Held in the Lonely Castle Chapter 26

 

 Held in the Lonely Castle  

 Chapter 26

Translated by : DANMEI HEAVEN

   Choice

The emperor did not depose the empress, thanks to the remonstrations of Chen Zhizhong, He Yan, and Liang Shi—or so the later accounts claimed.

It was said that during the late-night discussion between the emperor and his ministers about the incident in the empress's quarters, He Yan advised, "The empress is benevolent and wise, admired by all. The claim that the palace disturbance originated from her quarters and requires judicial investigation is a villainous plot to slander her and covet what is not theirs. Your Majesty must see through this."

When the emperor sought Chen Zhizhong's opinion, the prime minister also firmly opposed investigating the empress. Pressed further, Liang Shi lost patience and bluntly stated, "Your Majesty has already deposed one empress. Must there be a second time?"

His sharp tone echoed through the Erying Pavilion, startling all present.

The emperor fell silent and dropped the matter. Seeing him accept their advice, the ministers withdrew. The emperor kept Liang Shi behind, assuring him, "I merely intended to slightly elevate Consort Zhang's status, nothing more. You need not worry."

That night, the three went to the Hanlin Academy, where they met Academician Zhang Fangping, who was on duty. Upon hearing of the incident and the emperor's mention of "elevating Consort Zhang," Zhang Fangping immediately objected, urging Chen Zhizhong, "When Feng Jieyu of the Han dynasty shielded Emperor Yuan from a wild beast, there was no record of her being specially honored for it. Moreover, honoring a concubine while the empress remains is unprecedented. If you agree to promote Consort Zhang, future generations will blame you for it."

Chen Zhizhong agreed wholeheartedly. Henceforth, whenever the emperor raised the issue, Chen Zhizhong remained silent.

Thus, that month, no news of Consort Zhang's promotion circulated in the palace. Instead, the long-awaited decree regarding Mr. Zhang was finally issued: Imperial Attendant and Inner East Gate Administrator Zhang Maoze was appointed to oversee the Imperial Pharmacy.

For a eunuch, this was a prestigious and significant position.

The Imperial Pharmacy, the palace's medical office, was a crucial inner court department responsible for verifying prescriptions, preparing medicines, and managing the supply of drugs for imperial use. The emperor's medications were prepared and presented by the Imperial Pharmacy, making the role highly consequential. Thus, only seasoned eunuchs with thirty years of service, a decade without promotion, and a record of meritorious deeds were eligible.

The eunuch overseeing the Imperial Pharmacy handled more than just medical matters. He also attended the emperor during travels, performed rituals, supervised imperial examinations, delivered decrees, and conducted inspections. Additionally, he stood by the emperor's side or at the corner of the hall during court sessions, ready to be summoned.

Eunuchs in this role were seen as the emperor's confidants, and the position provided ample opportunities for advancement. Many deputy directors and directors of the two key eunuch bureaus had once served in this capacity.

Thus, I was astonished by Mr. Zhang's promotion, though he met the three criteria for the role. Privately, I speculated that this might not have been the emperor's idea but perhaps Chen Zhizhong or Liang Shi's decision. But that was mere conjecture.

The most unexpected promotion, however, was Qiuhe's. After consulting the empress, the emperor ordered Gu Caier, the Department of Adornments head, to take over the ailing Lady Chu's duties in the Department of Attire, while Qiuhe was promoted to head the Department of Adornments, succeeding Gu Caier as the new "Madame Hairdresser."

"Was this settled that day when the emperor spoke to you?" I asked Qiuhe.

She knew exactly which day I meant and nodded gloomily.

With this, her release from the palace was further delayed. I sighed inwardly, deeply regretting her missed chance with Cui Bai. "Are you willing?"

She looked up, her eyes distant. "I'm not sure... That day, I traded my wish to ask him to keep the empress by his side. In the end, he agreed... Then, he sighed helplessly and said, 'Why are even you pleading for her? It feels like everyone around me is on her side.' I didn't dare respond. He added, 'Whenever I go out, Yang Jingzong is on my left, Deng Baoji on my right, and within a few steps, I run into Zhang Maoze... Every little thing I do, she knows about it... I feel trapped by her.'"

I felt trapped by her? My eyes widened slightly—the phrase sounded eerily familiar.

"'Are you one of her people too?' the emperor asked me," Qiuhe continued. "He spoke so gently, his voice like a breeze in April, yet it made me inexplicably sad... When I didn't answer, he said, 'Could you come to my side? So I won't feel so alone.'"

"What?" I frowned. "He said he felt alone?"

"If I heard correctly, yes," Qiuhe replied, seeming puzzled but certain. "At the time, I thought I'd misheard and looked up at him. He was gazing out the window, but his eyes were empty, as if seeing nothing, and there was a hint of sorrow between his brows... I couldn't understand and blurted out, 'Alone? Really? With so many consorts around, how could Your Majesty feel alone?'"

Had I been in her place, I'd have asked the same. I didn't hide my curiosity. "How did he respond?"

"He seemed to snap out of it and smiled faintly, whispering..." Qiuhe's cheeks flushed, her voice dropping further. "He said, 'That was just an excuse I came up with to stop you from rubbing lead powder and perfume into your skin.'"

I suddenly recalled the emperor's noticeable attention to Qiuhe during our first meeting at Yifeng Pavilion. I could vaguely understand her confusion. Even if she didn't love such a man, his thoughtfulness and care were hard for any woman to resist. Refusing him at that moment must have been incredibly difficult.

"I wanted to refuse, but..." Qiuhe hesitated, struggling to articulate her feelings.

"I understand. No need to explain further," I said gently, then asked, "Does the empress know about your decision?"

Qiuhe nodded. "The emperor mentioned transferring me to her. Later, she asked me privately if I was willing to go, saying she'd release me from the palace on the Qianyuan Festival as promised if I refused. But how could I? That would prompt the emperor and his ministers to investigate... I feared they'd discover that besides Shuangyu, another palace maid had... connections with an outsider."

That was a valid concern. If they found out, the situation could worsen.

I could guess her response to the empress. "You told her you'd changed your mind?"

"Yes," Qiuhe said with a sorrowful smile. "I told her I wanted to be Madame Hairdresser and didn't wish to leave the palace for a hard life."

The senior ministers' remonstrations to protect the empress were just the beginning of the counterattack against Xia Song. The final outcome of the palace disturbance was Xia Song's dismissal as head of the Bureau of Military Affairs and his reassignment to Henan Prefecture.

That April, Censor He Yan submitted a memorial impeaching Xia Song, accusing him of being "devious, extravagant, superficially learned but fundamentally unprincipled, hypocritical and stubborn, possessing the traits of a sycophant but lacking the integrity of a minister, serving his lord without loyalty and treating subordinates without sincerity..." He also highlighted Xia Song's collusion with the eunuch Yang Huaimin and his attempts to cover up the palace disturbance. With Yang Huaimin already dismissed, He Yan argued that allowing Xia Song to remain in the capital in a high position would "inflame public outrage." He urged the emperor to dismiss Xia Song, "for the sake of the state and to appease the people's grievances."

Anticipating Xia Song's likely defense—accusing He Yan of factionalism—He Yan preemptively stated in his memorial: "I expect Xia Song will denounce my words as slander and label me a factionalist. But given his evident faults, how can this be slander? And since I've never aligned with anyone, how can this be factionalism? If Xia Song persists in denying his errors, I request a face-to-face debate to lay bare the truth before Your Majesty's sagely judgment."

Following He Yan, several other censors also submitted memorials condemning Xia Song's treachery. Coincidentally, an earthquake struck the capital around that time. The emperor, summoning Academician Zhang Fangping to his private chamber at night, said, "Xia Song's treachery has provoked heaven's wrath. Draft an edict for me, sending him away from the capital."

Zhang Fangping, overjoyed, proposed writing a harsh denunciation to explicitly condemn Xia Song's crimes in the edict. After some thought, the emperor sighed and said, "Let's spare him some dignity. Use the pretext of 'sharing the workload' and omit his faults."

Despite this leniency, Xia Song, clinging to hope, refused to leave and petitioned to remain in the capital. This further enraged He Yan, who submitted another memorial: "The court's treatment of ministers is already generous. Xia Song's current position is already an extreme honor. How can he shamelessly make further demands? Moreover, his treachery is notorious. Your Majesty's decision to dismiss him was met with universal celebration. He should not be allowed to stay in the court. Confucius said to keep flatterers at a distance, for their presence harms governance. I implore Your Majesty to uphold the previous decree and expedite Xia Song's departure."

"Later, the emperor summoned He Yan to his private chamber at the Inner East Gate. He Yan argued vehemently, his tone impassioned, leaving no room for compromise," Mr. Zhang told me as he took back the archived copy of the memorial from me. "The emperor teased him, 'In ancient times, some remonstrators smashed their heads in protest. Could you do the same?' He Yan replied, 'In ancient times, remonstrators smashed their heads when their lords refused to listen. But Your Majesty accepts advice readily. How could I seize such glory and shift the blame to my sovereign?'"

I couldn't help but laugh. "Well said! He avoided the threat of self-harm while giving the emperor an honorable way to accept his advice."

Mr. Zhang also smiled. "Indeed. The emperor gladly accepted his counsel, upheld the previous decree, and firmly exiled Xia Song to Henan."

One question had been on my mind lately, so I took this opportunity to ask Mr. Zhang: "Do you think the emperor also saw through Xia Song's plot to frame the empress? On the surface, it seemed the emperor yielded to pressure, but was he actually using this to punish Xia Song? Otherwise, he could have kept Xia Song, just as he insisted on retaining Prime Minister Chen."

Mr. Zhang didn't give a direct answer but said, "Didn't you hear him call 'Xia Song treacherous'? Right and wrong—who can deceive whom? It all comes down to his choices."

(To be continued)