Chapter 194
Chapter 194: Entering the Palace to See the Empress Dowager
This morning, Tang Mo was responsible for escorting the Grand Matron and Xin An to the palace gate, so he had specially taken leave.
He knew Xin An liked to sleep a bit longer; earlier she had even said she would get up every morning to supervise his martial training, yet she had actually managed it only twice; [but not today].
He urged her: “Wash up, and you still have to go to Chun Rong Hall to fetch Grandmother; if you don’t get up now, you’ll be late.”
After speaking, he called in Chun Yang and Chun Lv, who had been waiting outside, to help her dress. Only then did Xin An climb out of bed with a yawn, her steps still floating. Fortunately, once she had washed her face, she was entirely awake and even looked rather spirited.
Seeing that she ate only one piece of mung bean cake and drank merely half a cup of water, Tang Mo asked: “Really not eating any more?” He asked Chun Yang to bring along two pieces of pastry for the road, then coaxed: “Have another half piece. There are many rules in the palace; you won’t sit well or eat your fill. If anything delays you, you might not return until the afternoon, and won’t you be so hungry your head spins?”
Entering the palace to offer morning greetings looks glorious, but in truth it is pure ordeal, especially if there is a bestowal of food; the taste might as well be wax.
Xin An declined: “No more. Going without food for one day won’t do anything to me; if Grandmother can endure it, how could I not?”
Tang Mo did not continue to persuade her. Seeing the time was about right, he rose, and together they set out with their attendants.
When they reached Chun Rong Courtyard, the sky was just growing light. The Grand Matron had just had some refreshments. She was richly dressed today, wearing a robe made from the piece of dark purple fabric Xin An had given her earlier; it suited her complexion very well. Unexpectedly, Tang Rong was also there. Tang Mo greeted him, saying: “Elder Brother, your health already looks much improved.”
Tang Rong answered with a smile: “Almost fully recovered. I’m returning to the Ministry of Rites to resume duty today.”
He asked: “Second Brother, are you sending Grandmother and your wife into the palace?”
Tang Mo replied: “Only as far as the palace gate.”
The two brothers maintained the surface courtesies. Xin An stepped forward with a smile: “Grandmother, you look truly regal today.”
The Grand Matron replied with a pleased glance: “It’s also because your fabric is good.” Satisfied with how properly Xin An was dressed, she nodded and said: “It’s getting late; let’s go.”
At daybreak they arrived at the palace gate, handed over their entry tokens, and waited outside. They waited two sticks of incense before a palace attendant came to invite them in. As they were about to enter, Tang Mo held Xin An’s hand and repeatedly reminded her to speak less and not wander about; he was even more nervous than Xin An.
Xin An laughed: “Are you afraid I’ll be beaten to death after one trip into the palace or something?” Then she comforted him: “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine,” and, in a voice only the two of them could hear, added: “It’s not my first time; I’m rather familiar with the routes inside.”
Only then did Tang Mo remember that she had experience; [right, she was experienced—yesterday’s half day of practicing rules at home had misled him]. He still said, low-voiced: “One must be cautious.”
Xin An smiled and turned away. Only after she had passed through the palace gate did Tang Mo mount his horse and leave.
Inside the gate, a eunuch attendant had a soft sedan prepared, but only for the Grand Matron. Xin An walked behind the sedan. They walked nearly two sticks of incense before reaching a side hall; even then, they had not yet reached the main gate of Fengwu Palace.
The Empress Dowager was receiving morning greetings from the consorts of the various palaces and from the princes, so the grandmother and granddaughter had to wait.
Auntie Cui Ping was an old acquaintance within the palace. Before leaving the house this morning, Xin An had given her some broken silver for tipping, and the palace attendants were indeed polite. Tea and refreshments were provided throughout the wait, but Xin An merely lifted the cup to moisten her lips and did not dare drink.
They waited for more than half a shichen; when the Empress Dowager finally summoned them, it was nearly midday.
A gentlewoman by the Empress Dowager’s side welcomed them and explained the delay: “Old Madam, please mind your step. Her Ladyship the Empress Dowager remembered you were to come today and specially set aside some time. This morning, when the consorts paid their respects and the Empress Dowager learned the Second Prince’s Consort is with child, she was delighted and spoke a while longer with Consort Jin.”
The Grand Matron’s face lit with joy as she said: “That is a great blessing. Consort Jin is fortunate, and the Empress Dowager’s good fortune is profound.”
Consort Jin was the Second Prince’s birth mother. The Second Prince and the Crown Prince had not been at peace these past few days, and this pregnancy of the Second Prince’s Consort could be said to have come at a most timely moment.
Perhaps because the imperial clan was about to add to its numbers, the Empress Dowager was in quite a good mood. After they entered the hall, Xin An quickly swept a glance over and saw the Empress Dowager smiling as she sipped tea.
The Grand Matron bowed and said: “This old woman pays her respects to the Empress Dowager.”
Xin An performed a deep salutation: “Xin of the Marquis Wei Yuan residence pays her respects to the Empress Dowager.”
The Empress Dowager spoke: “Old Madam, no need for excessive ceremony; sit and speak.”
After thanking her, the Grand Matron moved aside and sat. Xin An remained neatly kneeling, her hands crossed and braced on the floor before her brow. The Empress Dowager asked unhurriedly: “Xin? The Second Young Madam who entered the marquis’s household a few months ago?”
Only then did Xin An lift her head and, still kneeling, reply: “In answer to the Empress Dowager, I am she.”
The Empress Dowager said: “Rise and speak.”
Xin An said: “Thank you, Empress Dowager,” then stood with eyes lowered, motionless, allowing the Empress Dowager to look her over.
The Empress Dowager instructed: “Raise your head.”
Though she raised her head, Xin An did not lift her eyes to meet the Empress Dowager’s. She was very compliant. At last the Empress Dowager nodded in satisfaction and asked: “You say your father is a salt merchant?”
Xin An answered softly: “Yes. My father has been engaged in the salt trade for more than twenty years.”
The Empress Dowager asked: “Before marriage, what did you do at home?”
Xin An replied: “I taught my younger brother his lessons, helped my father balance the accounts, and assisted my mother in managing the household.”
The Empress Dowager gave a small sound of acknowledgment, then said: “You ought to have been the Heir Apparent’s wife, yet by a twist of fate you became the Second Young Madam. Do you feel wronged?”
Xin An performed a respectful half-bow: “I dare not conceal it from the Empress Dowager. When the matter first occurred, I felt endlessly aggrieved. Fortunately, Grandmother is broad-hearted, and my mother-in-law comforted me; the second young master and I shared the same misfortune, and gradually I thought it through. I took it as Heaven’s decree, that the second young master and I were a match from a former life.”
The Empress Dowager looked toward the Grand Matron with a cheerful air and said: “A transparent girl.”
The Grand Matron also smiled and said: “This girl understands propriety, knows when to advance and retreat, and has a pleasing temperament; otherwise I would not have dared bring her before the Empress Dowager.”
“It is the blessing of my second grandson,” the Empress Dowager said.
The Grand Matron’s gaze returned to Xin An: “Her features are fine, and she looks blessed.”
Xin An offered another respectful salute: “Thank you for the Empress Dowager’s praise.”
The Empress Dowager said: “Sit at the side.”
Xin An answered: “Yes,” and sat next to the Grand Matron, [emptying her mind], a faint smile on her face, her body slightly turned toward the Empress Dowager.
The Grand Matron began with a smile: “It has been some days since I last saw the Empress Dowager. May I ask how Your Ladyship has been these days?”
The Empress Dowager could guess why the Grand Matron had sent in a card to request an audience, but since the Grand Matron did not mention it, the Empress Dowager would not be the first to bring it up. She replied with a smile: “At our age there are always a few ailments. It is the Old Madam who looks well.”
The Grand Matron glanced sideways at Xin An, then said to the Empress Dowager: “With a new granddaughter-in-law in our household, I have someone to keep this old lady company when I am idle. My heart is lighter and my complexion better. Just now I heard the Second Prince’s Consort is with child; in terms of blessings, no one in the capital can compare with Your Ladyship.”
At this, the Empress Dowager naturally felt pleased. The two old ladies traded compliments and polite chatter, circling round and round until they came to the matter of Tao Yi Ran. The Grand Matron said: “She is someone with no opinions of her own, yet with a bold streak. She ran to the Moon Inviting Banquet and stirred up so much trouble; she truly should not have.”
…
Before the Empress Dowager, the Grand Matron did not shield Tao Yi Ran: “She caused a mess and then hid herself away at her parents’ home. It is an unfortunate disgrace for the household, letting Your Ladyship see a joke.”
The Empress Dowager knew the matter from the outer court, and she also knew that Tao Yi Ran had been living at her natal home these past few days. She reflected that, since the Grand Matron had sent in a card on the very day the incident occurred, she must harbor resentment toward the Crown Princess. Tao Yi Ran had indeed been improper, but had the Crown Princess not taken her there and asked her to play the zither, then no matter how eager Tao Yi Ran was to make mischief, she would have had no opportunity.
The Empress Dowager asked: “She is still at her parents’ home?”
The Grand Matron said that Old Madam Tao was gravely ill, and since Tao Yi Ran had been brought up by Old Madam Tao, she ought to fulfill her filial duty at such a time: “The big and small affairs of the household are being managed by my daughter-in-law and this granddaughter-in-law, so she has no worries behind her.”
With these words, the Empress Dowager understood everything. They had dealt only with Tao Yi Ran and had not mentioned the Crown Princess by even half a word. It seemed they had said nothing, but in truth they had said everything.
The wronged party had been sent back to her natal home; if the instigator, the Crown Princess, remained untouched, it would inevitably hurt this Old Madam’s heart. Though the marquisate no longer commanded troops, many veteran generals in the Imperial Court still remembered Old Marquis Tang. No doubt some people were watching this matter.
The Empress Dowager said: “It seems this one also has a filial heart, and she is fortunate to have married into a tolerant household. The Old Madam’s love for her juniors is their blessing.”
She added: “Right and wrong will be settled in due course; do not take it to heart.”
The Grand Matron nodded with smiling eyes, then praised Xin An again and again, saying that gaining such a granddaughter-in-law was also a happy thing: “She does not find this old woman dull; she comes every day to dine and admire the flowers with me, thinking up all sorts of ways to make me laugh, a little bringer of joy.”
The Empress Dowager’s gaze fell upon Xin An once more. Following the Grand Matron’s words, she praised Xin An a few more times and bestowed rewards on the spot. The Grand Matron smiled all the more happily.
As they talked, it became noon. The Empress Dowager kept them for a meal, and of course the Grand Matron could not refuse. They had not yet taken their seats when the Emperor arrived. The Grand Matron stood, waiting to receive him, and Xin An had to perform another full court salute.
The Emperor had come especially because he had heard the Grand Matron was there and wished to see her. His words were kindly, and he recalled with feeling the Old Marquis’s heroic bearing on the battlefield.
He said: “I have heard from Liao Zhi that your second grandson is training with the Northern Garrison Army and is very diligent. Given time, he will surely achieve something.”
Flattered and overwhelmed, the Grand Matron demurred at length. Then the conversation turned to Xin An.
The Emperor lifted his eyes to look at Xin An and, without preamble, said: “Your father is not bad.”
Xin An grew very tense, not knowing what the Emperor meant. [What did “not bad” mean, and in what regard?]
The Emperor asked: “I have heard your father intends to shift from the salt trade to sugar?”
Xin An hurriedly performed a respectful salute, surprised at the reach of the Emperor’s information network; [Madam Xu and the Second Prince’s Consort already knew, so it was no wonder the Emperor knew as well]. She answered: “In reply to Your Majesty: Huai River country produces lake salt. With the opening of the northwestern salt route, lake salt from the northwest has begun to be transported outward. That lake salt not only has an extremely large output and a purer taste, its price is also slightly lower, so the Huai River salt merchants have all taken a blow. My father, with no other choice, has begun seeking a new line of business.”
The Emperor nodded: “Going with the trend is a good thing. If your father can find as much sugar as there is salt, the Xin family will have no worries in the future.”
Xin An had no time to ponder the deeper meaning of this remark, but it was, after all, a favorable statement. She said promptly: “For the long-term sake of the clan, as long as the sugar trade yields profit, my father will certainly find a way to secure sources of sugar and ship in large quantities.”
“Mm,” the Emperor assented, lifting his eyes to look at her. [He thought: for Tang Rong to cast aside uncut jade and pick up fish eyes was truly crippling his own prospects.] He then said: “Since the Empress Mother has kept a meal, let us dine together.”
Dining with the Empress Dowager was already uncomfortable enough, and now the Emperor was added. Across two lifetimes, this was Xin An’s first time sharing a table with the Emperor, and she felt a bit dizzy. Fortunately, there were palace attendants to portion the dishes; otherwise she might have eaten no more than ten grains of rice.
Even so, she could not taste a thing.
After the meal, the Grand Matron sensibly asked to take her leave. The Empress Dowager did not press them to stay; she gave a few more rewards and ordered attendants to see them out of the palace, while she herself would discuss the matter further with the Emperor.
On the way out of the palace, the Grand Matron again rode in the soft sedan while Xin An walked. Once beyond the palace gates, Xin An could not help letting out a long breath, then helped the Grand Matron into the carriage.
The Grand Matron laughed: “It’s hard on you to remain so steady at such a young age. Are you tired?”
The Grand Matron was very satisfied with Xin An’s performance today. She had originally thought Xin An’s background was not high, her years were still few, and it was her first time in the palace; there would surely be shortcomings. The result far exceeded expectations: she did not push herself forward, she held steady, her bearing was appropriate, and her adherence to rules was flawless.
Xin An said: “Not very tired. Thankfully Auntie Cui Ping instructed me carefully yesterday and guided me again today. I’m even a bit excited right now; I never imagined I would get to meet the Emperor.”
The Grand Matron was very pleased with Cui Ping as well: “You are also clever; otherwise last-minute cramming would not have produced such results.”
That the Xin family now had its name known before the Emperor was beyond Xin An’s expectations.
Taking the Grand Matron’s hand, Xin An said with a smile: “Most of all I must thank Grandmother. Grandmother has taken such pains for me; I do not even know how to repay you. After thinking it over, I can only come to Grandmother’s courtyard to freeload more meals in the future.”
Whatever the Grand Matron had been like in the past, she was indeed good to Xin An; today she had praised her vigorously before the Empress Dowager.
The Grand Matron chuckled and patted her hand: “You are a clever one and should know that Grandmother holds expectations for you.”
She did not say what expectations, but Xin An nodded.
The carriage soon reached the marquis’s residence. Xin An accompanied the Grand Matron back to Chun Rong Hall, then returned to Qiu Shi Courtyard. As soon as she entered the room, she could not wait to pour herself water; only after drinking did she feel better.
Seeing her like that, Auntie Wang quickly ordered someone to bring her a bowl of bird’s nest. Reclining on the beauty couch, Xin An let out a sound of relief and said: “Aunt, you don’t know; today was exhausting.”
If it had only been walking those distances for pleasure or going half a day without eating, it would have been nothing. But today she had been tense the whole time, especially when the Empress Dowager and the Grand Matron were speaking. Her backside barely touched the edge of the stool; she had to keep her back straight and listen with full attention, afraid the very next sentence would be about her.
There was tea and there were pastries, but she did not dare drink or eat. Even during the meal she was nervous, afraid she would do something wrong, yet still needing to appear calm and unruffled. It was most trying.
Auntie Wang set down the bird’s nest and said: “Tiring it is, but not everyone has the chance for this kind of tiredness. With this experience, you will be much more at ease next time. Come, eat more.”
Xin An sat up: “Aunt is right.” Such an opportunity, if given to her father, he would surely feel that even going parched would be worth it.
She added: “Send a bowl to Auntie Cui Ping as well.”
Auntie Wang replied: “It has already been sent, and the Grand Matron has also received hers.”
Auntie Wang always handled matters thoroughly.
As Xin An ate the bird’s nest and thought back on the day, she sighed once more, [the things she had sought in vain in her previous life had come so easily in this one]. She said: “Aunt, at noon today I actually shared a table with the Emperor and the Empress Dowager.”
“Although I was so nervous I could not taste the dishes at all, they must have been incomparably delicious.”