Chapter 104

Chapter 104: I Won’t Drink This Tea

Chun Zhi glanced sideways at Wang Yi Yue, who held a tea cup in both hands; her makeup was fine, her skirt was silk, and a brocade cloak lay over her shoulders. Gold hairpins and jade rings filled her hair. One look said she was not a palace attendant or a female official, but a noble lady.

She had not called Chun Zhi “Miss” when she spoke. She opened her mouth and called her “sister,” which was truly strange.

Chun Zhi did not take the tea, but looked at Wang Yi Yue and asked: “Which household’s noble lady are you, and why do you call me sister?”

Empress Wang said: “She is my niece from my natal family, Seventh Lord’s cousin, the Wang Clan’s sixth young lady, Wang Yi Yue.”

Beauty Li hurried to add: “Yi Yue grew up with Seventh Lord. They are as close as brother and sister. Calling you sister is proper.”

Chun Zhi asked: “How is that proper? She is Huo Zheng’s cousin. By the rules, she should call me cousin-in-law. Where is the reason to call me sister?”

Consort De frowned and said: “A merchant’s daughter truly has no manners. You and Seventh Lord are not yet married. Why should Yi Yue call you cousin-in-law?”

Chun Zhi answered, calm and steady: “Huo Zheng and I are already married. Heaven and earth are our witnesses, and we have a marriage contract. We came to the capital to inform you all. For us, this is only to hold a wedding feast.”

“You—” Consort De wanted to keep lecturing, but Empress Wang stopped her with a look.

The match between Chun Zhi and Huo Zheng had been granted by the Emperor himself. If word spread that the Inner Palace consorts made things hard for the future Princess Consort of Chang’an, the Emperor would think they had damaged his face. Empress Wang did not wish to oppose him and could not do so. Even if she disliked Chun Zhi, she could not show it.

So, in front of everyone, Empress Wang put on a kind and proper face and said to Chun Zhi: “You do not know this. Yi Yue and Seventh Lord were childhood sweethearts and were to be the Princess Consort of Chang’an and her husband. Because you saved Seventh Lord’s life, she yielded the Principal Consort’s place and was willing to be Secondary Consort.”

Empress Wang’s words sounded nice, and she continued: “I know you have feeling for Seventh Lord as well. But being a princess consort is not like being a common wife. The first rule is not to be jealous. If you drink Yi Yue’s tea today, you two will be sisters. Later, when you both enter the Prince of Chang’an Manor, one as Principal Consort and one as Secondary Consort, you will serve Seventh Lord together and give him heirs. It will become a fine story.”

Chun Zhi said without hurry: “I won’t drink this tea.”

She feared dealing with nobles, [but since she was already standing here, there was no reason to retreat]. She refused the tea outright. Wang Yi Yue still kept the cup lifted, looked to Empress Wang for help, and called softly: “Aunt.”

Empress Wang had just parted her lips to speak.

Chun Zhi said at once: “Sharing one’s husband may be a fine story in Your Majesty’s eyes, but to me it is a joke.”

Empress Wang was choked silent. What woman wants to share her husband? Yet sitting on the phoenix chair, carried by others, if she could not tolerate people, others would say she was not fit to be Empress, not fit to govern the harem, and not fit to be mother of the realm. When she was young, Empress Wang had also acted foolish and argued with the Emperor. With age and trial, she learned to look past things and to tell herself that as long as the Phoenix Seal was in her hand, she could close one eye to other matters. But seeing Chun Zhi in front of her today, she thought of her younger self for a moment.

Consort De snapped: “Song Chun Zhi, how dare you!”

Chun Zhi said: “Your Majesty is my husband’s Empress Mother, so I will speak plainly: even if I drank this tea today and then turned around and denied it, what of it?”

“You—” Beauty Li faltered, then said: “Do not be too insolent.”

“I am not insolent. I just will not act to amuse Your Highnesses,” Chun Zhi said: “Before we married, I asked Huo Zheng if he was already wed. He said no. Only then did I marry him.”

As soon as Empress Wang heard this, she knew Chun Zhi had already seen through the talk of a prior match between Wang Yi Yue and Huo Zheng. That did make them look like a joke.

Wang Yi Yue wanted to speak but did not know what to say; she passed the cup to a palace attendant, went to Empress Wang’s side, tugged her sleeve, and called: “Aunt!”

“Enough,” Empress Wang pulled her sleeve back, already a little annoyed with Wang Yi Yue. If Wang Yi Yue had been able to win Huo Zheng’s heart, why would the Empress need to say these things to a merchant’s daughter?

Feeling wronged, Wang Yi Yue stood aside.

Empress Wang looked Chun Zhi over and said: “So you refuse to accept another woman?”

Chun Zhi answered in her usual tone: “It is not that I refuse. It is that those Huo Zheng does not like cannot come near him. Even if I agreed, it still could not be. Since I do not agree, it is even less possible.”

Empress Wang let out a tight laugh. She also knew Chun Zhi spoke truth. Huo Zheng’s nature was like that. He had kept away from women for years. If this trip to Nanzhou had not broken his restraint, she had worried he might become a monk. If Wang Yi Yue could ever enter his eyes, she would have done so already. Empress Wang and the Wang Clan were simply unwilling to give up.

“Since you would not drink Yi Yue’s tea,” Empress Wang said, “then you will offer tea to me.”

She gave a female official a look. The official at once told a palace attendant to bring a freshly brewed cup and hand it to Chun Zhi.

Consort De said from the side: “With your station, to serve tea to the Empress is a blessing from a past life.”

The palace attendant came with the tray. Steam curled from the cup. It was clearly scalding. Holding the tray kept her hands safe. If Chun Zhi took the cup with her bare hands, she could not bear the heat.

So Chun Zhi did not pick up the cup. She reached to take the whole tray. The palace attendant used all her strength and would not let go. Chun Zhi loosened her hold. The attendant fell to the floor, and the cup crashed down with her.

Porcelain shattered to pieces. Hot tea splashed, steam rising in threads.

Consort De, sitting nearby, had her skirt spattered. She stood at once and said: “What is wrong with you? So clumsy!”

Beauty Li also rose and said: “Breaking cups in front of the Empress, what manners are these?”

Empress Wang had wanted to press down Chun Zhi’s pride. She had not thought Chun Zhi would end with a broken cup. Her mask of gentle dignity nearly slipped.

Wang Yi Yue said: “Miss Song, if you did not wish to offer tea to the Empress, say so. Why do this? Do you know what punishment this little palace attendant will suffer from this fall?”

Chun Zhi said: “Miss Wang is so kind. Why not mention that this little palace attendant refused to give me the cup?”

“How could that be?” Wang Yi Yue said: “Who saw it?”

The hall belonged to Empress Wang. No one stepped out to speak for Chun Zhi. One after another, they kept silent.

Empress Wang had just opened her mouth when a palace attendant announced from outside: “Prince Chang’an has arrived!”

Before the words had finished, Huo Zheng strode in.