Chapter 2: The Red Pill

Chapter 2: The Red Pill

When Rong Bi was escorted into the Phoenix Chirping Palace, she still felt a sense of bewilderment.

Empress Lao was leaning against the window, picking at Buddhist beans in a tray with an absentminded air, her eyes not lifting from her task. Despite her youthful appearance, Rong Bi, who had lived in the palace for some time, knew that this empress was surnamed Luo and was already in her forties. She was not the first empress but the second, with two princes and a princess under her care.

Rong Bi executed a respectful bow. Empress Lao yawned and said, "Palace Matron Zhou has arrived? You mentioned finding someone suitable? Raise your head so I can have a look."

Rong Bi lifted her gaze, and Empress Lao, who had been lounging casually, straightened her posture.

She couldn't resist asking, "Your name is Rong Bi, isn't it? How long have you been in the palace?"

Rong Bi replied respectfully, "This servant entered the palace in the Fifteenth Year of Peace and Harmony. It has now been eight years."

Empress Lao was surprised. "Eight years!" She laughed, her golden bee hairpin swaying with the movement. "Eight years! A gem lost in the ocean has been hidden in the Imperial Kitchen for eight years!"

Palace Matron Zhou, who had brought her in, chuckled. "There are plenty of perceptive people in this palace. Now that Her Majesty wants someone stunning, isn't she stunning?

Not just stunning! With the emperor's fondness for novelty and amusement, if he had seen her earlier... " Empress Lao's smile faded as she appraised Rong Bi from head to toe. After a moment, she chuckled again and said, "She seems destined for greatness. Now that she's in the Phoenix Chirping Palace, the entire harem will know about her by tomorrow. Arrange everything promptly."

Palace Matron Zhou understood Empress Lu's intentions. If she didn't arrange this, the Emperor might discover and take Rong Bi for himself. With such beauty, she could potentially become a significant threat. Palace Matron Zhou respectfully replied, "I shall abide by your Highness's command." Then, turning to Rong Bi, she said, "Your fortune has arrived. Quickly express gratitude to Her Majesty the Empress for her grace! In the future, always remember who has bestowed such blessings upon you and never forget the Empress's kindness!"

Rong Bi's heart sank. Was she to serve the Emperor? He was nearly sixty years old! Cold sweat trickled down her back, but she mechanically knelt and bowed her head in gratitude.

Palace Matron Zhou chuckled. "Prince Jin is an admirable young man. Serving him would be a great blessing, wouldn't it? However, the position of Accountant Auntie is not one to be taken lightly. Her Majesty will appoint several experienced Aunties from the Yanxi Hall to guide you. You must study diligently. After all these years of hard work, you've finally achieved this rank. Don't forget the Empress's kindness to you."

Prince Jin? Accountant?

Indeed, she had heard that Prince Jin had turned eighteen recently, and the palace was selecting an Accountant to attend to him...

But this Prince Jin was not the son of Empress Lu...

Rong Bi's mind raced, becoming a jumbled mess. Her ears buzzed, but after a decade of strict imperial rules, she remained composed and respectfully responded, "This servant thanks Her Majesty for her kindness."

Empress Lu chuckled softly. "Your blessings are yet to come. Who knows, perhaps in the future, you'll become my true daughter-in-law. Learn well and prepare yourself. Yes, there should be a reward."

She seemed slightly troubled as she said, "But you haven't yet received the Emperor's favor. Giving you gifts now would draw too much attention and might harm you. 'A tall tree invites the wind,' as they say. You understand this principle, I'm sure, since Prince Jin isn't my biological child. If I were to favor you too much, it could lead to suspicion. Oh, right..."

Empress Lu smiled. "It's coincidental. The other day, the Emperor brought a Taoist priest named Chong Xiao. He claims to possess genuine abilities and great fortune. He presented the Emperor and me with an elixir, saying it promotes longevity and beauty, something the sisters Zhao Feiyan and Zhao Hede took in the past. At my age, consuming it would be a waste. Today, it occurs to me that you have encountered this fortunate situation. Ruo Yun, fetch it and have her partake in the gift."

The chief concubine, Lingyun, gracefully turned and entered the room. After a while, she personally carried a tray with a wax-covered pill and a cup of tea. She was about to bestow it on the spot.

A pill that Empress Lao had used? The Zhao sisters, Feiyan and Hede, were infertile! There was an Inner Library in the palace where eunuchs and palace maids were taught to read and write, and some handwritten copies of stories circulated secretly, including the scandalous tales of Zhao Feiyan.

Why wouldn't the Empress use such a precious item herself?

Breaking palace rules could lead to punishment by anyone, from high-ranking officials to palace maids, let alone defying the Empress's command. Countless thoughts raced through Rong Bi's mind, but in the end, she could only watch as Lingyun opened the wax capsule, revealing the crimson pill inside. It was placed on a spoon and offered to her lips.

She thought of her elderly parents back home, waiting for her return. With a sigh, she opened her mouth and swallowed the pill.

It dissolved instantly, leaving a tart yet sweet taste, akin to a hawthorn candy.

Everyone watched her closely as she knelt there, showing no reaction, her face unchanged, no beads of sweat forming.

Palace Matron Zhou, standing beside her, seemed disappointed. "Such a wonderful gift, and you don't even thank Her Majesty for the food?"

Rong Bi lifted her gaze to look at Palace Matron Zhou, who appeared slightly unnerved by her stare. She glared at Rong Bi. "Are you not going to express your gratitude?"

Rong Bi knelt to express her gratitude, and the Empress's sharp gaze swept over her face as if inspecting the effectiveness of the pill. Seeing no discernible change, she let out a slight sigh. "Very well, go and carry out your duties diligently."

Palace Matron Zhou hastily responded with a smile, gesturing for Rong Bi, who was still in a daze, to follow her.

With an indifferent expression, Rong Bi walked out. Palace Matron Zhou instructed her, "Return immediately and pack your things. You'll be moving to the Jin Fang Garden within the Palace of Elegance. I will handle the matter with Chief Steward Li."

After dismissing Rong Bi, Palace Matron Zhou returned to the conference hall within the Palace of Elegance. Her trusted attendants, holding cups of tea, had already gathered to flatter her. They smiled and said, "Sister Zhou has worked hard on the Empress's behalf."

Taking a few sips of the hot tea, Palace Matron Zhou waved her hand and chuckled. "Haha, finally finished this errand. The Empress didn't even reward me with a single coin, but at least she didn't punish me." It was known that Empress Luo was notoriously stingy and ungrateful. The ladies-in-waiting who had served in the Palace of Elegance for a long time all grumbled about it, but there was nothing they could do.

The attendants hurriedly praised her, "The Empress trusts only Sister Zhou with such important tasks, doesn't she?"

Palace Matron Zhou gave a cold laugh. "Haha—what a pity for that pretty girl. I was planning to keep her for future use, but we couldn't wait any longer. If we don't present a truly stunning beauty this time, Old Lady Liu might surpass me. I hope this girl can make a difference. The Crown Prince is, after all, a man. A beauty like hers would truly evoke sympathy... even from me."

One of the attendants asked curiously, "Was the Empress satisfied?"

Palace Matron Zhou replied lazily, "Although she seems dull-witted, her appearance is excellent. Since the Crown Prince turned fourteen, the Empress has arranged for him a female attendant to attend to his bedchamber every year on his birthday. Yet, she has never succeeded. The Empress was pleased and even rewarded that girl with a red pill. It was a pair of red pills that Daoist Chongxiao recently presented to the Emperor and Empress, rumored to prolong life, deepen affection. It's quite amusing, really. The Empress casually bestowed one of those pills on Rong Bi."

The attendants laughed in surprise. "Didn't we hear that Daoist Chongxiao is a highly enlightened monk, greatly respected by the Emperor?"

Palace Matron Zhou chuckled. "His Majesty probably truly believes it. As for the Empress – if I may speak bluntly, the Zhao sisters, Hede and Feiyan, were barren! And…" She lowered her voice. "Ever since His Majesty started seeking immortality, there hasn't been an imperial prince or princess born in the palace for a long time."

The attendants whispered, "But could there be something wrong with those elixirs?"

Palace Matron Zhou laughed. "Who knows? His Majesty even tries to refine his own pills, practicing dual cultivation every day. Tsk…" She sucked in a cold breath as if her teeth ached. "Actually, I've been quite kind to this Rong girl. Otherwise, who knows what might happen if she were sent to the Heavenly One Temple to practice dual cultivation with His Majesty? A few years ago, he wanted to refine red lead using maidens' first menstrual blood. Tsk, if not for the opposition of the court officials, goodness knows how many young girls would have suffered. You all arrived late and missed the turmoil of those days."

The ladies-in-waiting exchanged knowing smiles. After spending a long time in the palace, they understood the situation even if they had never personally experienced it. With a Taoist temple now being built and the God of Heaven worshipped, who didn't know what was going on?

Emperor Chengping had been a passive ruler without major accomplishments in his early years, but in the eyes of the court officials, an inactive ruler was considered a good one. Everything followed ancestral rules and traditions, which was considered a peaceful reign. However, after middle age, he suddenly placed great trust in a Taoist named Master Miao Lingzi, who offered a recipe for the Chuluan Longevity Pill. It required the maiden blood from a girl's first menstruation to refine the red lead, believed to replenish male yang with female yin for eternal life. From then on, young girls were extensively selected from the common folk to enter the palace, where their first periods were induced for pill refinement.

Rong Bi was among those chosen for the second imperial selection. However, after news of the first pill refinement spread, the court officials were in an uproar, with countless memorials flooding the palace, all condemning the deceitful heretic for bewitching the emperor and endangering the nation.

Three hundred scholarly students donned white robes, carrying books as they knelt before the palace gates, urging the emperor to reconsider. The Minister of Rites, Elder Liu Zhongping, even committed suicide by banging his head against the Meridian Gate, sending shockwaves throughout the realm.

The legitimate leader of the Daoist orthodoxy, the True Man Zhang Daolings of the Zhengyi Sect, emerged to denounce Mystic Spirit Son's red lead alchemy as an illegitimate and evil practice, misleading the emperor and disgracing the Daoist community. He called for the condemnation of such a heretic by the entire world.

Ultimately, the emperor issued a self-censure edict, and Mystic Spirit Son, fearing punishment, poisoned himself. Palace recruitment of girls under sixteen was subsequently halted. However, the emperor had lost great face in front of the empire's ministers, and from then on, he virtually abandoned his royal duties, immersing himself in metaphysical studies. His sole focus became the pursuit of transcendence through alchemical transformation and longevity, although he ceased refining the so-called Elixir of Longevity. Rumor had it that he was now endeavoring to cultivate an inner elixir instead.

The art of refining the inner elixir is said to involve dual cultivation with a woman, engaging in intimate acts without release, preserving one's vitality and nurturing the spirit. Daily meditation and self-examination are essential...

As for the chosen woman, a virgin is ideal, followed by a devout Taoist nun who also practices the faith. How does one become devout? By drinking dew each morning, meditating and observing within oneself, abstaining from meat and pungent foods, and maintaining bodily purity. A deep understanding of Taoist teachings and principles is crucial.

It's no secret among those who have spent time in the palace that the Emperor has built a Taoist temple within its walls, where he keeps a number of palace maidens trained as nuns for the purpose of dual cultivation.

"The girl's figure, her skin, those dark and luminous eyes – she's pristine, with fair skin. She fits the Emperor's preference for dual cultivation to refine the red lead. It would be perfect for the Crown Prince to take her in, even if he doesn't, she would still be a comptroller in his chambers. Should the day come when the Emperor sets his eyes on her and takes a fancy to her... heh heh, then we'll witness an interesting spectacle."

The trusted lady officials finally understood and praised Palace Matron Zhou. "No wonder Empress Dowager has relied on you so much over the years. Your strategy truly is brilliant."

Palace Matron Zhou smiled with satisfaction.