Chapter 2
byChapter 2
Xu Duanyi was unaware of Cao Da's arrival; she was still busy in the kitchen.
Holding the day's menu handed to her by the supervising palace servant, Xu Duanyi reviewed it while discussing slowly, "My aunt has been a bit overheated these past two days, so we should skip the lamb stew to avoid aggravating her dryness. Let's replace it with a light fish soup."
"Also, prepare a dish of crispy taro, as my aunt enjoys it. Remember to drizzle it with the newly made osmanthus sauce from this autumn."
The supervising palace servant had no choice but to comply.
She immediately agreed.
The supervising palace servant felt relieved and flattered Xu Duanyi, "We're lucky you're here, otherwise, if we sent these dishes over, we might have upset Empress Dowager again."
Xu Duanyi smiled.
"You've done well enough," she said, handing the lacquered red menu back.
The supervising palace servant hurriedly bowed and reached out to take it.
"Then I will instruct the staff to prepare as you've directed," she added, "The kitchen is heavy with grease and smoke, Princess. You should return to Empress Dowager's side soon, so you don't carry the smell of grease and smoke. If Empress Dowager finds out, she would be heartbroken."
Xu Duanyi nodded and stood up to leave.
The supervising palace servant bowed and personally escorted her out.
Having served Empress Dowager for many years, in the palace, who wouldn't respect her? Even meeting the new emperor wouldn't make her so deferential.
But Princess Jiashun was different.
If it weren't for the demise of Crown Prince Wenzhao, the one ruling the harem now would be Princess Jiashun.
Everyone in the palace had a keen eye.
They naturally had to flatter those whom their master valued.
Since the demise of Crown Prince Wenzhao, the only one who truly understood Empress Dowager's heart was Princess Jiashun.
Moreover, in the entire empire, only this noble lady could persuade Empress Dowager, so the palace servants held this princess in high regard, hoping that in the future, they could ask for her help in pleading for mercy.
"The roads are slippery in the snow, Princess. Please be very careful."
"Maybe I should call for a sedan chair to avoid you walking back and getting your shoes and socks wet."
"No need, it's just a few steps," Xu Duanyi gently declined.
Hearing this, the supervising palace servant did not insist further.
Bixi was waiting outside.
She held Xu Duanyi's white fox fur coat.
Previously soaked by the snow, she had just warmed it by the stove next door. Seeing Xu Duanyi come out, Bixi hurried forward to carefully help her into it and handed over the hand warmer wrapped in Shu brocade to prevent her from catching a cold.
The supervising palace servant saw her and respectfully called out, "Miss Bixi."
Bixi nodded to her and smiled, returning the greeting, "Aunt Fang."
Xu Duanyi had two personal maids, Bixi and Shiyu, both of whom had entered the palace with her since childhood, sharing a unique bond.
Knowing that Xu Duanyi held them in high regard, the people in the palace naturally showed them much more respect.
Then, Bixi helped Xu Duanyi out of the small kitchen.
The snow continued to fall softly.
Bixi stood by Xu Duanyi's side, holding an umbrella for her.
Xu Duanyi motioned for her to step closer to avoid getting soaked by the heavy snow.
Bixi smiled and agreed.
The two walked side by side, close together.
They had just stepped out of the small kitchen.
Seeing that there was no one else around, Bixi reported the news she had received earlier to Xu Duanyi: "My Lady, Eunuch Cao has arrived."
Xu Duanyi frowned. "What brings him here on such a cold day?"
"I heard it's about the marriage of the young lady and Prince Nan'an, but..." Before she could finish, a voice suddenly came from ahead: "Your Highness."
At the sound of the voice, Bixi immediately clamped her mouth shut.
Xu Duanyi also looked up through the umbrella.
Not far away, Cao Da, wrapped in a gray squirrel fur cloak and holding a warming brazier, was being escorted by a young eunuch holding an umbrella, walking towards them from a distance.
On such a cold snowy day.
The young eunuch beside him was almost covered in snow, but Cao Da himself remained pristine, untouched by the snow.
This grand eunuch, a seasoned veteran of the inner court, now nearing fifty, had only a few strands of gray hair left.
He wore a smile on his face, looking very amiable.
But Xu Duanyi knew better than to think of him as amiable; anyone familiar with his reputation would feel the same.
"Eunuch Cao."
Xu Duanyi also greeted him politely.
Cao Da walked over with a smile and spoke to Xu Duanyi: "I didn't see Your Highness earlier, and thought I wouldn't be able to greet you today. On such a cold day, where has Your Highness been?"
Xu Duanyi replied: "My aunt hasn't had much appetite lately, so I went to the small kitchen to check today's menu."
Upon hearing this, Cao Da sighed: "No wonder the Empress Dowager loves you so much, like the apple of her eye."
"But Your Highness need not worry, the matter troubling Her Majesty will soon be resolved." As Cao Da said this, he kept smiling at Xu Duanyi.
This smile made Xu Duanyi feel inexplicably uncomfortable.
She did not wish to engage in further conversation with Cao Da and was about to bid farewell when Cao Da said with a smile: "It all depends on whether Your Highness is willing to help."
"Help?"
Xu Duanyi looked at Cao Da again, frowning slightly, and asked in confusion: "What does Eunuch Cao mean by this?"
Cao Da smiled and said: "Her Majesty is concerned about the marriage of young Prince Nan'an and originally wanted to select a fitting and eligible young lady from the noble families in the capital. But now, there are very few who are of the right age, unmarried, and whose background matches that of young Prince Nan'an. So I recommended Your Highness to Her Majesty..."
"What?" Bixi couldn't help but widen her eyes and speak out upon hearing this.
Cao Da, however, did not look at her, but continued to smile at Xu Duanyi: "Your Highness is of marriageable age and of noble birth. It would be most fitting for you to marry the young Prince Nan'an."
"If Your Highness agrees, the court officials and the Prince Nan'an's mansion will no longer blame the Duke Protector's family for the potential annulment of the engagement. Indeed, they might even commend the Empress Dowager."
"At that time, the court officials will have nothing to say, and the Empress Dowager's concerns will be alleviated, and she will no longer be troubled by headaches or anger."
Cao Da said no more.
Without waiting for Xu Duanyi's response, he prepared to leave.
"I have many matters to attend to, so I must take my leave now."
After saying this, he simply nodded to Xu Duanyi without a bow, and left with the little eunuch.
"Mistress, what should we do?"
As soon as Cao Da left, Bixi, seeing that he was out of sight, anxiously spoke up: "Will the Empress Dowager truly arrange your marriage to the young Prince Nan'an?"
Unlike Bixi's anxiety.
Xu Duanyi, after a brief moment of distraction, quickly regained her composure.
Seeing Bixi's anxious face, Xu Duanyi even had the mood to joke with her.
"Didn't you want me to marry Prince Nan'an before?"
"Mistress!"
Bixi exclaimed anxiously: "I did think about it, but didn't I regret it immediately? The young Prince Nan'an is not what he used to be. If you really marry him, how will you endure the grievances he might bring you in the future?"
"No, you must not accept this marriage!"
Thinking of the young Prince Nan'an's numerous romantic entanglements and his endless reputation for being a playboy outside the palace, Bixi felt a headache coming on.
Her head was spinning.
Bixi murmured: "Fortunately, the Empress Dowager loves you, she definitely can't bear to marry you off, definitely can't bear it..."
Xu Duanyi did not speak.
No one knew about the fleeting moment of temptation she had just experienced.
"Let's go back first," she said.
...
Outside.
The little eunuch followed Cao Da.
The freezing cold and the snowstorm were painful against the skin.
But the little eunuch dared not tilt the umbrella towards himself, only daring to stand in the snowstorm, holding the umbrella high with all his might, serving the old master beside him.
"Old master, do you think the Empress Dowager will agree?"
After leaving Shoukang Palace, the little eunuch helped Cao Da into the sedan chair and then walked beside him, asking questions.
Cao Da sat steadily in the sedan chair, sheltered from the wind and snow, and upon hearing this, he merely sneered lightly, "Even if she disagrees, our Princess Jiashun wouldn't want her dear aunt to continue suffering like this."
"Besides—"
Cao Da chuckled, "Our Empress Dowager is as clear as a mirror in her heart. She is even more afraid than I am of the resurgence of Prince Nan'an's mansion."
"I think the young Prince Nan'an isn't putting on an act. You haven't seen his current state; there's no trace of his former spirited self."
"The only thing going for him is his face."
"Last time when I went out of the palace to deliver a decree and ran into him, oh my, the smell of alcohol on him was so strong... I could smell it from a distance and it made me frown."
The little eunuch said with a look of disgust.
It seemed as if the smell of alcohol still lingered at the tip of his nose, and he wished he could fan it away with his hand.
"Actually, if I may say, why did you go and tick off the Empress Dowager today, old master? Princess Jiashun is the apple of the Empress Dowager's eye. Even if you really wanted to probe the situation of Prince Nan'an's mansion, as the Empress Dowager said, why not just bestow some gifts and arrange a few obedient women to go over?"
"After all, the young Prince Nan'an is just a drunkard in fancy clothes."
The little eunuch thought of the scene where Empress Dowager Zhaoyu was so angry that she threw a cup, and he still felt a bit shaken.
Cao Da held a hand warmer, closed his eyes, and sneered, "What do you know?"
Of course, I didn't get it and quickly asked, "Venerable ancestor, please enlighten me?"
Cao Da snorted, "Our Empress Dowager has been calling the shots for years now, and she's gotten a bit too big for her boots. She's forgotten the promises she once made with our family."
"I did this, firstly, to remind our Empress Dowager that I'm her ally, not some servant she can boss around and abuse."
"Secondly..."
The little eunuch waited for the rest of the words but did not hear them, so he couldn't help but ask, "Secondly what?"
Cao Da suddenly opened his eyes and chuckled, "Isn't Xu Pingyi the one who hates us servants the most? I want to show him, and everyone else, that even we servants can decide who lives and who dies."
"When he badmouthed me to the late emperor, did he ever think that one day the future of his precious daughter would be decided by me?"
The little eunuch finally understood why the venerable ancestor insisted on marrying Princess Jiashun to Prince Nan'an, and at that moment, how could he dare to say anything more?
He hurriedly flattered and fawned over him outside.
"Who does Marquis Wu'an think he is? Even the emperor has to kiss up to you, old master."
The snow fell heavier.
Cao Da sat back in the sedan chair, feeling pretty pleased with himself.
On the other side, Xu Duanyi first returned to her own palace to change her clothes before heading to the main hall.
She did not let anyone follow.
She grabbed an umbrella and headed for the main hall on her own.
Bixi watched her retreating figure with a furrowed brow.
Shiyu, who was shelling pine nuts beside her, couldn't help but ask curiously, "What are you doing? Your face is as sour as a lemon."
Bixi turned to look at Shiyu.
She saw Shiyu's big, dark eyes staring at her with confusion.
She scolded her with a "dummy" and then went off to do some needlework by herself, annoyed.
Shiyu tilted her head, her dark eyes filled with confusion.
But she was always straightforward. Seeing that Bixi wouldn't say, she just shrugged and continued shelling pine nuts.
She divided them into piles: one for herself, one for her mistress, another for herself, and one for Bixi. Giggling, she was thoroughly enjoying shelling the pine nuts.
Bixi caught a glimpse of Shiyu's actions out of the corner of her eye and felt even more exasperated. Finally, she turned her face away, deciding that out of sight was out of mind.
After all, this matter was up to the mistress.
If the mistress didn't want to marry, no one could force her.
Similarly, if the mistress wanted to marry, no amount of persuasion would be useful.
She sighed and decided not to think about it anymore.
"Why did Your Highness arrive with an umbrella by yourself?" The palace servants at the entrance of the main hall were startled to see Xu Duanyi arriving with an umbrella. They rushed out, brushing the snow off her fox fur coat with a handkerchief, took the umbrella, and personally escorted her inside.
Xu Duanyi smiled gently, "It's just a few steps, I didn't want to trouble anyone to come with me."
After entering the corridor, she glanced inside and, not seeing her aunt, asked, "Has my aunt not rested yet?"
The palace servant, who was folding the umbrella, shook her head and said, "Not yet, Eunuch Cao just left." She then lowered her voice and reminded Xu Duanyi, "The Empress Dowager was very angry just now and even threw a teacup."
Xu Duanyi guessed why her aunt was angry and nodded, "I'll go in and see."
After saying that, she went straight to the inner hall.
In the inner hall, the nearly fifty-year-old Empress Dowager Zhaoyu was reclining on the purple sandalwood and jade-inlaid chrysanthemum throne by the window, her eyes closed.
Her brows were tightly knit, and her lips were slightly pursed.
Clearly, she was in a state of suppressed impatience.
Aunt Danfeng, who had always been by her side, was standing behind her, gently massaging her temples.
Seeing Xu Duanyi enter, Aunt Danfeng was about to greet her, but Xu Duanyi raised her hand to stop her.
Xu Duanyi glanced at her aunt, who, even with her eyes closed, still had a deeply furrowed brow and a look of irritation.
She walked over quietly and took Aunt Danfeng's place.
Aunt Danfeng went to pour tea for Xu Duanyi.
Xu Duanyi took over and continued to massage her aunt's temples.
Empress Dowager Zhaoyu opened her eyes and immediately saw Xu Duanyi behind her. She said, "I thought the touch felt different."
After saying that, she sat up and refused to let Xu Duanyi continue the massage.
She took Xu Duanyi's hand, urging her to sit beside her, and held it tightly to warm her, reluctant to let go. "Danfeng told me early this morning that you had gone to the small kitchen. What were you doing there on such a cold day? You must be freezing."
Xu Duanyi did not refuse, smiling as she sat down beside her.
"Staying indoors all day, and since the snow wasn't heavy this morning, I just took a casual walk," Xu Duanyi said with a gentle and charming voice. "I had the small kitchen make you some Crispy Yellow Solitude, specifically instructing them to add more osmanthus sauce."
At this, Empress Dowager Zhaoyu's face finally showed a hint of a smile.
Danfeng, having finished pouring the tea, chimed in with a smile, "Your Highness always knows the Empress Dowager's heart best. With this Crispy Yellow Solitude, the Empress Dowager will surely eat more at lunch today."
Empress Dowager Zhaoyu, holding Xu Duanyi's hand, also smiled and said, "Zhaozhao understands me best."
Zhaozhao was Xu Duanyi's pet name, given by her mother before she passed away.
Zhaozhao, meaning bright, was a wish for Xu Duanyi's life to be bright and smooth.
But her life was far from smooth.
She lost her mother at six, was betrothed to her cousin, Prince Wen Zhao, at ten, a match envied by many, but by eleven, Prince Wen Zhao, disfavored by the late emperor, had died of depression.
Xu Duanyi's life, seemingly glorious, was also full of hardships.
Therefore, at her coming-of-age ceremony, Empress Dowager Zhaoyu specially chose the title "Jia Shun" for her, hoping to alleviate the hardships of her life.
The two sat and talked.
Empress Dowager Zhaoyu asked about lunch but never mentioned what Cao Da had said to Xu Duanyi.
She had never thought to discuss this matter with Xu Duanyi.
She had already instructed the staff at Shoukang Palace not to mention this matter to Xu Duanyi.
But she did not expect that Xu Duanyi already knew.
"Auntie, I ran into Cao Da on my way back earlier," Xu Duanyi suddenly spoke up.
Empress Dowager Zhaoyu's smile immediately faded. She frowned and looked up, seeing Xu Duanyi's face, she knew that she already knew.
Anger flashed across her face.
Empress Dowager Zhaoyu scolded angrily, "That despicable eunuch!"
"You don't have to worry, I will never let you suffer. My Zhaozhao, how could she marry such a wastrel?"
She always held Zhaozhao in a special place in her heart.
Even though she was wary of Prince Nan'an's mansion and the border troops of Jizhou, she would never sell her own niece!
Zhaozhao meant something different to her.
Besides the companionship of more than ten years, she was the only bloodline left by her sister in this world.
She had depended on her sister for survival.
Her sister had even been humiliated and violated to protect her.
At that time, she vowed to protect her sister's health and glory for a lifetime, to give her the best things in the world.
Later, when her sister was gone, she took Zhaozhao to her side, personally cared for her, raised her like her own daughter, and even betrothed her to Qi'er, hoping Qi'er could protect her for a lifetime.
It's a pity that Qi'er was not destined for a long life and left too soon.
After Qi'er's passing, she and Zhaozhao leaned on each other for support.
Now, the only one who can melt her heart is Zhaozhao.
How could she let her marry such a good-for-nothing?
Cao Da is a scoundrel.
She knew exactly why he wanted Zhaozhao to marry Xie Qingya.
As she was about to comfort Zhaozhao, Xu Duanyi firmly took Empress Dowager Zhaoyu's hand and spoke first, "Aunt, please, let me marry."
"I want to marry."