Qingyao Palace was shaded by wisteria and filled with fragrant, competing flowers. In a corner of the wall, a pomegranate tree with gnarled bark was a luscious, vibrant green. At this time of year, the pomegranates on the tree were already the size of a child's fist, but it would be some time before they were truly ready to eat.
Beneath the tree, Feng Ze was playing a game of "jumping stones," which was similar to Chinese checkers of later generations. Anshun and a few other eunuchs were accompanying him, while Yun Zhao sat on a nearby stone bench, fanning herself with a round fan and watching them play.
He was the only child in the entire Imperial Palace. Feng Ze didn't even have a single playmate his own age. 'This won't do,' she thought.
Yun Zhao felt this was a major issue. A child's youth shouldn't be incomplete.
Finding a playmate for the boy was an urgent matter. She decided she had to discuss it properly with Feng Yi.
