Five days after theding was handed over, Liu Che did not come.
On the first day, I assumed he was simply busy. On the second, Qingxing said the Crown Prince was in deliberations at the front court and could not spare the time. On the third, I told myself this was for the best—without him around, I could work faster.
On the fourth day, I glued the final fragment of the bronze mirror into place. Stepping back, I examined the overall pattern.Not bad.
But my eyes drifted involuntarily toward the door.
Just once.
On the fifth day, I sat in the workshop. Before me lay a lacquer ear-cup. Most of the cinnabar lacquer on the cup's body had peeled away, exposing the wooden core underneath; some parts had already rotted.
Damage of this extent would require consolidant penetration and filling in a modern laboratory. Here, I could only use the most笨拙 (clumsy) method: gently carving away the rotten wood, patching it with similar wood, and then applying layer upon layer of lacquer.
Time-consuming, laborious, but it was all I could do.
"Lady Lu."
Qingxing poked her head in from the doorway, her expression somewhat strange.
"His Highness summons you to the main hall."
I put down my tools.
"What is it about?"
"This humble servant does not know." She bit her lip. "But a eunuch from His Majesty the Emperor's side is also there."
My hand paused.Someone from the Emperor?
I looked down at my clothes. A plainquju robe, a spot of cinnabar lacquer on the cuff, mineral pigment still stuck under my nails.
"Allow me to change my clothes."
"His Highness said there is no need to change," Qingxing's voice grew even quieter. "He said for you to come immediately."
Eastern Palace Main Hall.
As I crossed the threshold, I smelled an unfamiliar scent—not the incense Liu Che usually used, but something heavier, thicker, carrying a certain oppressive weight.
Liu Che sat at the head. Today he wore formal court robes: a deep blackshenyi, his hair bound with a golden crown. He looked completely different from the youth who had sat on the floor in the workshop.
Standing beside him was a middle-aged eunuch, lean-faced with sharp eyes. This must be the "Zhong Guiren" (Imperial Attendant) Qingxing mentioned—someone from the Emperor's side.
I knelt and bowed.
"Commoner Lu Xingye pays respects to Your Highness."
"Rise." Liu Che's voice was more formal than usual. "The Imperial Attendant has come by order of His Majesty to inquire about thatding."
I stood up and looked at the eunuch.
His gaze moved from my face to the cinnabar stain on my sleeve, paused for a moment, then returned to my face.
"You are the one who repaired theding?"
"Yes."
"His Majesty says theding was repaired exceptionally well," his tone was neutral. "The fractures are nearly invisible. His Majesty wishes to know what method was used?"
"Raw lacquer mixed with cinnabar for filling, with copper foil supports added to the interior."
"Just that?"
"Just that."
The eunuch narrowed his eyes slightly, as if judging whether I was telling the truth.
"His Majesty also asked," he paused, "since theding was already shattered, how could it be pieced together so seamlessly?"
"Every fragment has a fixed position," I said. "It is like piecing together a jadebi disc—each piece has its place, and the order cannot be wrong."
"How do you know where each piece belongs?"
"By looking at the patterns of the fractures," I said. "The edges of the fragments are like fingerprints; each is unique. Two pieces that fit together will always have matching patterns."
The eunuch nodded, glancing at me again. That look was not one of satisfaction, but rather... of memorization.
"His Majesty says he wishes for you to go to the Xuanshi Hall," he looked at me. "To explain these things personally."
The hall fell silent for a moment.
Instinctively, I looked at Liu Che.
His expression was calm, but his fingers gripping the teacup tightened slightly.
"Imperial Attendant," he spoke, his tone not heavy but firm. "She is merely a common woman who repairs things. It is not worth troubling My Father to summon her personally."
"His Majesty wishes to see someone; this old servant is merely conveying the message."
"I know," Liu Che said. "But My Father's health is not well. For such a small matter, I can convey the message on his behalf."
The eunuch looked at Liu Che, then at me.
"As Your Highness says." He bowed slightly. "Then this old servant will return to report."
Reaching the door, he stopped, turning back to glance at me.
That look was brief, but I remembered it.
He left.
The hall became quiet again.
I stood where I was, unsure of what to say.
Liu Che leaned back in his chair, looking at me for a long time.
"Do you know," he said slowly, "what would have happened if you had gone to the Xuanshi Hall today?"
"I do not."
"My Father would ask where you come from and who taught you these skills," he said. "You would not be able to answer. Or even if you did, no one would believe you."
I remained silent.
"And then?" I asked.
"And then," he looked at me, "you would no longer be 'the Eastern Palace's restorer.' You would be 'a woman of unknown origin.' In the palace, an unknown origin is a capital crime."
His tone was calm, as if stating an inevitable fact.
I said nothing.
"Are you afraid?" he asked.
"I am," I said. "But fear is useless."
He looked at me and suddenly smiled.
"You say that every time."
"Because it is true every time."
He shook his head, lifted his teacup, and took a sip.
"So," I ventured, "did Your Highness just save my life?"
"Let's say so."
"Then thank you, Your Highness."
"No need for thanks." He put down the cup. "I simply do not wish to find another restorer. Someone like you is hard to find."
I nodded.
"However," he added, "My Father is very interested in thatding. He has asked about it several times, saying he has never seen such a repair method."
"His Majesty has good discernment—"
I stopped myself.
The words "good discernment" (识货) were on the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed them back. Saying such a thing in front of an attendant from the Emperor's side was inappropriate. Even in front of the Crown Prince, it was improper.
"His Majesty has excellent judgment," I corrected myself.
Liu Che glanced at me but did not press the issue.
"In that place of yours," he suddenly asked, "are the things you repair the same as those here?"
"Similar," I said. "All are artifacts, all are fragments, all pieced back together bit by bit."
"Then what have you repaired there?"
I thought for a moment.
"Mostly things from the Han Dynasty," I said. "Lacquerware, bronze vessels, jade objects... all from your era."
"From our era?"
"Yes," I said. "In our time, Han Dynasty artifacts are very valuable."
He paused.
"Valuable?"
"Extremely valuable," I said. "A Han Dynasty lacquerware piece in good condition can sell for... a very large sum."
"How large?"
I hesitated.
"A Han Dynasty bronze mirror in good condition, in our place, could probably exchange for a mansion."
He fell silent.
"A mansion?"
"Mm."
"And theding you repaired?"
"Even more valuable," I said. "Bronzeding vessels are rarer than bronze mirrors. If in good condition, exchanging for a city or fiefdom would not be an issue."
He stared at me for a long time.
"In that place," he said slowly, "are you very rich?"
"No," I said. "Those artifacts do not belong to me. I am only responsible for repairing them. Once fixed, they are returned to the museum—the place where artifacts are collected."
"Then how do you survive?"
"Wages," I said. "Paid once a month. Enough for food, enough for rent, enough to occasionally eat a good meal."
He frowned, clearly not fully understanding.
"So," he summarized, "in that place, you repair things from our era to earn money for food."
"...One could say that."
"And here?"
"Here," I said, "I repair your things to earn my life for food."
He paused.
Then he laughed.
Very lightly.
"Earn my life for food," he repeated.
I did not respond.
"Lu Xingye." He called my name.
"I am here."
"You said Han artifacts are very valuable in your time," he looked at me. "Have you ever thought about taking one back with you?"
I raised my head and looked at him.
His gaze was calm, but beneath it lay something sharp.
"No," I said.
"Why?"
"Because those things do not belong to me," I said. "And—"
I paused.
"And what?"
"And," I said, "I cannot take them. I came with nothing, and when I leave, I will likely take nothing with me."
He said nothing.
The hall remained quiet for a long time.
His fingers slowly traced a circle along the rim of the teacup, then stopped.
"You cannot go back."
His tone was light. Not a question, not a hypothesis. A statement.
As if he had already thought it through.
I looked at him.
"Perhaps," I said.
He said nothing more.
I bowed to take my leave and turned to walk out.
Reaching the door, I stopped.
"Your Highness."
"Mm?"
"Thatding," I turned my head back. "Does His Majesty truly like it?"
He looked at me.
"He likes it," he said. "My Father said he has never seen such craftsmanship."
"That is good."
I turned and left.
Returning to the workshop, the bronze mirror still lay spread out on the workbench, the lacquer ear-cup set aside, and the tools neatly arranged.
Everything was exactly as I had left it.
I sat down and picked up the lacquer ear-cup.
The rotten wood needed to be carved away bit by bit; the force could not be heavy, or it would damage the wooden core. I had done this countless times; I could do it with my eyes closed without error.
But this cut went slightly deeper than usual.
I stopped, looking at that shallow scratch.
Then I put down the carving knife and glanced out the window.
The sky over Chang'an was gray and hazy, limiting visibility.
I picked up the carving knife again and continued carving.
One piece of rotten wood, then another.
[End of Chapter 5]