A Love Supreme: The Story of Donghua Dijun and Bai Fengjiu

Inquiring Minds

It was almost dawn when Dong Hua returned to his sleeping quarters at Tai Chen Palace. Although he'd prepared for today's morning assembly prior to his departure to Qing Qiu, he sat down at his desk to review his itinerary again. The day hadn't officially begun, but Dong Hua was already looking forward to its conclusion. Subsequently, he began thinking about how to finish the tasks on his itinerary in the fastest way possible. Although Dong Hua was pleased about the outcome of his visit with Fengjiu, there was more he needed to discuss with her, and hoped to do it later today. He decided he would ask her in person this morning.

He finished with just enough time to bathe and have a cup of tea. The servants had already drawn the water for his bath and laid out his clothing. He filled the burner with incense and began to undress. As he removed his outer robe, the smell of sandalwood and lavender caught his attention, triggering flashbacks of his encounter with Fengjiu. He looked at his inner robe and saw the Fengjiu's dried juices on the fabric. He sniffed the fabric to see what it smelled like. Her scent reminded him of peaches and the smell of the ocean. He thought about the time they spent during the Trial. He relished the moment when they could be together. But for now, he needed to remove the obstacles that stood between them, and would find other ways to be with her until then.

Meanwhile, Dong Hua finished bathing and was dressing when he heard Zhi Yue scolding a Palace maid for placing a vase in the wrong spot. For some reason, the sound of her voice irritated him today. It was too damn early to be in such a foul mood, he thought. Dong Hua knew she meant well, but he didn't care for this side of her personality. Dong Hua didn't care for drama or conflict in his home. He quickly put on his boots, grabbed his materials for the meeting, and stepped out into the common area to investigate what the commotion was about. "These flowers don't belong on Dijun's desk. They should be placed on the end table next to the divan", she said indignantly. "Yes, Your Highness",the maid replied. "Zhi Yue, what are you doing here so early?", Dong Hua asked. "Greetings Dijun, I came to help you get ready for this morning's assembly. What would you like for breakfast? " Zhi Yue, I have already requested tea", he replied. "What about lunch?", she asked. Donghua paused to think about his next move. He'd been outside for less than five minutes and was annoyed by Zhi Yue's questions, and decided the tea wasn't worth the cost of listening to Zhi Yue's voice a second longer. In fact, it was better to see Xiao Bai and invite her to dinner, he thought. Having resolved the problem, Donghua was pleased to let Zhi Yue continue with her performance... without his participation. "Have them prepare whatever you want. I am leaving now.", he said nonchalantly. "But you didn't have your tea", she said, as she watched him leave without a response.

Zhi Yue was confused about what to ask next, as she watched him walk away. She was used to having the upper hand when it came to things she wanted to do. However, when it came to her relationship with Dong Hua, things didn't always go as planned. Yesterday was a perfect example. He refused to see anyone. Not even her cousin Lian Song, who visited Dijun daily to play chess. Today, he left early. Something was off. Zhi Yue thought hard about what it could be. She was aware that Bai Fengjiu's coronation ceremony was held yesterday, but she knew he didn't attend. Zhi Yue remembered he behaved this way after his Trial with Fengjiu. Zhi Yue believed Fengjiu forced herself upon Dijun and Zhi Yue blamed her for his moody disposition after his return. Although she wasn't clear about what transpired during their Trial, Zhi Yue despised Bai Fengjiu. Zhi Yue deemed Fengjiu as unfit, and resented the fact that she dared to serve Dijun in any capacity. The Trial added fuel to the fire, as she was livid that Dijun's mortal incarnation died before she got a chance to serve him. For years she'd relished the thought of becoming his wife, as she believed no other woman knew Dijun better than she did. The Trial would've been the perfect moment to demonstrate the depth of her love, stoke his desire for her, and perhaps make a compelling case for why Dijun should marry her. It would have been the happy ending she deserved, for everyone pitied her for being orphaned at such a young age. In Zhi Yue's mind, the world looked down on her and doubted her capacity to be of service. Her beauty and Dijun's prestige kept the clicking tongues in check. Therefore, Zhi Yue threaded the needle carefully, discreetly removing potential competitors and admirers alike, at every opportunity. Zhi Yue was determined to make the most of her fated relationship with Dijun at all costs. She imagined Fengjiu's new responsibilities left little chance for the newly crowned queen to cause further disruption in Tai Chen Palace. Perhaps there was an arranged marriage in the works for the young queen, she thought.
Therefore, Jiheng was the only rival who needed to be removed. She currently resided in Tai Chen Palace.

They both were considered orphans, and Zhi Yue couldn't understand why Dong Hua gave Jiheng special consideration. She knew Jiheng's father served Dijun during his tenure as King of Heaven. Despite this, she saw Jiheng's father as an ordinary person, who deserved no acknowledgement. Zhi Yue believed it was beneath Dijun to make promises or honor the deeds of his subordinates, regardless of the situation. For Zhi Yue, servants and soldiers were nothing more than footstools, who should be grateful to serve Dijun, without rewards. Therefore, she believed nothing compared to the kindness of her parents, who adopted Dong Hua as a child long ago.

Zhi Yue's list of grievances against Jiheng, was lengthy. She was upset that Dong Hua tutored Jiheng. He used to be her tutor, but her sessions ended without any explanation. Jiheng excelled at dancing, tea prep, music and painting. Zhi Yue seethed with jealousy, whenever Dijun asked Jiheng to perform a few selections to entertain his guests. Dijun rarely asked Zhi Yue to do anything. Subsequently, she'd taken it upon herself to select and supervise the palace servants, to ensure that she'd get credit for keeping order in the palace. This was also a covert way to ensure that no beauties entered the palace. "So far, so good," she smiled to herself.

Zhi Yue was about to dig into the chestnut cakes she ordered for breakfast, when Si Ming walked in. "Good morning Si Ming, what brings you here at this hour, Zhi Yue asked, as she bit into the chestnut cake. "Junior Highness, I came to present my daily report to Dijun. Has he left already? "Yes, about 20 minutes ago." "Ah, I will go to the Imperial Palace now." Si Ming, may I ask you a question? Sure. Lately Dijun has been acting strange. Yesterday, he refused to receive any visitors, nor did he play chess with Liansong. He just stayed in his quarters. He was like this when he returned from his Trial with Bai Fengjiu, remember?" " Junior Highness, if you don't mind, I'll take my leave. I have urgent matters to attend to. I'm sure Dijun has his reasons. I wouldn't worry too much," and was gone.

Frustrated with the barren results of her inquiry, Zhi Yue continued to muse about the sudden change in Dong Hua's mood. Unbeknownst to her, Jiheng was hiding behind the pillar, listening to her conversation with Si Ming. Jiheng was well aware of Zhi Yue's possessiveness of Dong Hua. It never bothered her, since he always spent more time with her. She was amused when she thought about Zhi Yue's antics, but agreed with the girl's assessment about Dong Hua's sudden change in mood. Jiheng noticed the change six months ago. She was sitting in his study when Si Ming delivered the news and an invitation to Fengjiu's coronation ceremony.

She remembered he grabbed a cylinder from his shelf and sent Si Ming on his way without much ado. Jiheng also thought Dong Hua still blamed Fengjiu for the temporary loss of his magic after their Trial. She concluded that his motives for giving such a gift was for diplomatic purposes. Jiheng understood the deep relationship between Heaven and the Fox clan, so she dismissed it without further contemplation. In any case, Jiheng felt secure about her position, and was eyeing the chestnut cakes on the table.

"Hey, did you eat all the chestnut cakes?", as she walked over to pour herself a cup of tea before sitting down. " You can get your own. The chef only made enough for me. You snooze, you lose," Zhi Yue said flippantly. "Such a befitting narrative to describe your life", Jiheng retorted before ordering her breakfast. "Please tell the chef I'd like almond cakes for breakfast, and to prepare some sweet and sour fish for Dijun's lunch."

Zhi Yue filled the incense burner and sat down. Why didn't I think of that she thought to herself. "How do you know if he's coming back for lunch?, Zhi Yue asked. "I have a tutoring session with him today, and that's usually after he eats lunch. Liansong will be coming later this evening to play chess with Dijun." "How do you know that?", Zhi Yue asked. "It says so on his itinerary", she lied. "Really? How come you get to read his itinerary? Were you being nosy ?" "I don't have to be nosy. Dijun gave me permission to check his itinerary, so I can be prepared for my lessons," she lied again. Truthfully, she was hoping Zhi Yue would get caught snooping through Dong Hua's papers. Dong Hua only gave Jiheng permission to read the books available in his library. So far, she hadn't taken him up on his offer. "I want tutoring sessions with Dijun again", she said. "What do you study?" "I am studying the history and the sacred spells of my clan. Dijun promised my father he would look after me before he passed away," she said wistfully. Before Zhi Yue could offer a rebuttal, Jiheng said, "Although Dijun takes good care of me, I don't take anything for granted. If you'll excuse me, I have work to do.", and left the table.