The Job of an Imperial Concubine

Chapter 24: The Empress Dowager (太后)

“Why is Master helping Imperial Concubine Wang?” asked Tingzhu, carefully helping Zhuang Laoyan massage her shoulders. “This slave feels that even though Virtuous Imperial Concubine Jiang and Imperial Concubine Wang do not have many enemies, they cannot be considered good allies.”

“Currently, these two can only help themselves. How could they help me? I just didn’t want to accrue more enemies.” Zhuang Laoyan leaned against her chair in a lazy manner. As if she had no bones in her body. “Today, the emperor saw me and Virtuous Imperial Concubine Jiang together. In fact, she could be considered to have given me good advice. In the imperial harem, one could lack anything except sympathy.” Not to mention, today Virtuous Imperial Concubine Jiang had purposely mentioned Imperial Concubine Wang’s illness. Perhaps she had hoped Zhuang Laoyan would give her a hand. 

Tingzhu immediately understood. However, when she remembered Virtuous Imperial Concubine Jiang advising her master not place her heart in the emperor’s hands, her heart suddenly trembled. For she also recalled that two months ago, among the peach blossoms, the words her master had said. She did not know what to say.

After lifting her head once more, she saw that her master had already closed her eyes. Tingzhu stopped what she was doing. Gestured to the palace maid fanning her master from the back to fan more lightly. Then she rose to her feet and left without a sound.

“Is Master asleep?” Yunxi carried a bowl of pickled plum ice soup and saw Tingzhu exit the room. Then she glanced inside. In a soft voice, she said, “I’ll place this soup in the ice basin.”

“Master had eaten an ice bowl not too long ago. So to place this pickled plum soup there and not have master eat it this instant will be good too.” Tingzhu checked the sky for the time. Wiped away the beads of sweat on her forehead. “This year’s weather cannot be considered hot. During the hottest day last year, the emperor, empress dowager, empress, and the more favored imperial concubines left for the summer villa.”  

“Last year indeed was sweltering.” Yunxi recalled that one year ago, the Zhuang estate had prepared to send her master into the palace. Now, her master was already a lesser third-rank chongyi. The days had passed so quickly.

“Tingzhu, Yunxi, the people from the Department of the Palace¹ asked if our master had enough ice. If not, they will immediately send some,” said Fubao after he ran over, sweat clinging to his head.

“Her Highness is napping at the moment. There’s still ice available for now. Tell them to send some once noon has passed.” Tingzhu thought for a moment, before saying, “Don’t forget to reward those servants.”

“Understood,” said Fubao, nodding. “I will let them know.”

Night arrived late during the summer. Zhuang Laoyan wore a muslin dress, enjoying the breeze sitting by the window. But after a while, she realized there was a strange light in the northwest direction. She drew her brows together. Then loud noises came from the outside. It seemed something big had occurred. 

“Master,” said Yunxi as she rushed into the room. Yet her face was free of fright. “The northwestern Ruiqing Palace has caught fire.”

“Ruiqing Palace?” The name of this residence sounded extremely important. However, there shouldn’t have been an imperial concubine living there. After a quick thought, she asked, “Who lives there?”

“It’s the resting palace of the abandoned consort, Miss Wei. The abandoned Consort Wei and her son Prince Gou² had been placed in house arrest there.” Tingzhu’s expression was darker than Yunxi’s. She had worked in the imperial palace longer than her, and naturally learned of some of its shameful secrets.  

“Prince Gou?” Once Zhuang Laoyan had heard this title, she understood that the previous emperor really hated this abandoned Consort Wei.

“Find out if the other imperial concubines went to visit them.” Zhuang Laoyan muttered to herself, “This has nothing to do with me. It’s better if I don’t know too much of it.”

After watching Tingzhu and Yunxi leave the room, Zhuang Laoyan turned to watch the fire at the northwest corner. She didn’t know whether this was a wrong impression, but she had the inkling this fire was not an accident. 

Not long after, Tingzhu and Yunxi returned. Their footsteps were a bit quicker than before. “Master, apart from the emperor and empress, the other masters arrived at Ruiqing Palace. Previously, this slave saw Anqing Palace’s Noble Consort Shu ride her sedan in a rush to Ruiqing Palace. Word has it that even Her Majesty, the empress dowager, had gone over.”

“Then we should also take a look.” Zhuang Laoyan rose to her feet and put on a set of formal robes. She had her hair arranged in a simple design and off she went.

As she sat on the swaying sedan, Zhuang Laoyan recalled the rumors of the past. Abandoned Consort Wei had been the most favored in the imperial harem once. In fact, she had the then-emperor in the palm of her hands. Even the then-empress had to yield to her. But in the end, the previous emperor found out that she had been colluding with her paternal family to make the Second Imperial Prince the crown prince. After that, the previous emperor fell into a rage and bestowed her three feet of white silk. Even the Second Imperial Prince had been given the title of Prince Gou, and put on house arrest in the abandoned Consort Wei’s residence. The angered-to-the-point-of-throwing-up-blood previous emperor then survived for a few more months while throwing up some more blood. Then the crown prince at the time ascended the throne, known as Emperor Chengxuan. And Prince Gou never stepped foot outside Ruiqing Palace again.

As she approached Ruiqing Palace, Zhuang Laoyan noticed many eunuchs and palace maids trying to quench the flames. The fire had already been contained. The emperor and a group of people stood far away. Because it was nighttime, she could not see clearly the emperor’s expression.

Although there was a distance between them, Zhuang Laoyan disembarked her sedan in a well-behaved manner. She used Tingzhu’s hand for support and approached the other honored persons. As she came closer, she noticed by the emperor’s side a dignified woman. She appeared in forties. Zhuang Laoyan knelt and performed the full ceremony of greeting courteously. “This concubine greets Your Majesties, the emperor, the empress dowager, and the empress.”

The empress dowager looked at the proper-looking Zhuang Laoyan. She turned to the empress and said, “Is this one of the imperial concubines that entered this year? This grieving one³ has not seen her before.”

“Reporting to Imperial Mother, Chongyi Zhao has in fact entered the palace this year,” replied the empress courteously. Her current manner was completely different from what she had displayed in front of the imperial concubines.

The empress dowager nodded. It did not seem like she disliked her. “Which family’s daughter is she?”

“Reporting to Imperial Mother, Chongyi Zhao is from Sir Zhuang’s household.”

The empress dowager nodded once more. Then she allowed Zhuang Laoyan to rise. “Come closer to let this grieving one take a look.”

Zhuang Laoyan slightly lowered her head as she approached with a straight posture. Then, when she was two steps from the empress dowager, she curtsied.

“Mm. Looks like this is a good girl.” The empress dowager thought for a moment then suddenly said, “This grieving one remembers that two years ago, the Zhuang family had another girl enter the palace. Could it be that this grieving one had remembered incorrectly?”

“Imperial Mother did not remember incorrectly.” The empress fanned the empress dowager lightly. “Jieyu Zhuang is Sir Zhuang’s illegitimate daughter. Chongyi Zhao is his legitimate daughter.”

After the empress dowager heard this, she gifted Zhuang Laoyan a jade bracelet. It seemed she preferred those born of the legitimate line.

Although Jieyu Zhuang, who was surrounded by the other imperial concubines, felt awkward, she needed to seem like she wasn’t bothered by it. Perhaps apart from herself, no one would know that her heart was full of resentment.

From start to finish Feng Jin had not said a word. Only when Zhuang Laoyan received the reward and retreated into the crowd of imperial concubines did he glance at her. Then he watched as the servants put out the fire in Ruiqing Palace, his expression one of calm.

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Once midnight came around, the fire had finally been extinguished. Feng Jin looked at the captain of the Yulin Guards⁴ before him. He softly asked, “How is Prince Gou?” 

“This humble official was useless. His Highness, Prince Gou inhaled too much smoke and has already… left the world.” The captain of the Yulin Guards knelt on the floor and dared not look at the emperor’s face.

“We will take a look at that Second Brother.” Feng Jin rose to his feet and made for Ruiqing Palace.

In the past, this residence had been bustling and beautiful. But because no one had been taking care of it for a while or came to it often, today’s large fire quickly spread. Gao Dezhong looked at the ashes and dirty water littering the ground. Went forward to support the emperor.

Feng Jin shook off Gao Dezhong’s hand. He reached Prince Gao’s corpse in long strides. He saw the somewhat sorry state of Prince Gao. Although his body was dirtied with ashes and other filthy things and his expression was one of terror, his identity was still recognizable.

Prince Gou did not inherit abandoned Consort Wei’s comely appearance. In fact, his looks were quite average. Back then, he had been flippant and impudent in the imperial harem. He even embarrassed Feng Jin in front of the servants. Later on, when he was put under house arrest, Prince Gou still yelled and screamed at others. Now, he had been reduced to such a sorry state.

Seeing the emperor calmly looking at a corpse, everyone dared not breathe too loudly. Looked like they also knew a bit about what had happened in the past.

“Announce Our intention: although Prince Gou had not been upright before his death, arrogant and despotic, thinking that he has already passed on, We will appoint him as Marquis Wanhu and bury him with the rites of a marquis. His title will be changed to Li.” Feng Jin looked at Ruiqing Palace, then turned around and made large strides away.

In the imperial edict, it clearly said that this person’s usual actions were dishonorable, arrogant, and domineering, and even gave him the posthumous title of Li, meaning ceremonious. It really gave off a satirizing impression. The captain of the Yulin Guards glanced at Prince Li’s corpse. Then he told his subordinates to quickly clear up the area, before turning around and following Feng Jin out.

Once the imperial concubines saw the emperor return, they performed the full ceremony of greeting in a shy and charming way. Feng Jin did not have the patience to listen to these women say these irrelevant and useless words. He waved his hand to tell them to leave.

The empress dowager gazed at the desolate Ruiqing Palace. She took her time saying, “Since this Ruiqing Palace has caught fire, once its rebuild it should have a different name.”

Although Feng Jin was respectful toward the empress dowager, he would never let her influence his decision. After hearing her words, he said, “Imperial Mother need not worry. We know what to do.”

The empress dowager nodded. She wanted to say something else, but seeing his impassive face, she only used the empress’ hand as support and left in the end.

Feng Jin watched the empress dowager and her procession’s back figure. He slowly said, “Return.”

After midnight, Zhuang Laoyan sat in her sedan and yawned. So when Noble Imperial Concubine Yan’s sedan came next to hers, she did not realize it.

“Is Younger Sister Zhao tired?” Noble Imperial Concubine Yan’s words held a deeper meaning. “Younger Sister is truly a person with no worries.”

Zhuang Laoyan turned her head and saw Noble Imperial Concubine Yan. Her expression was neutral as she said, “What does Elder Sister’s words imply? You and I are both imperial concubines of the imperial harem. Everything else will be dealt with by the emperor, empress dowager, and empress. So why should Younger Sister be worried?”

Noble Imperial Concubine Yan wanted to talk about the fire in Ruiqing Palace and Prince Gou’s death, but when she recalled Prince Gou’s past, she held her tongue. Then she switched the topic of conversation. “Younger Sister misunderstood. Elder Sister is merely worried that tonight’s events frightened Younger Sister.”

“Thanking Elder Sister for the concern.” Zhuang Laoyan lightly smiled. “May Elder Sister quell your worries.”

Noble Imperial Concubine Yan forced a smile. “Of course.” It was at that moment that they reached a fork in the road. She took a different path than Zhuang Laoyan.

Not too far behind the two of them, Noble Consort Shu and Xiuyi Su’s sedans quietly moved under the cover of night. Watching as the sedans of Noble Imperial Concubine Yan and Chongyi Zhao separated, Xiuyi Su said, “Elder Sister, looks like Noble Imperial Concubine Yan could not receive benefits from Chongyi Zhao.”

Noble Consort Shu glanced at the front. Then, from her lips came a smile of ridicule. “She still thinks she’s in her most favored period.”

Xiuyi Su also looked at what was before them, before glancing at Noble Consort Shu. She did not say any more.

That Ruiqing Palace caught fire, was it by accident or human hands?

The next day, the emperor ordered for there to be an investigation held. However, everyone knew that whether there was an investigation or not would not matter. This Prince Li existed as a thorn in the emperor’s heart.  Although this thorn had not threatened him prior, now that it was removed, his heart was more at ease.

None of the officials would openly disagree with the emperor’s actions. Whatever the emperor said would be the truth. It had nothing to do with court matters. The emperor’s family had too many shameful secrets. If they pried too much, did they still want to keep their heads?

When it came to the women in the imperial harem, Prince Li or Prince Gou had nothing to do with them. The only thing that changed was that the empress dowager, who had prayed in seclusion for a year, had finally opened her doors. What else had changed in the imperial harem?

Furthermore, would the miscarried Shurong Ye and the demoted Ronghua Ye stick close to the empress dowager to climb back up? No matter how it’s put, the two sisters of the Ye family were the empress dowager’s nieces. The other imperial concubines could not compare to this kind of relationship.

Zhuang Laoyan did not think as hard as the other imperial concubines. In her opinion, that the empress dowager had a familial relationship with some of the imperial concubines did not matter. The important thing was what the emperor thought.

According to television dramas and history, if these imperial concubines were the emperor’s cousins, there were two ways things could go. If their families did not have real power, the emperor’s mother did not give him trouble, and these imperial concubines knew to be well-behaved, they could still have a peaceful life in the harem. But if their families had real power, the emperor’s mother asserted her will in everything, and these imperial concubines were arrogant, they could have a moment of glory, but their outcome would not be good.

For this reason, it didn’t matter which scenario these two sisters from the Ye family fell under. In Zhuang Laoyan’s opinion, they weren’t anything to worry about. Unless the position of empress was open.

As Zhuang Laoyan drank her pickled plum ice soup happily, the empress’ gifts arrived.

Zhuang Laoyan looked at the bolts of silk and jade medallions on the table. She lightly smiled. How could the empress dowager be actually rewarding the imperial concubines? One would fear she was merely telling those women that empress dowager was coming out of seclusion, and that they should all be well-behaved.

The author has something to say:

Originally, this was supposed to be 3,000 characters. But in the end, I wrote more than that. That’s why this was a bit late ~~(@^_^@)~

There may not be an update tomorrow, but the day after that will have at least 3 chapters. You guys know the reason~

Translator’s notes:

That empress dowager smells of trouble. And LOL at that title Prince “Gou.” The emperor must have really hated his guts. Who do you think caused the fire? My guess? The emperor.

This is the last free chapter from JJWXC, so if you’d like to support the author by buying the raws, now’s a good time. Click here for the guide on how to do that.