Chapter 51: Great Heat (6)

Chapter 51: Great Heat (6)

The imperial edict for the Empress's enthronement was traditionally drafted by the Grand Secretariat below and then presented to the Emperor for his perusal. It was not to be altered in any way, merely crowned with the phrase "in accordance with the benevolent command of the Empress Dowager," before being promulgated. The Emperor had been preoccupied with the financial mess at the Ministry of Revenue lately and had not written an edict himself in a long time. He felt that if this continued, all his studies of the classics would have been in vain. This was a good opportunity to practice his writing skills.

In the afternoon, the cicadas' chorus filled the air as the Emperor dismissed his siesta and sat alone on the couch in the hall of diligent governance and filial piety. He opened the copybook and picked up his wolf-hair brush, pondering deeply before the imperial desk.

An edict, after all, should begin with lavish praise for the person it concerns, for only a virtuous and noble Empress is worthy of her throne. But what could he say about that second-rate beauty? Was she wise and virtuous? Where was her virtue when she caused such a ruckus in the Hall of Nourishing Heart upon entering? Could he describe her as modest and cautious? That would be disingenuous; she had no reverence for him whatsoever. At first, she could still utter some pleasantries, but later, during the grand funeral procession, she began to speak disrespectfully to him. He had yet to settle that score with her, and thinking about it made him feel cheated.

How, then, should he write her edict of enthronement? It was truly vexing. There were so many flowery phrases at his disposal, but none seemed to fit her. The only ready-made phrase that might work was "a scion of a fortunate lineage, born into a distinguished family." It seemed that the task of praising her should be left to someone who did not know her well, someone who could idealize her according to their own image of an Empress. If he wrote it himself, he might accidentally end up with a decree of punishment instead. After all, they would have to live together, and it wouldn't do to strain their relationship too much.

He was trying to be considerate, but that second-rate beauty seemed never to think so much. She went about her business as she pleased, feigning affection and causing trouble without a shred of genuine feeling towards him.

Pressing the warm ivory pen handle against his lips, the Emperor was lost in thought, then realized he was overthinking things. What was the point of talking about sincerity in the imperial family? Apart from close kin, everyone else was just a marriage of convenience based on power. His feelings for Qi Yingming had changed so suddenly that he was caught off guard. He used to dislike her, but now he found himself looking forward to her company. This long and tedious life as an emperor would be bearable with this second-rate beauty by his side, at least she was more vibrant and interesting than the other concubines in the palace.

Looking outside, he saw that the canopy had already been set up, and the Hall of Nourishing Heart was shrouded in translucent gauze, making the dome soft and indistinct. It was almost time for dinner, and she had slept for several hours. Why hadn't she come yet?

As the Emperor was pondering this, De Lu came in to report, saying, "Your Majesty, shall we move dinner here or go to the eastern warm pavilion?"

The Emperor slowly got up from the couch, his gaze passing through the hall door and looking out at the vast courtyard ahead. Suddenly, he saw a figure appear at the gate of the Hall of Nourishing Heart, and his heart raced. He hurried to the eastern secondary room, saying as he walked, "Let's move to the east, it's more spacious."

A smaller space would not be as cool, and De Lu understood. He replied with a respectful "Yes" and went outside to instruct the attendants to move the dining table into the eastern warm pavilion.

One after another, food boxes were brought in, and dish after dish was placed on the dining table. Before all the dishes in the food boxes were served, San Qing announced, "The lady has arrived. Greetings to the lady."

Only then did the Emperor realize that the figure he had seen earlier was not her, and he couldn't help but feel disappointed. A corner of a butterfly-and-flower robe floated over the threshold of the front hall, and it was Concubine Yi, bowing gracefully to the Emperor, "This slave greets Your Majesty."

The Emperor was distracted, lifting his chopsticks and asking, "Why are you here at this hour?"

Concubine Yi's voice was as soft as water, and she said in a sticky tone, "Replying to Your Majesty, a new chef has been assigned to my small kitchen, and he makes excellent dishes. Today, I ordered him to prepare a dish of Immortal's Delight and a dish of Abalone in a Bowl, which I have brought to offer Your Majesty a taste."

The Emperor remained silent, and De Lu stepped forward to take the dishes and place them on the Emperor's right side. When a lady sent dishes, the Emperor always had to give them a try, and De Lu picked up his chopsticks and took a little bit of each dish, placing it on the Emperor's jade plate.

Concubine Yi was still waiting expectantly, and the Emperor had no choice but to take a bite casually. She immediately looked delighted and asked, "Does it suit Your Majesty's taste?"

The Emperor said yes, but his expression remained indifferent, "The Imperial Kitchen presents a variety of dishes every day, so there's no need for you to do this in the future."

It was like a bucket of cold water poured over her head, and Concubine Yi's smile froze on her face. The Emperor didn't care whether she could save face or not, and as a loyal servant to the Emperor, De Lu, to avoid an awkward situation, quickly said with a smile, "It's too hot today, and the lady must have suffered from the heat coming over at this hour. I'll send someone to bring Snowflake and Waxberry Soup, and the lady can use it before returning to the palace."

Concubine Yi pretended not to understand his meaning and replied, "Thank you, Shuida." Then she looked around, "This slave has come here for two reasons: one, to present dishes to Your Majesty, and two, to see Miss Ying."

When the Emperor heard her mention Yingming, he spared a glance at her, "Are you old acquaintances?"

Concubine Yi smiled coyly, "Not exactly old acquaintances, we met once in the garden of the Palace of Eternal Tranquility. At the time, the lady and this slave chatted quite well, and we agreed to meet again when we had free time. But then the grand funeral procession happened, and the lady accompanied the Emperor while this slave followed the Empress Dowager's entourage, so we haven't had a chance to talk since. Now that the lady is in the presence of the Emperor, and this slave's Palace of Eternal Life is nearby, I thought I'd drop by. Although the lady has the favor of the Empress Dowager and Your Majesty, there may be some trivial inconveniences. This slave is about the same age as the lady and shares a similar temperament. If there's anything I can help with, relieving the lady's troubles would also be easing Your Majesty's worries!"

In this Forbidden City, there were all kinds of people, each with a different heart. Take the ladies of the harem, for example; they appeared to be a blur of reds and greens, but if one looked closely, there were still some distinctions to be made. Concubine Yi was always sweet-talking and adept at ingratiating herself with others. The Emperor knew about the incident where Miss Ying had gone to the garden of the Palace of Eternal Tranquility to pick lotus leaves and had run into Concubine Yi halfway through. This time, she was using the excuse of visiting Miss Ying to chat with the Emperor for a few moments.

The Emperor was indifferent to the ladies of the harem, forcing them to find ways to get noticed. Who would dare to barge into the Hall of Nourishing Heart so brazenly in the past? If it weren't for her acquaintance with Miss Ying, would Concubine Yi have dared to make this visit? De Lu smiled on his face, but he was looking outside, waiting for the Office of Military Matters to send over the green headplate. They were waiting for Miss Ying to deliver it.

The Emperor, however, was not comfortable having an irrelevant person around during meals. He wanted to send Concubine Yi away and was about to open his mouth when he saw a person outside the window, head bowed, carefully carrying a silver tray. As the weather grew warmer, the collars of the palace attire became lower, leaving only an inch-wide border. She had a slender and graceful neck, and the sunlight outside cast a halo around her silhouette. Her crisp and fresh appearance became more and more appealing the more he looked at it.

The emperor's heart finally found some peace, as if surrounded by a clear spring, no longer feeling the heat as oppressive. Sometimes people can be so peculiar; when she is not around, he longs for her presence, but once she arrives, he becomes wary, on guard against her potential mischief. Should an opportunity arise, he too hopes to strike back, not wanting her to always have the upper hand.

"Please take a seat as well," the emperor said casually.

The concubine Yi was taken aback for a moment, uncertain whether the Emperor's words were directed at her. It was not until San Qing brought her a stool that her heart settled back into place. With a smile, she knelt in thanks, a subtle thought stirring within her heart: Who says the Emperor is not approachable! It was the awe of the imperial majesty that had previously kept her from daring to act. Now, having mustered the courage to take this step, if there is a first time, there will surely be a second. If the masters are of a cold temperament, and you continue to hold back, won't you end up with the same fate as the late empress?

"My lord," Concubine Yi smiled, "yesterday..."

As soon as the words were spoken, someone entered through the door, holding a silver tray and walking step by step to the imperial presence. The emperor put down his silver chopsticks, leaned back comfortably, and thought to himself, "See there, I've let Concubine Yi take a seat. Since the day the harem was expanded, aside from the annual end-of-year ceremony, none of the consorts and concubines have ever been allowed to sit in my presence. Today, I've shown such great favor, does it stir any emotions within her? Might she feel a touch of disappointment?"

Thus, the emperor scrutinized her reaction closely, not even missing a single blink of her eyes. However, she always kept her head lowered, which made him anxious and somewhat irritated. With a stern expression, he decided to fold his arms in a huff.

Yingming waited for a long time, but the emperor did not summon her as she had expected, which left her puzzled. She raised her head and, after a brief pause, finally caught sight of Concubine Yi. She quickly bent her legs and squatted in a respectful greeting, smiling and saying, "Is the mistress called upon today?" Then, with a smile, she continued, "The young mistress is also here, I greet the young mistress with respect."

Concubine Yi received her bow with a flutter of unease, quickly stood up and made a slight bow in return, saying, "Madam, I have come to visit you." However, upon second thought, the Emperor's bestowal of a seat must have been on her account. The once promising candidate for the Empress's position, now reduced to carrying a silver tray and presenting a green name card, clearly indicated that the Emperor had no intention of granting her honor. It was already known that the Emperor did not favor her, repeatedly teaching her lessons, yet she had always refused to believe it, insisting on seeing it with her own eyes. Now, she had indeed witnessed it; the Emperor was deliberately using her to poison the eyes of this prospective Empress, signaling to her that, although her status was set, there would still be a place for the concubines in the harem!

Concubine Yi was content and pleased to serve as a touchstone for the emperor, even when he responded to her with a hint of irritation, "You tell me, whose name should I turn to?", she felt that the emperor was intentionally testing her.

Yingming caught a fleeting glint of delight in Concubine Yi's eyes, and immediately said, "I am a simple-minded servant, not adept at pondering matters. Now that the esteemed Concubine Yi is present, what more is there to discuss? It must be her!" After speaking, he began to search through the array of green name cards, found the one belonging to Concubine Yi, and with great alacrity flipped it over on behalf of the emperor, cheerfully exclaiming that the task was complete. Then, he bestowed a meaningful smile upon Concubine Yi.

This time, the emperor shifted his gaze to the face of Concubine Yi, seemingly indicating that the flow of silver in the Imperial Household Department had moved from the surface to the shadows. How much did Concubine Yi give her this time? It couldn't still be just eight coins, could it? To encourage her to take risks, it would have to be at least two taels!

How delightful, the emperor sneered, his smile like a cold, wandering thread that brushed past the corners of his lips. He said, "Your audacity grows ever greater. There are corrupt officials in the court selling positions, and you, in my harem, are stirring up trouble, creating a world full of chaos and filth. What do you intend to do?"

Originally, concubine Yi was secretly delighted in her heart. However, with the emperor's words, she felt a chill run through her in the midst of the sweltering July heat. She looked at Yingming with a sense of panic, unsure of what was really going on. Suddenly, it dawned on her that her smile after flipping the tile had implicated her, and the emperor thought they were in cahoots. She feared she would become the second Empress Ning.

"Your Majesty..." Concubine Yi stammered in panic, "Your servant has not..."

The emperor snorted, "When did my Hall of Mental Cultivation become a place where the imperial consorts could come and go at will? If the Palace of Eternal Longevity is not comfortable to live in, then move to the Northern Quarters." With that, he swept his sleeve and went to the rear hall.

The concubine Yi was so terrified that she knelt on the ground and couldn't rise for a long time after the emperor left. It was Yingming who went up to help her up, saying, "My lady, the Emperor has already left, so you need not kneel in his presence anymore."

Concubine Yi shakily rose to her feet, her phoenix-like eyes brimming with shock and indignation, "Madam, why would you wish to harm me?"

Yingming looked innocent. "How could I harm you? You came to the Yangxin Palace specially to see me. Since I hold the meal card, I should do my best to send you to the master. I just didn't expect that the master would get so angry..." She blinked regretfully. "It shouldn't have happened. Think about it. Did I say something I shouldn't have said before and made the master angry?"

San Qing, standing by, couldn't help but let out a sly chuckle, thinking to himself about this master of networking who had just hit a brick wall. Having just spoken a long string of words in front of the Emperor, overtly and covertly hinting at his connection with Miss Ying, he had not anticipated that the Emperor now harbors suspicion towards anyone Miss Ying recommends. This time, his cleverness has backfired, and who can he blame but himself?

In the end, Concubine Yi was defeated and dared not utter a word. On one side was the emperor, and on the other was the future empress. She could not afford to offend either, and thus had to accept her misfortune.

After Concubine Yi left, Yingming, carrying a silver tray, frowned deeply, "Shuida, what are we to do if this continues? His Majesty doesn't even bother to flip through the tablets anymore; my guilt is too great."

San Qing was at a loss for how to respond to this question, "His Majesty always has a protocol for everything he does. If he doesn't turn it over, it implies that he is summoned. You need not worry, after all, the master is overwhelmed with state affairs. It's also common for Rui Sheng to present his nameplate, and out of ten days, he is called for eight. You've had a good start here, whether it's fortunate or not is a matter for later, but hasn't your nameplate been kept as well?"

Yingming embodies the spirit of loving what one does. Despite her repeated attempts to deliver the meal cards, she has failed three times in a row, which has indeed left her feeling quite defeated.

With a dejected air, she carried the silver tray out the door and handed it to Rui Sheng. Upon glancing at the contents of the tray, Rui Sheng noticed that the concubine Yi's belongings had been turned over. He responded cheerfully, "Yes, your servant will immediately instruct someone to go to the Palace of Eternal Longevity."

Yingming said it was not so, "I was the one who flipped this sign, and His Majesty was displeased, so he summoned me."

Rui Sheng was somewhat at a loss, but he still praised her sincerely. After all, she was to be the Empress; even the green plaques could be turned for her master. Whether they were accepted or not didn’t matter much. It was an honor in itself, and not just for the entire harem. Since the founding of the country, there had been no one else with such privilege.

Of course, if you angered His Majesty, it wasn't that easy to get away! De Lu waved from under the eaves. "Miss, stop chatting and come quickly."

Yingming hurried back, glanced behind her, and asked in a low voice, "Is Master still furious?"

De Lu felt that only the person who tied the bell could untie it. With drooping eyebrows, he said, "Master is inside the rear hall. No one dares to enter now. Why don’t you go take a look? After all, you lit this fire, didn’t you?" As he spoke, he turned around and took a lacquer tray, shoving it into her hands. "There’s a rose sweet soup in the covered bowl. Offer it to Master. Concubine Yi came right as dinner began, spoiling Master's appetite. He barely ate anything. Go and cheer up His Majesty. If Master wants something else, let me know when you come out, and I’ll send someone to prepare it."

Yingming couldn’t refuse and had to take on the task and enter the rear hall.

The hall was quiet. The emperor didn’t slam the table or throw chairs. He was a man of culture. Apart from the last time when she mentioned her Hui ethnicity, even if he got angry later, he would remain dignified and endure much. Yingming, this time, had indeed done something wrong. She hesitated for a long time before stepping over the threshold of You Rixin Hall, softly calling out, "Your Majesty, your servant has come in."

The emperor sat on the bed, his hands supporting his knees, his eyes staring at her like a hawk.

Yingming was startled by his appearance, unsure whether to advance or retreat. In the end, she smiled apologetically and pushed the lacquer tray forward. "Master, your servant brought you a sweet soup to cool your temper."

But the emperor sneered at her. "Cool my temper? How can this cool anything! There’s only one way to cool my temper, do you know what it is?"