By the broken bridge outside the post station, lonely, it blooms without a master.
Outside the post station, plum blossoms bloom, braving the cold, their faint fragrance drifting far. But the travelers on the road hurried by, no one willing to stop and admire this beauty.
This was a pale pink plum blossom, looking like the rosy clouds in the sky from a distance.
It bloomed quietly, adding a touch of warmth to the somewhat cold early spring.
Yet, by this remote post station, there were no literati or scholars to linger, nor bards or poets to compose verses for it.
But it did not mind being unappreciated, still blooming proudly by the roadside, awaiting the warm sun of spring.
A "pitter-patter" sound approached, accompanied by the crunch of wooden wheels on stones.
Looking in the direction of the sound, on the distant official road, a donkey cart slowly appeared in sight, moving at a leisurely pace.
The cart had no canopy, but the wood was brand new. The wheels turned smoothly and roundly.
A young girl with her hair in twin buns sat on the cart shaft, wearing a yellow padded jacket and a pale red skirt, cradling a plump tabby cat in her arms.
She didn't control the reins, but instead, a fishing rod with a bunch of fresh grass was suspended in front of the donkey, fixed to the cart. She let the donkey walk forward as it pleased.
Perhaps due to boredom on the journey, or perhaps due to the girl's innocent and lively nature.
Her feet dangled outside the cart shaft, swinging back and forth. With each swing, her embroidered shoes were revealed, the embroidery on the toes intricate and detailed.
Although the girl's attire seemed ordinary in style, the fabric was exceptionally fine and luxurious.
The embroidery on the clothes, though not abundant, was lifelike. It would take decades of needlework to achieve such a level.
And the subtle patterns revealed as the silk skirt swayed, the imprints on the fine details of her hair ornaments, all spoke of her extraordinary family background.
It was just puzzling why a girl raised in such wealth would travel alone in a simple donkey cart, without a luxurious carriage or any attendant maids or servants.
The donkey cart slowly approached the post station. The girl hopped off and walked to the entrance, taking a small seal from her sleeve and instructing the runner.
"Prepare a secluded courtyard for me and bring hot water. The donkey at the door doesn't need feeding; just take it to the stable behind. Remember not to let the donkey get wet."
Upon seeing the small seal, the runner immediately bowed in assent and busied himself guiding the girl into the post station's back courtyard.
Another runner quickly unloaded the luggage from the donkey cart and followed them into the courtyard.
"Miss, would you like some meals? The post station's food is simple, but it's edible." the runner asked respectfully.
"Prepare some vegetarian dishes. I have no appetite after the journey. Also, prepare a fish for my cat."
The girl took out a purse from her sleeve, took out a silver ingot, and tossed it to the runner.
"Thank you, Miss, for your generosity!" the runner quickly caught the ingot, saying with delight.
After entering the small courtyard, the runner placed the luggage in the main room and then retreated backwards.
The girl walked into the main room of the courtyard and then placed the tabby cat she was holding onto a small table inside.
"Hey, girl, what is that seal you have? Why is that runner so respectful?"
The tabby cat on the table spoke. Animals speaking is a strange occurrence. Normally, anyone would either be scared out of their wits or at least astonished, but the girl showed no unusual expression.
It seemed she was accustomed to such situations, or knew that her cat was no ordinary creature.
Just as the girl was about to sit on the nearby couch, she heard her cat's question. She reached back and produced the small seal from somewhere.
"You mean this?" She casually tossed the small seal onto the small table, right in front of the tabby cat, without any care.
It extended a paw and nudged the seal a few times, then saw several small characters engraved on it.
"What is this?" it still asked, confused.
"Oh, I forgot you can't read," the girl said as if suddenly remembering.
"You!" It angrily extended its sharp claws, but upon seeing the girl's gaze, it immediately retracted them.
It couldn't beat this woman. Even baring its claws was useless. It had tried many times before.
If it could defeat her, it wouldn't be treated like a pet, being petted and enduring her cruel whims.
"This is the seal of Princess Zhaoyang. I have many such seals, would you like to play with them?"
As the girl spoke, she casually threw several more seals onto the small table. These seals were of different ages and materials, and the engraved characters beneath them seemed slightly different.
"Are you a professional forger! Aren't you afraid of being arrested by the court!" If only it were arrested, then it would be free. It wasn't worried about her at all!
The girl looked at the tabby cat with a half-smile, and it lowered its head guiltily.
Outside the door, the runner called for an elderly woman. Each small courtyard had an old woman responsible for cleaning.
"A distinguished guest has arrived, serve her carefully!" After saying this, the runner instructed the old woman to prepare hot water and vegetarian dishes.
"Boss, who is the person inside? Why are you so attentive?"
Another runner, who hadn't seen the small seal she took out, asked in confusion.
He hadn't seen his boss be so respectful in a long time. The last time was for an imperial envoy on a tour of inspection. That person was a second-rank official!
Moreover, he saw that the distinguished guest traveled light, without any attendants, and didn't seem like a big figure.
"That person is from the household of Princess Zhaoyang, and she holds Princess Zhaoyang's private seal."
"Hiss," the runner gasped.
Everyone in the Great Qing knew Princess Zhaoyang. She was the Emperor's own paternal aunt!
As for why an aunt was still a princess, it was because their Emperor was a descendant of the imperial clan who had been adopted.
The Emperor had a good relationship with this aunt since childhood. After ascending the throne, he wanted to confer the title of Grand Princess upon her, but she refused, preferring to remain a princess, in charge of a county.
Although she was only a princess, no one in the entire court dared to slight her.
"Then who is she?"
"It's best not to inquire about the affairs of noble ladies. No matter who she is, she's not someone we can afford to offend!"
Anyone who could possess the Princess's private seal must be a close associate. As the saying goes, "Even a seventh-rank official outside the prime minister's gate..." Even if she were just a maidservant, they couldn't afford to offend her.
Soon, hot water was delivered to the post station by two elderly women.
"Miss, please use!" The hot water was poured into a clean bathtub that had been scrubbed in the side room.
Although these two women were elderly, their hands were quick and efficient.
"Thank you, you don't need to attend to me here. You may leave. Take this for tea." She handed a few silver melon seeds to the leading old woman.
"Thank you, Miss, for your reward! Miss, please enjoy, we will return later to tidy up."
After the old women withdrew, the girl entered the adjacent room, walked behind the screen, removed her clothes, and stepped into the bathtub.
Listening to the sound of water from the side, the tabby cat bared its claws, swiped a few times, then lowered its head and sighed, settling back down.
While the girl was bathing, the old women re-entered to place the food warmer and then set a plate of steamed fish on a small table nearby.
The meal was kept warm in a food warmer filled with hot water. When the girl emerged, the food in the warmer would still be hot.
The tabby cat, seeing the old women place the fish on the small table, directly leaped onto it and began to eat the fish.