Held in the Lonely Castle Chapter 29

 

 Held in the Lonely Castle  

 Chapter 29

Translated by : DANMEI HEAVEN

   Brothers-in-Law

That spring, an attendant in Yifeng Pavilion fell ill and had to be relocated. Lady Miao wanted the Rear Bureau to assign a replacement, and remembering Zhang Chengzhao's request, I recommended him. Soon after, Zhang Chengzhao was transferred from the Front Bureau.

Once, I asked Zhang Chengzhao about Wang Gongchen, inquiring whether he had returned to the capital for a debriefing. Zhang Chengzhao replied, "He performed some meritorious service guarding the frontier in Yingzhou, so His Majesty summoned him back, granting him the additional titles of Hanlin Reader-in-Waiting and Academician of the Longtu Pavilion. He hasn't been sent back to Yingzhou yet—it seems His Majesty intends to keep him in the capital, but many in the court oppose it."

I recalled the cold treatment Wang Gongchen had received during the "fire city" assembly and asked, "Weren't the reformist officials he impeached still exiled? Logically, there should be many anti-reformists in the court. Why are they also ostracizing Wang Gongchen?"

Zhang Chengzhao explained, "Because he’s like a fence-sitter, swaying with the wind. In his youth, he was mentored by Lü Yijian and originally followed him. After Lü was dismissed as chief minister, Wang associated closely with the reformist officials. When His Majesty first tried to appoint Xia Song as head of the Bureau of Military Affairs, Wang Gongchen led the censors and remonstrators in vehement opposition. His Majesty, annoyed, tried to leave, but Wang Gongchen grabbed the hem of his robe and refused to let him go. His Majesty had no choice but to accept their advice. So even though Wang Gongchen later completely broke with the reformists and harshly punished Su Shunqin and others, Xia Song’s faction also resents him. He’s alienated both sides and is now stuck in the middle. When he returned to the capital after his exile, both factions disliked him, and opportunists joined in, making him a pariah."

This raised a question I couldn’t understand: "Why did Wang Gongchen break so completely with the reformists? I heard he and Ouyang Xiu were brothers-in-law. How could he disregard even that familial bond and let things deteriorate so badly?"

Zhang Chengzhao laughed. "Hah, it was Ouyang Xiu who drove him mad!" Always fond of gossip about officials, he grew even more animated at the mention of their relationship. "Wang Gongchen and Ouyang Xiu knew each other before marrying into the Xue family. They were once close, studying for the exams together, sharing meals and clothes. Ouyang Xiu was more talented—he ranked first in the preliminary exams and was confident of winning the top honors in the palace exam. After the exam, Ouyang Xiu made new clothes to wear for the announcement ceremony, but Wang Gongchen put them on first, joking, 'Wearing your clothes will surely make me the top graduate.' Unexpectedly, Wang Gongchen did indeed win first place. Though neither mentioned the joke afterward, it must have left some awkwardness."

Judging by their writings over the years, Ouyang Xiu far surpassed Wang Gongchen. Missing the top honors due to the palace exam, coupled with the joke about the clothes, must have left Ouyang Xiu somewhat resentful. I sighed inwardly as Zhang Chengzhao continued, "Though His Majesty didn’t revoke Wang Gongchen’s title after his confession, Ouyang Xiu surely resented it. And rumors persisted about how Wang Gongchen had obtained the exam questions—some said officials like Lü Yijian leaked them to win him over. Later, Wang Gongchen did align with Lü Yijian, earning Ouyang Xiu’s disdain. When Fan Zhongyan came to power, Ouyang Xiu followed him, further alienating Wang Gongchen."

Thinking of their marital ties, I asked, "Since they both married daughters of Xue Kui, wouldn’t their frequent interactions have eased the tension?"

"Not at all—it made things worse!" Zhang Chengzhao shook his head, laughing. "Ouyang Xiu married Xue Kui’s fourth daughter. Wang Gongchen first married the third daughter, but she died young. The Xue family, valuing Wang Gongchen’s talent, didn’t want him marrying into another family, so they wed him to their fifth daughter. Ouyang Xiu wrote a 'congratulatory' poem: 'The old son-in-law becomes the new son-in-law; the elder brother-in-law now the younger.' It spread quickly, making Wang Gongchen’s remarriage notorious. Later, Ouyang Xiu invited Wang Gongchen to a gathering at his friend Liu Chang’s home. Liu Chang told a joke in front of everyone: 'An old pedant taught his students to read a line from the Book of Songs as "Withdrawing after public meals, winding, winding (wei yi wei yi)," emphasizing that "yi" here must be pronounced as "姨 (aunt)." The next day, a student was late to school. When questioned, he said, "I saw a beggar playing with snakes (yi)—first a big snake, then a small one—so I lingered to watch."'"

Zhang Chengzhao pronounced "snake" as "aunt" and burst into laughter.

I could imagine how Wang Gongchen must have felt. Though I’d only met him once, his introverted and sensitive nature was evident. If even the humiliation of picking up his tablet had upset him, how could he tolerate public mockery of his private life?

"Huh? Why aren’t you laughing?" Zhang Chengzhao asked, noticing my silence.

Out of politeness, I smiled but didn’t answer, instead asking, "Did Ouyang Xiu laugh?"

"Of course!" Zhang Chengzhao said. "Everyone laughed—why wouldn’t he? That probably deepened Wang Gongchen’s resentment. He might’ve even thought Ouyang Xiu deliberately brought him there to be ridiculed. Later, during the reforms, Ouyang Xiu, as a remonstrator, frequently impeached officials, even attacking the entire Censorate, saying its members were 'unfit, with not a single commendable one.' Since the head of the Censorate was Wang Gongchen, this was a direct insult. Over the years, Ouyang Xiu and his brilliant friends never missed a chance to mock Wang Gongchen’s literary skills, openly or covertly questioning his qualifications as the top graduate. This time, Ouyang Xiu publicly stated it in a memorial, so Wang Gongchen was furious and resolved to oppose the reformists. After the Jinyi Academy incident, he reportedly gloated, 'I caught them all in one net.' Perhaps he felt he’d finally avenged years of humiliation. That net ensnared not just reformist scholars but also Ouyang Xiu’s friends, who’d long taunted him with their writings... The next year, before Ouyang Xiu’s niece scandal, Wang Gongchen likely orchestrated his subordinate Liu Yuanyu’s impeachment of Ouyang Xiu for 'forming cliques' with academy scholars. Looking back, he might’ve had a hand in the niece affair too."

"What about Su Shunqin?" I asked. "Though he might’ve criticized the Censorate while overseeing the Jinyi Academy, he never attacked Wang Gongchen personally. Everyone says Wang Gongchen impeached Su Shunqin mainly to bring down Du Yan, but without personal animosity, why would Wang Gongchen insist on executing Su Shunqin when His Majesty only wanted him stripped of rank?"

Zhang Chengzhao nodded. "True, it is odd. They were once on good terms—Wang Gongchen even recommended Su Shunqin for a position in the academy... Su Shunqin never mocked Wang Gongchen either..." He pondered, then leaned closer with a grin. "Once, while on duty in the Hanlin Academy, I overheard the academicians joking about Wang Gongchen’s vendetta against Su Shunqin. One said, 'Could Su Shunqin have killed his father or stolen his wife?' Everyone laughed."

I didn’t respond. Remembering Wang Gongchen’s refined demeanor, I felt only regret: someone so elegant, yet consumed by pettiness, now scorned by all. I wondered if he ever regretted his choices.

On the Flower Morning Festival, at Noble Consort Zhang’s suggestion, the emperor ordered the empress to lead the palace ladies to Yichun Garden for flower viewing, inviting noblewomen to join them for a midday banquet.

During the banquet, Noble Consort Zhang paid unusual attention to a quiet, melancholy noblewoman, sending attendants to greet her. After the feast, she even walked with the woman, plucking a sprig of daphne to pin in her hair, chatting amiably—an astonishing display of warmth.

I didn’t recognize the noblewoman, so I asked Zhang Chengzhao to investigate. He soon reported: "That’s Lady Xue, Wang Gongchen’s wife."

I understood Noble Consort Zhang’s motive.

Soon after, another incident confirmed my suspicion.

One day, the princess craved green plums, but Yifeng Pavilion had none. Zhang Chengzhao volunteered to fetch some from the imperial kitchens but returned much later, wiping his eyes.

The princess asked in surprise, "Why are you crying?"

Zhang Chengzhao knelt before her, weeping. "I’m useless—bullied outside, shaming the princess."

"Who bullied you?" she demanded.

He recounted: "On my way back, I encountered eunuchs blocking the Inner East Gate with a cart. I politely asked them to speed up or let me pass, but they cursed me. I explained I was on your orders, but they shouted, 'We serve Noble Consort Zhang. What’s a princess to her? Noble Consort Zhang is practically her mother!'"

The princess was furious. "They dared say that?"

Zhang Chengzhao nodded vigorously. "Yes! I argued, saying even Lady Miao is only called 'elder sister' by the princess—how dare Noble Consort Zhang claim to be her mother? When they couldn’t retort, they tried to hit me. I panicked and knocked over a box from their cart. Just then, Mother Jia arrived, saw it, and slapped me dozens of times, screaming, 'This contains treasures even the palace lacks! Your worthless life couldn’t repay it!'"

"She hit you?" the princess exclaimed. "That vile woman grows more despicable!"

"Exactly!" Zhang Chengzhao sobbed. "My humiliation is nothing, but their disrespect for you is intolerable. Today they hit me—who knows what they’ll do to you tomorrow..."

Enraged, the princess stood abruptly, but I stopped her. "Princess, remember His Majesty’s advice."

She paused. "What advice?"

"Breathe deeply."

She laughed, her anger fading.

I turned to Zhang Chengzhao. "They were rude, but you likely provoked them by ordering them aside. Don’t stir trouble in the palace—it’s not like the outside world."

Zhang Chengzhao flushed but tried to defend himself until I cut him off. "I recommended you to serve the princess, not to exploit her status. If you can’t restrain yourself, you’re better off returning to your old post."

This was the first time I’d spoken so harshly to him. Stunned, he glanced at the princess, who mimed deep breathing and said, "Father told me to think before acting. I’ve thought—I’m not angry anymore."

Disappointed, Zhang Chengzhao stopped crying. Then, eyeing me, he added, "I only lost my temper remembering how Noble Consort Zhang and Mother Jia framed you. Why should we endure their abuse?"

The princess’s eyes widened. "They framed Huai Ji?"

I tried to intervene, but the princess silenced me, ordering Zhang Chengzhao to continue. He recounted the glass cup incident in detail.

After hearing it, the princess grew thoughtful. Suddenly, she asked Zhang Chengzhao, "Mother Jia said the box contained treasures even the palace lacks. What was it?"

"A large reddish-brown glazed vase."

"Reddish-brown?" The princess mused. "Could it be Dingzhou red porcelain? I heard red Ding ware is rare and precious. Father, disliking extravagance, banned its tribute. How did Noble Consort Zhang obtain it?"

Zhang Chengzhao said, "Likely a gift from her uncle Zhang Yaozuo."

The princess’s eyes gleamed. "Fetch me a pear blossom bouquet and a plain white vase—the uglier, the better. Chip it if necessary."

Zhang Chengzhao soon returned with the blossoms and a chipped vase. The princess placed it prominently, ensuring the emperor noticed.

"The flowers are lovely, but the vase doesn’t match," he remarked. "Fetch another."

"I have none!" the princess retorted. "Father has fine Dingzhou red vases but won’t give me any."

The emperor frowned. "I have no such vases."

"The Ninghua Hall does!" the princess pouted. "Father favors Noble Consort Zhang over me, so I must make do with this broken vase."

The emperor stood abruptly and left. The princess turned to me, grinning mischievously.

The next day, news spread that the emperor had smashed the red porcelain vase in Noble Consort Zhang’s quarters.

Enraged, he had berated her for accepting gifts from officials, forcing her to kneel in apology.

"I didn’t expect Father to be so angry," the princess later told me. "I only wanted to scold her for extravagance, to annoy her and avenge you."

I brushed a stray catkin from her brow. "Princess, you needn’t avenge me. That incident is long past and did me no harm."

She shook her head. "But thinking how she wronged you angers me more than if she’d wronged me." She clasped my hand earnestly. "If anyone bullies you again, tell me. I know you’ll breathe deeply, but I want to protect you."

(To be continued)