After Xie Yu had been found guilty, the Capitol Patrol which had previously been under his command was temporarily transferred to Patrol Commander Ouyang Ji, but as Ouyang Ji was only a military official of the fourth grade, he could manage the day-to-day affairs, but the ultimate leadership and power of the Capitol Patrol could certainly not be granted to him. In this matter, the Crown Prince put forward the suggestion that the Capitol Patrol should be returned to the command of the Ministry of War. Of course, Prince Yu vehemently opposed this suggestion, stating that the Ministry of War was a part of the royal court and government, so how could it assume command over the Capitol Patrol? Of course, a suitable replacement must be found, but the Minister of War himself was currently overwhelmed with his own responsibilities and could hardly take on an additional position, and the other officials in the Ministry of War did not have the required qualifications or experience, and would not be much better than Ouyang Ji, and so he suggested appointing an externally-stationed military official of the third grade or above and recalling him to the capital to assume the role.
The Liang Emperor was not nearly as concerned about the Capitol Patrol as he was about his own Imperial Guard, but nonetheless, this was no small matter, as it affected various administrations in the capital, as well as the safety of numerous imperial residences and the balance of power and harmony between them. He was finding it difficult to make a decision amidst the Crown Prince and Prince Yu’s squabbling, and before he knew it, it was the end of the Seventh Month, and a decision had still not been made.
The weather in the Seventh Month was very hot, and the cacophony of the cicadas in the afternoon only worsened the feeling of suffocation. To escape the heat, the Emperor had moved his court for the handling of daily affairs from Wuying Hall to Yixian Hall, the coolest part of the palace, with its trees and thick canopies of leaves hanging over numerous winding little brooks. But because of all the trees, the cicadas were also particularly numerous, and though the younger eunuchs hurried about all day, they could not silence them all.
In his youth, the Emperor could sleep in any place and at any time, undisturbed no matter how great the clamour around him. But in his old age, this pattern had reversed, and now even the slightest noise was enough to startle him awake and into a fury. A few days ago, a young eunuch had accidentally broken a cup and woken the Emperor from his afternoon nap, and as a result had been dragged out and flogged on the spot. And so, from the noon hour onwards, all of the Emperor’s attendants grew visibly more attentive and vigilant, wound tight with nerves.
Today, the Crown Prince and Prince Yu had quarreled in court again, so the Emperor was in a poor mood when he returned to his halls in the first place, and during the noon meal, the cicadas were louder than ever, and everyone could tell the noise was beginning to irritate him. The young eunuchs ran about in terror, desperately beating at cicadas with long bamboo poles, but by the end of the noon meal, there was still a dim but noticeable buzzing in the air.
The Head Eunuch Gao Zhan saw the Emperor’s darkening expression and fear rose in his heart, and he cast about frantically before suddenly remembering something, and hurried forward to say, “Your Majesty, today is the birthday of my lady Consort Jing, will you not go to see her?”
For many years, Consort Jing’s birthday had come and gone without fanfare, and aside from the gifts brought to her from the inner palace out of courtesy and ritual, the day passed like any other, and no one ever thought to remind the Emperor, and even if they had, he would not have expressed any special favour. However, this year, she had just been raised to the rank of Consort, and though she herself was as quiet and unassuming as she had always been, her position had been elevated all the same, and so Gao Zhan’s comment was not out of place.
“Consort Jing’s birthday?” The Emperor’s eyes closed. “Have our gifts been sent over?”
“Yes, Your Majesty, they have been sent.”
The Emperor thought for a moment and then stood. “She has been in the palace for so many years, we should indeed pay her a visit. Prepare one hundred yards of brocade, ten chains of pearl, and ten jade pieces, and bring them over with us.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Gao Zhan knew that this visit meant the Emperor would not be taking his afternoon rest at Yixian Hall, and let out a silent sigh of relief. He bowed and retreated, first to arrange for the relevant preparations to be made, and then to sternly order the young eunuchs to take advantage of this opportunity to thoroughly rid the gardens of all the new cicadas, and then hurriedly returned to the room to help the Emperor change his robes.
After Concubine Jing had been raised to Consort, she had stayed in her Zhiluo Court, although it had been changed now to Zhiluo Palace, and the number of palace maids had been increased and their attire changed in accordance with her new rank. She had always led a simple life, being pure-of-heart and content with whatever she had, and this temperament had not changed with time, so she still passed her days tending to her garden of medicinal flowers and herbs, quietly pruning and tidying until her Zhiluo Palace was exquisite, fresher and cleaner than anywhere else in the palace.
When the Emperor had set out for Zhiluo Palace, he had especially commanded his attendants not to announce his arrival ahead of time. As they neared Zhiluo Palace, he turned into a long corridor adorned with green vines and fragrant blossoms leading off from the main palace road, and his face lightened considerably as he wandered into its depths, Gao Zhan trailing in his wake, the summer heat suddenly seeming to dissipate as they walked slowly down the corridor.
“Look, Concubine Jing is the only one who knows how to keep a proper palace, the air here is clean and pure, and though it is not as cool as it is in Yixian Hall, it brings peace and tranquility to the heart….” The Emperor stopped mid-praise, finding something odd. “But it is a little too quiet today. Is it not Consort Jing’s birthday? Even if there are not many esteemed guests paying their visits, should there not be at least a little laughter and merriment?”
“Perhaps….” Gao Zhan was choosing his words with great care. “Consort Jing has always been quiet, and would not like to host a great feast or banquet, and so even if any esteemed guests came to pay their visits, it is now past the noon hour, and any visitors will have taken their leave, so the manor is returned to its usual quiet.”
“Aren’t you good at finding explanations,” the Emperor shot him a glance. “Do you think we do not know the real reason? Consort Jing is not popular in the palace, we only fear there are not many who even know that it is her birthday today. If this were Consort Yue, the merry-making would last until nightfall, to say nothing of the noon hour.”
“Your Majesty is brilliant and wise as always.” Gao Zhan chortled, continuing, “This is because my lady Consort Yue likes excitement, and so everyone indulges her pleasure.”
The Emperor raised a foot and kicked him gently. “You are so diplomatic, never insulting anyone. So, according to you, those in this palace who like excitement are all very well, and those who do not, like Consort Jing, are also just as well, am I correct?”
“Just so, it is as Your Majesty says.” Gao Zhan bowed further. “We have nearly arrived, perhaps your servant should go on to inform Consort Jing to come and receive Your Majesty?”
“Close your mouth and give us your arm, that will be enough.” The Emperor held out his right arm and let Gao Zhan lead him down the corridor. The eunuchs and serving girls they passed along the way knelt and bowed under Gao Zhan’s subtle gesturing, not daring to utter a word.
Just beyond the main doors of the palace, there was a large embroidered screen made of fine gauze. Behind it, the shadow of a figure could be seen, revealing that Consort Jing was sitting just beyond the screen.
The Emperor was just about to speak and give her a good fright when suddenly, he heard another voice behind the gauze. It was Xiao Jingyan.
The Emperor was surprised at first, but he soon realized that it would be unusual if Jingyan had not come today, and the only reason he himself had not thought he would be here was because of how little attention he usually paid to this mother and son pair, and he couldn’t help the sense of shame and guilt that arose in his chest.
“Mother’s skill truly increases every year, this lily soup is refreshing and invigorating in the heat, perfect for summertime. When your son was far from the capital leading our armies on military campaigns, if our provisions were not sufficient, naturally I had to bear the consequences along with my soldiers, and as we endured through the pain in our bellies, I always thought of Mother’s beautiful dishes as a way of easing the hunger pangs.” Prince Jing’s smile was evident in his voice. “If I were not afraid of causing Mother trouble, I would wish to eat your cooking every day.”
Consort Jing’s voice was warm with affection, and the light clinking sounds seemed to indicate that she was spooning food into her son’s bowl. “I am not afraid of hard work, it is only that you are not free to come and go from the palace as you please, but there is nothing to be done about that. So while you are here, you must eat more to make up for it. Here, I have made golden dumplings and green bean cake, take those with you when you leave.”
“Thank you, Mother.”
“Come, try this fu ling chicken….”
“Ng.”
As he listened to the idle conversation of their little family, the Emperor suddenly felt uncomfortable, and purposefully gave a loud cough. Mother and son startled, and Prince Jing was the first to emerge from behind the screen. As soon as he saw the Emperor, his face drained of colour and he immediately fell the to ground in a bow. Consort Jing, only a few steps behind him, also hurried forward and curtsied deeply, saying, “Your humble wife did not know His Majesty had come to visit, I have failed in my duties as hostess, pray forgive your servant.”
“Rise.” The Emperor put a hand under her elbow and gently lifted her to her feet as he said to Prince Jing, “You may also rise.”
The Emperor had forbidden his attendants to announce his arrival and had come in quietly himself because he had wanted to give Consort Jing a pleasant surprise, but now, though she was certainly surprised, even after Gao Zhan handed over the gifts he had brought specially for her, he did not see much pleasure in her expression. She looked quietly content as she always did when she thanked him in a gentle voice for his favour and generosity. The Emperor turned to look at her son and saw that his expression was similar to his mother’s, and he did not look especially joyful or pleased by the generous favour his mother was receiving.
The Emperor, who was used to being fawned over with enthusiastic gratitude, and used to everyone fighting to gain even the slightest bit of his favour, felt the discomfort in his heart increasing by the moment.
“When did Jingyan arrive?” The Emperor asked, laying back on the soft couch.
“Father, your son arrived just after the noon hour.”
“It is your mother’s birthday, why did you not come earlier to pay your respects?”
Consort Jing answered hurriedly, “It was your humble wife who ordered him to come in the afternoon. In the morning, your servant had gone to greet the Empress and to pay respects to the Grand Empress Dowager, so even if he had come, I would not have had the time to see him.”
“Ng…” The Emperor nodded, and though his expression was indifferent, his tone at least was calm, and when he spoke again, glancing at Prince Jing, they were words of praise. “Recently, Jingyan has done very well in the tasks we have assigned to him, we are very pleased indeed. We keep meaning to reward you, but things have been busy, and we have neglected what was due to you. Now, since your mother is here as well, tell us, what would you like?”
Prince Jing was a bit surprised, and did not know what to say. But the question was before him, and he could not fail to answer, and so he thought quickly and then said, “Father Emperor, your son has only fulfilled his duty in carrying out the imperial orders he was given, and does not dare hope for reward. But I cannot decline my lord’s great favour, and since Father Emperor has seen fit to bestow this great kindness to me, then your son will dare to make his request. Pray Father Emperor, bestow your pardon on a criminal in exile and forced labour in Lingnan.”
“A criminal?” The Emperor was also surprised, and doubt and suspicion rose up involuntarily as he frowned and asked, “What criminal? Another haughty scholar babbling nonsense about this court and its government? You have always been loyal and honest, where did you learn these tricks for gaining fame and winning people’s hearts? Who taught you this?”
In the face of this abrupt fury, Prince Jing did not appear frightened, but knelt and bowed as he answered, “This criminal is only a commoner, obscure and without prospects, it is only that his son in the preliminary round of the imperial examinations forgot to omit the holy name of our divine emperor ancestor, and so committed this great violation, and caused him to be exiled by association….”
The anger in the Emperor’s face dissipated a little. “A lowly nameless commoner, then why would you beg for his pardon?”
“Pray Your Majesty forgive your humble servant for her crimes,” Consort Jing took a step forward. “This person is a rural doctor, and your servant once learned from him in her youth, and spent many years as his student. One month ago, I received word that he had been exiled to Lingnan, and pitied the hardship he must suffer in his old age. And yet, the crime he has been associated with is too great to hope for pardon, and I feared he must die in a foreign land, his lonely soul never to return home, and my heart found it difficult to bear. I told Jingyan about this matter just now, but I never thought he would hold it in his heart……so if His Majesty must cast blame, pray see fit to cast it on your humble wife.”
“So it is like this,” the Emperor finally smiled. “You are soft-hearted indeed. But this is no difficult matter, Jingyan is a prince, so long as you say the word, there must be someone in your manor who will be able to rescue this commoner, why come to beg for his pardon from us? Come, choose another reward.”
Prince Jing’s eyebrows furrowed, and a dim unhappiness rose in his heart before he suppressed it, bowed again, and said, “It is your son’s belief that only Your Majesty has the power to pardon such a great crime. Though your son is a prince, I have no other ideas to resolve this matter. For the sake of soothing my mother’s sorrow, I can only beg for this pardon, pray Your Majesty grant this favour in your great mercy.”
The Emperor looked at him deeply, seeming to understand the unspoken meaning behind his words, and something stirred in his heart as he sighed, “That stubborn, unyielding temper of yours is the same as always. But you will not misuse your power and authority, and have kept yourself pure, and we are comforted to see this. What you wish for, we shall grant, and the imperial edict shall be issued this very day.”
“Your son thanks Your Majesty for his great mercy.”
The Emperor waved a hand for him to rise. He did not usually pay this much attention, but when he looked more carefully today, he suddenly realized that this son of his, standing with upright posture and his stoic, martial air, was looking more pleasing to the eye than he ever had before, and an idea came to him.
“Jingyan, you are experienced in leading armies, we want to hand over control of the Capitol Patrol to you, what do you think?”
Translator’s Notes:
FINALLY. A CHAPTER.
This is going up right away in apology for all the weeks I missed.
You’re getting another chapter this Sunday too, I promise.
(Also, I love Consort Jing and Jingyan so much ❤ ❤ ❤ <3)