The Blind Concubine

Chapter 04

The blind concubine says, "Oh my, why didn't you say so earlier!"

He cannot see that Xiao Bao is still kneeling, "Quick, go steep a pot of tea."

Xiao Bao looks at his master, then turns to look at the emperor, afraid to move.

Unawares, the blind concubine says to the man, "How come you are here? Don't you have to be at your post?"

The emperor says, "I've just finished so on my way back, I come to visit you."

The blind concubine feels exceptionally happy, "Ordinarily I do not receive many guests. Having one person who just wants to come over and talk is rare."

The emperor says, "If you'd like, I can visit often."

The blind concubine's eyes curve into a pleasant arc, "Now that's a promise."

He tugs the emperor's sleeve over to the soft divan, "Sit over here where it's soft."

The emperor lifts up the hems of his robe and sits down, then acts astonished, "I didn't see this the last time I came by here. Who gave it to you?"

The blind concubine smiles cheerfully, "Who would give me such a gift. Xiao Bao found it. No one wanted it anyways so it's a waste to throw it away."

As if in realization, the emperor says, "So that's how it is. You've really picked up a gem here."

Xiao Bao has finished steeping the tea in the main house and carries it outside to serve. The blind concubine asks, "Which tea set did you use?"

Xiao Bao says, "The set with the plum blossoms, master."

The blind concubine nods.

The emperor thoughtlessly teases, "What does it matter? Why would you use a plum blossom tea set in summer?"

The blind concubine giggles, "It does matter. I only have two tea sets, one with green bamboo and the other with plum blossoms. Yu Li broke the set with the green bamboo so it has cracks in it. The plum blossom set is new so we only take it out during the New Year's or other festivities."

The emperor takes the teacup the blind concubine hands him, secretly planning to send over a new tea set the next day.

They sip tea for a while until the blind concubine asks, "Where is your guard post?"

The emperor thinks, then says, "I guard the emperor's residence."

"The emperor's residence?" exclaims the blind concubine. "Is it alright for you to leave your post like this?"

"It's fine," the emperor says.

The blind concubine still feels worried, "What if you are found out and get punished?"

The emperor ponders this for a moment and replies in a serious manner, "I do not think the emperor will punish me for this."

He sounds confident.

"That's good," the blind concubine nods, absorbing the lie.

Xiao Bao stands off to the side, a sandalwood tray in his heads, having broken out in cold sweat.

From his sleeve, the emperor fishes out an item wrapped in a handkerchief and hands it to the blind concubine, "This is good. Try it."

The blind concubine undoes the knot on the handkerchief and feels. Pine nuts.

He puts a couple into his mouth to taste. The fragrance assails his senses. They do taste good.

The emperor thinks that when the blind concubine eats pine nuts, he looks like some breed of small animal grasping the food in its two paws and nibbling meticulously at it.