Chapter Six
\u201cThe prince consort was caned to death for treason back then, and my daughter once raised the same doubts,\u201d Taiping added softly. \u201cI simply don’t want anyone to be branded a traitor and die unjustly in prison.\u201d
Those who had just relaxed straightened again.
Three years ago, Prince Consort Xue Shao was caned to death in prison for treason; his second son had only just turned a month old. The Ming Palace had many taboos, and this was one of them \u2014 who would have thought that Princess Taiping would speak of it herself.
The Emperor didn’t speak, or perhaps he didn’t want to respond.
\u201cIf your daughter held a grudge against the Wu family, she wouldn’t have married Wu Youji,\u201d Taiping continued. \u201cAs for the crown prince’s position, Taiping doesn’t believe there is much room for dispute. This time a hundred people submitted a memorial petitioning to make Wu Chengsi the Crown Prince; next time there will surely be a thousand, ten thousand. But is the office of Crown Prince something decided by a mere petition? The so-called Crown Prince must first be the imperial heir, and \u2018imperial heir,\u2019 as the name implies, is the emperor’s own descendant.\u201d
Taiping spoke with courtesy and propriety, without a single flaw.
No matter how noble Duke of Zhou Wu Chengsi was, he remained the Emperor’s nephew, not his offspring.
I sat completely still, listening to the mother and daughter spar, unable to move. I glanced instinctively at Yongtai, only to see her chewing on half a jade dew cake, grinning and winking at me.
Li Chengqi sat beside her leisurely holding a cup of wine; his face, lit by the palace lanterns, was crystalline as jade, serene like an orchid.
The Emperor sighed softly and said nothing.
Because of that conversation, the Emperor never brought up granting marriages again, and the princesses and duchesses present privately breathed a sigh of relief.
Wan’er was right: the Li and Wu families were both on shaky ground, and even if she stayed by his side every day, it was hard to read the Emperor’s mind. Precisely because of that, the Emperor always used marriage grants as leverage.
There were countless arranged unions\u2014 even the most favored Taiping Princess was married off to the obscure Wu Youji. All the more so for those who held the title of princess but, because their fathers had been imprisoned, had no solid footing.
After the banquet, the Emperor kept Taiping behind to talk.
When everyone took their leave, she suddenly remembered something and asked Li Chengqi,
\u201cWhy didn’t Longji come today?\u201d
Li Chengqi replied,
\u201cA few days ago I went to Qujiang. I didn\u2019t take a carriage or bring any attendants, and halfway there I was caught in a heavy rain and got completely soaked. I\u2019ve been resting in bed these past few days. I was afraid of passing my illness on to the Empress Dowager and my aunts, so I didn\u2019t dare show myself today.\u201d
The Emperor nodded, asking with concern,
\u201cIt\u2019s nothing serious, right?\u201d
Li Chengqi smiled and answered,
\u201cIt\u2019s nothing serious. He says he\u2019ll come to the palace tomorrow to apologize to the Empress Dowager.\u201d
\u201cGood, tell the Empress Dowager to expect him tomorrow,\u201d she smiled, then added, \u201cTomorrow is the day the princes from the Wu clan pay obeisance. Have him enter the palace around the noon hour; it will be a good chance for him to see the princes.\u201d
When I heard the Wu family being granted an audience, I focused and listened closely.
Li Longji is Li Chengqi’s third younger brother\u2014could my uncle’s words have been about him? But how would he have known Li Longji would enter the palace tomorrow, and why would he tell me?
The more I thought, the deeper I sank into the fog, unable to find a single clue.
The Emperor continued,
\u201cWan’er just said Zhaoqing Palace has been mostly prepared. You should return to the palace in half a month; that way the Grand Empress Dowager won’t have to wait for festivals and New Years to see you.\u201d
Several princes bowed and accepted the imperial decree.
It was only when I stepped out of the hall that I noticed water stains still clinging to the carved stone at Li’s Gate\u2014after days of heavy rain, the downpour had finally stopped.
At the palace gate, the maidservants were scrubbing the jade steps; when they saw us emerge they hurried to the sides and bowed.
Yiping, who had been waiting, spotted me from a distance and was about to step forward when a small hand clutched mine.
Yongtai pouted at my side and coaxed,
\u201cIt’s rained these past few days and I’ve been cooped up in the palace. Now that it’s stopped, Sister, come with me to walk around Taiye Pond.\u201d
I froze for a moment, puzzled by her cheerfulness.
\u201cThe path is all puddles\u2014what about tomorrow?\u201d
Yongtai pushed out her lips and said,
\u201cOh no. If I want to see Brother Chengqi again, I’ll have to wait half a month.\u201d
So she wanted to invite Prince Yongping to come along.
I couldn’t help but mutter to myself\u2014this little girl is always so well treated by her, and when it comes to moments like this she knows just how to bully me.
Everyone else at the banquet dared not eat much; I’d gone the whole day without food, and after only two bites my thoughts were thrown into turmoil by the matter with the Crown Prince.
I was just thinking of going back to have Yiping prepare something to fill my stomach, and she wants me to accompany her to the Taiye Pool?
Seeing my hesitation, Yongtai immediately made a decision and ordered her palace maid,
\u201cHave the women from Princess Yong’an’s residence return first.\u201d
The maid bowed quickly and left, running to Yiping’s side to whisper a few words.
Yiping watched me from afar; I helplessly nodded, signaling for her to return to the palace first.
By then Yongtai had released my hand and flung herself toward Li Chengqi as he was stepping out of the hall, acting coy as she said,
\u201cBrother Chengqi.\u201d
Li Chengqi looked down at her and asked in a flat tone,
\u201cWhy aren’t you going back yet?\u201d
Yongtai twitched her nose, glanced at me, and said,
\u201cSister Yong’an wants to go to the Taiye Pool\u2014Brother Chengqi, would you be willing to accompany us?\u201d
Li Chengqi, having heard her, looked up at me.
I cursed silently, but didn’t know how to respond to Yongtai. If I said it was my idea, fine \u2014 if not… looking at the look of absolute certainty on Yongtai’s face, I knew she had it in the bag today.
Yongtai kept signaling to me with her eyes, but it was Li Chengqi who nodded first and said to Li Chengyi behind him,
\u201cSince the princess is willing, the two of us will take a walk around Taiye Pond.\u201d
Li Chengyi smiled and nodded.
\u201cWe’ll follow Big Brother’s arrangements.\u201d
After he spoke, he gave me a slight nod. I hurriedly returned the salute, saying,
\u201cThank you, Prince Yong’an and Prince Hengyang, for accompanying me.\u201d
\ud83d\udcd8 The complete novel is available for download in PDF via the link below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n