The matter of sending the crown prince to the Qianqui Palace for upbringing quietly came to an end.
Later, after finishing his official duties, the Emperor went to the Qianqui Palace to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager.
As he entered the courtyard, he noticed several palace maids tending to the flowers and plants, occasionally glancing toward the corridor.
Curious, he turned to look and was met with the warm, orange glow of the setting sun.
The Emperor squinted slightly, focusing his gaze, and then noticed a small tabby cat standing under the corridor.
The little creature held its head high with an air of pride, wearing a small, roughly made wooden plaque around its neck.
On the plaque, written neatly in red paint, were eight characters:
“I am a bad cat, I will bite people!”
Princess Wu’an’s daughter, Lady Xiao Liang, stood nearby holding a wooden ruler, supervising the cat’s punishment with a serious expression.
The Emperor found this amusing and called out to Lady Xiao Liang,
“Qihua, what’s going on here?”
Only then did Lady Xiao Liang notice the Emperor’s presence.
She bowed formally and, with a furrowed brow, said,
“Necklace is being naughty! I tried to give her a bath, but she refused and even bit me!”
“Necklace” was the name of the tabby cat, given because of the white fur around its neck that resembled a necklace.
She showed the Emperor her hand, where two distinct bite marks were visible on her index finger.
“The Empress Dowager said that animals are naturally wild, and she’s still very young. To punish her without teaching her would be cruel so I’m teaching her now.”
The Emperor let out a long “Oh,” then nodded understandingly.
“You carry on. I’ll go speak with the Empress Dowager.”
Lady Xiao Liang nodded earnestly and resumed her serious supervision of the little tabby cat.
The Emperor entered the inner hall to meet with the Empress Dowager and brought up the matter of the crown prince.
“Concubine De is reluctant, and the child can’t bear to be separated from his mother. I truly can’t bring myself to part them…”
The Empress Dowager listened calmly, then said indifferently,
“If that’s the case, let it be.”
The mother and son then turned their conversation to the recent imperial examinations.
In the Puxiang Palace.
Concubine De couldn’t wait any longer.
After enduring ten days, she finally ordered water to be prepared for a bath and to wash her hair.
She couldn’t stand it anymore:
“I feel like I’m starting to smell!”
Lady Xiahou tried to comfort her:
“That’s not true, you’re just overthinking it!”
She skillfully began to sprinkle powder on Concubine De’s greasy hair.
Lady Jiazhen chuckled:
“Your Highness, be confident, and remove the word ‘like’!”
Lady Xiahou: “…”
Concubine De was about to lose her mind:
“No matter what, I need to bathe!”
Lady Xiahou tried to persuade her again, but Concubine De couldn’t take it anymore:
“Mother, don’t think so far ahead. I might not live to old age even if I do, having a head that doesn’t hurt won’t be of much use!”
Lady Xiahou: “…”
Under Concubine De’s strong insistence, she finally got her bath.
Lady Jiazhen had the heating system turned up and lit several warm stoves.
As soon as Concubine De came out of the bath, she quickly dressed and had her hair dried by attendants taking turns.
Concubine De felt relaxed and comfortable but was heartbroken about her hair:
“So much hair fell out, I should have washed it earlier…”
She then touched her stomach:
“From now on, I’ll reduce my meals a bit more. I feel like my whole body is swollen.”
Lady Jiazhen softly said beside her:
“Eating too little during the confinement period will make your face gaunt, Your Highness!”
Concubine De was shocked:
“What?”
Lady Xiahou confirmed it:
“It will!”
Concubine De immediately became obedient.
Turning her head, she suddenly noticed that the winter jasmine the Emperor had brought earlier had mostly bloomed.
The bright yellow flowers blossomed on thin, willow-like stems, resembling a vibrant spring waterfall quietly surging on the jade spring vase.
Her heart was instantly filled with joy.
How wonderful!
After several turbulent and eventful days, Ruan Rensui finally returned to peace and tranquility.
Concubine De had learned a few small lessons and, after experiencing the loss and return of her own flesh and blood, now behaved herself, quietly going through her confinement period while taking care of her newborn child.
In contrast, Lady Jiazhen had become noticeably busier.
Ruan Rensui heard Concubine De and others counting the days, knowing that the imperial examinations had ended.
After the palace examination concluded, new talents would be proudly galloping through the capital.
This dynasty valued scholars, and the inner palace placed even more emphasis on female talent.
When the Empress Dowager, as the Empress Regent, held court, she often hosted banquets in the palace, inviting talented and virtuous women from all over the world be it in poetry, literature, painting, music, or even sword dancing and unique skills.
At that time, the Empress was busy with state affairs and often only briefly attended before leaving.
With no Empress in the inner court, the banquets were usually presided over by women like the Han Princess Consort, the Old Lady Wen, the Lady of Chengen, the Lady of Jinghai, and the wife of the Marquis of Ning.
Hosting a palace banquet called by the Empress was a great honor, and it became fashionable for the women of the capital to attend gatherings at the homes of these noble ladies.
Female scholars from the two capitals and various provinces across the country would also try to become their guests, hoping their names would appear on the Empress’s desk.
After these women, the task of hosting such banquets gradually fell to Wang Ying (Wang Yuanzhen), who was favored by the Empress, and later to young female officials like Lady Jiazhen and the Hour Official, who rose through their literary talents.
Now that there was an Empress in the inner palace, this responsibility naturally fell to Empress Zhu.
After the new scholars were announced and the Emperor hosted a banquet in the Qionglin Garden, the Empress would also host a banquet in the Phoenix Pavilion of the inner palace to entertain the female scholars.
As for other poetry gatherings and invitations, they would need to be carefully planned with Lady Jiazhen, who had handled such events twice before.
Concubine De was aware of this but didn’t pay much attention, as it had little to do with her or the Xiahou family.
To their embarrassment, their family had never produced any talented women…
They did hear that the sister of Concubine Xian had become engaged, with her future husband being a newly minted scholar.
Concubine De took note of it and instructed her attendants to send a gift to the Lady of Chengen when her daughter married, just to show their goodwill.
Lady Xiahou, however, was a bit emotional and privately expressed her feelings to Concubine De:
“I heard that the young master of the Duke of Zheng’s household is very diligent in his studies. In a few years, he might also make it to the top of the list.”
She clasped her hands together and made a wish:
“Now that everything is going well for you, you’ve given birth to a prince, your brother is still young, and his marriage can be arranged slowly. Once your sister is married, my responsibilities will be complete!”
Concubine De pouted:
“I wonder who assigned you these responsibilities. Do you get a salary?”
Ruan Rensui, listening nearby, almost laughed out loud.
“…”
Lady Xiahou was annoyed by her daughter’s teasing:
“What do you know, child? As parents, we worry endlessly!”
Concubine De was dismissive:
“Getting anxious! It seems there’s no salary after all.”
Lady Xiahou was furious.
Concubine De was the eldest sister in her family, with a younger sister and a younger brother.
In her first year in the palace, her younger sister was engaged to the young master of the Duke of Zheng’s household.
At that time, both parties were under ten years old, and it was purely a political marriage.
The young master’s mother was the eldest daughter of the Duke of Zheng’s family.
The Duke and Duchess loved their daughter dearly and did not marry her off but instead brought a husband into the family, resulting in the young master as their only son.
Being the legitimate grandson of a Duke’s household, he was more than a match for the Xiahou family’s daughter.
For the Duke of Zheng’s household, this was also a gamble.
Looking back now, they bet correctly.
Concubine Xiahou quickly gained the Emperor’s favor, became pregnant, and was promoted to the first rank Concubine De, giving birth to the Emperor’s eldest son.
Concubine Xiahou’s younger sister became the prince’s aunt, making her a perfect match for the Duke’s legitimate grandson.
With the marriage settled, the two families became in-laws, and they often exchanged visits during festivals.
When Concubine De gave birth, the Duke of Zheng’s household sent a lavish gift.
Lady Xiahou naturally hoped that the young master of the Chen family would succeed, as it would bring honor to her younger daughter.
Although Concubine De was dismissive of her mother’s “responsibility theory,” she also hoped for her sister’s future prosperity.
As the favored concubine, she even assured Lady Xiahou:
“As long as he makes it to the palace examination, I will definitely ask the Emperor to appoint him as the Tanhua (third place)!”
After a moment’s thought, she added:
“Or even the Zhuangyuan (first place)!”
She was confident about that.
Lady Xiahou was moved:
“Having this intention of yours is enough for me.”
Ruan Rensui lay beside them, feeling a sense of helpless foresight.
He thought, his aunt is still young, and her marriage is several years away.
Perhaps there’s a way to derail it…
Based on his past life’s experience, this marriage was far from a happy one, and it was a source of discomfort for both the Xiahou family and the Duke of Zheng’s household.
Because after Empress Zhu passed away, the daughter of the Duke of Zheng’s household entered the palace as a noble concubine and bore the Emperor a son…
With the Duke of Zheng’s household having a prince as their grandson, his aunt became redundant, useless to keep but a pity to discard.
Moreover, the couple’s personalities clashed, and their relationship deteriorated.
Ruan Rensui remembered that he was about sixteen or seventeen at the time, having just finished his studies in imperial study, when his mother summoned him and angrily sent him out of the palace to the Duke of Zheng’s household to stand up for his aunt.
Although Concubine De hadn’t spent much time with her younger sister, she still cared deeply for her:
“While I’m still alive, how dare the Chen family bully my sister? What will happen after I die?”
Ruan Rensui was also close to his aunt.
Hearing that she had been mistreated by the Duke of Zheng’s household, he immediately rushed over.
When he arrived, he found his aunt disheveled, clearly having suffered.
Without a word, he first knocked his uncle to the ground.
Only after beating him did he learn that his aunt had brought a young actor to the Duke of Zheng’s household for an affair, and they had been caught in bed…
Ruan Rensui: “…”
His mind went blank.
Wait, Auntie, why did you have to have an affair at your in-laws’ place?
Couldn’t you have chosen a more discreet location? (Not really)
Holding onto a last glimmer of hope, Ruan Rensui asked his aunt:
“They framed you, didn’t they? Auntie, you’ve suffered!”
Lady Xiahou’s younger sister was defiant:
“Can’t I find someone to amuse myself with? Who knows if he has someone outside! This is outrageous, is there no justice?”
The young actor knelt pitifully behind her, shedding tears.
Lady Xiahou’s younger sister turned to him with a worldly air:
“It’s okay, my nephew is here, don’t be afraid of them!”
Ruan Rensui: “…”
Ruan Rensui then helped his uncle, whom he had just knocked down, to his feet and spoke earnestly:
“Marriage is just a matter of endurance. You endure, I endure, and we muddle through.”
His uncle: “..”
Ruan Rensui patted his shoulder kindly and advised:
“I think my aunt still cares about you and this family. She was just seduced by that little scoundrel and made a mistake in a moment of folly. Sigh, such matters shouldn’t be blown out of proportion. Wouldn’t it be embarrassing if it got out? It’s all for the sake of the children.”
His uncle: “…”
After much effort, the matter was suppressed, but the couple’s relationship was irreparably damaged.
Sigh.
The past is unbearable to recall.
Looking back now, this marriage was truly unnecessary.
For the Phoenix Pavilion banquet, Lady Jiazhen had been working non-stop, and her official robes looked looser.
Empress Zhu, understanding her hard work, sometimes called her to the Puxiang Palace to discuss matters.
Since they weren’t confidential, Lady Jiazhen didn’t avoid the palace’s attendants.
One day, the Hour Official came to report to Lady Jiazhen, carrying a thick stack of documents, with dark circles under her eyes, having not slept well for some time.
Ruan Rensui, carried by his wet nurse Lady Qian, overheard the plump Hour Official, who still had a bit of baby fat on her face, complaining to Lady Jiazhen:
“I’m so tired, Sister Jiazhen. I feel like I’m about to be drained. I don’t want to work, I don’t want to work, I don’t want to work…”
Lady Jiazhen, flipping through the documents in her hand without looking up, said gently:
“Is it really that tiring?”
The Hour Official pouted, pointing to her eyes:
“Yes, look at these dark circles…”
Lady Jiazhen looked up, smiling at her:
“If you don’t want to work, why not get married and have children? It’s not that hard. Do you want me to introduce someone to you?”
The Hour Official: “…”
The Hour Official laughed brightly:
“Haha, Sister Jiazhen, you know I was just joking! I’m not tired at all, I was just teasing you, hahaha!”
Lady Jiazhen shook her head with a smile.
After they left, Lady Qian was a bit puzzled.
She knew that both Lady Jiazhen and the Hour Official had entered the palace as “Heavenly Maidens.”
The “Heavenly Maidens” were part of a talent selection strategy in this dynasty.