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Chapter 12
So, is this a case of "choking even when drinking cold water"?
While it was true that mixing up the ceremonial ribbons (Caihui) for a full set of auspicious robes was something that absolutely should not have happened, it had nothing to do with the person responsible only for transporting them.
Yi xing originally thought she had grown indifferent to their constant attempts to trip her up, but when the disaster actually landed on her head, she couldn't help but cry out at the injustice.
"Mistress Shan, if I said these robes weren't prepared by me, would you believe me?" She intended to speak reasonably and calmly. "You and I entered the palace in the same selection batch; if there are regulations you don't know, I couldn't possibly know them either. Besides, in the Bureau of Ceremonies (Shangyi Bureau), I’m just a menial errand-runner; I never get to touch the ceremonial robes of the mistresses with even a finger. You saw it yourself—the lacquer tray was covered with a red cloth. How could I have peered at what was underneath? I know you’re angry, but you must direct that anger toward the right place so that those who intentionally tried to trap you don't hide their faces and laugh in secret."
If these words were spoken to anyone else, they might have listened. But who was this? It was the "embroidered pillow" Shan Changzai. Like a red-eyed fighting cock, she had locked onto her target with the tenacity of a maggot on a bone. Perhaps because she was too lazy to use her brain, and because it wasn't wise to make enemies just after entering the palace, she made up her mind to use Yi xing as her scapegoat.
"Don't give me that load of flowery nonsense." In her agitation, Shan Changzai even let a bit of street slang slip. "You want to use me as your shield? Intentionally trapping me was just the surface—the person they really want to deal with is you! Since someone finds you eyesore, why shouldn't I just push the boat along the current and fulfill that favor? Anyway, you’re like a piece of tofu now—anyone can take a bite out of you. One more from me won't make a difference."
Just like that, Yixing’s persuasion failed. She was eventually sent back before Wu Shangyi, and the senior auntie brought back Shan Changzai’s message: "punish her severely."
Wu Shangyi looked at her with a gaze tinged with a hint of pity. "How have you caused trouble again? I don't even know what to say to you."
To cry out for justice before someone who is intentionally making life difficult for you is a pure waste of breath; therefore, Yixing didn't utter a single word of defense.
Yin Zhu, who had returned with her, wanted to fight against the unfairness. "Aren't you all clearly bullying her? The full sets of robes for the Palace of Eternal Spring (Changchun Gong) weren't organized by us; they were already prepared and handed to us..."
Wu Shangyi’s gaze swept sideways. "You still have the face to talk back? The ribbons for Kang Pin and Shan Changzai were switched; logically, you two are a pair of 'unlucky brothers.' Kang Pin has just risen to the rank of Pin and doesn't want to punish people at this time. Do you truly think you’ve stayed out of it? If you keep shouting, you can go with her to the Anle Tang (Hall of Peace and Joy) alleyway. I’d like to see how long your mouth stays tough."
This was the sentence passed on Yi xing. The Anle Tang alleyway was a courtyard located behind the Pavilion of Flower-like Excellence (Yinghua Dian), spanning the Golden Water River. If you searched the defense maps of the Forbidden City, you couldn't even find a precise label for it. But everyone serving in the palace knew of such a place; located in the northwest corner of the Imperial City, it was the place where old and sick palace servants were settled. One recovered in the Anle Tang, and one was cremated in the Jingle Tang (Hall of Pure Joy). It could be said to be the final destination of a palace servant's career.
Hearing this, Yin Zhu’s face was filled with disbelief. "Wu Shangyi, she is a member of the Shang family! Her ancestors produced three Grand Empresses Dowager!"
"That is all in the past. If the Grand Empresses Dowager knew their descendants were this incompetent, they would likely be heartbroken as well." Her words made the crowd of onlookers burst into laughter.
Yixing had endured repeatedly, but at this point, she could no longer hold back. She looked up and said, "Isn't the Bureau of Ceremonies in charge of education and etiquette? How is it that you, Wu Shangyi, are the first to speak so recklessly? You dare to make jokes about the Grand Empresses Dowager of previous reigns—does the current Emperor know of your conduct? And as for descendants... it just so happens that the Emperor is also a descendant of Grand Empress Dowager Chunmin. You haven't just mocked me; you've disparaged even the Emperor. If I could only file an Imperial Complaint, I would make your whole family lose their heads!"
The girl who usually remained silent had suddenly struck back, leaving everyone who heard her stunned.
Wu Shangyi had indeed gotten carried away and let those words slip. If someone truly took it seriously, it would be enough to cause her significant trouble.
At the end of the day, the Shang family were still imperial relatives. While the Empress of this generation had fallen, the Empresses of the past were still enshrined in the Hall of Ancestral Worship. Wu Shangyi knew she had misspoken and felt a flicker of fear in her heart, but she couldn't afford to lose face in front of her subordinates, so she forced herself to cover it up with more talk.
"You’re quite good at dragging others into this; someone who didn't know better would truly be fooled by you. Enough idle talk—starting today, you are punished to serve at the Anle Tang. As for when you return, that depends on your own luck." As Wu Shangyi spoke, she looked at Yin Zhu. "The friendship between you two is quite deep. How about it—do you want to go along as well?"
Yi xing naturally could not drag Yin Zhu down with her. Before Yin Zhu could speak, she snatched the conversation away.
"Yin Zhu was on duty for Kang Pin Niangniang today. Kang Pin didn't punish her. Just because she cried out on my behalf, you would punish her to the Anle Tang? Wu Shangyi, that’s a bit of an abuse of power. One person does the deed, one person pays the price; I won't involve anyone else. If you want me to go to the Anle Tang, I’ll go..." As she spoke, she turned around. Though her legs were trembling, she intended to walk out with great strides.
Once she left, the stone in Wu Shangyi’s chest finally fell. After all, she was the one who had managed the third selection; she knew exactly how deep Yi xing’s roots were.
In this inner palace, an overly outstanding woman would never be buried forever. If she ever gained power one day, Wu Shangyi feared she wouldn't be able to sit peacefully in her position anymore.
Fortunately, she had been dealt with and exiled to that godforsaken place. Wu Shangyi let out a slow, long breath.
However, the breath was only half-exhaled when she suddenly saw Yi Xing turn back.
The entire courtyard stared at her strangely, wondering what she was up to, only to see her awkwardly scratch the back of her head. "I still have things I haven't packed..."
She entered the Tatan (dormitory) first, and Yin Zhu followed right behind. Though Yin Zhu was fuming with indignation, she was helpless.
"Auntie, I think I should go with you." As she spoke, she began packing her own small belongings.
Yixing pressed her hand down and said it wasn't necessary. "I know about the Anle Tang; it's not a good place. You stay in the Bureau of Ceremonies and pull some strings for me later; then I might have a day when I can return. If we both go in there, that truly cuts off all paths."
Yin Zhu was anxious. "That place is full of people with heavy illnesses. If you catch something by accident, it could cost you your life! Don't you know that?"
Yixing smiled. "If you knew it cost lives, why were you going to go?" She comforted her with kind words. "My fate is very tough; it’s not that easy for me to die. If I stay in the Bureau of Ceremonies, Wu Shangyi and the others will just keep tormenting me. It's better to go to the Anle Tang to hide from the storm and have a few days of peace."
Yin Zhu sighed. "Then you aren't planning to become an Imperial Noble Consort anymore?"
Yixing gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Before I become Imperial Noble Consort, I have to be alive."
Perhaps the place on earth closest to death was the safest place of all.
Yin Zhu felt the future was dim and hopeless, but Yi xing’s mind was very open. She dreamed of meeting a half-dead "big figure" in the Anle Tang; through her wholehearted care, the big figure would recover and promote her all the way to the Emperor's presence.
One must destroy to build anew. For Yi xing, being able to avoid Wu Shangyi for a while was a good thing. Thus, she quickly packed her things, slung her small bundle over her shoulder, and headed straight for the northwest corner of the palace without looking back.
There is no place in the palace with bad Feng Shui, and that includes the Anle Tang.
Following the Golden Water River, there were lush trees along the way. Because it was close to the water, the flowers and grass grew exceptionally thick and vibrant. Rows of large locust trees screened a courtyard that couldn't be called regular. From the outside, it also featured red walls and golden tiles, echoing the towering corner towers in a complementary way.
Yixing followed the small path. Just as she reached the door, she met a eunuch seeing a court physician out. The physician was instructing: "It will likely be in these few days. Prepare early; if things look wrong, send them out."
The eunuch nodded repeatedly. "Then according to you, there is absolutely no way left?"
The physician shot him a glance. "If there were a way, would I have told you to prepare?"
"Aye, aye..." The eunuch saw him outside the threshold and performed a shallow bow. "I won't see you further. Safe travels."
Once he had bid the physician farewell, he turned and saw Yixing. He didn't ask anything else, just sized her up. "New arrival?"
Yixing quickly said yes. "I’ve just arrived for duty here and don't know the rules. Please guide me, Anda."
The eunuch waved his hand. "Since you’ve been exiled here, what's there to talk about 'guidance.' My name is Gao Yang, the manager here. Follow me; I’ll show you the place."
Gao Yang took her through every spot. "In this little corner of ours, we have seven rooms in total, arranged separately as east and west wings—that's to prevent those with weak constitutions from catching illnesses. Look at this big courtyard, how spacious! I'm not boasting, but you can search the whole Forbidden City and you won't find a place more leisurely than ours. To tell you the truth, if someone isn't dying of an illness, they aren't sent to us. So, most of the rooms are empty; we don't even get one person in a month. But if a seasonal plague hits, that’s a different story—we treat those who can be treated, and those who can't are sent to the Jingle Tang... at first, you young girls might be scared, but after a while, you realize it's just how it is. Who doesn't have such a day?"
Yi xing had expected the Anle Tang to be full of corpses and inevitably have a foul smell, but after a tour, there were only two people on the sickbeds. The corridors and rooms were filled with the scent of medicine, and it wasn't nearly as terrifying as she had imagined.
There weren't many people on duty here either. Besides Gao Yang, there was a young eunuch and two nannies. There was no point in scheming in the most hopeless of places, so for Yixing, this Anle Tang was actually a place of true peace and joy.
Life and death are but a blink; of course, it was only after arriving here that she witnessed it.
There was a little palace maid, about fourteen or fifteen years old, small and thin, who had been sent here because she couldn't catch her breath. The earlier physician had come to see her, but the more medicine she took, the worse her condition became. In the evening, she opened her eyes and saw Yi xing, calling her "Sister." By the time of the Xuzheng watch (around 8:00 PM), she passed away without leaving a single word of instruction.
Yixing was a kind-hearted soul; she shed a few tears because of that one word, "Sister."
Nanny Gu said it was a pity. "This Xiao Juan-zi lost her parents and was raised by her aunt and uncle on charity. Now that she’s gone, how could her family care for her? In the future, when she’s burned into a handful of ash, she’ll be a lonely ghost with no master."
Hearing this, Yi xing pitied her even more.
The people from Jingle Tang came. With rough hands and feet, they wrapped her in white cloth, one carrying the head and one the feet, and moved her out. Yixing watched blankly as they walked away. Xiao Juan’s large braid hung down, brushing against the carrying eunuch's shoes, but no one cared about such things anymore.
Her family would not claim her, let alone worship her. Yi xing thought about it; the Anle Tang enshrined the Bodhisattva of Medicine (Yaowang Pusa), and there were incense and candles available, even paper money ready at hand. Normally, random burning was not allowed in the palace, but the Anle Tang was a place where "the mountains are high and the Emperor is far away"—whatever one did wouldn't catch anyone's eye.
Thus, she plucked up her courage, made a bundle out of rice paper, and waited until the palaces were locked and no one was moving about. She went to the base of a locust tree by the Golden Water River, dug a small pit, and lit a stack of funerary paper money.
The small flames lit up her face. She pressed her palms together and bowed. "Xiao Juan, I’m sending you some travel money." Then she murmured a prayer, "Be careful when you go out, it's not like when you were at home; when you turn over in the fire, even the Buddhas cannot know."
To call it "grief" wouldn't be accurate, but she felt a sigh for the passing of a young life.
Yi xing watched the fire carefully, taking gold-leaf paper one by one and placing it down. She thought it wasn't much noise and wouldn't attract anyone, but out of the corner of her eye, a pair of black soap-soled boots suddenly appeared.
The owner of those boots had a pleasant voice, as clear and cold as a blade's edge or cold dew, and he dropped a sentence without any regard for sentiment—
"Burning bundles in the palace is a crime punishable by death. Are you tired of living?"
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