?”

Cai Xun let out a soft sigh and said distantly, “I understood her heart. But His Majesty’s indifference toward her is not something that can be changed easily. No matter how brilliant her portraits might be, the people in my paintings have no room for her. It would only cause her to sink deeper into her obsession.”

Shen Danxin nodded, only half-understanding. Cai Xun closed the subject, clearly unwilling to say more. The grievances and complexities of the Imperial Family were not something that could be untangled in a few words. The old man pointed to a nearby easel and said, “The people from Luanqi Palace came yesterday to ask for that Lanxi Stream Play. You shall run the errand for your Master.”

At the mention of Luanqi Palace, Shen Danxin immediately perked up. While looking for the scroll box, she laughed, “That Fourth Princess has quite the ego, making you deliver it personally?”

The old Cai had just picked up a heavy scroll; hearing this, he didn’t hesitate to give Shen Danxin a sharp thwack on her rear with it. He said sternly, “You brat! Half a month of chores was for nothing! You can say such things in this room, but if even a whisper of gossip gets out, do you want this old man to outlive his disciple?”

Shen Danxin made a face but didn’t dare act up further, fearing the old man would sentence her to another half-month of chores. She grabbed the sandalwood scroll box and bolted out the door, vanishing in a flash. Old Cai chased her as far as the small garden, huffing with exertion. He glared and shouted, “I was originally reluctant to let you go and endure her temper, but now? You asked for it!”

Shen Danxin ran as if her life depended on it. The old man was frail, yes, but that scroll-whack was solid; her backside was still throbbing. After walking for a while and rubbing her rear, she came to a halt and looked around blankly.

She was lost.

She spent the next while cursing Zhao Zongqian’s ancestors to the eighteenth generation while stopping anyone she could find to ask for directions. By the time she reached the sixteenth generation, she finally found Luanqi Palace.

Magnificent and shimmering. That was the only way to describe it. Shen Danxin stood before the palace gates with her mouth agape, staring for a long moment before snapping out of it. Cradling the sandalwood box carefully, she climbed the steps.

She was met at the door by Eunuch Xianzhong. His eyes were incredibly sharp; he said immediately, “I presume you are Master Cai’s closed-door disciple?”

“That’s me, that’s me.” Shen Danxin nodded like a simpleton. Is ‘Closed-Door Disciple’ written in big letters on my forehead? How does everyone know?

Xianzhong offered a slight smile, neither fawning nor flattering. “My apologies, but you must wait here for a moment. Her Highness has not yet risen.”

The sky was clear, and the sun was already high. Shen Danxin glanced up and gave a goofy smile. “No problem, no problem.”

Xianzhong spared her a glance, bowed slightly, and turned to go inside. For no reason at all, Shen Danxin felt a shiver run through her body. This androgynous man had an air of evil about him. In an instant, she regretted coming. That old man set me up!

Little did she know that the Princess was currently in the inner courtyard’s Feng luan Pavilion, warming herself by a fire of high-grade rosewood charcoal and sipping “Jade Pearl Lotus Porridge” that had been simmered for twelve hours.

Xianzhong arrived without haste, stopping before Zhao Hui with his head bowed. “Master, it is Master Cai’s disciple. I have left him waiting at the gate.”

Zhao Hui took a bite of a scallion oil pancake a dish the Imperial Kitchen had learned from the south. She furrowed her brow and tossed it aside like trash, saying with disgust, “I hear this disciple was recommended by Song Mingjue. Is he someone you know? Why have I never heard of him before?”

The discarded pancake landed right on Song Mingyue’s chest. Song Mingyue looked down at the bright grease stain and said expressionlessly, “I do not know him.”

“Is that so?” Zhao Hui took a silk handkerchief from a maid to wipe her hands. She stood and smiled. “I’m full. It’s time for some exercise. The wind has been strong lately, and Imperial Father won’t allow me to go riding. Human-Horse, I’ll trouble you to serve as my steed once more.”

Song Mingyue’s face instantly turned ashen. A thousand, ten thousand times over, she did not want to kneel on the ground especially not with Shen Danxin right outside the door. If Shen Danxin saw her like this, setting aside the humiliation, she feared what reckless, life-threatening thing the woman might do.

Zhao Hui’s smile was like a cold wind in winter, cutting into her heart. The “millet-like” fist hidden in her wide sleeve clenched tight, then slowly relaxed as Zhao Hui walked toward her. “What? Are you unwilling?”

Shen Danxin’s moving nonsense from that night grew blurry in her ears, leaving only the words “Destined Fate.” Song Mingyue clearly heard herself say: “I am willing.”

Then, even more clearly, she heard Zhao Hui say: “Let Master Cai’s ‘favored disciple’ in.”

Shen Danxin followed Xianzhong inside, only to see Zhao Hui sitting triumphantly on Song Mingyue’s back. The posture was unrefined, yet she looked like a conqueror returning in glory. Song Mingyue looked up at Shen Danxin, her eyes filled with cold indifference.

The sandalwood box in Shen Danxin’s hands hit the ground with a thud. She scrambled to pick it up, not daring to look up again.

Zhao Hui grew even more arrogant. She said to the approaching Shen Danxin, “Master Cai’s disciple, this Princess has nothing special to entertain you with, save for this ‘Human-Horse.’ It’s a rare sight; would you like a ride as well?”

Shen Danxin gave a fake smile. “It is merely using a person as a horse; what is so rare about that?”

Zhao Hui laughed brightly. “A princess of the previous dynasty serving as a horse isn’t something just anyone can ride. Do you not find that rare?”

Shen Danxin looked horrified and took a small step back, her head bowed even lower. “This lowly one values his life very much; I would never dare commit such an ‘inhumane’ act. Your Highness is protected by the Son of Heaven; naturally, your life is different from my lowly one’s.”

The Princess was in her moment of triumph and didn’t catch the hidden insult in Shen Danxin’s words. However, the expression on Eunuch Xianzhong’s face shifted as he stared at Shen Danxin with a dark, brooding gaze.