Su Qingyao copied Buddhist sutras throughout the night. When tired, she would stand up and walk a few circles, eat a pastry, then continue writing.
Having this rare opportunity to appear alone, she didn’t want to miss it, so she pushed herself without resting. Only when the morning light began to glow faintly and the sky was about to brighten did she put down her brush, rubbing her sore wrists.
Liu Qin had also spent the whole night grinding ink. By morning, dark circles were visible under her eyes, and she looked utterly listless, clearly exhausted.
Su Qingyao stood up and patted her shoulder, pointing to the embroidered stool beside the tea table. "Sit for a while first, so you don’t struggle to walk back later."
She would have a sedan chair to ride later, but Liu Qin had nothing. It would be difficult enough for her to muster the strength to walk back.
Liu Qin always listened to her. Without arguing, she sat down and brewed tea for her. "Mistress, have some tea first. We’ll go back and sleep afterward."
Su Qingyao nodded and stood before the table, carefully organizing the sutras she had copied all night.
When writing sutras, she was exceptionally earnest. In her past life, she had only prayed for the health of her parents and family, and for her own peace and happiness. After so many years of copying, she had developed a deep, bone-deep piety.
Although there were other reasons now, she did not cut corners in the slightest.
Every page written with sincerity was filled with her prayers.
When Lou Douzhou arrived, he saw from outside the door her solemn expression as she meticulously organized each page of sutras. He had a rough idea why The Emperor had given that special instruction. Standing here now, even he could sense the sincerity in this Mistress Su’s heart.
She had put her heart into it.
Even if it was an act, it was performed too well, too convincingly.
Lou Douzhou waited until she finished organizing the Buddhist sutras before knocking on the door. "Mistress, it is already morning. Please proceed to have breakfast."
Su Qingyao replied, "Understood. Please wait a moment, Eunuch."
In her previous life, she had rarely seen The Emperor, so she wasn’t very familiar with Lou Douzhou’s voice from his younger years. However, even a Junior Palace Attendant from Qianyuan Palace was not someone she could afford to offend now.
Thus, within moments, Liu Qin came forward to open the door. Upon seeing Lou Douzhou’s attire, she immediately grew flustered. "Grand Eunuch, good morning to you."
Hearing her address him as Grand Eunuch, Su Qingyao immediately came out holding the Buddhist sutras. Seeing it was Lou Douzhou, she couldn’t help but be taken aback. "How could I trouble the Grand Eunuch to come personally?"
Lou Douzhou was a smiling Buddha, appearing very amiable. Many who had offended The Emperor sought his favor, whether it was useful or not, just for peace of mind.
But no matter how amiable he seemed on the surface, he was still the Imperial Brush Eunuch of Qianyuan Palace, a sixth-rank Grand Eunuch.
Su Qingyao knew he truly had a say in front of Emperor Jianyuan.
Though already extremely weary, she forced herself to gather her spirits and said to him, "The Grand Eunuch’s presence is my fortune. Yesterday, I wrote some sutras. If possible, I would like to ask the Grand Eunuch to pass them to The Emperor, as a token of my sincerity. If it is too troublesome, the Grand Eunuch may store them in a warehouse—they won’t take up much space."
These words were considerate and full of feeling, striking just the right balance.
Lou Douzhou had initially thought she was the type of innocent young lady filled with deep affection. But after hearing these words, he knew she was undoubtedly a clever person.
Speaking with clever people was always easier. Lou Douzhou respectfully took the sutras with both hands and said earnestly, "Mistress’s sincerity is something I must present to The Emperor. Please rest assured."
Whether genuine or not, Su Qingyao was content with his words.
She smiled and nodded at Lou Douzhou, then was attended by Liu Qin to the warming room to freshen up.
Tingqin happened to come by to arrange breakfast. Seeing the imperial favor carried by the Junior Palace Attendant outside, she couldn’t help but laugh. "His Majesty… is he somewhat satisfied?"
Lou Douzhou lifted the thick stack of sutras toward her. "Such dedication! Our Emperor is soft-hearted, after all—he wouldn’t let her efforts go unrewarded."
Tingqin smiled. Noticing the small kitchen had also sent over a rather substantial food box, she opened it to find two layers packed full, all with the small kitchen’s signature Suzhou-style pastries.
She was quite surprised. "This… is also…?"
Lou Douzhou leaned closer and whispered, "His Majesty specifically ordered it. Perhaps he knows Mistress Su is from the south and gave this as a special favor."
Tingqin didn’t quite think so—the Emperor was swamped with state affairs, how would he care about a mistress’s origins? But since Lou Douzhou said it, she didn’t bother to contradict him.
She simply smiled and said, "It’s her good fortune, then."
Thus, when Su Qingyao emerged from the warming room, she was greeted by a lavish spread of breakfast.
Aside from various steamed buns and porridge, there were also several side dishes, desserts, soups, and noodles. The table was laden with a dazzling array, more elaborate than her breakfasts for the past ten days combined.
Su Qingyao was momentarily stunned, almost hesitant to sit down and eat.
Decades ago, after her last time attending the bedchamber, she had only received two or three extra main dishes as a token. She couldn’t fathom why today’s arrangements were so grand. If she had actually served the Emperor, it might have made sense—but she hadn’t even seen His Majesty’s face. This was rather unusual.
Having spent a lifetime in the palace, even if she had been naive in her youth, by now she had become shrewd.
Over the years, she had learned one truth well: unsolicited kindness is never without ulterior motives.
Seeing Tingqin and Lou Douzhou’s eager attentiveness, she felt little joy but rather a growing unease.
Tingqin noticed her standing there in a daze, too hesitant to sit. With a glance, she understood Su Qingyao’s thoughts and couldn’t help but regard her more highly.
Not arrogant, not impatient, steady and perceptive—truly a rare, discerning mind.
"His Majesty heard that the mistress copied sutras all night and was moved by your pure-hearted dedication, so he specifically ordered this," Tingqin said with a smile. "Don’t be afraid, mistress. You didn’t sleep a wink last night—this is what you deserve."
With that, seeing that her and Lou Douzhou’s presence might make Su Qingyao uncomfortable, she pulled him outside. "Take your time with the meal, mistress. The sedan chair is still being prepared and will come for you shortly."
Su Qingyao had Liu Qin see them to the door, then closed it to begin her meal.
With no one else in the flower hall now, Su Qingyao secretly picked up two shrimp dumplings and placed them on a small plate. She whispered to Liu Qin, "Turn around and eat them quietly. It’s fine."
Liu Qin was hesitant at first, but after a few urgings, she quietly ate them and murmured, "They’re so delicious. This servant has never tasted anything like this before."
Hearing this, Su Qingyao felt both heartache and amusement.
In her early years after entering the palace, life had been difficult—scarce food and clothing, lacking ice in summer and charcoal in winter. After Liu Ye left, only Liu Qin remained, bustling about to attend to her, never letting her suffer the slightest grievance despite the hardship.
With only one palace maid left, Liu Qin never complained even when ill, never uttered a word of bitterness all these years. Yet occasionally, when Su Qingyao couldn’t get a warm meal, she would fret so much that tears would fall.
Liu Qin was neither clever nor quick-witted, but exceptionally loyal. The two of them had been companions for sixty years, closer than family. Her current efforts were also to spare Liu Qin from excessive hardship, allowing her to become a supervising aunt earlier and have junior palace maids serve her.
The mistress and her servant stealthily ate their breakfast. Outside, Lou Douzhou glanced over and said to Tingqin: "She seems quite attentive to her palace maid."
Although Tingqin was the senior aunt of Qianyuan Palace and thoroughly familiar with many matters in the palace—such as the palace maid of Mistress Su, whom she had to assess because Mistress Su had attended the bedchamber yesterday—she was somewhat surprised precisely because she understood: "This Liu Qin wasn't brought by Mistress Su from her home. After entering the palace, her family exerted great effort to arrange with the Shang Gong Bureau to specially assign her. From this, it seems the Su family truly cares for her, and the Shang Gong Bureau didn’t neglect its duty."
Even though the Surveillance Commissioner had retired, he had once held a third-rank position. The shrewd individuals in the Shang Gong Bureau certainly wouldn’t want to offend anyone. Once they accepted the benefits, they handled matters thoroughly and properly; otherwise, offending someone without reason would eventually bring no good outcome.
Lou Douzhou was enlightened by her words but didn’t comment further, merely greeting her before heading back.
At this hour, neither early nor late, Chu Shaoyuan was having breakfast before the morning court session. He was eating while enjoying the scenery in the pavilion when Lou Douzhou returned.
Chu Shaoyuan glanced at his hands, then lowered his eyes and continued eating his porridge.
Having unexpectedly slept soundly yesterday, he was now in excellent spirits—his head no longer aching, his heart no longer weary. Even the corners of his mouth while eating porridge held a slight curve, truly a first occurrence.
Lou Douzhou was inwardly astonished, thinking today was full of unusual sights, but his words were tactful: "Just now, I went to arrange Mistress Su’s imperial favor and visited Pomegranate Hall. Coincidentally, Mistress Su had finished organizing the Buddhist sutras and handed them to me."
Chu Shaoyuan showed no reaction.
Lou Douzhou knew he wasn’t angry and continued: "Mistress Su copied nine types of sutras last night, totaling thirty pages. In my quick glance earlier, her handwriting was truly excellent. Perhaps The Emperor might wish to look?"
He spoke not to gain favor for Su Qingyao but to please Chu Shaoyuan.
The Emperor had been solitary for so many years; he also wanted to tell him that there were indeed women in the palace who sincerely cared for him.
A teenage girl, sitting through the night copying sutras for him—such perseverance and temperament were truly rare. Just the effort expended that night already surpassed many others.
With his earnest effort, Chu Shaoyuan couldn’t refuse the gesture. Hearing this, he tapped the stone table, indicating that Lou Douzhou should place the sutras there.
He himself had copied many such texts—when angry, troubled, depressed, or when ambitions seemed unattainable. Being emperor wasn’t simple nor easy; throughout the year, he could copy hundreds of pages of sutras himself, so Buddhist verses were long familiar to him.
Yet with just a light glance, he discovered this young Xuanshi was remarkable. Her brushstrokes were steady and grand, that dignified, serene sutra script resembling years of practice, each line imbued with an ineffable refinement and simplicity.
Chu Shaoyuan paused slightly, gently frowned, set down his chopsticks, picked up the sutras, and examined them page by page.
At first, the characters were quite steady, later slightly unbalanced—perhaps her hand tired after writing all night, so losing control of the brush was understandable.
Across these thirty pages, she hadn’t written a single character incorrectly.
That was truly rare.
Lou Douzhou, seeing his interest, said, "Just now, I asked Aunt Tingqin. She mentioned that she thought the mistress would fall asleep before writing for long, so she only gave her thirty pages. This is all of it."
Exactly thirty pages, no more, no less—not a single page wasted.
How devout a heart, how profound the practice, could achieve such perfection today?
Chu Shaoyuan reflected that his former self could not have done this. Now, he could easily accomplish it, but it was because…
Because… of a reason no one else would ever imagine.
He lowered his head to look at the ancient and dignified Buddhist sutra, smiling inexplicably. "Could it be that there are so many heaven-sent opportunities?"
No, that couldn't be.
Thinking of how she had wanted to pack up pastries to take back yesterday, Chu Shaoyuan couldn't help but chuckle.
She was still a young girl, after all.
At that moment, Su—the young girl—Qingyao was instructing Liu Qin, "Aunt Tingqin just said this food box was also a reward. Hurry, while no one is around, let's take the steamed pastries back. They'll last us a long time."
Frugality is a virtue.
Every grain of rice is the fruit of hard labor.
So thought Mistress Su.
Author's note: Xuanshi Su: Your servant is very young! As beautiful as a flower!