Chapter 8: Chapter 7: Writing Letters on Behalf of Others, Liu Gong's Calligraphy

Meeting Consort Wang was like a dream to Liang Xin. A single night together made Liang Xin feel that Consort Wang was merely an inexperienced young girl with a turbulent fate; she possessed infinite longings and aspirations for a beautiful future, yet she had also resigned herself to her current life.

Early in the morning, Liang Xin slipped away from Yuhan Palace to the Imperial Academy of Medicine. Just as he had finished washing up, Chen Yuding pushed the door open and entered. With a worried expression, Chen Yuding tested Liang Xin's knowledge of various medicines. Unsurprisingly, Liang Xin's astonishing memory once again deeply shocked Chen Yuding.

Looking at Liang Xin with paternal comfort, Chen Yuding nodded slightly and said, "Mhm, not bad, not bad at all. Xin'er, your foundation in medical theory and medicinal herbs is still very solid. From today onward, you will follow your master to the main hall to attend consultations."

"Attend consultations?" Liang Xin was slightly surprised and felt a touch of emotion. As the Chief of the Imperial Academy of Medicine, Chen Yuding actually had no need to attend consultations at all. Usually, those attending consultations were ordinary physicians, and the patients were naturally palace maids and eunuchs. For someone of Chen Yuding's status to diagnose the illnesses of maids and eunuchs was a true act of condescension.

The news that the Chief of the Imperial Academy of Medicine was bringing his top disciple to attend consultations spread through the entire imperial palace as soon as it was announced. Every eunuch and palace maid in the palace with any ailment came flocking. From the morning, a long line formed at Liang Xin's seat, only dissipating slightly toward the afternoon.

Whenever a patient came, Chen Yuding would have Liang Xin first diagnose the symptoms and suggest the corresponding treatment, after which Chen Yuding would perform a follow-up examination. At first, Liang Xin would make mistakes, but as he mastered the method later on, he gradually became quite proficient.

Sitting behind Liang Xin, Chen Yuding saw that Liang Xin neither ate his meal nor complained of hardship. Instead, he looked excited, continuously stroking his beard and nodding, feeling happy in his heart that he could receive such a disciple in his later years.

After a day of hard work, Chen Yuding finally released Liang Xin, letting other physicians take over his post. Liang Xin stood up from his chair and stretched, his joints cracking loudly. Although he was exhausted, Liang Xin felt a strong sense of satisfaction in his heart.

During lunch, Liang Xin actively discussed the various diagnoses he had made with Chen Yuding, and Chen Yuding shared everything he knew without reservation. After the meal, Chen Yuding told Liang Xin to return to his room to rest well, and then he left the palace to go home.

Returning to his room, Liang Xin had just picked up the teapot to pour himself a cup of tea when a knock came at the door before he could drink. Liang Xin was slightly startled and replied, "The door is unlocked, come in."

The door pushed open, and the three entered: Xiao Duzi, Xiao Anzi, and Xiao Dengzi from the Imperial Pharmacy. Seeing Liang Xin, the three greeted him with flattering smiles: "Brother Xin, Brother Xin..."

Seeing the three of them, Liang Xin immediately remembered that he had promised them yesterday to write letters home for them. Seeing the three carrying brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, Liang Xin smiled and said, "I must declare first: you three cannot be like Xiao Chunzi and make me write long essays. Try to keep them brief."

"We will, we will," Xiao Duzi nodded. "The three of us have been thinking about this all night. We definitely won't exceed a thousand words."

"Mhm," Liang Xin nodded. "Alright then, which of you three is first?"

"Me first! I won the rock-paper-scissors yesterday, hehe..." Xiao Anzi said excitedly, while spreading out the rice paper in front of Liang Xin and actively beginning to pour water and grind ink.

Liang Xin picked up the brush, soaked it in ink, and began to write according to Xiao Anzi's recitation. As Xiao Duzi had said, they had indeed considered it carefully; the content spoken by each person did not exceed a thousand words.

Furthermore, what made Liang Xin somewhat sentimental was that Xiao Duzi and the others were all wailing uncontrollably while reciting the contents of their letters. Once the letters were finished, Xiao Duzi and the others each gave Liang Xin two hundred copper coins as a writing fee. Liang Xin insisted on not accepting it, but all three said it was the rule; they stuffed the money into Liang Xin's hands, took the letters, and ran off while expressing endless gratitude.

Looking at the six hundred copper coins on the table, Liang Xin didn't know whether to laugh or cry, thinking to himself: *Is this what they call a windfall from heaven?*

In the ten or so days that followed, Liang Xin was basically able to conduct consultations on his own. Additionally, more and more people in the palace came to find Liang Xin to write letters home; it grew from three or five people at the start to twenty or thirty every day.

Among those requesting letters, there were many palace maids in addition to eunuchs. Every time, those maids would often tease him or act coquettishly while begging him to write their letters. The sensation of physical contact each time caused Liang Xin's heart to flutter uncontrollably.

At night, Liang Xin would go to see Consort Wang every other day; the two were now friends who could talk about anything. When with Consort Wang, Liang Xin felt extremely relaxed and at ease, without a single thought of profanity; everything seemed so natural.

Yanfu Palace. This palace area was relatively independent compared to the rest of the imperial palace, located outside the palace city. This was the place where the Emperor Zhao Ji, the Empress, and the various concubines went for recreation. Because state affairs were handled by Grand Preceptor Cai Jing, Zhao Ji usually spent his time playing here, and his figure was rarely seen in the main palace.

Zhao Ji had many children in his lifetime, the most of any emperor in Chinese history. Among his seventy or eighty children, several of his most important sons were currently sitting in the imperial study of Yanfu Palace. The reason was that Zhao Ji had obtained a piece of calligraphy by Liu Gongquan today. On a whim, he had summoned several sons to practice copying and compete to see who could truly capture the divine charm of Liu Gongquan's calligraphy.

Crown Prince Zhao Huan, the third son Zhao Kai, the eighth son Zhao Yu, and the ninth son Zhao Gou were all frowning, concentrating intently on the *Xia Ou Xing Qi Shu* by Liu Gongquan hanging in front of them. One could say that having been cultivated by Zhao Ji, the four of them had some level of attainment in calligraphy, but asking them to write out the charm of Liu Gongquan's regular script was truly asking too much of them.

Seeing his five sons hesitating to lift their brushes, Zhao Ji said somewhat displeasantly, "Forget it, forget it. Each of you four shall take a copy home to contemplate. Tomorrow at this time, each of you shall submit a handwritten work for me to inspect."

"Yes, Imperial Father. Your sons take their leave." The five princes, feeling as if they had been granted a general amnesty, rose together to kowtow and withdraw.

After returning to the Crown Prince's manor, Zhao Huan immediately summoned his confidant, Wang An. Wang An was the head eunuch of the Crown Prince's manor and was originally the personal eunuch of Zhao Huan's mother, Empress Wang. Ever since Empress Wang passed away from illness, Zhao Huan had arranged for him to stay by his side to assist with various matters of daily life.

Having followed Empress Wang for many years, Wang An was quite knowledgeable regarding palace power struggles. Therefore, in addition to taking care of Zhao Huan's daily needs, Wang An could also assist Zhao Huan with many strategic matters, which caused Zhao Huan to rely on him even more.

After Wang An entered Zhao Huan's study, he did not immediately bow to Zhao Huan, but instead asked directly, "What are your orders, Your Highness?"

Zhao Huan unfurled the copied Liu Gongquan calligraphy in his hand, handed it to Wang An, and said, "Imperial Father wants me, the Third Prince, the Eighth Prince, and the Ninth Prince to submit copies of this calligraphy for his inspection tomorrow. Among the four of us, my calligraphy skills are the poorest; I will surely be reprimanded by Imperial Father tomorrow."

Wang An looked carefully at the calligraphy in his hand without answering Zhao Huan. Zhao Huan said somewhat irritably, "Think of a way for me, will you?"

Wang An's eyebrows lifted, and he smiled slightly. "Do not be anxious, Your Highness. This servant has something here for Your Highness to look at."

"Can't you show it to me in a moment?" Zhao Huan frowned slightly, thinking to himself why Wang An was being so oblivious to the urgency of the situation today.

Wang An took a letter from his robe and said, "This is a letter I just received from Little Li in the palace. Little Li is my nephew; he has been illiterate since childhood. This letter must have been written by someone else on his behalf."

"You dog! I have no leisure to listen to matters regarding you and your nephew. What I need you to think of right now is how I am to answer to Imperial Father tomorrow." Hearing Wang An continuously talking about his nephew, Zhao Huan flared up in anger.

Being scolded by Zhao Huan did not make Wang An nervous; instead, he smiled and said, "Please calm your anger, Your Highness. What this servant wishes to speak of is not my nephew, but the person who wrote the letter on his behalf."

Wang An took out the letter, shook it, and handed both Zhao Huan's copied calligraphy and the letter to him together. Zhao Huan took them nonchalantly and glanced at them, but suddenly, he froze.

"This... this..." Zhao Huan carefully compared the letter and the calligraphy. If he hadn't known that Liu Gongquan was from the Tang Dynasty, he might have thought that this calligraphy and the letter were produced by the same hand.

"To think such a genius exists in the palace! Immediately take this calligraphy into the palace and find the person who wrote the letter for your nephew. Once you find this person, have him immediately write a piece of calligraphy for me according to the content in that copied calligraphy and send it to me."

"Yes! Your Highness." After bowing, Wang An took Zhao Huan's copied calligraphy and withdrew with a bow.