Held in the Lonely Castle Chapter 17

 

 Held in the Lonely Castle  

 Chapter 17

Translated by : DANMEI HEAVEN

   Qixi Festival

Afterwards, the emperor, empress, and the other palace ladies went to Qionglin Garden to admire the autumn flowers in season. At dusk, they ascended the Baijin Tower of Jinming Pond to hold a banquet.

At such private palace banquets, it was customary for the concubines to prepare a few dishes with their own money for the emperor to taste. The main dish presented today was twenty-eight newly arrived top-grade crabs from Jiangnan, large and rich in roe, steamed to a golden-red hue and placed on white porcelain plates, looking very appealing.

Unexpectedly, upon seeing them, the emperor frowned and summoned Ren Shouzhong, asking, “At this time of year, how can such things be found in the capital? How much do they cost?”

Ren Shouzhong bowed and replied, “Each costs a thousand coins... This is a token of the ladies’ affection, specially ordered from the imperial kitchen before the festival to present to Your Majesty.”

The emperor was displeased and looked around at the concubines, asking, “Does one bite cost twenty-eight thousand?”

The concubines had no reply. The emperor set down his chopsticks and refused to eat the crabs. Seeing this, the empress ordered the eunuchs to remove the crabs, and only then did the emperor resume eating.

The emperor and empress sat on the imperial throne in the center of the hall, with the concubines’ seats arranged in order on either side. The princess’s seat was beside the emperor, closest to him but not connected, with about five or six feet of distance between them. While the ladies were engrossed in watching the dance performance, the princess bent down and leaned toward her father, whispering softly, “Father...”

Seeing her mysterious demeanor, the emperor couldn’t help but smile and also leaned toward her, asking quietly, “What is it?”

The princess continued in her whisper, “I know why you didn’t eat the crabs.”

“Oh?” The emperor deliberately raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

“I’ll tell you later,” the princess said with a smile, quickly straightening up. Then she turned to me, who was standing behind her, and said, “Huai Ji, peel a water chestnut for me.”

After the banquet, a eunuch reported that the Qixi Festival pavilion had been set up in front of the Water Palace. So the emperor took the princess by the hand and brought along the empress and the adopted daughters of Lady Zhang to go there.

On the way down, the emperor brought up what the princess had said earlier. The princess said, “Father didn’t eat the crabs not because they weren’t delicious but because they were too expensive. If you ate them and word got out, the price of crabs would rise even more this year. Just like when you said Lady Zhang’s headdress wasn’t nice, it wasn’t that the headdress was ugly but that the pearls on it were too expensive...”

“Alright, alright...” The emperor interrupted her with a smile. “It’s good to understand in your heart, but no need to say it out loud.”

The princess nodded with a smile and added, “There’s one thing I’d like to ask you, Father. I hope you’ll answer truthfully.”

The emperor allowed her to speak, and the princess asked, “Today, among Cai’er, Jing Nu, and Qiu He, whose hairstyle was the best?”

Just as the emperor was about to answer, the princess stopped him and added seriously, “Father must tell the truth.”

The emperor smiled, looked back, and saw only Wang Zhaoming and me following closely, with the others still far behind. He bent down and whispered the truth to the princess, “Qiu He.”

The princess pouted, dissatisfied, “Then why didn’t Father make Qiu He the head of the sewing department? Mother, sister, and I all like Qiu He. Doesn’t Father like her?”

“Hmm... I do,” the emperor said with a smile, still holding the princess’s hand as they walked slowly, his tone gentle and composed. “But, Hui Rou, the more we like someone, the less we should let others see it. Showing our affection openly puts them in the spotlight, making them a target for arrows, both overt and covert, and will ultimately harm them.”

The princess frowned in thought and asked, “Is Father afraid the palace maids in the sewing department would be jealous of Qiu He?”

“Hehe,” the emperor stroked her hair. “Perhaps.” After a pause, he added, “Remember this. If you truly like someone, don’t be too good to them, don’t let others notice, and don’t even let them realize how much you like them...”

“Oh...” The princess seemed to understand but not quite. After thinking, she still asked, “Why can’t they know?”

The emperor smiled and shook his head, enigmatic. “I’ll tell you later.”

On the night of the Qixi Festival, noble families in the capital often erected a colorful pavilion in their courtyards made of carved wood and brocade, called the “Qixi Pavilion.” It was decorated with melons, wine, roasted meats, writing brushes, ink, needles, thread, and clay dolls dressed in colorful clothes called “Mohele.” At night, boys recited poems, and girls demonstrated their needlework skills, burning incense and bowing in worship, a practice called “begging for skills.”

The emperor ordered a Qixi Pavilion to be set up in front of the Water Palace. Under the eaves, palace lanterns hung high, the starry river shone brilliantly in the sky, and the autumn water of the pond sparkled. Palace maids also made duck-shaped, mandarin duck-shaped, turtle-shaped, and lotus-shaped candles from yellow wax, painted and gilded, and placed them on the water after lighting the wicks, letting them float away. This was called “floating on water,” complementing the stars and moon in the sky.

The princess first lit a few floating candles, then picked up a Mohele to play with. Finding the doll’s dress unattractive, she said to her companions, “Let’s change the Mohele’s clothes. Let’s see who can make the prettiest dress.”

The girls agreed, each taking a Mohele and using handkerchiefs and silk flowers to decorate the clay dolls. The princess plucked a lotus flower from the pond, removed a few petals, and wrapped them around the doll’s waist, tying them with a silk ribbon. She raised it for everyone to see. The empress and several concubines praised her creativity.

When it was time for the skill-begging ritual, the princess took a seven-hole needle and quickly threaded it. The ladies praised her, but she waved her hand and said frankly, “The holes are as big as coin eyes. It’s harder not to thread them than to thread them.”

Everyone laughed. The needles used for the ritual were specially made, not the usual sewing needles. They were flat with seven holes, but the eyes were very large. Though the ritual required threading the needle through all seven holes in order, it was quite easy for girls of eight or nine.

After all the girls had threaded their needles, the princess led them in burning incense and bowing before the Qixi Pavilion. When the ritual ended, she was still not satisfied and asked the empress, “Mother, is there nothing else to do now?”

The empress smiled and said, “When I was at home, we played another game. Make a wish, then stand a coin on its edge and flick it to make it spin. When it falls, if it lands heads up, the wish will come true.”

The princess immediately wanted to try. The empress had someone give some coins to the princess and the other girls. Unexpectedly, the princess got tails on her first try. She quickly said, “This one doesn’t count!” She tried again but failed three times in a row, not once landing heads up.

The onlookers felt it was a bad omen. Though they kept smiling, they were somewhat awkward. The princess, however, showed no displeasure. Suddenly, she stood up, ran to a nearby lantern, took down a palace candle, and dripped wax on the back of a coin. Then she stuck another coin to it, back to back, so both sides were heads.

She proudly tried again with this coin. With a flick of her finger, the thick coin spun clumsily and finally stopped, remaining upright without falling over.

Lady Miao Zhaorong saw this and laughed, “What should this count as?”

The empress also smiled and said, “What a coincidence. When I was eighteen, I also got this result... but it was just one coin.”

Everyone asked curiously, “What wish did the empress make? Did it come true?”

But the empress refused to say more, silently lowering her head, though the corners of her lips curled up.

Lady Miao suddenly understood, “What wish would an eighteen-year-old girl have? Of course, to marry a good husband.”

The concubines immediately understood and smiled at the empress. Only the princess still asked blankly, “And then?”

“And then...” the emperor suddenly spoke, his gentle gaze meeting the empress’s as he smiled. “Not long after, I issued an edict summoning your mother into the palace.”

“So that’s how it was,” the princess clapped her hands and laughed. “That’s a good omen!”

The concubines also laughed and cheered. The empress smiled faintly, her head bowing even lower, not daring to look at the emperor again.

She was twenty-nine this year, but her blushing demeanor was like that of a young girl, so tender and gentle, vastly different from the calm, composed, and dignified image of the empress I had seen before.

“Hui Rou,” the emperor called the princess at this moment, drawing everyone’s attention back to her. “Since it’s a good omen, tell us what wish you made.”

“Ah!” The princess’s eyes widened in surprise, then she pouted, very annoyed. “I completely forgot to make a wish just now.”

The emperor told her to make a wish and try again, but Lady Miao said, “She’s so careless and impulsive. If she keeps trying, who knows what else might happen? Let’s play something else.”

Lady Miao was probably worried the princess would get another bad omen. The emperor nodded in agreement, but the princess was still troubled, “But we’ve already played everything. What else can we do?”

Looking at the pair of coins still in her hand, I suddenly remembered Ouyang Xiu’s line, “Tossing coins in the hall, walking under the hall,” and a vague idea flashed through my mind.

“Princess,” I bowed and suggested, “why not summon Lady Dong to play coin-tossing?”

The princess’s eyes brightened, and she smiled, “Good idea. She’s been busy preparing for the hairdressing lately and hasn’t played with me in a long time... Call her over quickly.”

I agreed and went to find Qiu He myself.

At that time, Qiu He was standing alone by the railing on one side of the Water Palace, gazing at the closed lotus buds in the water, her eyes tender, a faint smile on her lips.

I didn’t know what joyful sight the flowing water outside the railing carried, but her thoughts seemed far from the surrounding palace splendor. I called her three times before she noticed and turned around. As if I had uncovered some secret of hers, she shyly lowered her head. After hearing my message, she hurried to the princess’s side.

By then, the night was deep, and the dew was heavy. The emperor ordered the concubines to return to the garden to rest, then took the empress, Lady Miao, the princess, and a few other girls into the palace, ordering a jade mat to be set up below the throne for the girls to play coin-tossing.

This time, the princess wanted to play in teams. She and Qiu He were one team, while the other team was Miss Fan and Miss Zhou. The combined results of each team would determine the final winner. The two girls protested, saying Qiu He was the best, and whoever teamed with her would surely win. The princess admitted frankly, “I just want to win. Usually, you win. Today’s a festival. At least let me have a happy comeback!”

Seeing her say this, the girls agreed with a laugh. The four girls each took a side and began tossing coins.

The sound of the coins was as pleasant as tinkling bells, interspersed with the girls’ laughter. Naturally, Qiu He made the most beautiful tosses. Every movement was smooth as flowing water, even drawing cheers from her opponents. I knew she was the absolute star of this game and would surely attract special attention from the onlookers.

I discreetly observed the emperor and saw he was indeed more focused on Qiu He. Even when it wasn’t her turn and she was just sitting quietly, his gaze never left her.

I wasn’t the only one who noticed this detail.

The court musicians were hidden behind curtains in the hall, playing music to liven the atmosphere. When one piece ended, a eunuch came to ask the empress what to play next. The empress instructed, “Wang Jiang Nan (Gazing South of the River).”

I couldn’t help but look at her, only to find she was also looking at me. Our eyes met, and she smiled calmly. I bowed my head, feeling as if she had seen right through me.

The emperor kept his eyes on Qiu He, seemingly not paying attention to the empress’s choice of music. Only when the music started did he gradually notice, straightening slightly, his casual smile fading as he remembered the matter of Ouyang Xiu.

The music was clear and melodious, lingering in the air, playing through the second stanza. Following the tune, I silently recited Ouyang Xiu’s lyrics in my heart. When I reached the last line, “Not to mention now,” I suddenly heard the emperor speak, “Zhao Ming.”

Wang Zhaoming immediately responded, standing at attention to receive orders.

“You will oversee the investigation of Ouyang Xiu’s case,” the emperor said. With a sigh, he added, “Be thorough. Don’t wrong anyone.”

Wang Zhaoming stiffened, clearly understanding the emperor’s meaning. He knelt to receive the order solemnly, “I will handle the investigation with utmost care and not dishonor Your Majesty’s command.”

That night, the princess and Qiu He won the coin-tossing game. Miss Fan and Miss Zhou wanted to count their chips for her, but she refused, saying, “Father will give me a prize. You don’t need to.”

The emperor laughed and said, “I won’t give you anything. Though you won this time, it wasn’t your doing.”

The princess seized the chance to ask for a reward for Qiu He, “Exactly, I only won because of Qiu He. Father should give her more rewards.”

The emperor nodded and gently asked Qiu He, “Qiu He, what would you like?”

Qiu He just lowered her head and shook it, saying, “The princess condescended to play with a servant like me. That is already a great blessing. How dare I ask for more?”

“Playing with her is no different from being her teacher, teaching her skills. How can one not be rewarded for merit?” the emperor said, no longer listening to Qiu He’s refusal. He turned to the empress and asked with a smile, “What should we reward her with?”

The empress also smiled, “She has always been diligent in teaching the princess. I can’t think of a suitable reward—I’m afraid whatever we give, she might not like. Why not let her voice her own wish? If Your Majesty can fulfill it, then do so. Wouldn’t that be better?”

The emperor repeatedly agreed and asked Qiu He about her wish. Qiu He hesitated but finally said softly, “This servant hasn’t thought of anything yet...”

“Then today, I’ll give you this promise,” the emperor said. “When you think of it, tell me. As long as I can do it, I’ll help you fulfill your wish.”

Qiu He raised her hands to her forehead and bowed deeply in gratitude. When she rose again, there was a glimmer in her eyes, her serene expression tinged with unspoken joy.

I guessed she must have a wish. With the emperor’s promise, her future had gained a ray of light.

I was glad to see this outcome. A life with hope is always happier. She should have a brighter future ahead.

By August, Ouyang Xiu’s case was finally concluded. After reviewing the findings of Su Anshi and Wang Zhaoming’s investigation and discussing with the chief councilors, the emperor issued an edict demoting Ouyang Xiu to the position of Drafter of Edicts and prefect of Chuzhou. At the same time, Su Anshi was demoted to Palace Aide to the Emperor and supervisor of the Taizhou salt tax, while Wang Zhaoming was expelled from the capital to supervise the Shouchun County wine tax.

Soon, details of the trial reached the palace: Wang Zhaoming went to the Kaifeng Prefecture prison and saw that all the case files prepared by Su Anshi accused Ouyang Xiu of incest and adultery with his niece. Shocked, he said, “Zhao Ming serves by His Majesty’s side and sees that His Majesty speaks of Ouyang Xiu no less than once every three days. If the provincial judge’s investigation is to cater to the prime minister’s wishes, and His Majesty becomes displeased in the future, Zhao Ming’s life will surely be in danger.”

Su Anshi said the accusations were true, so the emperor shouldn’t blame them. Wang Zhaoming then asked if Ouyang Xiu had confessed. Su Anshi replied, “He refuses to confess. Perhaps we should ‘forge’ a confession.”

“Forging” a confession referred to extracting a confession through torture. Wang Zhaoming repeatedly shook his head and said solemnly, “His Majesty ordered me to oversee the investigation to ensure fairness and justice. ‘Forging’? What kind of talk is that!”

Su Anshi was terrified upon hearing this and dared not mention the “adultery with his niece” again. Instead, he impeached Ouyang Xiu for using Zhang’s funds to buy land and establish a household. The emperor then used this charge to conclude Ouyang Xiu’s case. Jia Changchao and others were naturally dissatisfied, but the emperor’s decision was final and unchangeable. They insisted the emperor punish Su Anshi and Wang Zhaoming for their ineffective handling of the case. In the end, the emperor compromised and made the aforementioned decision.

On the day Wang Zhaoming left the palace, I stood inside the Xihua Gate to see him off.

Years of bowing in service had bent his back beyond straightening. Hunched, he walked slowly outward, turning back every few steps, frequently wiping his tears with his sleeve, his demeanor utterly desolate.

As he stepped out, the heavy palace gates slowly closed behind him. Only then did I remember it was time for the palace gates to close. I looked up at the sky, watching the chaotic clouds chasing the sunset and crows flying past. For a long time, my mood sank along with the dim red sun.

(To be continued)