Chapter 16: Journey Through the Qing Dynasty (16)

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They were strangers to one another, and since neither had truly spent the night in the emperor’s bed, they had only slept chastely. Naturally, there was little cause for conflict.

The Hesheri girl was a year younger than the emperor and even smaller in stature. Though dressed to look mature, her baby-fat cheeks made her appear exceedingly young. Seated at the head of the room, she struggled to maintain a faint smile and an air of dignity, yet under the natural pressure of Wen Yao’s height, she still seemed to lack a certain presence.

At that moment, Wen Yao sat inside Kunning Palace like Ao Bai swaggering arrogantly through Qianqing Palace, while the empress resembled a little emperor perched upon the dragon throne.

She looked genuinely rather pitiable.

Fortunately, Ao Bai had been truly overbearing, whereas Wen Yao merely wished to be a delicate beauty who could warm the emperor’s heart.

Thus, although the empress was wary of her, she was not excessively so.

The morning greeting lasted less than fifteen minutes. After exchanging a few pointless pleasantries, the empress impatiently lifted her teacup and announced that the gathering was over. Only after respectfully seeing Her Majesty the Empress off did Wen Yao slowly return to Chengqian Palace with Dong Rui and Chun Ling.

“The palace paths are so quiet these days.” Wen Yao passed through Yongxiang Gate and walked along the long covered way, reminiscing to Dong Rui and Chun Ling. “Do you remember when I lived in Jingren Palace as a child? Yanxi Palace stood beside it, near Cangzhen Gate. Every morning, the eunuchs and palace maids entered the palace from the direction of Prospect Hill to report for duty. It was always terribly noisy over there. I often stood inside Jingyao Gate and watched them.”

“I know that place, Mistress,” Chun Ling replied softly. “My youngest uncle works in the tea stores.”

Following the road in front of Jingren Palace farther inward, one passed through Zhaohua Gate beside Yanxi Palace and reached the Four Storehouses, the principal offices of the Imperial Household Department. Quite a few relatives from both Dong Rui’s and Chun Ling’s families served there. Chun Ling had singled out her youngest uncle not only because he was her blood relative, but also to demonstrate her loyalty to Wen Yao. At the very least, Wen Yao would not have to worry about anyone tampering with her tea in the future.

“There used to be so many ladies in the palace. At the beginning of every month, the Imperial Household Department would deliver each palace’s allotted provisions. In those days, people were coming and going everywhere. It was truly lively.”

That very liveliness only made Jingren Palace seem more desolate.

Jingren Palace stood directly in front of Chengqian Palace, which belonged to the favored Consort Dong E. At the beginning of every month, even with two walls and a broad passageway between them, one could still hear the Imperial Household Department eunuchs fawning and flattering her.

To the Imperial Household Department, the power of a woman’s family meant nothing. What mattered was whom the emperor favored.

The emperor’s likes and dislikes were the department’s guiding wind.

“The inner palace is certainly quiet now, but in a few years, it will become lively enough.” After all, the emperor already had nearly seventy consorts recorded in the registers, not to mention all those sleeping in the great communal quarters of Jingqi Pavilion.

How could it not become lively?

“No matter how lively it gets, it will have nothing to do with Chengqian Palace,” Dong Rui said, watching her mistress’s expression and offering consolation with great care.

“Of course.” Wen Yao smiled. “With a body like mine, merely staying alive is exhausting. How could I possibly involve myself in struggles among the consorts? From now on, we’ll simply stay in Chengqian Palace with the doors shut and live our own quiet lives.”

Dong Rui and Chun Ling nodded solemnly. Dong Rui, in particular, hastened to pledge her loyalty. “You can rest assured, Mistress. Chun Ling and I will serve you well. We will never allow those filthy affairs outside to offend your eyes.”

Mistress and maids wandered back to Chengqian Palace together.

Wen Yao did not hurry to change out of her short jacket and enter the heated chamber. Instead, she had Zhao Defang carry a chair beneath the corridor, intending to enjoy some fresh air.

The tea room sent out red-date and goji-berry tea.

It was not that she disliked tea. As she had told the little emperor the day before, she was still young and still growing. She absolutely could not allow her fondness for tasty food to cause anemia. Before becoming an old ghost, she had been human for only fourteen years, and she had died far too young and far too tragically. Now that she had finally become human again, she was especially protective of this body.

She had no lofty demands. She only wanted to live to a hundred.

Thus, the great undertaking of preserving her health had to begin in childhood. This body had a poor foundation, and even with the little pills, she still needed to take excellent care of herself.

“Mistress, breakfast has already been prepared in the small kitchen.”

She had barely been seated for a short while when Song Qin arrived.

“Set it out here in the courtyard.” Wen Yao pointed to the empty space before her. Once she sat down, she had no desire to move again.

“Mistress, it is still rather chilly outside in the morning. If you eat outdoors and happen to swallow a draft, I am afraid you will feel unwell.” Song Qin knew all too well how frail her young mistress’s body was and was consequently attentive to the smallest detail.

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Wen Yao pressed her lips together. Fine.

“Then we’ll eat inside.”

When it came to maintaining her health, she was quite willing to take advice.

Before long, breakfast was laid out on the table. A Fujin’s breakfast allowance consisted of four dishes: one plate of steamed buns, one plate of sachima, one plate of bean-flour cakes, and a bowl of millet porridge. It looked… unexpectedly plain.

Half the buns were filled with mutton and half with Chinese cabbage. The porridge had been made with the finest rouge-colored rice.

Wen Yao did not like to eat heavily flavored food in the morning, so she had only three buns and a bowl of porridge. Halfway through the meal, she had also ordered a hard-boiled egg.

Perhaps the cook had thought an entire egg would look inelegant on the table. He had sliced it into eight pieces with thread and arranged them on a plate like a white lotus in full bloom.

Wen Yao ate every piece in one sitting.

Excellent. She had gotten enough protein for the morning.

“I’m finished. Auntie Song Qin, have the servants below divide up the rest.” Wen Yao pointed toward the two untouched plates and the five remaining small buns.

“Yes, Mistress.”

Song Qin immediately called over two young palace maids from the tea room to clear away the breakfast.

After rinsing her mouth and drinking a little honeyed water, Song Qin seized the opportunity to say, “The cook from the small kitchen whom His Majesty assigned yesterday is waiting outside. He wishes to come in and kowtow to you.”

“Call him in.” Wen Yao wanted to put a face to the name.

Song Qin straightened at once and walked to the doorway. Before long, a middle-aged eunuch appeared with two young eunuchs behind him. He did not cross the threshold, instead kneeling directly outside it.

“Your servant Zhao Quan pays his respects to Mistress.”

“Rise.”

Zhao Quan stood again.

“Since His Majesty assigned you to Chengqian Palace, he must have confidence in your skills. Simply serve diligently from now on.”

“Yes, Mistress. Your servant will certainly do his utmost.”

“Dong Rui.”

Dong Rui immediately stepped outside and handed Zhao Quan a prepared purse. “This is tea money for Master Zhao the chef. Mistress heard this morning that you brought four young assistants with you to Chengqian Palace. These are for them. Our mistress is generous and kind, so take them back and divide the money among them.”

“Your servant will distribute it as soon as he returns.” Zhao Quan tucked the purses into his sleeve, then cupped his hands and offered another ingratiating smile. “You must be Miss Dong Rui. May I trouble you to tell me what foods our mistress avoids? I will be sure to take note of them in the future.”

“Our mistress is in poor health. As for the foods she must avoid, listen carefully…”

Dong Rui did not wish to discuss such matters at the entrance to the main hall, so she simply led Zhao Quan toward the small kitchen while explaining Wen Yao’s condition along the way.

The tea room was lively as well. Song Qin had brought Wen Yao’s remaining breakfast there, allowing those who had not eaten their fill to take a piece and quiet their hunger.

“Once we learn how to brew tea, we’ll have to learn how to make tea pastries too.” A young palace maid holding a piece of sachima gazed ahead with longing. “Then we’ll be able to make cakes in our palace and leave them for everyone to eat while they work.”

“Yan’er, you must study hard. Our palace’s pastries will depend on you in the future.”

The maid called Yan’er stamped her foot and pouted. “Sister Chun Ling said yesterday that Little Linzi would buy more cakes from the main kitchen today so we wouldn’t go hungry.”

Her cooking was certainly meant to be served to the mistress. Making pastries for the palace servants was merely practice.

Still…

“Our mistress is truly kind.”

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Someone sighed those words, and everyone fell silent. After a long while, they murmured their agreement.

In truth, after only one day together, how could they possibly know whether their mistress was kind or not? Yet servants in the palace were like rootless duckweed without a master. Every day spent drifting outside left them without confidence. Now that they had a mistress, they also had someone to anchor them.

In the future, when they went out, they could proudly call themselves servants of Chengqian Palace.

Besides, judging from the extra food provided yesterday and today, it was clear that the mistress of Chengqian Palace was not fond of tormenting people. Any master who did not torment her servants was a good master.

After breakfast, Wen Yao quickly grew bored.

The business and bustle before entering the palace only made the idleness afterward feel even more pronounced.

“Mistress, why don’t we take a walk in the Imperial Garden?” Song Qin suggested, having noticed Wen Yao’s boredom.

Wen Yao refused at once. “No.”

Even with no one currently living in the inner palace, the Imperial Garden was still not a good place to visit.

Whenever she had watched television dramas in the past, she had always seen noble ladies and young mistresses wandering everywhere, stirring up trouble. From time to time, they would even hide behind artificial hills to listen to palace maids and eunuchs gossip, uncovering one conspiracy or another.

In short, it was a place where trouble gathered.

Since she wanted to survive quietly, she would do well to stay away from such chaotic places.

“Dong Rui, go to the Four Storehouses and bring back some embroidery thread.”

“Yes.”

Dong Rui left immediately. Chengqian Palace was not far from the Four Storehouses, and the trip would take little effort.

After Dong Rui departed, Wen Yao called a young palace maid to grind ink while she went to the study to copy Buddhist scriptures and the palace regulations.

When Dong Rui returned, Wen Yao had her set up an embroidery frame and began stitching a folding screen.

All three of these things were necessities. Whether for praying for blessings or for receiving punishment after making some mistake, they would certainly prove useful sooner or later.

Xuanye stayed at Chengqian Palace for three consecutive days. On the first day, waking up in Wen Yao’s bed left him questioning his entire existence. By the second day, he had already accepted it calmly. On the third day, he simply had one quilt laid out and, once in bed, instinctively pulled her into his arms and fell asleep.

After three days, he spent the night at Qianqing Palace.

The Palace of Benevolent Tranquility and Kunning Palace both breathed deep sighs of relief. Both had feared that Xuanye might show Chengqian Palace excessive favor.

After spending five nights at Qianqing Palace, Xuanye returned to Chengqian Palace with all his belongings and stayed there until the fifteenth, when he went to Kunning Palace.

When he awoke the next morning, his quilt lay perfectly straight and his sleeping posture had not gone wrong in the slightest. As he was dressed by the attendants, Xuanye pondered why he was so different whenever he stayed at Chengqian Palace.

After turning the matter over in his mind, only one reason remained: Wen Yao was his cousin. They had grown up together, and their bond was therefore different.

Having reached that conclusion, Xuanye promptly cast the matter from his thoughts.

After the fifteenth, Changchun Palace in the Western Six Palaces also began to be prepared.

The eighteenth day of the third month was Xuanye’s birthday. The palace remained lively throughout the day. Since he was still young, the celebration was not grand; only members of the imperial clan and high ministers came to offer birthday congratulations. Wen Yao sent him a complete new outfit and a matching-heart pendant as birthday gifts.

Xuanye liked them very much and immediately hung the pendant from his belt.

The day after his birthday, the seven-year-old girl of the Yehenara clan entered the palace by imperial decree and was granted the allowance of a senior princess.