Held in the Lonely Castle Chapter 09

 

 Held in the Lonely Castle  

 Chapter 09

Translated by : DANMEI HEAVEN

   The Emperor

The next day, I met Dong Qiuhe, an attendant from the Office of Adornments, in the Yifeng Pavilion.

She had come to style Consort Miao’s hair. Dawn had barely broken, and the consort was still abed, so Qiuhe waited in the courtyard. When an older palace woman invited her inside, she merely smiled softly and said, "I’ll wait a little longer."

Dressed in a plain blue robe, her hair tucked under a simple black gauze cap, Qiuhe wore the standard attire of a court lady. Her fair face was bare of makeup, save for a pair of crescent-moon pearl hairpins at her temples.

She stood by the purple bamboo, holding a cosmetic case. The morning light, pale and wintry, washed over the scene like an ink-wash painting.

When Consort Miao and the princess awoke, I ushered Qiuhe inside. With others present, I couldn’t mention Cui Bai’s gift.

After styling Consort Miao’s hair, Qiuhe adorned her with a jade hairpiece named "Fragrant Jade." The consort admired her reflection and asked, "Does this piece have a name?"

Qiuhe nodded. "It’s called ‘Holding Fragrant Jade.’"

"A lovely name," Consort Miao said. "It’s simple yet elegant, not like those enormous headpieces Consort Zhang wears. I don’t know how she bears the weight."

Qiuhe smiled but didn’t comment, studying the consort’s face. "With such understated robes and hairpiece, a bright floral decal at the brow would complement well."

The consort agreed, and Qiuhe applied a delicate rose-shaped adornment, then embellished it with gold.

When she opened her case, the room filled with fragrance. The princess, drawn by the scent, picked up a decal to examine. "These are so fragrant!"

Consort Miao asked, "What’s in them?"

Qiuhe explained, "A blend of spikenard, sandalwood, lily, cloves, patchouli, orpiment, angelica, ink, and fennel, ground fine, mixed with honey, pressed into rose molds, dried, then coated with musk."

The princess interjected, "Qiuhe, is this a new recipe of yours?"

"Yes," Qiuhe replied, adding, "I’ve tested it. It won’t irritate the skin."

The princess tugged at Qiuhe’s sleeve, peering inside. Flustered, Qiuhe withdrew her hand. "What is the princess looking for?"

"Every time you try new cosmetics on the consorts, you test them on yourself first," the princess said. "Your skin is so sensitive. Last time, testing that scented balm for Consort Yu left your wrist red and swollen for days. I want to see if it happened again."

Consort Miao looked concerned. "Did it harm your skin this time?"

"No, no," Qiuhe assured, covering her wrist. "It worked perfectly. No irritation."

The princess must have seen the truth in that brief glimpse but didn’t press further. Instead, she took Qiuhe’s hand warmly. "Stay after you’re done. Once I finish my lessons, we’ll play coin toss."

Consort Miao added, "Consort Yu hasn’t been well lately and likely won’t need much adornment. I’ll send word asking her to excuse you for the day."

Qiuhe agreed, and the consort dispatched a messenger. Soon, the palace matron arrived for the princess’s lessons, and the princess, insisting Qiuhe and I accompany her, headed to the study.

That day’s lessons covered Admonitions for Women and National History. The princess was distracted, but Qiuhe listened attentively, clearly understanding the material.

When lessons ended, the princess dragged Qiuhe back to the main hall to play coin toss. But they had barely settled when a eunuch announced the emperor’s arrival.

The household lined up to welcome him.

This was my first close encounter with the emperor. Previously, I had only glimpsed him during grand ceremonies—distant and solemn on his throne, clad in crimson robes and a towering crown, an indistinct figure like all imperial portraits.

Now in his mid-thirties, he dressed casually in a white robe with black trim, black boots, and a soft gauze cap. His demeanor was refined, more akin to a scholar than a ruler.

Arriving from the rear garden, the emperor entered and, after permitting everyone to rise, immediately asked for hot water, thirst apparent. Consort Miao personally served him, and he drained several cups.

The princess, puzzled, asked, "Father, why didn’t you drink outside? Why endure such thirst?"

The emperor replied, "I looked back several times but saw no attendants. Ren Shouzhong was present—if I pressed, he’d make a fuss and punish someone. So I endured until returning."

Wang Zhaoming, the attending eunuch, knelt in apology. "This servant failed to grasp Your Majesty’s hints. I deserve punishment."

The emperor waved him off. "How could you know if I didn’t speak? Let it rest, and don’t tell Shouzhong, lest the attendants suffer."

Consort Miao smiled. "Your Majesty is ever thus. Zhaoming once told me that one morning, you mentioned waking hungry at night, craving roasted lamb. When he asked why you didn’t summon it, you said, ‘If the palace indulges whims, the people will emulate, creating waste. If I demanded lamb, the entire capital might slaughter sheep nightly for midnight feasts, harming resources.’ To endure thirst and hunger for such reasons—truly, what an emperor!"

The emperor smiled. "An emperor’s actions set examples. Every move must be weighed. What seems trivial for others can spiral out of control if we do it. Even small desires must be restrained."

He turned to the princess. "Huirou, remember this."

The princess nodded vigorously. The emperor then noticed Consort Miao’s brow decal and praised, "This adornment is exquisite—delicate and subtly fragrant."

Consort Miao smiled. "I thought so too. Qiuhe made it."

"Ah, Qiuhe…" The emperor glanced at her, studying her briefly before asking the princess, "Huirou, does Qiuhe have any new red marks on her wrist?"

The princess answered, "I checked. None."

"Look behind her ears," the emperor said, his gaze gentle. "She must have tested it there this time."

The princess did so and laughed. "Father is right! There’s a red spot the size of a fingernail behind her right ear."

Qiuhe flushed, bowing deeply. "Your Majesty, this servant didn’t mean—"

"No need to explain," the emperor said. "I understand. Such blends rarely succeed on the first try. You always test them yourself… But don’t you have junior attendants now? Why still test on yourself?"

Qiuhe replied softly, "They’re still young. Fragrances might harm them."

The emperor chuckled. "And how old are you? Not yet fourteen?"

Qiuhe hesitated but answered truthfully. "Two months shy."

The emperor nodded. "I’ll instruct Lady Chu to assign you two older attendants. Let them test the cosmetics."

Qiuhe kowtowed in thanks but declined. "This servant is grateful for Your Majesty’s kindness. But my skin is sensitive, making me the ideal tester. If a blend doesn’t irritate me, it won’t harm the consorts. If others test them, their hardier skin might mask flaws, risking the consorts’ safety. Please rescind the order. Let me continue testing."

The emperor sighed, exchanging an amused glance with Consort Miao. "What can we do? She won’t let us help her."

Consort Miao smiled. "It seems the only solution is to transfer her from the Office of Adornments."

Qiuhe paled. "No, no, that’s not what I meant—"

The emperor and consort laughed, dropping the subject. "Rise. I see coins on the mat. Were you and Huirou playing toss? Continue."

Qiuhe thanked him and returned to the game. Her hands were extraordinarily deft, her movements graceful. Unlike the princess’s noisy tosses, Qiuhe’s coins landed with crisp, musical precision, her fingers fluttering like butterflies, lending even heavy coins an ethereal lightness.

The emperor watched indulgently, his gaze lingering on the girls as they played, his eyes warm with affection.

At one point, he noticed me. After Consort Miao introduced me, he quickly recalled the Fu Bi incident.

"Huaiji—a fine name," he said mildly. "Your birth name, or one given after entering the palace?"

"Given after entering," I replied, adding, "Master Zhang Pingfu chose it."

"Maozé?" The emperor’s tone shifted slightly, followed by a brief but noticeable pause.

Unease prickled my skin. Had I misspoken? But the emperor’s expression smoothed as he said, "Since you’re here now, forget other duties. Serve the princess well, and avoid mingling beyond this pavilion."

I assented, and he dismissed me without further comment.

By afternoon, Qiuhe prepared to leave but was delayed by Consort Miao’s maids, all eager to learn new hairstyles from her. She patiently taught them until dusk, when the consort insisted she stay for dinner. By the time she could depart, night had fallen.

I volunteered to escort her out, quickly retrieving Cui Bai’s Lotus and Guests in Autumn from my room and hiding it in my sleeve before lighting a lantern to guide her.

Once outside the consorts’ quarters, I handed her the scroll and relayed Cui Bai’s message. She accepted it with a faint smile, her eyes glistening.

"Will… Master Cui return?" she asked softly.

Her trembling voice carried such sorrow that I faltered. Not wanting to disappoint her, I said, "Perhaps… someday."

She forced a smile, thanked me, and hurried away, clutching the scroll. As she turned, her right arm lifted slightly—wiping tears.

(To be continued)